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Did you know that the first LPs in the short history of the Transition label were the first sessions as leader for three of the greatest performers of modern jazz? We are talking about Donald Byrd's “Byrd Jazz,” Cecil Taylor's “Jazz Advance” and Sun Ra's “Jazz By Sun Ra Vol. 1” (Transition TRLP 10). Tom Wilson, founder of Transition, had to close the label after only two years of operation (1955–1957). He went on to produce pop and rock artists such as Frank Zappa, Simon and Garfunkel, The Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan, to name but a few. Fortunately, most of the recordings he produced for Transition – including unreleased material – were later acquired by other labels or the musicians themselves, and some of them were given a second chance to be heard. “Byrd Jazz” is an album highly sought after by collectors, fetching top prices at record fairs and markets, and thanks to Sam Records, it is finally available again - and in amazing sound quality!
“Byrd Jazz” was recorded live in Detroit on August 23, 1955. The LP by Transition perfectly captured the dynamics of the Detroit jazz scene at the time, featuring young local talents such as tenor saxophonist Yusef Lateef, pianist Barry Harris and Bernard McKinney on euphonium. The “Mondrianesque” cover of “Byrd Jazz” definitely contributed to its legendary status. For the reissue of “Byrd Jazz,” Sam Records commissioned SST (Schallplatten Schneid Technik) to produce the lacquer cuts. St François Lê Xuân (Studio 101) is responsible for the lovingly crafted remastering based on the original tapes, demonstrating just how outstanding stereophonic mono recordings can sound. The LP, pressed on 180-gram vinyl by Pallas Schallplattenfabrik, is strictly limited to 1,000 copies and comes with a 14-page booklet including the original notes by producer Tom Wilson and an essay by Brian Priestley. The faithful reproduction of the original record cover was produced by Pozzoli in Italy.
Sam Records is a non-profit, independent jazz label based in Paris, France, founded in 2011 by Fred Thomas. The label is dedicated to reissuing jazz records recorded and produced in France in the 1950s and 1960s. All record covers are recreated using the original photos, paintings, and/or drawings.
Side A
1. Parisian Thoroughfare
2. Yusef
3. Shaw ‘Nuff
Side B
1. Blues
2. Torsion Level
3. Woody ‘n You
4. Dancing In The Dark