Don Byron
About
Don Byron
Don Byron plays Junior Walker“Calling Don Byron a jazz musician is like calling the Pacific wet—it just doesn’t begin to describe it…Byron has carpentered an extraordinary career precisely by obliterating the very idea of category.”—Time magazine
Bronx-born Don Byron is a singular voice in a dizzying array of musical contexts, exploring widely divergent traditions while continually pursuing what he calls “a sound above genre.” As a clarinetist and saxophonist, composer, and arranger he redefines every style of music he plays, be it classical, salsa, hip hop, funk, klezmer, or any jazz style from swing and bop to cutting-edge improvisation. Byron’s latest project/recording is dedicated to the music of soul legend Junior Walker. “Junior Walker was an important part of ‘soul music’ as a movement,” Byron says. “Along with guys like King Curtis and Eddie Harris, he was successful at creating an instrumental improvisational style out of the gospel/blues techniques that were transforming popular singing. I managed to see him play once at a bar in Boston and thought I had never heard a better sound on an instrument.” Byron has reveled in interpreting the music of a diverse range of artists including Duke Ellington, Igor Stravinsky, Mickey Katz, Sly Stone, and Herb Alpert. Adding Junior Walker to his repertoire underscores his position as one of the most open-minded and adventurous musicians today. With Dean Bowman vocals, David Gilmore guitar, George Colligan Hammond B-3, Brad Jones bass, Rodney Holmes drums.
Past Events
28
Jun
2007
19:30
The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
Band Photos
Current Lineup
