RIP Donald Byrd

[BillST4s]

Donald Byrd died last week on my birthday. I met him in Sacramento around 1974 while I was a health inspector with the Sacramento County Health Dept. Byrd was touring with a group of his students from Howard University. One of my professional colleagues was a high school classmate of Byrd's from New York City and got us backstage after their performance at Sacramento City College.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...d73d4a-721a-11e2-8b8d-e0b59a1b8e2a_story.html

Here is Donald Byrd with Stan Getz, one of my favorite saxophone players, live in Germany in 1957.

Here is his signature song, "Black Byrd".