Join us on December 9th, all day, as we celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the birth of Donald Byrd. Born Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II in Detroit, Michigan, Byrd impacted the course of jazz significantly as a leader, sideman, and mentor. As a young musician in his early twenties, he came to New York and made his mark quickly, joining Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers within a year. His time in the Messengers was brief but important, as he stayed with Blakey through a transition period from the original band. Upon leaving the group, he became one of the most in-demand musicians on the scene, recording in the late ‘50s on influential sessions with Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Lou Donaldson, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Jackie McLean, and many others.

By the time Byrd signed with Blue Note in 1958, he already had some 20 albums as a leader and co-leader under his belt, and plenty more as a sideman. His body of work continued to grow with Blue Note, and in the next few years he released classic albums such as Byrd in Hand (1959), The Cat Walk (1961), and Royal Flush (1961). The later ‘60s marked the beginning of his electric period, when Byrd enjoyed a new level of recognition, as his music became popular with fans of R&B and later hip-hop (many of his albums were sampled from the ‘90s on).

Besides his musical career, Donald Byrd was known as a mentor and teacher to musicians of many different generations. Throughout his life, Byrd taught at a dozen colleges and universities, hired younger musicians (including his students) for his bands and recording projects, and gave career guidance to fellow artists. Tune into WKCR on December 9th to help us celebrate the one and only Donald Byrd. Follow WKCR on Instagram (@wkcr) and Twitter (@WKCRFM) for further updates. Online listening is available 24/7 at wkcr.org via our web stream.