Jaki Byard Quartet Live! is an album by pianist Jaki Byard recorded in 1965 and originally released on the Prestige label as two long LP records and later reissued in 1992 as a single CD.Prestige Records discography accessed July 25, 2012
Reception
AllMusic awarded the album 4½ stars with its review by Scott Yanow stating, "The set, recorded live at Lennie's-on-the-Turnpike in Massachusetts, is a superior outing for all of the players... Recommended".Yanow, Scott AllMusic Review, accessed July 2, 2022 Gary Giddins was also positive, and picked out "Twelve" from "the inspired quartet performances": "this piece has free episodes resolved by blues choruses, and Byard's comping is so vigorous that he makes the quartet sound like a larger band".Giddins, Gary (1985) Rhythm-a-ning: Jazz Tradition and Innovation in the 1980s, p. 6. Oxford University Press.
Track listing All compositions by Jaki Byard except as indicated "Twelve" – 12:10 Originally released on Vol. 1 "Denise" – 9:41 Originally released on Vol. 1 "Thing What Is" (Alan Dawson) – 11:36 Originally released on Vol. 1 "Broadway" (Billy Bird, Teddy McRae, Henri Woode) – 13:39 Originally released on Vol. 1 "Alan's Got Rhythm" (Byard, Dawson) – 10:28 Originally released on Vol. 2 "Cathy" (Joe Farrell) – 8:08 Originally released on Vol. 2 "Bass-Ment Blues" – 11:18 Originally released on Vol. 2
Personnel Jaki Byard – piano Joe Farrell – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, drums George Tucker – bass Alan Dawson – drums, vibraphone
References
Further reading Monson, Ingrid (1996) Saying Something: Jazz Improvisation and Interaction. The University of Chicago Press. (Contains a detailed description and discussion of the performance of "Bass-Ment Blues" from this album.)