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John Arthur " Jaki" Byard (; June 15, 1922 – February 11, 1999) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. Mainly a pianist, he also played tenor and alto saxophones, among several other instruments. He was known for his eclectic style, incorporating everything from ragtime and stride to free jazz.
Byard played with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and was a member of bands led by bassist Charles Mingus for several years, including on several studio and concert recordings. The first of his recordings as a leader was in 1960, but, despite being praised by critics, his albums and performances did not gain him much wider attention. In his 60-year career, Byard recorded at least 35 albums as leader, and more than 50 as a sideman. Byard's influence on the music comes from his combining of musical styles during performance, and his parallel career in teaching.
From 1969 Byard was heavily involved in jazz education: he began teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music and went on to work at several other music institutions, as well as having private students. He continued performing and recording, mainly in solo and small group settings, but he also led two big bands – one made up of some of his students, and the other of professional musicians. His death, from a single gunshot while in his home, remains an unsolved mystery.
Byard began playing professionally on piano at the age of 16, in bands led by Doc Kentross and Freddy Bates. His early lessons had involved mostly playing by rote, so his development of knowledge of theory and further piano technique occurred from the late 1930s until 1941, including studying harmony at Commerce High School.Bliss, Robert R. (October 19, 1979) "Jaki Byard's Homecoming". Jazz History Database copy of The Evening Gazette. Retrieved September 10, 2013. In that year, he was drafted into the army, where he continued with piano lessons and was influenced by pianist Ernie Washington, with whom he was barracked, although Byard also took up trombone at this time.D.S.S. Form 1 Military Draft Registration Card completed on June 30, 1942. Place of residence and place of birth are listed as "Worcester, Massachusetts", and Employer's Name and Address is listed as "Self Employed Musician". He also studied Igor Stravinsky and Chopin, and continued studying classical composers into the 1960s.Lyons, Len (1978) "Jaki Byard: His Style Is the History of Jazz Piano". Contemporary Keyboard 4. p. 12. Part of his military service was in Florida, where he was a mentor to the young saxophonist Cannonball Adderley and his brother, Nat Adderley.Sheridan, Chris (2000) "Dis Here: a Bio-discography of Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley". Greenwood. p. xxvii. After leaving the army in 1946,Jaffe, Andrew & Kernfeld, Barry "Byard, Jaki". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2nd ed.). Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved September 12, 2013. (Subscription required.) Byard's musical education continued, through discussions with others, and using library materials combined with music school syllabuses.
Byard moved to New York City in the early 1960s.Kirchner, Bill (June 17, 1978) "Jaki Byard". Washington Post. p. B2. His first recording as a leader, the solo piano Blues for Smoke, was recorded there on December 16, 1960Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002) All Music Guide to Jazz. Backbeat. p. 184. . (but not released in the United States until 1988).Yanow, Scott "Blues for Smoke". All Music Guide. Retrieved September 13, 2013. Also in 1960, Byard first played with the bassist Charles Mingus.Santoro, Gene (2000) Myself when I Am Real: The Life and Music of Charles Mingus. Oxford University Press. p. 200. . He recorded extensively with Mingus in the period 1962–64 (including on the important albums released by Impulse! Records – Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus and The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady), and toured Europe with him in 1964. Byard also made recordings as a sideman between 1960 and 1966 with Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Roland Kirk, and Rivers. His performance on Dolphy's Outward Bound put Byard at the forefront of modern jazz.McLennan, Scott (February 18, 1999) "Jazz Great Jaki Byard Remembered". Telegram & Gazette. p. C3.
As a leader, Byard recorded a string of albums for the Prestige Records label during the 1960s. Some of these albums included Richard Davis on bass and Alan Dawson on drums, a trio combination described by critic Gary Giddins as "the most commanding rhythm section of the '60s, excepting the Herbie Hancock-Ron Carter-Williams trio in Miles Davis's band", although it existed only for recordings. One such album was Jaki Byard with Strings!, a sextet recording that featured Byard's composing and arranging: on "Cat's Cradle Conference Rag", each of five musicians "play five jazz standard based on similar harmonies simultaneously". A further example of Byard's sometimes unusual approach to composition is the title track from Out Front!, which he created by thinking of fellow pianist Herbie Nichols' touch at the keyboard. Popularity with jazz critics did not translate into wider success: a Washington Post review of his final Prestige album, Solo Piano from 1969, remarked that it was by "a man who has been largely ignored outside the inner circles".West, Hollie I. (June 21, 1970) "Jazz: Signs of a Renaissance?". Washington Post. p. H3. Giddins also commented in the 1970s on the lack of attention that Byard had received, and stated that the pianist's recordings from 1960 to 1972 "are dazzling in scope, and for his ability to make the most of limited situations". Following his time with Prestige, Byard had more solo performances, in part because of his affection for musical partners he had become close to but who had then died.Monson, Ingrid (1996) Saying Something: Jazz Improvisation and Interaction. The University of Chicago Press. p. 179. .
Byard also continued to play and record with other leaders. While in Europe in 1965, he joined Art Blakey's band for a series of concerts there.Ramsey, Doug (December 4, 2009) "Recent Viewing: Art Blakey". Rifftides. In 1967 Byard played in a small group with drummer Elvin Jones.Wilson, John S. (February 20, 1968) "Elvin Jones Sets off Whirlwind of Limbs in Giant Drum Solos". The New York Times. p. 50. Between 1966 and 1969 Byard recorded three albums with the saxophonist Eric Kloss, then, in 1970, returned to Mingus' band, including for performances in Europe.Atkins, Ronald (November 14, 1970) "Charles Mingus at Ronnie Scott's". The Guardian. p. 8. Byard occasionally substituted on piano in Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1974 when the leader was unwell. In 1974–75 Byard had a residency at Bradley's in New York. He also fronted a big band, the Apollo Stompers, which was formed in the late 1970s. There were two versions of the band: one made up of musicians in New York, and the other using students from the New England Conservatory of Music, where Byard had taught from 1969. "Jaki Byard Testimonials" . New England Conservatory of Music. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
In 1980 Byard was the subject of a short documentary film, Anything for Jazz, which featured him playing, teaching and with his family.Pareles, Jon (August 26, 1985) "Screen: Festival Offers 3 Films on Jazz Pianists". The New York Times. By the 1980s his main instrument remained the piano, and he still played both alto and tenor saxophones, but he had stopped playing the other instruments that he used to use professionally – bass, drums, guitar, trombone, and trumpet, although he still taught all of them. In the same period, he was often heard in New York playing solo, in duos, or in trios.Wilson, John S. (January 16, 1983) "Jazz Duo: Byard, Kloss". The New York Times. In 1988 he played with a band founded by Mingus' widow, Sue Mingus, to perform the bassist's compositions – the Mingus Big Band. Byard played and recorded with a former student of his, Ricky Ford, from 1989 to 1991, and continued to play and teach during the 1990s.
As teacher and player, Byard was renowned for his knowledge of the history of jazz piano. This meant that some aspiring young musicians sought him out as a teacher. One of these was pianist Jason Moran, who described their first meeting, at a performance by the Apollo Stompers:
Jaki had all these toys and whistles and bells and things that he was playing from the piano, and also screaming and yelling from the piano in joy. I remember thinking, 'This guy's out of his mind.' After the set, I went up to him, introduced myself, and said that I would be studying with him. He said something to the effect of, 'get ready'.Panken, Ted "The Dozens: Jason Moran Selects 12 Classic Jaki Byard Tracks" . JazzTimes. Retrieved September 10, 2013.Moran studied with Byard for four years, and credits the older man with developing his skills, building his awareness of jazz history, and creating his willingness to experiment with different styles. Another student, Fred Hersch, reported that Byard was both organized and chaotic as a teacher: giving his students worksheets and having them study early stride piano, but also behaving eccentrically and missing lessons.Ethan Iverson (July 12, 2012) "Interview with Fred Hersch" . Ethan Iverson's Do The Math website. Classical composer Bruce Wolosoff was taught by Byard at the New England Conservatory and counts him as an important influence.Schulslaper, Robert (August 12, 2013) "Bruce Wolosoff: American Eclectic" . Fanfare Magazine. Pianist and singer-songwriter Grayson Hugh studied with Byard in the early 1970s and reported that, "more than anyone, Jaki Byard exploded my young harmonic mind".Hugh, Grayson Grayson Hugh: Bio. graysonhugh.net. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
Jazz flautist Jamie Baum also studied with Byard, and after his death organized a tribute band consisting mainly of his students: Baum, Adam Kolker, Jerome Harris, George Schuller and Ugonna Okegwo, called Yard Byard or The Jaki Byard Project, using compositions Byard had left with Baum but never performed.Chinen, Nate (October 11, 2010) "Honoring a Jazz Pianist and Mentor (Without Using a Single Jazz Piano)". The New York Times.
Byard was survived by two daughters, a son, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. His wife of four decades had died five years earlier.Giddins, Gary (March 9, 1999) "Jaki Byard, 1922–1999". Village Voice.Yglesias, Linda (February 28, 1999) "Bullet Silences Jaki's Jazz Cops Think Piano Man Knew His Killer". New York Daily News.
Byard pointed out that the use of humor did not mean that his music was not serious: "I might do it with humor, but it's still serious because I mean what I'm doing".Brown, Richard (March 8, 1979) "Jaki Byard: Romping, Stomping, and Waiting for the Break". Down Beat. p. 16. He stated that his choice to play in a variety of styles was not imitatory or superficial: "I can't play one way all night; I wouldn't want to and I wouldn't want the public to hear me that way". One obituary writer noted that, "Nobody thinks it odd if a pianist underpins melody with stride patterns or a boogie bass. When Byard did that 30 years ago, distinctions were drawn more tightly".Atkins, Ronald (February 19, 1999) "Play It Cool and Play It Straight". The Guardian. Music writer Dan Lander also stated that Byard's playing was ahead of its time, and added that it has influenced 21st-century pianists:
Byard's grasp and integration of historical forms, his ability to embrace tradition and risk taking, was visionary, impacting on a new generation of jazz musicians who understood the history of jazz as a material to build on and work with, at the service of creating something new, rather than as an unmovable weight, fixing them to the past.Lander, Dan (2010) "Jaki Byard". In Kernohen, Daniel (Ed.). Music Is Rapid Transportation ...from the Beatles to Xenakis. p. 124. Charivari. .
A 1968 review of a Byard concert reported that his alto saxophone playing was "in a manner rooted in the bop era", and that he occasionally accompanied himself, "saxophone with his left hand, piano with his right".Wilson, John S. (October 28, 1968) "Jaki Byard Offers Jazz in Wide Range". The New York Times. p. 53. His playing on tenor saxophone was influenced by Lester Young; Byard himself cited Ben Webster as an influence on his tenor ballad playing.
| 1960-12 | Blues for Smoke | Candid Records | 1988 | Solo piano |
| 1961-03 | Here's Jaki | Prestige Records | 1961 | Trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Roy Haynes (drums); Byard also plays alto sax |
| 1962-01 | Hi-Fly | New Jazz | 1962 | Trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Pete La Roca (drums) |
| 1961-03, 1964-05 | Out Front! | Prestige Records | 1965 | Trio, with Bob Cranshaw and Ron Carter (bass; separately), Walter Perkins and Roy Haynes (drums; separately); quintet with Richard Williams (trumpet), Booker Ervin (tenor sax) added on some tracks; Byard also plays alto sax |
| 1965-04 | Jaki Byard Quartet Live! (Vol. 1 and Vol.2) | Prestige | 1965 | Quartet, with Joe Farrell (tenor sax, soprano sax, flute), George Tucker (bass), Alan Dawson (drums, vibraphone); in concert |
| 1965-04 | The Last from Lennie's | Prestige | 2003 | Personnel as Jaki Byard Quartet Live!, Vol. 1; in concert |
| 1966-01 | Freedom Together! | Prestige | 1966 | Trio, with Richard Davis (bass, cello), Alan Dawson (drums, vibraphone); Junior Parker (vocals) on some tracks; Byard also plays electric piano, celeste, vibraphone, tenor sax, drums |
| 1967-02 | On the Spot! | Prestige | 1967 | Quartet, with Jimmy Owens (trumpet, flugelhorn), Paul Chambers (bass), Billy Higgins (drums); trio with George Tucker (bass), Alan Dawson (drums) on one track; Byard also plays alto sax |
| 1967-10 | Sunshine of My Soul | Prestige | 1967 | Trio, with David Izenzon (bass), Elvin Jones (drums); Byard also plays guitar |
| 1968-04 | Jaki Byard with Strings! | Prestige | 1968 | Sextet, with George Benson (guitar), Ray Nance (violin, vocals), Ron Carter (cello), Richard Davis (bass), Alan Dawson (drums, vibraphone); Byard also plays organ |
| 1968-09 | The Jaki Byard Experience | Prestige | 1969 | Quartet, with Roland Kirk (tenor sax, manzello, clarinet, whistle), Richard Davis (bass), Alan Dawson (drums) |
| 1969-07 | Solo Piano | Prestige | 1969 | Solo piano |
| 1971-07 | Live at the Jazz'Inn | Futura Records | 1971 | Trio, with Gus Nemeth (bass), Jean My Truong and Gerald Byard (drums; separately); in concert |
| 1971-07 | Parisian Solos | Futura | 1971 | Solo piano |
| 1972-02 | Duet! | MPS Records | 1975 | Duo, with Earl Hines (piano) |
| 1972-07 | The Entertainer | Victor Records | 1972 | Solo piano |
| 1972 | There'll Be Some Changes Made | Muse Records | 1973 | Solo piano; also released as Empirical |
| 1976 | Flight of the Fly | Le Chant du Monde | 1977 | Solo piano |
| 1978-04, 1978-05 | Family Man | Muse | 1979 | Trio, with Major Holley (bass, tuba), J. R. Mitchell (drums); Warren Smith (drums, vibraphone) replaces Smith on some tracks; Byard also plays tenor sax, alto sax |
| 1978-06 | HighNote Records | 2007 | Solo piano; in concert | |
| 1978– 1979 | A Matter of Black and White | HighNote | 2011 | Solo piano; in concert |
| 1979-08 | HighNote | 2014 | Solo piano; in concert | |
| 1981-05 | Improvisations | Soul Note | 1982 | Duo, with Ran Blake (piano) |
| 1981-05 | To Them – To Us | Soul Note | 1982 | Solo piano |
| 1982-02 | The Magic of 2 | Resonance | 2013 | Duo, with Tommy Flanagan (piano); some solo piano |
| 1984-08 | Live at the Royal Festival Hall | Leo Records | 1987 | Duo, with Howard Riley (piano); some solo piano |
| 1984-09 | Phantasies | Soul Note | 1984 | With the Apollo Stompers |
| 1988-08 | Phantasies II | Soul Note | 1988 | With the Apollo Stompers |
| 1988-08 | Foolin' Myself | Soul Note | 1989 | Trio, with Ralph Hamperian (bass), Richard Allen (drums) |
| 1991-09 | Jaki Byard at Maybeck | Concord Records | 1992 | Solo piano; in concert |
| 1996-01 | The Changes of Life | Meldac | 2001 | Trio, with Ralph Hamperian (bass), Richard Allen (drums) |
| 1996-12 | This Happening | Justin Time | 1997 | Duo, with Michael Marcus (various reed instruments) |
| 1997-01 | Night Leaves | Brownstone | 1997 | Duo, with David Eyges (electric cello) |
| 1998-07 | July in Paris | Fairplay | 1999 | Trio, with Ralph Hamperian (bass), Richard Allen (drums); quartet with Ricky Ford (tenor sax) added on some tracks; in concert |
| 1998-03 | My Mother's Eyes | Fairplay | 2000 | With the Apollo Stompers |
| 1965 | Live in '65 | Jazz Icons DVD | |
| 1973 | and Zoot Sims | Body and Soul | Muse Records |
| 1960–61 | and Maynard Ferguson | Double Exposure | Atlantic Records |
| 1960 | Far Cry | Prestige Records | |
| 1960 | Outward Bound | Prestige Records | |
| 1960 | How Time Passes | Candid Records | |
| 1961 | New Ideas | Prestige Records | |
| 1963 | The Freedom Book | Prestige | |
| 1964 | The Space Book | Prestige | |
| 1963–64 | Groovin' High | Prestige | |
| 1965 | The Trance | Prestige | |
| 1965 | Setting the Pace | Prestige | |
| 1966 | Heavy!!! | Prestige | |
| 1960 | Newport Suite | Roulette Records | |
| 1960 | Let's Face the Music and Dance | Roulette | |
| 1961 | Maynard '61 | Roulette | |
| 1961 | and Chris Connor | Two's Company | Roulette |
| 1961 | "Straightaway" Jazz Themes | Roulette | |
| 1961 | Maynard '64 | Roulette | |
| 1978 | Manhattan Plaza | Muse Records | |
| 1989 | Manhattan Blues | Candid | |
| 1990 | Ebony Rhapsody | Candid | |
| 1991 | American-African Blues | Candid | |
| 1962 | Honi Gordon Sings | Prestige Records | |
| 1971 | Smackwater Jack | A&M | |
| 1964* | Five on Eight | Cameo | |
| 1984 | Dr. Chicago | Bee Hive | |
| 1965 | Rip Rig & Panic | Limelight | |
| 1966 | Here Comes the Whistleman | Atlantic Records | |
| 1966 | Grits & Gravy | Prestige | |
| 1968 | Sky Shadows | Prestige | |
| 1969 | In the Land of the Giants | Prestige | |
| 1998 | Involution | Justin Time | |
| 1950 | Charlie Mariano with His Jazz Group | Imperial Records | |
| 1951 | Modern Saxophone Stylings of Charlie Mariano | Imperial Records | |
| 1962 | Year of the Iron Sheep | United Artists | |
| 1975 | Home | SteepleChase | |
| 1962 | The Complete Town Hall Concert | Blue Note | |
| 1963 | The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady | Impulse! | |
| 1963 | Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus | Impulse! | |
| 1964 | Town Hall Concert | Jazz Workshop | |
| 1964 | The Great Concert of Charles Mingus | America | |
| 1964 | Mingus in Europe Volume I | Enja Records | |
| 1964 | Mingus in Europe Volume II | Enja Records | |
| 1964 | Mingus at Monterey | Jazz Workshop | |
| 1964 | Astral Weeks | Moon | |
| 1964 | Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy Cornell 1964 | Blue Note | |
| 1964 | Revenge! | Revenge | |
| 1970 | Sunnyside | ||
| 1970 | Charles Mingus Sextet In Berlin | Beppo | |
| 1988 | Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 1 | Soul Note | |
| 1988 | Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 2 | Soul Note | |
| 1969 | Body and Soul | Solid State | |
| 1957 | Life Is a Many Splendored Gig | Roulette Records | |
| 1965 | "In" Jazz for the Culture Set | Impulse! | |
| 1964 | Fuchsia Swing Song | Blue Note | |
| 1985 | Rhythm Is Our Business | Stash Records | |
| 1978 | Lady Bird | Denon Records | |
| 1981 | Amarcord Nino Rota | Hannibal Records | |
| 1974 | Musique du Bois | Muse Records |
Sources: "Jaki Byard: Credits" AllMusic. Retrieved December 22, 2013.Cook, Richard and Morton, Brian (2008) The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin. .
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