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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts) Fri Feb 8, 2013, 01:59 PM Feb 2013

Legendary jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd has died, says nephew

Legendary jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd has died, says nephew

The influential jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd died on Monday at the age of 80, his nephew has said.

Alex Bugnon, a jazz pianist, reported his uncle's death on Thursday, though it has yet to be confirmed.

Bugnon wrote on his own Facebook page: "Donald passed away Monday in Delaware, where he lived. His funeral will be held in Detroit sometime next week. I have no more patience for this unnecessary shroud of secrecy placed over his death by certain members of his immediate family. "

Byrd was born Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II in Detroit in 1932 and began his career with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the 1950s, performing alongside the likes of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/feb/08/donald-byrd-jazz-dies

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Legendary jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd has died, says nephew (Original Post) The Straight Story Feb 2013 OP

Sad Loss... Obi Juan Feb 2013 #1

This is a huge loss. I just found out today. Gregorian Feb 2013 #2

Obi Juan

(16 posts)

1. Sad Loss...

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Fri Feb 8, 2013, 02:39 PM

Feb 2013

I always seem to discover fusion jazz pioneers during their final years...

BTW, never would've guessed Alex Bugnon was related to him.

Gregorian

(23,867 posts)

2. This is a huge loss. I just found out today.

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Sat Feb 16, 2013, 06:57 PM

Feb 2013

As someone who has been a professional trumpet player, I'm particularly devastated by this news. But even more, in the 70's I happened to find a cassette tape of his Blackbyrd group, in a pile of trash. And I played that tape over and over for years. I play with Donald Byrd's style, as heard on that album. He had a simplicity that I love. But it wasn't until just recently that I spent days going over everything he did, on Youtube. And I was astonished to discover that he was an esteemed hard bop player in the Clifford Brown style. And I didn't think anyone could come close to Clifford. Donald did. And then I discovered something even more surprising. He was one of the founders of funk. It blew me away to hear him playing something so completely unrelated to bop.

The loss of Donald Byrd is far greater than people know. I'm really in mourning today.

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