AVAILABLE PROGRAMS 2008–2009:

Don Byron Plays the Music of Mickey Katz (Klezmer)
A reunion of the groundbreaking klezmer project and ensemble of nine musicians originally formed for the recording of Byron’s eponymous Nonesuch album which spearheaded the klezmer revival in the 1990s.
“There's a strong connection between Don Byron's humor and his profound musical curiosity, two qualities that distinguish him from his more conservative contemporaries. Both are much to the fore in this faithful tribute to Mickey Katz, a witty and innovative clarinetist who brought virtuosity and a compulsive comedy to the klezmer tradition, both with Spike Jones in the '40s and later on his own. Byron's interest in klezmer was hardly faddish when he recorded this 1993 date. His involvement dated back to his student years in the early 1980s when he joined Boston's Klezmer Conservatory Band, one of the most faithful practitioners of the form. Forging links between black and Jewish outsider traditions, Byron is as attracted by Katz's love of pastiche and parody as he is by the klezmer clarinet tradition, including Katz's takes on cowboy, Russian, and Hawaiian music. The band is superb…balancing contemporary musical interests with an archival re-creation of some spirited Yiddish comedy.” (amazon.com)

Don Byron Plays Junior Walker
Dedicated to the music of soul legend, saxophonist and singer Junior Walker, this band features Byron on tenor saxophone, Dean Bowman on vocals, guitarist David Gilmore, George Colligan on Hammond B-3 organ, bassist Brad Jones, and Rudy Royston on drums. On Byron’s most recent CD release, “Do the Boomerang,” singer/guitarist Chris Thomas King appears as special guest on several tracks. The album and live repertoire includes covers of several of Junior Walker’s biggest hits, including “Shotgun,” Roadrunner,” and “What does it take to win your Love,” as well as a version of James Brown’s “There It Is.”

Don Byron Ivey-Divey Trio
Taking its name and much of its repertoire from Byron’s 2004 album—voted “Record of the Year” by JazzTimes, hailed as Don’s “best album in years” by The New York Times, and featuring a Grammy-nominated solo on the track “I Want to Be Happy”—the “Ivey-Divey” project extends that record’s affectionate tribute to saxophone legend Lester “Prez” Young (and specifically, to Young’s great ’40s trio with pianist Nat “King” Cole and drummer Buddy Rich). With Byron playing clarinet and tenor sax, his accompanists may vary (depending on availability), but are always stellar: pianists Jason Moran, George Colligan, or Edward Simon, and drummers Billy Hart, Jack DeJohnette, Charli Persip, or John Betsch. The Ivey-Divey Trio has performed to great acclaim at most major jazz festivals in the US and Europe and just returned from a short tour in Australia.

Don Byron Quartet
“The music I am playing continues to mine the work of Lester Young and Eddie Harris for its inspiration. I will be playing Lester young inspired compositions recently commissioned by Chamber Music America, along with more recent compositions, and include compositions by Eddie Harris and some Lester-centric pieces. At this point in my career I enjoy playing with groups of elite musicians, fashioning unusual group results. This group features three of my favorites, the pianist Edward Simon, the bassist Kenny Davis, and the legendary drummer Billy Hart. They are great at both the abstract and concrete aspects of jazz playing, and this has been the hallmark of much of the music I have made.”

Bug Music for Juniors
For children 7 and over—and for the kid in all of us: Inspired by Byron’s best-selling 1996 Bug Music album, this fun-filled and fascinating program unites live jazz, classic cartoons, and historic film footage in a one-of-a-kind exploration of the Swing Era. Originally commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and recently produced in a two-week run on Broadway’s New Victory Theater, “Bug Music for Juniors” spotlights works by three great composers of the Swing Era—Duke Ellington, Raymond Scott, and John Kirby —performed in razor-sharp arrangements by Byron’s stellar sextet. These classic tunes are paired with timeless ’toons from Warner Bros. 1940’s heyday, along with a wealth of other intriguing and historic visuals. Part concert, part demonstration, part Q&A, and 100% pleasure, “Bug Music for Juniors” is jazz education at its most entertaining and exciting. (Ensemble of 6 musicians; technical crew of 3)

Launching in the spring of 2009:

Don Byron New Gospel Quintet featuring DK Dyson (vocal)
“In the past few years I have listened more and more carefully to black religious music than ever before. This has led to studies of the specific styles of Blues peculiar to country, R&B, and rock and all has led me to a study of the blues based religious musics of White and Black Southern Gospel music. I will combine my own compositions with traditional Gospel pieces in a way I have not attempted. This project coincides with a growth in my own faith, and will be for me, a religious expression.” (Personnel tba)

Don Byron and his musicians are available for residencies, clinics, workshops, and master classes.