Chris Byars
Background information
Born (1970-11-02) November 2, 1970
New York City
GenresJazz
Instrument(s)Saxophone
LabelsSteepleChase Records
Formerly ofAcross 7 Street
Alma materManhattan School of Music, School of American Ballet
Parent(s)James Byars, Janita Byars
Websitechrisbyars.net

Chris Byars (born November 2, 1970) is an American jazz saxophonist. Formerly a child opera singer, Byars now works in the New York City jazz scene, and has regularly toured for the State Department as a jazz ambassador with frequent collaborator Ari Roland.

Early life

Chris Byars was born in New York City on November 2, 1970, to oboist James Byars and clarinetist Janita Byars.[1] At six, he debuted as an opera performer joining the New York City Opera and Metropolitan Opera childrens' choirs, the New York City Ballet, and attending the School of American Ballet from ages 8-11 year old.[2][3] He performed hundreds of shows as a child,[2] including the title role in a made-for-TV adaptation of The Spellbound Child with George Balanchine.[4] Puberty deepened his voice, and his singing career came to an end when his voice croaked during a performance of Tosca.[5]

When Byars returned from his final tour as a singer in 1983, he was given a saxophone by his father and began focusing exclusively on jazz.[5][4] As a teenager, he studied the music of Charlie Parker after his father gave him the albums Bird & Diz and Charlie Parker with Strings.[2][1] Byars was influenced as a teenager by bassist Aaron Bell, pianist Barry Harris, who mentored him, and author Frank McCourt, his creative writing teacher at Stuyvesant High School.[2][6] He earned his bachelor's and masters' degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music in 1990 and 1992 respectively.[4]

Career

Byars first set as a leader was a 1989 quartet date at the Angry Squire.[7] In 1990, Byars co-founded Across 7 Street with Ari Roland as a tribute band to the erstwhile saxophonist Clarence Sharpe.[8][6] The band performed Sunday nights at Smalls Jazz Club, playing original compositions inspired by the bebop era[1] In 1998, Byars joined the Frank Hewitt quintet, which featured former Across 7 Street members Roland and Jimmy Lovelace, performing Saturday nights with him for four years.[2]

Jazz ambassador

Byars has visited more than 50 countries as a jazz ambassador.[9] He began touring as part of the Ari Roland quartet with the State Department in December 2006 after making it to the finals of a competition held at Jazz at Lincoln Center.[10] The tours are intended to improve America's image abroad, and feature Byars collaborating with local musicians and incorporating elements of their native traditions into jazz.[11]

Inspired by his 2007 tour of Central Asia, Byars wrote the suite Jazz Pictures at an Exhibition of Himalayan Art, based off the Modest Mussorgsky piece Pictures at an Exhibition.[11] The work has some foreign influences but is primarily based in the language of American jazz. It debuted at an October 2007 show at the Rubin Museum of Art,[12] and was again played at the Museum on April 2008. The live performances featured Byars playing in front of a slideshow.[13] An album of the same name was later released, with each composition corresponding to a painting on display at the Museum.[14]

In 2008, his quartet toured as part of The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, playing in Slovakia, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Montenegro, and Slovenia.[3] In Muslim-majority areas, Byars won audiences over by telling them the story of Muslim American musician Basheer Qusim, a.k.a. Gigi Gryce.[15]

After performing in a commemoration of the reopening of Ledra Street crossing, Byars co-directed the "Jazz Futures" program organized by the American embassy in Cyprus with Roland from 2008-2013.[16] The series brought together Byars' groups and Turkish and Greek Cypriot musicians and audiences.[17][18]

Tributes

Byars has recorded a number of tribute albums and live sets, playing the compositions of lesser known post-bop musicians.[3] As part of the programs, Byars infuses his own musical identity with those of his predecessors.[19]

From March 22 to 25, 2006, Byars led a four-night set at Smalls playing the compositions of Lucky Thompson, performing, at various points, with former Thompson sidemen John Hicks and Jerry Dodgion.[2] During the preparation for the set, Byars and historian Noal Cohen discovered a private recording of an August 28, 1961 radio broadcast of Thompson's octet. Byars transcribed every arrangement on the recording and taught them to the members of his own octet.[20] These compositions, as well as re-arrangements from Thompson's quartet records, were later played on the album Lucky Strikes Again.[21]

In 2007, Byars' quartet played at Teddy Charles's house, at the behest of Cohen, helping to coax the vibraphonist-turned-captain back into playing music. On June of the next year, Byars premiered the composition Bop-ography, inspired by Charles' life, in Greenwich Village.[22] He also played with the Teddy Charles Tenet in its first appearance since Charles' retirement.[23] Byars would later record with Charles on Dances with Bulls, Charles' first studio recording in forty years, and his own album Bop-ography.[24][25]

He has also worked on projects commemorating Freddie Redd, Gigi Gryce, Duke Jordan, Frank Strozier, and Jimmy Cleveland.[4]

Style

Byars' music is based in 1950s hard bop, though with additional contemporary stylings.[5] He developed as one of many younger players at Smalls Jazz Club during the 1990s, working with veteran players like Jimmy Lovelace and Frank Hewitt.[26][2] Byars uses the octet format in his band to exploit the texture gains from a big band while retaining the fluidity of a small group.[27][21]

Personal life

Byars is a member of American Federation of Musicians Local 802.[11] He has one wife, Sarah, and lives with his two children in Riverdale, Bronx, New York.[28] During the COVID-19 pandemic, he took up various government jobs to make up for it's negative financial impact.[4]

Discography

Recordings

As leader

Year recorded Title Label
2001‍–‍2002 Night Owls Smalls Records
2001‍–‍2002 The Darkling Thrush (with Sasha Dobson) Smalls Records
2002 Made in New York (with Across 7 Street) Smalls Records
2006 Photos In Black, White And Gray Smalls Records
2007 Jazz Pictures At An Exhibition Of Himalayan Art SteepleChase
2008 Blue Lights: The Music of Gigi Gryce SteepleChase
2009 Bop-ography SteepleChase
2010 Lucky Strikes Again SteepleChase
2011 Music Forever SteepleChase
2013 Jasmine Flower SteepleChase
2014 The Music Of Duke Jordan SteepleChase
2014 Two Fives SteepleChase
2015 The Music of Frank Strozier SteepleChase
2016 New York City Jazz SteepleChase
2018 A Hundred Years from Today SteepleChase
2019 On The Shoulders Of Giants SteepleChase
2021 Rhythm And Blues Of The 20s SteepleChase
2022 Look Ahead SteepleChase

As sideman

Year recorded Leader Title Label
1999 Frank Hewitt Four Hundred Saturdays Smalls Records
2005 Ari Roland Sketches from a Bassist's Album Smalls Records
2007 Ari Roland And So I Lived In Old New York Smalls Records
2008 Teddy Charles Dances with Bulls Smalls Records
2009 Ari Roland New Music Smalls Records
2017 Phil Stewart Introducing Phil Stewart: Melodious Drum Cellar Live

Source[29]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stewart, Zac (June 2004). "Extended families". Jazziz. pp. 28–29. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 vanTrikt, Ludwig (2009-09-30). "Chris Byars: Studying Unsung Heroes article @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  3. 1 2 3 "Top US jazz band at Upstairs Downstairs". Gulf Daily News. March 25, 2009. ProQuest 432739574. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Cohen, Noal (November 2021). "Chris Byars - Bio". chrisbyars.com. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  5. 1 2 3 Johnson, Martin (2007-08-09). "Trane Has Left the Station". New York. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  6. 1 2 "Smalls Records -- Artists / Chris Byars". www.smallsrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-26. Retrieved 2023-11-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ↑ Anton Garcia-Fernandez, Chris Byars (April 30, 2017). Jazz Flashes Podcast: Chris Byars (Podcast). Event occurs at 9:55. Retrieved 2023-12-08 – via YouTube.
  8. ↑ Kaven, Luke (November 2003). "Smalls Records -- Across 7 Street / Made in New York". www.smallsrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2023-12-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ↑ "Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam featuring jazz artist, ambassador and contact tracer Chris Byars – Jazz Power". Jazz Power Initiative. 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  10. ↑ Anton Garcia-Fernandez, Chris Byars (April 30, 2017). Jazz Flashes Podcast: Chris Byars (Podcast). Event occurs at 31:13. Retrieved 2023-12-08 – via YouTube.
  11. 1 2 3 "Global Trips and Mental Journeys - ProQuest". International Musician. Vol. 106, no. 1. American Federation of Musicians. January 2008. p. 21. ProQuest 225199489. Retrieved 2023-12-09 – via ProQuest.
  12. ↑ Whitehead, Kevin (2008-04-21). "Chris Byars, Hearing Music in Himalayan Art". WWNO. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  13. ↑ Friedwald, Will (2008-04-21). "From Harlem to the Himalayas". The New York Sun. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  14. ↑ Yanow, Scott. "Chris Byars - Jazz Pictures at an Exhibition of Himalayan Art Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  15. ↑ Jarenwattananon, Patrick (October 21, 2009). "Chris Byars, Gabriel Alegria, Dafnis Prieto: New York Concert Notes". NPR. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  16. ↑ "Jazz in Karachi". Brecorder. March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  17. ↑ Christodoulides, Zoe (June 28, 2009). "Jazz without borders". Cyprus Mail. SyndiGate Media.
  18. ↑ "Chris Byars - Teaching". chrisbyars.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  19. ↑ Jarenwattananon, Patrick (July 9, 2011). "What's With All The Jazz Tribute Albums?". NPR.
  20. ↑ Ann Lee, Nancy (July–August 2011). "Lucky Strikes Again: The Chris Byars Octet Plays the Music of Lucky Thompson" (PDF). Jazz & Blues Report. pp. 19–20. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  21. 1 2 Ramsey, Doug (April 27, 2011). "Recent Listening: Lucky Strikes Again | Rifftides". www.artsjournal.com. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  22. ↑ Fine, Eric (September 2009). "Vibist Charles Returns from Life at Sea" (PDF). Downbeat Magazine. p. 58. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  23. ↑ Cohen, Noal. "The Return of Teddy Charles (2008)". Noal Cohen's Jazz History Website. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  24. ↑ Nastos, Michael. "Teddy Charles - Dances with Bulls Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  25. ↑ Dryden, Ken. "Chris Byars Quartet - Bop-Ography Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  26. ↑ Hull, Tom. "Jazz CG #15". tomhull.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04. Much as bebop developed underground in places like Minton's where musicians gathered to play for each other, the same dynamic developed at Smalls in the '90s, connecting a new generation to unreconstructed veterans such as Frank Hewitt and through them to the foundations of modern jazz.
  27. ↑ Holston, Mark (June 2011). "Lucky Strikes Again". Jazziz. pp. 51, 53.
  28. ↑ "Chris Byars Musician - All About Jazz". All About Jazz Musicians. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  29. ↑ Cohen, Noal. "Chris Byars Discography". Noal Cohen's Jazz History Website. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
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