Donald Byrd - Fancy Free 1969 Original Blue Note Records plays EX+ to Mint-

$

25

Donald Byrd ~ Fancy Free

1969 Original, 1st pressing.
Blue Note Records - BST 84319
Vinyl is EX+ to EX++, mostly EX++
Vinyl looks EX+ to EX++, mostly EX++ : light marks and faint scuffs.
Vinyl plays EX+ to Mint-, mostly EX++ : light background-crackle and faint, occasional clicks between tracks and in some quiet passages and a few, moderate clicks.
Labels are EX++: light marks and minor imperfections.
Cover is EX: bends, wear, indentations, small tears, tape and pen on front.
Includes a HQ inner-sleeve which the vinyl is stored in after being machine-cleaned and thoroughly graded.
Out of print original ~

1969's Fancy Free marked the beginning of Donald Byrd's move away from hard bop, staking out fusion-flavored territory that -- at this juncture -- owed more to Miles Davis than the R&B-dominated jazz-funk Byrd would embrace several years down the road. Recorded just a few months after Davis' In a Silent Way, Fancy Free finds Byrd leading a large ensemble prominently featuring Frank Foster on tenor, Lew Tabackin or Jerry Dodgion on flute, and several percussionists. But the most important piece of the puzzle is Duke Pearson's electric piano, the first time Byrd utilized the instrument. Pearson dominates the texture of the group sound, which makes the entirety of the session seem farther outside the realm of funky hard bop than it actually is. However, that's not to say that Fancy Free isn't a clear break with Byrd's past -- especially the two Byrd originals that open the album. The title track -- which later became one of Byrd's more covered compositions -- contrasts Pearson's spacy musings with a busy, funky percussion groove, and there's a loose, open feel to the improvisations that breaks with hard bop conventions. The warm ballad "I Love the Girl" has a similarly airy feel, and at eight and a half minutes, is the shortest cut; clearly Byrd wanted an open framework for exploration. The other two numbers are more traditional hard bop compositions by former Byrd students, which -- although funky and full of improvisations -- can't help but feel more tethered than their predecessors. Still, even if it isn't his most adventurous fusion outing, Fancy Free is the rare Donald Byrd album that holds appeal for rare-groove fanatics and traditionalists alike.

-allmusic

There may be some camera-glare on the cover and other surfaces from the lighting.

The last picture is of a blank sleeve (not included) to show the water-mark that is faintly in the pictures.

Packaged protectively for safe and secure shipping.

USPS tracking.

Thank you and have the best day ever.