The Charlie Byrd Quartet “Let Go”

I’m fascinated when a photograph of a face on an album cover is larger than life-size—aside from the occasional LP, most of us won’t have photos that large at home—but we rarely think twice about it. This one, an unidentified beautiful woman, would be a giant if she was that big—you can put your lips right up to it, if you want—it’s your record! Her otherworldly blue eyes, however, will never meet yours—she’s looking off, we presume, in the direction of the live, jazz, quartet—Charlie Byrd, guitar, Mario Darpino, flute, Gene Byrd, bass, and William Reichenbach, drums. Initially, you wouldn’t know it’s live unless you’ve read the brief liner notes by Bil Keane—he describes the scene—February 27th and 28th of 1969 in the Hong Kong Bar at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. After a few songs, then, we do hear applause. I live in the Plaza Hotel in Milwaukee—and sometimes I wish we had something like the Hong King Bar! I have far too few jazz guitar records, but this one is perfect, really, for what it is—there are about 800 (I say that when I don’t want to count) Byrd records, I’m sure better and worse ones—but this one is mine. I do wonder how many have a “bird/Byrd” pun in the title—I’ll check—only counted six, so maybe they honed it in. No one is honing in this flautist, however—dude’s out of control. “Let Go”—named after the first song, here. I have no idea how I came across this vinyl—I’m thinking thrift store. There is Brazilian music, bossa nova—all really good—and then some very recognizable standards. I’ve got to admit supreme pleasure each time we come upon one I know: “Mood Indigo,” “Here’s That Rainy Day,” “How Long Has This Been Going On”—and to bring us right up to date, a couple of Bacharach/David numbers. For whatever reason, I’m obsessed with “This Guy’s in Love with You”—one of those songs I collect versions of, and this one is extra fine—short and sweet.

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