Description
Donald Byrd – Slow Drag – 180 Gram Tone Poet Vinyl Record
Slow Drag captures Donald Byrd at a point where hard bop, soul-jazz, and more relaxed rhythmic ideas were beginning to overlap in his music. Recorded in May 1967, the quintet features alto saxophonist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Billy Higgins.
The title track is built around Higgins’s vocal encouragement and an unhurried beat that makes every accent count. Byrd’s trumpet is clean and confident, while Sonny Red adds a tart alto sound. The performance stretches a simple groove into a detailed exchange among all five musicians.
“Secret Love” transforms the standard through brisk swing, and Booker’s “Book’s Bossa” brings a lighter Latin pulse to the first side. Walton’s comping is central to both pieces, setting up the horns with chords that are economical but rhythmically alive.
“Jelly Roll” returns to earthy blues language, while “The Loner” introduces a more introspective mood. “My Ideal” closes as a concise ballad statement, giving Byrd space to emphasize tone and melodic control rather than speed.
This Tone Poet edition presents the original six-track stereo album on 180-gram vinyl. Mastered by Kevin Gray from the analog tapes and housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket, it highlights the warmth and rhythmic character of one of Byrd’s most immediately inviting Blue Note dates.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Record Details
Artist: Donald Byrd
Title: Slow Drag
Format: 180 Gram Tone Poet Vinyl Record
Label: Blue Note Records
Release year: 1967
UPC: 602438568420
Track Listing
A1. Slow Drag
A2. Secret Love
A3. Book’s Bossa
B1. Jelly Roll
B2. The Loner
B3. My Ideal
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