Jazz / Hard Bop - Donald Byrd’s 1967 album Slow Drag was one of the last pure hard bop records the trumpeter would make before his music began evolving towards fusion. Byrd flies high on this gratifying set featuring alto saxophonist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker and drummer Billy Higgins.
This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on sleeve.
Donald Byrd's 1967 Slow Drag album came after the jazz legend had already recorded more than dozen albums for the seminal Blue Note label. He was joined for it by the drumming of Billy Higgins, alto saxophonist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, and bassist Walter Booker who all bring their own original compositions to the album. It's a pure hard bop session that marked the end of this chapter of Byrd's sound before he moved into fusion territory. Plenty of edgy groove-fess, ad-libbed vocals and boss flavours feature on what is one of many Byrd essentials.