Release Date: 1/01/1967
Recording Date: 1/1965
Tracks: 11
Length: 00:34:24 Hrs
Label: Riverside
Type: CD
- Genre/Styles
- Bop, Bossa Nova, Brazilian Jazz
Album Tracks (11)
Currently 0.0 / 5.0 Stars
To share this media with a friend, you must have AIM installed. Click the "Download AIM" button to install AIM. If you already have AIM, click the "Send Instant Message"
What the Critics Say
Although Charlie Byrd recorded dozens of quality albums, the 1960s weren't one of his best decades. Although his guitar work was excellent, as always, it tended to get buried in awkward arrangements of the latest Beatles' songs. As a result, his music often sounded cheesy. It's a rare pleasure, then, to listen to Solo Flight, which was recorded for Riverside in 1965. With no distracting accompaniment, Byrd cuts to the musical chase and delivers 11 lovely, succinct guitar suites. He combines a smooth blend of chords and solo runs, much as Joe Pass would later do, on favorites like "Satin Doll" and "Easy Living," along with fun oddities like "House of the Rising Sun." Unlike Pass, Byrd approaches a song like "Am I Blue" in a fairly simple, straightforward manner, more interested in the melody than virtuosity. "You Took Advantage of Me," for instance, runs only a bit over three minutes, mostly because the guitarist has developed all the ideas he cared to develop within that time frame. Many fans of more progressive jazz will find this all a bit conservative, but Byrd fans happily note that his best work has a timeless quality. Solo Flight easily fits into that category. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
