小简介\r Don Byas是一位早期爵士乐的开垦乐手之一，由于他相当常用“替代和弦”作为即兴的依据，因此许多人认为Byas算得上是咆勃爵士乐的先驱者，即使在进入咆勃爵士乐的兴盛的时期，他也能很成功地将摇摆爵士乐与咆勃爵士乐结合起来。提起Don Byas实在不能不提到他的调情功力，许多人在谈到早期萨克斯风手的时候，总是认为Coleman Hawkins、Lester Young为慢板抒情曲之代表，事实上，Don Byas的功力一点也不逊於上述两位大师，他的演奏风格深深受到Art Tatum的影响，而他之所以会以演奏爵士乐做为一生的职业，乃是受到Coleman Hawkins的影响。Charlie Parker对Don Byas后来的风格有着难以比拟的引导力，也就是因为Parker，使得Byas开始朝着融合咆勃与摇摆的路线发展。\r \r by Scott Yanow\r One of the greatest of all tenor players, Don Byas decision to move permanently to Europe in 1946 resulted in him being vastly underrated in jazz history books. His knowledge of chords rivalled Coleman Hawkins, and, due to their similarity in tones, Byas can be considered an extension of the elder tenor. He played with many top swing bands, including those of Lionel Hampton (1935), Buck Clayton (1936), Don Redman, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk (1939-1940), and most importantly Count Basie (1941-1943). An advanced swing stylist, Byas playing looked toward bop. He jammed at Mintons Playhouse in the early 40s, appeared on 52nd Street with Dizzy Gillespie, and performed a pair of stunning duets with bassist Slam Stewart at a 1944 Town Hall concert. After recording extensively during 1945-1946 (often as a leader), Byas went to Europe with Don Redmans band, and (with the exception of a 1970 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival) never came back to the U.S. He lived in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark; often appeared at festivals; and worked steadily. Whenever American players were touring, they would ask for Byas, who had opportunities to perform with Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz at the Philharmonic (including a recorded tenor battle with Hawkins and Stan Getz), Art Blakey, and (on a 1968 recording) Ben Webster. Byas also recorded often in the 1950s, but was largely forgotten in the U.S. by the time of his death.\r