Photos in Black, White and Gray

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Photos in Black, White and Gray
Studio album by
Chris Byars
ReleasedMarch 13, 2007
RecordedNovember 2–3, 2007
StudioLeon Lee Dorsey Studio
GenreJazz
LabelSmalls Records
ProducerLuke Kaven
Chris Byars chronology
Night Owls
(2006) 		Photos in Black, White and Gray
(2007) 		Jazz Pictures At An Exhibition Of Himalayan Art
(2008)

Photos in Black, White and Gray is an album by American jazz saxophonist Chris Byars.

Content[edit]

The album features Byars playing the music he played at Smalls Jazz Club in the 90s, taking great inspiration from the bebop era, and specifically the composer-saxophonists Gigi Gryce and Lucky Thompson.[1] On most tracks, the quartet plays the head, then a saxophone solo, piano solo, bowed bass solo, drum solo, and repition of the head, in that order.[2]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Tom HullA-[4]

In a review for AllMusic, Ken Dryden wrote that "Byars displays a mature sound on alto, tenor, and soprano saxes in eight catchy original compositions."[3] Tom Hull wrote that "Byars sounds fresh even working in such a well-worn form."[4] A PopMatters reviewer criticized the "numbing predictability" of the album's soloing pattern, but praised the "bright, easy tone" of Byars' alto saxophone playing.[2] Similarly, a reviewer for Coda magazine stated that Byars alto playing had a "bebop-derived fluidity shot through with melodic loopholes and a rhythmic sensibility that works in short, irregular bursts", and that the album was "an excellent addition to Byars' small but impressive body of recordings".[1]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Chris Byars

Photos In Black, White And Gray track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Aquarian Epoch"8:03
2."Milton"7:25
3."Safe at Home"7:12
4."Acoustic Phenomenon"9:28
5."Manhattan Valley"7:49
6."Cliff Diving"6:46
7."Riddle of the Sphinx"6:38
8."A.T."6:35

Personnel[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Dorward, Nate (July 2007). "Chris Byars / Photos in Black, White and Gray". Coda. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009 – via smallsrecords.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b Ross, Jon (2007-08-22). "Chris Byars: Photos in Black, White and Gray, PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  3. ^ a b Dryden, Ken. "Chris Byars - Photos in Black, White and Gray Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  4. ^ a b Hull, Tom (September 14, 2009). "Smalls Consumer Guide". Retrieved 2024-01-13.
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