Strings and Swagger: Byard's Elegant Detour
Byard and his sextet almost make a one-time get-together sound like a regular working group.
By 1968, Jaki Byard was already established as a pianist of restless curiosity—equally comfortable in swing, bebop, and avant-garde contexts. With Strings! represents a deliberate pause in that trajectory, a foray into orchestrated elegance that sits apart from his usual trio and small-group work. It is not a departure that feels forced; rather, it gives Byard room to arrange and lead without the constant harmonic driving that defines his best-known recordings.
The sextet configuration—anchored by George Benson on guitar, Ray Nance on violin, and a rhythm section of Richard Davis, Ron Carter on cello, and Alan Dawson—creates an unusual texture for 1968 jazz. The program mixes Byard originals with standards and pop material, including a jammed rendition of "How High the Moon" that lets Nance take flight. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow noted that despite the one-off nature of the session, the band achieves real cohesion, with the distinctive voices of these musicians merging into something that feels rehearsed. Nance's solo on "How High the Moon" earned particular praise from critic Giddins, who ranked it among Nance's finest work from his later years, standing with his recording on Dizzy Gillespie's "Lover Come Back to Me."
This album matters not because it redefined Byard's sound but because it showed his comfort in a setting outside his usual wheelhouse. It remains a solid entry for listeners already drawn to Byard's flexibility, though it is not the place to start with his work.
