This post is by Scott and Dan
Recorded on August 25, 1988
Jaki Byard began recording his own albums in 1961 for Prestige, following a ten-year stint as sideman for, among others, Maynard Ferguson and Bostonians Charlie Mariano and Herb Pomeroy. His performance on Eric Dolphy's Outward Bound album on Prestige probably opened the eyes of label execs because he stayed with the label for the rest of the decade. He also maintained activity as a first-call pianist for such open-minded artists as Ken McIntyre, Don Ellis, and Booker Ervin. His most significant supportive role was in the Charles Mingus' sextet during the mid-1960s.
Foolin' Myself finds Byard in a trio format some 20-25 years past his Prestige and Mingus associations. At age 66, one might expect an artist of his caliber to either lose his chops or mellow out. Neither is the case for this sparkling album, recorded in New York for Soul Note. As usual, Byard exhibits a variety of styles, ranging from lyrical ballads to blues to stride to indescribable originals. Often, several styles appear in the same track. This makes for a delightful artistic excursion for the artist and the listener.
"Suite 27" opens the album with a four-part suite and is indeed sweet. The parts are labeled Waterfall, Highways, Skyways, and Waterways. All parts fit together while being identifiable separately. The lovely solo performance, "Oslo to Kristiansund to Malmรถ," comes next, followed by "Searchlight #2," a blues that morphs into double-time about halfway through and ends with several choruses of block chords from the pianist.
All but two of the compositions are by Byard. Bassist Ralph Hamperian contributes a nice waltz with a long bass solo, and "Foolin' Myself" is a standard written by Jack Lawrence.
Overall, Foolin' Myself is a knockout session that rewards repeated listening. We're grateful for Soul Note's commitment to recording artists like Byard and for giving us music that still sounds alive and relevant 35 years after its recording.
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