Travellin' Man

Charlie Byrd combined his love for classical and bossa nova in his guitar playing, and this live trio date from 1965 at Washington, D.C.'s Showboat (a club that he owned and played regularly in from 1957 to 1966) presents no exception to his usual playing style. He's accompanied by his brother, bassist Joe Byrd, and drummer Billy Reichenbach. His play list is wide-ranging, from an exciting medley of "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" and "Yesterdays" to a scaled-down but still sauntering arrangement of Billy Strayhorn's "U.M.M.G." and a superb interpretation of the legendary Django Reinhardt's "Nuages." One minor flaw is that the track labeled as Fats Waller's "Squeeze Me" is actually Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me." The Byrd originals "Mama I'll Be Home Someday" and "Blues for Felix" are both upbeat blues that prompt foot tapping. Because he recorded so prolifically during his career, the odds are that this long unavailable LP won't be reissued, but the record will definitely be appreciated by guitar aficionados.