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As a work of pure music, Donald Byrd‘s A New Perspective is immaculate, one of the 1960s’ most direct expressions of jazz as a connection to the spiritual plane next to John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. Byrd’s intent to take the gospel threads running through Dixieland and New Orleans jazz and wind them through the hard bop movement resulted in one of his most unique, yet career-defining, statements. And yet, there’s something else about it that, while comparatively superficial, gives it an extra sense of scope: that iconic Reid Miles cover, with Byrd looking like he’s a dozen yards in the distance as the bulbous nose of a Jaguar E-Type looms in the foreground.

That Jag isn’t just set dressing; Byrd was something of a gearhead and regularly drove an E-Type belonging to his girlfriend. (He also convinced Herbie Hancock to buy a Shelby Cobra with his first big royalty check in ’63, which makes me wonder whether the two ever staged impromptu drag races between sessions.) The artwork for A New Perspective had almost as much impact on the popular consciousness as the music it contains—rapper Tone-Loc irreverently restaged the shoot 26 years later for the cover of Loc-ed After Dark—and it’s tempting to try and figure out some deeper meaning from Byrd’s and Miles’ choice of imagery.

This LP was one of the most successful uses of a gospel choir in a jazz context. The septet includes tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, guitarist Kenny Burrell, and pianist Herbie Hancock are joined by an eight-voice choir directed by Coleridge Perkinson. The arrangements by Duke Pearson are masterful and one song, "Cristo Redentor," became a bit of a hit. This is a memorable effort that is innovative in its own way, a milestone in Donald Byrd's career. — (via Blue Note)

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Label: Blue Note, UMe
Series: Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180 Gram
Country: Worldwide
Released: Mar 15, 2024 / Original Release: Jan 1964
Genre: Jazz
Style: Hard Bop
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File under: Blue Note