Don Byas: Complete American Small Group Recordings (Definitive, 1944-1946).

Definitive DRCD11213 (2001). 

CD 1: 

Don Byas Orchestra

Charlie Shavers (trompette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Clyde Hart (piano, célesta), Slam Stewart (contrebasse), Jack "The Bear" Parker (batterie). New York City, 28 juillet 1944. 

1. Riffin' and Jivin' (D. Byas)

2. Free and Easy (D. Byas)

3. Worried 'n Blue (D. Byas)

4. Don's Idea (D. Byas)

Les mêmes plus Rudy Williams (saxophone alto). New York City, 17 août 1944. 

5. Savoy Jam Party (Part 2) (D. Byas)

6. Savoy Jam Party (Part 1) (D. Byas)

7. 1944 Stomp (D. Byas)

8. What Do You Want with My Heart (D. Byas)

9. Bass C Jam (D. Byas)

Don Byas All Star Quintet

Joe Thomas (trompette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Billy Taylor (contrebasse), Cozy Cole (batterie). New York City, 23 janvier 1945. 

10. Pennies from Heaven (Burke, Johnson)

11. Should I? (Brown, Freed)

12. You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love (Columbo, Conrad, Gregory, Dubois)

13. Jamboree Jump (D. Byas)

Buck Clayton (trompette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Eddie Safranski (contrebasse), Denzil Best (batterie). New York City, 27 juin 1945. 

14. Little White Lies (W. Donaldson)

15. Deep Purple (De Rose, Parish)

16. Them There Eyes (Pinkard, Tracy, Tauber)

Don Byas All Stars

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Kenny Watts (piano), John Levy (contrebasse), Slick Jones (batterie). New York City, mars 1945. 

17. Double Talk (D. Byas)

18. Fruit Salad (D. Byas)

19. Don Juan (inconnu)

20. Spots (Byas, Shad)

Little Sam & Orchestra

Les mêmes plus Big Bill Broonzy (guitare, vocal). Même session. 

21. Please Believe Me (B.B. Broonzy)

22. Why Did You Do That to Me? (B.B. Broonzy)

23. You Got to Play Your Hand (B.B. Broonzy)

24. Just a Dream (B.B. Broonzy)

CD 2: 

Don Byas' All Star Quintet

Les mêmes que sur 14-16. Même session. 

1. Out of Nohwere (You Came Along) (Green, Heyman)

Don Byas Quartet

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Erroll Garner (piano), Slam Stewart (contrebasse), Denzil Best (batterie). New York City, 30 août 1945. 

2. Three O'Clock in the Morning (Terriss, Robledo)

3. One O'Clock Jump (C. Basie)

4. Harvard Blues (Frazier, Smith, Basie)

5. Slam-in' Around (D. Byas)

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Slam Stewart (contrebasse), J.C. Heard (batterie). New York City, 6 septembre 1945. 

6. Laura (Raskin, Mercer)

7. Stardust (Parish, Carmichael)

8. Slam, Don't Shake Like That (Byas, Stewart)

9. Dark Eyes (Trad.)

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Al Hall (contrebasse), Sidney Catlett (batterie). New York City, 12 septembre 1945. 

10. Embraceable You (G. & I. Gershwin)

11. The Sheik of Araby (Smith, Wheeler, Snyder)

12. Super Session (D. Byas)

13. Melody in Swing (Catlett, Grimes)

Don Byas All Star Quartet featuring Johnny Guarnieri

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Eddie Safranski (contrebasse), J.C. Heard (batterie). New York City, 3 octobre 1945. 

14. Once in a While (Green, Edwards)

15. Avalon (Jolson, DeSylva, Rose)

16. Blue and Sentimental (David, Basie, Livingston)

17. My Melancholy Baby (Norton, Burnett)

Don Byas and his Orchestra

Inconnu (trompette), Jimmy Powell (saxophone alto), Don Byas, Hal Singer (saxophone ténor), inconnus (piano), (contrebasse), (batterie), Rubie Blakey (vocal). New York City, automne 1945. 

18. The Gypsy (B. Reid)

19. Nancy (Silver, Van Heusen)

20. Poor Butterfly (Hubbell, Golden)

Albinia Jones (vocal) avec Don Byas' Swing Seven

Dizzy Gillespie (sous le nom de "John Kildare") (trompette), Gene Sedric (clarinette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Sammy Price (sous le nom de "Bubber Prince") (piano), Leonard Ware (guitare), Oscar Smith (contrebasse), Harold West (batterie). New York City, 14 avril 1945. 

21. Evil Gal Blues (L. Feather)

22. Salty Papa Blues (L. Feather)

23. Albinia's Blues (Jones)

24. Don't You Wear No Black (What's the Matter with Me) (Haynes, Ramson, Smith)

CD 3: 

Don Byas Quartet

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Erroll Garner (piano), Slam Stewart (contrebasse), Hal West (batterie).New York City, 1er novembre 1945. 

1. Humoresque (A. Dvorak)

2. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (Koehler, Moll, Barris)

3. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Kern, Harbach)

4. Slamboree (Stewart, Byas, Garner, West)

Don Byas and the All Star Rhythm Section

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Gene Schroeder (piano), Tony Gottuso (guitare), Slim Durham (contrebasse), Johnny Blowers (batterie). New York City, automne 1945. 

5. Annie Laurie (Scott, Douglas)

Don Byas Quintet

Benny Harris (trompette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Jimmy Jones (piano), John Levy (contrebasse), Fred Radcliffe (batterie). New York City, 26 novembre 1945. 

6. Candy (Davis, Cramer)

7. How High the Moon (Hamilton, Lewis)

8. Donby (D. Byas)

9. Byas-A-Drink (D. Byas)

Don Byas Quartet

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Teddy Brannon (piano, célesta), Frank Skeete (contrebasse), Fred Radcliffe (batterie). New York City, 17 mai 1946. 

10. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) (Turk, Ahlert)

11. London Donnie (Danny Boy) (Trad.)

12. Old Folks (Lee, Robinson)

13. Cherokee (R. Noble)

14. September in the Rain (Dubin, Warren)

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Sanford Gold (piano), Leonard Gaskin (contrebasse), Max Roach (batterie). New York City, 21 août 1946. 

15. Living My Life (inconnu)

16. To Each His Own (Livingston, Evans)

17. They Say It's Wonderful (I. Berlin)

18. Cynthia's in Love (White, Gish, Owens)

19. September Song (Weill, Anderson)

20. St. Louis Blues (W.C. Handy)

21. I've Found a New Baby (Palmer, Williams)

22. Marie (I. Berlin)

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Beryl Booker (piano), Tony Scott (piano sur 26), John Simmons (contrebasse), Fred Radcliffe (batterie). New York City, v. septembre 1946. 

23. You Go to My Head (Gillespie, Coots)

24. Don't You Know I Care (D. Ellington)

25. Gloomy Sunday (Seress, Javor, Lewis)

26. More Than a Mood (Simon)

CD 4: The Freelance: 

Eddie Heywood and his Orchestra

Ray Nance (trompette, violon, vocal), Aaron Sachs (clarinette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Eddie Heywood (piano), John Simmons (contrebasse), Shelly Manne (batterie). New York City, 2 mai 1944. 

1. How High the Moon (Lewis, Hamilton)

2. Sarcastic Lady (J. Hodges)

3. Them There Eyes (Tracey, Tauber)

4. Penthouse Serenade (Jason, Burton)

Emmett Berry Five

Emmett Berry (trompette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Dave Rivera (piano), Milt Hinton (contrebasse), J.C. Heard (batterie). New York City, 31 août 1944. 

5. Sweet and Lovely (Arnheim, Tobias)

6. White Rose Kick (D. Byas)

7. My Deep Blue Dream (Rivera, Troob)

8. Byas'd Opinion (D. Byas)

Hank D'Amico Sextet

Frank Newton (trompette), Hank D'Amico (clarinette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Dave Rivera (piano), Sid Weiss (contrebasse), Cozy Cole (batterie). New York City, 10 octobre 1944. 

9. Hank's Pranks (D. Rivera)

10. Juke Box Judy (H. D'Amico)

11. Shy Little Witch from Greenwich (F. Newton)

12. Gone at Dawn (B. Simon)

Cyril Haynes Sextet

Dick Vance (trompette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Cyril Haynes (piano), Al Casey (guitare), John  Levy (contrebasse), Hal West (batterie). New York City, 1944. 

13. Morning Madness (C. Haynes)

14. One Sad Thursday (C. Haynes)

15. Across the Road (C. Haynes)

16. Cedar Manor (C. Haynes)

Nat Jaffe and his V-Disc Jumpers

Charlie Shavers (trompette), Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Nat Jaffe (piano), Specs Powell (batterie). New York City, 24 janvier 1945. 

17. The Jeep is Jumpin' (Hodges, Ellington)

Johnny Guarnieri Quartet

Don Byas (saxophone ténor), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Leo Guarnieri (contrebasse). J.C. Heard (batterie). New York City, 1945. 

18. I'd Do Anything for You (Hopkins, Williams, Hill)

19. Sophisticated Lady (D. Ellington)

20. Armand the Groove (J. Guarnieri)

21. Dot's My Baby (J. Guarnieri)

Édition préparée et éditée par J.G. Calvados. 

Notes de pochette par Antonio Padilla.