Jerry Byrd Flies In
As Managing Editor of BK Magazine, my great friend, confidante and man-about-the-universe Andrew Hirsamboon commissioned an interview with a musician here in town who somehow slipped the Jungle radar. So with gratitude to Andrew here’s the skinny on the Pittsburgh guitar great Jerry Byrd who has now left The Living Room at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit and heads a combo at Tenderloins on Sukhumvit Soi 33 - last we heard. He speaks here of his musical inspirations and hopes for his new life in Bangkok.
Who’s your inspiration?
Mostly, Wes Montgomery.
Didn’t you play with George Benson?
We both grew up in Pittsburgh and we were always playing at the same places, jamming together in the same clubs. We were the first jazz guitar players there. We were really tight and I can say I’m the one who influenced him into being jazzier.
When did you leave Pittsburgh?
I started traveling when I was around 17. I was always touring, a lot with Roland Kirk but then a few years went by and I started going abroad—Europe, Japan, I went everywhere. I played with Freddy Cole, Nat King Cole’s brother, Jack McDuff and some others.
Do you ever miss home, as you’re always on the road?
I had no home, so I didn’t care. And now, I’d like to make Bangkok my home. This place looks good, I think I could stay here.
Is the scene exciting enough for you?
I’ve been to a couple clubs and I like what I see. The reason I want to be here is that the jazz scene is just starting to happen.
And when you’re not playing?
When I’m not playing, I’m playing, because I’m practicing. I play some six hours a day.
How’s playing in a hotel?
It’s not like a jazz club, yeah. Some people really listen, applaud, all that. Some people are just there to pick up. I do like small intimate jazz clubs but this is cool, I like it. I’m actually surprised by the quality of jazz in hotels here. In the US, there’s no entertainment anywhere anymore. The culture’s all gone.
Don’t you have to adapt to the clientele, play stuff you don’t like?
I try to read the crowd and know what the audience wants - it can be anything from Elton John to Count Basie. I’m not a purist, all music is good if you play it well. Do it your way, put your stamp on it.
Read more about the jazz ace HERE
March 29th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Jerry Byrd is great!
And he is the real thing, a real Jazz guitarist, with a sense
of MELODY in his lines. He also knows how to “swing”, this is something that is somewhat lacking here in Bangkok. Lots of Cats do the modern thing very well, but you do not hear hard swing too much here…. It’s a feel thing.
Guess we now have a generation of guitarists growing up with guys like Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, and many more modern fusion influences, not that Metheny can’t swing, because he can. Wish more young guitarists would listen to more Wes Montgomery. Also wish more Thai drummers would too.
I am fairly certain that Jerry could be persuaded to do some workshops, if anyone is interested in refining their Jazz skills, some of that great “feel” just might rub off on you too. I is not that often when you get the oppotunity to learn from a real Jazz Icon.
Listen to Jerry Byrd here:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=231360059