Blackjack (Donald Byrd album)

Blackjack is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances by Byrd with Sonny Red, Hank Mobley, Cedar Walton, Walter Booker, and Billy Higgins recorded in 1967 and released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4259.^[2] The CD reissue included one bonus track recorded in 1963. The title track was sampled by Gang Starr & Dream Warriors in their 1991 collaboration "I've Lost My Ignorance".

Blackjack
Studio album by Donald Byrd
Released	March 1968[1]
Recorded	January 9, 1967 May 27, 1963 (Bonus track)
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:36
Label	Blue Note BLP 4259 BST 84259
Producer	Alfred Lion
Donald Byrd chronology
Mustang! (1966) Blackjack (1968) Slow Drag (1967)

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 stars and stated "One can sense that Byrd wanted to break through the boundaries and rules of hard bop but had not yet decided on his future directions".^[3]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]

Track listing

All compositions by Donald Byrd except as indicated

1. "Blackjack" - 6:16
2. "West of Pecos" (Sonny Red) - 5:29
3. "Loki" (Red) - 5:53
4. "Eldorado" (Mitch Farber) - 8:00
5. "Beale Street" (Red) - 5:25
6. "Pentatonic" - 4:59
7. "All Members" (Heath) - 4:34 Bonus track on CD reissue

Recorded on May 27, 1963 (track 7) & January 9, 1967 (tracks 1–6).

Personnel

Tracks 1–6

• Donald Byrd - trumpet
• Sonny Red - alto saxophone
• Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone
• Cedar Walton - piano
• Walter Booker - bass
• Billy Higgins - drums

Track 7

• Donald Byrd - trumpet
• Sonny Red - alto saxophone
• Jimmy Heath - tenor saxophone
• Herbie Hancock - piano
• Eddie Khan - bass
• Albert Heath - drums