First Flight: Yusef Lateef with Donald Byrd is trumpeter Donald Byrd's debut LP. Recorded in his native Detroit with such local players as tenor saxophonist Yusef Lateef, pianist
Berry Harris, and
Bernard McKinney on euphonium, Byrd is heard at the age of 22 when he was very much influenced by
Clifford Brown. Unlike Byrd, Lateef already had his own style at this early stage. The sextet here mostly performs bop originals plus a blues, "Yusef," and "Torsion Level." All of the music is straight-ahead and swinging. A fine beginning for the very interesting career of Donald Byrd.
