Donald Byrd has had an episodic and very productive career. Whether it was playing at recorded jam sessions for Prestige in the 1950s, combining voices with a hard bop group on Cristo Redentor, or becoming a major commercial success in the 1970s with his funk/R&B recordings, the trumpeter was in the musical headlines for decades.

The finest group of his career was the quintet that he co-led with baritonist Pepper Adams during 1958-62. The blend between Byrd and Adams, their individuality, and the sparks that always flew when they performed together were always mutually inspiring. The Cat Walk is arguably their finest recorded collaboration.

With pianist Duke Pearson (who would work with Byrd throughout the 1960s), bassist Laymon Jackson and drummer Philly Joe Jones, The Cat Walk has an all-star lineup. Pearson's four compositions (one co-written with the trumpeter), highlighted by Hello Bright Sunflower and Dukes Mixture, helps give this group its own unique identity even beyond the sound of the two horn greats. The results are quintessential hard bop that is essential and certainly a highlight in the careers of Donald Byrd, Pepper Adams and Duke Pearson.

"...the analog master tape is converted to 24-bit digital and then regenerated with a suite of JVC's finest electronics. From master tape to analog-to-digital conversion, from storage on magneto-optical disk to the cutting of the glass master from which the stamper is created, the XRCD24 process relies on extreme care -- in mastering and manufacturing -- to produce a noticeably better sonic outcome, one that transcends digital's usual limitations." - Marc Mickelson, The Audio Beat

Features:
• Mastered and produced by Alan Yoshida and Joe Harley from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note 2-Track Analog Tapes!
• Highest Quality Analog-to-Digital transfers from tape to CD
• Deluxe Packaging with Hi-Resolution Black & White Session Photos by Francis Wolff.
• Includes Original Album Liner Notes
• XRCD24 is Compatible with ALL CD PLAYERS!