Smooth before it was called smooth.
I`ve played an acoustic version of `Walking in Rhythm` several times:
http://www.spinner.com/2013/02/07/donald-byrd-dead/

His spirit lives on...He was a great musician with his own vibe!

Yes, he was great back in the day. One of my favorite albums is Donald's "Taking Care of Business" with a young Herbie Hancock and Pepper Adams on baritone sax. This was before Herbie went with Miles, but he was great even as a kid.

Some of your jazz trumpeters played (and still DO) great melodic lines, and we guitarists miss out on a lot if we don't check them out. And some of your Bach and Handel pieces with lots of brass are just out and out MAJESTIC!

His old recordings STILL sound great. And his signature guitar STILL looks good!

Rest in peace, brother.
Whitefang

I'm from NC and though younger then (1973 through 1977) I was very familiar with his tenure and association with North Carolina Central University and a certain band called NYC 125th Street. His guitar player from that group, Ronnie Cozart. His brother was one of my students when I taught in Durham. Great musician and great music teacher. We don't have a lot of those left amongst the current cultural wasteland. R.I.P

Amen