Donald Byrd – Slow Drag (2023 Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl LP)

Recorded on May 12, 1967, at Rudy Van Gelder’s legendary Englewood Cliffs studio, Slow Drag finds Donald Byrd deep in the pocket of hard bop and soul-jazz. Issued as part of the acclaimed Blue Note Tone Poet Series, this reissue revives one of Byrd’s most effortlessly grooving sessions — a record that swings with confidence yet never loses its cool.

Byrd leads a powerhouse lineup: Sonny Red on alto sax, Cedar Walton on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums and vocals. Together they balance sharp rhythm and lyrical flow, that unmistakable late-60s Blue Note chemistry between precision and feel.

The title track Slow Drag sets the tone, unfolding in relaxed swing, all brass and swagger. Booker’s Bossa and Jelly Roll glide with effortless groove, while Byrd’s take on Secret Love is smooth but searching, built around Walton’s sparkling piano work. The Loner and My Ideal close the record with warmth and understatement, proof that Byrd could speak volumes in restraint.

Remastered from the original analog tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl, this Tone Poet gatefold edition offers Van Gelder’s full sonic depth — crisp horns, resonant bass, and that signature room sound. With Francis Wolff’s in-studio photography and Stoughton tip-on sleeve, it’s both an audiophile release and a collector’s artefact.

For fans of Donald Byrd, Cedar Walton, and the golden age of Blue Note Records, Slow Drag is essential — soulful, sophisticated, and unhurried in all the right ways.