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Jamie Baum: flute, alto flute; Adam Kolker: tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet; Jerome Harris: guitar; Essiet Okon Essiet: bass; George Schuller: drums Jaki Byard: freewheeling pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader and educator…largely “below the radar” of the current jazz community, but revered by those fortunate enough to have played with him, studied with him, or heard him in person… master of an unusually broad range of jazz style and expression—from ragtime and stride, to the bluesy drive and sophistication of big swing bands, to the bracing melodic angularity and harmonic abstraction associated with bebop and the 1960s’ cutting edge…exemplar of a “beyond category” approach to music: deeply rooted in tradition, while too restless to be hidebound by it…regularly infusing his virtuosity and craft with infectious doses of humor and sheer joy of exploration…tragically taken from our world before having the chance to experience a revival of interest in his work. Jamie Baum, George Schuller and I are among those who studied or played with Jaki Byard, either while he was on the faculty of New England Conservatory of Music or when he led his “Apollo Stompers” big band in New York and Boston. We, along with Adam Kolker and bassist Ugonna Okegwo, have formed *Yard Byard: The Jaki Byard Project* to explore Jaki’s music, honor his legacy, and garner inspiration from his example. —Jerome Harris