Guitarist and club owner. Charlie Lee Byrd born September 16, 1925 in Chuckatuck, Virginia; died December 2, 1999 in Annapolis, Maryland.
Attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
Worked in New York City with Sol Yaged alongside Tommy Gwaltney in late 1947.
Over the course of his career, Byrd had four “home base” clubs where he appeared regularly when not on tour. The first of these was the Showboat Lounge (1957-1967) then Byrd’s Nest in Silver Spring, Maryland (1967-1969). The same Silver Spring location was renamed the Villa Rosa Showboat (1976-1978) and finally there was Charlie’s Georgetown (1980-1984). Byrd also appeared at other local clubs including Blues Alley, the Cellar Door, Etcetera, the King of France Tavern in Annapolis.
Formed Great Guitars with Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel.
Archives at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland.
Bibliography
Adler, David R. “Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd: Give the Drummer Some.” Jazz Times, June 2004. http://jazztimes.com/articles/14733-stan-getz-and-charlie-byrd-give-the-drummer-some.
Bernstein, Adam. “Jazz Guitarist Charlie Byrd Dies at 74; Washington Musician Popularized Bossa Nova.” Washington Post. December 3, 1999.
Dreyfuss, Joel. “From Sambas to Bach with Charlie Byrd.” Washington Post. September 27, 1973.
Dreyfuss, Joel. “The Sound of 3 Guitars.” Washington Post. January 4, 1975.
Feather, Leonard. “Jazz Samba: The Other Side of the Record.” Down Beat, August 29, 1963.
Gallaher, Eddie. “Bossa Nova Flew North with Byrd.” Washington Post, November 18, 1962.
Grant, Felix E. “Chords and Discords: Short Memory.” Down Beat 30, no. 27 (October 10, 1963): 9.
Harrington, Richard. “Charlie Byrd.” Washington Post, May 23, 1979.
Harrington, Richard. “Bossa Nova’s Boss Man.” Washington Post, May 24, 1985, sec. Weekend.
Harrington, Richard. “‘Great Guitars’ Lives Up to Its Name.” Washington Post, April 15, 1983.
Harrington, Richard. “Charlie Byrd’s 25 Years of Capital Cool.” Washington Post, June 13, 1981.
Joyce, Mike. “Charlie Byrd.” Washington Post, May 25, 1989.
Kirchner, Bill. “Charlie Byrd.” Washington Post, March 3, 1978.
Lopes, Josmar. “Well, I’ll Be Damned! The Drummer Was Right After All!,” November 9, 2011. http://www.brazzil.com/component/content/article/239-november-2011/10531-well-ill-be-damned-the-drummer-was-right-after-all.html.
Lopes, Josmar. “Damn the Drummer, Where’s the Composer?” Accessed June 23, 2012. http://loveinrio.blogspot.co.uk/2004/09/brazilian-jazz-project-damn-drummer.html.
Mcgowan, Chris. “Another Side of Jazz Samba: An Interview with Buddy Deppenschmidt.” The Brazilian Sound (blog), April 24, 2013. http://thebraziliansound.blogspot.com/2013/04/another-look-at-jazz-samba-interview.html.
Pagones, John. “Byrd’s Flying High on Bossa Nova.” Washington Post, January 11, 1963.
Pressley, Sue Anne. “Charlie’s Georgetown Will Close Its Doors.” Washington Post, May 19, 1985.
Rice, William. “Charlie Coasts Back Into the Showboat.” Washington Post, November 25, 1966.
Rice, William. “Charlie’s Not Sitting Still Like a Petrified Byrd.” Washington Post, December 25, 1966.
Richards, Chris. “The Humble Recording of a Legendary Album.” Washington Post. April 22, 2012.
Scanlan, Tom. “Three Men On Six Strings.” Down Beat 30, no. 17 (August 1, 1963): 20-21,38.
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Schudel, Matt. “Blame It on the ‘Jazz Samba’: Bossa Nova Craze Started in D.C.” Washington Post. May 27, 2014.
Scott, Allen. “Jazz in Movies: Sextet Soundtrack.” Metronome, September 1959.
Segraves, John. “After Dark: Travelin’ Charlie Is Back Home.” Washington Star, June 8, 1968.
Segraves, John. “After Dark: Charlie Byrd’s New ‘Residence.’” Washington Star, November 28, 1970.
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Segraves, John. “After Dark: Charlie Looking for New Spot?” Washington Star, June 12, 1971.
Segraves, John. “After Dark: Welcome ‘Home,’ Charlie Byrd.” Washington Star, December 2, 1971.
Smoot, Brawner. “On Record: Guitar Men.” Unicorn Times, February 1979.
Stokes, W. Royal. “The Winged Byrd.” Washington Post, May 4, 1986.
Stokes, W. Royal. “Charlie Byrd’s Trio Con Brio.” Washington Post, May 8, 1986.
Stokes, W. Royal. “One Voice, One Guitar.” Washington Post, April 21, 1985.
West, Hollie I. “Showboat: A Jazz Club Sails Away.” Washington Post, March 28, 1978.
West, Hollie I. “Just Simply a Trio of ‘Great Guitars.’” Washington Post, December 7, 1977.
West, Hollie I. “The Byrd Word.” Washington Post, September 24, 1969.
West, Hollie I. “Byrd to Abandon His Suburban Nest.” Washington Post, June 6, 1969.
Down Beat. “Byrd Lets Fly at Tour,” August 3, 1961.
Down Beat. “Charlie Byrd Sues MGM for Alleged ‘Jazz Samba’ Royalties,” September 10, 1964.
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