Draft:New York City Jazz

New York City Jazz is a 2018 album by American jazz saxophonist Chris Byars. After its recording, guitarist Pasquale Grasso signed a record deal with Sony Music, which prevented him from recording with Byars, though in 2022 he returned with Byars on the album Look Ahead.

Composition
As Byars toured for the U.S. State Department for several years, many of the compositions featured on the album have foreign influences. "The General's Song" was composed by Saudi Arabian musician Tarek Abdel-Hakim, and was given to Byars as a gift after the two met in 2008 in Jeddah, where Byars was touring as a jazz ambassador. Solos on the track are played over the chord changes of Sweet Georgia Brown. "Quick Turnaroud" was titled in reference to a plane trip between the neighboring countries of Albania and Kosovo, in which Byars took a detour to New York City so he could catch his daughter preforming in a high school play. "No Message" is based on tradional Bahrainian folk song.

Critical reception
Robert Rusch, writing for Cadence Magazine, stated that "Given some give you could see much of this as a get together with 50s Phil Woods, early Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Raney and Gigi Gryce or you just could sit back, forget the conjecture and enjoy the CD." Derek Taylor, of Dusted Magazine, praised Byars sidemen, saying that "each player fits the leader’s specifications while retaining sharply delineated respective personalities."

Personnel
Source
 * Chris Byars – alto saxophone
 * John Mosca – trombone
 * Stefano Doglioni – bass clarinet
 * Pasquale Grasso – guitar
 * Ari Roland – bass
 * Stefan Schatz – drums