I'm Tryin' to Get Home

I'm Tryin' to Get Home
I'm Tryin' to Get Home
Studio album by Donald Byrd
Released	End of February/early March 1965
Recorded	December 17–18, 1964
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Genre	Jazz
Length	36:51
Label	Blue Note ; BLP 4188; BST 84188
Producer	Donald Byrd (#1, 3, 5); Duke Pearson (#2, 4, 6)
Donald Byrd chronology

Last updated February 06, 2026

I'm Tryin' to Get Home is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances by Byrd with a large brass section and vocalists recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label in 1965 as BLP 4188.^[2]

Reception

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 2 stars and stated "despite some strong moments, the date (which resulted in no real hits) does not quite reach the heights of A New Perspective although it has plenty of interesting moments".^[3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz noted the album's popularity and its being a precursor of Byrd's further success in the following decade, but described it as "dispensable".^[4]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	^[4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	^[5]

Track listing

All compositions by Donald Byrd except as indicated

"Brother Isaac" - 4:54
"Noah" (Duke Pearson) - 6:59
"I'm Tryin' to Get Home" - 7:01
"I've Longed and Searched for My Mother" - 8:35
"March Children" (Pearson) - 7:17
"Pearly Gates" (Pearson) - 2:05

Recorded on December 17 (#1, 3, 5) & December 18 (#2, 4, 6), 1964.

Personnel

Donald Byrd - trumpet, flugelhorn
Joe Ferrante, Jimmy Owens, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry, Snooky Young - trumpet
Jimmy Cleveland, Henry Coker, J.J. Johnson, Benny Powell - trombone
Jim Buffington, Bob Northern - French horn
Don Butterfield - tuba
Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone
Herbie Hancock - piano
Freddie Roach - organ
Grant Green - guitar
Bob Cranshaw - bass
Grady Tate - drums
Duke Pearson - arranger
Coleridge Perkinson - director, conductor
Unidentified musicians - percussion
Unidentified chorus - vocals

References

↑ Billboard Feb 20, 1965
↑ Donald Byrd discography accessed September 2, 2010
1 2 Yanow, S. AllMusic review accessed September 2, 2010
1 2 Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (1992). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP & Cassette (1st ed.). Penguin. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-14-015364-4.
↑ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 36. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

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[1] Billboard Feb 20, 1965

[Byrd_discography-2] Donald Byrd discography accessed September 2, 2010

[AllMusic-3] 1 2 Yanow, S. AllMusic review accessed September 2, 2010

[Penguin1-4] 1 2 Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (1992). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP & Cassette (1st ed.). Penguin. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-14-015364-4.

[RSJRG-5] Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 36. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Donald Byrd
Years indicated are for the recording(s), not first release.
As leader	Byrd's Eye View (1955) Byrd Jazz (1955) Byrd's Word (1955) Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill (1956) 2 Trumpets (with Art Farmer, 1956) The Young Bloods (with Phil Woods, 1956) Jazz Eyes (and John Jenkins et al., 1957) Fuego (1959) Byrd in Flight (1960) Free Form (1961) A New Perspective (1963) I'm Tryin' to Get Home (1964) Up with Donald Byrd (1964) Mustang! (1966) Blackjack (1967) Slow Drag (1967) Fancy Free (1969) Kofi (1969–70) Ethiopian Knights (1971) Black Byrd (1972) Live: Cookin' with Blue Note at Montreux (1973; released 2022) Street Lady (1974) Stepping into Tomorrow (1974) Places and Spaces (1975) Caricatures (1976) Thank You...For F.U.M.L. (Funking Up My Life) (1978) Donald Byrd and 125th Street, N.Y.C. (1979) Love Byrd (1981) Words, Sounds, Colors and Shapes (1982) Harlem Blues (1987) Getting Down to Business (1989) A City Called Heaven (1991)
With Pepper Adams	10 to 4 at the 5 Spot (1958) Off to the Races (1959) Byrd in Hand (1959) At the Half Note Cafe (1960) Motor City Scene (1960) Out of This World (1961) Chant (1961) The Cat Walk (1961) Royal Flush (1961) The Creeper (1967) Electric Byrd (1970)
With The Jazz Messengers	The Jazz Messengers (1956) Originally (1956) Art Blakey Big Band (1957) Holiday for Skins (2 volumes, 1958)
With Gigi Gryce	At Newport (and Cecil Taylor, 1957) Gigi Gryce and the Jazz Lab Quintet (Riverside, 1957) Jazz Lab (Columbia album) (1957) Jazz Lab (Jubilee album) (1957 [1958]) Modern Jazz Perspective (with Jackie Paris, 1957) New Formulas from the Jazz Lab (1957)
With Jackie McLean	Lights Out! (1956) 4, 5 and 6 (1956) New Soil (1959) Jackie's Bag (1959) Vertigo (1963)
With Hank Mobley	The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley (Savoy, 1956) Mobley's Message (Prestige, 1956) Jazz Message No. 2 (Savoy, 1957) Hank Mobley Sextet (1956) Hank (1957) No Room for Squares (1963) Straight No Filter (1963) The Turnaround! (1963) Far Away Lands (1967)
With others	Discoveries / Presenting Cannonball Adderley (Cannonball Adderley, 1955) Jammin' with Gene (Gene Ammons, 1956) All Night Long (Kenny Burrell, 1956) All Day Long (Kenny Burrell, 1957) 2 Guitars (Kenny Burrell & Jimmy Raney, 1957) Whims of Chambers (Paul Chambers, 1956) Paul Chambers Quintet (1957) Sonny's Crib (Sonny Clark, 1957) My Conception (Sonny Clark, 1959) Bohemia After Dark (Kenny Clarke, 1955) Lush Life (John Coltrane, 1957–58) The Believer (John Coltrane, 1957–58) The Last Trane (John Coltrane, 1957–58) Black Pearls (John Coltrane, 1957–58) Davis Cup (Walter Davis Jr., 1959) Wailing With Lou (Lou Donaldson, 1957) Lou Takes Off (Lou Donaldson, 1957) This Is New (Kenny Drew, 1957) All Mornin' Long (Red Garland, 1957) Soul Junction (Red Garland, 1957) High Pressure (Red Garland, 1957) One Flight Up (Dexter Gordon, 1964) Ladybird (Dexter Gordon, 1965) Snap Your Fingers (Al Grey, 1962) Johnny Griffin Sextet (1958) Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 (Guru, 1993) Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality (Guru, 1994–95) My Point of View (Herbie Hancock, 1993) Tone Tantrum (Gene Harris, 1977) Swamp Seed (Jimmy Heath, 1963) Informal Jazz (Elmo Hope, 1956) African High Life (Solomon Ilori, 1963) Big Byrd: The Essence Part 2 (Ahmad Jamal, 1994 or 1995) Quartet-Quintet (Hank Jones, 1955) Bluebird (Hank Jones, 1955) TV Action Jazz! (Mundell Lowe, 1959) The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall (1959) Goin' Out of My Head (Wes Montgomery, 1965) Hush! (Duke Pearson, 1962) Wahoo! (Duke Pearson, 1964) Another One /Oscar Pettiford Volume 2 (1955) Winner's Circle (Oscar Pettiford, et al, 1957) Blues in Trinity (Dizzy Reece, 1958) The Cool Voice of Rita Reys (1956) Dimensions & Extensions (Sam Rivers, 1967) Sonny Rollins, Volume 1 (1956) Don't Stop the Carnival (Sonny Rollins, 1978) Silver's Blue (Horace Silver, 1956) 6 Pieces of Silver (Horace Silver, 1956–58) A Date with Jimmy Smith Volume One (1957) A Date with Jimmy Smith Volume Two (1957) Taylor's Wailers (Art Taylor, 1957) Soul Sauce (Cal Tjader, 1964) A Bluish Bag (Stanley Turrentine, 1967) Top Brass (Ernie Wilkins, 1955) Pairing Off (Phil Woods, 1956)

v t e J. J. Johnson
Years indicated are for the recording(s), not first release
As leader or co-leader	J. J. Johnson's Jazz Quintets (1946–49) Jay Jay Johnson with Clifford Brown / The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 1 / The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2 (1953–55) The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 3 (1955) J Is for Jazz (1956) First Place (1957) Blue Trombone (1957) Dial J. J. 5 (1957) Stan Getz and J. J. Johnson at the Opera House (1957) J. J. in Person! (1957) Really Livin' (1959) Trombone and Voices (1960) J.J. Inc. (1960) A Touch of Satin (1960–61) André Previn and J. J. Johnson (1961) J. J.'s Broadway (1963) Proof Positive (1964) J.J.! (1964) Goodies (1965) Broadway Express (1965) The Total J.J. Johnson (1966) The Yokohama Concert (with Nat Adderley, 1977) Chain Reaction: Yokohama Concert, Vol. 2 (with Nat Adderley, 1977) Pinnacles (1979) Concepts in Blue (1980)
With Kai Winding	K + J.J. (aka, Nuf Said, 1955) Trombone for Two (1955) Dave Brubeck and Jay & Kai at Newport (one side each, 1956) Jay and Kai + 6 (1956) Jay and Kai (1955–57) The Great Kai & J. J. (1960) Israel (1968) Betwixt & Between (1968) Stonebone (1969)
Discography Category

v t e Duke Pearson
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release.
As leader or co-leader	Profile (1959) Tender Feelin's (1959) Angel Eyes (1961–62) Dedication! (1961) Hush! (1962) Wahoo! (1964) Honeybuns (1965) Prairie Dog (1966) Sweet Honey Bee (1966) The Right Touch (1967) Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band (1967–68) I Don't Care Who Knows It (1968–70) Now Hear This (1968) The Phantom (1968) How Insensitive (1969) Merry Ole Soul (1969) It Could Only Happen with You (1970)
With Donald Byrd	Fuego (1959) At the Half Note Cafe (1960) Byrd in Flight (1960) The Cat Walk (1961) A New Perspective (1963) Fancy Free (1969) Kofi (1969–70) Electric Byrd (1970)
With others	Little Johnny C (Johnny Coles, 1963) Idle Moments (Grant Green, 1963) The Kicker (Bobby Hutcherson, 1963) Mean What You Say (Thad Jones and Pepper Adams, 1966)
Arranger only	I'm Tryin' to Get Home (for Donald Byrd]], 1964) Lush Life (for Lou Donaldson, 1967) Am I Blue (for Grant Green, 1963) Boss Horn (for Blue Mitchell, 1966) Heads Up! (for Blue Mitchell, 1968) A Slice of the Top (for Hank Mobley, 1966) Standards (for Lee Morgan, 1967) Rough 'n' Tumble (for Stanley Turrentine, 1966) A Bluish Bag (for Stanley Turrentine, 1967) The Return of the Prodigal Son (for Stanley Turrentine, 1967) The Look of Love (for Stanley Turrentine, 1968)

v t e Freddie Roach
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release.
As leader or co-leader	Down to Earth (1962) Good Move! (1963) Mo' Greens Please (1963) Brown Sugar (1964) All That's Good (1964) The Freddie Roach Soul Book (1966) Mocha Motion! (1967) My People (Soul People) (1967)
With others	Heavy Soul (Ike Quebec, 1961) It Might as Well Be Spring (Ike Quebec, 1961) Thunderbird (Willis Jackson, 1962) I'm Tryin' to Get Home (Donald Byrd, 1964)

v t e Stanley Turrentine
Years given are for the recording(s), including the soundtrack albums, not first release.
As leader or co-leader	Blue Hour (and The Three Sounds, 1960) Look Out! (1960) Stan "The Man" Turrentine (1960) Comin' Your Way (1961) Up at "Minton's" (1961) ZT's Blues (1961) That's Where It's At (1962) Jubilee Shout!!! (1962) In Memory Of (1964) Mr. Natural (1964) Joyride (1965) Rough 'n' Tumble (1966) Easy Walker (1966–69) The Spoiler (1966) A Bluish Bag (1967) The Return of the Prodigal Son (1967) The Look of Love (1968) Always Something There (1968) Another Story (1969) Sugar (1970) Gilberto with Turrentine (with Astrud Gilberto, 1971) Salt Song (1971) The Sugar Man (1971) Cherry (1972) Freddie Hubbard/Stanley Turrentine in Concert Volume One (1973) In Concert Volume Two (Freddie Hubbard & Stanley Turrentine album) (and Freddie Hubbard, 1973) Don't Mess with Mister T. (1973) Pieces of Dreams (1974) Have You Ever Seen the Rain (1975) In the Pocket (1975) Everybody Come On Out (1976) The Man with the Sad Face (1976) Nightwings (1977) Tender Togetherness (1981) Straight Ahead (1984) Wonderland (1986)
And Shirley Scott	Hip Soul (session led by Scott, 1961) Hip Twist (Scott, 1961) Dearly Beloved (1962) The Soul Is Willing (Scott, 1963) A Chip off the Old Block (1963) Never Let Me Go (1963) Soul Shoutin' (Scott, 1963) Blue Flames (joint leaders, 1964) Everybody Loves a Lover (Scott, 1964) Hustlin' (1964) Let It Go (1966) Queen of the Organ (Scott, 1966) Common Touch (1968) Soul Song (1968)
With Max Roach	Moon Faced and Starry Eyed (1959) Quiet as It's Kept (1959) Long as You're Living (1960) Parisian Sketches (1960)
With others	Freedom (Kenny Burrell, 1963–64) Midnight Blue (Kenny Burrell, 1963) I'm Tryin' to Get Home (Donald Byrd, 1964) Up with Donald Byrd (1964) With the Tenors of Our Time (Roy Hargrove, 1994) Life Flight (Freddie Hubbard, 1987) Flight to Jordan (Duke Jordan, 1960) Only Trust Your Heart (Diana Krall, 1994) Abbey Is Blue (Abbey Lincoln, 1959) Les McCann Ltd. in New York (Les McCann, 1961) Electric Funk (Jimmy McGriff, 1969) Speakin' My Piece (Horace Parlan, 1960) On the Spur of the Moment (Horace Parlan, 1961) The Right Touch (Duke Pearson, 1967) Easy Living /Congo Lament (Ike Quebec, 1962) Comin' On! (Dizzy Reece, 1960) Serenade to a Soul Sister (Horace Silver, 1968) Back at the Chicken Shack (Jimmy Smith, 1960) Midnight Special (Jimmy Smith, 1960) Prayer Meetin' (Jimmy Smith, 1961) A.T.'s Delight (Art Taylor, 1960)

I'm Tryin' to Get Home

Contents

Reception

Track listing

Personnel

References