Originally a trumpet player, but when Duke Pearson recorded his debut album for Blue Note, it was as a seasoned and very confident pianist who was initially inspired by Wynton Kelly and Phineas Newborn Jr when they all served together in the US Army. This package includes Pearson's first two trio albums for the label (Profle and Tender Feelin's), plus two albums where Donald Byrd is the main voice. Pearson would go on to compose a number ofjazz standards including ‘Jeannine’ and ‘Cristo Redentor’. That was all in the immediate future, here he concentrated on familiar material such as ‘Like Someone In Love’, ‘On Green Dolphin Street’, ‘Black Coffee’ and a quite acceptable take on the MJQ's ‘The Golden Striker’. Over the years, the careers of Pearson and Byrd intertwined at Blue Note. Pearson would become an integral part in creating the label's hard bop credentials taking over from the late Ike Quebec as in-house A&R talent scout. His ongoing connection with Byrd involved participating in both a number of studio sessions plus a gig with the Donald Byrd-Pepper Adams Quintet.