Up with Donald Byrd

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 21⁄2 stars and stated "The music is mostly pretty forgettable despite such top sidemen... A lesser effort".[2]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

It is important to consider Byrd's aim of attracting a larger African American audience by covering popular Blues (See See Rider, My Babe) and Gospel songs, at a time when Jazz was losing popularity.

All compositions by Donald Byrd except as indicated

1. "You're Talkin' About Me Baby" (Gale Garnett, Walter Hirsch, Ray Rivera) – 2:39
2. "Blind Man, Blind Man" (Herbie Hancock) – 2:51
3. "Boom Boom" (John Lee Hooker) – 4:21
4. "My Babe" (Willie Dixon) – 2:48
5. "See See Rider" (Ma Rainey) – 3:58
6. "House of the Rising Sun" (Traditional) – 5:05
7. "Bossa" – 7:56
8. "Cantaloupe Island" (Hancock) – 6:46
9. "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" (Traditional; arranged by Donald Byrd) – 5:13

• Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on October 6 (tracks 1 & 2), November 2 (tracks 3–6), & December 16 (tracks 7–9), 1964 .

• Donald Byrd – trumpet; arranger and conductor (tracks 7 & 9)
• Jimmy Heath (tracks 2–5), Stanley Turrentine (tracks 7 & 8) – tenor saxophone
• Herbie Hancock – piano; arranger and conductor (track 8)
• Kenny Burrell – guitar (tracks 1–8)
• Bob Cranshaw (tracks 1–6), Ron Carter (tracks 7–9) – bass
• Grady Tate – drums
• Candido Camero – percussion (tracks 7 & 8)
• The Donald Byrd Singers – vocals
• Claus Ogerman – arranger and conductor (tracks 1–6)

Technical

• Val Valentin – director of engineering
• Phil Ramone, Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
• Michael Malatak – cover design