Cannonball Adderley and Donald Byrd were among the earliest champions of Pearson’s compositions and skillful piano playing. However, Pearson’s career took on a new direction in the early 1960s, when he arranged multiple songs on Donald Byrd’s hit 1963 album “A New Perspective”. Pearson went on to fill the role of A&R at Blue Note Records, while continuing to play as a bandleader – notably with the Byrd-Pearson big band – and a ubiquitous session musician.
