[1] Byron listened to Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis while growing up, but he was exposed to other styles through trips to the ballet and symphony orchestra.

In the 1980s he moved to New York City where he played with avant-garde jazz musicians such as Hamiet Bluiett, Craig Harris, and David Murray.

Byron is a practicing jazz historian, and some of his albums have been recreations (in spirit) of forgotten moments in the history of popular music.

His Seven Etudes for solo piano, commissioned by pianist Lisa Moore, made him a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Musical Composition in 2009.

With Uri Caine With Marilyn Crispell With Bill Frisell With Craig Harris With David Murray With Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra With Ralph Peterson Jr. With Bobby Previte With Reggie Workman With others