Donald Byrd

I've only come to know the music of Donald Byrd's 1970s "Jazz-Rock Fusion" tenure since 2023. Before that I'd owned one Blackbyrds album (the one with the infectious hit, "Walking in Rhythm") and another (I think it was 1979's Chant). As I'd never really been a listener to jazz-oriented radio stations, I literally knew very little about the man (or this milieu). To now learn that he was approaching his 40s when he opened his soul and posse of collaborators to the new musical phenomenon that would become known as "Jazz-Rock Fusion" is, to my mind, quite extraordinary. Extra points to this man! Then to discover the quality of his J-R Fusion output (owed greatly to D.C.'s Mizell brothers, Larry and Fonce) and he races to the top of my list of "favorite" J-R F artists. But today, while doing the dishes to his 1973 album, Street Lady--while being moved to dancing, moving, singing, and voice-emulating the bass lines of the great Chuck Rainey--I was suddenly gushing with tears at the realization that my dad would have LOVED this music. I wish so much that I'd known of Detroit's own homeboy and his music so that I'd been able to gift my dad one of these albums; I just know it would have been something that would have deepened our bond.

     Lauded by so many for his extreme generosity as a mentor, educator, and motivator, Donald's own career doesn't shine quite as brightly of some of his protégés--particularly Chicago native Herbie Hancock, who, literally, slept on Donald's couch and day bed in the trumpeter's Bronx apartment--for years--while trying to find his place in the confusing and, at times, overwhelming world that was New York City (Donald's adopted home). Donald was also a strong advocate for artist/composers retaining and reclaiming their publishing rights, thereby guaranteeing life-long income streams for many artists whose songs were lucky enough to be covered by others (or played on the radio or in films). 

     Though Donald returned to playing more standard jazz during his twilight years, his studio recordings through the 1980s expressed his love for the danceable medium that Jazz-Rock Fusion had helped bring to the public. His place in my world is one of those magical discoveries that makes me feel so fortunate to have made my commitment to this "deep dive" into the "classic era" of Jazz-Rock Fusion. 

DONALD BYRD Fancy Free (1969)

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on May 9th and June 6th of 1969, the music here was definitely experimental, definitely exploring the new sounds of electrified instrumentation and fusions of non-traditionally jazz music traditions (like blues, rock, soundtrack, and even African) with jazz. It was released by Blue Note Records in December of 1969.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Donald Byrd / trumpet
- Frank Foster / tenor and soprano saxophone
- Julian Priester / trombone
- Jerry Dodgion / flute
- Lew Tabackin / flute
- Duke Pearson / electric piano
- Jimmy Ponder / guitar
- Roland Wilson / bass
- Joe Chambers / drums
- Leo Morris / drums
- Nat Battis / percussion
- John Richardson / percussion

A1. "Fancy Free" (11:50) a song that offers a lot of memories for Detroiters due to its daily use on WJZZ beneath its community calendar notifications, Ronald Wilson's double bass and Leo Morris' drums seem to anchor the music in the jazz traditions while John Richardson and Nat Battis' Latin percussion with Duke Pearson's use of the smooth tones of an electric piano propel it forward, into the new realms of Jazz-Rock Fusion. Donald's trumpet and Jerry Dodgian's flute add more to the overall smooth sedating effect. (22/25)

 
A2. "I Love The Girl" (8:35) solo electric piano opens this, sounding like someone playing background music for a television show like Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood. After 90 seconds Donald steps up to the microphone while bass, brushed drums, and subtle rhythm guitar add their nuanced support. This, too, sounds like background music for some film or a cover of a film theme song. The arrival of Frank Foster's tenor sax in the sixth minute somehow gives the music a little more credibility--as if the great Dexter Gordon had just stepped in, legitimizing this as Jazz. Duke's vibe-sounding effect on his electric piano is given the front in the eighth minute while soothing horns support from behind. (17.5/20)

B1. "The Uptowner" (9:05) jazz combo with electric piano integrated within provides the foundation for a bank of horns to enter and posit their melodies on this Mitch Farber composition. The bandleader himself takes over soon after, presenting a kind of HUGH MASAKELA-type trumpet style and sound. As a matter of fact, the main motif coupled with the leads (Frank Foster in the fifth minute) give the song a very upbeat, party-like feel not unlike some of the happy-go-lucky songs and melodies made famous by Hugh and others in the Sixties. Jimmy Ponder gives a very flashy guitar solo in the seventh minute--one that sounds part CHUCK BERRY, part GEORGE BENSON. (17.5/20)   

B2. "Weasil" (9:50) a Chuck Hendricks composition that is very solidly rooted in the RAY CHARLES-like blues-rock music of the previous decade. Joe Chambers' drumming is noticeably more rock-oriented but Duke Peterson's electric piano chord progressions and playing style are very close to Ray's blues. Nicely arranged and performed but not the kind of music that I like or enjoy. (17.5/20) 

Total Time: 39:12

I can certainly see/hear the seeds of commitment to the new sounds and stylings of Jazz-Rock Fusion--which was, of course, still in its infancy 

86.875 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a finely-crafted and very well-performed (and recorded) sample of one of Mr. Byrd's evolutionary shifts. It's not quite ground-breaking J-R Fusion yet but it's trying. 

DONALD BYRD Electric Byrd (1970)

Recorded on May 15, 1970, Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, we see with this album Donald's deeper dive into a commitment to both electric instrumentation with the prominent featuring of electric bass (from experienced jazz bassist Ron Carter, a man that did not stick with it for very long despite his electric bass play being very highly in demand) heavily-effected electric guitar and new special effects used on several of the other instruments in order to add a new "psychedelic" pastiche to his music. Also, Donald is here effectively using melody lines that intentionally fall out of line with the foundational keys and scales they're generally used in, giving the music a strongly disorienting, even "drugged" feeling. The album was released by Blue Note in November.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Donald Byrd / trumpet
- Jerry Dodgion / alto sax, soprano sax, and flute
- Frank Foster / tenor saxophone and alto clarinet
- Lew Tabackin / tenor saxophone and flute
- Pepper Adams / baritone saxonphone and clarinet
- Bill Campbell / trombone
- Hermeto Pascoal / flute (on "Xibaba" only)
- Wally Richardson / guitar
- Duke Pearson / electric piano
- Ron Carter / bass
- Mickey Roker / drums

- Airto Moreira / percussion

A1. "Estavanico" (11:00) for this song's first seven minutes Rudy Van Gelder convinces Donald and his crew to pull out all the stops on reality-based music: bending, distorting, panning, pitch-shifting all kinds of tracks while Donald, for his part, convinces his musicians to slip in some "off" or "sour" notes from time to time as if to prove or at least amplify the "drugged out" state being expressed in the music. The musicians who seem to be having the most trouble "fitting in" to the new style are experienced bassist Ron Carter and saxophonist Frank Foster; the rest seem to fall easily into the act of being under hallucinagenic sedation--especially the awesome flutes and percussionists. A pretty cool, bold, and successful foray into the counter culture. (17.75/20)

A2. "Essence" (10:30) late night jazz with some electrified accoutrements: walking bass, electric piano, and electric guitar. The sound effects added to the recording of the flute and cool drumming style provide some of the more interesting elements to the song. As experienced as Ron Carter was at this time, you'd think he'd have done a better job of finding his place in the groove; as it is he just feels lost and out of his element. Jerry Dodgion's heavily-effected (echoed) sax is interesting as is the berimbau and echoed trumpet and other percussives. The muted electric guitar is totally weird and irritating--even when the echo effect is applied to it. Could this have been the one and only take of a poorly rehearsed composition? (17.25/20) 

B1. "Xibaba" (13:35) to me this is the album's most interesting song because of the fact that there is so much space in it--space with which to take in every sound and echo, every jingle and jangle, every electric piano chord and  At the same time there is this rather heroic presence of the self-proclaiming, screaming (and echoing) trumpet. It feels as if the conquering young Spanish-Roman hero has returned, alone, to his home town, with all the excitement of fresh victory bursting to be shared, but when he reaches the normally-peopled public places he finds them empty, the city desolate, his cries echoing off of the stone walls of the empty open places, hallways and streets and edifices. The structure formed at the end of the fifth minute merely suggests the hero's more resolute walk around the streets and alleys as he fixes to his determination to find people--find his family and friends--but all he finds are ghosts and reverberations of his own echoing voice. I find this song intriguing as it heartily feeds my own imagination's tendency to visualize and storyboard the music I hear. For me, this song is more about impressions than technical prowess or sophistication. (27/30)

B2. "The Dude" (8:00) a suped up song that sounds as if it came from the overdubbing of a Motown foundational track. The R&B is strong with this one, Obi-wan. Though the "Motown" rhythm section remains tight and the soloists dancing lightly over the top sensitive, respectful, and creative, the song really doesn't do enough over the long run to make it memorable. (13/15)

Total Time: 43:48

I have to say that I respect Donald Byrd, now almost age 40, for his open-minded adventurousness. I also love the fact that engineer and recording studio owner Rudy Van Gelder was able to remain so fascinated with and invested in the latest greatest technological advancements in sound recording and engineering. The two coupled with a cast and crew who were at least able to try--to go along with their leader and producer's weird and whimsical requests (orders)--despite their own training, predilections and reservations. Many people look back upon the experiments and fumbles into the world of "psychedelics" as a laughable mistake--many with regrets--but I like it: it is all so entertaining (and nostalgic).  

88.235 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent second and further sortie into the world of electronic sound manipulation--one that definitely qualifies as a pulsating representative of the First Wave of Jazz-Rock Fusion.

 

DONALD BYRD Ethiopian Knights (1972)

I love it when a well-established, experienced and respected musician continues to grow and be open to new trends and ideas. Here Donald Byrd makes his second foray into the new world of electric and rock-infused Jazz Fusion, presenting some pretty great early examples of funk-drenched J-R Fuse.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Donald Byrd / trumpet, composer

- Wilton Felder / electric bass

- Ed Greene / drums
- David T. Walker / electric guitar [rhythm] 

- Greg Poree / electric guitar [rhythm]

- Joe Sample / organ
- William Henderson / electric piano
- Harold Land / tenor saxophone
- Thurman Green / trombone

- Bobby Hutcherson / vibraphone

A1. "The Emperor" (15:40) Funk! listen to that inventive Fender Rhodes play, that groovin' uptempo electric bass, that sexy, adventurous trumpet, the fun the blues-guitarists are having playing creative rhythm guitar, the wonderful unity of the total rhythm section. (28/30)

A2. "Jamie" (4:00) a little organ and acoustic guitar Latin thing that is closer to blues or Latin pop than fusion and or funk; it feels like a cover of a pop song (one that I do not know but which sounds very familiar). The prominence of the guitars makes me appreciate their talents more. (8.75/10)

B1. "The Little Rasti" (17:44) after a long 80-second drum intro, the funk is back, maybe even heavier and stinkier--definitely more hypnotic--than on the opener! Nice long solos given to a wah-wah guitarist, saxophonist Harold Land, and organist Joe Sample before Donald gets his turn (in the 11th minute). After. the fourteenth minute electric piano and trombone are given some shine, kind of together, before the other?) electric guitarist is given a turn and then Donald finishes things off with a now-heavily-echoed trumpet. If there's a flaw to the song it's that the main groove, as great as it is, goes on unbroken and with very little variation or enhancement for 15 minutes, a bit too long even with interesting solos going on over the top. (It is under conditions such as these that I think of the genius expressed by albums by Herbie Hancock, Eddie Henderson, and Julian Priester over the next couple of years where the musicians are each allowed to be inventive, even improvisational, all at virtually the same time instead of waiting for their assigned turn, which was the more standard jazz tradition.) 

     BTW: If I were a drummer, playing along with this song would be my daily warmup and cardio-opener. Such a great groove by Wilton Felder and Ed Greene.  (31.25/35) 

Total Time: 37:09

90.667 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of early, experimental jazz-rock fusion.

DONALD BYRD Black Byrd (1973)

Donald's first album giving the reigns of both production and composition to NASA aerospace engineer Larry Mizell. (Larry has writing credit on all seven of the album's songs. Donald has none.) Larry and his 11-month-younger brother, Fonce, were both D.C. born graduates of Howard University: Larry in engineering, Fonce in music. The brothers had only moved out to California early in 1972, with the aim of starting their own record production company (Sky High Productions). Black Byrd was recorded on April 3rd and 4th at The Sound Factory in Hollywood, California though one other date was required (Nov. 24) before the album could be mastered (perhaps for the re-recording or overdubs to he album's title song: to give it that "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" sound and feel). It was released by the Blue Note label in February of 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Donald Byrd / trumpet, flugelhorn, electric trumpet, vocals
- Allen Curtis Barnes / flute, oboe, saxophone
- Roger Glenn / saxophone, flute
- Fonce Mizell / trumpet, vocals
- Larry Mizell / vocals, composer, producer
- Dean Parks / guitar (A1, B1)
- Wilton Felder / bass (A1, B1)
- Bobbye Hall Porter / percussion (A1, B1)
- David T. Walker / guitar (A2, A3, B2, B3, B4)
- Chuck Rainey / bass (A2, A3, B2, B3, B4)
- Stephanie Spruill / percussion (A2, A3, B2, B3, B4)
- Kevin Toney / piano
- Freddie Perren / piano, synthesizer, vocals
- Joe Sample / piano, electric piano
- Harvey Mason / drums
- Keith Killgo / drums
- Perk Jacobs / percussion
- Barney Perry / guitar

A1. "Flight Time" (8:30) a remnant from the previous album's recording sessions?--or perhaps something generated by the momentum established by those sessions. The music is more sedate, engineered more for the exposition of singular musicians, one at a time, at the front, with the rest of the band serving more in support roles, not garnering much attention. Even the solos from the lead instruments (trumpet and flute) are more linear and focused, less conversant, than the music on the rest of the album (and on successive albums)--until, that is, the fifth minute when everybody seems to have been given the green light to go, explore, show off (at least for a minute). It's nice but it also helps me to be appreciative of the busy and nuanced weaves of the band's future songs. The busy free for all has some of the same joi de vivre of Hugh Masakela's "Grazin' in the Grass." (17.5/20)

A2. "Black Byrd" (8:00) ominous funk from bass and synth with percussion and Fender Rhodes accents open this one before flutes and wah-wah-ed "Shaft"-like rhythm guitar joins in. Small male choir joins in near the beginning of the second minute talking about "walking along playing our song" while a muted horn and horn-like rhythm guitar squawk and converse between and behind the vocal passages. Truly revolutionary (as far as my experience goes--though there are reminisces here of the instrumental music rendered by The Temptations for their version of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"--which was released in September! (13.75/15)

A3. "Love's So Far Away" (6:00) high quality, smooth-yet-rollicking and grooving funk-jazz with an awesome bass line (and style--by Chuck Rainey) that will be emulated by Les Nemes on one of my all-time favorite albums, HAIRCUT 100's Pelican West. (9.25/10)

B1. "Mr. Thomas" (5:15) nice full, complex, but not-too-busy, example of melodic jazz-funk. (8.875/10)

B2. "Sky High" (5:59) a song titled after Larry & Fonce's new music production company! Smooth melody lines over straightforward jazz-pop with some pretty adventurous bass walking from Chuck Rainey. This is definitely upbeat and happy music--and everybody contributing seems on board with this. Male choir enters in the second half with its background delivery of the usual hokey lyrics. Besides Chuck's awesome bass play, there are great performances here from all of the trumpeters and flutists as well as the rhythm guitarist, drummer, and keyboard players. (8.875/10)

B3. "Slop Jar Blues" (6:00) a nice, easy-going, Cosby Kids-like groove over which the winds and lead trumpeter and flutist have a great dialogue. I wonder if the solo voce "Slop Jar" lead vocalist is Donald, Fonce, or Freddie Perren. Another great engineered and mixed weave of instruments with Chuck Rainey's bass, the lead flute and trumpet, and the percussionists getting especially prominent treatment. (8.75/10)

B4. "Where Are We Going?" (4:40) the two-chord piano opening that proves to be the foundation for the rest of the song inspires (and supports) another great bass performance from Chuck Rainey while flutes, trumpets, and pianos play around within the mix. At 1:37 another singular male vocal performance starts that makes me wonder who it is. Motown-style b vox soon follow. Curiously, that's when Donald's trumpet really starts to fly around: in and between the vocals and recitations of the main melody from the flutes. There is a Classics IV/Atlanta Rhythm Section "Stormy" feel to the chords and melodies of the foundational progression. All in all it's a nice Smooth jazzed-up Soul/R&B song, despite its obvious references to other Motown classics (including Marvin Gaye's What's Going On?) (9.125/10)

Total Time: 43:17

By far the most melodic and pop-oriented music and album that Donald Byrd had released up to this time, I find it odd that an album so overwhelmingly dominated by one man and his production company's hired guns gets credited to the non-composing band leader instead of the principal generator of the finished product but such was the way of the music industry back in 1972/3. The shifts in both style and sound quality from Donald's previous release are so pronounced that one almost wants to ask if this is perhaps a different artist altogether--especially with respect to the list of musicians contributing to this album as compared to those on Ethiopian Knights: Wilton Felder, Joe Sample, and David T. Walker are present on Black Byrd, but, to what capacity as there are a whole host of other musicians present here filling in the same roles that the Jazz Crusaders were filling?

89.56 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of wonderfully-rendered blend of Smooth Jazz and Funk-Jazz.

DONALD BYRD Street Lady (1973)

And the ever-evolving trumpeter/bandleader keeps on going, here letting the Mizell brothers and elaborate rhythm section have the green light to embellish and improvise throughout the course of the songs wherever and whenever they feel so inspired. The result is an overwhelming success. 

Recorded in LA at the Sound Factory over three June days in 1973 (the 13th through 15th), the album was then released by Blue Note in July.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Donald Byrd / trumpet
- Roger Glenn / flute
- Jerry Peters / piano, electric piano
- Fonce Mizell / clavinet, trumpet, vocals
- Fred Perren / synthesizer, vocals
- David T. Walker / guitar
- Chuck Rainey / electric bass
- Harvey Mason / drums
- King Errisson / congas
- Stephanie Spruill / percussion

- Larry Mizell / vocals, arranger, conductor

A1. "Lansana's Priestess" (7:42) the jewel of the album starts out with a bit of a Motown feel and instrumental palette before trumpets and flute begin expressing the main melodies over the top (parts of which are very close to that which becomes "Walking in Rhythm"). Very nice broad spectrum of instruments each doing their own thing in a very loosely-coordinated groove gives this a more free and easy--and happy--energy. The spirit conveyed in Jerry Peters' dynamic piano play is particularly infectious  as is that of drummer Harvey Mason. (14/15)

A2. "Miss Kane" (7:35) another rich tapestry of instruments with a very catchy riff straight of the bat to suck us in and keep us engaged as the keep it going for the first three minutes. Once Donald takes the lead, the rest of the band starts to take inspiration from his adventurous spirit and they all seem to launch onto their own paths of adventurous "reconmaissance" with unbound enthusiasm--but then they all come back together in the fifth minute with some cool choir vocal "ooo"s slowly arpeggiating a single chord, thereby re-anchoring the main foundation to the ground so that the "recon" team can rush off to their own adventurous paths with the same reckless abandon as before. Brilliant! Definitely my favorite song on the album. (14.75/15)

A3. "Sister Love" (6:46) a slightly-free and loose samba-like Smooth Jazz tune that could very well have fit on one of Bob James' records from the same period. Donald's and Fonce Mizell's trumpets and Roger Glenn's flute seem to each go off in their own worlds but are magically held to task by the wonderfully grounding play of the expanded rhythm section. The choir appears here and there to gently, almost surreptitiously, breath the title into the mix. Again: great play and very engaging music from the rhythmatists while the two trumpets and flute entertain us from the top. (13.5/15)

B1. "Street Lady" (5:39) interesting three-chord piano vamp with percussion and funky bass support over which the male choir sings a funky-R&B chant. Roger takes the first solo with his flute, then Donald. The drums, rhythm guitars, and bass (and clavinet) are definitely at their most dynamic: very engaged and enthusiastic! Jerry Peters piano solo is so charged that you'd almost think you were listening to Jerry Lee Lewis or Don Pullen going off on one of their iconically acrobatic solos. (9/10)

 
B2. "Witch Hunt" (9:43) an open-ended four-note riff creates an unfinished tension that keeps the listener hooked in because we're waiting for resolution to the tension. The "choruses" represent satisfactory, albeit temporary, solutions but then the music always returns to that unresolved riff for the longer verses. It has a very "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" feel to it. The instrumental palette, however, is rather fuller yet still quite cinematic with its constant vibraphone play, hypnotic congas, dangerous wah-wah guitars, and reckless piano play. Effective, powerful, and always interesting (and, therefore, entertaining) if a little long/drawn out. I'm not sure that the choir-delivered lyrics first appearing in the ninth minute are/were really necessary but, there it is. (17.5/20)

B3. "Woman Of The World" (6:55) a very pleasant and enjoyable song with Donald's standard male choir vocals here expanded further than I've yet heard: with long-running and fairly full and evolving lyrics, start to finish. (13.375/15) 

Total Time: 42:25

An album of richly develop instrumental weaves that are built over and around some genuinely engaging hooks. Where I see the greatest growth in Donald (and the Mizell brothers)'s music from their earlier forays into the exciting "new" world of electrified jazz and jazz-rock fusion is in the freedom given and confidence exhibited from each and every one of the musicians: they are creating wonderfully adventurous sound and melodies, each, throughout the course of most of these songs. The music here sounds and feels like that of the cinematic musics found on the popular soundtracks of concurrent "Black Exploitation" films, as if intended to accompany montage scenes capturing the activities and stylings of African-American urban sceneries. Whereas Street Lady's predecessor contained the renderings of a collection of 100% Larry Mizell compositions, this one only has two. 

91.25 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of engaging, entertaining, and highly-adventurous Jazz-Rock Fusion.

DONALD BYRD Stepping into Tomorrow (1975)

Recorded, once again, at Hollywood's Sound Factory under the production team of Larry and Fonce Mizell (Sky High) in November and December of 1974. Stepping into Tomorrow was released to the public in March of 1975.

Line-up/Musicians:
- Donald Byrd / trumpet [solo], flugelhorn, vocals [solo]
- Gary Bartz / alto saxophone, clarinet
Backing Vocals – Fonce Mizell, Fred Perrin , Kay Haith (tracks: A3, A4), Larry Mizell, Lorraine Kenner (tracks: A1, A2, B1), Margie Evans (tracks: B3), Stephanie Spruill (tracks: A1, B1)
- Chuck Rainey / bass [Fender]
- Fonce Mizell / clavinet, trumpet
- Mayuto Correa / congas
- Harvey Mason / drums, bata [Batah drum], Jew's harp [mouth harp] (B1)
- David T. Walker / guitar 

- John Rowin / guitar 

- Rhonghea Southern / guitar (A4)

- Stuff 'N Ramjet / percussion
- Jerry Peters / piano [acoustic piano], organ
- Larry Mizell / synthesizer [Arp synthesizers], electric piano [Fender Rhodes], conductor, arranger
- James Carter / whistle [whistler]

A1. "Stepping Into Tomorrow" (5:11) such simplicity! Please, say it ain't so! Luckily, it's a great, very catchy groove, otherwise there's more similarity to the music of later HERB ALPERT (1981's Rise) and the Blackbyrds (due to the choral vocals)--which is fine if you're heading toward radio-friendly pop-oriented "Smooth Jazz." I like the keyboard experimentations being done by Larry Mizell and Jerry Peters--and the vocals are actually quite a bit better (recorded/engineered) than those on the Blackbyrds' albums. Whoever is doing those ultra-soprano vocalese above the rest has got some pipes! (Lorraine Kenner? Stephanie Spruill?) (8.875/10)

A2. "We're Together" (4:19) opening with an excellent and enticing "conversation" between Donald and Gary with piano, background female vocals, and background horns offering nice accents. I also like the scraping noise of the pick hitting the strings on the rhythm guitar. Unfortunately, the choir vocals end up occupying too much space: taking away from the instrumentalists. (8.875/10)

B1. "Think Twice" (6:10) more vocal smoothation, this time with Team Male alternating with Team Female over some very simple jazz-funk (though with another great bass line and some nice vocal melodies). Jerry Peter's bouncy piano and Gary Bartz's smooth sax are nice complements to both the vocals and Donald's trumpet. (8.75/10)

B2. "Rock And Roll Again" (6:09) smooth, smooth instrumental Soul music. Harkens back to the early 1960s in its simplicity. And there's that whistler dude James Carter who'll be so dominant on Side Two of the next album (Places and Spaces). Otherwise, this is really just a classic soul/DooWap tune on which the alto sax takes the place of the human voice. Donald must be feeling really nostalgic. (8.66667/10)

C2. "I Love The Girl" (3:53) piano and gentle percussion instruments open this before the band engages in some cinematic Burt Bacharach-like music behind James Carter's whistling. When Donald kicks in with his flugelhorn in the second minute it is over some loose funk in which laid back yet playful bass and steady drums amuse beneath Jerry's wildly-adventurous piano play. It's kind of shame that his piano is mixed so far back into the mix cuz it's really entertaining and interesting. (8.75/10)

C3. "You Are The World" (4:29) bongos, timbales, and two fast-strummed rhythm guitar chords repeated over and over precede the "you are the world" male choir pronouncements. Then the music travels into a funkier BARRY WHITE world with piano and wildly flailing wah-wah chord fast-strumming rhythm guitar. This is definitely early Disco. I don't dislike it; it feels so ready for radio! (Especially in Detroit town!) (9/10)

D2. "Design A Nation" (4:21) very pleasant Smooth Jazz with very relaxing vocal choir work, whispered female voice, smooth sax from Gary Bartz, and a great bass-led groove at its foundation. (9/10)

D3. "Makin' It" (3:49) a song with a little more zip and jazz in it despite the funk/R&B presentation. 

Jew's harp, piano, clavinet, and percussion are key components beneath Donald and Gary's horns. (It has elements that sound quite a bit like Ronnie Laws' monster hit--also from 1975, "Always There.") I like the lively spirit of those contribution to the foundation. (9/10)

The master of borrowing riffs and sounds from past masters has been caught: it's no longer working its magic as it once had. Is just my ears or has Chuck Rainey's bass playing (and volume) been curbed or downscaled from the levels and freedoms expressed on the previous album? I think this an unfortunate mistake on the part of both the composer, bandleader, and producers.

Total time: 39:21

88.65 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent album of simplified Jazz-Rock Fusion that finds portents of Disco, Jazz-Funk, and Smooth Jazz in its weaves. 

DONALD BYRD Places and Spaces (1975)

Recorded at The Sound Factory in August and September of 1975 and then released by Blue Note in November.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Donald Byrd / flugelhorn, trumpet, vocals
- Ray Brown / trumpet
- George Bohannon / trombone
- Tyree Glenn / saxophone
- Chuck Rainey / bass
- John Rowin / guitar
- Harvey Mason / drums
- Craig McMullen / guitar
- King Errisson / conga
- James Carter / whistle
- Kay Haith / vocals
- Mayuto Correa - conga, percussion
- Skip Scarborough / electric piano
- Larry Mizell / piano, vocals, producer

- Fonce Mizell / clavichord, clavinet, trumpet, vocals

- Wade Marcus / strings arranger, conductor

A1. "Change (Makes You Want To Hustle)" (5:07) a not-unusual for the times party opener turns BOB JAMES-like driving pre-disco funk-lite. Think "Fly Robin Fly" or Burt Bacharach's funky music from the film soundtrack for Arthur. (8.875/10)

A2. "Wind Parade" (4:32) earworm music with a pretty lame lyric. But damn! It just won't leave the brain! I hate that this is the most memorable and my favorite song from this album! (9.25/10)

A3. "Dominoes" (4:32) bass chords and more J-R Fusion than smooth jazz or funk. Interesting! A top three song for me. (9/10)

B1. "Places And Spaces" (6:16) a little too repetitive but some awesome creative nuance-creation from several of the instrumentalists (percussion, Chuck Rainey's bass, Donald's flugelhorn, Skip Scarborough's electric piano) (9/10)

B2. "You And Music" (5:18) Smooth Jazz melody making, groovin' bass 'n' drum, over-the-top strings (that are actually pretty cool) thanks to arranger/conductor Wade Marcus, and a nice secondary motif of male-female joint and back-and-forth vocals. (9/10)

B3. "Night Whistler" (3:40) slay me with that rhythm guitar work! Some of those whistles sound like a distant woman screaming in distress! Otherwise, a pretty cool, chill song, with lots of layers of active musicians despite such a chill base. Hard to believe that all those "whistle" sounds are coming from one person (James Carter). (8.875/10)

B4. "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (4:36) a cover of the famous Temptations song of a decade earlier using choir vocals, the same weird whistles, piano, and Donald's flugelhorn over the classic Motown rhythm section. Even a little Disco drumming and "Shaft"/"Love Theme" rhythm guitar injected into the third minute. Nicely done! Interesting enough to qualify as one of my top three. (9/10)

Total Time: 35:51

90.0 on the Fishscales = B+/A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion that should probably be counted as a minor masterpiece of the burgeoning Smooth Jazz domain.  

DONALD BYRD Caricatures (1976)

Donald and the Mizell Brothers pull together another high-powered all-star band around them including three full-time guitarists, three full-time keyboard masters, two full-time percussionists, a strings orchestra with conductor, and no less than six a-lister horn players. And they deliver! 

Line-up / Musicians:

- Donald Byrd / trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals 
- James Jameson / bass (A1)

- Harvey Mason / drums (A1)

- Scott Edwards / bass (A2 to B4)

- Alphonse Mouzon / drums (tracks: A2 to B4)

- Bernard Taylor / guitar

- David T. Walker / guitar

- John Rowin / guitar

- Jerry Peters / keyboards

- Patrice Rushen / keyboards

- Skip Scarborough / keyboards

- Mayuto Correa / percussion

- Stephanie Spruill / percussion

Horns – Ernie Watts, Fonce Mizell, Gary Bartz, George Bohanon, Oscar Brashear

- Wade Marcus / conductor [strings], arranged by [strings]

- Mildred Lane / vocals (A2, B1)

- Kay Haith / vocals (A3, B3)
Backing Vocals – Donald Byrd, Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell, Theresa Mitchell, Vernessa Mitchell

A1. "Dance Band" (6:09) opens like a funky pop song with banked horn accents until Donald steps up to the microphone to sing. He's got quite the voice! One that reminds me of or Morris Day. The singing section is brief, only really an introduction, cuz what follows is a lot of solos: trumpet, saxophone, . "Who-up!" choral vocals arrive in the fourth minute with the alto sax, then drop off when the PARLIAMENTarian vocals and scatting return. Thereafter, the girls appear here and there while the male lead continues to jive and Donald injects his solo trumpet. Quite the party funk tune! High marks for musicianship and enthusiasm. (Not quite the Jazz-Rock Fusion direction I was hoping for.) (9/10)

A2. "Wild Life" (5:58) one of those classic Mizell Brothers compositions that is based on the repetition of a very simple one-measure highly-dictatorial rhythmic motif. Lead female singer (Mildred Lane) takes the fore as the horns and strings fill space in and around the repeating motif. Trumpet and tenor sax get the first two solos as the female-dominated background vocals continue to inject repeated phrasings of the title phrase. Flugelhorn gets the final solo as Mildred finishes the song. (9.125/10)

A3. "Caricatures" (5:08) another Mizell Brothers composition (this one actually being credited to Larry alone), this one using a variation of the bass 'n' drum rhythm track of Kool & The Gang's "Hollywood Swinging." Male-dominated vocals work their group-chant throughout the song with accents and incidentals coming from female background vocalists and a variety of horns, percussives, and percussive keyboards (clavinet, et al. Having three highly skilled keyboard players on board for every song sure does help enrich the sonicsphere!) Some smooth flugelhorn in the fifth minute before the men's final run-through of the main group vocal line. (8.875/10)

A4. "Science Funktion" (4:49) Mizell Brothers have a lot of ideas! They're feeling like the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis of the 1970s! This rich and fulfilling mostly-instrumental is a more spacious composition still using their brief one-measure motif to build a song around there are pre-CAMEO synths snaking around in front and back. I really like the way this inventive sonic field is constructed. Choppy trumpet up front is joined by male choir chant vocals for the final 90 seconds. Man bassist Scott Edwards can roll around on that bass! (9.125/10)

B1. "Dancing In The Street" (4:40) yes, it's a cover of the classic Martha & The Vandellas Motown song from Marvin Gaye, Jaye Hunter, and Stevenson. Mildred Lane is given the spotlight again but her performance/rendition is never intended to imitate the original, but instead kind offer a kind of Thelma Houston or Gloria Gaynor "R&B cover version" of it. I like it but it does feel a bit as if it's meant to back a sparkly 1970s dance routine on Soul Train. (8.75/10)

B2. "Return Of The King" (4:50) a Rodney Mizell composition, it sounds like a precursor to KajaGoogoo's monster hit (ten years later), "Too Shy" before taking a slight turn (or two) into a nice FREDDIE HUBBARD-like song. Male group vocals take up the repeat chant of the title in the third minute. (8.875/10)

B3. "Onward 'Til Morning" (3:45) a smoother tune that sounds like something Barry White might have composed for his Love Unlimited Orchestra. Awesome piano, rhythm guitar, clavinet, orchestral arrangements, and horn performances over and a part of the smooth rhythm section. Donald's own solo in the middle is definitely a highlight of this Larry Mizell-penned song. (9.3333/10)

B4. "Tell Me" (4:18) the only Donald Byrd composition on the album, it sounds quite similar to the two-chord, one measure motifs so common to those of the Mizell Brothers. Donald enters, speaking the lyrics of his daily-nightly search-walks for his loved one for more than a minute while the horns and rhythm instruments play around him, then around the 90-second mark he reaches back to sing his request for his baby's answer to where she's been, what's on her mind, is she all right. Interesting diary entry type song over great music). (8.875/10)

Total Time: 39:58

As far as the funk goes, the Mizell Brothers are among the best there was! As far as the music goes, there are some very fine and tightly-coordinated performances from a group of top notch, highly-refined musicians--a lot of it channeled through filters and processes that were quite popular at that time in the Motown, Philly, Jersey/NYC, and D.C. music scenes. 

89.95 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of very high quality Funked-up Jazz-Rock Fusion--a lot of it with R&B vocals as were popular in the American Black music scene at the time. This is an sadly unheard and underappreciated contribution to that niche of music--some of the finest you might ever hear!

DONALD BYRD Thank You . . . For F.U.M.L (Funking Up My Life) (1978)

A very pleasant collection of easy listening pop/Soul/R&B songs with Donald practically stepping into the shadows instead of leading from the spotlight. Not much of the Jazz-Rock Fusion elements left in this music.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Donald Byrd / trumpet

- Ed Watkins / bass 
- Anthony Cox / drums 
- Melvin "Wah Wah" Watson / guitar 

- Paul Jackson Jr. / guitar 

- Rick Littlefield / guitar 
- Greg Phillinganes / piano 

Vocals: Angela Winbush, Art Posey, Donald Byrd, John Lehman, Josef Powell, Lisa Roberst, Marlena Jeter, Maxine Anderson, Patricia Henderson, Ralph Turnbough, Stephanie Spruill, Syreeta Wright.

A1. "Thank You For Funking Up My Life" (4:15) What a line-up! One of the best Funk rhythm sections you'll ever see in the 1970s! This funky PARLIAMENT-like anthem is sung by one of its songwriters, Art Posey. This is actually a very contagious song! (9/10)

 
A2. "Sunning In Your Loveshine" (5:40) spoken voice with muted trumpet in the background over rich smooth jazz sexy-love music. Lead singing voice over the choir in the main body of the song is none other than Syreeta Wright, Stevie Wonder's first wife. Pretty and poppy. (8.75/10)

A3. "Your Love Is My Ecstasy" (5:03) another Art Posey song and performance. A near-Al JARREAU performance of a Al Jarreau/BARRY WHITE-like orchestra-supported song. There is very little footing in the world of Jazz-Rock Fusion on this one: it's more like 1980s Kool And The Gang fare. Still, it is pretty. (8.75/10)

A4. "Loving You" (4:48) not the Minnie Ripperton song: Joe Hall. Funky pop music with group choir vocals until Jim Gilstrup shows up in the second half of the second minute. It's a EARTH, WIND & FIRE/CAMEO type of a song and performance. A Minnie Ripperton-like high soprano voice steps up to the microphone in the third minute for some wordless vocalese before stepping back for the horns to work and then for Jim Gilstrup to return to the spotlight. Solid dance romance music. (8.75/10) 

B1. "Have You Heard The News?" (4:42) Another smooth pop-funk song with some catchy group and male-led vocal passages. Near-future Kool And The Gang again comes to mind as I listen to this one. (8.75/10)

B2. "In Love With Love" (4:48) gentle Disco with Art again in the lead. He's got a very pleasant voice--not unlike that of a mild-toast version of Al Jarreau or even Ray Parker, Jr. Donald is really ripping it up with his trumpet but it's muted and it's mixed very much in the background--as if playing in the alley outside. (8.75/10)

B3. "Cristo Redentor" (4:45) a Duke Pearson composition, this is the album's first that has felt to contain/represent anything akin to Jazz-Rock Fusion. There is mystery, tension, and experimentation present in the intro, but then the strings enter and the band congeals into a smooth funk motif--but they retain the mystery and tension (until the chorus--a rather corny/sappy affair). Donald's trumpet is paired with the background "singers" of orchestral instruments just as a voice and backup vocalists would be--which lends itself to the very natural conclusion that this is a cover of a former pop song--something Freddie Hubbard made something of a career doing. Still, Donald is up front (and ummuted) for the only time on the album, which is great. Female background vocals join in for the last minute and a half. (8.875/10) 

B4. "Close Your Eyes And Look Within" (5:15) yet another eminently likable tune from Art Posey and his posse. Pulsing with BARRY WHITE sexuality and very little complexity (and very little Donald Byrd). (8.75/10)

Total Time: 39:11

Despite vocalist Art Posey's involvement with six of the album's eight songs I must point out that he was never a sole songwriter of any of these songs, only contributing (probably lyrics). One Joseph Powell is involved in all of them as well as a number of other names, including Melvin Ragin and Orville Saunders--neither of which play any part in the production of the album. 

     As for Donald's participation, it is rarely up front, usually from behind with his muted trumpet or within a background horn section. The music Donald sponsors on this album is very pop Soul/R&B oriented--would all make great dance song for lovers in a disco just as soon-to-be Kool And The Gang's music will soon turn (under the guidance of Eumir Deodato).

87.97 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; this is good music--very engaging and pleasant if simply-crafted--but it's all pop-Soul/R&B, nothing much of any relevance to the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement (except as a testament to the exodus of artists to the more financially-lucrative Easy Listening, Adult Contemporary, Dance and party anthem domains.

DONALD BYRD And 125th Street, N.Y.C. (1979)

Recorded in August and September of 1979 at The Sound Factory in Hollywood, CA, this album displays a rather marked upswing in 47-year old Donald's enthusiasm for his instrument. 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Donald Byrd / trumpet, flugelhorn, producer 

- Ronnie Garrett / bass 
- Victor Azevedò / drums, percussion 
- Ernie Watts / flute 
- William Duckett / guitar 
- Marcus Carlisle / guitar [steel] 
- Clare Fischer / keyboards 
- Peter Christlieb / saxophone 
Vocals - Jim Gilstrap, John Lehman, Joyce Michael, Michael Campbell, Mitch Gordon, Zedric Turnbough

A1. "Pretty Baby" (5:05) footloose and fancy-free dance-funk fare created to carry the almost-continuous choral vocal singing. Donald flies on his trumpet like he hasn't for some time over the top of it all. Really fun, positive, upbeat song. Could have/should have been a radio/dance-hall hit. Its mood reminds me of that of Herb Alpert's "Rise" (which was released in the month Donald was recording this. Any coincidences?) (9.125/10)

  
A2. "Gold The Moon, White The Sun" (5:27) more enjoyable funk-lite on a slower pace than the opener, this one also employing the full choir to sing the almost-continuous vocal line while Donald plays some dynamic and spirited trumpet over the top. Not quite as impressive as the opener but very pretty and still quite well constructed. (8.875/10) 

A3. "Giving It Up" (5:06) opening with an a cappella choir chant that sounds like a rhyme belonging to a gaggle of girls playing double Dutch jump rope on the school or park blacktop. Then the BROTHERS JOHNSON-like funk music sets up, the men join in/take over the vocal cheerleading (using a new, totally different chant approach) while Donald races around up top with his new superhuman speed and enthusiasm. This is more funk-R&B so not quite what I'm hoping/looking for--more like a KOOL & THE GANG-like novelty party song than Jazz-Rock Fusion--and nowhere near Smooth Jazz. (8.75/10)

A4. "Marilyn" (3:58) opening with a bell-like church organ musing around beneath the stone arches and stained-glass windows of some distant nave, Clare Fischer is soon joined by Donald's plaintive trumpet play. Normally I'd label this with "late night musings" but that "church" organ definitely conjures up visions of an entirely different scene (and time of day). Very nice. Toward the end Donald is virtually playing alone. (8.875/10)

B1. "People Suppose To Be Free" (4:48) Side Two begins with a return to the Funk: this one aimed more to please the urban, African-American crowd. Once again Donald is showing his new-found vitality with some great trumpet play over and between the funky VERNON WHITE-like lead vocal. The musical foundation of this one, even with its Disco chorus, is a little thin and simplistic. (8.75/10)

B2. "Veronica" (4:23) electric piano leads into a fully-orchestrated piece that has an old-time Big Band Jazz Pop feel to it, much like something Frank Sinatra would have been a part of or that which Linda Ronstadt will start exploring and gravitating to in the next few years. I happen to like this kind of music--even with the funky slap bass, but the four-chord progression that starts it up, unfortunately, stays constant, without ever changing or developing further, for the entire length of the song. (8.75/10)

 

B3. "Morning" (4:05) a funk-lite tune that helps carry Clare Fischer's multiple tracks of keyboards: an electric piano playing the lead and a synthesizer playing a slightly-Oriental Ryuichi Sakamoto-like flute-and-horn track. (Could it be Donald's trumpet run through a synthesizer or series of effects? I know that MIDI technologies did not appear in the music world until 1983, so what could have been producing this sound?) The Asian synth line takes a break here and there, giving the electric piano clear prominence, but I do like the light Sakamoto effect proffered by the synth. A song that makes me curious to find more of Clare Fischer's work. (9/10)  

B4. "I Love You" (4:04) Adult Contemporary Disco that mimics the music bands like Odyssey, Evelyn "Champagne" King, MacFadden & Whitehead, Kool & The Gang, Earth, Wind & Fire, and The Brothers Johnson had been making a living off of--and which even previews that which Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards would make careers off of (especially with CHIC). BUT, ultimately, the constant Disco-beat chanting of the male choir becomes old and rather monotonous--even numbing my brain to its ability to listen to and appreciated Donald's Herb Alpert-like trumpet play. (8.6667/10)

Total Time: 37:19

Solid, full musicianship and great production of some great choir vocal-enhanced Smooth Jazz songs--all of which are much more lively than much of the instrumental shlock that was being produced to please the Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary airwaves.

88.49 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a great-sounding album of urban Black-chant music delivered via Funk, Funk-lite, Disco, Smooth Jazz, and Party-Anthem-like vehicles. I love Donald's spirited trumpet play throughout the album as well as Clare Fischer's contributions, I'm just not as receptive to the urban chant vocal style that had become popular in the Disco-dance world of Black America at the time. 

DONALD BYRD Chant (1979)

With Chant Donald moves back into the bebop of the Sixties; there is no Jazz-Rock Fusion here.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Donald Byrd / trumpet 

- Pepper Adams / baritone saxophone 
- Doug Watkins / bass 
- Eddy Robinson / drums 
- Herbie Hancock / piano 

A1. "I'm An Old Cowhand" (7:36)
A2. "You're Next" (7:21)
A3. "Chant" (8:53)
B1. "That's All" (9:33)
B2. "Great God" (6:58)
B3. "Sophisticated Lady" (4:32)

Total time: 50:53

Great bebop with stellar play from all of Donald's collaborators. They really make some great music with which to enrich the soul.

These are Donald's ten (10)"Classic Era" Jazz-Rock Fusion albums in the order of my preference and esteem:

1. Street Lady (1973) - 91.25
2. Ethiopian Knights (1972) - 90.667
3. Places and Spaces (1975) - 90.0
4. Caricatures (1976) - 89.95
5. Black Byrd (1973) - 89.56
6. Stepping into Tomorrow (1975) - 88.65
7. And 125th Street, N.Y.C. (1979) - 88.49
8. Electric Byrd (1970) - 88.235
9. Thank You . . . For F.U.M.L (Funking Up My Life) (1978) - 87.97
10. Fancy Free (1969) - 86.875