Donald Byrd

[Chillington]

Hi everybody
i am big fan of Donald Byrd
lets talk about his jazzy disco funk albums

Lansana's Priestess
00757840101000690


Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (born December 9, 1932) is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter, born in Detroit, Michigan. He performed with Lionel Hampton before finishing high school. After playing in a military band during a term in the United States Air Force, he obtained a bachelor's degree in music from Wayne State University and a master's degree from Manhattan School of Music. While still at the Manhattan School he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, replacing Clifford Brown. After leaving the Jazz Messengers in 1956 he performed with a wide variety of highly regarded jazz musicians.
In the 1970s, he moved away from his previous hard-bop jazz base and began to record jazz fusion and rhythm and blues. Teaming up with the Mizell Brothers, he produced Black Byrd, which was enormously successful and became Blue Note Records' highest-ever selling album. The follow-up albums, Places and Spaces, Steppin' Into Tomorrow and Street Lady were also big sellers, and have subsequently provided a rich source of samples for hip-hop artists such as Us3.


He has taught music at Rutgers University, the Hampton Institute, New York University, Howard University, and Oberlin College. In 1974 he created the Blackbyrds, a fusion group consisting of his best students. They scored several major hits, including "Walking In Rhythm" and "Blackbyrds Theme".


Donald Byrd was considered one of the finest hard bop trumpeters of the post-Clifford Brown era. He recorded prolifically as both a leader and sideman from the mid-'50s into the mid-'60s, most often for Blue Note, where he established a reputation as a solid stylist with a clean tone, clear articulation, and a knack for melodicism. Toward the end of the '60s, Byrd became fascinated with Miles Davis' move into fusion, and started recording his own forays into the field. In the early '70s, Byrd perfected a bright, breezy, commercially potent take on fusion that was distinct from Davis, incorporating tighter arrangements and more of a smooth soul influence. Opinions on this phase of Byrd's career diverge wildly jazz purists utterly despised it, branding Byrd a sellout and the records a betrayal of talent, but enraptured jazz-funk fans regard it as some of the most innovative, enduring work of its kind. In fact, proportionately speaking, Byrd is held in even higher esteem by that audience than by straight-ahead jazz fans who enjoy his hard bop output.
Byrd truly came into his own as a fusion artist when he hooked up with brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell, who began to handle production, writing, and some musical support duties. Their first collaboration was 1972's Black Byrd, an upbeat, funky blend of jazz and R&B. Jazz critics detested the album and called Byrd all sorts of names, but the record was a smash hit; it became the biggest seller in Blue Note history, and just missed hitting number one on the R&B albums chart. In the wake of its success, Byrd formed a supporting group, the Blackbyrds, who were culled from the cream of his music students at Howard University and recorded through the rest of the '70s. Byrd went on to release a string of successful LPs in partnership with the Mizell Brothers, including the imaginary blaxploitation soundtrack Street Lady (1974), Stepping into Tomorrow (1975), the much-lauded Places and Spaces (1976), and Caricatures (1977).

All made the Top Ten on the R&B album charts, and the Places and Spaces single "Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle)" even got substantial play in discotheques. Jazz-funk fans revere this period in general, but usually reserve their highest praise for Street Lady and, especially, Places and Spaces. As a side note to his musical career, Donald Byrd finished law school in 1976, and went on to teach at North Carolina Central University.

Following Caricatures, Byrd parted ways with Blue Note and the Mizell Brothers and moved to Elektra. He recorded several albums over 1978-1983, but even the most commercially successful, 1978's Thank You...for F.U.M.L. (Funking up My Life), didn't match the infectiousness of his Blue Note jazz-funk outings. In 1982, Byrd received his Ph.D. from Columbia Teachers College. He spent a few years in the mid-'80s away from recording, due in part to ill health, but continued to teach, moving on to North Texas State and Delaware State. In the late '80s and early '90s, Byrd returned to the hard bop of his early days on several sessions for the Landmark label. He participated in rapper Guru's Jazzmatazz project in 1993, and with the advent of the jazz-rap movement and England's acid jazz revival, his '70s albums became hugely popular sources for samples. In the meantime, Byrd continued his activities as a jazz educator.


Places And Spaces
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=U...&creative=9325

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/music/cli...002113-4466018
KOFI
00757840101000690
YOU AND THE MUSIC
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/music/cli...002113-4466018
myspace donald byrd page:
www.myspace.com/donaldbyrdjazzfunk
mizell brothers myspace page

www.myspace.com/mizellbros

[remicks]

CLUB DIALOG by Tom Moulton
10/18/75

CTI seems to be making the most commercial disco sounding records with their jazz artists. And now, Blue Note comes up with "Change (Makes You Want To Hustle)" by Donald Byrd.

1975 consensus charts

This song hops on and off Marky's charts over the course of several months .... on into 1976 . By coincidence I happened to pick this one up today in SF ..... and I'll post my reaction here once I give it a spin ..... I'm not much familiar with Byrd so I have no idea what to expect .....:icon_cool:


*****

[qdearl]

I'm not a big fan of Be-Bop jazz, so most of Donald Byrd's earlier work doesn't really appeal to me, but his Jazz Fusion stuff from the 70's and 80's....awesome! Lansana's Priestess, one of my all time favorites,(a definite roller skaters song...) The Places and Spaces LP, which includes the title track, Wind Parade, (Falling like) Dominoes, Change, it don't get any better than that! Byrd and the other jazz artists of that time, like Earl Klugh, Bob James, Tom Scott, Ronnie Laws, Micheal Franks, Pat Methany, brought jazz influenced music to the masses in force, not only were they climbing the jazz charts, but the R&B, and Pop charts too. Such originality in their compositions, which I think is missing in a lot of the stuff from today.
A lot of the jazz artist these days have fallen into the remake slump, not that I don't appreciate a good jazzy interpretation of a R&B or Pop hit, I just think it's a little much when it becomes a standard practice.

[Chillington]

hi mate
here is what Jamiroquai first bassist Stuart Zender says about Donald Byrd:

"In London there's a big rare-groove following," he explains, "a big sort of funk scene." The cornerstones of rare groove, Zender explains, are predominantly made by vibist Roy Ayers and trumpeter Donald Byrd in the mid '70s. When asked about a London funk revival, Zender explains it's been going on for some time. "I don't know about the clubs in the States, but loads of people here go to clubs. There's a lot of house, garage, techno, and jungle-- but still, there is a big, big, big following for funk and rare groove.

Jay Kay said about Donald Byrd:

You don't know this? F**k, man! F**k! (paces around and mimes punching the interviewer). Donald Byrd is another one of these people, like Johnny Hammond, Roy Ayers... it's jazz in an understandable form. It has suck freedom, unusual arrangements, really funky changes, and it moves along. That's what I like, music that rolls along. To do music with that tempo and make it boogieable, it's about where they haven't played notees - the spaces. That's what they're masters of. They're masters of the groove.

[eddie]

I always dug "Lansana's Priestess" and I often hear it mixed on the Groove Boutique with Raif Gomez on CD 101.9 in NY.

I never dug much is Byrd's hard bop stuff. He even throws singers and orchestrations in the mix and I find it hard to get into. However, I'm a big fan of Horace Silver, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, and Wes Montgomery.

[FranceJoliFan]

I got a great price when I sold my 12" single of Love Has Come Around on eBay a few years ago. I was always impressed with how clean the sound was on that record. Byrd seemed to be meticulous in the studio. Did he produce any disco/dance artists after that?

[SandraDee]

Love Has Come Around's great sound was really down to Isaac Hayes who produced it; Donald is absent for much of the track!

[FranceJoliFan]

Aha! Another kudo for Isaac Hayes. He helped create a great sound on that record.

[MarcusGarveyLives]

Donald Byrd was supposed to do several dates at London's Jazz Cafe in the first week of January.

He did not appear.

Does anyone know why?

[Chillington]

Marcus, Donald Byrd has a page on myspace - www.myspace.com/donaldbyrdjazzfunk
if you are registered on myspace you can send him a message
and he can answer you.
he included me to his myspace friends!!!
right now i am listening to "NIGHT WHISTLER"
already for more than an hour!!!!!!

[remicks]

******


CHANGE (MAKES YOU WANT TO HUSTLE) pts I and II
(total song time 6:24!)

( the song -- a commentary on the changing sound of music of the mid seventies ... and what it makes you want to do ? )

Got a chance to listen to this song ……… and its a wow!! :icon_biggrin: :icon_cool: :icon_exclaim:

A lively piano driven tune with lots of punchy horn work ... ongoing trumpets at times becoming strongly Latin. The tune provides a party flavor with cheers and whistles (using actual whistles) ... while being sparsely vocal ...

Change ! Makes you want to hustle
Change! Things just rearranged
Change! Makes you want to hustle
Change ! Nothing stays the same

Love the growling piano .... the fast tempo & almost angry sounding string arrangement ... the ample horns ... just a fun, unpretentious romp ...misleadingly funky sounding ... yet actually quite layered with subtile riffs and pings and pangs.

So much do I like this song that if I could somehow be granted a night's visit back to its time ... I'd specifically want to go to a club who's sound this song represents ..... and where the floor would go crazy when this was played. :icon_cool:

Mixing it .....maybe into Kool & The Gang's OPEN SESAME .....


I really love this song ..... it will probably be one of my favorite finds this year (already) *****



******

(and I 'll be very disappointed to learn it wasn't well played by Quinny)

[QUINNY]

******


CHANGE (MAKES YOU WANT TO HUSTLE) pts I and II
(total song time 6:24!)

( the song -- a commentary on the changing sound of music of the mid seventies ... and what it makes you want to do ? )

Got a chance to listen to this song ……… and its a wow!! :icon_biggrin: :icon_cool: :icon_exclaim:

A lively piano driven tune with lots of punchy horn work ... ongoing trumpets at times becoming strongly Latin. The tune provides a party flavor with cheers and whistles (using actual whistles) ... while being sparsely vocal ...

Change ! Makes you want to hustle
Change! Things just rearranged
Change! Makes you want to hustle
Change ! Nothing stays the same

Love the growling piano .... the fast tempo & almost angry sounding string arrangement ... the ample horns ... just a fun, unpretentious romp ...misleadingly funky sounding ... yet actually quite layered with subtile riffs and pings and pangs.

So much do I like this song that if I could somehow be granted a night's visit back to its time ... I'd specifically want to go to a club who's sound this song represents ..... and where the floor would go crazy when this was played. :icon_cool:

Mixing it .....maybe into Kool & The Gang's OPEN SESAME .....


I really love this song ..... it will probably be one of my favorite finds this year (already) *****



******

(and I 'll be very disappointed to learn it wasn't well played by Quinny)

Do I evvaaaa disappoint? I played the grooves out of it and the people who came to my disco in Mallorca lurved it (Brits, Spanish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, American, French and gawd knows who else). I'd say it was his absolute best dance track, above all others. For me, it's one of those records that lift me up and make me feel alive!

Plus.....in those days we were nearly all segueing records rather than mixing. Can you imagine how dramatically strong that opening horn sequence was? It used to hit the dancers right between the hips.

One I'd definitely take to a desert island.........the bizzzzzzz.

[remicks]

*****
Thanks Quinny belatedly, for your response concerning this tune . I suspected it'd be up your alley !

I still love this track.:icon_biggrin: And glad its now handy on Youtube. One of my favorite discoveries after finally climbing back onto my disco horse after not riding all these years . . . ( well ,.... Kenny Nolan would like that analogy . :icon_mrgreen:)


Quite bold to work in strings amongst this jazz-funk as Donald did here .... love the way they sort of menacingly ..... assertively ..... swirl around periodically ...




This version (LP?) is only 5:12 yet the single's two sides total 6:24!! That's too bad .....over a minute of the song is missing!!


*****

[remicks]

..... check out the producers of these two tunes !!!! :icon_mrgreen::icon_biggrin::icon_cool:
You gotta love it ! ...... the endless inter-weavings of the disco world !!



******

[paul]

Donald Byrd, another blast from the past. I can remember being in in our home in Connecticut on a warm summer day as the WKND, the R&B AM station in Hartford CT spins Dominoes.
Donald Byrd, Donald Byrd and the Blackbyrds, and the Blackbyrds were quite popular. Among their most popular songs were Unfinished Business, Rock Creek Park, and Happy Music, to name a few.

[Disco Funk]

..... check out the producers of these two tunes !!!! :icon_mrgreen::icon_biggrin::icon_cool:
You gotta love it ! ...... the endless inter-weavings of the disco world !!



******

I'm not sure where exactly the Mizell brothers started, but they were at Motown in the early 70s and one of the albums they produced was the Hell Up In Harlem Sdtk along with Freddie Perren (another future famous disco producer).

The Mizells produced a number of albums for artists like Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, Gary Bartz, and I think also LTD (Love To The World). Donald Byrd himself produced The Blackbyrds and a group called The Three Pieces.

Here's one of my favourite cuts from Byrd's first Mizell Bros LP 'Street Lady' from '73:



Also the Mizell Bros, on Bobbi Humphrey's Blacks & Blues LP from '73, which kind of sounds like Easin In, a track which the Mizell's produced on the Hell Up In Harlem LP:





And here's a slightly more dancefloor number from Humphrey produced by the Mizells a few years later:




You can pretty much hear the Arp synth throughout all of the Mizell recordings in the early to mid 70s. Awesome stuff.

And my favourite cut they produced on Gary Bartz 'Shadow Do' LP from '75:



And this is the title cut from the LP that had Change Makes You Wanna Hustle:




Disco Funk

[SandraDee]

Rock Creek Park

I love that track! It's featured on the soundtrack of one of my fave films ever 'Young Soul Rebels'. '....Doin' it in the park, doin' it after dark, oh yeah!....':icon_cool:

[Disco Funk]

I love that track! It's featured on the soundtrack of one of my fave films ever 'Young Soul Rebels'. '....Doin' it in the park, doin' it after dark, oh yeah!....':icon_cool:

Great track. The guitar lick always reminds me of James Brown's Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose (the original '68 version).

There are three versions out there, if anyone is interested. The LP mix, a 12" mix, which is longer than the LP (it's on the Night Grooves Best Of CD), and a third mix which I've only seen on the CD 'Best of BGP' from the 90s.

Disco Funk