DONALD BYRD — Black Byrd (review)

DONALD BYRD — Black Byrd album cover Album · 1973 · Funk Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
As the booklet of the CD version of the album says: what to do after such an amazing album as Ethiopian Knights?? Do you soldier on in your explorations or do you repeat the formula?? Well it’s obvious that the first option is the more “artistic” one, but given the Black Byrd results, I’d wish Don had chosen the latter at least two times more before using the former. Indeed, a fusionhead like me cannot be anything but disappointed by the turn of events

Gone are almost (if not all) usual suspects of the Byrd partners-in-crime gang, but Don found some outstanding new playmates, like the Mizell bros, Mason or Glenn, and the results are quite fine, once the initial disappointment is over. Indeed, the soundscapes are much poppier than Byrd had ever dared before, and if standard-jazzheads had probably (read most likely) yelled ”Judas” or “sell-out” to Don with the ET album, I’m sure they’d wished to have saved it for BB. Notice that this Don Byrd period is more of a Mizell-era, since the vast majority (all) of the compositions is not Byrd-penned, but indeed Mizell-songs…. Soooo in a way, this was a blatant attempt at cashing in on Byrd’s prestige and fork–out some funky-pop stuff

But there are such impeccable tunes on this album, that a fusionhead cannot stay angry at don for any length of time, like the great but calm Flight Time (Glenn’s flute is a pure joy) and the very enthralling title track (sounding like Herbie’s Head Hunter album), but if this fusion-lover accepts 20-mins Emperor tracks, he finds that these 7-mins+ tracks a tad overstaying their welcome. Again a slight prejudice from my part, but I prefer instrumentals like Mr Thomas and the afore-mentioned two tracks, but outside the sappy Love’s So Far Away, most of the rest are fine with enough instrumental twist and interplay to please old curmudgeons like me.

Well, if you’re a fusion or standard-jazz fan, most likely you’ll not appreciate much this album (don’t get me wrong, there are still some very enjoyable moments on it), but then again, Byrd probably sold more albums during his funk-jazz era than in any other period in his life… So we can only do with such “understandable” reasons for selling-out… And let’s face it: EB is among the better album of the genre and probably the better one of his own attempts with Stepping Into Tomorrow, although I prefer the present
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Sunset Park Post Bop
TOBIAS MEINHART
Buy this album from MMA partners
Rudi Mahall, Florian Stoffner, Michael Griener : Die Exorzistin Avant-Garde Jazz
RUDI MAHALL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ernesto Rodrigues, Nuno Torres & Guilherme Rodrigues : Whispers in the Moonlight - In seven movements Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ERNESTO RODRIGUES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ernesto Rodrigues, Carlos Santos & Miguel Mira : The knowledge that our time is limited can inspire us Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ERNESTO RODRIGUES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Carlos Zíngaro, Carlos Bechegas, Ernesto Rodrigues : Spleen Jazz Related Improv/Composition
CARLOS ZINGARO
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 8 hours ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 12 hours ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 12 hours ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 12 hours ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed