First up is the self-titled Blackbyrds record -- a funky jazz treasure, and the band's landmark first album!
The Blackbyrds were a legendary 70s combo that were discovered by Donald Byrd while he was teaching at Howard University -- and they had a tight style that mixed raw funk influences with smoother jazz playing, creating a sound that was different from many of their contemporaries, and which pushed funk and soul into a whole new level.
Byrd's work with the band was as groundbreaking as Larry Mizell's work on his own Blue Note albums -- and coincidentally, Larry Mizzell's Sky High Productions handles the studio chores for the set -- but in a way that's much more sharply funky than his albums with Byrd!
Track Listing
Side A
1. Do It Fluid
2. Gut Level
3. Reggins
4. The Runaway
Side B
1. Funky Junkie
2. Summer Love
3. Life Styles
4. A Hot Day Today
