RIBS TPTD: Donald Byrd, R.I.P. part 1

February 10, 2013 by
Filed under: jazz, podcasts/mixes, R.I.P., RIBS, Triple Play Thurs-Day 

Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II. Better known simply as "Donald Byrd".

Another one of the music artists I grew up listening to has moved on to Soul Heaven. This one is noteworthy for me as Donald Byrd was one of the two artists (George Benson and his “Bad Benson” album being the other one) that I credit with introducing me to that mysterious (at least at that time in my life) thing called “Jazz”.

This initial look at Dr. Byrd’s music will focus on the five albums he recorded for the Blue Note label between 1972 and 1976 and produced by the Mizell Brothers:

  1. Black Byrd (1972)
  2. Street Lady (1973)
  3. Stepping Into Tomorrow (1974)
  4. Places And Spaces (1975)
  5. Caricatures (1976)

This was the period when he moved away from the hard-bop jazz idiom and began to record what was to become known as “jazz-fusion” (a blending of jazz and rhythms & blues elements). The jazz purists hated it and were very critical of this move, but the albums were very successful commercially (AAMOF, the “Black Byrd” album became the highest selling album in the entire history of the Blue Note label) and opened up jazz music to a whole new audience.  

OK. On to the music. This is RIBS and we remember Donald Byrd.

RIBS TPTD: Donald Byrd, R.I.P. part 1…
Right-click here to download .MP3 file (111Mb, 1:19:31)

Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist:

  1. INTRO-Another Edition-2012 – TGrundy
  2. Flight Time [Black Byrd]
  3. Donald Byrd Part 1 INTRO – TGrundy
  4. Song Introduction – EJ Flavors
  5. Lansana’s Priestess [Street Lady]
  6. Places And Spaces [Places And Spaces]
  7. We Remember Donald Byrd – TGrundy
  8. Stepping Into Tomorrow [Stepping Into Tomorrow]
  9. (Fallin’ Like) Dominoes [Places And Spaces]
  10. Black Byrd [Black Byrd]
  11. You & The Music [Places And Spaces]
  12. Wind Parade [Places And Spaces]
  13. RIBS3 – Aka "RIBS" – TGrundy
  14. Sister Love [Street Lady]
  15. Think Twice [Stepping Into Tomorrow]
  16. Change (Makes You Want To Hustle) [Places And Spaces]
  17. We Remember Donald Byrd – TGrundy
  18. Onward ‘til Morning [Caricatures]
  19. Where Are We Going [Black Byrd]
  20. Return Of The King [Caricatures]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Comments

One Comment on RIBS TPTD: Donald Byrd, R.I.P. part 1

  1. Eugene on Mon, 11th Feb 2013 3:28 pm

    2. Todd,

    The music of Donald Byrd formed the sountrack to a significant number of years in my younger days in London in the late 70′s and 80′s. Soul and Reggae was for chasing women (not very successfully) and jazz-funjk was grrovin and broadcasting on pirate radio, Halcyon Days!!

    God be good to Mr Donald Byrd.

    Todd, thanks for reviving the memories.

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