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Donald Byrd - Black Byrd (1973) [Reissue 2019] MCH PS3 ISO + Hi-Res FLAC
![Donald Byrd - Black Byrd (1973) [Reissue 2019] MCH PS3 ISO + Hi-Res FLAC](https://pixhost.icu/avaxhome/c9/6f/007d6fc9.jpg)
Donald Byrd - Black Byrd (1973) [Reissue 2019]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 43:07 minutes | Front, Scans NOT included | 2,03 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/96 kHz | Front, Scans NOT included | 1001 MB
Features Stereo and Quadrophonic Surround Sound | Vocalion # CDSML 8570
A landmark album – Donald Byrd's first session with producer Larry Mizell, the man who went onto forever change the face of jazz funk! After rumbling around for a few years attempting electric styles that really didn't fit his mode, Donald wisely hooked up with Larry, and hit a groove here that would carry him for many many years. The album's a masterpiece of soul – heavy production with great keyboards, creating a nice set of grooves that let Byrd solo over the top, sounding better than he had in years! Great all the way through, and with tracks that include "Flight Time", "Sky High", "Black Byrd", "Slop Jar Blues", "Mr Thomas", and the prophetically-titled "Where Are We Going?".
Purists howled with indignation when Donald Byrd released Black Byrd, a full-fledged foray into R&B that erupted into a popular phenomenon. Byrd was branded a sellout and a traitor to his hard bop credentials, especially after Black Byrd became the biggest-selling album in Blue Note history. What the elitists missed, though, was that Black Byrd was the moment when Byrd's brand of fusion finally stepped out from under the shadow of his chief influence, Miles Davis, and found a distinctive voice of its own. Never before had a jazz musician embraced the celebratory sound and style of contemporary funk as fully as Byrd did here – not even Davis, whose dark, chaotic jungle-funk stood in sharp contrast to the bright, breezy, danceable music on Black Byrd. Byrd gives free rein to producer/arranger/composer Larry Mizell, who crafts a series of tightly focused, melodic pieces often indebted to the lengthier orchestrations of Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. They're built on the most straightforward funk rhythms Byrd had yet tackled, and if the structures aren't as loose or complex as his earlier fusion material, they make up for it with a funky sense of groove that's damn near irresistible. Byrd's solos are mostly melodic and in-the-pocket, but that allows the funk to take center stage. Sure, maybe the electric piano, sound effects, and Roger Glenn's ubiquitous flute date the music somewhat, but that's really part of its charm. Black Byrd was state-of-the-art for its time, and it set a new standard for all future jazz/R&B/funk fusions – of which there were many. Byrd would continue to refine this sound on equally essential albums like Street Lady and the fantastic Places and Spaces, but Black Byrd stands as his groundbreaking signature statement.
Tracklist:
01. Flight Time
02. Black Byrd
03. Loves So Far Away
04. Mr Thomas
05. Sky High
06. Slop Jar Blues
07. Where Are We Going
Donald Byrd - trumpet, flugelhorn, electric trumpet, vocals
Allen Curtis Barnes - flute, oboe, saxophone
Roger Glenn - saxophone, flute
Fonce Mizell - trumpet, vocals
Larry Mizell - vocals
Kevin Toney - piano
Freddie Perren - piano, synthesizer, vocals
Dean Parks, David T. Walker, Barney Perry - guitar
Joe Sample - piano, electric piano
Chuck Rainey, Wilton Felder, Joe Hill - bass
Harvey Mason, Sr, Keith Killgo - drums
Bobbye Hall Porter, Perk Jacobs, Stephanie Spruill - percussion
King Errisson - congas and bongos
Allen Curtis Barnes - flute, oboe, saxophone
Roger Glenn - saxophone, flute
Fonce Mizell - trumpet, vocals
Larry Mizell - vocals
Kevin Toney - piano
Freddie Perren - piano, synthesizer, vocals
Dean Parks, David T. Walker, Barney Perry - guitar
Joe Sample - piano, electric piano
Chuck Rainey, Wilton Felder, Joe Hill - bass
Harvey Mason, Sr, Keith Killgo - drums
Bobbye Hall Porter, Perk Jacobs, Stephanie Spruill - percussion
King Errisson - congas and bongos
Produced & Arranged by Larry Mizell.
Recorded on April 3 & 4, 1972 at The Sound Factory, Hollywood.
Remastered from the Original Master tapes by Michael J. Dutton.
Donald Byrd was branded a traitor and sellout when he released “Black Byrd,” his complete dive into R&B which ended up erupting into a popular phenomenon. Leaving behind his hard bop sound, the album went on to become the biggest-selling album for the Blue Note record label. This was actually the moment when Byrd’s style of fusion stepped out from under the shadow of his chief influencer, Miles Davis, finding a distinctive voice all of his own. At this time no other jazz musician embraced the celebratory contemporary funky sound as fully as Byrd did on this top selling album. Byrd gave free rein to producer, arranger, and composer Larry Mizell, who crafted this series of melodic pieces often indebted to the lengthier orchestrations of Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. Released on both stereo and quadrophonic vinyl back in the day, Michael J. Dutton has gone back to the original analog masters to create this magnificent transfer to Quad SACD which also includes a stereo layer.
The album is chalk full of straightforward funk rhythms, a tighter sound compared to his earlier looser and complex fusion material. The simplicity makes up for it through the funky grooves that are nearly irresistible blended with melodic solos and held down by the funk. Sure, you may think the electric piano, sound effects, and Roger Glenn's ubiquitous flute date the music somewhat, but don’t you think that is essentially part of its charm? Black Byrd was state-of-the-art for its time, setting a new standard for all future jazz-fusion releases.
The quad mix immediately shows its expansiveness with a jet plane taking off from the back channels and ascending into the sky through the front speakers all while the music remains grounded as it surrounds the listener. Black Byrd is one of the most focused sounding albums from the era, providing a high-quality direct recording of the various instruments. Drums are tight with the snare concisely snapping with splendid dynamics up front as the keyboards tingle with a vivid brightness in the left channel. A strumming guitar takes hold in the rear channel with a pure clarity and the base reaches deep with an upper punch that cuts through with its funky lines. Above the rhythm section Donald Byrd’s trumpets and the flute work of Allan Curtis Barnes soar with their light melodies, emitting the airy qualities that feel so life like. Everything within the mix is close, as if I am sitting in a parlor listening to the band. I especially enjoy the drum symbols that sparkle from the back channels and the funky guitar’s groovy rhythm emanating from the back-left speaker.
Razzle quad ear candy shakes across channels from left to right, front to back as the title track dances in. Bobbye Porter’s percussive Congas fill the space from the rears and head around the four channels ending up in the front. I must remind readers that this was all accomplished prior to mixing automation, which meant the audio engineers had to be musically exacting in their moves within the mix. Vocals chant with a pleasant warmth adding a soulful aspect to the album. While this disk does sound incredible, careful listeners may notice some slight harmonic distortion seemingly emitted by the cymbals. Admittedly this analogues smearing doesn’t bother me, as this kind of ‘problem’ has been part of analog recordings for nearly 100 years.
Much like other Vocalion reissues, the transparency, imaging and channel separation is fantastic, which I attribute to the amazing transfer by Michael J Dutton. The overall sound quality and placement of instruments are well-maintained throughout Black Byrd. It is a wonderful relaxing album to listen to and provides a fully immersive quad scape.
From my perspective track “Sky High” has the most dated sound on the album. There is a very Muzak feel to this song, almost reminding me of walking through a shopping mall in the mid-70’s. The harmonized vocals and flugelhorn lend to this somewhat antiquated sound. Yet, the funky guitar and bass riffs truly are the precursor to what later became known as smooth jazz. Of course, it still sounds awesome in quad.
The stereo DSD layer is magnificently balanced, a very worthy remaster for stereo audiophiles. However, it naturally lacks the dimensionality of the quad mix and doesn’t convey as much ear candy in the sense of movement that can be heard on the quad mix. Regardless it’s a wonderful listen and provides a very open feel that simply elevates the sound quality of this well-regarded album by Donald Byrd.
I am sure readers will recognize that this is an album not to miss for fans of fusion, R&B, and contemporary jazz. Quadraholics will also want to include this fantastic sounding release in their collection, since this is another demo worthy album that Vocalion has brought back to the audiophile world.
Written by Wesley Derbyshire, hiresedition-com
The album is chalk full of straightforward funk rhythms, a tighter sound compared to his earlier looser and complex fusion material. The simplicity makes up for it through the funky grooves that are nearly irresistible blended with melodic solos and held down by the funk. Sure, you may think the electric piano, sound effects, and Roger Glenn's ubiquitous flute date the music somewhat, but don’t you think that is essentially part of its charm? Black Byrd was state-of-the-art for its time, setting a new standard for all future jazz-fusion releases.
The quad mix immediately shows its expansiveness with a jet plane taking off from the back channels and ascending into the sky through the front speakers all while the music remains grounded as it surrounds the listener. Black Byrd is one of the most focused sounding albums from the era, providing a high-quality direct recording of the various instruments. Drums are tight with the snare concisely snapping with splendid dynamics up front as the keyboards tingle with a vivid brightness in the left channel. A strumming guitar takes hold in the rear channel with a pure clarity and the base reaches deep with an upper punch that cuts through with its funky lines. Above the rhythm section Donald Byrd’s trumpets and the flute work of Allan Curtis Barnes soar with their light melodies, emitting the airy qualities that feel so life like. Everything within the mix is close, as if I am sitting in a parlor listening to the band. I especially enjoy the drum symbols that sparkle from the back channels and the funky guitar’s groovy rhythm emanating from the back-left speaker.
Razzle quad ear candy shakes across channels from left to right, front to back as the title track dances in. Bobbye Porter’s percussive Congas fill the space from the rears and head around the four channels ending up in the front. I must remind readers that this was all accomplished prior to mixing automation, which meant the audio engineers had to be musically exacting in their moves within the mix. Vocals chant with a pleasant warmth adding a soulful aspect to the album. While this disk does sound incredible, careful listeners may notice some slight harmonic distortion seemingly emitted by the cymbals. Admittedly this analogues smearing doesn’t bother me, as this kind of ‘problem’ has been part of analog recordings for nearly 100 years.
Much like other Vocalion reissues, the transparency, imaging and channel separation is fantastic, which I attribute to the amazing transfer by Michael J Dutton. The overall sound quality and placement of instruments are well-maintained throughout Black Byrd. It is a wonderful relaxing album to listen to and provides a fully immersive quad scape.
From my perspective track “Sky High” has the most dated sound on the album. There is a very Muzak feel to this song, almost reminding me of walking through a shopping mall in the mid-70’s. The harmonized vocals and flugelhorn lend to this somewhat antiquated sound. Yet, the funky guitar and bass riffs truly are the precursor to what later became known as smooth jazz. Of course, it still sounds awesome in quad.
The stereo DSD layer is magnificently balanced, a very worthy remaster for stereo audiophiles. However, it naturally lacks the dimensionality of the quad mix and doesn’t convey as much ear candy in the sense of movement that can be heard on the quad mix. Regardless it’s a wonderful listen and provides a very open feel that simply elevates the sound quality of this well-regarded album by Donald Byrd.
I am sure readers will recognize that this is an album not to miss for fans of fusion, R&B, and contemporary jazz. Quadraholics will also want to include this fantastic sounding release in their collection, since this is another demo worthy album that Vocalion has brought back to the audiophile world.
Written by Wesley Derbyshire, hiresedition-com
foobar2000 1.6.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Donald Byrd / Black Byrd
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR8 -7.52 dB -24.77 dB 8:37 01-Flight Time
DR8 -6.79 dB -23.94 dB 7:11 02-Black Byrd
DR8 -6.62 dB -24.25 dB 6:02 03-Loves So Far Away
DR9 -6.67 dB -24.21 dB 5:01 04-Mr Thomas
DR8 -6.53 dB -23.02 dB 6:06 05-Sky High
DR9 -6.70 dB -24.15 dB 5:36 06-Slop Jar Blues
DR8 -7.81 dB -24.70 dB 4:39 07-Where Are We Going
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 7
Official DR value: DR8
Samplerate: 2822400 Hz / PCM Samplerate: 176400 Hz
Channels: 6
Bits per sample: 1
Bitrate: 16934 kbps
Codec: DST64
================================================================================
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Donald Byrd / Black Byrd
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR12 -6.63 dB -21.08 dB 8:32 01-Flight Time
DR13 -5.80 dB -20.71 dB 7:19 02-Black Byrd
DR13 -6.63 dB -21.70 dB 6:00 03-Loves So Far Away
DR13 -6.94 dB -21.60 dB 5:03 04-Mr Thomas
DR13 -5.95 dB -20.78 dB 5:57 05-Sky High
DR13 -6.25 dB -20.67 dB 5:38 06-Slop Jar Blues
DR13 -6.45 dB -21.13 dB 4:38 07-Where Are We Going
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 7
Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate: 2822400 Hz / PCM Samplerate: 176400 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 1
Bitrate: 5645 kbps
Codec: DST64
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Donald Byrd / Black Byrd
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR8 -7.52 dB -24.77 dB 8:37 01-Flight Time
DR8 -6.79 dB -23.94 dB 7:11 02-Black Byrd
DR8 -6.62 dB -24.25 dB 6:02 03-Loves So Far Away
DR9 -6.67 dB -24.21 dB 5:01 04-Mr Thomas
DR8 -6.53 dB -23.02 dB 6:06 05-Sky High
DR9 -6.70 dB -24.15 dB 5:36 06-Slop Jar Blues
DR8 -7.81 dB -24.70 dB 4:39 07-Where Are We Going
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 7
Official DR value: DR8
Samplerate: 2822400 Hz / PCM Samplerate: 176400 Hz
Channels: 6
Bits per sample: 1
Bitrate: 16934 kbps
Codec: DST64
================================================================================
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Donald Byrd / Black Byrd
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR12 -6.63 dB -21.08 dB 8:32 01-Flight Time
DR13 -5.80 dB -20.71 dB 7:19 02-Black Byrd
DR13 -6.63 dB -21.70 dB 6:00 03-Loves So Far Away
DR13 -6.94 dB -21.60 dB 5:03 04-Mr Thomas
DR13 -5.95 dB -20.78 dB 5:57 05-Sky High
DR13 -6.25 dB -20.67 dB 5:38 06-Slop Jar Blues
DR13 -6.45 dB -21.13 dB 4:38 07-Where Are We Going
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 7
Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate: 2822400 Hz / PCM Samplerate: 176400 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 1
Bitrate: 5645 kbps
Codec: DST64
Thanks to KingCrim!
Uncompressed SACD ISO size > 1,93 GB
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