Stepping Into Tomorrow

I really like the album that Donald Byrd made with Mizzel brothers that add vocals that are just right. This one is really fine and I recommend it to all jazz fans.

Born Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, Donald Byrd is a very talented, well trained jazz and blues trumpter. He has played with some of the best in his field, including Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Sonny Rollins, Monk, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock. His sound during this time period was hard bop jazz. NOW . . . allow yourself to switch gears for a bit. It's the early 70s and Byrd teams up with jazz-funk producers, the Mizell Brothers, Fonce and Larry. Out of this union, FIVE albums are born, giving Byrd a new sound and much commerical success. They are: 1972--Black Byrd (biggest selling album in BLUE NOTE label history) 1973--Street Lady 1974--Stepping Into Tomorrow 1975--Places and Spaces 1976--Caricatures For the most part, if you are a jazz purist, these five albums may not work for you. However, if you are simply a defender and promoter of good music as I am, (especially 70s funk/jazz/soul) dust off your cd player and make space in your music library. These five cds need to be in your collection. Stepping Into Tomorrow, as well as the others listed, has a blended, smooth, layered sound. A sound with texture. The same "type" sound you'd hear when you listen to the 70s music of Roy Ayers, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfied or Isaac Hayes. It's a very sophisticated, down to earth sound. The Mizell Bros were also very successful with two Bobbi Humphrey albums and a Gary Bartz album, all worthy of owning. I love this cd! But then and again, I love Donald Byrd! Along with Roy Ayers, he is one of the most sampled jazz artists, thanks to the Hip-Hop community. Blending of the old with the new. Talkin' about steppin' into tomorrow. Now that's progressive!

For many years the term "rare groove" eluded me. Apparently it's a term,which as with most things musical these days applicable to hip-hop,referring to funky instrumental grooves (particularly ones from the 70's) that make good beds for DJs,rappers and what have you. A lot has been done well with the rare groove genre. Sometimes though I think the personality of some of the people involved in this have tended to "sell" the music onto the newer generation as opposed to genuinely influence them. One could say this was positive exposure either way. Of course this particular album,recorded with different musicians than those on Blackbyrd and a year and a half later,has an important place in Byrd's vast musical catalog as well. Recorded at a time when his group of Howard University students The Blackbyrds were just taking off as a big act there's something especially unique about this album even during this particular period of Donald Byrd's musical output. One reason is the title song. The groove tends to be somewhat more obviously in the pocket funk. And the strong melody is both brooding and somehow optimistic. It evokes a certain type of secular spirituality that charactarized the United Funk sound of the mid/late 1970's and is probably one of the most important Larry Mizel/Donald Byrd collaborations of Byrd's funk period. Throughout the album the grooves are more minor chorded and probing than before. In fact far funkier than poppy or soulfunk on "Design A Nation","Think Twice","Makin' It" and "You Are The World". These songs are built more upon Chuck Rainey's baselines and the melodic sax explorations of Gary Bartz than on major key melodies or electric piano solos. Mizell's synthesizers often create grand textures of sound all their own. One can hear these on the softer numbers such as "Rock And Roll Again" and the closer "I Love The Girl",the only Byrd composition on this album. Even though I am sure it was met with the same critical evil eye as most of Byrds,or any jazz-funk innvator's work was receiving at this time the years ahead would tell a very different story. Of course a lot of that did have to do with hip-hop/DJ related sampling. That probably had to do with this music often failing to gain much recognition on it's own terms. Donald Byrd's period of being produced by the Mizell's was of course the funkiest and most groove laden of his career. But something about this album and just it's overall flavor took it to the next level. Most of the Byrd/Mizell albums contained mainly upbeat material. This one was just a tad bit darker and subversive. And even though the vocals were limited,the instrumentation and repetition of lyrics,important features of funk anyway,are definitely driving home a message here. And that message is actually about futurism. Of art,of the person and life in general. The mid 70's were certainly and interesting canvas from which any artist could draw a lot of inspiration from. Especially when it came to coloration. And this music has colors of many kinds.

Big Dr. Byrd fan needed three cds to complete my collection and I'm happy as a lark.

Great vinyl to have in your collection get why it’s still available.

If you like Donald Byrd's electric jazz you might like this. I started with the Black Byrds album and got hooked. Then I tried this album too. The next album I tried was Places and Spaces and it is also good. I also got Ethiopian Knights too. That one was kind of different but still cool. If you like electric jazz funk give Donald Byrd a try.

Another example of pass music. Vs today's music..old school is better. This will take you on a musical journey.

Great cd grooving