Donald Byrd

LP version. Recorded in Hollywood in June 1973, Street Lady is the second album Donald Byrd made with the producer Larry Mizell and his brother Fonce Mizell. It followed the commercial breakthrough of Black Byrd. Byrd had built his name as a hard bop trumpeter on Blue Note in the late 1950s. He met the Mizells at Howard University, where he was on the faculty. Fonce had been part of The Corporation, the Motown writing and production team. Through their company, Sky High Productions, the brothers gave Byrd a new frame. Long vamps, layered electric keyboards and chanted group vocals sit on a rhythm section drawn from Los Angeles soul sessions.

The sessions took place at The Sound Factory on 13, 14 and 15 June 1973. Larry Mizell produced, arranged and conducted, and George Butler was executive producer. Byrd plays trumpet and flugelhorn and sings the solo vocals, while Fonce Mizell adds clavinet and a second trumpet. Freddie Perren plays ARP synthesizer and joins the brothers on the vocal parts. Chuck Rainey on Fender bass and Harvey Mason on drums hold the grooves, with Jerry Peters on piano and Fender Rhodes, David T. Walker on guitar, Roger Glenn on flute and two percussionists. Five of the six pieces are Larry Mizell compositions, from the opening Lansana's Priestess to the title track and Witch Hunt, which at almost ten minutes is the longest. The closing Woman Of The World is credited to Edward Larry Gordon, the musician later known as Laraaji. Jazz critics of the period disliked these records, and DownBeat gave the album two stars in 1974. DJs, soul and disco listeners and hip-hop producers later took a very different view of the Byrd and Mizell albums. The same team went on to make Stepping Into Tomorrow, and Mike Salisbury designed the cover of this one.

This Music On Vinyl edition (MOVLP3396, 2023) is licensed from Blue Note and pressed on 180g vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, and is listed on Discogs as remastered.