Places And Spaces

Performer: Donald Byrd
Artist: Harvey Mason
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Donald Byrd (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Wade Marcus (conductor); Fonce Mizell (vocals, trumpet, Clavinet); Larry Mizell (vocals, piano); Kay Haith (vocals); Tyree Glenn, Jr. (tenor saxophone); Raymond Brown (trumpet); George Bohanon (trombone); James Carter (whistle); Skip Scarborough (electric piano); Craig McMullen, John Rowin (guitar); Chuck Rainey (electric bass); Harvey Mason (drums); King Erricson (congas); Mayuto Correa (percussion). Producers: Larry Mizell, Fonce Mizell. Reissue producers: Michael Cuscuna, Tom Evered. Engineers: Steve Maslow, Jim Nipar, Val Garay. Recorded on August 18, 20 & 25, 1975. Originally released on Blue Note (549). This is part of the Blue Note Records Rare Groove series. Personnel: Donald Byrd (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Fonce Mizell (vocals, trumpet, Clavinet, clavichord); Larry Mizell (vocals, piano); Kay Haith (vocals); James Carter (whistling); Craig McMullen, John Rowin (guitar); Tyree Glenn (tenor saxophone); Ray Brown (trumpet); George Bohannon (trombone); Skip Scarborough (electric piano); Chuck Rainey (electric bass); Harvey Mason, Sr. (drums); Mayuto Correa (congas, percussion); King Errisson (congas). Audio Remixers: David Hassinger ; Steve Maslow. Recording information: Sound Factory (08/18/1975-08/25/1975). Photographer: Doug Metzler. Unknown Contributor Role: Fonce Mizell. Reuniting with Larry Mizell, the man behind his last three LPs, Donald Byrd continues to explore contemporary soul, funk, and R&B with Places and Spaces. In fact, the record sounds more urban than its predecessor, which often played like a Hollywood version of the inner city. Keeping the Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, and Sly Stone influences of Street Lady, Places and Spaces adds elements of Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Stevie Wonder, which immediately makes the album funkier and more soulful. Boasting sweeping string arrangements, sultry rhythm guitars, rubbery bass, murmuring fl�gelhorns, and punchy horn charts, the music falls halfway between the cinematic neo-funk of Street Lady and the proto-disco soul of Earth, Wind & Fire. Also, the title Places and Spaces does mean something -- there are more open spaces within the music, which automatically makes it funkier. Of course, it also means that there isn't much of interest on Places and Spaces for jazz purists, but the album would appeal to most fans of Philly soul, lite funk, and proto-disco. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Donald Byrd set the standard for hard-bop trumpet in his days as a regular on the Prestige and Blue Note labels. His brassy tone and adventurous solos, coupled with a deep sense of the blues, made him one of the most in-demand trumpeters of the 1950s and '60s. Later, Byrd turned to the R&B-influenced side of jazz, which sustained him through several successful years in the late '60s. By the 1970s, Byrd had fully embraced funk and R&B in the form of his popular group, the Blackbyrds. In the '90s, Byrd was introduced to a new crowd when he was a featured performer on rapper Guru's groundbreaking JAZZMATAZZ.

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