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Trumpet legend Donald Byrd would have been 88 today. His legacy cannot be overstated. He discovered Herbie Hancock; went disco with Isaac Hayes; was covered by Erykah Badu; and made electric music to rival Miles’s and Herbie’s. He was a genius. A thread of tracks to know.
Herbie Hancock moved to NYC at Byrd’s urging when the pianist was 20. Here’s Byrd searching over Herbie’s “King Cobra” in 1963. Tony Williams on drums.
Byrd's electric music from, say, 1972 to 1975, was unimpeachable. And, in my opinion, no less important than the plugged-in sounds of Miles and Herbie. Check out the mysterious funk of "The Emperor" from '72's Ethiopian Knights.
The flute-and-synth-filled "Miss Kane," from 1973's Street Lady, is an all-time jam. Harvey Mason on drums 
"Think Twice," from the 1975 classic Stepping Into Tomorrow, is an immortal disco-funk anthem. Produced by Larry Mizell.
In 2003, Erykah Badu covered “Think Twice” on Worldwide Underground. With Roy Hargrove on trumpet!
1975 also brings Byrd’s most famous album, Places and Spaces. Here’s the life-affirming title track.
And in 1981, Byrd joined forces with Isaac Hayes for “Love Has Come Around.” A disco scorcher for the ages.
