Black Byrd

After releasing a pair of funky fusion albums on his own, former hard-bopping trumpeter Donald Byrd teamed up with Larry Mizell and his Motown hitmaker brother, Fonce, for one of the best groove-jazz albums of all time. Breezy and often quite beautiful, this radio-friendly 1973 release is full of wicked guitar riffing, buttery vocals, science-fiction synths, and, of course, first-class trumpet playing. Get down and dirty with \"Slop Jar Blues\" or croon along with the socially conscious \"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.