Toni Braxton (1993)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a cassette tape, later replaced by a CD.

So it's part Anita Baker and part Janet Jackson, mashed together by '90s R&B titans Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds. Toni didn't try to copy Mariah Carey; there’s no oversinging, just a steady, calm voice fully in control. The recipe worked because this album was a veritable hit machine for years. I liked it in the '90s, I still like it in the '20s.

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "She has established herself as a female balladeer to be reckoned with"
• Billboard: "R&B/pop siren's debut album delivers"
• Rolling Stone (★★½): "Braxton has got chops and spunk"

Grammy Awards:

• Won - Best New Artist (1994)
• Won - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1994): Another Sad Love Song
• Won - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1995): Breathe Again
• Nominated - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1996): I Belong To You
• Nominated - Best R&B Song (1995): You Mean The World To Me

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #1
• Billboard R&B: #1

Tracks:

Track	Song	Hot 100	R&B	AC
7	Love Shoulda Brought You Home	33	4
1	Another Sad Love Song	7	2	8
2	Breathe Again	3	4	4
3	Seven Whole Days		*
10	You Mean The World To Me	7	3	4
8/9	I Belong to You b/w How Many Ways	28	6

*peaked at #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.

The race for my favorite track has ended in a draw between Seven Whole Days and You Mean The World To Me.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I can't even remember if I bought the cassette in '93 or '94. I do remember, however, that this was one album about which neither my wife nor I complained when it was in the car stereo.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Un-break My Heart (1996)

David Sancious - The Bridge (1982)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP (twice), later replaced by a CD.

This album was first issued in the UK and Japan in 1981 with the following cover:

What if I told you a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer released an album in the early 1980s and it wasn't remastered and reissued on compact disc for more than four decades?!? Sounds unbelievable, but that's exactly what happened here. I first bought the album in 1982 and listened to it quite a bit even if I didn't fully understand it. In related news, the album was my introduction to the short-lived Elektra/Musician label. My first copy of the album was sold in the (not so) great LP selloff purge of 1994. I always thought this one would be reissued on CD in the 1990s because weren't all '80s albums reissued on CD in the 1990s? Never happened. Eventually I tracked down another LP copy, burned it to a CD-R, and uploaded it to YouTube as a public service. I had resigned myself to the fact this thing was permanently out of print (POP). Thank goodness for the "reissues done right" folks over at Iconoclassic Records. Sancious himself remastered his album and it was finally reissued on compact disc in 2025. So I'd like to call this a "grail CD" even though that's not exactly accurate. But lawdy I'm happy to finally have a digital copy and the remastering sounds fantastic.

Nice story. Anyway...

The music. What about the music? Well, here's what Sancious had to say about the album in his liner notes:

It's captivating new agey solo piano but with more blues licks and gospel harmonies than you'd get from, say, Keith Jarrett or Liz Story. The compositions stand up to both passive and active listening. The pieces are hypnotic in their repetition but somehow avoid aimless noodling. I really like it but, then again, it may admittedly be a case of "right album at the right time." In the end, I guess the why and when don't matter much if you like the thing.

Press of the time:

• Musician: "cerebral, sacred studies of silence and repetition."

Album as described in the above advertisement:

A very special album of spontaneous original compositions by one of the most brilliant young musicians in contemporary music. David plays acoustic piano, synthesizers and guitar in a stunning solo recital.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #36

Tracks: It's a lengthy album (9 tracks, 49:44 minutes), especially for a release that was originally on vinyl. The lead track, titled What If?, has always been my favorite. Other top cuts include Sunday, Invisible Dance (with percussion and synth overdubs), Sleight Of Hand, and Morning. The album ends with the title track, an atmospheric 16 minute prog jazz opus complete with piano, guitar, percussion, and synths. Certainly the most interesting and involved piece on the album. And it turns out Sancious is quite a guitar player as well as keyboardist.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: see above

Donald Byrd – Live: Cookin' With Blue Note At Montreux (2022)

MIZELL BROTHERS MONTH (APRIL 2026)

Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland, July 5, 1973. While the Mizell Brothers didn't produce this particular Byrd album, they were in the band on that date. Also in the band were four of Byrd's students who would go on to form the Blackbyrds.

From the Blue Note website:

In July 1973, Blue Note Records headed to Montreux, Switzerland to showcase several of the label’s stars at the Montreux Jazz Festival. That summer, Byrd was fresh off the release of his hit crossover fusion album Black Byrd, the first of his innovative and incredibly successful studio collaborations with producer Larry Mizell. But in a live setting the band had a rawer, harder edge, as this searing set attests. Live: Cookin’ with Blue Note at Montreux is released on what would have been the legendary trumpeter’s 90th birthday — December 9, 2022.

Even though Black Byrd had just been released, the band only plays the title track from that album here. The remainder of the album sounds like the whole band had been listening only to In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew for months because the arrangements on this live date greatly resemble those pioneered by Miles & Company a few years earlier. Not as slick as the Byrd/Mizell studio albums and the rougher live edge is just gritty enough to enjoy. I dig the whole album and am hypnotized into a fusion trance while listening. I'd love to read a first-hand account of what that show was like. Other performers at the festival that night included Alphonse Mouzon, Bobbi Humphrey, Bobby Hutcherson, Marlena Shaw, and Ronnie Foster. What a line up!

CD liner notes from Larry Mizell and Don Was, the president of Blue Note Records.

Byrd – trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
Fonce Mizell – trumpet, vocals
Allan Barnes – tenor saxophone, flute
Nathan Davis – tenor and soprano saxophone
Kevin Toney – electric piano
Larry Mizell – synthesizers
Barney Perry – electric guitar
Henry Franklin – electric bass
Keith Killgo – drums and vocals
Ray Armando – congas and percussion

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: The album kicks off with the funky Black Byrd, followed by a stellar cover of Stevie Wonder's You've Got It Bad Girl, then three otherwise unrecorded Byrd originals: The East, Kwame, and Poco-Mania. Kwame has an annoying start with some unnecessarily strident synth sounds, but eventually settles into a more relaxed groove. As with the Miles Davis albums mentioned above, just hit the play button and let it cook. 

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Love Byrd (1981)	Street Lady (1974)
Caricatures (1976)	Black Byrd (1973)
Stepping Into Tomorrow (1975)	A New Perspective (1964)

The Blackbyrds - The Blackbyrds/Flying Start (1974)

EU import

Twofer reissue on the BGP label. The Blackbyrds were six students of Donald Byrd, then the head of the School of Music at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Talk about your authentic, practical university experience!

---

THE BLACKBYRDS (1974)
8 tracks, 37 minutes

MIZELL BROTHERS MONTH (APRIL 2026)

This doesn't sound like a group of college kids. Or, more accurately, it doesn't sound like anything I could have produced when I was a college musician. It's crisp, economical, polished, and most importantly, funky as all get-out. The guidance of Donald Byrd and Mizell Brothers is evident and most welcome. The Allmusic review calls it "some of the finest groove-oriented jazz music ever recorded" and who am I to argue??

Reviews/ratings::

• Record World: "Zesty r&b overtones are set on a stimulating jazz background"
• CashBox: "one of those rare and delightful treats that knocks you out from the very first musical phrase to the last refrain."
• Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1985): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #96
• Billboard R&B: #14
• Billboard Jazz: #6
• Record World Jazz: #5

Tracks: All but two tracks were written or co-written by either Byrd or Larry Mizell. Most are instrumentals. The singles that charted are Do It Fluid (#23 R&B, #69 pop) and the instrumental Gut Level (#9 dance). As for the best cuts, I'm gonna hafta cop out and simply call dealer's choice. 

---

FLYING START (1974)
8 tracks, 39 minutes

Kinda the same as above, but different (if that makes any sense). For this release, Byrd himself takes over the production duties and the band members are allowed more of their own original compositions, including their biggest hit, Walking In Rhythm. Plus, a few guest artists are brought in, namely Ernie Watts and Sigidi.

Reviews/ratings::

• DownBeat (★): "there is little space on this album for anything to happen, and nothing does."
• Billboard: "the mix of soul and jazz sounds is not an easy one"
• Record World: "these exceptionally talented musicfolk are ablaze on this recent release"
• CashBox: "The sextet is particularly adept at creating different textures and moods and weaving them into a unified whole"
• Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1985): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #30
• Billboard R&B: #5
• Billboard Jazz: #2
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: I already mentioned Walking In Rhythm (#6 pop, #4 R&B, #5 AC) and it hits as good now as it did back in 1974 (I'm guessing I heard it '74, but who the hell knows?). It's the cream of this crop, but as for the rest, I'll repeat myself: pick 'em.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Action (1977)/Better Days (1980)

Donald Byrd - Caricatures (1976)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2003 Rare Groove Series Edition.

MIZELL BROTHERS MONTH (APRIL 2026)

More smooth funk-jazz music from Byrd and the Mizells. But by 1976, disco was in full swing and that style of dance music definitely had an impact on this recording. Is it still jazz? Depends who you ask and how seriously they take themselves. But for a guy like me who simply can't stand still as the CD spins, Caricatures is hard to dismiss as it fully commits to the bit. The grooves feel so good and danceable you forget to miss the lack of traditional improv. It may not be jazz in the pure sense, but it is, undeniably, a good time. I guess that was the point and one I can fully support.

The album didn't carry any liner notes, sadly. Caricatures was Byrd's final album for the Blue Note label before moving to Elektra. It was also Byrd's fifth and final release produced by the Mizell Brothers. And if you are of a certain age and inclination, the cover artist is immediately identifiable as Al Hirschfeld.

Reviews/ratings:

• Record World: "disco arrangements expertly performed"
• High Fidelity: "Byrd's trumpet playing has indeed become a caricature of the crisp inventiveness of his earlier years."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #60
• Billboard Jazz: #7
• Billboard R&B: #12
• CashBox: #133
• CashBox Jazz: #6
• Record World Jazz: #5

Tracks: Granted, Blue Note didn't know anything about 12" dance remixes nor marketing to the disco crowd, but some of these tracks should have charted on Billboard's dance charts. Ah, well. My top picks are the title track, Return Of the King, and Onward 'Til Morning. Plus I'd love an instrumental version of Dance Band, because with that title, those grooves, and a tasty solo from Ernie Watts, the track is more of a command than a suggestion. There's nothing to skip, but the disc has a lull in the middle with Science Funktion and a cover of Dancing In the Street. 

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Love Byrd (1981)
Stepping Into Tomorrow (1975)
Street Lady (1974)
Black Byrd (1973)
A New Perspective (1964)

A Taste Of Honey (1978)

EU import with 3 bonus tracks

MIZELL BROTHERS MONTH (APRIL 2026)

If you listened to Top 40 radio in 1978, you're familiar with the hit song Boogie Oogie Oogie. At age 12, I loved the song but didn't think much of the band behind the hit and boy-oh-boy was that ever a mistake. This duo was the whole package: they could write, play, and sing. As a result, all the Mizell brothers needed to do was discover them and get the hell out of the way (more on that timely discovery in these album liner notes). There's only one track written by Fonce Mizell and neither Mizell is listed is a performer. But their disco production fully leans into the mirror ball sounds of the time with lots of rhythm guitar and string arrangements. Sure the hit with the silly title was massive, but active listening to all nine tracks is rewarded with subtlety, groove, and tasty songwriting with hooks aplenty. Do I wish I had bought this album in 1978? Heck yeah.

Despite my indifference back in '78, the album went platinum and won the duo the (cursed? infamous? jinxed?) Best New Artist Grammy award, beating The Cars, Elvis Costello, and Toto. The hit single Boogie Oogie Oogie was nominated in the now-defunct category of Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, eventually losing to All 'N All by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Press of the time:

• Robert Christgau: C+
• Stereo Review: Recording of Special Merit
• CashBox: "Rarely does one find the versatile singing and instrumental skills exhibited by this R&B/disco foursome."
• Billboard: "smooth, harmonic vocal sound"
• Record World: "a female version of the Brothers Johnson"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #6
• Billboard R&B: #2
• CashBox: #11
• Rolling Stone: #72

Tracks: Two singles charted in Billboard: Boogie Oogie Oogie (#1 pop, #1 R&B, #1 dance) and Disco Dancin' (#69 R&B). Boogie Oogie Oogie is the best cut on the album in terms of chart position, danceability, groove, performance, smoothness, and nostalgia. But there's lots of good stuff throughout, including Distant, the aforementioned Disco Dancin', If We Loved, Sky High, and the most Mizell-sounding cut, World Spin. But there's nothing to skip here. The single written by Fonce Mizell, You're In Good Hands, sounds like a '50s throwback ballad and is a great way to finish the album.

Bonus tracks: the single mix of Boogie Oogie Oogie, the 12" disco mix of Disco Dancin', and the 'New Boogie Mix' of Boogie Oogie Oogie, remixed in 1984 by John Luongo.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Donald Byrd - Black Byrd (1973)

MIZELL BROTHERS MONTH (APRIL 2026)

This album marks the first collaboration between Donald Byrd and the Mizells. In 1973, after years of more traditional hard bop and post-bop jazz, Byrd, who by then was teaching at Howard University, decided to reinvent himself. The collaborative took the current commercial trends in soul & funk music and used those grooves with jazz instrumentation. It wasn't quite 'Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival' but it was quite a departure. I'm forever grateful for Byrd's pivot here because I deeply dig this groove-first, hook-driven music built around electric piano and rhythm section with a smattering of familiar jazz tropes. This initial album has quite a bit of Byrd's playing and singing; those particular contributions seemed to become less and less prevalent as the Byrd/Mizell collaboration continued. The album is more about creating an environment than showing off technical skills and I am certainly mighty comfy in such environs.

There's quite a few familiar names among the session players, including some Crusaders:

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the now-defunct category of Best R&B Instrumental Performance. It was best-selling album of all time on the Blue Note label until surpassed by Come Away With Me by Norah Jones.

Original liner notes by noted syndicated columnist Gertrude Gipson.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "melodically flowing and perfect for grooving at home"
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #36
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• Billboard R&B: #2
• Record World Jazz: #1

All tracks written or co-written, produced, and arranged by Larry Mizell. Ranked in order of personal preference:

1. Flight Time
2. Sky High
3. Love's So Far Away
4. Black Byrd (#19 R&B, #88 pop) I'm guessing this was chosen for a single release because of its similarity to the 1971 smash hit, Theme From Shaft.
5. Mr. Thomas
6. Where Are We Going?
7. Slop Jar Blues

Yes, I generally prefer the tracks that have very few or no vocals. At least I'm consistent.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Love Byrd (1981)
Stepping Into Tomorrow (1975)
Street Lady (1974)
A New Perspective (1964)