SOUL JAZZ REISSUES FROM THE BLACKBYRDS

Seventies soul jazz band The Blackbyrds - assembled by noted trumpeter Dr. Donald Byrd and featuring smooth jazz keyboardist Kevin Toney - get a new moment in the sun with two new releases from Concord Music Group. Due February 27th are Happy Music: The Best Of The Blackbyrds and LoveByrds: Smooth And Easy. Happy Music includes 14 tracks, including their first single Do It Fluid, their 1975 Top five R&B hit Walking In Rhythm, and their 1976 follow-ups Happy Music and Rock Creek Park. Also included is Supernatural Feeling, co-written by Toney with second guitarist Orville Saunders. The LoveByrds collection also includes 14 mellow vocal and instrumental tunes that remain staples of the Quiet Storm format. These include Flying High, Soft And Easy, as well as the Toney compositions All I Ask and Dreaming About You. Also featured are three tunes from the 1975 soundtrack of Cornbread, Earl And Me, composed by Donald Byrd. The Blackbyrds were originally formed by students from Byrd's music classes at Howard University. They initially began by backing Byrd on the road but soon evolved into a band of their own. Toney says that he learned a lot from working with Donald Byrd, who made a point of surrounding himself with young talent the same way Miles Davis did: "He always wanted to surround himself with fresh, young talent and people who are eager to do things different. And I do the same, too, you know. I'm not saying I'm Miles Davis or anything like that. But I'm just saying my training -- even the things I learned working with Donald Byrd with the Blackbyrds, you know, he surrounded himself with young students, us at the time, and we fed off of each other. And what a combination, when you mix experience and seasoning with youth." For more information click to www.kevintoney.com.