As a devoted fan of Dr. Donald Byrd, Bill McGee (Sugarhill Gang, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Klymaxx) was committed to honoring one of the unsung fathers of contemporary Jazz, trumpeter Donald Byrd. To make this work he enlisted the help of one of Donald Byrd’s most esteemed and accomplished mentees, pianist Kevin Toney, the founder of the Blackbyrds.
In addition, Bill reached out to a friend, the very well-known and accomplished trumpet player Tom Browne. When the question of who would play flute was raised, Najee was the obvious choice to make the track pop. Bassist Christian de Mesones, who had the #1 Hit “Hispanica” and Freddie Fox, who had the #1 Hit “Too Tough” are Bill McGee’s personal friends and collaborators. They solidified the rhythm section with funky drummer Ty Onley (Beyonce).
Donald Byrd’s “Flight Time” was released in 1973 on Bluenote Records. It was written and produced by Larry Mizell. The album was a game changer and ‘Flight Time’ was the song that started the game 50 years ago. The album Black Byrd is still one of the best-selling albums ever released on Bluenote. The album is also the impetus for the creation of The Blackbyrds. Kevin Toney appears on the original album by Donald Byrd. Bill McGee’s version has received the blessings of Larry Mizell and Donald Byrd, III. Both have expressed their sincere appreciation for the commemoration and their approval of this recording that is in honor of the late Dr. Donald Byrd who passed away in 2013.
Check out “Flight Time” below and welcome the great Bill McGee (and friends) back to SoulTracks.
Bill McGee – “Flight Time”
