Blackbyrds

Biography

The Blackbyrds are an American jazz-funk fusion group formed in 1973 in Washington, D.C., as a project spearheaded by jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd to mentor his Howard University students and bridge academia with the professional music world. The original lineup included Keith Killgo (vocals, drums), Kevin Toney (keyboards), Joe Hall (bass), Allan Barnes (saxophone, clarinet), and Barney Perry (guitar), later joined by Orville Saunders (guitar) and Jay Jones (flute, saxophone). Inspired by Byrd's 1973 album Black Byrd, the group signed with Fantasy Records and released their debut album The Blackbyrds and Flying Start in 1974, both produced by Byrd and the Mizell brothers. Their breakthrough hit 'Walking in Rhythm' from Flying Start earned a Grammy nomination and sold over a million copies, achieving gold status, while subsequent albums like City Life (1975), Unfinished Business, and Action also went gold.

Fun Facts

• The band's name was coined in the back seat of attorney Joe Porter’s car outside Fantasy Records studios in Berkeley, California, inspired by Donald Byrd's album Black Byrd.
• Keith Killgo played drums during a Miles Davis performance when he was just 10 years old.
• 'Rock Creek Park' from City Life (1975) is one of the most sampled jazz-funk records ever, featuring guest vocals by Merry Clayton and serving as an ode to D.C. summer nights.
• The group introduced terms like 'crossover,' 'urban contemporary,' and 'easy-listening' to music while blending classical, jazz, R&B, and gospel.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Donald Byrd - Jazz trumpeter and professor at Howard University who formed the group to mentor students (Produced debut albums The Blackbyrds (1974) and Flying Start (1974); his album Black Byrd inspired their name) [1973-1980s]
• Fonce Mizell - Producer and Howard University alumnus (Produced group's first two Fantasy Records albums)
• Larry Mizell - Producer and Howard University alumnus (Produced group's first two Fantasy Records albums)
• Orrin Keepnews - Record producer involved in group's formation (Helped create the band)

Key Collaborators

• Keith Killgo - Founding member (vocals, drums); reformed band in 1989/1999 and leads current lineup (All original albums; Gotta Fly (2012)) [1973-present]
• Kevin Toney - Founding member (keyboards) (All original albums) [1973-1980 (died 2024)]
• Joe Hall - Founding member (bass); still in current lineup (All original albums; current tours) [1973-present]
• Allan Barnes - Founding member (saxophone, clarinet) (All original albums; Gotta Fly (2012)) [1973-2016 (died 2016)]
• Barney Perry - Founding member (guitar) (Original albums) [1973-1980]
• Merry Clayton - Guest vocalist ('Rock Creek Park' and 'Happy Music')

Artists Influenced

• Grandmaster Flash - Sampled Blackbyrds tracks in hip-hop productions (Various tracks sampling 'Rock Creek Park' and others) [1980s-1990s]
• Tupac Shakur - Sampled Blackbyrds in hip-hop tracks (Tracks sampling group material) [1990s]
• De La Soul - Sampled Blackbyrds in hip-hop productions (Tracks sampling group material) [1980s-1990s]
• Gang Starr - Sampled Blackbyrds in hip-hop productions (Tracks sampling group material) [1990s]
• MF Doom - Sampled Blackbyrds in hip-hop productions (Tracks sampling group material) [1990s-2000s]
• Wiz Khalifa - Sampled Blackbyrds in hip-hop productions (Tracks sampling group material) [2000s-2010s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia