Customer Reviews
A Must Have Classic - By: Music Lover, 17 Mar 2008 
This is an album that I came to fairly late (in relative terms), having heard DJ Jazzy Jeff use elements of 'Change (Makes You Want To Hustle)' & 'Places And Spaces' in the track 'A Touch Of Jazz'. Having liked the short pieces Jeff used it was relatively easy to find out what the tracks were & this naturallly led to wanting to hear more of Donald Byrd. That eventuallly led me to this album.
This is Jazz-Funk at its very best, & as other reviewers have indicated, the production work of the Mizzel Brothers stands out. Jazz purists might be tempted to scoff at the notion of this strange hybrid, a fusion of Jazz, Funk & other elements of popular Black music, but for listeners seeking 'the groove' this album will draw you in through its sheer listenability & standard of musicianship. 'Dominoes', 'Places And Spaces', 'Music And You', there reallly isn't a poor track on here. Although relatively short, this is an album where the qualitative outweighs the quantative, & for those embarking on an exploration of Jazz or Jazz Funk this album is an essential purchase.
Quite simply, the greatest - By: David Johnson, 21 Oct 2006 This is quite simply the most funky,smooth, joyous & uplifting 35 minutes you are ever likely to listen to. I haven't written many reviews for Amazon recently but felt the need to come out of retirement after hearing this. This is a beautiful amalgam of searing string arrangements, soft vocals & trembling trumpet. It alll fits together seamlessly to make the perfect soundtrack to a summers day or a happy moment. I can't stop bouncing up & down to the stomping,"Change." Check out the bassline on,"Dominoes," it makes the track. "You & the music," has a groove that just gets right under the skin.
I recognised this as a classic on the first listen. If everybody grew up on this the world would be a lot better place. You'll never stop listening.
The definitve Byrd album of the 70's - By: acid_win, 27 Feb 2001 What can be said about this classic album from Donald Byrd? Certainly the collaboration with his students the Mizell brothers would ensure that this would be a different experience. Once the album Blackbyrd had been released you could see the direction that Byrd was moving in & this would be the seminal jazz-funk album of the 70's. Many others would turn to the Mizell brothers for influence including, Johnny Hammond, Roger Glenn, Gary Bartz & Bobbi Humphrey. If you love your Jazz, funky & groovy then it doesn't come much better than this.
