Places and Spaces

by Donald Byrd

Overview

Reuniting with Larry Mizell, the man behind his last three LPs, Donald Byrd continues to explore contemporary soul, funk, and R&B with Places and Spaces. In fact, the record sounds more urban than its predecessor, which often played like a Hollywood version of the inner city. Keeping the Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, and Sly Stone influences of Street Lady, Places and Spaces adds elements of Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Stevie Wonder, which immediately makes the album funkier and more soulful. Boasting sweeping string arrangements, sultry rhythm guitars, rubbery bass, murmuring fluegelhorns, and punchy horn charts, the music falls halfway between the cinematic neo-funk of Street Lady and the proto-disco soul of Earth, Wind & Fire. Also, the title Places and Spaces does mean something -- there are more open spaces within the music, which automatically makes it funkier. Of course, it also means that there isn't much of interest on Places and Spaces for jazz purists, but the album would appeal to most fans of Philly soul, lite funk, and proto-disco. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/01/2024
Label:	Universal Japan
UPC:	4988031659298
Rank:	215373

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Donald Byrd   Primary Artist,Vocals,Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Harvey Mason, Sr.   Guest Artist,Drums
Tyree Glenn   Sax (Tenor)
George Bohannon   Trombone
Mayuto Correa   Congas,Percussion
John Rowin   Guitar
Craig McMullen   Guitar
Kay Haith   Vocals
Ray Brown   Trumpet
Skip Scarborough   Piano (Electric)
King Errisson   Congas
Chuck Rainey   Bass (Electric)
James Carter   Whistle (Human),Whistle (Instrument)
Larry Mizell   Piano,Vocals
Fonce Mizell   Vocals,Trumpet,Clavinet,Clavichord
Wade Marcus   Conductor

Technical Credits

Val Garay   Engineer
Jim Nipar   Engineer
Michael Cuscuna   Producer
David Hassinger   Remixing
Norman Whitfield   Composer
Steve Maslow   Engineer,Remixing
Sigidi Abdullah   Composer
Patrick Roque   Redesign
Tom Evered   Producer
Bob Cato   Art Direction
Doug Metzler   Photography
Harold Clayton   Composer
Bradley Ridgell   Composer
Sigidi Bashir Abullah   Composer
Barrett Strong   Composer
Larry Mizell   Composer,Producer
Donald Byrd   Performer
Fonce Mizell   Composer,Producer
John Carter   Composer
Wade Marcus   String Arrangements