Donald Byrd • Stepping Into Tomorrow

 

Review
by Andy Kellman  
Beginning with a crack of thunder, like it was made to trail Gary Bartz's "Mother Nature" (actually recorded at a slightly later date), Stepping into Tomorrow contains almost all of the Mizell trademarks within its title track's first 30 seconds: a soft and easy (yet still funky) electric-bass-and-drums foundation, silken rhythm guitar, organ and piano gently bouncing off one another, light synthesizer shading, and coed group vocals to ensure true liftoff. It's only one in a line of many magnetic '70s sessions led by Fonce and Larry Mizell, and it differs from their two previous Donald Byrd dates -- the polarizing and groundbreaking Black Byrd and the deceptively excellent Street Lady -- by not featuring any of Roger Glenn's flute, and by focusing on heavily melodic and laid-back arrangements. Even the speedy "You Are the World," by some distance the most energetic song, seems more suited for relaxing in a hammock than shooting down a freeway. Many of the musicians present on the previous Byrd-Mizell meetings are here, including drummer Harvey Mason, bassist Chuck Rainey, keyboardist Jerry Peters, and guitarist David T. Walker. As ever, those who pined for the approach of Byrd's '60s dates would tune out a sublime set of material, but maybe some of those who sniffed at the straightforward nature of some of the rhythms and riffing were won over by the supreme layering of the many components (the way in which "Think Twice" lurches forward, peels back, and gathers steam is nothing short of heavenly), not to mention some deeply evocative playing from Byrd himself.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/stepping-into-tomorrow-mw0000057832

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Reseña
por Andy Kellman  
Empezando con un trueno, como si estuviera hecho para seguir a "Mother Nature" de Gary Bartz (en realidad grabado en una fecha ligeramente posterior), Stepping into Tomorrow contiene casi todas las marcas registradas de Mizell dentro de los primeros 30 segundos de su tema principal: una base de bajo eléctrico y batería suave y fácil (pero todavía funky), una guitarra rítmica sedosa, un órgano y un piano que rebotan suavemente entre sí, un ligero matiz de sintetizador y voces grupales conjuntas para asegurar un verdadero despegue. Es sólo una de las muchas sesiones magnéticas de los años 70 dirigidas por Fonce y Larry Mizell, y difiere de sus dos citas anteriores con Donald Byrd -el polarizador y rompedor Black Byrd y el engañosamente excelente Street Lady- por no presentar nada de la flauta de Roger Glenn, y por centrarse en arreglos muy melódicos y relajados. Incluso la veloz "You Are the World", con diferencia la canción más enérgica, parece más adecuada para relajarse en una hamaca que para rodar por una autopista. Muchos de los músicos presentes en las anteriores reuniones de Byrd-Mizell están aquí, como el batería Harvey Mason, el bajista Chuck Rainey, el teclista Jerry Peters y el guitarrista David T. Walker. Como siempre, los que añoran el enfoque de las citas de Byrd en los 60 se quedarán con un material sublime, pero quizás algunos de los que olfatearon la naturaleza directa de algunos ritmos y riffs fueron conquistados por la suprema estratificación de los muchos componentes (la forma en que "Think Twice" avanza, retrocede y se llena de vapor es nada menos que celestial), por no hablar de una interpretación profundamente evocadora del propio Byrd.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/stepping-into-tomorrow-mw0000057832

Tracks:
1 - Stepping Into Tomorrow - 5:12
2 - Design A Nation - 4:20
3 - We're Together - 4:24
4 - Think Twice - 6:10
5 - Makin' It - 3:47
6 - Rock And Roll Again - 6:08
7 - You Are The World - 4:29
8 - I Love The Girl - 3:54


Credits:
    Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet – Gary Bartz
    Arranged By – Larry Mizell (tracks: 1 to 7)
    Arranged By [Backing Arrangements] – Fred Perren*, Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell
    Backing Vocals – Freddie Perren, Kay Haith (tracks: 3, 4), Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell, Lorraine Kenner (tracks: 1, 2, 5), Margie Evans (tracks: 7), Stephanie Spruill (tracks: 1, 5)
    Bass [Fender] – Chuck Rainey
    Bata, Harmonica [Mouth Harp] – Harvey Mason (tracks: B1)
    Clavinet, Trumpet – Fonce Mizell
    Conductor – Larry Mizell (tracks: 1 to 3, 6, 7)
    Congas – Mayuto Correa
    Copyist – Sigidi
    Design [Reissue Design] – Patrick Roques
    Drums – Harvey Mason
    Engineer [Recording Engineer Assistant] – James Nipar
    Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Dave Hassinger, John Mills (2), Val Christian Garay
    Executive-Producer – George Butler
    Guitar – David T. Walker, John Rowin, Rhonghea Southern (tracks: A4)
    Mixed By [Remix Engineer] – Dave Hassinger, Val Christian Garay
    Other [Technical Director, Synthesizers Consultant] – Chuck Davis
    Painting [Cover "Facing The Music Of The Spheres Ii"] – Gregg Edwards
    Percussion – Stuff 'N Ramjet
    Photography By – Doug Metzler
    Piano, Organ – Jerry Peters
    Producer – Larry Mizell & Fonce Mizell
    Reissue Producer – Michael Cuscuna
    Synthesizer [ARP], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Larry Mizell
    Trumpet [Solo], Flugelhorn, Vocals – Donald Byrd
    Whistle [Whistler] – James Carter (2) (tracks: 6)
    Written-By – L. Mizell (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 7)

Originally issued as Blue Note BN-LA 368.
Recorded at The Sound Factory, Hollywood, California November-December 1974

Label:    Blue Note – 7243 5 23545 2 8
Genre:    Funk / Soul
Style:    Jazz-Funk
https://www.discogs.com/release/2134913-Donald-Byrd-Stepping-Into-Tomorrow

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