Kofi

Arrived new but had a big click about 20 seconds into side 2 for a half dozen passes. That wasnt too cool but the rest was quality, as I expect from class act Heavenly Sweetness who have amazing repertoire. Kofi was originally part of the Blue Note rare groove series in the mid-90s and was one of only a few that wasn't a reissue of vintage LPs. This and the fact that the session is super tight have made that OG $kyrocket on the second hand market, especially in the past 5 years. So I sold mine and copped this import repro, which sounds just as amazing. The solos are modal righteous late 60s Blue Note while the grooves still sound so super now: fat back beats buttered with super warm upright bass/Fender bass and Rhodes tones courtesy of Ron Carter, Bob Cranshaw and Duke Pearson (think 'The Phantom'). It also has this super intimate vibe unlike most of his other Electric sessions, really terrific with the funky touches not even remotely cheesy. This joint, Places & Spaces, Ethiopian Knights, Stepping Into Tomorrow, certain 125th bombs plus are some of my Don Byrd HoF rotations, peace

This album is a masterpiece! One of the best albums ( Definitely in the top 3 ) that Donald ever did! Although it is entirely different that Fuego and Free Form, I put it up there in that company! Amazing!

I wrote a review. Lived the CD as this is one by my uncle Dr Donald Byrd ,that I never heard. Loved it

If there is one definitive piece of evidence that Blue Note records went in the toilet the second Alfred Lion left the fold, it is Donald Byrd's "Kofi". Or rather, it is the fact that this excellent material was scrapped and not released for over twenty years while the label sought to appease its new ownership, United Artists, with aimless commercial slop in the meantime. I'm certain that one listen to this music from any jazz fan would confirm my contention that such a disgrace cannot be overstated.Byrd, of course, would eventually give the company men what they wanted with the crossover twaddle of "Black Byrd", but in the late '60s fusion still belonged to the realm of intelligent experimentation. The sessions that produced the five tracks on "Kofi" were some of the very best that came in the influential wake of Miles Davis' seminal, early 'jazz-rock'; at least at this point in time, Byrd sounds as if he absorbed the essence of what made that music so amazing and was able to filter it through his own creative lens without sounding like a carbon copy of "In A Silent Way". This is due largely to the fact that he made a conscious effort to blend atmospheric electric colors with a thematic African flavor, which lends the album its own unique character.The most essential element Byrd incorporates here is that of sonic space. In particular, the minimalist groove of "Fufu" and the dominance of an echoplexed, Herbie Hancock-like Fender Rhodes on "Perpetual Love" provide lush and vivid backdrops for Byrd and tenor saxophonist Frank Foster (who is absolutely fantastic on this record) to undertake some of the best soloing of their respective careers. Keyboardist Duke Pearson, bassist Ron Carter, Byrd, Foster, and drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira (making an auspicious recording debut) gel fabulously on these tracks, never coming close to overstepping one another or undermining the integrity of the overall canvas. On the opening title song, they are joined by flautist Lew Tabakin, who turns in a riveting performance, blowing a steady cascade of notes over the pointed brass arrangements and Pearson's rich chordal tones. Moreira then rises to the occasion, endowing "Fufu" with its accented rhythms, while Byrd and Foster share the limelight in "Perpetual Love", attaining a sublime series of trade-offs. The final two tracks, "Elmina" and Foster's "The Loud Minority", feature a heavier emphasis on volume and funk/rock influences, with Mickey Roker, usually a more subtle player, adding a far more aggressive approach to the drums. Although these songs are not as strong in a musical or environmental sense, the strength and conviction of the playing ensures that the thread of quality is maintained through the entirety of the set."Kofi" is truly one of the lost treasures of this short-lived but highly fertile period where jazz musicians were beginning to explore the possibilities of different styles and instrumentations, before the overindulgence of electronics and abandonment of improvisation swept the entire spirit of it away. It may be unfathomable that it rotted in the vaults for years, but at least it's out there now to be found (though certainly not in most stores) - and it does make for a hell of exciting find when you come to it.

Languishing in the vaults for over 25 years, this 1970 Blue Note release by trumpeterDonald Byrd finally saw the light of day (on vinyl) in 1995. It was recorded when jazz-fusion was getting ready to make a HUGE splash on the scene. Byrd, himself, blamedBlue Note for not releasing it at the time. He stated, "We were already experimentingin so-called fusion before anyone else. If it didn't get out there ahead of the others,you can blame that on the record company." Blue Note, itself, was moving away fromtheir trademark acoustic, pure-jazz sound they had specialized in for years and goingwith a much more commercial r&b, smooth product (Byrd, in particular, took this roadwith his subsequent Blue Note albums - his highly commercial 1972 "Black Byrd" albumwas the biggest selling Blue Note release up to that time.) I'm so glad I came across"Kofi" recently and got it - it really sounds like nothing I had ever heard from Byrd be-fore - very innovative, progressive, and spacey with a definite African tone to it withByrd on trumpet, Duke Pearson on electric piano (he also produced the sessions), RonCarter doing fabulous work on bass, the great Lew Tabakin on flute/tenor sax, FrankFoster stellar on tenor sax, William Campbell on trombone, Mickey Roker on drums, DomUm Ramao on percussion, and the legendary Airto Moreira in his RECORDING DEBUT ondrums and percussion. Bob Cranshaw and Wally Richardson also contribute on electricbass and guitar, respectively. There are five tracks on "Kofi" and all clock in at eightminutes or more. The whole recording meshes so well and there's a reason - accordingto Donald, "One of the reasons the group has such a flawless blend is because we hadrehearsed." It definitely shows. I have a fairly extensive collection of Donald Byrd's out-put on Blue Note, & I'm particularly fond of his late 50's - late 60's work - he recordedmany classics during this period, but "Kofi" has quickly become one of my favorites. Itwas recorded at A&R Studios in NYC in 1969 -1970 and sounds marvelous - a genuinework of art and classic timepiece from a long-gone era. Here's hoping there's more goldhidden in those vaults waiting to come out. Available on cd since 2008 in the Blue NoteRare Groove series, it's an extraordinary recording. 100 million stars.

amazing album! gorgeous tunes from blue note. can recognize some that samples have been taken from, really enjoyable to listen to.

Le trompettiste Donald Byrd (1932-2013) fait partie de ces musiciens de jazz qui ont donné au hard-bop et à l'écurie Blue Note ses lettres de noblesse (tout comme Lee Morgan et Freddie Hubbard). Dans les années 60, il a gravé une kyrielle d'albums somptueux. Après un passage chez Art Blakey (l'une des figures majeures de ce mouvement, le hard-bop), c'est son association avec le saxophoniste baryton Pepper Adams qui marque alors les esprits (écouter par exemple le superbe Byrd in Hand). Mais c'est avec Royal Flush (Blue Note, 1961) qu'il signe, à mon avis, son disque le plus passionnant de cette époque, ou disons, celui que je préfère. Faut dire qu'à ses côtés, un jeune pianiste (Herbie Hancock) possédait déjà un jeu inédit, créatif et carrément hallucinant (notes culbutées, harmonies subtiles). Des années plus tard, après la disparition de Trane (1967) puis la dissolution du second grand quintet de Miles (1968), la vogue fut à l'expérimentation électronique (jazz fusion, jazz rock). Deux musiciens allaient fortement influencer les courants continu et alternatif : le chanteur James Brown et surtout le guitariste Jimi Hendrix. In A Silent Way (1969), puis Bitches Brew (1970) sont alors dans tous les esprits. Donald Byrd, lui, réalisera une série d'albums beaucoup plus juteux ou disons davantage ancrés dans la soul et le groove. Electric Byrd (en 1971), Street Lady (en 1973) et ce Kofi (1969-1970) parmi les plus réussis, avec, pour ma part, une nette préférence pour ce dernier. Kofi est un album rare, d'une justesse et d'une inspiration à nulle autre pareille. Album somptueux s'il en est, il sera publié pour la première fois en compact disque en 1994. Pas de réédition depuis.Il suffira donc d'attendre ou de pister quelques bonnes occasions pour le trouver à des prix accessibles (pour ma part, moins de 15 euro). Ici, rien à jeter. Cinq titres, deux sessions gravées à New York (la première le 16 décembre 1969, la seconde le 4 décembre 1970). Certainement l'un des meilleurs albums du trompettiste. L'acmé de sa discographie. De la dentelle. Du jus. Pas un pète de gras. Un disque que l'on se passe en boucle lors de chaudes soirées d'été. On notera sur la première session (trois titres : Kofi, Fufu, et Perpetual Love) la présence de Lew Tabakin (flûte), William Campbell (trombone), Frank Foster (saxophone ténor), Duke Pearson (piano électrique), Ron Carter (contrebasse), Bob Cranshaw (basse électrique), Mickey Roker (batterie) et Airto (percussions). La dernière session comprenant deux titres (Elmina et The Loud Minority) est dans la continuité de la première, mais cette fois-ci, on trouve comme auxiliaire à la rythmique le guitariste Wally Richardson. Ses interventions sont de toute beauté, sans que ça ne nuise à l'ensemble. Pour ces deux sessions, il y a un parfum authentique de ce qui allait être le fer de lance des années 70. Pour le deuxième titre (Fufu), une sorte de danse hypnotique qui me fait penser aux Caraïbes et à ce film de Robert Siodmak, Criss Cross (souvenez-vous de la scène au cours de laquelle dansent Yvonne De Carlo et Burt Lancaster dans un club surchaufé). Musique incomparable et disque légendaire, Kofi est à ne manquer sous aucune prétexte. Avis aux amateurs. Durée de l'album : 46 minutes (les thèmes oscillant entre 8 et 10 minutes). Et maintenant, vous pouvez vuter ou ignorer ce commentaire, à votre guise !

One of my all-time favourite jazz albums! I've been wanting to add this one to my collection for a while.

Cet enregistrement est réédité au compte goutte, absolument indispensable dans une discothèque!!!Petit plus de cette réédition, le 10 inch one side incluant le titre Loud minority.

69年から70年にかけて旧盟友デューク・ピアソンが「エレピ」に専念して参加した作品3枚("Fancy Free" "Electric Byrd" "Kofi")の中の1枚。冒頭#1の"高速版"処女航海風ナンバーは全然エレピの必然性が感じられないモダンジャズで出鼻を挫かれそうになるが、それ以降は徐々にエレピが板に付いて面白くなっていく。スパニッシュな情熱で迫るバードと冷徹なバッキングのピアソンの対照の妙も絶妙な#2では、ピアソン自身は微妙に暗中模索状態だが、翌年(70年)の別セッションからは俄然主役へと躍り出る勢いだ(幻想的なエレピの音質も格段に良くなっているし)。その後半セッションのバードの瞑想ペットの昇天ブリを始めとする音使いは、いかにも「アノ方」以降だが、野暮は言いっこ無しという事で。この70年12月に録音された3曲が所謂バード電気三部作の中では断然光っている。スピリチュアルに始まりジャズファンク、ジャズロックと流れる展開がスリリングだ。※尚、当作品は" Blue Note Rare Groove Series "の中の一枚として今から20年以上前にCD化されたが、プレス数が少なく現在でも結構なプレミアだ。しかし現在、MP等で出回っている海外発の"新品"は21世紀に入ってから再プレスされた【CD-R】の可能性がかなり高いという事をお忘れなく。■ Donald Byrd (flh) William Campbell (tb #1) Frank Foster (ts) Lew Tabackin (ts, fl)Duke Pearson (elp) Ron Carter (b) Bob Cranshaw (elb -#2) Airto Moreira (d)A&R Recording Studio, NYC, December 16, 1969 (#01 - #02)■ Donald Byrd (tp) Frank Foster (ts) Duke Pearson (elp) Wally Richardson (g)Ron Carter (b) Mickey Roker (d) Airto Moreira, Dom Um Romao (per)A&R Recording Studio, NYC, December 4, 1970 (#03 - #05)