City Life (Deluxe Edition / Remastered 2025) The Blackbyrds

• 1 Rock Creek Park (Remastered 2025) 04:39
• 2 Thankful 'bout Yourself (Remastered 2025) 05:12
• 3 City Life (Remastered 2025) 05:24
• 4 All I Ask (Remastered 2025) 03:53
• 5 Happy Music (Remastered 2025) 04:58
• 6 Love So Fine (Remastered 2025) 05:03
• 7 Flying High (Remastered 2025) 03:33
• 8 Hash and Eggs (Remastered 2025) 05:11
• 9 Happy Music (Single Version / Remastered 2025) 03:04
• 10 Happy Music (Disco Mix / Remastered 2025) 06:08
• 11 Rock Creek Park (Single Version / Remastered 2025) 03:46
• 12 Rock Creek Park (12" Version / Remastered 2025) 06:16
• 13 All I Ask (Long Version / Remastered 2025) 05:02
• Total Runtime 01:02:09

Info for City Life (Deluxe Edition / Remastered 2025)

The Blackbyrds — a jazz-funk outfit formed in a university class taught by jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd, who produced the albums and wrote most of the tunes — were more of an Earth, Wind & Fire-style horn band than a purist jazz crew, but few groups were better in their chosen style, and 1975’s City Life is probably their best album. It’s certainly their most successful, including the pop hit "Happy Music" and what has become their signature tune, a percolating Latin-flavored jam called "Rock Creek Park" that’s one of the pinnacles of ’70s jazz-funk. As on the bouncy title track, the lyrical content is minimal, a simple hypnotic chant, but the fluid interplay of the musicians, who are masters of the unison horn section and the polyrhythmic groove, is what’s important about this music. Other highlights include the funky southern-style soul of "Hash and Eggs" and the lyrical ballad "Love So Fine." This is often-sublime stuff ripe for rediscovery by fans of ’70s funk, soul, and fusion.

"City Life, The Blackbyrds’ third album, is a textbook example of what we now know as jazz funk. By 1975 the group, who had all met as founder Donald Byrd’s students at Howard University, had got their sound down pat and City Life married the group’s bravura jazz playing with gritty boogaloo and their trademark in-unison vocals.

Many will recall City Life for its two big hits: Happy Music and Rock Creek Park. The former – which reached the US top 20 – is a brooding, urban beauty that nods towards Isaac Hayes’ Theme from Shaft, but then breaks off with its infectious vocal refrain.

It is impossible to hear Rock Creek Park without visualising formation dances in white-sock soul clubs throughout the UK. The song, about the public space in their hometown of Washington DC, is a splendid, Latin-influenced stomper that never outstays its welcome.

Bassist Joe Hall and drummer Keith Kilgo keep the groove irresistibly watertight throughout, giving saxophonist Stephen Johnson plenty of room to improvise, which is most evident on Thankful ‘Bout Yourself. Its writer, guitarist Orville Saunders, showcases his impeccable rhythm and lead playing.

However, unlike certain groups of a similar ilk, you never feel that anyone here is trying to steal another’s limelight. The woozy, floating vibe throughout thrives on a precise mixture of taut rhythm and soulful jamming.

There is plenty of light and shade: the quiet storm of Love So Fine is a perfect smoocher, while Hash and Eggs is a hard-hitting jam. The Blackbyrds are one of several groups, alongside The Fatback Band and Kool and the Gang, who truly make a claim for being the sound of the sidewalk: keyboard player Kevin Toney’s City Life is a swaggering soundtrack to a stroll downtown.

City Life’s only questionable moment is Flying High: a little too smooth and polished, it’s akin to incidental music from a 70s quiz show. That said, you cannot deny its catchiness, so typical of the whole album.

If you ever wonder what The Blackbyrds are all about, City Life is the place to start. It’s a joyously funky record." (Daryl Easlea, BBC Review)

Merry Clayton, vocals
Patrice Rushen, vocals
Kevin Toney, keyboards
Stephen Johnson, saxophone
Orville Saunders, guitar
Joe Hall, bass
Keith Killgo, drums

Digitally remastered

Please Note: we do not offer the 192 kHz version of this album, because there is no considerable or audible difference to the 96 kHz version!

The Blackbyrds
The original Blackbyrds were formed in 1973 by jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd. A doctor of ethnomusicology, Byrd lectured at Washington, DC’s Howard University and the group, named after Black Byrd, the artist’s million-seller, was drawn from his students. The Blackbyrds’ debut album charted in the soul, jazz and pop listings, while the follow-up, Flying Start, featured their 1975 US Top 10 single, ‘Walking In Rhythm’. This infectious performance became the group’s first major success, by which point founder members Kevin Toney (keyboards) and Keith Killgo (vocals, drums) had been joined by Joe Hall (bass), Orville Saunders (guitar) and Jay Jones (flute, saxophone). The following year the group hit the US charts again with ‘Happy Music’ reaching the Top 20. Sadly, the unit’s adventurousness gave way to a less spirited direction. The compulsive rhythmic pulse became increasingly predictable as the group, once so imaginative, pursued a style reliant on a safe and tested formula, the repetitiveness of which brought about their demise. Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.

This album contains no booklet.