Donald Byrd
Ethiopian Knights (180gm Vinyl)

‘Ethiopian Knights’ dates from 1972 and was the last album Donald Byrd recorded before his now legendary association with the Mizell Brothers that spawned classic albums like ‘Black Byrd’ and ‘Places And Spaces’. As a result, ‘Ethiopian Knights tends to get overlooked, which is a shame as it is a fine heavy-duty Funk Jazz outing. Comprising just three tracks, all Byrd compositions, the two main pieces are ‘The Emperor’ and ‘The Little Rasti’, both tough and elongated numbers (over 15 minutes in length) and driven by Wilton Felder’s funky basslines. ‘Jamie’ adds a mellow interlude in between. Guests include Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Harold Land on tenor sax and Joe Sample on organ. Not one of Byrd’s better-known recordings, ‘Ethiopian Knights’ is still an extremely fine record that deserves wider acclaim.