Blue Note, 1995

Drawn from two sessions recorded in December 1969 and December 1970, and not first released until 1995,Kofifound Donald Byrd in the early stages of his transformation from top-notch hard bop trumpeter to fusion pioneer. Byrd had already begun to move away from a pure hard bop sound with his album Fancy Free in the Spring of 1969, and the twoKofisessions straddled the recording of his adventurous fusion album Electric Byrd. The first Kofi session subtly explored a new realm of sounds on Byrds originals Kofi and Fufu with producer Duke Pearsons electric piano shimmering underneath textured arrangements featuring Lew Tabackin on flute and tenor saxophone, Frank Fosteron tenor saxophone, William Campbell on trombone, Ron Carter on acoustic bass, Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, and Airto Moreira on drums. The following 1970 session produced two more vibey Byrd