Formed under the direction of Donald Byrd in 1974, the Blackbyrds operated as a jazz-funk ensemble carrying pronounced R&B influences throughout their sound. The lineup that Byrd first assembled drew directly from Howard University’s music program, where the trumpeter and educator held a teaching post; its founding roster comprised percussionist Pericles “Perk” Jacobs, Jr., drummer Keith Killgo, keyboardist Kevin Toney, reeds player Allan Barnes, bassist Joe Hall, and guitarist Barney Perry. Guitarist Orville Saunders and saxophonist-flautist Steve Johnson soon joined the core unit as well.
Over the nearly ten years the band remained active, it issued several studio albums—1973’s The Blackbyrds, 1974’s Flying Start, 1975’s City Life, 1976’s Unfinished Business, 1977’s Action, and 1980’s Better Days—composed the score for the 1975 film Cornbread, Earl and Me, and toured in support of B.B. King, Mandrill, and Roberta Flack. Three tracks in particular—“Walking in Rhythm,” “Rock Creek Park,” and “Happy Music”—became the group’s most recognized recordings; they continue to surface as underground club staples and have persisted through repeated sampling by later producers.
The Blackbyrds’ catalog has undergone multiple reissues and overhauls, with several compilation sets appearing, the most comprehensive of which remains Fantasy’s Greatest Hits; the bulk of the original LPs have also surfaced on CD via two-fer editions. Among the members’ separate projects, guitarist Barney Perry issued a solo album titled Blair on his own Solar Sound label in 1978. The other participants have maintained wide-ranging careers whose details extend well beyond concise summary. Keyboardist Kevin Toney passed away on March 18, 2024, at the age of 70.
