Donald Byrd-Ethiopian Knights (1972)

Donald Byrd was one of the most accomplished trumpet players of hard bop, with a prolific career spanning the 1950s and well into the 21st century. With a discography exceeding thirty albums, in addition to collaborating on over a hundred projects and albums for other artists, Byrd compensated for his lack of creative freedom in composition and his limited innovation with works characterized by grand instrumentations and an effective, dynamic jazz sound. At the height of his career, Byrd recorded a series of groove jazz albums now considered classics of the genre. "Ethiopian Knights" was one of them, an album whose enduring popularity has led to countless reissues since its release. Released on the prestigious Blue Note label, this album is divided into two extended jams, quite far removed from the conventions of structured jazz, both exceeding sixteen minutes in length. The band featured Donald Byrd on trumpet, Harold Land on tenor saxophone, and Thurman Green on tenor saxophone. Trombone, Bobby Hutcherson; vibraphone, William Henderson; Fender Rhodes, Joe Sample; organ, Ed Greene; drums, Wilton Felder; bass and guitars Don Peake, David T. Walker and Greg Poree, demonstrate the prodigy of each of them, the versatility, a great cohesion and an irresistible jazz rhythm making this album an essential work of the hard bop genre.