“Walking In Rhythm”, “I Need You”, “Walkin’ In Rhythm”, “Rock Creek Park”
The Blackbyrds were a jazz-funk group with thick R&B streaks running down their backs. Assembled by Donald Byrd in 1974, the group’s original members — percussionist Pericles “Perk” Jacobs, Jr., drummer Keith Killgo, keyboardist Kevin Toney, reeds player Allan Barnes, bassist Joe Hall, guitarist Barney Perry — were mined from Howard University’s music department, where the doctor and jazz legend was an instructor. (Other key players included guitarist Orville Saunders and saxophonist/flautist Steve Johnson.)
During the Blackbyrds’ nearly decade-long existence, the group cut a handful of LPs (1973’s The Blackbyrds, 1974’s Flying Start, 1975’s City Life, 1976’s Unfinished Business, 1977’s Action, 1980’s Better Days); scored films (1975’s Cornbread, Earl and Me); and supported artists like B.B. King, Mandrill, and Roberta Flack. “Walking in Rhythm,” “Rock Creek Park,” and “Happy Music” are their three best-known cuts; they have remained underground club classics, and they have been kept alive, in part, through sampling.
More Events in Greater London Listings MORE
Retrograde
★★★★★ ‘The finest new play about a pivotal moment in civil rights history’ The Telegraph Following its…
Black History River Cruise
3 hour cruise along the Thames from Temple to Greenwich and back showing the thousands of years of…
Material Sensibilities
“It is easy to follow, but it is uninteresting to do easy things. We find out about ourselves…
Cuba, Africa, and Apartheid’s End
Mandela: “The decisive defeat of the aggressive apartheid forces [in Angola] destroyed the myth of the invincibility of…
Author Event & Workshop: Empowering Black Boys
Get ready for an inspiring day of learning and empowerment for our young Black boys at our Author…
The African Fashion and Textiles Experience part 2
The African Fashion and Textiles Experience a series of 6 monthly interactive creative workshops exploring African Fashion &…
Love, Loss and Identity: Exploring Black Queer Narratives
Join us at The Africa Centre for a special LGBT+ History Month event! Please note this event is for…
Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story: Screening and Q+A at Goldsmiths
Join us at Goldsmiths (Cinema, Richard Hoggart Building) for a special screening of Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story…