"Mizell Brothers hateration, making The Blackbyrds sound like the O'Jays" Thu Oct-03-19 11:52 PM by BlakStaar
So, I rediscovered the Fancy Dancer album by Bobbi Humphrey and came across this review on Amazon:
“The Mizell brothers (Larry and Fonce) have their formula down pat. Take mellow, superfly-like grooves, add cheesy arp string ensemble riffs, passive male background vocals that make the Blackbyrds sound like the O'Jays, and a lead horn or woodwind instrument. The end result is music that could easily fit into any 1970's blaxploitation flick. These brothers have applied their production formula on bestselling jazz-fusion albums by trumpeter Donald Byrd, saxophonist Gary Bartz and of course flute player Bobbi Humphrey. FANCY DANCER is the third Bobbi Humphrey album produced by the Mizells and her last recorded during her classic Blue Note period. Her playing is pleasant, but as usual, the backing grooves take center stage. If you're a fan of mellow 70's soul-jazz, this release does not disappoint.” https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B000E6G5YU/ref=acr_search_hist_3?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=three_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar
Well, damn. What y’all think? Is the Mizell Brothers' production here too formulaic?
What is your favorite Mizell Brother production? How does Fancy Dancer stack up?
I don’t like Fancy Dancer as much as, say, Donald Byrd’s Spaces and Places but I would never describe this work as having “cheesy harp string ensemble riffs.” And very little about this album gives me Blaxploitation vibes, though I dig that genre.