Heavy Friends
Saturday February 19th, 2022 with Heavy Ben
Black History Month spotlight on The Mizell Brothers

The name Mizell may not set bells ringing in every household, but to those of us who devour the small print on the backs of record sleeves, they’re legends, a family that made its mark on music as firmly as any. The Mizells penned famous early hits for the Jackson 5, ushered jazz and funk breathlessly into each other’s arms (complete with synthesizers), and were responsible for the odd disco hit. Larry also found time to help put a man on the moon, but that’s another story. The sibling duo of Larry and Alphonso “Fonce” Mizell revolutionized the sound and shape of jazz-funk. Fusing the commercial sensibilities of Motown with the virtuoso musicianship of the Blue Note stable, the brothers produced a series of now-classic LPs of uncommon beauty and elegance, characterized by soaring horns, cosmic synths, celestial string arrangements and sublime rhythms. While jazz purists reviled their efforts, time has conclusively proven the Mizells’ singular genius, their records among the most sampled and celebrated within contemporary hip-hop culture. Byrd’s 1973 LP Black Byrd was the first official Sky High effort – the best-selling Blue Note release in the company’s long and storied history, it earned a Grammy nomination and immediately established the Mizells’ signature approach to jazz, which drew heavily on the sleek sensibility now dominating mainstream R&B. In addition to their work in the production booth, the siblings regularly played on Sky High sessions as well, with Fonce typically contributing clavinet and trumpet while Larry added piano and synthesizer. They also arranged and performed the distinctive harmony vocals that remain a trademark of their sound. The Mizells’ acknowledged masterpiece, Byrd’s concept album "Street Lady", and flutist Bobbi Humphrey’s landmark "Blacks and Blues" were released in 1973, and the siblings maintained their frenetic creative pace across much of the decade, helming sessions including Johnny Hammond’s "Gambler’s Life" & "Gears", Byrd’s "Stepping Into Tomorrow" & "Places and Spaces" and Gary Bartz’s "Music Is My Sanctuary". The Mizells also crossed back into commercial R&B with A Taste of Honey, notching the disco classic “Boogie Oogie Oogie.” Although the brothers signed their own recording deal with Warner Bros., they preferred the anonymity of writing and producing, and with the dawn of 1980s the Mizells entered an extended creative hiatus that continues to this day. Their classic productions remain a fertile source of hip-hop samples. Happy 78th birthday to Larry Mizell this week. Larry was born Feb 17, 1944. Fonce was born in 1943 and died in 2011.