Blackbyrds Trunk of Funk (with Deb Grant)

This week’s Trunk of Funk comes from one of the great names in jazz-funk, The Blackbyrds.

The band began in the early 1970s, when jazz great Donald Byrd brought together a group of his students at Howard University in Washington DC. They soon made their mark with records like Walking in Rhythm and Happy Music, while Rock Creek Park went on to become one of the most sampled tracks in hip-hop. More than 50 years later, The Blackbyrds are still touring, led by original members Keith Killgo and Joe Hall, and this week they’re taking over the Trunk of Funk.

Produced by Audio Always in Salford for BBC Radio 6 Music.