Influential jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd passed away on Monday due to causes not yet revealed, Amoeba Records reports. He was 80 years old.
According to Amoeba, the news was passed along by Byrd's nephew, Alex Bugnon, who said: "I have no more patience for this unnecessary shroud of secrecy placed over his death by certain members of his immediate family."
Byrd launched his career with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the 1950s, and he performed alongside giants including John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, and Herbie Hancock. He was an artist crucial to the roster of the legendary jazz label Blue Note Records, recording on a number of big-ticket albums, including the best-selling Black Byrd. In the 1970s, Byrd worked with a fusion group called the Blackbyrds, releasing hits like "Happy Music" and "Walking in Rhythm".
Byrd's influence was felt long past his peak as a recording trumpeter-- his work has been sampled by hip-hop artists ranging from Public Enemy and Nas to Madlib and the Pharcyde. J Dilla repurposed Byrd's "Think Twice" for a song on his album Welcome 2 Detroit.
"Let's remember Donald as a one of a kind pioneer of the trumpet, of the many styles of music he took on, of music education," Bugnon wrote in a statement, according to Amoeba. "In sum, Donald was an avid, eternal student of music, until his death. That's what I try to be, everyday!! Rest in peace, uncle!"
Donald Byrd and the Blackbyrds: "Happy Music"
"Think Twice":