The Blackbyrds - City Life Top Shelf Series Jazz Vinyl Record Reissue

The Blackbyrds – City Life (Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series, 180 g LP, Craft Recordings 2025)

🎵 The Music Inside

City Life captures The Blackbyrds at their peak, blending jazz-funk, soul, and smooth grooves. This 2025 reissue from Craft Recordings (Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series) is cut AAA from original tapes by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and housed in a gatefold tip-on jacket.

Standout tracks like “Rock Creek Park”, “Happy Music”, and “City Life” display the band’s mastery of melodic hooks and rhythmic precision.

📜 Tracklist

1. City Life
2. Flying High
3. Thankful ’Bout Yourself
4. Love So Fine
5. Rock Creek Park
6. All I Ask
7. Happy Music
8. Hash and Eggs

🔍 Sample Notes

• “Rock Creek Park” has been heavily sampled in hip-hop and R&B—its catchy bassline, horn stabs, and groove structure make it a favorite in sample culture (for instance, used by De La Soul).
• “Happy Music” offers lush harmonic content ideal for interpolation or sample loops in soulful productions.
• “City Life” and other tracks are rich in jazz textures and open mixes that make them ripe for sampling, especially for producers focused on jazz-funk fusion.

📦 Product Overview

• Format: 1×LP, 180-gram audiophile pressing
• Label: Craft Recordings / Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series
• Mastering: AAA cut by Kevin Gray from original tapes
• Pressing: Manufactured at RTI
• Packaging: Gatefold tip-on jacket
• Release Date: May 30, 2025 
• Condition: Factory-sealed, brand-new
• UPC: 888072669802 

🧠 Why This Album Belongs in Your Collection

City Life is a jazz-funk classic reimagined for modern collectors—rooted in the golden era of fusion yet beautifully engineered for today’s ears. Perfect for DJs, producers, and vinyl lovers seeking both groove and sonic finesse.