A New Perspective  by Donald Byrd

The album A New Perspective by trumpeter Donald Byrd, released by Blue Note in 1963, is considered one of the most innovative and influential works of the hard bop scene. The record is famous for incorporating an eight-member gospel choir (under the direction of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson) into a traditional jazz ensemble.

Byrd described the album as a "modern hymnal," aiming to connect the religious roots of African Americans with the modern jazz of the 1960s. The cover, designed by Reid Miles, is also iconic, depicting Byrd next to a Jaguar E-Type, symbolizing the elegance and progress of the era. The producer of the album was Alfred Lion, while the orchestration was done by Duke Pearson, who also wrote some of the most iconic pieces of the record, such as Cristo Redentor.

The album A New Perspective reached No. 110 on the Billboard charts. Today it is considered a precursor to albums like John Coltrane's A Love Supreme two years later.