Record producers Larry and Alphonso “Fonce” Mizell revolutionized the sound of jazz and funk in the 1970s, bringing the pop smarts they honed producing hits for artists like the Jackson 5 at Motown together with the brilliance of jazz greats like Donald Byrd and Gary Bartz. But their influence didn’t stop there—as samples, the Mizell’s productions ultimately became the building blocks of some of the greatest hip-hop ever made, too. As they prepared to pay tribute to the Mizells at The Ford in summer 2024, Jazz Is Dead’s Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad bring us behind the scenes to show not only how the show would come together, but why the Mizells should be considered among the best ever to do it.