Roy Ayers Albums (37)
What The Critics Say
He's Coming captures Roy Ayers at the absolute top of his game, masterminding jazz-funk grooves as taut as a tightrope. Profoundly inspired by the Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar (and including a reading of the soundtrack's "I Don't Know How to Love Him"), the album is a deeply felt exploration of Ayers' spiritual and social beliefs, celebrating the life and rebirth of Jesus with "He's a Superstar" and its follow-up title cut before delivering the equally impassioned political manifesto "Ain't Got Time to Be Tired," a wake-up call for slumbering revolutionaries. Aided by an exemplary backing unit featuring saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist John Williams, keyboardist Harry Whitaker, and drummer Billy Cobham, Ayers channels the intensity of his message into his music, creating the most vibrant and textured music of his career to date. The atmospheric "We Live in Brooklyn, Baby" is an absolute masterpiece, a haunting hybrid of jazz, funk, and soul that exemplifies the Ayers aesthetic at its most far-reaching and inventive. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Its misleading title notwithstanding, Change Up the Groove does little to alter the inimitable jazz-funk aesthetic Roy Ayers perfected on earlier LPs like He's Coming and Virgo Red. The record simply offers more of a very, very good thing, as a result remaining somewhat overlooked in the vibraphonist's large catalog. What's impressive about Change Up the Groove is the seeming effortlessness of it all. Ayers' command of the almighty groove is absolute, and he divines the funk even in left-field material like the theme from the television hit M.A.S.H. More traditional fare like the scorching "Fikisha (To Help Someone to Arrive)," the measured "When Is Real, Real?," and a shimmering cover of Stevie Wonder's rapturous "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" proves no less impressive, and even if there's no obvious standout, Ayers makes no missteps, either -- tremendous stuff from top to bottom. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A Tear to a Smile holds a unique place in Roy Ayers' vast catalog. Released in 1975, it follows a string of albums that began in 1971 with He's Coming where the great vibraphonist and bandleader pioneered his own seamless blend of funky jazz. They all had grooves, but jazz arrangements dominated; vocals were used only as accents on his instrumental mix. The two albums that immediately preceded this one were the stellar Virgo Red and Change Up the Groove, both issued in 1974. What is immediately apparent on the latter of these is how effortless Ayers made it all seem; and why, perhaps, for his own artistic development, he needed to change direction. Having always loved soul and being deeply interested the newly emergent R&B of groups like Earth, Wind & Fire, the Isley Brothers, and Parliament, the music on Tear to a Smile is a logical extension of what he'd accomplished earlier. The funk and proto-disco sounds on this set are easily as sophisticated as his jazz-funk records, but there are key differences. The place of vocals on the album is a great starting point. With talented singers such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Edwin Birdsong, Debbie Burrell, and Carolyn Byrd taking prominent roles on the set, the listener's attention goes directly to the human voice. That said, the instrumental quotient is equally high, with other players here such as bassist William Allen (who wrote or co-wrote most of these tracks and acted as the session's arranger), pianist Harry Whitaker, and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, among others. The set kicks off with the Carl Clay-Wayne Garfield funk number "2000 Black," with Ayers on the Arp, a nasty bassline, and a killer backing chorus. Ayers' and Garfield's lead vocals lead a deceptively tough dancefloor number. Ayers' own "Magic Lady" melds mystic-sounding synths, sophisticated melodies, and vocals, and a laid-back, breezy backbeat into a first-class seduction tune. His vibes, in fill spots between verse lines, and a full of horn section (with Jon Faddis!) punching up the rhythm section are simply ace. There's a stellar reading of EW&F's "That's the Way of the World," that's jazzier than the original and features a killer vibes workout by Ayers. Other notables on the set are Allen's tough, uptempo funker "Ebony Blaze," which utilizes some of the Afro-beat techniques employed Fela Anikulapo Kuti (whom Ayers would later collaborate with) that reveal both Allen and Ayers were doing some deep and wide-ranging listening. Another Allen winner is the elegant and atmospheric "Time and Space," with a fine vocal by Bridgewater. Hard funk makes an appearance in "No Question," and the title track, which closes the set, is outer-space funky soul at its best, and provides a sonic hint at the direction Ayers' sound would take on his follow-up album, the classic Mystic Voyage. This is a stellar meld of soul-funk with some wonderfully sophisticated, jazzy overtones. As transitional moments go, this one is an unqualified success. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Live at Ronnie Scott's'
Release Date 6/12/2001
Tracks 8
Label Castle
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What The Critics Say
Originally issued on the vibist's own Uno Melodic label in 1983, Lots of Love captures Roy Ayers between major-label tenures with Polydor and Columbia, and he capitalizes on his independence by further investigating the Afrobeat rhythms and textures he first explored in his collaboration with Fela Kuti while simultaneously moving into post-disco dance music. While some of its production flourishes seem brittle and dated, this is nevertheless the most engaging and energized material Ayers created during the early '80s. From the darkly sinister groove of "Chicago" to the Fela-inspired epic "Black Family" to the warm, shimmering title cut, Lots of Love recalls the diversity and invention of his classic Ubiquity dates, complete with nuanced performances that reiterate Ayers' absolute mastery of the vibes. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
'Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival'
Release Date 6/18/1996
Tracks 9
Label Verve
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What The Critics Say
Generally disregarded by jazz purists, Roy Ayers' Live At the Montreux Jazz Festival is nevertheless a thoroughly engaging set of funky jazz fusion. In fact, the album is one of the most sampled jazz records in hip-hop. Loops of this performance of "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" have appeared on tracks by A Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, and several others. The original grooves on this album are just as funky as those the hip-hop artists have derived from it. In fact, Ayers is probably funkier and looser than the musicians that borrowed from him several years later. Live At the Montreux Jazz Festival is one of the core recordings of acid jazz, "rare grooves," and jazz hip-hop; it's a record that sounds better 20 years after its release than it did when it first appeared. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
