Roy Ayers - Stoned Soul Picnic

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:27
Size: 89,3 MB
Art: Front

(9:00)  1. A Rose For Cindy
(2:47)  2. Stoned Soul Picnic
(8:01)  3. Wave
(3:54)  4. For Once In My Life
(6:34)  5. Lil's Paradise
(8:09)  6. What The People Say

Stoned Soul Picnic is vibraphonist Roy Ayers' third and probably best solo album, made in 1968 while he was still a part of Herbie Mann's group. Ayers stands clearly in the shadow of Bobby Hutcherson on this primarily modally-oriented date, sounding nothing like the groove-meister he would become known as later in the 1970s. Producer Mann, always an underrated talent scout, assembles an especially exceptional septet for Ayers here with Gary Bartz on alto sax, arranger Charles Tolliver on trumpet/flugelhorn, Hubert Laws on flute, Herbie Hancock on piano (and probably uncredited organ on the title cut), Ron Carter or Miroslav Vitous on bass and Grady Tate on drums. The program is a typical late 1960s menu, heavy on such Top 40 pop covers as the dated "Stoned Soul Picnic," "For Once In My Life" and "What The People Say." What sets these and the interesting, if unsuccessful, cover of Jobim's "Wave" apart are Tolliver's rather ingenious arrangements. Tolliver seems to tear apart the constraints of these duds (although "Picnic" is beyond hope) by dramatically slowing down the melodies, providing Ayers the time and space to set the mood (Tolliver correctly recognizes Ayers's strengths with ballads) and punctuating with nicely considered horn statements in between. It is the two modal originals here Ayers lovely "A Rose For Cindy" and Tolliver's waltz, "Lil's Paradise" that make this disc worth hearing. Ayers plays some of his finest-ever work on these pieces. You're sure to hear something new and different in these pieces every time. Hancock completists will also be especially pleased with the pianist's performance here (and on "What The People Say" too). Except for the nods toward late 1960s pop-jazz conventions, Stoned Soul Picnic is a marvelous disc well worth investigating. With so much of Ayers's West Coast work of the 1960s (especially with Jack Wilson) lost in limbo, this disc serves as a cogent reminder of the strength of the vibraphonist's chops. And groove lovers might be happily surprised hearing what Ayers was up to before the groove.
~Douglas Paynehttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/stoned-soul-picnic-roy-ayers-32-records-review-by-douglas-payne.php

Players: Roy Ayers: vibes; Gary Bartz: alto sax;  Charles Tolliver: arranger, trumpet, flugelhorn; Hubert Laws: flute;  Herbie Hancock: piano, organ; Ron Carter: bass;  Miroslav Vitous: bass;  Grady Tate: drums.

Stoned Soul Picnic

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Roy Ayers - Silver Vibrations

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:58
Size: 101,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:20)  1. Chicago
(7:58)  2. Lots of Love
(6:38)  3. Keep on Movin'
(5:37)  4. Silver Vibrations
(4:48)  5. Smiling With Our Eyes
(5:43)  6. D.C. City
(5:51)  7. Good Good Music

BBE save us from the hell of Discogs prices once again with the first ever reissue of vibes and jazz-funk legend Roy Ayer’s 1983 album ‘Silver Vibrations’. Cut on heavyweight vinyl and with the original artwork (new sleeve notes written by Sean P), the album retains that lush and full organic sound that Ayers championed in the late 70s before the 80s ‘shine’ took over. This is the music that Dr Dre absorbed as a young DJ, the production is big, warm and spacious with a tough punch inside a soft glove. Released in the UK only on Ayers’ own Uno Melodic Records, the album contains tracks from the US album 'Lots Of Love' also released in 1983 but ‘Silver Vibrations’ hosts four exclusive tracks plus extended cuts of three songs with one of the highlights being the evergreen ‘Chicago’, a spooky boogie tempo tune that’s never stopped bumping on knowing dancefloors round the globe. ‘Good, Good Music’ is a pure roller-skating jam, a proper dirty slap bass party-driver, reminiscent more of a late 70s ‘block party’ than a smooth 80s groove. This will still do damage in most places. ‘Lots Of Love’ is cheesy Roy. Loungey disco strings, alto sax, slap (again), but really takes off with Ayers’ abstract vibes playing in the middle section…I wouldn’t necessarily play this one out but could imagine finding myself giggling on a beach to it. Though also carbon-dated in that late 70s disco vibe, ‘Keep On Movin’ has a compelling simplicity and irresistible groove that is pure house music. The production is top notch, check those claps! Title track ‘Silver Vibrations’ heads into the 80s with a low slung rhythm, sparse chords, scratchy synths and smooth vocal refrains, setting the jazz-funk agenda for the coming years. ‘Smiling With Our Eyes’ is jazz in Stevie Wonder world, a yearning lead vocal, gently swinging but with restless chords punctuated by funky, syncopated female counter-voices. Quite lovely. ‘D.C.City’ can’t be compared to anyone else, this is the essence of the man. Roy Ayers as we imagine him, a song of unity, a deep mid-tempo groove, an acknowledged sibling of ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’. Listen to the keys and rhythm section on this then check Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ and there it is. Sublime and worth the record alone. http://www.truthandliesmusic.com/magazine/roy-ayers-silver-vibrations-bbe-records-a-review

Silver Vibrations

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Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Everybody Loves The Sunshine (Reissue)

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz, Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:32
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:45)  1. Hey, Uh, What You Say Come On
(3:03)  2. The Golden Rod
(3:45)  3. Keep On Walking
(3:12)  4. You And Me My Love
(6:21)  5. The Third Eye
(3:28)  6. It Ain't Your Sign It's Your Mind
(4:48)  7. People And The World
(3:59)  8. Everybody Loves The Sunshine
(3:02)  9. Tongue Power
(4:03) 10. Lonesome Cowboy

Roy Ayers's had long made his shift into R&B/soul by 1976's Everybody Loves the Sunshine. His recordings of this period can be very hit and miss, and in this particular record, you get both. The title track, "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," is a quintessential song from the mid-'70s. While it might not have slammed the charts like Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music," it's still a revered classic. It evokes that feeling of sweltering concrete in Brooklyn where the only relief is the local fire hydrant. Entirely sung by a choir repeating the same lines throughout, the rhythm section rolls along with a perfectly looped laid-back groove. It moves along lazily, hypnotically, and sluggishly as the sun slows things down to the right speed and "folks get down in the sunshine." The rest of the album contains Ayers classics such as the burning percussive funk of "It Ain't AYour Sign It's Your Mind," the spacey cosmic soul of "the Third Eye," the bumping rubbery disco in "People and the World," and the two horn-scorched closers "Tongue Power," and "Lonesome Cowboy." ~ Sam Samuelson https://www.allmusic.com/album/everybody-loves-the-sunshine-mw0000099169

Personnel:  Roy Ayers – vibraphone, lead vocals, electric piano, synthesizer (ARP, String Ensemble), percussion, background vocals; Philip Woo – piano, electric piano, synthesizer (ARP, String Ensemble); Chano O'Ferral – congas, percussion, lead vocals; Ronald "Head" Drayton – guitar; John "Shaun" Solomon – electric bass; Doug Rhodes – drums; Chicas – lead vocals, background vocals

Everybody Loves The Sunshine (Reissue)

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Roy Ayers - In The Dark

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:10
Size: 120,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. In the Dark
(4:13)  2. Sexy, Sexy, Sexy
(4:22)  3. I Can't Help It
(5:13)  4. Compadre
(5:00)  5. Goree Island
(6:31)  6. Poo Poo La La
(4:38)  7. Blast the Box
(4:08)  8. Love Is In the Feel
(3:49)  9. In the Dark - 7" Version
(4:20) 10. Poo Poo La La - Radio Edit
(3:55) 11. Love Is In the Feel - 7" Version

Roy Ayers' first session for Columbia updates his signature funk-jazz sensibility for a new generation, and the results are mixed at best. Co-produced with Stanley Clarke, In the Dark embraces synthesizers, drum machines, and hip-hop beats, and while the results could have been far worse, Ayers sounds like a follower, not a leader. While the breakthrough success of Herbie Hancock's landmark "Rockit" proved the creative and commercial viability of rap-inspired electro-funk, Ayers' footing seems unsure. The risqué club hit "Poo Poo La La" mistakes irreverence for relevance, and even more inventive entries like the title track suffer under the weight of the dated, brittle production. 

~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-dark-mw0000873655

In The Dark

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Herbie Mann - A Man And A Woman

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:36
Size: 64,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:25)  1. A Man and a Woman
(2:34)  2. Day Tripper
(2:43)  3. Come Back to Me
(2:32)  4. Little Boat
(2:10)  5. It's Time That You Settled Down
(2:13)  6. A Good Thing (Is Hard to Come By)
(2:15)  7. 1-2-3
(2:33)  8. Only Yesterday
(2:24)  9. Sunny
(2:38) 10. How Insensitive
(3:04) 11. The Sidewinder

A Mann & A Woman is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann and vocalist Tamiko Jones released on the Atlantic label in 1967. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mann_%26_A_Woman

Personnel:  Herbie Mann - flute; Tamiko Jones - vocals - with various ensembles including: Roy Ayers, Gary Burton - vibraphone; Joe Zawinul - piano; Victor Gaskin, Reggie Workman - bass; Everett Barksdale - electric bass; Bruno Carr, Roy McCurdy - drums; Carlos "Patato" Valdes - congas, percussion; Tamiko Jones - vocals; Melba Liston, Jimmy Wisner, Joe Zawinul - arranger

A Man And A Woman

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Roy Ayers - Feeling Good

Styles: Jazz Funk 
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:13
Size: 93,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Fire Up The Funk
(5:20)  2. Let's Stay Together
(4:18)  3. Ooh
(5:32)  4. Our Time Is Coming
(5:39)  5. Turn Me Loose
(4:40)  6. Knock, Knock
(5:00)  7. Stairway To The Stars
(4:21)  8. Feeling Good

Stellar sounds from the great Roy Ayers an early 80s album for Polydor, but a set that's still got the wonderfully tight, wonderfully groovy feel of his late 70s albums for the label! Roy's really perfected his sense of balance by this time and does a great job of balancing groovers with sweet mellow steppers the kind of cool, compressed, jazzy numbers that we love so much! Ayers heads for the clubs one minute, the bedroom the next and draws us in beautifully whichever direction he takes thanks to some sublime vibes and electric piano and great lead vocals from Roy, and other singers who include Terri Wells, Vivian Prince, John King, and Ricky Williams. Titles include "Ooh", "Let's Stay Together", "Feeling Good""Knock Knock", "Turn Me Loose", "Stairway To The Stars", and "Our Time Is Coming".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/34880/Roy-Ayers:Feeling-Good

Feeling Good

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Roy Ayers - Fever

Styles: Piano, Clarinet, Jazz Funk
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:38
Size: 93,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Love Will Bring Us Back Together
(4:42)  2. Simple And Sweet
(4:08)  3. Take Me Out To The Ball Game
(5:00)  4. I Wanna Feel It (I Wanna Dance)
(5:44)  5. Fever
(4:33)  6. Is It Too Late To Try?
(5:34)  7. If You Love Me
(5:01)  8. Leo

A great little album by Roy Ayers one that features none of his hits, which means lots of fresh material and which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time! The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "Running Away", with plenty of choppy funky riffs, and a good soul base at the core. Even better, though, is the mellow spacey side of Roy  which shows up wonderfully in the cuts "Is It Too Late To Try" and "If You Love Me" two overlooked gems that float along in a perfect blend of jazz and modern soul, with great breathy vocals and vibes, very much in the spirit of stuff on the You Send Me album. Other cuts include "I Wanna Feel It", "Leo", "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", and "Simple & Sweet" all nice too!  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/1648/Roy-Ayers:Fever

Personnel:  Roy Ayers – lead vocals (tracks: 1-7), backing vocals (track 2), electric piano (tracks: 1, 5, 6, 8), clavinet (tracks: 1, 5, 6), handclaps (track 1), cowbell (track 2), ARP String Synthesizer (track 4), vibraphone (tracks: 6-8), ARP Omni (track 8), producer; Carla Vaughn – lead vocals (tracks: 2, 3, 6), backing vocals (tracks: 1, 5), co-producer; Wayne Garfield – lead vocals (track 4); Kathleen Jackson – lead vocals (track 4); Ethel Beatty – backing vocals (track 2); Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (track 5); Philip Woo – ARP String Synthesizer & Oberheim piano (track 2); Harold Land – electric piano (tracks: 4, 7), piano (track 7);  Chuck Anthony – guitar (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 8); George Baker – guitar (tracks: 2, 3); Gregory David Moore – guitar (track 7);  William Henry Allen – bass (tracks: 1, 3, 6), handclaps (track 1);  Kerry Turman – bass (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7); Neil Jason – bass (track 8); Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie – drums (tracks: 1-4, 8); Gene Dunlap – drums (tracks: 5, 7);
Howard Terrance King – drums (track 6); Chano O'Ferral – percussion (track 2), congas (tracks: 5, 7);  James Richard "Dick" Griffin – trombone (track 2); Justo Almario – tenor saxophone (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 8); John Clifford Mosley, Jr. – trumpet (track 4); Sinclair Acey – trumpet (track 7)

Fever

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Jazz Crusaders - Soul Axess

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:20
Size: 181,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:06)  1. Overjoyed
(4:28)  2. Clima Suave (Smooth & Cool)
(4:29)  3. Trail of the Sidewinder
(6:58)  4. Imagine
(3:47)  5. Standing Tall
(5:41)  6. Down Yonder
(5:36)  7. Life in the City (Really Turns Me On)
(5:17)  8. All That Jazz N Razz a Ma Tazz
(7:29)  9. Prodigal Son
(6:32) 10. All Along the Watchtower
(5:25) 11. Over the Rainbow
(4:55) 12. Never Too Late (To Fall in Love Again)
(4:18) 13. Ya Gotta Respect Ya Self
(6:13) 14. Goin' Bukyld

Since the breakup of the original Crusaders in the '80s, there have always been two factions battling for the name: the occasional Joe Sample-Wilton Felder projects billed as "the Crusaders," and another group of rotating smooth jazz musicians led by trombonist Wayne Henderson, usually called the Jazz Crusaders. This new fun-filled, very brassy, and stylistically diverse collection features Felder on only three tracks, but, not surprisingly, one of the best is "Down Yonder," a gospel-inflected midtempo funk number that joyfully recalls the old Crusaders' Southern roots. Elsewhere, it's more a gathering of contemporary greats, with Henderson forming tasty horn sections with guest saxmen Everette Harp (on the bouncy cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed," also featuring a crisp Norman Brown guitar solo) and Ronnie Laws. Vibist Roy Ayers adds a touch of class to the Latin-flavored "Clima Suave (Smooth & Cool)," and Bobby Lyle (piano) and Dwight Sills (guitar) find ample room to shine on their numbers. The only drawback is Henderson's seeming need to join the hip-hop generation by adding several rap vocals, one of which pays obligatory homage to jazz heroes ("All That Jazz n Razz a Ma Tazz"). Along with an overreliance on pop covers, this sort of thinking makes Henderson's effort a far less rewarding experience than Sample and Felder's return to the front porch on the previous year's Rural Renewal. There are always glimmers of unique creativity, however. A cover of "Over the Rainbow" featuring vocalist Phillip Ingram features a cool Take 6-like intro, but then evolves into something much more pedestrian. ~ Jonathan Widran https://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-axess-mw0000333594

Personnel:  Bass – Larry Kimpel, Nathan East;  Drums – Tony Moore;  Guitar – Brian Price, Dwight Sills;  Keyboards – Bobby Lyle, Herman Jackson;  Soprano Saxophone – Ronnie Laws;  Tenor Saxophone – Everette Harp, Ronnie Laws, Wilton Felder;  Vibraphone – Roy Ayers;  Vocals – Jean Carne, Phillip Ingram;    Producer – Wayne Henderson

Soul Axess

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Roy Ayers - West Coast Vibes

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:58
Size: 97,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:41)  1. Sound And Sense
(3:34)  2. Days Of Wine And Roses
(3:47)  3. Reggie Of Chester
(3:14)  4. It Could Happen To You
(3:12)  5. Donna Lee
(5:02)  6. Ricardo's Dilemma
(3:02)  7. Romeo
(6:25)  8. Out Of Sight
(3:44)  9. Young And Foolish
(3:13) 10. Well You Needn't

Roy Ayers had a career before he had hit records, and this reissue proves the vibraphonist was both well-versed and eloquent within the realm of post-bop jazz. In the company largely of a cast including pianist Jack Wilson and Curtis Amy on tenor and soprano saxophones, Ayers works his way through the kind of programme of standards and originals that was pretty much the order of the day back in the early 1960s. This does not, however, alter the fact that a lot of the musicians here were probably not big names at the time. The passing of time has not changed that situation a great deal, and it's tempting to put this down to the fact that they were not based in New York.Comparison between this reading of Benny Golson's "Reggie Of Chester" and the one on Lee Morgan's Blue Note debut from a few years earlier reveals no great difference in approach, and the way Ayers plays what for the vibes might not have been the easiest of lines is nothing other than joyful listening. The Ayers original "Ricardo's Dilemma" is similar in spirit to the theme for "The Odd Couple," and Curtis Amy's soprano sax playing on it is every bit as distinctive as the soprano work Sonny Criss would commit to posterity a few years after this piece was recorded. If the documentation of underappreciated musicians can be considered as an integral part of this disc, then the presence of alto saxophonist and vocalist Vi Redd on the two bonus tracks is a joy in itself. The same is true of trumpeter Carmell Jones (on the same tracks), who is perhaps the musician who gets close enough to some East Coast ideal to satisfy the pedants. At the same time Redd perhaps inevitably evokes the spirit of Charlie Parker on two of his lines, she also has a sound and conception all her own. Which brings us nicely back to Ayers, for whom that old standby about being his own man might have been invented. On a more profound level, West Coast Vibes is further recorded evidence of the fact that there was a whole lot more to West Coast jazz in its heyday than the stereotypes which came to be associated with it.~ Nic Jones https://www.allaboutjazz.com/west-coast-vibes-roy-ayers-mighty-quinn-productions-review-by-nic-jones.php

Personnel: Roy Ayers: vibes; Curtis Amy: tenor and soprano saxophonees (1,3,6,8,9); Vi Redd: alto saxophone (11,12), vocals (11); Carmell Jones: trumpet (11,12); Jack Wilson: piano (1-10); Russ Freeman: piano (11,12); Bill Plummer: bass (1,3,6,8,9); Vic Gaskin: bass (2,4,5,7,10); Leroy Vinnegar: bass (11, 12); Tony Bazley: drums (1,3,6,8,9); Kenny Dennis: drums (2,4,5,7,10); Richie Goldberg: drums (11,12).

West Coast Vibes

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Roy Ayers - Virgo Vibes

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:28
Size: 122,7 MB
Art: Front

( 7:35)  1. The Ringer
( 5:21)  2. Ayerloom
( 6:56)  3. In the limelight
(12:49)  4. Virgo vibes
( 7:49)  5. Glow flower
( 5:09)  6. Mine Royd
( 7:45)  7. Number Seven

Long before he switched to playing disco and pop music, Roy Ayers was considered a promising young jazz vibraphonist. This LP, his second as a leader, was one of his finest. On four of the five selections (obscurities and pieces by group members), Ayers teams up with trumpeter Charles Tolliver, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Reggie Workman, drummer Bruno Carr, and the mysterious pianist Ronnie Clark (Herbie Hancock under a disguised name). On "Glow Flower," Ayers and Tolliver are joined by Harold Land on tenor, pianist Jack Wilson, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Donald Bailey. The music is primarily advanced hard bop with some freer moments on Tolliver's "The Ringer." This underrated music is long overdue to be reissued on CD and displays Roy Ayers' long before he was known as an R&B artist. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/virgo-vibes-mw0000739066  

Personnel: Roy Ayers (vibraphone); Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Charles Tolliver (trumpet); Ronald Clark (piano).

Virgo Vibes

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