Review: 'Good Good Music' and 'Chicago' are two gems taken from Roy Ayers's 1983 disco funk album Silver Vibrations, which was last reissued back in 2019 by BBE. This 7" pairs off two of its most vibey cuts. 'Good Good Music' has mad synth squelchy, big organic disco licks and a diva vocal full of soul. On the flip is a late-night romancer, a slow motion smoother with under vocal wishers, low slung funk bass and rich, golden chords for a luxurious feel. Two very different but equally devastating tunes.
Review: Following the well-received reissued albums Love Fantasy, Let's Do It, Fever and, more recently, Africa, Centre Of The World, Polydor are reissuing this exceptional 12" that was only ever pressed for DJ promotion in 1980. Featuring two of Ayers most outstanding cuts, it sings with timeless soul and funk. For the rare-groove aficionados it's all about "Love Will Bring Us Back Together" while those looking for more of an upbeat, unrelenting boogie-fusion it's all about "Rock Your Roll". Both are seminal.
Review: Expansion's latest must-check seven-inch mines Roy Ayers' 1983 album "Lots Of Love", a sparkling post-disco set that combined the vibraphonist's usual jazz-funk flavours with colourful synthesizers and genuine boogie flavours. "Everybody" on the A-side is particularly potent; a lolloping synth-boogie head-nodder rich in life-affirming synthesizer squelches, rubbery jazz-funk bass, fluid Ayers vibraphone solos and background vocals that sneakily reference "Everybody Loves The Sunshine". Flipside "And Then We Were One" is if anything even more summery in feel, with mazy synth and vibraphone motifs dancing atop a killer jazz-funk groove. It's a little more up-tempo than the A-side, but arguably a little less addictive.
Review: Iconic jazz funk hero Roy Ayers has been sampled as much as anyone out there and few tunes have been in the spotlight as much as his 'Chicago.' For the first ever time here it gets its own 7" pressing. It's a track that oozes cool late night funk - the cute Rhodes, the spoken word samples and funky bass riffs all manage to be warm and seductive but also hint at a little menace. Things get more sentimental on 'DC City' (offered up here as a special extended 7" mix) with the breezy vocals and ad libs, the cosmic synth work and textbook Roy Ayers funk all being as inviting as you like.
Review: With both tracks now coming out for the first time on 7" vinyl, the 'Liquid Love' and 'What's The T?' 7" single is a must get for all Roy Ayers fans and serious music collectors, not least as 2023 witnesses Roy's final ever tour of live dates. This release is a fitting tribute to the career of one of the most influential musicians in global Black music history and each track represents his virtuosity as a vibesman and his versatility across genres. 'Liquid Love' is taken from the 2015 BBE released album of Roy's unreleased material, Virgin Ubiquity II and is a wicked mid-tempo track where Roy's vibraphone complements an amazing female vocal arrangement to create harmonies and melody over a tough-as-you-like breakbeat, bassline and keyboard riff.
Everybody Loves The Sunshine (instrumental) (4:36)
Review: 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' represented a pivotal moment for Roy Ayers and Ubiquity as it marked a shift towards a funkier, more relaxed sound in 1976. It is one of his best-loved tunes as a result and always comes out when the weather warms up. That means it also often gets reissued, as it does here, as the track captures the essence of summer through joyful lyrics and a hypnotic groove. Ayers' vibraphone melodies intertwine seamlessly with the band's instrumentation while on the flip us an instrumental that offers a slightly different vibe. It all comes on nice yellow marbled vinyl.
Review: This orange 7" is a miniature monument to one of soul's most quietly influential figures. Roy AyersiLos Angeles-born, jazz-schooled, funk-mindedicrafted 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' not to dazzle but to dissolve. It moves with a drowsy clarity: shimmering synth, near-whispered vocals, and a lazily tumbling bassline that never quite lands. Released during a golden run of Ayers' mid-70s material, the track has since become shorthand for warm-weather introspection, equal parts ease and ache. The instrumental version on the reverse keeps the spirit intact, offering a meditative glide through the same terrain. Limited to 300 copies, this orange pressing pairs a low-lit groove with a deepening sense of legacyiAyers' influence isn't just heard, it's felt in the space he leaves behind.
Everybody Loves The Sunshine (instrumental) (4:39)
Review: 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' represents a pivotal moment for Roy Ayers and Ubiquity, marking a departure towards a funkier and more laid-back sound in 1976. With its languid tempo and dreamy atmosphere, captures the essence of summer with its joyful lyrics and hypnotic groove. Ayers' vibraphone melodies intertwine seamlessly with the band's instrumentation, creating a mesmerizing sonic landscape that resonates with listeners. The song's universal appeal lies in its ability to evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia, making it a timeless classic that continues to enchant audiences across generations.
Review: When it comes to offering up seven-inch singles of tracks taken from classic or sought-after albums, Dynamite Cuts has an impressive track record. They're at it again here, this time mining Roy Ayers and Wayne Henderson's 1978 jazz-funk/disco fusion masterpiece "Step Into Our Life". On the A-side you'll find the languid, loose and groovy title track, a memorable affair in which dueling vibraphone and trumpet solos make merry atop a head-nodding, toe-tapping jazz-funk groove. Flipside "For Real" is a little more energetic and loved-up, with touchy-feely vocals, husling slap-bass and sci-fi synths to the fore.
Review: Cro-Magnon's 2010 album 4U has plenty of stunning pieces on it, but of course a collaboration between Japan's eminent jazz funk outfit and grandmaster Roy Ayers was going to be a particularly special moment. DJ Kawasaki has taken the track for a ride and pressed the results onto 7", keeping the vibe intact but eking the track out with blissful results. For those who just want the groove, there's the instrumental on the flip so you can trip out on Ayer's stunning vibraphone playing.
Roy Ayers - "Love Will Bring Us Back Together" (DJ Vas rework)
BB & Q - "Imagination" (DJ Vas rework)
Crown Heights Affair - "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" (DJ Vas rework)
Crown Heights Affair - "Use Your Body & Soul" (DJ Vas rework)
Review: Get familiar... DJ Vas was the guiding force of French electronic act Kojak. In their time they were up there with the biggest French exports you can imagine. Now flying solo, he's still got funk oozing from every creative pore as he digs out four formative disco/funk cuts and gives them his own unique twist. Ayers undergoes major loop surgery as Vas teases and pleases us with the instantly distinctive hook of "Love Will Bring Us Back Together". BB & Q get beef in the kick department while Vas leaves their supreme synth boogie flavours almost untouched. Crown Heights Affair, meanwhile, get two Vas facelifts... "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" is stripped back to begin with, allowing the dynamic to build with more grace and impact while "Use Your Body & Soul" is given a fine filter polish and refocus on the vocal phrases that we guarantee will instantly stun any floor.
Get Up Featuring Vanessa Freeman (DJ Kawasaki 45 edit) (4:11)
Get Up (DJ Kawasaki Roy Vibestrumental mix) (3:35)
Review: Kyoto Jazz Massive's most recent album, the critically acclaimed Message From a New Dawn, was packed to the rafters with highlights, with their surprise collaboration with jazz-funk legend Roy Ayers, 'Get Up', arguably being the best of the lot. Here the track gets a deserved single release, albeit via two 45-friendly re-edits from Japanese scalpel fiend DJ Kawasaki. He subtly snips and chops the track on the A-side '45 Edit', finding room for both the various instrumental solos and vocal sections while keeping the original's focus and energy in-tact. Over on the flip he chooses to showcase Ayers' superb vibraphone solos, jettisoning the original version's vocals on an all-instrumental revision that's a genuine jazz-funk-goes-disco treat.
Review: This is the second part of Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981and is again packed with tracks that are far more than unreleased findings from the cutting room floor. Each one serves as another feather in the bow of the virtuoso Ayers, who combined jazz, funk, soul and disco in magical and unique ways throughout his career. In doing so he laid down a precursor to acid jazz and hip hop. These are tracks that show off his dynamic, liquid rhythm sections and mellifluous keys, as well as the vocal talents of a range of collaborators who touch on soaring and sensuous highs as well as more gravel and earthy lows. Essential.
Review: Roy Ayers' debut album on Polydor marks a pivotal moment in his musical journey, steering away from traditional jazz towards a vibrant fusion of funk and soul. Ubiquity has Ayers' transition to infectious grooves and sun-drenched textures that resonate with both depth and accessibility. This album succeeds with mid-tempo instrumentals like 'Pretty Brown Skin' and 'The Painted Desert,' which unfold with cinematic richness and psychedelic allure. Backed by a stellar ensemble including bassist John Williams, keyboardist Harry Whitaker, and drummer Alphonso Mouzon, Ayers delivers standout tracks like 'Can You Dig It' and Nat Adderley's 'Hummin' in the Sun,' foreshadowing the expansive funk landscapes he would later explore. Ubiquity stands as a definitive classic and shines a light on Ayers' innovative spirit and enduring influence in shaping the funk genre.
Review: Second time around for "Virgin Ubiquity", a killer collection of previously unreleased Roy Ayers recordings that first appeared in stores way back in 2003. Focusing on the period between 1976 and '81, much of the material joins the dots between jazz-funk, soul, disco and boogie. Highlights are plentiful throughout, from the weighty, horn-heavy release of the Merry Clayton voiced "What's The T" and heady "Oh What A Lonely Feeling", to the languid vibraphone solos of mellow groover "Green and Gold", jazzy bliss of "Mystic Voyage (Version)" and the stomping, disco era street funk of "I Am Your Mind". In a word: essential.
Review: The legendary Roy Ayers has a wealth of great material to his name but Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981 might just be the cream of the crop. It's packed with gold that fuses soul and funk, jazz and disco into a load of killer cuts that never got their own release. There are husky vocal tracks featuring Merry Clayton on "Oh What A Lonely Feeling," "I Really Love You" and "What's the T?", sensual soul stirrers from Carla Vaughn such as "Mystic Voyage" and "Together Forever" and of course liquid synths and rhythm sections underpinning each of the tracks.
Review: This is the second part of Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981 and is again packed with tracks that are far more than unreleased findings from the cutting room floor. Each one serves as another feather in the bow of the virtuoso Ayers, who combined jazz, funk, soul and disco in magical and unique ways throughout his career. In doing so he laid down a precursor to acid jazz and hip hop. These are tracks that show off his dynamic, liquid rhythm sections and mellifluous keys, as well as the vocal talents of a range of collaborators who touch on soaring and sensuous highs as well as more gravel and earthy lows. Essential.
Review: Massive reissue incoming! BBE have answered many of our prayers with this long awaited repress of Roy's 1983 disco funk excursion "Silver Vibrations". A record that's currently fetching triple figures, this is the first time it's been repressed since it was released. Opening with the iconic whispered message of "Chicago", Roy takes us on a trip through his funkiest of quarters; the salubrious slap bass of "Lots Of Love", the Afrobeat staccato vocals and glock rocking vibrancy of "Silver Vibrations" and the dreamy cosmic jazz trip of "DC City" are just some of the highlights, all shared across the 12"s with no more than two tracks per side. Vibes that can't be slept on.
Review: Massive reissue incoming! BBE have answered many of our prayers with this long awaited repress of Roy's 1983 disco funk excursion "Silver Vibrations". A record that's currently fetching triple figures, this is the first time it's been repressed since it was released. Opening with the iconic whispered message of "Chicago", Roy takes us on a trip through his funkiest of quarters; the salubrious slap bass of "Lots Of Love", the Afrobeat staccato vocals and glock rocking vibrancy of "Silver Vibrations" and the dreamy cosmic jazz trip of "DC City" are just some of the highlights, all shared across the 12"s with no more than two tracks per side. Vibes that can't be slept on.
Review: There is a wealth of Roy Ayer reissues out there right now, and we're all for it. West Coast Vibes is the latest, and is a full length written in 1963 while Ayers was working in Los Angeles with pianist Jack Wilson. It lead to his first recording contract and is what many believe to be his finest and freest musical expression, with no commercial overtones but plenty of the warmth and colour that he became so well known for. It has all the unique percussion you would expect and is a much more conventional jazz record than he later offered up. Add in the soulful saxophone of Curtis Amy who played along, and you have an essential Ayers record.
Review: Adrian Younge and A Tribe Called Quest man Ali Shaheed Muhammad's recently released "Jazz Is Dead" album had the feel of a landmark set: a collection of inspired, all-star workouts that combined live, hip-hop style beats with the effervescent musicality of soundtrack jazz, soul, jazz-funk and Latin jazz. This speedy sequel flips the script, stripping back the guest list to a single guest collaborator: jazz-funk and fusion legend Roy Ayers. From start to finish, the set bristles with sweet female group vocals, mazy Vibraphone solos, ultra-warm electric piano, hybrid hip-hop/jazz-funk beats, and Ayers' effortless musical positivity. While nowhere near as eclectic as its predecessor, "Jazz Is 2" is arguably an even more coherent and enjoyable album - and that's saying something.
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