Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers | |
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Background information | |
Born | Los Angeles, California, US | September 10, 1940
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1962–present |
Labels |
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Website | Official website |
Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American vibraphonist, record producer and composer.
Biography
Early life
Ayers was born on September 10, 1940, in Los Angeles. He grew up in a musical family, where his father played trombone and his mother played piano.
Career
Ayers started recording as a
In the early 1970s, Roy Ayers started his own band called Roy Ayers Ubiquity, a name he chose because ubiquity means a state of being everywhere at the same time.[13]
Ayers was responsible for the highly regarded soundtrack to
In 1977, Ayers produced an album by the group RAMP, Come into Knowledge. That fall, he had his biggest hit with "Running Away".
In late 1979, Ayers scored his only top ten single on Billboard's
In the late 1970s, Ayers toured Nigeria for six weeks with
In 1981, Ayers produced an album with the singer Sylvia Striplin, Give Me Your Love (Uno Melodic Records, 1981).[7] That same year, he also produced a second album called Africa, Center of the World on Polydor Records along with James Bedford and Ayers's bass player William Henry Allen. Allen can be heard talking to his daughter on the track "Intro/The River Niger". The album was recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios, New York.
In 1984 he released the LP In The Dark recorded with Columbia Records and produced by bassist
Ayers performed a solo on
Ayers has played his live act for millions of people across the globe, including Japan, Australia, England and other parts of Europe.[16]
Ayers is known for helping to popularize feel-good music in the 1970s, stating that "I like that happy feeling all of the time, so that ingredient is still there. I try to generate that because it's the natural way I am".
1990s to present
In 1992, Ayers released two albums, Drive and Wake Up, for the
In 1993, Ayers appeared on the record
During the 2000s and 2010s, Ayers ventured into house music, collaborating with such stalwarts of the genre as Masters at Work and Kerri Chandler.
Ayers started two record labels, Uno Melodic and Gold Mink Records. The first released several LPs, including Sylvia Striplin's, while the second folded after a few singles.[7]
In 2004, Ayers put out a collection of unreleased recordings called Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased recordings 1976–1981 which allowed fans to hear cuts that didn't make it onto the classic Polydor albums from his more popular years.[20]
He has also worked in collaborations with soul singer Erykah Badu and other artists on his 2004 album Mahogany Vibes.[21]
Ayers hosts the fictitious radio station "Fusion FM" in Grand Theft Auto IV (2008).
In 2015, he appeared on
Awards and influence
A documentary, The Roy Ayers Project, featuring Ayers and a number of artists who have sampled his music and have been influenced by him and his music, has been in development for a number of years. The Roy Ayers Project has been rebranded as "Roy Ayers Connection", which highlights Roy Ayers and all the people and things that he is connected to.[23]
Pharrell Williams cites Roy Ayers as one of his key musical heroes.[24]
Ayers is a recipient of the Congress of
Discography
As leader
- West Coast Vibes (United Artists, 1963)
- Virgo Vibes (Atlantic, 1967)
- Stoned Soul Picnic (Atlantic, 1968)
- Daddy Bug (Atlantic, 1969)
- All Blues (Columbia, 1969)
- Unchain My Heart (Columbia, 1970)
- Ubiquity (Polydor, 1970)
- Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Polydor, 1972)
- He's Coming (Polydor, 1972)
- Virgo Red (Polydor, 1973)
- Red Black & Green (Polydor, 1973)
- Coffy (1973)
- Change Up the Groove (Polydor, 1974)
- Mystic Voyage (Polydor, 1975)
- A Tear to a Smile (Polydor, 1975)
- Daddy Bug & Friends (Atlantic, 1976)
- Everybody Loves the Sunshine (Polydor, 1976)
- Vibrations (Polydor, 1976)
- Lifeline (Polydor, 1977)
- You Send Me (Polydor, 1978)
- Step in to Our Life (Polydor, 1978)
- Starbooty (Elektra, 1978)
- Let's Do It (Polydor, 1978)
- Fever (Polydor, 1979)
- No Stranger to Love (Polydor, 1979)
- Love Fantasy (Polydor, 1980)
- Africa, Center of the World (Polydor, 1981)
- Feeling Good (Polydor, 1982)
- Lots of Love (Uno Melodic, 1983)
- In the Dark (Columbia, 1984)
- You Might Be Surprised (Columbia, 1985)
- I'm the One (Columbia, 1987)
- Drive (Ichiban, 1988)
- Wake Up (Ichiban, 1989)
- Searchin' (Jazz House, 1991)
- Hot (Jazz House, 1992)
- Good Vibrations (Jazz House, 1993)
- The Essential Groove Live (Jazz House, 1994)
- Nasté (RCA Records, 1995)
- Mahogany Vibe (Rapster, 2004)
As sideman
With Curtis Amy
- Way Down (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
- Tippin' on Through (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
- Katanga! (Pacific Jazz, 1998)
With Herbie Mann
- A Mann & a Woman (Atlantic, 1966)
- The Wailing Dervishes (Atlantic, 1967)
- The Beat Goes On (Atlantic, 1967)
- Impressions of the Middle East (Atlantic, 1967)
- Glory of Love (A&M, 1967)
- Windows Opened (Atlantic, 1968)
- Concerto Grosso in D Blues (Atlantic, 1969)
- Live at the Whisky a Go Go (Atlantic, 1969)
- Memphis Underground (Atlantic, 1969)
- Stone Flute (Embryo, 1970)
- Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty (Embryo, 1970)
- Memphis Two-Step (Embryo, 1971)
- The Evolution of Mann (Atlantic, 1972)
- Sunbelt (Atlantic, 1978)
- Deep Pocket (Kokopelli, 1992)
With Jack Wilson
- The Jack Wilson Quartet (Atlantic, 1963)
- Plays Brazilian Mancini (Vault, 1965)
- Ramblin' (Vault, 1966)
- Something Personal (Blue Note, 1967)
- Call Me: Jazz from the Penthouse (Century, 2018)
With others
- 4Hero, Creating Patterns (Talkin' Loud, 2001)
- Amerie, Touch (Columbia/Sony, 2005)
- Erykah Badu, Mama's Gun (Motown, 2000)
- Christophe Beck, Ant-Man (Hollywood, 2015)
- Eric Benet, A Day in the Life (Warner Bros., 1999)
- Mary J. Blige, Share My World (MCA, 1997)
- Zachary Breaux, Groovin (NYC 1992)
- Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Stay Good (Dorado, 2019)
- Jean Carn, Trust Me (Motown, 1982)
- Coolio, It Takes a Thief (Tommy Boy 1994)
- Cookie Crew, Fade to Black (1991)
- Digable Planets, Blowout (EMI, 1994)
- Doldinger, Doldinger in New York (WEA, 1994)
- Will Downing, After Tonight (Peak, 2007)
- Ronnie Foster, Love Satellite (CBS, 1978)
- Funkdoobiest, Brothas Doobie (Music On Vinyl, 2016)
- Stu Gardner, Music from the Bill Cosby Show Vol II (Columbia, 1987)
- Ghostface Killah, Apollo Kids (Def Jam, 2010)
- Wolfgang Haffner, Urban Life (Skip, 2001)
- Whitney Houston, Whitney (Arista, 1987)
- Rick James, Throwin' Down (Gordy, 1982)
- Mark James, Mark James (Bell, 1973)
- Miles Jaye, Miles (Island, 1987)
- Miles Jaye, Let's Start Over (4th & Broadway, 1987)
- Jazz Crusaders, Happy Again (Sin-Drome, 1995)
- Jazz Crusaders, Soul Axess (True Life, 2004)
- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Code Red (Jive, 1993)
- Jellybean, Spillin' the Beans (Atlantic, 1991)
- Jeru the Damaja, The Sun Rises in the East (Payday, 1994)
- Ronny Jordan, A Brighter Day (Blue Note, 2000)
- Alicia Keys, Here (RCA, 2016)
- Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers, Music of Many Colours (Phonodisk, 1980)
- Talib Kweli, Eardrum (Warner Bros., 2007)
- Gerald Levert, The G Spot (Elektra, 2002)
- David Linx, Hungry Voices (Miracle, 1989)
- Marley Marl, Re-Entry (BBE 2001)
- James Moody, Moody's Party Live at the Blue Note (Telarc, 1995)
- Mos Def, Black On Both Sides (Rawkus1999)
- Najee, Embrace (N-Coded, 2003)
- David "Fathead" Newman, Lonely Avenue (Atlantic, 1972)
- David "Fathead" Newman, Newmanism (Atlantic, 1974)
- Vi Redd, Birdcall (United Artists, 1962)
- C.L. Smooth, The Main Ingredient (Traffic 2011)
- Jill Scott, Who Is Jill Scott? (Hidden Beach 2000)
- Sandra St. Victor, Gemini: Both Sides (Expansion, 2001)
- Joseph Tawadros, Chameleons of the White Shadow (ABC Music 2013)
- James Taylor Quartet, Room at the Top (Sanctuary, 2002)
- Tony Touch, The Piece Maker 2 (Koch, 2004)
- A Tribe Called Quest, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Sony, 2015)
- Tyler, the Creator, Cherry Bomb (Odd Future, 2015)
- Leroy Vinnegar, Leroy Walks Again!! (Contemporary, 1963)
- Buster Williams, Crystal Reflections (Muse, 1976)
- Vanessa Williams, The Sweetest Days (Mercury, 1994)
- Gerald Wilson, On Stage (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
- Gerald Wilson, The Golden Sword (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
- Jody Watley, I Love to Love (MAW, 2000)
- Jody Watley, Midnight Lounge (Shanachie, 2003)
References
- ISBN 0-141-00646-3.
- ^ "The official website". Roy Ayers. September 10, 1940. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
- ^ Miller, Mark. "Jazz Review Roy Ayers: Jazz with a Soul Vibe." The Globe and Mail January 1, 1997: C.3. Print.
- ^ Fordham, John. "The Guide: Music: Roy Ayers Brecon, London." The Guardian January 1, 2012: 27. Print.
- ^ Muhammad, Larry. "Roy Ayers Still Has Right Vibes." Courier January 1, 2008: W.11. Print.
- ^ Mitter, Siddartha. "STILL UBIQUITOUS ; WITH HIS JAZZY SOUL AND WONDERFUL VIBES, '70S STAR ROY AYERS IS MUCH IN DEMAND." BOSTON GLOBE January 1, 2005: D.14. Print.
- ^ a b c d e Ginell, Richard S. (September 10, 1940). "Allmusic biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
- ^ Ratner, Jonathan. "To Put on Ayers Is Still Divine: Pioneering Vibe-ist on Tour with His Funky All-stars." National Post January 1, 2006: AL4. Print.
- ^ Maxwell, Michele. "Roy Ayers: A Musical Perfectionist." Hyde Park Citizen Jan. 1, 2000: 24. Print.
- ^ Nichol, Alan. "Ayers Rocks." Evening Chronicle January 1, 2005, 01B ed.: 2. Print.
- ^ Shuler, Deardra. "Roy Ayers Sampled by Major Hip Hop Artists." New York Beacon January 1, 2006: 28. Print.
- ^ Massimo, Rick. "The Sound of Music – Roy Ayers Has That Jazz Vibe Going:." The Providence Journal January 1, 2005: F.23. Print.
- ^ Shuler, Deardra. "Roy Ayers: Everybody Loves His 'Sunshine'" New York Amsterdam News1 Jan. 2010: 23. Print.
- ^ No Author. "An Open Letter from Roy Ayers." The Indianapolis Recorder January 1, 1980: 10. Print.
- ^ "Fela Anikulapo Kuti* And Roy Ayers - Music Of Many Colours". Discogs. 1980. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ Thomas, Don. "Roy Ayers Is Definitely Lyrically Correct With 'Spoken Word'" New York Beacon January 1, 1998: 26. Print.
- ^ White, Tony. "Warm Vibes Flow in the Sunshine of Roy Ayers." American Red Star January 1, 1998: B.9. Print.
- ^ Thomas, Don. "Vibist Roy Ayers: As Jazzy As Ever." New York Beacon Jan. 1, 1995: 27. Print.
- ^ Siobhan, Kane. "No Wonder Everyone Wants to Sample the Great Vibes of Roy Ayers: Ayers Is Pivotal in Funk and Jazz, and Has Stories of Working with Fela Kuti and Rick James." Irish Times January 1, 2014: 13. Print.
- ^ Richens, Mark. "COLLECTION OF UNRELEASED RECORDINGS FROM AYERS PROVES HIS VIBE MASTERY." The Commercial Appeal Jan. 1, 2004: G30. Print.
- ^ Williams, Damon C (October 5, 2004). "Father of fusion Roy Ayers connects with the stars on latest album". Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ "Tyler, The Creator Interview w/ Bootleg Kev 'Fuck Target', Bruce Jenner, & More". YouTube. April 16, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Jackson, Nate. "Roy Ayers: Man of the Mallet and the Moment." Los Angeles Times January 1, 2011: D.10. Print.
- ^ Butler, Kate. "Roy Ayers: [Final 5 Edition]." Sunday Times January 1, 2004: 39. Print.
- ^ No Author. "Jazz Great Roy Ayers to Perform at PJC." Pensacola News Journal January 1, 2006: B.1. Print.