Latest Release
- 29 MAR 2024
- 1 Song
- Virgin Ubiquity II · 2005
- The Best of Roy Ayers (The Best of Roy Ayers: Love Fantasy) · 1995
- Virgo Vibes · 1967
- Jazz Rock - Verve 50 · 1997
- Virgin Ubiquity II · 2005
- Evolution: The Polydor Anthology · 1976
- Ubiquity · 1970
- Roy Ayers JID002 · 2020
- Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976 - 1981 · 2004
- Daddy Bug · 1969
- 2020
- 2006
- 1996
- 1994
Artist Playlists
- Settle into his seamless blend of jazz, pop and R&B.
- Explore the influence of this iconic artist.
- Their original tunes have been the source material for some of modern music’s biggest hits.
- 2022
Compilations
- Lionel No Richie
- Kyoto Jazz Massive
- Kyoto Jazz Massive
- Luke Smith
- Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective
- The Jack Wilson Quartet
More To Hear
- Jazz-funk vibes from the godfather of neo-soul.
About Roy Ayers
A godfather of jazz-funk, Roy Ayers (born in 1940) is one of the most sampled artists in rap music history. There’s an obvious reason for that: The L.A.-raised keyboardist and vibraphonist’s compositions are pillowy and spacious, heavy on grooves and melodies that unfurl from Ayers’ lush, thick voice. His biggest hit—1976’s brilliant “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”, by his group, Roy Ayers Ubiquity—pairs the loose feel of jazz with the precision of ‘70s funk, creating a brilliant intersection that takes elements of both but exists in its own world entirely; the song’s lilting drum groove and synthesisers would help pave the way for West Coast rap a few decades later. While Ayers was an early figure in the acid jazz and jazz-funk scenes of the ‘70s, he found a new audience in the 2000s when a younger generation of artists like Tyler, The Creator professed their love for Ayers’ warm meditations. Ayers even appeared on the rapper’s 2015 album, Cherry Bomb, confirming his status as a superstar in the 20th century and beyond.
- HOMETOWN
- Los Angeles, CA, United States
- BORN
- 10 September 1940
- GENRE
- Jazz