Roy Ayers (1940-2025)

Roy Ayers, a vibraphonist, record producer and composer who created a new jazz sound in the mid-1970s that combined electric jazz, trippy funk and soothing soul that rested heavily on mellow chord sequences and lyrical melodies, died on March 4. He was 84. [Photo above of Roy Ayers]

Ayers began by recording hard bop in 1962 with Curtis Amy and recorded his first leadership album, West Coast Vibes (United Artists), a year later. He broadened his approach in 1966 when he teamed with jazz and world flutist Herbie Mann. After forming Roy Ayers Ubiquity in the early 1970s, he forged a new approach to fusion, the popular rock-influenced jazz style at the time.

Rather than mirror the psychedelic rock-centric approach favored by many jazz fusion musicians at the time, Ayers was the architect of a hushed funk and soul style that was played extensively on black FM radio stations as sophisticated late-night date music, eventually becoming known as acid jazz, chill and neo soul.

Deeply influenced by Earth, Wind & Fire's mid-1970s optimistic mysticism, Joe Sample's cool soul and Herbie Hancock's distilled funk, Ayers created a cerebral sound that rubbed off on contemporary jazz-influenced artists such as Robert Glasper, Lauryn Hill, Esperanza Spalding and D'Angelo. Ayers's contribution was artfully articulated and extended by the Roy Ayers Project, founded in 2010, which featured musicians adapting his songs and approach to create more dimensional interpretations of his work.

In tribute to Ayers, here are 10 of my favorite pieces:

Here's Ayers's Ricardo's Dilemma in 1963 with Ayers (vib), Curtis Amy (ss), Jack Wilson (p), Bill Plummer (b) and Tony Bazley (d)...

Here's Ayerloom from 1967 with Charles Tolliver (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), Roy Ayers (vib), Herbie Hancock (p), Reggie Workman (b) and Bruno Carr (d)...

Here's Herbie Mann and Roy Ayers playing Love Is Stronger Far Than We in 1967, also known as Stronger Than Us, from the film score to A Man and a Woman. The track features Herbie Mann (fl), Hubert Laws (fl), Roy Ayers (vib), Sonny Sharrock (g), Earl May (b), Grady Tate (d) and Ray Barretto (perc)...

Here's He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother in 1971, with Sonny Fortune (ss,fl), Roy Ayers (vib), Harry Whitaker (p), Sam Brown/Bob Fusco (g), Johnny Williams/Ron Carter (b), Jumma Santos (cga) and David Lee/Billy Cobham (d)...

Here's Love From the Sun in 1973, with a collective personnel...

Here's Everybody Loves the Sunshine in 1976...

Here's Running Away in 1977...

Here's Step Into Our Life in 1978...

Here's Don't You Ever Turn Away in 1987...

And here's Treasure from 1995...

Bonus: Here's the Roy Ayers Project, with Hiroshi Saito playing Green and Gold...

And here's Roy Ayers performing an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert in 2018...