Roy Ayers Connection

A site that highlights the greatness of Roy Ayers and all that is connected to him. (aka Roy Ayers Project) Contact/Inquiries: royayersconnection at gmail dot com

[royayersconnection]

Please stop what you’re doing and give a birthday shout out to Gary Bartz, who recently celebrated his 82nd birthday! A master collaborator, Bartz has played with all the heavy hitters from Miles and Art Blakey, to McCoy Tyler and Pharaoh Sanders. Oh, and let’s not forget Bartz’ saxophone on Roy Ayers’ late 60’s release Stone Cold Picnic. My personal favorite think about Bartz is his versatility, playing many different styles from abstract, to straight ahead jazz, to more beat-driven jazz fusion styles. Either way, play some Gary Bartz today, wherever you are in the world. Check the link in our bio to listen to Roy Ayers’ Stone Cold Picnic. #garybartz #royayers https://www.instagram.com/p/CjEYGgjPXmm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Happy Birthday to the man himself, Mr. Roy Ayers (@royayerssunshine)! Born on this day in 1940, Roy Ayers’ music career has spanned over seven decades, and continues to tour and be an inspiration to so many musicians and artists. There’s so much we can say about Roy Ayers, but we’d rather hear from you. What is your favorite memory involving Roy Ayers or his music? (This is a never before seen photo of Roy Ayers in his home, taken by the @royayersconnection team in 2016.) #royayers #royayersproject #royayersubiquity #happybirthdayroyayers https://www.instagram.com/p/CiVTsQcrheQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Today for #fanartfriday we are highlighting art that is displayed 24/7 for the world to see. Big shout out to Richard Wilson (@richardwilsonartwork) for this incredible mural that was completed back in 2016. The mural is located in Brockley, South London, and while there are not many Roy Ayers murals out there In the world, this one is perfect! Has anyone seen this mural in real life? (Besides Richard, of course 😆) Slides 5 & 6 show the mural during its creation. (Photos via fb/Richard Wilson) #RoyAyers #royayersubiquity #richardwilsonartwork #jazzmural #jazzart https://www.instagram.com/p/CiTOqb7PIoI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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A Sunday walk and talk with a jazz musician from any era, deceased or alive, who are you picking? (Guru walking with Donald Byrd in New York for the Jazzmatazz promo.) Photo credit: unknown https://www.instagram.com/p/ChP47-1JO15/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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What are you listening to today for your Sunday summertime soundtrack? Shout out to @vinyl_score for sharing this yellow vinyl of Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” (repost: @vinyl_score) ・・・ Roy Ayers Ubiquity • Everybody Loves The Sunshine • 1976 Roy Ayers has once again awoken from his 51 week hibernation to usher in summer in the UK. He'll be gone again before the end of the month, so make sure you say "Hi Roy" before he disappears behind an inevitable blanket of grey clouds and cancelled outdoor events. I wish I had the opportunity to play this album more, as it has so much more to offer than just the amazing title track. A jazz funk classic. ☀️☀️☀️ #royayers #royayersubiquity #everybodylovesthesunshine #jazzfunk #soul #vinylcommunity #nowspinning #vinylcollection #instavinyl #vinyljunkie #vinylcollector #vinyloftheday #recordcollection #recordcollector #coloredvinyl https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg-D_XpPY-T/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Describe this album in exactly 3 words. (@rampmusic77) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeeFlkoJ3dv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Check out this sketch of Roy Ayers by artist @cicada1031! (Repost @cicada1031) ・・・ roy ayers パステル落書き #drawing #sketch #落書き #スケッチ #jazz #royayers https://www.instagram.com/p/CeEtllGvRlG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Excellent words by @corgiesing75, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Roy Ayers Ubiquity’s legendary album “He’s Coming”. Also, check @corgiesing75’s bio for a Spotify playlist of songs that sampled this album! What’s your favorite song from “He’s Coming”? Slides 1-4: Front / Back / Insert of album Slides 5-7: Roy Ayers early 70s (sans mustache) (credit unknown) (Repost @corgiesing75) ・・・ Fifty years ago 'He's Coming' was released, Roy Ayers Ubiquity's CLASSIC sophomore album. He's Coming captures Roy Ayers at the absolute top of his game, masterminding jazz-funk grooves as taut as a tightrope. Profoundly inspired by the Broadway musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar' (and including a reading of the soundtrack's 'I Don't Know How to Love Him'), the album is a deeply felt exploration of Ayers' spiritual and social beliefs, celebrating the life and rebirth of Jesus with 'He's a Superstar' and its follow-up title cut before delivering the equally impassioned political manifesto 'Ain't Got Time' a wake-up call for slumbering revolutionaries. Aided by an exemplary backing unit featuring saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist John Williams, keyboardist Harry Whitaker, and drummer Billy Cobham, Ayers channels the intensity of his message into his music, creating the most vibrant and textured music of his career to date. The atmospheric 'We Live in Brooklyn, Baby' is an absolute masterpiece, a haunting hybrid of jazz, funk, and soul that exemplifies the Ayers aesthetic at its most far-reaching and inventive. Roy Ayers Ubiquity-He's Coming: Samples & Covers: Spotify playlist via linktree in bio. #royayers #royayersubiquity #hescoming #hesasuperstar #aintgottime #weliveinbrooklynbaby #sonnyfortune #johnwilliams #harrywhitaker #billycobham #jazz #funk #soul #brooklyn #newyork https://www.instagram.com/p/CeB1j4xpbzL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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It’s never a bad time for a Mulatu Astatke appreciation post! Shout out to the fellow vibraphonist and Ethiopian jazz legend. Credit: Slide 1: Tore Sætre Slide 2: via Mulatu’s FB Slides 3-4: Album cover art Slide 5: Unknown Slide 6: Poster by Raimond Wong Slide 7: Paul Bevan Slide 8: Unknown Slide 9: video and words below by @jazzozmentis Slide 10: A photo of Mulatu and Roy Ayers from 2013 ・・・ (Repost @jazzozmentis) Mulatu Astatke, Ethiopian master musician, composer, arranger, elder of Ethiojazz, seen/heard here on vibraphone at the recent Sydney Festival concert with Melbourne group Black Jesus Experience. . . BJX delivered everything I could ask for: wild, big, big tenor sax sounds by Peter Harper, intricate and complex flugelhorn solos from Ian Dixon, great guitar from Zac Lister, drums by James Davies, congas from Nigerian-born and now Melbourne-based Olugbade Okunade, superb vocals both by Zimbabwean-Australian Mr Monk and Ethiopian-born Enushu Taye… and the privilege of witnessing, up close, a vibraphone solo by Mulatu Astatke. . . #jazz #ethiojazz #ethiojazzlegend #mulatuastatke @astatkemulatu #blackjesusexperience @alariiya #sydneyfestival #sydneyfestival2019 @sydney_festival #livemusic #magicmirrorspiegeltent #vibraphone #vibraphonejazz #afrobeats #worldmusic #melbournemusic #sydneymusic #australianmusic #aussiemusic #jazzlegend #royayers https://www.instagram.com/p/CdfQXB5uZdx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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It’s never a bad time for a Mulatu Astatke appreciation post! Shout out to the fellow vibraphonist and Ethiopian jazz legend. Credit: Slide 1: Mulatu’s FB Slides 2-3: Album cover art Slide 4: Unknown Slide 5: Paul Bevan Slide 6: Poster by Raimond Wong Slide 7: Tore Sætre Slide 8: Unknown Slide 9: video and words below by @jazzozmentis Slide 10: A photo of Mulatu and Roy Ayers from 2013 ・・・ (Repost @jazzozmentis) Mulatu Astatke, Ethiopian master musician, composer, arranger, elder of Ethiojazz, seen/heard here on vibraphone at the recent Sydney Festival concert with Melbourne group Black Jesus Experience. . . BJX delivered everything I could ask for: wild, big, big tenor sax sounds by Peter Harper, intricate and complex flugelhorn solos from Ian Dixon, great guitar from Zac Lister, drums by James Davies, congas from Nigerian-born and now Melbourne-based Olugbade Okunade, superb vocals both by Zimbabwean-Australian Mr Monk and Ethiopian-born Enushu Taye… and the privilege of witnessing, up close, a vibraphone solo by Mulatu Astatke. . . #jazz #ethiojazz #ethiojazzlegend #mulatuastatke @astatkemulatu #blackjesusexperience @alariiya #sydneyfestival #sydneyfestival2019 @sydney_festival #livemusic #magicmirrorspiegeltent #vibraphone #vibraphonejazz #afrobeats #worldmusic #melbournemusic #sydneymusic #australianmusic #aussiemusic #jazzlegend #royayers https://www.instagram.com/p/CdfPq_HOSQA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Check out this awesome fan art Friday repost by @gurukato! (Repost @gurukato) ・・・ my new painting🌞 Roy Ayers acrylic on canvas #art #artwork #painting #royayers #everybodylovessunshine #gurukato https://www.instagram.com/p/CcqiBqkPeYb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Great photographs of Roy Ayers (@royayerssunshine) performing at the Broken Shaker (NYC) in 2018. Photographer: Unknown (Please tag if you have any info on who took them) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcjI7S_pGtu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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We’d like to show the utmost respect, admiration and gratitude for the late great Herbie Mann, and we celebrate what would’ve been his 92nd birthday today. While there were many champions of Roy Ayers’ music and career during his younger years, one of the most important people to propel his career forward was Herbie Mann. Herbie was an established name in jazz, during the mid-1960s, and it was then when he featured a young Roy Ayers in his early/mid-20s on many records as a side man, and would eventually encourage Ayers to record as a front man. Roy Ayers accepted the challenge as a young vibraphonist and the rest is history. While not commonly being noted as such, Mann was one of the early pioneers in fusion jazz, commonly combining world music into jazz as early as 1959 (Flautista!, an album of Afro-Cuban jazz) with many other examples to follow, including “Do the Bossa Nova” in ’62 and “Latin Fever” in ’64. To this day, Roy Ayers speaks tremendously high of Herbie Mann as a mentor and as a friend. His ushering and advocation of Roy Ayers as a young jazz musician helped forward the career of one of the most influential musicians of our time. Click the link in our bio to hear Herbie Man’s “Flautista!” Photo: David Redfern https://www.instagram.com/p/Cca6MLkJTBN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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When it comes to speaking about A Tribe Called Quest and their contributions to music, there is so much you can say about their legendary career. If I had to speak about their most important contribution, it would be about them being one of the first if not the first rap groups to consistently sample jazz music. Using heavy samples throughout their career, they were also one of the first rap groups to sample Roy Ayers, specifically on tracks “Description of a Fool” and “Bonita Applebaum” (which samples “Daylight” by RAMP, a group produced by Roy Ayers) on their first album which was released in 1990 (recorded in ’89-’90). Q-Tip, who served as producer/beat maker of the group, would only expand on his sampling of jazz in later albums, but it was A Tribe Called Quest’s music, aura, and persona that was an excellent blueprint for many hip hop acts to follow when fusing the worlds of jazz and hip hop. (Photo: Al Pereira, 1991) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcQf9Q_reRb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Happy Birthday, Q-Tip. I wanted to acknowledge him on his special day by sharing this beautiful, rarely seen Photo by the legendary @glenefriedman. What are some of the ways Q-Tip help merge Hip Hop and Jazz? I’d love to hear your different perspectives. I’ll talk about how A Tribe Called Quest’s influence to jazz was important in a future post, but for now, celebrate Q-Tip today by spinning some of his catalog. More info on Glen E Friedman’s photo below. (Repost @glenefriedman) ・・・ This photograph of Q-TIP of “A Tribe Called Quest” circa 1993 at a recording studio in downtown Manhattan probably the neighborhood of Soho ... I don’t remember the occasion for us getting together to make these photographs, this afternoon we did, but we made some nice ones. They obviously became one of the greatest groups to come out of the “Native Tongues” clique. I helped them get their first record deal too! And that latest album they just put out last year is really great, probably the best album made by a group after so many years break. This photograph like all in THE IDEALIST is a prime example of the character and beauty we can find in performance, attitude and ART in Hip-Hop and its culture. The image appeared for the first time in my book THE IDEALIST “In My Eyes 25 Years” you can read in my previous nine posts to find out what this book is all about, or on line search the title of the book. . The link in my bio will take you directly to amazon page where it’s on sale, although it may be temporarily out of stock, take advantage of the sale price, because more books are being shipped to them as we speak (or search and find it anywhere you can for as little as you can). This beautiful book is one of my all time favorites. For the real art and photography buffs out there. 👊🏽✌🏽✊🏽 #FILM #Inspiration #Integrity #35mm #ART #Photography #International #TheIdealist #HipHop #ATribeCalledQuest #QTip #Beauty #HipHop #Composition #character #book https://www.instagram.com/p/CcLXDROp5ka/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Jill Scott (@missjillscott) has been a mainstay for more than twenty years as a poet and musical icon, and today we are acknowledging her for her collaboration with and sampling of Roy Ayers on her debut album Who Is Jill Scott? for the song “Watching Me”, produced by Ted Thompson, Jr. Jill pays homage to Roy by sampling his song “No Stranger to Love”, which is the title track for the 1979 album. Today we give a shout out to Jill Scott who recently celebrated her birthday, and we thank her for keeping Roy Ayers’ music alive through sampling. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcBSVBYPPzd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Check out these awesome promotional materials from Roy Ayers’ 1978 album “Lets Do It”, posted by @diggerslife, and also one of Roy’s most famous and iconic photos. #Repost @diggerslife ・・・ Promotional press photo of one of my favorite images of Roy Ayers. That outfit was 🔥🔥🔥. Like the drip from spray paint. #diggerslife #royayers #royayersubiquity https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb_eFtWJqgk/?utm_medium=tumblr