Roy Ayers returns with first new album in nine years
The trio is joined by drummer Greg Paul, trombonist Phil Ranelin, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Wendell Harrison, and a revolving cast of vocalists Loren Oden, Joy Gilliam, Saudia Yasmein, Elgin Clark and Anitra Castleberry.
“The eight tracks on this album testify to the love not only of a legendary musician’s legacy, but to the vitality and necessity of this music and these sounds in the present era,” Jazz is Dead said in its statement accompanying the album’s announcement.
Rising to fame in the ’70s with original songs including Everybody Loves the Sunshine, Running Away and Red, Black & Green, Ayers became known as a pioneer of jazz-funk. He was a key figure in the acid jazz movement and has been frequently sampled by hip-hop artists.
Ayers’s last studio album, King of the Vibes, came out in 2011.