Listen to Roy Ayers, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!

Jazz

United States

Roy Ayers

Latest Release

More albums from Roy Ayers

Artist Playlists

About Roy Ayers

Listen to Roy Ayers, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Hometown
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Born
September 10, 1940
Genre
Jazz

Artist Links
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 synthesizers 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.
Roy Ayers has also released music as a member of Roy Ayers Ubiquity.
Musical InfluencesRoy Ayers's musical influences include Lionel Hampton, John Coltrane, Cal Tjader and more.
Influenced by Roy AyersRoy Ayers has influenced the music of Gang Starr, Boney James, The Legendary Traxster and more.

Similar to: Roy Ayers

Discover more music and artists similar to Roy Ayers, like Roy Ayers Ubiquity, Donald Byrd, Lonnie Liston Smith
instagramSharePathic_arrow_out

Loading...