Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk,
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
, and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
composer,
vibraphone
The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...
player, and
music producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
. Ayers began his career as a
post-bop
Post-bop is a genre of small-combo jazz that evolved in the early to mid 1960s in the United States. Pioneers of the genre, such as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane and Jackie McLean, crafted syntheses ...
jazz artist, releasing several albums with
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
, before his tenure at
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer
jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat ( groove), electrified sounds, and an early prevalence of analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creat ...
. He is a key figure in the acid jazz movement, and has been dubbed "The Godfather of Neo Soul". He is best known for his compositions "Everybody Loves the Sunshine", "Searchin", and "Running Away". At one time, he was said to have more sampled hits by rappers than any other artist.
Biography
Early life
Ayers was born on September 10, 1940, in Los Angeles. He grew up in a musical family, where his father played trombone and his mother played piano. At the age of five, he was given his first pair of vibraphone mallets by Lionel Hampton. The area of Los Angeles that Ayers grew up in,
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
(later known as South Central) was at the center of the
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
Black music
Black music is a sound created, produced, or inspired by black people, people of African descent, including African music traditions and African popular music as well as the music genres of the African diaspora, including Caribbean music, Lat ...
scene. The schools he attended (Wadsworth Elementary, Nevins Middle School, and Thomas Jefferson High School) were all close to the famed Central Avenue, Los Angeles' equivalent of
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
's
Lenox Avenue
Lenox Avenue – also named Malcolm X Boulevard; both names are officially recognized – is the primary north–south route through Harlem in the upper portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan. This two-way street runs from F ...
and Chicago's State Street. Roy would likely have been exposed to music as it not only emanated from the many nightclubs and bars in the area, but also poured out of many of the homes where the musicians who kept the scene alive lived in and around Central. During high school, Ayers sang in the church choir and fronted a band named The Latin Lyrics, in which he played steel guitar and piano. His high school, Thomas Jefferson High School, produced various talented musicians, such as
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...
. Ayers has 3 known children Roy Ayers Jr,
Nabil Ayers
Nabil Ayers is an American music industry entrepreneur, author and musician.
Ayers' debut memoir, ''My Life in the Sunshine,'' was published by Viking Press on June 7, 2022. The book focuses on Ayers' relationship with his father, the jazz mus ...
and Lauren Faith (Musician).
Career
Ayers started recording as a bebop sideman in 1962 and rose to prominence when he dropped out of City College and joined jazz flautist
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (inclu ...
in 1966.
In the early 1970s, Roy Ayers started his own band called Roy Ayers Ubiquity, a name he chose because ubiquity means a state of being everywhere at the same time.
Ayers was responsible for the highly regarded soundtrack to
Jack Hill
Jack Hill (born January 28, 1933) is an American film director in the exploitation film genre. Several of Hill's later films have been characterized as feminist works.
Early life
Hill was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Mildred (n ...
Coffy
''Coffy'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. The story is about a black female vigilante played by Pam Grier who seeks violent revenge against a heroin dealer responsible for her sister's addiction.Gary A. ...
'', which starred
Pam Grier
Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distinc ...
. He later moved from a jazz-funk sound to R&B, as seen on ''Mystic Voyage'', which featured the songs "Evolution" and the underground disco hit "Brother Green (The Disco King)", as well as the title track from his 1976 album ''
Everybody Loves the Sunshine
''Everybody Loves the Sunshine'' is a studio album by Roy Ayers released under the Roy Ayers Ubiquity umbrella. It was released through Polydor Records in 1976. It peaked at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. In 2016, ''Pitchfork'' placed ...
''.
In 1977, Ayers produced an album by the group
RAMP
An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...
, ''Come into Knowledge''. That fall, he had his biggest hit with "Running Away".
In late 1979, Ayers scored his only top ten single on ''Billboard's'' Hot Disco/Dance chart with "Don't Stop The Feeling", which was also the leadoff single from his 1980 album ''No Stranger to Love'', whose title track was sampled in Jill Scott's 2001 song "Watching Me" from her debut album ''Who Is Jill Scott?''
In the late 1970s, Ayers toured in Nigeria for six weeks with
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersectin ...
pioneer
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...
Fela Kuti, one of the African continent's most recognizable musicians. In 1980, Phonodisk released ''Music of Many Colors'' in Nigeria, featuring one side led by Ayers' group and the other led by Africa '70.
In 1981, Ayers produced an album with the singer Sylvia Striplin, '' Give Me Your Love'' (Uno Melodic Records, 1981). That same year, he also produced a second album called ''Africa, Center of the World'' on Polydor records along with James Bedford and Ayers's bass player William Henry Allen. Allen can be heard talking to his daughter on the track "Intro/The River Niger". The album was recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios, New York.
Ayers performed a solo on
John "Jellybean" Benitez
John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters ...
's production of
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
's "
Love Will Save The Day
"Love Will Save the Day" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston from her second multi-platinum studio album ''Whitney (album), Whitney'' (1987). The song was released on July 5, 1988 by Arista Records as the album's fifth single. ...
" from her second multi-Platinum studio album ''
Whitney Whitney may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Whitney'' (2015 film), a Whitney Houston biopic starring Yaya DaCosta
* ''Whitney'' (2018 film), a documentary about Whitney Houston
* ''Whitney'' (TV series), an American sitcom that premiered i ...
''. The single was released in July 1988 by
Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
.
Ayers has played his live act for millions of people across the globe, including Japan, Australia, England and other parts of Europe.
Ayers is known for helping to popularize feel good music in the 1970s, stating that "I like that happy feeling all of the time, so that ingredient is still there. I try to generate that because it's the natural way I am". The types of music that he used to do this consisted of funk, salsa, jazz, rock, soul and rap.
1990s to present
In 1992, Ayers released two albums, ''Drive'' and ''Wake Up'', for the hip-hop label
Ichiban Records
Ichiban Records is an American independent record label, founded in 1985 by John Abbey and Nina Easton in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
History
Wrap Records and Nastymix Records were some of its subsidiary labels. Urgent! Records and Mr. Henr ...
. and also collaborated with
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in ...
for an album and is quoted to have been a very close friend of his.
In 1993, Ayers appeared on the record '' Guru's Jazzmatazz Vol. 1'', playing vibraphone on the song "Take a Look (At Yourself)". The following year he appeared on the
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.
Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...
's compilation album '' Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool''. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African-American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by ''
Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...
''.
During the 2000s and 2010s, Ayers ventured into
house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
, collaborating with such stalwarts of the genre as
Masters at Work
Masters at Work is the American garage house production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. The duo has produced music together under the names MAW, KenLou, Sole Fusion, Hardrive, and Nuyorican Soul. They have been ...
and
Kerri Chandler
Kerri Camar Chandler (born 28 September 1969) is an American house DJ and record producer.
Biography
Chandler's influences go back to New Jersey, growing up in a family of jazz musicians. His father, Joseph Chandler, was a DJ and provided him wi ...
.
Ayers started two record labels, Uno Melodic and Gold Mink Records. The first released several LPs, including Sylvia Striplin's, while the second folded after a few singles.
In 2004, Ayers put out a collection of unreleased recordings called ''Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased recordings 1976–1981'' which allowed fans to hear cuts that didn't make it onto the classic Polydor albums from his more popular years.
He has also worked in collaborations with soul songstress
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
and other artists on his 2004 album ''Mahogany Vibes''.
Roy Ayers hosts the fictitious radio station "
Fusion FM
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andr ...
" in ''
Grand Theft Auto IV
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the e ...
'' (2008).
In 2015, he appeared on
Tyler, The Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future.
Okonma self-released his debut mixtape ' ...
's album ''
Cherry Bomb
A cherry bomb (also known as a globe salute or kraft salute) is an approximately spherical exploding firework, roughly resembling a cherry in size and shape (with the fuse resembling the cherry's stem). Cherry bombs range in size from in diamet ...
'' on the track "Find Your Wings".
Awards and influence
A documentary, ''The Roy Ayers Project,'' featuring Ayers and a number artists who have sampled his music and have been influenced by him and his music, has been in development for a number of years. The Roy Ayers Project has been rebranded as "Roy Ayers Connection", which highlights Roy Ayers and all the people and things that he is connected to.
Pharrell Williams cites Roy Ayers as one of his key musical heroes.
Ayers is a recipient of the Congress of Racial Equality Lifetime Achievement Award.No Author. "Jazz Great Roy Ayers to Perform at PJC." Pensacola News Journal January 1, 2006: B.1. Print.
Daddy Bug
''Daddy Bug'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers released on the Atlantic label in 1969.Coffy
''Coffy'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. The story is about a black female vigilante played by Pam Grier who seeks violent revenge against a heroin dealer responsible for her sister's addiction.Gary A. ...
'' (1973)
* '' Change Up the Groove'' (Polydor, 1974)
* '' Mystic Voyage'' (Polydor, 1975)
* ''A Tear to a Smile'' (Polydor, 1975)
* ''Daddy Bug & Friends'' (Atlantic, 1976)
* ''
Everybody Loves the Sunshine
''Everybody Loves the Sunshine'' is a studio album by Roy Ayers released under the Roy Ayers Ubiquity umbrella. It was released through Polydor Records in 1976. It peaked at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. In 2016, ''Pitchfork'' placed ...
'' (Polydor, 1976)
* ''
Vibrations
Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. The word comes from Latin ''vibrationem'' ("shaking, brandishing"). The oscillations may be periodic, such as the motion of a pendulum—or random, such ...
You Send Me
"You Send Me" is a song written and originally recorded by American singer Sam Cooke, released as a single in 1957 by Keen Records. Produced by Bumps Blackwell and arranged and conducted by René Hall. The song, Cooke's debut single, was a massiv ...
'' (Polydor, 1978)
* ''Step in to Our Life'' (Polydor, 1978)
* ''Starbooty'' (Elektra, 1978)
* ''
Let's Do It
Let's Do It may refer to:
General
* Let's Do It 2008, an environmental cleanup campaign in Estonia
** Let's Do It! World, an international civic movement that originated from the Estonian campaign
** Let's do it! Armenia, an environmental clean ...
'' (Polydo, 1978)
* ''
Fever
Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...
'' (Polydor, 1979)
* '' No Stranger to Love'' (Polydor, 1979)
* '' Love Fantasy'' (Polydor, 1980)
* '' Africa, Center of the World'' (Polydor, 1981)
* '' Feeling Good'' (Polydor, 1982)
* ''Lots of Love'' (Uno Melodic, 1983)
* ''In the Dark'' (Columbia, 1984)
* '' You Might Be Surprised'' (Columbia, 1985)
* ''I'm the One'' (Columbia, 1987)
* ''Drive'' (Ichiban, 1988)
* ''Wake Up'' (Ichiban, 1989)
* ''Searchin' '' (Jazz House, 1991)
* ''Hot'' (Jazz House, 1992)
* ''Good Vibrations'' (Jazz House, 1993)
* ''The Essential Groove Live'' (Jazz House, 1994)
* ''Mahogany Vibe'' (Rapster, 2004)
As sideman
With
Curtis Amy
Curtis Amy (October 11, 1929 – June 5, 2002) was an American jazz saxophonist.
Biography
Amy was born in Houston, Texas, United States. He learned how to play clarinet before joining the Army, and during his time in service, picked up the teno ...
* ''
Way Down
"Way Down" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley. Recorded in October 1976, it was his last Single (music), single released before his death on August 16, 1977. The song was written by Layng Martine Jr. and was later recorded by Presley at his ho ...
'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
* ''
Tippin' on Through
''Tippin' on Through'' is a live album by saxophonist Curtis Amy recorded in 1962 for the Pacific Jazz label.Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (inclu ...
* ''
A Mann & a Woman
''A Mann & A Woman'' is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann and vocalist Tamiko Jones released on the Atlantic label in 1967.The Wailing Dervishes
''The Wailing Dervishes'' is a live album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann recorded at the Village Theatre in New York City for the Atlantic label and released in 1967.The Beat Goes On'' (Atlantic, 1967)
* ''
Impressions of the Middle East
''Impressions of the Middle East'' is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann recorded for the Atlantic label and released in 1967.Windows Opened
''Windows Opened'' is an album by flautist Herbie Mann recorded in 1968 and released on the Atlantic label.Concerto Grosso in D Blues'' (Atlantic, 1969)
* '' Live at the Whisky a Go Go'' (Atlantic, 1969)
* ''Memphis Underground'' (Atlantic, 1969)
* ''
Stone Flute
''Stone Flute'' is an album by flautist Herbie Mann recorded in 1969 and becoming the first release on Mann's Embryo label.
'' (Embryo, 1970)
* ''
Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty
''Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty'' is a 1970 album by jazz flutist Herbie Mann. It was released on Mann's Embryo Records label, and distributed by Cotillion Records, a division of Atlantic Records.
Track listing
Side One
#"Muscle Shoals Nitty Gri ...
'' (Embryo, 1970)
* ''Memphis Two-Step'' (Embryo, 1971)
* ''The Evolution of Mann'' (Atlantic, 1972)
* ''Sunbelt'' (Atlantic, 1978)
* ''Deep Pocket'' (Kokopelli, 1992)
With Jack Wilson
* ''The Jack Wilson Quartet'' (Atlantic, 1963)
* ''Plays Brazilian Mancini'' (Vault, 1965)
* ''Ramblin' '' (Vault, 1966)
* '' Something Personal'' (Blue Note, 1967)
* ''Call Me: Jazz from the Penthouse'' (Century, 2018)
With others
* 4Hero, ''Creating Patterns'' (Talkin' Loud, 2001)
*
Amerie
Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson ( Rogers; born January 12, 1980) is an American singer. Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she gained an appreciation of the classical arts from her mother Mi Suk Rogers and of music from her father Charles Rogers, and ...
, ''
Touch
In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch ( haptic perception), as well as temperature ( thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It ...
'' (Columbia/Sony, 2005)
*
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
, ''
Mama's Gun
''Mama's Gun'' is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. It was recorded between 1999 and 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York and released on November 21, 2000, by Motown Records. A neo soul album, ''Mama's Gun'' incorporat ...
'' (Motown, 2000)
*
Christophe Beck
Jean-Christophe Beck (born November 30, 1972) is a Canadian television and film score composer and conductor. He is a brother of pianist Chilly Gonzales. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney and its subsidiaries, which include co ...
, ''Ant-Man'' (Hollywood, 2015)
*
Eric Benet
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
, ''A Day in the Life'' (Warner Bros., 1999)
*
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
, ''
Share My World
''Share My World'' is the third studio album by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige, released by MCA on Earth Day, April 22, 1997. The album became Blige's first to open at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. Moreover, it is her ...
'' (MCA, 1997)
*
Zachary Breaux
Zachary Charles Breaux (June 26, 1960 – February 20, 1997)Mark Gilbert: 'Breaux, Zachary', ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed November 5, 2007), was an American jazz guitarist who was influenced by George Benson and Wes Montgome ...
Jean Carn
Jean Carn, also spelled Jean Carne (born Sarah Jean Perkins; March 15, 1947) is an American jazz and pop singer. In mid career, she added a final ''e'' to her name. Carn is a vocalist credited with a five octave vocal range.
Biography
Carn was ...
, ''Trust Me'' (Motown, 1982)
* Coolio, ''It Takes a Thief'' (Tommy Boy 1994)
*
Cookie Crew
Cookie Crew were a rap music duo formed in Clapham, South London in 1983.
Career
Their career took off after winning a national rap championship and recording two sessions for the John Peel BBC Radio 1 show. They gained a recording contract fr ...
, ''Fade to Black'' (1991)
*
Digable Planets
Digable Planets () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987. The trio is composed of rappers Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, Mariana "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira, and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving. The group is notable for their contributions to the subgenre ...
, ''Blowout'' (EMI, 1994)
*
Doldinger
Klaus Doldinger (born 12 May 1936) is a German saxophonist known for his work in jazz and as a film music composer. He was the recipient of 1997's Bavarian Film Awards (Honorary Award), Bavarian Film Awards.
Life and work
Doldinger was born i ...
, ''Doldinger in New York'' (WEA, 1994)
*
Will Downing
Wilfred "Will" Downing (born November 29, 1963) is an American singer and songwriter. He is married to singer Audrey Wheeler, who was a member of the R&B group Unlimited Touch.
Biography
Downing enrolled in Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn ...
, ''After Tonight'' (Peak, 2007)
*
Ronnie Foster
Ronnie Foster (born May 12, 1950) is an American funk and soul jazz organist, and record producer. His albums recorded for Blue Note Records in the 1970s have gained a cult following after the emergence of acid jazz.
Early life
Foster was born ...
, ''Love Satellite'' (CBS, 1978)
*
Funkdoobiest
Funkdoobiest was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California, United States, composed of rappers Jason "Son Doobie" Vasquez, Tyrone "Tomahawk Funk" Pacheco and DJ Ralph "Tha Phunky Mexican" Medrano. They are members of the Soul Assassi ...
, ''Brothas Doobie'' (Music On Vinyl, 2016)
*
Stu Gardner
Stuart Gardner is an American musician and composer. He is known for his collaborations with Bill Cosby, and for co-writing "Kiss Me", the theme song of Cosby's sitcom ''The Cosby Show''. He produced the album '' A House Full of Love: Music fro ...
, ''Music from the Bill Cosby Show Vol II'' (Columbia, 1987)
*
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 C ...
, ''Apollo Kids'' (Def Jam, 2010)
*
Wolfgang Haffner
Wolfgang Haffner (born 7 December 1965) is a German jazz drummer with an extensive discography.Discographyat Allmusic
Discography
* 2020 - Kind of Tango
* 2019 – ''4WD'' (with Nils Landgren)
* 2019 – ''The East End'' (with Bill Evans)
* 20 ...
, ''Urban Life'' (Skip, 2001)
*
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
, ''
Whitney Whitney may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Whitney'' (2015 film), a Whitney Houston biopic starring Yaya DaCosta
* ''Whitney'' (2018 film), a documentary about Whitney Houston
* ''Whitney'' (TV series), an American sitcom that premiered i ...
'' (Arista, 1987)
*
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in ...
, ''
Throwin' Down
''Throwin' Down'' is the 6th studio album by Rick James, released in 1982 via the Gordy imprint of Motown Records. It peaked at No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Although not as popular as '' Street Songs'', ''Throwin' Down'' is certified gold by ...
Miles Jaye
Miles Jaye Davis (born November 12, 1957), known professionally as Miles Jaye, is an American R&B and jazz singer, jazz violinist, songwriter, and record producer. He had several hits on the US R&B chart in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the b ...
, ''Miles'' (Island, 1987)
* Miles Jaye, ''Let's Start Over'' (4th & Broadway, 1987)
* Jazz Crusaders, ''Happy Again'' (Sin-Drome, 1995)
* Jazz Crusaders, ''Soul Axess'' (True Life, 2004)
*
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and disc jockey Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasion ...
, ''Code Red'' (Jive, 1993)
*
Jellybean
Jelly beans are small bean shaped sugar candies with soft candy shells and thick gel interiors (see gelatin and jelly). The confection is primarily made of sugar and sold in a wide variety of colors and flavors.
History
It has been cla ...
, ''Spillin' the Beans'' (Atlantic, 1991)
*
Jeru the Damaja
Kendrick Jeru Davis (born February 14, 1972), known as Jeru the Damaja, is an American rapper and record producer. He is known for his 1993 single " Come Clean" from his debut album, ''The Sun Rises in the East'', ranked as one of the 100 great ...
, ''The Sun Rises in the East'' (Payday, 1994)
*
Ronny Jordan
Robert Laurence Albert Simpson, known professionally as Ronny Jordan (29 November 1962 – 13 January 2014) was a British guitarist and part of the acid jazz movement at the end of the twentieth century. Jordan described his music as "urban jaz ...
, ''A Brighter Day'' (Blue Note, 2000)
*
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
, ''
Here
Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to:
Software
* Here Technologies, a mapping company
* Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Technologies, Here
Television
* Here TV (form ...
'' (RCA, 2016)
* Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers, ''Music of Many Colours'' (Phonodisk, 1980)
*
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with ...
, ''Eardrum'' (Warner Bros., 2007)
*
Gerald Levert
Gerald Edward Levert (July 13, 1966 – November 10, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and producer. Levert was best known for singing with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon of the vocal group LeVert. Levert was also a ...
, ''The G Spot'' (Elektra, 2002)
*
David Linx
David Linx (born 22 March 1965) is a Belgian jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. ...
, ''Hungry Voices'' (Miracle, 1989)
*
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects ...
, ''Re-Entry'' (BBE 2001)
* James Moody, ''Moody's Party Live at the Blue Note'' (Telarc, 1995)
*
Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
, ''Black On Both Sides'' (Rawkus1999)
*
Najee
Jerome Najee Rasheed (born November 4, 1957, New York City), known professionally as Najee, is an American Jazz-Smooth Jazz saxophonist and flautist.
Early life
Najee was born in the lower west side of Manhattan in New York City and lived his te ...
, ''Embrace'' (N-Coded, 2003)
*
David "Fathead" Newman
David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s an ...
, ''
Lonely Avenue
"Lonely Avenue" is a popular song written by Doc Pomus that was a No. 6 rhythm and blues hit for Ray Charles in 1956.
Background
The song drew the attention of the music business to Doc Pomus, who had previously had little success as a songwrit ...
'' (Atlantic, 1972)
* David "Fathead" Newman, ''
Newmanism
''Newmanism'' is an album by saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman, David Newman released on the Atlantic Records, Atlantic label in 1974.Vi Redd
Elvira "Vi" Redd (born September 20, 1928) is an American jazz alto saxophone player, vocalist and educator. She has been active since the early 1950s and is known primarily for playing in the blues style. She is highly regarded as an accomplis ...
, ''Birdcall'' (United Artists, 1962)
* Pete Rock &
C.L. Smooth
Corey Brent Penn, Sr. (born October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Career
After the duo Pete Rock & CL S ...
, ''The Main Ingredient'' (Traffic 2011)
* Jill Scott, ''Who Is Jill Scott?'' (Hidden Beach 2000)
*
Sandra St. Victor
Sandra Kay Matthews, known professionally as Sandra St. Victor, is a Dallas-born singer-songwriter most known for her work as lead singer of The Family Stand and their international hit single "Ghetto Heaven". She attended the now famous Booke ...
, ''Gemini: Both Sides'' (Expansion, 2001)
*
Joseph Tawadros
Joseph Tawadros (born 6 October 1983) is an Egyptian-born Coptic Australian multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso. Tawadros has won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album five times: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020. and 2021.
Biography
His famil ...
, ''Chameleons of the White Shadow'' (ABC Music 2013)
*
James Taylor Quartet
The James Taylor Quartet (or JTQ) are a British four-piece jazz funk band formed in 1985 by Hammond organ player James Taylor following the break-up of his former band The Prisoners, and in the wake of Stiff Records' bankruptcy. The band co ...
, ''Room at the Top'' (Sanctuary, 2002)
*
Tony Touch
Joseph Anthony Hernandez (born July 2, 1969), professionally known as Tony Touch, is an American hip hop break dancer, rapper, record producer and DJ of Puerto Rican descent.
Career
Tony Touch began as a B-boy during the rap music renaissance ...
, ''The Piece Maker 2'' (Koch, 2004)
*
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip
, ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' (Sony, 2015)
*
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future.
Okonma self-released his debut mixtape ' ...
, ''Cherry Bomb'' (Odd Future, 2015)
*
Leroy Vinnegar
Leroy Vinnegar (July 13, 1928 – August 3, 1999) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trade ...
Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resign ...
, ''The Sweetest Days'' (Mercury, 1994)
*
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. In addition to being a ...
The Golden Sword
''The Golden Sword'', published in 1977, is a science fantasy novel by American writer Janet Morris
Janet Ellen Morris (born May 25, 1946) is an American author of fiction and nonfiction, best known for her fantasy and science fiction and ...
'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
* Jody Watley, ''I Love to Love'' (MAW, 2000)
* Jody Watley, ''Midnight Lounge'' (Shanachie, 2003)