Three months after
Adrian Younge and
Ali Shaheed Muhammad's Jazz Is Dead studio sessions were first manifested with the rotating guest showcase
Jazz Is Dead 001, the series continues with its second volume, baring artwork that is consistent but a formal title that is not:
Roy Ayers JID002, rather than, say, Jazz Is Dead 002: Roy Ayers. Jazz and soul legend
Ayers is credited as co-writer of all eight cuts here, but this is more a continuation of
Younge and
Muhammad's profuse tandem work than a proper entry in the discography of the vibraphonist, who last recorded as a leader in 2004. Then again, this is at least a harmonious convergence, given that the spirit of
Ayers'
Atlantic and
Polydor recordings through roughly 1977 can be felt in
Younge and
Muhammad's output dating back to the latter's debut with
A Tribe Called Quest. Rather confoundingly,
Ayers only accentuates these rolling grooves with his lithe vibes and takes no solos. He's present more commonly as a vocalist, guiding or enhancing group lines (with the likes of the brilliant
Joi Gilliam and
Loren Oden) that evoke conspiratorial intimacy like the quieter moments of his most treasured sides. "Hey Lover," which set the tone for
Jazz Is Dead 001, reappears here and doesn't overshadow the newly presented material. Much of what precedes and follows it is up to the same fine standard, predominantly mellow if hot-blooded with
Tribe label titans
Phil Ranelin and
Wendell Harrison adding some intensity with spirited blowing. Even
Younge's closing monologue seems apt, reaffirming the mother continent's standing as the center of the world. It's all fit for coasting into an August sunset. ~ Andy Kellman
