Roy Ayers JID002

by Roy Ayers, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Adrian Younge

Overview

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

Product Details

Release Date:	09/24/2021
Label:	JAZZ IS DEAD
UPC:	0686162826339

Tracks

1. Synchronize Vibration
2. Hey Lover
3. Soulful & Unique
4. Shadows of the East
5. Sunflowers
6. Gravity
7. Solace
8. African Sounds

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ali Shaheed Muhammad   Primary Artist,Fender Rhodes,Piano (Grand),Bass (Electric),Guitar (Electric),Flute,Piano,Clavinet,Mellotron,Sax (Alto),Vibraphone,Synthesizer
Roy Ayers   Primary Artist,Vibraphone
Adrian Younge   Primary Artist,Flute,Piano,Clavinet,Mellotron,Sax (Alto),Vibraphone,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Piano (Grand),Bass (Electric),Guitar (Electric)
Phil Ranelin   Trombone
Joi Gilliam   Vocals
Anitra Castleberry   Vocals
Loren Oden   Vocals
Saudia Yasmein   Vocals
Greg Paul   Drums,Percussion
Elgin Clark   Vocals
Wendell Harrison   Sax (Tenor)

Technical Credits

Andrew Lojero   Executive Producer
Dave Cooley   Mastering
Adam Block   Associate Producer
Adrian Younge   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Julian Montague   Graphic Design
Anitra Castleberry   Composer
Elgin Clark   Composer
Roy Ayers   Composer
Ali Shaheed Muhammad   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer