Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981

Performer: Roy Ayers
Artist: Justo Almario; Merry Clayton; Bobby Lyle; Bernard Purdie
Distributor: Caroline Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Roy Ayers (vocals, electric piano, keyboards, vibraphone); William Allen (vocals, bass); Carla Vaughn, Merry Clayton, Sylvia Cox, Edwin Birdsong (vocals); Justo Almario (tenor saxophone); John Mosley (trumpet); Philip Woo (piano, keyboards); Bobby Lyle, Harry Whitaker (piano); Chuck Anthony (guitar); Nathaniel Phillips, Peter Brown (bass); Dennis Davis, Bernard Purdie, Steve Cobb, Bruce Carter (drums); Chano O'Ferral (congas). Compilation producers: Roy Ayers, Peter Adarkwah, Sarah Williams, Eddie Bezalel. Recorded between 1976 & 1981. Includes liner notes by Roy Ayers, Carl Clay, Edwin Birdsong. The inevitable companion to any sort of soul-jazz or jazz-funk reissue campaign since at least the mid-'90s, the remix album is almost always a disappointment. Fans of the artist under reconstruction get annoyed because the DJs and producers take precedence over the original recordings, and fans of the DJs and producers usually aren't that impressed by these boring old guys' records that their favorite hip remix guy is working with. Virgin Ubiquity: Remixed, the two-disc capper to the two-year rarities reissue project of the same name, carries on that proud tradition of being equally unsatisfying for both Roy Ayers fans and contemporary dance music fans. Most effective are the mixes that do little to mess with the original tracks, merely boosting or replacing the rhythm tracks to increase their dancefloor utility: "Liquid Love (Latin Mix)," which is basically an Ayers vibraphone solo set next to an Afro-Cuban scraper and a reverb-heavy bassline, is the best of the bunch. The worst, conversely, are those which chop the original recordings into such tiny samples and loops that any sense of Ayers' personality and inimitable sense of groove is gone. Sadly, too much of Virgin Ubiquity: Remixed is just that kind of pleasant but anonymous club music. ~ Stewart Mason Given that Roy Ayers really never left the spotlight, it would be inappropriate to call any sort of rediscovery or renaissance of his music a comeback. However, the resurgence of interest in the jazz musician's expansive and innovative catalog has prompted ears both new and old to give Ayers his long overdue credit as a soul-jazz pioneer. This two-disc set features remixes from BBE's excellent Virgin Ubiquity, Vol. 2: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981, and brings a veritable A-list who's who of soul/electronic/downtempo remixers to the plate. House gurus Kenny Dope and Osunlade offer up heavy sessions of tasteful grooves without overshadowing the genius of the original tracks. King Britt also contributes a strong reinterpretation of "Kwajilori," while DJ Spinna and the Platinum Pied Pipers focus their remixes more toward the downtempo/hip-hop crowd. At two discs in length, normally a project of this size could be trimmed to a single disc for an excellent release. But there's something for everyone here, regardless of your subgenre affiliation. At least it's not remixing the classics in a feeble attempt to update an artist's catalog, and that in itself is a breath of fresh air. ~ Rob Theakston That an item like this -- 13 completely unreleased recordings from Roy Ayers' vintage Polydor period (1976-'81) -- even exists is a strange and wonderful thing. That it is merely the first volley in a slew of issues is a kind of pop culture miracle. BBE has compiled 134 absolutely fantastic tracks form the Ayers vault. Keep in mind that, though none of these sides ever appeared on an album (the version of "Mystic Voyage" here is an alternate), it's not because they were in any way substandard. Ayers merely documented everything he wrote from the period and recorded, mixed, and mastered it all, whether or not it ever made it to LP. Here, Ayers and friends -- who include bassist and longtime collaborator William Allen, and three different lead vocalists in Merry Clayton, Carla Vaughn, and Sylvia Cox -- work out funk, mellow soul, and smooth jazz grooves that are as fine as anything he issued during this prolific period. The music is daring, accessible, saturated in dancefloor rhythms and the kind of lush, spot-on production that has become Ayers' trademark. While there are a pair of tracks that have been issued as 12" A-sides by BBE, the label does a great job of keeping the selections fresh for those punters seeking not to spend their hard-earned dollars on compilations that overlap. Standouts include "Mystery of Love," and "I Really Love You" with Clayton, "Sugar" with Vaughn, the funky vibes-drenched instrumental "Green and Gold," with Bobby Lyle playing tough counterpoint to Ayers on electric piano, the alternate "Mystic Voyage," and the amazing "I Just Wanna Give It Up," and "I Am Your Mind," with the dirtiest bassline on the package. This is necessary for all Ayers fans. For Ayers collectors, this is the Holy Grail, but stay tuned, there's more coming. ~ Thom Jurek

Q (2/04, p.112) - 3 stars out of 5 - "The disco-pinned 'Baby Doll' and soulful 'Brand New Feeling' stand out, but the mystery is why these tracks weren't released three decades ago. Mojo (Publisher) (2/04, p.111) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Splendid!"

Though Roy Ayers was originally a pianist, his career took off after he picked up the vibraphone in the 1960s. With his group Ubiquity--which featured heavyweights such as Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter--Ayers made some of the finest jazz/funk fusion records of the 1970s. He worked with Afrobeat godfather Fela Kuti in the early '80s and later collaborated with Guru for the first installment of the rapper's JAZZMATAZZ series. His unique style has had a tremendous influence on numerous genres from hip-hop and disco to acid jazz and funk.

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