Roy Ayers - Ubiquity

Roy Ayers' first album on the Polydor label inaugurates his music's evolution away from the more traditional jazz of his earlier Atlantic LPs toward the infectious, funk-inspired fusion. Although Ubiquity maintains one foot in Ayers' hard bop origins, it favors soulful grooves and sun-kissed textures that flirt openly with commercial tastes. AllMusic reviewer Jason Ankeny rated the album with **** out of five stars, stating that “Several cuts feature the male/female vocals that would become a hallmark of subsequent works by the same group, while mid-tempo instrumentals like ‘Pretty Brown Skin’ and ‘The Painted Desert’ feature evocatively cinematic arrangements and intriguing solos that unfurl like psychedelic freak flags. The crack supporting cast including bassist John Williams, keyboardist Harry Whitaker, and drummer Alphonso Mouzon proves equally effective on high-energy numbers like ‘Can You Dig It’ and the Nat Adderley-penned ‘Hummin' in the Sun,’ which point the way to the mind-expanding funk Ayers would perfect across the sessions to follow. An outstanding record.”

Tracklist:

SIDE ONE:

1. Pretty Brown Skin ... 5:42 (Roy Ayers-Michelle Birdsong)
2. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head ... 4:49 (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)
3. I Can't Help Myself ... 3:05 (Roy Ayers)
4. *Love ... 4:25 (Edwin Birdsong-Michelle Birdsong)

SIDE TWO:

1. The Fuzz ... 4:10 (Roy Ayers)
2. Hummin' ... 3:45 (Nat Adderley-Gene McDaniels ; Special Arrangement: Roy Ayers-Edwin Birdsong)
3. *Can You Dig It? ... 5:54 (Edwin Birdsong/Michelle Birdsong)
4. Painted Desert ... 4:44 (Josef Zawinul)

Arranged by Roy Ayers & Edwin Birdsong 

Recorded at A & R Studios 

Engineer: Tony May 

*Recorded At Mayfair Studios 

*Engineer: Eddie Smith

Personnel:

ROY AYERS, Vibes, Vocals 

HARRY WHITAKER, Electric Piano 

BILL HENDERSON, Electric Piano* 

(*note: Bill replaces Harry Whitaker for 2 

selections: LOVE and CAN YOU DIG IT?)

RICHIE RESNICOFF, Guitar 

JOHN WILLIAMS, Electric Bass

ALPHONZO MOUZON, Drums 

JUMMA SANTOS, Conga 

EDWIN BIRDSONG, Organ, Vocals

A JUNAT PRODUCTION 

Executive Producer: Michael Levy 

Associate Producer: Myrnaleah Williams 

Album Supervision: Esmond Edwards 

Art Director: David Krieger 

Photography: Joel Brodsky