Roy Ayers on Vinyl: Where to Start With the Jazz-Funk Master

Few musicians left a wider footprint on modern groove music than Roy Ayers. Born in Los Angeles on September 10, 1940, he grew up in a musical household and, as the story goes, was handed a pair of vibraphone mallets by Lionel Hampton at the age of five. That instrument became his signature. Ayers turned the vibraphone, an instrument most listeners filed under cocktail jazz, into a warm, rhythmic voice that could carry a dance floor. Along the way he earned a lasting nickname as the godfather of neo-soul.

His path ran straight through the heart of American music. In the 1960s he cut soul-jazz sides for Atlantic and toured as part of flutist Herbie Mann's group, sharpening the groove instincts that would define him. Around the turn of the decade he formed Roy Ayers Ubiquity, the band that carried him to his creative peak across the 1970s on Polydor. Those records, loose, sunlit, and deeply funky, went on to be sampled hundreds of times by hip-hop and R&B producers, which is a large part of why a new generation keeps discovering his name in the credits.

That reach is exactly why his catalog rewards a proper dig. GOOD TASTE Records carries a deep run of Ayers on vinyl, from his early Atlantic vibraphone dates to the Ubiquity classics that defined jazz-funk. Here is where to start, and where to go next.

Roy Ayers - Virgo Vibes (1967)

Before the funk, there was the swing. Released on Atlantic in 1967, Virgo Vibes catches Ayers in his straight-ahead soul-jazz period, leading a sharp small group with his vibraphone out front. It is the sound of a young player who already knows exactly what he wants his instrument to say.

Why it's worth purchasing:

• Documents the roots of his style, years before Ubiquity made him a household name in groove circles.
• A prime entry point for jazz listeners who want to hear where the vibraphone voice began.
• Late-1960s Atlantic soul-jazz that still sounds fresh and uncluttered on a good system.

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - He's Coming (1972)

This is the moment the Ubiquity concept clicks into place. Cut for Polydor in 1972, He's Coming fuses jazz improvisation with soul songcraft and a rhythm section that refuses to sit still. This 180 gram Verve Vault Series pressing gives that early band room to breathe.

Why it's worth purchasing:

• Marks the true beginning of the jazz-funk era that made his reputation.
• A 180 gram pressing that suits the album's mix of horns, keys, and vibes.
• Essential listening for anyone tracing the line from soul-jazz into modern funk.

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Red, Black and Green (1973)

By 1973 Ayers was folding social consciousness into the groove. Red, Black and Green pairs deep, spiritual jazz-funk with a clear point of view, and it remains a favorite hunting ground for crate diggers and producers. The playing is patient, the pocket is heavy, and the mood sits somewhere between the club and the meditation room.

Why it's worth purchasing:

• A cornerstone of the socially aware jazz-funk that defined the early Ubiquity years.
• A go-to source of breaks and textures for sample-minded listeners.
• Balances spiritual jazz depth with a rhythm section built for movement.

Roy Ayers - Coffy (Original Soundtrack) (1973)

Ayers scored the 1973 Pam Grier film Coffy, and the result stands with the best soul soundtracks of its decade. Coffy moves from tender ballads to tense, wah-soaked funk, showing how naturally his vibraphone fit a cinematic setting. It works as a film score and as a straight listening record.

Why it's worth purchasing:

• One of the era's landmark soul and funk film scores, written and led by Ayers.
• Covers a wide emotional range, from soft ballads to gritty, cinematic funk.
• A rewarding pick for soundtrack collectors and funk listeners alike.

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Everybody Loves the Sunshine (1976)

If you own one Roy Ayers record, this is often the one. Recorded after hours at Electric Lady Studios and released on Polydor in 1976, Everybody Loves the Sunshine is warm, hazy, and hypnotic, built around a title track that has been sampled hundreds of times across hip-hop and R&B. It is the clearest statement of everything his music does well.

Why it's worth purchasing:

• His most recognized album and the natural first stop for newcomers.
• Home to a title track that became a foundational sample source for later producers.
• A masterclass in mood, space, and the vibraphone as a lead instrument.

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Vibrations (1976)

Released the same year as Everybody Loves the Sunshine, Vibrations leans further into dance-floor energy while keeping the jazz feel intact. The grooves are brighter and more direct, and the album has long been a quiet favorite among listeners who already know the hits. It is a natural next step once Sunshine has its hooks in you.

Why it's worth purchasing:

• A perfect companion to his 1976 signature album, cut in the same creative run.
• Brighter, more danceable grooves for listeners who want the funk up front.
• An underrated deep cut that rewards fans ready to go past the obvious picks.

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival (1972)

Studio records tell one story, but the Ubiquity band was built to stretch out. Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival captures them on stage in 1972, digging into extended grooves with the freedom a concert allows. For anyone who loves the studio albums, hearing these players improvise in real time is a treat.

Why it's worth purchasing:

• A live document of the early Ubiquity band at full stretch.
• Longer, looser takes that reveal how the music breathed on stage.
• A strong complement to the studio classics for deeper listeners.

That is a full arc, but it is far from the whole story. Ayers stayed prolific across the late 1970s and beyond, with later Polydor sides such as Mystic Voyage, Lifeline, and You Send Me pushing his sound toward the disco and boogie floors. Once the albums above are in your crate, those titles are the obvious places to keep exploring.

If You Like Roy Ayers

Ayers sat at the crossroads of spiritual jazz, funk, and soul, so the artists who share his air are a rich list. A few carried at GOOD TASTE to chase next:

• Lonnie Liston Smith: cosmic, sunlit jazz-funk that sits right beside the Ubiquity records.
• Herbie Hancock: the other great keyboard-and-groove innovator of the era, from Maiden Voyage to Head Hunters.
• Donald Byrd: a jazz trumpeter who crossed into funk and soul with the same easy confidence.
• Patrice Rushen: keyboardist and singer who carried the jazz-funk torch into elegant soul and boogie.
• Pharoah Sanders: for the spiritual jazz current running underneath so much of Ayers' best work.

Ayers is a perfect gateway into our wider Funk / Soul / Disco shelves, and his Ubiquity albums land squarely in the Jazz Funk section for anyone who wants to keep pulling on that thread. To see everything we currently carry by the man himself, browse the full Roy Ayers collection and start building your own run of sunshine.