ROY AYERS UBIQUITY — Virgo Red (1973-2009) RM | Serie Verve Originals | FLAC (tracks+.cue) lossless

Despite contributions from an abundance of soul-jazz greats including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Owens, and Garnett Brown, Virgo Red is the most stripped-down and nuanced of Roy Ayers' Ubiquity LPs. Its sinuous funk grooves are first and foremost a showcase for the intuitive interplay of Ayers and electric keyboardist Harry Whitaker, whose Fender Rhodes' fills orbit Ayers' vibes' solos like a planet circling the sun. The material is a crazy quilt of righteously soulful originals and deeply funky covers spanning Leroy Hutson's soul classic "Giving Love" to Stories' soft pop smash "Brother Louie" to absolute treacle like The Poseidon Adventure's "The Morning After" -- by all rights it shouldn't work, but as the astrological overtones winding through Virgo Red attest, sometimes the stars align. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1    Brother Louie 6:08
Composed By – E. Brown, T. Wilson
2    Virgo Red 2:58
Composed By – C. Clay, R. Ayers
3    I Am Your Mind 6:13
Composed By – C. Clay, R. Ayers
4    The Morning After 4:37
Composed By – A. Kasha, J. Hirschhorn
5    Love From The Sun 2:43
Composed By – C. Clay, R. Clay, W. Garfield
6    It's So Sweet 4:23
Composed By – R. Alderson, W. Salter
7    Giving Love 4:26
Composed By – J. Reaves, L. Hutson
8    Des Nude Soul 4:49
Composed By – R. Ayers
Credits
Arranged By [Vocals] – Bert DeCoteaux
Artwork – Haruo Miyauchi
Baritone Vocals – Argerie Ayers, Arthur Clark, D.D Bridgewater, Leslie Carter, Seldon Powell, Willie Michael
Bass – David Johnson, Gordon Edwards
Congas, Bongos, Vocals – Chano O'Ferral
Drums, Percussion – Dennis Davis
Guitar – Dennis Heaven, Will Hawes
Percussion – Adrian Dey, Stephen Sadiz Shbazzberrios
Piano, Electric Piano, Organ – Harry Whitaker
Sitar [Electric Sitar] – Jerry Friedman
Trombone – Garnett Brown
Trumpet – Cecil Bridgewater, Jimmie Owens
Vibraphone, Organ, Vocals, Percussion, Arranged By [Vocals] – Roy Ayers

HERBIE MANN - Memphis Underground (1969-2002) RM / Atlantic Masters / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Herbie Mann has always been open to new trends in his music. For this 1969 studio session, he and three other top soloists (vibraphonist Roy Ayers and guitarists Larry Coryell and Sonny Sharrock) went down to Memphis and combined their talents with a topnotch local rhythm section. The music effectively mixes R&B and country rhythms with the lead jazz voices, although the material, which includes "Memphis Underground," "Hold On! I'm Comin'," and "Chain of Fools," is rather weak. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Memphis Underground 7:09
Herbie Mann
2     New Orleans 2:07
Frank Guida / Joseph Royster
3     Hold on, I'm Comin' 8:57
Isaac Hayes / David Porter
Bass [Fender] – Miroslav Vitous
4     Chain of Fools 10:43
Don Covay
5     Battle Hymn of the Republic 7:14
Traditional
Arranged By – Herbie Mann
Congas – Roy Ayers
Credits :
Bass [Fender Bass] – Mike Leech, Tommy Cogbill
Drums – Gene Christman
Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic Piano] – Bobby Wood
Flute – Herbie Mann
Guitar – Larry Coryell, Reggie Young, Sonny Sharrock
Organ – Bobby Emmons
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Roy Ayers

HERBIE MANN - Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty (1969-2013) RM / Jazz Best Collection 1000 - 9 / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although it followed a formula similar to the hugely successful Memphis Underground, Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty stands on its own as a superb example of the fusion of jazz with '60s soul music, a genre that Herbie Mann stood atop at the time of its release. In addition to Mann band members Roy Ayers, Miroslav Vitous and Bruno Carr, the recording employs the Muscle Shoals rhythm section that had played together on numerous soul hits of the '60s, including those of Aretha Franklin. Standout cuts include the title track, with the its horn-driven groove; Sharrock's "Blind Willy," featuring a jew's-harp hook; and a smoldering version of Lennon & McCartney's "Come Together." Throughout the album, Mann's solos wail through the upper register of the flute, while Ayers finds interestingly funky passages on the vibes. by Jim Newsom
Tracklist :
1     Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty 6:54
Herbie Mann
2     Claudia Pie 4:41
Herbie Mann
3     Can You Dig It 5:17
Edwin Birdsong
4     Blind Willy 4:50
Sonny Sharrock
5     Come Together 10:10
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
6     Pana Red's Panama Hat 5:11
Herbie Mann
Credits :
Bass – David Hood
Drums, Jew's Harp – Roger Hawkins
Flute – Herbie Mann
Guitar – Eddie Hinton
Piano – Barry Beckett
Saxophone – Andrew Love, Ed Logan, James Mitchell
Trumpet – Wayne Jackson
Vibraphone – Roy Ayers

HERBIE MANN – Stone Flute (1970-2013) RM | Jazz Best Collection 1000 - 10 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 1970 record buyer who came across Stone Flute expecting a typical Herbie Mann album in the Memphis Underground vein was in for a big surprise. Instead of funk, there was moodiness. Instead of a groove, there were violins, viola and cello. The feeling was one of floating in space, with the flute sailing freely over the William Fischer arrangements, like a Miles Davis trumpet solo of this, the Bitches Brew era. This is a totally atypical Herbie Mann recording, but one which rewards repeated listening. Jim Newsom
Tracklist :
1     In Tangier 10:35
David Mills
2     Paradise Beach 4:59
Herbie Mann
3     Flying 5:21
George Harrison / John Lennon / Paul McCartney / Ringo Starr
4     Miss Free Spirit 12:40
Herbie Mann
5     Waltz for My Son 4:23
Herbie Mann
6     Pendulum 2:35
Herbie Mann
Credits :
Arranged By – William Fischer
Bass – Miroslav Vitous (faixas: 3, 4, 5), Ron Carter (faixas: 1, 2, 6)
Cello – George Ricci (faixas: 1, 2, 6), Kermit Moore (faixas: 3, 4, 5)
Drums – Bruno Carr (faixas: 1, 2, 4), Mickey Rocca (faixas: 3, 4, 5)
Flute, Producer, Photography [Backliner Photo] – Herbie Mann
Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Roy Ayers
Viola – Al Brown (faixas: 3, 4, 5), Selwart Clarke (faixas: 1, 2, 6)
Violin – Manny Green (faixas: 1, 2, 6), Gene Orloff (faixas: 1, 2, 6), Peter Dimitriades (faixas: 3, 4, 5), Selwart Clarke (faixas: 3, 4, 5)

HERBIE MANN - Live At The Whisky A Go Go + Mississippi Gambler (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 2001, Collectables released Live at the Whisky A Go Go/Mississippi Gambler, which combined a pair of original Atlantic LPs -- Live at the Whisky A Go Go (1968) and Mississippi Gambler (1972) -- by Herbie Mann on one compact disc. by John Bush
Tracklist :
Live At The Whisky A Go Go (1968)
1    Ooh Baby 15:50
Written-By – Chris Hill, Columbus Baker
2    Philly Dog 14:06
Written-By – Rufus Thomas
Mississippi Gambler (1972)  
3    Swing Low Sweet Chariot 5:27
Arranged By – Herbie Mann
4    Mississippi Gambler 6:50
Written-By – Herbie Mann
5    Dippermouth 8:50
Written-By – Herbie Mann
6    Respect Yourself 5:28
Written-By – Luther Ingram, Mack Rice
7    I've Been Loving You Too Long 5:47
Written-By – Jerry Butler, Otis Redding
8    (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 6:49
Written-By – Mick Jagger & Keith Richard

HERBIE MANN - Windows Opened + The Inspiration I Feel (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This two-fer from Collectables features a pair of out of print Herbie Mann LPs: Windows Opened and The Inspiration I Feel, both originally issued on Atlantic Records in 1968. These 12 tracks feature jazz versions of popular songs of the period written by Donovan, Tim Hardin, and Jimmy Webb plus six associated with Ray Charles. by Al Campbell
Tracklist :
Windows Opened (1968)
1     There Is a Mountain 6:06
Donovan
2     If I Were a Carpenter 5:41
Tim Hardin
3     Paper Man 6:48
Charles Tolliver
4     Footprints 8:26
Wayne Shorter
5     By the Time I Get to Phoenix 2:16
Jimmy Webb
6     Windows Opened 7:36
Roy Ayers
Credits :
Bass – Miroslav Vitous (faixas: 1-6)
Drums – Bruno Carr (faixas: 1-6)
Flute – Herbie Mann (faixas: 1-6)
Guitar – Sonny Sharrock (faixas: 1-6)
Vibraphone – Roy Ayers (faixas: 1-6)
The Inspiration I Feel (1968)
7     Lonely Avenue 6:25
Doc Pomus
8     Drown in My Own Tears 5:10
Henry Glover
9     Sticks and Stones 5:39
Titus Turner
10     I Got a Woman 6:53
Ray Charles / Renald Richard
11     Come Rain or Come Shine 4:44
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
12     Georgia on My Mind 4:48
Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell
Credits :
Arranged By, Conductor – William Fischer
Flute [Uncredited] – Herbie Mann

HERBIE MANN - Our Mann Flute + Impressions of the Middle East (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This two-fer from Collectables features a pair of out of print Herbie Mann LPs: Our Mann Flute and Impressions of the Middle East. Originally issued in 1966 and 1967, respectively, these 21 jazz-pop tracks include "Frere Jacques," "Down by the Riverside," and "Skip to My Lou." This is an enjoyable reissue from Mann's massive catalog on Atlantic Records, but most listeners would be better served with one of the many compilations in print. by Al Campbell
Tracklist :
Our Mann Flute (1966)    
1    Scratch    2:34
Wayne Henderson
2    Philly Dog    2:28
Rufus Thomas
3    Happy Brass    2:10
Herbie Mann
4    Good Lovin'    2:51
Rudy Clark / Arthur Resnick
5    Theme From "This Is My Beloved"    5:07
Herbie Mann
6    Frere Jacques 2:15
Traditional
7    Our Man Flint    2:44
Jerry Goldsmith
8    Fiddler On The Roof    2:22
Jerry Bock / Sheldon Harnick
9    Theme From "Malamondo"    2:18
Ennio Morricone
10    Down By The Riverside    2:34
Paul Barnes / Traditional
11    Monday, Monday    2:58
John Phillips
12    Skip To My Lou    2:22
Traditional
Credits :
Arranged By, Conductor – Arif Mardin (faixas: 7), Herbie Mann (faixas: 3, 10), Jimmy Wisner (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 11), Oliver Nelson (faixas: 5), Richard Wess (faixas: 6, 8, 9, 12)
Impressions Of The Middle East (1967)    
1    Turkish Coffee    5:01
Herbie Mann -flute; Chick Ganimian -oud; Roy Ayers -vibes;Reggie Workman -bass;
Bruno Carr -drums; Carlos"Patato"Valdes -conga drums; Hachig Thomas Kazarian &
Geraldine Swee -percussion
2    Incense    7:19
Herbie Mann -alto flute; Chick Ganimian -oud; Roy Ayers -vibes;Reggie Workman -bass;
Bruno Carr -drums; Carlos"Patato"Valdes -conga drums; Hachig Thomas Kazarian &
Geraldine Swee -percussion
3    Odalisque    7:43
Herbie Mann -flute; Chick Ganimian -oud; Roy Ayers -vibes;Reggie Workman -bass;
Bruno Carr -drums; Carlos"Patato"Valdes -conga drums; Hachig Thomas Kazarian &
Geraldine Swee -percussion
4    Do Wah Diddy Diddy    2:39
Herbie Mann -flute; Chick Ganimian -oud; Jimmy Owens -trumpet; Julian Priester &
Joe Orange -trombone; Hachig Thomas Kazarian -clarinet; Reggie Workman -bass;
Mohamed Elakkad -zither; Atilla Zoller -guitar; Bruno Carr -drums; Moulay Ali Hafid,
Robert Marashlian & Carlos"Patato"Valdes -percussion
5    Uskudar    3:39
Herbie Mann -flute; Chick Ganimian -oud; Jimmy Owens -trumpet & fluegelhorn;
Hachig Thomas Kazarian -clarinet; Mohamed Elakkad -zither; Reggie Workman -bass;
Bruno Carr -drums; Robert Marashlian & Moulay Ali Hafid -percussion
6    The Oud And The Pussycat    5:04
Herbie Mann -flute; Chick Ganimian -oud; Jimmy Owens -trumpet; Julian Priester &
Joe Orange -trombone; Hachig Thomas Kazarian -clarinet; Reggie Workman -bass;
Mohamed Elakkad -zither; Atilla Zoller -guitar; Bruno Carr -drums; Moulay Ali Hafid,
Robert Marashlian & Carlos"Patato"Valdes -percussion
7    Yavuz    4:38
Herbie Mann -flute; Chick Ganimian -oud; Jimmy Owens -trumpet & fluegelhorn;
Hachig Thomas Kazarian -clarinet; Mohamed Elakkad -zither; Reggie Workman -bass;
Bruno Carr -drums; Robert Marashlian & Moulay Ali Hafid -percussion
8    Dance Of The Semites    4:29
Herbie Mann -flute; Chick Ganimian -oud; Jimmy Owens -trumpet & fluegelhorn;
Hachig Thomas Kazarian -clarinet; Mohamed Elakkad -zither; Reggie Workman -bass;
Bruno Carr -drums; Robert Marashlian & Moulay Ali Hafid -percussion
9    Eli Eli    3:57
Herbie Mann -flute; Richard Davis -bass; Gloria Agostino -harp; David Nadien,
Anahid Adjemian'Al Brown, Bernard Eichen, Leo Cahn, Leo Kruczek, Charles Libove,
Dave Mankowitz, Charles McCracken, Marvin Morgenstern, George Ockner, Raoul Poliakin,
Max Pollikoff,George Ricci, Aaron Rosand, Tosha Samaroff, Al Schulman, Sylvan Schulman,
Karen Tuttle, Emanuel Vardi & Jack Zayde -strings

HERBIE MANN - Live at the Whisky 1969 : The Unreleased Masters (2016) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist 1 :
1     Untitled Jam 7:21
Roy Ayers / Bruno Carr / Herbie Mann / Steve Marcus / Sonny Sharrock / Miroslav Vitous
2     Tangier/If I Were a Carpenter 24:21
Tim Hardin / Donovan Leitch
3     Memphis Underground 10:37
Herbie Mann
4     Ooh Baby 21:37
Columbus Baker / Chris Hill
5     Scarborough Fair 4:06
Traditional
Tracklist 2 :    
1     Black Woman 5:47
Sonny Sharrock
2     All Blues 6:01
Miles Davis
3     If I Were a Carpenter 25:49
Tim Hardin
4     Philly Dog 10:45
Rufus Thomas
5     Portrait of Linda in three Colors, All black 7:36
Sonny Sharrock
6     Come Home Baby/Battle Hymn of the Republic/Come Home Baby 5:12
Julia Ward Howe / Ben Tucker
7     Chain of Fools 12:46
Don Covay
Credits :
Bass – Miroslav Vitous
Drums – Bruno Carr
Flute – Herbie Mann
Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Lead Vocals – Linda Sharrock (faixas: 2-1, 2-5)
Tenor Saxophone – Steve Marcus
Vibraphone – Roy Ayers

ROY AYERS - Coffy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1973-2001) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

A blaxploitation masterpiece on par with Curtis Mayfield's Superfly and Isaac Hayes' Shaft, Roy Ayers' soundtrack for the 1973 Pam Grier vehicle Coffy remains one of the most intriguing and evocative film scores of its era or any other. Ayers' signature vibes create atmospheres and textures quite distinct from your average blaxploitation effort, embracing both heavy, tripped-out funk ("Brawling Broads") and vividly nuanced soul-jazz ("Aragon"). The vocal numbers are no less impressive, in particular the rapturous opening cut, "Coffy Is the Color." Richly  by Jason Ankeny

Tracklist:

1 Coffy Is The Color 2:58

Vocals – Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Ayers, Wayne Garfield

2 Pricilla's Theme 3:53

3 King George 2:55

Vocals – Roy Ayers

4 Aragon 2:52

5 Coffy Sauna 2:13

6 King's Last Ride 1:05

7 Coffy Baby 2:23

Vocals – Dee Dee Bridgewater

8 Brawling Broads 2:40

9 Escape 2:14

10 Shining Symbol 3:49

Vocals – Wayne Garfield

11 Exotic Dance 3:14

12 Making Love 2:45

13 Vittroni's Theme - King Is Dead 1:58

14 End Of Sugarman 1:04

Credits:

Bass [Electric], Bass – Richard Davis  

Congas, Bongos, Percussion – William King  

Drums – Dennis Davis

Guitar – Billy Nichols, Bob Rose

Orchestrated By, Electric Piano, Organ, Harpsichord, Piano – Harry Whitaker

Producer, Composed By, Arranged By – Roy Ayers

Strings – Emanuel Vardi, Harry Lookofsky, Irving Spice, Peter Dimitriades

Trombone – Garnett Brown, Wayne Andre

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Cecil Bridgewater, Jon Faddis