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"Virgo Vibes" by Roy Ayers


HWright

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While reading the AMG entry on Nat Adderley last night, I came upon an interesting description of a Roy Ayers Atlantic album from 1967 called "Virgo Vibes":

"Long before he switched to playing disco and pop music, Roy Ayers was considered a promising young jazz vibraphonist. This LP, his second as a leader, was one of his finest. On four of the five selections (obscurities and pieces by group members), Ayers teams up with trumpeter Charles Tolliver, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Reggie Workman, drummer Bruno Carr, and the mysterious pianist Ronnie Clark (Herbie Hancock under a disguised name). On "Glow Flower," Ayers and Tolliver are joined by Harold Land on tenor, pianist Jack Wilson, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Donald Bailey. The music is primarily advanced hard bop with some freer moments on Tolliver's "The Ringer." This underrated music is long overdue to be reissued on CD and displays Roy Ayers' lost potential."

Anyone ever hear this on LP? Any thoughts? It would certainly be an excellent candidate for reissue by Koch or one of the other small labels that has been reissuing obscure Atlantic jazz dates.

Edited by HWright
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I like that date. Have the Atlantic LP. Several problems with it, beside the album being an excellent one and worthy of a proper reissue:

- I have not cared much for Ayers albums after that one, but then I'm not into funk jazz,

- the LP is stored next to the Albert Aylers and every time I attempt to pull it out I see those Aylers and decide to give these a hearing,

- the notes from our friend Leonard Feather. OK this was 1967 but did he have to describe Ayers as a Virgo, Joe Henderson as a Taurus, Reggie Workman as a Cancer, etc... Feather signs his liner notes as Leonard Feather (Another Virgo) :wacko:

Joe Henderson is superb on side A and so is Harold Land on side B!

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I dig that David Newman too, kh.

Also, Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival--falls in a transitional period between the more jazz-oriented early Roy to the latter funk/r&b-leaning Roy. Includes a cool version of "In A Silent Way." :tup

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Virgo Vibes is indeed a very good date! BTW - I believe that Herbie Hancock is in the piano chair under an assumed name.

You may be on to something. This seems to be pianist Ronnie Clark's only record date. The only thing that Leonard Feather mentions about him in the liner notes is that he 'is an Aries with a brillantly original style'.

Herbie Hancock was born April 12, 1940. An Aries!

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Virgo Vibes is indeed a very good date!  BTW - I believe that Herbie Hancock is in the piano chair under an assumed name.

You may be on to something. This seems to be pianist Ronnie Clark's only record date. The only thing that Leonard Feather mentions about him in the liner notes is that he 'is an Aries with a brillantly original style'.

Herbie Hancock was born April 12, 1940. An Aries!

read the AMG quote in the very first post in this thread, it seems to be common knowledge that we're indeed dealing with Hancock here.

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