Roy Ayers
Ubiquity
Play Ubiquity
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MOG Editorial Review
If there were ever an official moment where Roy Ayers began his transition from traditional jazz to funky fusion, it would have to be 1971's Ubiquity. With its trippy guitars, groovy pianos, and sensual vocals, opener "Pretty Brown Skin" obliterated any and all remaining connections Ayers had to the jazz establishment, and Ubiquity continues to solidify this fact throughout. Though nothing is quite as Earth-shattering as its opener, Ayers manages to shift between two worlds on Ubiquity, inhabiting a chaotic but more restrained jazz sound on "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," and smoky blues on "I Can't Help Myself." Ayers may have still been searching for that perfect fusion sound here, but part of Ubiquity's charm is witnessing that very process on each and every song.
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AMG Review of Ubiquity
Jason Ankeny
All Music GuideRoy Ayers' leap to 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 that still divides critics and fans even decades after the fact. Although Ubiquity maintains one foot in Ayers' hard bop origins, the record favors soulful grooves and sun-kissed textures that flirt openly and unapologetically with commercial tastes. Several cuts feature the male/female vocals that would become a hallmark of subsequent Ubiquity efforts, 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.
 "Ubiquity")
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