Roy Ayers

From 1960s West Coast jazz to the funk and disco scene of the 1970s through to the early roots of hip-hop, Roy Ayers left his mark as a soulful, experimental pioneer and all round cool cat. Raised in Los Angeles by a musical family, Ayers took up the vibraphone (an aluminium version of a xylophone) aged 17 and sucked up the sounds of the Central Avenue nightclubs before learning his trade as part of flautist Herbie Mann's band. He soundtracked the cult Pam Griers film Coffy (1973) and scored underground hits with Evolution and Brother Green (The Disco King), creating a soul-funk sound that incorporated choppy, wah-wah guitars alongside his jazz roots. Everybody Loves The Sunshine from the 1976 album of the same name became his signature track before he teamed up with Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti for the album Music Of Many Colours (1980) and performed on rapper Guru's jazz/hip-hop fusion Jazzmatazz Vol.1 (1993). Given the nickname "Icon Man" by the hip-hop community, he has latterly become one of the most sampled musicians in history with artists such as Mos Def, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige, Puff Daddy, Whitney Houston and A Tribe Called Quest all re-working his music. Whether it be producing tracks with Kanye West, performing or experimenting with house music, he still works tirelessly and can be heard on the computer game Grand Theft Auto IV as the voice of a radio host.