Three months after
Adrian Younge
and
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
's Jazz Is Dead studio sessions were first manifested with the rotating guest showcase
Jazz Is Dead 001
, the series continues with its second volume, baring artwork that is consistent but a formal title that is not:
Roy Ayers JID002
, rather than, say, Jazz Is Dead 002: Roy Ayers. Jazz and soul legend
Ayers
is credited as co-writer of all eight cuts here, but this is more a continuation of
Younge
Muhammad
's profuse tandem work than a proper entry in the discography of the vibraphonist, who last recorded as a leader in 2004. Then again, this is at least a harmonious convergence, given that the spirit of
'
Atlantic
Polydor
recordings through roughly 1977 can be felt in
's output dating back to the latter's debut with
A Tribe Called Quest
. Rather confoundingly,
only accentuates these rolling grooves with his lithe vibes and takes no solos. He's present more commonly as a vocalist, guiding or enhancing group lines (with the likes of the brilliant
Joi Gilliam
Loren Oden
) that evoke conspiratorial intimacy like the quieter moments of his most treasured sides. "Hey Lover," which set the tone for
, reappears here and doesn't overshadow the newly presented material. Much of what precedes and follows it is up to the same fine standard, predominantly mellow if hot-blooded with
Tribe
label titans
Phil Ranelin
Wendell Harrison
adding some intensity with spirited blowing. Even
's closing monologue seems apt, reaffirming the mother continent's standing as the center of the world. It's all fit for coasting into an August sunset. ~ Andy Kellman