{"product_id":"roy-ayers-stoned-soul-picnic","title":"Roy Ayers - Stoned Soul Picnic","description":"\u003cp\u003eLong before Everybody Loves The Sunshine made him a crate-digger's patron saint, Roy Ayers cut Stoned Soul Picnic, a 1968 set that shows the vibraphonist's soulful instincts taking shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the time Ayers was best known as a sideman in flautist Herbie Mann's band, and this album helped establish him as a leader in his own right. It sits at a fascinating crossroads, still rooted in post-bop jazz yet already leaning toward the pop and soul songbook that would shape his groundbreaking work in the following decade.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe title track Stoned Soul Picnic takes Laura Nyro's sunny hit and turns it into a breezy, shimmering vehicle for Ayers' mallets, all bright chords and easy forward motion. Wave pays tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim with gentle bossa rhythms and a soft, glowing melody.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Rose For Cindy opens the record on a tender, unhurried note, while For Once In My Life gives the Stevie Wonder favourite a swinging, celebratory lift. Across six tracks, the vibes ring out clean and warm, framed by horns and a supple rhythm section.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis reissue brings a quietly influential record back into circulation. For anyone tracing the roots of jazz-funk, soul-jazz and the sampled grooves that followed, it makes an essential stop.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alliance Entertainment","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57478825345329,"sku":"822720781751","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0704\/2026\/7313\/files\/Roy_Ayers-Stoned_Soul_Picnic.jpg?v=1794395472","url":"https:\/\/vinyl.com\/products\/roy-ayers-stoned-soul-picnic","provider":"Vinyl.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}