Vibrations [LP]

In the digging world, is there a more solid musical catalog than that of Roy Ayers Ubiquity? The catalog starts strong with the iconic He's Coming and ends strong with the equally iconic Lifeline. There's no late seventies fizzle like other decade spanning artists, and everything in between seems to be a digger's staple. 1976's Vibrations is Ubiquity's penultimate record. What always impressed me about this particular album is the diversity of musical styles from track to track. I haven't listened to this in a couple years, and I'm taken back by it's unusual flow. Yeah, we all know about the Pete Rock-sampled "Searchin," but followed by the hard funk of "One Sweet Love To Remember"; the breezy title track (almost like a sequel to "Everybody Love's The Sunshine"); the spastic boogie of "Moving, Grooving"; to the hard midtempo drums of "Baby You Give Me A Feeling"... it becomes an inseparable part of the bigger picture. You'll find the theme on the equally strong A-side, check "Domelo," "Baby I Need Your Love" and "Higher" for a taste. Always loved the grainy cover photography too. 11 tracks in all, recommended.