I got into Roy Ayers' music about three years ago, and first saw him at Ronnie Scott's last year. He way exceeded my expectations, adding new vibes to his greatest hits and really engaging with the crowd. At Jazz Cafe if you get a ticket for standing room only you can be right at the front near the stage and again I was taken in by another amzaing performance: with superb backing vocals and instrumentals in addition to Roy's humour and charisma. Roy Ayers is best suited to small intimate venues because that reflects his jazz/funk style which can be mellow and uplifting but very personal. Roy did all his hits but really gave a new dimension to them so that they sounded fresh and dynamic. 'Can't You See Me?' and 'No Stranger to Love' seem the best crowd pleasers in addition to his landmark 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine'.
My only criticism was with the Jazz Cafe: it advertised a 7:30pm start but Roy didn't appear until 21:30, with no support act that made for a boring 2 hour wait. Also there were some people in the crown who were either drunk or for some reason wanted to chat to their friends throughout the concert. Camden Jazz Cafe ought to monitor behaviour and remind people beforehand not to talk when someone's singing (why buy tickets to hear a singer if you just want to chat to your friend?) - aside from irritating others it's also disrespectful to the performer.
But that aside it was another uplifting experience from a master of funk-fusion. £27 well spent. They say you can have too much of a good thing: a Roy Ayers proves otherwise. Roll on Roy at Ronnie Scott's later this year!