Quotes from Roy Ayers

I don't like rap that you can't understand. The youth is so quick and alert.

I always had this energy level that made me want to come to New York.

Soul has no musical geographical or racial boundaries.

Most musicians count at the beginning, and never count and talk to their musicians after that. They only talk to them at the end of the song. But I would count with them and talk.

Now I get exposure first with people directly in the clubs. This is a unique situation for me.

I couldn't get my album played over the so-called smooth jazz stations. Jazz stations would not play it. You don't always know who you're making that soul connection with.

I was being an artist, being sensitive and technical as artists are. I'm sure Leonardo Da Vinci did that. Artists don't always feel the same as others feel about their work.

I generally sell my records online or at the show. You can undersell the distributor and the stores, and people know what they're getting cause they've just seen you live.

The majors, they have to control the distribution, the record outlets, the radio and, in some cases, even the venues. And downloading and pirating have also put pressure on the majors.

The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.