Roy Ayers

Vibraphonist Roy Ayers crossed over from jazz to funk and found commercial success in the mid-'70s with what he called "disco jazz." He then was rediscovered in the '90s as one of the precursors of acid-jazz. He learned piano at an early age; at five, his playing impressed Lionel Hampton, who gave him a pair of mallets. Ayers began playing vibes professionally with West Coast bands in the late '50...