Happy heavenly birthday to groove architect, Roy Ayers. A trailblazer whose music blurred the boundaries between jazz, soul, and funk. From his early days on the vibraphone to his iconic 1970s group Ubiquity, Ayers redefined what groove-based jazz could be, laying down rhythms that spoke to the dance floor as much as to the concert hall. Nicknamed the “Godfather of Neo-Soul,” his songs—like Everybody Loves the Sunshine and Searchin’—have not only become classics but have also been sampled by cou