Stoned Soul Picnic dates from the earlier part of
Roy Ayers' career as a leader, before he delved heavily into R&B and funk fusions and instead concentrated more on soul-jazz grooves.
Ayers leads a septet including such big names as pianist
Herbie Hancock, altoist
Gary Bartz, bassist
Ron Carter, and flutist
Hubert Laws. The
Laura Nyro-penned title track foreshadows
Ayers' later forays beyond the boundaries of pure jazz, and the group keeps the groove percolating nicely throughout, making
Stoned Soul Picnic one of
Ayers' better jazz-oriented outings. ~ Steve Huey