A Tear to a Smile holds a unique place in Roy Ayers' vast catalog. Released in 1975, it follows a string of albums that began in 1971 with He's Coming where the great vibraphonist and bandleader pioneered his own seamless blend of funky jazz. They all had grooves, but jazz arrangements dominated; vocals were used only as accents on his instrumental mix. The two albums that immediately preceded this one were the stellar Virgo Red and Change Up the Groove, both issued in 1974. What is immediately apparent on the latter of these is how effortless Ayers made it all seem; and why, perhaps, for his own artistic development, he needed to change direction. Having always loved soul and being deeply interested the newly emergent R&B of groups like Earth, Wind Fire, the Isley Brothers, and Parliament, the music on Tear to a Smile is a logical extension of what he'd accomplished earlier. The funk and proto-disco sounds on this set are easily as sophisticated as his jazz-funk records, but there are key differences. The place of vocals on the album is a great starting point. With talented singers such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Edwin Birdsong, Debbie Burrell, and Carolyn Byrd taking prominent roles on the set, the listener's attention goes directly to the human voice. That said, the instrumental quotient is equally high, with other players here such as bassist William Allen (who wrote or co-wrote most of these tracks and acted as the session's arranger), pianist Harry Whitaker, and drummer Bernard Pretty Purdie, among others.

1		2000 Black
2		Magic Lady
3		Show Us a Feeling
4		Ebony Blaze
5		Time and Space
6		No Question
7		The Way of the World
8		The Old One Two (Move to Groove)
9		Miles (Love's Silent Dawn)
10		A Tear to a Smile

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