RAMP

A group that was based in Cincinnati and also an acronym for "Roy Ayers Music Productions," Ramp released one album in 1977 that didn't do all that much upon its release. However, decades later, as appreciation for anything bearing the mark of jazz-funk legend Roy Ayers has increased, the album has become a revered rare groove classic. Supported by the excellent "Daylight" (sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for "Bonita Applebaum") and a version of Ayers' "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," two anti-gravity soul/jazz-funk pearls, the rare album has been known to fetch extremely high prices among collectors. (It was reissued on CD in Japan in early 2007 and later in October in the United States.) The group -- bassist Nate White, drummer John Manuel, guitarist Landy Shores, and vocalists Sibel Thrasher and Sharon Matthews -- folded after the album's release but reconvened during the early 2000s. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide