Jorge Montiel is one half of Los Charly’s Orchestra with Juan Laya, who together have been contributing to London’s vibrant Latin fusion scene since 2007, drawing inspiration from 70’s New York City’s revolutionary Latin, disco and funk musical melting pot. As their cosmic new release, ‘Vibration’, drops on Imágenes Recordings, DMCWorld invited Jorge Montiel to share his most inspirational Roy Ayers productions.
Roy Ayers
“Roy Ayers is an amazing artist who has been with me on all my musical travels both in Caracas in Venezuela and in London. These are some my favourite songs and I have most of them on vinyl! The first time I saw him perform Live was at Glastonbury around 2005, and I’ve since seen him knock it out the park at the Jazz Cafe a few times. He’s always so inspiring and still today the music he makes is as great as in the early days. He’s such a consistent artist and one whose music never fails to touch you and life you up.” – Jorge Montiel
1 Roy Ayers – We Live In Brooklyn, Baby – Polydor 1972
This is one of my favourite songs ever. The contrast of the composition is just so amazing… literally everything is just so wonderful in this tune.
2 Roy Ayers – Life Is Just A Moment Pt. 2 – Polydor 1975
“Life is just a moment, you better enjoy it” …and before you even realise it the tune is fading out – brilliant musical analogy!
3 Roy Ayers – Love Will Bring Us Together – Polydor 1979
The clav…”we need more clavinet, we all boogie to the clavinet”! haha!
4 Fela Anikulapo Kuti & Roy Ayers – 2000 Blacks Got To Be Free (Original) 1980
So organic, 18 mins of pure grooviness. The more you listen the more it gets you!
5 Roy Ayers – Rock Your Roll – Polydor 1980
Steppin’ into a deep boogie dimension.
6 Roy Ayers – Running Away – Polydor 1991
This is such an amazing composition, and instant happiness is guaranteed as the needle hits the groove.
7 Roy Ayers – Our Time Is Coming – Masters At Work 2001
This tune brings me back to one of the greatest times of my DJ life. I remember walking into the small Vinyl Junkies basement in Berwick St in Soho, and the tune being blasted out on the sound system and it sounded so good! Big up to MAW too for all those records.
8 Roy Ayers – Searching- (Yoruba Soul Mix) – BBE 2006
Sundays at COOP – Plastic People in Shoreditch. This tune was one of the biggest classics! The drums on that sound system – the real deal, straight into your system.
9 Roy Ayers – Liquid Love – BBE 2015
One of the smoothest tracks ever.
10 Roy Ayers – Sunflowers – Jazz Is Death 2020
A proper “pandemic times” soul healer, and so beautifully recorded, grainy as we like it.
Los Charly’s Orchestra (Aka Juan Laya & Jorge Montiel) ‘Vibration’ is out now on Imágenes Recordings.
https://jorgemontiel.bandcamp.com/album/vibration-los-charlys-orchestra-aka-juan-laya-jorge-montiel
