Search - Ramp :: Come Into Knowledge (Reis) (Rstr) (Dig)

And get skooled on some Roy grooves.

vinylcrook | 03/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Centered around onetime Spinners utility players John Manuel (drums) and Landy Shores (guitar), Saturday Night Special -- presumably named after Norman Connors' Reggie Lucas-written song of the same name -- played in and around its hometown of Cincinnati during 1975 and 1976, basing live sets on reimagined versions of R&B hits that leaned toward sophisticated funk. Once Roy Ayers caught a gig and got involved, the band changed its name to RAMP ("Roy Ayers Music Productions") and recorded its one album, produced by Ayers with tight associates Edwin Birdsong and William Allen. The material swings between anti-gravity soul and hard-edged funk otherness, a unique mixture that could've only been encouraged or enhanced by Ayers and Birdsong. "Give It," one of Birdsong's contributions, tumbles and swings, repeatedly unfurling and recoiling, made all the more off-center by Sharon Matthews and Sibel Thrasher's frantic projections: "Earth can be lonely in the middle of the night/We must love now so our minds can take flight." "The American Promise," with all its nerved-up guitar scratches and alternately forthcoming and demanding assertions, could be mistaken for early Pointer Sisters or even Bohannon. The likes of "I Just Love You," "Daylight," "Come into Knowledge," and "Look into the Sky," along with a particularly radiant look at "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" (originally recorded less than a year prior for Ayers' album of the same title), drift along with sweet melodies and silken rhythmic layers that linger for days, rivaling similarly bliss-inducing, spiritually minded Ayers Ubiquity classics like "Searching" and "Red, Black and Green." Due to an untimely shake-up at the Blue Thumb label, the album was barely released, receiving nothing in the way of promotion beyond word of mouth. Few outside the band's local supporters and Ayers' keen following were in the know, and it languished in obscurity until A Tribe Called Quest sampled "Daylight" for "Bonita Applebum." Vinyl "reissues" surfaced."

Roy Ayers Music Productions!

Terrence D. Hillman | Colorado, USA | 02/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have finally come into knowledge of this album, OMG! This is true Midwest funk and jazz that the world has come to know Roy Ayers for. The group RAMP is from my hometown Cincinnati and Roy from Chi-town. With that blend, how can you go wrong? This CD is definatly worth the purchase, even though I only bought it for one song, "Daylight." The highlight of the album is not that song after my first listen (and still listening) for I'm truly vibin' with the title track. One thing that's to be expected with the sound of Roy Ayers is the vibes, but not with this one. They focused more on Roy Ayers and Edwin Birdsong's production skills and the Cincinnati Growl of the two female lead singers with the band members of this group. Get this album, and not just being a fan of Roy and Ubiquity, but because you appreciate real music and wanna get that feeling you get inside when you say, "Damn, Somebody sampled that joint back in the days!" Thank God it's not an import and God bless Universal for the good look and Amazon and UPS for one day delivery... lol. Thanks- gone..."

The Holy Grail of Funk Albums

John L. Hughes, Jr. | Nashville, TN | 03/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This little-known group from Cincinnati, Ohio featured two unique female singers singing mostly in unison along with the former guitarist and drummer from the Spinners. COME INTO KNOWLEDGE, the group's only album, was produced by Acid Jazz pioneer Roy Ayers in 1977. The album sank without a trace, but has gained a cult following over the years thanks to platinum-selling critically-acclaimed rap group A Tribe Called Quest sampling "Daylight" for its "Bonita Applebaum" hit. Erykah Badu recently sampled the hot opening cut "American Promise".



COME INTO KNOWLEDGE has all the trademarks of a 70's Roy Ayers album: Simple, repetitive lyrics and riffs, and cheezy Arp string ensemble licks.

However, the strange, unison vocals of Sharon Matthews and Sibel Thrasher really elevate this set. There is a spacey quality in their delivery that hypnotizes the listener so much, that turning the album off is nearly impossible. Check out the unusual cover of the acid jazz classic "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", the hypnotic "I Just Love You" and the out-of-this world "Look Into The Sky". These tracks represent experimental r&b at its best."