N.Y. Ain't So Bad

N.Y. Ain't So Bad: Ali Plays the Blues is an album by drummer Rashied Ali that features blues singer Royal Blue. It was recorded during July and August, 1975, and was released on vinyl in 1976 by Ali's Survival Records. In 1999, it was reissued on CD by Survival in conjunction with the Knit Classics label. On the album, Ali and Blue are joined by saxophonists Marvin Blackman and James Vass, pianist Charles Eubanks, and bassist Benny Wilson.

N.Y. Ain't So Bad marks Royal Blue's only recorded appearance. According to Ali, shortly after the session, the vocalist was beaten to death with a pipe following a domestic quarrel, and his body was dumped on the street. Ali stated that Blue "was the only one of the younger cats who was singing from the heart," and reflected: "He was really articulate in his words, and if you listen to his songs, you can really hear where we was coming from. It was incredible; you don't have to know him, you can know him from his music."