First things first. Acid jazz is a bogus label. It’s a joke.
The story goes that British DJ Gilles Peterson, sometime around 1987, was shown an acid house record by another DJ. Peterson then proclaimed that what he played (a mix of Seventies jazz, funk and Latin) was “acid jazz.”
So, it’s not really “acid,” and as we’ll see over the course of the week, it’s not really jazz. It is a mix of R&B, funk and soul, with touches of jazz, and later hip-hop. Why am I spending a week on a genre I’ve already shot down in my first breath?
Let’s listen to two of my all-time favorite acid jazz records, shall we?
[That is, after I take a step back. Yesterday, I posted from The Brand New Heavies' new album. They came out at just the right time in the mid-Eighties, right before acid jazz took off. Their first major album The Brand New Heavies (1992) was a mix of the Meters and Tower of Power, with a contemporary approach to soul that was reminiscent of Soul II Soul.]
Here is the first acid jazz record I ever heard, The James Taylor Quartet‘s 1988 cover of “The Theme from Starsky & Hutch.” I knew that the 2004 movie version wasn’t going to be very good when they didn’t use this as their theme song. Taylor is not that James Taylor, but is instead a practitioner of soul-jazz who plays the Hammond B-3 organ. I instantly fell in love. (This song, by the way, features Fred Wesley & Pee Wee Ellis, both formerly with James Brown.)
Jump ahead to 1996 and we’ve got Abstract Truth‘s “Get Another Plan,” a song that is on my all-time favorite tunes list, although I couldn’t tell you how long that list is. I actually posted this song about eight months ago, in another context, but it’s good enough to justify posting it again. By ’96, long after the pure phase of acid jazz, you can hear a drums ‘n’ bass influence in this track, but with very soulful vocals and horns.
For additional context to the issue of the validity of acid jazz as a musical movement, I refer you back to my comments on jazz and neo-soul.
We’ll continue this discussion tomorrow.
[This is also a good time to make an exciting announcement. Over the weekend, I was able to set up my new equipment that allowed me to transfer my vinyl records to a digital format. The James Taylor Quartet song is taken from the original 12". I have a very large collection of vinyl and you will be the beneficiary of this technological advancement in the months and years to come.]
The James Taylor Quartet (ft. Fred Wesley & Pee Wee Ellis) – The Theme from Starsky & Hutch (Funky People Mix)
Abstract Truth – Get Another Plan
Tags: The James Taylor Quartet, Abstract Truth, The Brand New Heavies, Gilles Peterson, acid jazz, MP3s
10 Responses
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KL Says:
Great post… I was wondering if you happen to have the ORIGINAL version of Incognito’s “Always There”?? I have the David Morales house mix (which seems to be ubiquitous) but I have heard the original once and it’s an “acid jazz” cracker…. any help would be much appreciated! Cheers from Australia.
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The Pop View Says:
I don’t have it, but I looked it up on Rhapsody and streamed it. It’s… You know, it was okay.
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Ed Leaf Says:
The other DJ was either Chris Bangs or Eddie Piller. Piller was the man behind the actual record label Acid Jazz plus also behind the JTQ’s previous home Re-Elect The President and Countdown records home of Taylor’s previous band The Prisoners, who were the greatest band of the 1980′s. Good to hear the vinyl scratchs on the mp3. Now if only my version with Rob Gallagher/Galliano rapping hilariously about 2 minutes to ten/even the captain is now a friend was still playable…
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KL Says:
Oh maybe it was one of those things that sounded good at the time, but doesn’t cut it on a second outing. Thanks for the heads up on Rhapsody.
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KL Says:
aww Rhapsody only works in the US! That’s a bit rough for us Aussies!
Oh well. -
The Pop View Says:
I have cable modem service with Comcast. As part of that, I get free access to a limited version of Rhapsody: the radio stations and 25 free streaming songs per month. I had the full-blown version in the past and found it to be a pretty good way to get access to a very large library of songs that I can stream music from.
But you can use Pandora for free.
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KL Says:
Thanks, I appreciate that. I have used Pandora a bit already, it’s pretty great.
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MG Says:
I wondered what you thought of some of my personal favorite groups – Massive Attack (Blue Lines), Galliano, Mother Earth, Young Disciples, and United Future Organization?
Also, I would expand your definition of acid jazz to include the world music which I believe played a big part in the acid jazz genre.
thanks!
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The Pop View Says:
I would classify Massive Attack as trip hop, not acid jazz. They’ve got the groove, but not the jazz element. Galliano were a little too laid-back for me. Mother Earth were decent — very energetic. I never listened to Young Disciples.
But United Future Organization… Oh, God! I love them. Japanese DJ collective, with a French ex-pat member. I have their first three albums, never got the last two, just because I never ran across them. They seem to have just released a three-volume collection that includes past songs and new re-mixes, entitled UFOs For Real. I’ll have to do a profile of this fine group.
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MG Says:
I do love the “classic” acid jazz scene…….I was really disapointed when it morphed into more of a drum ‘n bass genre.
One group that I failed to mention as being the epitomy of acid jazz but never got a huge following (unfortunately) is a group called Outside. Check out their album “Almost In” and I’m sure you’ll agree……
Other noteworthy, but low profile, great groups are:
– No Se’
– Akimbo
– Marden Hill
– CFM Band
– SubterraneansCheck ‘em out!