The Acid Jazz thread.

[bubinga5]

Founded by Gilles Peterson and James Taylor the record label became a genre. I have always loved it.. please share your favorites. I should add there are lots of Acid Jazz that are not the Acid Jazz label but are still Acid Jazz/modern Jazz Funk.

 

 

 

This album is a classic from James imo... Andrew Mckinney on bass. 

 

Edited October 20 by bubinga5

[TheLowDown]

Pretty much anything from Incognito and Brand New heavies, such as

 

 

 

 

 

edit: oops, just noticed that it's about the Acid Jazz label rather than genre. Should have gone to Specsavers.

Edited October 19 by TheLowDown

[MacDaddy]

Richard Searle, bassist from Corduroy, was guest at the 2018 SE Bass Bash. IIRC he didn't want to talk about his days in Doctor and the Medics.

[miles'tone]

First one that came to mind 😁

 

[WillS]

Saw Corduroy at the great Sankey Soap - great night. I’d like to add the Young Disciples to the AJ love in:

 

[Old Man Riva]

Some cracking stuff has been released on Acid Jazz, though worth noting that Acid Jazz records was founded by Gilles Peterson and Eddie Piller, and not James Taylor. Eddie Piller helped Jay Kay in the early years, and (a version of) this track was originally released on Acid Jazz before being re-released on Sony…

 

 

 

Edited October 19 by Old Man Riva

[Mikey D]

My first band "The Fat Cat Experience" which was very heavily influenced by Jamiroquai recorded at DeBrett Studios and later found out Mother Earth recorded Stoned Women there.

 

https://www.gigslutz.co.uk/interview-mother-earth-speak/

 

 

 

Last gig before Neil went to Oz. Check him out on Instagram too. Always putting up some classic funk grooves like this: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C49O1-2S7M7/?igsh=NmRxaTAwOTN2dHY3

 

[Frank Blank]

20 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

Richard Searle, bassist from Corduroy, was guest at the 2018 SE Bass Bash. IIRC he didn't want to talk about his days in Doctor and the Medics.

 

You must have been in the bog... when he talked about Doctor and the Medics.

[meterman]

I loved all the first wave Acid Jazz bands, and I was lucky enough to work with a couple 😎 When it split off into Talking Loud and Acid Jazz as two separate labels, some of the smoother stuff went with Gilles Peterson to Talking Loud, but I still bought from both labels.

 

I do reckon the very early James Taylor Quartet (pre-Acid Jazz period) was my favourite. Also there was a band called The Sandals who were part of the same early scene who were great, although I’m not sure if they ever signed to Acid Jazz. But they played with a lot of the Acid Jazz bands. Great stuff, and bonus points to anyone who remembers the ‘Tongue Kung Fu’ club in London’s Covent Garden that all the bands used to frequent. 👍

[MacDaddy]

16 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

 

You must have been in the bog... when he talked about Doctor and the Medics.

 

Then I do not RC.

[TimR]

 

Andrew McKinney is/was a member ofnthe forum. I briefly said hello when JTQ played The Boathouse in Southend. I've seen JTQ at least 5 times now. Jazz Cafe favourites and  when they played the 100 club right at the end of lockdown. 

 

 

[gaz66]

On 18/10/2024 at 20:09, bubinga5 said:

Founded by Gilles Peterson and James Taylor the record label became a genre. I have always loved it.. please share your favorites. 

 

 

 

This album is a classic from James imo... Andrew Mckinney on bass. 

 

As mentioned James didn't found the label Acid jazz. It was founded by Eddie Piller and Giles, but totally run by Eddie from around 1990. That album was a fair bit before Andy McKinney's time and was recorded in 1995. I played in the band from 1990-2007 and played on that record.  

 

 

[TimR]

8 hours ago, gaz66 said:

I played in the band from 1990-2007 and played on that record.  

 

Superb playing. 3 Mile Island is a great track. 

[Leonard Smalls]

I always thought "Acid Jazz" was a bit of a misnomer, as it didn't sound like the sort of jazz anyone who'd done acid would either produce or listen to!

Funnily enough, I was listening to Gilles' show on 6Music yesterday and he played this, which perhaps fits the bill somewhat better!

 

 

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

 

Superb playing. 3 Mile Island is a great track. 

I listened to those albums probably thousands of times when I was growing up and learning bass. Incredible bass playing. 
 

I first heard JTQ when I found this album for £3 in Woolworths and found the albums in dusty record shops over the next few years.

 

Changed my bass playing life. Thanks Gaz!

[meterman]

2 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

I always thought "Acid Jazz" was a bit of a misnomer, as it didn't sound like the sort of jazz anyone who'd done acid would either produce or listen to!

Funnily enough, I was listening to Gilles' show on 6Music yesterday and he played this, which perhaps fits the bill somewhat better!

 

 

The term “Acid Jazz” is said to come from a post Acid House club night where DJ’s Chris Bangs and Gilles Peterson were playing uptempo jazz to a crowd largely made up of people dancing.

 

As the night wore on, an inebriated Chris Bangs reached across the turntables and started flicking the pitch control up and down, thus warping the tempo of the record wildly, which confused the people dancing and he shouted into the mic, “This is Acid Jazz!” as a drunken jape. But bands like James Taylor Quartet, Corduroy, The Sandals, Mother Earth, and others, were all into jazz and were definitely familiar with acid, so a scene was formed around that phrase.

 

But a lot of what’s passed off as Acid Jazz now (and what was passed off as it back then) is just formulaic funky soul, where maybe the guitar player owns a wah-wah pedal (late period Brand New Heavies, JTQ etc) and it’s not as diverse as the first wave of bands were. 

[bubinga5]

On 18/10/2024 at 22:30, TheLowDown said:

Pretty much anything from Incognito and Brand New heavies, such as

 

 

 

 

 

edit: oops, just noticed that it's about the Acid Jazz label rather than genre. Should have gone to Specsavers.

No it's not at all buddy. It's about the genre. I personally think Incognito are a different genre all of their own though. But I adore Incognito and Blueys music. Especially Beneath the Surface.

[bubinga5]

13 hours ago, gaz66 said:

As mentioned James didn't found the label Acid jazz. It was founded by Eddie Piller and Giles, but totally run by Eddie from around 1990. That album was a fair bit before Andy McKinney's time and was recorded in 1995. I played in the band from 1990-2007 and played on that record.  

 

 

Ah ok I didn't know this. I watched an interview with James saying him and Gilles founded Acid Jazz records. I'll try and find it. 

[gaz66]

Acid Jazz really came out of the rare groove scene that was happening in the mid/late 80's and bands like Push and the Heavies were part of that. In fact the first Acid Jazz release was a single by Rob Galliano called "Frederick lies still" in 1988. Chris Bangs did come up with the name as Meterman says but Eddie Piller really established the genre and label and was the real force behind it all. James Taylor Quartet didn't appear on the Acid Jazz label until 1995 with the "Hand of the inevitable "album having previously been on Polydor and then Big Life records. There was loads of stuff being put out in those early days and the Totally Wired compilation albums on Acid Jazz have a lot of interesting bands on them. The label itself is still running and releasing new material.

[bubinga5]

You all know who she is. I could be wrong but I think that is Chris Ballin from Incognito on backing vocals.. 

 

Edited October 20 by bubinga5

[meterman]

1 hour ago, gaz66 said:

Acid Jazz really came out of the rare groove scene that was happening in the mid/late 80's and bands like Push and the Heavies were part of that. In fact the first Acid Jazz release was a single by Rob Galliano called "Frederick lies still" in 1988. Chris Bangs did come up with the name as Meterman says but Eddie Piller really established the genre and label and was the real force behind it all. James Taylor Quartet didn't appear on the Acid Jazz label until 1995 with the "Hand of the inevitable "album having previously been on Polydor and then Big Life records. There was loads of stuff being put out in those early days and the Totally Wired compilation albums on Acid Jazz have a lot of interesting bands on them. The label itself is still running and releasing new material.

Eddie Piller managed my mate's band Torino for a while and got them to record an album, but only one of the tracks saw the light of day on one of the many "Totally Wired" compilations.

 

I played with Ernie from Push and Galliano a bunch of times, doing session gigs, it was amazing to see him let loose onstage when he thought nobody was paying attention 👍 

 

Did some sessions for an album last year featuring guys from Mother Earth, Galliano, Push, and a few others. Sadly, I had to do my parts remotely as they were all in a studio in London and I'm based in France and couldn't make it over. Would have loved to have been there in person.

 

My only other Acid Jazz (well, Talkin' Loud really) connection is I've still got some bits of RAK recording gear from Marco from the Young Disciples. He was big into DJ-ing and production but he was another great bass player on the sly. I think he was Paul Weller's bassist before Ernie McKone replaced him? 
 

I'm generally not nostalgic but the early Acid Jazz club scene was great and some of the early gigs were belters 👍 

[Old Man Riva]

50 minutes ago, meterman said:

Eddie Piller managed my mate's band Torino for a while and got them to record an album, but only one of the tracks saw the light of day on one of the many "Totally Wired" compilations.

 

I played with Ernie from Push and Galliano a bunch of times, doing session gigs, it was amazing to see him let loose onstage when he thought nobody was paying attention 👍 

 

Did some sessions for an album last year featuring guys from Mother Earth, Galliano, Push, and a few others. Sadly, I had to do my parts remotely as they were all in a studio in London and I'm based in France and couldn't make it over. Would have loved to have been there in person.

 

My only other Acid Jazz (well, Talkin' Loud really) connection is I've still got some bits of RAK recording gear from Marco from the Young Disciples. He was big into DJ-ing and production but he was another great bass player on the sly. I think he was Paul Weller's bassist before Ernie McKone replaced him? 
 

I'm generally not nostalgic but the early Acid Jazz club scene was great and some of the early gigs were belters 👍 

Marco did Weller’s first iteration of his solo stuff including the Wild Wood album. Yolanda Charles took over the bass stuff in Weller’s band after Marco, I think.

 

Re. Eddie Piller. I often think he gets overlooked and doesn’t get the credit for all he’s done, music-wise, especially on the London scene in the late 80s/90s. Label founder, manager, DJ, archivist, curator, club owner, presenter, writer etc. The guy lives and breathes music… 

Edited October 20 by Old Man Riva
Oops, wrong person!

[TimR]

Of course Galliano!

 

 

[Raslee]

Great thread! Was listening to some Corduroy yesterday for the first time in a while. This has always been a personal favourite:

 And I’ll add this for JTQ:

 

Edited October 20 by Raslee

[Burns-bass]

3 minutes ago, Raslee said:

Great thread! Was listening to some Corduroy yesterday for the first time in a while. This has always been a personal favourite:

 And I’ll add this for JTQ:

 

Quincy Jones and Lalo Schiffrin - the best!

 

I spent hours playing these (and others!). I now realise that I was over playing them and that the lines are much simpler than I originally thought. Will try them tomorrow.

Edited October 20 by Burns-bass