Acid Jazz Records
Encyclopedia
Acid Jazz is a record label
based in east London
. It takes its name from acid jazz
, a genre of jazz
music. Alternative version states that the genre itself was named after the record label. Radio and club DJ Gilles Peterson
is credited with coining the phrase Acid Jazz in the late 1980s.
, north west London
. He said
Gilles Peterson teamed up with Eddie Piller
to form the record label Acid Jazz shortly afterwards. Eddie Piller had previously managed the James Taylor Quartet
, and the label's first signing was the band Galliano
featuring lead singer Rob Gallagher.
and was followed by albums by individual bands such as the Brand New Heavies
, New Jersey Kings, Mother Earth, the Sandals as well as the production of compilation album
s such as the Totally Wired series, and special albums dedicated to jazz, dub or compilation albums with a focus on music emerging from a particular country (for example, Sweden). Acid Jazz as a label responded flexibly to developments occurring over the 1990s and released material covering jazz (Ed Jones, Ulf Sandberg), soul (Brand New Heavies, Rose Windross, D-Influence), jazz rap (Humble Souls, Sandals), retro-kitsch (Corduroy
) and dub (Hazardous Dub Company). Despite releasing a number of Latin inspired albums, Snowboy
produced a number of twelve inch singles reminiscent of 1970s soul, such as Lucky Fellow (with Noel Mckoy) and Girl Overboard (featuring Anna Ross).
The compilation album, The Story of Acid Jazz, (Various Artists) chronicled some of the label's artists over the years: Format - Double CD, Catalogue No - METRDCD507.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
based in east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It takes its name from acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
, a genre of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music. Alternative version states that the genre itself was named after the record label. Radio and club DJ Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
is credited with coining the phrase Acid Jazz in the late 1980s.
Founding
Gilles Peterson describes a time when he DJ'd at Dingwalls Club in CamdenLondon Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, north west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He said
- "We put on this old 7-inch by Mickey and the Soul Generation which was a rare grooveRare grooveRare groove is defined as very hard to source or relatively obscure soul or jazz music. Rare groove is primarily associated with funk, jazz and pop, but is also connected to sub-genres including jazz fusion, Latin jazz, soul, R&B, northern soul, and disco. Vinyl records that fall into this...
record with a mad rock guitar intro and no beat. I started vari-speeding it so it sounded all warped. Chris Bangs got on the microphone and said, 'If that was acid house, this is acid jazz'. That's how acid jazz started, just a joke!"
Gilles Peterson teamed up with Eddie Piller
Eddie Piller
Eddie Piller is an English DJ and record label entrepreneur.Starting his career in the 1980s as a part of the English mod revival, Piller launched the underground fanzine Extraordinary Sensations and operated as a DJ and concert promoter. In 1985, he started the Countdown Records label, through...
to form the record label Acid Jazz shortly afterwards. Eddie Piller had previously managed the James Taylor Quartet
James Taylor Quartet
The James Taylor Quartet are a British four-piece jazz funk band who have become renowned for their live performances. They were formed by Hammond organ player James Taylor following the break-up of his former band The Prisoners in the wake of Stiff Records' bankruptcy...
, and the label's first signing was the band Galliano
Galliano
The word Galliano can refer to:*Galliano , a liqueur*Giuseppe Galliano , an Italian soldier*John Galliano , British fashion designer*Richard Galliano The word Galliano can refer to:*Galliano (drink), a liqueur*Giuseppe Galliano (1846-1896), an Italian soldier*John Galliano (b. 1960), British...
featuring lead singer Rob Gallagher.
Records
The first single from Acid Jazz was "Frederick Lies Still" from GallianoGalliano (band)
Galliano were a London-based acid jazz group, which started in 1988. The group was the first signing to Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson's Talkin' Loud label. The original members were Rob Gallagher , Constantine Weir , Michael Snaith , and Crispin Robinson...
and was followed by albums by individual bands such as the Brand New Heavies
Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies are an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing, a suburb of London, England.-Biography:The Brand New Heavies began in the 1980s as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International....
, New Jersey Kings, Mother Earth, the Sandals as well as the production of compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s such as the Totally Wired series, and special albums dedicated to jazz, dub or compilation albums with a focus on music emerging from a particular country (for example, Sweden). Acid Jazz as a label responded flexibly to developments occurring over the 1990s and released material covering jazz (Ed Jones, Ulf Sandberg), soul (Brand New Heavies, Rose Windross, D-Influence), jazz rap (Humble Souls, Sandals), retro-kitsch (Corduroy
Corduroy (band)
Corduroy were a four-piece acid jazz outfit based in London, formed around twins Ben Addison and Scott Addison , who were previously in Sire Records act Boys Wonder . Joining the twins in the band were Richard Searle and guitarist Simon Nelson-Smith...
) and dub (Hazardous Dub Company). Despite releasing a number of Latin inspired albums, Snowboy
Snowboy
Snowboy is a UK-based Afro Cuban percussionist, bandleader, DJ, music critic, journalist and music promoter.Featured in the Who's Who of Latin American Music, Snowboy has released 11 albums and 17 singles in a career that spans over 15 years and has taken him and his authentic Afro-Cuban sound to...
produced a number of twelve inch singles reminiscent of 1970s soul, such as Lucky Fellow (with Noel Mckoy) and Girl Overboard (featuring Anna Ross).
The compilation album, The Story of Acid Jazz, (Various Artists) chronicled some of the label's artists over the years: Format - Double CD, Catalogue No - METRDCD507.