Acid jazz - Definition and Overview

Acid jazz (sometimes groove jazz) is a musical genre that combines jazz influences with elements of soul music, funk, disco and hip hop. It developed over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as taking the boundary crossing of jazz fusion onto new ground.

Largely initiated in London and gaining the name from the Acid Jazz record label, pioneering groups were Jamiroquai, Incognito, Galliano, Brand New Heavies, James Taylor Quartet, Young Disciples and Corduroy.

In the United States notable acid-jazz groups are: Groove Collective and Solsonics. Other more recent artists and groups who have produced music in this genre include Mother Earth, Mr. Scruff, Visit Venus and Praful.

A typical acid jazz group would consist of a rhythm section built round bass guitar, electric guitar and drums, a horn section (trumpets, saxophones, trombones, etc) tied together by some kind of keyboard instrument (providing either rhythmic support or ambient sound effects) and vocals.

See also: nu-jazz

External links

• The Acid Jazz Server (http://www.cmd.uu.se/AcidJazz/)
• Brand New Heavies - Acid jazz band (http://www.thebrandnewheavies.net)
• Tom Fox - Acid jazz singer (http://www.tomfox.net)
• Ronny Jordan- Acid jazz guitarist (http://www.ronnyjordan.com)