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| Acid Jazz Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Gilles Peterson Eddie Piller |
| Genre | Acid jazz |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Location | London |
| Official website | www |
Acid Jazz Records is a record label based in East London formed by Gilles Peterson and Eddie Piller in 1987. [1] The label is the namesake of the acid-jazz subgenre of jazz music for which it is most famously known for producing.
The label's first signing was singer-songwriter Rob Gallagher's band, Galliano, which released the label's first single "Frederick Lies Still" in 1987, which features a sample of "Freddie's Dead" by Curtis Mayfield. The label was known in its early days for putting on club nights at Camden's Dingwalls featuring artists such as The Night Trains and A Man Called Adam. [2]
In 1989, after Peterson left in order to create his own label Talkin' Loud, Acid Jazz signed a second wave of artists including the Brand New Heavies, who released their self-titled debut album in 1990, Corduroy, Mother Earth, and Jamiroquai, who released their debut single "When You Gonna Learn" on the label in 1992.
Throughout the 1990s, the label also put out a number of compilation albums, most notably the Totally Wired series which covered the range of influences and sounds within the acid-jazz genre, as well as what was being released on the label at that time.
In 1993, Piller, the label's owner purchased a night-club which he named the Blue Note. [3] Initially used as a way of promoting the record label's music, the club soon built up a large reputation and was open seven nights a week hosting various different club nights including that of musician Goldie's Metalheadz label.
After the closing of the Blue Note in the late 1990s the label somewhat shifted its focus from producing just acid-jazz and its similar genres of music to that of soul and mod. The mid-2000s saw the signing of Andy Lewis and the release of his top 40 Northern Soul inspired single "Are You Trying to Be Lonely?" featuring Paul Weller on vocals. The label also released the "Rare Mod" series, a collection of rare 7" vinyl EPs from the 60's, presented in a picture sleeves, as well as accompanying compilation albums. [4]
In 2007, "Stuck in a Wind Up" was released. Credited to Lord Large feat. Clem Curtis, it was backed with "Move Over Daddy". [5] In a review of Lord Large's The Lord's First XI album, Record Collector referred to "Stuck in a Wind UP" as a slice of breezy, upbeat soul so authentic that it sounded like it was recorded in the late 1960s. [6] It was also one of the three songs referred to by Mojo as the highlights of the album. Mojo also wrote that it was the perfect Northern Soul dance floor filler. [7] It had some belated success, three years after Curtis' death. It had a week in the iTunes chart, peaking at #54 on 3 April 2022. [8] [9]
The label has celebrated its 25th anniversary and re-issued a number of its best-selling records, such as The Brand New Heavies and The People Tree, as well as putting out a special 6-CD box set, including an artwork book and DVD. This period saw the label sign more contemporary soul artists such as New Street Adventure and Men of North Country, as well as the folk-rock of British actor Matt Berry.
In 2017, the label issued a previously unreleased single by soul-singer Leroy Hutson, "Positive Forces", [10] as well as releasing an anthology of his work. In 2018, they re-issued his two most popular albums, Hutson and Hutson II, and produced "Leroy Hutson: The Man, a short four-part online documentary. [11] For their 30th anniversary celebrations, they released compilation album "Jazz on the Corner" featuring song choices by Eddie Piller and his friend Martin Freeman, [12] while Corduroy released their first album in 18 years, "Return of the Fabric Four". [13]
A new wave of signings since 2020 have included American soul singer Gloria Scott, former The Style Council vocalist Dee C. Lee, and the UK jazz group Nimbus Sextet. The label has recently collaborated with Argentinian producer Kevin Fingier for the Acid Jazz subsidiary label Fingier Records, as well as Bob Thiele Jr. and Flying Dutchman Records on the release of the Billy Valentine album Billy Valentine and The Universal Truth in 2023.
Totally Wired Radio was set up by Acid Jazz Records in 2019 as an extension of their original series of Totally Wired compilations compiled by Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson. As well as playing the kind of sounds Acid Jazz Records and Piller are generally known for (when compiling compilations such as Eddie Piller presents British Mod Sounds of The 1960s) [15] the stations output [16] also includes country music, [17] library music, reggae, [18] film soundtracks, EDM, Afrobeat, Latin, punk, psyche and disco. [19] [20] [21]
Acid jazz is a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul, and hip hop, as well as jazz and disco. Acid jazz originated in clubs in London during the 1980s with the rare groove movement and spread to the United States, Western Europe, Latin America and Japan. Acts included The Brand New Heavies, Incognito, James Taylor Quartet, Us3, and Jamiroquai from the UK, and Guru, Buckshot LeFonque and Digable Planets from the U.S. The rise of electronic club music in the middle to late 1990s led to a decline in interest, and in the twenty-first century, acid jazz became indistinct as a genre. Many acts that might have been defined as acid jazz are seen as jazz-funk, or nu jazz.
Martin John Christopher Freeman is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Gilles Jérôme Moehrle MBE, better known as Gilles Peterson, is a French broadcaster, DJ, and record label owner. He founded the influential labels Acid Jazz and Talkin' Loud, and started his current label Brownswood Recordings in 2006. He was awarded an honorary MBE in 2004, the AIM Award for Indie Champion and the Mixmag Award for Outstanding Contribution To Dance Music in 2013, the PRS for Music Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music Radio in 2014, and The A&R Award from the Music Producers Guild in 2019.
Galliano are a London-based acid jazz group that were originally active between 1988 and 1997. The group was the first signing to Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson's Acid Jazz record label. The original members were Rob Gallagher, Constantine Weir (vocals), Michael Snaith and Crispin Robinson (percussion).
The Impressions were an American music group originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes gospel, R&B, doo-wop, and soul.
Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat, electrified sounds, and analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre that ranges from pure jazz improvisation to soul, funk or disco with jazz arrangements, jazz riffs, jazz solos, and sometimes soul vocals. Jazz-funk was popular in United States and United Kingdom. Similar genres include soul jazz, jazz fusion and acid jazz.
Corduroy are an English four-piece acid jazz outfit based in London, formed around twins Ben Addison (drums/vocals) and Scott Addison (keyboards/vocals), who were previously in Sire Records act Boys Wonder. Joining the twins in the band are Richard Searle and guitarist Simon Nelson-Smith. Searle had been bass player with Doctor and the Medics, who topped the UK Singles Chart in 1986 with a cover version of "Spirit in the Sky". Searle had joined the Addison twins in the final incarnation of Boys Wonder, before the band gradually evolved into Corduroy in 1991, initially forming for a one-off New Year's Eve party.
This Is My Country is an album by the soul group the Impressions, released in 1968. It was their first album released on Curtis Mayfield's label, Curtom Records.
Eddie Piller is a British DJ, radio show host, and founder/managing director of Acid Jazz Records.
Shirley Scott was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of bebop, blues, and gospel elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ".
"Master" Henry Gibson was an American percussionist with an extensive career and discography spanning four decades, best known for his work with Curtis Mayfield.
Leroy Hutson is an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of R&B vocal group The Impressions.
High Havoc is the second LP by Corduroy, released by Acid Jazz Records in 1993. Billed as a concept album, it includes several top ten singles on the UK Indie Chart and many favourite Corduroy tunes. The album was reissued on vinyl by Acid Jazz Records in 2018.
Dad Man Cat was the first LP by Corduroy to be released by Acid Jazz Records, in 1992. It is primarily an instrumental album, with what became the classic Corduroy sound. The album was reissued on vinyl by Acid Jazz Records in 2018.
"Stuck In A Wind Up" is a song released by Lord Large on the Acid Jazz label with former The Foundations front man Clem Curtis singing the lead vocals. The B side is a Ska track called Move Over Daddy. Stuck In A Wind Up is popular with the Northern Soul scene.
Richard Searle is a 1960s-influenced bass guitarist, who was a member of Doctor and the Medics in 1986, when they were reaching number one in the pop charts.
Lord Large is a 60s-influenced Acid Jazz band formed by Stephen Large, a British keyboard-player currently in Squeeze and drummer Andrew Jones.
The Broken Vinyl Club were a Welsh 1960s-influenced indie rock band based in Aberdare in South Wales and signed to Acid Jazz Records.
Hutson is the third album recorded by R&B singer Leroy Hutson on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom record label. The album was to become the start of a creative peak for Hutson, and together with Feel The Spirit and Hutson II, marked him as one of Soul music's most talented and engaging artists.
Dean Rudland is a British DJ, compiler, and general manager of record company Acid Jazz Records.
