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Acid Jazz...is this a form of jazz music or what? The Debate Continues


Okay...this subject is an ongoing debate I have had with several of my jazz musician friends...is Acid Jazz just a name given by a radio disc jockey to promote some readily unidentifiable form of pop music or is it a form of jazz music?

What is Acid Jazz? you may ask...personally I consider it a sub-genre of the jazz art form...notz.com gives us a little background on Acid Jazz..."Well for one thing it is very difficult to define, the term is used to cover a wide range of music. Originating back in 1987 in the UK dance scene it defined a funky music style which incorporated elements of jazz, 70s funk, hip-hop, soul, and latin grooves. It could be all live, it could be sampled, and it could be a mixture of the both. The focus was on the music and not on the lyrics/words. The music has a definite groove, some is high energy dance normally with a Latin groove whilst others are more contemplative. DJ Gilles Peterson on KISS FM and the Talkin Loud and Saying Something parties formed the basis for the type of music. Gilles went on to form the Acid Jazz record label, whose first single Galliano's "Fredrick Lies Still" a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead," from the film Superfly was a club hit. Gilles even announced in 1988 that the term Acid Jazz was dead, and that no one wanting respect would dare call themselves acid jazz anymore. For those not aware it should be said that the UK club scene centers around music whereas in other countries such as the USA it centers around fashion. This leads to an ever changing musical environment with a new term emerging every month. Despite Gilles' pronouncement the term Acid Jazz is still used to cover a whole gambit of music, and so the term has stuck."


Here are some websites that are devoted to the Acid Jazz music world and may help you decide for yourself if it is a form of jazz or just a label for a type of commercialized music:

What Is Acid Jazz?
notz.com. Acid Jazz Pages. Gilles Peterson, Galliano … Jazz days of 1987 there has been an explosion of artists in this genre. A good place to start is the Acid Jazz...
http://betting77.com/acid-jazz/acid-jazz-4/#more-45227

Acid Jazz Music Artists – AOL Music
A listing of Acid Jazz Artists Beginning with the letter A.
http://music.aol.com/artists/acid-jazz

Local Music Edge – Local Bands – Jazz – Acid Jazz Artists
Local Music Edge. Growing groups of local bands producing and playing local music. Find Local Bands and Local Music near you and help support these bands. – Jazz – Acid Jazz...
http://edge-inc.net/local/index.cfm/page/subgenre/id/17.htm

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