Definition
of Acid Jazz
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, 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.
STILL UNCLEAR what Acid Jazz is?!
Here's another angle. It is a funky music style which incorporates elements of
jazz, 70s funk, hip-hop, soul, as well as other things. It can be all live, it can be sampled, it can be a mixture of both.
Generally, the focus of Acid Jazz is the music, as opposed to the lyrics/ words (versus rap mixed with jazz samples, which
focuses on the words, and maybe a little on heavy beats). It is a groovy music that sometimes wants to make you move, sometimes
wants to tell you what's going down, and sometimes just sits in the background as you bob your head, not quite knowing why
you are feeling so funky.
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