Danceable Jazz! Classic and Recommended Albums of Acid Jazz
When it comes to acid jazz, those who lived through the boom will remember the excitement well, but many younger music fans might feel, “It has a stylish image, but I’m not quite sure what it actually sounds like.” Rather than a strict genre, acid jazz is better described as a culture born from the club generation.
In Japan, too, with the emergence of bands like Suchmos, it feels like a sudden wave of reevaluation is underway.
So this time, focusing on classic albums that fueled the acid jazz boom, I’ve put together a selection of records that feel especially worth hearing now that we’ve moved into the 2020s.
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- A prestigious acid jazz band from overseas. Iconic songs originating from the UK.
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Danceable Jazz! Classic Acid Jazz Albums – Recommended Picks (21–30)
DoradoBlue Mitchell
Blue Mitchell, an American jazz trumpeter and a beloved figure who epitomized the hard bop era that surged through the modern jazz scene in the 1950s and 60s.
Among his extensive discography, some of his 1970s works went on to influence the later acid jazz scene, and the album Graffiti Blues—on which this track appears—is a prime example.
Heavy funk-infused grooves, a gritty harmonica, Joe Sample’s electric piano, and a trumpet tone brimming with lyricism… along with an ultra-cool cover, this is an essential classic you should definitely know.
Stormy SpringHimiko Kikuchi
A pianist and keyboardist born in Sendai, she has performed with numerous bands including Nobuo Hara and His Sharps & Flats and Junko Ohashi & Minoya Central Station, while continually releasing outstanding work as a solo artist—a female artist recognized worldwide.
Her 1980 debut, DON’T BE STUPID, is highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad as a masterpiece in jazz fusion history.
It includes many classic tracks, such as What’s Baby Singin’, later favored by overseas DJs for its cool blend of scat and Japanese-style Brazilian vibes.
Highly recommended for fans of so-called light mellow and Japanese groove music as well!
Magic LadyJeff Lorber Fusion
Jazz is often considered a treasure trove of samples in genres like hip-hop, and the album Galaxian, released in 1981 by the renowned Philadelphia-born keyboardist and producer Jeff Lorber under the name Jeff Lorber Fusion, is a prime example loved as a source material.
Starting with the mellow classic Night Love, sampled by JAY-Z for his track Who You Wit 2, the album also features Monster Man, where slap bass explodes into a powerful groove, and Magic Lady, whose refined funkiness feels superb—making it full of tracks highly recommended for acid jazz fans as well.
JesseMother Earth
Although their active period was only around five years, the English acid jazz band Mother Earth is still highly regarded for the quality of their releases.
Centered around Matt Deighton—who also played rhythm guitar in Oasis during a period when Noel Gallagher was absent—the group was a four-piece.
In the history of acid jazz, they belong to the second generation, and their second album, The People Tree, released in 1993 on Acid Jazz Records, stands as their signature work, selling 100,000 copies.
Among acid jazz groups, which are often difficult to pigeonhole, Mother Earth’s sound is rooted in rock while skillfully incorporating elements of soul and funk, linking them to the broader acid jazz movement.
If you’re expecting danceable “club-generation” jazz, you might be caught off guard, but from the mellow, folky blue-eyed soul classic Jesse to the blistering guitar-and-organ workout Mister Freedom, their gritty British funk rock is supremely groovy and cool.
For good measure, Paul Weller also appears as a guest.
So FluteSt Germain
St Germain is an artist who made a major contribution to the development of Paris’s club scene by fusing house and jazz.
His 2000 release, Tourist, marked his U.S.
debut and went on to sell 4 million copies worldwide.
It samples a variety of classic jazz and soul tracks, so you’ll hear many familiar phrases—making it a highly recommended masterpiece for anyone new to acid jazz.
In 2021, a remixed version was released to commemorate the album’s 20th anniversary, so be sure to compare the two!
Everything Is Going To The BeatAce Of The Clubs
When a certain genre of music becomes a craze and you want a quick feel for the scene’s energy, compilation albums are your best friend.
Of course, plenty of compilations have been released for acid jazz as well, and the 1991 release “Acid Jazz: Collection Two” is precisely a disc that meets that demand.
The track being introduced here is the album’s closer, featuring an exceptionally cool arrangement that deftly samples Pharoah Sanders’s beloved classic “You’ve Got To Have Freedom,” a perennial favorite for sampling.
It’s also recommended for those who want to discover more niche artists who haven’t necessarily released a lot of albums.
Jive TownBrian Tarquin
Brian Turkin is a jazz guitarist from New York, USA, and a versatile artist who wears many hats as an engineer, songwriter, and producer.
Featuring alternating leads between a sweet-toned guitar and a mellow saxophone, this urban, sophisticated track appears on Brian’s third album, Soft Touch, released in 1999.
With the bassist from the popular acid jazz band Galliano serving as producer, it’s a highly recommended pick for fans of fusion and acid jazz.