FROM JAZZ FUNK & FUSION TO ACID JAZZ: THE HISTORY OF THE UK JAZZ DANCE SCENE [Paperback]

It often feels as if the story of the long love affair between the culture and music of black America and British youth, which stretches back from the 1950s up to today, has been overlooked. There are a few books out there about the Northern soul and House Music movements but not much else.

In particular, the underground jazz funk/jazz dance scenes are criminally unrecognised in the mainstream version of British popular music history. Thankfully, Mark 'Snowboy' Cotgrove, a leading DJ and musician on the scene, has made amends with a superb history of this musical movement.

The book is not an exhaustive history of jazz funk and fusion but is about how this music was consumed and enjoyed by British youth. The story begins at the tail-end of the Northern soul scene and spans legendary clubs such as the Goldmine and Lacy Lady in Essex (which became almost as popular as Wigan Casino in the late 1970s), through such notable venues as the Berlin club in Manchester, The Wag, Electric Ballroom and Dingwalls in London and the Thekla in Bristol. It also encompasses the emergence of the Acid Jazz movement in London (and the music label of the same name) and how influence of this essentially British culture spread internationally to Europe, America and Japan. Snowboy's work has also managed to show how this entire story crosses back and forth over into other contemporary UK music scenes such as Northern soul, the Mod revival, New Romanticism, Brit Funk, The Hacienda/Factory Records, House music and Electro/Hip Hop, and may potentially appeal to anyone with more than a passing interest in them.

The book is divided into two halves. The first is in effect a long essay which tells the overall story chronologically and is based on a series of interviews with DJs, dancers and musicians involved. In the second half, the interviews are printed in full. Interviewees include luminaries such as Neil Rushton, Chris Hill, George Power, Colin Curtis, Hewan Clarke, Paul Murphy, Pete Tong, Gilles Peterson, Nicky Holloway and Eddie Piller. Also included are images of the people and venues involved and, for added historical significance, reprinted flyers for such legendary jazz sessions as 'Crackers', 'Cock Happy', 'Special Branch', 'Talkin Loud' at Dingwalls and the Brighton Jazz Bops. The book is beautifully packaged but, unfortunately, all of the images are in black and white. With fairly limited availability, I would tip this book to become a serious collector's item in the future.

Mark Cotgrove (Snowboy) certainly knows his stuff here - as a fellow Essex boy that followed both the Soul & Jazz scene this book provides an accurate account of those halcyon days, the names, the clubs and the music - it's all covered here in great detail - I'm just gutted that I didn't get a mention!! The book features the key developments, the clubs, the DJ's, the Dancers and a handy guide to the tunes that were massive! This book is the definitive guide to the music and scene that remains, to this day, the epitome of uber-cool!! An essential purchase!

A heartfelt written document on a wonderful scene, great music and style. Fantastic interviews with some of the DJ orignators of the Saturday (or any) night on the dancefloor. Great reference to the sounds, clubs, venues, geography and tastes of the credible underground of these times.

A great document on an often ignored, and under-rated culture.

Recomended.