Acid Jazz Style Overview
Acid Jazz Music Description
Unlike other "acid" genres, the naming of Acid Jazz had nothing to do with drugs, and was just a joke by the founders of the Acid Jazz record label, who sought to distance themselves from house music and the Acid House craze in particular at the beginning of the 90's. The popularity of the label and a series of This Is Acid Jazz compilations led to the term being used to describe anything in styles similar to the label's acts. Acid Jazz music tends to be generally upbeat, "jazzy" pop-funk dance music played by traditional bands, and sometimes by artists who make heavy use of sampling. Often, acid jazz songs consist largely of funky basslines and upbeat hip-hop breaks, with the only improvised element being a melodic solo performance by a single instrument or vocalist.
