Danceable Jazz! Classic and Recommended Albums of Acid Jazz

The Sixth SenseUnited Future Organization

United Future Organization – The Sixth Sense (1993)

United Future Organization is a pioneering DJ group and acid jazz unit that brought jazz into Japan’s club scene in the 1990s.

Their innovative sound, which fused jazz with dance beats, took the club scene by storm at the time.

They drew attention not only in Japan but worldwide, and their 1993 debut album, United Future Organization, was released in 29 countries.

Most of the tracks are instrumental, featuring only musical performance, but on track 8, My Foolish Dream, singer Monday Michiru appears as a guest.

Always There (feat. Jocelyn Brown) [Edit]Incognito & Jocelyn Brown

Always There (Edit)

A legendary diva well known in the dance music world, Jocelyn Brown lends her powerful vocals to a classic released in 1991 by Incognito, the pinnacle of British acid jazz.

This hit reached No.

6 on the UK Singles Chart and was included on their second album, Inside Life, released the same year.

Although born in the early days of post-’90s acid jazz, its sophisticated sound remains effortlessly pleasing, and the masterful, timeless arrangements are sure to leave you in awe.

A must-listen masterpiece for anyone who wants to understand the roots of the genre.

Show Me The WayGregg Karukas

Gregg Karukas “Show Me The Way”

Pianist and producer Gregg Karukas, who mainly works in the subgenre derived from fusion and crossover—often called smooth jazz—has many albums that I’d also recommend to those interested in acid jazz.

Gregg has maintained a long career since the 1980s, and the album I’m introducing today is Looking Up, released in 2005.

As you’d expect, his signature catchy, light-touch piano can be enjoyed throughout every track, and while his own programmed rhythm tracks may feel slightly on the cheap side, they offer a flavor distinct from live instrumentation.

BlackerBallistic Brothers

The Ballistic Brothers – Blacker

Centered around Ashley Beedle—an iconic DJ and producer representing the UK house scene, known for a stellar track record under names like X-Press 2—the unit that was active in the 1990s is Ballistic Brothers.

Their 1994 release, The Balistic Brothers vs.

The Eccentric Afros Volume 1, is a classic masterpiece that brilliantly weaves together a genre-crossing sensibility, featuring a quoted guitar phrase from the Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle—famous as a go-to sample source—and samples from Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon.

Elevate My MindStereo MCs

Stereo MC’s – Elevate My Mind (Official Video)

Calling themselves Stereo MC’s—a name that sounds almost comically nonchalant—they’re a renowned British group who, since their formation in 1985, were early adopters of a genreless, crossover sound.

Influenced by American Black music like hip-hop, soul, and funk, they possess a superb pop-oriented songwriting sense, and they became celebrated as a top-tier live act with a real drummer.

Many subsequent groups have fallen under their influence.

The focus here is their second album, Supernatural, released in 1990—the record that helped make their name known not so much in their native UK as in the United States.

In 1991, the single Lost in Music was released and astonishingly hit No.

1 on the U.

S.

dance chart, becoming the group’s first hit.

The album itself centers on catchy hip-hop driven by live drums, while folding in a stew of jazz-funk, reggae and dub, and soul—a super cool, stylish work.

For those who remember the era, the sound will feel nostalgic, but for younger music fans it might actually feel fresh.

City FolkloreV.A.

Kyoto Jazz Massive – City Folklore

Among the pioneers of Japan’s jazz–crossover scene, the globally renowned DJ unit KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE is helmed by Shuya Okino and Yoshihiro Okino.

Their debut single released in 2000, “ECLIPSE / SILENT MESSENGER,” reached No.

1 for three consecutive weeks on the BBC Radio ZUBB chart in the UK, and as noted at the outset, their activities have extended far beyond Japan to the world.

Their first production was the compilation album “KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE,” released in 1994.

Featuring an unforgettable cover of a monochrome, topless female torso, the album includes contributions from MONDO GROSSO, Shinichi Osawa’s solo project, as well as DJ Krush and Monday Michiru.

Jazz, hip-hop, bossa nova, and house beats all stand side by side, making it a work that captures the heat of Japan’s club scene at the time.

Incidentally, the eighth track, “City Folklore,” is a remixed version of the theme from the film “The Most Terrible Time in My Life,” which starred Masatoshi Nagase and later became the basis for the popular TV series “Private Detective Mike Hama.”

Loungin’Guru Featuring Donald Byrd

Guru – Loungin’ ft. Donald Byrd

Known as a member of the legendary hip-hop duo Gang Starr, Guru launched his solo project JAZZMATAZZ in 1993.

Guru’s Jazzmatazz, Vol.

1, which features this classic track with Donald Byrd, was highly acclaimed as a pioneering work that presented an innovative sound—rather than using jazz merely as a sample source, it fused hip-hop with a live jazz band.

It also connected with the acid jazz movement that was popular in the UK at the time, making it an essential work for understanding the histories of both.