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Music genre

Acid jazz

Acid jazz is a music genre that emerged in United Kingdom in the 1980s. It is usually classed as a form of club/dance music. Its influences include jazz, hip-hop, disco and soul. Explore key artists and related styles.

About Acid jazz

Acid jazz is a music genre that emerged in United Kingdom in the 1980s. It is usually classed as a form of club/dance music. Its influences include jazz, hip-hop, disco and soul.

Well-known performers associated with it include Jamiroquai and Jay Kay.

From Wikipedia

Acid jazz (also known as club jazz, psychedelic jazz, or groove jazz) is a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul, and hip-hop. Acid jazz originated in clubs in London during the 1980s with the rare groove movement and spread to the United States, Western Europe, Latin America and Japan. Acts included The Brand New Heavies, Incognito, James Taylor Quartet, Us3, and Jamiroquai from the UK, and Guru, Buckshot LeFonque and Digable Planets from the U.S. The rise of electronic club music in the middle to late 1990s led to a decline in interest, and in the twenty-first century, acid jazz became indistinct as a genre. Many acts that might have been defined as acid jazz are seen as jazz-funk, or nu jazz.

Genre family tree

Parent genres (↑) and subgenres (↓) of Acid jazz.

Key artists

  • Jamiroquai
  • Jay Kay

Related genres

Frequently asked questions

What is Acid jazz?

Acid jazz is a music genre that emerged in United Kingdom in the 1980s. It is usually classed as a form of club/dance music. Its influences include jazz, hip-hop, disco and soul.

Where and when did Acid jazz originate?

Acid jazz originated in United Kingdom in the 1980s.

Who are famous Acid jazz artists?

Jamiroquai and Jay Kay.

Sources & credits