Messin Around: A Decade Of Dancefloor Jazz CD

Started in 1996 by music enthusiasts, DJs and compulsive record diggers (and in one case TV star!), Adrian Gibson and Perry Louis, Messin' Around was only expected to run for a few weeks. Held at the world famous Jazz Café in Camden, the night offered a unique slant on the clubbing experience - a weekly performance by the country's leading jazz dance group - The JazzCotech Dancers. Establishing itself as a place for those who appreciate good music, it wasn't long before the press and public took notice of what was going on - and the club swiftly gathered an almost religious following! In the years that followed guest DJs such as Rainer Truby, Patrick Forge, Mike Chadwick, John Kong, Snowboy, Phil Levine and Russ Dewbury all graced the decks - playing to packed out dancefloors and, of course, the devoted dancers on stage. The last 10 years have also seen world famous artists such as Roy Ayers, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Gwen McRae, Tania Maria, The Blackbyds, Light of the World and The Fatback Band all gracing the stage amongst many, many others. To mark the 10th anniversary of the club it was only right to release a compilation of tracks that have found a home at the session and become anthems in their own right. Kicking of with the tantalising "Ever After" from Swedish producer Rasmus Faber, the compilation follows the flow of a typical night at the club, mixing up styles, tempo and genres. Along the way it takes in Afro Cuban jazz in the shape of Snowboy & The Latin Section, Brownout and Tito Heron; straight up jazz from Diesler, Jazz Invaders and Dave O'Higgins as well as great fusion tracks from Olli Ahvenlahti, Mike Edmonds Bass-ic Requirement and Wagon Cookin. It also features exclusive tracks from the South Bronx Community Youth Project (a rare-as-hens-teeth disco cut made by school kids in the early 80s!), Jazztronik and the Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - all appearing on CD for the first time. Closing the compilation is the ultimate jazz dance classic "Get Off The Ground (Bottom End version)" from Baaska and Scavelli - one of the rarest jazz records in the world (only 3 known copies exist!) and here on CD for the first time in it's full 9 minute glory!

Freestyle Records