Hi everyone
First Manchester Mint Lounge,yes I am negotiating with
Hewan Clarke to do a follow up night at the Mint Lounge
possibly in August this time with more emphasis on
the jazz room,I will keep you posted.
In regard to Snowboys Book it is currently being re pressed
without all the spelling errors.
I have just been informed it is also imminent in Japan.

As Tony has said we are dropping a Frodisia session at
the upcoming Birmingham Hilton Luxury Weekender
May 24/25/26 featuring among others Joey Negro.
Able to drop some jazz also at the Soul Underground sessions
in Birmingham with some old skool dancers and Glenn Worthington
on percussion.

Big shout to some names from the past Paul Murphy
with whom I had a ball bringing him to Birmingham
for the Locarno jazz sessions and frequenting
his shop,exciting times Mole Jazz etc
,also Baz Fe Jazz a dear old friend,
of course Giles,Bob Jones,Paul&Eric from Notts,Chris Reed Birmingham,
Rhythm Doctor,Snowboy,Johnathon Notts,Shaun Williams Birmingham,
Hewan Clarke & Hanif Manchester,Jazz Defektors Manchester and many others.

Still waiting for a finished copy of Snowboys book myself !

Welcome to Brownswood Colin.

Thanks for the info Colin- Good news re mint lounge - please keep us updated with any developments, dates etc

How often is the soul undergound session and where is it held?

I was in Birmingham last bank holiday at the Movement event (run by Bambino and Deep Production) at sense bar for a 1 off where they played Broken, House and Jazz Fusion and it was Killer loads of dancers there and a really friendly vibe

Yes and welcome from me as well Colin. Weeg and I were having only a conversation yesterday, that you are not really given the credit, especially in London, for the pioneering work you have done.

I remember in the mid-Nineties GP waxing lyrical on your DJ abilities (and taking the milk train back to London).

You need to DJ in the capital!

Welcome along Colin, hat doffed.

I can't remember the last time I saw Paul, maybe 10-12 years ago, I know he wasn't DJing much but was writing. Eric moved to London, I haven't seen him for at least 8 years either. Jonathon became a dad last year, but I'm not sure if he is doing much other than the occasional bank holiday alldayer.

maybe a future fickle formula guest...?

full respect to colin curtis.

Hey Colin... welcome aboard the good ship Brownswood!
Not sure If I'm the oldest member here (its a close run thing... hello Snoopy?!) but I first heard you at The Knebworth Soul All Dayer back in the 70's!... thanks to you I got bang in to CTI and other fusion delights! Along with Murphy your'e probably responsible for my ageing Jazz beard which is at least as long as your hair!
Good to see you at Southport a couple of years back too... keep on spinnin!

As a kid from the sticks sneaking into the Rock City Jazz Funk nights underage, hearing Jonathon playing the classics and new releases (including early electro) was a real education but then I went downstairs to the Jazz room and heard Colin Curtis, bloody hell!

Since then I've been lucky enough to hear Colin play across the board (Jazz, Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, the list goes on) music at all sorts of venues; Preston alldayers, Southport Weekenders (including the legendary football results on the radio!), etc, etc.

Top DJ, great taste, decent man, and very much appreciated by those who love music.

Good to have you here Colin.

^

And, slightly off topic, a Mecca obscurities mix would be much appreciated!

Greetings to the Brownswood posse... Paul Brad... Straight No Chaser/Chaser Publications signing in as the "publisher" of Snowboy's 'From Jazz funk & Fusion to Acid Jazz...'

Yessss...snappy little title - 'From Jazz Funk & Fusion To Acid Jazz: The History Of The UK Jazz Dance Scene' .... jus' rolls off the tongue... what can I say, it just covers all the angles and tells you exactly what it's all about.

Basically, this the shit that Bill Brewster's much lauded 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' somehow failed to deal with. Yes, unfortunately Bill failed to get to grips with the evolution of Black music and clubbing in the UK... but that's not the case with Snowboy. The Southend congalero, DJ and serious record collector has traced the evolution of the music from the Seventies to the Nineties and focussed on the unique dance styles that emerged out of the all-dayers and clubs like the Goldmine, Crackers, Berlin and the Electric Ballroom.

There's been quite a lot of posts on Snowboy's book but no-one seems to have read it yet!

Maybe that's my fault, it's been a little elusive. Unfortunately, there were some digital typos that we simply couldn't live with... Snowboy has spent two decades honing this book so we simply have to get it right... a re-submission has been done and it should... we pray... be back up there LIVE! sooner rather than later. Like... next week!

So, what's the word? Well, acccording to Brother GP and his long time co- conspirator, Patrick Forge (all the way from Okinawa) this book is something of a gem... it took them back... way back!

Snowboy's book is the bench mark against which all others will be judged. It is supa thorough.... there are a lot... A LOT of words... 200+ interviews - all distilled to their essence, free of repetiton. Dancers, DJs, club entrepeneurs... people from "the scene"... this is their story and as a document of an era it's radical. As a scribbler myself I know how much work has gone into this book and for that Snowboy deserves all our respek!

As Snowboy says, "This is our scene." It's a scene that he is hugely proud off... one that he has been continually inspired by. He's tried to as fair and impartial as physically possible... he's roamed the land from Glasgow to Plymouth... he even found a quote where John Lydon aka Rotten said he preferred the Essex funk scene to the Roxy.

As you dig into this book you travel from Berlin (Manchester) to the Wag, from The Goldmine to Crackers from the Special Branch to the Electric Ballroom... you meet DJs and dancers... they all tell their story... Colin Curtis, Hewan Clarke, Kenny Mcleod, Chris Hill, Bob Jones, Pete Tong, Baz Fe Jazz, Paul Murphy, Gilles Peterson... Jazz Defektors, Bulldog, Oscar, Floor Technicians, Foot Patrol, Brothers In Jazz, IDJ... it's deep stuff.

So, if like Snowboy it's YOUR scene too, be prepared to be proud of what this book delivers. Whether jazz man, dancer, soul'n'funkateer... or cultural studies student... you will hoover up this book. It's not definitive. Snowboy insists on that... it's a great foundation to build on... it's like Sun Ra said, "History is a mystery!" You went out one night with your mates... they experienced one thing, you experienced another... that's the runnings and that's what Snowboy explores.

We want to know what you think. Get a copy... buy it... order it for your local library (please)... have a good read and then we can have a wikkid reasoning about the baaad old days and where we can go in the future.

Up for the challenge?

Bon chance... laters,

Paul Brad

www.straightnochaser.co.uk

Check: http://chaserpublications-ukjazzdance.blogspot.com/

Watch out for GP meets Snowboy podcast + Beyond The ballroom @ Cargo

In book stores next week Paul? If not, which on line seller do you recommend?

I don't want to spend what little cash I have on the wrong version!

Amen to that!

Ive had it (albeit the rough cut ) for 3 weeks now and can't put it down!
Anyone who has the slightest interest in how this whole Jazzdance/Eclectic/Worldwide/GP scene began should buy and read this book... in fact every member of Brownswood NEEDS to read this book IMO.

Hey, here I am now too! Hoorah! It's the first chat room I've been on and I'm glad I'm amongst friends - Alan the 'Ammer, Wrighty, the Rt. Hon. C. Curtis esq etc.

As I told the 'Ammer the other week: I received the finished book to check over but somehow the book was on sale at the same time by mistake and it was hard on me because there was 250 typos in it mainly from one program (Quark) being silly with whatever one they use at the printers in the US. All of a sudden every mention of The word 'year' had a mysterious 'h' appear ie 'yeahr'. This happened 120 times. the numbers in the index became unglued, bit's of the DJ charts appeared in others, great big gaps appeared between words etc. There were a few human-error spelling mistakes too, despite it being proof-read twice (I think). That's life. Paul Brad removed the book from sale immediately but loads got through the net. Order it in a week or two and you'll be safe.

To answer one of you: I didn't see the point in giving the book a cryptic title. I wanted people to know exactly what the book was about whilst they browse on book shelves. 95% of the sales will be from outside of our scene too - purchased by music lovers, historians, people interested in UK Black history, culture, club culture, Punk, Football hooliganism, dance, DJ history, fashion etc, so it needed a direct title. The book is also being used as part of coursework at Yale University (they've ordered 70 copies alone).


Doing the book was an enormous task and was written over a period of 10 years; although I did give up many times. The reason I started the book with a short, time-lined history covering 25 years was that when people outside of our scene read the interviews they'll be familiar with what when on. As it's a history book it's essential that the people that matter tell what went on in their own area and give their views. My position was to get to the truth and sit on the fence. I cross-referenced everything but there will be the odd lie that slipped through. You would not beleive the ammount of rubbish, nastiness, back-biting, lies, claims based on area-pride (but no facts to base them on) that I had to edit out. I just got to the facts. I didn't see the point of hurting people. They'd have to live with it in print and so would I.

The fairest way to present the interviews in the book was to start at the top with Scotland and work down, to get the full picture and try and avoid all this north/south divide shit. I'm pleased about the book because it gives the innovators Colin Curtis, Chris Hill and Bob Jones the dignity and recognition that they've long-deserved as the barrier-breaking taste-makers that they are. The book is out in Japan at the end of this month and all three DJ's will be going over at some point to represent (Hilly is coming with me next month for my tour). They each have a Jazz compilation coming out there too.

Anyway, I've done my best. I'm no writer but I bothered to do it. I hope you all enjoy the book, and if you do - PLEASE spread the word. If not - well, you can't please everyone!

See you at one of the events

Snowboy

All the big name are popping up in this thread.. Welcome along