Liquid Soul is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, hip-hop,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, freestyle fusion ensemble formed in 1993 from

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

which helped pioneer the acid jazz movement in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in the 90s. Coined ''"Beyond Acid Jazz"'' by founder

Mars Williams Mars Williams (born May 29, 1955) is an American jazz and rock saxophonist. Exposed to big band and dixieland jazz by his trumpet-playing father, Williams played classical clarinet for ten years, then migrated to saxophone in his last year of hig ...

who plays with

The Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are a post-punk band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene ...

and previously with

The Waitresses The Waitresses were an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, best known for their singles " I Know What Boys Like" and "Christmas Wrapping." They released two albums, ''Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?'' and ''Bruiseology'', and two EPs, '' I Coul ...

and

Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...

, and co-founded by guitarist Tommy Klein, from the Spies Who Surf, the band's 2000 album '' Here's the Deal'' was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

in the

Best Contemporary Jazz Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality ...

category.

History

Their first regular venue was at Chicago's Elbo Room, where their quickly-growing popularity led to the release of their self-titled, debut album ''Liquid Soul'' by

Ark 21 Records Ark 21 Records was a record label established by Miles & Stewart Copeland in 1997, based in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, United States. Artists *Kathem Al-Saher * Ragheb Alamah * Aswad *The Badlees *The Beautiful South * John Berry * ...

. A well-popularized appearance at

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding ...

's birthday party added to their notoriety. They were the main feature at

Double Door Double Door, a concert hall and nightclub, was located in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The venue was first opened on June 12, 1994, and was co-owned by Andrew Barrett, Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan. On Ju ...

in Wicker Park for almost four years (Feb. 1996 to Dec. 1999). Subsequent tours took them across the United States and Canada, plus performances in Germany, Turkey and Japan. They have opened for

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

and

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...

, played at

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

's second Inaugural Parade and 21st Century Ball, and were the first acid jazz band to play at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

. They also appeared twice at the

South By Southwest Music Festival South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, T ...

where the

Austin American-Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is owned by Gannett. The paper prints Associated Press, ''New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Los Angeles Times'' internation ...

referred to them as "the single hottest showcase of the festival." They have recorded four more CDs: ''Make Some Noise'' (produced by

in 1998), Grammy-nominated ''Here's the Deal'' (produced by

Shanachie Records Shanachie Records is an American, New Jersey-based record label, founded in 1975 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. The label is named for the Gaelic word ''seanchaí'' (anglicised as shanachie), an Irish storyteller. It was previously distribu ...

in 2000), ''Evolution'' (produced by Shanachie in 2002) and most recently ''One-Two Punch'' (produced by major label

Telarc Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the label has had a long associ ...

in 2006).

Notable performance venues

Liquid Soul 20th Anniversary Show, Chicago, Jan 20 2013 * Niwot Jazz on 2nd Avenue, Niwot, CO Aug 19 2012 * Double Door Liquid Soul 15th Anniversary Show, Chicago, Jan 18 2009 *

opening shows (

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

, New York City; Blockbuster Pavilion, Charlotte, NC; Alltel Pavilion, Raleigh, NC), Sept. 2000 *

Chicago Jazz Festival The Chicago Jazz Festival is an admission-free, four-day annual jazz festival in Chicago's Millennium Park. It is run by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and programmed with the assistance of Jazz Institute of Chicago during ...

, Sept. 2000 * Jazz Wind 2000 Festival in Furano, Japan, Aug. 2000 *

in Madarao, Japan, Aug. 2000 *

Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival (more commonly JazzFest) is an annual three-day outdoor musical event, featuring two stages and is free to the public. It is one of the largest free music festivals in its region and is held annually at Yan ...

, July 2000 *

Ravinia Festival Ravinia Festival is an outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September. The first orchestra to perform at Ravinia Festival was the New York Philharmonic unde ...

with

, July 2000 * Cancun Jazz Festival, Mexico (May 2000) *

Music Midtown Festival Music Midtown is a large music festival that was held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, annually from 1994 to 2005, and—after a six-year hiatus—returned in 2011. During its original run, the festival ran for one weekend each year. The event ...

, Atlanta, Ga. (May 2000) *

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...

(May 2000) * Babylon Club, Istanbul, Turkey (January 2000) *

Jacksonville Jazz Festival The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is an annual Jazz Festival held in Jacksonville, Florida. Events MUSIC FESTIVAL: For more than 40 years, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival has brought music lovers together to enjoy an incredible weekend of food, dri ...

, Jacksonville, Fla. (November 1999) * Aspen Jazz Festival, Snowmass Village, Colo. (September 1999) * Sweet Pea Festival, Bozeman, Mont. (August 1999) * Kansas City Blues & Jazz Festival, Kansas City, Mo. (July 1999) * Lodo Music Festival, Denver, Colo. (July 1999) * Black & White Ball, San Francisco (June 1999) * Indianapolis Jazz Festival (June 1999) * Canadian Jazz Festival Tour: Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary (June–July 1999) *

Moers Festival The Moers Festival is an annual international music festival in Moers, Germany. The festival has changed from concentrating on free jazz to including world and pop music, though it still invites many avant-garde jazz musicians. Performers at Moers ...

, Moers, Germany (May 1997, May 1999 and May 2004) * Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (July 1998) * Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival, Detroit (September 1998) *

The Cubby Bear The Cubby Bear is a sports bar, eatery, and music venue in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubby Bear is located at Addison and Clark Streets across from Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. It was established in 1953 and is formally known as the ...

, Chicago (February 1998) * U.S. President

's Inaugural Parade and 21st Century Ball, Washington, D.C. (January 1997) * The Theater at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

, New York City (opened for two Sting concerts, March 1997) * A Taste of Chicago,

Petrillo Music Shell The Petrillo Music Shell (sometimes referred to as the Petrillo Bandshell or formally as the James C. Petrillo Music Shell) is an outdoor amphitheater in Grant Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United Stat ...

, Grant Park, Chicago (July 4, 1997) *

JVC Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hir ...

, Newport, R.I. (August 1997) *

's birthday party, Crobar, Chicago (May 1996) * Nationwide club and festival touring (fall 1996 to present) with well over 100 performances per year.

Band members

*Ricky Showalter – Bass *Brian "MCB" Quarles – MC *Dirty MF – MC *Tommy Klein –

Guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

*My Boy Elroy –

Beatbox Beatboxing (also beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (typically a TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.

/ DJ *Ron Haynes – original Trumpet *John Janowiak –

Trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

*Devin Staples -

Drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

–

Saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

Past members include... * Simone –

Vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

*Race – MC *Mr. Greenweedz – MC *Dan Leali – Drums *Jonathan Marks – Drums *Bret Zwier – Drums *Hugh Ragin – Trumpet *Doug Corcoran –

Trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

Keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

*Andrew Distel - Trumpet *Omega (Vikki Stokes) - Vocals *Andy Baker – Trombone *Tony Taylor – Drums *Tom Sanchez – Guitar *Eddie Mills – DJ *DJ Logic – DJ *Ajax – DJ *Jesse De La Pena – original DJ *Josh Ramos – Bass *Phil Ajjarapu – Bass *Newt Cole –

Percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

*Frankie Hill – Keyboards

Discography

* ''

Liquid Soul Liquid Soul is a jazz, hip-hop, funk, Freestyle rap, freestyle fusion ensemble formed in 1993 from Chicago, Illinois which helped pioneer the acid jazz movement in the United States in the 90s. Coined ''"Beyond Acid Jazz"'' by founder Mars Willia ...

'' (1996) * '' Make Some Noise'' (1998) * '' Here's the Deal'' (2000) * ''Evolution'' (2002) * ''One-Two Punch'' (2006) *''Lost Soul, Vol 1.'' (2021)

References

External links

Official websiteOne-Two Punch Review on Jazz PoliceYoutube Show Me What You GotYoutube Sure Fire One, No Cents & MoreYoutube Stop By MoniesYoutube Salt PeanutsYoutube Sure Fire One
{{Authority control Jam bands American funk musical groups Musical groups from Chicago Smooth jazz ensembles American jazz ensembles from Illinois Acid jazz ensembles Acid jazz musicians Jazz musicians from Illinois