Liquid Soul is an American

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

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 ...

freestyle Freestyle may refer to: Brands * Reebok Freestyle, a women's athletic shoe * Ford Freestyle, an SUV automobile * Coca-Cola Freestyle, a vending machine * Abbott FreeStyle, a blood glucose monitor by Abbott Laboritories Media * '' FreeStyle'', ...

fusion ensemble, formed in 1993 from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois, which helped pioneer the

acid jazz Acid jazz (also known as club jazz, psychedelic jazz, or groove jazz) is a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul music, soul, and hip hop music, hip hop, as well as jazz and disco. Acid jazz originated in clubs in London during the 1 ...

movement in the United States in the 1990s. Coined "Beyond Acid Jazz" by founder

Mars Williams Marc Charles "Mars" Williams (May 29, 1955 – November 20, 2023) was an American jazz and rock saxophonist. He was a member of the American new wave band The Waitresses from 1980 to 1983, and a member of the British post-punk band The Psyched ...

who played with

The Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler (singer), Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from ...

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." The band released two albums, '' Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?'' and '' Bruiseology'', and one EP, '' ...

and

Billy Idol William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Idol achieved fame in the 1970s on the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of Generation X ...

, the group was co-founded by guitarist Tommy Klein, from the Spies Who Surf, and Chicago DJ Jesse De La Peña. The band's 2000 album '' Here's the Deal'' was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

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 Copeland III and Stewart Copeland in 1997. It was based in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. 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. Renowned for his defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forw ...

'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 June ...

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 Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...

and

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

, played at

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

'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 (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

where the

Austin American-Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is owned by Hearst Communications. The distribution of the following ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', '' ...

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 distr ...

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 assoc ...

in 2006).

Notable performances and venues

Metro Chicago Metro (formerly the Stages Music Hall and Cabaret Metro) is a concert hall in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that plays host to a variety of local, regional and national emerging bands and musicians. The Metro was first opened in 1982. Th ...

Music for Mars Tribute, Chicago, Nov 25 2023 *

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 between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

, 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, July 2000 *

Ravinia Festival Ravinia Festival is a primarily outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September in a wide variety of musical genres from classical to pop. The first orche ...

with

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

Music Midtown Festival Music Midtown is a large music festival held in Atlanta, Georgia, annually from 1994 to 2005, after which it returned in 2011 following a six-year hiatus. The festival ran consecutively from 2011-2019 with a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID- ...

, 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, New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of vi ...

(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: The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that has been held for more than 40 years. The festival begins with the J ...

, 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, Moers, Germany. The festival has changed from concentrating on free jazz to including world music, world and pop music, though it still invites many avant-garde jazz musicians. ...

, 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 Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

, 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 State ...

, 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 hire ...

, 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 Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

*Brian "MCB" Quarles – MC *Dirty MF – MC *Tommy Klein –

Guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

*My Boy Elroy –

Beatbox Beatboxing (also, and sometimes, called beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (usually a Roland TR-808, TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.DJ *Ron Haynes – original Trumpet *John Janowiak –

Trombone The trombone (, 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 lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

*Devin Staples -

Drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

Past members include... *

–

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 p ...

* Simone –

Vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

*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 musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

/ Keyboards *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 percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

*Frankie Hill – Keyboards

Discography

* ''

Liquid Soul Liquid Soul is an American 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 1990s. Coined "Beyond Acid Jazz" by founder ...

'' (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 Jazz ensembles from Illinois Acid jazz ensembles Acid jazz musicians Jazz musicians from Illinois