Liquid Soul
Encyclopedia
Liquid Soul is a jazz
, hip-hop, funk
, freestyle
fusion ensemble formed in 1994 from Chicago, Illinois which helped pioneer the Acid Jazz
movement in the United States
in the 90's. Coined "Beyond Acid Jazz" by founder Mars Williams
of The Psychedelic Furs and The Waitresses
, and co-founded by guitarist Tommy Klein, the band's 2000 album Here's the Deal
was nominated for a Grammy
in the Best Contemporary Jazz Album category.
by Ark 21 Records
. A well-popularized appearance at Dennis Rodman
's birthday party added to their notoriety. They were the main feature at Double Door
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, played at Bill Clinton
's second Inaugural Parade and 21st Century Ball, and appeared twice at the South By Southwest Music Festival. The Austin American-Statesman
referred to them as "the single hottest showcase of the festival." They have recorded four more CDs: Make Some Noise (produced by Ark 21 in 1998) and the Grammy-nominated Here's the Deal (produced by Shanachie in 2000), Evolution (produced by Shanachie in 2002) and most recently One-Two Punch (produced by major label Telarc in 2006).
Past members include...
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, hip-hop, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, freestyle
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
fusion ensemble formed in 1994 from Chicago, Illinois which helped pioneer the Acid Jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
movement in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 90's. Coined "Beyond Acid Jazz" by founder Mars Williams
Mars Williams
Mars Williams is an American jazz and rock saxophonist. Originally a ten year classical clarinetist after being exposed to Big Band and Dixieland Jazz by his trumpet playing father, Mars migrated to the saxophone in his senior year of high school, citing influences from Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane...
of The Psychedelic Furs and The Waitresses
The Waitresses
The Waitresses were an experimental new wave band from Akron, Ohio. The group was led by guitarist/songwriter Chris Butler with lead vocals performed by Patty Donahue.-Career:...
, and co-founded by guitarist Tommy Klein, the band's 2000 album Here's the Deal
Here's the Deal
-Track listing:# "Sure Fire One" – 4:27# "The Diz" – 3:17# "Stop By Monie's" – 3:54# "Everybody's Got One" – 3:55# "Show Me" – 2:53# "Sex Tablet" – 3:22# "All Blues" – 6:13# "Sweet Pea" – 3:44# "Donkey Punch" – 3:41# "Dysfunction" – 4:46...
was nominated for a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the Best Contemporary Jazz Album 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 SoulLiquid Soul (album)
-Track listing:# "Preview" – 0:26# "Worlds' On A Leash" – 4:36# "Schitzophrenia" – 3:37# "Equinox" – 5:05# "The Good One" – 0:14# "Afro Loop" – 5:22# "Java Junkie" – 4:43# "New E" – 4:19# "Righteous" – 4:44# "Footprints" – 4:19...
by Ark 21 Records
Ark 21 Records
Ark 21 Records is a record label established by Miles Copeland & Stewart Copeland. The record label is based out of Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California.-Artists:* Ragheb Alamah* Beats Antique* The Badlees* Farrah* Faudel* The Human League* Hakim...
. A well-popularized appearance at Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
's birthday party added to their notoriety. They were the main feature at Double Door
Double Door
Double Door is a concert hall and nightclub located at 1572 N. Milwaukee Avenue, in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. The venue was first opened on June 12, 1994, and is co-owned by Andy Barrett, Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan...
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, played at Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's second Inaugural Parade and 21st Century Ball, and appeared twice at the South By Southwest Music Festival. The Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
referred to them as "the single hottest showcase of the festival." They have recorded four more CDs: Make Some Noise (produced by Ark 21 in 1998) and the Grammy-nominated Here's the Deal (produced by Shanachie in 2000), Evolution (produced by Shanachie in 2002) and most recently One-Two Punch (produced by major label Telarc in 2006).
Notable performance venues
- Double DoorDouble DoorDouble Door is a concert hall and nightclub located at 1572 N. Milwaukee Avenue, in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. The venue was first opened on June 12, 1994, and is co-owned by Andy Barrett, Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan...
Liquid Soul 15th Anniversary Show, Chicago, Jan 18 2009 - Sting opening shows (Central Park, New York City; Blockbuster Pavilion, Charlotte, NC; Alltel Pavilion, Raleigh, NC), Sept. 2000
- Chicago Jazz FestivalChicago Jazz FestivalThe Chicago Jazz Festival is a popular and well-known four day free celebration of jazz at Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park in downtown Chicago. It is run by the Jazz Institute of Chicago during Labor Day weekend, integrating both world-famous and local artists...
, Sept. 2000 - Jazz Wind 2000 Festival in Furano, Japan, Aug. 2000
- Newport Jazz FestivalNewport Jazz FestivalThe Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
in Madarao, Japan, Aug. 2000 - Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues FestivalSioux Falls Jazz and Blues FestivalThe Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival is an annual three-day outdoor musical event, featuring two stages and is free to the public...
, July 2000 - Ravinia Festival with Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, July 2000 - Cancun Jazz Festival, Mexico (May 2000)
- Music Midtown Festival, Atlanta, Ga. (May 2000)
- New Orleans Jazz & Heritage FestivalNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage FestivalThe New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana...
(May 2000) - Babylon Club, Istanbul, Turkey (January 2000)
- Jacksonville Jazz FestivalJacksonville Jazz FestivalThe Jacksonville Jazz Festival is a weekend of Jazz that is the "second-largest jazz festival in the nation" according to Superpages and that, according to the Jacksonville Times-Union, has been dubbed by "experts" as "one of the 20 best in the nation." The event in Jacksonville, Florida, USA is...
, 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, Moers, Germany (May 1997, May 1999 and May 2004)
- Festival International de Jazz de MontrealFestival International de Jazz de MontréalThe Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz festival...
(July 1998) - Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival, Detroit (September 1998)
- The Cubby Bear, Chicago (February 1998)
- U.S. President Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's Inaugural Parade and 21st Century Ball, Washington, D.C. (January 1997) - The Theater at Madison Square GardenMadison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, New York City (opened for two Sting concerts, March 1997) - A Taste of Chicago, Petrillo Music ShellPetrillo Music ShellJames C. Petrillo Music Shell or simply Petrillo Music Shell or Petrillo Bandshell as it is more commonly known, is an outdoor amphitheater/bandstand in Grant Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
, Grant Park, Chicago (July 4, 1997) - JVC Jazz Festival, Newport, R.I. (August 1997)
- Dennis RodmanDennis RodmanDennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
'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
- Josh Ramos - BassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
- Brian "MC B" Quarles - MCMaster of CeremoniesA Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
- Dirty MF - MC
- Tommy Klein - GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Boy Elroy - Beatbox/DJDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
- Doug Corcoran - TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
/KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Tony Taylor - DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Mars WilliamsMars WilliamsMars Williams is an American jazz and rock saxophonist. Originally a ten year classical clarinetist after being exposed to Big Band and Dixieland Jazz by his trumpet playing father, Mars migrated to the saxophone in his senior year of high school, citing influences from Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane...
- SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Past members include...
- Simone - VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Race - MC
- Mr. Greenweedz - MC
- Dan Leali - Drums
- Jonathan Marks - Drums
- Bret Zwier - Drums
- Ron Haynes - original Trumpet
- Hugh Ragin - Trumpet
- John Janowiak - TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Andy Baker - Trombone
- Tom Sanchez - Guitar
- Eddie Mills - DJ
- DJ Logic - DJ
- Ajax - DJ
- Jesse De La Pena - original DJ
- Rick Showalter - original Bass
- Phil Ajjarapu - Bass
- Newt Cole - Percussion
- Frankie Hill - Keyboards
Discography
- Liquid SoulLiquid Soul (album)-Track listing:# "Preview" – 0:26# "Worlds' On A Leash" – 4:36# "Schitzophrenia" – 3:37# "Equinox" – 5:05# "The Good One" – 0:14# "Afro Loop" – 5:22# "Java Junkie" – 4:43# "New E" – 4:19# "Righteous" – 4:44# "Footprints" – 4:19...
(1996) - Make Some Noise (1998)
- Here's the DealHere's the Deal-Track listing:# "Sure Fire One" – 4:27# "The Diz" – 3:17# "Stop By Monie's" – 3:54# "Everybody's Got One" – 3:55# "Show Me" – 2:53# "Sex Tablet" – 3:22# "All Blues" – 6:13# "Sweet Pea" – 3:44# "Donkey Punch" – 3:41# "Dysfunction" – 4:46...
(2000) - Evolution (2002)
- One-Two Punch (2006)