US3
Encyclopedia
Us3 is a jazz-rap group founded in London
in 1991. Their name was inspired by a Horace Parlan
recording produced by Alfred Lion
, the founder of Blue Note Records
. On their debut album, Hand on the Torch
, Us3 used samples from the Blue Note Records
catalogue, all originally produced by Lion.
12" release in 1990 called "Where Will We Be In The 21st Century", featured rapper MC Honey B and jazz pianist Jessica Lauren. The release garnered the attention of independent label Ninja Tune
, resulting in NW1's 1991 12" "The Band Played The Boogie" featuring London rapper Born 2 B. It sampled a dancefloor tune of the burgeoning jazz dance scene, Grant Green
's "Sookie Sookie", originally released on Blue Note Records
.
London
's Kiss FM
added "The Band Played The Boogie" to its playlist and Wilkinson received a call summoning him to EMI Records
's offices in London. Wilkinson avoided a lawsuit and was granted rights to the archives of Blue Note Records . One of the resulting demos, recorded in March 1992, was "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)." It sampled Herbie Hancock
's Cantaloupe Island
. Two years later, it entered the US top ten and was included on Hand on the Torch, the first Blue Note album to achieve Platinum status (1,000,000 sales) in the USA.
After several world tours with Us3, Mel Simpson left the group for other endeavours. Wilkinson initiated work on a second album in 1996, marshalling New York rappers KCB and Shabaam Sahdeeq to replace Rahsaan Kelly, Kobie Powell, and Tukka Yoot for the 1997 release Broadway & 52nd
. The Blue Note samples became more embedded in the grooves and experimental tracks like "Snakes" (in 5/4) and the spoken-word "Sheep".
More touring followed, but personnel changes within Blue Note's parent company, Capitol Records
, allowed Wilkinson to leave and sign to Sony, working with the A&R executive that initially signed him in 1992.. Blue Note samples were not included and two new vocalists joined the group: rapper Michelob, and singer Alison Crockett. However, before the album was complete, a major personnel change at Sony left Us3 in limbo. In 1994, Us3 appeared on the Red Hot Organization
's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, alongside other prominent jazz artists, Herbie Hancock
and Roy Ayers
. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time
magazine.
In 1994, Us3 appeared on the Red Hot Organization
's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, alongside other prominent jazz artists, Herbie Hancock
and Roy Ayers
. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine.
Eventually the third Us3 album An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place
was released in 2001 by Toshiba EMI in Japan and Universal in Europe. The album itself represented a new direction for the group's sound, incorporating elements of drum 'n bass, Latin, and Indian music into the mix. Several European and Japanese tours took place throughout 2002, but there once again were major label personnel cuts that left Us3 without a label.
Eventually a deal was concluded and the fourth Us3 album Questions was released in Japan by Toshiba EMI in 2003. Brooklyn rapper Reggi Wyns and London-based South African female singer Mpho Skeef were the featured vocalists. Questions was the first Us3 album to be released independently (outside Japan). Two tours of Europe in 2005 resulted in 50 performances in 14 countries.
After the tour, the eclectic album Schizophonic
was recorded. All members of the Us3 live band were featured, including Chris Storr, Ed Jones, Neville Malcolm, DJ First Rate, Mike Gorman, Sean Hargreaves, John Crawford, and Ernie Cranenburgh. Schizophonic also featured two new rappers, Akil Dasan and Gaston, both of whom Wilkinson found at New York’s underground hangout, the Nuyorican Poets Café
.
The 2007 album Say What!? once again included rappers Akil Dasan and Gaston and added 21 year old R&B vocalist Adeline.
In October 2011, Us3 released their 8th album “Lie, Cheat & Steal”, featuring NY based Puerto Rican rapper/spoken word artist Oveous Maximus, and UK rapper (& MOBO Award winner) Akala
. During the same month, an 8-piece live Us3 band embarked on a 19 date European Tour in promotion of the album.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1991. Their name was inspired by a Horace Parlan
Horace Parlan
Horace Parlan is an American hard bop and post-bop piano player.He is noted for his contributions to the classic Charles Mingus recordings Mingus Ah Um and Blues & Roots....
recording produced by Alfred Lion
Alfred Lion
Alfred Lion was a Jewish German-born American record executive who co-founded Blue Note Records in 1939 Blue Note recorded many of the biggest names in jazz throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.-Biography:...
, the founder of Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
. On their debut album, Hand on the Torch
Hand on the Torch
Hand on the Torch was the debut album for the jazz-rap group Us3. It received much attention because of its mix of jazz and rap, using live jazz musicians...
, Us3 used samples from the Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
catalogue, all originally produced by Lion.
History
Us3 is the brainchild of London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson. Formed in 1992 alongside production partner Mel Simpson, Us3 had two previous incarnations. The first, a limited edition white labelWhite label
White label records are vinyl records with adhesive plain white labels affixed. Test pressings, usually with Test Pressing written on the label, with catalogue number, artist and recording time or date, are produced in small quantities to evaluate the quality of the disc production...
12" release in 1990 called "Where Will We Be In The 21st Century", featured rapper MC Honey B and jazz pianist Jessica Lauren. The release garnered the attention of independent label Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music...
, resulting in NW1's 1991 12" "The Band Played The Boogie" featuring London rapper Born 2 B. It sampled a dancefloor tune of the burgeoning jazz dance scene, Grant Green
Grant Green
Grant Green was a jazz guitarist and composer....
's "Sookie Sookie", originally released on Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
.
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Kiss FM
Kiss 100 London
Kiss is a UK radio station broadcasting on FM and Digital Radio, specialising in hip hop, R&B, urban and electronic dance music. It also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and TalkTalk TV...
added "The Band Played The Boogie" to its playlist and Wilkinson received a call summoning him to EMI Records
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's offices in London. Wilkinson avoided a lawsuit and was granted rights to the archives of Blue Note Records . One of the resulting demos, recorded in March 1992, was "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)." It sampled Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
's Cantaloupe Island
Cantaloupe Island
Cantaloupe Island is a jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock and recorded on his 1964 album Empyrean Isles. during his early years as one of the members of Miles Davis '60s quintet. It is one of the very first examples of a modal jazz composition set to a funky beat...
. Two years later, it entered the US top ten and was included on Hand on the Torch, the first Blue Note album to achieve Platinum status (1,000,000 sales) in the USA.
After several world tours with Us3, Mel Simpson left the group for other endeavours. Wilkinson initiated work on a second album in 1996, marshalling New York rappers KCB and Shabaam Sahdeeq to replace Rahsaan Kelly, Kobie Powell, and Tukka Yoot for the 1997 release Broadway & 52nd
Broadway & 52nd
Broadway & 52nd was the second album by jazz-rap group Us3. They continued mixing live musicians with samples and hip hop lyrics. While not as well-accepted as their debut album Hand on the Torch, it was a more mature approach to jazz-rap, up to par with Guru's Jazzmatazz...
. The Blue Note samples became more embedded in the grooves and experimental tracks like "Snakes" (in 5/4) and the spoken-word "Sheep".
More touring followed, but personnel changes within Blue Note's parent company, Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, allowed Wilkinson to leave and sign to Sony, working with the A&R executive that initially signed him in 1992.. Blue Note samples were not included and two new vocalists joined the group: rapper Michelob, and singer Alison Crockett. However, before the album was complete, a major personnel change at Sony left Us3 in limbo. In 1994, Us3 appeared on the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, alongside other prominent jazz artists, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
and Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine.
In 1994, Us3 appeared on the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, alongside other prominent jazz artists, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
and Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine.
Eventually the third Us3 album An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place
An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place
An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place was the third album for the jazz-rap group Us3.-Tracks:#"An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place, Pt. 1"#"Get Out"#"You Can't Hold Me Down"#"Let My Dreams Come True"#"India"#"Sittin' on My Park Bench"...
was released in 2001 by Toshiba EMI in Japan and Universal in Europe. The album itself represented a new direction for the group's sound, incorporating elements of drum 'n bass, Latin, and Indian music into the mix. Several European and Japanese tours took place throughout 2002, but there once again were major label personnel cuts that left Us3 without a label.
Eventually a deal was concluded and the fourth Us3 album Questions was released in Japan by Toshiba EMI in 2003. Brooklyn rapper Reggi Wyns and London-based South African female singer Mpho Skeef were the featured vocalists. Questions was the first Us3 album to be released independently (outside Japan). Two tours of Europe in 2005 resulted in 50 performances in 14 countries.
After the tour, the eclectic album Schizophonic
Schizophonic (Us3 album)
Schizophonic is the fifth album by music producer Geoff Wilkinson's jazz/rap fusion project Us3. It features a more upbeat approach than most of the tracks from previous albums by Us3, and - like on the previous 2004 album Questions - no samples but live recordings were used in its production...
was recorded. All members of the Us3 live band were featured, including Chris Storr, Ed Jones, Neville Malcolm, DJ First Rate, Mike Gorman, Sean Hargreaves, John Crawford, and Ernie Cranenburgh. Schizophonic also featured two new rappers, Akil Dasan and Gaston, both of whom Wilkinson found at New York’s underground hangout, the Nuyorican Poets Café
Nuyorican Poets Café
The Nuyorican Poets Café is a non-profit organization in Alphabet City, Manhattan. It is a bastion of the Nuyorican art movement in New York City, USA, and has become a forum for poetry, music, hip hop, video, visual arts, comedy and theatre.-History:...
.
The 2007 album Say What!? once again included rappers Akil Dasan and Gaston and added 21 year old R&B vocalist Adeline.
In October 2011, Us3 released their 8th album “Lie, Cheat & Steal”, featuring NY based Puerto Rican rapper/spoken word artist Oveous Maximus, and UK rapper (& MOBO Award winner) Akala
Akala (rapper)
Akala is an English rap and hip hop artist from Kentish Town, Camden, London. He is the younger brother of the singer Ms...
. During the same month, an 8-piece live Us3 band embarked on a 19 date European Tour in promotion of the album.
2007 live band personnel
- Geoff Wilkinson (beats)
- Bryan Corbett (trumpet)
- Ed Jones (sax)
- Chris Dodd (double bass)
- DJ First Rate (turntable)
- Mike Gorman/Sean Hargreaves (keyboards)
- Akil Dasan (rap)
- Gaston (rap)
- Adeline (vocals)
Discography
- 1993 Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)Cantaloop"Cantaloop " is a song by jazz-rap group Us3 from their 1993 album Hand on the Torch.It features a sample of Herbie Hancock's song "Cantaloupe Island", and reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's only top 40 single....
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 1993 Hand on the TorchHand on the TorchHand on the Torch was the debut album for the jazz-rap group Us3. It received much attention because of its mix of jazz and rap, using live jazz musicians...
- 1994 Tukka Yoot's Riddim (EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 1994 I Got It Goin' OnI Got It Goin' On"I Got It Goin' On" is the third and final single from Tone Loc's 1989 album Lōc-ed After Dark. and should not be confused with the dance pop song I Got It Goin' On by Wesley or the 1994 EP by Us3 that has the same title-History:...
(EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - 1997 Broadway & 52ndBroadway & 52ndBroadway & 52nd was the second album by jazz-rap group Us3. They continued mixing live musicians with samples and hip hop lyrics. While not as well-accepted as their debut album Hand on the Torch, it was a more mature approach to jazz-rap, up to par with Guru's Jazzmatazz...
- 1999 Flip Fantasia: Hits and remixes
- 2001 An Ordinary Day in an Unusual PlaceAn Ordinary Day in an Unusual PlaceAn Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place was the third album for the jazz-rap group Us3.-Tracks:#"An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place, Pt. 1"#"Get Out"#"You Can't Hold Me Down"#"Let My Dreams Come True"#"India"#"Sittin' on My Park Bench"...
- 2004 Questions
- 2006 SchizophonicSchizophonic (Us3 album)Schizophonic is the fifth album by music producer Geoff Wilkinson's jazz/rap fusion project Us3. It features a more upbeat approach than most of the tracks from previous albums by Us3, and - like on the previous 2004 album Questions - no samples but live recordings were used in its production...
- 2007 Say What!?
- 2009 Stop. Think. Run.
- 2011 Lie, Cheat & StealLie, Cheat & StealLie, Cheat & Steal is a double album by drum and bass artist Klute. The second disc is actually titled "You Should Be Ashamed" and contains non-drum and bass tracks.The U.S...