Artists

Kyoto Jazz Massive

The forerunners in Japanese nu-jazz, Kyoto Jazz Massive initially began in the early '90s when brothers Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino decided to start DJing together. After a number of singles were released, the group signed to German label Compost, who released Kyoto Jazz Massive's debut, Spirit of the Sun, in 2002. 

Philadelphia Experiment

A one-off studio jam featuring native Philadelphia musicians Ahmir Thompson (the Roots, Erykah Badu, Macy Gray, Musiq Soulchild), Christian McBride (McCoy Tyner, Kathleen Battle, Benny Golson, Benny Green, Ray Brown), and Uri Caine (Mickey Roker, Robert "Bootsie" Barnes, Don Byron), the Philadelphia Experiment players met for three breezy September days in 2000 at the Roots' studio space. 

Mother Earth

The UK's "acid jazz" craze gained momentum in the mid-80s, when the original Acid Jazz Records label began to capitalize on the swelling interest in jazz, by encouraging a series of crossover bands who were mixing the music with funk and creating a danceable but harmonically rich, essentially live sound. 

Erykah Badu

Born Erica Wright in Dallas in 1971, Badu attended a school of the arts and was working as a teacher and part-time singer in her hometown when she opened for D'Angelo at a 1994 show. D'Angelo's manager, Kedar Massenburg, was impressed with the performance and hooked her up with the singer to record a cover of the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet Precious Love.