Artists
Al Jarreau was a virtuoso performer who balanced smooth lyricism with his own innovative brand of vocalese.
Brazilian-born Amon Tobin first emerged between 1994-1995 with a string of 12' singles on the small London-based record label 9Bar Records.
Aretha Franklin was one of the giants of soul music, and indeed of American pop as a whole. More than any other performer, she epitomized soul at its most gospel-charged.
Arrested Development are a progressive rap collective whose positive-minded hip-hop incorporates blues, soul, funk, and other forms traced back to Africa.
By mixing house and jazz together in a tall glass of dance-driven downtempo, Martin Iveson's Atjazz project mined the rare experience of listening to laid-back music in the foreground.
Atmosfear's most significant contribution to disco was the slightly loony Dancing in Outer Space, a track that has remained popular with underground disco fanatics since its release.
Their self-effacing name to the contrary, Average White Band was anything but — one of the few white groups to cross the color line and achieve success and credibility playing funk.
The duo of Mark Blissenden and Andrew Burdall specialize in earthy breaks and ambient atmospheres, more slanted to the instrumental edge of acid jazz than other producer-based trip-hop acts.