CHRIS BANGS PRESENTS THE PLAYBOX.
Chris Bangs Presents The Playbox.
Label: BGP.
Format: CD.
Release Date: 30th May 2025.
Initially, DJ Chris Bangs started off as a guitarist with space rockers the Mighty Om. However, he soon realised that his talents lay elsewhere.
That came in 1982, after meeting Gilles Peterson, who was playing his first DJ gigs in a wine bar near where Bangs lived. This led to the pair forming a partnership and DJ-ing together for the best part of a decade.
Their first DJ sets took place in a small function room above the Derby Arms, near the Belvedere Arms in Sheen, West London. This was also where, in the late-eighties, Peterson played some of his legendary DJ sets. That was in the future.
Bangs and Peterson's original one-off nights culminated with their Mambo Madness parties and the Original Jazz Bops. They were promote alongside Peterson's Mad On Jazz show on Radio London. At these parties, 1,600 clubbers took to the dancefloor as the pair spun an eclectic selection of tracks. They were joined by various bands and artists at the famous Town and Country Club in Kentish Town. These were nights to remember.
Meanwhile, Bangs' DJ career was progressing as he was offered various residences. His first was playing five nights a week at Bogarts in West London. Then each Saturday he played at the Exeter Bowl, Bournemouth. This led to Bang joining forces with DJ and promoter Bob Masters to run the Bournemouth soul weekenders through most of the 80s.
During the mid to late eighties Bangs DJ-ed at the Cock Happy, Special Branch and Doos At The Zoo club nights.
Every second Monday night Bangs was the guest DJ at Peterson's Monday jazz night at the Wag Club.
Bangs was also a regular at Rockley Sands, Prestatyn and Caister weekenders, spinning everything from jazz dance and funk to rare groove. By then, Bangs was travelling further afield.
He also DJ-ed at Special Branch holidays in Ibiza and Corfu. Bangs also played at the legendary Cafe Del Mar. However, one of the things Bangs will always be remembered for happened accidentally in 1988.
In early 1988, Bangs and Peterson were DJ-ing at Nicky Holloway Special Branch Doo in Brentford, London. The pair were spinning hard Latin tunes, and behind them, the words Acid, Acid, Acid, were being projected onto the screen behind them. They stopped the music, and Bangs said "acid jazz" on the microphone. Both found this hilarious. It was meant to be throwaway comment, a reaction to the nascent acid house movement. However, acid jazz became the name for a musical movement that was popular worldwide.
When Bangs played an acid jazz set he spun everything from hard bop, early hip hop, Jimi Hendrix, psychedelic poetry and tough Latin tunes. These were eclectic sets that gave Bangs the freedom to play a wide range of tracks that he couldn't and wouldn't play elsewhere. However, Bangs wasn't content to DJ.
He wanted to make music, and joined forces with Peterson to record the proto acid 12" 'Psychedelic Jack (That's Where It's At).' They were signed to Acid Jazz Records, and in 1988, released the single as Extasis. This was just the start for Bangs.
Since then, he has released music under various names, and for various labels. This includes his solo albums 'Firebird' in 2023, and 'Dream World' in 2024. Both were released on Acid Jazz Records. Bangs has also worked with many other artists.
This includes producing Galliano and Paul Weller. Bangs has also worked with Mick Talbot, the legendary Roy Ayers, Linda Clifford and Sharon Redd. He's also remixed Will Downing, Ce Ce Rogers and Blaze, as well as making house tracks with Faith's Terry Farley.
However, it's been seventeen years since Bangs last compiled a compilation. That was 'Fuck Acid House This Is Acid Jazz' in 2008. He's compiled 'Chris Bangs Presents The Playbox,' which will be released by BGP, on Friday 30th, May 2025.
'Chris Bangs Presents The Playbox' features fourteen tracks from Johnny Hammond, Roy Haynes, Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes, Pleasure, Johnny Lytle, Patrice Rushen and Cal Tjader.
Opening the compilation is 'Los Conquistadores Chocolatés' from Johnny Hammond's classic jazz-funk album 'Gears.' It was released on the Milestone label in 1975, and was produced by Larry and Fonce Mizell. It's a joyous and timeless track that fifty years later, will still fill any dancefloor.
In 1977, Bill Summers released his debut album 'Feel The Heat' on the Prestige label. By then, he was regarded as one of the top session percussionists. He had worked with everyone from George Benson, Eddie Henderson, Norman Connors and The Pointer Sisters. One of the highlights from his debut album was 'Brazilian Skies.' It's an infectiously catchy and breezy fusion of soul, samba, jazz-funk and Latin jazz. The highlights of the track are the scatted vocals and the batucada percussion breakdown. It's no wonder the track became a firm favourite of DJs and jazz dancers.
By the time that Roy Haynes released his album 'Thank You Thank You' in on Prestige, in 1977, he had been a professional drummer for thirty-five years. He was a top session player, who worked with the great and good of jazz. One of the highlights of the album was 'Quiet Fire.' From the opening bars, percussion joins with Hayes thunderous drums, congas, piano and a standup bass. Soon, a heavy and infectiously catchy groove is unfolding and this dancefloor filler heads in the direction of fusion and is akin to a joyous call to dance.
'Visions Of A New World (Phase II)' by Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes is one of the highlights of the compilation. This a track from Smith's fourth album 'Visions Of A New World,' which was released on Flying Dutchman, in 1975. Jazz-funk meets disco on a truly timeless track that was produced by Bob Thiele and Smith features and features an all-star band.
'No Matter What' is a track from Pleasure's album 'Get To The Feeling.' It was released on Fantasy in 1978. This track is a delicious fusion of funk, jazz, disco and jazz-funk, and was one of the highlights of Pleasure's fourth album.
In 1972, Johnny Lytle released 'The Soulful Rebel' on the Milestone label. This vastly underrated and oft-overlooked album where an all-star band combined jazz-funk and soul-jazz. On 'Gunky,' rocky guitar licks are unleashed, and join a mesmeric bass, swirling Hammond organ and vibes to create an acid jazz classic.
'Braun-Blek-Blu' is track from Dom Um Romao's 1974 self-titled sophomore album on Muse Records. It's a mixture of bossa nova, jazz-funk and samba, and became a jazz dance favourite.
'Chris Bangs Presents The Playbox' is a carefully curated compilation where the emphasis is on quality. There's a mixture of familiar faces and what will be new names to many music fans. They'll enjoy everything from bossa nova, jazz-funk, samba and soul-jazz to disco jazz. funk, fusion and soul. The result is 'Chris Bangs Presents The Playbox,' which will appeal to veterans of the acid jazz and jazz dance scene, as well as anyone loves good music.
Chris Bangs Presents The Playbox.
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