All that Jazz
Soul II Soul soundman and UK music legend Jazzie B is more qualified than most to give his opinion on where music has come since he and his soul/reggae sound shook up the music industry many moons ago.
In a career that has spanned over 20 years, the dreadlocked DJ talked to DJ Magazine about his upcoming projects for the Ministry of Sound, Trojan Records and what he makes of the sounds that his musical vision helped spawn.
Recently given an OBE as well as an Ivor Novello award, Trevor Beresford Romeo is putting the finishing touches to his Ministry compilation, which will pull together all his influences from late 70s Warehouse to more modern day tracks on a 40-song album.
The disc is scheduled for release in August as part of the label’s ‘Masterpiece’ series, following on from American legend Francois K’s compilation last year.
Fans can expect the disc to drop after he has completed his compilation for Trojan records, an album in which he will again compile a list of songs which influenced him, albeit from a reggae perspective.
When questioned on how he thought artists such as garage heavyweight Wookie, a protege of his, were taking music, Jazzie had nothing but praise for them.
“I like…anything innovative, that’s still going on in the adversity of the industry. And the internet is empowering to some of these kids coming up now, they can knock up their own stuff now and dictate to their own audience, it’s near perfect,” he told the magazine.
