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#colincurtis #vinyl #vinylrecords
The esteemed British DJ, Colin Curtis, is back with a captivating fourth volume of his well-regarded “Jazz Dance Fusion” series. This release, issued in 2024, is an eclectic mix of new and unreleased pieces or tunes that have been overlooked or haven’t yet made their debut on vinyl. With a smaller yet concentrated selection of thirteen pieces for the vinyl edition, Colin outdid himself in his discerning choice of tracks. Beginning the sonic journey is “46 To Somewhere” by Sultan’s Swing, a Rhodesy, hi-hatty tune that echoes the thrill of a spontaneous journey. Leading listeners further down the musical rabbit hole are tunes like “Pa’gozar” by Somos Amigos and “Kyoto” by GeeW—each offering unique flavors of vocal jazz, salsa, and Latin spoken word.
Born in Madeley, Staffordshire in 1952, Colin Curtis is a name to reckon with in the history of black American music in the U.K. His commitment and contribution to the Northern soul scene of the 70s are both significant and pioneering. His fascination and keen interest in music took root in his teenage years in the ’60s and was largely nurtured by offshore radio stations like Radio Caroline. Curtis’ knack for curating and collecting black American music dates back to his time spent at the Twisted Wheel in Manchester and Golden Torch in Stoke’s Northern soul all-nighters. He embarked on his DJ career in the late ’60s, steadily making a name for himself and revolutionizing the musical scene with his thoughtful and engaging track selections.
The legendary DJ duo of Colin Curtis and Ian Levine transformed the music scene at Blackpool Mecca’s Highland Room soul nights with their eclectic and inclusive playlists. They seamlessly blended the obscure US recordings from the 60s that dominated the Northern soul scene with contemporary styles of African-American music, including disco, funk, and jazz funk. As a result, they played a pivotal role in creating a parallel modern soul subgenre.
Curtis moved away from soul and disco and towards jazz funk and fusion during his residency at Rafters nightclub in Manchester. This shift marked his foray into exclusively jazz sets, contributing significantly to pioneering the UK jazz dance scene. In the mid-80s, Curtis kept his finger on the pulse of US dance music trends, incorporating New York electro, hip hop, and the inaugural wave of house music from artists like Chip E, Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley, and Farley Jackmaster Funk into his sets.
Although Curtis took a hiatus from his DJ career at the close of the ’80s, his contribution to the Northern soul, jazz funk, and modern dance scene has not been forgotten. In recent years, he has thrilled audiences with throwback sets at various venues. Two of his memorable performances in the 2010s unfolded at the Soul Casino and Warehouse arenas during the Vintage at Goodwood Festival. Listen to Colin Curtis presents Jazz Dance Fusion, Vol. 4, to discover or revisit the dynamic and alluring world of jazz dance fusion. This musical journey is interspersed with performances that can likened to other renowned DJs such as Tony Jebb, Keith Minshull, Greg Wilson, Graeme Park and Simon Bassline Smith.
