Interview with Down To The Bone

JazzandSoul : First of all for the people who aren't familiar with DTTB. How would you like to describe your music ?

DTTB : Well I would say it was jazz/funk but leaning more towards the funk than jazz. Mostly upbeat grooves with the odd vocal track thrown in for good measure. I tend to use the term Good Groove a lot too.

JazzandSoul : Why did you decide to bring funky, loungy music ?

DTTB : Easy ... funky jazz, soul, samba and good groove is the music I have grown up with and love. I have a huge record collection and wanted to be a DJ at first but had the opportunity to try my hand at music production. I wanted to inject some more funky stuff into the music of the time as it was about the time that the Acid Jazz scene ended and there was nothing aroubd to continue that vibe. I also went to a few clubs at the time and wanted to get involved somehow and contribute to the scene I loved.

JazzandSoul : Which bands or artists were/are an inspiration to you ?

DTTB : A lot of stuff from the early 70's like Roy Ayers, Cold Blood, James Brown, The JB's, Leroy Hutson, Deodato, Joe Bataan (his funky soul stuff), The Mizell Brothers and Brian Auger. Then a lot of new stuff too like the funk 45 stuff from The New Master Sounds, Phat Fred, The Bamboos and other acts like The Rebirth, JTQ, DJ Day. Other things inspire me too like the clubs I went to and the DJ's that played there. From Russ Dewbury at The Jazz Rooms in Brighton to Martin Lewin, Chris Bangs, Gilles Peterson and Chris Brown at the old Floorshaker from a while ago. I actually partly named the act after a club night I used to go to in Holborn, London, run by people like Bob Jones, Simon Dunmore and Mark Webster called 'To the Bone'.

JazzandSoul : I often get the feeling that 'everybody loves the funk', but a lot of people aren't quite familiar with the funk artists or bands. How do you feel about this ? Is this mainly a marketing problem ... ?

DTTB : I think more people are getting into the funky stuff at the moment but you have to look for it because it is not the 'mainstream'. I think it's partly because it is a form of music that won't confirm like jazz. The very fact that if it became popular would mean it would loose it's edge. But more support and recognition would help as yes, there are loads more people who would like it. I mainly put it down to lack of radio support and most mainstream radio seems to be getting worse.


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