Acid jazz legend Chris Bangs returns with a brand new album for 2024, following his early-2023 release ‘Firebird’, and 2022’s collaboration with Mick Talbot ‘Sumthin’ Else’. His latest long-player ‘Dream World’ is set for release on the Acid Jazz label on 27 September – a characteristic font of latin jazz from the maestro producer. Bangs is known for originally coining the term ‘acid jazz’ – a movement which subsequently morphed into the label – as he and likeminded DJs (including Gilles Peterson and Eddie Piller) began to combine jazz, soul and rock-fusion with the prominent sounds of acid house in the late ‘80s. Having worked extensively as a producer and DJ – including credits with his own The Quiet Boys, Paul Weller, Galliano and of course most recently Mick Talbot – ‘Dream World’ follows a string of solo releases. The album draws influence from the Mizell Brothers, Wayne Henderson and George Duke – the latter providing direct inspiration, with a cover of ‘My Soul’ opening the record and serving as the first single. The tracks see some new collaborators in the Bangs ranks – including Argentine keyboardist Luciano De La Rosa, Italian Massimo Morganti on trombone, Chile’s Juan Pi Salvo on trumpet, and Fabio Tiralongo on sax – making it a truly global production. Self-described as ‘pure labour of love’ by Bangs himself, the album is a further expansion of his remarkable sound and vision, and his own ever-expanding dream world of (acid) jazz that moves far beyond genre-casting. 1. My Soul 2. Dream World 3. En Cielo 4. Better Days 5. Riding On The Storm 6. Starship 7. Alegria 8. Mozambique 9. Sugar Slam
