Chris Bangs – ‘Dream World’ (LP/CD)

Acid jazz pioneer Chris Bangs returns with a brand new album for 2024, following his early-2023 release ‘Firebird’, and 2022’s collaboration with Mick Talbot ‘Back To Business’. His latest long-player ‘Dream World’ is set for release on the Acid Jazz label on 20 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. He has since worked extensively as a producer and DJ – including credits with his own The Quiet Boys and Yada Yada, along with Paul Weller, Galliano and of course most recently Mick Talbot.

The new album 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. 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.

He 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 thrilling first single, out now on all platforms.