Forget your normal run-of-the-mill, beatnik-inspired, Coltrane-influenced brass and blues and rhythm and jazz – this is party jazz.
Brisbane jazz veterans Step It Up have been bursting eardrums and breaking moves as an independent and underground groove and jazz band since the ‘90s, slowly evolving from a normal acid jazz band to a group that has warped traditional jazz foundations with world, electronic and dance music on their most recent album. “In the ‘90s we were a form of acid jazz but now we play over different beats and use different influences,” says Des Reid, the bassist, guitarist and beat-maker from Step It Up.
“There's a lot of world music, we are into a lot of Arabic and Indian music. It isn't all jazz, it's instrumental but it is so accessible; there are just so many different grooves.”
After 20 years in the business Des and his band have taken the improvisation and accessibility of their sound and done something different: an album of groovin’ spontaneity and rhythm, recorded live at the Brisbane Jazz Club. “This is the first live album we have done; our last release was an EP and it was full of electronic remixes of the studio tunes we had recorded. We are best live anyway; it's what we do best. Our first album was in 1995 and that was done live in the studio, so live on stage is even better really. It's all about the improvisation and feel and reacting to and off each other.
“We started off in the ‘90s and we've been together 20 years now,” Des says, talking about the beginnings of Step It Up. “We did ‘Joselyn’ in ’93; that was our first release and then we started playing live. We did lots of festivals; we play great festival music. That’s reflected on the new album too, there are elements of reggae, drum & bass, house, Latin and even ballads; it's great music to dance to.”
Des isn’t wrong there; their new album is leaps and bounds away from the cool, freewheeling sounds of Miles Davis or Charles Mingus and more a step towards diverse world music and all night party tunes – think The Cat Empire after 11 or 12 cups of green tea. “It started off with a bit of Spanish and a bit of reggae; I was raised on reggae,” Des says.
“Everybody brings their own groove or speciality to the group. Pablo – our percussionist – has a lot of Latin influences; our drummer brings a lot of fusion. Four of us have been here since the beginning twenty years ago.”
Adding to wealth of experience and ability shared between the seven members of Step It Up is fellow Brisbane veteran, DJ Katch of Resin Dogs fame who will be joining the band on stage. “He will be scratching with us and playing in between sets as well,” Des says.
“We've played together loads of times since the ‘90s; we have a lot of breakdance and percussion that we have a DJ scratching to a lot of the time so having someone like Katch play with us is going to be awesome.”
The current Step It Up line-up is hard hitting and melodic featuring two percussionists and double horns. With eclectic world music, dance and electric influences, Step It Up have slowly evolved beyond the ‘acid jazz’ niche to be accessible and infectious to all types of music fans. This is party jazz, people. Get on it.
Written by Benjamin Pratt
Step It Up launch their new live album at the New Globe Theatre as part of the Brisbane Fringe Festival on Wednesday August 27.
