The Antidote

One of the acid jazz movement's most prominent guitarists, London-born Ronny Jordan is widely credited with returning the instrument to its rightful place as a major force in modern-day jazz; despite outcries from purists, few other artists of his era proved more pivotal in knocking down the long-immutable boundaries of contemporary black music. The son of a preacher, Jordan's early musical history was rooted in gospel; his first public performances were with gospel groups, but the outbreak of Brit-funk during the early '80s led him to begin exploring other avenues of music, culminating in a fascination with jazz. A self-taught guitarist, his early influences included Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green, and when hip-hop began to take off, Jordan started exploring ways to fuse jazz and rap together. The first fruit of his endeavors was the single "After Hours," a primitive foray into what would eventually become known as acid jazz. Record companies initially wanted no part of Jordan's music, but when his distinctive cover of the Miles Davis classic "So What" became a hit, it was clear something was afoot. He soon released his debut LP, 1992's The Antidote, which made him an instant star on London's burgeoning Acid Jazz scene. [...]

Jason Ankeny -All Music guide


Tracklisting:

01. Get To Grips (5:58)
02. Blues Grinder (5:26)
03. After Hours [The Antidote] (5:20)
04. See The New (5:26)
05. So What (5:08)
06. Shoe Me [Your Love] (5:34)
07. Nite Spice (4:50)
08. Summer Smile (5:44)


Produced and arranged by Ronny Jordan.
Recorded in London, November 1992.

Personnel: Ronny Jordan (g, keyb, b, scat vocals) and Longsy D (d). Guest Musicians: Philip Bent (fl on #3 & 4), Adrian York (org on #2), Hugo Delmirani (org, vib on #1), Joe Bashorun (p on #5), Arnie Somejee (b on #5), Isabel Roberts (vcl on #4, 5 & 6) and IG (rap on #1 & 4).