Things Are Getting Better

Dance music with a jazz twist can go so wrong, ersatz noodling and dilettante dinner improv all too often causes dozing instead of dancing. It doesn't have to be full on mind u, just engaging...

Norway's Jazzid Club ran from 1995 - 2002, it was run by DJ & producer Local Patron and featured sets from many of the scenes best spinners, like Bobby Hughes, Prins Thomas, Lindstrom, Snowboy, Garnier, Recloose and more, the music policy was freeform, anything from obscure jazz to classic house to techno. While Jazid records is still running, the club eventually shut down, though I read somewhere its back in its third incarnation. Along with Dennis Jr, Local Patron put out 'Things Are Getting Better', available on his 'Did U Ever Doubt This' compilation (an absolutely blinder mix of disco, soul and jazzy dance tracks, which is not too easy to find). The track epitomizes what is great about the genre, funky jamming, rhythms the devil gave em and pure groove, nothing fake about it. Monster Alert!!!!
Dennis Jr & Local Patron - Things Are Getting Better

Apparently Alex Barck of Jazzanova searched for this scorching Soul Disco Funk track by Norman Weeks for some time and lucked into it at a hip hop store in Japan recently. Sonar Kollektive re-issued it here with a lovely Dixon Edit. Its an optimistic midtempo-ish soul melting 80's item with jazz undertones that pushes you along with its infectious violin hook and delicious breaks. Talcum powder anyone?
Norman Weeks - Hold On (Dixon Edit)

Laws of Motion, a great label which seems to have gone a little quiet of late, put out this fantastic track by Hypnotic (Ben Mitchel & Chris Fleming) called 'Naima', back in 2000. It's a classic bubbling dense aquatic cover of the John Coltrane track which is solid gold jazz soul dance, in my mind. You get the lovely Ian O Brien version.
Hypnotic - Naima (Ian o Brien rmx)