Down to the Bone

Hailed as kings of UK jazz groove , Down to the Bone's groove gets harder, funkier and juicier. Their music encompasses all that is funky, soulful and jazzy. As founder and producer of the band, Stuart Wade states that "it's all about the groove... that is what gets people dancing, their toes tapping and their heads nodding."

Wade formed the band several years ago, where previous musical and business projects such as 'Internal Bass Records' and 'Think Twice' had given him the necessary experience to reach his musical goals. In 2001 Wade decided to go solo with the band and split from Internal Bass Records. With five Down to the Bone Albums receiving critical acclaim and chart-topping success in the U.S. contemporary Jazz Billboard charts, and three compilation Jazz/Funk albums, he hasn't looked back.

An avid music collector, Wade has been a long time admirer of musicians such as Ramsey Lewis, Roy Ayers and Lonnie Liston Smith. The retro-vibe that pays homage to these musical greats, and epitomizes the Down to the Bone sound is created in a unique way. Whilst Wade is not a conventional musician, he has a team of band members that help him to expand his ideas and melodies: together, they lay down chords and create rhythms. Then he uses a selection of live instrument recordings and samples from his library, and with the help of an engineer, edits and mixes the various parts. With the addition of guest vocalists and reputed musicians here and there, he is able to create some truly tasty tracks.

With annual gig dates being a major part of the Down To The Bone success, the band have the chance to get straight down to the raw groove with their audience.

Far from your run-of-the-mill contemporary jazz chart-toppers, the duo of Stuart Wade and Chris Morgans come from a long line of British advocates of jazz including the Brand New Heavies and Us3. Their first album as Down to the Bone, 1997's From Manhattan to Staten, did predictably well around their base in Chobham, Surrey, but also transferred to American smooth jazz charts. Their second album, The Urban Grooves, featured a track recorded with one of Wade and Morgans' original inspirations, organist Reuben Wilson, and topped jazz charts in America after its 1998 release date. Spread the Word: Album III followed in early 2001, with Crazy Vibes and Things coming the next year. After moving to Narada, Down to the Bone released Cellar Funk and Spread Love Like Wildfire in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The label celebrated the band's ten years in the game by issuing the greatest-hits album The Best of Down to the Bone in early 2007. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide