Down to the Bone

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, the group 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. The group’s tenth album, The Main Ingredients, released in 2011, found Down to the Bone taking their signature funk and groove sound to the Trippin 'N' Rhythm label. ~ John Bush