What is JazzFunk? It was primarily a British phenomena across clubs in the U.K. in the late 70s to early 80s. Although Jazz Funk music was available and often sometimes created in America, the artists that represented Jazz Funk were mostly jazz artists with a disco or funk edge to it.
 
The Jazz Funk scene began in the mid 70s at a time when northern soul dominated all the major U.K. clubs such as the Wigan Casino and the Blackpool Mecca. At the same time an underground Jazz Funk scene began in the southeast of England at places like Frenchies in Surrey, the Goldmine in Essex, and the Lacy Lady in Essex as well.
 
One of the early DJs who began championing this sound was Chris Hill who was originally a soul DJ who in the late 60s was on the scene with Georgie Fame, Geno Washington, and Chris Farlowe. Chris went on to help start the best soul weekender event in England to this day, the Caister Weekender as well as signing Sinead O' Conor and the Boomtown Rats.
 
These soul all dayers helped to bring the Jazz Funk scene into the mainstream. The first one to do this was Top Rank Suite in Reading in August of 1976 featuring Jazz Funk and Northern soul sharing the bill. This event became so successful that by 1978 it was moved to the 4,000-capacity venue, Tiffanys in Purley. The DJs involved with this event became known as the "Soul Mafia" who stuck together and used there power to get higher fees, control the music played, and not get ripped off by promoters or club owners. The more well known Soul Mafia DJs along with Chris Hill were; Robbie Vincent, Pete Tong, Froggy, Sean French, Chris Brown, Jeff Young, and Greg Edwards.
 
The Jazz Funk scene was particular inter racial especially at the Goldmine with half white soul kids and half black soul kids. Surprisingly there were never any fights or trouble from the punters but the local section of the National Front would send letters complaining about playing black music and allowing black kids in the club. It was really the first time that black and white people hung out at the same clubs and dug the same music. Typically reggae music was the scene for black clubbers and the white kids were more into the northern soul scene.
 
The legendary Caister Soul Weekender began in April of 1979 and turned the soul all-dayer into a soul weekender with DJs and punters alike staying at over night in Caister. The event can be described as part a World Cup Final, a wild concert, and a great New Year's Eve party. This was the pinnacle of the Jazz Funk movement.