Jaz Klash is the collaboration between Los Angeles based producer, The Angel, and Bristol, England, production duo, More Rockers, of Rob Smith (aka Smith & Mighty) and Peter D. The collaboration between the three producers spawned the album, “Thru The Haze”, recorded in Los Angeles, California and Bristol, England in the latter half of 1995.
Coming from very different musical backgrounds, the project inspired an unusual blending of styles and instrumentation in a drum and bass setting. For the project Angel brought in a number of her regular Los Angeles based go-to musicians to feature on the album. In the midst of producing hammond keyboard legend, Brian Auger, Angel introduced him to the project to feature on the title track, “Thru The Haze.” Another featured guest on the album, originally from Queens, NY, sometime Freestyle Fellowship and House Of Pain guest, Cokni O’Dire, vocaled “BQE”.
“Thru the haze
Where time gets rearranged
I see my days laid out before my eyes
To savour life’s sweetest taste…”
Thru The Haze by Jaz Klash
Los Angeles saxsophonist Katisse Buckingham also featured on a number of tracks. Angel was producing tracks for the Blue Note album “The New Groove Vol. 1”, including a track for pianist Jacky Terrasson. Jacky was tapped to add some keyboard flourishes to the project.
Meanwhile, Rob and Peter reached out to Bristol guitarist Rob Chant and drummer Rob Merrill to make contributions to the album.
The trio came together for final recording and mixing of the album in Bristol over a number of months in the winter of ’95/’96. The first single from the album, with a remix by Flynn & Flora hit the streets in the fall of 1996. The album was not released until the following year, in the summer of 1997 on the Bristol label, Cup Of Tea Records. The group enlisted a number of their contemporaries to remix tracks from the album. Alongside Flynn and Flora, fellow Bristol DJs Die and SUV both did great remixes of “BQE& and &Thru The Haze” respectively. Michael Franti from Spearhead also worked up a version of “Thru The Haze.” Rouding out with their own versions of “Thru The Haze,” both The Angel and More Rockers produced remixes of the track for vinyl.
Jaz Klash made their live debut at the 1998 Montréal Jazz Festival which also took in shows in Toronto and Ottawa.
