Jazzy Jeff - The Magnificent Returns (ONLINE FEATURE)

Fresh from his Bamboo Season of Sound appearance, one of Philadelphia's favourite musical sons, Jazzy Jeff, drops his second solo album, The Return of The Magnificent this month. The sequel to his 2002 debut, The Magnificent, it features collaborations with Raheem Devaughn, Method Man, Rhymefest, CL Smooth and De La Soul's Pos.

Born in 1965, 'Jazzy Jeff' Townes grew up in West Philadelphia. Though developing a love of music at an early age he decided to learn how to mix records rather than play an instrument, practising for hours in the basement of the family home. "When I was growing up it wasn't cool to be a musician, everybody wanted to DJ or rap", recalls Jeff. "I used to go to block parties and just watch how the DJ controlled the whole scene and I said to myself... I want to be that guy right there".

In fact, by the time he reached high school he'd graduated to this stage, not only playing street parties but also the ballroom circuit. Thanks to his great ear for music and mastery of scratching, he quickly built a reputation as one of the most in-demand DJs in Philadelphia. Jeff rolled with numerous crews and MCs around Philly until he met Will Smith in 1985. Stepping in for his regular MC, they hit it off almost instantly, helped by the fact that both shared the same sense of humour.

By 1986 they'd released their first single, Girl's Ain't Nothin' But Trouble as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with the pair's debut album, Rock The House hitting the shops the following year. It featured one of the very first tracks dedicated to the DJ, The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff, which showed off his scratching technique, including his own invention, the bird-imitating 'chirp scratch.' Jeff explains: "In Philly the DJ was the focal point... with that track we just wanted to show that the DJ and the MC were equal".

Rock The House also contained the first jazz-rap cross-over, A Touch of Jazz: "I grew up listening to Wes Montgomery and Count Basie thanks to my Dad; then my brothers got me into George Duke, Chic Corea and Weather Report. Jazz and hip-hop are very similar - both didn't get the respect when they began, both are from the heart and both can be improvised."

Follow-up, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, was one of the first hip-hop double LPs, half focussing on Fresh Prince's storytelling, the other on Jeff's DJing prowess. Its second single Parents Just Don't Understand enjoyed heavy rotation on MTV, becoming a huge hit and helping the album go double-platinum. Their third album, 1989's gold-selling And In This Corner pushed both of them further into the limelight, particularly Will, who began his now famous acting career by starring in his own, Quincy Jones-produced sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Jeff joined him on the show to play his best friend 'Jazz' for its entire six-year run, quickly becoming an audience favourite in the role.

As Will started to get comfortable in his Fresh Prince role, Jeff set up his own recording and production facility, A Touch of Jazz, in 1990. It was a way of tapping into and developing the musical talent in his hometown of Philadelphia. Young producers such as James Poyser and Vikter Duplaix soon joined the fold and began working on various projects under his tutelage. "I wanted to be able to make all kinds of music without people knowing it was me", says Jeff, offering the reason behind the project. "There was no way for me to get respect as a soul or jazz producer coming from hip-hop in the late 80s, but I love all kinds of music and I didn't want to be put in a box. Philly was where my musical roots were from, so just like the producers Gamble & Huff before me, I wanted to bring the soul back to Philly".

Over the next three years two further Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince albums were released: Homebase and Code Red, each containing one of the duo's most successful hits, Summertime and Boom! Shake the Room. By 1993 they had sold 14 million records, won two Grammys and three American Music Awards. As Will began to focus more on his TV and movie career Jeff continued to develop A Touch of Jazz, though the pair were reunited when he produced Smith's solo debut, 1997's Big Willie Style and its follow-up Willenium in 1997.

"We trust each others talent", says Jeff, describing their relationship. "I've always been the DJ and producer, he's been the artist... when we've worked together, if he wanted something a certain way, did it or if I wanted him to say something different, he did it.. there's never been an ego or a controlling element with us. I think that's the recipe for great, long lasting music".

In 2000, A Touch of Jazz worked on an album by local female soul singer Jill Scott, with Jeff serving as Executive Producer. Released with little fanfare, strong word of mouth pushed the album Who Is Jill Scott? to double platinum sales. "That was a good album all the way through", recalls Jeff. "That's what I set out to make... I knew it was special but I never thought the rest of the world would love it like they did... it was really amazing." The success of the album saw A Touch of Jazz earn worldwide recognition and soon the production house was working with artists such as Musiq Soulchild, Dave Hollister, City High, Floetry, Lil Kim and Michael Jackson.

Late the following year, UK label BBE asked him to produce a solo album as part of their Beat Generation series which also saw established names as Marley Marl, Pete Rock and Jay Dilla invited to contribute. Told he'd be given full creative control (something he'd not received in a previous, shelved 1998 effort with Columbia Records), he was eager to get involved. "That was my dream. To make a record with no boundaries, no categories... just my interpretation of good music." The Magnificent was released in August 2002 and featured Jeff's trademark scratches as well as a variety of MCs and artists who were working at A Touch of Jazz. "People came by the studio and I just said, 'Hey want to be on my record?' It all happened very naturally." Displaying his versatility as an artist and producer, it contained hip-hop, soul and house tracks and proved a success for BBE, which led club promoters to book him as a DJ, meaning his career had now come full circle.

The great reception his album and club gigs received led to the release of his first official mix CD in 2004, Hip Hop Forever II on BBE. Showcasing his trademark mixing skills, it featured many underground and overlooked hip-hop classics. Later that year he was given the opportunity to display his versatility as a DJ on Defected's Jazzy Jeff In the House, which showed that he could mix house as well as hip-hop or soul. In 2005 Jeff resumed his twenty-year recording partnership with Will Smith, working on his fourth solo release, Lost & Found, which saw him add scratches and also produce the album.

Two years on, The Return Of The Magnificent sees him follow-up his BBE debut, again working with a host of collaborators including such established names as De La Soul's Pos, J-Live, Method Man and Big Daddy Kane, alongside newer talent such as Chinah Blac, Twone Gabs and Raheem Devaughn. "Everywhere I went people said 'When are you going to do a follow up to The Magnificent?' I just wanted to think about how it could grow from the last one. I think I've succeeded. Fingers crossed people like it!"

Indeed, on this showing Jeff's still got a lot to give hip-hop - here's hoping he's still in the game for many years to come.