Edward II

Splicing dance tunes of old England with the sunny sexy grooves of reggae and lovers’ rock, Edward II transcended superficial notions of “crossover” to forge a truly original synthesis from their far-flung musical roots. Featuring a seven-piece line up that saw melodeon and sax, fiddle and trombone nestling snugly cheek-by-jowl, their repertoire strolled expansively from reworked folk standards like “Wild Mountain Thyme” or “La Russe” to Caribbean classics like Gregory Isaacs “Night Nurse”. They were long renowned as one of the freshest, funkiest acts on the circuit, they sent crowds from Shetland to Sri Lanka, Brazil to Bangladesh into a jigging, skanking frenzy with their superlative live shows.
Emerging initially as a loose, fluid collective – a self styled “mutant calypso/reggae/African style English dance band” – from the vibrant roots melting-pot of Cheltenham’s Victory Club during the mid-80’s, the band (then called Edward II and the Red Hot Polkas) firmed up personnel and shifted emphasis a few years later, establishing the twin poles of their sound in the Morris-flavoured traditions of rural Oxfordshire, and the dynamic dub-reggae scene of Manchester’s Moss Side. From there, whilst the unique dual core developed into an instantly irresistible signature, the band roamed freely and fruitfully over the expanse of new territory their music opened up, bringing in dashes of jazz, soul, rap, and Celtic dancing styles, all laced with Glenn Latouche’s seductively honeyed lead vocals. By finding the shared dancing pulse in the diverse beats they bring together, EII delivered both a genuinely innovative fusion and a brilliantly redoubled attack.
With a workaholic touring schedule resulting in over 200 gig’s a year EII won rave reviews across the UK and Europe, US, Canada and further a field to India, Brazil and Sri Lanka. There is no doubt that they stand securely among the UK’s most exciting roots pioneers. 2009 see the return of EII ‘for one year only’. A handful of selected dates through the year will see the band return to their live roots after a decade apart.