Editing Giant Step Records (section)

==Background and origins==

Giant Step traces its roots to 1990, when British promoter Maurice Bernstein and his South African partner Jonathan Rudnick began staging live music events in [[New York City]] under the name '''Groove Academy''', with the slogan "Dedicated to the Preservation of Funk." Unable to secure traditional bank financing, the pair borrowed startup funds to book acts and venues. Their early concerts featured funk and soul legends including [[Maceo Parker]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[The Ohio Players]], and [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]], rediscovering artists whose records were being widely sampled but who were rarely presented in a live setting.

The events evolved into a weekly club night renamed '''Giant Step''', inspired by [[John Coltrane]]'s landmark album ''[[Giant Steps]]''. The new format distinguished itself by blending live [[jazz]] with [[hip hop]], offering a stage where visiting rappers and jazz musicians improvised over prerecorded hip-hop and funk alongside the regular Giant Step house band. The party was heavily influenced by the [[acid jazz]] club scene developing concurrently in England, particularly [[Gilles Peterson]]'s ''Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Something'' nights.

The Giant Step club night originally took place at [[SOBs|SOB's]] in [[Manhattan]] before moving through a succession of venues including Metropolis Café, Supper Club, Shine, New Music Café, and [[The Village Gate]]. Weekly events ran until 2002, when the party was discontinued; it was later revived at the [[Hudson Hotel]]. At its peak, Giant Step events expanded to [[Los Angeles]], [[Miami]], [[Chicago]], and [[Washington, D.C.]]