Ealing, London, England, United Kingdom (1985 - present)
Bio
The Brand New Heavies began in 1985 as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International. The group came up with the Heavies name after signing their first record contract, borrowing from a liner note on a James Brown single declaring the artist "Minister of New Super Heavy Funk".
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Artist Website
Critic Concert Reviews
UK Music Reviews (UK)
April 1, 2026
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Rising out of the acid jazz scene of the early 90’s, The Brand New Heavies popularised the moment and on Tuesday night at Rock City they brought their signature jazz, funk, and disco fusion to a crowd that included some fans who were not even born when their defining Brother Sister album was originally released in 1994
If you’ve ever had the British acid-jazz scene on your radar, you’ll almost certainly have encountered the Brand New Heavies—perhaps as far back as 1990 with the release of their self-titled debut LP, which remains a bona fide classic.
Co-founders Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy met at school aged eleven in the 1970s, where they bonded over James Brown's funk material. Brand New Heavies comes from a liner note off a James Brown single where Brown declared himself the "Minister of New Super Heavy Funk".
On Saturday night The Brand New Heavies brought their sizzling hot blend of jazz-funk along with their funky floor show to the Symphony Hall, Birmingham, to celebrate 35 years since the release of their debut single and to showcase their latest greatest hits album, Never Stop… The Best Of.
