PERRY LOUIS ~ Dancer, Choreographer, Promoter, Radio Presenter, DJ

Perry Louis is an all-round talent with a diverse mix of experience in all things related to Jazz, Boogie and Funk Music: A Dancer, Choreographer, Teaching, Promoting, Marketing, Producing, DJing – you name it, Perry’s either done it or doing it.

Perry’s career started in the mid-1970s when he developed a passion for Dance in the UK clubs, listening to Soul, Jazz Funk, and Jazz. That passion became a way of life – not just a past time pursuit.

Perry loves all things funky – from art and furniture to clothes and cars. He has an impressive wardrobe of 70s clothes and a vast 70s music library. As a Dancer, Perry has appeared on TV shows, featured in magazines and danced with countless leading Jazz and Jazz Funk artists around the world. In the early 1990s, Perry also became the face of the famous German MOJO compilations and has been featured on the cover of every volume.

Perry set up his own Jazz Dance group – The JazzCotech Dancers – in the early ‘90s, and the group have developed into the most versatile and busiest UK Street-Jazz Fusion outfit under his leadership. As well as performing at every major UK and International Jazz and Music Festival and dancing with and for many of the most famous artists on the international Jazz and Funk scene, JazzCotech host and promote regular club nights. They were behind the legendary Messin’ Around nights at the Jazz Café which became one of the longest running weekly club nights in London, and which gave its name to the five compilation CDs and limited-edition vinyl released on Universal and Freestyle records.

JazzCotech currently hosts of the famous Shiftless Shuffle Jazz Dance sessions taking place at 229 Club in London every three months. The session has been running for 21 years and is responsible for putting Dancefloor Jazz firmly on the ‘cool’ spectrum of the UK’s club world, featuring notable Dancefloor Jazz DJs such as Paul Murphy, Colin Parnell &Boo, Colin Curtis, Gilles Peterson, Snowboy and Shuya Okino, as well as introducing new and up-and-coming DJs to the Dancefloor Jazz stage.

In addition to performing and teaching with JazzCotech, Perry is one of the most sought-after and respected DJs on the Jazz, Funk and Boogie scene in the UK and abroad, DJing for many famous Jazz, Funk and Soul artists. He has held residencies at London’s top venues, most notably the Jazz Café where, over the course of 15 years, Perry amassed more DJ dates than any other DJ. He co-hosts the popular monthly “All About da Boogie” sessions with Aitch B (Soul II Soul) at London’s CLF Arts Lounge and regularly DJs at the famous Ronnie Scott’s.

Perry is also a prolific promoter in his hometown of Luton and the UK’s home counties where, under his banner of Focus on Jazz, he promotes live Jazz, Funk and Soul events. Since 2015, he has brought British and international Artists to perform at the Bear Club Luton – something those Artists would not have contemplated without the ‘Perry connection’. Home grown talents such as Omar, Imaani, Tony Momrelle and Atmosfear have all graced the Bear Club, as well as international, young talents such as Jarrod Lawson, Tahirah Memory and Darien Dean, propelling the Bear Club to international acclaim and a top ten listing of the best Jazz venues in the world. His ‘Focus on Jazz’ monthly Jazz Jam gigs attract ever growing crowds of Musicians, Singers and Dancers of all ages, nationalities and cultures, showcasing Luton’s diverse community and talent, whilst the quarterly, Sunday afternoon “Jazz in the Museum” performances have introduced live Jazz to Luton’s Wardown Museum.

Perry never tires of promoting, marketing and furthering the UK Jazz and jazz funk/ boogie scene from a dance floor perspective on an international scale. He started a Jazz Dance group in Japan and continuously promotes the UK JazzFunk and Dancefloor Jazz scene in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the US and Caribbean, inspiring and helping to set up events and festivals around the world.

Highly respected amongst Musicians, Promoters and Dancers worldwide, his enthusiasm is infectious, and it is thanks to Perry, JazzCotech and Focus on Jazz that the UK Jazz, Jazz/Funk and Funk scene is still as unique, diverse and vibrant as it is today.