Marshall Jefferson
Genre: House
Origin: United States
Marshall Jefferson is one of house music’s most important founding fathers. A key player in the Chicago house scene from the start, Jefferson’s releases like ‘Open Our Eyes’, ‘7 Ways to Jack’ and the immortal ‘Move Your Body’ had an undeniable impact on the development of house music as we know it today. Jefferson’s releases on the iconic TRAX Records helped establish the label as one of Chicago’s best, and he has continued to put out some of the most widely-acclaimed music in house music history.
Over the years, Marshall has had a hand in house music’s evolution, spearheading the acid house movement with his work on the seminal ‘Acid Trax’ with DJ Pierre in 1987. He also turned his hand to deep house, most notably on ‘Open Our Eyes’, released in 1988 on Big Beat, which connected emotionally and physically with listeners.
As well as growing the genre in his hometown, Marshall Jefferson was integral to house music’s growth worldwide. The DJ headline the first House Music Tour of Europe in 1987. After a brief hiatus in the early 1990s, Marshall began his legendary five-year residency with the Tribal Gathering and Big Love Events in London, during which time he released his 1997 studio album Day Of The Onion, which is considered one of the best house full-lengths of all time.
Today, Marshall Jefferson continues to release original productions and extended mixes, alongside his standout DJ shows around the globe. House music truly wouldn’t be the same without him.