[hep on the mellow side]

I've always been a jazz fan but it was around '98 when I really started listening and collecting my jazz favorites. My friend KB had made me a lovely mixtape and included plenty of Cab Calloway, Sarah Vaughn, and Billie Holiday. Anyone who listens to Cab Calloway knows that you are quickly drawn into his energetic style. And it's a fact that Mr. Calloway was born in Rochester, NY. There's even a plaque on Sycamore Street commemorating him.


Last year we saw Stormy Weather at the Dryden Theater. Amazing movie with incredible musical performances by Cab Calloway and Lena Horne. Plus the dancing by the Nicholas Brothers and others will literally blow your mind.



I'm loving black and white film again, and vinyl, and vintage everything. Starting the new year in a very "old-fashioned" mindset- embracing the classics and inventing the rest.

[gee whiz, it's christmas]

Holidays and music go hand in hand. For another spin on the Xmas mixtape head over to That Real Ish and get a free download of "A Funkadelic Christmas". This mix features Tribe, Snoop, The Roots, Mr. James Brown and a whole bunch of other artists I love. So sip that eggnog, chill with the fam, and love every minute of it.

[santa's got a big bag of soul]

Enjoy the holidays! For a seriously funky Xmas mix head over to Daptone Records and download JBX's "Soul Santa" (it's FREE Merry Xmas). I am loving all the tracks on this mix and will be playing it tomorrow for the fam. Spread some soul and love around.

[jingle bells around his feet]

'Tis the season for holiday songs and traditions! Last night we went to a fabulous holiday party at our friends' place. Throughout the night we all took turns at computer dj'ing and one song that was in heavy rotation was "Dominick the Donkey." Neither of us had ever heard this Italian-American Xmas tune and it's one catchy little song. The hostess of the party told me that the song was one of her Xmas traditions and and how as a child she had loved envisioning Dominick bringing presents to kids in Italy. She explained that Rudolph could never make it up the hills of Naples so Dominick did the work. A cute little donkey climbing hills so he can bring presents to children? This song has Xmas cartoon special written all over it.

[blue-eyed soul]

The folks over at Stones Throw are geniuses. Heart shaped vinyl- i'm head over heels! Plus the track is addictive to say the least. Mayer Hawthorne manages to create a new soul song that sounds like an old soul song with some serious breaks mixed in for good measure. Looks like the vinyl is sold out at Stones Throw but I'm sure some internet searching could turn one up.



"Just Ain't Gonna Work Out"- Mayer Hawthorne & the County

[potential life]

For a while now I've been meaning to check out the gallery at Potential Life Studios (34 Elton St. 1st floor). I've picked up several of their flyers at Lakeshore Records but somehow I have yet to make my way over. Today I stumbled across their website and it all clicked. This gallery/musical space is currently exhibiting "reMIXED MEDIA"- mixed media work from Rochester artists kurt ketchum, chicken bone, jeremy dziedzic and r. scott oliver through January 2nd, 2009.



In addition to showcasing works of art Potential Life also has a weekly "improvised musical collaboration"- Sundays from 6-9pm. So even if you go every sunday you will never have the same muscial experience. Sounds exactly like my cup of tea. Check out Potential Life Studios and support local artists.

[musical devotion]

If you had to pick one musician/group to solely listen to for 6 months straight- who would you pick? I ask this question because I once overheard a man say that he listened to only Prince for 6 months. When I heard this I immediately thought well yeah- I could listen to Prince for 6 months too. Prince's musical catalog is not only extensive but extremely diverse. Dude's got some 30+ albums, his music has been featured in countless movies, he's won a billion awards, and his career spans thirty years or so. Plus I happen to be a fan of the artist formerly known as... My other votes for a 6 month musical devotion include:
Syl Johnson
Bettye LaVette
Bad Brains

Nina Simone James Brown

And my new favorite group that I want to devote 6 months of listening time to is the South African group BLK JKS. I can't stop listening to their Mystery EP- which is free at Other Music.

BLK JKS- Summertime

[soothe]

Beanfield- "The Season"

[cut/mix/scratch]

To get you in the mood for tonight's Ugly Sweater Party. Here's a video of the headlining dj- Klever:

[kudoro]

Buraka Som Sistema ft. M.I.A. - Sound of Kuduro

[radio roulette]

Does anybody really listen to the radio anymore? Ipods, the internet, and satellite radio have pretty much made AM/FM radio an antiquity.

There's a bunch of reasons I rarely tune into on air broadcasts anymore. The number one reason is the frequency and amount of commercials. There are more ads than music on most radio stations these days. My number two reason is that most radio stations play popular/mainstream songs that are backed by major labels. Independent music is basically ignored. On FM radio you hear the same 20 pop songs all day/everyday until the rotation is switched.

I watched the movie Before the Music Dies and I understand that radio is a business not just an art. It's still a pity that radio can't introduce listeners to new, innovative music on a regular basis. Enough of my soapbox ranting. Here's some FM radio stations that I still tune into when the mood strikes:


My favorite FM radio station of all time is 104 WDKX- straight out of Rochester, NY. It's the only locally owned and operated station in the Roc. The call letters for DKX stand for Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. I grew up on this station and it brings back memories every time I tune in. 104 has some unique radio shows including the Quiet Storm, Oldies on Saturday mornings, and the live mix shows on Saturday afternoons. You can now listen online.
College stations have a great deal more freedom when it comes to radio programming. Commercials are far and few between and djs are more apt to play indy/underground music because they're allowed to! My favorite local radio show is "the slowFlow show" on 89.7 WITR (RIT's station). This hip-hop and R&B radio show was created by Jaythreeoh. As the host/selectah Jay plays a diverse mix of music- making sure to showcase local artists and underground/independent talent. Not only are the tunes on point- Mr. Jaytreezy has personality for days. Tune in weekdays from 9am-12pm. You can listen online.


NPR (National Public Radio) has always had a diverse lineup of radio shows. I don't listen religiously but whenever I catch a show it usually sparks my interest. WRUR 88.5 broadcasts a few NPR shows including my favorite World Cafe and the not-so-traditional talk radio show called All Things Considered. "World Cafe" profiles contemporary musicians and features live performances and interviews. "All Things Considered" features quirky human interest stories and news from around the world in a creative format.


Honorable mention: WBER 90.5 is a self-described alternative radio station. WBER is one of my car radio presets so when I feel like playing radio roulette this happens to be one of the choices.