Qool DJ Marv Aural Memoirs & the Buttamilk Archives

The unique circumstances that led to this 1st record to last celebration of MJ are the reasons why I will never be able to replicate this set. Jazz minded, I improvise every set and my own feelings and experiences do influence much of the vibe that I present. I learned about MJ while in Motown’s state just before performing at my 1st US based summer festival in Ann Arbor. I’m a shy performer and I never get on the mic, but I stepped up and out and spoke up for MJ.

Blessed with 48 hours before I’d get my chance to go public with my mix of MJ (actually, not even because I spent all Friday evening at my son’s uncle’s “bye high school/off to Princeton party), I had my mind on Michael. Roughly 75% of these songs, I’ve never played in public. This is my translation of Michael as a fan and DJ, as a boy who grew up with stronger together black family vibes and Black is Beautiful all up in my head, and as a man who still embraces that exuberant idealism by perpetuating it and sustaining it through the magic of the music in the mix. This is one of those ‘can’t remember what I did last night’ sets, although, my first and only glass of red wine didn’t happen until after 3:30am. Dressed in a white shirt, black necktie, black dress slacks, black shoes, & white socks – I was dress to thrill and did so with rhythmic reverence.

Reverence describes the approach to laying out all of these songs over the course of a late night at Tillman’s. I wanted to be neat in the mix keeping in mind that I wanted most of these songs to play in their entirety. I’m not racing through these songs because I have five hours to work with in a lounge with a plush sound system. The atmosphere and design of Tillman’s wraps around you like a mahogany gold soul blanket. There are many instances where I nab the very last beat or vocal to bridge the song playing with the next up. Suspending my love for the pleasure center pleasing tease of the sonic subtleties of long blends to showcase Michael’s songs, and not so much of my style or technique, I guess that this would be the long form/long attention span tribute approach: blended for relaxed listening and appreciation.

This mix is in (J) 5 parts. I gave them titles:

Minding Michael Part One: A Good Time

Minding Michael Part Two: Dreamer

Minding Michael Part Three: Grab Your Belt Buckle/Music’s Taking Over

Minding Michael Part Four: Stick with Us and We’ll Show You How to Smile

Minding Michael Part Five: The Angels

Oh yes, I reached for the 12” of Another Part of Me and found the sleeve to be awfully flimsy. ‘It’s still on the decks at home.’ It killed me not to have that in the mix. I know that many DJs will cover all your MJ bases with their sets and recordings (WBAI’s Underground Railroad’s show recording for example http://themightygman.podomatic.com/) but “Another Part of Me” was the one that got away. If I had a top ten of MJ tunes that I personally relate to, this would be listed…so I close with a portion of the verses instead:

We're Takin' Over
We Have The Truth
This Is The Mission
To See It Through

Don't Point Your Finger
Not Dangerous
This Is Our Planet
You're One Of Us

We're Sendin' Out
A Major Love
And This Is Our
Message To You

(Message To You)

The Planets Are Linin' Up
We're Bringin' Brighter Days
They're All In Line
Waitin' For You
Can't You See . . .?

You're Just Another Part Of Me . . .

(Part One of Five)

Minding Michael Part Two: Dreamer

(Part Two of Five)

Minding Michael Part Three: Grab Your Belt Buckle/Music’s Taking Over

(Part Three of Five)

Minding Michael Part Four: Stick with Us and We’ll Show You How to Smile

(Part Four of Five)

Minding Michael Part Five: The Angels

Unleashing more archives for your days where your face is to the sky. Live from Cain at the Cove, showing extended love to the working peoples of the Bahamas. They told me what they liked when I would ask when I went to the bar to get some pineapple juice...getting to know what they're feeling.

Chilling at the pool after a night that might not have actually ended...I sensed keep it cool in the air. A prime opportunity to smooth the day into a vibe for the vacationers and let the crew know that I heard and took heed.

I like to fool around sometimes so there's a brief Rock and Roll misdirection by way of Santana and Jimi Hendrix that precedes a lengthy smooth tempo sunny day reggae set featuring Jah Cure, Bob Marley, Sizzla, Yellowman, Baby Sham, Wayne Wonder, & rub a dub mixes of Common, Mary J Blige, and Alicia Keys.

Yeah mon.

Sometimes the flow is silky smooth. Nice blends accentuating the love vibes in the air coming from the jewel of a crowd during the first couple of hours on this particular evening.

I call it 'thinking out loud' as every song reflected where my mind was wandering that eve. If you're urban and got some romantic in you, you'll like what I was thinking about.

Every Tueday from 6pm til Midnight in NYC.

http://www.havennewyork.com

Let's see...Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, Badu, Mary J, Jay-Z, Hefner, Vikter Duplaix, Angie Stone, Omar, Van Hunt, Charles Webster, Linkwood, Ashford & Simpson, Stevie Wonder, Outkast, Moodyman and more.

Recorded May 12, 2009

La Merde continues into the evening with some healthy helping of house vibes. As always, there are a couple selections that break the house beat...overall its about 90% house varitions...deep...soulful...afrolatin and a few more branches into sounds I can't categorize.

Osunlande, Marvin Gaye, Blue Six, Raw Silk, Angie Stone, Amp Fiddler, Inner City, Theopolis London, Metro Area, Paul Randolph, DJ Disse, Norma Jean Bell.

http://www.havennewyork.com

Sweet love.

Recorded May 12, 2009

Electric Souls Soundsystem Farewell to the Electric Chair Mix aired Jan 2008 on The Unabombers on 97.7 Xfm Manchester.

http://www.electriks.co.uk/

I play at Tillman's on Saturdays now but thought that you'd enjoy this nice set from the buttamilk archives.

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The musical vibe includes, exclusively, the classy sounds of the best of Soul, Jazz, Funk, Afrobeat, 'Neo-Soul', and underground hip hop and beats. My style to a T essentially. Combine that vibe with a club worthy crystal clear nicely EQ'ed sound system housed in a Harlem speakeasy type room where you are surrounded by photos of nearly every king and queen of Jazz, Soul, and Rhythm & Blues...you are in for a beautiful experience.

Another nice and well done feature is that you can sample the sounds of the house playlist anytime at the website: www.tillmansnyc.com and if you tune in after 5pm, you can listen to what's playing at Tillman's live. That means that on my night and any other evening, if you're like me and have your computer running through your home sound system, you can hear the vibe as if you were there. Remember taping the radio? Yeah? Well, (click Tillman's live &) this'll be like that minus the commercials and without having to have satellite radio.

Be with us anyway you want, but like Marvin and Tammi sang, "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing Baby." Just so you know, the joint jumps 7 days. Notably you can catch live music on Sundays, The Marksmen on Mondays, "BE Easy" with DJ Center, Logan, & ADjust on Tuesdays, and the Original Giant Step Roster DJ Jazzy Nice on Thursdays.

Two people that I admire are Nelson George and Nicole Nelch. Productive and persevering folks who can hip you to what dedication leads to.

We've done a few jams, some entertainment industry, some underground. This one's more on the underground vibe. Recorded on Valentine's Day. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Urban and romantic.

Details on Nicole: http://nicolenelch.blogspot.com/

Details on Nelson: http://nelsondgeorge.net/?page=blog⊂=music

The invite say November but this was recorded on February 14th.

Long teases of eclecticism before the beats get heavy. Genre blurring and creating an atmosphere of anticipation and surprise. Because the blend is the forefront of my style, anticipation for the transition builds and when people are tuned into the blend, they are wide open for the surprise in store. The DJ is restored to the position of performer vs warm body in the booth playing staus quo sounds jukebox style.

The road to Amerie's '1 Thing,' whose drums took the vibe up to party level, winds through Feist, Crazy P, RSL, The Bad Plus, Mos Def, Zero 7, Nitin Sawhney, & Attica Blues give you a feel for how international grooves get intertwined, thus some shine.

And this was the start of a Saturday night.

http://www.aptnyc.com/

& featuring nice recording of surprise guest Dres from Black Sheep!

More photos here...it was a themed party where we all dressed the part:

http://picasaweb.google.com/funkyfannys/SerciSSweet1620Shindig?authkey=PzhjliDu9pI#

Check out Serci's endeavors with vintage clothing:

http://funkyfannys.com/

Thanks to Kayinde who reached out to me nearly a year before this party. She had an idea that I might be able to deliver a well balanced mix of the musical favorites of her diverse classmates. As always, there are the pop sounds that everyone all over America and the world can remember, and then also those songs that were on the margins, sub categorized as urban music. Madonna, Prince, George Michael, INXS, Janet & Michael Jackson were ubiquitous international phenomenons, but Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Chubb Rock, New Edition, and Shabba Ranks got the attention of the kids in the cities. Far from definitive or complete in terms of being a comprehensive representation of the electric & eclectic favorites of city kids, specifically Brooklyn, New York City kids.

This 4 hour head nod to dance floor excursion will re-introduce and confirm the fun and sweet playfulness of an epic era in music. There's something for everybody, music for this crowd, music for that crowd, music that brought both crowds together. Listen for the house music set that was one of those sets that brought people together...Crystal Waters, Aly-Us, Inner City, Marshall Jefferson's Move Your Body (the song of the night!), The Jungle Brother's "I'll House You" and Ralph Rosario's "You Used To Hold Me" had everybody in the house moving.

Summer '88 - that was the end of my freshman year of college and around the same time that I decided to try my hand at DJing. Then, I bought music in two formats, cassette and vinyl LP, so I actually had most of these songs on vinyl. After years of establishing my rep as a DJ who can go in any direction, it felt really great to revisit the music that I went out to party to back then, but this time around as a DJ. I hope you like the ride!

It's so smooth (as in blended, not as in energy) it sounds like I've been playing these grooves all along - great music never expires does it? I really needed about 5 more hours to really do the era justice though.

Another note about Midwood, one of the first few people I befriended during my freshman year at Emory University was a gentleman named Clinton E, a graduate of Midwood's class of '87 - one year before this group. Clint was my first host during my first trip to New York. That 1st trip, summer '88, tuning into the radio as soon as I got close enough on the New Jersey Transit train, getting to New York and seeing it with my own eyes, taking to J or M to Lorimer and emerging from the tunnel to go above ground and across the Williamsburg Bridge en route to Clint's home sweet home public housing complex...this was all very impressive to a West Philly kid. So impressive that I knew that New York was eventually going to be the place for me.

Good looking Clint! Good looking Kayinde! Good looking people of Midwood's class of '88 - truthfully so, y'all sure you weren't class of '98? You all looked FRESH!

Check out Kayinde's good work right here, she does a magazine everybody: http://www.sayitloudmagazine.com/ A story of connections behind every mix.

Please note that because of the way the dj booth was wired, there are portions of this mix that is in mono, not stereo. I recommend that you play this back on your computer or through your sound system versus listening to it using headphones. Also there are a couple of announcements sprinkled in after 2 hours or so into the mix. Live recording...

The photo is one of me in my high school dorm room with one of my buds. I'm wearing the shiny Sixers (Philadelphia 76ers) jacket. You can see by what I hung up on my walls, where my head was and where it wanted to be.

Lesley Bernard, owner of NYC soul stalwart Tillman's, opened a new place this past winter called Mr. Jones on 14th Street near 2nd Avenue in the East Village. A beautiful lounge that extends the Tillman's design into a spacious Far East flavored place for your rendevous. Read more about Mr. Jones here: http://www.mrjonesnyc.com/

I love Lesley because he has a peculiar and steadfast mind when it comes to the sound of his venues. At Mr. Jones, he spoke of a low volume yet warm and embracing sound that primarily featured instrumentals. The rhythms are more of a blanket than a bludgeoning hammer. Beautifully styled venues are enhanced by beautifully creative music.

Lesley & I met and early on at Mr. Jones his vision included what you will hear in this epic mix that travels for esoteric down tempo spaced out jazzy funky electronica to sultry deep house. Since I've played this set, Lesley has changed the music policy to, "I want the DJ to play like [he's] playing records at home [to himself]"

I haven't done that set yet but when I do

Enjoy the sounds friends.

Thousands of these CDs were distributed during the '07 Magic Convention, a convention where any and every clothing line showcases their new fashions and apparel. This is a sight to see, especially on the 'urban' side of things.

I was excited to get the call to compile and produce a promotional mix CD that musically announced the "Arrival" of Argyle Culture, an evolution of his Hip Hop inspired clothing line Phat Farm into more of a gentleman's style - a gentleman that grew up urban but is now holding maybe a couple higher education degrees and a nice gig, and the sagging jean & 10x too big t-shirt or athletic jersey look has been outgrown.

Let your opinions be what they may about Mr. Simmons, I appreciate the man, especially his approving of this mix. After swimming against the current for so long, musically, to get asked to do this kind of mix for a contemporary 'urban' fashion line is unusual, gratifying, and in away, my own Arrival into the consciousness of the ghetto fabulous.


I had complete creative freedom in terms of selecting and sequencing the songs on the Arrival. Press play and listen to what turned out to be a classic and garnered the 1st direct "Thank you" from Russell after doing a few of his events over the course of this decade.

That felt good.

Qool DJ Marv presents The Arrival

1. Reginald R. Robinson – Lift Every Voice And Sing
2. Zero 7 – Your Place
3. Jazzanova – Sirens
4. M.F.S.B. – Something For Nothing
5. Pharoahe Monch – So Good
6. Visioneers – Dirty Old Bossa Nova
7. Mary J. Blige – Beautiful Day
8. Young-Holt Unlimited – Listen Here
9. Lemongrass – Fritz The Cat
10. Jamie Cullum – Frontin
11. Natalie Williams – Does It Feel Good
12. Paris Angeles – Circus
13. OutKast – Funkin’ Around
14. Chic – So Fine
15. Roy Ayers – Can’t You See Me
16. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes – Don’t Leave Me This Way


You can also catch my epic 4 hour recording of 90% 90's Hip Hop that was recorded at the convention right here: http://www.limachips.com/djmixes4

"You still like hip hop? It's all marketing now." - Anthony Junior (Tony Sopranos' then teenage son talking to a friend - season three)

Flight of The Conchords 2nd Season Premiere Party - L.E.S. N.Y.C. - Jan 26 2009 - Qool DJ Marv LIVE!

If you were at this party and you had heard me play before, I imagine that you would've looked up at the booth and you would've had a moment of bewilderment because you'd never heard me play music like this. You haven't, I've never really done an extended set combining rock - modern and classic, new wave, electro, drum and bass, odd, and some 80’s. A debut for you.

If you've been along for the ride, then you know that I'm all about the tapestry of the vibe and feeling of an evening, regardless of the genres of music that are the focus.

If you are a fan of the Conchords then you know that they have fun with music so the vibe of this set is playful with a nice bounce and steady groove featuring mostly male vocalists, guitar and synthesizers mixed for a casual crowd at the Flight of the Conchords premier party at the Angel Orensanz Foundation on January 26 2009.

I got word from the gents that they'd like to have some Psychedelic Furs, some Cars, David Bowie, Blondie, Talking Heads, Non Non Plus, & the Cure, and some blue eyed soul like Hall & Oates. I obliged and I invite you to go along for the ride and listen for their preferences and how I drop them in the mix. And every one was a winner when it hit. When you get to the Common song and you hear him flow, "No pop no pop no pop, no pop." those lyrics were an acknowledgment that I understood when they also asked me to steer away from the current mainstream.

All good, I'm a fan of music and I love every opportunity to bring it all together. And get turned on to the best of music that I'm not fluent in. A win win situation and I hope you dig the set from one of those people didn't leave until the music stopped parties.

Lots more on the fellows right here: http://www.hbo.com/conchords/

Hit me with a comment if you really want to know the tracklisting.

The title and invite say it all. Recorded more than two years ago, I sat on this mix because there are a couple of spots where the needle jumps...then I played this back recently and decided to go ahead and put this out because this mix will take you to classic New York Hip Hop places.

It killed me that KRS's "You know The Rules" and the theme from "Wild Style" had stylus calisthenics going on so look out for and pardon those uh-ohs and nod ya head.

Public Enemy, Skillz, All Natural, Danny Breaks, Dwight Trible and the Life Force, Jazzy Jay & T-La Rock, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, J-Dilla, Dangermouse, Talib Kweli, Madvillan, Heavy D, Pharcyde, Kriminul from the Jigmastas, Leaders of the New School, DJ Spinna, Red Alert, KRS-One, Kenny Dope, Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaata

http://www.puma.com/bode

100% vinyl set at Guernica which was a venue on Avenue B - Alphabet City, NYC. The party was called Funky Sensation. Guernica was opened by the same family that owned Ludlow where the Low Profile concept began. Guernica's most notable and long running party was the Ubiquita party that featured DJs Selly, Moni, & Reborn.

http://www.ubiquitanyc.com/

Just plain having fun putting them on and taking them off...still do.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over You
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
J-Walk - Buggin Becky
The Wiseguys - Search's End
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
Cash Money & Marvelous - All The Ugly People Be Quiet
Eric B & Rakim - Eric B For President
A Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God
Dj Krush W/ The Roots - Meiso
Sunshine Anderson - Heard It All Before
Frank De Jojo - Turn Off The Lights
Kelis - Good Stuff
Rae & Christian w/ Pharcyde and Kriminal of the Jigmastas - It Ain't Nuttin Like
A Tribe Called Quest - Award Tour
Black Eye Peas w/Macy Gray - Request Line
Digable Planets - Cool Like Dat
Suckerpuss (Hamish & Matt) - Fat Ditty
Kenny Dope - Can You Handle It
Public Enemy - Fight The Power
Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick - The Show
The Pharcyde - Return Of The B-Boy
Kool & The Gang - Jungle Jazz
Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces
Brick - Dazz (ends abruptly...sorry)

I love those classic New York movies that have scenes where someone’s keeping their night going by heading to a friend’s afterparty and when they walk in, there’s a mini-jazz orchestra providing the grooves. This is happening in someone’s apartment! The bandleader with the baton bopping with a welcoming smile. I’ve never had the pleasure but I recently read in Stanley Crouch collection of essays called Considering Genius that Wynton Marsalis gets down like that for real, presently.

This is an I Love New York mix that I got commissioned to compile by a special events consultant extraordinaire (Bowen & Company) that was organizing an affair involving the unveiling of a new Donald Trump penthouse suite. A nice new place was on display and my job here was to give the room a classic and grand sound. I’ve got a real soft spot for singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra and for jazz in general so this was one of those ‘they pay me to do this(?)’ kind of assignments.

http://www.bowenandco.com/

I didn’t get the chance to see the place so I just imagined being on the top of the Empire State building and looking around or re-imagined walking around great neighborhoods all over New York City. Watched some movies like Cotton Club, Harlem Nights, Breakfast At Tiffany's, and Manhattan and imagined what it might be like to be a jazz loving socialite way back when. This is a city that never ceases to astound and I wish I was around to see performances of all these sounds. Play these songs however, and I feel like I’m right there, then. So glad that I’m right here, now.

I do love New York and I hope that this is a keepsake to us proper or former New Yorkers and maybe a delectable enticement to those who want to visit New York proper.

Who wouldn’t close with New York, New York by Sinatra? I’m afraid I did not, but only so that you could sing it yourself…you do get some Sinatra in the mix though.

1. Ella Fitzgerald - Manhattan
2. Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - Take The "A" Train
3. Percy Faith & His Orchestra - On Broadway
4. Lou Rawls - On Broadway
5. Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - New York, New York
6. Helen O'Connell - Lullaby Of Broadway
7. Frank Sinatra - Blue Skies
8. Dakota Staton - Broadway
9. Duke Ellington - The Sidewalks of New York
10. Kings Sisters - Take The A Train
11. Gerry Mulligan Quartet - New York
12. Kate Smith - In Old New York / The Sidewalks Of New York
13. Count Basie - All of Me
14. Jim Tyler - New York, New York
15. Ella Fitzgerald - Take the "A" Train (1957 Version)
16. Jelly Roll Morton's Hot Seven - Good Old New York
17. Buddy Rich - On Broadway
18. Nancy Wilson - On Broadway
19. Regina Carter - New York Attitude
20. Mark Murphy - Out Of This World
21. Jimmy Smith - Walk On The Wild Side
22. The Supremes - Manhattan (From The Garrick Gaieties) // 23. New York, New York

Shout out to http://www.eightball.ie/ for the image - Warming hearts.

On the MLK Jr's holiday and on the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration, the opening night of Low Profile (going on since the late 90s) went down with a room full of friends and family.

There's a myriad of moods here - my freestyle and free associative DJing at its best. Imperfectly perfect (needle jumps a couple of times) with a couple of nods toward Dr. King & President Obama that drop in when you may least expect them.

Check for sounds from The Roots, Stevie Wonder, Black Moon, MGMT, MIA, Jay-Z, Q-Tip, The Nextmen, Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers, Lenny Kravitz, Mr. Scruff, Common, Recloose, Femi Kuti, Yo Majesty, The Dynamics, Groove Armada, Prince, Fela Kuti, Mr. V, Fertile Ground & the last tune by Solagne Knowles went out to the women in the house who "Decided" on Obama!

Going back to '04, the great people at HBO thought that I could be a nice addition to their post-Emmy Award telecast celebration. Although I had no idea how my style and set would go down in an atmosphere that I've never been a part of, I did what came naturally and mixed good music that anyone would enjoy. I'd been cautioned not to worry if I couldn't get the well heeled entertainers and executives to hoof it on the dance floor because, for the most part, there's a lot of congratulatory conversation happening. They did get on the floor and before the party ended actors, actresses, CEOs, movie deal makers, models were applauding and whistling for more despite the presence of the L.A. Fire Department who were there at the end to make sure that things wound down when they were scheduled to.

Since that 1st time out in 2004, the parties have become thematic. I enjoy the opportunity to come up with what can be considered as the 1st half of the party where the music reflects the inspired design. Since '04, the Bollywood vibes of India, 60's St. Tropez, and traditional Thailand have been themes, this year South America, highlighting Brazil and Argentina was the flavor.

That's where having an open mind and an eclectic anything's possible ear comes in handy. Less than 10 days before this party, I was sent about 15 CDs that were purchased by the party's designer during his tours of South America, and asked to build my opening set based on the music of the likes of Maria Bethania & Jorge Ben. With 200 songs to absorb and my own records to consider, I began the process of cramming - you know like studying for that exam that you must pass - filling my head with suitable songs, working out when they should be played and what they could be mixed with.

The dynamic that I must consider is that the party begins primarily with arrivals and a lot of mingling ensues...then it begins to reach capacity thus there's a need to shift the energy upwards into a groove that is infectious inviting but not yet overpowers...then there's the bit where they've heard the theme for more than an hour, and the task is keeping folks grooving and interested until my counterpart Ravi, the man with 2 dozen drums, steps onto the stage with me to set it off into dance floor madness.

So here you are. Another close your eyes and imagine you were there set for you. A set that I've never done really but I hope that it's competent and that you enjoy it.

One last detail I thought you might like and this detail somewhat explains the photo - I made up this whole set on the fly...meaning, I only knew what my 1st song was going to be which is "So Many Stars" by Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, they rest was improvised based on the best selections out of the pool of 15 discs that I'd been sent and the best of the vinyls that I took to round out my musical possibilities. No paint by numbers, no track one then track two as it's laid out in my computer playlist...just plain & pure intuition and mixing skills my friend, on the spot with the lights bright and hot.

In that photo - I was calming myself to the view of downtown L.A. (Hollywood's hills are to the left) because my mind was going wild with possibilities, scenarios, and blends. It's a big party and I needed to put by best foot forward but I get butterflies and mini-panic attacks because I felt like I left a crucial record at home or I have some vision of a record skipping.

Breathe & let it breathe while taking in the breathtaking - and all will be just fine. Enjoy and share, please.

Check out the details of the event production here (you can see me on the left side of the 1st photo - on stage and overlooking it all): http://www.bizbash.com/losangeles/content/editorial/e12691.php

Check out some great photos here: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/6Oq3muQkX7Q/Belvedere+At+HBO+EMMY+Party/0ef_YbX17_n

http://www1.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====335186&nbc1=1#

Among the reasons for compiling these songs are my Mom’s love of the sound of the piano, a serene atmosphere for my resting boy, and the soundtrack for my contemplation during the wee hours of the morning.

When you DJ, your musical imagination is full of clever segues. When you love music, you’re never without songs. When you play music for people’s enjoyment, your mind is on how you’ll bring together everybody’s jams, create a vibe and move the crowd. Within crafty DJs, daydreaming in stereo is a constant.

With all of that going on in your mind all of the time, and, let’s face it, music’s allure just won’t allow you to turn it off, you need Peace & Quiet.

When listening to solo piano music, at last, I’m not thinking about the next mix. My mind relaxes into a mode of appreciation. Piano is an essential musical instrument, a root in the world of sound. Whether at home, the church, or singing America the Beautiful in public school, we’ve all accompanied the piano.

The piano has always stuck with me. Over two years, I listened to approximately 1,800 solo piano performances amid the realms of Classical and Jazz music. I’ve loved Jazz since I was a teen, I used to listen to it while hauling lumber or doing landscaping because I never knew when the songs would end and that helped to pass the time quickly. Ten 6 minute long Jazz songs, that’s an hour. I had a tape, the soundtrack to a film called ‘Round Midnight, starring Dexter Gordon, which was with me on the bus, the El, alone in my room at home, Pop’s car, everywhere all the time and on auto reverse. This 1986 film won the Academy Award for Best Music and Original Score.

Herbie Hancock on piano, Dexter Gordon on tenor sax, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums, John McLaughlin on guitar, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Wayne Shorter on saxes, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Cedar Walton on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Bobby McFerrin on vocals. Curious about what represents a standard in Jazz as a beautifully human genre featuring master musicians? Commence your exploration with ‘Round Midnight.

On that soundtrack, Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson’s "Minuit Aux Champs-Elysées" was the song that drew my focus toward the musician’s playing. Since only piano and vibes, it was easier to hear Herbie and Bobby’s playing, and I could hear, because I knew that they were improvising, what seemed to me as their brains in motion. Thinking in the present and future while playing at same time is very attractive to my ears. Your ideas begin in your mind, in your imagination, and they are uniquely yours – you unbridled.

This combination of Jazz and Classical pianists juxtaposes easy going compositions played to form and played freely. Each pianist is legendary and the performances of standards and their own compositions are exquisite. Play quietly and enjoy the excursions into their minds and yours.

Qool DJ Marv presents Peace & Quiet

Intersecting Introspective Solo Performances of Classical & Jazz Piano Virtuosos

A Beats, Jazz, & Soul Special Relax & Unwind Edition

1. Alessandra Celletti - Gymnopédies n° 1
2. Bill Evans - Peace Piece
3. Reinbert de Leeuw - Gnossiennes: No. 4
4. Alessandra Celletti - The Golden Fly Four
5. Sergei Rachmaninov - Lilacs (Composed in 1902)
6. Herbie Hancock - Harvest Time
7. Dave McKenna - There Will Never Be Another You (Warren-Gordon)
8. Art Tatum - Tenderly
9. Gonzales - The Tourist
10. Gonzales - Basmati
11. Andre Previn - In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
12. Yann Tiersen - Sur le fil
13. Alessandra Celletti - Danses de Travers n°2
14. Sergei Rachmaninov - «The Swan»
15. George Gershwin - So Am I
16. Benny Weinbeck - Willow Weep for Me
17. Dave McKenna - Lucky to Be Me (Bernstein-Comden-Green)
18. McCoy Tyner - Tivoli
19. Vladimir Ashkenazy - Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO. 59 -"Für Elise"
20. Keith Jarrett - Sand, Part 3
21. Yann Tiersen - La Valse d'Amélie (piano version)
22. Thelonious Monk - Sweet and Lovely (Take 2)
23. Cedar Walton - Final Confession

The photo was taken by Qool DJ Marv in Oslo, Norway. To the right of that vantage point is the location where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.

Here's the 2nd installment of the Peace & Quiet series. Some deeper moods betwixt songs played with ease. A breezy finale closes out this collection and it's a reprise.

Due to a computer crash, I've lost the tracklisting, however, I can tell you that you'll hear more from Thelonious Monk, Claudio Arrau, Art Tatum, Reinbert de Leeuw, Dave McKenna, Andre Previn, Yann Tiersen, Alessandra Celletti, Gonzales, & Sergei Rachmaninov as well as an opening composition by Nico Muhly and introduction of Fred Hersch's virtuosity to this collection. Classical works of Beethoven and Debussy intermingle with Jazz standards like Sweet and Lovely & Night and Day.

Not much more to say, other press play and float away.

& please remember to play at 1/2 the volume that you are used to.

This was a gift/keepsake CD that was given to the guests at their wedding held in the country of Grenada. This radiant couple, friends of mine, blessed the releasing of this to you. Be sure to give thanks.

The Love You Live For.

The title says it all.

Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, India.Arie, Michael Jackson, D’Angelo, Norah Jones, Bob Marley, and Erykah Badu for the lover in you.

Playing at the Cove was great experience.


I’m a unique guy when it comes to creating an embracing musical experience. More so than playing songs, I challenge myself to spontaneously create a musical weave of heartfelt, sensual, sometimes classically familiar, sun-shiny, romantic, playful, downright funky, tropical, Caribbean, groover rock and roll, and out of nowhere electric vibes to create a sensation, that through that lush breezy sound system, intertwines with all of the other luscious stimulus and reverberates through the vacationing reveler’s bodies and states of ‘Yes! I am somewhere else’ minds.


And doing it different every time to showcase how much good music crosses so many genres, and in doing so, I am earning my keep with a sense of contributive purpose. I read books on music theory and emotion and the effects on the brain as well as inundating my mind with biographies of music’s greatest, or histories of this or that sound (I’ll be teaching this in a few years), and then hit the record shops, my shelves and music library looking for those song ingredients to add that may aid in my quest to perfect the recipe. It was always so much more than packing the CD book with the surefire hits, I’d prepare for hours for several days prior to my trips because I owed that kind of approach and effort to those hard earners who have invested some much into a satisfying good time get away.


It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to attempt to maestro that ‘let it all go’ vibe at such a lovely oasis. There were many moments of bliss for me with the sounds, views, the breeze, and the perpetual look of “it’s so good to be here” on the faces of the guests, all flowing together giving everyone there, staff too sometimes, that feeling of ‘there’s no place I’d rather be than here.’

A festival called the Big Chill...me and my embrace of the chill, perfect match.

Here you pitch a tent for naps and then embark on journies of all kinds of stimulation.

I caught, live, Roisin Murphy, Fat Freddy's Drop, Normay Jay, Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff, Larry Heard, the Rebirth
(met Roots Manuva)and took in so much more.

The festival sets up a transmitter and broadcast Big Chill Radio throughout the fesitval. Here's a sunrise set that was recorded from 4am-6am...I got to the studio after being up and out all night, can you hear it in the mix?

http://www.bigchill.net/festival

Slow motion tempo splendor from the cassette/cd series Beats, Jazz, & Soul.

What other tapes/mixed CDs would you like me to post? I have them all, from #1.

LTJ Bukem - Point Of View - Good Looking Records
Stevie Wonder -Visions - Motown/Tamla Records
Silent Poets - To Come - Yellow Records
The Cinematic Orchestra - Ode To The Big Sea - Ninja Tune Records
St. Germain - Montego Bay Spleen - Blue Note Records
Zero 7 - Spinning Dub - Ultimate Dilemma Records
Erykah Badu - Didn't Cha Know? - Motown Records
Aim - Tree, A Rock & A Cloud- Grand Central Records
The Dylan Group - The Road I Dreamt - Fat Cat Records
Jill Scott - A Long Walk - Hidden Beach Records
D'Angelo - The Root - Virgin Records
GEB.EL - Blue - Mole Listening Pearls Records
Leggo Beast - Step Up - Pork Recordings
4Hero - Planeteria (Hefner Remix) - Talking Loud Records
Rae & Christian - Get A Life - Grand Central Records

The 1st part of the very fun night in the United Kingdom.

Check out Emskee shouting out local areas, but with New York style vocal finesse. We've played like this so this was an on the spot spontaneous debut. We were well received.

Check out more of Emskee here:

http://www.myspace.com/emskeethemc

And the Marisco here:

http://www.myspace.com/marisconightclub

Recorded live in the British coastal surfer oasis Woolacombe. It's a great place, check the photo!

This simply is how the party sounded at it's peak.

Enjoy
Check out more of Emskee here:

http://www.myspace.com/emskeethemc

And the Marisco here:

http://www.myspace.com/marisconightclub

Thanks to Brooklyn soul visioneer Dante who wanted to throw some parties that showed love to pioneers in music. We did a few together including the James Brown Tribute Party that you'll find on this podcast page.

The parties were promoted as 'artist' inspires so what we tried to do in this case was to surround the Jimi tunes with songs by artists who may have been inspired by Jimi or vice versa. Many of these songs include funky breaks and electric guitar - not all but many. This was the first hour of an all night event so take it easy on me if you don't hear your particular Jimi Hendrix favorite - I'm searching through the archives to come up with the rest of the evening. I'll post it if you let me know you want to hear it. Cool?

Jimi Hendrix Inspires - Recorded Live @ Moe’s Brooklyn, NY - Nov 2003

1. Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze – MCA/Reprise Records
2. Curtis Mayfield – Future Shock – Curtom Records
3. Magnum – The Music That Makes Us Do It – Phoenix Records
4. Jeff Beck – Thelonious – Epic Records
5. Magnum – Evolution – Phoenix Records
6. Jimi Hendrix – Castles Made Of Sand – MCA/Reprise Records
7. The Headhunters – You Got It You Get It – Arista Records
8. Funkadelic – Everything Is Fair – Westbound Records
9. Average White Band – Can You Stop The Rain – RCA/Atlantic
10. Rick James – Bustin Out – Motown Records
11. Fred Wesley – House Party – Rhino/Gramavision
12. Jimi BBC Interview -
13. Jimi Hendrix – Foxy Lady – MCA/Reprise Records
14. Sly And The Family Stone – I Wanna Take You Higher – Epic Records
15. The Whatnots – Why Can’t People Be Colors Too? – Castle Records
16. Vicky Anderson – Message To The Black Woman –
17. James Brown – Hot Pants – Polydor Records
18. Billy Squire – Big Beat – Capitol Records
19. Jimi Hendrix – Hey Joe – MCA/Reprise Records
20. Rufus featuring Chaka Kahn – Tell Me Something Good – ABC Records
21. Minnie Ripperton – Reasons – Epic Records
22. Stevie Wonder – Front Lines – Motown Records
23. Isacc Hayes – Hyperbolic…. – Stax Records

The photo is of a mural on the wall at the Marisco Disco in Woolacombe, UK - check out the live set I did there with DJ Emskee on this podcast page.

Thanks to Stephen Laviers I ventured into an L.E.S.-esque neighborhood in Paris to join him on the turntables at an old pool hall converted into a nice party space.

The French get down, mon dieu! Tout le monde dans la chambre a dansé, I mean, everybody in the room danced at some point. It was like being in that cool downtown NYC lounge that always had a cabaret license - in New York, a venue needs a cabaret license in order to be a place where dancing is legal. Depending on where you are out in New York City, if you get up to shake your groove thing, you might be politely nudged and instructed to ease back on down into bounce in your seat mode.

Or the venue could get a citation, fines, and threatened with a complete shut down - and they're not opening up again until they go through a maze of appeals to city government agencies and neighborhood counsels. And when they're back, they've got to be paranoid about how loud the DJ plays that they've hired to entertain and seduce the crowds to stay a little while. With that pressure, no one's relaxed with what's at stake and how do you think that affects the audience that's there for an escape?

When you've got mandated volume timidity, it's tough to keep a vibe in a room where the sub woofers have been disconnected and the sound system consists mostly of well worn or burnt out satellite speakers positioned ceiling high on the walls. You've been in a room like that, nice music, but it's just not grabbing you like it should.


Venues, it's all about the warm embrace of the bass - DJs don't have to tweak the EQ to push the mids and highs which leads to that everybody in the room is screaming to talk sound. Even if your guests want to feel it, that's going to send them home earlier than they intended. Soundproof and school your DJs on the nuances of your sound installation and your venue can sound invitingly and magnificently plush.

So yes the venue in Paris, Les 9 Billards, judging by the celebratory feeling of this dancing feet crowd has never been subdued by cabaret laws. Some people were dancing like they were on one of those TV competitions, at least two women got flung and spun right into the turntables. Instead of reacting like Martin Lawrence's DJ character in the movie "House Party," I took it all in stride because I knew that the groove had them whirling and I like that.

You can see photos from the party and why I went ahead and put this mix out there for you despite the couple of times that the needles skips because of the boogieing booties on my beats.

Photos here: http://www.funk4food.org/parties.htm

Scroll down, mine was jam #11

And Stephen does music too. He makes those organically funky, organically meaning musicians are involved - dance floor catalytic music that's rooted in the roots of Africa.

You should never be surprised of the faces in funk. It's a worldwide groove y'all. Check samples of his release on his page or right here:

The band's called The Motivators and the songs are Jobu & Le Groove De Prune


http://www.myspace.com/hereandnowrecordings

http://www.fatcity.co.uk/Sales/pages/MusicPageRichMedia.aspx?pageid=13740

What a weekend. The night before this party I was in Paris at the Funk4Food party. Kudos to the courage of HBO to book me for this significant party despite knowing that I'd have to return from Paris on the day of the event!

Needless to say, there was no sleeping for me after hanging out with Parisians until the break of dawn...I could sleep on the plane, but while doing so, I had classic rock seeping through my ear hole as I tried to shift my musical focus from the disco funk vibes spun in Paris to the sounds that would be on the menu for this epic Sopranos cast & crew gathering.

Classic rock? Not every party needs the seemingly default musical vibe of various strains of house music and mash-ups. With the overwhelming number of mature adults in the house, and on a monster sounds system built for a rock band at Roseland - and with Bruce Springsteen's Little Steven sitting right in front of me, I was going to create a Rock & Roll and Soul vibe for the party people to enjoy, not endure.

What you hear here is the 1st couple of hours, setting the stage. The cast & crew are arriving and saying their hellos, embracing, and checking out the elaborate recreation of an Italian Street Fair. There will be speeches and Uncle Junior is going to perform in a little while, setting me up nicely to play a set that will speak to everyone in the room without pushing the dance floor vibe too soon.

Rolling Stones, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Eric Burdon & War, Stevie Wonder, Buddy Miles, Van Morrison, Curtis Mayfield, & Buddy Guy are in the mix. Everyone in the house felt right at home - you know the people of this caliber are rocking this good stuff at home and in their limos so to hear this music on this massive sound system in a state of revelry...well, when does that happen?

Before the night ended, an elegant lady came up to the booth and told me how she liked the progression of the sounds and how the flow of the music made the party feel just right. She asked me if I made CDs and I told her that I was recording the night. She was delighted and told me that her husband was impressed as well. He came up to shake my hand and echo her statements. This was David Chase, the creator of the Sopranos and his wife. I still suspect that when the final season hit the airwaves, the promo that featured a blend of Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones and Eric Burdon's version with the band War, may have been inspired by Mr. Chase hearing the Eric Burdon version at the party. Maybe, maybe not? It's all good.

Speaking of the Stones, one song that I love to play at these HBO parties is the Rolling Stones' "Gimmie Shelter." I love this song and I've always been tempted to rock it twice, although that would be kind of a strange move for a DJ, so at the end of this mix you will find an extended edit that I did that stretches this classic from it's official 4&1/2 minutes to 7&1/2 minutes...had to extended the intro and break so that folks could jam...or rock out. No additives, not a mash up with electronic drums and sound effects added, just "Gimmie Shelter" elongated.

Check out coverage of the event here, I don't make this stuff up: http://www.bizbash.com/content/editorial/e5931.php

Versatility = Longevity

Very nice intimate affair hosted for the buyer's at Barney's by K-Swiss in their Manhattan penthouse/roof deck showroom.


This is a very across the board set of vibe and groove music. What was great about the gig, the folks at K-Swiss are well aware of my mix it all up style and requested that I record my set. Most special event private parties I do, I just do and that's it. But the good people at K-Swiss were like - not so fast my friend - record please.


I did and here it is.


Live sets are how you really want to measure a DJ's talent, especially when the lights are hot and all ears are on you. That mix cd that that DJ made at home, trust me, they started over a few times and probably did some additional editing on the computer - hey, I do, sometimes. In a live setting, however, there is no starting over, no erase and try again...the music is live, loud, and everybody can hear the mix. In this p.c. world of today no one's going to tell you "boo, you suck," but they'll notice - and tolerate, or tune out, your "djing" because they are already out with their friends and they want to make to most of it - if you aren't tight so you should be tight with your blends and flow regardless to keep yourself working, DJs.


Press play and find out why B.F. & J.B. @ K-Swiss requested that I record (muchos gracias gents).


Sounds from Fat Freddy's Drop, Santogold, DJ Spinna, Linkwood & Napihedz from Prime Numbers, Minnie Ripperton, Vikter Duplaix, Tipper, DJ Vadim, Justin Timberlake, Janelle Monae], Moodyman, Marques Wyatt, & Jazzanova.

Words about this very special party coming soon...

Qool DJ Marv goes commercial was going to be the title of this mix initially.

Yes indeed I've spent most of my DJ career focusing on the underground and unknown, as compared to what's known as pop, but when HBO calls me to rock it for the boys of Entourage, I happily swam up to the surface to make this a great party.

I'm more known for the mellow and chill vibes at slow tempos but at this gig, the party got going pretty quick as you will hear. The venue's called Mansion, formerly, Crobar and the system is massive - these records sounded great with all that boom! Yes, the commercial sounds are on my radar too. I'm a music lover so it all gets under my skin - only thing, if your career track is all about mainstream, unless you are a major force like DJ AM, you are pretty much on the fast track to sounding like too many others.

Then what happens is that you get a lot of gigs - how can you go wrong when all of the music is well known? The other thing though, is that when you're all pop all the time, you get figured out and if you can't mix it up well,technically, you'll get yawned at by the people who have heard it all before - unless they are extremely inebriated and are like, 'whatever'. And when you get too large, because you play pop, you are so very easy to replace...usually by someone playing the same stuff but for a few hundred dollars less.

That's the way it goes.

But when I get that call, all that pent up pop energy burst out of me with fun and fervor. Check out the mix and imagine yourself there amongst the friends and family of Vince, Johnny Drama, Eric, Turtle, & Ari...living the good life and grooving to the sounds of yours truly.

Listen for Foreigner, Rhianna, the White Stripes, LL Cool J, Mylo, Justin Timberlake, Calvin Harris, Nirvana, Spankrock, Mary J. Blige, Russell Taylor, Notorious B.I.G., Micheal Jackson, 50 Cent, Madonna, N.E.R.D., DJ Medhi, Kanye West, Prince, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5, Royksopp, Beyonce, Robin Thicke, Jane's Addiction, Omarion, Franz Ferdinand, Ne-Yo, Santogold, Run-D.M.C, Est'elle, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, & more.

The photo is taken by Getty Images Andrew H. Walker, that's me in the Your Friend or Foe yellow John Lee Hooker t-shirt in between the elephant tusks looking things underneath the pinkish disco ball. More shots of the party can be found here:

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/gCzCuzVDlmV/HBO+Presents+Premiere+Fifth+Season+Entourage/AbU7ryRLyn9

Late in the mix, there are intermittent audio drop outs, sounds like when the DJ drops the volume so people can sing the words, except I wasn't doing that...my recorder has some miles on it and it maybe time for a new one. Still the 1st 3 hours are drop out free so please enjoy.

In 2007, CEO of this Moscow, Russia based ad agency reached out to me and invited me to come play at their Sixth Anniversary Celebration. This was definitely my first international "corporate" party, although there was not the slightest hint of a corporate vibe. This was a fun party where the staff and leadership of The Creative Factory all had a ball.

How'd I get that gig? I'd been to Moscow before, in fact doing the Creative Factory Party marked my 3rd trip to Moscow, but it was on my 1st trip that the boss at TCF heard me spinning my variations at a venue called Crisis of Genre - a gig hooked up by Moscow's low profile but influential man about town Alex N. Two years later, the impression made on Mr. TCF was still vibrant and he extended the invitation to play the party and asked if I'd do a CD that would be one of the keepsakes that marked 6 years of doing business in Moscow - which apparently, is not easy.

Of course I was up for the trip back to Moscow and for compiling and mixing a CD. Here's the CD, clearly, you would've had to have been there to receive one.

I recently saw a promo for a movie called the Wackness that's going to have a soundtrack that features music from 1994. '94 was when Buttamilk was getting started and when we did parties and it was time for Hip Hop, the natives got a lot of love.

This mix takes me back to when I started to make my gains with this DJ thing. It is actually four 90 minute tapes condensed to what essentially is a 60 minute highlight. A trailer if you will.

Mixed old fashion style, all vinyls baby! Listen to the crackle...which reminds me to mention that this mix is transferred from cassette so please keep that in mind in terms of the audio fidelity.

Cool?

The photo - me and the original Buttamilk founders, myself, Kenny Wells, and Genie Q Roberson. Like Jill Scott writes in the liner notes of her first album - "Buttamilk, it all started with you" Yeah...more on that soon!

Where's part one?

"A Moment of Bernie" can be found on the Sunday Social Podcast right here:

http://sundaysocial.podomatic.com/


In true melting pot char grilled tasty and delicious style, this Philly man joins a Scottish Jamaican, a Brooklynite with Irish roots, and a Mancunian (that's a resident of Manchester, England) to create a relaxed musical getaway at Williamsburg's Rose Live. Getaway meaning we put away all of our usual Friday and Saturday night selections, as in music we play, and blow the dust off of all the records that you'd have to visit us in our homes to hear. We're connoisseurs of musical genius so you know the music will induce several, 'what's that?' out of you. We'll tell you, 'cause we're cool like that, and then that Sangria, both white & red wine versions, will go down so nicely with the legit jerk chicken or Angus beef burgers on the menu.


I was in the shower getting fresh and clean before heading to Brooklyn, it was 5:01pm and I heard the breaking news alert on the all news station, thought it might be another Olympic record set or another high rise crane falling down in Manhattan, yet, the newsreader announced that "Rhythm & Blues legend Isaac Hayes has been found dead in his home." Truthfully, I hadn't pulled out an Isaac album for Sunday Social - it was with tempered enthusiasm and bittersweet happiness that I had the chance to grab the "Shaft" soundtrack, "Hot Buttered Soul," and "Black Moses," and I was reverently pleased that my Black Moses t-shirt was clean!

There's only one song by Isaac in this mix, consequently, the title, a play on the 'moment of silence ethos,' a Moment of Isaac - you'll like how I set it up.


SUNDAY SOCIAL every Sunday at Rose Live, Williamsburg.

TIME: 2pm-late, no cover.
VENUE: Rose Live, 345 Grand St (btw Havermayer/Marcy), Williamsburg.
SUBWAY: L train to Lorimer, G to Metropolitan
DJs: Monk One (Waxpoetics), Hamish Anderson (Out Of The Loop), Tim Giles (Prime Numbers)

www.sundaysocialnyc.com

To sign up for our mailing list email

sundaysocialnyc@gmail.com

Lyrics from the song that's the title of this mix.

Recorded in 1969 - the year when, I, Marvin James was born.

After you check out what is just a little bit of his lyrical offerings over the years – please feel free to download a medley of James Brown songs that I mixed live in 2004 in Brooklyn at a celebration of his music and influence. Special thanks to Brooklyn stalwart Dante for arranging this great night that highlighted the sounds of James Brown.

I’m so glad that he offers so much. I stand and walk tall and with pride because of his words, wisdom and experiences. James knew that folks were listening and paying attention and not only excited you to move and groove, he also encouraged perseverance, determination, courage, nobility & togetherness. I heard that. And still do.

Play it loud!

“I don’t want nobody to give me nothing. Open up the door. I’ll get it myself.

Don’t give me integration, give me true communication.

Don’t give me sorrow, I want equal opportunity to live tomorrow.

Give me schools and give me better books,

So I can read about myself and gain my truer looks.

I don’t want nobody to give me nothing. Open up the door. I’ll get it myself.

We got talents we can use on our side of town. Let’s get our heads together

And build it up from the ground.”

Photo courtesy of my brother G-Man who attended the Harlem viewing when James transitioned.