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.
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
There is a method to the magic in the way Qool DJ Marv presents and plays music. He tunes into the atmosphere of the venue and the energy of the people, and then he blends what he sees with what he hears. Intertwining many styles for many faces from many places, Qool DJ Marv captivates you with his blend. The fluid flow and continuously ascending momentum of his wide-ranging sets is inviting, hypnotic, and breathtaking. Qool DJ Marv crafts an unforgettable feel good, get down party where everyone in the room will hear something that they enjoy. It’s as if he knew you were coming.
An inventive pioneer, Qool DJ Marv deliberately defies categorization to great effect. An evening of Qool DJ Marv may include a mind boggling array of selections spanning many eras and decades of music including R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Latin, House, Jazz, Funk, Rock & Roll, Soul, and Disco classics, and Eclectic beats from around the world.
Since 1994, Marv has been producing mixed tapes/CD compilations that illuminate the many styles of music that he loves but have fallen short of major exposure and marketing. The series “Beats, Jazz, & Soul” and “Qool Classics” are adored by people from all walks of life from all over the globe. People enjoy the meticulous attention to the sequencing and the seamless continuity of the mixing. Qool DJ Marv has a way of introducing genre-defying songs to listeners who previously may have only preferred popular mainstream offerings.
It’s Qool DJ Marv’s laid-back demeanor and the playfully enchanting smile that you first notice. He is genuinely pleased to meet you and despite his even keel, he’s bubbling at the thought of what he has in store for your listening, dancing, and celebratory pleasure. There’s an exuberant idealism in Marv’s appealing mix that bridges us all – with a universal vibe, everybody gets down.
