New York DJ

Try These Jamaican R & B Tracks to Warm Up Any Winter Event: Rico & the Matador All-Stars, "Continental Shuffle" and Owen Gray & the Jets, "Nobody Else"

With the holidays over and the two coldest months of the year ahead, now is the time when winter in New York City and much of the country quickly loses its romantic appeal and instead becomes, to be polite, a real drag. Sorry to remind you, but remember, the weather doesn't really get consistently nice around here again until around the time we have to get our taxes in.

So, to “tropicalize” the atmosphere of events that you may have planned in the next two or three months of our annual struggle through blizzards, slush, and 37-degree rain, here’s two songs that are sunny, cozy, and fun. Both are Jamaican rhythm and blues tunes. If that genre sounds unfamiliar, don’t be surprised. It’s a rather small and obscure style, but fortunately some of its best songs recently have been made much more accessible for those of you who don’t have the time or interest to spend digging in record crates for hours a day by the release of the excellent compilation Trojan Jamaican R & B Box Set. Both songs here are available on the box set, as well as a few other less comprehensive compilations.

Jamaican R & B, born in the late ‘50s, is both like everything and nothing you’ve heard before. It combines shuffling jazz beats, the upbeat horns of what would soon become ska, festive Trinidadian-accented vocals of calypso, and a bit of the sultriness and gritty attitude of rhythm and blues and early rock ‘n’ roll. Most people are familiar with each of these styles, but put together in the right amounts, they create a sound that feels new and fresh and most of all, cozy and friendly.

Both these mid-tempo songs here have pleasantly catchy melodies that will get your snow-stained shoes tapping at any sort of event. “Continental Shuffle,” by Rico and the Matador All-Stars, a brief but swingin’ instrumental with masterfully mellow, pre-ska "skank" of a horn riff, immediately seems to brightens the mood of any room when we play it. The same reaction happens when we spin “Nobody Else,” by Owen Gray and the Jets. With its sturdy piano, its warm, fuzzy saxophones and its sweet calypso-inflected vocals, the song sounds like what Ray Charles might have recorded if he got his start in Kingston.

Have a listen to both; I think you'll agree they'll make things feel a little less "January-ish."

Matador All-Stars - Continental Shuffle

Owen Gray & the Jets - Nobody Else

Fresh Oldies: Nappy Brown, "Little By Little" & Ella Mae Morse, "Give a Little Time"

At most kinds of events at which we perform, we’ll often mix in some bouncy “oldies” from the 50s or 60s, whether the genre is a major one like rock, soul and jazz, or is another, slightly lesser-played style, such as calypso, doo-wop or rockabilly.

We find that when we play these oldies, the songs tend to pleasantly surprise people and give the vibe of the event a touch of sentimentality and fun, as often it’s not just those in the crowd who remember when these the songs were released that will respond, but also those younger as well, as they may recall these classic songs from films or may simply enjoy the spirit of the time that the song evokes.

However, many oldies simply can feel stale due to decades of being overplayed, or from being overused in films and commercials. Sadly, one of the best examples of this is James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)." When you hear that song these days, it probably brings to mind images of mundane household products like a Dustbuster instead of a vision of an awesome hip-shakin' concert in the mid '60s at the Apollo Theater. And while we find at events like weddings or corporate parties, yes, crowds tend to respond more to songs they know, there’s always room – especially at cocktail hour and dinner – for spinning a few oldies that are more obscure, as long as they have a great rhythm and melody.

Two lost gems from the mid-50’s that were ahead of their time and that sweeten the atmosphere of any event where there’s a bit of sentimentality involved like weddings, birthday or anniversary parties, and even some types of fashion shows, are “Little By Little” by Nappy Brown, and “Give a Little Time” by Ella Mae Morse. Both songs are short, fun bursts of bouncy melodic pop that measure up to any of the better-known rock and R & B classics of the time, and will make you think you’re suddenly hearing an undiscovered classic from, in the case of the former tune, a Caribbean-sounding Ray Charles, and, in the case of the latter, a rockabilly Ella Fitzgerald.

“Little By Little,” with its upbeat lyrics about a guy slowly but steadily falling in love, effortlessly blends touches of blues, gospel and R & B to come quite close to the sound of what in several years would become soul music. And while this early version of a soul-ish sound is impressive, on top of it, Brown and his musicians add in a touch of Caribbean calypso to the song, giving it a sunniness that makes it not just a soul precursor, but something all its own.

“Give a Little Time” (later titled “Give a Little Time to Your Lover”), a sassily-delivered piece of advice for the guys out there, also seamlessly fuses genres that at the time were just beginning by other artists to be blended into rock and roll. In this song, there’s a dash of swing backing rhythms, barbershop-quartet style crooner pop, R & B vocals, and even a revving up of some rockabilly-ish guitars here and there. What really makes the song memorable, though, is Morse’s smooth, silky, but at the same time crisp and powerful voice. When you hear how she belts out the chorus to the tune, you’ll wonder why she wasn’t ever a household name.

Have a listen to both…

Nappy Brown - Little By Little

Ella Mae Morse - Give a Little Time

Great New York City Songs for Your Event - At Any Time of Year

Well, the New Year is almost here and along with midnight kisses, champagne, and Auld Lang Syne often comes the tradition of watching the ball drop in Times Square. So with New York City in many people's mind's tonight, we thought this a perfect time to bring you a mix of great New York City songs for your events to not just feature at year-end events, but throughout the whole year.

Often at events located in or near the city, no matter what time of the year, we find that playing a few songs that reference New York in some way add an extra sentimental touch, both for those who live here or nearby, and those who have come to the event from out of the state or out of the country. The great thing about the city is that there's been so many songs in so many styles written about it, so therefore we've chosen songs are from a wide range of genres - jazz, soul, rock, folk, indie pop, reggae, hip-hop, merengue, and more. The songs are also from a wide variety of moods, some quiet, some loud, some in between, so you'll find many songs here to everything from a small dinner gathering to a huge corporate party. Many of these songs even helped define these genres they come from. Some of these are classics you've heard many times but still love and would want to hear many more times, some are newer and likely completely unfamiliar, some are only songs you want to hear when drunk, but all feature the city as a central part of the tune and capture an essence of the Big Apple in their own memorable way.

Here is the list of the songs included in the mix (arranged in a consecutive order, generally, of rising party-ability):

1. Take the "A" Train - Duke Ellington
2. Let Me Off Uptown - Mel Tormé
3. The Brooklyn Bridge - Mel Tormé
4. Manhattan - Ella Fitzgerald
5. Autumn In New York - Frank Sinatra
6. Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King
7. Brooklyn and Jamaica - Morgan Heritage
8. Take the L Train (To Brooklyn) Brooklyn Funk Essentials
9. Breakfast In NYC - Oppenheimer
10. Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
11. Going Home - Luna
12. NYC - Interpol
13. Coney Island - Death Cab for Cutie
14. Wintering in Brooklyn - The Last Town Chorus
15. The Only Living Boy in New York - Simon & Garfunkel
16. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) Simon & Garfunkel
17. The City - Joe Purdy
18. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl
19. Angel of Harlem - U2
20. New York, New York - Ryan Adams
21. Broadway - Goo Goo Dolls
22. New York City - They Might Be Giants
23. Rockaway Beach - The Ramones
24. Rockin' the Bronx - Black 47
25. Brooklyn - Mos Def
26. South Bronx - KRS-One & Boogie Down Productions
27. New York New York - Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & The Furious Five
28. No Sleep 'til Brooklyn - Beastie Boys
29. Brooklyn's Finest (feat. The Notorious B.I.G.) - Jay-Z
30. Big Pimpin' (feat. UGK) - Jay-Z
31. Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack
32. Native New Yorker - Odyssey
33. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) - Christopher Cross
34. New York Soul - Ray Barretto
35. Funky Broadway - Wilson Pickett
36. 110th St. & 5th Ave. - Tito Puente
37. Un Dia en New York Los Hermanos Rosario
38. Fiesta en el Bronx - Frank River
39. NYC Beat - Armand Van Helden
40. New York City Boy - Pet Shop Boys
41. I Love New York - Madonna
42. I Love NYC - Andrew W.K. 
43. New York State of Mind - Billy Joel 
44. Theme from New York, New York - Frank Sinatra

So, as Frank Sinatra sings in his famous rendition of "New York, New York," let those little town dreams melt away and go listen to the mix here.

An Excellent Bluesy Soul Number for Your Event's Cocktail Hour or Dinner: Mel Torme, “Comin’ Home Baby”

When it comes to events that include a cocktail hour or dinner in which jazz standards by classic male vocalists are wanted, clients often eagerly suggest either Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Tony Bennett. The name Mel Torme, a contemporary of these others, doesn’t often come up, though. I think it’s because in the casual listener’s mind - a mind that's not familiar with Torme's entire range of musical moods - his vocal style is considered a bit too showy or cutesy, and therefore might pose the risk of giving the event a schmaltzy air.

It’s unfortunate. In a gentler world, you’d be able to play a tender, lullaby-esque Torme song like “Brooklyn Bridge” at the early part of an event without fear that those under 65 will think you’re lame or a wimp, but for now, we’ve got to keep most of these playfully sweet vintage songs (come on, a lot of you like listen to them now and then) confined to our headphones, car stereos, or Valentine’s Day.

Mel Torme recorded a lot of albums during his career, though, and there’s a good amount of his songs that aren’t light and cute, but sexy and swingin.’ And some songs even veer into soul territory. The best example I’ve found of this is his hit from 1962, “Comin’ Home Baby.” The song kicks off with a bluesy piano riff and a gritty, smoky vocal that makes you think you’re listening to Ray Charles. Because Torme abandons his velvety romantic croon for this more soul-esque sound, coupled with the female back-up singers sultrily calling back in response to his singing, you get the impression in this tune that Torme isn’t interested in comin’ home to sweetly give you flowers and a peck on the lips, but that instead, when he arrives he'll take his girl right into the bedroom and - well, you get the idea.

We’ve played this song before during cocktail hour at events, and once a man asked who did it. When I told him, he looked surprised. I recall he seemed to expect me to say it was someone like Ray Charles or Otis Redding. But I think he walked away with a more impressive image of Mel Torme. Hopefully you will as well.

Mel Torme - Comin' Home Baby

All Kinds of Off the Beaten Track Christmas Songs

It’s a few days after Thanksgiving, and, like most everywhere else in the country, in New York City the usual Christmas songs are starting to be played at establishments everywhere there's a sound system, from the tiny bodegas to the biggest department stores.

We know there’s plenty of you out there who don’t want to hear that same old, one-size-fits-all mainstream radio template of holiday songs that essentially boils down to a heavy dose of mid-century crooners with a splash of Paul McCartney or Mariah Carey thrown in now and then. So, we’ve put together an iTunes mix of about 40 excellent Christmas songs, most of which you likely haven’t heard at all. While some of these tunes are traditional Christmas songs that have been covered by newer artists and others are original Christmas songs that have received little or no mainstream radio airplay, taken together, all these songs cover a very  wide range of genres. The only criteria for the mix was that the songs be memorably well-performed, rather unfamiliar or underplayed, but also accessible. In other words, this mix is comprised of music you might hear at a party where the DJ is playing fresh Christmas songs to satisfy all kinds of musical tastes.

To that end, we’ve arranged the mix like you’re arriving at the start of a party: We begin with some ambient tunes, then things pick up from there, building intensity as we move through alt-country, indie pop, loungey electronica, jazz, soul, reggae, soca, salsa, meringue, Latin pop, hip-hop, and rock. Hopefully, after you’ve listened to the mix, you’ll feel good that there’s a lot of fresh Christmas music out there of many styles, and by artists you might not have known had risked potential embarrassment to record Christmas songs!

Some highlights of the mix include the Cocteau Twins' dreamy take on "Frosty the Snowman," which manages the difficult task of sounding ethereal and otherworldly while remaining faithful to the song's simple melody; a remixed version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" that uses thick beats and well-placed horn samples to do a great job of sexing up this often-played song (featured on the album Merry Mixmas that's pictured); and Soca General's "Santa Bring de Soca," a quick, happy burst of tropical-sounding festiveness that will surely get you to look for a place to put your winter coat if you hear the song while anywhere near a dance floor.

So, throw some of the songs from this mix on your iPod, and you might even be able to get through the whole season without even hearing "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

You can listen to the mix here.

Famous & Lesser-Known Songs for Your Events from Two Soul Music Greats: Charles Wright & Arthur Conley

When you perform at as many events as we do, naturally you run into guests that know more about certain musical genres than others. Some want to hear the best-known tunes of a type of music to please a more mainstream crowd, while others ask you to bring out some deeper cuts to please a group of more music-savvy guests. Such is often the case with soul music – guests almost always want to hear some type of soul music at events, especially at weddings and corporate parties, but it’s the level of an artist’s or a song’s popularity which varies in our requests from clients. I'll show you an example of how to choose the kind of soul tune you might want your guests to hear by highlighting two soul greats (who both, as a bonus, are popular but aren't played to death at events): Charles Wright and Arthur Conley.

Wright and his group, the Watts 103^rd St. Rhythm Band, are known mainly for their 1970 song “Express Yourself,” which has been featured in many films and was famously covered by N.W.A. This mid-tempo tune and its classic horn riff fits great into any cocktail hour where soul is a component. Its gritty production – a much-missed staple of so much of the great soul and Motown from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s – goes perfect when a familiar song is needed, and the song never gets too harsh or “funked out” to ruin the rampin’ up vibe that the best cocktail hours establish at events like weddings or corporate parties.

If your crowd is looking for a deeper cut from Wright and the band, check out 1972's “I Got Love.” It has the same gritty production, but is more laid back, and because of its romantic lyrics, it’s especially appropriate for weddings, either at cocktail hour or dinner. You might even get guests enjoying it and asking what it is, which is always great. Plus, the song can lead smoothly into many other genres, either funk, classic rock or more soul.

Have a listen to both:

Arthur Conley is best known for his 1967 hit “Sweet Soul Music,” a stompin’ anthem of a tribute to established soul giants of the time such as Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. This extremely well-known song (you might not know it by name, but you likely have heard somewhere before) fits great into a playlist for a crowd who want soul music to dance to that is fairly mainstream, like the Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder or Earth, Wind & Fire.

But, again, if your guests are looking for something a bit less popular, try Conley’s “Funky Street.” This song, from 1968, was not a tribute to famous musicians like "Sweet Soul Music" but instead a tribute to a place - an imagined and likely sweaty thoroughfare of groove & ryhthm. This tune has such a thick, sexy, accessible beat that it doesn’t have to be recognized by your guests for them to enjoy dancing along.

Here’s both, see what you think:

British Female Retro Soul Before It Was Cool: Saint Etienne, “You’re in a Bad Way”

Being a DJ, and liking all kinds of musical genres, I see trends come and go all the time. But one that I never thought I would see at all, or see last as long as it has, is the transatlantic success of British female retro-soul singers like Amy Winehouse and Duffy. While some of these women put more of a tough, hip-hop attitude into their style, and others add a bit more sweetness, they all have a sound that’s a throwback to classic ‘60s female soul.

I’ve noticed that a wide range of people seem to like this trend at the events where we spin – Amy Winehouse is an artist that the hipsters, Top 40 fans, and those in their 50s and 60s who recall '60s soul's heyday can enjoy. And Winehouse’s success means guests at our events are more familiar with this retro soul sound, so we’ve been spinning similar artists during the early part of events that are lesser-known in the U.S., like Lily Allen and Candie Payne. (In April, I posted an entry here about a great Candie Payne song, check it out.)

And while it’s been fun at events to mix these these new soul singers in with vintage classics by Aretha Franklin, The Supremes or Gloria Jones, it’s also allowed me to bring out a song from the early '90s I’ve always loved and have long thought has been sadly unknown in this country. It’s by the British trio Saint Etienne (pictured above), and the singer’s name is Sarah Cracknell. While the group and Cracknell (who are still playing together) more often release albums of either electronic ambient or dance tunes, once in a while they record a straightforward pop song. I think this one is their best - the subject a simple a pledge of support to a friend feeling bad, the sweet music and vocals sounding like they were recorded two generations ago.

For the three or so minutes of this tune, Sarah Cracknell was definitely the Duffy of 1993!

Candie Payne, "One More Chance" (Mark Ronson mix)

This remix is a great example of how production tweaking in the right places can elevate a good song into a great one -- and therefore make me much more confident putting it out there to a crowd at an event.

Candie Payne, a British singer sometimes compared with Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen since all share a similar '60s soul-ish sound in their vocals and song production, released her debut album "I Wish I Could Have Loved You More" last year. "One More Chance" is one of the better tracks on the album, sounding pleasantly like some one-hit-wonder Motown girl group circa 1965, with a dash of Nancy Sinatra thrown in.

I've DJ-ed the album version before, but it's a much better bet to spin the Mark Ronson mix of the song, which is available only on the import CD single (cover pictured). Ronson improves upon the relatively spare and almost plodding guitar intrumentation on the album mix of "One More Chance" by boosting Payne's vocals, adding more violins, a thicker drum beat, and filling the chorus with gorgeous ringing bells to lift the song into the retro stratosphere.