Wednesday, December 29, 2010

12-27-10

Shades of Blues

-Trouble in Mind - Aretha Franklin
-Gimme A Pigfoot - Laverne Baker
-Real Gone - Sam Taylor & His All Star Jazz Band
-I Ain't Got Nuthin But the Blues - Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns
-You Shook Me - Etta James
-(Got Me Runnin') Where you Want Me to Go - Brother Yusef
-Come On In My Kitchen - Chris Thomas King
-Follow the Drinking Gourd - Linda Tillery & Cultural Heritage Choir, Eric Bibb
-Burn Down the Cornfield - Charlie Musselwhite
-Every Planet We Reach is Dead - Gorillaz
-Idlewild Blues - Outkast
-When the Lights Go Out - Black Keys
-Blues is My Wailin' Wall - Mighty Mo Rodgers
-Muddy Water Blues - Paul Rodgers
-Elijah Rock - Ollabelle
-Can't Stop Thinking About You - Martin Sexton
-Rosewood - Cassandra Wilson
-Tell Me More and More and Then Some - Nina Simone

Saturday, December 25, 2010

12-16-10

Blues Union
I had very little prep time since I also taught the lesson that day, so I was kind of on autopilot. Maybe that explains all the repeats from my last set. I definitely tend to have default songs ...

-You Shook Me - Etta James
-Backlash Blues - Nina Simone
-All Over You - Jim Byrnes
-Love Me Like A Man - Bonnie Raitt
-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-I Ain't Got Nuthin But the Blues - Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns
-Kansas City Wrinkles - Count Basie
-Stormy Blues - Billie Holiday
-Lonely Avenue - Ray Charles
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas
-Dr Blues - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Gimme A Pigfoot - Laverne Baker
-How Come My Dog Don't Bark - Dr John
-Please Mr Jailer - Wynona Carr
-Harlem Nocturne - Sam Taylor & his All-Star Jazz Band

12-11-10

Mike and Reuel Workshop

The workshop went off pretty much without a hitch. We had two days of fantastic classes, and a dance which featured everything from up-and-coming DJs, old talents such as guest DJs Jenny Sowden and Dan Repsch, renditions of winning performances from recent blues events and a student performance. Oh, and lots of good dancing. All in all, a good weekend. Here is my set from that night:

-Gimme a Pigfoot - Laverne Baker
-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Backlash Blues - Nina Simone
-Kansas City Wrinkles - Count Basie
-Sugar Blues - Preservation Hall Jazz Band
-I Ain't Got Nuthin But the Blues - Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns
-Saga of Bill Bailey - Nancy Wilson

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Artist of the Week #4: Nina Simone



Nina Simone is hands down one of my favorite female blues artists, though her music covers much more than just blues. Her real name is actually Eunice Kathleen Waymon, and Nina Simone was a stage name she took on, I think partially to separate her actual identity from the secular music she was singing in clubs and thus to avoid disapproval. One of the reasons I love listening to Nina sing is because she is in my eyes one of the most emotive vocalists out there.  She spans the range from sultry to demure, defiant to submissive, angry to joyful ... and everything in between.  Nina has a tendency to sing very fluidly, not keeping strict time, which can sometimes make her music difficult to dance to. Personally, I find it inspiring as opposed to challenging. I've been listening to her much more recently, mainly because of the amount of routines that have been performed to her songs in the last year. And the variety in these performances is another reflection of Nina's range of emotion. Here are just the ones I know about:

In the Dark: by the students at NSS (and Shawn Hershey and Julie Brown performing it at Emerald City Blues Festival)
Do I Move You: Chris Mayer and Campbell Miller
I Put a Spell On You: Amanda Gruhl and Paul Mandel

However, I want to draw your attention to one particular song I just discovered. It's gritty, bluesy, honest and moving in all the best ways. Thoughts?

Backlash Blues - Nina Simone

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Artist of the Week #3: Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns



It's been a while, but I've been frolicking in New Orleans for the last week, so I was understandably distracted. The music in NOLA is incredible - live music pretty much every day, and the musicians are fantastic. I went to Preservation Hall, checked out Bourbon St and Frenchman, and strolled around the French quarter to the sounds of jazz. Needless to say, I was in heaven. The coolest thing was that there was a much stronger connection between the dancers and the musicians than in most other scene's I'd been to. Part of that was due to the fact that most of the musicians were from a similar generation. One of my favorite bands to listen to was Meschiya Lake's (she rotated through musicians though some were pretty consistent). I love the vintage brass sound, and her voice suits the music perfectly. Check out "I Ain't Got Nuthin But the Blues" from her album Lucky Devil (for those interested, I think Peter Loggins plays the washboard on some of the tracks).


I Ain't Got Nuthin But the Blues - Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (Lucky Devil)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Mike and Reuel Workshop

Hey all - I realize I haven't been posting regularly, even though it was my plan to post at least once a week with my "artist of the week" endeavor. Needless to say, I've been busy, in part with this. We've been organizing a workshop to get Mike "The Girl" Legget (formerly from Philadelphia, currently residing in Cincinnati) and Reuel Reis (formerly from Nashville, currently in New Orleans) to come to Boston and teach a weekend workshop. Needless to say it's happening - and soon! Dec 11-12, we'll have two full days of classes, as well as a Saturday night dance where yours truly will be throwing down some blues, accompanied by Mike and DJ John Brooks.

Hope to see you there!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

11-13-10

MIT Blues Dance

-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Burning Fire - Otis Spann's South Side Band
-Sugar Mama Blues - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown
-Lonely Avenue - Ray Charles
-Blues in the Night - Ledisi
-I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues - Diane Hoffman
-Love Me Like A Man - Bonnie Raitt
-Blues Is My Story - Brother Yusef
-You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had - Muddy Waters
-All Over You - Jim Byrnes
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-Blues Is My Wailin' Wall - Mighty Mo Rodgers
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Burn Down the Cornfield - Charlie Musselwhite
-Wade in the Water - The Blind Boys of Alabama
-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-Please Mr Jailer - Wynona Carr
-Kansas City Wrinkles - Count Basie
-Do I Move You? - Nina Simone
-Fumblin' With The Blues - Tom Waits
-Follow The Drinking Gourd - Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, Eric Bibb

Sunday, November 7, 2010

11-06-10

"Everything But Dance" Evening Dance

I DJ'ed a quick set for the EBD evening dance on Saturday. I took the DJing classes (taught by John Brooks, Devona Cartier and Julie Brown), which was awesome cause I got to pick their brains for two days straight. About 15 minutes towards the end of my set, as I'm winding down the dancers (I had last set of the night), Devona comes up to me and says: "You know what I want to see? Make them dance fast." Alas, Devona's wishes shouldn't go ignored ... so I tried. I succeeded, but was sweating bullets, and the last couple of songs of my set were haphazardly placed. Everything up to Ray Charles I'm happy with ... after that, I was at a loss of where to go. I think I need to listen to my music more ... do more research. But it was an insane kind of thrill to sweat through the end of that set. I must be crazy to enjoy that.

-That's Why I'm Crying - Koko Taylor
-Gimme A Penny - Big Mama Thornton
-Sittin' & Cryin' the Blues - Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim
-Short Dressed Woman - Lafayette Leake
-Kansas City Wrinkles - Count Basie
-Sugar Blues - Preservation Hall Jazz Band
-Summertime - Renee Olstead
-Please Mr Jailer - Wynona Carr
-I Got a Woman - Ray Charles
-Power of the Blues - Brother Yusef
-Home - Marc Broussard

Saturday, October 30, 2010

10-30-10

Artisan's Asylum Halloween Dance

This might just be the most unusual set I've DJed in a while ... half the people were blues dancers, half were non-dancers, and the description I was given ran along the lines of ... fun party music that's good to dance to. Allrighty then ...

-Fireflies - Mofro
-Bad Seraphim - Alien Fashion Show
-Mercy On Me - Christina Aguilera
-Get Back Temptation - Ollabelle
-You Can Leave Your Hat On - Etta James
-Mercy - Duffy
-100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
-Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
-Brown Skin - India Arie
-Can't Stop Thinking About You - Martin Sexton
-I Idolize You - Lizz Wright
-Alice - Patti Plinko and Her Boy
-Sinkin' Soon - Norah Jones
-Missed Me - Dresden Dolls

Monday, October 25, 2010

10-24-10

Blues Muse Sunday Night Dance

-The World Keeps On Turning - Fleetwood Mac
-Idle Hours - Victoria Spivey & Lonnie Johnson
-Gimme A Penny - Big Mama Thornton
-That's Why I'm Crying - Koko Taylor
-Black Night - John Lee Hooker
-Follow the Drinking Gourd - Linda Tillery & Cultural Heritage Choir, Eric Bibb
-I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues - Diane Hoffman
-Dark Sunshine - Dr Michael White
-Kansas City Wrinkles - Count Basie
-Tombstone Blues - Ronnie Magri & His New Orleans Jazz Band
-How Come My Dog Don't Bark When You Come Around - Dr John
-Trouble in Mind - Aretha Franklin
-Down Home Blues - Etta James
-Ruby Mae - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown
-Come Home Blues - Jennifer Nettles Band
-Come On In My Kitchen - Porterdavis
-No Need Pissin' On A Skunk - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' On It - Ruth Brown
-Stormy Blues - Billie Holiday
-Harlem Nocturne - Sam Taylor & His All Star Jazz Band
-Blues for Mama - Nina Simone

10-21-10

Blues Muse Friday Main Dance

Blues Muse is hands down one of my favorite events, and Philadelphia has quickly made my list of favorite dance scenes. The level of dancing was awesome, all the instructors were great, the music was good, and people in general were so much fun to hang out with.

I DJ'd two sets over the weekend, and am pretty happy with how they went. Here's the Friday set:

-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Love Me or Leave Me - the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet
-Springtime Blues - Billy Boy Arnold
-Decoration Day - Sunnyland Slim
-You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had - Muddy Waters
-Sugar Mama Blues - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas
-My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More - Alberta Hunter
-Sugar Blues - Preservation Hall Jazz Band
-One Hour Mama - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Last Call - Ronnie Magri & His New Orleans Jazz Band
-Sunshine in the Shade - Satan & Adam
-Deep in the Delta - Brother Yusef
-Love Me Like a Man - Bonnie Raitt
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-Rain - Charlie Baty
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-Muddy Water Blues - Paul Rodgers
-Tell Me More And More And Then Some - Nina Simone
-Saga of Bill Bailey - Nancy Wilson

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Artist of the Week #2: David "Honeyboy" Edwards

Photo by Valerio Berdini


Honeyboy Edwards is one of the last living original Delta Bluesmen, and the last living link to Robert Johnson. At age 94, he still tours the country playing concerts, and played at the House of Blues in Boston last Friday. It was a great concert, including blues musicians such as James Montgomery, Grace Kelly, Desiree Bassett and Brad Whitford of Aerosmith. Honeyboy played the full second half of the concert, accompanied only by another guitar and a blues harp, and the music was fantastic. He still had incredible technique, and his voice was strong enough to carry most songs well.

Delta Blues is definitely an acquired taste, especially for blues dancers, but I've come to love it. I've also realized that it is much easier to dance to live delta music than to recordings.

West Helena Blues - David Honeyboy Edwards (The World Don't Owe Me Nothing)

Sunday, October 10, 2010

10-09-10

Housewarming party at the DanceHouse.

The DanceHouse had its inaugural house party last night, and if it's any indication of what's to come, I'd say we're in for some good parties in the future. DJing was pretty laid back, I took over from Kevin and kept throwing on songs until I didn't feel like playing music any more. It ended up being a close to 3-hour set. Here it is, for anyone who's curious:

-Short-Dressed Woman - Lafayette Leake
-Sittin' & Cryin' the Blues - Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim
-Black Night - John Lee Hooker
-Sun Dirt Water - The Waifs
-Elijah Rock - Ollabelle
-Wade in the Water - The Blind Boys of Alabama
-Death Letter - Son House
-Follow the Drinking Gourd - Eric Bibb, Linda Tillery & Cultural Heritage Choir
-Dark Clouds - Chris Thomas King
-Steamroller Blues - Soul Miner's Daughter
-Come Rain Or Come Shine - BB King & Eric Clapton
-Double Trouble - John Mayall
-Stormy Blues - Billie Holiday
-Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans - Lavay Smith
-Petite Fleur - Sidney Bechet
-My Kind of Gospel - Michael Pewny
-Tell Me More and More and Then Some - Nina Simone
-Voodoo Chile - Gabriel Rios
-Can't Stop Thinking About You - Martin Sexton
-Let's Burn Down the Cornfield - Etta James
-Black Water - Charlie Musselwhite
-I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Steal Away - Etta James
-Love in Vain - Keb Mo
-Blues After Hours - Pinetop Perkins
-Harlem Nocturne - Sam Taylor & His All Star Jazz Band
-Six O'Clock Blues - Ericc Bibb
-Love Me or Leave Me - The Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartett
-O Death - Tangle Eye
-Nobody's Fault - Rising Appalachia
-People Grinnin' In Your Face - Ruthie Foster
-Fumblin' With The Blues - Tom Waits
-Muddy Water Blues - Paul Rodgers
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Nice and Warm - Tab Benoit
-Pussycat Moan - Katie Webster
-My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More - Alberta Hunter
-You Got Me Running - Sugar Pie Desanto
-Converted - Nathan James & Ben Hernandez
-Sweet Home Chicago - Taj Mahal
-Decoration Day - Sunnyland Slim
-Saga of Bill Bailey - Nancy Wilson
-Come On In My Kitchen - Chris Thomas King
-That's Why i'm Crying - Koko Taylor
-Oreo Cookie Blues - Lonnie Mack
-Gimme A Penny - Big Mama Thornton
-In the Morning Blues - Ike & Tina Turner

Friday, October 8, 2010

10-07-10

Blues Union: Monster Mike Welch

DJ'd the band break for Mike Welch at Blues Union last night. I had so much fun dancing to the band - it's a completely different deal dancing to live music, especially when the band appreciates the dancers and you start getting interaction between them and the dance floor. I'll try to get some full set gigs soon (at the latest that will happen at Blues Muse!).

-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Love Me Like a Man - Bonnie Raitt
-Ruby Mae - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown
-In the Mississippi River - Mavis Staples
-Color-Blind Angel - Robin Rogers
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas

The set worked out pretty well, with just one snag. I think every DJ experiences a point in time 30 seconds into a song where they realize "shoot, this is not what the dance floor wants right now." And no matter how much you usually love that song, the next 2-3 minutes are torture, as you watch your dancers fumble through and you start hating every beat of that music. If this happens to you, it doesn't mean you're a bad DJ - you just made a mistake (though obviously the goal is to avoid these situations entirely). The trick is recovering. Look at your dancers and see if you can tell how they want to be dancing, even though the song is not letting them. More energy? Faster? More pulse? More traveling? Slower? Pick a song that will let them do that. And you'll have your dance floor back. It's all about paying attention and being perceptive.

Monday, October 4, 2010

New Thought: Artist of the Week #1: Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers

So I'm trying to branch out and discover more blues, which always works better when I have something concrete to hold onto. Thus, my newest attempt at a project: I want to feature a different blues artist every week. I'll probably focus more on local artists who are less well known, though I might venture into the historic too. It will depend entirely on my mood and what I'm listening to at the moment. But hopefully any readers will get something out of it too.



My honorary first artist of choice is Erin Harpe. Erin is a Boston local, and after hearing a lot about her from fellow DJs, I finally heard her perform at Johnny D's for the Boston Blues Challenge (the winner of which will go on to the International Blues Challenge 2010 in Memphis). I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed for them - they were fantastic. Erin  is the daughter of bluesman Neil Harpe, and started playing in her teens. I love her traditional fingerpicking style, and both her playing and her voice are strong enough to hold their own against any blues band. Check out her website here.

Also, here's a clip of her performing at the Boston Blues Challenge. You can see she filled the dance floor (including Gui and I dancing in the front). You can purchase her music from her website, or on Amazon.

Mississippi Delta Blues  - Erin and Neil Harpe (Country Blues Duets)


Winnie the Wailer - Erin and Neil Harpe (Country Blues Duets)


Happy listening!

Friday, September 17, 2010

09-16-10

Solomon Douglas at Blues Union
I DJ'd the band breaks for Solomon Douglas last night. It was pretty laid back, but a great crowd who all seemed to be having fun on the dance floor. What more can a DJ ask for?

-Fine Little Angel (take 1) - Lafayette Leake
-You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had - Muddy Waters
-Me And My Baby And The Blues - Charlie Musselwhite
-False Friend Blues - Ruth Hall
____

-Sugar Blues - Preservation Hall Jazz Band
-Love Me Or Leave Me - The Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet
-Springtime Blues - Billy Boy Arnold
-Lonesome Blues - Nathan James & Ben Hernandez

Monday, August 9, 2010

08-06-10

I played a short set to kick off the Down Home Blues Festival in San Francisco this weekend. This one goes out to Keith:

-Down Home Blues - Satan and Adam
-Springtime Blues - Billy Boy Arnold
-Rain - Charlie Baty
-Gimme A Penny - Big Mama Thornton
-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Lord Don't Move The Mountain - Angela Strehli
-How Blue Can You Get - Brother Yusef

Thursday, August 5, 2010

At a loss ...

Keith Shapiro passed away last night. I did not know him well, but from those who did and my own impressions, not only was he a central part of the swing and blues community, but a loving father and husband, a wonderful friend, a great DJ, and generally an inspiring person to know. He co-hosted the podcast Confessing the Blues, where he brought his love for the blues to a worldwide community. He has definitely been an influence and inspiration in my own DJing, and my thoughts are with his family and friends. Rest in peace, Keith.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

07-23-10

FNB

I jumped in last minute to DJ at FNB, closing the night with a one hour set after an entire night of great music by the fabulous Linda Maxwell.

-You Got Me Running - Sugar Pie Desanto
-Love Me Or Leave Me - The Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet
-Dark Sunshine - Dr Michael White
-Easy Blues - Lafayette Leake
-Sittin' & Cryin' the Blues - Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim
-My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More - Alberta Hunter
-I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel - Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women
-Come On In My Kitchen - Porterdavis
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas
-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Blues for Angel - Soul Miner's Daughter
-In the Morning Blues - Ike & Tina Turner
-Six O'Clock Blues - Eric Bibb
-That's Why I'm Crying - Koko Taylor
-Pussycat Moan - Katie Webster

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

07-19-10

Shades of Blues (alt)
Had a blast DJing the night with Whitton Frank - she is still one of my favorite DJs to play with, and our sets always flow seamlessly. We each played 45 minute sets, and transitioned with 3-song trades. Check out Whitton's (DJ Lil'Red) setlists here

-Come On In My Kitchen - Chris Thomas King
-Flesh and Blood - The Waifs
-In The Mood for Memphis - Reni Simon
-Get Back Temptation - Ollabelle
-When the Lights Go Out - The Black Keys
-Mercy On Me - Christina Aguilera
-Let's Burn Down the Cornfield - Etta James
-Black Night - John Lee Hooker
-Blues in the Night - Ledisi
-Dark Sunshine - Dr Michael White
-Last Call - Ronnie Magri & His New Orleans Jazz Band
____

-Muddy Water Blues - Paul Rodgers
-She's Gonna Take Sick and Die - Collard Greens & Gravy
-Please Mr Jailer - Wynona Carr
____

-O Death - Tangle Eye
-So Long I'll See Ya - Tom Waits
-Back Back Train - Aerosmith
____

-100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
-I Put A Spell On You - Kim Nalley
-Can't Stop Thinking About You - Martin Sexton



I made an observation/realization last night. For a while now, I've seen "fusion" and blues dancing to alternative music rise in popularity. It seems as though most people are not interested in blues music any more, and as a blues DJ who plays because I love the music, I see that with a certain sadness. DJing wouldn't mean the same thing to me if I was playing a different style of music, because when you get right down to it, blues, with all its wailing, grit and soul is what makes me move and what makes me happy. But last night, I think my fears were laid to rest a little bit. Shades is an alternative blues venue, and I know many DJs that play there push themselves to find new songs or play more in fusion/pop styles than blues. Though Whitton and I were a lot more liberal with our definitions of "blues" than I know I normally am, the truth of it is that both of us played blues sets. And the dance floor loved it. 

I think a lot of what DJs are struggling with currently is identity. As the music that is "allowed" at a dance expands and we have more and more choices, it's hard to find an identity for yourself as a DJ. One thing I've found works well for me is to be decisive in my sets. If I try to cover too much ground and make everybody happy, my set will sound disjointed and I will most likely lose my dancers. Usually I pick 2-3 styles and move through those within the set, making sure that my transitions are easy to follow and I don't leave my dancers behind. And regardless of where I play, my foundation starts in blues music. Not only does this approach help me ground myself and feel more confident, but I find that it makes my sets more memorable to dancers, which definitely helps. 

07-01-10

Blues Union

Sorry for the hiatus - finishing up college and preparing for the move to Boston has put my DJing on the back burner for a while. But I'm back now, mostly, and hoping to get in a few sets before I move away. Here is the setlist from Blues Union when I went out to visit Boston

-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-National Steel - Colin James
-Get Back Temptation - Ollabelle
-Blues Is My Wailin' Wall - Mighty Mo Rodgers
-Deep in the Delta - Brother Yusef
-Nobody's Fault - Rising Appalachia
-Come On In My Kitchen - Crooked Still
-Let's Burn Down the Cornfield - Etta James
-Bonnie & Clyde in D Minor - Chris Thomas King
-Please Mr Jailer - Wynona Carr
-I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Do I Move You - Nina Simone
-People Grinnin' In Your Face - Ruthie Foster
-Sugar Mama Blues - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown
-Dust My Broom - Etta James
-Springtime Blues - Billy Boy Arnold

Sunday, May 23, 2010

05-22-10

Drop Dead Blues
DDB rocked tonight - the dance floor stayed full, and everyone was on. The DJs played great music and the dancers were all having a blast. I had some of the hottest dances I've had in a long time, and was really happy with my set. :-)

-Sugar Mama Blues - Snooky Pryor and Mel Brown
-No Need Pissin' on a Skunk - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas
-I Put A Spell On You - Nina Simone
-Let's Burn Down the Cornfield - Etta James
-Muddy Water Blues - Paul Rodgers
-Death Came A-Knockin' - Ruthie Foster
-Nobody's Fault - Rising Appalachia
-Can't Be Satisfied - Porterdavis
-Mr Siegal - Tom Waits
-You Got Me Running - Sugar Pie Desanto, Sunnyland Slim
-Short Dressed Woman - Lafayette Leake
-Sittin' & Crying' the Blues - Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim
-I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues - Diane Hoffman
-Sugar Blues - Preservation Hall Jazz Band
-Dark Sunshine - Dr Michael White
-Real Gone - Sam Taylor & His All-Star Jazz Band


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Swing Interlude

Lauren has been doing a 5-song featured set at Madonna Inn recently, where every week she features a different person. This week was my turn, so here are the five songs I picked (some of my favorites, mostly due to various associations and the fact that I can't help but be happy when these songs are playing):

-Blues My Naughty Sweetie - Sidney Bechet
-Minor Swing - Django Reinhardt
-Sunny Side of the Street -Dawn Lambeth
-Solid as a Rock - Ella Fitzgerald
-I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Hot Club of Cowtown

Sunday, May 16, 2010

05-09-10

SLOX Sunday Main Dance
-Let's Burn Down the Cornfield - Charlie Musselwhite
-Blues in the Night - Ledisi
-You Can Leave Your Hat On - Etta James
-Big Lovin' Woman - Shemekia Copeland
-I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Muddy Water Blues - Paul Rodgers
-Blues for Angel - Soul miner's Daughter
-Dark Clouds - Chris Thomas King
-Back Back Train - Aerosmith
-Fumblin' with the Blues - Tom Waits
-O Death - Tangle Eye
-Voodoo Chile - Gabriel Rios
-Come Rain or Come Shinw - BB King & Eric Clapton
-Six O'Clock Blues - Eric Bibb

05-08-10

SLOX Saturday Main Dance
-Down in the Swamp - Tab Benoit
-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Sugarman - Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Worried Now - Collard Greens & Gravy
-Ruby Mae - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown
-Oreo Cookie Blues - Lonnie Mack
-Lonesome Blues - Nathan James & Ben Hernandez
-Deep in the Delta - Brother Yusef
-Keep Your Hands Off Her - The Black Keys
-Sweet Home Chicago - Taj Mahal
-In the Morning Blues - Ike & Tina Turner

05-07-10

SLOX Friday Main Dance
-Saga of Bill Bailey - Nancy Wilson
-Sugar Blues - Preservation Hall Jazz Band
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas
-My Road Lies in Darkness - Charlie Musselwhite
-Bonnie & Clyde in D Minor - Chris Thomas King
-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your spirit Down - Eric Bibb
-100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
-I Just Want to Make Love to You - Etta James
-Love Me or Leave Me - The Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet
-That's Why I'm Crying - Koko Taylor

SLOX Friday Late Night
-Follow the Drinking Gourd - Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, Eric Bibb
-Do I Move You? - Nina Simone
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around) - Dr John
-No Need Pissin' On A Skunk - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Please Mr Jailer - Wynona Carr
-Short Dressed Woman - Lafayette Leake
-Sugar Mama - Billy Boy Arnold
-Come On in My Kitchen - Porterdavis
-Color-Blind Angel - Robin Rogers
-Flesh and Blood - The Waifs
-Tell Me More and More and Then Some - Nina Simone

Sunday, May 2, 2010

05-01-10

Drop Dead Blues

-Saga of Bill Bailey - Nancy Wilson
-Decoration Day - Sunnyland Slim
-I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Do I Move You? - Nina Simone
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas
-Nobody's Fault - Rising Appalachia
-Come On In My Kitchen - Crooked Still
-Fumblin' with the Blues - Tom Waits
-Sugar Mama Blues - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown
-You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had - Muddy Waters
-Sittin' & Cryin' The Blues - Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim
-100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
-In the Mood for Memphis - Reni Simon
-Bump and Grind - Denise Lasalle

Friday, April 23, 2010

For those of you living under a rock

I realized I never mentioned one of my most consistent blues-related enjoyments currently. With my thesis eating my soul and me gearing up for graduation, I have very little free time, which means I don't necessarily get to research as much music as I would like to. Enter Keith Shapiro and Jonathan Pechon, DJs from Austin and Dallas, respectively, who started a podcast about blues music for dancers (and DJs) roughly 8 or 9 months ago. Each month, they spend 70+ minutes sharing music (most of which has been unfamiliar to me), upcoming events, thoughts on various aspects of the social dance scene, DJing for blues dancers, and the history and tradition of blues music, and feedback from blues and dance enthusiasts from all over the world. It's a great way to keep my finger on the pulse of the dance scene until I have more time and energy to get my DJing back into full swing (or blues ... badum tshh :-P).

Check out Confessing the Blues

Sunday, April 18, 2010

04-14-10

Drop Dead Blues

-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-My Road Lies in Darkness - Charlie Musselwhite
-Red Rooster - Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters
-National Steel - Colin James
-Deep in the Delta - Brother Yusef
-Sunshine in the Shade - Satan and Adam
-I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Love Me or Leave Me - The jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Sun Dirt Water - The Waifs
-O Death - Tangle Eye
-Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
-Blues in the Night - Ledisi

Friday, April 9, 2010

Why I love Blues

I ran across a thought today, and it beautifully summed up how I feel about blues dancing. I don't actually know the person who said it, but I hope she doesn't mind me passing it on:

"Isn't blues dancing just the physical celebration of Living despite how much pain and heartache we experience day to day? ...Blues 'aesthetic' is nothing without augmenting each move with a tempered sense of loss and of aging, a willingness to express aggression and even anger, a broken agreement to relive sorrow, but also a decision of optimism to explore joy, find a new romance, and carry a bold sense of confidence into each spontaneous (yet intentional) move and twist of the body? Personally, my favorite part of the spirit of blues, is simply holding someone else close--and with my eyes closed, gladly sighing with the sense that everything's gonna be alright."
-Amanda Lorenz

Sunday, March 28, 2010

3-26-10

Boston House Party
Paul hosted a house party on Friday, which was a lot of fun. I started out the night, and just kinda kept throwing music on until someone else decided to take over. One of my favorite things about this house party is that for once, it was a throwback to the house parties where we still played blues through the whole night. I miss that. Here's the set:

-Converted - Nathan James & Ben Hernandez
-Oreo Cookie Blues - Lonnie Mack
-People Grinnin' In Your Face - Ruthie Foster
-How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around) - Dr John
-No Need Pissin' On A Skunk - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' On It - Ruth Brown
-Long John Blues - Michelle Wilson
-Come Rain or Come Shine - BB King & Eric Clapton
-Dark Sunshine - Dr Michael White
-My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More - Alberta Hunter
-Who Will Comfort Me - Melody Gardot
-Nobody's Fault - Rising Appalachia
-Sun Dirt Water - The Waifs
-Follow the Drinking Gourd - Linda Tillery and Cultural Heritage Choir, Eric Bibb
-Elijah Rock - Ollabelle
-Wade in the Water - The Blind Boys of Alabama
-Do I Move You? - Nina Simone
-Lonesome Blues - Nathan James & Ben Hernandez
-Love In Vain - Keb Mo
-Dark Clouds - Chris Thomas King
-Steamroller Blues - Soul Miner's Daughter
-You Can Leave Your Hat On - Etta James
-Summertime - Renee Olstead
-I Idolize You - Lizz Wright

3-25-10

Blues Union (Boston)

Paul and I taught the classes at Blues Union, and then I DJed the second half of the night. I had a great time, even though attendance was down because of Boston Tea Party.

-Love Me Like a Man - Bonnie Raitt
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-Got My Mojo Workin' - Asylum Street Spankers
-Flesh and Blood - The Waifs
-Color-Blind Angel - Robin Rogers
-Back Back Train - Aerosmith
-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-I Just Want To Make Love To You - Etta James
-Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman
-Muddy Water Blues - Paul Rodgers
-O Death - Tangle Eye
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Tell Me More and More and Then Some - Nina Simone
-Harlem Nocturne - Sam Taylor & his All Star Jazz Band
-Black Night - John Lee Hooker

Sunday, March 14, 2010

03-13-10

Drop Dead Blues
This set was fun to DJ, though it took me until about the fourth song to figure out the dancefloor. It seemed like mostly new dancers and I could not for the life of me figure out what they wanted. This was as on-the-fly as my DJing has gotten. I was also psyched from watching Laney DJ FNB on Friday - she rocked the house.

-Last Call - Ronnie Magri & His New Orleans Jazz Band
-How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around) - Dr. John
-Another Man Done Gone - Irma Thomas 
-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-Follow the Drinking Gourd - Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, Eric Bibb
-Sun Dirt Water - The Waifs
-100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
-Have Mercy - Shemekia Copeland
-Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman
-In the Mood for Memphis - Reni Simon
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-Blues Is My Wailin' Wall - Mighty Mo Rodgers
-Bump and Grind - Denise Lasalle
-Summertime - Renee Olstead
-Death Came A-Knockin' - Ruthie Foster

Sunday, March 7, 2010

03-06-10

Drop Dead Blues

Had a kickass set tonight, I love making people dance! Had a regular one hour set, then jumped back in at the end of the night to trade twos with Mark.

-Petite Fleur - Sidney Bechet
-Tombstone Blues - Ronnie Magri & His New Orleans Jazz Band
-Summertime - Renee Olstead
-Rock me Baby - Etta James
-Blues Is My Wailin' Wall - Mighty Mo Rodgers
-Follow the Drinking Gourd - Eric Bibb, Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir
-Color-Blind Angel - Robin Rogers
-Come On In My Kitchen - Porterdavis
-Love Me Like A Man - Bonnie Raitt
-Please Mr Jailer - Wynona Carr
-The Hole - The Soul of John Black
-Voodoo Chile - Gabriel Rios
-Tell Me More and More and Then Some - Nina Simone
-Pussycat Moan - Katie Webster
____

-Black Night - John Lee Hooker
-Let's Burn Down the Cornfield - Etta James
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-Can't Stop Thinking About You - Martin Sexton
-Elijah Rock - Ollabelle

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

To pay or not to pay ...

As a DJ, I've struggled with this whole grey area of payment. Do I set a price and refuse to work if it's not met? Do I accept whatever people choose or decide to give me, and be glad of the opportunity? Or do I try to figure out some other system. As my experience has changed and my expertise grown, this outlook has shifted slightly. As a new DJ, I was happy to play anywhere no matter whether I got paid or not. It was great to be a part of an event and have the opportunity to get my name out there. As a whole, that attitude is still true. If I didn't enjoy DJing, I wouldn't be doing it. It's something I'm passionate about, and I definitely do not do it primarily for the money.

Having said that, here's the catch. I do believe DJs should be getting paid for their time. Most organizers do pay their DJs, but some don't, choosing instead to see free entrance to the event as apt payment. I think on principle, I disagree with this. Unfortunately, I don't think most people realize the amount of time, energy and money that goes into being a DJ. We tend to be misrepresented as people who show up, day of, with our laptops, sit down at a desk and throw on a playlist. Far from it. Some DJs might function that way, but I know many (myself included) that pride themselves on their knowledge of music and skill at moving a dance floor. The sad story is that DJs at their best go unnoticed, because it's not about putting yourself in the limelight, it's about creating an experience for your dancers, and the more you push yourself to recognition, the more you interrupt the dance experience.
But lets break it down a little, and figure out why DJs should be getting paid.

Money: Acquiring music is expensive business. In a time when everyone trades and downloads music for free, it's easy to forget that a lot of DJs still pay for their music, especially when the music we DJ is not widely known or available. Also, while being comped into an event lifts that expense burden, DJs travel extensively to attend the events they are hired for, and rarely are they compensated for their travel expenses. Often, even if DJs get paid, what they are paid doesn't even cover the cost of travel.

Time: When we DJ, we don't show up at the event, throw down our laptop and magically play a great set. Most of us spend hours getting to know our music, researching and finding more great music to play. We put in our time consistently, not just at events. Also, depending on how much I DJ at an event, I tend to dance a lot less.

Effort: Being a good DJ is hard work. It's stressful. Before a set, I am consistently listening to the current DJ in the room, taking note of their style, the direction they are going in, and making sure I know what they played so I don't accidentally repeat songs. This means I don't get to show up late (or right before my set), I pride myself on being on time, being ready to go before it is necessary, and being flexible. If you hire me as a DJ, I see my job as making sure you have a great event with great music. If you need to shuffle me around or call on me in an emergency, I do my best to help you out. My job is to provide you with good music and help you to make your event run smoothly. When I DJ, I do my best to watch the dancefloor, be aware of what's going on and respond accordingly.

For these reasons, I think it is important that DJs start getting paid consistently. I'm not saying break your bank on us. It's not about the money - what I make as a DJ barely reimburses me for travel expenses, let alone the time and money I spend on my music. But that's ok. I do it because I love it. However, not paying your DJs devalues their efforts and expertise, and we feel more like a friend doing you a favor than a legitimate DJ providing a valued service. In the end, this will hurt the organizer most: I am less likely to hold myself to professional standards when I am not being treated as a professional.

I want to make it clear that this is not a black and white opinion. There are many events that I would choose to work for "free" (just getting comped), either because the event is small and doesn't have the resources, or because it is large enough that I don't feel I have the level of experience and reputation to offset the opportunity and exposure that DJing such an event would give me. But I would love it if more people recognized the amount of effort and passion DJs put into their jobs to consistently provide the dance scene with great music.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

02-12-10

Dexter and Michelle taught a workshop this past weekend, and it was such a great event. We kicked it off with a House Party, of which I DJed the first couple of hours. The classes were great, and taking them as well as a private with Dexter jumped my dancing (or at least the way I think about my dancing) to the next level. I'm excited to start really working on the things that were brought to my attention. Much of it has to do with using my body fully when I dance, initiating every movement from my core and following through all of my movements.  I hope really working on these concepts will make my dancing much more powerful.

Here is my set from the house party:
-Blues in the Night - Ledisi
-Dr Feelgood - Aretha Franklin
-I'll Be Your Sweet Black Angel - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Back Back Train - Aerosmith
-Come on in My Kitchen - Porterdavis
-Flesh and Blood - The Waifs
-Hot Potato - Circus Contraption
-How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around) - Dr John
-Pussycat Moan - Katie Webster
-Death Came A-Knockin' - Ruthie Foster
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-Get Back Temptation - Ollabelle
-2' Left to the Ceiling - Seth Walker
-Black Water - Charlie Musselwhite
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-So Low - Big Bones
-Broken Toy - Jason Ricci & New Blood
-Blues 2.0 - Fruteland Jackson
-Tragic - JJ Grey & Mofro
-Oh Lady Be Good - Ray Brown Trio
-Mo' Better Blues - Gordon Webster Trio
-Black Night - John Lee Hooker
-Six O'Clock Blues - Eric Bibb
-That's Why I'm Crying - Koko Taylor
-In the Morning Blues - Ike & Tina Turner
-Can't Stop Thinking About You - Martin Sexton
-In the Mississippi River - Mavis Staples
-I Idolize You - Lizz Wright
-Sinkin' Soon - Norah Jones
-Summertime - Angelique Kidjo
-Little Wing - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Sunday, January 31, 2010

01-30-10

Tri-Dance Masquerade

Tim O'Neill and Whitton Frank came up to SLO to teach the lessons, and Mark Carpenter, Whitton Frank and I DJed the night. Started with one hour sets and then went into trading sets of three. Something about Whitton coming into town just guarantees a night of good music.

-Flesh and Blood - The Waifs
-Get Back Temptation - Ollabelle
-National Steel - Colin James
-Red Mud - Chris Thomas King
-Burn Down the Cornfield - Charlie Musselwhite
-Paris, Texas - Greg Szlapczynski
-Got My Mojo Workin' - Asylum Street Spankers
-No Need Pissin' On A Skunk - Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women
-Deep in the Delta - Brother Yusef
-Come On In My Kitchen - Porterdavis
-Black Rattler - Carl Sonny Leyland Trio feat. Nathan James and Ben Hernandez
-Tombstone Blues - Ronnie Magri & His New Orleans Jazz Band
-Tell Me More And More And Then Some - Nina Simone
-Silver Bird - Collard Greens & Gravy
-So Long I'll See Ya - Tom Waits
-Back Back Train - Aerosmith
____

-Listen My Son - The Unseen Guest
-Tragic - JJ Grey & Mofro
-Color-Blind Angel - Robin Rogers
____

-Black Water - Charlie Musselwhite
-Down in Mississippi - Mavis Staples
-Be My Husband - Nina Simone
____

-Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down - Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-Black Night - John Lee Hooker
____

-Blues in the Night - Ledisi
-Voodoo Chile - Gabriel Rios

Sunday, January 17, 2010

01-16-10

Drop Dead Blues
Erika Schmidt was visiting which brought a whole new level of awesomeness to our scene. Such a great turnout, and the dance floor stayed consistently full.

-That's Why I'm Crying - Koko Taylor
-Six O'Clock Blues - Eric Bibb
-So Low - Big Bones
-Color-Blind Angel - Robin Rogers
-Driving Wheel - Etta James
-Come Home Blues - Jennifer Nettles Band
____

-Tell Me More And More And Then Some - Nina Simone
-Black Rattler - Carl Sonny Leyland Trio feat. Nathan James and Ben Hernandez
-Elijah Rock - Ollabelle
-Sun Dirt Water - The Waifs
-Tragic - JJ Grey & Mofro
-The Hole - The Soul of John Black
-Memories of a Good Time - Nublues
-Come On In My Kitchen - Crooked Still
-Burn Down the Cornfield - Charlie Musselwhite

01-09-10

Drop Dead Blues

-Ruby Mae - Snooky Pryor & Mel Brown
-Down Home Blues - Etta James
-All Over You - Jim Byrnes
-The Hole - The Soul of John Black
-Lord, Don't Move the Mountain - Angela Strehli
-Flesh and Blood - The Waifs
-Deep in the Delta - Brother Yusef
-You Got Me Running - Sugar Pie Desanto
-If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' On It - Ruth Brown
-Death Came A-Knockin' - Ruthie Foster
-Burn Down the Cornfield - Charlie Musselwhite