2. Tell us about how you got into music and what led you to eventually DJ and open up a record store/ start a label.
I grew up with all types of music around me, whether it be from my parents record collection or my Grandmother who was a Music Therapist. I started out playing drums in various bands throughout Elementary School and then at age 12, I joined an organization called Rock Against Racism that focused on Breakdancing and Graffiti in the Boston area. From my love of Hip-Hop, I dug into as many samples as I could find and started collecting records, DJing and Producing in 1993. I DJ’d and produced tracks with a few bands including P.O.E., B-Side and III Kings. When I moved to New Orleans from Boston in 2008, I started a youth program called NOLA Mix that focuses on DJing and Beat Making in Community Centers and High Schools. Because of my love for vinyl and teaching the youth about DJ culture, I opened up a record store called NOLA Mix Records in 2015. One year prior, I started the label called Superjock Records that was a vehicle for me to release my own New Orleans Funk remixes but has since expanded to include bands such as Kumasi, Shark Attack, Computa Games and more…
3. Influences
My influences include Eddie Hazel, DJ Spinna, Sade, The Meters and so many more…
4. What's your relationship to coffee? How do you prepare it? What's your go-to spot?
I love coffee. It makes me happy and something that perks me up (pun intended). I wish I could say I know the ins and outs of making a great cup of coffee but I usually start off with a brand I like and brew it on my trusty Mr. Coffee. My go-to spot is Mojo Coffee House which is a few doors down from my shop but is the best coffee in New Orleans in my opinion.
5. We think coffee and records go hand in hand, tell us your opinions on that and your opinion on how it fuels the creative process.
I definitely enjoy a cup of coffee when I’m either listening to a record or working on production. Like a record, coffee warms me up and gives me a boost.
6. What did you do during the pandemic non-music related, did you learn any new hobbies/ interests?
During the pandemic I helped to teach my daughter how to ride a bike, ate very well (maybe too well) and got to catch up on some reading and music making. It was a scary time, and continues to be unsettling but it has also allowed me to step back from everything and appreciate the important things in life.
7. Tell us about Superjock Records.
Running Superjock Records has been a great experience. Getting to put out records with artists such as Quickie Mart, DJ Platurn, The Allergies, Dan Ubick, Bootie Brown and more has been such a blessing. The over all goal is put out vinyl that heads will love and hopefully spin out if you’re a DJ. I’m not trying to get rich in any fashion but to just keep doing it…
8. Last words, anything you want.
Please pick up our latest release, “All Night” by Connie Price & The Keystones ft. Bootie Brown of The Pharcyde. It’s a limited edition 7” record that can be bought on the Superjock Records Bandcamp page, FatBeats.com and Juno Records in the UK. Peace!
]]>Paul Spring, Brooklyn NY, Guitar and Vocals in Holy Hive
Homer Steinweiss, Brooklyn NY, drums and producer for holy hive.
Tell us how you got into the music business, who were your influences, and what led you to being a full time musician/ artist?
Paul: I got into music because if I don't play it I get kinda confused and down. It helps to be able to play it for other people because then there is an exchange and conversation. My two favorite musicians from 8th grade to present day are Leadbelly and Bach, but I’ve been hearing a lot of cool music at barbecue hangs around my neighborhood - getting into Debarge and Shalamar now. I’ve never made a living off of music or been a full time musician, I’ve always had odd jobs to stay afloat. Hopefully this album brings some full time music stability, but it’s ok if it doesn’t.
Homer: I got into music because I was surrounded by it growing up. My parents are both classically trained pianists and they asked me to choose an instrument to learn when I was around 10 years old. I chose drums. I wasn’t planning on being a professional musician but I stuck with the drums as a hobby and started joining bands when I was in high school. I kept playing in bands throughout college and by the time I had finished college, one of the bands I was in was starting to work more and more. At some point in my late 20’s I started trying some other careers, but the music work just kept growing and I finally made the decision to dedicate my career to music.
How do you feel about coffee? What's your relationship to it, preferred method to brew and what's your go-to coffee company.
Homer: I love coffee. I view it as a drug and a delicious beverage. As a drug, I think it serves a very important purpose in my life. It helps me start my day. But as a drug I feel it’s important to understand its effects on me and to have a healthy relationship with it. I used to drink as much coffee as my heart desired but now I drink one coffee drink per day. I love a quad latte in the morning. Or a cortado when I need less caffeine. I can’t make espresso drinks at home so I only get those at coffee shops. If I brew at home I use a kalita pour over and I’ve been buying devocion beans lately, but I like to switch it up.
Paul: I feel great about coffee. It’s 6:32am on Thursday May 6th and I just finished my first cup. Im a french press guy, broke my last two chemex(es?) because I’m accident prone. Go to company is whatever I can buy the best bean in biggest bulk for the lowest price, there’s a shop called Kitten Coffee around the corner where I can get a 5 pound bag for $60.
We at Rabble and Lion feel that coffee and music go hand in hand, fueling the artist. What are your thoughts on that?
Paul: Homer and I were talking about how our favorite composer Bach must’ve drunk alot of coffee. Then, I googled and found this list of the most famous coffee drinkers from history. Beethoven is number 3 and Bach is number 1. I'm not gonna argue with Rabble and Lion on this one.
Homer. Yes I would agree. Almost every musician I know has a coffee drinking habit.
During this pandemic, what non-music activities have you been taking part in?
Paul: Working. I go for walks every once in a while. Hoping to play more one on one basketball with my wife...we did that a bit in the fall.
Homer: Tennis is my number one non music related activity. I play in a local league and I try to play everyday. I also got into electric scooting during the pandemic. It’s a great way to get around Brooklyn.
What music/ records are you listening to these days?
Paul: The entire Debarge and Shalamar discography, Nirvana Nevermind, and Bach’s French Suites on Harpsichord.
Homer: lately a lot of funk music. I’m craving fun these days and funk is really fun in my opinion.
How has the pandemic affected the way you're looking at the music business and or making music? Have you been able to be more creative, or has it been more of a distraction?
Paul: Not much. Still looks the same to me, just less shows. Still having fun playing the music I am interested in at the moment.
Homer: I think the pandemic has allowed me to take a step back and analyze what I want to be doing. At first it was very hard to be creative when there was so much uncertainty in the everyday. But once the pandemic became more of a new normal, I actually had more time to be creative than I normally do.
What projects are you currently working on? Share anything, live gigs, releases, etc.
Paul: Just finished a Bach album for 12 string guitar. Writing songs with my favorite guys Homer, Leon and Nick at the Diamond Mine.
Homer: I’m working with an artist named Kirby a lot lately. I’m very excited about her music and I’m blessed to be collaborating with her.
Last words, anything you want.
Paul: Thanks for sharing our music and for the support over the years. It is much appreciated that you always support Big Crown.
Homer: yes thank you for all your support.
]]>My name is Nicky Egan, writing from Philadelphia visiting my parents at the moment, but now based in Los Angeles! I'm a multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter.
How did you get into the music business, from your start to where you are now.
I've been playing music as far back as I can remember. I sang in choirs in middle school and high school, had a band with friends outside of high school and eventually went to Berklee College of Music where I studied Contemporary Writing and Production. After college, I focused mostly on performing, writing and touring, and have been at it ever since. I lived in Brooklyn for about 7 years, where I sang with a band called Turkuaz for a while and had my own band. I released an EP, The 45 Homestead Project, and toured a bit with my band while in New York and then about four years ago I was hired to tour with Chicano Batman out of LA as a keyboardist and background singer. So I moved out there, and have been on the road with them while writing and recording my new album in New York in between tours which has been a really fun experience.
Who are your influences?
My influences have changed and evolved as I've gotten older, but some of my earliest influences probably came from my grandfather who was a jazz musician. He introduced me to a lot of classic blues/jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan and early funk like Jackie Wilson. My parents had great taste in music growing up, showing me everyone from Richie Havens, Bonnie Raitt, and Joni Mitchell, to The Rolling Stones and Bob Marley. Voice, being my first instrument and growing up in the 90's, I was very influenced by the powerhouse voices of the era like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. I definitely used to drive my mom insane belting out The Bodyguard soundtrack in my kitchen when I was little. From my early 20's until now, I've been really drawn to a lot of 60's and 70's era soul music, and recordings in the Willie Mitchell and Stax production vein, that slightly grittier sound. Candi Staton, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions, Shuggie Otis. Then there are so many great contemporary artists doing it now, so the influence from my contemporary peers is a pretty giant pool.
What is your relationship like with coffee? How do you prepare it? What's your local, go-to spot and what coffee do you drink?
My relationship with coffee is deep love and comfort :) I've tried to be a wake up and work out type of person, but the truth is I'm really a wake up & coffee gal, with a book, journal, record or podcast depending on the day of the week. Lately, I've been making americanos or espressos at home, maybe with a splash of chai if I'm feeling naughty and oatmilk. I just moved and found the coffee shop down the road, 1802 Coffee, is my go-to! They're focused on sustainable and responsibly sourced beans. Their cold brew has a hint of cocao nibs and is SO good. Also, sometimes, I miss a good ol' super sugary NY corner bodega coffee.
We feel that coffee and music go hand in hand, and like music, coffee is a creative process as well. How do you feel about music and coffee together?
I feel music and coffee are truly a match made in heaven. Sundays are usually when I put on a record like Sarah Vaughan or Aretha Gospel and sit on my patio with a cup of coffee, its the best! But yea if I'm in the studio, a steady coffee flow is usually standard.
What music are you listening to these days?
In the last year or so I've been pretty into the SAULT records, Holy Hive, Y La Bamba, Yola, Michael Kiwanuka, Tame Impala, Khruangbin, Ari Lennox... Shuggie Otis and Mac Miller are frequent go-tos. I also recently discovered Mulatu Astatke's Ethiopiques album which I've been diving into a bit.
Have you done anything non-music related during the pandemic (hobbies, learning something new, etc.)?
I have! Similarly to I'm sure most people, my life had slowed down considerably in terms of my day to day, as I was supposed to be on tour most of this year. I started water-coloring a bit. My mom's a painter so we'd started zoom painting dates early in the pandemic and I've begun to really enjoy it. Aside from water-coloring, more cooking, more reading, and more running than I've done in years. I also started working with a mutual aid org called Hydrate LA, which has been really eye opening, and rewarding to be more involved with the community in LA, especially right now, when so many people need help. Oh yea, and learning to perfect my own espresso drinks at home.
Parting words, anything you want.
Support your local coffee shops and your indie artists! Stay positive, test negative :) Thanks for the look & support!!
Interview by Jamison Harvey
Name, Location, What You Do:
We are The Du-Rites from NYC!
Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) - Drummer (Queens)
Pablo Martin - Guitarist, Bassist (Harlem)
We both compose and play keys.
What's your relationship with coffee? How do you prepare it? What's your go to brand or coffee shop (pre or during Covid-19)?
Jay: I live for my morning cup. Sometimes I'll have a second cup later on if I'm struggling. BLACK and hot. No sweetener or milk and absolutely no flavored coffee ever, that’s just caffeinated cologne. My favorite roast is Ethiopian Sidamo. I usually just get it by the pound from the fresh coffee section of the supermarket, then I have a grinder and French press. It's cheaper and better than any crap you'll get on the go. During the height of the pandemic I ordered online from Drum Coffee, a company owned by my friend and fellow drummer John Wicks and his wife. They’re great.
Pablo: My relationship with coffee has changed over the past year. I used to be a black coffee person, two cups at least. It almost destroyed my stomach. Now I toned down to a cappuccino in the morning with no sugar. I need it to wake up.I must admit I'm not particularly gourmet about it; I live in Harlem, it’s either Dunkin' for $4.50 or I have to go to the gentrified joint “The Chipped Cup” where I can get the same quality for $6.50.
Tell us how you got into music and about your musical journey.
Pablo: I think curiosity turned me into music. Comics as a kid, then Lovecraft Books and then music seems to be the logical thing to explore. I started playing in bands with my friends from high school. We loved art, drugs and girls, however art and drugs were way easier to get than girls. We were into punk rock and new wave, down in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We tried to copy the Talking Heads which is important to my story since I ended as lead guitarist in Tom Tom Club years later.
Jay: I began as a funk bass player in grade school, switched to a hip-hop producer/artist and DJ in high school and did that for a decade and a half. Burned out in 2008, quit music, wrote a memoir to get closure on my hip-hop career and then reinvented as a drummer in 2011-12. I kind of returned to where I was musically in grade school. Hasn’t been easy and there's a lot of sacrifice taking on a new trade later in life with adult responsibilities, but it's been rewarding and I keep plugging.
Who are your influences?
Pablo: From [Duke] Ellington to The Clash; The Stooges to Funkadelic.
Jay: Drumming-wise, many. "Funky" George Brown (Kool and the Gang), Bernard Purdie, Joe Dukes, Max Roach, Redd Holt, Elvin Jones, Mitch Mitchell, Zigaboo Modeliste, Steve Jordan and my mentor Leslie Ming from B.T. Express. I'm leaving a bunch out, too. Overall, the late great Ronald "Khalis" Bell from Kool and the Gang and Miles Davis for their attitudes and approaches to music.
What have you been doing non music related during the pandemic?
Jay: Avoiding social media.
Pablo: Thinking.
What records or music have you been listening to?
Jay: Eddie Warner library records, some Jackie Mittoo, random ‘70s jazz.
Pablo: I really dig the Sleaford Mods and revisiting LCD Sound System. Also studying recordings from the Disco era.
Tell us about any upcoming releases.
Pablo: We just hit a major creative peak with [our most recent album] A Funky Bad Time, so we’re at the point where we are evolving again. That’s the hardest part. Round up the concept, then it goes quick, We're gonna go for strange. Other projects for this year besides The Du-Rites - I’m planning on finishing the second Lulu Lewis album titled Dyscopia and I’m working on a single with my friend Malcom Joseph (bass player for Grace Jones) under the name The Funklands.
Jay: What he said. We may experiment with the niche 10" EP format since the music is stuff we haven’t done and 10”/EP is a format we haven’t done. We hate being pigeonholed. Outside of the band I've been working frequently as a session drummer and I have my fifth volume of drum breaks coming out in March. It's called Concussion Percussion. I also have a 45 dropping with my other group, The Zone Identity.
We feel that coffee and creativity go hand in hand. What are your thoughts on that?
Jay: It definitely makes me hyper-focused, plus I'll be ready to deal with people. I'm naturally a very solitary dude, so I need a jolt sometimes.
Pablo: I used to not be able to work without a cup of iced coffee black. It helped me to keep focused. Caffeine, what can I tell you.
Parting words, anything you like.
Pablo: It’s going to be a hard year for the music and event industry, but we will make it again. Coffee will keep us alert.
Jay: Stay funky and stay out of Starbucks.
]]>Interview by Jamison Harvey
Name, Location, What You Do:
Anthony Abbinanti, Chicago IL – Dabbler in many trades, master of none – I play (played?) drums, organ and baritone sax in various live groups pre-pandemic. I was also fortunate enough to DJ around town on a number of residencies I hold (held?) sharing a wide assortment of musical styles. … and finally, I write, record and produce music for my label Happy As A Lark. I also do the odd design-work and code-monkey work for online experiences.
How did you get into the music industry and come to start HAAL?
I started playing in bands in high school and just sort of never stopped – I also have some family members that are deep record collectors, so I was always surrounded by big vinyl collections. The idea of running a label always intrigued me, as well as my desire to engage in bigger-scale productions and collaborations. A lot of the projects I’m working on are much too big to take on the road (financially speaking) so being able to release them without having to worry about touring (especially now) just made sense. I’ve always been jealous of the punk trio who could just get in a van and roll out – Anyone who listens to reggae knows that live, to get the right sound, you really need at least 6 people (better if it was 8) which becomes a whole thing. Now that I have an inkling of a footing as a label, I’m trying to extend my capabilities to like-minded musicians and help them get their music out.
Talk about your relationship with coffee.
Love it, probably drink too much of it. Back when little Greek-owned 24-hour greasy-spoon diners were more common I’d sit and drink it all night.
How do you prepare your coffee and what is your go to coffee spot?
Well in a pandemic my go-to coffee spot is home and I have a kinda-fancy auto-pour-over machine that does a great job – always a dark roast, black – no cream or sugar.
What records/ music are you listening these days?
While my overall record-buying has gone way down during the pandemic, not DJing for the last 8 months let me shift focus away from purchasing 45s and get back into LPs … There’s a handful of jazz artists (Sam Rivers, Larry Young, Andrew Hill) that I’ve been trying to get closer to a ‘complete’ collection of (though jazz LP prices are crazy) as well as soul LPs which I’ve almost entirely overlooked in my collecting of 45s.
During the pandemic, what have you been up to besides the record label?
Freelance work and a lot of home improvement projects. I’ve also taken up homebrewing and have about 8 batches under-my-belt at time of writing this. I find it hard to not do anything.
We feel coffee and music/ records go hand in hand. What are your thoughts on this?
Of course they do! On a weekend morning brewing a pot, putting on an LP and sitting back is one of the simpler pleasures in life.
What kind of products do you have coming up?
Right now I have a handful of LPs in the works for the label – One has been done for ‘literally’ years but the singer became somewhat famous in the meantime which has thrown a wrench in our plans … I just hope it gets to come out one day because it’s really really special. Imagine a reggae album with a full Motown production spread …
Last words, anything you want
Stay home, buy records online, and wear a goddamn mask!
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Interview By Jamison Harvey
Name, Location, What You Do:
Pat Van Dyke. New Jersey. Composer, Producer, Multi-Instrumentalist.
Tell us a bit about your music history, how you got into music, the music business, and your journey up until now:
I’ve been playing music as long as I can remember. I started on piano at 5, then the drums, and eventually taught myself guitar. I’ve always loved the process of recording music. I remember recording my Casio keyboard and Yamaha drum machine on to a tape deck and using headphones as a microphone when I was a little kid - creating tapes of “bands” that were just me. Eventually, I got a Tascam Cassette 4 track and would record bands I was in. Nowadays, I record and produce all my releases - usually at home using both analog and digital technology - specifically, my Tascam 388 1/4 inch Tape machine and Ableton Live.
What's your relationship with coffee? How do you make it, where do you buy it? How do you prepare it?
Coffee is an essential in my daily routine. I usually buy Columbian whole bean from Trader Joe’s and I’ll prep it the night before so that I can start the pot the minute I wake up. Typically, I’ll drink half the pot before the rest of my family wakes up. Hot coffee with almond milk and a pinch of sugar first thing in the morning - iced and black if I drink it later in the day.
What are your thoughts on coffee's relationship to music?
I love to sit down with a cup of coffee and listen through a side of an LP. Doesn’t happen as much as I’d like it to these days.
What are you listening to these days music-wise?
-Lord Finesse’s “Motown State of Mind”
-Lianne La Havas’ new self-titled Album
Have you been doing anything else during COVID since there are not any gigs? Any other activities you have been getting into?
Loads of projects around the house, working on finishing building my new studio, and I recently finished rebuilding / restoring a 16 foot 1964 Starcraft Boat.
What's your go to coffee
Damn, I haven’t been out for coffee since March.
Last Words, anything you want:
Shout out to DJ Prestige and FMF for supporting real artists and good music. Keep an eye out for my new EP with with Fancy Colors in late September - two songs we wrote together, and Zac (Fancy Colors) sang. Really excited for this one. Also, I just dropped the 6th volume in the PVD Breaks series - 26 original royalty-free breakbeats for any producers, beat makers, or DJs out there who love open drums. Peace!
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Photo: Hinted Studio
Name, Location, and a little bit about yourself and what you do:
My name is Piya Malik. I'm a New York based/ London raised singer songwriter/ music maker.
We think vinyl records & coffee go hand in hand.
I couldn't agree more. They are life enhancers.
What’s your relationship with coffee?
Being British and Indian origin - I was raised to believe that the answer to all the world's problems is a cup of tea. I mainly started going against the grain and drinking coffee when I was living in Paris. I had no money and lived in a tiny 15 squared meter, roach infested apartment that you couldn't swing a cat in! So, I'd spend all day outside exploring the cafe culture on the left bank of the Seine. Places like Cafe des Flores and La Palette where Simone de Beauvoir used to hang out with Camus and Sartre debating their existential treatise. I would basically sit and sip coffee all day with my fellow students and by lunch time we'd be fueled into some sort of heated debate about how we were going to put the world to rights! Not sure we really achieved much but I felt the life force. Probably part idealism, part magic coffee beans!
How do you prepare it? Where do you get it? Do you go to a coffee shop and roast? Do you often just drink coffee and listen to records/ music?
I only really started to appreciate the ritual of the roast when I moved to NYC. Something pretty integral to my mornings now. Before the lockdown I would go every morning to the black-owned Hatian Cafe Erzulie for my coffee. It has a little flower shop in the front that they saved from closing - and a garden in the back that's a haven from the bustle under the bridge on Myrtle-Broadway.
Nowadays, you will find me scooping eithipoian or peruvian arabica beans from mason jars that align my kitchen walls. I use a little electric grinder and an old school italian stovetop percolator. When the rumble of the coffee starts bubbling up into the upper cavity I usually put a record on while I scour the corners of the internet for my morning press review. Call me ridiculou, but I love to drink out of bone china and have collected a random hodgepodge of coffee cups from stoop sales, trinket and thrift stores around Brooklyn. I don't care what you say - the vessel is just as important to the experience.
Tell us a bit about your musical background and how you got into music/ singing/ being in bands and touring?
My great uncle Jaidev was a music producer in Bollywood during the 50’s and 60’s and his music was a source of great pride in our house and an enormous inspiration to me. I was lucky my parents were very encouraging and during the long summer holidays spent in India visiting family. I would listen to all the old playback singers he had written songs for: like Lata Mangeshkar and her sister Asha Boshle. Their voices are insane; the level of technique is astounding . They remained so pure and full range even well into their 70’s. And his melodies were simple and charming. I've dreamed of honouring his work somehow my whole life so this project with El Michels Affair was a dream come true in many ways.
In my 20’s I’d frequent jazz clubs like Ronnie Scotts. I'd watch people like Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth and I knew I wanted to perform. Eventually, they'd let me sit in for a song or two in the late night jams at Ronnie Scotts. I started singing with my friend Emyrs and The Soul Immigrants. That was a real education for me. I'd stay till 2 or 3 am in the morning sometimes just to sing one song!
The first band I joined when I moved to New York was an improv band called 178 Product - led by Sal P ( Liquid Liquid). It was kind of a collective made up of some incredible musicians who had been playing in the city for years. We cut a live improv record at Red Bull music studios and soon after I joined 79.5. That's when I started really touring. At first, we were opening for Chicano Batman produced by Leon [Michels] and then later I was on the road as their backing singer. We toured around the US with Khruangbin, and opened for Portugal the Man and Jack White. It was a blast and I learned so much musically from being around all those guys. I loved being on the road and getting to see America for the first time that way. And you can find time to write on long journeys in the back of the van if you’re focused.
Who are your influences musically and otherwise?
Ah! Always hard to narrow it down, but I guess some key ones for me are women like Asha Puthli, Gulcan Opel, Selda, Rupa and Cesaria Evora. Writers like Michel de Montaigne or poets like Rumi certainly inspired me, but I’m not sure I could stake any claim to have actually absorbed any of their influence!
You’ve collaborated with El Michels Affair on the brilliant record Unathi/ Zaharila with the latter (featured on The Outsider soundtrack on HBO show and the song even had its own reddit thread) and now on the new single “Duhaan” (featured this month in the Rabble & Lion coffee/ vinyl subscription). How did you come to work with Leon and El Michels Affair?
Haha! I had no idea about the Reddit thread. But yes, it was cool to get a sync in for the Outsider. I feel like it was released just as the pandemic hit so made for extra terrifying TV!
I first began the project with Leon when one of the songs I sang for 79.5 had an indian riff and we started exploring developing more ideas. It's always been the most incredible time working with him in the studio. He's a maverick music maker. Very culturally open and a feminist. He allows you to develop ideas creatively; extremely encouraging in his approach, but he hears things I would never hear and gets me out of my comfort zone. I've never screamed so much into a microphone haha! It's somewhere between the realm of making work and therapy for me. I can't think of a happier time in my life then when I get to record at Diamond Mine with the sun coming in through the windows and all the beautiful old microphones to play with!
You’ve also made a splash in the highly applauded 79.5 and Say She She, both who have made beautiful music for the people. Can you talk about those projects a little bit and your process of writing and performing?
Well thank you so much - you are too kind. I met most of the 79.5 crew through my buddy Bene who was in the midst of opening The Record Shop down in Redhook. ( Forgive the cheeky plug but honestly please support local record shops! Check out their IG daily selection online) Most of us ended up living down there and there is a super supportive music culture. Once the project got signed to Big Crown, we went into the studio pretty quickly down at Diamond Mine and cut the record to tape. It was so warm and my first time recording live to tape.
Nya and I were friends and I just love her voice and ear so much, so when I got invited to join Kate’s project she was open to bringing Nya in immediately. Kate’s doing more of a solo endeavour now and her latest rendition of Sunny Ozuna’s ‘My Dream’ is really sultry and sweet- check it out! I've always loved singing with other women - harmonies are everything, so Say She She has been a beautiful journey singing with my two best friends Sabrina and Nya.
Sabrina was my neighbour in the Lower East Side. She lived in the apartment below me and we used to hear each other sing through the rafters! We ended up song writing one night after a bad bad break up and then formed Say She She together in a very natural way. Nya joined us not long after and we are back to singing 3 part harmonies. We are currently working on our upcoming record with a wonderful roster of musicians.
What are your interests outside of music? What are you passionate about?
I've always been engaged in politics. I worked in social justice and climate change policy back in the UK at first for The Labour Party and later was a political advisor for the Leader of the Green Party in Parliament. I got pretty burned out and disillusioned when the Tories got in for a second term and thats when I moved to NYC to work for a homelessness advocacy and then started playing music more seriously. I felt like it was time to try and use my voice in a different way.
For me, writing songs is the purest expression and a personal but communitarian way of using your voice in this life. I used to worry if songs were not political that they didnt meant as much. But a friend, a deep music head and collector, taught me that you have to see yourself as a beautician. That sometimes a love song is just as important because you are reminding people of beauty in this world. And that is just as important as politics.
Since we've been housebound over the last few months, my partner has been cultivating a new love of film in me. We’ve been on a Criterion Collection binge as of late. I finally got around to watching Wim Wenders Wings of Desire and am slowly working my way through his body of work now. He's such a humble and talented soul and I have been loving watching the movies over with his commentary afterwards. The internal dialogues, the black and white aesthetic so subtle, classic, emotional. Sort of like the difference between tape and digital recordings. The analog leaves you with so much warmth. Its hard to go back.. (or do I mean forwards?) from that.
What music have you been listening to lately?
Morning records with coffee include: laraaji’s Ambient 3 / Day of Radiance (1980) , Ethiopiques piano music from - Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, Kim Jung Mi’s - Now and Actually, a Charlie Megira Numero Group comp - Tomorrow's Gone has been on a recent morning feature. I believe in raag philosophy: there are songs for the morning and songs for the evening; so often I”ll play calming repetitive rhythms or something I know well to relax me first thing ‘til the coffee kicks in!
Other Staples on the record player during quarantine: SE Rogie, Turkish Psych Rock comp called Freakout 2 on Bouzouki Joe. Also, Nick Drake’s Family Tree which features songs with his sister and his mother. Nick Drake and his mother were actually born in Burma and I hadn't realised before getting into this record that his mother was such an incredible song writer in her own right and heavily influenced his style. I have also been listening to Beverly Glenn Copeland, Joanna Brouk, Minako Yoshida and Shinataro Sakamoto. And I’m always checking out Chances with Wolves, Maison Dufrene and Blazer Sound System’ mixes!
Last words, anything you want!
Illegitimus non carborundum est! [ Dont let the bastards grind you down!] Black Lives Matter! Don’t take yourself too seriously but take others as seriously as they warrant. Even the baddies need to be taken seriously 😒 otherwise they might just creep in an take over while you're not watching. Make sure you encourage young people to vote. Okay I sound like my mum so I’ll stop there haha! Oh and thank you Jamison … for the hustle and the tastemaking. Kudos for all DJs like you and Akalepse do in the city and beyond!
Bless up/ 🙏🏾 namaste.
]]>Name, Location, What You Do:
Michael Duffy, Studio City, CA, Drummer-Band Leader.
Tell us about your history as a musician and your current projects.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Started drumming at 10 years old. Did my first gig at 15 years old with my High School Ska band, called the hullabaloos. Then after High School, I got into a youth activity called Drum and Bugle Corp. I started with a group out of Orange County called, The Velvet Knights playing in theIr drumline. I was heavy into the drum line thang, it was all I was doing at this point, teaching it to younger kids to make money and then doing the competition with the drum corps. After a couple years I moved up to a top drum corps out of the Bay Area call The Blue Devils, this was were I grew the most away from home and in a highly competitive situation. I stay with them for two seasons until I aged out, which you do at the age of 21. I got offered a scholarship to attend. The University of N. Texas, outside of Dallas TX, their drum line was a highly competitive situation as well, they were back to back college champs 10 years in a row. I ended up winning 12 and 13 with them before I moved on to other things in the school. The music school was an amazing place and very intimidating at first, so for the first year, I laid back and just watched before I dove into what the school had to offer. Once year two started I started playing in all kinds of ensemble, Steel Drum band, African ensemble, Big Band and outside of school playing in Salsa and Funk bands. I eventually got better and better gigs in the Dallas metroplex area and decided to move to Austin TX. Their music scene was crazy and SXSW was still small but big at the same time, but nothing like it is now. The town was buzzing and I was able to get involved in a lot of music with a lot of great musicians. Most of my circle of musicians would go on to form Brown Out and The Black Pumas. I decided to head back west after a couple of years in Austin, I missed LA and I knew I needed to go home to see where I could stand being a musician. I came back to luckily find a good amount of work. I started my first good touring gig with an African singer by the name of Ricardo Lemvo, he was mixing African soukous with Cuban son and for me as a drummer it was a wildly fun mix. I stayed with him until I heard Ozomatli was looking for a drummer, it was my first cattle call experience. I was a little nervous cause I loved their band and that was the first time I had wanted to be in an already existing band. I got the gig and ended up touring the world with them for 2 1/2 year before their drummer decided to come back, I was the first time I was crushed and it was a great learning experience about being let go from a gig, not because you were not good enough but because the artist just wants some old and familiar, or just wants new shoes so to speak. Once my ego recovered I went on to play with a bunch of different folks until I met Joey Renia of The Rugged Nuggets. He had heard me practicing timbales in my practice space, getting ready to back a salsa singer from NYC and asked me to come down the hall and hang with his crew. This would be the beginning of Jungle Fire. From there he and I filled in the right pieces to get the band up and running and it was magic and I can't say enough how it shaped where I am now. I left the band at the top of 2019 to focus my efforts into my current bands. Currently I have three projects:
Tell us about your relationship with coffee. How do you make it, what do you do you drink, what's your go to coffee shop?
I'm going to bum everyone out here, I’m not a huge coffee guy, but I’ve got some major coffee snobs in my life through music, so through them I’ve enjoyed good coffee. I like it Black if it’s really good quality, my spot is a roster in Pasadena CA, called Jones coffee. They host musicians playing a variety of styles on Friday mornings. I played there twice a month for two years and got a lot of good coffee out of the experience. my preferred way is iced with a little monk fruit sweetener, I know coffee fans, your like fuck this LA hipster shit, but it my truth y’all.
How did the White Blinds come about?
I have loved organ trio for a long time and there came a time in 2015 where LA had 4 young Organists willing to carry around a B-3 with bass pedals, or an electronic version again with bass pedals. I’m stressing the bass pedals cause it makes a real difference to my ears. Anyhow, once I saw this I decided to take some time to organize my idea of what I wanted an organ trio to sound like. I’m not a jazz drummer as much as I am a jazzy funk drummer, if ya dig. So I built the band around classic soul jazz ideas but slightly updated. More about songs than heads and solos. Found two like minded musicians and headed into the studio to start the process of what would become Get to Steppin’, our first album. Now, the project is just me with different Organist and Guitarist Coming in and out of the band. I’ve basically got my crews of cats scattered up and down the west coast.
What records have you been listening to lately?
Always the classic Organist
Big John Patton
Shirley Scott
Jimmy McGriff
Anything Idris Muhammad he’s my favorite drummer.
Beyond that, Lately I’ve been digging 2 groups, a group out of Holland called Altün Gün. Also a group out of Puerto Rico called IFÉ.
Both are killing me, I love them.
Have you been doing any activities besides music during the pandemic?
Well as much as I can, it’s mostly hiking in remote areas where I don’t see people, luckily drumming is some good physical activity, I’ve been getting more shedding time and going back to the drum pad and rediscovering my love of classic drum rudiments.
New releases/ projects upcoming ?
Well The White Blinds just dropped a new 45 on F-Spot records, this is the 2nd of three 45 for the labels Homage series with a cover on side A and an original on side B.
My other group The Bombillas is dropping it’s first full length album in Nov and I’m very excited about that. We currently have a 45 for sale and it's available from F-Spot Records.
Last words. Anything you want.
Well, first off thanks for having me. I would like to say to your audience, thanks in advance if you took the time to check any one of my bands. Support it key especially in these weird times. I love hearing from the fans, I always try to write back and express my gratitude for their support.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhiteblinds/
F Spot Records: https://www.fspotrecords.com/
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Name, Location, What You Do.
Chris Lujan. Pittsburg, CA. The Far East Bay Area. Musician, producer, songwriter, and all that goes with that.
How did you hook up with Funk Night Records?
My band, The M-Tet, wanted to grab the attention of Charles Wright. We knew he was on Facebook/Instagram. So, we set out to do a cover of his “Express Yourself” with the sole hope that he might see it. Well, it grabbed the attention of Frank Raines, head honcho over at Funk Night, and he reached out to us. We recorded it for real and it came out as our first single for them. We’ve now done five 45s and an LP for Funk Night.
Tell us what you've been up to during the pandemic. Have you been working on many projects?
First let me say that it’s unfortunate what’s going on right now with everyone losing work and not knowing when the world is going to open up again.
But, for me, it was kind of heaven sent. I’ve got a dayjob as an orthodontic technician. To put it plainly, I make retainers. So, with all of the dentists and orthodontists closed, there was zero work for us.
I’ve complained for years that this dayjob was holding me back and that all I wanted to do was music. So, I took full advantage of my time off.
I’ve got a home studio here with drums, basses, guitars, a Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes, and various percussion instruments. I’ve also got a Tascam 388 tape machine. So, I threw everything into my music. I’ve been writing and recording and, for the most part, playing all of the instruments myself. Once I got rolling, it was full speed ahead. I ended up giving myself the goal of writing and recording a new song every week. And, I did just that. In fact, I think I even bested that by doing two a week a couple times. A lot of this stuff is just waiting for vocals or horns.
I’ve made a little bit of money doing this from home. The goal is to be able to do this full time.
Tell us about your relationship with coffee. How do you make it, how do you like to have your coffee, and is it a daily ritual for you like it is for a lot of us?
I used to be a creamer guy. But, not anymore. I’ve weaned myself back to black coffee. I will delight in a vanilla latte now and again when I’m out though.
I used to use a regular ol’ drip coffee maker. But, now, I’ve gone full French Press. We even trashed our coffee maker and got ourselves an electric kettle.
I grind my own beans that we get from a roaster one city over called Big House Beans. My wife and I were in Austin, TX last year and hit up a great spot called Once Over. It was spectacular. Amazing coffee. When we got back home to the Bay Area, we knew there had to be better coffee around us besides your typical burnt Starbucks/Peet’s. My wife looked around and discovered Big House Beans. We’ve been going there ever since. They’ve got a cafe. But, they’ve also got their roasters. We buy the beans and grind them at home ourselves.
What have you been listening to while you were stuck inside?
I’ve been checking out a lot of the Lamp Records catalog. It’s all about the sweet soul for me right now. I’ve also listened to the new Penrose compilation a bunch. “Can I Call You Rose?” by Thee Sacred Souls is my favorite song right now. So, that’s been on steady repeat.
What is coming up next with your music?
Mostly, I’ve been working on my solo project. It started off as a mostly instrumental thing. But, as I’ve started working with vocalists, it’s heading more in that direction, which is great. It’ll have some special guests on it and I can’t wait to wrap it up once we go back to “normal” and I could get some horn players over here.
I’ve also got some collaborations coming up. Since we’re all stuck at home, I reached out to a few people who were all game. No one knows when the gigs will start up again. So, now’s the time to reach out.
I’ve got a real nice double-sider coming up with Trish Toledo that already has a home on the Mango Hill label. I wrote all of the music and played all of the instruments on that one. So, I’m super excited about it and can’t wait to see people get their hands/ears on it. Trish has been sharing little snippets of it here and there and the response has been crazy good.
For the past year, I’ve been working with Gene Washington & The Sweet Sounds. We were on the way to getting ready to record. But, this shelter in place order pretty much put that all to a halt until further notice.
The M-Tet has a release coming up that will be put out by Raza Del Soul. That one features Dee Dee Simon on lead with Ben Pirani and Zee from the Jack Moves singing backup. So, that’s pretty exciting.
I’ve also got a 45 coming out on my label, Lugnut Brand Records, by Chicago band, The Heavy Sounds. So, that should be coming out soon.
Parting words.
Buy records. Drink coffee.
You can find my stuff at lugnutbrandrecords.com
I’m on Instagram as @crlujan
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We are thrilled to kick off the pop up and start serving some great coffee to Jersey City. Last year the team from Ghost Truck Kitchen approached us after hearing the buzz in the neighborhood about our coffee. When they told us about their plan and location we were thrilled to be asked to be part of growing the availability of great food and drinks in the neighborhood. We hope people in the area can stop in on the weekends to try our coffee.
]]>The average farm size is between 4 and 10 hectares (10-25 acres) and follow methodical practices to ensure they do not overproduce and keep the quality high. Additionally, the farmers use an organic compost and bird guano from from an island of the coast of Peru. This adds micronutrients and promotes tree health.
This washed coffee has tastings notes of caramel, cocoa and honey with a smooth mouthfeel. We think this is a great session coffee that will keep you coming back for more all day.
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We met Ron, the owner of Bone In Food, as vendors of the Van Vorst Farmers market and quickly fell in love with the meats and other provisions he was offering. Over time we bonded over our desire to provide our customers with the best products while understanding where they come from. For us, even though the farms are much further away, we believe just as Ron does that understanding as much as we can about the farm and how they produce their products matters.
In the end, we are really happy Ron is willing to offer our coffee and it gives our customers in the Jersey City area an avenue to have our coffee delivered to there door as part of other great food options.
]]>We worked our friends over at Crop to Cup Importers to source each of these coffees. Last year Crop to Cup also helped us source our Mwalyego AA and Kossa Geshe. If you remember those coffees you will understand the quality that is expected.
Tumba Village is a washed process coffee from Rulindo District of the Northern Province that comes from Kinini Coffee Co-op. Kinini Coffee built an amazing model where they provided farmers who were not previously coffee farmers with the coffee plants, technical expertise, washing station, mills and means to export there coffee from the ground up. Only four years into this venture they have truly great coffee because of their energy and attention to detail.
We love this coffee for its amazing lemonade flavor that bursts onto your pallet as you start sipping it. As you continue to drink sweet flavors and an often a distinct Earl Grey tea with lemon notes.
Tumba Village: Picking done by hand to ensure only best make the final lot
Bukure Farm is natural processed coffee from the Gicumbi District. Also from the Northern Province but from the Nova Coffee team. This team is made up of Felix Hitayezu and his wife Agnes Mukamushinia. Felix, previously a pharmacist and Agnes a nurse have built Nova Coffee around a previously decrepit washing station in Bukure Village. They rebuilt the washing station as a women centered washing station with the goal to produce high quality coffee and create jobs that would lift up the community.
This coffee has dried fruit tasting notes that are not overpowering but welcoming. Additional flavors of nougat and some blackberry wine notes come through. We think this coffee delicious and an example of a great Rwandan natural coffee.
Bukure Farm: Raised drying beds to ensure proper ventilation as the coffee cherries dry
Kitchen a la Mode is located at 19 South Orange Avenue, close to the South Orange train station. The store, a favorite of the local community, features a curated selection of kitchen supplies. We did a tasting at Kitchen a la Mode in December, and they recently agreed to carry our bags. They have also begun carrying a few other local products.
A tasting we did at Kitchen a la Mode in December 2018
Maplewood Mercantile, referred to locally as "Merc", is located in a 2,800 square foot space at 145 Dunnell Road, right next to the Maplewood train station. It is a cooperative space featuring four different women-led businesses: Salvage Style, Anna Herbst Photography, Collector and Sarah Gee Interiors. We have done a series of tastings and a cupping event at Merc, and they also recently started carrying our coffee.
A cupping event we did at Maplewood Mercantile in summer 2018
For both stores, we will be resupplying coffee on a regular basis in order to feature our latest roasts. For our latest lineup of coffees, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, or keep an eye on our website!
]]>We will have two single-origin coffees available this weekend in 12oz bags. They are Los Venteños from Colombia and Mwalyego AA from Tanzania. We will also be serving both coffees.
The market opens at 8:00am and runs through 2:00pm. Check out the Jersey City Eats blog for more information. Thanks to Jersey City Eats for featuring us on their blog!
We look forward to meeting you.
]]>They are Los Venteños from Colombia and Mwalyego AA from Tanzania. We will be roasting coffee every Saturday at Pulley Collective in Red Hook, and the freshest roasts will be available through our website and also at the Van Vorst Farmers Market in Jersey City, where we will be every Saturday morning.
Here are a few photos from Pulley.
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