so it goes

Well, like I've said before, I've missed a few shows lately and haven't been all that motivated. So, I get this podcasting thing rolling and finally I have a good reason to put together some serious shows again. Still with a lot of things on my plate (why I've been missing my shows recently) I tried to figure out a good topic to cover.

First thing came to mind was Lee Perry & the Upsetters, but that's a HUGE undertaking. In any case I'd be more likely to do a series, which would take a lot of preparation work. The reason LSP came to mind is that I haven't really done a focus show on his stuff in about 5 years. As I've collected more and more things over the years, I've thought of doing another focus show, but there's just been too much damn music to approach it.

So, realizing that was beyond my reach with my setup in disarray and needing to spend time working on the house, I looked for a more focused topic. Browsing around, I came accross Max Romeo. On the cusp of Perry & co., but specific enough to cut a chunk off. Some old rocksteady stuff as well, a few riddim connections with other artists, and of course plenty of prime Lee Perry productions.

While working around the house, another thought came to mind... what about I Roy? God knows he rode some sick riddims, things like Pablo In Cowtown, Movie Star with Errol Dunkley (which I don't think I've ever really stretched out on air) and quite a few others... But, again, that seemed a bit much to get together in the two busy days before the show.

So Max Romeo it is. I spent some time working through the list, collecting some things he did with the Emotions. Tracking down some of the other things he did with Niney, Bunny Lee, etc. Trimming out some of the multiple versions of tunes he cut at the Black Ark.

A few hours in, I checked my work email to find an announcement about the Pledge Drive going on this week. Damn. Always a pain. I'm not going to waste a good selection of tunes on a show where I can't build up the mix over the course of the 2 hours, so fortunately I can drop it now and spend time on other things. (I'm retiling the basement this weekend, then I'll have my shish back in order, finally.)

Thinking ahead, there's plenty of folks I've never really focused on, and plenty of folks I could do again in a better or different fashion. Never done Slim Smith. (lots of riddim runs there) Duke Reid / Treasure Isle. Man, let me think about what shows I HAVE done thus far...

Producer focus shows:

Yabby U
Glen Brown
Niney
Perry
Joe Gibbs
Coxsone Dodd / Studio One
Bertram Brown
Harry Mudie
Phil Pratt
Tappa Zukie
Alvin Ranglin
Keith Hudson
Bunny Lee
Clancy Eccles
Roy Francis / Phase One
Derrick Harriot
Winston Riley

Artist focus shows:

Johnny Clarke
Horace Andy
Leroy Smart
Barry Brown
Linval Thompson
Jacob Miller / Tommy Cowan
Justin Hinds /Jack Ruby
Burning Spear
Wailers, Wailers, Wailers
Prince Far I
Big Youth
Ken Boothe
Alton Ellis
John Holt
Delroy Wilson
Dennis Brown
Culture
Augustus Pablo
Peter Tosh
Abyssinians (Manning brothers)
African Brothers (Sugar Minott & Tony Tuff)
Gregory Isaacs
Mikey Dread
Junior Delgado
Barrington Levy
Revolutionaries
Scientist
Freddie McKay
Gladiators
Cornell Campbell
Heptones

Suggestions on possibilities I've missed?

mr music man

Well, just a bit to say today about the radio show... So, I've been doing this bi-weekly radio show at WHPK for the last, what, 7 years? Its been a nice opportunity to play a lot of my favorite tunes, get to know my music collection and put it out there for the people.

WHPK is a rather humble affair. The broadcast range is minimal and the management of the station is flaky so there's not much progress in getting things upgraded or even repaired for that matter. They've been talking about broadcasting online for years and the (student) management just doesn't have the where-with-all to get their act together and make it happen. Despite these limitations, its generally been an enjoyable experience.

I've often felt let down when playing out in Chicago. At times I've put together events with the DJ doing the show after me, Mic Bill, in various locations around the city. We had a regular gig at "Some Like It Black" coffee shop, Orly's restaurant, and spun in places like Sinibar, The Note, King Solomon's Minds, and other Chicago spots. The problem from my perspective is that people just don't want to hear some obscure roots music out in the dance. They want to hear latest-greatest tunes or hip hop. This is what makes me enjoy the radio so much. I can get in there, do what I want to do, focus on what I want to, how I want to and let it ride.

Problem is, there just aren't that many people listening to WHPK at any one given time. There just can't be. Its a small station, and my show is on a Friday afternoon, so we definately have our regulars, but even a lot of people out around Chicago don't know of what we're doing on Friday afternoons. All of this has kind of made me lose inspiration for doing the show. I've always said that the main reason I do the show is for the recording.

Well, now I finally have a method to get these shows out to a broader audience. I recently put up a sort of hidden page on my website where I posted about 20 shows as MP3s. I posted messages on several message boards pointing people to the page and got about 500 hits in about a week. Soon after that, I discovered podomatic, and put up several shows there. So far I've gotten some nice response and I look forward to putting up many other shows there over the course of the next few months.

In any case, its all like a breath of fresh air for me musically. I finally feel like I have a real outlet to convey music to people. Most of my shows this year have been disorganized "throw away" shows, basically to pass the time on air, and now I feel the drive to put in the heavy focus that it takes to prepare a well planned focus show.

Now comes the question of what/who to focus on. I've done quite a few focus shows in the past and I really prefer that format. Frankly with the number of songs I have in my collection, picking random tunes is a mind boggling experience. If you have any suggestions, or focus shows you'd like to hear, let me know.