Good evening Freaks! Last night I decided to take advantage of my birthday and do something different on BCH; like pay homage to a DJ that indisputably knew how to read a dancefloor, change a mood of over 500 people at once, and lead like a shaman … kicking up all kinds of disco dust at this concrete palace where crucial cuts were broken weekly on willing audience, and are still being sampled throughout House music today. That man is Larry Levan and the place is the Paradise Garage.

Our guest DJ this week, Mr. Walt, captured the essence I was hoping to bring that would convey just how much influence Larry and his club gave House Music. From story-teller and party host to record breaker and remixer, Larry proved his direct influence in the cuts that made it past the Garage and straight into our living rooms, cars, and boomboxes, and ingrained in us lifelong memories of good times. Fact: once WBLS program director, Frankie Crocker stumbled onto the Garage it was guaranteed that he could hear songs on Fri and Sat night and be playing them by Monday to his syndicated audience; touting it as the “new stuff” and bringing awareness to the new sounds coming out of New York.  Larry’s power as a DJ was so influencing that he could sell a few thousand records in one night just by playing them; the next morning when the Garage was closing up for the night, the line for Vinyl Mania was just beginning to form. Seriously … As a Remixer, he worked with top producers and musicians that are still influencing music today; whether that includes House Music or not. And for someone that’s been gone from our plane for twenty years, all you have to do is look around and see for yourself – he never really left us; now more than ever, it really is 3 degrees of separation when it comes to Larry, Paradise Garage, and House Music.

Big shout out to Mr. Walt for giving me this great gift and, shout out to Filta Freqz, Lurob, Fatboy, and MrHun for hanging out in the studio with us. A great Birthday night indeed! And thanks for allowing me this indulgence, Freaks! Next week: House to House. Enjoy Music and Freak Freely – Sista♥