Qool Marv Aural Memoirs and Buttamilk Archives // MusiQuarium Of Wonder // Instruments Of Mass Construction // Music4Winners // Intelligence'n'Music // Notes To Self // Low Profile International

In 2007, CEO of this Moscow, Russia based ad agency reached out to me and invited me to come play at their Sixth Anniversary Celebration. This was definitely my first international "corporate" party, although there was not the slightest hint of a corporate vibe. This was a fun party where the staff and leadership of The Creative Factory all had a ball. How'd I get that gig? I'd been to Moscow before, in fact doing the Creative Factory Party marked my 3rd trip to Moscow, but it was on my 1st trip that the boss at TCF heard me spinning my variations at a venue called Crisis of Genre - a gig hooked up by Moscow's low profile but influential man about town Alex N. Two years later, the impression made on Mr. TCF was still vibrant and he extended the invitation to play the party and asked if I'd do a CD that would be one of the keepsakes that marked 6 years of doing business in Moscow - which apparently, is not easy. Of course I was up for the trip back to Moscow and for compiling and mixing a CD. Here's the CD, clearly, you would've had to have been there to receive one.

Playing at the Cove was great experience. I’m a unique guy when it comes to creating an embracing musical experience. More so than playing songs, I challenge myself to spontaneously create a musical weave of heartfelt, sensual, sometimes classically familiar, sun-shiny, romantic, playful, downright funky, tropical, Caribbean, groover rock and roll, and out of nowhere electric vibes to create a sensation, that through that lush breezy sound system, intertwines with all of the other luscious stimulus and reverberates through the vacationing reveler’s bodies and states of ‘Yes! I am somewhere else’ minds. And doing it different every time to showcase how much good music crosses so many genres, and in doing so, I am earning my keep with a sense of contributive purpose. I read books on music theory and emotion and the effects on the brain as well as inundating my mind with biographies of music’s greatest, or histories of this or that sound (I’ll be teaching this in a few years), and then hit the record shops, my shelves and music library looking for those song ingredients to add that may aid in my quest to perfect the recipe. It was always so much more than packing the CD book with the surefire hits, I’d prepare for hours for several days prior to my trips because I owed that kind of approach and effort to those hard earners who have invested some much into a satisfying good time get away. It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to attempt to maestro that ‘let it all go’ vibe at such a lovely oasis. There were many moments of bliss for me with the sounds, views, the breeze, and the perpetual look of “it’s so good to be here” on the faces of the guests, all flowing together giving everyone there, staff too sometimes, that feeling of ‘there’s no place I’d rather be than here.’

Playing at the Cove was great experience. I’m a unique guy when it comes to creating an embracing musical experience. More so than playing songs, I challenge myself to spontaneously create a musical weave of heartfelt, sensual, sometimes classically familiar, sun-shiny, romantic, playful, downright funky, tropical, Caribbean, groover rock and roll, and out of nowhere electric vibes to create a sensation, that through that lush breezy sound system, intertwines with all of the other luscious stimulus and reverberates through the vacationing reveler’s bodies and states of ‘Yes! I am somewhere else’ minds. And doing it different every time to showcase how much good music crosses so many genres, and in doing so, I am earning my keep with a sense of contributive purpose. I read books on music theory and emotion and the effects on the brain as well as inundating my mind with biographies of music’s greatest, or histories of this or that sound (I’ll be teaching this in a few years), and then hit the record shops, my shelves and music library looking for those song ingredients to add that may aid in my quest to perfect the recipe. It was always so much more than packing the CD book with the surefire hits, I’d prepare for hours for several days prior to my trips because I owed that kind of approach and effort to those hard earners who have invested some much into a satisfying good time get away. It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to attempt to maestro that ‘let it all go’ vibe at such a lovely oasis. There were many moments of bliss for me with the sounds, views, the breeze, and the perpetual look of “it’s so good to be here” on the faces of the guests, all flowing together giving everyone there, staff too sometimes, that feeling of ‘there’s no place I’d rather be than here.’

What a weekend. The night before this party I was in Paris at the Funk4Food party. Kudos to the courage of HBO to book me for this significant party despite knowing that I'd have to return from Paris on the day of the event! Needless to say, there was no sleeping for me after hanging out with Parisians until the break of dawn...I could sleep on the plane, but while doing so, I had classic rock seeping through my ear hole as I tried to shift my musical focus from the disco funk vibes spun in Paris to the sounds that would be on the menu for this epic Sopranos cast & crew gathering. Classic rock? Not every party needs the seemingly default musical vibe of various strains of house music and mash-ups. With the overwhelming number of mature adults in the house, and on a monster sounds system built for a rock band at Roseland - and with Bruce Springsteen's Little Steven sitting right in front of me, I was going to create a Rock & Roll and Soul vibe for the party people to enjoy, not endure. What you hear here is the 1st couple of hours, setting the stage. The cast & crew are arriving and saying their hellos, embracing, and checking out the elaborate recreation of an Italian Street Fair. There will be speeches and Uncle Junior is going to perform in a little while, setting me up nicely to play a set that will speak to everyone in the room without pushing the dance floor vibe too soon. Rolling Stones, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Eric Burdon & War, Stevie Wonder, Buddy Miles, Van Morrison, Curtis Mayfield, & Buddy Guy are in the mix. Everyone in the house felt right at home - you know the people of this caliber are rocking this good stuff at home and in their limos so to hear this music on this massive sound system in a state of revelry...well, when does that happen? Before the night ended, an elegant lady came up to the booth and told me how she liked the progression of the sounds and how the flow of the music made the party feel just right. She asked me if I made CDs and I told her that I was recording the night. She was delighted and told me that her husband was impressed as well. He came up to shake my hand and echo her statements. This was David Chase, the creator of the Sopranos and his wife. I still suspect that when the final season hit the airwaves, the promo that featured a blend of Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones and Eric Burdon's version with the band War, may have been inspired by Mr. Chase hearing the Eric Burdon version at the party. Maybe, maybe not? It's all good. Speaking of the Stones, one song that I love to play at these HBO parties is the Rolling Stones' "Gimmie Shelter." I love this song and I've always been tempted to rock it twice, although that would be kind of a strange move for a DJ, so at the end of this mix you will find an extended edit that I did that stretches this classic from it's official 4&1/2 minutes to 7&1/2 minutes...had to extended the intro and break so that folks could jam...or rock out. No additives, not a mash up with electronic drums and sound effects added, just "Gimmie Sh(continued)

What a weekend. The night before this party I was in Paris at the Funk4Food party. Kudos to the courage of HBO to book me for this significant party despite knowing that I'd have to return from Paris on the day of the event! Needless to say, there was no sleeping for me after hanging out with Parisians until the break of dawn...I could sleep on the plane, but while doing so, I had classic rock seeping through my ear hole as I tried to shift my musical focus from the disco funk vibes spun in Paris to the sounds that would be on the menu for this epic Sopranos cast & crew gathering. Classic rock? Not every party needs the seemingly default musical vibe of various strains of house music and mash-ups. With the overwhelming number of mature adults in the house, and on a monster sounds system built for a rock band at Roseland - and with Bruce Springsteen's Little Steven sitting right in front of me, I was going to create a Rock & Roll and Soul vibe for the party people to enjoy, not endure. What you hear here is the 1st couple of hours, setting the stage. The cast & crew are arriving and saying their hellos, embracing, and checking out the elaborate recreation of an Italian Street Fair. There will be speeches and Uncle Junior is going to perform in a little while, setting me up nicely to play a set that will speak to everyone in the room without pushing the dance floor vibe too soon. Rolling Stones, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Eric Burdon & War, Stevie Wonder, Buddy Miles, Van Morrison, Curtis Mayfield, & Buddy Guy are in the mix. Everyone in the house felt right at home - you know the people of this caliber are rocking this good stuff at home and in their limos so to hear this music on this massive sound system in a state of revelry...well, when does that happen? Before the night ended, an elegant lady came up to the booth and told me how she liked the progression of the sounds and how the flow of the music made the party feel just right. She asked me if I made CDs and I told her that I was recording the night. She was delighted and told me that her husband was impressed as well. He came up to shake my hand and echo her statements. This was David Chase, the creator of the Sopranos and his wife. I still suspect that when the final season hit the airwaves, the promo that featured a blend of Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones and Eric Burdon's version with the band War, may have been inspired by Mr. Chase hearing the Eric Burdon version at the party. Maybe, maybe not? It's all good. Speaking of the Stones, one song that I love to play at these HBO parties is the Rolling Stones' "Gimmie Shelter." I love this song and I've always been tempted to rock it twice, although that would be kind of a strange move for a DJ, so at the end of this mix you will find an extended edit that I did that stretches this classic from it's official 4&1/2 minutes to 7&1/2 minutes...had to extended the intro and break so that folks could jam...or rock out. No additives, not a mash up with electronic drums and sound effects added, just "Gimmie Sh(continued)

Thanks to Stephen Laviers I ventured into an L.E.S.-esque neighborhood in Paris to join him on the turntables at an old pool hall converted into a nice party space. The French get down, mon dieu! Tout le monde dans la chambre a dansé, I mean, everybody in the room danced at some point. It was like being in that cool downtown NYC lounge that always had a cabaret license - in New York, a venue needs a cabaret license in order to be a place where dancing is legal. Depending on where you are out in New York City, if you get up to shake your groove thing, you might be politely nudged and instructed to ease back on down into bounce in your seat mode. Or the venue could get a citation, fines, and threatened with a complete shut down - and they're not opening up again until they go through a maze of appeals to city government agencies and neighborhood counsels. And when they're back, they've got to be paranoid about how loud the DJ plays that they've hired to entertain and seduce the crowds to stay a little while. With that pressure, no one's relaxed with what's at stake and how do you think that affects the audience that's there for an escape? When you've got mandated volume timidity, it's tough to keep a vibe in a room where the sub woofers have been disconnected and the sound system consists mostly of well worn or burnt out satellite speakers positioned ceiling high on the walls. You've been in a room like that, nice music, but it's just not grabbing you like it should. Venues, it's all about the warm embrace of the bass - DJs don't have to tweak the EQ to push the mids and highs which leads to that everybody in the room is screaming to talk sound. Even if your guests want to feel it, that's going to send them home earlier than they intended. Soundproof and school your DJs on the nuances of your sound installation and your venue can sound invitingly and magnificently plush. So yes the venue in Paris, Les 9 Billards, judging by the celebratory feeling of this dancing feet crowd has never been subdued by cabaret laws. Some people were dancing like they were on one of those TV competitions, at least two women got flung and spun right into the turntables. Instead of reacting like Martin Lawrence's DJ character in the movie "House Party," I took it all in stride because I knew that the groove had them whirling and I like that. (continued)

Thanks to Stephen Laviers I ventured into an L.E.S.-esque neighborhood in Paris to join him on the turntables at an old pool hall converted into a nice party space. The French get down, mon dieu! Tout le monde dans la chambre a dansé, I mean, everybody in the room danced at some point. It was like being in that cool downtown NYC lounge that always had a cabaret license - in New York, a venue needs a cabaret license in order to be a place where dancing is legal. Depending on where you are out in New York City, if you get up to shake your groove thing, you might be politely nudged and instructed to ease back on down into bounce in your seat mode. Or the venue could get a citation, fines, and threatened with a complete shut down - and they're not opening up again until they go through a maze of appeals to city government agencies and neighborhood counsels. And when they're back, they've got to be paranoid about how loud the DJ plays that they've hired to entertain and seduce the crowds to stay a little while. With that pressure, no one's relaxed with what's at stake and how do you think that affects the audience that's there for an escape? When you've got mandated volume timidity, it's tough to keep a vibe in a room where the sub woofers have been disconnected and the sound system consists mostly of well worn or burnt out satellite speakers positioned ceiling high on the walls. You've been in a room like that, nice music, but it's just not grabbing you like it should. Venues, it's all about the warm embrace of the bass - DJs don't have to tweak the EQ to push the mids and highs which leads to that everybody in the room is screaming to talk sound. Even if your guests want to feel it, that's going to send them home earlier than they intended. Soundproof and school your DJs on the nuances of your sound installation and your venue can sound invitingly and magnificently plush. So yes the venue in Paris, Les 9 Billards, judging by the celebratory feeling of this dancing feet crowd has never been subdued by cabaret laws. Some people were dancing like they were on one of those TV competitions, at least two women got flung and spun right into the turntables. Instead of reacting like Martin Lawrence's DJ character in the movie "House Party," I took it all in stride because I knew that the groove had them whirling and I like that. (continued)

'94 was when Buttamilk was getting started and when we did parties and it was time for Hip Hop, the natives got a lot of love. This mix takes me back to when I started to make my gains with this DJ thing. It is actually four 90 minute tapes condensed to what essentially is a 60 minute highlight. A trailer if you will. Mixed old fashion style, all vinyls baby! Listen to the crackle...which reminds me to mention that this mix is transferred from cassette so please keep that in mind in terms of the audio fidelity. Cool? The photo - me and the original Buttamilk founders, myself, Kenny Wells, and Genie Q Roberson. Like Jill Scott writes in the liner notes of her first album - "Buttamilk, it all started with you" http://soundcloud.com/qooldjmarv/jill-scotts-1994-poem-about-qool-dj-marv-rhythm-blankets Listen and/or download the full length cassette version of this snippet preview mix: http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v1-side-a-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v1-side-b-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v2-side-a-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v2-side-b-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v3-side-a-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v3-side-b-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v4-side-a-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v4-side-b-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/

'94 was when Buttamilk was getting started and when we did parties and it was time for Hip Hop, the natives got a lot of love. This mix takes me back to when I started to make my gains with this DJ thing. It is actually four 90 minute tapes condensed to what essentially is a 60 minute highlight. A trailer if you will. Mixed old fashion style, all vinyls baby! Listen to the crackle...which reminds me to mention that this mix is transferred from cassette so please keep that in mind in terms of the audio fidelity. Cool? The photo - me and the original Buttamilk founders, myself, Kenny Wells, and Genie Q Roberson. Like Jill Scott writes in the liner notes of her first album - "Buttamilk, it all started with you" http://soundcloud.com/qooldjmarv/jill-scotts-1994-poem-about-qool-dj-marv-rhythm-blankets Listen and/or download the full length cassette version of this snippet preview mix: http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v1-side-a-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v1-side-b-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v2-side-a-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v2-side-b-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v3-side-a-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v3-side-b-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v4-side-a-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/ http://www.mixcloud.com/qooldjmarv/native-tongue-classics-v4-side-b-qool-dj-marv-cassette-archives/

Among the reasons for compiling these songs are my Mom’s love of the sound of the piano, a serene atmosphere for my resting boy, and the soundtrack for my contemplation during the wee hours of the morning. When you DJ, your musical imagination is full of clever segues. When you love music, you’re never without songs. When you play music for people’s enjoyment, your mind is on how you’ll bring together everybody’s jams, create a vibe and move the crowd. Within crafty DJs, daydreaming in stereo is a constant. With all of that going on in your mind all of the time, and, let’s face it, music’s allure just won’t allow you to turn it off, you need Peace & Quiet. When listening to solo piano music, at last, I’m not thinking about the next mix. My mind relaxes into a mode of appreciation. Piano is an essential musical instrument, a root in the world of sound. Whether at home, the church, or singing America the Beautiful in public school, we’ve all accompanied the piano. The piano has always stuck with me. Over two years, I listened to approximately 1,800 solo piano performances amid the realms of Classical and Jazz music. I’ve loved Jazz since I was a teen, I used to listen to it while hauling lumber or doing landscaping because I never knew when the songs would end and that helped to pass the time quickly. Ten 6-minute long Jazz songs, that’s an hour. I had a tape, the soundtrack to a film called ‘Round Midnight, starring Dexter Gordon, which was with me on the bus, the El (Philadelphia's subway), alone in my room at home, Pop’s car, everywhere all the time and on auto reverse. This 1986 film won the Academy Award for Best Music and Original Score. Herbie Hancock on piano, Dexter Gordon on tenor sax, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums, John McLaughlin on guitar, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Wayne Shorter on saxes, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Cedar Walton on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Bobby McFerrin on vocals. Curious about what represents a standard in Jazz as a beautifully human genre featuring master musicians? Commence your exploration with ‘Round Midnight. On that soundtrack, Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson’s "Minuit Aux Champs-Elysées" was the song that drew my focus toward the musician’s playing. Since only piano and vibes, it was easier to hear Herbie and Bobby’s playing, and I could hear, because I knew that they were improvising, what seemed to me as their brains in motion. Thinking in the present and future while playing at same time is very attractive to my ears. Your ideas begin in your mind, in your imagination, and they are uniquely yours – you unbridled. This combination of Jazz and Classical pianists juxtaposes easy going compositions played to form and played freely. Each pianist is legendary and the performances of standards and their own compositions are exquisite. Play quietly and enjoy the excursions into their minds and yours. (continued)

Among the reasons for compiling these songs are my Mom’s love of the sound of the piano, a serene atmosphere for my resting boy, and the soundtrack for my contemplation during the wee hours of the morning. When you DJ, your musical imagination is full of clever segues. When you love music, you’re never without songs. When you play music for people’s enjoyment, your mind is on how you’ll bring together everybody’s jams, create a vibe and move the crowd. Within crafty DJs, daydreaming in stereo is a constant. With all of that going on in your mind all of the time, and, let’s face it, music’s allure just won’t allow you to turn it off, you need Peace & Quiet. When listening to solo piano music, at last, I’m not thinking about the next mix. My mind relaxes into a mode of appreciation. Piano is an essential musical instrument, a root in the world of sound. Whether at home, the church, or singing America the Beautiful in public school, we’ve all accompanied the piano. The piano has always stuck with me. Over two years, I listened to approximately 1,800 solo piano performances amid the realms of Classical and Jazz music. I’ve loved Jazz since I was a teen, I used to listen to it while hauling lumber or doing landscaping because I never knew when the songs would end and that helped to pass the time quickly. Ten 6-minute long Jazz songs, that’s an hour. I had a tape, the soundtrack to a film called ‘Round Midnight, starring Dexter Gordon, which was with me on the bus, the El (Philadelphia's subway), alone in my room at home, Pop’s car, everywhere all the time and on auto reverse. This 1986 film won the Academy Award for Best Music and Original Score. Herbie Hancock on piano, Dexter Gordon on tenor sax, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums, John McLaughlin on guitar, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Wayne Shorter on saxes, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Cedar Walton on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Bobby McFerrin on vocals. Curious about what represents a standard in Jazz as a beautifully human genre featuring master musicians? Commence your exploration with ‘Round Midnight. On that soundtrack, Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson’s "Minuit Aux Champs-Elysées" was the song that drew my focus toward the musician’s playing. Since only piano and vibes, it was easier to hear Herbie and Bobby’s playing, and I could hear, because I knew that they were improvising, what seemed to me as their brains in motion. Thinking in the present and future while playing at same time is very attractive to my ears. Your ideas begin in your mind, in your imagination, and they are uniquely yours – you unbridled. This combination of Jazz and Classical pianists juxtaposes easy going compositions played to form and played freely. Each pianist is legendary and the performances of standards and their own compositions are exquisite. Play quietly and enjoy the excursions into their minds and yours. (continued)