About
I’m a record collector who DJs weddings, about forty-five a year, mostly in New York and around the Northeast.
Where the taste started
The radio station was Magic 92.5 in San Diego. I grew up there in the 90s and early 2000s, and the segment that got me was The 5 o’clock Boogie: soul, funk, disco, the warm end of R&B. I still hear that hour in a lot of what I play.
The other was a Supertramp record on my mom’s shelf. It was the first time I noticed someone had chosen the order of the songs, and that a whole album could be one piece.
I’ve been chasing both ever since: that warm 5 o’clock hour, and records that hold together from side A to side B.
Some of what I play
Random picks, in no order. Ask me tomorrow and it’d be a different list.
Robert Lester Folsom, Elis Regina, Lady Wray, Letta Mbulu, Sylvester, Kalima, Aretha Franklin, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Roberta Flack, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Willie Wright, Nel Oliver, Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose, Jungle, Mariah Carey, Trevor Dandy, Miki Matsubara, The Diddys, Sly & The Family Stone, Eurythmics, Syl Johnson, Dorothy Ashby, Mary J. Blige, Anita Ward, Chaka Khan, The Love Unlimited Orchestra, Azymuth, Mina.
Shuffled .
A few labels I dig through: Athens of the North, Numero Group, Salsoul, Awesome Tapes from Africa, Jazz Dispensary.
The shelf
Around five thousand records, mostly in the dining room, with the overflow in the basement. Jazz-funk and global cuts get the top shelf, because that’s what I reach for when I’m cooking dinner or trying to focus on something else. The digital library is mostly FLAC. I’m a file snob.
In the booth
Cocktail hour, dinner and dancing each need something different. I watch the room from the start and pace the night so it builds, instead of playing one long blast of songs.
Soundcheck is two passes. First I play every cued moment (processional, recessional, first dance, parent dances) to check timing and key. Then I run a few records I know cold, usually “I Feel Love,” to hear how the room sounds before guests arrive.
I switch on when the ceremony guests start coming in. By then I’ve built three or four backup setlists for every part of the night. That’s an ADHD prep habit, and it’s what lets me run on autopilot on the day. Most couples don’t notice that I’m matching key and BPM through every transition, from the prelude to the last dance, but they feel it. I also keep the levels right for the room I’m in, and I never redline.
I’m a good fit for couples who care about the music all night, from the first drink to the last song. I’m the wrong DJ for scripted MC bits or a lot of talking on the mic.
Booking
If you like my vibe of weird, give me a call and I’ll make your people dance their asses off. I’m booked exclusively through Non-Traditional Wedding DJs, so reach Ben there: 917-586-6753, ben@ntweddingdjs.com, or my NTW profile.