the hum / By Bob Doran

Got Vinyl?

Missing Link’s benefit soul night, plus Joanne Rand, CD release and Xmas parties and a violinistextremist

(Dec. 15, 2011)  Stopped by my favorite Arcata record shop last Wednesday to chat with proprietor Matt Jackson about this Thursday’s DJ night at Humboldt Brews, Missing Link’s Got Soul, another jumpin’ all-vinyl dance party hosted by the M.L. crew. The concept, spinning soul/funk 45s and the like for dancers, has been very successful so far — Matt noted that last time over 200 people showed up and filled the dancefloor. This week’s will be the third session, the last for 2011. Once again Matt and his partner Adam will be joined by DJ Mantease, King Maxwell and JAYMORG along with a mysterious “Special Guest.”

We got to talking about the skill it takes to keep dancers dancing and agreed that Jonathan Toubin of New York Night Train Soul Clap fame is a true master — Matt sees his work as an inspiration. He’s legendary in NYC, playing dance parties all the time, and has come through Arcata a few times on national tours. He always keeps dancers on the floor with his collection of rare rock, funk and soul 45s, unrelentingly extracting the highlights, sometimes just playing the essential minute of a side that only runs two minutes or so.

Night Train DJ Jonathan Toubin

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We didn’t know it at the time, but Jonathan was in Oregon that day we spoke, in advance of a record party at some Portland nightclub. While he was sleeping Wednesday night at the Jupiter Hotel on East Burnside, an out-of-control taxicab smashed through the wall and into his room, running right into the bed. Jonathan ended up trapped under the taxi, pinned against the headboard. Once he was extracted (apparently it wasn’t easy), the bloodied DJ was whisked by ambulance to the hospital in critical condition.

As Matt pointed out, DJs do not carry health insurance. The Soul Clap DJ’s fans in Austin, New Orleans and New York City are organizing benefits, rallying to help him out. Says Matt, “In solidarity with many of the other soul nights Mr. Toubin helped inspire, our DJs have agreed to donate most of the night’s proceeds to try and help cover any medical expenses. We’ll also be taking donations throughout the night and hoping him a safe and speedy recovery.”

Those who don’t get enough analog/vinyl dance music on Thursday night can return to HumBrews Friday when DJ Red holds court spinning tunes from the ‘80s to make you shake yo’ thang. Then late Saturday night King Maxwell brings his box-o-vinyl to the Alibi for yet another dance night, this one with a funk focus.

Arcata-based songwriter Joanne Rand is at a level in her craft where others come to her to learn how to write songs. But that doesn’t mean she’s stopped learning. When she called Monday she was in Nashville learning some chops from guitarist/songwriter Steve Young, perhaps best known for his song “Seven Bridges Road” (recorded by Eagles among others). Like Joanne, he’s a Georgia native.

“He helped create the sound of the new South,” she explained, calling from Young’s studio. “I heard him in Eugene and was drawn to what he does now — it’s roots music but real.” When Joanne takes on new students, she asks them two questions: Where are you musically? And where do you want to go? Where she wants to go right now is essentially back home, to her Georgia roots. “But I also want to make that my own, make it real and expansive… transformative.”

She won’t be in Nashville long. Friday night she plays a show at the Arcata Playhouse, a celebration of Rise, the 12th album she done since 1988. Not that she’ll be sticking to songs from the CD. She’s constantly writing new ones and already has album No. 13 in mind.

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