Origin & Vinylthon 2024 recap - Jim the Record Guy

From the time I was a kid, I wanted to be a DJ. The idea of playing music and sharing it out across the airwaves was akin to magic. The first chance I got to try it, as a young teenager, my nerves were off the charts and I couldn't do anything - and we weren't even live. Fast forward to 2017 when I dusted off my old turntable and started listening to the albums I had left. I was blown away by the sound and I was hooked again, diving head-first back into the vinyl community. In spring '23, Doktor Exoskeleton asked if I'd be interested in subbing for him on Metamorphosis sometime. I readily agreed, but let him know about that case of nerves. Under his patient tutelage, I worked things out and spun my first show for Vinylthon '23 - a two-hour jazz set. Since then I've been able to sub a few more times - and am slowly getting the skills necessary to live the dream!

My Vinylthon 24 slot was a mix of electronic music, jazz, and a little bit of pop. Having an early Saturday morning slot was bliss as campus is quiet at 6:30 in the morning. Being alone in a studio and sharing music you like with anyone listening is just sublime. My three-hour slot started at 7 am with Pink Floyd (Echoes, from the Meddle album), Jean Michel Jarre (Oxygene), and Kraftwerk (Radio-Activity, side 1). I've been intrigued with playing longer tracks, and these albums fit the bill. As a plus, there's less fussing with changing the records every 3-5 minutes! The second hour was mostly devoted to one of my favorite bands (Electric Light Orchestra) and their album Time.

Late in that second hour I switched gears to my true vinyl passion - jazz. Alice Coltrane brought us out of the electronic/spacey sound of ELO and into a different realm. By featuring two by Miles Davis, three by Vince Guaraldi, and one each by Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Paul Desmond, and Bill Evans, that last hour and 15 minutes just flew by. It was great fun to pull that part of the show together knowing that I was adding to the rich showcase that Etsuko & Jeff bring every week with their long-running program Saturday Morning Jazz.

If I had to pick a favorite tune, it'd have to be Abide With Me by the horn players of the Thelonious Monk Septet. To think that you could take arguably the top players at the time (1957) and create a gem that lasts less than a minute is just astonishing. The heartfelt phrasing, the lack of embellishment, and just straightforward honest playing gets my vote every time.

I'd be up for spinning another Vinylthon show in the future. The variety and length of time slots available lets a DJ explore different parts of their collection. Doing a show for Vinylthon is fun, a great way to learn your craft, and hey, you get to play records on the radio for anyone around the world to listen to. What could be cooler than that?

By Jim the Record Guy