The best Mother's Day track of them all!

Great story behind my favourite Mother's Day Jam of all time. My first ever pirate radio show took place a couple of years before even Radio Friendly existed up in Thompson's House for DrossFM. Myself and Mr.Fork did a Mothers Day show one Sunday and he introduced me to this Philly classic, which was later sampled by Raphael Saadiq and Q Tip for "Get Involved". It was an epic radio show and one of the best buzzes I've ever had, despite the fact that more people will read this in the next few minutes than heard the show! This is for Mr Fork and all the mama's out there!

Rest in Peace Tony Dixon

It only seems like yesterday that I did a tribute here to New Jersey producer Tony D who died tragically last year. Well sadly tragedy struck again this morning when another Tony D, known to many as Tony Dixon, died in Dublin after a short illness. Myself and Tony go back to the 90's but it is fair to say he has been pushing soul music in Ireland for a lot longer than that. Here is a quick career summary from RTE's website

"Originally from Pinewood on the Northside of Dublin, RnB DJ Tony Dixon began his radio career working with the 'Big D' pirate station in the '70's.
He was known affectionately in the music industry as a member of the 'Northside mafia', a group of high profile presenters including Ian Dempsey, Tony Fenton and Gerry Ryan who all grew up together and went on to forge distinguished careers on both national and local radio.
In the '80's he moved to another pirate station, 'Sunshine Radio' before managing the popular nightclub 'Hollywood Nights' at the Stillorgan Park Hotel.
Tony joined Dublin radio station, FM104 in February 2000 presenting his Hip Hop and RnB show every Saturday night, where his catchphrase was: "If it's Hip Hop and RnB, don't miss me, Tony D".
He also worked as a sales consultant for the station.

Tony is survived by his son Josh, his son's mother Dee and his three sisters and two brothers."

Personally, I met Tony in the late 90's and early part of this decade when we were both residents at a club called Fresh N'Funky with the wonderful Gilly Robinson at the helm. This club later ran at the Coyote Lounge on D'Olier St but started out it's Irish residency in HQ

From Fresh n'Funky's site

"We launched ourSunday night residency with DJ Swing, at the HQ club in Dublin, a city at the heart of Ireland’s thriving club scene. A stunning live performance from Damage and DJ appearances from Trevor Nelson, Shortee Blitz, Brian Norman and Chilli Source alongside resident DJs Tony Dixon (FM104) and Stevie G ensure this night continues to grow in popularity and establish itself as a must for all Dublin R&B lovers!

Fresh’n’Funky were approached by one of the most stunning venues in Dublin - the Coyote Lounge. So in June 2001 Fresh’n’Funky moved to its current home where it continued to thrive every Sunday night."

I got to know Tony quite well as we were also columnists together at the legendary Blues and Soul magazine (Tony looked after the Irish side of things, on which i assisted him the odd time with news of Cork and the rest of the country; I also did Import reviews). I've included a few snippets including a moving piece Tony wrote about his Mum when she died.

Even though we were of different generations and backgrounds, Tony always struck me as a genuine guy who despite being 100% slick in public and on air, would also be very helpful behind the scenes

On a personal level, he helped me with a demo I made for RedFM back in about 2000/2001, when they were about to come on air in Cork. He helped give me advice that smoothed a transition from pirate radio and as we all know Tony knew a lot when it came to presenting a specialist show. Nearly 10 years later my show is still running and I thanked him personally the last time we met for his assisstance. In 2002 My Black on Red show won best Irish specialist music show at the PPI awards and I also thanked Tony for his influence in that terrific achievement for the music we loved. His legacy on the airwaves in Dublin extends over a lot longer and it's great to see him being recognised by his peers over the years and especially today.

He loved a music that was far from fashionable until the MTV awards arrived in Dublin in the late 90s but Tony was there long before that and he always stuck to his guns too

He will be sadly missed, and from myself and my colleagues in Cork, to the London/UK gang like Brian Norman, Colin Francis, Shorty Blitz, Firin' Squad, DJ Swing, Gilly Robinson, Trevor Nelson, Dodge, Steve Sutherland, Ronnie Herel and more, let it be noted, that Tony was loved outside Dublin too. DJ Swing was another who left us too early (tribute here) The likes of Frank Jez and co in Dublin will carry the torch forward aswell, and there were many more names i got to know over those years with Tony and co. In recent years I became disillusioned with the more charty r&b side of the club scene and one of the final straws was when a girl came to the DJ box in Coyote Lounge and asked us for "some real R&b like Britney". Tony and myself laughed at this. Even though i was much younger, Tony always acknowledged what i was trying to do by bringing the heavyweight soul of Aretha, Marvin and Stevie Wonder into the modern dancefloors that sometimes thought r&b and soul started in the late 90s. Tony knew well because he had been holding it down himself for years and he did more than practically anyone in Ireland for soul music of all different shapes and sizes. It was an honour to know him as a friend.

I broke the news to one of the best known names of those gigs today and Trevor Nelson rang me in disbelief aswell. Having not known he was sick I was also taken by suprise that a person so bubbly and full of life was being taken from us.

As Trevor said on Twitter

"Really sad to just hear about the passing of Tony Dixon.a true pro and 1 of irelands best r&b radio djs.had many great times with him"

We sure did.

My deepest sympathies are with all his family and friends

Rest in Peace

Southern Soul and Disco Festival returns to Cork 2011

No sooner is the Decades Festival over that talk turns to another music festival and the announcement this week that will be welcomed by loads of Cork music fans. The Southern Soul and Disco Festival, which last ran in Cork in 1999, is returning in 2011 and will provide a big boost for the city.






The Southern soul and disco weekends were a product of the Mor Disco and Simply Delicious nights that ran in Cork for many years and all of the operators have been keen for many years to get them back up and running. The original weekends drew great crowds to see some amazing acts, and a certain DJ and production duo called Basement Jaxx were one of the big names who went on to become very well known in music circles. Legendary diva’s such as Jocelyn Brown and Gwen Dickey of Rose Royce also played here, as did acts as diverse as the Jungle Brothers, Hot Chocolate, Trevor Nelson, Norman Jay, Rae and Christian and many more.


It was perhaps the under the radar names which defined the festival best however, and DJ’s from all over Ireland and Britain played in different pubs and clubs throughout the weekend. Mr Scruff was a regular visitor to Cork but back then not nearly as well known while the Idjut Boys, Harri, Future Homosapiens, Fila Brazilia, Tim Love Lee, Chubby Grooves and the Unabombers, plus a whole host of Irelands finest, performed here too. For a certain generation of clubbers in Cork, these weekends were pivotal, and during the 10 year hiatus it has become noticeable that such a weekends absence leaves a gaping hole in the musical calendar here. Details of 2011’s Festival will no doubt be announced in future months but it promises to be a good one!






One of the Festivals DJ’s who has gone to great things since returns to Cork this Saturday for a show in the Pavilion. Luke Unabomber will be joined by Robin Keys on Saturday night while across the road in the Vineyard tomorrow Crtl-Alt-Delete hosts Encrypter, Wife, Robin Renwick, Newah, Thotbott and Severane. N Dubz play Savoy tonight while Exit Pursued by a Bear do a free show at the Crane Lane on Saturday.


All of the people involved in the music scene in Cork received a great boost last week with the official announcement of something that I mentioned earlier in the summer; that Plug’d records is set to re-open on August 28th. The ESB substation in Caroline St will be the temporary home until the Triskels new renovated ChristChurch building opens next year. The Triskels backing is essential and they deserve great credit for having to foresight and faith in the record shop which was at the hub of the Cork music scene in recent years. The extra floor space will also enable more visual art, design, film, magazines and books so from a cultural point of view the benefits are going to be huge for Cork!

Cork Jazz Festival is looking interesting for 2010!

I met with some of the people organising the forthcoming Cork jazz Festival in October last week and I came away confident that this years event will even surpass last years one, which in my opinion, was the best festival in many years. The balance between commercial and artistic success at such a festival is always tricky, but in 2009 big acts such as Imelda May in the Savoy were backed by a host of others who filled different sized venues in one of the busiest jazz weekends since the 90’s.

Sun Ra Arkestra, Pharoah Sanders, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Dam-Funk and many more played very highly regarded shows, and notably, their was a very big travelling contingent from other Irish cities and indeed abroad. This year events is still quite a bit away but I can tell you that there is a strong possibility that Robert Glasper will be making his second appearance in Cork. The young pianist was not that well known the last time he came here, alongside Terence Blanchard, but he has become one of jazz’s biggest upcoming stars in recent years.

He will be joined by longtime musical collaborator Bilal, one of Philadelphias most under-rated singers. Glasper has already worked with most of the big hip-hop names; Erykah Badu, Common, Guru, Mos Def and even Dilla himself, who he has paid homage to on record, have all been in the studio with him. He is quite simply one of the most exciting names in jazz, and it will be amazing to see Bilal here too. The singers career has always been one step away from the big time, and his early high profile production from Dr Dre seemed to set him up nicely, but mostly he has kept it low-key and soulful. Everyone from Jill Scott to Common have been touched by his vocal magic, and himself and Robert Glasper in Cork would be a terrific prospect.

The fact that Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings might be on the same bill sends the excitement levels into orbit but this is not confirmed as of yet. These guys are known to many as the backing band behind the success of Mark Ronson and indeed some of the Amy Winehouse material, but they are a lot more besides and are simply one of the best contemparary funk and soul outfits. In Sharon Jones they have a singer straight out of the James Brown era of funky divas so I’m keeping more than my fingers crossed that this show will happen.

I know the festival organisers are gonna do their best to try and get jazz legends such as Sonny Rollins and Pat Metheny here too so we can only live in hope; often with the veterans it is tricky trying to get the dates to match the October weekend. I’m confident we will be looking at another very interesting festival regardless.

Robert Glasper/Bilal



Sharon Jones and the Dap-KIngs



Here's some vids i took at last years festival at the Pavilion









This article originally appeared in my Downtown column in the evening Echo recently

Rise and shine soul-Candi Staton

ahead of the big gig at the The Pavilion Cork on Sunday i'm gonna be rolling out Candi Staton classics all week

Rise and shine soul-The Stylistics part 4

Rise and shine soul

The Stylistics part 4

The original of one of the most covered and sampled tracks of all time everyone from Michael jackson and Moodyman to Blackalicious and Marc Dorsey used a piece of this and no wonder

More relevant now than ever

Rise and shine soul-The Stylistics part 3

One for the late night crew-Monk Higgins

One for the late night crew

"So keep abreast to the GangStarr conquest
Underground ruffnecks pounds of respect
I've never been afraid to let loose my speech
My brothers know I kick the code of the streets"

DEEP-did a sunday in the Torch, now Fionnbarras, in about 97, spinning jazz and soul like this-i'll have my Guru tribute up tomorrow!

Rise and shine soul-The Stylistics part 2

If Prince covers your music-you know you have done something right!

Rise and shine soul-Amy Winehouse 3

I always love the way she was schooled in ska and reggae aswell as soul and jazz

One for the late night crew-Marvin Gaye

Soul heaven----------Good night and good luck!

Rise and shine soul-Amy Winehouse 2

"When you walk in a bar, dressed like a star, rockin' your Fuck Me Pumps"

Rise and shine soul-Amy Winehouse

My favourite voice of the last 10/15 years, with one of the best ever versions of this Phil Spector track

Rise and shine soul-Dinah Washington 3

"been up since 6 with my hyper daughter but the sun is shining and life is good"

Rise and shine soul-Dinah Washington 2

another classic



and a great remix from Rae and Christian

One for the late night crew-Syleena Johnson

Syl's daughter in good form

Rise and shine soul-Dinah Washington

One of my favourite jazz singers all week

Ladies and gentleman, the amazing Dinah Washington!

One for the late night crew-Bobby Womack

And he is still making soul classics after over 6 decades in the game!

Rise and Shine soul-Erykah Badu

This week we celebrate Erykah Badu who has another great album out!

This track struck a big chord here in about 98 used use the accapella a lot like in the first track on this mix free download here



"Don't know about the Internet
Don't know about the radio
Don't know about the television
All I know is 'bout my flow"

Rise and Shine soul-Aretha Franklin 5

They didn't know what do do with her back then in the earlier days, but sometimes the jazzier stuff hit the nail on the head and this one deserves a wider audience