Disc Jockey JMZ
My own train’s namesake, I was instantly drawn to this tape. Disc Jockey JMZ (James Requa) didn’t just compile a Jock Jams of all the hot tracks of his time, he focuses on disco, soul, and funk. Using the hits of his time somewhat sparingly and mostly as transitional material, JMZ doesn’t heavily alter the songs. He uses scratching and adds sound effects to spice things up, but he’s not there to show off. Requa at his roots is a listener and an appreciator of the now lesser known roots of R&B. Back then, this is what I’d imagine a person like me (tragically hip, perfect cheekbones, solid chin, etc.) would listen to and champion as the real stuff. What the artists that were being worshiped and exploited were influenced by. Keep On – D Train, Ain’t Nothing Going On But the Rent – Gwen Guthrie, All Night Long – Mary Jane Girls: all pretty top notch but still arguably cult hits that somehow didn’t make the cut on your current go to Clear Channel/Motown oldies radio preset. Now those songs are generally forgotten, only to be found by nerds on the internet, their legacies only available in the form of a youtube video. Listening now, the contents are re contextualized. Our palettes cleansed by the sands of time: this mixtape is not what it once was. Now it’s novelty, kitsch, goofy, maybe irrelevant to the masses. Nonetheless, tapes like this have value, they offer a window to a certain time and place that can’t really be captured as accurately again.
A1 Side One
B1 Side Two
Found at 79-15 Jamaica Avenue, written by Ric Leichtung
