Booth notebook

Session notes from the booth.

The lineup logic, the song notes, and the things I want you to hear, saved one session at a time.

Stored notes
120
Artists
18
Genres
18
Special turns
0
3 saved turns
Lineup logic first. Song notes right behind it.
Dusky slow burn / neon patiencePlaylist noteJun 14, 20263:53 AMOpen set

Handara is the thesis, and Bemsha Swing is the answer waiting on deck.

Reach for it when the set needs lift, conversation between parts, and something that can move without turning blunt. It leaves Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in. Bemsha Swing is already changing how the current record reads.

Record in focus
Handara
Bob James and Earl Klugh
Dynamic Audiophile Jazz Vol.1 · 2019 · Jazz
Programming
Open set

Mr Rassy is shaping the next turn from the records already on the deck.

I Zimbra (Live at Werchterpark Festival, Belgium) · full
Lineup note
Handara into Bemsha Swing

Reach for it when the set needs lift, conversation between parts, and something that can move without turning blunt. It leaves Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context
Dynamic Audiophile Jazz Vol.1 · 2019

Hearing it against Dynamic Audiophile Jazz Vol.1 matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Handara by Bob James and Earl Klugh off Dynamic Audiophile Jazz Vol.1 (2019) works when the set needs collective motion and color instead of blunt force. Bob James and Earl Klugh makes the most sense here as an ensemble proposition: the interest is in how the parts talk to each other, not just one lead line. This one earns its space through moving parts: sections shifting roles, rhythm pushing from underneath, and an arrangement that keeps relocating the center.

Listen for
What to catch in the arrangement

Listen for how the lead line, horns or keys, and the rhythm section keep trading weight instead of sitting in fixed roles. Notice how it hands the weight to Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) instead of crowding the next move.

Bob James and Earl KlughThelonious MonkTalking HeadsJazzPopRockdusky slow burn / neon patienceafter-hoursneon patienceJazz
Session map
3 stored song notes
01now
Handara
Bob James and Earl Klugh
Why it fits

Reach for it when the set needs lift, conversation between parts, and something that can move without turning blunt. It leaves Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context

Hearing it against Dynamic Audiophile Jazz Vol.1 matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Handara by Bob James and Earl Klugh off Dynamic Audiophile Jazz Vol.1 (2019) works when the set needs collective motion and color instead of blunt force. Bob James and Earl Klugh makes the most sense here as an ensemble proposition: the interest is in how the parts talk to each other, not just one lead line. This one earns its space through moving parts: sections shifting roles, rhythm pushing from underneath, and an arrangement that keeps relocating the center.

Listen for

Listen for how the lead line, horns or keys, and the rhythm section keep trading weight instead of sitting in fixed roles. Notice how it hands the weight to Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) instead of crowding the next move.

02next
Bemsha Swing
Thelonious Monk
Why it fits

Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) lifts the pressure after Handara by Bob James and Earl Klugh off Dynamic Audiophile Jazz Vol.1 (2019) without snapping the thread. Reach for it when the set needs lift, conversation between parts, and something that can move without turning blunt. It leaves I Zimbra (Live at Werchterpark Festival, Belgium) by Talking Heads off Radio Waves 1978-1983: Psycho Killers, Vol. 2 (Live) (2016) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context

Hearing it against The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) works when the set needs collective motion and color instead of blunt force. Thelonious Monk makes the most sense here as an ensemble proposition: the interest is in how the parts talk to each other, not just one lead line. This one earns its space through moving parts: sections shifting roles, rhythm pushing from underneath, and an arrangement that keeps relocating the center.

Listen for

Listen for how the lead line, horns or keys, and the rhythm section keep trading weight instead of sitting in fixed roles. Notice how it hands the weight to I Zimbra (Live at Werchterpark Festival, Belgium) by Talking Heads off Radio Waves 1978-1983: Psycho Killers, Vol. 2 (Live) (2016) instead of crowding the next move.

03later
I Zimbra (Live at Werchterpark Festival, Belgium)
Talking Heads
Full play
Why it fits

I Zimbra (Live at Werchterpark Festival, Belgium) by Talking Heads off Radio Waves 1978-1983: Psycho Killers, Vol. 2 (Live) (2016) stays related to Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) through pop / rock, but changes the pocket enough to matter. Reach for it when the turn needs shape, attack, and a record that can define the next move in just a few bars.

Track context

Hearing it against Radio Waves 1978-1983: Psycho Killers, Vol. I Zimbra (Live at Werchterpark Festival, Belgium) by Talking Heads off Radio Waves 1978-1983: Psycho Killers, Vol. With Talking Heads, the attraction is often attack and arrangement economy: what the band can say quickly and physically. The record earns its place through how the arrangement opens and tightens rather than through sheer mass.

Listen for

Listen for where the arrangement opens wider than the first impression suggests, especially when the rhythm section changes the floor under the lead.

Open saved booth copy

Mr Rassy is lining up Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964). Hearing it against The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Bemsha Swing by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) lifts the pressure after Handara by Bob James and Earl Klugh off Dynamic Audiophile Jazz Vol.1 (2019) without snapping the thread. The transition is earning its place instead of skating by on vibe. The request line is whispering "I need a dusky slow-burn lane with warm low end tonight.".

Dusky slow burn / open hearted staticPlaylist noteJun 14, 20261:43 AMOpen set

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023) is the thesis, and I Wonder Why is the answer waiting on deck.

Reach for it when the turn needs shape, attack, and a record that can define the next move in just a few bars. It leaves I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in. I Wonder Why is already changing how the current record reads.

Record in focus
I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023)
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 · 2025 · Pop, Rock
Programming
Open set

Mr Rassy is shaping the next turn from the records already on the deck.

Smoke From A Distant Fire · full
Lineup note
I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023) into I Wonder Why

Reach for it when the turn needs shape, attack, and a record that can define the next move in just a few bars. It leaves I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context
Iggy Pop Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 · 2025

Hearing it against Iggy Pop Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023) by Iggy Pop off Iggy Pop Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 (2025) carries the feel of a band in a room rather than a mood-board tag, and that physicality matters in a sequence. With Iggy Pop, the attraction is often attack and arrangement economy: what the band can say quickly and physically. The record earns its place through how the arrangement opens and tightens rather than through sheer mass.

Listen for
What to catch in the arrangement

Listen for where the arrangement opens wider than the first impression suggests, especially when the rhythm section changes the floor under the lead. Notice how it hands the weight to I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) instead of crowding the next move.

Iggy PopLightnin’ HopkinsSanford Townsend BandPop, RockBluesRockdusky slow burn / open-hearted staticafter-hoursopen-hearted staticPop, Rock
Session map
3 stored song notes
01now
I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023)
Iggy Pop
Why it fits

Reach for it when the turn needs shape, attack, and a record that can define the next move in just a few bars. It leaves I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context

Hearing it against Iggy Pop Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023) by Iggy Pop off Iggy Pop Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 (2025) carries the feel of a band in a room rather than a mood-board tag, and that physicality matters in a sequence. With Iggy Pop, the attraction is often attack and arrangement economy: what the band can say quickly and physically. The record earns its place through how the arrangement opens and tightens rather than through sheer mass.

Listen for

Listen for where the arrangement opens wider than the first impression suggests, especially when the rhythm section changes the floor under the lead. Notice how it hands the weight to I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) instead of crowding the next move.

02next
I Wonder Why
Lightnin’ Hopkins
Why it fits

I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) stays related to I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023) by Iggy Pop off Iggy Pop Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 (2025) through blues, but changes the pocket enough to matter. Reach for it when the sequence needs a record that can keep moving and still leave detail behind. It leaves Smoke From A Distant Fire by Sanford Townsend Band off Sounds Of The Seventies - 1977: Take Two (1991) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context

Hearing it against Broken Hearted Blues matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) earns its place when the turn needs shape, contrast, and enough detail to keep the next move honest. On Broken Hearted Blues (2003), it reads as part of a larger album world instead of a stray file in the crate. Hearing it against Broken Hearted Blues matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single.

Listen for

Listen for the point where the record suddenly feels larger than the speakers and starts changing the shape of the room. Notice how it hands the weight to Smoke From A Distant Fire by Sanford Townsend Band off Sounds Of The Seventies - 1977: Take Two (1991) instead of crowding the next move.

03later
Smoke From A Distant Fire
Sanford Townsend Band
Full play
Why it fits

Smoke From A Distant Fire by Sanford Townsend Band off Sounds Of The Seventies - 1977: Take Two (1991) stays related to I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) through rock, but changes the pocket enough to matter. Reach for it when the turn needs shape, attack, and a record that can define the next move in just a few bars.

Track context

Hearing it against Sounds Of The Seventies - 1977: Take Two matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Smoke From A Distant Fire by Sanford Townsend Band off Sounds Of The Seventies - 1977: Take Two (1991) carries the feel of a band in a room rather than a mood-board tag, and that physicality matters in a sequence. With Sanford Townsend Band, the attraction is often attack and arrangement economy: what the band can say quickly and physically. The record earns its place through how the arrangement opens and tightens rather than through sheer mass.

Listen for

Listen for where the arrangement opens wider than the first impression suggests, especially when the rhythm section changes the floor under the lead.

Open saved booth copy

Mr Rassy is lining up I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003). Hearing it against Broken Hearted Blues matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. I Wonder Why by Lightnin’ Hopkins off Broken Hearted Blues (2003) stays related to I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023) by Iggy Pop off Iggy Pop Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2023 (2025) through blues, but changes the pocket enough to matter. The transition is earning its place instead of skating by on vibe. The request line is whispering "I need a dusky slow-burn lane with warm low end tonight.".

Dusky slow burn / weekend liftPlaylist noteJun 14, 20261:24 AMOpen set

Perfect Blue Buildings is the thesis, and Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) is the answer waiting on deck.

Reach for it when the turn needs shape, attack, and a record that can define the next move in just a few bars. It leaves Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in. Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) is already changing how the current record reads.

Record in focus
Perfect Blue Buildings
Counting Crows
August and Everything After · 1993 · Alternative Rock
Programming
Open set

Mr Rassy is shaping the next turn from the records already on the deck.

I'm A Fire (Solitaire Club Mix) · fullI Zimbra (Live at Werchterpark Festival, Belgium) · full
Lineup note
Perfect Blue Buildings into Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two)

Reach for it when the turn needs shape, attack, and a record that can define the next move in just a few bars. It leaves Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context
August and Everything After · 1993

Hearing it against August and Everything After matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows off August and Everything After (1993) carries the feel of a band in a room rather than a mood-board tag, and that physicality matters in a sequence. With Counting Crows, the attraction is often attack and arrangement economy: what the band can say quickly and physically. The record earns its place through how the arrangement opens and tightens rather than through sheer mass.

Listen for
What to catch in the arrangement

Listen for where the arrangement opens wider than the first impression suggests, especially when the rhythm section changes the floor under the lead. Notice how it hands the weight to Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) instead of crowding the next move.

Counting CrowsThelonious MonkDonna SummerAlternative RockJazzR&Bdusky slow burn / weekend liftafter-hoursweekend liftAlternative Rock
Session map
3 stored song notes
01now
Perfect Blue Buildings
Counting Crows
Why it fits

Reach for it when the turn needs shape, attack, and a record that can define the next move in just a few bars. It leaves Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context

Hearing it against August and Everything After matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows off August and Everything After (1993) carries the feel of a band in a room rather than a mood-board tag, and that physicality matters in a sequence. With Counting Crows, the attraction is often attack and arrangement economy: what the band can say quickly and physically. The record earns its place through how the arrangement opens and tightens rather than through sheer mass.

Listen for

Listen for where the arrangement opens wider than the first impression suggests, especially when the rhythm section changes the floor under the lead. Notice how it hands the weight to Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) instead of crowding the next move.

02next
Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two)
Thelonious Monk
Why it fits

Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) lifts the pressure after Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows off August and Everything After (1993) without snapping the thread. Reach for it when the set needs lift, conversation between parts, and something that can move without turning blunt. It leaves I'm A Fire (Solitaire Club Mix) by Donna Summer off The Ultimate Collection: To Dance (2016) a clean lane instead of boxing the handoff in.

Track context

Hearing it against The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) works when the set needs collective motion and color instead of blunt force. Thelonious Monk makes the most sense here as an ensemble proposition: the interest is in how the parts talk to each other, not just one lead line. This one earns its space through moving parts: sections shifting roles, rhythm pushing from underneath, and an arrangement that keeps relocating the center.

Listen for

Listen for how the lead line, horns or keys, and the rhythm section keep trading weight instead of sitting in fixed roles. Notice how it hands the weight to I'm A Fire (Solitaire Club Mix) by Donna Summer off The Ultimate Collection: To Dance (2016) instead of crowding the next move.

03later
I'm A Fire (Solitaire Club Mix)
Donna Summer
Full play
Why it fits

I'm A Fire (Solitaire Club Mix) by Donna Summer off The Ultimate Collection: To Dance (2016) cools the temperature after Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) and lets the turn breathe. I'm A Fire (Solitaire Club Mix) by Donna Summer off The Ultimate Collection: To Dance (2016) earns its place when the turn needs shape, contrast, and enough detail to keep the next move honest.

Track context

Hearing it against The Ultimate Collection: To Dance matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. I'm A Fire (Solitaire Club Mix) by Donna Summer off The Ultimate Collection: To Dance (2016) earns its place when the turn needs shape, contrast, and enough detail to keep the next move honest. On The Ultimate Collection: To Dance (2016), it reads as part of a larger album world instead of a stray file in the crate. Hearing it against The Ultimate Collection: To Dance matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single.

Listen for

Listen for the point where the record suddenly feels larger than the speakers and starts changing the shape of the room.

Open saved booth copy

Mr Rassy is lining up Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964). Hearing it against The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club matters because it reads like part of an album world, not a detached single. Epistrophy (theme - Sunday set two) by Thelonious Monk off The Complete Thelonious Monk At The It Club (1964) lifts the pressure after Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows off August and Everything After (1993) without snapping the thread. The transition is earning its place instead of skating by on vibe. The request line is whispering "I need a dusky slow-burn lane with warm low end tonight.".