In 2023, the last fifth Saturday of the month fell on December 30—the day before New Year’s Eve! It was the perfect time for folks to celebrate the New Year without dealing with amateur drinkers. Some folks took advantage of that by attending Funky Kingston at the Salt Box in Kingston, NY.

Funky Kingston is the groovy new DJ night hosted by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus. It features all sorts of funky music (see list below) as well as special guest DJs. For this occasion, we were able to fly in Scott Boyko from south central Pennsylvania and he dropped some heavy, heavy funk and really righteous reggae jams. Mr. Boyko is a serious record collector and has been sharing his sounds at DJ events for more than 20 years. He once was a host of the Garden State Soul Club. Now he guests all over the place: Keystone State Soul Weekender (Lancaster, PA), Soul Finger (New York City), etc.

This particular Funky Kingston event went swingin’ly—with all sorts of friends showing up. Some friends even insisted on making this a sort of a late birthday party for Mr. Phreddie as he turned 70 two days before! 70! Wow! That means Phast Phreddie has been DJing for folks for about fifty years—since the early seventies when he worked at keg ’n’ Quaalude parties in San Pedro and Carson, California. Those were the days: trying to play records with one Garrard turntable hooked up to somebody’s guitar amplifier!!

Anyway, the Funky Kingston had folks funkin’ all over the place. The historic stone building that houses The Salt Box could barely contain the fantastic rhythms that Mr. Boyko and The Phast One were letting loose! Miss Nancy baked some pumpkin/chocolate birthday cupcakes that were devoured pretty quickly.

These Funky Kingston happenings take place on the fifth Saturday of the month, when there is one. The next one will be March 30. Start planning now to make the scene for this fabulous party.

Here’s a list of records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus at the Funky Kingston:

• Tribe–Funky Kingston (Grenade)
• The Mighty Mocambos–The Take Off–Part 1 (Mocambo; Germany)
• Burundi Stephenson Black–Burundi Black Part 1 (Vanguard)
• The Cliffs of Rhythms Band–The Boogaloo Popeye (Dit Dot)
• Linda Lyndell–What a Man (Volt)
• The Ventures–Theme From ‘Shaft’ (United Artists)
• Mongo Santamaria–Heighty Hi (United Artists)
• Montego Joe–Ouch (Prestige)
• Meditations–Babylon Trap Them (Clintones)
• Toots & the Maytals–in the Dark (Jaguar; Jamaica)
• James Brown–Ain’t That a Groove (Part 1) (King)
• The Meters–Hey Pocky A-Way (Reprise)
• Sam and the Soul Walkers–Soul Walk (Trans-American)
• Tony Mason–Groove City (RCA Victor)
• Curtis Mayfield–(Don’t Worry) If There’s A Hell Below We’re All Going to Go (Curtom)
• Jimmy Cliff–Guns of Brixton (Collective Sounds; UK)
• The Beat–Hands Off… She’s MIne (Go-Feet; UK)
• Eddie Lovette–Boomerang (Steady)
• Betty Wright–Shoorah! Shoorah! (Alston)
• Barbara Lynn–You Make Me So Hot (Atlantic)
• Count Rockin’ Sidney–Back Door Man (Bold)
• Harvey (formerly of The Moonglows)–Any Way You Wanta (Tri-Phi)
• The Lancers–Doing the Snatch (Blue Rock)
• The Maytals–One Eye Enos (Summit; UK)
• Dennis Brown–Rock With Me Baby (Observer; Jamaica)
• Sly & the Family Stone–If You Want Me to Stay (Epic)
• Ohio Players–Love Rollercoaster (Mercury)
• Della Reese–It Was a Very Good Year (ABC)
• Toots–Hard to Handle (Mango; UK)
• Wganda Kenya–Tipit Hayed (Peerless; Mexico)
• Melvin Jackson–Funky Skull – Part 1 (Limelight)
• Michael Olatunji–Soul Makossa – Pt. I (Paramount)
• The Mighty Show-Stoppers–Hippy Skippy Moon Strut (Freestyle; UK)
• Bo Jr.–Coffee Pot – Pt. I (Tail-Gate)
• Maytals–Funky Kingston (Shelter)
• Gladys Knight & the Pips–Thank You (Fallettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin) (Tamla Motown; France)
• Pucho & Latin Soul Bros.–Freddie’s Dead (Zanzee)
• Funk Machine–Soul Santa – Part I (Creative Funk)
• Gil Scott-Heron–The Bottle (Strata-East; France)
• Mary Jane Hooper–I’ve Got Reasons (Power)
• Soul Brothers Six–Drive (Atlantic)
• Peter Touch and the Wailers–Shame and Scandal (Island; UK)
• Ken Parker–I Can’t Hide (Ken Parker Original; UK)
• Al Brown–Here I Am Baby (Come and Take Me) (Tit for Tat)
• James Brown–Funky Drummer (Part 1) (King)
• George Torrence & the Naturals–(Mama Come Quick and Bring Your) Lickin’ Stick (Shout)
• Etta James–Tighten Up Your Own Thing (Cadet)
• Pace-Setters–Push On Jesse Jackson (Kent)
• The Undisputed Truth–UFO’s (Gordy)
• Alvin Cash–Alvin Cash’s Tribute to Muhammad Ali: ‘Ali’ Part 1 (Midway)
• Gene Anderson–The Devil Made Me Do It (Westbound)
• Don Covay–Everything I Do Goin’ Be Funky (Atlantic)

None of these records are for sale.