DYNAGROOVE goes out with a Sh-Boom!

The Last DYNAGROOVERS!!! Nogood Nick, Gaylord Fields and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus

The Last DYNAGROOVERS!!! Nogood Nick, Gaylord Fields and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus

Teddy’s Bar & Grill is a landmark in Williamsburg living. For those of us who lived in the Northside during the Nineties, it was one of the few places where one could go for a decent meal in a comfortable environment. Thus it was with great pleasure when, during the summer of 2010, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus was asked by Roger Barr—ex owner of The Ottoman, now working for Teddy’s—to have a Wang Dang Doodle-associated DJ night there on the second Friday of the month. When it comes to Teddy’s Bar & Grill, signature events always seemed to be on Friday the 13th. The very first time a Wang Dang Doodle event was presented at Teddy’s was on Friday the 13th of August, with guest DJs The Thing With Two HeadsBazooka Joe and XTINE16. Various sonic happenings took place over the months before The DYNAGROOVE began, including an Exotic Delirium night with Charles Gaskins, a Twist-Action party with DJ Shimmy and an Astro Mambo Jungle Rhythm affair. Also, for some of the nights during these months, exotic dancer Brooklyn Babydoll pranced around as part of the entertainment.

Gaylord Fields swings at the Last DYNAGROOVE!

Gaylord Fields swings at the Last DYNAGROOVE!

On January 13, 2012, The DYNAGROOVE was ready to make the scene. The DYNAGROOVE was a concept developed in the Wang Dang Doodle laboratory that mixed mastication with music in a memorable and marvelous manner. It was simple: Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus started the evening with two hours of mod jazz, light funk, elegant mambo, afro pop, classy lounge and mid-tempo soul music as diners enjoyed the delicious food. This was followed by a guest DJ who would swing for an hour. Then The Boog returned to move the tempo up a notch or two until the place was jumping with exciting Go-Go beats.

Nogood Nick swings at the Last DYNAGROOVE!

Nogood Nick swings at the Last DYNAGROOVE!

The first DYNAGROOVE guest DJ was Girlsoul, who played sixty minutes of superb sweet soul music. Other DJs included Mr. Vacation, Ol’ Stark, One Mint Julep, Peanut Butter Brown, DJ Ratta, Friar Popwell, Selector Bunny Punch, DJ Shakey, Avi Spivak, Neal Sugarman, Greg Tormo, Carlos Tropicaza and DJ Xerox. Occasionally there was a theme, such as the Doo Wop Hop that featured Lenny Kaye, or the Blues nights that featured Mr. Fine Wine, Eli “Paperboy” Reed or Brian “Daddy Long Legs” Hurd. Sheila B was on hand for a couple all-female artists nights. Lenny Kaye and Mr. Fine Wine were also involved in all-instrumental nights (one of which was memorable for the appearance of DJ Miss Sepia Tone), and the New Orleans R&B Mardi Gras night with Mr. Fine Wine will go down in history, as it was the impetus of a famous record trade.

Two of the most popular guest DJs were Gayord Fields and Nogood Nick. These two were asked to swing on Friday the 13th of March, 2015, when The DYNAGROOVE roared for the last time. After more than 25 years of ownership, Mr. Kirby and Lady Felice are in the process of selling the restaurant. The new owners have promised to keep Teddy’s intact for the most part, but will eschew entertainment. Thus The DYNAGROOVE will be on sabbatical until we find a new place where the kids are hip.

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, as well as the Boogaloo Bag writers, would like to take this time to thank them for diggin’ the sounds that The Boog put down over all these years. For The Boog, it was a joy and an honor walking into Teddy’s every month with his box of records to set the scene for The DYNAGROOVE and the several New Year’s Eve parties that he was involved with. We are going to miss it.

However, the Last DYNAGROOVE turned out to be one of the best. How could it not, with the double dynamite fireworks of Gaylord Fields and Nogood Nick. Mr. Fields presented the provocative pop music he is so famous for. The Nogood One swung with mod jazz and sweet soul music. There were dozens of good friends on hand, and each commented on the stellar choices the guest DJs made when selecting tracks to air. Mr. Fields left about two in the morning, since he had an early wake-up call for a WFMU fund-raising event the next day. Nogood Nick and the Phast One stuck around for another 45 minutes, playing records and digging the scene for the last time. Here’s a list of the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

Still riding the high of the Last DYNAGROOVE, The Boog and the official Boogaloo Bag photographer Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner made their way to Baby’s All Right, a groovy new club where our pal Sheila B was presenting her new DJ night, Sh-Boom! with guest DJ Sampsa Vilhunen from Finland. As soon as they walked into the club, Miss Sheila insisted that The Boog go back to the car and grab his box of records and play a few for the crowded dance floor!

The Boog and Sheila B swing at Sh-Boom!

The Boog and Sheila B swing at Sh-Boom!

So, mixing records inbetween those of Sheila B and Mr. Vilhunen, Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Ominbus played these 45s:

When it was all over and everybody was finally heading home, Miss Jeannie commented, “Man, that was a fun night!” And so it was.     None of the records listed are for sale.

Instrumentally Speaking!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Mr. Fine Wine swing at the DYNAGROOVE!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Mr. Fine Wine swing at the DYNAGROOVE!

Now moving into its fourth year, The DYNAGROOVE is going strong at Teddy’s Bar & Grill. To celebrate, host DJ Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus asked one of his favorite DJs to be his guest: Mr. Fine Wine. Also, he presented the following proposition: that only instrumental recordings be played!

That’s right, the first DYNAGROOVE of 2015 was an all-instrumental affair, with Mr. Fine Wine easily able to answer the call. Mr. Fine Wine is known for his excellent collection of soul music 45s, and so, indeed, he played many soul and funk instrumentals; but he also played some cool organ grooves and some things that were rockin’ and wicked. All of it was groovy, as it should be and so it was.

As the astute Boogaloo Bag reader will certainly know, Mr. Fine Wine has been hosting a weekly soul music get-down at Botanica Bar in Manhattan for nearly 20 years. Quite possibly it is the longest-running soul music weekly in the world! Certainly it is one of the finest. Plus, he has been hosting a soul music radio show on WFMU for nearly just as long, if not longer (who can keep up with these things?). Perhaps when The Boog asked Mr. Fine Wine to guest DJ on this evening he was hoping a little Fine Wine longevity magic would rub off on him. One can only hope that in twenty years, The DYNAGROOVE will still be going strong at Teddy’s.

At any rate, the evening at hand, Friday January 9, 2015, was a fine one indeed! As everyone was waiting for Mr. Fine Wine to appear—he had to come all the way from the WFMU radio studio in Jersey City, New Jersey, since his program was presented earlier in the evening—The Boog entertained the diners and groovers with some wonderful selections, including a set of nine movie themes in a row.

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Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus inspects one of Mr. Fine Wine’s records at the DYNAGROOVE.

 

When Mr. Fine Wine made the scene, he had his box of 45s ready and went right to work.

Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

None of these records are for sale.

Non-Stop Doo Wop Hop!

Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus and Lenny Kaye goof at the Doo Wop Hop! Photo by Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner.

The DOO WOP HOP was held on Friday December 12 at Teddy’s Bar & Grill, during a DYNAGROOVE event, and it was most likely the best one yet. It featured the fabulous record playing of our pal Lenny Kaye. He and DOO WOP HOP host Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus have known each other now for exactly 40 years, having met when Lenny was guitarist with the great Patti Smith and her (at that time) trio playing at the Whisky A’ Go-Go in Hollywood in November of 1974. They have kept in touch ever since and last week they had a few laughs spinning their best Doo Wop records for some very close friends and fans and the groovy Teddy’s clientele. Lenny still plays guitar for Patti Smith, and he and The Patti Smith Group are gearing up for some holiday shows, but Mr. Kaye found time to gather a box of old 45s and make the scene at Teddy’s.

Lenny Kaye and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at the Doo Wop Hop. Photo by Nancy "Jeannie" Garnder.

Lenny Kaye and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at the Doo Wop Hop. Photo by Nancy “Jeannie” Garnder.

One of Lenny’s all time favorite songs is “I’ll Be Forever Loving You” by Jordan and the Fascinations. He played it, and also played a version of the song by a girl group, The Juliettes. The Boog played the original version by The El Dorados. Who can say which was the best, when the song is so good you couldn’t hurt it if you beat it with a stick (as our pal Doc Savage used to say all the time)! It is obvious that we will have to track down the versions by Lola Dee, The Marcels and The Bel-Aires. Are there other versions out there?

Oh, yes, it is December, so a few seasonal tunes were mixed into the fun. Santa done got hip, indeed!

All night long, fabulous group vocal after fabulous group vocal was played—then another! Is there any other music better than Doo Wop? The writers of the Boogaloo Bag think not. With any luck, the next DOO WOP HOP will take place sooner rather than later—the last one was more than two years ago.

In order to honor the great Doo Wop performers, Ruben Guevara’s wonderful Doo Wop-styled patriotic anthems were played at the beginning and at the end of the night. Here’s a list of all the songs played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus, who even snuck in a couple vocal groups from Jamaica:

 

None of these records are for sale. Roll your curser over the song titles to dig some hot links to cool jams!

Nogood Nick swings at the DYNAGROOVE!

Nogood Nick and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at the DYNAGROOVE!  (photo by Nancy "Jeannie" Gardner)

Nogood Nick and Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus swing at the DYNAGROOVE! (photo by Nancy “Jeannie” Gardner)

The DYNAGROOVE is always happy to have Nogood Nick as a guest DJ. His solid sense of swing and what’s hip is impeccable—perfect for the DYNAGROOVE Scenesters. Friday September 12 was no exception. Nogood Nick came and laid down a perfect blend of organ grooves, Mod jazz, Latin Boogaloo and smooth soul records that delighted everyone who was enjoying the all-you-can-eat Friday night fish fry at Teddy’s Bar & Grill. Indeed, several times host DJ Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus got up from his meal to inquire as to the record Nogood Nick was playing.

Nogood Nick recently returned from a vacation in Colombia, so The Boog spiced up his selections with a few cumbias—though from Mexico, Peru and Panama! Also, The Boog noted the passing of the fine reggae singer Hopeton Lewis by playing a favorite track.

At the end of the night, Nogood Nick took turns with The Boog playing funk and soul records—as well as a couple odd things. Here’s a list of all the records played by Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus:

  • Slim Gaillard et son Orchestre–Popity Pop (Pacific; France)
  • Chris Powell–Mr. Sandman (Grand)
  • Miles Davis–It Ain’t Necessarily So (Columbia)
  • The Beach Boys–The Warmth of the Sun (Capitol)
  • The Notables–Surfside (Big Top)
  • Horace Silver Quintet–Sister Sadie (Blue Note)
  • Rudy Brynac Trio–Marijana (Balkan)
  • B.B. King and his Orchestra–Night Life (ABC)
  • Chuck Berry–That’s My Desire (Chess)
  • Bunny Wailer–Dreamland (Island)
  • Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings–Money (Daptone)
  • Charles Lloyd–She’s a Woman (Columbia)
  • Fireballs–Torquay (Top Rank International)
  • The Left Banke–Walk Away Renee (Smash)
  • Johnny Lytle–The Loop (Tuba)
  • Chuz Alfred and His Combo–Caravan (Savoy)
  • Dave Van Ronk with the Red Onion Jazz Band–If I had to Do It All Over Again (Prestige)
  • Sonora en Bogata de Cesar Pompeyo–Pescao (Son Art; Mexico)
  • Hopetown Lewis–Good Together (Dynamic; UK)
  • Johnny Colon & Orchestra–Boogaloo Blues (Part I) (Cotique)
  • Benny Poole–Hi-Heel Sneakers Part I (The Cascade Sound)
  • Orchestre Zaiko Langa-Langa–Zaiko Wawawa 2 (African; France)
  • Dick Hyman–Green Onions (Command)
  • The Kinks–Apeman (Reprise)
  • Cal Tjader–Soul Bird (Tin Tin Dao) (Verve)
  • Love–Orange Skies (Elektra)
  • Los Mirlos–La Danza de los Mirlos (Dinsa; Peru)
  • Byron Lee & the Dragonaires–Soul Serenade (Duke; UK)
  • Lonnie Smith–Think (Blue Note)
  • Le Grand Mellon–Summertime (Columbia)
  • Jessie Powell–Cool (Tru-Sound)
  • Bop-A-Loos–Bongo Mambo (Mercury)
  • Manfred Mann–My Little Red Book (Ascot)
  • Claus Ogerman and His Orchestra–Watusi Trumpets (RCA Victor)
  • Bana–Desobriga (Philips; Portugal)
  • Fernandito Villalona y su Orq.–Tabaco y Ron (Prodim; Panama)
  • Buddy Morrow–Needles and Pins (Epic)
  • The Hollywood Persuaders–Eve of Destruction (Original Sound)
  • Sonny–Laugh at Me (Atco)
  • Marty Gold and His Orchestra–A Hard Day’s Night (RCA Victor)
  • Maori Hi-Five–Putti Putti (Vee Jay)
  • Miss Toni Fisher–The Big Hurt (Signet)
  • Bill Black’s Combo–The Funky Train (Columbia)
  • The Tornados–Life on Venus (Decca; UK)
  • Leon Haywood–Ain’t No Use (Fish)
  • Ted Taylor–River’s Invitation (Atco)
  • Ramsey Lewis–Dancing in the Street (Cadet)
  • Jimmy Nolen–Swingin’ Peter Gun – 1 (Fidelity)
  • Terry and the Chain Reaction–Keep Your Cool (United Artists)
  • Ben E. King–The Record (Baby I Love You) (Atco)
  • Jimmy Jones–39-21-40 Shape (Bell)
  • Richard Anthony–I Don’t Know What to Do (Columbia; France)
  • Brenda Lee–Is It True (Decca)
  • The Blue Orchids–I’ve Got That Feeling (London)
  • The Hollies–If I Needed Someone (Parlophone; Netherlands)
  • Skip Battyn–She Acts Like We Never Have Met (Groove)
  • Lulu–Morning Dew (Epic)
  • Ann Peebles–Somebody’s on Your Case (Hi)
  • The Willy Cole–Right On (Phil-L.A.)
  • Lloyd Price–Little Volcano (Turntable)
  • T.S.U. Toronados–Nothing Can Stop Me (Ovide)
  • The Supremes–Everything Is Good About You (Motown)
  • Red Prysock–I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Chess)
  • Hugo Montenegro–Theme From The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (RCA Victor)
  • Tommy James and the Shondells–Out of the Blue (Roulette)
  • Johnny Rivers–Blue Skies (Chancellor)
  • Vincent Bell–Eleanor Rigby (Decca)
  • The Beatles–I Feel Fine (Parlophone; UK)
  • The Pickwicks–I Took My Baby Home (Warner Bros.)
  • Perez Prado and his Orchestra–Mambo No. 5 (RCA Victor)
  • Doug Fowlkes and the Airdales – vocal: Rocker Roberts–Hit the Road Jack (Barclay; France)
  • Baby Washington–Work Out (Neptune)
  • Dee Dee Sharpe–You’re Just a Fool in Love (Atco)
  • Jimmy Brown–Chain of Fools (A-Bet)
  • Truman Thomas–Respect (Veep)
  • Little Walter Hammond–We Go Together, Yes We Do (Duo Disc)
  • Smoke–Choose It (Part I) (Uni)
  • The Poets–Devil’s Den (Part 1) (Try Me)
  • Bob and Earl–Harlem Shuffle (Marc)
  • James Brown presents His Band–Hold It (King)
  • The First Edition–Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) (Reprise)
  • The Shirelles–Love Is a Swingin’ Thing (Scepter)
  • Donald Byrd–Black Byrd (Blue Note)
  • Sharon Jones–You Better Think Twice (Desco)
  • Alvin Cash & the Crawlers–Twine Time (Mar-V-Lus)
  • Candy & the Kisses–The Last Time (Scepter)
  • Buddy Rich–Sister Sadie (Pacific Jazz)
  • Clarence Wheeler & the Enforcers–Hey Jude (Atlantic)

 

None of these records are for sale.