Good midweek Flea Market Funk Family. I have a special treat for you this Wednesday. I got a little treat in the Post today, and when I opened it up, it was a copy of my buddy DJ Andy Smith’s new mix cd: Diggin’ In the BGP Vaults. Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with Mr. Smith, here’s your opportunity to get very familiar. Not only is Andy a talented DJ, producer, and new father, he is also a fellow digger who has some deep crates. Gaining notoriety as Portishead’s touring DJ, opening their shows with mind blowing eclectic sets, he has rose to a household name with his Document Mix series, Northern Soul Mixes, plus the fantastic residences he has done throughout the world. I had followed him and been a fan from those early years. Our paths crossed over the internet a few years ago, and last year I took him to the Spot. Not only did we strike gold that day, but I found out what a good bloke Andy really is. A humble guy, Andy had the same attitude as me when it came to discovering and sharing music, new or old. It has to get out there somehow, and we both have followed the same rule by offering up mixes to download for free on both of our sites. Music is meant to be heard, and not squirreled away like some acorns for the winter. The good people over at BGP let Andy have free reign over the vaults, and he came up with a scorcher of a mix.

BGP started 21 years ago when Gilles Peterson and Baz Fe Jazz launched their label BGP fronting for Ace Records. The label has passed hands from those two to Russ Dewbury and finally to Dean Rudland. You can read more about BGP’s history and details on the Ace Records site. Says Rudland: “My idea was to let him chose from BGPs long archive of funk and soul, jazz and other sorts of grooves and create the sort of mix for which he is rightly famous. When he delivered we were far from disappointed. He has used this opportunity to great effect cutting up classic breaks such as Dyke and the Blazers ‘Let A Woman Be A Woman…’ and Pucho’s ‘Smoking At Tiffany’s’,as well as BGP discoveries such as Billy Garner’s ‘Brand New Girl’ and the Billy Hawks groove that started the whole thing off.” I couldn’t agree more. I’m excited about this mix, and it’s a great example of what Andy can do live in a club setting. Let’s hope I get him over here next year to do it in Asbury Park. You can find out more about DJ Andy Smith on his website, and also BGP Records as well at their niche in cyber space. Many thanks to Andy for passing this great mix along and Happy 21st Birthday to the crew over at BGP. Keep an ear out for me dropping a vocal in the beginning.

Support DJ Andy Smith and BGP Records. You can purchase it here and for the US fans from Dusty Groove.

Here’s a pic of Andy and I getting some great Cold Chillin’ 45’s when he was in the States:

Keep Diggin’!