Darryn Jones Presents Chi-Town ‎– Willing & Able EP

  • Serious edit business from Chicago.
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  • Though Willing & Able is Darryn Jones' first solo release, the EP's three tracks are of a piece with the original concepts behind Chicago house. Take the B2, "Gibberish," for instance. Here, Jones combines the nasty groove of Liaisons Dangereuses' "Avant-Après Mars"—a record that's been making Chicago heads flip for decades—with some animated chat. Dig a little deeper and you'll discover that it's a version of Mighty Science's "The Lesson," a record by fellow Chicago DJ Doc Brucio. It's a throwback to the heady beginnings of Chicago house in the Southside and West Side of Chicago, when DJs had personal versions of tracks like "Video Clash" for their own parties. Though I'm not familiar with Darryn Jones' backstory, it's evident that he's a part of a clique of Chicago artists, including Tone B. Nimble, Jamie 3:26 and Rahaan, who combine the legendary edit tradition of Ron Hardy with the Windy City's rare record culture, cultivated by shops like Mark Grusane's erstwhile Peabody's Records, Dusty Groove and the shops that still dot the Southside. As such, I have no idea what obscure disco record Jones is touching up on the A-side, "Willing & Able," I just know it's massive. Barreling string and horn arrangements are matched only by the singer's soaring vocals. The breakdown at around three minutes will have dancers cheering rapturously, in due time.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Willing & Able (Edit) B1 Revolution B2 Gibberish feat. Doc Brucio
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