We're fast approaching the 20th party at Hudson and showing no signs of slowing down - quite the opposite actually. Big thanks to everyone who made it uptown for Pete Rock last night. It was incredible. Next up is Jellybean Benitez, a disco king back in the eighties and recent inductee into the 2005 Dance Music Hall of Fame. He's remixed Whitney Houston, Jocelyn Brown, Patti Austin, George Benson, Shalamar, Hall & Oates, Billy Joel, Pointer Sisters, Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson's...

Nikka Costa, along with her tight accompanying band, put on a serious performance last night. She sang "Can't Please Everybody" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and somehow turned the same old late night talk show into a wild and soulful party. Nikka Costa on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Tonight, Nikka Costa will be the musical guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She'll be performing "Can't Please Everybody" from her album Pebble to a Pearl , to be released October 14th. Set your recording devices; you don't want to miss it.

Released last Tuesday Sept 23rd on OM Records, San Francisco resident and world-renowned DJ/producer J-Boogie's sophomore album Soul Vibrations spans his 15-year career through dub, soul, hip-hop, reggae, funk, Latin, afro-beat, bhangra, dancehall, disco, electro and house. On the album, his new Dubtronic Science band features a horn section, Latin percussionists and MC's, and like his debut, Soul Vibrations includes an impressive line up of artists, including Lyrics Born,...

On the success of the biweekly Monday night parties at Hudson in NYC, Giant Step expands to the West Coast for a new series in San Francisco, beginning October 13th. Nickodemus of the Turntables On The Hudson will be the first of 6 DJ's to play at the Clift Hotel's Redwood Room Bar in SF next month. More Info Concurrently, the live sessions at The Florida Room in Miami continue to thrive with a performance by soul singer Nikka Costa on...

I recently went back to Boston for a truly mystifying experience: my middle school reunion. Unlike high school or college reunions, it's too long ago for grudges or festering sexual tension to result in a truly glorious Ricki Lake moment. Instead, I was peering at people who I last saw eating glue and making macaroni art talk about diversifying their portfolio. The Capri Suns and knee scratches have been replaced by...

Giant Step and Turntables On The Hudson present the excellent Mr. Scruff at Love on October 22nd. The consummate DJ, producer, cartoonist & tea drinker out of Manchester, UK is world-renowned for playing across the board: Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Jazz, Reggae, Latin, African, Ska, Disco, House, Funk, Breaks, Soundtracks & loads more. With a new album, Ninja Tuna , dropping in the same month on a new imprint - a joint collab of the same name between Ninja Tune and the man like Scruff -...

Norman Jesse Whitfield, an architect of the Motown sound, died yesterday from diabetes, among other complications. When the Harlem, New York native moved to Detroit with his family at the age of 19, he joined the Hitsville USA team as part of the quality control department. Learning quickly, Whitfield began to produce records he had written, discovering pop success in Smokey Robinson's "Ain't Too Proud To Beg." For a solid block of 8 years from 1966 to 1974, he produced nearly all of...

New York Fashion Week is like a flu virus: most people are affected and the city is overrun with lots of sickly-looking people pretending they're extra fabulous. But, it's an NYC rite of passage and like all stupid traditions you have to do it once. I have one of those freakishly put-together friends who just mounted her first fashion show for the Spring 2009 collection of Harlan Bel . Underfed waifs stalked down the runway to the startlingly cool sounds of...

Chambao's fourth album Con Otre Aire has proven to be fruitful for the internationally-renowned Spanish band, who has garnered 2 Latin Grammy nominations for Best Alternative Song in "Papeles Majodos" and Producer of the Year for the album. Con Otre Aire brought together Mexican group Camila and two huge Flamenco stars: Estrella Morente and Enrique Morente for a fresher ethnic sound than the band's previous works. A live telecast of the awards will be shown on Univision in...