New Mix – Live At Fortune Sound Vancouver

Here’s the recording of my live set from Happy Ending Fridays at Fortune Sound in Vancouver. It’s a pretty fun mix if I do say so myself! The guys at Fortune have a great thing going, and the premise of their Happy Ending party is kind this free-flowing thing musically. Basically all over the map from dance music, rap music, classics and shit like that. So this mix is really all sorts of crazy shit and fun party music. I love live mixes, but I always think that they never quite do justice in capturing the energy and essence of the live experience. Like man, “This sounds good, but boy you should have BEEN there…” Well, since I’m going to be back there in April, hopefully you will be. And special thanks to DJ Marvel from The Freshest crew for holding me down on this one as well. Okay, enjoy!

Cosmo Baker & DJ Marvel “Live At Happy Ending Fridays, Fortune Sound Vancouver”

A Prince Show Changed My Life

Last night me and wifey went to see Prince at Madison Square Garden. Obviously you know we had a tremendous time. Now I had never been to The Garden before and this seemed to be the perfect excuse. Plus, believe it or not, I had never seen Prince before. He was at the very very very top of the list of people that I had to see perform in this lifetime. Like the number one spot. Of all the BIG TIME acts that I could think of, he’s #1. Even within the holy trinity of Michael (whom I never will see live,) Stevie (whom I hope to witness one day) and Prince, The Artist comes in first pretty much no contest. Now I have always been told that his live shows are ridiculous and electric but I truly had no idea what I was in store for. The. Greatest. Live. Performance. I. Have. Ever. Seen. Bar. None. I mean the show itself, the energy, the crowd, the musicianship, the sheer STAR POWER of the dude, not to mention the absolutely crazy selection. It was like bomb after bomb after bomb. We just couldn’t sit down. Peep the setlist:

Kiss / Take Me With U / AnotherLoverHoleInYoHead / Shhhhh / Controversy / Musicology / Which Way Is Up (Stargard Cover) / Controversy / Raspberry Beret / Cream / Cool (The Time cover) / Let’s Work / U Got the Look / Arms Of The Angels (Sarah McLachlan cover) / I Love U, but I Don’t Trust U Anymore / She’s Always in My Hair / Welcome 2 America / Purple Rain

Encore:
A Love Bizarre (Sheila E. cover) feat. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings / If I Was Your Girlfriend / Insatiable / Scandalous / Adore

Encore 2:
Dance (Disco Heat) (Sylvester cover) / Baby I’m a Star

Encore 3:
Let’s Go Crazy / Delirious / 1999 / Peach

Okay, so like REALLY? What the fuck. Suffice to say, had one of the best times of my life, but it’s bigger than that. To be able to witness one of “the greats” in action filled me with such joy and humility. The man is at the top of his game, and I have NEVER ever seen a showman work as hard, and for so long during the course of a show. Truly inspiring.

This summer I’m hanging at one of my usual Wednesday night haunts, Props at LPR, and I was standing and talking with my man Akalypse while the big homie Rich Medina got busy behind the wheels. Rich then said on the microphone in his usual droll way, “So apparently Prince is gonna be in the building tonight.” ‘Lepse and I just laughed at him for making such a funny comment and continued on with our conversation when not 90 seconds later I noticed this big bodyguard standing in the shadows right at the wall and, well I couldn’t make out who he was standing in front of but it was someone… And just like that, Prince walked right passed us waving and said “Hey fellas!” He then walked right up to Rich, gave him a pound and whispered something in his ear. I was dumbstruck. Wait, where am I? What is happening? And just like that – poof! He was gone. Thankfully my man Rameen Gasery caught the brief moment on film… Thankfully Rich is obscuring the absolutely dumbstruck look I have on my face in the photo.

I’m ending this post with some music, so as to keep this relevant. Here’s my remix of Prince’s “Sign O’ The Times” that was included on the very first The Rub – It’s The Motherfucking Remix CD. This was a routine that I used to do going back to like 1997 on my Ron G shit. Up in the club getting my live blend on, simple and effective. When we made the ITMFR CD I just boom – banged out this blend real quick with 2 turntables. Works well in the club, and always been a sureshot. But the O.G. is just so good. I mean come on…

It’s silly, no? When the rocket ship explodes, and everybody still wants to fly. Some say a man ain’t happy unless a man truly dies, oh why? Prince, man… I mean for real. Greatest of all time. Feel funny saying that dude. Obviously James you know. But PRINCE. Yeah dudes. That’s easy.

Prince “Sign ‘O’ The Times” (Cosmo Baker Remix) (The Rub, 2005)

8th Wonder James Brown Tribute At LPR – New York, NY 1/22/11

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011
Hot Peas & Butta Present
Eight Wonder – The James Brown Tribute Party
Featuring the mighty three
Cosmo Baker
Amir
& Skeme Richards
Playing noting but James Brown & Family joints all night. We’re gonna have a funky good time…
@ Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. – New York, NY

Breakbeat Tuesday – For Friends And Stars

I’m finally back home after what was a very short, yet breakneck paced trip out west to play at some of my favorite places in the world. First and foremost, I want to thank my friends in Calgary, a second home to me by now. The Smalltown DJs, Pete & Mike, who are the guys behind the Hi Fi Club out there are some of the finest individuals I have ever known. Unfortunately his time around Mike was away so it was just Pete holding down the fort. But he is an incredible human being, and I truly consider him my brother. Also shout to the incomparable DJ Pump, who is one of the best by far, and a comrade in the funk with me. Sarmad, Mandeep, Ford, all my peoples. And to the people of Calgary and the denizens of the Hi Fi Club – since 2005 I’ve played there at least 10 times, if not more. But the energy and the love and the showing that you gave to me was far beyond anything I could have expected. The show far exceeded anything I could have imagined it could have been. Thank you.

In Vancouver, I can’t express enough what it means to be able to come into a completely packed house and to be given the opportunity and free range to “do me” – and that’s exactly what the good folks at Fortune Sound do. GMAN, Rob Rizk, Ere’n, in this business it’s few and far between that you encounter people who run clubs and do shows that actually “get it” from the artists perspective. The folks are Fortune are absolutely top notch, and it means a lot to be able to work with folks like this. They have an incredible thing going there, and for the record the club itself is without question one of the best “rooms” in North America. Also thanks to DJ Marvel, Brendan Butter, and the entire Vancouver massive who came out to see me. It was beyond expectation, and truly humbling for the love that you showed. Hopefully we can recreate it in April – as this trip was the first in my quarterly residency at Fortune Sound. So I will see you in 3 months or so!

Seattle – what can I say? I’ve been there many times, and played many places, but the response and the reaction to the show was staggering. HG Lodge (formerly known as War Room) is a place that I’ve played often enough, but never to the level that it was on Saturday. You guys braved the freezing rain and flocked in droves to see the show, and I am so grateful for the love that you spread with me. Thank you to Marcus, to Alan, to DJ Hyro, to Omid… To the people of the people of Seattle. And to those friends that traveled far to spend the short amount of time with me, to see me do what I do, I am grateful, happy, and speechless…

And to return to my home, Brooklyn, flying over 3,000 for hours on end, and to touch down and go immediately to the venue, get on stage, and rock with you… It’s as if all the pieces fit. Everything fell into place. And that was what it was like at Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday. My extended BK fam, everyone showing love, and spreading joy, as we did what we did. And for the people that I could share it with – Ayres, Eleven, Tamir, Pyramid, Greg Nice, Herbert Holler, Cosi, Marc Smooth – a job well done, gentlemen! You are all top of your game, and it is a pleasure and an honor to both work with you professionally, and to know you personally.

You know, for the Breakbeat Tuesdays my M.O. is to do the knowledge about the music and spread some jewels. I’m just not there today, I’m somewhere else. I can’t express enough what this all means to me, as a man, and as an artist, to have been given what it is that I have. To have been given the opportunity to do what I do, to do it well, to be able to make a healthy living off of it, and to do it on my own terms and without compromise – there is no words that can explain how that feels. And I’m able to share that with the world. And for that I am thankful. And to my friends, to the people that I encounter, and to the massive amount of good and incredibly talented people that somehow I have been blessed to be surrounded by. I don’t know what I have done to deserve this, but I understand the power of it. And I am grateful.

They say that the signs of the stars in the sky have changed. That the Zodiac has shifted. That the whole universe is in flux. I don’t know about that, for it still looks the same to me when I stare up into the night sky. But it does feel different down here, as if the heavens have fallen to earth and now we can all walk amongst the galaxies, all of us friends together, walking out into the never ending vast that is where we are, right “here.” And for that, I am grateful, and happy, and thankful. Here’s to our friends.

Aquarian Dream “Friends” (Elektra, 1978)