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Todays QA is with George Calle, former NYC Radio host and artist who has worked with some absolute legends.
What was the first thing that attracted you to the world of music?
As long as I can remember, I was attracted to music. I had 4 older siblings and each one had a different genre they listened to. The oldest was a Carpenters/Beach Boys playlist, the next brother was in a band and big on Santana and the Cornelius Brothers, the next brother was the disco guy-Musique/Chic/Donna Summer/Barry White and my sister was all Donny Osmond and Leo Sayer. My mom had a huge Latin Pop collection as did my Aunt. Rafael/Sandro/Nelson Ned/Julio Iglesias. My dad had old records from Cuba. Perez Prado/Benny More…a plethora of Cuban flute music.
As far as I can remember and long before I even has a name for it or even knew it was a thing, I wanted to be a DJ.
Do you remember any album or concert that has changed everything?
I think Chic Le Freak changed everything. I think the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack changed everything.
Since you got into this professionally, what helped you the most to grow?
I am a firm believer that live performances really teach you the most. DJing live will give you a great sense of how good you are or are not just by virtue of the crowd response. In music production nothing can replace the raw truth you get from playing a song you made and have been intimately attached to a person whose musical knowledge you respect. They don’t even need to speak. By virtue of playing the production in front of this other person, every slight error is blatantly clear. Hard to achieve by yourself in a studio.
How is the music scene in your city?
New York City itself hasn’t been very vibrant for at least 15 or more years. Brooklyn has some really great international talent play there but I think it’s much less common to have huge nights with local talent. In New Jersey right next door where I ran 10 years of weekly residencies 3-5 nights a week unfortunately has been really focused on an older format of music. The land where time stood still for the most part. A childhood friend of mine is turning things around as a promoter there now. He’s had Tiesto, Aoki, Oscar G and John Summit during the pandemic. E-Rock Entertainment is definitely a ray of hope as are a bunch of my old dj buddies who are playing current playlists.
What are your favorite places to hang out in the city?
I used to love spending a couple of days a week vinyl record shopping. It was such a community. I’m pretty much doing the hermit studio thing nowadays. It’s become a really lonely way of life. No face to face forums. It’s like a Judge Dred World.
Have you had time to focus on making music, spending time with your family, or planning future projects during this past year of lockdowns?
Music and family everyday all day!
How was this album project born?
It was my way of escaping the constant ambulances and freezer morgue trailers. My neighborhood in the Bronx was ground zero. Really dark times. The music, as it has always been, was my sanity -my escape.
What is the concept behind it?
Every song on the LP is a song that means something to me. Songs that made an impact on me long ago and that I wanted to pay homage to by producing proper modern versions.
As for your studio, what is your setup currently made of?
I have a really small set up. Ableton/a Maschine midi controller/a korg midi keyboard. That’s it.
What's the one bit of kit you'll never get rid of, no matter what?
I’ll never say never. I’ve gone through 4 DAWs, outboard gear, software gear…I guess if I had to keep one thing it would be my Nexus synth.
What would you say is the definition of your sound?
Eclectic with a Latin Disco twist and touch of jazzy house.
What was the last record store you visited and what did you get out there?
This question really strikes hard. I miss every record store I’ve ever shopped at sooooo much! Those were the happiest places on Earth. I don’t remember the last time and to be honest I don’t want to for fear of sinking into a huge depression. But a line from a great movie ‘the Sandlot’ comes to mind. Roughly, on any given dat you never know that day will be the last time you see that place or do that activity. I miss the record stores more than I could ever explain. I think the day VinylMania in Manhattan closed was probably the saddest. Also the day I found out my good friend and all of around house music angel Judy Russell from Downtown 161 passed away.
The thought of record stores is just about one of the saddest things I could imagine lingering on.
One thought to leave with our readers?
I hope my LP takes you on a mental journey through 30-40 years of music that continues to make me “feel”. We need music today that makes you “feel”. I hope this does that for you.
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INSTAGRAM: HENRYSTREETMUSIC
FACEBOOK: HENRYSTREETMUSIC
WEB: HENRYSTREETMUSIC.COM