Class reunion
Hit house remixer joins forces with the lost legend who inspired him.By John Dugan
“Fallen Heroes: The Resurrection” which takes place Wednesday 22, sounds like a straight-to-DVD action flick, but it’s actually a lesson in Chicago’s prehouse club history. In the early ’80s, you might have seen three characters at the Gold Coast nightclub Dingbat’s, now O’Toole’s pub: Mr. T was the bouncer, Michael Ezebukwu was the DJ, and a teenage Vince Lawrence was talking his way in. On Thanksgiving Eve at Four, Ezebukwu—who’s been missing in action for years—spins with Lawrence, Ron Trent, Jevon Jackson and Brian Bai-EE. The event pays tribute to Ezebukwu, a contemporary of greats Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles. We tracked down these local legends—Lawrence in the studio and Ezebukwu by phone—and got some perspective on the reunion.
The legend is even older than house music. Ezebukwu took his first residency in June of ’77 at Private Sculpture Room at 64th Street and King Drive. “Disco was at its peak,” he says, “but for us it was just dance music; a lot of it was R&B based. We played a wider range of music back then. People would come out four and five times a week.” More residencies followed for him at the Jeffrey Pub, Dingbat’s, Larays and the Club House. He became known for his aggressive style and was often spinning seven nights a week but “just squeaking by” with the rent.
Ezebukwu is known for his humility. “He never felt the need to run his talent up a flagpole to see how many folks would salute it,” Knuckles says of the DJ. But he gigged hard, took only a couple months off from deejaying between ’77 and Christmas of ’99, and hasn’t really played since. He quit to care for his Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother, eventually moving in 2002 to Florida, where she was in a nursing home. Since her passing, he’s been “regrouping,” and has returned to the South Side.
Ezebukwu is sly about what he might play at Four next week, but it won’t be a classics set. “Most of the guys now have raided the barrel. They come up with old stuff that can make me shake my head,” he says. “I’m trying to bring some material that may have been overlooked recently.”
While Ezebukwu was busy in the clubs, the young Lawrence went on to work on house milestones such as “Virgo Tracks” with Marshall Jefferson and “Love Can’t Turn Around,” co-written with Farley Jackmaster Funk and Jesse Saunders. “I was actually the resident lyricist for Farley and Jesse back in the day,” Lawrence remembers. “I wrote all the lyrics, mostly about one girl who wouldn’t date me.” Today, at his Slang Musicgroup in West Town, he runs a 24/7 music factory with pianist-bassist Frayne Lewis (son of Ramsey Lewis), engineer Brian Gaynor and project developer Eric Sheinkop.
Lawrence’s dream—to make dance music popular—has in some ways become a reality. His remix of John Legend’s recent single, “Save Room,” is getting some heat. Slang also does some ghost production on tracks for time-strapped dance producers. “I can’t talk about the specifics,” he says, “but when I see that hot couple shaking it at three o’ clock in the morning, I’m happy.”
Slang has become a one-stop for radio artists needing a club advantage. “We were working on Beyoncé yesterday,” Lawrence says. “Can we say that?” Lewis asks. “Yeah!” Lawrence says before rattling off a list of upcoming projects: remixes for Lupe Fiasco, Blue Note Records, R. Kelly, Amerie; and a Slang compilation that features a lead-off track credited to “Slang Musicgroup featuring the Artist Unknown” who sounds a lot like Michael Jackson. Slang is also developing its own rap and pop artists. The hustle goes beyond music. Lawrence—whose tipple is Red Bull—is launching French Champagne brand Cattier in the States.
Lawrence says Ezebukwu’s style inspired debauchery and good times that cut across racial lines. Lucky for us, Ezebukwu’s return to the DJ booth is more than a one-off. “It’s a passion,” he says. “I always figured it would reawaken in me. Music brings about a focus and when your focus is lost, everything else kinda falls apart.”
“Fallen Heroes: The Resurrection” takes place Wednesday 22 at Four.
Originally posted here:
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/clubs/17804/class-reunion
