Bohemian Birthday: J*Davey, Musinah and the Chocolate City

T he Bohemian Caverns has been a staple of Washington DC's hip hop scene and jazz scene since its recent ressurection in the nineties. At 11th&U st. NW, the Caverns boasts live jazz--with special performances whenever they rake them in. Local acts and local cats of all shapes and shades collectively vibe on Thursdays nights; the party is kept jumpin by the stylings of by Sound of the City, a collection of DC native musicians who fuse jazz, gogo, soul and turntablism with live instruments. Biscuit Bynum was all over the drums and emceed with a go go swag;

It felt like he was hosting a live recording of your favorite mixtape. Definitely the most poppin cave I've ever stepped in to.

This particular week, Thursday June 5th, was a tribute to soul-psychedelic hip hop, and featured a power duo:

Muhsinah was in the house, showing prowess on the korg and ethereal vocals--some funky futuristic spirit of Duke Ellington. He woulda definitely been in the building clappin it up for the Golden Girl and her boy Slimcat 78 on the live MPC. The other featured artist, J*Davey, and rose to take center stage. She was bad, Shia'ar-Empire-mohawk bad---while Brook D'leau, keyboardist, maintained the synth. This is when soul songstress meets 32-bit new wave meets femcee, producing a sort of hip-hop unbound from the restrictive cadences of house, techno, or 16 bar flows. Not that they're trying to be deliberately genre-busting, anyway.

You remember those times when hip hop put you in a trance? This was one of those funky little times your body seems to move all on its own.

The birthday martinis in my system kept the reporter in me at bay, this time, i must admit, but the photographer could still find the shutter.


more olives...thats the secret.

--J