DJ Passé will spin you right ‘round, baby, right ‘round
Even with our technological advances since its original publication, “around the world in eighty days” is still a hefty claim. A little less of a strain, but nevertheless just as exciting, is joining DJ Passé for “Around The World in 80 Plays”, a Jazzanooga event coming up this Wednesday.
DJ Passé, the artist also known as Lon Eldridge, makes his name as a vintage deejay. Everyone’s familiar with the two-record-turntable DJ look, but Passé takes it even further, playing 78rpms on antique wind-up gramophones. His music matches his aesthetic: DJ Passé spins solely from the 78rpm era, between 1898 and 1956. He specializes in swing, blues, hot jazz, bop, ragtime, pre-jazz dance, and novelty recordings, among several others.
At “Around the World in 80 Plays”, DJ Passé will dig through his expansive collection to bring you antique recordings spanning 24,901 miles and 24 countries, all played on a stunning 1905 Victor V-2 external horn gramophone (just like the ones you’ve seen in old photos) and a c. 1925-30 HMV Model 103, for both your entertainment and for the sake of authenticity. As if that isn’t impressive enough, the ocular journey will take only two hours. Take that, Phineas Fogg.
And where better to host this journey than our very own Jazzanooga, a citywide celebration of the genre and a festive platform for diverse communities to come together in celebration of Chattanooga’s jazz heritage? DJ Passé and his antique wonders will feel right at home, and by extension, so will you.