The Beats Between The Sheets

So I was driving home today from celebrating Mother's Day in the near-Santa Cruz city of Aptos, CA where my Aunt/Uncle live and the timing couldn't have been any more perfect. The sun was setting over the horizon, the cars on the 17 highway were perfectly spaced out and going with the flow of traffic, the itus was taken hold of my body from the large helpings of food available earlier in the day, and KMEL was just barely audible on the radio - but just enough to enjoy the Sunday night programming of Dr. Joe Marshall's Street Soldiers (amazing) followed by the obligatory session of smooth R&B flavor, better known as 'between the sheets' on various radio stations from KISS to KMEL. Aptly named after the Isley Brothers song of the same title, this several hours of evening programming has always held a special place in my heart since my early years of minimum-wage jobs via the swing shift (usually 3pm to 11pm). I was seventeen and working at the local Starbuck's chain, switching positions between that of the drive-thru and doing the many, many piles of dishes awaiting me in the back. And it was here that I first fell in love with 106.1 KMEL. The beginning of my shift would start with the standard Top 40 playlists but then switched midway to Big Von's show, where the larger than life DJ/radio personality would talk of various upcoming shows, promotions, and bring up intriguing topics of conversation ranging from crack babies and the related list of past songs available, to local politicians actions at the time... just shooting the shit with his co-workers to a soundtrack of quality underground hip-hop. My eyes and ears were truly opened around this time thanks somewhat in part to Big Von, and after he went off-air, I too did so for my day's shift would end, and the ride home began. And what a ride it was. It became a nightly tradition to roll up a swisher of Cali's finest, put my foot to the pedal, finger to the dial, and start my ride home as the moon carried over head. Before then I looked at R&B, Soul, whatever with female exclusivity. This was not a overtly zealous underground hip-hopper's domain. But oh did I have so much to learn, about R&B, the underground hip-hop scene, etc. Now I can't go a night without my fix of those beats between the sheets. Marvin Gaye, Freddie Jackson, Keith Sweat, Luther Vandross, Mary J. and on and on and on went into my ears and never left out the other. And don't even get me started on when I connected putting on some Barry White while laying down with my woman of the moment. Ooooooh shit. But still, this post is dedicated to the slow, mellow grooves of R&B everywhere. Yes, much of it is watered-down but so is most genres of music in some form. So grab a blunt/glass of wine, whatever and lay back and relax with your significant other and just chill out. Because if it wasn't for Jodeci, Faith Evans, Jill Scott and Diana Ross - many of today's young musical talents might have never been born. And my white ass most definitely wouldn't have gotten laid.

- Eso