House Of Vibe : Wed Night Leo Party TONIGHT!!

The House Of Vibe AllStars is a collective of players, singers and rappers who get together every Wednesday night to stir souls and kick out the jams. Not all at once of course, but a night with HOVAS is like a cool party. It starts mellow but ends up a full-out bash. You never know who's gonna drop by!!

Anthony Brewster

Shaunte and Sebastian

Cecilia Noel

Brew

Kris Hawkins

Greg Raymond

Amy Lou

Myka 9

Chali 2na and LaidLaw

Deploi

It's funk, it's hip-hop, it's soul and r&b. There's nothing like it anywhere else. Every Wednesday, Brew and the crew get down like it's the last day on earth.
Like it's 1999.
It must be experienced to be understood.
A HOVAS show is like surfing a giant wave on an inflatable ass. It's like getting yelled at for playing your drums too loud - and not caring. It's like winning at chess and selling the most candy bars. It's impossible not to have a memorable time.

House Of Vibe & Chali 2na : Makin' Hip-Hop History

 The early '90s was a great time in rap music on the West coast, specifically L.A. and even more specifically the corner of Crenshaw & Exposition; a place called The Good Life Café. This mecca of creativity and it's new-school patrons took an academic approach to re-drawing hip-hop's architecture. In a wholly supportive atmosphere, The Good Life provided nourishment, not just for the body, but for the mind and soul as well, hosting workshops and open mics as a regular part of the curriculum; blatantly moving away from the gangsta posturing, misogyny, and other damaging stereotypes that had really thus far defined the West's rap game.

Deploi 

Kris Hawkins plays the guitar while Brew toasts on the m-i-c.

Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 and Myka-9 of Freestyle Fellowship were 2 of the scenes most active members. Last week at House Of Vibe's Westside Wednesday, they were re-united. With Chali firmly in control as the session's MC, he kept this 3-ring hip-hop circus moving as the video below clearly shows. As for the others involved - here's a very brief accounting; Ellay Khule (aka The Rifleman) is one of the original "lifers" who still use the original fast wordy style. J-Smoov and St. Mark were in a crew called 3 The Hard Way until J-Smoov went solo and St. Mark started Dark Leaf. Laidlaw (upper left corner) is Chali's brother, Deploi, Anon and Freewill are part of House Of Vibe / Westside Tribe. Freewill is also part of The Luminous Movement.

The video above is of House Of Vibe's performances of :

1-Welcome To The Fish Market (Chali 2na)

appearing on the mic in order is Chali 2na, Chali's brother Laidlaw, J-Smoov, HOV's Deploi, Freestyle Fellowship's Myka 9, Anon the inspirational MC, St. Mark, and Ellay Khule.

2-Mass Appeal (Gangstarr)/The Next Movement (The Roots)

Chali 2na, Laidlaw & FreeWill.

House Of Vibe Allstars - in this particular session were Anthony Brewster aka Brew (v, k), Greg Raymond (k), Corey Cofield (b), Deploi (rap), FreeWill (rap), Amy Lou (perc), Kris Hawkins (g), Shaunte Palmer (trombone), Sebastian Legar (trumpet), Jamon Laws (sax) and Walter Turner III (d)

House Of Vibe get down like this every Wednesday - only at Harvelle's in Santa Monica.

Dessy DiLauro : Jumpin' & Jivin'

Dessy DiLauro does it right! Bringin' her amazing voice and compelling material, she gets the party started and represents as an extended part of (long running Wednesday night residents) House Of Vibe Allstars! Chea!!

As a first-class singer, Dessy colors her own shade of neo-soul, and doesn't shy away from the sonic power her voice possesses! Her behind-the-scenes partner, Ric'key Pageot is a songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist/ programmer/ producer. He is nothing less than a genius of a musician who gives as dazzling a display of keyboard wizardry as Dessy does on vocals.

Just released is Jump N' Jivin' - Live at The Swing House [Buy it here!] This 7 song CD, captures Dessy at her best - in a live setting. Ric'key and the band's playing is sparkling and fresh and reminds me of the best of 70s and 80s funk/R&B. They add their own ingredients - mixing in ragtime, disco, breakbeats and classic pop songwriting hooks that equal as satisfying and original a collection as I've heard all year!

They'll be performing this Wednesday BEFORE House Of Vibe! Come early (8:30 pm) and check 'em out! [Dessy's Website]

Special welcome back shout-out to Brew, Fish & Corey!

Happy Birthday Guy Harrington!

HOV : The Tony Tarasco Roast

You're big - you bad - you brag - you boast—

but tonight we get-in' that azz—

Cuz it's the Tony Tarasco Roast!!

So began the first annual Tony Tarasco Roast.

Who is Tony Tarasco and why would he be roasted?

On the eve of his 40th birthday, Tony was roundly insulted and goofed-on by friends and family in attendance. Roastmaster Brew (aka Anthony Brewster) kept the insults flowing and the barbs flying before leading his group House Of Vibe All-Stars through a set of wicked funk with some soul and reggae thrown in there.

House Of Vibe has a new CD out.

House Of Vibe play every Wednesday night at Harvelle's.

Tony Tarasco & Anthony Brewster

Rapper Deploi

Drummer Fish

Bassist Colin Wolfe

Tony's choice of attire for the evening's events was this pimped out Hugh Hefner smoking robe and an emperor's crown. Look like he just tasted some Parkay or sumthin'.

Cyrus

These are the shoes Tarasco chose to wear.

Did he have these in his closet?

Thaaaaat's Brewster!!!

Tony Tarasco - no wig and robe

Freewill

Jon Swift blurs as Deploi spits

T-Smidi and Jon Swift

Deploi takes it to the next level

Guitarist Kris Hawkins

Tony endured the roast for close to an hour but his mic was unexpectedly cut off when he tried to have the last word. Apologies to the roasters whose names i was not able to get at the time of this posting.

HOV : The Tony Tarasco Roast PT.2

The Tony Tarasco Roast / House Of Vibe All Stars night was so epic it needed two postings. I didn't even mention in the last post that Chali 2na was hangin' out that night. Chali always heats it up at Harvelle's when he plays with HOV. And with the Tabasco™ fire lit under Mr T, Chali brought it to it's boiling point!!

Pics taken with the Hipstamatic™ app for the iPhone!

That's Chali 2na having a great time!

Kris Hawkins solo-ing through "Maggot Brain"

Greg Raymond gets down on the keys

Tony and Deploi on the m-i-c.

Jon Swift caught in the act

Tony adjusts his coiffure as Brew intros the next high-larious roaster

Chali 2na gets it done!

This "roaster's" delivery was a crowd pleaser.

Brew 'splains the "roast rules" to Tony

Cyrus took a shot at the sizzling Mr Tarasco

This "roaster" sported Tony's Baltimore Orioles Jersey.

Deploi leavin' 'em in a trail of smoke

Sebastian and Dan are 1/3rd of the HOV horn section

Amy Lou shakes her moneymaker

Deploi

Chali frontin' the band

Ijeoma sings "Be Thankful"

Fish

Bassist Corey Cofield

Deploi and Chali rip it up.

House Of Vibe All-Stars play a set of wicked funk and hip-hop mixed with some badass soul and reggae every Wednesday night at Harvelle's. Some of the best musicians play for HOV, and you never know who might sit-in. They got horns and guitars and keyboards and many rappers and singers. And Amy Lou on percussion!