Nick Jones: Remembering Larry...

by The Lioncub
Aug 3, 2024
5 min read

In the shadow of every great DJ you'll find a light of inspiration shining from up above... I asked Nick Jones, webmaster of the website dedicated to the Paradise Garage, to share his memories about Larry Levan... Don't be shy, enter the Paradise Garage...

1) Hello Nick! It’s an absolute honor having you on the Balearic Breakfast blog! This year, we’re celebrating what would have been Larry’s 70th Birthday (with Colleen paying tribute to the iconic DJ during Balearic Breakfast’s 184th episode). If I’m not mistaken, you met Larry during your formative years, working as a light manager. Could you take us back to those years and how it felt to meet Larry?

I only knew Larry Levan professionally; we weren't friends or colleagues. He was a customer at a record store where I worked, and I also did lights for him at Lovelite (as mentioned in my blog). Additionally, we worked together at our NYC party called Wild Pitch.

From 1982 until its closing in 1987, I was a devoted member of Paradise Garage. In 1985, I started working at a music store called Hi-Tech Music, owned by Studio 54's DJ Leroy Washington. Leroy, a good friend of Larry’s, often visited him at the Garage after Studio 54 closed for the night. One evening, Leroy introduced me to Larry in his booth at the Garage, knowing I was a big fan.

Larry frequently visited Hi-Tech for music, and of course, he never had to pay for anything. He was part of a very select group of DJs who received music for free. It made good business sense because these DJs moved units, not just a handful of records.

I recall one particular visit when the store was bustling with customers. Every record I played for Larry that he liked was also purchased by everyone else in the store. Larry was a pre-internet influencer!

2) In an article, you said that Larry, alongside other DJs from the New York scene « graciously answered my inquiries and shared some exceptional musical insights », and « imparted valuable lessons, showcasing unique approaches to presenting music and its accompanying energy ». Can you share with us a few things Larry told you about DJing, and more generally about Music?

I learned a great deal from Larry by simply watching and listening. The night he played at Lovelite, where I worked the lights, I knew exactly how to handle them to his liking, thanks to years of observing and learning from his dance floor at the Garage. At the end of the night, he thanked and complimented me. It was totally unexpected, and I was thrilled to receive such high praise from someone I held in such high regard.

The other DJs I mentioned in my blog—David Morales, Larry Patterson, and Kenny Carpenter—also played pivotal roles in my development. They generously shared their perspectives, experiences, music, and knowledge with me.

3) Larry’s remixes, and more generally, his musical approach towards DJing, had, as far as I am concerned, an absolutely uplifting spirit, with an unparalleled sincerity, and he acted like a « musical architect ». Do you share this feeling? What was the most important thing to him, musically speaking?

Larry Levan had an uncanny ability to evoke emotions in people that they didn't even realize they had. I remember seeing tough guys, the kind who would normally be ready to fight if you looked at them wrong, reduced to tears on the dance floor because Larry had touched something deep inside them. It was incredible to witness. Larry had a knack for rescuing tortured and lost souls with his music.

His selections and timing were unmatched. Larry would play songs you’d never expect to hear in a disco, and he’d do it in such a way that it left you completely amazed. One morning, he played "Beginnings" by Chicago, and we had an absolutely glorious time. We all loved that song, and hearing it in a disco was unbelievable. Behind the turntables, Larry Levan was truly fearless.

4) As a DJ, how do you build your sets? What is the core key of your craft, something you always work hard to share when you’re playing live?

I have a general idea of the songs I want to play, but I never stick to a rigid program or plan. I let the night guide me as it unfolds. My style involves blending various musical flavors because playing continuous four-to-the-floor dance music for hours on end can start to sound like one long record, which tires the ears and makes the experience monotonous.

I come from a school of DJs trained to play 8-10 hours each night, which allows us to explore many genres in a single evening. I love surprising my audience with long-lost, unexpected tracks or a special remix or different version of a song they adore—a lesson I learned from Larry.

5) I found out about you thanks to the nice website you launched dedicated to the Paradise Garage. We know how much Larry was all about Sound, if I’m not mistaken he was mentored by David Mancuso and then went on developing his own sound system (you share some live recordings on the website). Would you say that Larry somehow enhanced David’s sonic visions at the Paradise Garage?

A friend of mine once described the Garage as the Loft on steroids. It's well documented that Larry was heavily influenced by the Loft and Nicky Siano’s Gallery. Naturally, he drew motivation and inspiration from the clubs where he felt most at home. This approach influenced how my colleagues and I shaped our venture at our party, Wild Pitch. We incorporated everything we loved about each club into our own.

The website is my personal tribute to Larry and the Garage. There are generations who never had the chance to experience Larry at the Garage. In the pre-internet days, there wasn't much footage or recordings of the Garage, aside from the final night video that's circulating in the community. It's mostly word of mouth; those of us who witnessed Larry's magic can share what we experienced. The recordings on my website can give people a glimpse of how we partied. The energy and crowd participation were epic.