What started me on HRR?

Meeting Captain Dave on Christmas Eve! He’s my stepdawta’s boyfriend’s stepdad. I’d DJ’d jazz and blues programs on WEFT-FM 90.1 in Champaign, IL, in the 1990s, so we got to talking about radio and he suggested I pitch a show. Hosting a funk radio show has been a long-time dream, so I feel very blessed to be on the HRR team.

Favorite Genre

Jazz, blues, funk, reggae, gospel, Afro-beat, Latin, Caribbean—music of the African diaspora.

Favorite Bands and Artists

Miles Davis, James Brown, Prince, The Meters, Mandrill

Musical Background

I play electric bass and baritone ‘ukulele. I call myself “the world’s okayest bass player.” I’ve performed in a variety of bands, including ASEDA (a reggae band), the Jazz in Progress Big Band, and student ensembles at my university: Chinese Music, Balinese gamelan, Middle Eastern, and Afro-Pop.

I play U-Bass and write arrangements for the Wild Blue Ukulele Orchestra, which has been going strong and stable since 2018. I arrange mostly R&B, funk, and jazz songs for WBUO, which are almost never performed on ‘ukuleles, so we have a very distinctive, eclectic sound.

Hobbies

Musicking: performing, arranging, buying CDs, and now DJing. I teach history and read a lot, both for work and recreation.

DJ Name Origination

I have no idea. George Clinton pretty much took all the best ones already. After I thought of “Groove Overlord,” I asked ChatGPT for some more suggestions. Some were pretty cool (especially “Beat Keeper”) but “Groove Overlord” seems more appropriate for a bassist and has the right amount of pompous grandiosity.

Favorite Music Experience

I’ve had the honor of playing with musicians who are way out of my league, from China, Taiwan, Zambia, Haiti, and Ghana, as well as the US. I loved performing with my dawtas when they were young. But the best experiences have been when I’m performing and I feel detached from my body, like I’m observing from the outside. In those moments, my bass just sings, I’m pleased with my tone, and the music doesn’t seem to even be coming from me. It doesn’t happen all the time, but that’s what makes those moments special.