DJ SETS
David Watkins collects a wide variety of vintage 20th century music and spins only from real records. Please listen to some sample sets below. He can also customize his selections to match your event or venue’s specific theme or mood. His sets of ultra-rare and cool Christmas tracks are legendary. Read more about Christmas here.
Why records? People love records. They're drawn to them. Spinning from real records has become such a rarity that it makes for a memorable and entertaining show.
Why 78s? Clean 78 RPM records played on great equipment have a full, rich, and dynamic sound. They spin more than twice as fast as an LP, so you’re hearing twice as much sound per minute. They were produced in the U.S. from the 1910s though the 1950s and some of the greatest music of all time was originally released on shellac.
sample SETs
ALL OF ME: A DELIGHTFUL ROMANTIC SET FOR WEDDINGS, REHEARSAL DINNERS, AND COCKTAIL HOURS (78 RPM & VINYL RECORDS)
Elegant and lively soundtrack for a barn wedding, rehearsal dinner, or cocktail hour under twinkling lights. With a lighthearted yet romantic mood, this set features vocal and instrumental tracks from legends of jazz, rhythm & blues, and western swing music from the 1930s to the 1960s including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Django Reinhardt, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington, Patsy Cline, Bob Wills, and more. Hear a sample of the set here:
DANCE CRASHER: JAMAICAN SKA, ROCKSTEADY & EARLY REGGAE (45 rpm & Vinyl Records)
An upbeat yet mellow set featuring classic Jamaican ska and reggae on vinyl. Keep the party grooving with a mix of well-loved tracks and deep cuts from legendary artists such as Desmond Dekker, The Skatalites, Toots & The Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Millie Small, Prince Buster and more. Hear a sample of the set here:
Doctor Jazz: A Roaring 20's Set for Speakeasy or GREAT Gatsby THEMED EVENTS (all 78 rpm RECORDS)
Speakeasy jazz, honk-tonk piano and hot dance bands such as Jelly-Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Abe Lyman, Paul Whiteman, Benne Moten, and Duke Ellington. Take your 1920s-themed soiree all the way with records from the period! Hear a sample of the set here:
DADDY ROLLING STONE: 1940s & 50s BLUES AND RHYTHM & BLUES (ALL 78 RPMS)
A fun and powerful mix of 1940s and 1950s instrumental and vocal blues, jump blues, and R&B. Artists include all time greats Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Big Joe Turner, Otis Blackwell, Lloyd Glenn, Bobby Bland, Louis Jordan, and Earl Bostic. Hear a sample of the set here:
SWINGING 50s & 60s: A GROOVY SET FOR MAD MEN PARTIES, COOL OPENINGS & EVENTS (ALL VINYL SET)
A mix of 50s and 60s pop instrumentals with a MCM mood including space age, exotica, rockabilly, surf, pop, cha-cha and mambo, and upbeat jazz all played on LP or 45rpm. The Champs, Al Casey, Martin Denny, Wanda Jackson, Dick Hyman, James Booker, Gene Vincent, and Mel Henke. This set brings a wild, fun, and upbeat vibe to super cool events and parties. Hear a sample of the set here:
HONKY TONKIN’: 1930s-1960s COUNTRY (78 RPMS, LPS & 45S)
1930s - 1960s country, western swing, honky-tonk, and hillbilly music, including such artists as Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, and Bob Wills. A rousing set for hoedowns, crying in your beer, or two-stepping until dawn. Hear a sample of the set here:
RHYTHM & SOUL: The perfect playlist for a backyard BBQ or LATE NIGHT DANCE PARTY (45S AND LPS)
Deep soul treasures from the 1950s to the 1960s. Booty-shaking, soul quaking music from legends such as James Brown, The Isley Brothers, Etta James, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Lee Dorsey and more. Hear a sample of the set here:
music impossible: SOUNDTRACK for Casino royale or 007 themed parties (all lps and 45s)
International film music from 1960s spy movies and TV shows such as Goldfinger, Peter Gunn, and Mission Impossible. Artists featured in this all-vinyl set include John Barry, Herb Alpert, Nancy Sinatra, Lalo Schifrin, Perez Prado, The Ventures, Ennio Morricone, Count Basie, Hugo Montenegro, Henry Mancini, and Jimmy Smith. Hear a sample of the set here:
HOT AND SWEET: 1920s & 30s HOT JAZZ, DANCE BANDS, CROONERS, TORCHES & UKES (all 78 rpms)
A mix of sophisticated, playful, and charming 1920s – 1930s hot jazz, sweet dance bands, crooners, torch songs, and ukulele tunes. Includes vocal and instrumental tracks from Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Django Reinhardt, Paul Whiteman, and Ukulele Ike. Perfect vibe for daytime or evening soirees, cocktail parties, or barn weddings. Hear a sample of the set here:
ALOHA OE: charming Vintage Hawaiiana for a mainland luau (All 78 rpms)
Hawaiian, South Pacific, and Hawaiian-themed records from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Set includes Sol Hoopi, Kalima Brothers, Four Aristocrats, Johnny Almeida, and George Kainapau. Hear a sample of the set here:
MAMBO, RUMBA, CHA CHA CHA: 1930s - 1950s latin music (all 78rpms)
Rousing tropical rhythms from the greatest Latin jazz and dance bands of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Rhumbas, congas and mambos, and jazz from artists like Xavier Cugat, Lecuona Cuban Boys, Carlos Molina, Perez Prado, Machito, and Beny More. Hear a sample of the set here:
1960S GARAGE ROCK PARTY: BEAT, GARAGE & PSYCHEDELIC ROCK (ALL VINYL)
Features ‘60s rock classics on original vinyl from bands such as The Animals, Rolling Stones, Kinks, The Standells, The Music Machine, Them with Van Morrison, The Troggs, The Turtles, Love, and more. Hear a sample of the set here:
ROCK-A-BEATIN' BOOGIE: CLASSIC 1950s ROCK & ROLL, ROCKABILLY, AND R&B (78 RPM)
Wild and raucous anthems from Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Bill Haley, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and other legends of the early days of rock & roll. Hear a sample of the set here:
MORE THEMED SETs FROM PAST EVENTS
RhYthm & Burlesque: Bump-and-grind R&B and risqué rock & roll (78rpms and LPs)
1950s instrumentals for dancing, striptease, or going where the night takes you. The perfect intro/outro for burlesque performances as well. Features rare R&B and rock & roll with honking saxophones, booming drums, and sex-appeal to spare. All vinyl and shellac set includes sides from Joe Houston, Lloyd Glenn, Ernie Freeman, Earl Bostic, Lucky Millinder, Johnny Otis, Big Jay McNeely, Arnett Cobb, and Bill Doggett.
COOL JAZZ & BOSSA NOVA: 1950’s & 60’s JAZZ For cocktail Parties & Art openings (MOSTLY LPS)
Cool classic midcentury instrumentals and vocal tracks from jazz and bossa nova masters such as Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Astrid Gilberto, Chico Hamilton, Walter Wanderley, Bud Shank, Jack Sheldon, and Shelly Manne.
JAZZ NOIR: A cinematic set for film Festivals and movie events (MOSTLY LPS)
Dramatic midcentury film music and jazz cuts. Performances by Elmer Bernstein, Leith Stevens, Henry Mancini, Buddy Morrow, and Duke Ellington.