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DJ Soul Sister plays 5th birthday jam at Tipitina’s tonight

DJ Soul Sister jams big for her birthday at Tipitina’s Friday night.

Scene staple, wild-child captain of the Booty Patrol, perennial “Best DJ” in New Orleans recipient, and host of WWOZ’s “Soul Power” (15 years running and counting) DJ Soul Sister will be celebrating her birthday party tonight at Tipitina’s for the fifth year in a row with her annual Birthday Jam. The event will feature an impressive list of special guests, including Corey HenryDavid TorkanowskyTerrence Houston and more.

Having attending the parties in 2009 and 2010, I can say with full confidence that this is on a short list of annual happenings in the city you don’t wanna miss out on. Soul Sister is a well-respected live DJ artist, veteran radio programmer, vinyl collector, crate digger, party promoter and tastemaker not only here in New Orleans, but worldwide to the massive online audience that tune in to the ‘OZ.
The purveyor of ‘right on party situations’ to the Big Easy and abroad kindly answered five quick questions for us and shared a few vinyl LP’s she couldn’t live without, the fact that the Booty Patrol is always on duty, and some of her favorite memories from birthday jams past (including my favorite in 2009, revered in my group of friends as the “best set break ever when Soul Sister threw down so hard that she knocked the power out and Dumpstaphunk, despite trying their best, was unable to finish their show).
 
The Desert Island Question: What are three records you would take with you to a desert island if you had to choose?
 
Music is the Message by Kool & the GangLive in New Orleans by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and Live at the Apollo, Volume II by James Brown.
 
What has been your best memory from all of the birthday bashes at Tipitina’s?
I have many great memories of my past Tipitina’s birthday jams, especially of the awesome musicians that have been a part of them, like Trombone ShortySoul Rebels Brass Band and Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. I think my favorite memory happened the year Ivan Neville played — there was a crazy thunderstorm happening outside, the place is packed, people are partying, the band is funkin’ and the power goes out in the middle of the show. The drummer, who happens to be my cousin, Raymond Weber, starts playing a funky beat in the dark, and we’re all still partying and dancing to his funky drumming for several minutes until the power came back on.
 
Any chance we’ll be seeing the Booty Patrol tomorrow night/or at Voodoo this year?
Booty Patrol represents all the girls who like to dance and enjoy themselves at the show, like me. When the feeling hits you, what else can you do but dance and party? I personally like to climb on top of furniture and stuff and dance when the feeling hits me, so Booty Patrol comes out of that. Jam, have fun, and don’t be sorry for it. Booty Patrol throws prim and proper out the window. With that said, all the women who come out to my birthday party who wanna be in the honorary Booty Patrol are more than welcome. I’m used to the girls jumping onstage to dance. I encourage it!
 
What else do you have going this fall?
Lots! Tons. In addition to my “HUSTLE” Saturday night residency at Mimi’s in the Marigny, which is still going strong after 7 years, and hosting my “Soul Power” show on WWOZ, also on Saturday nights, I am hosting the “Hip Drop” Ponderosa Stomp DJ opening party on Thursday, September 15, at dba. I’m also hosting my “Soulful Takeover” edition of Midnite Movies at the Prytania Theater with screenings of Coming to America the weekend of September 30. I’ll be performing a special set as part of Art for Arts’ Sake and the CAC’s 35th Birthday Concert with Ellis Marsalis at the Contemporary Arts Center on October 1. I’m co-presenting the return of my favorite modern Funk artist, Dam-Funk & Master Blazter at One Eyed Jacks on October 4. I’m spinning and throwing a big Halloween party on Halloween night at The Saint — theme TBA. And more and more and more to come.
Where do you buy records? 
Everywhere! Seriously, in town I regularly support Domino Sound Record Shack, Peaches Records, Louisiana Music Factory, Euclid Records and Jim Russell’s Rare Records. Vinyl is alive!
Here’s the final lineup of the band for tomorrow night’s 5th Annual Soul Sister Birthday Jam @ Tip’s:
The WWOZ Funk All-Stars: The members of this special all-star group of legendary New Orleans musicians have been hand-picked by band-leader, acclaimed pianist and WWOZ show host David Torkanowsky — and approved for Funk Power by WWOZ’s Soul Sister. Band members, playing a special old-school-style Funk set together on this night only, are guitarist Walter “Wolfman” Washington, trumpeter Wendell Brunious, bassist George French, drummer Terrence Houston, Kirk Joseph on sousaphone, Roderick Paulin on saxophone, guitarist Shane Theriot, keyboardist David Torkanowsky, Corey Henry on trombone, special guest Khris Royal on saxophone, and other guests TBA — a unique cross section of some of WWOZ’s and New Orleans’ favorite and most well-accomplished artists.
Longtime JamBase contributor Wesley Hodges writes about music for NolaVie and is editor of Live Music Blog Nola

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