Norman Jay M.B.E. (Good Times) LIVE AT SUBTONE

This article is about Norman Jay M.B.E. (Good Times) AT SUBTONE, CHELTENHAM. @ Subtone in Cheltenham (UK), Fri 27 Oct 2006

Friday 27th October 2006 - Norman Jay M.B.E. (Good Times)

Norman Jay is an innovative and pioneering DJ, who first came to prominence playing unlicensed or 'warehouse' parties in the early 80's, such as Shake 'n' Fingerpop. His diverse and deep musical knowledge and his refusal to be restricted to playing from any single genre dinstinguishes him from his peers. Norman then established himself through the London pirate radio station Kiss 100, which he co-managed alongside Gordon Mac and George Power. Norman's show on Kiss became legendary, and he soon joined Gilles Peterson at his label Talkin' Loud. His Good Times Sound System, which he started with his brother Joey, is a major attraction to many music fans who attend the two day August bank holiday Notting Hill Carnival . Good Times now attracts an estimated 3,000 revellers a day during the carnival. Norman describes himself as a house music dj, but the Good Times concept includes classic 70s and 80s funk, soul and Jazz-funk, previous carnival tracks have typically included Estelle's 1980; and tracks featured in recent radio shows have included Billy Griffin's Hold Me Tighter In The Rain and more contemporary tracks in the form of Heavy's track Wonderlove. The BBC website describes his music as "the cream of 70s disco with the latest club anthems." Meanwhile the Good Times brand has extended into a series of compilation CDs. Norman was one of 20 djs who played one track each at the 2005 BBC Worldwide Awards which produced three specials for BBC Radio 1 over Christmas and New Year, hosted by Gilles Peterson. He is an established regular at the BigChill festival, where his Sunday afternoon slot on the main stage is widely regarded as one of the highlights of the weekend. Norman was awarded the MBE for services to music in 2002.