50:50 (Grooves to Span Time)

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50 years of urban delights from 1971 - 2021: A journey through Jazz, Soul, Funk, Rap and Hip Hop

Featuring artists like: • Roy Ayers • Prince • Miami Sound Machine • Eric B & Rakim • Gang Starr • The Roots • Nightmares On Wax • J Cole

About this Playlist

My brother-in-law is 15 years my senior and started dating my sister when I was just entering my teens and exploring having real agency over my musical choices. Fuelled by hormones and angst plus my love the guitar music I spent 90% of my time deep diving in anything loud and thrashy. The sounds my bro-in-law would dig were a million miles away, but he’d make me a mix tape every Christmas or birthday and as I grew, my tastes expanded and the tracks he’d subtly slip my way began to pique my interest. Pharoah Sanders, Shuggie Otis, Roy Ayers, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Gang Starr…my bro-in-law is a teacher and I realise know that over the years I’d received a real musical education over the years. He turned 50 this year and I couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate the influence he’s had over my musical landscape that by picking out 50 influencial tracks, one for each of his 50 years from 1971 to 2021. 50 tracks for 50 years. 50 Tracks to span time. Can you dig it?

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

It started like many 80's babies, 90's children - with blank cassettes. I would listen to the local radio station, or BBC Radio 1 and record songs I liked - always frustrated when the DJ would speak over the end and wreck the mix! Much rewinding and taping over later, I'd spend hours designing the covers and scrawling the artist and track names on the sleeve in tiny writing. I've always had an eclectic taste, going through phases like every other teenager but coming out the other side with a disregard for genres and pigeon holes, just an endless desire for more music and to keep learning. Raised in a musician’s household, I played piano and guitar, was in the school band version of The Strokes and went on to study Popular Music at Liverpool University, the home of The Beatles, the only place I wanted to study. Deepening my knowledge and understanding there, I got into the Liverpool music scene, writing for local music rags interviewing the local talent. I’ve worked in hospitality, always finding a way to bring my love of music to the fore - curating playlists a small group of bars and restaurants, bringing in live bands and DJs and relishing spinning some tunes when the DJ didn't show up. Nowadays I do festival and events work, with music still filtering through everything I do. I always have something on in the background, always looking to create the perfect soundscape for every situation and mood. I consider myself to a be soundscaper, sound architect if it doesn't sound too grand and dream of creating soundtracks to films, tv shows as well as putting my own musical creations to movement and dance. You can find some old scratchy soundscapes on my Soundcloud. My lists are always curated with the greatest care - I really want to immerse in the field or focus of the list. My greatest passions are in the kitchen, the yoga mat and wandering the globe and I have countless lists that evoke those places, which you can find on my Spotify. It's not so much about a formula or a genre for me, but a feeling - being able to put myself in that place when I hear the right song. You can also find me on Instagram @tjeffo7786 and Twitter @TomJeffo

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