Nestled between 8th/ 9th Street on Collins Avenue, lies a small hotel with a “big” House sound.
Each and every Friday, funky, soulful, deep-tech and straight-up “banging” House sounds, catches the fancy of passersby and regulars, alike. As the sun begins to descend on the horizon, 'Sunset Sessions' presented by James Stratus, starts the weekend parties off right. Welcome to the Chesterfield Hotel.
As I approached the front steps, there was a throng of CJ members, all relaxing on the comfortable black sofas and chairs outside. There were two unique chairs beside the entrance to the hotel lobby which caught my attention. Antique styled with a beautiful wood finish and intricately designed with arm rests shaped like a lion’s head, you’d find a chair fit for Beezlebub himself.
The bar inside was teeming with patrons. Highly acclaimed by many board members, the bartender was serving up drinks just the way many like them - strong and delivering that knockout punch.
For those not sipping down the various ales, the knockout came soon enough, courtesy of the Sunset Sessions DJ crew.
First on the decks was the man who brings us this party each and every week, James Stratus.
Originally from Queens, New York, his deep Progressive Tech/House grooves has had audiences dancing from raves and clubs from New York to Miami and beyond. Tonight was no different!
Dropping such tracks as: ‘Motive’ Feat Abagle Fischer –A.B.E. (Lovesky Remix), Ryukyu Underground’s- Seragaki (Junkie XL mix), and Michael Burns Presents ‘Blue Haze-Into Nothing’ (Bill Hamell mix), the early evening was indeed set off on the right note.
Deciding to take a breath of fresh air, I sat down outside to take in the sights and sounds of Collins Avenue. Gorgeous women walking by, insanely over-priced dream cars from Lamborghini’s to Ferrari’s zooming by, even one of the South Beach local’s provided a few of us with an impromptu “magic act.” The Magic City was bustling with activity.
Inside, the heat was building, as not only had Alan Stenback taken the decks, but the Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers game was in full effect. A large crowd had gathered around the wall mounted TV, gasping and shouting as the Heat had gone into Overtime with Indiana.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Alan’s musical roots stems from his days as a guitarist with several hardcore punk rock bands. His initial interest in electronica though began in the late 80’s as he listened to such groups as Kraftwerk, The Orb and several industrial acts.
In 2000, Alan moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, under the moniker DJ XL. Today, his sets ranging from deep and funky house to tribal, acid and disco, have been heard at such venues from Sonar in Hollywood to the Marlin and Chesterfield Hotel on Miami Beach.
Bordering on the deep/tech house side of the House spectrum, Alan’s two-hour set just flew by. From Second Shift’s –“Are You Ready For The Future” (Halo and Jamie Thinnes revisited dub), and Jamie Lewis’s “Cookies to “Power of Music”(Soulfuric) and the dark track “Rulers Anthem” by Rulers of the Deep, he was in the proverbial zone.
Much to the surprise of those in attendance, John Corradi (Housedivision) even dropped in from his gig at the Whitelaw Hotel down the street and threw down a couple of tracks during Alan’s set. Good times, indeed!
Up next, the guest for the evening, Jimmy T took control of the decks.
Miami native Jimmy Toural began his DJ career at the tender age of 14, spinning at local house and warehouse parties. All that hard work paid off as in 2000, he landed his first residency at the Living Room afterhours in Downtown Miami. As he continued to develop his “tribal funk” signature sound, he went on to obtain residencies at Level nightclub and later on at Rain in 2003.
Notwithstanding his various residencies, Jimmy has also played guest spots at such venues as Nerve, Privilege, Spin, Maze, Quench, Jazid, etc…
Today, his blend of jazzy and deep house with tribal and funk, continues to bring in the crowds wherever he plays. Tonight at the Chesterfield was no exception, as James Stratus put it best. “This is the best turnout I have seen since I started the Sunset Sessions party.”
From Blake Baxter’s “Forbidden Fruit” and Soul Mekanik’s “Everybody” remix to “Infatuation” on Subliminal and Bush II Bush “Soulshock,” Jimmy T ended the night off in style.
During Jimmy’s set, our very own CJ member Lyrik, ever so eager to drop a few tracks for the crowd, took the decks. Cranking the knobs on the mixer, playing with the cross-faders he was like a kid in a candy store, enjoying every moment!
So if you happen to find yourself walking along 9th and Collins Avenue on a Friday night and you hear some soul -riveting house music floating on the wind, drop on by to the Chesterfield Hotel.
Never a party about dramatic lighting or a “banging” sound system, its strength lies in its intimate vibe and good tunes.
A feat that can only be recreated in a small and cozy venue along with some of the best local DJ talent in Miami.
