Sha-Boom Bang! Phoenix Soul Party @ Zia Record Exchange

John Dixon is an absolute guru of vintage and obscure vinyl, a wizened historian of Arizona music, and one helluva esteemed disc jockey. The 60-something record hound, who goes by DJ Johnny D. when he's spinning, boasts a meticulously compiled and catalogued platter collection (which numbers into the tens of...

By Benjamin Leatherman

May 29, 2014

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John Dixon is an absolute guru of vintage and obscure vinyl, a wizened historian of Arizona music, and one helluva esteemed disc jockey. The 60-something record hound, who goes by DJ Johnny D. when he's spinning, boasts a meticulously compiled and catalogued platter collection (which numbers into the tens of thousands) that fills two buildings. It is the stuff of local lore, and Dixon has influenced more than a few notable Valley DJs (including the likes of Z-Trip, Smite, and Djentrification) and his weekly radio show, Mostly Vinyl with Johnny D., is always a fascinating trip into music history, typically filled with R&B, funk, and blues rarities. Such is the case for the new Sha-Boom Bang! compilation, produced by Dixon and featuring vintage gems and jams from a slew of long-forgotten Arizona doo-wop, soul, and R&B bands, including Chuck Womack and the Sweet Souls, The Four Dimensions, Little Worley and the Drops, and Butch McGhee. Dixon will spin songs from the disc along with Smite on Saturday, May 31, at Zia Record Exchange, 1850 West Camelback Road, during an all-vinyl DJ session featuring 45s. The needle drops at 6 p.m. Admission is free.

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Benjamin Leatherman is a staff writer for Phoenix New Times where he focuses primarily on arts, culture, music, and nightlife. He began writing for New Times in 2003 and joined the staff full-time in 2005. Prior to that, he contributed to magazines such as Tips & Tricks and The Wrestler. Benjamin has earned multiple awards from the Arizona Press Club including an award for sports enterprise reporting in 2009 and an award for statewide arts reporting in 2014. He holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Contact: Benjamin Leatherman

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