Rodger ‘Cary’ Grant
Soul Partizan
Monthly, Sunday 5-7pm
Soul, Jazz, Funk, Disco, Soulful House
The history started with Managing Director: Rodger Cary Grant who had the perfect playground to develop a love of the rarest and most innovative, soul, funk, rare grooves and roots reggae while growing up in the Midlands and North West of England. Once in London, Grant became one of the privileged few who can genuinely say that they were part of Shoreditch’s first golden age: 1995- 2004. That period of sublime creative chaos, people being intensely true to their passions and releasing them by any means necessary. Rodger was wholly submerged by this creative primordial swamp from which legendary venues, artists and events emerged around the area, that eventually made Shoreditch a magnet for the rising stars of the global creative map.
In 2006 Grant and his business partners decided to put down some roots with a permanent monument to their aesthetic, in the form of the cult venue: Three Blind Mice Bar. Tucked away in a little side street off the main road, you had to seek and find a little black metal door with a “prohibition” style spy hatch. A Victorian lamp with stencilled characters of the three blind mice logo and a large number 5 were above the door. It immediately gave an indication of mystery and excitement once you walked in. The curiosity continued as you entered. The interior took you back to a “shebeen” or dive bar, atmosphere with cinema posters of James Bond, West Indian culture clashing with communist cold war pictures and Latin Cubana texture.
The name of the bar was influenced by author Ian Fleming’s books which were written in Jamaica where Fleming lived. His first film: Dr No was filmed in the country with the opening scene depicting the murder of British secret agent 006, by three assassins, while the background music glides in with a reggae cover of the nursery rhyme “Three blind Mice”. Pure poetry! The bar portrayed a den of iniquity from an earlier era and stocked spirits, beers and cocktails from around the world.
The bar promoted cutting edge live acoustic nights, DJ events ranging from Dub Reggae to electro and featured people like Tim Burgess (Charlatans), UK soul pioneer Mark Webster, Amy Winehouse, Anna Calvi, Carl from Dirty Pretty things, Peanut butter Wolf, J-Star and Daddy G (Massive Attack). Impressive sounds came out of its four little walls. The venue had soul, character and vision to be out of step with the times and right on the forefront of Underground Music.
By 2013, Grant was ready for his next venture. The Soul Partizan Radio Roadshow. The podcast is syndicated & broadcasted monthly On-line, by stations: Hoxton Radio (London), Radio Laser (Renne), Ness Radio (Marrakech), AB+L Radio (Atlanta) & WHCR 90.3 FM (Harlem, New York). Producer: Frank McWeeny. The show brings together Grant’s Nomadic lifestyle mixed with his passion for music, curating the best of soul influenced underground sounds while interviewing not only the hottest artists but giving a platform for up and coming new talent. Soul Partizan is also featured on Mixcloud, who catalogue each show to give the listener the opportunity to choose any of the shows, when they want to hear it.
