Don Tinsley

Since his first compilation tape at age 12, made as a gift for his father’s birthday, Don has been driven by a love for music. In ’88 at underground parties around the St. Louis area Don began his DJ career, spinning industrial from such labels as, Wax Trax, Nettwerk and TVT. In the years to come, he studied the art form then generically known as rave or techno. By 1990 Don had found House music, at the time only found in small underground clubs. Shortly after Don began producing house music, which yielded his first live production in 1993. This began a six-year period of toning his style and technique. After meeting a group of local Dub producers with a talent for “doing it live”, the five performed their debut as the live "Space House" House music production, 84 Glyde. Within a year 84 Glyde reached the top of the St. Louis dance music scene playing headlining slots with likes of ESP Woody McBride, DJ Digital (Aux 88) and DJ Swamp (World DMC Champion). After two years as 84 Glyde the group disbanded in late 1998 to pursue individual goals and projects. Within six months after the separation of 84 Glyde, Don wrote, recorded and mixed his first vinyl release, a song of the Tech-House genre entitled “G Force training kit” under the pseudonym SUB-STANCE. From October 2000 to the present Don has been working on his Jazzy House project entitled Urban Jazz Naturals. Urban Jazz Naturals is a collective of four musicians, Don Tinsley (drum, synth, bass and sample programming) Mo Egeston (keyboard, backing vocals), Dawn Weber (lead vocals, trumpet and flugelhorn), and Christian Oncken (guitar drum, synth programming, backing vocals). Combining sequencing techniques, live horns, digital and analog synthesizers, drum machines and vocals; Urban Jazz Naturals has carved a unique niche in live performance and studio production. Drawing from many musical genres encompassing Jazz, Soul and House music among others the Urban Jazz Naturals took the House music community by storm with the debut promo “How Can I?” remixed by veteran Producer and DJ, JT Donaldson. In addition to two residencies in St. Louis Don is busy playing guest appearances at dance clubs throughout the U.S. alongside industry greats such as Lenny Fontana (Ministry of Sound), Mark E. Quark (Spundae), Q-Burns Abstract Message (Eighth Dimension) and Demarkus Lewis (Aesoteric) to name just a few. Don has become known for his ability to excel at many production / DJ styles of music ranging from Deep House to German Techno and everything in between.