Jukebox Jazz

Jazz tunes that I think were made for the jukebox, on the Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour, 7/14/2016, 5-7 PM. i give you a little bit of jukebox history (you'll be surprised to learn when the first coin-operated music player was invented) and then it's off to the juke joint.

 LISTEN HERE

 James Moody "I'm In the Mood For Love" from "I'm In the Mood For Love" 1949 on Prestige
 Count Basie "One Oclock Jump" 1937 on Decca
 Count Basie & His Orchestra "April In Paris" 1955 on Clef
 Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra "Song Of India"1937 on Victor
 Charles Mingus "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" 1959 on Atlantic
 Sarah Vaughn w. Clifford Brown "Lullaby of Birdland" 1954 on Emarcy
 The Jazztet "Killer Joe" 1960) on Argo
 Nat King Cole "Route 66" from "Soundie"
 Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five "What's the Use of Getting Sober" 1942 on Decca
 Gene Ammons Quartet "Hittin' the Jug" 1960 on Prestige
 John Coltrane "My Favorite Things"1960 on Atlantic
 Duke Ellington & His Orchestra "in a Mellow Tone"1940 on Victor
 Eddie Harris "Exodus" 1961 on Vee Jay
 Glenn Miller & His Orchestra "Elmer's Tune" 1939 on Bluebird
 Herbie Mann "Comin' Home Baby"1962 on Atlantic
 Bobby Timmons "Dis Heah (This Here)" 1960 on Riverside
 Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd "Desafinado" 1962 on Verve
 Ray Charles "One Mint Julep" 1961 on Impulse
 Jimmy Smith "Walk on the Wild Side" 1962 on Verve
 Lionel Hampton "Red Top" 1959 on Audio Fidelity
 Mongo Santamaria "Watermelon Man"1963 on Battie
 Lee Morgan "Sidewinder"1963 on Blue Note
 Ramsay Lewis Trio "The In Crowd" 1965 on ARGO
 Harry James "Ciribiribin" 1939 on Brunswick
 Cannonball Adderley "Mercy Mercy Mercy" 1966 on Capital
 Toots Thielemans "Bluesette" 1962 on ABC Paramount
 Ray Charles "What'd I Say" 1961 on ABC Paramount

Herman's First Herd Radio Show

On the Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour, wzbc.org, 90.3 fm,  01/14/2016, we heard music from Woody Herman's First Herd. Great soloists include, Bill Harris, Flip Phillips, Pete Candoli, Margie Hyams, Dave Tough, Red Norvo, Shorty Rogers, with vocals by Woody and Francis Wayne.

LISTEN HERE 

PLAYLIST

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Apple Honey" (Jazz, 1945) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Let it Snow" (Jazz, 1945) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Laura" (Jazz, 1945) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Back Talk" (Jazz, 1946) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Caledonia"  (Jazz, 1945) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Sidewalks of Cuba" Jazz, 1946) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe" (1942) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Fan It" (Jazz, 1946) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Goosey Gander" (Jazz, 1945) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Non Alcoholic" (Jazz, 1946) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "I Wonder" Jazz, 1945) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Lady Mcgowan's Dream (Pt. I & II)" (Jazz, 1946) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Northwest Passage" (Jazz, 1945) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Summer Sequence, pts 1-2"  (Jazz, 1946) on Columbia 

Woody Herman and The First Herd "Woodchopper's Ball" (Jazz, 1946) on Columbia 

Muslim Jazz Show

Abdal Karim-Billy Higgins

At this historical juncture in the U.S., it's not a bad thing to recognize the great music contributed by American members of the Muslim faith. Recorded from the Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour program of 12.17.15.

LISTEN HERE

Kenny Dorham "The Prophet" from "Cafe Bohemia VOl 2" 1956 on Blue Note 

Thelonius Monk "In Walked Bud" from "In Walked Bud" 1947 on Jazz Forever 

Dakota Staton "The Late, Late Show" from "The Late, Late Show" 1957 on Capital 

Dexter Gordon "Broadway" from "Our Man in Paris" 1963 on Blue Note 

Ornette Coleman "Ramblin'" from "Change of the Century" 1960 on Atlantic 

Yusef Lateef "I'm just a lucky so and so" from "The Three Faces of Yusef Lateef" 1962 on Compulsion 

Abbey Lincoln "Throw it Away" from "A Turtle's Dream" 1995 on Verve 

Muhal Richard Abrams "Afrisong" from "Afrisong" 2009 on Candid 

Curtis Fuller & Hampton Hawes "A-Drift" from "With French Horns - EP" 957 on Prestige 

Charlie Parker "Little Willie Leaps" from "At Birdland Vol 1" 1950 on Ember


Please let me know if you have trouble accessing the file. The Cloud has its own logic and you may have to use an app to play it.

Playboy Jazz Radio Show

Hef and Armstrong

This program, broadcast on 10.1.15, features music associated with Playboy, either recorded for their record label, or played at Playboy Jazz festivals. Founder Hugh Hefner made jazz an important part of the "playboy lifestyle" when he founded the magazine in 1954. Playboy started a Jazz Poll in 1957 and held their first Jazz festival in Chicago in 1959.

LISTEN HERE


PLAYLIST
Oscar Peterson "The Golden Striker" from "Playboy Jazz Allstars," 1959) on PB

Maynard Ferguson "Portuguese Love" from "Playboy Jazz Festival" 1982

Curtis Stigers "My Foolish Heart" from "Playboy Jazz After Dark Vol II" 2005) on PB

Dizzy Gilespie "Wheatleigh Hall" from "Playboy Jazz Allstars," 1959) on PB

The Great Quartet ‬ "‪Inner Glimpse‬" from "‪Playboy Jazz Festival, 1982‬"

Weather Report‬ "‪Volcano For Hire" from "Playboy Jazz Festival‬," 1982)

Milt Jackson "Bag's New Groove" from "Playboy Jazz Allstars," 1959) on PB

Joe Pass & Ella Fitzgerald "I Didn't Know About You" from "Playboy Jazz After Dark vol 2" 2005) on PB

Gerry Mulligan "Gee Baby - Ain't I Good to You" from "Playboy Jazz Allstars," 1959 on PB

Cy Coleman "Playboy's Theme" from "Playboy Jazz Allstars," 1959 on PB

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and Joe WIlliams, "Everyday I Have the Blues," 1960 on Playboy After Dark

More Live Music on the Duplex

Acting under a strict injunction by the FCC to get live jazz on the airwaves, the Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour on WZBC.ORG this week featured in-studio playing by tenor saxophonist Rich Halley and trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, members of the Rich Halley 4, which played at the outpost186 on 5.22.15. I also played a few recordings by the band. Other members of the group are Clyde Reed on bass and Carson Halley on drums.

Listen to this one hour show HERE.

Unaccompanied solos, Live and Recorded

Happy to have baritone sax player Zach Mayer on the 4/9/15 ‪Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour on WZBC.
Also, happy to jam with him (at about the half-hour mark). The live playing is interspersed with the recordings.

Check out the playlist. There will be some things you know and probably some you don't.


LISTEN HERE.

Charlie Parker's Earliest Recording 1940 ~ Honeysuckle Rose/Body and Soul‬-4:00

Coleman Hawkins "Picasso" from "Picasso" (1948) on Verve 3:15

‪Artie Shaw- These Foolish Things‬--Decca 1953 3:12"

Chet Baker- "Spring is Here" from "Chet With Strings" 1954) on Columbia 1:15

Mike Brecker- "‪Funky Sea, Funky Dew ‬part 2" from "‪Funky Sea, Funky Dew ‬part 2" 1980 on youtube-7:50 0

Eric Dolphy- "God Bless the Child (1961) [Live]" from "The Illinois Concert" (1963) on Blue Note 8'50"

Tom Harrell- "Joy Spring" from Helen Merrill's "Brownie: Homage to Clifford Brown" (1995) Verve-4'

‪McCoy Tyner- "In A Sentimental Mood‬" from "In A Sentimental Mood" (1974) 6:30

Bob Mintzer- ‪Bass Clarinet Solo.mp4‬-"Improvization" youtube-3:20

Thomas Kneeland- "Confirmation" (Jazz) on youtube--2'50"

John Coltrane- "I Want to Talk ABout You" from "Live at Birdland" (Jazz, 1964) on Impulse! 8:15

‪Anthony Braxton "#5" from "Alto Saxophone Improvisations‬" (1979) on Arista #5-4'30"

Carol Sloan- "Never Never Land" from "live" (Jazz, 1985) on youtube- 2'

‪Jimmy Giuffre‬- "The Sheepherder" from "‪The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet 1956‬" (1956) on Capital 5'30"

‪Wynton Marsalis- "Stardust‬" from "Stardust" on youtube- 2'

‪Robin Eubanks- "Intro to Blues for Jimi‬" from "Intro to Blues for Jimi" on youtube- 3'30"

Joe Pass -"‪Joe's Blues‬" from "‪Joe's Blues‬" (Jazz) on youtube-5'30"

Bobby McFerrin- "Drive" from "Live" 1987 on youtube-faded out

New Orleans Omnibus Show

Broadcast on the Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour of December 4, 2014.

LISTEN TO N.O. OMNIBUS

Louisiana Five "I Ain't-en Got-en No Time" 1919, Columbia 

Armand J. Piron's New Orleans Orch. "Bouncing Around" 1923, Okeh 

Armand J. Piron's New Orleans Orch.  "West Indies Blues" 1923,  Okeh 

Clarence Williams' Blue Five "Texas Moaner Blues" 1924,  Okeh 

Clarence Williams' Blue Five "Livin' High" 1925, Okeh 

Johnny Dunn and His Band "You Need Some Lovin" 1928, Columbia 

Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra "Mahogany Hall Stomp" 1929,  Okeh 

Johnny DeDroit And His New Orleans Orchestra "Number Two Blues" 1924,  Okeh 

Fate Marable's Society Syncopators "Frankie and Johnny" 1924, Okeh 

Johnny Bayersdorffer And His Jazzola Novelty Orchestra "The Waffle Man's Call"1924, Okeh 

Halfway House (Dance) Orchestra "Barataria" 1925, Okeh 

Russ Papalia and His Orchestra "Cross Word Mama" 1925, Okeh 

Brownlee's Orchestra Of New Orleans "Peculiar" 1925, Okeh 

New Orleans Rhythm Kings "I Never Knew Just What a Gal Could Do" 1925, Okeh 

New Orleans Rhythm Kings "She's Crying for Me" 1925, Okeh 

New-Orleans Rhythm Kings "Milenberg Joys" 1925, Okeh  

Who Applied for LPFM in MA.

I thought it would be interesting to post this list of applicants for LPFM radio licenses in Massachusetts. There are a number of governmental agencies, schools, religious groups, public access corporations and community arts groups, including my former haunt Zumix in Eastie and our friends at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Lowell. There are 9 applicants in Boston.

Props to Scott Fybush.

ACTON 94.9 TOWN OF ACTON MASSACHUSETTS
AMHERST 103.1 HAMPSHIRE ARTS CON
ATHOL 105.9 ATHOL ORANGE COMMUNITY TELEVISION INC.
ATTLEBORO 101.1 ATTLEBORO ACCESS CABLE SYSTEM INC.
AUBURNDALE 102.9 LASELL COLLEGE RADIO
BELCHERTOWN 97.9 DWIGHT CHAPEL INC.
BOSTON 94.9 BOSTON HISPANIC COMMUNITY RADIO
BOSTON 94.9 RENAISSANCE CHINESE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION
BOSTON 102.9 CITY OF BOSTON
BROCKTON 96.5 MASSASOIT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BROCKTON 96.5 RANDOLPH CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY RADIO INC.
BROCKTON 102.9 RAHAB INC.
BROOKFIELD 98.1 A.P.P.L.E. SEED INC.
CHELSEA 94.9 CHELSEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CHICOPEE 98.7 CHURCH OF NEW COVENANT
CHICOPEE 102.5 ST. JEROME PARISH HOLYOKE EDUCATIONAL RADIO ASSOCIATION
DORCHESTER 94.9 FAITH TABERNACLE CHURCH OF JESUS- CHRIST
DORCHESTER 102.9 GLOBAL MINISTRIES CHRISTIAN CHURCH
DORCHESTER 102.9 GLOBAL MINISTRIES CHRISTIAN CHURCH
EAST BOSTON 94.9 ZUMIX INC.
EAST BOSTON 94.9 BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
EAST BOSTON 94.9 WINTHROP ART ASSOCIATION
EAST FALMOUTH 102.3 CAPE COD BUS FOR LIFE INC.
EASTON 96.5 EASTON COMMUNITY ACCESS TELEVISION INC.
FALL RIVER 88.1 MELISSA CLEAVES
FALL RIVER 88.1 JASON CLEAVES
FRAMINGHAM 96.5 ST. STEPHEN PARISH FRAMINGHAM EDUCATIONAL RADIO ASSOCIATION
FRANKLIN 102.9 FRANKLIN COMMUNITY CABLE ACCESS INC.
GOSHEN 103.1 HIGHLAND ARTS CLUB
HAVERHILL 98.1 PUBLIC MEDIA OF NEW ENGLAND INC.
HOLYOKE 102.5 WORD OF LIFE CHURCH OF GOD
HUDSON 96.3 THREEFOLD MINISTRY BNPL-20131115AVM
HUNTINGTON 104.7 WHAB FOR BB INC
IPSWICH 96.3 IPSWICH BAY BROADCASTING CORP.
LAWRENCE 92.1 ILUMINACION DIVINA INC
LAWRENCE 97.9 ST. PATRICK PARISH LAWRENCE EDUCATIONAL RADIO ASSOCIATION
LEOMINSTER 95.1 CITY OF LEOMINSTER
LOWELL 94.9 ZEITGEIST GALLERY INC.
LYNN 94.9 IGLESIA CHRISTIANA TORRENTE DE CEDRON
LYNN 96.5 CITY OF LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE
MOUNT HERMON 106.7 NORTHFIELD MOUNT HERMON SCHOOL
NANTUCKET 105.5 TOWN OF NANTUCKET POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWBURYPORT 96.3 NEWBURYPORT COMMUNITY MEDIA CENTER
NEWBURYPORT 96.3 EVOLVEMENT MEDIA GROUP
NORTH ADAMS 107.1 NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COMMUNITY TELEVISION CORPORATION
NORTON 96.5 WHEATON COLLEGE
NORWICH HILL 99.7 HILLTOWN COMMUNITY CHURCH
OAK BLUFF 105.5 M&M COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INC OAK BLUFF BRANCH
QUINCY 91.3 QUINCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
SALISBURY 94.9 GOOD NEIGHBOR STATION INC.
SOMERVILLE 94.9 CHRISTOPHER W MORIARTY
SPRINGFIELD 98.7 ABOVE THE RIM INC
SPRINGFIELD 101.7 CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
SPRINGFIELD 101.7 WILFREDO HERNANDEZ
SPRINGFIELD 101.7 MEDIA PRESERVATION FOUNDATION
SPRINGFIELD 102.5 CATOLICASPRINGFIELD.COM
TEMPLETON 102.9 TEMPLETON BIBLICAL EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY INCORPORATED
VINEYARD HAVEN 105.5 MVPBS
WARREN 97.7 ST THOMAS AQUINAS SCHOOL
WEBSTER 97.9 SACRED HEART PARISH WEBSTER EDUCATIONAL RADIO ASSOCIATION
WESTFIELD 102.5 QUABOAG HILLS PUBLIC RADIO INC.
WESTHAMPTON 97.7 HILLTOWN CHRISTMAS STOCKING
WILLIAMSBURG 97.9 CITIZENS FOR A BETTER HILLTOWNS
WOBURN 94.9 WINCHESTER SCHOOL OF CHINESE CULTURE
WORCESTER 102.9 PRIDE PRODUCTIONS INC.
WORCESTER 102.9 WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY
WORCESTER 106.1 CHURCH OF GOD PENTECOSTAL SALVATION ROCK
WORTHINGTON 103.3 HILLTOWN COMMUNITY ARTS
YARMOUTH 103.5 CAPE COD CATHOLIC RADIO INC.

Boston Connections Radio Show

Here's the playlist from yesterday's Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour. You can hear the music here, along with occasional DJ riffing by me. Note: on next week's show, you will hear live music, with guitar player Jeff Platz, John McClellan on drums and myself sitting in on trumpet. You can catch their show at the Outpost 186 today, Friday, August 9. 

And don't forget to download the JazzBird app-gives you many choices for jazz programming 24 hours a day.

Sonny Stitt “Wee”
from Newport Tribute to Bird (Bluebird 1964)

TIger Okoshi “Yesterdays”
from 2 SIdes (JVC 1994)

Bobby Hackett “Everybody Loves My Baby”
from Jazz Ultimate (Capital 1957)

Joe Lovano “EMperor Jones”
from Symphonica (WDR 2008)

Herb Pomeroy “Porta Desks and Tuxedos”
from and His Stablemates (Freshsounds 1955)

Terri Lynn Carrington “Mosaic Triad”
from Mosaic (Concord 2011)

Serge Chaloff “Everything Happens To Me”
from BOston 1950 (Uptown 1950)

Orange then Blue “Orange was the color of her dress”
from Live (GM 1987)

Ruby Braff “They Can't Take That Away”
from Plays Gershwin (Concord 1974)

Chick COrea & Gary Burton “Can't We Be Friends”
from Hot House (Concord 2012)

Duplex Mystery Hour: Jelly Roll Morton

The Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour (6-7 PM, WZBC 90.3; stream: WZBC.org) is starting a new series  "I Know the Name, but Why Should I care?" If you have any ideas about whom I should feature in upcoming shows, please let me know.

First up: Jelly Roll Morton. 

Playlist

NORK "Sobbin Blues" from "Sobbin Blues" (Single, Jazz, 1923) on Gennett

Jelly Roll Morton "Grandpa's Spells" from "Grandpa's Spells" (Single, Jazz, 1923) on Gennett

Jelly Roll Morton "King Porter’ Stomp" from Library of Congress recordings, 1938 (with Morton talking).

Edmonia Henderson "Jelly Roll Blues" from "Jelly Roll Blues" (Single, Jazz, 1924) on Gennett

Jelly Roll Morton And His Red Hot Peppers "Blackbottom Stomp" from "Blackbottom Stomp" (Single, Jazz, 1926) on Victor

Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers "Sidewalk Blues" from "Sidewalk Blues" (Single, Jazz, 1926) on Victor

Jelly & Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers "Dr. Jazz" from "Dr. Jazz" (Single, Jazz, 1926) on Electrola

Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers "Kansas City Stomp" from "Kansas City Stomp" (Single, Jazz, 1928) on Bluebird

Jelly Roll Morton And His Orchestra "Courthouse Bump" from "Courthouse Bump" (Single, Jazz, 1929) on Victor

Jelly Roll Morton And His Orchestra "Pretty Lil" from "Pretty Lil" (Single, Jazz, 1929) on Victor

Jelly Roll Morton "Finger Buster" from "Finger Buster" (Single, Jazz, 1938) on US Recording

Jelly Roll Morton "Creepy Feeling" from "Creepy Feeling" (Single, Jazz, 1938) on Blue Star

Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen "Oh Didn't He Ramble" from "Oh Didn't He Ramble" (Single, Jazz, 1939) on RCA

Jelly Roll Morton "Spanish Swat" from "Spanish Swat" (Single, Jazz, 1938) on Library of Congress

A Duplex Mystery Trombone Show

The Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour with Steve Provizer 05/16/2013 06:00PM to 07:00PM

Listen here.

Miff Mole "Sugar Foot Strut"(1927) on Columbia 

Jack Teagarden "Shine"  (1940) on Hot Record Society

 Glenn Miller "Swanee Shuffle" (1929) on Columbia

Jack Teagarden "Pitchin" (1940) on Commodore

Red Allen "Struttin w. Some Barbq" from "At Newport" (1957) on Verve 

Bennie Green "Euphoria"(1948) on Decca

Oscan Pettiford "Rhumblues" from "Sextet" (Jazz, 1954) on Vogue 

Matthew Gee solos on King Pleasure's "Don't you Worry About Me" from "Golden Days" (Jazz, 1960) on Hifi Jazz 

Curtis Fuller "Rock and Troll"(1957) on Prestige

Bob Brookmeyer "I Believe in You" (Single, Jazz, 1960) on Verve 

Claudio Roditi "Estamos Ahi" from "Live at Keystone Korner" (Jazz, 1983) on Cbs (US) 

Roswell Rudd "Pannonica" (1965) Video

Phil Wilson "Let's Fall in Love" from "Accentuate The Positive" (1995) on Seaside 

Excellent Turnout-What Next?

About 125 people turned out last night looking for ways to improve jazz radio in Boston. Reps from the major Mass. jazz organizations were in the house, as were a lot of musicians, dj's, promoters, producers, bookers, just plain listeners and the two guys who are in the center of this whole thing-constrained WGBH jazz host Eric Jackson and ex-WGBH jazz host Steve Schwartz. 


No matter what arises in the wake of the meeting, it felt great to be a part of that wizened, caring community. 


It was a lightly moderated forum, with no serious mic hogging. There was a certain amount of sheer venting as well as a lot of concrete ideas. I assume jazzboston.org, organizers of the event, will post what was discussed. I also know that Dick Vacca is writing it up for the JJA. Find details at those sites. My comments will be general. 

Alan Dawson

There were some younger people there last night, including a 19-year-old who said "My generation doesn't listen to the radio." A sobering thought, although not quite accurate. They do listen: to KISS, JAMN WBOS, WERS at night and maybe a few other high wattage stations; not to jazz. As noted last night, education is an important part of growing an audience. The difference between stumbling across a disembodied track by Herbie Hancock that you like and having a knowledgeable DJ put it into historical/cultural context for you is huge.


This is just to say that any strategy undertaken to satisfy the current jazz audience and to grow a new one has to utilize both old and new technologies. There was a lot of energy to try and force redress from WGBH or to approach WBUR, but the current diminished size of the jazz audience means that no high-powered station in Boston with a big monthly nut will take a chance on jazz. Let's concentrate on utilizing those college and smaller non-commercial stations that have the flexibility to be supportive. 


In terms of newer technology, a Boston Jazz Stream would not be free, but with all the knowledge we hold, it's almost a no-brainer. In terms of social media, we have a long way to go. Last night, someone asked how many people in attendance blogged, Facebooked and tweeted about the meeting and I was shocked that so few of us raised our hands. C'mon people. I know you got the smart phones. That's what they're for.

[Ed. note: In the next week or two, I'll be posting an interview with Steve Schwartz.].

There's a Meetin' Here Tonight

Tonight's the night of the jazz radio meeting at the Boston Copley Sq. BPL. No, the whole world is not watching, but interested jazz and blues fans in other cities will take note if creative solutions are advanced and consensus reached.


As a guy who's tried to get community action going on media (specifically, LPFM), I believe the trick is to keep the chaos at a minimum and to get volunteers to do things before they leave the room. Gotta get names and emails on lists, not let folks say "I'll sign up later online." 


Should be interesting. I'll follow up tomorrow.

 The  The 

Boston Jazz Radio Consortium?

The college radio stations I listed in my last post would have to be approached in different ways. Some are tightly formatted, fully scheduled and already have some jazz. 

For the stations with some or no jazz but with time on the schedule, jazz DJ's (who seem plentiful among our ranks) could be recruited to take those slots. 

It will be challenging to try to place shows such that jazz will be available somewhere on the Boston dial 24-7, but that should be a goal. I do think WHRB programmers should be asked whether they would consider moving their long jazz block to a time that is more propitious for the jazz audience.

All these stations would be asked to affiliate with some kind of jazz radio consortium. 

I doubt any content coordination among these shows is possible although if someone does an interview with a musician, promoter, etc., they could make it available as an upload for another DJ in the consortium to play during his or her show. 

In any case, stations would be agreeing that their jazz shows would have a dual identification-affiliated with a particular station and also with the consortium. On-air ID's would say something like "You're listening to Crepuscule Jazz on wwww, 80.1 FM, Brighton, Mass, an affiliated member of the Boston Jazz Radio Consortium (or something with a better acronym)." 

Other publicity, like print ads, stickers, etc, would be able to list these shows and DJ's would be encouraged to cross-promote programs. 

Or words to that effect.

Jazz & Radio; A Man, A Plan, A Channel

It makes sense that jazz fans want their music on the radio dial and not just on the internet. Even in the face of streaming stations, Satellite, Pandora, et al, radio continues as a force. The numbers vary, but somewhere between 85-95% of Americans listen to some terrestrial radio every day. Radios are everywhere, easy to operate and you don't have to put quarters in to make them work. The charges (and annoyance factor) are "hidden" in ads and underwriting. Americans, weaned on endless TV and radio ads from a young age, have built up an amazing tolerance for the 15-25 minutes of ads and promos per hour on commercial radio stations and for endless public radio fundraising drives. 

But radio is changing in a way that's very important to anyone who wants jazz (or any other "demographically insignificant" format) on the radio: The idea of a high-power station playing more than one format (multi-format) is disappearing. Public stations, as we are learning, are moving rapidly towards all news/talk. Commercial stations hyper-refine their music formats to maximize desirable demographics and they have stopped the little jazz they used to play on the weekend. There was once some leakage in the tight radio edifice, but like every nook and cranny of urban real estate, all cracks have been accounted for and leveraged for maximum income.

I want to thank Larry Cronin for sending a vision for jazz in Boston radio (posted as a comment in my last post and on a Facebook group). Given the landscape as I see it, he presents a somewhat utopian vision.

I do think the Boston jazz community should unify under one organizational banner, either a new one or a pre-existing one like jazzboston. But, even if it does, it will still have little power at a bargaining table freighted with financial concerns. So, to make any of Larry's proposals happen would require large institutional backing. I agree that a consortium of local colleges would bring considerable weight. The question is, why would they do it? They would have to be convinced that this liaison would either greatly elevate their educational mission, or that it would somehow pay off financially. Either argument can be made, but I don't think either can be successfully made.

Instead, I would propose taking a close look at the following Boston-area college stations; radio resources we could actually leverage:

WMBR

WZBC

WUML

WMFO

WMLN

WZLY

WHRB

WBRS

(WERS is a "professionalized," tightly formatted station and of no use to us).

There's already a lot of jazz scattered through the schedules of these stations-especially WHRB. Taken as a group, I think they represent a tremendous opportunity.

Rah

There are challenges. Some of these stations have strong community components and some don't. We don't know how management at these stations would respond to be approached. Their signals range from moderate to weak, certainly nothing like WGBH. It's a major challenge getting people to tune in at a certain time to get the program they want, as opposed to just going to a number on the dial and knowing what they'll hear. But if the coordination was done right, promotion could be effective. I.e., "You can find Jazz programming 24 hours a day on one of these stations." I'm one of a number of musicians with radio experience, invested in this process, who could provide the person-power.  

There are scores of details that would have to be ironed out, but like Larry's post, this is just a beginning.

On the other hand, AM stations are getting cheaper all the time...

Building a New Jazz House

Jazz people are increasingly having their media sanctuaries taken by eminent domain. Here's the press release: "We got more cars, need bigger highways, something's gotta give. Sorry... Feel free to stand by the highway holding signs, trying to convince drivers to go back home and ride their bikes to work."

"You are a diminishing and not very desirable demographic. We're not saying you're not a wonderful human being, but romance without finance is a nuisance. The bigger the broadcast outlet-and we are the biggest around here-the bigger the gap between your needs and ours."

Ok. I hear you and I accept your explanation.

I'm not happy about having my home bulldozed by the news/public affairs juggernaut (I'd be slightly happier if it wasn't lurching ahead on retread tires). But over the last 15 years I started several pirate radio stations because I knew the game was rigged and I knew the answer was to find another place to hang my porkpie hat. At a certain point, I stopped bad mouthing Clear Channel, as I'm done now with bemoaning the wrong-headed-ness of WGBH. There just ain't no traction in it, nor a convincing moral case. As my recent post about my daughter and her friend clearly showed, art and morality are in the eye of the beholder.

Call it a plea to the jazz community to use this moment to dream a little bit; to look for unthought-of creative solutions. Let's look ahead, not back. Regulatory action is a dead end. Positive actions win hearts. Jazz is at the center of all this. That should give us all the inspiration we need.

Jazz Exceptionalism and The Media

We all have to reckon with the fiscal concerns at the center of what happened at WGBH, but it also behooves us to make a case for the exceptionalism of jazz.

To begin with, we need to differentiate this campaign from previous grassroots media movements, like Action for Childrens Television or the groups that sprung up to keep Joss Whedon shows on the air. People who lobby for a certain show don't want to kill or resuscitate a type of show. They want their teen angst show. Or, they want certain kinds of advertisers not to pollute kid's shows. Tactically, to get this done, you can target specific sponsors-or networks-and this has worked.

The jazz situation is different. We're talking about the elimination of an entire genre of music from the public airwaves.

"Market forces" are inevitably cited to explain the shrinkage of jazz on WGBH and the radio dial (TV exposure was lost long ago), but jazz advocates can't slough this off as the triumph of crass philistines. The battle won't be won on the basis of good or bad taste. The taste argument leads back to audience size and money, every time.

Instead, look at the historical precedent for a public media mission that allows more than money to be at play in programming decisions. It was a damn good thing back in 1934 and 1967 and is just as important now. Ask the question: what would art, music, theatre and literature in the US look like if they had always been forced to compete in a strict media marketplace environment?

We are asked to hand over our money to the IRS every year for a panoply of nonsensical and reprehensible uses. It makes sense to stand up and demand that valuable aspects of American culture be supported. The evidence that we don't is sobering.

Public media outlets like WGBH must be forced to question whether or not they have drifted from their mission. The need to perpetuate the existence of the organization needs to be balanced by asking the question "why are we here?"

WGBH Decimates Its Jazz Programming

WGBH is now taking an active role in moving jazz onto smaller and smaller radio signals. Steve Schwartz's Friday show is going off the air and Eric Jackson's weekday show is gone. The story is here. There is a fabric that constitutes the Boston-area jazz community and these shows, especially Jackson's daily show, were an important part of it. This is a bad blow for the local jazz community. 


Problem is, the effects of radio programming all have to be "quantified" into numbers and demographics. I had the same problem years ago, when I was a producer for a show called "Ready-To-go, a mostly live children's show on WNEV (now WHDH) TV Channel 7. The audience was there, but relatively expensive production (i.e., local, non syndicated) and an undesirable advertising demographic meant this well-loved show was axed.


Obviously, WGBH is pursuing a long-term goal of grabbing audience share from WBUR, which has had a lock on the local upscale-NPR news/public affairs audience for a long time. Taking this kind of action, for bottom line reasons (and what other reason could there be?) is ok, if you don't mind the acrid whiff of Bain Capital and Mitt Romney. 


There will be pushback. It remains to be seen if a critical mass of music partisans can have any influence on a local media outlet whose mission, over the last couple of years, has grown foggier and foggier.

"Boston Jazz Radio and Government Funding" by Steve Provizer

Looks like the NEA will cut the Jazz Masters program and government funding for PBS and NPR is in jeopardy. How will such cuts effect jazz? I'll just bite off a small piece of it and focus on Boston media.


There's little jazz on TV. Public television has a small stake, carrying awards ceremonies at the Kennedy Center, White House specials, a rare American Masters and the odd Ken Burns documentary. Mr. Rogers used to have great jazz guests. RIP Mr Rogers. Maybe Sesame Street does some. There's no homegrown jazz TV hereabouts. Some years ago, I tried and failed.

In Boston, radio's a different story. Jazz has a strong presence here and an NPR affiliate is one of the major players.

In sheer number of hours, the biggest providers of jazz programming here are WHRB-FM and WGBH-FM. WHRB runs jazz every weekday 5am-1 pm. It is the Harvard-affiliate and not a public radio station. 

There are a number of other college stations which have jazz programs. Jazz Boston.org lists them all, although the list is not necessarily up-to-date (2 of my defunct shows are still listed). Some of the hosts are college students who know little of the music, but some are knowledgeable community members and/or musicians.

WGBH, a powerhouse NPR affiliate, runs local jazz shows 8pm-midnight weekdays and overnight. Their jazz hosts are knowledgeable, if not very adventurous. Last year, WGBH shortened weekday jazz shows by an hour and swapped in a syndicated show for local DJ's overnights.

So what impact would the loss of funding have on local jazz radio? First of all, it would have no direct effect on any of the college stations-including WHRB's 35 hours of jazz a week and their orgy period, which often features hundreds of additional hours of jazz.

And WGBH?

A recent enormous build-out and move combined with the bad economy have forced WGBH to cut back on tv and radio programming budgets. Losing the c. $11 million they get every year from the govt. would be a blow. It's important to note that last year, WGBH made moves to seriously re-position itself in the Boston radio market. In order to challenge the primacy of WBUR-FM and its all-news and public affairs format, WGBH juiced up its talk, eliminated all blues and folk programs and off-loaded its classical programming to a station it acquired-WCRB-FM.

So, it seems a simple enough deduction that, given any significant shortfall in income, WGBH would continue its trajectory and only retain the syndicated overnight jazz programming. Their major jazz show, 4 nights a week, is Eric Jackson's "Eric in the Evening." This is the major shmooze spot for jazz musicians playing in the area. Not my cup of tea, but I think these interviews do help to get people into the seats of local venues(albeit usually the mainstream ones). If "Eric in the Evening" did shut down, local stations with stronger signals than college stations would probably readjust programming to try and grab some of that audience-a pretty desirable demographic.

So, I think the loss of Federal money would not affect the sheer amount of jazz radio programming in Boston. It could de-centralize the radio audience, which might have a democratizing impact on audiences, with higher end acts and venues possibly negatively impacted, but smaller venues getting a boost.

But this is just Boston- a unique radio situation. In many other markets in this country, Public radio provides music, news and public affairs programming that would otherwise simply not be available. I say Federal funding should continue, but that whenever possible, the money should be used to create or buttress local programming that would not otherwise exist in a particular market.