Edition #014 - The Christmas Special

Edition 014

This is the Christmas special for The Jazz Mixer podcast. Some of the tunes may harken back to the "Standards in Jazz" Christmas shows that aired on WSIE. I also recall a gimmick I did while I was morning DJ at WSIE: playing Christmas tunes when the high temperature on the previous day was 90 degrees or warmer.

Artists featured: Marvin Cohen, Gary Dammer and Friends, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Vince Guaraldi, The Count Basie Orchestra, Joanie Caro, the Manhattan Transfer and Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass. 

Running time: One hour, 13 minutes and seven seconds.

Edition #013 - Gateway to Jazz, Part Three

Edition 013

This edition continues with Jazz from St. Louis musicians. Featured are Prince A. Wells III, Brett Stamps, the Funky Butt Brass Band, Keith Ellis and the Sessions Big Band, James Warfield, Jr., the Trio Tres Bien, Joanie Caro and the I-70 Jazz Connection.

Running time is one hour, seven minutes and 13 seconds. 

Edition #012 - Gateway to Jazz, Part Two

Edition 012

This edition continues the podcast's focus on music by St. Louis Jazz musicians. Featured are selections by Farshid Etniko, Keith Ellis and the Sessions Big Band featuring Sherry Drake, the Trio Tres Bien, Gary Dammer and Friends, The I-70 Jazz Connection, David Troncoso, Valerie Tichacek and Marvin Cohen.

Running time is one hour, 18 minutes and 43 seconds. 

Edition #011 - Gateway to Jazz, Part One

Edition 011

This edition features Jazz from artists coming out of St. Louis, the Gateway to the West. Starting the podcast is three songs from The Singing Pharmacist, Marvin Cohen, along with selections from Jim Owens, Brett Stamps, The Gary Dammer Sextet with Kim Park (The I-70 Jazz Connection), Keith Ellis and The Sessions Big Band (including one with vocalist Sherry Drake, dedicated to the memory of Ross Gentile), Prince A. Wells III and Farshid Etniko's rendition of a Wayne Shorter classic.

Running time is 58 minutes, 35 seconds. 

Edition #010 - SIUE Jazz Studies

Edition 010

I am very proud to be a graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. During most of my time as a student at SIUE, I worked at 88.7 WSIE; the last five years as morning drive personality. I also had the pleasure of listening to the Jazz Studies students and their instructors, either in public performances or practicing. I spent numerous lunch hours listening to Jazz Studies students perfecting their craft. I even had two instructors from the Jazz Studies department teach two courses I took: Jason Swagler (Jazz, a.k.a. Music 338, Fall 2005) and Prince A. Wells III (Music Appreciation, Fall 2008).

This edition features music from Prince A. Wells III, Keith Ellis and The Sessions Big Band (featuring Jason Swagler and Aaron Lehde), James Warfield, Jr. and Brett Stamps. Featured on various tracks are Reggie Thomas, Adaron "Pops" Jackson, Rick Haydon, Zeb Briskovich and Miles Vandiver, along with Montez Coleman and all-time St. Louis Jazz legend Willie Akins. 

Running time is one hour, seven minutes and 21 seconds. 

Edition #009 - Jazzing Up The Beatles, Part Two

Edition 009

This edition features more Jazz interpretations of songs originally recorded by The Beatles. Featured in this edition are Lee Ritenour, McCoy Tyner, John Pizzarelli, George Benson, Nelson Rangell, Arturo Sandoval, Beatle Jazz, Russ Freeman (of Rippingtons fame) and Groove Collective.

Running time is one hour, eight minutes and 32 seconds. 

Edition #008 - Jazzing Up The Beatles, Part One

Jazz Mixer 008

The Beatles, often referred to as The Fab Four from Liverpool, is arguably the most influential pop-rock group in history. This edition features Jazz interpretations of the classic songs made famous by The Beatles.

Featured are Ramsey Lewis, Beatle Jazz featuring Joe Lovano, Jim Owens with Brett Stamps, John Pizzarelli, Diana Krall, Chick Corea, Tessa Souter, Tom Scott and Dave Grusin.

Running time is one hour, three minutes and 32 seconds.

Edition #007 - Jazzing Up the Hits

Jazz Mixer 007

Have you wondered how some of your favorite songs sound after they were adapted for Jazz or Fusion audiences? Hear Jazz versions of hits originally made famous by Stevie Wonder, Neil Sedaka, Brenda Russell, Boyz II Men, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, as well as Fusion versions of hits originally made famous by The Moody Blues, Henry Mancini and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, plus a song recorded by Paul Desmond two years before the hit version by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass.

Playing time is 54 minutes, 47 seconds.

Edition #006 - Let Me Play You a Long Song

Jazz Mixer 006

Four of the longest Jazz tracks ever recorded are featured on this edition of The Jazz Mixer podcast. Most of these songs were frequently requested by my listeners during my days at WSIE. Artists featured are Jimmy Smith, Lee Morgan, Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane.

Running time is one hour, two minutes and 12 seconds.

Edition #005 - A Tribute to My Fellow DJs

Jazz Mixer 005

This edition of The Jazz Mixer podcast pays tribute to St. Louis Jazz DJs. The first song on this podcast is "I Love Jazz", played in memory of Don Wolff. I also pay tribute to the three former WSIE DJs who are still with us; Bob Pelc, yours truly and, through the music of his longtime co-host, Buddy Moreno, Adam Tracy. From my shows, my Friday closing song, "Moonlight Serenade", along with my "Rhythm and News" opening, "Jumpin' at the Woodside", my week-ending "Rhythm and News" close, "For All We Know", and the final song I played on WSIE, "Softly, As I Leave You" are featured. The podcast also pays tribute to Leo Chears, "The Man in the Red Vest", with his opening song, "Desmond Blue" (also the closing song for "Stevenson in the Morning", done as a tribute) and his closing song, "The Quintessence". One of LaVerne Holliday's favorite songs, Najee's rendition of "I Adore Mi Amor", is also included. The podcast wraps up with Ross Gentile's closing song, "The Eyes of Love".

The length of this podcast is 58 minutes, 42 seconds.

Edition #004 - Jazz Goes To The Movies

Jazz Mixer 004

Grab your popcorn and soda, because The Jazz Mixer podcast is going to the movies! Okay, here's what I mean: Jazz tunes from various movie soundtracks. Songs are featured from "The Glenn Miller Story", "Anatomy of a Murder", "Walk on the Wild Side", "Death Wish", "The Cannonball Run", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "For Your Eyes Only", "Passenger 57" and a pair from the Grammy award-winning "Shaft" soundtrack.

Running time is 51 minutes, 5 seconds.

Edition #003 - Jorgie's and Peacock Alley

Jazz Mixer #003

In the 1950s and early 1960s, St. Louis' Gaslight Square was the epicenter of the St. Louis arts scene. One of the clubs in that part of town was Jorgie's Jazz Club. On August 19, 1961, guitarist Wes Montgomery performed at Jorgie's; he was joined by his brothers, Buddy (piano, vibes) and Monk (bass) and drummer Billy Hart. During my days at WSIE, I had the pleasure of speaking to Frank Sousan, who recorded the set that's featured on this edition of The Jazz Mixer podcast, which is presented in its entirety. This part of the podcast is a suggestion by Charlie Geer, former operations director at WGNU Granite City, Illinois.

Peacock Alley was another St. Louis Jazz venue; it was located in the MidTown Hotel in the heart of St. Louis' African-American community. Originally The Glass Bar, it opened following a mid-1950s renovation. Miles Davis performed there with his first classic Quintet in July 1956. The performances on July 14 and 21 of 1956 were emceed by Jesse "Spider" Burks, the first African-American DJ west of the Mississippi River, and aired on KXLW (now KSIV), then a 5,000-watt daytime-only station covering St. Louis city and county. Excerpts from both shows are presented.

The performances at Jorgie's and Peacock Alley were released by Soulard Intertainment about 20 years ago. This podcast's listening time is one hour, four minutes and 24 seconds.

Edition #002 - Jazz on the Top 40

Jazz Mixer - Edition 002

While Jazz had its heyday as America's popular music from the 1930s to the early 1950s, Jazz selections continued to cross over to the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts during the Rock Era. This podcast, running 48 minutes and 18 seconds in length, features ten Jazz tracks that crossed over to Top 40 radio since the beginning of the Rock Era in 1955.

The Jazz Mixer Premiere

The Jazz Mixer - Edition 001

This is the very first Jazz Mixer podcast. This edition features the following songs:

"Slick" by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass
"Cha Cha Cha Mambo" by Tito Puente
"In the Mood" by The Glenn Miller Orchestra
"Whistle Bump" by Eumir Deodato
"Pick-Up Sticks" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
"Blues for Pablo" by Miles Davis with Gil Evans
"Nightmare in Heaven" by Farshid Etniko
"A Swingin' Safari" by Billy Vaughn
"Breezin'" by George Benson
"Acknowledgment" by John Coltrane

The length of the podcast is 58:56.

Why a Podcast?

Soon, you will be hearing me with my favorite type of music again. For nine years, I played America's own Art Form Music, Jazz, on the radio for listeners in St. Louis and the Metro East. It was the best format I ever did in 22 years on broadcast radio. It's been eight years since I signed off the broadcast airwaves for the last time. This time, I'll be doing a podcast.

Why a podcast, do you ask? The Jazz Mixer was originally conceived in February 2015 as a programming proposal for KDHX (88.1 FM), the community radio station in St. Louis. The station's management really didn't want me to do a show similar to the one I did at WSIE (88.7 FM), first on Friday nights and later on weekday mornings. A podcast, in my honest view, is the best and most cost-effective way to present various styles of Jazz to the widest possible audience. It would also give me unlimited freedom to select the music I would play and allow me to control the length of each podcast. Setting up my own Internet radio station is extremely cost-prohibitive, and has limited audience potential. I learned about the limited reach of Internet radio by working at the student-run radio station at Southern Illinois University, Web Radio. Broadcast radio is definitely out; radio station purchase prices are overinflated, too few air slots are available in the St. Louis area due to corporate restrictions, and while I would love to return to WSIE, I think the students deserve the chance more than I do. The only other alternative would have been to buy air time on shortwave radio stations like WBCQ in Monticello, Maine, WWCR in Nashville, Tennessee or WTWW in Lebanon, Tennessee. That would also not be cost-effective at this point.

Why Jazz? I am not interested in celebrity gossip, nor am I interested in politics (like former 89.5 The Wave colleague Mark Bland). From 2000 to 2009, I played Jazz as a way to pay my college tuition and make a semblance of a living. I'm most closely associated with this format, so it's a natural for me. I just can't see myself doing a talk show as a podcast.

This podcast is only intended for the listener's consumption; it is not created to air on any radio station, terrestrial, satellite or Internet. I am not comfortable with having my productions sent out over the broadcast airwaves right now. Make sure you watch this blog for the release of the premiere of The Jazz Mixer podcast.