...and all that jazz
The radio stations in LA suck. It seems like each runs on a half hour loop, playing the same songs over and over. Stations in other, smaller markets across the country may get away with spicing-up their play lists since they’re so far from corporate ownership. But not here. Corporate is here. It blankets the airwaves like a veil, blocking out variety and creativity.
One station, though, is immune to the commercialism rampant on SoCal’s FM dial (AM is a different story; I mean, where else could you listen to the Dodgers game in English and Spanish, then listen to the weather in Vietnamese or Cantonese?). I’ll listen to a few other stations to get my oldies and cheesy hip-hop fix, but my radio is usually tuned to 88.1 KKJZ, more affectionately known as KJAZZ.
For those of you who are shocked: Yes, I still listen to the radio, but mostly just in my car. The only radio I have at home is my Sony Dream Machine, and it’s a far cry from the stereo I’ve always wanted (receiver, CD player, a turntable or two, and a couple floor speakers). My iMac is a better sound system, but the little, beige clock radio does its job. At 7 a.m. it turns on the smooth, early morning mix on KJAZZ, and I listen for a half hour before rolling out of bed.
Radio has a special place in my heart. When I realized I didn’t have a chance to play for the Boston Celtics (in my dreams I won five NBA championships), I wanted to grow up and be a radio DJ. At night, when I was a kid, I sometimes inched the tuner up and down the AM band trying to find signals from Chicago, Denver, and New York (a whole bunch of wavelength and atmospheric science is involved, and this isn’t the place to get into it). In the late-‘70s, my mom worked at 93 KHJ in LA. At the time, KHJ played Top 40 and was the most listened to station in the country. After my sister and I went swimming we dried off with KHJ beach towels. Growing up, I didn’t have much money to spend on CDs, so I recorded songs off the radio. At my parent’s house I have a whole shoe box full of TDK cassettes with radio recordings.
Plus, radio is free. Can’t beat that.
Back to KJAZZ. According to its website, and what they say on air, KJAZZ is America’s number one jazz and blues station. I don’t know how prestigious it is, since there aren’t many jazz and blues stations left, but I think it’s cool. Sure beats the hell out of KCCK.
I started listening to KKJZ when I was still in Iowa City. iTunes carries its online stream in the radio section and I used to listen to it and think of California, the land of my dreams. I continued listening in Santa Cruz, when I was beyond the broadcast reach of the jazz station in Monterey. On Friday nights I tuned in for Jose Rizo’s show, “Jazz on the Latin Side,” and fell in love with the energetic beats and swing rhythm of Brazilian and Afro-Cuban jazz. At the end of my epic trip down Highway 1 last October, I was so excited to be listening to bossa nova and salsa as I crawled along the 10 through Santa Monica, the lights of beastly LA all around me.
KJAZZ reserves most of Saturday and Sunday for the blues. Bubba Jackson and Jack Devaney host “Nothin’ but the Blues,” and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) hosts the “House of Blues Radio Hour” on Sunday nights. The shows are on during the afternoon and evening, which is weird because blues is night music to me. But I still love listening to the old Stax recordings they play. Blues hits the spot on the weekend.
For the rest of the time KKJZ is a regular jazz station. I like jazz. It’s soothing and uplifting, and also stirs the artist in me (as if it needs to be stirred anyway). As oppose to the blues, I don’t know much about jazz styles and the musicians. I have a few CDs, but not many. When I listen to jazz on the radio everything flows together.
The veil of corporate corruption thankfully hasn’t covered KJAZZ since it’s operated by Cal State Long Beach. Even though it’s sucker and commercial free, it has to generate money some how. From what I can tell it operates mostly on public contributions, which is why they’re asking $88 for a logo coffee mug (I’m not kidding). Regardless, I’m happy having at least one station playing what I want to hear, and not wearing it out.
One station, though, is immune to the commercialism rampant on SoCal’s FM dial (AM is a different story; I mean, where else could you listen to the Dodgers game in English and Spanish, then listen to the weather in Vietnamese or Cantonese?). I’ll listen to a few other stations to get my oldies and cheesy hip-hop fix, but my radio is usually tuned to 88.1 KKJZ, more affectionately known as KJAZZ.
For those of you who are shocked: Yes, I still listen to the radio, but mostly just in my car. The only radio I have at home is my Sony Dream Machine, and it’s a far cry from the stereo I’ve always wanted (receiver, CD player, a turntable or two, and a couple floor speakers). My iMac is a better sound system, but the little, beige clock radio does its job. At 7 a.m. it turns on the smooth, early morning mix on KJAZZ, and I listen for a half hour before rolling out of bed.
Radio has a special place in my heart. When I realized I didn’t have a chance to play for the Boston Celtics (in my dreams I won five NBA championships), I wanted to grow up and be a radio DJ. At night, when I was a kid, I sometimes inched the tuner up and down the AM band trying to find signals from Chicago, Denver, and New York (a whole bunch of wavelength and atmospheric science is involved, and this isn’t the place to get into it). In the late-‘70s, my mom worked at 93 KHJ in LA. At the time, KHJ played Top 40 and was the most listened to station in the country. After my sister and I went swimming we dried off with KHJ beach towels. Growing up, I didn’t have much money to spend on CDs, so I recorded songs off the radio. At my parent’s house I have a whole shoe box full of TDK cassettes with radio recordings.
Plus, radio is free. Can’t beat that.
Back to KJAZZ. According to its website, and what they say on air, KJAZZ is America’s number one jazz and blues station. I don’t know how prestigious it is, since there aren’t many jazz and blues stations left, but I think it’s cool. Sure beats the hell out of KCCK.
I started listening to KKJZ when I was still in Iowa City. iTunes carries its online stream in the radio section and I used to listen to it and think of California, the land of my dreams. I continued listening in Santa Cruz, when I was beyond the broadcast reach of the jazz station in Monterey. On Friday nights I tuned in for Jose Rizo’s show, “Jazz on the Latin Side,” and fell in love with the energetic beats and swing rhythm of Brazilian and Afro-Cuban jazz. At the end of my epic trip down Highway 1 last October, I was so excited to be listening to bossa nova and salsa as I crawled along the 10 through Santa Monica, the lights of beastly LA all around me.
KJAZZ reserves most of Saturday and Sunday for the blues. Bubba Jackson and Jack Devaney host “Nothin’ but the Blues,” and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) hosts the “House of Blues Radio Hour” on Sunday nights. The shows are on during the afternoon and evening, which is weird because blues is night music to me. But I still love listening to the old Stax recordings they play. Blues hits the spot on the weekend.
For the rest of the time KKJZ is a regular jazz station. I like jazz. It’s soothing and uplifting, and also stirs the artist in me (as if it needs to be stirred anyway). As oppose to the blues, I don’t know much about jazz styles and the musicians. I have a few CDs, but not many. When I listen to jazz on the radio everything flows together.
The veil of corporate corruption thankfully hasn’t covered KJAZZ since it’s operated by Cal State Long Beach. Even though it’s sucker and commercial free, it has to generate money some how. From what I can tell it operates mostly on public contributions, which is why they’re asking $88 for a logo coffee mug (I’m not kidding). Regardless, I’m happy having at least one station playing what I want to hear, and not wearing it out.
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