Jive Radio Revisited

I've previously mentioned what I believe was the enormous impact of KSAN on radio programming as we know it.* For better or for worse, most of the sound and techniques employed by FM music stations today are directly attributable to the innovations carried out by the mighty Jive95.

When Jive Radio rose from the ashes of it's short-lived predecessor KMPX, it's approach to broadcasting was utterly profound. Others approximated the style, some successfully (Detroit's WABX comes to mind), but it was Jive95 that set the standard for what was to become almost a blueprint for all FM rock radio to follow. To fully understand the implications, one must consider that before KSAN and the birth of underground free-form, it was supercharged Top 40 and AM radio that ruled the day. The superior FM band was grossly underutilized, home to scant classical music and foreign language stations. While Top 40 in it's limited rotations did offer a variety of musical genres from rock and soul to country and pop, Jive95 took the 'new sounds' of the burgeoning underground, mixed it with a smattering of blues, jazz and folk, and let the music ride without intrusive breaks. The DJ's too, delved deeper into album tracks supplying hip, relaxed commentary in stark contrast to their AM counterparts. It was all incredibly new and terribly exciting! Great music, laid-back announcers, good vibes, all on FM radio and in stereo, I might add. These were the key elements that contributed to the immediacy of Jive95.

When I allude to the sound and techniques adopted by KSAN's successors, I am referring to the style of the on-air DJ banter, the elongated music sweeps, personalized commercial content and investigative news reporting. As the new methodology took hold, the profit driven industry began to fine-tune it, primarily by imposing limitations on the broad scope of the music content, pulling in the reins to create the slightly more urbane 'Album Oriented Rock.' Whereas KSAN DJ's selected their own music, free of constraint and reflective of their personalities, the AOR crews drew from a smaller musical pool designed to maximize audience response while cutting down on potential 'dial drifting' (read: playing to the common denominator). The results musically were less personalized and more generalized, less varied and more defined, less exploratory, more mainstream. The freewheeling DJ raps morphed to a studied uniform approach, somewhere between the neighborhoods of the highly charged 'Top 40' sound and the hip 'in the pocket' underground that informed it. Though still quite listenable, it clearly was not as enlightening and certainly much less entertaining. In a word, it became predictable. The evolution only worsened through time and of course has since gone entirely to shit. Elements are still discernible, but the biggest offense is the 'niche' programming so popular in the last decades; formats that cater to an extremely targeted core audience by broadcasting an equally limited selection of music, ie: your lite-rock, classic rock, smooth jazz, modern country, etc. Compound this with an even tighter playlist and you've got some fairly bland and forgettable programming.

Jive Radio was undeniably a product of the times and it's demise was inevitable. But while alive (and especially during it's prime), Jive95 was as revolutionary to radio broadcasting as digital downloads are to the music recording industry.

While I was never a part of the KSAN legacy, I have worked with many former staff members over the course of my radio career and count them among my friends. In the early 1990's, the award winning college station KUSF hosted an on-air reunion of ex-Jiver's which evolved into a weekly program astonishingly called 'Jive Radio' (who would have guessed?). I was invited to participate as a rotating host along with others from the original Jive95. The premise of the broadcast was not meant as a nostalgia fest, but rather to celebrate and embrace the cutting-edge sound and vibe of the once mighty KSAN, a form of music radio programming that no longer exists on commercial radio today.

This week's mix contains excerpts from actual broadcasts capturing my occasional appearances on the program. The sources come from analogue cassettes (lovingly recorded by my girlfriend). FCC be damned, many were made in a slight state of inebriation. Tipsy mostly. Alright, maybe just a little bit shit-faced. I only mention this because of the inappreciable disparity on my part from one clip to another, but then that's part of the charm of restraint-free radio, a venue where DJ's were free to be human with mood swings, feelings and flaws. These sets showcase my own Jive sensibilities (as well as my flaws), a contribution that is also contestable as one for better or for worse. You make the call.

Miles On Jive Radio!

Jive #1)
Plastic Rose/Dave Alvin
The Rounder/Dan Hicks
Everybody Thinks I'm Crazy/NRBQ
When Jesus Left Birmingham/John Mellencamp
When It's Sleepytime Down South/Terence Blanchard (Incomplete)
Jive #2)
I Broke My Promise/American Music Club (Incomplete)
Could Be/Les McCann
Come On In/Martha Valez (Incomplete)
Jive #3)
Gregory Corso's 'Marriage'
Jive #4)
Jive Radio Promo
Jive #5)
Purple Sneakers/You, Am,I
Hello Amsterdam/American Music Club
I Never Play Basketball Now/Prefab Sprout
Dance Cadaverous/Wayne Shorter
Grass/Pretty Things
Checkin' In, Checkin' Out/The High Llamas
Don't Explain/Etta James
You Can Never Get Too Big And You Sure Don't Get Too Heavy,
That You Don't Have To Stop And Pay Some Dues Sometime/
The Sir Douglas Quintet
Audrey's Dance/Angelo Badalamenti
Broken Bicycles/Tom Waits
Beginning/Colin Blunstone
Sorta New/Chico Hamilton And Euphoria (Incomplete)
Jive #6)
'It's My Party And I'll Cry If I Want To'


To download, click here, then hear the difference!

*See August 28, 2007 post 'The First (All Things Must Pass)'

TR-i (The Rundgren-index) No.#1

The Nazz Years
No.#1 in a series.

Todd Rundgren (a.k.a TR-i) has always been a enigma. As a record producer, band leader, multi-instrumentalist and tunesmith of the highest order, Rundgren could have easily chosen to churn out an endless flow of impeccably crafted radio friendly melodies to assure himself mainstream stardom and a lengthy career as a pop music-meister. Instead, he chose to follow his heart, straying off the grid early in his career to create an increasingly esoteric output and by process, become an innovator in electronic experimentation, the video arts, computer software design and web-based music delivery; all the while keeping one foot firmly planted in the unique form of fringe pop music that he continues to create today. Always the maverick, Rundgren first follows his interests and passions, less concerned with commercial success, yet savvy enough to know who and what butters his bread. Having long ago established a loyal fan base, he has effectively freed himself from the constraints of music industry standards to indulge in his quirky experimentation, secure in knowing that his fans will gladly follow him to the ends of the earth. It’s a unique position for an artist to find themselves, but credit must be given to the man himself for designing his circumstance. If he weren’t the humanist he is, Rundgren could never have achieved his reality, for it's his belief in his own self-potential as well as that of greater mankind, combined with his compassionate focus on our mutual human needs that have empowered not only himself, but also his longtime followers in ways that other rock artists simply cannot touch. Intelligent, articulate and prolific, Rundgren could easily be construed as the embodiment of the Renaissance man, not that he presents himself as such, but his multi-faceted history suggests otherwise. It can be difficult to pin any one classification on the man other than simply 'artist,' or perhaps to echo the title of one of his landmark LP's , 'A Wizard, A True Star.'

This will be the first in an on-going audio profile of Rundgren, each focusing on a different and specific dimension of his 40 year career in music.

The Nazz Years

Formed in 1967, The Nazz was Todd’s first professional outing. Power pop quartet, short-lived, British Invasion inspired, 2 LP’s proper, 1 posthumous collection of odds & ends, sharp dresser’s all; lots of velvet, ruffled shirts, brocade and flash. Instrumentally adept, harmonically strong, Rundgen penned material with a derivative sound, but derivative in only the best ways; heavy on The Who, Yardbirds, Small Faces and The Move. Drummer displayed a stylistic affinity for Keith Moon, bass player laid down a solid foundation, lead singer doubled on keyboards and Rundgren despite his young age, showed a remarkably well-developed approach to guitar histrionics.

Here’s the 31 track set list called 'The Nazz Years' with entertaining historical commentary supplied by Todd himself:

1.) ‘The Year Is 1965...’
2.) Open My Eyes
3.) ‘...The Summer Of ‘67...’
4.) Back Of Your Mind
5.) ‘...It Sucks!’
6.) When I Get My Plane
7.) “That Don’t Sound Like The Nazz To Me!”
8.) Crowded
9.) ‘In The Fall Of ‘68...’
10.) Not Wrong Long
11.) Rain Rider
12.) ‘...Todd Rundgren’
13.) Under The Ice
14.) Forget All About It
15.) See What You Can Be
16.) Wildwood Blues
17.) ‘...Nazz, Nazz’
18.) Sing Me A Song (Outtake)
19.) Lemming Song
20.) Take The Hand
21.) How Can You Call That Beautiful?
22.) “Hey! Ain’t That The Nazz Over There?”
23.) Hang On Paul
24.) Kiddie Boy
25.) Featherbedding Lover
26.) If That’s The Way You Feel
27.) Meridian Leeward
28.) Christopher Columbus
29.) 'Nazz Radio Commercial'
30.) Only One Winner
31.) Some People

To download, click here, unzip and play loud!

Innovations

The Double-Edged Innovations Of Pianist Jack Wilson
 

In the last week there has been some confusion surrounding the mortality of jazz pianist and composer Jack Wilson. Inactive for the last decade or more, several online sources have stated that Jack passed away on Friday, October 5th in New York City of natural causes. Despite these reports, I have yet to find an official obituary to substantiate the claim, adding to the mystery and my own uncertainty. For now, the announcement appears to be unfounded, although it is quite conceivable that it was Wilson's heath that has kept him off the bandstand in recent years. All of this has induced me to devote this week's post to the extremely talented, if understated Jack Wilson who has quietly forged an very unique footprint in the Los Angeles and New York jazz communities. Living or deceased, Jack's music deserves recognition for it's strength, tastefulness, swing and finesse*.

Wilson is a musician who has traveled many miles on many roads, serving as pianist for Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson, the Gerald Wilson and Charlie Barnett orchestras, as well as small groups led by Sonny Stitt, Jackie McLean and Clark Terry. Add to this, his prolific work in television scores and leader of his own trio and you've got a man whose talents are wide and varied.

In 1977, Wilson found himself at a significant crossroad with the release of 'Innovations,' his first of three recordings for Discovery Records**. Recuperating from an auto accident that nearly ended his career, he was returning to the piano bench for the first time after losing the ability to utilize his left hand for nearly a full decade. Additionally, Wilson was arriving at a new musical destination and sound; two pianos simultaneously, one acoustic, one electric. The combination changed the basic structure of the conventional trio, allowing new dimensions of color, texture, volume and timbre to enter without the need for additional instruments.

The expansion of his trio's scope is evident throughout 'Innovations,' particularly on 'Autumn Sunset,' 'Our Waltz,' 'Baby Blue' and 'Kunta Kinte.' With bassist Allen Jackson and drummer Clarence Johnston contributing a special sensitivity to the unusual requirements of the sound, they help to create a solid underbrush beneath the lush harmonics of Wilson's double-edged attack. The result is a rewarding demonstration of one musician's recovery, self-discovery, inspiration and innovation, evident in the twelve selections recorded and listed below.

Years ago, I met Jack on an engagement at Todd Barkan's legendary Keystone Korner, the long defunct San Francisco jazz club that once hosted the likes of Miles Davis, Rashaan Roland Kirk, Dexter Gordon and a mind boggling list of jazz luminaries. Memorable not only for the musical giants that graced its stage, the Keystone was also a room the size of a postage stamp (read: very intimate) and directly adjacent to the very active North Beach Police Station, a mere alleyway separating the two doorways. It was often a surreal, but humorous image to spot the occasional rhythm section huddled outside the service entrance, sharing a joint between sets as police officers came and went about their business, turning a blind eye to the recreational activities of their musical neighbors just a few feet away. The night of our meeting, Wilson swung wholeheartedly and steadfast. Carrying himself with an understated elegance, Jack was immaculately dressed, soft spoken and extremely gracious in his interaction with his audience. Backstage, I'll always remember his low-key, almost bashful demeanor and was duly charmed. There under a scarfed overhead ceiling light, the pianist stood alone with quiet dignity, secure in his own artistry and seemingly wanting for nothing. I had come face to face with a nobleman, a true gentleman of jazz, the masterful Jack Wilson.

*These reports have since been confirmed. Wilson passed October 05, 2007 from complications brought on by diabetes
 
**All three recordings are presently out of print

Innovations

1. Autumn Sunset
2. Kunta Kinte
3. Waltz For Ahmad
4. Dos Intrepatatos
5. Baby Blue
6. Tears Inside
7. Invitation
8. Our Waltz

Fire Into Music!, Pt.1

Fire Into Music! Three simple words that reflect the essence of the legendary Impluse! record label. Started as an experimental unit of entertainment giant ABC/Paramount, Impulse! (as well as the short lived Strata-East) was ground zero for 'outside' jazz in the 1960's. Having produced John Coltrane's most passionate recordings surely made it easy for the label to attract additional powerhouse's as Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins into the fold, along with newer voices such as Sam Rivers, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler and Pharoah Sanders.

In the turbulence of the 60's, it was the musicians who were in the vanguard of Black America's civil rights struggle. Amidst the wild, chaotic social unrest and political turmoil, those who took it upon themselves to question, stimulate thought and attempt to make a coherent cultural statement often found themselves locked out, their vision so uncompromising. The music they produced of course, reflected this 'outsideness' and Impulse! became their home.

During my late nights on-air at KRE Radio, the entire record library was at my disposal to explore, consider and embrace. As KRE was a progressive jazz music station by design, it only made sense to tap into the Impulse! catalog for evocative sounds to share and Impulse! recordings often complimented late night listening for their distinctive, aggressive and challenging music.

'Fire Into Music!' can only begin to communicate the power of Impulse!, however subsequent installments will dig deeper into the heart of 'The House That Trane Built.' Meanwhile, this 1st set features:

1. Pharoah Sanders/The Creator Has A Master Plan (Pt.1)
2. Gato Barbieri/Nunca Mas
3. Chico Hamilton/Larry of Arabia
4. Alice Coltrane/Blue Nile
5. Clifford Coulter/Voco
6. Charles Mingus/Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul
7. Sonny Rollins/Alfie's Theme
8. John Coltrane/Transition
9. Charlie Haden/War Orphans

To download, click here and discover the future is now!

For more information on Impulse! Records, visit The House That Trane Built.