Jazz is a living language and no one speaks it more eloquently than the musicians themselves.
Is there anything more hopeful, more full of promise and possibility than the first notes of a jazz performance? In that one ephemeral moment, when the first notes break the silence, decades of history and legacy meet the present moment’s aspiration and expectation. Both performer and listener join in a way neither can predict or exactly measure. It’s the past come to life and the future made real, all in one riff and then another and then another…
As the host of a jazz radio program, I’m always hoping someone pushes the red record button when jazz is in the air. Without that, I’m just whistling in the dark. Fortunately, there is no shortage of those recorded moments, more than enough for me to put together four hours of new jazz every Friday and Saturday night just for you. Anyone who tells you jazz is dead hasn’t seen my inbox.
Anyone who tells you jazz is dead hasn’t seen my inbox…
In a lifetime of broadcasting and work in the media I have never known more dedicated artists than jazz musicians. Under-paid and under-appreciated by society at large, bombarded by comparisons to a mythic “golden” past, jazz musicians are constantly warned of the demise of their art and livelihood. Almost all just put their heads down and blow, and when the gatekeepers dismiss or ignore what they make, they just make more and more music, until they finally break through and get the attention and audience they deserve.
Jazz music represents the best of what and who we are. It’s American but no longer uniquely American. Its global reach is undeniable and its local meaning and significance can be seen in every kid carrying an instrument case to school.
I’m very proud to be able to connect you with the amazing community of creative musicians who make jazz. I take this work very seriously, and so do they. They send me hundreds of new jazz records every year. All those records, whether made in a fancy studio or in a basement or on stage in a club, carry the same promise and possibility. The only way you’ll know if and how it resonates with you is to listen. Your best opportunity to do that happens every week on Jazz After Hours.