Jazz Hands
WNUA-FM (95.5)’s Ramsey Lewis is not the only game in town when it comes to jazz musicians moonlighting as DJs.
Sax player Bruce Gibson and bass guitarist Nick Calabrese co-host a show called “Local Jazz Focus” each Tuesday night from 7 to 9 on Triton College’s WRRG-FM (88.9). They’ve had a whole host of musicians on the air ranging from Typhanie Monique and Neal Alger to the Oak Park-River Forest High School band Listen to saxophonist/ composer Scott Burns to whoever is playing Pop’s and Andy’s.
Most guests spend an hour with the pair, who play their CDs and interview them about their music and life on the road.
“We’re trying to help people out and make a more vibrant jazz scene here in Chicago,” explains Calabrese, noting WDCB is also home to Tom Macek’s long-running Sunday night show, “Jazzarena.” “There are fewer and fewer venues for jazz musicians to play in, and most of them are financing their own CD releases. This is a way for them to recoup some of their costs and promote their CDs.”
He says being musicians gives the hosts a unique perspective. “We’ve been there in a lot of these clubs. We know the rigors of performing and especially of touring and the amount of money these people make – or don’t make – and I think we’re able to put ourselves in their shoes and understand why they’re doing it, which is passion for the music. We also understand the economics of it and how difficult it is for them.
“Someone else may just see the glamour, and not the negative side of it.”
Local jazz musicians can e-mail nicholas.calabrese@comcast.net to learn more.
Nearly all of the jazz personalities at public radio station WDCB-FM (90.9) are working jazz musicians – including pianist Bruce Oscar, trumpeter and big band leader John “The British Buddy” Burnett, percussionist (and WDCB music director) Paul Abella, and baritone sax player Barry Winograd – who also hosts WXRT’s “Jazz Transfusion” on Sunday nights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
WDCB is operated by the College Of DuPage but run by professionals rather than students and went on the air in late 1977 as a classical music and news station. Jazz was added in the early 1980s, and classical programming was phased out altogether in 2005. Now, half of its music programming is jazz. There are also roots music shows as well as Afro-Cuban jazz, acid jazz, reggae, and even a heavy metal show.
It hosts several special events each month, such as jazz legend Bill Frisell‘s Disfarmer Project, which combines photographer Mike Disfarmer‘s music photography with the guitarist’s music. It takes place Friday, October 26th at 8 p.m., and tickets are $30; see www.cod.edu/wdcb for more. That’s also where the station streams online and you can hear Steve Cushing‘s brilliant “Blues Before Sunrise” and Chuck Schaden‘s old-time radio show “Those Were The Days,” which continues to air Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. (although “When Radio Was” – the syndicated show he has hosted for the past year – has been in limbo since July. For the latest, visit www.nostalgiadigest.com).
BOUNCING BACK: Former WLUP-FM (97.9) and WXRT-FM (93.1) afternoon drive DJ Bobby Skafish now has a full-time 3 to 8 p.m. slot at WDRV-FM (97.1) . . . After nine years on WGCI-FM (107.5) in Chicago, “Crazy“ Howard McGee‘s show was canned in July to make way for Steve Harvey‘s syndicated radio show, which originates in New York City. For the past two years, Harvey’s show had pulled in dismal ratings at WSRB-FM (106.3). He got his start as a morning personality in 1996 at WGCI, where his show now airs from 5 to 9 a.m . . . Local comedian and former WVAZ-FM (102.7) funnyman George Willborn recently hosted his own comedy special on TV One cable network and returns to co-host Michael Baisden‘s prime-time talk/variety show, “Biased After Dark.” It premieres October 7th on TV One. He continues to appear on Baisden’s syndicated radio show “Love, Lust And Lies,” which airs on WRSB-FM (106.3) . . . Former “Java” Joel Murphy co-host on Kiss FM, Jill “Silly Jilly” Osterman has returned to nights – this time she’s solo – at WKSC-FM (103.5) . . . Former WBBM-FM (96.3) midday jock Brian Middleton can now be heard weekends on rhythmic oldies WILV-FM (100.3) . . . WZZN-FM (94.7) jock John Records Landecker now hosts TKO Radio Network’s oldies show “Into The ’70s,” – not that you can hear it here in Chicago.
ODDS N SODS: Chicago finally has a reggae show on mainstream commercial radio – “Reggae Link Radio,” hosted by DJs Chico and Lenky and featuring “Ladies Of Reggae,” DJs Silky and Petina of WNUR-FM (88.3)’s “Reggae Vibrations” show. RLR airs Sunday nights from 9 to midnight on Power 92, WPWX-FM (92.3) . . . The Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary series “Independent Lens” offers a free local screening each month at the Chicago Cultural Center. On October 20th the ITVS Community Cinema is offering “Miss Navajo,” about the Miss Navajo Nation beauty pageant. Call (312) 744-6630 or see www.chicagoculturalcenter.org for details . . . For its 60th anniversary on April 5th, WGN-Channel 9 are asking viewers to e-mail anecdotes to 60thanniversary@wgntv.com and send in home movies and videotapes related to the station’s history. Maybe they’ll finally find footage of the kid telling Bozo to “Cram it, Clownie!”
– Cara Jepsen
