Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Dubious Coverage
I was putzing around the I'net and came to this site, which offers radio station information. WVUD, the University of Delaware station, has a 1,000 Watt signal. Not very strong; we've been trying to get a stronger signal to allow the fine shows to at least make it down to the beach areas of Delaware. But approval has been slow, i.e., not forth-coming. As a point of comparison, UPenn's radio station WXPN (it's a funny private sort of thing that seems to be a for profit enterprise) broadcasts at 5,000 Watts and WHYY, the Mother of all Public Radio Stations in the Philly Metro area booms out at 13,500 Watts.
The picture here (a Tip of the Hat to Radio Locator) notes the coverage WVUD supposedly has. As I work in the outer southern reaches of that coverage, I can attest that WVUD never gets down there. Perhaps, if all of the other radio stations broadcasting in the are were to go dead, 'VUD might be heard on some super-receiver. But your regular car radio? Nada.
The reason I wanted to post this picture is to point out the coverage "rings". The red is for local coverage. The purple is for distant coverage while the blue is for fringe. This must be the theoretical coverage. Realistically, you can barely hear 'VUD past the red circle. Crackliness hits soon after. If you're in the "fringe", forget it. You'd need a boiling imagination and a copious amount of (prescribed, of course) drugs to "hear" anything from WVUD.
What interests me about the coverage "rings" is that they are not more circular. In fact, on the western and northern areas of the "rings", the circle caves in as if might radio forces are hitting those flanks, preventing the non-profit dj-run shows from "invading" the pre-programmed humungous stations' space. It's not as if there are huge mountains in that part of Delaware of Pennsylvania holding back the soundwaves form our dinky station. We are but a flea in the radio market around here
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tragedy & Sadness
On June 14th, Esbjorn Svensson died while scuba-diving in the Stockholm Archipelago. Forty-four. That's how young he was. As one of the founders of the Esbjorn Svensson Trio (usually simply known as E.S.T.), he had been one of the leaders in European jazz. Some of the group's earlier albums never made it state-side but their releases in the last 5-6 years were readily available here. A critic's delight, E.S.T. has had a tough time breaking in over the Atlantic. Each new album promised to be the key to their stardom. I latched on to them when they released Somewhere Else Before in 2001 and have been a loyal fan since then.
Well, sort of loyal. Early on last year, E.S.T. was scheduled to play at Zanzibar Blue Jazz Club in Philly. Something came up and I opted not to go, figuring the boys were still very young and they'd come around the following year. That April, Zanzibar Blue closed its doors, putting a serious hurt on live jazz in Philly.
Saturday, Esbjorn Svensson died at an all too early 44. My flippant attitude last year comes back to haunt me; I never had a chance to see this talented group.
I can't see the group going on without him. What a tragedy. Perhaps Nick Bartsch's Ronin, Marcin Wasilewski, and Bad Plus can carry on in the spirit of things.
This Sunday I have one of my dj-ing gigs at WVUD. It'll be a heavy portion of E.S.T., for sure.
Other tributes are here, here, and here. He was one of the good guys.
06/23/08: As pointed out by Chazzy G, here's a commentary of E.S.T. from The Bad Plus' blog, Do The Math. There's an interesting bit about the importance of having a great sound engineer.
Well, sort of loyal. Early on last year, E.S.T. was scheduled to play at Zanzibar Blue Jazz Club in Philly. Something came up and I opted not to go, figuring the boys were still very young and they'd come around the following year. That April, Zanzibar Blue closed its doors, putting a serious hurt on live jazz in Philly.
Saturday, Esbjorn Svensson died at an all too early 44. My flippant attitude last year comes back to haunt me; I never had a chance to see this talented group.
I can't see the group going on without him. What a tragedy. Perhaps Nick Bartsch's Ronin, Marcin Wasilewski, and Bad Plus can carry on in the spirit of things.
This Sunday I have one of my dj-ing gigs at WVUD. It'll be a heavy portion of E.S.T., for sure.
Other tributes are here, here, and here. He was one of the good guys.
06/23/08: As pointed out by Chazzy G, here's a commentary of E.S.T. from The Bad Plus' blog, Do The Math. There's an interesting bit about the importance of having a great sound engineer.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Sunday Tune-age
My shift is coming up this coming Sunday, a week after Mother's Day, at WVUD, University of Delaware's student and community radio station. "Morning After" comes to from 9:00 am until Noon, EST at 91.3 on your highly limited FM dial and also on the internet.On tap are selections from old reliables Mr. Bill Frisell, Mr. Greg Brown, Mr. Stanton Moore, and Ms. Kathleen Edwards. Also on plan are Nicholas Payton, Jonah Jones, Marcin Wasilewski Trio, Will Bernard, and a touch of Los Campesinos. Other folks from the jazz, blues, and r&r oeuvres will be tucked in as I plan out the show on Saturday.
Saturday night plans to be another great evening with my daughter as we scoot up to Philly (sans police involvement) to catch Devotchka at the Fillmore-TLA on South Street in Philly.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Internet Jazz
Short post.
I'll be sitting in and dj-ing the next three Fridays from 10:00 pm to 12:00 am for a friend's Jazz show, Avenue C, on WVUD, the University of Delaware's student and community radio station.
Tentatively on cue will be Nik Bartsch's Ronin, The Bad Plus, some Pat Metheny, including his newest CD, some Thelonius Monk, Esbjorn Svensson Trio, Manu Katche and Wes Montgomery. Listeners are always welcome. You can catch it on your computer, here.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Friday, February 01, 2008
Crack Open Your Ears..
..and give this a listen. Mr. Whisky Prajer has gone podcast. He reads Footnote To a Bread Recipe from his self-published collection of short stories, Youthful Desires.
The story is a bit over 14 minutes. Grab yourself a hot cup of coffee, crank up the computer speakers, and settle back to a gorgeous rendition of one of the wonderful stories contained in Youthful Desires (highly recommended for purchase and perusal!).
He starts with Every day at 4:15 she rescued me from the grain elevator like some kind of gasoline angel, barreling down the dust road in my '67 pick-up to claim the soul of this work-worn soul. Having grown up in a family where the spoken and the written word carry equal weight, it is no surprise that the published words of his story come off strong and uncluttered when read aloud. It is not easy trick to write intricately with a tuned ear for the mot juste, and have the story present itself well both in the reading and in the speaking.
Congratulations to Mr. WP for pulling it off.
In other more pedestrian news, yours truly has recently purchased a replacement box for the twin domestic PC's that gave up the ghost. No, it's not a Mac (pause to dab the tears); it's a Dell. Adequacy in the face of additional buckos. This weekend, I'll be setting it up and hopefully renewing the blogging spirit. For those kind folks that still came to visit here in hopes of some scribbling, I thank you and I will be back, very shortly.
February will be a big month for dj-ing at 91.3. In addition to my semi-regular show, The Morning After, which I'll be hosting on Sunday, February 3rd, I'll be sitting in on a friend's jazz show, Avenue C, while he is on hiatus. The latter is on each Friday night from 10:00 to 12:00 midnight. I'll be dj-ing all of February's Fridays. So, listen in, if you've got somewhere to be within earshot of some happening tunes.
Labels: Blogs, Reviews, WVUD 91.3
Monday, November 12, 2007
Pre-Thanksgiving Music
I'll have at least two more shows at WVUD before December 31st rolls around and puts the closer on this year. One is slotted for this coming Sunday, the 18th. It's an odd November this year what with Thanksgiving coming so early in the month. One of our family traditions is to break out Christmas related music and movies only after the Thanksgiving meal has been finished. When dealing with the expanse of pots,pans, porcelain and glass ware, and the Gordian Knot riddle of how to pack up the Food Remains of the Day, it's always relaxing to play some of favorite Christmas tunes. But this year, it just doesn't seem right.
The Canadian Thanksgiving, the second Monday in October always seemed to me the more logical time of year for celebration of Harvest. I mean, who the heck is harvesting in November in the States? And what is it with the 4th Thursday or the 3rd Monday or the 2nd Monday in Canada? It's a bit like Easter, which wanders from March to April and back again. I remember, painfully, the questions I posed to nuns in successive grade of grammar school (I was a slow learner) inquiring as to why the rising of the Lord happened on different Fridays each year. A light swish of the switch along with a nunnism such as "Bold as brass and twice as brazen" was the annual response to my annual inquiry. Adults holding to their sanity by mumbling in rote was my experience as a school kid. The same behaviour applied to inquiries of the moveable feast of Thanksgiving. As a kid, you needed definity. December 25th. July 4th. Your birthday (except, of course, if you were cursedly born on Feb 29th; your life of frustration and delayed celebration was set early into motion). This moving holiday or Holy Day gave no concreteness to the happening. Kids frustrated with this non-definity grew up and became TV programmers reaking their revenge on the rest of us by continually moving your favorite tv shows around, week in week out. Sister Mary Aloyisous Ignatious!?? I smote thee with my own switch!
But back on topic.
Anyone out there with musical suggestions for the Sunday before Thanksgiving? No Christmas music, for sure. Definitely Mr. Wainwright's Thanksgiving. Loudon's always good for a sardonic chuckle.
And, yes, I will be playing some of that "Jesus" stuff, regardless of the personal punishment I may endure.
The Canadian Thanksgiving, the second Monday in October always seemed to me the more logical time of year for celebration of Harvest. I mean, who the heck is harvesting in November in the States? And what is it with the 4th Thursday or the 3rd Monday or the 2nd Monday in Canada? It's a bit like Easter, which wanders from March to April and back again. I remember, painfully, the questions I posed to nuns in successive grade of grammar school (I was a slow learner) inquiring as to why the rising of the Lord happened on different Fridays each year. A light swish of the switch along with a nunnism such as "Bold as brass and twice as brazen" was the annual response to my annual inquiry. Adults holding to their sanity by mumbling in rote was my experience as a school kid. The same behaviour applied to inquiries of the moveable feast of Thanksgiving. As a kid, you needed definity. December 25th. July 4th. Your birthday (except, of course, if you were cursedly born on Feb 29th; your life of frustration and delayed celebration was set early into motion). This moving holiday or Holy Day gave no concreteness to the happening. Kids frustrated with this non-definity grew up and became TV programmers reaking their revenge on the rest of us by continually moving your favorite tv shows around, week in week out. Sister Mary Aloyisous Ignatious!?? I smote thee with my own switch!
But back on topic.
Anyone out there with musical suggestions for the Sunday before Thanksgiving? No Christmas music, for sure. Definitely Mr. Wainwright's Thanksgiving. Loudon's always good for a sardonic chuckle.
And, yes, I will be playing some of that "Jesus" stuff, regardless of the personal punishment I may endure.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Too Much Jesus
A couple of weeks ago I was completing one of my year’s scheduled d.j. shift at WVUD. A Sunday morning. A gorgeous and exuberant early Fall day. Blinding sunlight coming off of the hanging-on-for-dear-life yellowed leafs still on the trees. U of D is a gorgeous campus but especially so in the interim period of Summer-Fall. All seemed well on that day.
The music I played tended to the same mix of jazz, blues, and R & R. Nothing out of the ordinary was in the style mix, except for the artists filling the play list that morning. I tend to start out the show at 9:00 am with a jazz set or two, usually tending toward various musicians’ cover versions of old spirituals or languorous meanderings of Broadway show tunes, specifically ones in the down low. That morning’s set list began with Dick Wellstood's rendition of Caravan and also included Art Blakey's version of the Ellington/Tizol composition. Even though the university’s radio station is located in the deep bowels of one of the student centers, the effect of the weather that morning still carried through. It was a mellow morning deserving of mellow pensive melodies.
Most times that I do the show, phone calls to the station are of the inquiry type.
"What was the name of that tune you played at 10:00?"
"Was that Diane Washington singing that sassy song?"
"Hey, do you know what yesterday’s U of D football game was?"
Occasionally, there are compliments voiced on the musical jag taken that morning. Sometimes there is reminiscing by a caller who heard a song played that they hadn’t heard on the airwaves in decades, the down-memory-lane services we provide on the all-volunteer all-the-time radio station.
Rarely does anyone call in with complaints because it seems getting one's bile up on Sunday is just not on most folks' Things to Do list. I always figured that Sunday morning, regardless of the weather, is a sit and read and sip coffee type of day for most of the station’s listeners. Girding for the beginning of the week, a last respite before the endless Hear Ye! Hear ye! of tasks unfolds. So, it was with surprise and a total lack of words on my part that I fielded a call that morning that began with the exclamative "What the hell? Is this a religious program? I could turn to Elkton’s (Maryland) stations for that?"
Now, stretching that "religious" adjective to its breaking point, I could understand how he may have thought I’d gone into a conversion mode. The only problem was that the song that finally got on his last God-aversive nerve was Jesus Shaves from the new Roches album, Moonswept.
"What is it with all this Jesus crap?", he protested. (n.b.: this conversation is not invented)
"Jesus crap?". Hmmm, what was he referring to?
"Do you mean that last song, "Jesus Shaves"?", this inquiring mind wanting to know, uhmm, inquired.
"Yeah, that was the capper. "Jesus Saves"!", he self-satisfyingly stated.
"No, that’s "Shaves", not "Saves". Did you listen to the words? It’s about a guy trying to get his life going and…”, I said, adding information to a field in need of some seeding.
"Not "Jesus Saves"?!!?? Well, how about those other ones? They sounded awfully religious.", he blurted, in a voice that was both ticked off and weakening due to facts being presented..
"Do you mean that previous song? The one by Loudon Wainwright III about the South?", I asked..
"Yeah, that’s the one! That’s the one that got me started!", he exclaimed, reinvigorated by the malice of notes.
"But, you know Loudon, right? I mean, in the Gods of Music categories, he’s the God of Sarcasm, the loveable bastard of relationship exposition. That song’s not about religion, it’s about……", I posited.
Silence on the other end and then loud tapping of fingers on a hard surface. Ba ra bum. Ba ra bum. Ba ra bum.
"Look", he came around to, "All I know is what my ears are telling me and what they told me was that you’re playing religious music. What if I was Jewish? I wouldn’t like to hear this Christian stuff if I was Jewish!". So said the non-Jewish what-if-I-was-a-Jew caller.
What could one say? I was lost. He was going down a nasty road throwing whatever rocks he came up along his way because his destination was getting ever blurrier. I grabbed for the playlist and started listing off the songs I'd already played, asking if they constituted some framework for a religious takeover of the Sunday morning show.
"Well, I heard only those two songs. I hadn't been listening to the station but for only 15 minutes. It just seemed too religious…"
I will admit that I have more than a passing love for most albums by The Campbell Brothers, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Aretha Franklin’s spirituals, and even Gregorian chants cd's and, once-twice a year, a shot of Handel’s Messiah. But to say I play religious music would be seriously misunderstanding what music is all about. For a moment there, I started empathizing with those folks who play the heavy metal that drives people off the deep edge (tongue in cheek here, folks). I wrapped an obtuse apology around a harangue on possibly seeking guidance from someone better equipped to handle his anger, say a minister, rabbi, priest, or psychologist and quietly hung up the phone. I then checked and double-checked that the door to the station was securely locked.
This was all a bit too much, jeeeeeeeez!
Oh, and as far as future shows, yeah, I'll still be playing that Jesus, uhmm, stuff. Whatever the inspiration for that music is, the music is fabulous.
The music I played tended to the same mix of jazz, blues, and R & R. Nothing out of the ordinary was in the style mix, except for the artists filling the play list that morning. I tend to start out the show at 9:00 am with a jazz set or two, usually tending toward various musicians’ cover versions of old spirituals or languorous meanderings of Broadway show tunes, specifically ones in the down low. That morning’s set list began with Dick Wellstood's rendition of Caravan and also included Art Blakey's version of the Ellington/Tizol composition. Even though the university’s radio station is located in the deep bowels of one of the student centers, the effect of the weather that morning still carried through. It was a mellow morning deserving of mellow pensive melodies.
Most times that I do the show, phone calls to the station are of the inquiry type.
"What was the name of that tune you played at 10:00?"
"Was that Diane Washington singing that sassy song?"
"Hey, do you know what yesterday’s U of D football game was?"
Occasionally, there are compliments voiced on the musical jag taken that morning. Sometimes there is reminiscing by a caller who heard a song played that they hadn’t heard on the airwaves in decades, the down-memory-lane services we provide on the all-volunteer all-the-time radio station.
Rarely does anyone call in with complaints because it seems getting one's bile up on Sunday is just not on most folks' Things to Do list. I always figured that Sunday morning, regardless of the weather, is a sit and read and sip coffee type of day for most of the station’s listeners. Girding for the beginning of the week, a last respite before the endless Hear Ye! Hear ye! of tasks unfolds. So, it was with surprise and a total lack of words on my part that I fielded a call that morning that began with the exclamative "What the hell? Is this a religious program? I could turn to Elkton’s (Maryland) stations for that?"
Now, stretching that "religious" adjective to its breaking point, I could understand how he may have thought I’d gone into a conversion mode. The only problem was that the song that finally got on his last God-aversive nerve was Jesus Shaves from the new Roches album, Moonswept.
"What is it with all this Jesus crap?", he protested. (n.b.: this conversation is not invented)
"Jesus crap?". Hmmm, what was he referring to?
"Do you mean that last song, "Jesus Shaves"?", this inquiring mind wanting to know, uhmm, inquired.
"Yeah, that was the capper. "Jesus Saves"!", he self-satisfyingly stated.
"No, that’s "Shaves", not "Saves". Did you listen to the words? It’s about a guy trying to get his life going and…”, I said, adding information to a field in need of some seeding.
"Not "Jesus Saves"?!!?? Well, how about those other ones? They sounded awfully religious.", he blurted, in a voice that was both ticked off and weakening due to facts being presented..
"Do you mean that previous song? The one by Loudon Wainwright III about the South?", I asked..
"Yeah, that’s the one! That’s the one that got me started!", he exclaimed, reinvigorated by the malice of notes.
"But, you know Loudon, right? I mean, in the Gods of Music categories, he’s the God of Sarcasm, the loveable bastard of relationship exposition. That song’s not about religion, it’s about……", I posited.
Silence on the other end and then loud tapping of fingers on a hard surface. Ba ra bum. Ba ra bum. Ba ra bum.
"Look", he came around to, "All I know is what my ears are telling me and what they told me was that you’re playing religious music. What if I was Jewish? I wouldn’t like to hear this Christian stuff if I was Jewish!". So said the non-Jewish what-if-I-was-a-Jew caller.
What could one say? I was lost. He was going down a nasty road throwing whatever rocks he came up along his way because his destination was getting ever blurrier. I grabbed for the playlist and started listing off the songs I'd already played, asking if they constituted some framework for a religious takeover of the Sunday morning show.
"Well, I heard only those two songs. I hadn't been listening to the station but for only 15 minutes. It just seemed too religious…"
I will admit that I have more than a passing love for most albums by The Campbell Brothers, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Aretha Franklin’s spirituals, and even Gregorian chants cd's and, once-twice a year, a shot of Handel’s Messiah. But to say I play religious music would be seriously misunderstanding what music is all about. For a moment there, I started empathizing with those folks who play the heavy metal that drives people off the deep edge (tongue in cheek here, folks). I wrapped an obtuse apology around a harangue on possibly seeking guidance from someone better equipped to handle his anger, say a minister, rabbi, priest, or psychologist and quietly hung up the phone. I then checked and double-checked that the door to the station was securely locked.
This was all a bit too much, jeeeeeeeez!
Oh, and as far as future shows, yeah, I'll still be playing that Jesus, uhmm, stuff. Whatever the inspiration for that music is, the music is fabulous.
Labels: NaBloPoMo, People, WVUD 91.3
Monday, July 09, 2007
Not Ruling the Radio World
Apologies to anyone out there ("Anyone?", he asks) who may have tuned in via radio or Internet to the non-show not being broadcast yesterday. Seems our station's radio transmitter was on summer vacation as was our engineer. We were basically off the airwaves for the entire day; definitely not part of a working master plan to rule the radio world.
Which, was a shame. Had some new CD's that I'd planned on playing including a few selections from Bad Plus' late April release, Prog, including their enoyably distrubing version of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Mr. Ethan Iverson playing a minimally tinkled and sardonic piano while Mr. David King furiously pounds our foreheads, I mean drums, with the Ohrwurm melody. I'll confess that this song is still very listenable in its orginal version, even after all of the attempts by FM radio and MTV to kill it. Look! Even Patti Smith recently (April, 2007) did a very nice version of this song.
In addition to the Tears for Fears song, Bad Plus (especially drummer David King) do quite a listenable job with Rush's Tom Sawyer, not to mention (but I will) a superb version of Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's in Love with You".
For me at least, Bad Plus are a hit 'n miss band. I've listened to the majority of their CD's multiple times but I own only their most recent one, Prog, as, after repeated listening, all of the songs on this CD hold up quite well. The musicians, Ethan Iverson on piano, Reid Anderson on bass, and drummer David King are all ludicrously talented and the collective known as Bad Plus is one of the tightest bands you'll hear these days. I'd strongly encourage anyone to search out their stuff; their renditions of tried and true compositions and their performance of their own stuff is aggressive, referential, funny, and, just sometimes, a bit too loud. I would strongly recommend Prog as the starting off point, even though it's their newest piece of work. If a jazz group (a huge pigeon-holing if ever there was one) can secrete a suggestion of Heavy Metal, Bad Plus would be such a band.
More illuminating reviews of Prog can be found at:
Stylus Magazine,
All About Jazz,
and the indispensable Meta Critic.
Labels: Recording Reviews, WVUD 91.3
Friday, July 06, 2007
That Special Sunday's Come Around Again..
...meaning that I'll be d.j.-ing on July 8th from around 10:00 until 12:00 EST from here. The show, as always, is Morning After. Playlist will be posted right here, hopefully by July 9th. Planning to play some Jimmy Bruno, a Philly guy, Michael Carvin, Jimmy Rowles & Ray Brown, Mr. Bill Charlap (Live at the Village Vanguard), Hendrik Meurkens, Joshua Redman, then another Philly guy, Christian McBride (Live at Tonic), some , and selections from Glen Hansard and The Frames and The Swell Season. Some Wax.on Wax.off, perhaps some Skerik and Ozomatli somewhere in the mix as well. Do join me if you can. Always nice to know there's a ready ear out there.
Speaking of which, namely, being out there, a favorite story about Canada (WP, if you've heard this, like way too many times, shoot me).
The family was on its meandering way one summer to a vacation with friends from Edmonton to be spent at Lake of the Woods, a mythical sounding location of beauty, serenity, and unbelievable skies, not to mention Fish of Incredible Size.
Along the way, we motelled in Thunder Bay, Ontario, a large town on Lake Superior dotted with necessary coffee ports of Tim Horton's. Recovering from 500 miles of driving, we were draped on the beds in said motel and watching TV, the Canada version. As is usual and, I believe, required by CBC laws and regulations, we were watching a Canadian content show seemingly aimed at the Canadian viewer to convince them (yet once again!!) why it is much different (and better) to be Canadian than American. This specific show was a book review show with several Canadian authors discussing the importance of the Canadian land and specifically the Canadian Shield in Canadian literature. Now, for me, these Canadian content shows are always a hoot because, frankly, I don't need to be convinced that being a Canadian is one of the better things to be in life, right next to being a Peter DeVries fan. The earnestness that oozes out of the screen in these shows is, after a while, quite hilarious. What usually starts with polite pleading as to the justification of being Canadian usually ends up at least one of the talking heads going off the deep end with demands for allegiance to the Maple Leaf. The latter state of affairs strikes me as so un-Canadian that one suspects there's an American producer running the show.
But I (badly) digress.
So the authors are kibbitzing about this and that, until one of them (and I apologize profusely for not remembering her name) states that the main difference between an American and a Canadian is this.
When in the deep woods, an American will peer out into the darkness and wonder if something is out there while a Canadian, on the other hand, will stare into the same woods lined void and wonder if there is nothing out there at all in the vastness.
So, this Sunday, the radio waves will be going out to you, in search of human contact. You can do the Internet thing here.
Speaking of which, namely, being out there, a favorite story about Canada (WP, if you've heard this, like way too many times, shoot me).
The family was on its meandering way one summer to a vacation with friends from Edmonton to be spent at Lake of the Woods, a mythical sounding location of beauty, serenity, and unbelievable skies, not to mention Fish of Incredible Size.
Along the way, we motelled in Thunder Bay, Ontario, a large town on Lake Superior dotted with necessary coffee ports of Tim Horton's. Recovering from 500 miles of driving, we were draped on the beds in said motel and watching TV, the Canada version. As is usual and, I believe, required by CBC laws and regulations, we were watching a Canadian content show seemingly aimed at the Canadian viewer to convince them (yet once again!!) why it is much different (and better) to be Canadian than American. This specific show was a book review show with several Canadian authors discussing the importance of the Canadian land and specifically the Canadian Shield in Canadian literature. Now, for me, these Canadian content shows are always a hoot because, frankly, I don't need to be convinced that being a Canadian is one of the better things to be in life, right next to being a Peter DeVries fan. The earnestness that oozes out of the screen in these shows is, after a while, quite hilarious. What usually starts with polite pleading as to the justification of being Canadian usually ends up at least one of the talking heads going off the deep end with demands for allegiance to the Maple Leaf. The latter state of affairs strikes me as so un-Canadian that one suspects there's an American producer running the show.
But I (badly) digress.
So the authors are kibbitzing about this and that, until one of them (and I apologize profusely for not remembering her name) states that the main difference between an American and a Canadian is this.
When in the deep woods, an American will peer out into the darkness and wonder if something is out there while a Canadian, on the other hand, will stare into the same woods lined void and wonder if there is nothing out there at all in the vastness.
So, this Sunday, the radio waves will be going out to you, in search of human contact. You can do the Internet thing here.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Shameless Shilling
Currently on the air on WVUD. You can tune in here. Here's where today's playlist will be posted by tonight.
Currently on? Sea & Cake's new Everybody.
Have a great weekend.
5/31/2007: The complete playlist for the Sunday, MAy 31 broadcast has been added to Morning After WVUD 91.3 Playlist. It's open for comments and questions.
Currently on? Sea & Cake's new Everybody.
Have a great weekend.
5/31/2007: The complete playlist for the Sunday, MAy 31 broadcast has been added to Morning After WVUD 91.3 Playlist. It's open for comments and questions.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Modest Aural Proposal
Another Sunday morning coming up, another Morning After is being planned. Some of the CD platter possibilities include:
Mike Mainieri
Hendrik Meurkens
Ozomatli
Ruben Gonzales
Sea & Cake
Jimmy Rogers
Roy "No Dale Evans" Rogers
...maybe even Southern Culture on the Skids (their version of The Who's "Happy Jack" is a well-played curiosity)
Charlotte Gainsburg, who was wonderful in The Science of Sleep, a movie so overloaded with creative ideas that its ending had to, IMHO, crash with a sigh. But, for 103 of its 105 minute length, it was a magical film. Highly recommended.
the ever-present Cassandra Wilson
and some Carla Bley and Charlie Haden for the the Memorial Day Weekend.
So, same time as usual, 9:00 am until 12:00 noon, EST. This Sunday, the last Sunday of May. Hope you catch some of the tunes. Here's the connection site on WVUD. Have a great weekend.
Pssst!
While I was over at YouTube, this wonderful item from 1965 came up. The Bill Evans Trio with "Waltz for Debby". Simply gorgeous.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Friday, May 04, 2007
This Sunday
Another weekend will be rolling around when I'll be dj-ing the 9:00 to 12:00 Morning After shift this coming Sunday on WVUD, the University of Delaware's radio station.
The weather here in Delaware promises to be in the gorgeous 70's and the Eagles fans' ire has dropped since the confusion of last week's NFL Draft, so calm, at least for now, will be in the air. In the spirit of maintaining that calm, I'm looking to include Ned Sublette, Brad Mehldau, Cafe Tacuba, Ry Cooder, Michelle Shocked, John Butler Trio, E.S.T., and Los Hombres Calientes in the mix.
Interested? You can catch Morning After here, this coming Sunday.
Addendum: May 8, 2007
Here's the playlist for Morning After of MAy 6, 2007.
Comments are always welcome.
The weather here in Delaware promises to be in the gorgeous 70's and the Eagles fans' ire has dropped since the confusion of last week's NFL Draft, so calm, at least for now, will be in the air. In the spirit of maintaining that calm, I'm looking to include Ned Sublette, Brad Mehldau, Cafe Tacuba, Ry Cooder, Michelle Shocked, John Butler Trio, E.S.T., and Los Hombres Calientes in the mix.
Interested? You can catch Morning After here, this coming Sunday.
Addendum: May 8, 2007
Here's the playlist for Morning After of MAy 6, 2007.
Comments are always welcome.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Sittin' 'n Listenin'
I've got Holly Cole's version of Mr. Waits' "Little Boy Blue" cued up. LaVerne Butler's oozing "Little Girl Blue" right now. Just another Sunday morning @ WVUD. I'll be posting the playlist later today @ Morning After 91.3. Out herein the East,it's threatening to be raining ice. Can't find a song to go along with that meteoroligical scenario. No, I won't be playing "Cold as Ice". No way. No how.
Note:
Today's playlist has been added to Morning After 91.3.
Just a note. Mr. Whisky Prajer was wondering if I'd be podcasting some of these shows any tme soon. A great idea. Except..... The legal heads at the station noted that if all of the songs on the show were original, i.e. my original, I could do the podcast. Since the songs are the property of other artists or their families, agents, or companies, I would not be able to include them on a podcast...unless I was broadcasting from one of those pirate radio stations that used to be broadcasting over in Europe or outside USA territorial waters.
ArghhhH! A bummer.
Note:
Today's playlist has been added to Morning After 91.3.
Just a note. Mr. Whisky Prajer was wondering if I'd be podcasting some of these shows any tme soon. A great idea. Except..... The legal heads at the station noted that if all of the songs on the show were original, i.e. my original, I could do the podcast. Since the songs are the property of other artists or their families, agents, or companies, I would not be able to include them on a podcast...unless I was broadcasting from one of those pirate radio stations that used to be broadcasting over in Europe or outside USA territorial waters.
ArghhhH! A bummer.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Thursday, February 08, 2007
An Avenue C Night
I'll be sitting in for a friend's jazz show, Avenue C, tomorrow @ WVUD. The show is a two hour bit starting @ 9:00 pm EST.
If you care to tune in on the Internet, here's where you'd begin. The great sets that Galactic played last week @ the TLA are still ringing in my ears, so I'm sure I'll be playing some of their music, along with some new selections from Dr. Lonnie Smith and Jimmy Smith. So, it'll be a heavy-on-the-organ night, always good music for the winter doldrums.
If you care to tune in on the Internet, here's where you'd begin. The great sets that Galactic played last week @ the TLA are still ringing in my ears, so I'm sure I'll be playing some of their music, along with some new selections from Dr. Lonnie Smith and Jimmy Smith. So, it'll be a heavy-on-the-organ night, always good music for the winter doldrums.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Sunday, January 07, 2007
On the Air
Just a quick note. Currently (09:24 a.m. EST)doing one of the regular shifts on early Sunday morning at WVUD. Playlist to be posted later today, here. Heavy on the jazz piano today. Mehldau, Charlap, Tyner, Rebbenack (come on, come on...you know who this is).
Throwing on some selections from Orphan, Tom Waits' latest. Man, he does have me in a non-communicative funk.
Update: Playlist for the show is located here.
Throwing on some selections from Orphan, Tom Waits' latest. Man, he does have me in a non-communicative funk.
Update: Playlist for the show is located here.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
Monday, December 18, 2006
Friday Night Tunings
For any folks out there who may happen to be hanging around their pc's/Mac's this coming Friday night (12/22) with wonder in their eyes but no tunes in their ears, I'll be sitting in for a fellow dj @ WVUD, covering for his weekly Jazz show.
So, starting @ 10:00 pm EST, until midnight, you can listen to Avenue C via this online connection, (91.3 WVUD). I'll be doing some late Friday night blues & jazz selections and a modicum of Christmas Jazz. Just enough to be seasonal without getting treackley. The patter is at a minimum; music is at the maximum. Any suggestions for selections for this Friday, please note in your comments and I'll try to honor them if the music is available. Due to the show's format, please note that the selections should be in the blues or jazz classification.
My regular early Sunday shifts re-start on January 7th of '07. Hopefully, some new cd additions will have been added to the bottomless bag by then.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
