JAM: April/May 2002 Issue: President's Corner

by John Leisenring

And Now For the Good News!
Contrary to widely held beliefs, jazz is very much alive and well on the airwaves in Kansas City.

You have had to put up with, over the past several years, various rants from myself regarding the weakening, indeed demise, of American music on our radios, not to mention televisions. I'll not go into that again, sparing you my beliefs that public radio and public television owe it to us, and to Kansas City, and indeed the country, to feature America's only indigenous art form on a far more regular basis than they do at present.

And I'll not, once again, bore you with my thoughts that American music of the past century is at least, nay, is even more important than 100 to 400 year old Western European music.

Also, don't expect me to belabor the fact that my recent travels have taken me to various cities that feature jazz regularly and often, not only on the radio, but in the shopping malls and hotel lobbies as well.

For lo, I have discovered, in Kansas City, a wonderful source for truly good jazz of all genre, and it exists 24 hours per day, seven days a week. And (pause for effect), it's on television! Hold on to your socks; as they used to say on "Laugh-In," here come da news, here come da news.

I have recently upgraded my Time Warner Cable service from their standard tier to their digital tier. I'm not much of a TV watcher, and I never watch sit-coms (I find laugh-tracks intolerably annoying) or those channels that show ten minutes of movie in between 15 minutes of commercials. But I do like to watch movies, and I decided to pick up the digital package that features quite a number of commercial-free movie channels.

In the process I now can access, from an outfit called Music Choice, 45 music channels, one of which is jazz. Actually their channels include jazz, light jazz, blues, big band, singers and standards, and others that are likely to be interesting to jazz lovers. They have everything from classical to country to classic rock and back again.

But it is the jazz channel that I want you to know about. I've tried to find out who is responsible for the play list, and so far I cannot. But whoever it is, the choices are quite remarkable. As I type, I am listening to "Blowin' the Blues Away," by Horace Silver. I picked an hour at random yesterday and wrote down the play list, and it included such diverse artists as Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Tom Harrell and Eliane Elias. All with no commercials, no disc jockeys and no static. The music is digital quality, CD quality, which means all your tweeters, woofers and sub-woofers will be pleased.

I have heard some repeats, but really very few. The play list seems to go on and on, and I've been listening many hours per day for several weeks now. It's a jazz gold mine.

If you like traditional, they've got it. If you like bebop, you won't have to wait long to hear some. I've heard Ornette Coleman, Sam Rivers, and even the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Of course you'll have to have a television, and you'll have to have cable (I don't know if there are any packages like this with satellite services, but I imagine that there are), and you'll have to pay for the digital service. As far as I am concerned, the up-grade price is well justified, even if the only addition is the jazz channel.

It's so wonderful hearing great music any day, all day and whenever.

I heartily recommend it.

RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 2002 MAIN INDEX

© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2002. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		by John Leisenring And Now For the Good News! Contrary to widely held beliefs, jazz is very much alive and well on the airwaves in Kansas City. You have had to put up with, over the past several years, various rants from myself regarding the weakening, indeed demise, of American music on our radios, not to mention televisions. I'll not go into that again, sparing you my beliefs that public radio and public television owe it to us, and to Kansas City, and indeed the country, to feature America's only indigenous art form on a far more regular basis than they do at present. And I'll not, once again, bore you with my thoughts that American music of the past century is at least, nay, is even more important than 100 to 400 year old Western European music. Also, don't expect me to belabor the fact that my recent travels have taken me to various cities that feature jazz regularly and often, not only on the radio, but in the shopping malls and hotel lobbies as well. For lo, I have discovered, in Kansas City, a wonderful source for truly good jazz of all genre, and it exists 24 hours per day, seven days a week. And (pause for effect), it's on television! Hold on to your socks; as they used to say on "Laugh-In," here come da news, here come da news. I have recently upgraded my Time Warner Cable service from their standard tier to their digital tier. I'm not much of a TV watcher, and I never watch sit-coms (I find laugh-tracks intolerably annoying) or those channels that show ten minutes of movie in between 15 minutes of commercials. But I do like to watch movies, and I decided to pick up the digital package that features quite a number of commercial-free movie channels. In the process I now can access, from an outfit called Music Choice, 45 music channels, one of which is jazz. Actually their channels include jazz, light jazz, blues, big band, singers and standards, and others that are likely to be interesting to jazz lovers. They have everything from classical to country to classic rock and back again. But it is the jazz channel that I want you to know about. I've tried to find out who is responsible for the play list, and so far I cannot. But whoever it is, the choices are quite remarkable. As I type, I am listening to "Blowin' the Blues Away," by Horace Silver. I picked an hour at random yesterday and wrote down the play list, and it included such diverse artists as Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Tom Harrell and Eliane Elias. All with no commercials, no disc jockeys and no static. The music is digital quality, CD quality, which means all your tweeters, woofers and sub-woofers will be pleased. I have heard some repeats, but really very few. The play list seems to go on and on, and I've been listening many hours per day for several weeks now. It's a jazz gold mine. If you like traditional, they've got it. If you like bebop, you won't have to wait long to hear some. I've heard Ornette Coleman, Sam Rivers, and even the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Of course you'll have to have a television, and you'll have to have cable (I don't know if there are any packages like this with satellite services, but I imagine that there are), and you'll have to pay for the digital service. As far as I am concerned, the up-grade price is well justified, even if the only addition is the jazz channel. It's so wonderful hearing great music any day, all day and whenever. I heartily recommend it. RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 2002 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2002. All rights reserved.