Jazz Stew

Some years ago I had the great fortune of working at WJAZ-FM in Stamford, CT. It was a great sounding radio station that played Jazz. Now with Jazz on terrestrial radio being close to gravely ill, my friend Annie Taylor and I have been working on a Jazz podcast. She calls it "Jazz Stew". Each podcast has a different theme. We have 4 so far and are about to produce a new one. Go to --

http://jazzstew.podOmatic.com/

and see what you think. If you like it, please tell everyone you know. Or at least e-mail everyone in your address book who you think would appreciate "Jazz Stew".

Disgraziata!

In 2002, Nelson Doubleday sold his ownership share of the Met's to Fred Wilpon. At the time I told people that we would rue that day and that day has arrived. After all wasn't it Fred "Coupon" who did NOT want to trade for Mike Piazza but Nelson said to do it? Wasn't it Fred "Coupon" who balked at signing Vladimir Guerrero because of his 'back problems'? How's that working out for you Fred? The man and his son Jeff are wealthy, but that does NOT mean that they have class. It's like being in radio: you may get paid to be on the radio, but that doesn't mean that you're a pro. The Wilpon's own the Mets and they can do what they want with the team. But the manner in which they terminated Willie Randolph was so over the top classless that even George "Carpetbagger" Steinbrenner is embarrassed! And George The Carpetbagger was the worst! Now Fred and son have outdone George! Disgraziata!!

Build that beautiful new stadium, name the 'rotunda' the "Jackie Robinson Rotunda", bring in new personnel on the field, even replace Omar Minaya because his track record isn't the best, but you are classeless and will always be classless. If you had to fire anyone, you should have fired your hair stylists because you both look like 'cafoni'.

What's Wrong With Public Radio?

I enjoy Public Radio. It does broadcast music and subject matter that it's commercial contemporaries can't air due to stockholder commitments. However, why is Jazz, one of this country's true art forms, rarely broadcast on Public Radio? Here in Coastal Connecticut, I can get a station from the U. Of Hartford that does program some Jazz. The community station in Bridgeport programs some Jazz a few times a week. But why is there no full-time Jazz station in Connecticut or on the East End of Long Island? Yes, the station at Southampton College/L.I.U. broadcasts quite a bit of jazz, but you also get "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" cutting quite a few hours of Jazz out of the 'broadcast day'. If you scan across the non-commercial end of the FM band during morning drive and afternoon drive day parts, you'll get 6 to 8 stations all broadcasting N.P.R. network programs. WBGO in Newark is a great Jazz station but, alas, we can't receive them here in Coastal Connecticut. Yeah they stream ... but that doesn't help me in the car, now does it? Here's an idea: why doesn't the Ct. Broadcaster's Assoc. put together a committee of Public Radio programmer's so that they can all see for themselves how ridiculous they are broadcasting the same N.P.R. morning and afternoon programs. Don't they have to pay hefty fees for the rights to these programs? At least that 's what they tell you when they have their 'fund raisers'. Drop the N.P.R. programming for local programming and while you're at it, a little more Jazz would be nice!! Come on Public Radio!! Wise up!!