amusing mispronounciations on radio

[slide_advantage_redoux]

Around this area, we are fortunate to have a decent jazz radio station, albeit a college one; KNTU. The musical palette is varied, despite a preference for big band music (understandable, considering the One O Clock/Stan Kenton heritage etc).

That said, there are some seriously challenged individuals working there. (volunteers) Not a day goes by when I don't hear a mispronounced name...usually that of a relatively well known jazz musician. I used to keep a flip folder in the car and jot down the most memorable ones.

Three days ago I was treated to a nice Oscar Peterson trio recording from the 50's I had never heard. After the song ended, I was informed that I had been listening to the "Scott Peterson Trio" )I had no idea that he had such talent; this didn't come up during his sentencing hearing.

Other variations: Dizzy Gillespie (Gillepsie or Gillispie); Paul Gonzalvez (Paul Gone-solves); the list goes on.

I am more amused than annoyed; laughter is good for the soul, and its easier to drive while laughing than when crying.

[MartyJazz]

Nothing jars the ear and senses more than to hear Bechet's classic version of "Summertime" on a college station, only to have the young announcer say afterwards,

"That was the great New Orleans player, Sidney BECKETT".

[Stereojack]

Theo-lonious Monk

Winston Marsalis

Lawrence Marablay

[Ron S]

Nothing jars the ear and senses more than to hear Bechet's classic version of "Summertime" on a college station, only to have the young announcer say afterwards,

"That was the great New Orleans player, Sidney BECKETT".

Yet, that a young announcer is saying his name at all--and using it in the same sentence as "great"--should be cause for celebration.

[vibes]

"Mispronounciation"

[Ron S]

"Mispronounciation"

Hey, keep that stuff in the Misspelling Thread.

[MartyJazz]

How about the occasional announcer who repeats Pee Wee Marquette's gaffe:

"Art Blake-ley"!

[tooter]

Listening for almost the first time to the newly fledged Jazz FM station here in London quite a few years, ago I was irritated to hear the announcer using the pseudo-American accent affection tell us that we had been listening to Illinois "Zhackay" (as it would be pronounced in French I guess). I was sure it should have been pronounced "Jack-ette". Put me off Jazz FM for quite a while - until, that is, I heard the man himself om the radio tell us that his name was, indeed, Illinois "Zhackay". So the mistake was mine, but I still say "Jack-ette".

[JSngry]

That said, there are some seriously challenged individuals working there. (volunteers)

Pretty sure that they're selected Broadcasting majors and that it's a class for them.

Ever heard of Count Bassey?

[Robert J]

The one word that bugs me in Toronto jazz radio, and it must be a Canadian-ization of a British pronunciation (Bev, back me up here - the CBC has been trying to be the BBC forever) is the word that describes someone who plays the saxophone. Not every dj does it, but just enough to bug me. Now even the young college dj's have taken it on.

It gets pronounced as "sax-aww-fonist". Always thought it too high-brow, having grown up on Detroit jazz dj's. "That was sax-aww-fonist Lee Konitz..." My argument is, why don't these same people descibe someone who plays the vibes, in the same way? I have yet to hear "vibe-raww-fonist".

[slide_advantage_redoux]

"Mispronounciation"

ya got me

[sheldonm]

It gets pronounced as "sax-aww-fonist". Always thought it too high-brow, having grown up on Detroit jazz dj's. "That was sax-aww-fonist Lee Konitz..." My argument is, why don't these same people descibe someone who plays the vibes, in the same way? I have yet to hear "vibe-raww-fonist".

...this one bugs me also !

[Michael Fitzgerald]

That's Dexter Gordon's pronunciation of saxophonist and when he says it, it's cool.

Mike

[Ron S]

In a similar vein, how about "trAmbone"--Wynton pronounces it like that in his VV set.

[joeface]

Ever heard of Count Bassey?

All your Basie are belong to us.

[clifford_thornton]

[marcello]

This, from Jim Wilke of "Jazz After Hours" on the jazzproglist:

Like the internet, you can't always believe your ears. Or the radio

either. I used to have to remind about half the student announcers I

was coaching it was Garner (not Gardner) and Blakey (not Blakely).

And was it Barbara Walters who said Cowmen McWay?

Jim

[MartyJazz]

That's Dexter Gordon's pronunciation of saxophonist and when he says it, it's cool.

Mike

I don't know, maybe I'm reading it wrong, but I saw Dexter several times and he always pronounced it as sax- ahf -a- nist, with the accent on the 2nd syllable.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Yes, isn't that exactly what these folks have been talking about?

Mike

[rostasi]

How many ways have you heard "Jack DeJohnette" pronounced?

Edited April 13, 2005 by rostasi

[Jazzmoose]

Listening for almost the first time to the newly fledged Jazz FM station here in London quite a few years, ago I was irritated to hear the announcer using the pseudo-American accent affection tell us that we had been listening to Illinois "Zhackay" (as it would be pronounced in French I guess). I was sure it should have been pronounced "Jack-ette". Put me off Jazz FM for quite a while - until, that is, I heard the man himself om the radio tell us that his name was, indeed, Illinois "Zhackay". So the mistake was mine, but I still say "Jack-ette".

Ha ha, tooter; bet you felt foolish!

Note to self: write this down before you meet any of these people in person, and they won't know you've been pronouncing it wrong all this time...

[king ubu]

George Llewis (as in Lloyd)

Dizzy Gesspie

I hate it. The "Llewis" thing was by a good German radio man, who knows a lot about the music, and probably just meant too good. On Swiss radio though (where the "Gesspie" comes from), often they have "professional" speakers to announce the weekly live broadcasts and from the first word it's clear they don't know (and care) shitte about jazz. That bugs me, sometimes, even more so as some of those national radio people have a very elitist way of thinking, looking down in disgust at private radio stations - which most often are bad - and even more so on "alternative" stations like the one I occasionally do a show for. Still they can't pronounce a couple of names right...

[Don Brown]

I remember many years ago hearing Jimmy Giuffre's name pronounce Jimmy GWIFFER. Guess the wannabe announcer didn't notice that that the "I" came before the "U".

But then don't forget all those musicians who gave up after hearing their names mispronounced so often that they changed the spelling to accommodate the great unwashed. The brother Candoli - Pete and Conte - replaced the "E" at the end of their names with an "I" so people would pronounce it correctly. Charlie Ventura replaced the "O" at the end of his name with an "A". I guess folks thought he had a Spanish background and not an Italian one! Johnny Hodges gave up and added the "S". His real name was "Hodge". Then there was Buddy DeFranco. His name should be spelled DiFranco. He was Italian-American.

[sheldonm]

TJADER is butchered frequently;.......how do you say it???

[joeface]

How many ways have you heard "Jack DeJohnette" pronounced?

only like the mustard