WBGO's new antenna

[mjzee]

Jazz is moving up in the world: On Friday, Newark's jazz radio station, WBGO 88.3 FM, plans to activate a new antenna in Manhattan that will be double the height of its current equipment and is expected to generate static-free reception in New York City for the first time in the station's more than 30 year history.

More here:

WSJ

[Leeway]

Too bad so much of their programming is bland and unadventurous.

[Hardbopjazz]

Too bad so much of their programming is bland and unadventurous.

Yes so true. Wynton Marslais was on the station the other day picking the best jazz releases in 2011. Of cause his release with Clapton was picked.

[7/4]

Too bad so much of their programming is bland and unadventurous.

Yes so true. Wynton Marslais was on the station the other day picking the best jazz releases in 2011. Of cause his release with Clapton was picked.

Not too much to say about Wynton.

Sometimes it's the only Jazz in the area when I'm on the road. I hope the new antenna will mean I can get it way out on LI, North of Stamford and North of mile marker 42 on the NY Thuway.

[Jazzdude]

Compared to KKJZ out of Long Beach, WBGO's programming is relatively exciting. KKJZ is bland AND bad. Just check out the playlist. Which is deleted forever after about a day or so. Why? Because it would be very easy to highlight all the SAME songs and SAME artists played day after day, week after week, month after month.

I also wish the programming on WBGO was more edgy, though. They should set aside a block of time, once a week at least, for more edgy material, past and present, e.g. late Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Wadada Leo Smith, Vinnie Golia, some ECM and Fresh Sounds/New Talent artists, musicians on the Clean Feed and Pi Recordings label.I think they are afraid of turning off (literally) their listeners by pushing the envelope. There are a ton of cutting-edge musicians who live and work in New York City and surrounding environs who never get played on WBGO.

But trust me,even given that major drawback, WBGO is MUCH better than KKJZ, that's for sure. I listen to WBGO as much as I can. Very rarely anymore to KKJZ.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Jazzdude

[Leeway]

I'm sorry to hear that KKJZ is even worse, although cold comfort. I've actually communicated with BGO in a variety of ways and suggested just those ideas you mention in your post. They absolutely don't get it. Ironic that they now have a transmitter than can send their signal further, but their programming becomes ever less worthy of being heard.

[PHILLYQ]

I used to be a member of BGO, but then stopped contributing because they got so dull. Someone from BGo even called me and I told why I stopped contributing and they were speechless for a moment and then thanked me and hung up.They've become so stale and predictable that when I listen to the radio I go right to KCR(This Bachfest is killin' me!)or to a disc in the car. Tonight was Dogon A.D.

[Jazzdude]

I'm sorry to hear that KKJZ is even worse, although cold comfort. I've actually communicated with BGO in a variety of ways and suggested just those ideas you mention in your post. They absolutely don't get it. Ironic that they now have a transmitter than can send their signal further, but their programming becomes ever less worthy of being heard.

In an interview that I came across recently, the GM at WBGO said that his roots in jazz lie with artists like Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders. Do they play those guys and others in that vein?

The fact that WBGO and KKJZ, and I emphasize again, KKJZ is much worse. Just check out the playlists over a few days. That KKJZ is so conservative in their approach to jazz music is a reflection of where we are as a whole culturally (e.g. film, music, TV) in 2011 America. Keep things as bland, commercialized, vulgar, and repetitive as possible. And definitely don't encourage people to critically think and analyze for themselves.

KKJZ is pretty responsive to the concerns of its listeners. I used to communicate my concerns. Many others did/do also. Not anymore for me. I don't care anymore. Kenny G has his own show on KKJZ. That, in of itself, was enough for me to say, "Bye."

What I like about WBGO (compared to KKJZ):

a wider variety of music

the taped shows like "Piano Jazz" and others

interesting information given on the music and artists by the jocks

the naming of sidemen/women

no smooth jazz

no dumbing down

Does anyone know where to go on the internet for more challenging jazz music? Or satellite?

Edited February 3, 2012 by Jazzdude

[Lazaro Vega]

Jazzdude wrote: Does anyone where to go on the internet for more challenging jazz music? Or satellite?

Wednesday at midnight until 1 a.m. Thursday morning eastern time, "Out On Blue Lake," http://www.bluelake.org/radio . Many nights after 12 a.m. we'll edge into something, depending on who's our featured artist for the night. The program runs M=F from 10 p.m. - 3 a.m.

ALOC is a regular. Yeah!

[Hardbopjazz]

The reception isn't any better, in fact I seem to not to get the station in clear with the upgrade from where I live.

[alocispepraluger102]

wkcr has a weekday jazz block from noon-3pm and 6 to 9pm, often with very adventurous old and new jazz, and mon,, tues,, and wed., 3 to 6 pm, they have very new music featuring music ranging from gunter hampel, don cherry, mort. feldman to frank lowe to varese to london jazz composers orchestra, from 1 to 5 am eastern mon, wed, and fri,, they play very adventurous new music, the most adventurous you will hear anywhere on the spectrum, except wednesdays when lazaro is in high gear. if you can navigate around phil of schaap(often mondays noon to 3pm), your ears will be thoroughly challenged...

[brownie]

Able to listen to WBGO loud and clear on my iphone!

Wish their jazz programs were a bit more provocative. But the station is better than our local TSF Jazz!

[alocispepraluger102]

Able to listen to WBGO loud and clear on my iphone!

Wish their jazz programs were a bit more provocative. But the station is better than our local TSF Jazz!

does france still have the lovely stream playing many really old old(circa 1920) jazz classics?

[ghost of miles]

Jazzdude wrote: Does anyone where to go on the internet for more challenging jazz music? Or satellite?

Wednesday at midnight until 1 a.m. Thursday morning eastern time, "Out On Blue Lake," http://www.bluelake.org/radio . Many nights after 12 a.m. we'll edge into something, depending on who's our featured artist for the night. The program runs M=F from 10 p.m. - 3 a.m.

ALOC is a regular. Yeah!

Lazaro's doing some of the best day-to-day (or night-to-night, rather) jazz programming in the country.

[brownie]

Able to listen to WBGO loud and clear on my iphone!

Wish their jazz programs were a bit more provocative. But the station is better than our local TSF Jazz!

does france still have the lovely stream playing many really old old(circa 1920) jazz classics?

If there is one, it's not on my radars!

[David Ayers]

Just saw this thread. Love it that the king of dull picks his own CD as one of his top 10.

In answer to the question about jazz on the internet, for an extra jazz top-up including concerts and interviews there is always something to be found on the BBC iplayer - start here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/categories/music - and look around.

There is also plenty in other genres, including the 'world music' category where you will find Late Junction, a particularly eclectic program where you might find world, contemporary classical, improv, or just plain 'other'.