Hello fellow Jazz lovers, I believe it's time that we start to take a serious look at this concept called SmoothAhead. I know some people may think the name is a little corny or not easy to say, but get pass the name and think about what it represents. With the demise of so many Smooth Jazz radio stations across the country and only a few NPR stations at all, wouldn't it be great if we had stations that played both genres. They could rotate (Traditional or Straight-Ahead) with (Contemporary or Smooth Jazz) in such a way that the listeners would be delighted to hear both. What if you heard a Charlie Bird Parker song played and then you heard his song later played by a Smooth Jazz Artist, what a great way to not only honor him, but get younger kids to listen to this great music called JAZZ. The concept is really simple; pay both genres in such a way to get a wide variety of listeners to enjoy both styles. I will be out here on a crusade to make this happen. Let's just make it happen. Linda Morgan as Ms. SmoothAhead Jazz. May 24, 2009

Responses from friends on Different Sites

Comment by Esther Berlanga-Ryan on May 25, 2009 at 9:41pm Linda,

I think you will happy to know that I have been doing just that for almost as long as I have worked in the radio industry. I agree with your concept one hundred per cent! I should also say that in my case I didn't stop in Jazz and Smooth Jazz, because I add some Blues, some contemporary Bluegrass, some R&B, some acoustic Pop- Rock...but the core of the show (and station) is Vocal Jazz, Jazz and yes, Smooth Jazz. I don't believe in shutting doors, I believe in opening doors and windows! It is this same idea that finally lead me to start my own internet radio station, which happens to be the #1 Vocal Jazz station on Live365.com, despite of the mixture of styles I program. Wouldn't you call that being on the right path? :)

I don't know if you have ever heard my station:

http://www.live365.com/stations/estherberlangaryan

I am listening to what you are saying with a smile on my face. Let's make it happen worldwide!
Comment by Bubba Jackson on May 25, 2009 at 11:25pm 
Linda,

Well the secret is no more. Smoothahead is here and it has the juice to sway and entertain the masses. The concept behind smooth jazz is based on a/c radio. You, the jazz listener can't understand the scope of jazz. So let's programmed a "muzak" form of jazz, a lot of syncopated beats with little substance. And yes we add some pop music to "help you" understand Jazz.

Many of the listeners today came into jazz from RTF, Herbie Hancock, the Jazz Crusaders, Grover Washington, Jr, Patti Austin, Chuck Magione, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Eddie Jefferson etc. They brought the records and then CDs and kept the jazz format live. Corporate American came in and started buying stations due to deregulations and having a commercial jazz format became "not cost effective". Public radio became the last bastion for jazz. That's where it is for the moment. But should that be the only Place? No, hell no!

Linda, you have the vision to bring the audience to jazz and bring those who need a musical format that exemplify their taste in good music. Jazz has always been a danceable music. Because of its origins it does not hold as a art form to be celebrated by America. The whole world celebrates jazz, let's do it with now with Smoothahead Jazz. Think Lee Morgan and Rick Braun, Grover Washington, Jr with Kenny Burrell and Grover Washington, Jr and George Benson, Al Jarreau and Eddie Jefferson, Ella and Diane Reeves, Earl Klugh and Jeff Golub. I could on and on but this is what I have been programming since 1974 playing John Coltrane and Grover Washington, Jr in the same hour. In Denver, I was voted the # 1 Radio Announcer in the Seventies and in 2009 I was voted the Best Radio Personality by the OC Weekly. All I do is program jazz and the blues, no adjectives necessary. The audience is there. The artists are there and want to play. I have counseled so many artists about playing into a "format". Play the music that expresses who you are. If the music touches the listeners will respond. When you play to a formula and that formula changes, you become dust on a shelf. Keep in mind that 50 years ago Miles Davis's "Kind Of Blue" was recorded plus TIME OUT, SKETCHES OF SPAIN, and MINGUS AH UM. No formula needed just jazz baby. JAZZ!

Smoothahead is the music that is needed to keep jazz on the Radio. Linda, I am with you one hundred percent and I will be your programmer.

Ms. Smoothahead, thank you for your vision!

Bubba Jackson
Breakfast With Bubba
KKJZ, FM 88.1