Jazz Joint

There's a new joint in town.

I've started a new program for Boise Community Radio called Jazz Joint. Bet you can't guess what it's like...

Actually, maybe you can't. It's two hours, once a week, focusing in a large sense on jazz music. I say in a large sense because it's not your normal public radio jazz show.

Jazz Joint will have rotating host duties, so far involving myself and four other people. And far as I can tell, we've all got pretty different ideas about what this show will be. And that's great. That's the point. There's already plenty of homogenous jazz shows out there, playing the greats playing standards, and that's a good thing, but that's not our thing.

I turned in my first show right before leaving town for vacation, so I haven't managed to hear any of the other hosts' work yet, but I knew their musical ideas beforehand, so I'm confident. But, in these descriptions, I'm also guessing. I'll update this as I find out how wrong I am. Art Hodge is way into breakbeats and all types of jazz, Tim Whitecotten leans more toward the hard rock and avant-garde modes, Isabel Holt is well versed in the classic and historical side of jazz, and Dave Foster leans more toward the ambient, electronic, experimental versions. A really good combination of perspectives if I do say so myself.

My own take on it is pretty scattershot, to be perfectly honest. It's not even all jazz. Jazz music, mostly bebop and hard bop from anywhere in the late 50s to today, makes up the core of the show, but it only spreads outward from there. I work in some electronic music that is, if not actually improvised, has more of an anarchic feel to it, and I'm also trafficking some experimental rock and some plain old avant-garde instrumental stuff. Thelonious Monk next to John Fahey next to David Murray next to Four Tet next to Isotope 217... You get the point.

Or, if you don't, check out the show. It's on Wednesdays from 11 to 1, mountain time, on RadioBoise.