Radio Show Report About All That Jazz

A distinguished panel of 12 jazz musicians, impresarios, radio and print journalists has offered too few insights into the state of the local jazz scene but drew a spirited condemnation by the audience of radio station KIFM-FM (98.1) for its Lites Out Jazz programming.

Most of the audience of about 150 jazz aficionados stayed for all 3 1/2 hours of Friday night’s round-table discussion that was offered admission-free by the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. Held in the museum’s Sherwood Auditorium, the panel talk focused chiefly on the relationship among musicians, radio and concert promoters. It was moderated by San Diego Union music critic George Varga.

The questions began on a general note. Asked to assess the jazz scene in San Diego, pianist Mike Wofford called it an “ongoing, up and down process.” Wofford, who lives in San Diego and is acclaimed by fellow musicians as one of the world’s top pianists, felt that jazz in San Diego is “very healthy” at present, but could use more clubs and concert venues.

The moderator agreed, noting that two clubs--the Bella Via and Our Place--have closed and two clubs--Diego’s Loft and Solano’s--have opened in the past year.

Charles McPherson, a world class alto saxophonist, and Jimmy and Jeannie Cheatam, the internationally recognized leaders of the Sweet Baby Blues Band, were asked why they can be heard more often in Paris or New York than in San Diego.

McPherson and Jimmy Cheatam compared it to a prophet being rarely appreciated in his own land, while Jeannie Cheatam said that familiarity breeds contempt. Guitarist Peter Sprague noted that he was much more appreciated in Mexico, where his group “was treated like stars” than in San Diego or Los Angeles.

KIFM was called a national trend setter in the explosion of pop jazz or soft jazz, and Humphreys by the Bay promoter Kenny Weissberg acknowledged the benefits of promoting a performance in concert with KIFM when the artist appearing is popular.

However, Weissberg noted that newer artists, even those who fit the station’s patented Lites Out format of soft jazz or soft rock, rarely sell well in San Diego no matter how much their music is played.

Weissberg and San Diego Jazz Festival founder-director Rob Hagey noted that popular acts such as Kenny G and David Sanborn generate so much revenue that they pay for the losses of more traditional or so-called straight ahead jazz musicians such as Miles Davis or Wynton Marsalis. Weissberg said he usually needs to attract at least 1,000 people a concert to turn a profit and straight ahead jazz performers, no matter who they are, rarely have that drawing power here.

“Promoting jazz concerts in this city is extremely difficult,” Hagey said. “I did it because I had some money. I don’t now. I went through $250,000” over about eight years, he said. Now he promotes jazz less since his family takes a greater priority, Hagey said.

The audience of mostly straight ahead jazz enthusiasts jeered or laughed derisively throughout the night to express their resentment of the use of the word jazz for the kind of music that KIFM programs. It was a strange mix of anger and fear that would, in itself, have made an interesting topic of discussion.

Several of the panelists also resented calling the music played over KIFM and KSWV-FM (102.9) jazz, even though they said they enjoyed hearing some of it. KIFM program director Steve Huntington and Art Good, Lites Out Jazz originator and host of the nationally syndicated “Jazz Trax” program, took the verbal brickbats with good humor. “If we didn’t call it jazz, you wouldn’t have a bone to pick with us,” Huntington observed.

Asked repeatedly by Varga why KIFM could not introduce a one-hour program of straight ahead jazz much like Good introduced Lites Out Jazz almost seven years ago, Huntington said that education was not what station owners are interested in.

“When you get into commercial radio, the stations that play the fewest number of songs and play them over and over again have the largest audience,” Huntington said. He said that KIFM, however, has a large playlist of 2,000 songs.

Other panel members were jazz author, critic and producer Stanley Dance, jazz newspaper editor-publisher Jude Hibler and Phyllis Hegeman, music and promotion director at KSDS-FM (88.3).

All but lost in the palaver were several revealing comments by Dance. He was impressed at the selection of jazz records available at a local major record store which he said equaled the selection at the store he used to shop in New York City. The implication is that there’s a strong market for jazz records here. He also noted that jazz appreciation is changing everywhere. Even New York City can no longer support a band for a 3-week club date, he said.

Jazz notes: The Jazz Link, a small San Diego monthly tabloid, was selected over Downbeat magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the L.A. Weekly and the Independent Telegram of Long Beach as the Best Publication serving jazz in the annual Birdland West awards. The award was presented last week to Jazz Link publisher-editor Jude Hibler during ceremonies at Birdland West, the Long Beach jazz club. The award was one of several made each year to a range of individuals and businesses “who have contributed most significantly to jazz in the community.” The Jazz Link, which includes performance listings, reviews and features on local and national jazz figures, is six months old.