The Jazzing Up of Radio’s KLON in Long Beach : Broadcasting: The station has added Chuck Niles and Sam Fields, victims of a format change at KKJZ-AM

There have been many changes at KLON, the Southland’s major non-commercial jazz station at 88.1 FM, and there’ll be more.

For starters, the station has hired Chuck Niles and Sam Fields, two 20-year-plus veterans of the L.A. jazz airwaves. The jocks were last heard on KKJZ-AM (540), which last Friday changed format, going from all-jazz to the all-classical programming which has been heard on its sister station, KKGO-FM (105.1), since January 1. Before then KKGO (formerly known as KBCA) spotlighted the 24-hour commercial jazz format. With KKJZ’s shift of programming, Niles and Fields became available.

“I think they’ll be tremendous, along with everyone else we have,” said KLON’s general manager Rick Lewis.

KLON’s new Monday-Friday schedule, which began Wednesday, includes Helen Borgers, 5:30-9:30 a.m.; Fields, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; and Niles, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Former morning driveman Roy Daniels now works 6:30 p.m.-midnight, Monday-Thursday; Bubba Jackson is on 6:30-10 p.m., Friday, and will handle “Nothin’ But The Blues,” Saturday-Sunday, 2-6 p.m., a show formerly featuring Bernie Pearl, who has left the station. Other regulars remain in place.

Program director Ken Borgers was somewhat sentimental about all the changes, especially the demise of KKJZ/KKGO/KBCA. “I grew up listening to it, and it wasn’t a radio station, it was a way of life and I’ll miss it,” he said.

In the meantime, both Niles and Fields were a little nervous about their new work location.

“It’s a little bit different,” said Fields, reached at the station during his premiere shift Wednesday where a Jimmy Smith blues could ne heard playing in the background. “But I’m enjoying it.”

“I have to learn to operate the new equipment, plus I gotta do traffic reports. I guess that’s me looking at the negative side,” Niles laughed at himself.

There was plenty of upside, he admitted. “It’s exciting,” he said. “Here’s a radio station that believes in jazz music and, I hate to sound corny, will keep the flame burning. Plus the hours are great for me personally, so that at night I’m free to go out and raise hell,” he laughed again.

Two live performance shows that Niles emceed and that were heard over KKJZ have moved to KLON: broadcasts from the Grand Avenue Bar of the Biltmore Hotel, which air 7-8 p.m. each Tuesday; and first-Sunday-of-each-month, 8-9 p.m. airings from the Wadsworth Theatre, Brentwood, where former Police guitarist Andy Summers is on tap Oct. 7.

Other good news at KLON is that FCC approval has been granted for the station’s long-awaited proposal for a power increase, and Lewis estimates that by early 1991, KLON will be operating at the approved 8,000 watts, instead of the current 1,200. “This is very encouraging, especially since we’re now the only (24-hour jazz) station in the market,” Lewis said.

A PIANIST PLUS: Tom Garvin is decidedly one of our town’s better jazz pianists, and one who has considerable skills as an accompanist. But he has a behind-the-scenes career as a jazz composer whose wares have been purchased by folks such as Doc Severinsen, Phil Woods and Si Zenter.

“I’m working on a piece for the ‘Tonight Show’ band right now,” he said the other day. “And next week, I’m heading to Utah and write material for a new trio album.” (Garvin can be heard tonight and Saturday at Giorgio’s in Long Beach, backing singer Ruth Price.)

“I first went to Salt Lake, where a friend of mine has a house, about two years ago, when I was commissioned by (New American Orchestra president and conductor) Jack Elliot to write a piece for piano and orchestra for the (NAO),” said the 46-year-old Garvin. That work, entitled “Day at the River,” was premiered, with the composer at the keyboard, in an NAO concert in Royce Hall on May 12.

“Going up there this time will like the last, sort of a forced march to the sea,” he joked. “There’s nothing for me to do but hole up and write all day. I’m writing music for what I intend to be a trio album, but I’m not locked into that. I’m going to let the music go where it dictates and usually after it’s written, it suggests the players.”

Garvin, whose first solo LP is “Three Dimensions” (ITI-out of print) and who just wrote the charts for a three-horn band that supports singer Mike Campbell, cherishes his performances with Price, with whom he’s worked off-and-on for many years. “Ruth is an intuitive musician/singer,” he said. “I can play with a harmonic complexity with her that few singers can handle. She can tell what fits.”

RIM SHOTS: Marcus Roberts, Richie Cole and Poncho Sanchez are headlining the 2nd annual Santa Barbara International Jazz Festival, to be held at various venues in Santa Barbara, next Friday-Oct. 7. Information: (805) 962-0800 . . . Larry Carlton, Bob James and Najee highlight the 1990 Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival, held on Catalina next Friday-Oct. 7. Information: (800) 876-7328 . . . A Sunday afternoon (4-7 p.m.) jazz policy has ensued at the Westwood Marquis (930 Hilgard Avenue, Westwood). This week, pianist Louis Aldebert’s trio with guest reedman Justo Almario is set, and on Oct. 7, reedman Brandon Fields arrives.