Next Tuesday it'll be my turn to step up the computer keyboard in our ongoing series, Inside the Industry. In Part 4 I'll be discussing radio's segment of the Smooth Jazz industry.
Now's the time to submit your questions. What have you always wanted to know about the Smooth Jazz format in radio? No question is off limits. Send your questions to me at [email protected].
~Rick O'Dell
Our Smooth Video of the Day: Now this is what I call a rare gem. I bet no more than a handful of listeners remember this New Age tune we played for awhile back in the early days of WNUA: the Canadian group Skywalk and "First Snow."
As the longtime manager of (and business owner/partner with)
guitarist Nick Colionne, Carol Ray is in a position to give us an
overview of the Smooth Jazz industry based on years of active
participation. I’ve always found her to
be honest and forthcoming and, above all, very fair in her dealings with
others.
RO:
What’s your quick take on where we stand right now?
CR: I believe a
major enemy of success is conventional wisdom/customary practices. The reality of changes now endemic in the
business has a lot of people wondering what to do to survive. It has served me (and Nick's career) well
over the years to deal with what I believe matters and to dare to trust my
instincts.
RO:
What do you expect when you deal with concert promoters and venues?
CR: What I expect and what I want aren't always
the same thing so I will answer as to what I would like to see. From promoters, a fair offer commensurate with
the ability of the artist to actually sell tickets and treatment of the artist
that respects the difficulty of doing their job on the road as well as the
terms of the contract. From venues,
proper sound and lighting equipment and competent techs and stage managers,
clean dressing rooms and decent security.
Don't forget plenty of bathrooms for the audience, either.
RO:
What would you like to see from radio?
What would you want radio to do differently? What do you think is radio doing right?
CR: I would like to see radio being programmed
with the same passion for the music as those who create it. I don't distinguish between terrestrial and
internet radio in this regard. Radio programmers with great "ears”--and
there are plenty--free of the dictates of focus groups and accounting
departments, can create a compelling listening experience that will inevitably
draw listeners to them. Specific pet peeves
of mine:
Stop
trying to make jazz into pop, urban AC or R&B. Being all things to all
audiences dilutes everything. That music
already has plenty of stations playing it anyway.
Limit
vocals to one or two an hour and make sure they are jazz vocals when you play
them.
There
is so much great new music being created. Twenty-five year old chestnuts can be
retired to specialty programming only. Don't
turn this into an oldies format!
RO:
Can you name the one thing that would improve the industry the most?
CR: If I could wave a magic wand and have
promoters and radio programmers recognize that the past is history and
repeating the decisions from the past will not bring the new results and
audiences needed to keep the format vital and vibrant, I would. Book and play the exciting artists who are
constantly evolving their music and performances, and find a way to inject new
talent and sounds into the mix or we are doomed to be the next Big Band format,
frozen in time.
RO:
What would you like to see in the world of Smooth/Contemporary jazz in
2013?
CR:
Fans are key and their ongoing and increased support of the music is
imperative. Promoters and radio folks,
introduce your audiences to new artists in ways that make sense in your
markets. Artists who are building their
following by developing a local audience into a regional audience, etc., can
make themselves desirable as cost effective opening acts.
Radio
can focus on local and regional talent via specialty show programming. The major artists of tomorrow are out there. Radio can do artist interviews for live or
later date broadcasting, bringing established and newer artists one on one to
their audiences.
RO:
Your final thoughts?
Everyone
needs to accept change. Concert promoters
need to recognize the acts that have nothing new to say and hire someone else. Radio needs to stop playing 25 year old tunes. Audiences need to embrace new music from
established stars and good music from up and coming artists. Contemporary jazz
terrestrial radio is no longer top ten status, and internet radio is rising. If
everyone involved, from fans to artists to programmers to promoters, accepts
the new reality of jazz and stops trying to recreate what can no longer be,
we'll be just fine, and who knows where we can go from here?!
RO:
A few years ago Carol was interviewed for Smooth Views by Shannon West.
I’ve excerpted a portion of the interview below, because it gives us an
additional glimpse into how she approaches her job.
CR: I love what I do and I love creating an
environment for Nick Colionne to do what he loves to do. It makes him happy, it
makes me happy, it makes the fans happy. It's pleasurable. It's fun and nobody said it
was easy. I work harder at this than I have ever worked at anything in my life.
It's rare that I take a day off, then I work twice as hard the next day. I take
phone calls at any time. I answer e-mails at 3 a.m. I am completely
dedicated to this because I believe in it. It gives me a great sense of
satisfaction to know that I have relationships with people that other people
don't even know.
Monday - Part 3: The Artist
Tuesday - Part 4: Radio Programmers (I'll be handling this one, and you get to ask the questions. Send them to me at the email address below.)
A couple weeks ago I was having an informal discussion
with Mark Vrabel, one of the partners in SmoothChicago.com. His company is the area’s leading promoter of
Smooth Jazz concerts. As we talked I
realized there was quite a bit about his segment of the music business that I never
knew about, even though I have been working with concert promoters since I
started playing Smooth Jazz in 1987.
Mark happened to touch on several topics I get asked about by listeners and especially musicians trying to break into the genre. As I was jotting down Mark’s thoughts, it dawned on me
that there were a few other questions I regularly get asked about. And, as was the case with Mark, I felt those would be best answered by representatives
of two other segments of the industry:
artist representation (agents) and the artists themselves. I decided to put those questions to Carol
Ray, who has represented guitarist Nick Colionne for many years and Phil Denny,
a Smooth Jazz saxophonist. My
conversation with Miss Ray will be Part 2 in this series, Mr. Denny, Part
3.
For Part 4, which I’m calling “Radio’s Role,” I would
like to answer any questions you might have about radio's involvement in the process.
To get you started, here are a few that I get asked about a lot How do the tracks that make it to the air get
picked in the first place? Why don’t you play more than
just one or two tracks on a CD? What do
I need to do to have my music played on your station? How should I send my material to radio
stations?
What would you like to know about radio? Drop me a line ([email protected])
and, when it comes time for Part 4 in this series, I’ll try and answer as many
of your questions as I can.
Tomorrow (Thursday), we will begin with my Q&A with
Mark Vrabel. It will be Part 1 of our
series: Concert Promotion. I have a feeling you will find this and each of the segments over the next few days interesting and perhaps eye-opening. And, if you're an artist, I bet you'll pick up a few valuable suggestions along the way.
~Rick O’Dell
Our Smooth Video of the Day: Mark Vrabel’s company, SmoothChicago.com, is
bringing Richard Elliot to the Montrose Room April 13. Here’s a preview.
At best it’s
still a longshot. And, since I’m all in
with my project SmoothJazzChicago.net, my bet’s firmly hedged.
Still, the
word out of Los Angeles last week that the Wave was bringing back its signature
instrumentals did provide me with a ray of hope. Would other media companies now be willing to
give Smooth Jazz another try on terrestrial radio, as CBS did with the Wave—or at least consider
it?
To me, the
key to the entire question lies within the quote from their Music Director,
Paul Ciliano: “We’re back to having a
unique product, and we’re gonna give it our best shot!” As soon as he said that, I immediately honed
in on the first part: having a unique product.
If you
review the recent history of corporate radio, it’s easy to see that being
unique and distinctive has been very low on their list of priorities. Partly because of what seems to work better
under Arbitron’s Portable People Meter measurement system and partly because
it’s more cost effective to mass produce and distribute mainstream
formats, there is a great deal of
sameness across the radio dial. In every
market there are two, three and even four stations doing pretty much the same
format, be it music or talk. In light of
what’s been happening in radio the past four-five years, hearing someone in
management at the Wave in Los Angeles allude to the value of uniqueness was
rather startling.
Could the
tide be turning? Has corporate radio
come full circle, once again embracing the notion that it’s good to separate
yourself from the pack? One person at
one station, unfortunately, does not a trend make.
But I’m an
optimist by nature. I’d like to think
that the words coming from Mr. Ciliano’s mouth reflect not only his views but
also those of others in the CBS Radio hierarchy. Better yet, maybe there are others in the
industry outside of CBS who are starting to feel that way. Maybe enough people in radio have had their
fill of trying to sell a product that can’t really be differentiated from their
competition’s and want to claim their own territory. It’s going to take someone who feels that way
to take a flyer on Smooth Jazz.
Here in
Chicago, there’s got to be someone courageous and creative enough to want to
separate themselves from the pack. Someone
who wants to give listeners another chance to support not just a unique product
but one with a successful track record to boot.
This might be just the time for that someone to step forward and, just
like the folks at the Wave in Los Angeles, give it their best shot.
Honestly, I
feel like there was one more Christmas present that had been overlooked. I just discovered that my favorite station
and host are back in my life, and I’m happy about it! You are locked and loaded on my phone and
laptop, and I sincerely hope you enjoy significant and sustained success in
your SmoothJazzChicago.net undertaking.
I’m a supporter!
~Tom
Logsdon
Our Smooth
Video of the Day: Let’s brighten up this dreary Chicago day with a trip to the California coast with
guitarist Nils.
Quietly, without promotion or fanfare, the country’s
original Smooth Jazz formatted station, the Wave in Los Angeles (KTWV 94.7FM), moved
a big step closer to its musical roots last week. The station restored a number of instrumental
tracks to their mix.* Many of these
tracks had not been played on the Wave in several years.
For those of us who like to keep an eye on the industry, the
significance of this decision can’t be overstated. By putting instrumentals back into the mix, it
represents something of a concession by the owners of the station, CBS Radio. Apparently, their strategy of pushing the Wave
toward a mainstream soft adult contemporary format in 2010 by sharply reducing
the instrumental tracks on their playlist (and totally changing the complexion
of the station in the process) didn’t work.
It didn’t give them the sustained ratings boost they had hoped for. Media companies seldom admit in this way to
having made a mistake. And they never
acknowledge the possibility that old thinking might have been better than new
thinking. The brass at CBS in Los Angeles did both
with their latest change. They deserve a
lot of credit for this.
I traded emails last week with the Music Director at the station,
Paul Ciliano. He explained that a
research project they commissioned last fall led them to conclude that, even in
the world of Arbitron’s Portable People Meter, a station playing instrumentals could
still perform favorably. I was shocked to hear him say that, because that notion runs counter to what has been the prevailing attitude within the industry since the advent of PPM, even
among programmers for whom Smooth Jazz is both a passion and specialty. Paul concluded his email to me this way: “We’re back to having a unique product, and
we’re gonna give it our best shot!”
For those of us who are fans of traditional Smooth Jazz, this is the most encouraging thing we have heard in quite some
time. A major media company, CBS Radio,
in a major market, Los Angeles, sees ratings and sales potential once again for
a format featuring a fair amount of instrumental music.
Naturally, the artists who create the music of this genre
are just as surprised and encouraged by the development. Here’s what Dave Koz said to me in an email:
“Yes, the Wave went back to its old format—which is
awesome. They are doing a big concert
next month [February 23, with Boney James, Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, Mindi
Abair, Vince Ingala and Spencer Day at the Nokia Theatre] to ingratiate
themselves to the [super loyal] fans they abandoned over the last couple years
of turning the Wave into a pop/adult contemporary station. This is all good news. Some very happy people here in Southern
California.” Verylucky
people too, I might add.
It was on February 14, 1987, that the Wave made its debut in
Los Angeles. Just six months later, on
August 3, 1987, we saw the launch of WNUA 95.5 here in Chicago. For the next 22 years the stations followed similar
paths, overcoming growing pains and emerging as standard bearers for the Smooth
Jazz format. They led the way in terms
of ratings, revenue, industry-wide respect and influence. As we all know and painfully recall here in
Chicago, 2009 was when the parallel trajectories of the two stations came to an
end, when Clear Channel dropped Smooth Jazz in favor of Spanish on WNUA.
Now that we have seen a vote of confidence for Smooth Jazz
in the second largest radio market in the country, can we assume there is a
glimmer of hope for the format here in Chicago, the third largest radio market? To my way of thinking, the key to the future
of Smooth Jazz in Chicago lies in what Mr. Ciliano said. I’ll share my thoughts about that in our next
blog. (Part 2 is here.)
*I’ve been listening to their stream and, as far as I can
tell, they’ve gone from one instrumental to three per hour during the daytime
and from one to five in the evening and overnight.
Our Smooth Video of the Day:
Marc Antoine takes us back to 1998, a time when KTWV and WNUA ruled the
roost in Smooth Jazz.
Would you
like to be able to listen to SmoothJazzChicago.net without having to use your
computer or mobile device? Well, a Wi-Fi radio (also commonly referred to as an
internet radio or smart radio) might be just the thing.
These
devices will allow you to stream internet radio stations throughout the world,
including SmoothJazzChicago.net, simply by connecting them to your internet
service over Wi-Fi or via a wired Ethernet connection, putting aside the hassle
of booting up your computer or installing mobile apps. Wi-Fi radios have an average retail cost
around $200, offer a myriad of other features and come in a multitude of
different designs to best fit your needs.
Standalone
models, such as the Logitech UE Smart Radio will not only fit perfectly in any room of your home or office but can also be
taken from room to room, wherever you’d like, as long as they remain within the
range of your Wi-Fi connection.
Component
style models, such as the Grace Tuner Pro,
can be easily integrated into your existing home theater or stereo system and
often include features such as an AM/FM or satellite radio tuner. Grace offers
a wide array of Wi-Fi radio devices and also offers a wide selection of
refurbished products for listeners on a budget.
When first setting up your Wi-Fi radio, you’ll likely need to
enter the link for our direct stream: http://provisioning.streamtheworld.com/pls/WSJCDBAAC.pls.
While our “Listen Live” web player provides an easy and efficient
way to listen to the station on your computer, the direct stream of our station
provides listeners with an additional means of listening to the station on Wi-Fi
radios, older computers, and other devices. If you’ve browsed around our
site recently, you might have noticed the addition of a new page under the “On
Air” tab entitled “Device Streaming”,
the direct stream link can also be found there.
If you’d like any help with choosing or setting up an internet
radio or have any other questions, never hesitate to send me an email. Also, we’re
always interested in hearing about your experience with sound and computer gear
and equipment, especially when it comes to enhancing your online listening
pleasure. Whenever you get something new, we’d appreciate your letting us
know how it’s working out for you, so feel free to send a message to me ([email protected])
or Rick O’Dell ([email protected]).
Stay
Smooth,
Danny
Rigioni
Our
Smooth Video of the Day: With the return
of winter weather, I thought you might like a balmy blast of Chris Botti trumpet
on his 2003 hit, “Indian Summer.”
(At
SmoothJazzChicago.net we’re always interested in hearing about your experience
with sound and computer gear and equipment, especially when it comes to
enhancing your online listening pleasure.
Whenever you get something new, we’d appreciate your letting us know how
it’s working out for you. Drop me a line
at [email protected], and copy our Tech Advisor,
Danny Rigoni, on it at [email protected].)
I waited until I put my
new Bose Soundlink II sound system through its paces (all afternoon today and
listening to Bill C's "Dinner Party" & Scott's "TSOB")
before I passed judgment on it. Bottom line: It's a WINNER!
I’m not sorry I invested
the time (on research) and $$$$ on it. It's not cheap ($300.00 + tax) but definitely
worth the money! It's taking me some
time to get used to being mobile and portable with this system, and I am still
learning about its pros and cons.
Anyway, after much
research, I had decided to investigate the Bose system via a recommendation
from Scott, Danny and a coworker of my wife, Mona. During the Christmas
holidays a local Target store had a floor model programmed for testing, and I
gave it a try (was familiar with the Wave music system from Bose, so I knew
what to listen for). The sound impressed
me enough to explore further. I found
out Mona's co-worker had one, so we worked together on it.
When Scott Adams convinced
me at the Christmas Brunch at the Parrot Cage that this might be the way to go
(I was looking for fidelity & portability), I got serious. Danny Rigoni and I had a conversation, and he
saw some positives about the Bose system regarding what I wanted to accomplish.
I then turned to Mona's co-worker, who
has the system at home. She convinced me.
I came to learn that my
PC was not Bluetooth ready, so I had to research a Bluetooth adapter to get me
set up. Fortunately, there are enough
adapters available via Amazon.com where I could get one. Again, through research--and Danny's help--I
narrowed the field to the Medialink (crowd favorite) or Kinivo Bluetooth (which
I chose--pictured here).
Both the Kinivo and
Medialink come with adapters and software that can be programmed into your
computer and instructions. Cost was
about $15.00 each. I got free shipping because of the holiday, and returns are
easy, by the way. If you follow the
download instructions, there's no problem installing the software.
Once I got the software
into my laptop, the rest was easy. All I
had to do was follow the Bose instructions for set-up.
I gave you the
positives, but there are downsides to the system. Again, these are my personal opinions. As
Scott warned me, it's Bluetooth, so range is LIMITED: 30 to 40 feet, 50 feet
max. And I've noticed that, when you
walk past it, break the transmission plane or exceed the range, interference
comes into play. (Pops, crackles & an interrupted signal. At times, I had
to shut off system, then re-start it, a minor inconvenience). To compensate,
all you need to do is move the speaker around, a la trying to get in 87.7 back
in the day. My big test will be this
summer when I attempt to take this system outdoors.
Getting back to the
positives, I bought my system at the Bose store on North Michigan Avenue. I
believe the mall is called the "Mall on North Michigan Avenue." It's near Tribune Tower, over the river. It used
to be on Grand Avenue near the sports store that I told you before played 87.7
on their store radio. The staff is very
helpful, and they have the Soundlink II system on display, so you can hear it
and test it along with whatever applications one may want to apply it to. For serious buyers, I recommend they listen in
first.
Besides great sound, what helped
sell me on it is its size. It's no bigger than a radio (9.5"W x 5.5"H
x 2"D are the dimensions), so it's easy to move around and doesn't get in
the way of anything. I am always amazed by how the people at Bose come up with
so much in such small devices.
It also will pair with other
devices, so there are plenty of options available. Some people will like that. I believe there is an AUX port on it but, like
I said, I'm still learning what the Soundlink can and cannot do.
~Super Dave Skarupa
Our Smooth Video of the
Day: A Dave Skarupa favorite from the Smooth Jazz
Sunday Brunch and Dinner Party.
In my recent blogs, I’ve explored
ways to SmoothJazzChicago.net on your tablet or smart phone and then how to connect your mobile device to your car or home stereo.
In this blog, I’m going to take
listening on your mobile device to the next level by focusing on how listeners
can use Bluetooth technology to eliminate the frustration of fumbling with
wires and adaptors by connecting or “pairing” your mobile device
wirelessly.
In
the Car
If your vehicle has been
manufactured within the past 5 years, it may be equipped with Bluetooth
connectivity that allows for hand free calling. Many vehicles equipped with this feature also
allow you to listen to audio streaming from your mobile device, including
SmoothJazzChicago.net, by connecting to your car’s stereo. Consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual or
contact your car dealer if you are unsure whether or not your vehicle has this
feature.
If you drive an older vehicle or one
that is not equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, external Bluetooth speakers,
such as the Jabra Freeway,
fit compactly in any vehicle and don’t require special instillation or wiring.
In
your Home
In my Smooth Jazz listener Christmas
Gift Guide,
I recommended the Carbon Audio Zooka,
portable speakers like it, or the Bose SoundLink II that can be wirelessly connected not only to your tablet or smart phone but also
to your computer, so you can move them from room to room.
On
the Go
If you’ve ever gone running or tried
working out while listening to music only to get your arms tangled around a
headphone cable or have to stop every few minutes to put you headphones back
on, something like Motorola’s S10-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones might be perfect for you. You’ll still need to have your mobile device nearby,
but you won’t have to worry about getting tangled up in any cords.
How
to Pair your Computer or Mobile Device with a Bluetooth Device
Open you device’s settings window
and look for an icon labeled “Bluetooth.”
Make sure the Bluetooth connection
is enabled on your mobile device and that it is set to “discoverable.”
Make sure the device you are trying
to connect to is also powered on.
On your smart phone, computer, or
tablet, select the Bluetooth device you’d like to connect to.
The user’s manual for your Bluetooth
device may provide a connection passcode. If so, you will be prompted to enter
the code on your computer or mobile device.
After following any additional
prompts, your devices should be “paired.”
Once they are paired, your devices should
automatically connect whenever they are within range of each other. Depending
on each device, you may be required to follow additional steps, so I recommend
consulting the user’s manuals for each of your devices. The official Bluetooth
Technology website is also a great resource for choosing and setting up Bluetooth audio
products.
Our Smooth Video of the
Day: It’s Donald Fagen’s birthday, an
annual holiday in the Rigoni house, so we’re celebrating with a glimpse into
the genius of the Steely Dan co-founder and their famous song, “Peg.”
I am so glad that you are conducting yet again programming
of a genre that is very dear to my heart.
In fact, it turned my life around.
You and your team have been with me in the best of times
(the birth of my three sons, especially when they wouldn't go to sleep in the
wee hours of the night and I had to rock them to "shu shu").
And you also were with me on the worst of times during the loss or work
and a divorce.
I left Chicago some time ago for a better job and a fresh start
in Florida and the ONLY thing that I missed most was my Smooth Jazz radio
station, WNUA, where you, Danae, Scott and Bill--and who can forget Ramsey--truly
brightened my day, every day since early in the morning.
Your programing and jazz itself were and are still
my M.O. to relax and put up the craziness of everyday life.
Just the other day I found you on "Smooth Jazz
Chicago," and I love it. Thanks for not giving up on us, poor
souls that depend so much on what you do.
For many years you guys were like my extended family because you
were with me where ever I was, really! You guys are the best and, without
sounding too mushy, all of you are very dear to my heart--just like
the music you taught me to love. Congratulations and cheers on you new endeavor. May it last for many generations, and may it
touch many lives as you did mine!
Please pass along a warm hi to Mr. Scott Adams. I
missed his "Sounds of Brazil" so much on Saturday nights but I am
glad that I can be there stuck to the radio again to enjoy such beautiful music
and culture.
I am so glad you guys are still fighting the good fight. Merry
Christmas & a Successful New Year 2013!
Blessings!
One of your many great and faith full admirers,
Marvin R. Donis, Sr.
Our Smooth Video of the Day:
Another memory from the formative years of WNUA—George Benson's "Cruise Control."
