Spreading the message – passing the word- one Kilocycle at a time.
KOMO-AM Seattle – Jazz Today – January 29, 1959.
A taste of 50s Jazz tonight, via the disc-jockey program Jazz Today from KOMO-AM in Seattle for the evening of January 29,1959.
Ever since Radio became the Medium for the Masses, Jazz became a staple in many American diets. Although it was classified as Pop and Big Band, going back to the 1920s, it really wasn’t until the end of World War 2 that Jazz, as a genre came into it’s own. Much of it had to do with the falling out of popularity of The Big Band, due largely to the rise of the small-venue Night Clubs and the dwindling audience for larger venues, primarily Movie Theaters – blame the rise of TV – blame the rise of the American Family and stay-at-home parents. With the small night club came the birth of the small-group; quartets, quintets, sextets – Jazz got more complex and experimental, and along with it came an intimacy that you just didn’t have before, where dancing was the attraction and actual listening was an afterthought.
Even though Radio, which had played a huge part in our social scene from the 1920s to 1946, was just as important a source for music as it ever was – music itself was breaking off and spreading in different directions and radio was the perfect setting to witness all those changes and become part of them. Probably the biggest source of conflicts was in the area of Pop Music – where the domain of the “Sweet Band” and the era of Big Band Singers was witnessing a big shakeup in the form of R&B breaking color lines because of Radio, and a little while later becoming the platform for Rock n’ Roll where many of those former Big Band singers took a stab at Rock (for better or worse).
Jazz and Radio were pretty much left up to their own devices; being labeled in some circles as “the thinking person’s music”. And as time went on, Jazz became the dominant presence on FM Radio (until the Underground caught on) because Jazz, like Classical, sounded so much better than on AM.
This 40 minute program from KOMO-AM Seattle was broadcast on January 29, 1959 and was sponsored by Rainier Beer.
It gives you an idea that radio was evolving right along with Contemporary Music at the time. I’m not sure how long Jazz Today stuck around on KOMO-AM and whether it switched and landed on FM – but your car radio (unless it was a Volkswagen) didn’t have FM at the time, so this filled the bill nicely while you were driving around, looking for the heart of Saturday night.
Press Play and turn the lights down.
