Here are some airchecks from one of the early national Smooth Jazz networks. The Breeze Network was based out of Minneapolis. The network grew out of a local Twin Cities station--KTWN/K-Twin (now Kool 108). The network competed with other national networks such as SMN's version of The Wave (which was based out of Dallas). SMN's Wave lasted from 1987-1990, and The Breeze lasted from 1987-1991.
This was one quirky operation to say the least. While they had a format clock, they certainly filled their hour with some unusual tunes. They played the music that was popular in the format at the time (Enya, Windham Hill artists, Sting, etc.), they also played some small label artists, Twin Cities based musicians, and mainstream jazz that fit. This was a 'mom & pop' satellite operation, and the only one of its type I recall.
While the network had full time affiliates, they also syndicated a three-hour weekly show to other stations that had formats like AC or easy listening.
I think if the network would have survived into today, it would have sounded a lot like either JRN's SJ network, or XM's Watercolors. I wonder if any of the PD's there listened to this network back in the 1980's.
Here are links to some .mp3's of The Breeze, recorded in 1989, encoded at 192/44.11 stereo:
http://www.4shared.com/file/35292758/117fcb32/01-1-A.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35294613/c668e255/02-1-B.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35306435/72fc88d3/01-4-A.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35296436/2db968bd/01-5-A.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35298589/bfefb1e3/02-5-B.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35300779/380be079/01-6-A.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35302579/9186fc9c/02-6-B.html
This was one quirky operation to say the least. While they had a format clock, they certainly filled their hour with some unusual tunes. They played the music that was popular in the format at the time (Enya, Windham Hill artists, Sting, etc.), they also played some small label artists, Twin Cities based musicians, and mainstream jazz that fit. This was a 'mom & pop' satellite operation, and the only one of its type I recall.
While the network had full time affiliates, they also syndicated a three-hour weekly show to other stations that had formats like AC or easy listening.
I think if the network would have survived into today, it would have sounded a lot like either JRN's SJ network, or XM's Watercolors. I wonder if any of the PD's there listened to this network back in the 1980's.
Here are links to some .mp3's of The Breeze, recorded in 1989, encoded at 192/44.11 stereo:
http://www.4shared.com/file/35292758/117fcb32/01-1-A.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35294613/c668e255/02-1-B.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35306435/72fc88d3/01-4-A.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35296436/2db968bd/01-5-A.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35298589/bfefb1e3/02-5-B.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35300779/380be079/01-6-A.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/35302579/9186fc9c/02-6-B.html