IS THIS THE DEATH OF JONES?

[Bill Harmonic]

Some food for thought (from some much wiser than moi) on the demise of JRN's smooth jazz programming...

Stop trying to get better. Start getting different. Stop tweaking the numerator. Change the denominator.
...Count Basie

The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get the old ones out.
...Dee Hock

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
...Dr. Seuss

I've said for some time now that the old has to go away before we can build the new and this is another step to a new world with different sound, structure and context. The music is very viable and there's a huge opportunity for this group to start getting different and BA is simply part of the denominator that needs to be changed. If you can't see and hear the vision then you won't be there to enjoy the new grooves, whatever they are, and how ever they arrive!

 

[Interstate 78]

that's a good point. it's almost along the lines of how i feel about politics. i know people who will complain and complain and complain, but they won't vote or won't get involved in politics themself. i'm just as guilty of picking on BA as anyone else, but maybe we should get behind it somehow and encourage them to be better. i truly feel this dumbing down of radio to extreme levels will go full circle eventually. it's already happening. big corporations like clear channel are in money trouble and selling stations. mom and pop radio may slowly be coming back. radio can only be so dumb long enough before they realize they are handing away their audiences to ipods and internet. instead of crying how bad BA is, let's see what we can do to encourage them to be better. to be honest, i was looking at WJCD's yes.com playlist (a pretty much straight off the bird affiliate in Virginia) and the music mix is bad, but isn't absolutely horrible. there are some redeeming songs. i was surprised to see "Elegance on the Catwalk" by Jonathan Cain and "One Wish" by Hiroshima. my local two BA stations don't even play the former, but both of them are not total network. they must have tested that song out locally. don't know why. great piano piece. any suggestions on how to have an empowering force behind these corporations to be better? they won't admit it, but we all know they're nervous and looking for other options too. they promise BA will solve all your problems, but name me one BA station that is doing amazingly well in all demos. nope. there are none.

 

[AnotherCat]

"One Wish" and "Elegance" are both wonderful songs but Catwalk is about 15 years old and One Wish is came out in '85.

People are so used to uninspiring generic content now that settling for less has become the mode of operation. It's been over 10 years since the "Smooth Jazz" radio format began to eliminate the elements that drew people to the music in the first place so by now there is an audience that doesn't remember and an audience that doesn't even know that there is good stuff out there. They just kind of assume that they are hearing the best of the best because otherwise why would it be on the radio? An interesting aside here is that I play several "SJ" type vocals for the "cooldown" segment of my dance fitness classes and people of all ages always come up and ask me about them..what are they, how can they get them, why don't they hear them? Stuff like Nyee Moses' "Acacia Tree", Jarreau's "Jacaranda Bougainvillea," Brenda Russell's "The Message", and Maysa/Will Downing "Simple Life" People don't want to be played down to...true they dont want abstarct and out there but there's a lot of area between OutThere and Blandified.

I love Bill's quotes..here's a chunk of a song lyric
"Some will tell you,
tell you what you really want ain't on the menu
don't believe them
cook it up yourself and then prepare to serve them"
Buffy Ste. Marie

"Everything available isn't all that's possible"
Ntzoke Shange

 

[Interstate 78]

well, why DID smooth jazz radio begin eliminating those elements? i have a theory. was smooth jazz radio in its purest and original form ever a huge ratings grabber? not really. name me one pure, new age/smooth jazz station from the late 80s or into the 90s that was a huge ratings grabber. i don't really think there was any. HOWEVER, at that time, smooth jazz was more than happy being a "niche" format. i remember people billing the format back in the 90s as "not a huge money maker, but your audience will be super loyal and stick with you ..." much like the classical format, and you can advertise high end products like jewelry and upscale clothing. but then, i hate to get philosophical here, but a little element called greed walked into the equation. why settle for loyal and niche, when we can have lowest common denominator and fast money grabber. so the way to turn smooth jazz radio (or so they thought) into lowest common denominator and fast money grabber was to tighten the playlist, force musicians into recording "radio friendly" tunes instead of letting their creativity bud, and to add all the dumb vocals. it obviously is failing and until we can get that greed and dumbing down to lowest common denominator aspect of radio out of the picture, we'll continue having boring radio dials across the country. i've talked to PD's at a few of the tiny remaining jones smooth jazz stations and they all say the same thing ... it's not making tons of money, but it's paying the bills, and most importantly, providing a public service ... a cultural kind of music heard nowhere else. i'm sorry but the stations playing the same 200 crap songs over and over are not performing a public service.

 

[AnotherCat]

One thing I feel must be done to bring this music to the audience who will love it when they hear it is it has to be taken off the pedestal. It has to be seen as music real people can/will like, which is the case when you see how newbies react to it in its live (not watered down) state. That means not seeing it as "jazz," "sophisticated," "upscale," "cultural," ..any of those. I think anyone who has done a really audience-oriented brunch show on an A/C can tell you that they get "I didn't know I liked this stuff" an awful lot. Treat it like cool songs with no words...that's the way it works best. Plus, then you don't have to apologize for playing "jazz" by dumbing it down and taking all the fun stuff out. Of course that's another issue with the format as it is today. It's very austere and serious, not entertaining or fun. Shake it up some.

 

[icycool7227]

Sadly it's not a rumor. It is in Radio and Records. No more Jones Radio Smooth Jazz.

sorry everyone, I should of also looked at Radioandrecords.

Also saddly to say, I recently emailed Kirk Stirland a few times regarding their "Bright AC format. For those who are familuare with Dial-Global, you can listen by telephone to their current six 24/7 formats by telephone (for free) by calling an 1-866 number
He emailed me back and told me to keep in touch.
Then when I heard that Dial Global brought out Jones Radio Programming, I emailed him and Spencer Brown telling them how excelent Jones Radio "Smooth Jazz Station" is. They did not respond. I also gave them some ideas to try and play some oldschool smooth r&B like Anita Baker, One Way, and Alexander O'neal. But I got no responce.

They are making a big mistake on that

sorry

What is that phone number? I never knew that was available.

 

[majaman78]

I just came across this site and had to register after seeing the headline. I couldn't sleep much last night with this news.

Damn, I've followed JRN SJ since the mid '90's while in CT listening to a SJ station in Mystic whose call letters escape me. I moved to St. Augustine FL 3 years ago and much to my suprise Jacksonville carried JRN SJ. Was like having an old friend around again. No matter what you think of Keith Riker, in my mind he is the voice of Smooth Jazz and will remain.

Sadly they switched to that miserable BA and I sent the PD countless emails expresing my outrage. Interestingly that station dropped BA and has gone thru 2 different formats since.

Jones SJ always had that certain vibe. I could pick them out every time just by the tunes they played. I mean, what other SJ outlet still plays Spendel, Dotsero, Dan Siegel, Fowler + Branca, Strunz + Farah, and a lot of older tunes long forgotten by all the others. I sent Steve Michaels an email a few years back stating my delight of playing a lot of these long forgotten SJ artists and tunes. He wrote me back a nice email thanking me, and shortly after they started using the tag "playing your current favorite and classic SJ tunes".

I'll always remember a tune by Shakatak called Azure. Listened while watching a blizzard outside sitting by the fire drinking a bourbon. Life was good and Jones made it better.

I tried XM and Watercolors sucked, so I got rid of it. I was the first registered sub in CT back in '01. Same old playlists. I had countless battles with those guys at XM to expand the playlists again to no avail.


BA blows. That's the nicest term I can use to describe their miserable mix of SJ (or should I say AC). They have no soul. I like the music of Norman Brown, Paul Hardcastle, Kenny G, I just don't need them to be announcers as well.

I could see this demise of Jones coming. With the loss of CD101.9 in NY (and I liked they tried chill incorporated with SJ, they should have given it more time) and others throughout the country, SJ is dying. BA will also and I won't listen.

If anyone is interested, you can still hear Jones SJ streaming in it's final days at www.wqjz.com and www.wcinam.com.

A decent station I listen to while in northern CT is weib 106.3 (www.weibfm.com) out of Northampton, MA. They incorporate more R+B into their SJ mix but play a lot of indie SJ stuff nobody else does.

 

[Double D]

as i said in my other post in another thread, this is a very very very very sad day indeed. jones was the version of the format that brought me into the sound of how smooth jazz radio should sound. i have so many happy memories of sitting on the beach and listening to WKCD Mystic, CT; WPLM Plymouth, MA; WSAX/WJSX Atlantic City/Cape May, NJ. this is all so sad, but i'm at the point where i don't even really care anymore. BA is the only future left of smooth jazz, love it or hate it. and when it runs out of gas which won't be long the way the product sounds, it'll be time for a new format, but what? i'm not even sure anymore. the funny thing is, i've talked to some artists and they're not really worried. they said they are doing fine selling albums at clubs, concerts, etc. my theory is that the true c-jazz fans have already gone to the internet, or cable, or satellite and these BA stations don't really mean much anymore. if they bring in a new listener or two to smooth jazz music, so be it. but that's about all it means anymore. R.I.P. Jones smooth jazz. this is a very very sad day indeed. i've actually been depressed today much like if a relative died or something. music means that much to me.

Well stated I78.

I too have been saddened deeply by the announced end of JSJ. I have been one of their most outspoken supporters on this forum, and I too have very fond memories of JSJ having been first introduced to JSJ on WASJ 105.1 FM Panama City Beach FL back in '99.

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,47318.0.html

I will forever remember enjoying myself immensely in the fall of '99, '00, and '03 while vacationing on The Emerald Coast @ PCB, and winters since '02 @ Destin, having JSJ - WASJ as my listening partner almost constantly as I rode my bike, jogged the beaches, or enjoyed a evening cocktail and cigar on the condo patio overlooking the white sand beaches of PCB.

I still vividly remember listening to Steve Michaels on a Saturday evening in September '03, playing some incredibly beautiful SJ music which I had never heard before, much less played on my local SJ FM station here in Milwaukee. I asked myself why I had never heard these beautiful songs before, and why other commercial SJ programmers didn't have the creativity and imagination to sound more like JSJ?

This makes the departure of JSJ a very bitter pill to swallow, especially when they have been taken over by a cartel whose product is so vastly inferior that it makes listening virtually impossible. JSJ was and is the absolute best syndicated SJ product...they make Kepler's now SJ monopoly product sound like an amateurish joke.

My best wishes go out to the JSJ crew....Steve Michaels, John Evans, Laurie Cobb, Keith Riker, Loni Taylor, David Washington, Kenny Cortes and support staff...you and your station will be deeply missed, but never forgotten!

DD©

I would also like to reiterate my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Jones Radio Network's Smooth Jazz crew on this their final day of operation.

My very best wishes go out to Steve Michaels, John Evans, Laurie Cobb, Keith Riker, Loni Taylor, David Washington, Kenny Cortes and support staff...you and your station will be deeply missed, but never ever forgotten!!

Best Wishes,
DD
West Allis, WI

 

[majaman78]

Looks like I can't even hear the last day of Jones as WQJZ is changing in the middle of Laurie Cobb's final show as I speak...and missed hearing a phenomenal tune in the process as well for the final time >> CHRIS >> PAT METHENY GROUP.

Instead got to hear a crappy cover of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" not once mind you, but twice. (who plays on this...actually never mind!!)

Here's hoping that BA has the same success with these changes as they had with Jacksonville's SJ!! ;D

 

[AC Tones]

Looks like I can't even hear the last day of Jones as WQJZ is changing in the middle of Laurie Cobb's final show as I speak...and missed hearing a phenomenal tune in the process as well for the final time >> CHRIS >> PAT METHENY GROUP.

Instead got to hear a crappy cover of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" not once mind you, but twice. (who plays on this...actually never mind!!)

Here's hoping that BA has the same success with these changes as they had with Jacksonville's SJ!! ;D

Sadly, I heard that transition on the Internet as well. When I heard Lorie Cobb say that it was her last day, I didn't think much about it. But then I realized it was the end of the month, and then I heard WQJZ play Sanborn's cover of "Isn't She Lovely" twice, and got concerned. Then when BA's Dave Koz came on in the afternoon in Keith Riker's usual slot with Jones, I feared the worst, and started trolling the Internet. To my shock and dismay, Jones' SJ format is now sadly history.

My first and primary exposure to Jones' Smooth Jazz format came in 1997 when my folks had a retirement home built in Ocean City, MD. I remember them telling me shortly after their move that Ocean City had a new Smooth Jazz station, and they said it sounded great, and wasn't overblown with AC like the station in Washington. I enjoyed visiting them at the beach with my family over the years, and listening to WQJZ was always a part of that experience. Ironically, my folks recently moved back across the Chesapeake Bay to be closer to their children and grandchildren, and their move to and from Ocean City coincided with the birth and death of Smooth Jazz there.

Jones' SJ format was without question the best, and their radio personalities were the consumate professionals and will sorely be missed. I continued to prefer listen to WQJZ's stream on the Internet (although it was of much lesser sound quality at 32 kbps), even though I had WJZW in Washington and WSMJ in Baltimore, both of which have since gone the way of the dodo as well. But the programming was that much better. Once WJZW and WSMJ flipped earlier this year, and fearing that WQJZ could go as well, it gave me the inspiration to launch my own Internet Smooth Jazz radio station. I welcome all of you who enjoyed Jones' playlist to check out my station, because you'll hear a lot of the artists and songs you used to hear on your favorite Jones' affiliate. This is not a shameless self-promotion. My station is not for profit, and purely a hobby. I just want to share my passion with others who loved Jones' Smooth Jazz format as much as I did. Here is the website: http://www.loudcity.com/stations/the-wav-smooth-jazz You will hear a few surprise tunes that you would not typically hear on Smooth Jazz stations, but the format is largely based on Jones' playlist. Yes, Shakatak's Blue Azure, Pat Metheny's Chris (as well as David Bowie's vocal of the song), and Fishbelly Black's Vena A Gozar are in the rotation!!!!

 

[Double D]

I welcome all of you who enjoyed Jones' playlist to check out my station, because you'll hear a lot of the artists and songs you used to hear on your favorite Jones' affiliate. This is not a shameless self-promotion. My station is not for profit, and purely a hobby. I just want to share my passion with others who loved Jones' Smooth Jazz format as much as I did. Here is the website: http://www.loudcity.com/stations/the-wav-smooth-jazz You will hear a few surprise tunes that you would not typically hear on Smooth Jazz stations, but the format is largely based on Jones' playlist. Yes, Shakatak's Blue Azure, Pat Metheny's Chris (as well as David Bowie's vocal of the song), and Fishbelly Black's Vena A Gozar are in the rotation!!!!

Thanks for giving us the heads-up...I've been listeneing for several hours and I really like what I hear. You do fill the void left by JSJ's departure.

Continue the good work, and best of luck/much success with the station!!

DD

 

[AC Tones]

I welcome all of you who enjoyed Jones' playlist to check out my station, because you'll hear a lot of the artists and songs you used to hear on your favorite Jones' affiliate. This is not a shameless self-promotion. My station is not for profit, and purely a hobby. I just want to share my passion with others who loved Jones' Smooth Jazz format as much as I did. Here is the website: http://www.loudcity.com/stations/the-wav-smooth-jazz You will hear a few surprise tunes that you would not typically hear on Smooth Jazz stations, but the format is largely based on Jones' playlist. Yes, Shakatak's Blue Azure, Pat Metheny's Chris (as well as David Bowie's vocal of the song), and Fishbelly Black's Vena A Gozar are in the rotation!!!!

Thanks for giving us the heads-up...I've been listeneing for several hours and I really like what I hear. You do fill the void left by JSJ's departure.

Continue the good work, and best of luck/much success with the station!!

DD

That's great to hear, DD! Thanks for stopping by and the kind words. I can't say you'll like everything I play, but the Jones' influence is very prevalent. Unfortunately I don't have Keith Riker's voice . I am just thankful that Jones (WQJZ) introduced me to artists and songs that I never heard on the smooth jazz stations in Washington (WJZW) and Baltimore (WSMJ) when they were around. Another exclusive Jones' gem that I NEVER heard played elsewhere that I failed to mention was Lonnie Liston Smith's Quiet Moments. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, I am grateful for the Smooth Jazz programmers and personalities at Jones for giving me 10+ years worth of pure listening enjoyment. I hope they land on their feet somewhere and help revive a genre that is swiftly heading towards FM extinction.

 

[Double D]

[That's great to hear, DD! Thanks for stopping by and the kind words. I can't say you'll like everything I play, but the Jones' influence is very prevalent. Unfortunately I don't have Keith Riker's voice . I am just thankful that Jones (WQJZ) introduced me to artists and songs that I never heard on the smooth jazz stations in Washington (WJZW) and Baltimore (WSMJ) when they were around. Another exclusive Jones' gem that I NEVER heard played elsewhere that I failed to mention was Lonnie Liston Smith's Quiet Moments. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, I am grateful for the Smooth Jazz programmers and personalities at Jones for giving me 10+ years worth of pure listening enjoyment. I hope they land on their feet somewhere and help revive a genre that is swiftly heading towards FM extinction.

I gotta ask, how are you able to construct/maintain/operate a station like yours? I'm almost afraid to ask, 'cause it seems like it would be allot of work!

If you have a condensed version of how you do what you do, I think the board would find it very interesting!

DD™

 

[AC Tones]

[That's great to hear, DD! Thanks for stopping by and the kind words. I can't say you'll like everything I play, but the Jones' influence is very prevalent. Unfortunately I don't have Keith Riker's voice . I am just thankful that Jones (WQJZ) introduced me to artists and songs that I never heard on the smooth jazz stations in Washington (WJZW) and Baltimore (WSMJ) when they were around. Another exclusive Jones' gem that I NEVER heard played elsewhere that I failed to mention was Lonnie Liston Smith's Quiet Moments. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, I am grateful for the Smooth Jazz programmers and personalities at Jones for giving me 10+ years worth of pure listening enjoyment. I hope they land on their feet somewhere and help revive a genre that is swiftly heading towards FM extinction.

I gotta ask, how are you able to construct/maintain/operate a station like yours? I'm almost afraid to ask, 'cause it seems like it would be allot of work!

If you have a condensed version of how you do what you do, I think the board would find it very interesting!

DD™

I won't lie to you, DD. It was A LOT of work initially. While I had burned most of my CDs to my hard drive, they were all in AAC (ITunes) format. Unfortunately, the DJ software I use (SAM Broadcaster) does not support AAC files, so I had to re-rip all of my CDs to .wav format (hence, my station name ) so I could stream to the world. Now that everything has been converted, it is a well-oiled machine. I run the station from my computer automatically, and Loudcity broadcasts the signal. SAM Broadcaster has an Auto DJ function that simply executes the code I have programmed for the station (I have selected a groups of staple artists, and mix in guitar, brass, keys, and one vocal amongst them in sets, with a pre-recorded station ID playing after every set). I continue to add new music as it comes out and as I hear it, but it is very manageable now. My Loudcity broadcasting fees are quite reasonable and cover my royalties, so I don't have to worry about being sued.

I truly hope you and the rest of the gang on the board enjoys the programming. Like I said before, my playlist is largely based on Jones' Smooth Jazz format, so I think you guys will enjoy it! Spread the word! I can never have too many listeners!

Take care,

Chris, a.k.a AC Tones 8)

 

[Double D]

I won't lie to you, DD. It was A LOT of work initially. While I had burned most of my CDs to my hard drive, they were all in AAC (ITunes) format. Unfortunately, the DJ software I use (SAM Broadcaster) does not support AAC files, so I had to re-rip all of my CDs to .wav format (hence, my station name ) so I could stream to the world. Now that everything has been converted, it is a well-oiled machine. I run the station from my computer automatically, and Loudcity broadcasts the signal. SAM Broadcaster has an Auto DJ function that simply executes the code I have programmed for the station (I have selected a groups of staple artists, and mix in guitar, brass, keys, and one vocal amongst them in sets, with a pre-recorded station ID playing after every set). I continue to add new music as it comes out and as I hear it, but it is very manageable now. My Loudcity broadcasting fees are quite reasonable and cover my royalties, so I don't have to worry about being sued.

I truly hope you and the rest of the gang on the board enjoys the programming. Like I said before, my playlist is largely based on Jones' Smooth Jazz format, so I think you guys will enjoy it! Spread the word! I can never have too many listeners!

Take care,

Chris, a.k.a AC Tones 8)

Chris:

Your station is, indeed, filling the void left by Jones Smooth Jazz. Your song selection is simply outstanding, as I have been tuned in whenever I am online.

A fine example is the following...

Earl Klugh - Till The End Of Time - Sudden Burst of Energy

Continued success!!

DD

 

[AC Tones]

Awesome, DD! For a "ham and egger" novice broadcaster like myself, that means a lot. I really have tried to capture the essence of Jones' format, and the A/C and 70's pop vocals I slip in once in awhile is just an attempt to bring a little diversity to the station. I am really pleased to have you as a regular listener, and I hope I can continue to provide enjoyable programming. I continue to add new music from "under the radar" artists, and deep cuts from the more popular artists, which Jones particularly excelled at.

Thanks again for the kind words.

Chris

 

[majaman78]

Hi Chris!!

I'm not sure you add CD's on request (maybe you even have this one), but a truly outstanding one that the old SW Networks used to play along with Jones when they took over (but inexplicably dropped later) was this one which I had completely forgotten about but now have back in my own CD jukebox....

Artist >> Torcuato Mariano
CD >> Last Look
Songs >> A Very Special Place/Last Look/Ocean Way/Africa/Rio Stomp

I don't recall any single non 'greatest hits" CD that contained so many good SJ hits. Now ever time I play it, someone wants a copy!

Yes, it's sadly out of print and you can still find it used on Gemm or even Amazon. Why Windham Hill dropped this title is one of the great Smooth Jazz mysteries of our time! ???

Also I agree with your post on the other thread....nobody really cares about Smooth Jazz anymore (except for us few diehards) and that is why inferior products like BA have taken over and watered down a truly outstanding format. My own opinion is outlets like BA don't even make an attempt to play better quality music, more than likely due to pressure from record labels (and the like) shoving mediocrity down the publics throat.

Regards,

Mark

 

[majaman78]

Chris:

Here's another great forgotten SJ CD from years past..........

Artist >> J. Michael Verta
CD >> Time Line
Songs >> Night Of Orion/Maybe Yes Maybe No/Toys

I got tons of this stuff I could give you a comprehensive list if you want.

 

[AC Tones]

Hey Mark. I absolutely love suggestions by listeners, so fire away with your list. I can never have too much knowledge when it comes to contemporary jazz artists. As for Torcuato Mariano, while I do not own the CD you mention (I should), I run a couple of the tracks from various artists CDs (A Very Special Place - Windham Hill Sanctuary, and Ocean Way - Rare Requests Vol 4). I also run High Frequency and Mariana from Diary. I'd have to say that A Very Special Place probably ranks among my favorite Smooth Jazz songs of all time. I can tell you I do not have the other artist you mention, but I will certainly check him out.

Peace,

Chris

 

[Nock]

Anyone out there trying to listen to AC's station on a mac platform? Can not get the stream to work? File loads into Itunes but does not play?


Nock