New Smooth Jazz Chicago Website

[EJ204]

A group of former WNUA DJs, including Rick O'Dell, have just launced a Chicago-based Smooth Jazz internet station.

www.SmoothJazzChicago.net

The website promises a station that sounds like a real radio station... including news, weather, traffic and familiar Chicago DJs. They say they'll be advertiser-based, so no subscription fees. They won't be like most automated Smooth Jazz websites on the net. They even do a top-of-the-hour I.D. as WSJC-DB Chicago, whatever that means.

Rick O'Dell's message, under "About Us," says that both Smooth Jazz formats on WNUA and WLFM were terminated while the stations still had more than half-a-million weekly listeners. So O'Dell believes there is still life left in the format.

So far I've been listening for a few hours. It sounds like most Smooth Jazz stations that I remember, two or three instumentals for every vocal. Many familiar artists. It might be a bit more up-tempo than to my liking. And while the songs and artists are being announced, I'm pretty sure it's voice-tracked. So far no weather, news or traffic, although I'm not sure that's really needed. There have been a few commercials for local concerts including Dave Koz's Christmas Concert. But that's about it. Of course, the service is very new.

 

[X-Man]

The DB after the call letters means Digital Broadcaster, before they used DB it was IR, which I assume it meant Internet Radio.

 

[orange434]

very disappointing playlist. why would an internet-only smooth jazz station feel the need to play mary j. blige, john mayer, the jackson 5, madonna, and beyonce all within a 2-hour period?

 

[star100]

While the DJ and imaging concept is unique to most web radio stations, only about 50% of the playlist is smooth jazz. About every other song is a vocal and not a jazzy vocal. It's the same overplayed Madonna and Michael Jackson songs that you can hear on any Lite FM. Very sad and disappointing.

 

[AC Tones]

While the DJ and imaging concept is unique to most web radio stations, only about 50% of the playlist is smooth jazz. About every other song is a vocal and not a jazzy vocal. It's the same overplayed Madonna and Michael Jackson songs that you can hear on any Lite FM. Very sad and disappointing.

I wish them well, but it sounds like more terrestrial radio smart guys to me who think they know what P1 listeners like me (1985-present) want to hear based on what the consultants have told them over the years. You can have live jocks, a sexy interface, and name recognition. But in the end, it's all about the music you play. Us "automated" Smooth Jazz stations realize that. Half-a-million listeners a week? Good luck with that one. The bandwidth required for listener slots, monthly TLH, and royalties fees for even a modest playlist would break any Internet broadcaster's bank.

 

[orange434]

i do think too many of the internet smooth jazz broadcasters now go in the complete opposite direction. play everything on an album. add every new cut that gets released. that's bad radio. how are listeners ever going to get familiar with new music you play when you operate like that? 5,000 song playlists are as egregious as 300 song playlists. the few stations that are able to find a medium are the ones that actually sound good.

 

[AC Tones]

i do think too many of the internet smooth jazz broadcasters now go in the complete opposite direction. play everything on an album. add every new cut that gets released. that's bad radio. how are listeners ever going to get familiar with new music you play when you operate like that? 5,000 song playlists are as egregious as 300 song playlists. the few stations that are able to find a medium are the ones that actually sound good.

Pardon the hijack, but in short, I completely agree. My playlist is around 2000 cuts, but the rotation is weighted towards the best cuts of the all time (IMO, of course ;D) and the best new instrumentals out there, with Chill and vocals to change pace. I have no problem going deep on new CDs if it is merited. Some new offerings like Vincent Ingala's latest deserve exposure beyond the single.

 

[star100]

1500-2000 is a good number considering Smooth Jazz does include a lot of gold. The problem with most smooth jazz stations has not been so much the number of titles, but rather the insistence on playing stuff like Barry White. That killed the format. A 35 year old or even 40 year old considers Barry White his/her parents music. They like Darren Rahn, but can't sit through all the Motown that their parents listened to. And this Chicago station is sticking with that tired old formula that failed on FM. Take a chance, Rick. Drop the oldies vocals and if you are going to play John Mayer try another song off the album instead of the Top 40 hit.

 

[Donald_WBWH]

Yes, for whatever reason they are sticking with that modified "Smooth AC" format that was last on 87.7. Perhaps they'll drop the vocals that don't fit.

 

[Bill Harmonic]

Same old stuff but on a different platform. At least they got one thing right. Move on...there's nothing to hear here.

 

[DXnCruise]

I agree with the majority of the posts. While it was great to revive the station on 87.7, I think with unfortunate, unexpected additions of AC and pop music, WNUA should have just went off the air and moved on. I totally hate alternative rock. That new format is flopping anyway. There is nothing wrong with a smooth jazz format and that's what WNUA should have stuck with. The addition of pop music and AC ruins the format, especially since it's the same garbage that can be heard on other stations.

 

[ChrisInMI]

Perhaps some of you will find this more to your liking...

http://tunein.com/radio/WLUP-HD3-979-s95452/#

It's a link to the Internet stream of WLUP-HD3 (since you can't get there from WLUP's own website for some reason). As I type this, they are playing a smooth jazz rendition of a piece by Rachmaninoff. (No kidding.)

Then again, maybe not... next song was Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman." Still, it seems to have more variety than BA.