Tickets go on sale February 6 for the second annual Jazz90.1 pancake breakfast. The event will take place Saturday, March 10 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Greece Olympia High School large cafeteria, located at 1139 Maiden Lane in Greece. Attendees can enjoy pancakes, sausage, coffee and orange juice. Jazz90.1’s Polka Bandstand Show will broadcast live, with great giveaways and raffles. Attendees can also meet Sound Bytes hosts Nick Francesco, Dave Enright and Steve Rea until 12:30 p.m. Event tickets are $5 and children 5 and under get in free.
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In celebration of Black History Month 2012, Jazz90.1 will honor a different African-American jazz musician Monday through Friday during the month of February. A biographical vignette will be broadcast four times each day Monday through Friday at 7:40 a.m. 12:40, 4:40, and 8:40 p.m. Vignettes will be repeated during weekend jazz programming. Each vignette will be followed by a selection of that artist’s music. The artists selected represent a variety of instruments, ages, and levels of achievement, but each has a story to tell and each has contributed significantly to the growth and enhancement of jazz music. Jazz90.1 hopes you, the listener will take this opportunity to learn more about and recognize the significant contributions of, individual African-American jazz musicians and that this will make jazz that much more enjoyable. Click “more” to see the complete schedule for the month.
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The Jazz90.1 Live Studio Concert Series continues on Wednesday February 15th from 7-8 p.m. and will feature The Adrian DiMatteo Quartet ft. Vanessa Mangione. Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Adrian began learning guitar at age 11 (with Rick McKown), taking inspiration from blues and rock icons (such as Buddy Guy, Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page, David Gilmore, Eric Clapton, and Lightning Hopkins). In 9th grade he had the opportunity to study Jazz at the Eastman Community Music School (studio of Bob Sneider), where he was exposed to a different world of guitar masters and other artists who continue to influence Adrian’s musical evolution. The series – now in it’s seventh season, features local jazz musicians from the Rochester area and beyond, in a one-hour live performance each month. Jazz90.1 is dedicated to bringing our listeners unique programming that they won’t hear anywhere else on the radio or Internet. Another great reason to support Jazz90.1. For more information, including the full concert series lineup, click here.

Jazz90.1 is pleased to announce the addition of a brand new weekly swing show, hosted by Eric Gruner. The program can be heard every Saturday from 4:30-6 p.m. beginning Saturday January 14th, and will feature music from artists like Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey and more. Don’t miss this new show, featuring classic swing music, only on Member Supported Jazz90.1!

CNN – January 20, 2012 – Etta James, whose assertive, earthy voice lit up such hits as “The Wallflower,” “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and the wedding favorite “At Last,” has died, according to her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. She was 73. She died from complications from leukemia with her husband, Artis Mills, and her sons by her side, De Leon said. She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C. James died at a hospital in Riverside, California. She would have turned 74 Wednesday. For more information, click here.

New York Times – January 20, 2012 – Johnny Otis, the musician, bandleader, songwriter, impresario, disc jockey and talent scout who was often called “the godfather of rhythm and blues,” died on Tuesday at his home in Altadena, Calif. He was 90. Leading a band in the late 1940s that combined the high musical standards of big band jazz with the raw urgency of gospel music and the blues, Mr. Otis played an important role in creating a new sound for a new audience of young urban blacks. Within a few years it would form the foundation of rock ’n’ roll. For more information, click here.

Increase the value of your charitable gift to Jazz90.1 by participating in your company’s matching gift program. By taking part as an employee, retiree, or board member, you can have your company match your charitable contributions at a 1:1, 2:1, or even as high as a 3:1 ratio on outright or deferred gifsts! The following companies are just a few of the many corporations participating in gift matching programs. Don’t see your company name listed? Be sure to check with your employer to see if they participate. We thank you for your support, and appreciate the considerati (more…)

Have you been to the Jazz90.1 online store recently? We’ve added some cool new clothing items and accessories, like the Jazz90.1 navy knit winter hat, full zip navy fleece, long sleeve t-shirt and polo shirt just in time for fall. Stay warm this fall and winter with Jazz90.1. To browse the Jazz90.1 store, click here!

At Jazz90.1, we believe that jazz is a living music. That’s why half our broadcast hours are focused on current artists who are committed to moving the music forward. Jazz90.1 plays more new music than any radio station in the U.S. On the flip side, we also play a heaping portion of the classics, names like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and many more. When you listen to Jazz90.1, you get the best new jazz, and the best jazz of all time.

Jazz90.1 is also an important outlet for music and voices that don’t make it onto commercial radio. Our longest-running show is Polka Bandstand. We also feature the Lithuanian-language program Dainos Aidas; The German Radio Program; and Esencia Latina, a four-hour program of Latin music (broadcast in Spanish). You don’t need a plane ticket and passport to expand your horizons…all you need is a radio or computer tuned to Jazz90.1. (Check out our program schedule for more information.)