More about what I do:
My interest in Jazz music began at a young age. My father was always listening to George Shearing; we had a house guest who constantly played albums by Sarah Vaughan. And when my parents were busy, I would sneak out of the house and sit outside of a Puerto Rican bar in Bridgeport, Connecticut and listen to the Latin sounds of local musicians.
Later, during my time with Armed Forces Radio and Television in the ‘60s, I played Jazz as part of my regular radio mix of music. After I ended my military service, I was a newscaster on top-market radio stations around the country.
But it wasn’t until a family situation (and what I call Kismet) brought me to Aspen, Colorado, as news director for KSNO radio that my deep dive into Jazz began. It was during that time I was tapped as the official announcer of the then-newly formed Jazz Aspen concert series, a position I held for 20+ years. This organization’s activities encompassed not only the June concerts, but also a Labor Day Festival and former summer educational program connected to The Thelonious Monk Institute. It was those three up-close involvements that allowed me to meet some of the Masters of Jazz, Dr. Billy Taylor, Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Ray Brown, Wayne Shorter, Arturo Sandoval, Monty Alexander and many more. The summer program produced such early on artists who are now well-known names like Wayne Escoffery, Benny Green, Amina Figarova and Bart Plateau.
In the latter part of my time in the Aspen area, I was General Manager of KDNK Public Radio, where I also hosted a show called “Top Floor Jazz.” That was when I began seriously collecting books on Jazz musicians and history, diving deeper into explaining to my audience who was creating the music I was playing.
Eventually, I took my love and knowledge of the music and parlayed it into hosting a Jazz program on KUVO radio in Denver, one of the top public broadcasting Jazz stations in the country.
That brought me to where I am today, as executive producer and host of my own podcast, ALL THAT’S JAZZ. This true labor-of-love production is now in its fourth season and heard on all top podcast platforms in more than 25 countries. It was all those early friendships - and my love of the music - that opened so many doors, allowing us to let our guests tell their stories, and in doing so, continue to move the music forward.
