Philip Pannell Collapsed at a Statehood Rally. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Facebook gives people the power. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. In a decade or two, when Internet radio comes standard in every new car, we might all be listening to the same jazz programming everywhere. Recreating their efforts which led to the Fall 2010 drive being among the most successful in recent memory, 'PFW Programmers Association members Miyuki Williams, Robyn Holden and Katea Stitt again . Local Dining Guide, City Lights document.getElementById('cloak25885').innerHTML += ''+addy_text25885+'<\/a>'; How people listen to music has changed dramatically. Photo courtesy of Miyuki Williams. In 1983, just short of his thirtieth anniversary, the station dropped him permanently. One Saturday afternoon he could not make it to the station and Jerry Washington had to do the show on his own. WDCU lacked the strong broadcast signal of WPFW, but it established its jazz identity in the Washington community. Page Three Just a little bit, but enough.) The next day, Hughes told staff that the programs WPFW planned to buy from NPR and PRITell Me More, The Tavis Smiley Show, Smiley and West, and the news program The Takeawaywere back on the shelf until a new programming director was in place. The station was shut down for a few months in 1976 and finally ceased broadcasting on January 29, 1979. As opposition to the new grid mounted last week, Martin says Hughes called him and asked him to stay at Saturdayfor two hours, not three. Music is one of the wonderful elements in being alive., Williams got her on-air training, she said in a recent interview with the Beacon, from the late disc jockey Jerry Washington, who was known as The Bama.. This isnt about gentrification, Hughes said. Would you train me to be a DJ? He said, Yes. Bambergers scholarly and entertaining approach examines the recordings of a particular artist such as Bix Beiderbecke or Teddy Wilson, focusing on the recorded output of a few years. CMS recognizes and celebrates the positive changes to the program schedule brought about recently since Katea Stitt and Miyuki Williams were put in charge of programming. var addy_text68494 = 'production' + '@' + 'wpfw' + '.' + 'org'; I lived in DC for 30 years and enjoyed Rusty at his many stops including his lectures sponsored by the Smithsonian Associates. Then He Tested Positive for COVID. But an on-air discussion with the director Topper Carew had a major impact on my broadcasting career. var addy49599 = 'vjack' + '@'; Basketball But changes with programmers and talk shows started changing at PFW in a way that was confusing to many listeners. Then the great tenor sax player Ben Webster soloed with strings on Come Rain or Come Shine, the lyrics of which begin: Im gonna love you like nobodys loved you.. This ones my complaint: You cant remain a station serving underserved communities, as WPFW professes to do, if your programming mostly reflects the whims of your more monied listeners. Talk shows were followed by jazz; many programs had hybrid formats. A recent radio show on WPFW began with a quote from Shakespeares Henry V, as the love-struck king woos his future wife. John Hughes has caused us to be on the brink of disaster, said Katea Stitt, one of WPFWs 12 paid staffers as well as a volunteer programmer. Watson didnt last long as general manager; few at WPFW have. The 1990s is when I discovered WPFW. Jimmy Gray did Black Fire, where he would tell stories though the music and rarely announce what he played. A DJ looks back on 50 years on jazz radio in the nations capital. Here are a few of their sendoffs. Pacificas then-executive director declined to comment on Daughtrys elimination at the time; last week, so did Hughes. Miyuki Williams, a host at WPFW-89.3FM, Washington's "Jazz and Justice" public radio station, proudly related that anecdote Sunday. Who the hell wants Cornel West on this station? demanded Jay Winter, standing outside the Adams Morgan building where he hosts the self-described most dangerous show on radio. He had found out that week that his 7 p.m. Friday program about native peoples, The Nightwolf Show, would move soon to the much less dangerous hour of 1 p.m. Its a setup for The Nightwolf Show to fail, Winter said that afternoon of Friday, Nov. 30, citing his online listenership west of the Mississippi. Morning Brew, a new program led by Muhammad, precedes it from 6 to 8 a.m. with news and some music. #Bibliophile. The situation at WPFW is but one example of the crisis confronting jazz radio across the country. Vince Evans, Wes Biles, Jeff Neal, Lyle link and Dave Cole. Music served a conscious-raising purpose. Democracy Now! I have no idea where I got the nerve or the notion that I could do it, but at the next phone booth I got to, I called him and asked, Mr. NPR offered programs such as Jazz Alive, Marian McPartlands Piano Jazz, and JazzSet, which were aired on WAMU. //--> Rev. Where is the book. Even if the listeners and programmers of WPFW beat back Hughes proposed changes, how long can the magic reasonably last? By then WAMU had begun to cut back jazz programming. Vincent JackThis email address is being protected from spambots. Brother Ah, a jazz host and former compatriot of John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, found out the day of his last show. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; But is there room in his vision for PFW, too? Much of its aging, analog equipment wont survive the move, Hughes says, but he says that with a stripped down set-up, the station wont need to suspend live programming. Focus on the silver lining., After a momentary pause, she said, Look for the Silver Lining by [jazz trumpeter-vocalist] Chet Baker. On Saturday, June 2, from 1 p.m.-3 p.m., we will host "Jazz FM: Maintaining Tradition," a presentation on jazz music and history in the D.C. and Baltimore areas.With help from veteran broadcasters Miyuki Williams of WPFW-FM and George "Doc" Manning of WEAA-FM, we will explore the media's role in jazz preservation as Williams and Manning share their on-air and off-air experiences on presenting . What we do in this business goes to your head and your heart. He understands where the outcry comes from, he said. This is about transformation.. I remember being nervous, but I soon overcame my natural shyness as I began to share my love of jazz and introduce others to the music as I had been by Symphony Sid and Mort Fega. To check out how hip he was, I asked to see what he had. I agree. Looking at Arbitron figures and the stations pledge-drive data, Hughes says he determined a need to rethink WPFWs schedule with the drive-time hours of 5 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. in mind. The human family is pissed.. Anthony went on to Sirius satellite radio until the merger with XM. The station also added to the jazz programming on Saturday. Once artists reach a certain level of proficiency at ceramic design, playing an instrument, painting, etc. She was one of many public figures who posted tributes to Belafonte, who championed each new generation of freedom fighters in his more than 70 years of activism. var addy39617 = 'news' + '@'; 360, This email address is being protected from spambots. licenses, a crash course in interview technique and expanded my appreciation of constructive criticism. Josh Shepperd, assistant professor of media studies at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and national research director of the RPTF, is Faculty Curator of the Rewind series. He says the comments have ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous, and that hes even received some threats. The 1990s were PFWs best years. When Elvis Presley died a few months after WPFW went on the air, the station didnt air a tribute, the explanation going that Elvis was a racist who stole his music from black people, the Washington Post reported at the time. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). W. Royal Stokes, a freelance writer for the Washington Post, had two shows. The New Website For Concerned Members and Supporters of WPFW, 89.3 FM, wpfwfm.org, jazz and justice radio in the nation's capital, Washington. On the air, meanwhile, Hughes faces an ongoing rebellion: Some programmers have referred obliquely to the programming changes, while others have taken more of an activist stance, weaponizing the stations December fundraising drive by asking supporters to make protest pledgesthat is, promises of funding that they wont fulfil until the old grid has been restored. Washington soon got another phone call this time from Williams. The ensuing letter campaign supporting my show did not change the decision of WAMU management. Students at Howard University struck for the inclusion of Black Studies in the Eurocentric curriculum and jazz in the music program, where Donald Byrd would become its first director. When a recent Sunday fell on the birthday of Nina Simone, Williams featured two hours of the pianist-vocalists recordings, from her heart-rending rendition of I Loves You, Porgy to the classically trained artists own compositions, including the sad, angry, rousing civil rights protest anthem, Mississippi Goddam., Among other highlights of Williams show are her tributes to Eva Cassidy, the legendary vocalist, born and raised in the Washington area, who died of cancer in 1996 at the age of 33. The stations frequently would be cosponsors of performances. I had had a good run at the station, interviewing my heroes and even being honored by the proclamation of Rusty Hassan Day in 1984 by Mayor Marion Barry on the fifteenth anniversary of my show. In a press release, the year-old Programmers Association declared itself on the threshold of an Occupy type revolt The board voted to pursue mediation between the partiestalks that ended without resolution, and with Daughtry still out. SK&U first aired Nov 6 1971. A recent radio show on WPFW began with a quote from Shakespeare's. He and my father-in-law, Tom Barrett, shared a close friendship with John Malachi. Rusty Hassans career in Washington, D.C., jazz radio spans four stations and more than five decades. His family spokesman said that the famed artist and activist succumbed to complications from congestive heart failure at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. But in February 1977 when Von Martin played Take the A Train to open the WPFW-FM signal to the Washington airwaves, I opted to keep The New Thing Root Music Show on WAMU. WPFW was kind of like D.C. And Pacifica was its Congress, with 1993 its control board era. On Dec. 3, the day that WPFWs new schedule premiered and some new programs aired for the first time, Hill resigned, citing the pain caused by the changes he helped implement. An informed announcer on the radio provides the names of the soloists and tells stories about the music, conveying what Whitney Balliett called and Larry Appelbaum named his show: The Sound of Surprise. // City Lights: Your weekly guide to artsy goings-on, hitting your inbox Thursdays and Sundays. Throughout the week after Thanksgiving, Winter and other programmers at WPFW, the Districts progressive talk and jazz station at 89.3 FM, learned their shows had been changed, rescheduled, or canceled with little notice. We're funded by your subscriptions, your donations, advertising, and a generous grant from the Wyncote Foundation. Amina Claudine Myers, Plowed Fields, Tom Porter, Jazz and Justice: His suggestion that WPFW embrace its niche audience and invest in event programming is solid advice and exactly what on-air hosts Miyuki Williams and Robyn Holden have been urging station management to do. Mwiza Munthali 49. Last decade, it began broadcasting some hip-hop with the Decipher programs. Then consider the Beacon your resource for trustworthy information on health, money, technology and travel topics, as well as entertaining features, arts and events. . var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; I grew up hearing Julie Andrews sing My Favorite Things, and singing it [myself] in choir. But his solutionto professionalize the sound of WPFWs broadcast by bringing in more outside content, most of which he says would have been relatively cheapis tantamount to a resource-starved newspaper filling its pages with wire content: The quality will be high; the opportunity cost is the local charisma. My show was shifted from Monday evening to late Thursday night. Joe Hinton, Funny How Time Slips Away, Katea Stitt, Morning Jazz: The pandemic, Williams noted, has led her to change her selection of songs for her weekly program. New Engineer jobs added daily. Williams not only hosts and programs her show, carrying on as a radio engineer as she spins CDs from her personal collection, but she also answers phone calls and raises funds for the station. miyuki williams. Current. You never know, she said to her listeners. WPFWs founders were five years into their struggle to get on the air when D.C. gained home rule in 1973, and their station shared the eras DNA. Your destination for buying luxury property in Voiron, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France. 202-588-0999 ext. The people who have been here the longestthe Von Martins and the Tom Coleshave never been in the management. Yes, we need to stay true to our ethos. I was so addicted to PFW that I started listening 24/7, started volunteering phone duty and pledging my financial support. The underground format would become a feature of commercial FM stations such as WHFS. Please reload the page and try again. At Georgetown, meanwhile, WGTB was featuring a womens collective called Sophies Parlor and health advice from the Washington Free Clinic. document.getElementById('cloak29915').innerHTML = ''; Certainly, those are among the underserved communities Hughes was talking about. The staff that are members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists had seen their pay cut by 50 percent; eventually Hughes restored them to three-quarters pay. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; I had been offered the slot but opted to continue my weekly show, now called Jazz Sunday. And there were expert mainstays like Willard Jenkins, Tom Cole, the Zydeco Cowboy, Larry Appelbaum, and Da Gator who remain on the air. In fiscal year 2012 WPFW raised about $1.4 million through foundation grants, major gifts, events, and five pledge drives (in addition to funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting), according to its development director, Tiffany Jordannot enough. Soccer addy26045 = addy26045 + 'wpfw' + '.' + 'org'; In 2010, Pacifica unsuccessfully attempted to force Daughtry out, burning through two WPFW general managers in the process. Sandra Y Johnson in WPFW studios live! By 1980 Paul Anthony was a veteran broadcaster. The university sold the license to C-SPAN to close a budget gap for $13 million. This excerpt has been edited. Current (https://current.org/2019/02/a-dj-looks-back-on-50-years-on-jazz-radio-in-the-nations-capital/). var addy_text39617 = 'news' + '@' + 'wpfw' + '.' + 'org'; In 2002, while acting as general manager at Pacificas WBAI in New York, Daughtry was axed during a foundation board meeting broadcast on all five stations; he sued Pacifica and settled. City Desk A 2008 programming update, the first since 1994, added slightly more jazz as the format slowly disappeared from other stations on D.C.s airwaves. It was light out, but the Nightwolf was howling. Arbitron figures routinely rank WPFW in the high 20s among local radio stations. Hughes looked haggard as he stepped out of the studioweathered, unshaven. Among the WPFW programmers were Art Cromwell, Jerry Washington, Tom Cole, John Zimbrick, Miyuki Williams, and Larry Appelbaum. But the on-air relationship and the stories were made up. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. We know that Miyuki is single at this point. Hughes argues that listeners vote with their dollars: If they liked the programming more, theyd give more. Unfortunately WDCU became a victim of the District of Columbias budget woes. It may seem as if this is a radical change but, as Douye' explains, it is actually a return to her roots. //-->, This email address is being protected from spambots. And their listeners and their loyal supporters are still here. National Public Radio also played a major role in getting jazz on the Washington airwaves. It was serendipity that started my broadcasting career. miyuki williams's Tweets. For three days, WPFW was off the air. Denise was a real person; Wash introduced me to her at a WPFW fundraiser at the Panorama Room in Southeast. WPFW faced other challenges in 2013, but new managers and their positive attitude instill the programmers with confidence that the jazz shows will continue. The talk never stops and the music never ends was how some programmers put it, according to Porter, an early host at the station. But I was depressed until Edith Smith, general manager of WDCU, called, offering me airtime on Sunday afternoons. The Bama Hour was so popular that WPFW gave him another show featuring jazz on Sunday afternoons called The Other Side of the Bama. The proposed changes would have moved Caribbeanawith its mix of Caribbean public affairs talk and music from 7 p.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday. READ on for inf. addy68494 = addy68494 + 'wpfw' + '.' + 'org'; The presence of people of color does not necessarily mean the presence of the proper ideological or philosophical perspective. Porters confederates took to the air, opening up the phone lines to supporters. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; One highlight was a visit by Charles Mingus. Spirits Known and Unknown continued with its workshop concept for young African American announcers, and in 1980 Hot Jazz Saturday Night, with Rob Bamberger, premiered and is still on the air today. Still, in WPFW board meetings, town-hall gatherings, and discussions with programmers and management, you wont find many people who believe the station should preserve the status quo. It held weekly jazz performances at St. Margarets Episcopal Church on Connecticut Avenue, featuring such artists as Shirley Horn, Andrew White, Paul Hawkins, and Byron Morris. Everyone agrees that WPFWPFW to its most loyal listenershas to change. Register for the event using the link below. @miyuki_williams . As the staffer responsible for enforcing programming standards, Daughtry reported his own infraction. Williams, 64, chooses mostly timeless jazz for her sessions, with some exceptions. Its a seasonal thing that happens with us.. Copyright 2023. He is currently a professor at American University. DC. I wanted to let you know that you take my breath away.. He eventually returned to WPFW, where hed been a programmer and a staffer beginning in the 1980s, and eventually became interim programming director. Miyuki Williams, one of the stations more prolific fundraisers, said last weekend on her Sunday Kind of Love program that while she was grateful for the extra hour she now has each week, she wished it hadnt been at the expense of some of the stations Sunday-night Latin music programming. It was a station for a majority black city newly empowered to run itself; it was thoroughly ideological, coming just after the civil rights and anti-war generations; it was a station for black thought and black music and the highest intellectual aspirations of both; it was a space for ideas and anxietiesnutty ones, maybe, to the radio-dial wanderershut out of the mainstream. . I love the classics. Russonello notes the explosion of music on the internet and the change in listening habits through downloads and online music services. But the proposed new programmingexcept perhaps a neosoul show from Atlanta that was quickly ditchedhardly seems to change that. The community response has been strong, and it remains to be seen if other daytime jazz shows will be restored. Mumble Sauce, About Us Downloads are convenient, but background and appreciation for the music is lacking. "Y'all are doingreallocal D.C. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; 30. She remembers listening for the first time to vibraphonist-band leader Lionel Hampton and singers Dinah Washington, Roy Hamilton and Frank Sinatra, among others. We view these changes as . We don't have one. document.getElementById('cloak26045').innerHTML += '' + addy26045+'<\/a>'; I met long-time WPFW programmer Jamal Muhammed at a concert at Fort DuPont, where we both introduced Ahmad Jamal. But beyond the substance of the new grid, programmers, members of the Local Station Board, and even Pacificas interim executive director, Summer Reese, say the changes were made without enough input, sensitivity, or notice. Events, Football How people listen to music has changed dramatically. There will be an 89.3 FM, there will be a product on these airwaves whether its Pacifica or its WPFW or whether its jazz and justice or whether its NPR liteI believe itll be something awesome, I hope it will. Yorkes profile of Grant focused on his Saturday afternoon show on WRC-AM, mentioning his earlier thirty-year tenure as WMALs nightly jazz authority. Theyre not the peoples station, said another.

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