…Except the radio. Radio is the speed of light. Radio travels to and lands in space, in work trucks, in airplanes, in houses, in lakes and ponds, in homes, in government silos, in fish markets, in JFK loading docks and in my car. Radio is all around us, like the landscape, free to take in.
I can’t fix much of anything. I don’t know how to work blue tooth or streaming services and repair the broken CD player in my ride. This is more a product of laziness and lack of mechanical aptitude on my part than any philosophy I subscribe to or identify with. Through this I’ve forced myself to push the button and turn the dial. That’s a lot of radio miles on well groomed avenues, on hot summer fire hydrant blocks, in impossible traffic jams, moving at highway speeds on optimistic nights or lonely car fulls of commutes in twenty years of listening to New York radio. The radio is special because you don’t know what’s coming. Granted, on many stations you have to sit through hours of crap to hear one good song by a hero, but these shows below leave me with excitement. They’ve financially separated themselves from the twisted robots hiding behind the unaccountable. They’ve got it… . these programs are woven into my sensibilities now. Lester Young? Never knew him. Red Sovine? That sounded like a fake name before the Border show. I can’t tell you how many times my skin has perked up or my face grew hot from weeping because of some of this stuff.
I was with a few people the other day. Someone said it’s a wasteland out there. It is. It’s like everything else—there are things going on, but only a handful of originals pushing the whole thing along.
… As many musical interests as sets of ears. My situation on this planet as a living doll of sorts has led me to these.
Tennesse Border
89.9
Sunday 12pm - 2pm
Who else knew ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ in a frog green ford 150 in 1990 at eight years old? Who else was listening? Come out to me. The show generally runs in sets of songs by a single artist. You’ll hear Chet Atkins and Dolly Parton dueting on Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? and then The Race is On by George Jones and then Jerry Lee Lewis, The Texas Playboys, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings and Willie and Lorretta Lynn. It’s a time I call the Sunday blues. There’s a lot of weight in a Sunday. By this time, either you just got over em or they’re just settin in.
American Hit Radio
90.3
Wednesday 5pm-6pm
Tom & Heidi Ryan
Tom is the main host and Heidi runs the boards in the control room. Their Wednesday show turned me on to Scott Walker, softened me on Derek and the Dominos and reminded me how good Funhouse still is. When they announce what record they’re going to feature, I get pretty alert. I need this show at this point in the week.
Mixed Bag
90.7
Saturday 4pm to 8pm
Don McGee
This is a new one for me, because it represented everything tired about music to me twenty years ago. I guess it takes time to appreciate things. Don has a soft voice preceding his set and then unleashes some great material. He seems heavy, but friendly. The show is like the slow afternoon.
Bird Flight
89.9
Monday - Friday 8:20am-9:30am
Phil Schaap
I listen to this every morning. Phil can talk man! He goes on, but he’s got the vocabulary that one likes to hear. He knows Jazz. He’s not a Jazz musician, but he can play it. I’m pretty sure Bird Flight and Phil have been on the air for 49 years. This show documents everything Charlie Parker ever recorded. He’s played nearly every take of every song. WonderBird… dead at 34, he threw down in his time here.
Hobo’s Lullaby
89.9
Saturday 4pm to 6pm
Various hosts
This is about the time I think about what to start drinking or what grocery store to run to for dinner supplies. Check out this run of songs the last time I tuned in driving to the market: Take the A Train Duke Ellington Autumn in New York Billie Holiday Hard Times in New York Town Bob Dylan New York Town Woody Guthrie Chelsea Hotel Leonard Cohen.
The Sly Stone Show
90.3
Wednesday 11pm to 12am
DJ Solero
Sly has a great unknown beginning. His early records have that lightning sound of simplicity and quickness. Four chords. Solero puts Sly’s early material together with a hit song every once in a while to knit up a nice mitt to keep you warm. Wednesday at 11pm… that’s a good moment for this music, Sly could go all night.
Beatlesongs
90.3
Friday 8pm-11pm
Rob Leonard
Rob has been doing this show for about 25 years. He’ll kick off the show with ‘Things We Said Today’ or ‘No Reply’ but then he’ll take a left and produce an obscure run of songs by 70’s Ringo or George. He’s not afraid of Harry Nilsson or Petty collaborations, crazy sounding 80’s Paul live songs—jeeze Paul has written a lot of stuff, the John shit-talking songs or the Paul shit-taking songs. Me either man.
and…
at 6pm, on the dot, every Thursday, Sharif Abdus-Salaam on 89.9 plays a song by John Coltrane.
