KSDS 88.3 Blog

Portrait of Charlie Parker, Red Rodney, Dizzy Gillespie, Margie Hyams, and Chuck Wayne, New York City, c. 1947. Photo by William Gottlieb, courtesy of Library of Congress.

By Matt Silver 

There’s a famous quote attributed to Miles Davis. It goes, “You can tell the history of jazz in four words: Louis Armstrong. Charlie Parker.” Whether that statement is fair or not — whether it does justice to anyone not named Armstrong or Parker — is beside the point. By most credible accounts, Davis, setting all the musical genius aside, was a brilliant provocateur, a hot-take pioneer whose aloof, disagreeable, superior demeanor was carefully and consciously constructed. Whatever Miles Davis played was what he genuinely believed; everything else was in service of a different department of the corporation.

Nevertheless, Davis's declaration — glib, reductive, and disingenuous though it may have been — resonates.

By Loren Schoenberg

In the rarified precincts of the jazz pantheon, Lester Young is unique in that the true essence of his genius remains obscure. Armstrong, Monk, Tatum, Coltrane and the others recorded prolifically in the studio and out of it, etching a relatively complete picture of their abilities. To be sure, there were extraordinary moments that vanished the moment they were created, lingering only in the memories of those lucky enough to have witnessed them. But with Young, the overwhelming consensus of those who heard him when he was young is that he could and frequently did play extended solos, and that it was only in that form that he could express his unique and large-range sense of musical architecture. So we are left to parse, ever so minutely, the shards of that vision as they are to be found on the recordings that comprise this collection. All jazz soloists up through the advent of long-playing records in the '50s had to learn to express themselves succinctly and no one did it any better than Young at his best. 

We've got TWO MONUMENTAL birthdays to recognize this week: Lester Young's (Aug. 27) and Charlie Parker's (Aug. 29). When we think influencers here at KSDS, we don't think college coeds hawking athleisure and makeup tutorials; we think Bird and Prez. Two sons of Kansas City, the Paris of the Plains.

New Orleans may be the birthplace of jazz, but Kansas City is the Cradle of Jazz. And it's not just Lester and Charlie. Along with Count Basie, they sport the most enduring legacies, but at Jazz 88.3 KSDS FM San Diego, names like Mary Lou Williams, Jay McShann, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rushing, and Jo Jones —  to name but a few giants of jazz who called KC home —  will never be neglected or forgotten.

Beginning Aug. 16, 2024, Ruffins will be broadcasting each and every Friday evening at 5 p.m. PST from Kermit’s Mother in Law Law Lounge in the heart of the Treme.

By Matt Silver

When the time came to find a new host for “Jazz Across America: New Orleans” (Fridays, 5 to 7 p.m. PST), Ken Poston, general manager of San Diego’s KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM, wanted not just to get someone good; he wanted to get someone perfect. Someone who wears the soul, the traditions, and the aspirations of New Orleans, jazz’s foundational city, on his richly designed, elegantly tailored sleeves.  

Balboa Theatre presents the Premiere of RACHMANINOFF AND THE TSAR.  Hershey Felder brings Rachmaninoff’s incredible story to life through his music - including his famous C# minor Prelude, second piano concerto, Paganini Variations and more.

Bring your friends and family!! Award winning blues musician Nathan James has built an international fan base with his masterful guitar playing and soulful vocals. He’ll be backed by The Rhythm Scratchers, his tight-knit trio. Featuring Stephen Hodges on drums, (Tom Waits, Mavis Staples, T-Bone Burnett), and Troy Sandow on bass and harmonica.

On July 4th (2024) KSDS-FM celebrated a major event. Yes, it was July 4th. But this was an extra special festival weekend because we used the occasion of our nation's founding to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the inaugural Newport Jazz Festival.

Sundays have a new look on KSDS beginning in July. And, it's more than just this graphic.

There will be a change of venue for the last Jazz Live of this season. Tonight's presentation of The Four Freshmen will be held at The Handlery Hotel under the stars in their backyard garden. If you are an existing Jazz Live subscriber for this season (February-July 2024) you are guaranteed your 2 tickets. Please e-mail Chuck (chuck@jazz88.org) for any additional information or questions you may have and ask him about any add-ons that you may be interested in. There are tickets avaialbe for VIP and concert only. If you are NOT A CURRENT JAZZ LIVE SUBSCRIBER please read below. All attendess need to check in at the venue. There are NO hard tickets for this event.

KSDS celebrates Miles Davis’s Birthday all day THIS MONDAY, on Memorial Day, beginning at 7AM PACIFIC. We will be playing classic and rare recordings and offering insightful commentary throughout the day. You're not going to want to miss one minute of this special programming. This Monday, beginning at 7AM only on San Diegos’ Jazz 88.3, KSDS-FM.