August 5, 2007 Hot Summer Jazzy Night
I rode my bike to the WCOM radio studio to do my weekly show, featuring NC jazz musicians. It was a hot, steamy one out there, reminiscent of the movie Body Heat. No one appeared to be out. But the show will go on and I was happy to share music from some of my favorite CDs. Jen and Able from Durham stopped by to say 'hi' and check out the WCOM studio, cozy spot that it is. They helped me pick out some good songs.

Playlist -

• Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC); Anthology CD; I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free
• Frankie Alexander (lives Durham, NC); Mad about the Words CD; Moonlight in Vermont
• Mary Lou WIlliams (lived in Durham, NC); Mama Pinned a Rose on Me CD; The Blues
• Charles Lloyd: Lift Every Voice CD; Amazing Grace
• Thelonius Monk (b. Rocky Mount, NC); Thelonius Monk Plays Duke Ellington CD; It Don't Mean a Thing
• Charlie Haden & Hank Jones; Steal Away CD: Wade in the Water
• Dave Youngman Quartet (lives Raleigh, NC); Ususal Suspects CD; Summertime
• Robert Trowers (lives & teaches, Durham, NC); Synopsis CD; Synopsis
• Martin Eagle (lives Durham, NC); The Hipster CD; Always You
• Baron Tymas (lives & teaches, Durham, NC); Blues for the Tribe CD; Broken Bottles
• Scott Warner (lived Chapel Hil, NC); Mindfield CD; Mindfield
• Madeleine Peyroux; Careless Love CD; Dance Me to the End of Love
• Gabriel Pelli (lives Carrboro area); Europa Jazz CD; I Cover the Waterfront with Katharine Whalen on vocals (Durham, NC)
• Cesaria Evora; Sao Vicente CD; Tiempo Y Silencio
• Paulo Lopes (lives Chapel Hill, NC); Brazilian Soul CD; So Quero Um Xodo
• Adia Ledbetter (lives Durham, NC); First Take; You Don't Know What Love Is
• Baby Laurence; Dancemaster CD; Baby at Birdland
• Yusuf Salim (lives Durham, NC); Yusuf Plays Yusuf CD; My Inlaws are Outlaws
• Brian Horton (lives and teaches, Durham, NC); Walking Tall CD; There There Now
• Al Neese (lives Greensboro, NC); The Omen Seeker CD; Wood Heat
• Billy Taylor (b. Greenville, NC); Music Keeps Us Young CD; I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free (song by Billy Taylor and played by him)

Rocco stopped by to say hello. Rocco is a WCOM dj, and hosts the Saturday morning show, 9:00 - 12:00, Music Hall. Rocco has over 40 years of radio dj work and experience assisting jazz, rock, and blues singers as they passed through eastern North Carolina. Rocco plays the best music of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and on up. One can find plenty of music to enjoy when Rocco is on the air. He claims to be the owner of over 1000 CDs.

I'm sorry to say farewell, even if just for a while, to my good friend and a great friend of WCOM's, Chris Frank. Chris gave tirelessly to this 100 Watts of Wonder community-powered radio station. I don't know how we could have made it this far without him, and I don't know how we will continue to grow and prosper without him. But we wish him well. He is now in NYC working on a play, Lone Star Love, with other members of the Red Clay Ramblers, which will open in Seattle in September; then in NYC in November, with the official opening in December. This is a great opportunity for Chris to share his talents with a large audience - but we'll miss him on the ole home front. We look forward to his return - even if just for a visit..... always keep the show going.