Nov. 19, 2002
GW Jazz Radio Show in Orbit
“GW Presents American Jazz” Signs Two-Year
Agreement to Join XM Satellite Radio Programming
By Thomas
Kohout
“Fly Me to the Moon,” or at least to a geosynchronous orbit
roughly 22,000 miles above North America. It’s not as catchy as
the Bart Howard classic, but the latter is a reflection on the latest
home to GW’s year-old traditional jazz radio program, “GW
Presents American Jazz.” The two-hour program recently inked a
two-year, no-fee deal with XM Satellite Radio to transmit the show to
subscribers across the continental United States.
“We owe our inclusion in the XM schedule to Tony Bennett, who has
been a great friend to the University and to this program,” explains
Michael Freedman, vice president for communications and creator of the
weekly program.
Last August, Freedman attended one of Bennett’s concerts at Wolftrap,
and during a visit backstage gave Bennett a CD set of the radio program.
The next day Bennett called to say that he had contacted XM Programmer
and legendary radio host Jonathan Schwartz about the show.
The program debuted on the XM network Oct. 28, a little more than a
year after its original debut on WRC-AM. The show has aired at different
times during the week. “American Jazz” primarily will be broadcast
on two of the satellite networks’ 101 channels each week: “Frank’s
Place” and “Real Jazz,” and the network occasionally
will air shows on its other channels such as “Broadway.”
The weekly commercial-free broadcast hosted by Dick Golden and produced
through a partnership of The Smithsonian Associates, The John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts, The Duke Ellington School of the Arts,
ClearChannel Communications, and GW, features programs devoted to the
music of George Gershwin, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, and Johnny Mercer,
as well as many other artists who contributed to the rich history of
traditional jazz, referred to as America’s classical music. The
program also has featured performances by GW’s King James and the
Serfs of Swing; Peter Fraize, the music department’s adjunct instructor
in jazz; and the Duke Ellington School Jazz Ensemble.
Freedman attributes the show’s success and XM’s interest to
the relative rarity of traditional jazz music on the radio, as well
as the unique commercial-free format, the talents of Golden, and the
support of President Trachtenberg, Roy Guenther, chair of the music
department, the students at WRGW, and the show’s unique collection
of partners.
“There is jazz and then there is jazz,” Freedman says
of the difference between “American Jazz” and some of the
other programs in the local market. “On today’s radio you
hear mostly modern, progressive jazz. Traditional jazz embraces the
Great American Songbook and Tin Pan Alley.”
XM Radio boasts 101 channels of music, news, sports, and children’s
programming beamed directly to subscribers via satellite. The channels
are transmitted from XM’s broadcast center, the world’s largest
all-digital studio complex in Washington.
“XM could represent the next golden age of radio — it’s
a purists form of radio” says Freedman. “In terms of a network
affiliation, we’ve become part of the new gold standard.”
In addition to XM Radio, “American Jazz” can still be heard
each Sunday from 10 am – noon on WRC Radio in Washington (1260
AM) or via Web radio at www.wrcam1260.com
and on GW’s campus radio station WRGW at www.gwradio.com.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
