Detroit JazzStage
Detroit JazzStage[1] is a monthly podcast about Detroit, Michigan jazz musicians. Detroit Jazzstage receives approximately 20,000 downloads per month and is consistently the number one rated independent jazz podcast. It has charted as high as the 22nd most popular music podcast and is downloaded in almost every country. Its format is a mixture of interview and musical selections highly influenced by National Public Radio.
History[edit | edit source]
The podcast was the brainchild of Dean Sahutske, musician and IT specialist, and Rodney Reeves, musician and Elementary music teacher. Detroit Jazzstage was first aired in November 2005 at a time when the term was still unknown to most people. Their first guest, Mark Byerly, is the leader of the Detroit group Bop Culture and soon became DJS's sound engineer. Mark has toured with the Artie Shaw Orchestra, RCA recording artists The Verve Pipe, Jive recording artist Justin Timberlake, Virgin recording artist and Neo-soul singer/songwriter/producer Dwele and, most recently, Capitol recording artist, Bob Seger.
In March, of 2006, Jim Gallert replaced Dean Sahutske as co-host so Mr. Sahutske could focus on producing the show. Jim Gallert is a veteran jazz broadcaster, researcher and writer. He has over twenty-five years of radio experience as producer and host of "Jazz Yesterday and "Detroit Jazz Alive" on WDET-FM, Detroit, and "Swing City" on WEMU-FM, Gallert has participated in every Detroit International Jazz Festival as staff writer, emcee or host of "Meet The Artist" sessions. Jim has authored numerous biographies of Detroit jazz musicians and is also the co-author of Before Motown: A History of Jazz In Detroit, 1920 - 1960 by Lars Bjorn with Jim Gallert.
Guests[edit | edit source]
- Mark Byerly/Bop Culture
- Paul Keller/Paul Keller Orchestra
- James Dapogny, Chris Smith/Phil Ogilvie's Rhythm Kings
- Urban Transport
- John Douglas-Jazzhead
- Dave Cook
- Buddy Budson
- Rick Roe
- Phil Lasley
- Paul Vornhagen, Alberto Nacif /Tumbao Bravo
- Faruq Z. Bey/Griot Galaxy
- Jesse Palter
- Paul Keller Orchestra recorded live at the Max M. Fisher Music Theater
- Wendell Harrison
- Terri Pontremoli-Executive/Artistic Director of the Detroit International Jazz Festival
- Bill Lucas- 2nd Trumpet Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Achievements[edit | edit source]
Two new jazz podcasts have been added with a Classical music podcast in the works. They have partnered with some of the most influential jazz media including the Max. M. Fisher Music Center, WRCJ-FM, Cliff Bells and the Detroit Jazz Festival. Recently, Jazzstage Productions began hosting live performances. They successfully brought Randy Napoleon, (then guitarist for Michael Bublé, now for Freddy Cole) to Cliff Bell's. The packed audience included Linda Yohn (program director at WEMU-FM), Mark Stryker (The Detroit Free Press music critic) and many of Detroit's top jazz musicians. To celebrate the 28th Detroit International Jazz Festival, they brought Michigan's first Poet Laureate, M.L. Liebler's Magic Poetry band and the Northwood Improvisers to Cliff Bell's. In partnership with WRCJ-FM, Bop Culture performed at Southfield Michigan's Arturo's. DJS cosponsored the Jazz Talk tent at the Detroit Jazz Festival for the second year.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Detroit JazzStage: a monthly podcast celebrating Detroit Michigan's amazing array of Jazz musicians.
- Detroit JazzStage - Jazz Extras: Features panel discussions on Bennie Maupin, Frank Zappa, Jaco Pastorius, Mose Allison, and many more.
- Detroit JazzStage Myspace site: Contains information on shows, pictures and audio clips
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- Bjorn, Lars and Jim Gallert (2001). Before Motown: A History of Jazz in Detroit 1920-60. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-06765-6.
