Deep Focus

Wanna talk trumpet? Roy Campbell spills the beans in this one. The inside stories on Woody Shaw I expected, but Lee Morgan?! Miles Davis?! Ornette Coleman?! Roy Campbell walked the walk and on this show he talks the talk.

I am so glad I got him in the chair and that I can share this with you. Not 2 months after this recording, we got the terrible news that he had died of heart disease at age 61. Roy, you left us way too soon.

 

Photo credit: Woody_Shaw by Tom Marcello - permission by Creative Commons

Phil Schaap's greatest achievement was not his astonishing command of the history of the Jazz idiom or his unrivalled radio programming or his grammy-winning record producing and studio work, all of which have been deservingly vaunted in his obituaries.  His greatest achievement was manifesting a radio station that could be a place for the kind of programming that he saw a need for.  

 

From the time I was a little kid I loved listening to the radio. When I became a teen, I started really paying attention to WKCR.  By the time I started programming here in 1985, I had been a dedicated fan of the station for the better part of a decade.  I kinda figured there was probably a station like WKCR in every major city, right?  Wrong.  Forty years later, having traveled all over the surface of the earth, often in relation to my work in media, I can tell you that there is nothing remotely like WKCR anywhere.  There are other wonderful radio stations but none do what WKCR does.  I have never heard this kind of immersion in the community of musicians and fans, this level of scholarship, this unwavering commitment to reaching far beyond the level of middle-brow entertainment to unapologetically reach for what the artistry of the music demands.  Those 40-minute mic breaks?  That's what I'm talking about.  Well, that and the birthday broadcasts, and the memorial broadcasts, and the festivals and, and, and, ...That's Phil.

 

The WKCR that we know is a figment of Phil Schaap's imagination.  Many have contributed-- and I am proud to count myself among them-- but I don't believe that any of us would have started down this particular path without Phil.

 

And let me tell you: that kind of thing doesn't just happen by itself.  The degree and variety of resources that it takes to keep a radio station and a format going for 50 years are astounding.  The tide of opposition (or just apathy) can be truly paralyzing.  Somehow, this notion emerged from Phil's brain and has captivated enough of us long enough to keep this juggernaut barreling on all this time.  Did I know I would still be doing my college radio show a third of a century later?  Of course not but I am so very grateful that Phil and all the other programmers who came before me did what they did to allow it to happen.  I cannot tell you how much richer my life is because of it.

 

One of the principal among those predecessors was certainly Andy Caploe.  When I was in high school, Andy hosted the slot that I do now.  His show was more of a model for the way I started out doing the show than anything was.  Okay, the truth is that I tried to copy Andy.  Tried and failed.  Many times.  But eventually I came up with my own concept and by then Andy and I were great friends, as we are to this day.

 

What a pleasure it was to welcome Andy to the studio to do Deep Focus with me in 2018.  And our topic? Ed Blackwell.  It couldn't have been anything other than a lovefest and the WKCR archives yielded magic.  Best of all, who was in the station that night but Phil Schaap.  Phil and Andy hadn't seen one another in quite a few years and it was indeed a memorable reunion.  I'm just glad I got to be there for it.  

 

Tune in Monday from 6pm to 9pm to hear for yourself.  If you miss it, catich it on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/

 

What's that you say?  You want a story about Phil's ridiculously terrifying memory?  Okay.  On March 16, 1987 I'm sitting in Tom's on 112th St. with my friend and radio comrade from another station, Jonathan Fiur.  Phil walks in and I point him out to Jon.  Jon has always wanted to meet Phil so of course I introduce them.  As it happens, it's Jon's birthday and Phil is happy to wish Jon a happy one.  On March 16, 1989-- a full TWO YEARS LATER!-- I see Phil at the station:

 

Phil: "...and don't forget to wish Jon a happy birthday for me."

 

Me: "Jon who?"

 

Phil: "I don't know.  You didn't tell me his last name."  

 

It took me a week to remember what he was talking about.  Funny enough, I have never forgotten Jonathan Fiur's birthday since.  

 

 Phil, rather than just saying "Thank you," I'll say that the path you have charted for us is clear.  I don't imagine I will get as far down that road as you have but it means the world to me to have had you to lead the way. 

 

#WKCR #PhilSchaap #AndyCaploe #EdBlackwell #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast

 

Photo credit: Earle Warren and Phil Schaap by Nancy Miller Elliott/New York Public Library.

Phil Schaap's greatest achievement was not his astonishing command of the history of the Jazz idiom or his unrivalled radio programming or his grammy-winning record producing and studio work, all of which have been deservingly vaunted in his obituaries.  His greatest achievement was manifesting a radio station that could be a place for the kind of programming that he saw a need for.  

 

From the time I was a little kid I loved listening to the radio. When I became a teen, I started really paying attention to WKCR.  By the time I started programming here in 1985, I had been a dedicated fan of the station for the better part of a decade.  I kinda figured there was probably a station like WKCR in every major city, right?  Wrong.  Forty years later, having traveled all over the surface of the earth, often in relation to my work in media, I can tell you that there is nothing remotely like WKCR anywhere.  There are other wonderful radio stations but none do what WKCR does.  I have never heard this kind of immersion in the community of musicians and fans, this level of scholarship, this unwavering commitment to reaching far beyond the level of middle-brow entertainment to unapologetically reach for what the artistry of the music demands.  Those 40-minute mic breaks?  That's what I'm talking about.  Well, that and the birthday broadcasts, and the memorial broadcasts, and the festivals and, and, and, ...That's Phil.

 

The WKCR that we know is a figment of Phil Schaap's imagination.  Many have contributed-- and I am proud to count myself among them-- but I don't believe that any of us would have started down this particular path without Phil.

 

And let me tell you: that kind of thing doesn't just happen by itself.  The degree and variety of resources that it takes to keep a radio station and a format going for 50 years are astounding.  The tide of opposition (or just apathy) can be truly paralyzing.  Somehow, this notion emerged from Phil's brain and has captivated enough of us long enough to keep this juggernaut barreling on all this time.  Did I know I would still be doing my college radio show a third of a century later?  Of course not but I am so very grateful that Phil and all the other programmers who came before me did what they did to allow it to happen.  I cannot tell you how much richer my life is because of it.

 

One of the principal among those predecessors was certainly Andy Caploe.  When I was in high school, Andy hosted the slot that I do now.  His show was more of a model for the way I started out doing the show than anything was.  Okay, the truth is that I tried to copy Andy.  Tried and failed.  Many times.  But eventually I came up with my own concept and by then Andy and I were great friends, as we are to this day.

 

What a pleasure it was to welcome Andy to the studio to do Deep Focus with me in 2018.  And our topic? Ed Blackwell.  It couldn't have been anything other than a lovefest and the WKCR archives yielded magic.  Best of all, who was in the station that night but Phil Schaap.  Phil and Andy hadn't seen one another in quite a few years and it was indeed a memorable reunion.  I'm just glad I got to be there for it.  

 

Tune in Monday from 6pm to 9pm to hear for yourself.  If you miss it, catich it on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/

 

What's that you say?  You want a story about Phil's ridiculously terrifying memory?  Okay.  On March 16, 1987 I'm sitting in Tom's on 112th St. with my friend and radio comrade from another station, Jonathan Fiur.  Phil walks in and I point him out to Jon.  Jon has always wanted to meet Phil so of course I introduce them.  As it happens, it's Jon's birthday and Phil is happy to wish Jon a happy one.  On March 16, 1989-- a full TWO YEARS LATER!-- I see Phil at the station:

 

Phil: "...and don't forget to wish Jon a happy birthday for me."

 

Me: "Jon who?"

 

Phil: "I don't know.  You didn't tell me his last name."  

 

It took me a week to remember what he was talking about.  Funny enough, I have never forgotten Jonathan Fiur's birthday since.  

 

 Phil, rather than just saying "Thank you," I'll say that the path you have charted for us is clear.  I don't imagine I will get as far down that road as you have but it means the world to me to have had you to lead the way. 

 

#WKCR #PhilSchaap #AndyCaploe #EdBlackwell #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast

 

Photo credit: Earle Warren and Phil Schaap by Nancy Miller Elliott/New York Public Library.

Phil Schaap's greatest achievement was not his astonishing command of the history of the Jazz idiom or his unrivalled radio programming or his grammy-winning record producing and studio work, all of which have been deservingly vaunted in his obituaries.  His greatest achievement was manifesting a radio station that could be a place for the kind of programming that he saw a need for.  

 

From the time I was a little kid I loved listening to the radio. When I became a teen, I started really paying attention to WKCR.  By the time I started programming here in 1985, I had been a dedicated fan of the station for the better part of a decade.  I kinda figured there was probably a station like WKCR in every major city, right?  Wrong.  Forty years later, having traveled all over the surface of the earth, often in relation to my work in media, I can tell you that there is nothing remotely like WKCR anywhere.  There are other wonderful radio stations but none do what WKCR does.  I have never heard this kind of immersion in the community of musicians and fans, this level of scholarship, this unwavering commitment to reaching far beyond the level of middle-brow entertainment to unapologetically reach for what the artistry of the music demands.  Those 40-minute mic breaks?  That's what I'm talking about.  Well, that and the birthday broadcasts, and the memorial broadcasts, and the festivals and, and, and, ...That's Phil.

 

The WKCR that we know is a figment of Phil Schaap's imagination.  Many have contributed-- and I am proud to count myself among them-- but I don't believe that any of us would have started down this particular path without Phil.

 

And let me tell you: that kind of thing doesn't just happen by itself.  The degree and variety of resources that it takes to keep a radio station and a format going for 50 years are astounding.  The tide of opposition (or just apathy) can be truly paralyzing.  Somehow, this notion emerged from Phil's brain and has captivated enough of us long enough to keep this juggernaut barreling on all this time.  Did I know I would still be doing my college radio show a third of a century later?  Of course not but I am so very grateful that Phil and all the other programmers who came before me did what they did to allow it to happen.  I cannot tell you how much richer my life is because of it.

 

One of the principal among those predecessors was certainly Andy Caploe.  When I was in high school, Andy hosted the slot that I do now.  His show was more of a model for the way I started out doing the show than anything was.  Okay, the truth is that I tried to copy Andy.  Tried and failed.  Many times.  But eventually I came up with my own concept and by then Andy and I were great friends, as we are to this day.

 

What a pleasure it was to welcome Andy to the studio to do Deep Focus with me in 2018.  And our topic? Ed Blackwell.  It couldn't have been anything other than a lovefest and the WKCR archives yielded magic.  Best of all, who was in the station that night but Phil Schaap.  Phil and Andy hadn't seen one another in quite a few years and it was indeed a memorable reunion.  I'm just glad I got to be there for it.  

 

Tune in Monday from 6pm to 9pm to hear for yourself.  If you miss it, catich it on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/

 

What's that you say?  You want a story about Phil's ridiculously terrifying memory?  Okay.  On March 16, 1987 I'm sitting in Tom's on 112th St. with my friend and radio comrade from another station, Jonathan Fiur.  Phil walks in and I point him out to Jon.  Jon has always wanted to meet Phil so of course I introduce them.  As it happens, it's Jon's birthday and Phil is happy to wish Jon a happy one.  On March 16, 1989-- a full TWO YEARS LATER!-- I see Phil at the station:

 

Phil: "...and don't forget to wish Jon a happy birthday for me."

 

Me: "Jon who?"

 

Phil: "I don't know.  You didn't tell me his last name."  

 

It took me a week to remember what he was talking about.  Funny enough, I have never forgotten Jonathan Fiur's birthday since.  

 

 Phil, rather than just saying "Thank you," I'll say that the path you have charted for us is clear.  I don't imagine I will get as far down that road as you have but it means the world to me to have had you to lead the way. 

 

#WKCR #PhilSchaap #AndyCaploe #EdBlackwell #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast

 

Photo credit: publishing info not available.

Strangers on a Train, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, performance by Robert Walker, Warner Bros., 1951.

Vernon Reid, Deep Focus with host Mitch Goldman, WKCR, New York, Dec.2, 2013

 

What if you saw a group of people who appeared to be talking amongst themselves at great distance and you didn't know that they had just invented the cel phone?  You might think they were crazy or, if you're very perceptive, you still might be completely baffled, entranced, just utterly gobsmacked.  Now, if invited, would you join the conversation?

 Vernon Reid's answer to that question was yes.  And that response granted him access to places far beyond the bounds of the known universe.  Join us for this memorial broadcast for Ronald Shannon Jackson from 2013, the last in a series of 4 broadcasts.  Our money-back guarantee: all shall be revealed.

 

Now that we have nearly 200 episodes posted, many of you have asked for a way to search through old episodes.  Your request has been answered.  You'll find a search bar at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #VernonReid #RonaldShannonJackson #LivingColour #JazzInterview #JazzRadio

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.

Strangers on a Train, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, performance by Robert Walker, Warner Bros., 1951.

Vernon Reid, Deep Focus with host Mitch Goldman, WKCR, New York, Dec. 2, 2013

What if you saw a group of people who appeared to be talking amongst themselves at great distance and you didn't know that they had just invented the cel phone?  You might think they were crazy or, if you're very perceptive, you still might be completely baffled, entranced, just utterly gobsmacked.  Now, if invited, would you join the conversation?

 Vernon Reid's answer to that question was yes.  And that response granted him access to places far beyond the bounds of the known universe.  Join us for this memorial broadcast for Ronald Shannon Jackson from 2013, the last in a series of 4 broadcasts.  Our money-back guarantee: all shall be revealed.

 

Now that we have nearly 200 episodes posted, many of you have asked for a way to search through old episodes.  Your request has been answered.  You'll find a search bar at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #VernonReid #RonaldShannonJackson #LivingColour #JazzInterview #JazzRadio

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.

Strangers on a Train, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, performance by Robert Walker, Warner Bros., 1951.

Vernon Reid, Deep Focus with host Mitch Goldman, WKCR, New York, Dec.2, 2013

What if you saw a group of people who appeared to be talking amongst themselves at great distance and you didn't know that they had just invented the cel phone?  You might think they were crazy or, if you're very perceptive, you still might be completely baffled, entranced, just utterly gobsmacked.  Now, if invited, would you join the conversation?

 Vernon Reid's answer to that question was yes.  And that response granted him access to places far beyond the bounds of the known universe.  Join us for this memorial broadcast for Ronald Shannon Jackson from 2013, the last in a series of 4 broadcasts.  Our money-back guarantee: all shall be revealed.

 

Now that we have nearly 200 episodes posted, many of you have asked for a way to search through old episodes.  Your request has been answered.  You'll find a search bar at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #VernonReid #RonaldShannonJackson #LivingColour #JazzInterview #JazzRadio

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.

Ronald Shannon Jackson's music was open source.  It was not possible to play it correctly without bringing your own voice to it: your background, your proclivities, your vocabulary.  And if you didn't have it to bring, the music wasn't going to make it off the stage.  Jack DeSalvo brought a musical lexicon to the Decoding Society that was unmatched.  When Shannon expressed a mood-- on drums or flute or schalmei or in a composition-- Jack was able to flesh it out in a completely distinct way.  Entire new pathways were charted.  

 

Mitch Goldman presents the third installment of his memorial broadcasts for Ronald Shannon Jackson from 2013, with guest Jack DeSalvo.  This week's show features guest cameos of Prince(!), Iron Maiden(!) Ethan Singer(!), a stolen vanload of gear(!) and that guy at the hotel in the south of France(!).  I tell you, this one is not to be missed.

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #RonaldShannonJackson #JackDeSalvo #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast #DecodingSociety

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.