INTERLOCHEN, Mich. -- It's showtime in Studio E. A short, balding man with a thick black moustache pops on headphones in the radio booth and leans toward the microphone as a bouncy tune - one of his compositions - plays in the background.
“Welcome to Jazz Connections," he says in a silky, inviting baritone. “This is Jeff Haas, your host for this hour of music exploring the art form of jazz and its connection to classic rock, R&B, blues, folk and more."
The show is a twist on the standard jazz format. It's not often jazz radio shows intersperse Jimi Hendrix's “All Along the Watchtower" or Bob Dylan's “The Times They Are A'Changing" with the trumpeting of Miles Davis and John Coltrane's sensual saxophoning. Can Thelonious Monk peacefully coexist with The Police?
Absolutely, Haas says. The premise of his new weekly show on Interlochen Public Radio, about 320 kilometres northwest of Detroit, is that common threads run through many musical genres, and exploring them will enhance the listener's appreciation for the music, the composers and performers - and the culture that produced them.
Using public radio as a classroom runs in Haas' family. For more than 40 years, his late father, Karl Haas, hosted “Adventures in Good Music," a syndicated program that aired on hundreds of stations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico and elsewhere.
The elder Haas, a Peabody Award winner and the first classical music broadcaster named to the Radio Hall of Fame, died in 2005. His 59-year-old son, who was trained as a classical pianist before turning to jazz in his youth, hopes “Jazz Connections" also will gain syndication and a nationwide audience.
“My dad's philosophy was, let's make this music accessible to anyone and everyone," Jeff Haas said. “My goal, and it's a lofty one, is to sort of extend that vibe of accessibility, engaging people on an emotional level with great music."
“Welcome to Jazz Connections," he says in a silky, inviting baritone. “This is Jeff Haas, your host for this hour of music exploring the art form of jazz and its connection to classic rock, R&B, blues, folk and more."
The show is a twist on the standard jazz format. It's not often jazz radio shows intersperse Jimi Hendrix's “All Along the Watchtower" or Bob Dylan's “The Times They Are A'Changing" with the trumpeting of Miles Davis and John Coltrane's sensual saxophoning. Can Thelonious Monk peacefully coexist with The Police?
Absolutely, Haas says. The premise of his new weekly show on Interlochen Public Radio, about 320 kilometres northwest of Detroit, is that common threads run through many musical genres, and exploring them will enhance the listener's appreciation for the music, the composers and performers - and the culture that produced them.
Using public radio as a classroom runs in Haas' family. For more than 40 years, his late father, Karl Haas, hosted “Adventures in Good Music," a syndicated program that aired on hundreds of stations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico and elsewhere.
The elder Haas, a Peabody Award winner and the first classical music broadcaster named to the Radio Hall of Fame, died in 2005. His 59-year-old son, who was trained as a classical pianist before turning to jazz in his youth, hopes “Jazz Connections" also will gain syndication and a nationwide audience.
“My dad's philosophy was, let's make this music accessible to anyone and everyone," Jeff Haas said. “My goal, and it's a lofty one, is to sort of extend that vibe of accessibility, engaging people on an emotional level with great music."
For more information contact All About Jazz.
