Sound Ideas (Jazz & Blues)

Series produced by Clay Ryder

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Sound Ideas explores the artistry of jazz, blues, and the spoken word. Hosted by Clay Ryder, each episode explores a different theme or genre of the jazz idiom through recorded performances pulled from more than eighty years of recorded art. The music is the focus. It is complemented by a few minutes of intelligent commentary to set the context and make the music understandable and personal for both the jazz aficionado and those who listen on the jazz periphery.

Each episode can air as a stand-alone or run in a series.

What is Sound Ideas?
More than just a jazz show, each episode presents some great story telling by jazz and blues musicians and spoken word artists. By exploring the many different genres within the Jazz idiom, the show appeals both to the jazz aficionado and those who listen on the jazz periphery. In both cases, listeners enjoy exposure to a broad cross-section of this creative art without the limitations of stylistic labels. Spoken word features reflect jazz sensitivities or the life of the jazz musician and offer a unique twist on the many colors and hues painted with a brush called jazz.

One aspect of Jazz that distinguishes the art form is its ability to engage the listener on different levels (intellectual, emotional, spiritual, etc.) simultaneously. Jazz is a musical oxymoron. Jazz is a classical music, a high art form that demands much from its performers and at times from its audience; yet jazz is as down home as fried chicken, baked beans, cornbread, and your favorite glass or beer or soda.

Jazz comes from toil in the fields reassured by the gospel on Sunday morning. Jazz oozes out from under the door frame at the late night rent party. Jazz emanates from a student practicing with his or her Jamey Aebersold play-along records. Jazz is created at the university in an advanced composition class. Jazz is created by tales spun by the stand-up comic. Jazz is about learning; it's about life experience.

Listening to jazz on the melodic level reveals one experience, listening on the harmonic, another. Listening to the stories that are embedded in the melodic and harmonic levels takes the listener to another plane of communication.

Jazz is a language, and as with all languages, if one doesn't know the vocabulary and the grammar, there isn't much to gain from the interaction. With practice, however, picking up a language enables communication; and with time, the subtle nuances, the play on words (or notes), and inclusion in the greater discussion can lead to a rich and very satisfying experience. Sound Ideas seeks to engage the listener and broaden his or her musical horizons.

When should Sound Ideas be aired?
While this program would fit well within any jazz formatted day part, its intention is to engage the listener and offer a path for musical exploration and deep understanding. It works equally well as a stand-alone program within a block format or as a lead-in to locally programmed music.

What is the format?
Sound Ideas is just under an hour. It features a cold opening so it can easily transition from top of the hour news segments or from other programming. It is self-contained without local cutaways; however, there is ample space for local promotions or other transitions at the beginning and end of the show.

What’s the show’s vibe? How does it sound?
Sound Ideas is conversational and informative with a laid-back vibe. While the performances are the focus of the program, details about musicians and where to find the music are key components of the programming. Each episode has a playlist plus additional information about its theme available on the jazzstreams.org web site.

What is the cost?
Sound Ideas is free of charge. Customized promotions for stations are available for a nominal fee.

Does the series have to run in order?
No. Each episode can stand alone or run in a series. Since each program is thematic, you may run them in any order at any pace you choose (limited only by the number of available shows). An obvious exception would be holiday-themed shows, which would make sense to run during the holiday season in question.

Does the show have its own web site?
Yes. Additional information about each episode and its theme is available at http://jazzstreams.org/soundideas Hide full description

What is Sound Ideas?More than just a jazz show, each episode presents some great story telling by jazz and blues musicians and spoken word artists. By exploring the many different genres within the Jazz idiom, the show appeals both to the jazz aficionado and those who listen on the jazz periphery. In both cases, listeners enjoy exposure to a broad cross-section of this creative art without the limitations of stylistic labels. Spoken word features reflect jazz sensitivities or the life of the jazz musician and offer a unique twist on the many colors and hues painted with a brush called jazz.One aspect of Jazz that distinguishes the art form is its ability to engage the listener on different levels (intellectual, emotional, spiritual, etc.) simultaneously. Jazz is a musical oxymoron. Jazz... Show full description


508 Pieces

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Life is an emotional journey. We've all experienced times where in a fraction of a second our emotional standing suddenly shifts for no apparent re...

Bought by KHNS, KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: Jul 03, 2016
  • Length: 55:50
  • Purchases: 5
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In the words of Art Blakey, "No America, no jazz". In this hour we will celebrate another anniversary of the birthplace of jazz with music that ref...

Bought by WMOT, WLPR , Delmarva Public Media, WOUB, KCMJ Community Radio and more


  • Added: Jun 25, 2016
  • Length: 55:57
  • Purchases: 6
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Jazz paints on a broad canvas with a variety of sounds and textures. Some are cool, others hot; some linger in the background, others demand the fo...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), WOUB, and WLPR


  • Added: Jun 19, 2016
  • Length: 55:56
  • Purchases: 3
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Once a year we set aside a special day to honor our paternal heritage. In this hour we will listen to songs and melodies focused on dads, from a va...

Bought by KHNS, GCR (Global Community Radio), WLPR , WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 12, 2016
  • Length: 55:42
  • Purchases: 5
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With the change of the season often comes a change in the mood. After a hard day's work, the evening represents a change to relax a bit and contemp...

Bought by WMOT, KHNS, KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , GCR (Global Community Radio) and more


  • Added: Jun 06, 2016
  • Length: 55:30
  • Purchases: 6
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Jazz is more than just blowing notes over the chord changes. Granted, this is often the approach in cutting sessions or live dates. Nevertheless, t...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: May 29, 2016
  • Length: 55:58
  • Purchases: 4
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Any aspiring jazz student of the 1970s and 1980s likely spent a week, once, twice or more at one of Jamey Aebersold's jazz improvisation clinics. T...

Bought by WLPR , KCMJ Community Radio, GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: May 22, 2016
  • Length: 55:55
  • Purchases: 4
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Welcome to another Blue Hue Review. The Blues are an inherent part of jazz. Even the most seemingly abstract intellectual jazz composition has a li...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: May 15, 2016
  • Length: 55:59
  • Purchases: 4
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Every once in a while someone "in the know" will make the proclamation that jazz is dead, and that everything there is to be done has been done. I ...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: May 08, 2016
  • Length: 55:58
  • Purchases: 5

  • Added: May 01, 2016
  • Length: 55:50
  • Purchases: 4
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Every once in a while multiple generations of jazz musicians come together under one roof, a familial one. While jazz siblings are not unheard of, ...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, WLPR , GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: Apr 23, 2016
  • Length: 56:00
  • Purchases: 4
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Throughout jazz history there have been some musical ensembles that featured siblings. In this hour we listen to a few of these special fraternal j...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, KCMJ Community Radio, GCR (Global Community Radio), WLPR , and WOUB


  • Added: Apr 16, 2016
  • Length: 55:59
  • Purchases: 5
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Jazz is a broadly encompassing genre tallying eight decades of musical influence and impact. This has resulted in a great deal of latitude in the l...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, GCR (Global Community Radio), WLPR , and WOUB


  • Added: Apr 09, 2016
  • Length: 56:00
  • Purchases: 4
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The Blues gave birth to many idioms, including music that might be heard in a club on Friday night as well as its cousin that might be heard on Sun...

Bought by WLPR , KCMJ Community Radio, GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: Apr 02, 2016
  • Length: 56:00
  • Purchases: 4
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Jazz tends to be a single songform or musical composition that stands alone. It's the improvisational framework for what ensues. However, this does...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: Mar 26, 2016
  • Length: 56:55
  • Purchases: 5
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Without the sun, life would be impossible. In general, the sun is viewed as hope and a harbinger of good things, for example consider the meaning o...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , GCR (Global Community Radio), and WOUB


  • Added: Mar 19, 2016
  • Length: 55:45
  • Purchases: 5
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Most any discussion of daily life ultimately hits upon the weather, and as the song goes, Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall. This hour celebrates ...

Bought by KRPS, KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , and GCR (Global Community Radio)


  • Added: Mar 14, 2016
  • Length: 55:57
  • Purchases: 4
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Life is at best unpredictable. The good and unfortunately the bad, wax and wane throughout the journey of life. Nevertheless, the ever changing moo...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, WOUB, KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , and GCR (Global Community Radio)


  • Added: Mar 06, 2016
  • Length: 55:55
  • Purchases: 5
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Human beings are complex creatures, how else could we explain the jazz idiom? Nevertheless, all of us at some time have found that interacting with...

Bought by WOUB, KCMJ Community Radio, WLPR , and GCR (Global Community Radio)


  • Added: Feb 27, 2016
  • Length: 55:55
  • Purchases: 4
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Polyrhythms are a key component of the jazz construct. At times they are subtle, if not unnoticed. At others they are a bouncing and angular affair...

Bought by WOUB, WLPR , KCMJ Community Radio, and GCR (Global Community Radio)


  • Added: Feb 20, 2016
  • Length: 55:48
  • Purchases: 4