#0005: This Week On The Air–January 21, 2025

Talkie Time : The Big Story - Murderous Kid / Three Coins Spell Death

(This program schedule was originally aired June 13, 2023.)

I’m a cartoonist and writer by trade (if you didn’t know that for some reason), and let me tell you right now–if I got five hundred bucks and some cigarettes for winning a “best journalistic work” competition, I’d be first in line to drive out to New York, bop some poor bastard one over the head, stuff him in a locker, take his press card, and head out to bust some scoops.

Weirdly enough, that was actually a thing in the early 40s. Sponsored by Pall Mall in its early years and my beloved Lucky Strikes¹ in its final two, and having the fascinating honor of besting Bing Crosby’s “Philco Radio Time” in the ratings for a time during its first year, The Big Story sought out journos who “solved a crime, exposed a corrupt political administration, smashed a racket, or performed some other notable public service” and gave ’em five hundred bucks on the dime of one half of the preferred European Breakfast enjoyed by writers the world over². If only Wilkins Coffee did one for illustrators. I’d be all set.

We’ll be listening to “Murderous Kid”, originally aired in January 5 of 1959, in which Al Aronston of the Louisville Courier Journal tells us all about a teenage boy who really, really does not want you to go in his shed.

After that, it’s “Three Coins Spell Death”, which aired on December 14 of the same year and features Tulsa, OK’s own Nolan Bulloch telling his big story about going undercover in the a dry county during the salty days of Prohibition–a tale which, inevitably, leads to murder.

The Jazz Program : Gary Bartz - Another Earth / Ju Ju Man / Bartz

(This program schedule was originally aired September 11, 2023.)

Miles Davis. Pharoah Sanders. Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers. There aren’t many greats that Gary Bartz hasn’t played with, and there aren’t many albums that have his name on the credits that aren’t greats in their own right.

Hell, Professor Bartz is one of the greats himself. Don’t take my word for it, though–the National Endowment For The Arts gave him the “Jazz Master” award just last year.³

The proof is in the pudding though, so they say, and thankfully we’ve got quite a few records to sample this evening and prove the point. We’ll be starting with 1969’s “Another Earth”, which features Pharoah Sanders himself on the album’s titular opener. After that, we’ll be listneing to ‘76’s “Ju Ju Man”, then closing it out with his foray into p-funk, 1980’s “Bartz”.

Bartz is an absolute legend and one of my favorite working musicians today. I’m sure I’ll return to his catalogue at a later date, but until then, keep your ear open–you might just be listening to one of your favorite records and hear a master jazz man at work.

That’s about all we’ve got for this week! Thank you all for reading, and I do hope you tune in live and hang out in the chat with us on Datafruits! We’ve got a good crowd of folks in the chat every week, and whether you have a suggestion for a future show or just want to hang out and chat with fellow jazz enjoyers, you’re welcome here with us.

You’re all amazing and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not. Stay safe out there, and I’ll see you back again next week. Same time, same station.

Have a good one.

–piper

Footnotes…