KSDS Fall Pledge Drives Celebrates Latin Jazz with One-of-a-Kind Membership Gifts
By Matt Silver
Machito and His Afro-Cubans, Glen Island Casino, New York, N.Y., c. 1947. Photo by William Gottlieb. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), the 2023 KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM Fall Membership Drive (Fri., Sept. 22- Sun., Oct. 1) will celebrate Latin American music’s myriad indispensable contributions to jazz. Over the course of the drive, the station will, per member drive custom, be asking listeners to pledge support by purchasing or renewing memberships to sustain KSDS as a vital cultural resource here in San Diego and in every community around the world where the best in straight-ahead jazz can be streamed. And, per member drive custom, there will be Thank You gifts.
Pero este año con la ñapa. But this year, with a little something extra.
Sinatra-themed coffee mugs for your “Café with the Chairman,” inspired by Francis Albert Sinatra’s famous recordings with Antônio Carlos Jobim; one-of-kind T-shirts and totes and polos and posters, and all manner of KSDS-branded merch and swag, emblazoned not just with the station’s logo and call letters but the iconic cover art from the most beloved Latin Jazz recordings and most historic record labels.
And, of course, the reason people tune-in in the first place: music.
Limited edition box sets and rare reissues so beautifully packaged that you’ll be surprised all over again to find hours and hours of music inside after getting lost in the iconic cover art and exhaustive liner notes. Some member gifts will be reserved for those whose gifts meet or exceed a certain level; others will be a part of daily sweepstakes, making anyone who pledges eligible, regardless of membership level. Still others will be available until they’re not anymore, which means that time will be of the essence.
And speaking of time: we’re here for a good one, not a long one. With that in mind, we’re offering not just things this pledge drive, but unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. New and renewing members will have access to a limited number of seats for several singular nights of live music headlined by the most important names in Latin Jazz, in some cases playing iconic arrangements from charts only we have access to. Details to come, but know this: we’re talking about live music experiences that simply will not be able to be replicated anywhere else.
All that and more, beginning this Friday, Sept. 22 through Sunday, Oct. 1, right here on KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM and streaming via jazz88.org and the KSDS app.
