2014

Top Ten Discs of 2014

Blog Name:Home Page News

Blog Author:San Diego's Jazz 88.3

Posted on:December 30, 2014

Happy New Year to all our Jazz and Blues lovers. It was a great year of music. Due to our move and other factors it was necessary to keep it 'in-house' this year for the selection of our top ten CDs of 2014. Jazz 88.3's Program Director and Music Director (Claudia Russell and Joe Kocherhans, respectively) chose the selections:
  • 1- Keith Jarrett/Charlie Haden- "Last Dance"
  • 2- Holly Hofmann- "Low Life"
  • 3- Sean Jones- "Im-Pro-Vise"
  • 4- Eric Alexander- "Chicago Fire"
  • 5- Gregory Porter and Various- "Great Voices of Harlem"
  • 6- Frank Wess- "Magic 201"
  • 7- Conrad Herwig- "The Latin Side of Joe Henderson"
  • 8- Houston Person- "The Melody Lingers On"
  • 9- Billy Childs- "Map to the Treasure"
  • 10- David Hazeltine- "For All We Know"

Milt Jackson Artist of the Week - Portrait in Jazz Schedule - December 29 2014

Blog Name:Jazz 88.3 Blog

Blog Author:Vince Outlaw

Posted on:December 29, 2014

Milt Jackson is our Artist of the Week for this last week of 2014, December 29, 2014, and, appropriately, the first days of 2015. You will hear the music of one of the greatest Jazz vibraphonist ever all week on San Diego's Jazz 88.3 and Jazz88.org, in addition to a new Portrait in Jazz featuring a different Jazz artist each weekday between Noon and 1 PM PT...with this Wednesday, December 31, 2014...New Year's Eve...being a special day when we will be playing, in their entirety, the Top 10 Jazz Releases of 2014 from 10AM to 9PM. 

Here's a preview of this Thursday's Portrait in Jazz feature of Milt Jackson from the San Diego's Jazz 88.3 YouTube channel...


READ THE FULL ARTICLE for additional info on our Artist of the Week, the daily schedule for Portrait in Jazz features, and a place for your Comment on your favorite Milt Jackson, MJQ, and PIJ artist.

It's All About His Beloved Bolts For San Diego Charger Jazz 88

Blog Name:Jazz 88.3 Blog

Blog Author:Vince Outlaw

Posted on:December 27, 2014

On the eve of the San Diego Chargers' win-or-stay-home final game of the 2014 season in Kansas City, Sunday, December 28, 10 AM PT, we catch up with Charger Jazz 88, aka Barry Farrar, host of Percussive Profiles each Thursday, 8-10 PM PT and Early Evening Jazz on Wednesday's 6-8 PM PT. He took some time to answer a few questions between holiday preparations, sharpening his drum sticks, and getting his tail-gate all ready for the big game. GO CHARGERS! GO JAZZ 88!


Jazz 88 (J88): Thanks for the check-in, Barry...I mean Charger Jazz 88...ah...What should we call you?
Charger Jazz 88 (CJ88): Doesn't matter. Its all about Jazz..Jazz 88 and my beloved BOLTS!!!!

J88: When did you become a Charger?
CJ88: I became a Charger in 1960 when the team moved here after 1 year in LA. My Dad, Barry Farrar, Sr. played sax in the Charger band. He was a single parent raising 2 boys. He would bring me to the games...his gigs. 

CONTINUE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE for more of this riveting interview and your chance to Comment with a shout out to Barry's Chargers and Jazz 88! GO BOLTS!

What Are Your Top Jazz Releases of 2014?

Blog Name:Jazz 88.3 Blog

Blog Author:Vince Outlaw

Posted on:December 20, 2014

While we are all patiently waiting to hear San Diego's Jazz 88.3 Top 10 Jazz Releases of 2014 on New Years Eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2014, starting at 10am and are beginning to read (and post) some of the pontification's from the "pros", Jazz 88 would like to know what you think about this past year in the music we love...JAZZ! 



What are YOUR Top Jazz Releases of 2014? Here's how it will work....
  1. Make your list (via blog / Tumblr / public social media post / YouTube), check it twice, add a few literary flourishes if you dare (and even better, create an image/graphic) and put it somewhere online where we can link to it. If you need a reminder of what NEW you heard on Jazz 88.3 this year, review the Jazz 88 New This Week blog
  2. Let us know where your list is via the Comments section below or via any of our Social Media Channels (also listed below), preferably using the #TopJazz2014 hashtag,
  3. We will add the link to this blog, quoting your most pithy observations, and share links to the best, most creative, most insightful, most strange via Jazz 88's social media channels with the #TopJazz2014 hashtag.
Read the entire article to see A LINK TO YOUR POST, links to lists from those other folks who think they know Jazz ;), and the Jazz 88 Social Media Channels you can share your post at

Curtis Fuller Artist of the Week - Portrait in Jazz Schedule for December 15 2014

Blog Name:Jazz 88.3 Blog

Blog Author:Vince Outlaw

Posted on:December 15, 2014

The great Jazz trombonist, NEA Jazz Master, and Jazz Live San Diego alumni (Sept. 2010) Curtis Fuller is our Artist of the Week starting Monday, December 15, 2014. And we want to kick off the week by wishing a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY CURTIS, on this the 80th anniversary of his birth in Detroit, Michigan! You will be hearing his music, hand-picked by your Jazz 88 hosts all week!


Joining Curtis in the spotlight this week, on Portrait in Jazz  from Noon to 1pm PT each weekday, we are featuring the following artists:
  • Monday, 12/15 - Stan Kenton
  • Tuesday, 12/16 - Curtis Fuller
  • Wednesday 12/17 - Cecil Payne
  • Thursday 12/18 - Clark Terry
  • Friday 12/19 - Bobby Timmons
Read the entire article for more on these great Jazz artists and your chance to Comment on your favorite tune, album, concert or other remembrance.

Joe Chambers Jazz Live

Blog Name:Home Page News

Blog Author:San Diego's Jazz 88.3

Posted on:December 14, 2014

The January 13th appearance of percussionist Joe Chambers will be a great start to a new year of Jazz Live concerts. For this event Chambers will be joined by Josh Nelson piano, Rob Thorsen bass, and Duncan Moore drums. Jazz Live starts at 8pm in the Saville Theatre on the City College Campus. Jazz 88.3 Members can now reserve tickets online or call 619-388-3037. All ages welcome. Print Parking Permit. thanks to @mosaicimages

Jazzlamp Presents A Tribute To The Legends of Latin Jazz Saturday December 13 2014

Blog Name:Jazz 88.3 Blog

Blog Author:Vince Outlaw

Posted on:December 9, 2014

Jazzlamp, a Jazz 88 Partner, presents A Tribute To The Legends of Latin Jazz featuring Gilbert Castellanos, Saturday, December 13, 2014, 7:30 pmJazzLamp once again brings some of San Diego’s best Jazz musicians to the heart of the Gaslamp district for an evening of musical perfection, this time to inspire you with masterful interpretations in a tribute to Latin Jazz Legends. In addition to Gilbert on trumpet, you can hear Irving Flores piano, Dean Hulett bass, Tommy Aros congas, and Fernando Gomez drums. Tickets can be purchased online for $15 and at the door for $20.

5 Ways To Experience The Jazz Education Network Conference in San Diego January 2015

Blog Name:Jazz 88.3 Blog

Blog Author:Vince Outlaw

Posted on:December 8, 2014

The Jazz Education Network (JEN) 6th Annual Conference is coming to San Diego, January 7-10, 2015 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt on San Diego Bay. Over 4 Jam-packed days, YOU can be one of the over 3,000 Jazz Musicians, Educators, Advocates, and Enthusiasts experiencing and learning about breadth of the music you love, JAZZ, in 71 clinics and panel presentations, 36 Research Presentations, the next JENeration of Jazz with the JENerations Student Jazz Festival, 77 concerts including Pancho Sanchez, Bobby Shew, Ann Patterson's Maiden Voyage, and Grammy winner and recently nominated again, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. Check out the full, mind-blowing 2015 Conference Clinician and Performer linepup!  Oh, and did we mention that Herbie Hancock will be delivering the Keynote Speech on Thursday, January 8, 2015?!


On a personal note, I attended the 2014 conference in Dallas and was BLOWN AWAY by the how much I learned and experienced in 4 short days...and the future of Jazz looks bright!

Read on for 5 ways you can experience this unique and one-of-a-kind event!

Blues Jazz Live

Blog Name:Home Page News

Blog Author:San Diego's Jazz 88.3

Posted on:December 2, 2014

Jazz Live gets the Blues. Tuesday, December 9th a 8pm. The Saville Theater will get that blues feeling courtesy of Earl Thomas and Rhumboogie. Listen to a preview of the concert. If you are a valid Jazz 88.3 member you and guest get to go for free, just make your reservation by calling 619-388-3037. Tickets will be available at the door after 7:30pm the night of the show. Please remember that parking pass.

That Jazzy Gift...

Blog Name:Home Page News

Blog Author:San Diego's Jazz 88.3

Posted on:November 30, 2014

Spread the love. Spread the Jazz! You can give a membership to Jazz 88.3 to a friend or loved one this year, and they'll get a year's worth of great Jazz concerts! Not to mention the warm and fuzzy feeling that great Jazz is being broadcast in their name.  Give a gift membership!