San Diego's Jazz88.3 On-Air Staff

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Gary Beck

He is a long-time broadcaster whose talents have taken him around the country. Gary Beck has worked in various formats but his love of jazz and blues is evident when you hear him weekday mornings. This third-generation San Diegan began his long association with KSDS in October of 1974 and he has done shows off and on since that time.

Dave Drexler

A trusted broadcast professional for more than 30 years, Emmy-winning Dave Drexler is one of San Diego's best-known voice-over talents, on-camera presenters and media writer/producers. Dave is the Director of Drexler Media, a professor at San Diego City College and Palomar College, and is the Producer/Director of our Jazz Live Series.

Ron Dhanifu

Ron Dhanifu has a gift for hearing what's in the music, so you always get a captivating show. His favorite artist is Miles Davis, but his favorite instrument is the alto sax.

Chad Fox

Since joining KSDS-FM as a DJ in 2009, Chad Fox is our Operations, Music, Programming and Development Director. He was drawn to Jazz 88.3 by his long-standing passion for Free Jazz, Avant-Garde, and Experimental/Creative music. A native of Lancaster, Ohio, Chad loves collecting vinyl and jazz memorabilia. Wake up early with Chad every weekday morning for Good Morning Jazz, 6am-9am.

Will Friedwald

Will Friedwald writes about music and popular culture for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun, The New York Stage Review, Vanity Fair, Playboy magazine and other publications.

Jim Gallert

Jim Gallert was chosen by “the music” during a Sun Ra performance in 1968. He began broadcasting jazz on WDET-FM, Detroit's NPR outlet, in 1972. He hosted Jazz Yesterday for twenty-one years, and produced Detroit Jazz Alive, a live Jazz show, for three years. He’s been affiliated with the Detroit Jazz Festival since its inception as MC and writer. Jim and his longtime friend, Lars Bjorn, produced and hosted the Jazz Talk Tent at the Festival for nearly thirty years.

Gordon Goodwin

Having amassed 21 GRAMMY® nominations, four GRAMMY® wins and three Emmy wins, Gordon Goodwin is the most decorated big band leader in the 21st century. He is leader of Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, an internationally known ensemble with a reputation as one of the most exciting large ensembles in jazz.

Chuck Granata

Chuck Granata is acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the music and career of Frank Sinatra. He is a 30-year veteran of the music industry and has served as a record and radio producer, author, music historian and archivist.

Miff Mole

Miff Mole says don't get hung up before the end. He also says dig when it's really important. Either Chris Johnson or Bruce Lee said "be like water" and Mr. Mole digs that. If born in another era, Mr. Mole would have been a scientist discovering a new sound.

Larry Murry

Larry Murry has been on the air at Jazz 88.3 since 1991. His personal love of the music has a strong influence on his expert programming skills. In addition to being a radio guy, Larry is an accomplished photographer.

Raul Rico Jr.

Raul Rico, Jr. began programming Latin jazz in 1984. A lifelong fan of Latin music, thanks to his parents, Raul joined The Estrada Brothers Latin jazz band in 1974 as their percussionist and produced many of their recordings. He currently co-owns the family business with his brother and still works as a freelance percussionist.

Claudia Russell

As a child she learned jazz songs from her mom, as well as seeing Dizzy Gillespie and Buddy Rich on The Muppet Show. Claudia picks the guitar and tenor saxophone as her favorite instruments, and says picking a favorite musician depends on mood and circumstance.

Loren Schoenberg

Loren Schoenberg is Senior Scholar of The National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He is currently on the faculty at The Juilliard School, and has also taught at Manhattan School of Music, and The New School. Mr. Schoenberg has lectured at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The White House, The New York Philharmonic, Stanford University, and The Aspen Institute.

Dr. Ricky Shabazz

Dr. Ricky Shabazz, President of San Diego City College.

Matt Silver

A writer, journalist, and the author of “Pieces of Silver,” Matt Silver has been enamored with the concept of performance since his grandparents told him as a toddler that singing “Sunrise, Sunset” in rooms full of strangers was the cool thing to do.

Matt comes to San Diego by way of his native Philadelphia, where, from 2017-2022, he wrote for NPR member station WRTI’s Arts Desk. His writing has also appeared on NPR.org and public media platforms across the country, as well as in The Jewish Exponent (Philadelphia), Washington Jewish Week, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, and The Times of Israel.

Roger Stolle

St. Louis marketing executive Roger Stolle left Corporate America and moved to Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 2002 with a mission to "help organize and promote the blues from within." He founded Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art store (www.cathead.biz), co-founded Juke Joint Festival (jukejrointfestival.com), authored Hidden History of Mississippi Blues and Mississippi Juke Joint Confidential (The History Press), writes for Twoj Blues (Poland) and Blues Music Magazine (USA), produced three albums on Big George Brock, and co-produced the blues film projects Hard Times, M for Mississippi, We Juke Up in Here!, and Moonshine & Mojo Hands. Honors include Keeping the Blues Alive and Blues Music awards from The Blues Foundation.

Neil Tesser

GRAMMY® Award-winning journalist Neil Tesser has reviewed, reported on, and broadcast jazz in Chicago for nearly 50 years, including "Jazz Forum" at NPR station WBEZ-FM Chicago (1980-1996); the nationally syndicated jazz commentary program "Listen Here!" (2005-2008); and from 2017-2019, programs on the WFMT Jazz Network, heard nationwide and in China. In 2018, he received the Jazz Journalists Association’s Marian McPartland-Willis Conover Award for Career Excellence in Broadcasting,

Billy Vera

Billy Vera is a GRAMMY® winning singer, songwriter, actor, author and music historian. He has been a singer and songwriter since the 1960s, his most successful record being "At This Moment", a US number 1 hit in 1987. He continues to perform with his group Billy Vera & The Beaters, and won a Grammy Award in 2013.

Kenny Washington

One of the top jazz drummers of the past 40 years, Kenny Washington is also a jazz historian who has played all styles of jazz.

Kenny Washington spent 10 years as a disc jockey at WBGO, public radio station in New Jersey. From there he was recruited by Sirius Satellite Radio to become the first jazz program director from 1999-2003.

Kermit Ruffins

With over fifteen albums to Kermit Ruffin's credit including live albums capturing his inimitable stage presence (1998’s The Barbecue Swingers Live and 2005’s Live at Vaughan’s), a collaboration with his Rebirth Brass Band brethren (2005’s Throwback), a holiday album (Have A Crazy Cool Christmas [2009]), an homage to New Orleans’ traditional jazz (We Partyin’ Traditional Style! [2010]), and the party-anthem packed #imsoneworleans (2015) the New Orleans trumpeter shows no signs of slowing down.

Every year Ruffins ebullient attitude and love of his hometown music firms his reputation as the New Orleans idol. Dedicated to preserving and passing on the tradition of jazz, he is often compared to his own hero, Louis Armstrong. Kermit is thrilled to be playing the music of New Orleans on Jazz Across America- New Orleans exclusively heard on KSDS-FM, every Friday night at 5PM Pacific.

Sam Wisman

Sam started listening to jazz regularly on the radio when he was just 13 years old, and his life as a musician and radio guy continues to intertwine. Son of a merchant and a classical musician, he came to Kansas City to attend the UMKC Conservatory and study with the legendary saxophonist, composer, and Jazz Messenger, Bobby Watson. During school, he shelved a lot of records and played "drop the needle" at the Marr Sound Archives. After graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Percussion Performance, Sam became a versatile fixture in Kansas City's music scene.