Airwaves: December 12, 2008
KCRW Evolves
Lots of things a happenin’ at the lower end of the FM dial, with KCRW (89.9
FM) leading the way.
As previously reported, new music director Jason Bentley also took on Morning
Becomes Eclectic December 1st, and he made his mark on his first show with
a track called “Crash” by composer Mark Isham and featured on the
soundtrack from the movie of the same name. The first week featured live performances
by Oren Lavie, School of Seven Bells, and Keane.
If you haven’t heard the show, it is worth checking out, weekdays from
9 AM to 12 noon, or on demand at kcrw.com.
Also among the changes at KCRW is Mathieu Schreyer’s move to Friday
nights, 12 midnight to 3 AM. Born in France with stays in North Africa, the
Middle East, Asia and finally Los Angeles, Mathieu is considered by many to
have a sophisticated taste in music.
Obscure, yet classic, funky, soulful and modern, Schreyer says of his show.
Sounds like fine wine ... check it out tonight.
Classic
Looking for something different? Reader Donna Colbert from Long Beach says
that KUSC (91.5 FM) is about the only thing that she listens to when
she’s not plugged into her iPod.
“I’ve about given up on radio,” she told me, “but I find
KUSC quite entertaining. Especially Dennis Bartel (5 to 9 AM weekdays)
and Rich Capparela (4 to 6 PM weekdays). The knowledge of the classical
music they play is nothing short of amazing, and they both present the pieces
with background information that makes the music all the more entertaining.”
Bartel’s association with KUSC actually dates back to the 1970s. Besides
classical music, his interests include writing: he is an accomplished writer
of hundreds of published articles, stories and essays, with subjects as varied
as Israel, maple syrup farming, homelessness and, of course, classical music.
When asked by an employment counselor in 1972 what he would like to be, if
he could be anything in the world, Capparela immediately replied, “a classical
music radio announcer.” The popular radio host took his own advise to
heart, and earned the title of Best Classical DJ in Los Angeles back in the
July, 1998 Los Angeles Reader Best of LA edition. So what does he do in his
spare time? lead singer and guitarist with a four-piece cover rock band.
Hey, every accomplished rock musician has classical music roots ...
Gone
KKGO (105.1 FM) has canceled Sunday Night Classics, a program
which highlighted rare classic country songs Sunday nights from 9 AM to 12
midnight. The program had been hosted by Jimmy Kay and Jeffrey Smart.
Probably unrelated: the station’s digital HD signal has been out for a
while now.
Here
Jim “Poorman” Trenton, famous from his stints at KROQ (106.7
FM) and his Poorman’s Guides books is back on the air in Los Angeles,
this time for a second installment at KYSR (98.7 FM). When he was on
the station back in 2001, he made it all of one shift before hs was let go.
This time I think he may stay a while. Saturdays 7 PM to 12 midnight.
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Copyright © 2008 Richard Wagoner and Los Angeles Newspaper Group.
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