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SJ.COM:
How long have you been with Radio One here in Indy? CF: Prior to that I worked for a Hip Hop station across town for 9 years. A little background on me: I went into the military right out of high school where I became a broadcast journalist and an announcer. In fact, I was the announcer for Reagan's Inaugural Ceremony. I used to travel all over the country. I was in for 3 years, 4 months, 9 days and 6 hours. Not that I was keeping track. I studied Radio & Television Production in Syracuse after the military and I ended up working for a public station there (WAER) where I played jazz while attending college. SJCOM: How long has WYJZ been Smooth Jazz? CF: 4 1/2 years. Previously the station was country and it was licensed to Lebanon, Indiana. It didn't even show up in the ratings. SJCOM: How about now? Is Smooth Jazz performing for you? CF: We make plenty of noise in the market. Keep in mind that our stick is 19 miles outside of the city, pumping only 6,000 watts. But we're hoping to get an opportunity to upgrade the signal and power up to a "Baby B" class by the first quarter of next year. SJCOM: Carl, are you exclusively employed by Radio One for their Smooth Jazz station or do you also help out with the group's other stations in the building? CF: Just WYJZ. I program the station, handle ops, production, all of it. But we all help each other out around here when there's need. There's only one full time staff member for the Smooth Jazz station and that's me. Everything else is consolidated in the group. SJCOM: Do you pull an air shift as well? CF: Why, yes I do. SJCOM: Which one? CF: All of them. (WRY SMILE) No, actually I'm on in the afternoon live. I also host a couple of weekend shows. CARL TAKES A CALL FROM A LISTENER WHO IS REQUESTING INFORMATION ABOUT A SONG THEY HEARD ON WYJZ. HE PULLS UP THE STATION'S PLAYLIST ON HIS DESK TOP TO INFORM THE LISTENER ABOUT A PIECES OF A DREAM SONG FROM "AQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT". SJCOM: Have you always had an appreciation for Smooth Jazz? CF: Always enjoyed Smooth Jazz. As well as rough jazz. SJCOM: What "rough jazz" do you enjoy? CF: The stuff we can't play on SMOOTH jazz radio because it's too damn cool for the room. When I meet listeners who tell me that we don't play "jazz", I tell them that I would love to play "Bitches Brew" from Miles Davis. While I would get it and he would get it, the rest of our audience wouldn't. We're in a business where we have to reach the biggest audience as soon as possible. But the objective here, at least I hope it is, is that we are educating listeners to perhaps search out deeper music that they can relate to and purchase for their personal use. On the other hand, I also find people who think that they don't like jazz at all (even Smooth Jazz). I lead them by the hand to a Smooth Jazz concert and they say, "Hey, this is fun, this is great!". The next thing I know they are tuning in and totally in love with the station. SJCOM: It's a fine line isn't it? CF: Yeah. Many of our listeners like Marvin Gaye, Terence Trent D'Arby and even though she's done absolutely nothing for the format, they love Sade. Then there are those who question us for playing vocals. I tell these folks that I can program a musical hour for them with Richard Elliot, Kenny G, Boney James, even Rick Braun and at the end of the hour ask them which song was Boney James. Vocals make the format sound less like Muzak. Vocals are the only way you can keep track of the instrumentals. SJCOM:
What's your opinion on new music? You will hear new music in Smooth Jazz. In fact, at this station we play more than our sister station which is an Urban AC. I may add 2 or 3 songs a week and they add 3 or 4 songs a month. SJ.COM: What about vocals? CF: I'm sad to say that this format is not about breaking vocals. We have 5 or 6 current vocals in rotation at a given time. I can only add so many. I'm still waiting on the Norah Jones. I just put Diana Krall in and we'll see about Norah Jones. Vocals are an interesting thing in this format. Artists like Michael Franks won't test well, but he'll come to town and sell out venues. Same thing with Manhattan Transfer. But we don't play them because they don't test well. SJ.COM: Isn't it funny that artists like Rick Braun and Peter White test well, but they don't sell tickets and Michael Franks sells out venues but doesn't test well? CF: Artists like Rick Braun do well in packaged groups. BWB is coming in and it will be a sell out or close to it. It's about perceived value, I guess. It's
really hard to say. I mean, take Chuck Mangione. The hardest working musician
in the world. Probably, the hardest working guy in the world. He'll play
for hours and then sit down and sign autographs until every last autograph
has been signed. Yet, he doesn't get airplay for his newer music. Ramsey
Lewis plays for an hour and signs for 20-minutes and he's out. SJ.COM: Some of the Smooth Jazz artists aren't taking the time to sign after the shows. CF: That will be the end of them. SJ.COM: Well, maybe they are really tired after their performances. Dave Koz will meet with his fan club, but doesn't seem to go out and sign like the old days. Neither does Rick Braun. CF: If Dave Koz is too big to sign an autograph for a concert-goer, then that will be the end of him. I know he has fans paying extra to join his fan club. But if Jeff Gordon (NASCAR driver) can take time to sign an autograph, and Dave Koz can't, we have a problem. If these artists don't feel they need to continue to press the flesh and reach out and touch the audience, then I wish they would invite me to their private island in the Bahamas when they move in next to Mick. (REFERRING TO JAGGER) I found that part of this format very refreshing. That artists would go out and greet their audience. I mean, if they stop doing that, they are going to become like Winger or something. Playing at the Holiday Inn in Savanah for 3 nights. You know, "Thanks for coming out. I'll be here all week. Don't forget the prime rib special." SJ.COM:
What artist(s) do you think will be the next core artist(s) (the next
Rick Braun, Boney James, or Sade)? I met Euge there and let me tell you, this place is swampy. The Slippery Noodle has brick walls, neon lights and a performance area with two levels. It was totally crowded on this particular night as it was a race weekend, and everyone had been drinking Jack since noon. (Jack Daniels sells more liquor to this bar than any other place in the entire state.) .I asked the band if they would allow our guest to sit in and they asked if he was any good. I told them that he was in town with Tina Turner and they were like well if he's good enough for Tina, I guess we can let him sit in. Mr. Euge Groove got up there and everyone just stopped talking. There was no introduction, he just slipped in and started playing whatever those guys were playing and the crowd was completely quiet and the waitresses even stopped, it was just powerful. After that first tune, the applause was wild, more than the band got the whole night. Mr.
Euge Groove iis going to be a star. I saw a little of what he's all about
that night here in Indy.
CF:
Lenny Kravitz. He was like, "Forget the security, c'mon down".
30,000 people were in the audience. I also saw Down To The Bone at a really
small venue here in Indy, 'bout 150 people and 70% were African Americans
who didn't realize the band was white. SJ.COM: You have a family? CF: Yes, but I don't like them. Of course I'm kidding. I love my children and my wife. I do, I love them very much. Thanks Sandy for making me feel like I don't have a life. Let's see. I do like the automotive stuff here in town. I love the races and all of that. SJ.COM: So you go to the Indy 500? CF: No. (WRY SMILE) Yes, it's great to get involved with the Indy car scene. |
