Do any of you all remember the 24 hour Friday Night radio show (mid 1950's) devoted to Jazz? What was it called. No rock and roll, just Brubeck, Coleman Hawkins, etc.

Thanks.

Jon

 

Thanks to Google, I answered my own question. MONITOR.

 

I don't remember it Jon. What years are we talking about and what part of the country?

 

1954 - 1955 It came out of the east somewhere, but was carried locally by one of the national networks. It was just something to listen to while cruising in the middle of the night. Kinda like Wolfman Jack in "American Graffiti". What made "Monitor" so good was that most of the music was jazz while all the other late night things here (central Colorado) were either rock and roll (pretty good stuff) or shoot kickin stuff.

Jon

 

I guess I'm not old enough for that stuff. I used to listen to Wolfman Jack on XCRF out of Del Rio Texas in the 60s. Only encounters with jazz were on my parents record player in Chicago. Ever heard of Johnny Maddox , Kid Ory, Pee Wee Hunt, Joe Venuti & Bobby Maxwell? My father had 52 copies of the Saint Louis Blues - all different artists and different arraignments. Those were some of my favorites before I heard Pink Floyd , Led Zepplin, Carlos Santana, Nokie Edwards, Peter Frampton. etc.

 

Monitor Radio was broadcast at one time almost continuously during the weekend. I remember being in my grandfather's car and listening to the Monitor network. Music, news, the whole gamut of radio..(of course, I also remember listening to The Lone Ranger as well).

 

While I was in the Army part of my duties included listening to short wave radio. One cold winter night in 1956 we picked up Del Rio on a harmonic skip in Germany. At this time, Del Rio was nothing but 50000 watts of country/western stuff and commercials including my favorite of all time "for only 5 dollars, we will send you your very own Bible bound in Genuine Imitation Moroccan Leather...." I think that was the only time I ever listened to Del Rio.

It sounds like your father was into Trad Jazz.

Jon