Andrew Dubber

Playing jazz on the radio

I was invited along to do my old George FM show, It’s A Jazz Thing with the current host, Mark Robinson. Mark took the reins a couple of years ago, and made that show his own. He’s continued the programme’s interest in diverse jazz and plays everything from the most traditional to the absolutely contemporary.

As for me, I’ve become rather narrow and focus primarily on 70s soul jazz. And today, it kind of showed. I’m comfortable with that…

The show was not up in the George studio, but in a cafe/bar on Ponsonby Road called The Living Room.

It was kind of weird. Outside Broadcasts (OBs) have never been my strong suit. Too many variables. This one was particularly strange, since the audience at the cafe were not hearing the show in the way it was broadcast. They got the music, but every now and then, that disappeared while the speaking on air took place. Our voices were not amplified in the room, for technical reasons that escape me.

Show host Mark and broadcast technician Rire

All things considered, it certainly seemed to go pretty smoothly. None of the technical calamities my own OBs had been characterised by in earlier years. I do like the spontaneity of live radio, but OBs scare the hell out of me. It was nice that everything worked as well as it did.

A professional and expert technical support person on hand is a real bonus when you’re doing these kind of things. I remember George FM used to leave us to our own devices a little bit, and that hardly ever ended well…

The setup

Mum and Dad came along, and brought Dad’s sister Ann. It was really nice to see her again after so long. I’m really pleased I’m getting to catch up with so much family, and still managing to do all the things I want to do and see a good proportion of the friends I want to connect with while I’m here.

Aunty Ann appreciating the jazz

The family was a little disappointed that they couldn’t listen to me talking on the radio. They were certainly less interested in the music itself — but with the breads, olives and dips, along with some rather nice New Zealand wines, they were satisfied enough to keep them from going out and listening in the car.

I really wasn’t saying anything particularly earth-shaking anyway… so they didn’t miss much.

Mark interviews Lewis

Mark and I kind of took turns running the show. I dominated with the vinyl rips I had on the laptop, while he played real live records. We even had local saxman Lewis McCallum turn up and so Mark did an impromptu on-air chat with him, while the cafe patrons wondered what happened to the music, and what those blokes in the corner were chatting about behind the mixing desk.

All up, it was a good afternoon: nicely grey and drizzly outside (perfect jazz and wine weather), and a good bunch of Ponsonby’s finest cafe patrons chilling out to a bit of funky jazz. I even had a text message from Clutch who was listening online from the deep, dark midnight cold of Birmingham. That was particularly cool.

I really enjoyed myself, appreciated the opportunity (thanks Mark and George FM) and it was something I’d really been looking forward to. It was so nice to get back on the radio and just play some jazz.

This is my idea of a wonderful time. Wish you were here.

Tagged: New Zealand, Personal, Travel