Internet Radio Is Still In Trouble

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From 2003 to 2010, I maintained an internet radio station on Live365. I did it for one reason: passion. I love the music I listen to and always want to share.

Sometime in the middle of that period, organizations with big money started to see internet radio as a threat. Royalty rates were hiked beyond any other broadcast medium. The RIAA and lobbyists wanted Internet radio to suffer.

I’ve been out of the game for a couple of years but apparently this predatory behavior has persisted. There must be some new major hike on the horizon because Pandora is speaking out. Today, Pandora’s founder posted an enlightening blog post about how much the company contributes to the music industry. That includes dollar figures ($65,173 for the Four Tops; about $3 million each for Drake and Lil Wayne are some numbers).

I wrote about why I did my radio station in 2007. Those words remain true today, maybe even more so. Where else can you hear contemporary jazz today? Where can you discover new sounds? On FM? Not likely. It’s internet radio.

Take a minute to think about the importance of music and how you listen. Read this and support the Internet Radio Fairness Act.

New on ContemporaryJazz.com Radio

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ContemporaryJazz.com Radio plays nu jazz, acid jazz, remixed jazz, jazzy house, dancefloor jazz, and other groove jazz styles. It’s online all the time and is free (with ads) or you can purchase a VIP package for commercial free listening and other benefits.

See the embedded spreadsheet below for the most recent adds to the playlist. The spreadsheet contains the artist, track, album title, and links to how to buy the recording (CD and/or high-quality, DRM-free MP3 download) through Amazon.com. Buying through those links benefits ContemporaryJazz.com. Click here for a full screen version.

Contemporary Jazz on Twitter in July

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I’ve posted over 500 tweets of contemporary jazz news, release dates, and site information on Twitter in the last few months. It’s how I communicate quick contemporary jazz items of interest. In today’s quick-moving world, this is how I get most of my information – through brief, one-sentence notifications. Later, I can go back and read more about something or compose a blog post. Follow my tomorrowjazz tweets on Twitter!

I keep a list of my most recent tweets here on the site, but here are some items you might have missed.

  • Smooth jazz takes another blow as The Weather Channel replaces it with classic rock for Weather on the 8’s.
  • Miroslav Vitous’ new CD honors Weather Report http://is.gd/1oYMf
  • New release from jazz pianist Eldar coming August 25. Called Virtue, it has guests Nicholas Payton and Joshua Redman.
  • Pandora and three others might be ok but that doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing Internet radio. http://is.gd/1sYhv
  • Mike Stern’s Big Neighborhood out 8/11 w/ Dave Weckl, MMW, Steve Vai, Esperanza Spalding, Eric Johnson, Terri Lyne Carrington, and more.
  • B.B. King calls George Benson “the best guitarist in the world in all kinds of music.” http://is.gd/1yQhp
  • One of today’s greatest jazz composers, Terence Blanchard, releases Choices on August 18th. Recorded in New Orleans. http://is.gd/1zHt7
  • Chuck Owen & The Jazz Surge release The Comet’s Tail: Playing The Compositions of Michael Brecker on 8/11 w/guest stars. http://is.gd/1AYmC
  • Pat Metheny writes about his upcoming “orchestrionics” recording. It’s going to be interesting. http://is.gd/1L7tI
  • Far Out Recordings-Brazilian Music Sampler Free at Amazon MP3 Store. With Marcos Valle, Joyce, Azymuth, Sabrina Malheiros. http://bacn.me/9ja
  • Didn’t know Larry Carlton was joining Steely Dan on six dates during their current tour.

Thanks, Carol Archer

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Radio & Records, an industry staple, has ceased publishing its smooth jazz chart. It had been published for 15 years. Carol Archer, the only editor for the format for its entire tenure, posted a fond farewell. Carol was one of the first to write about jazz on the web back in the mid-90s. She mentioned my site which was a huge boost. I’m sure I still have that cut out in my files somewhere. I thanked her then and do so again. Thanks, Carol, and best wishes!

MOJALand Is Live! Russ and Michelle Are Back

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The most talked about topic in the last few months here is the end of XM channel 72 – Beyond Jazz. I’m happy to inform you that the duo behind the station, Russ Davis and Michelle Sammartino, are back! The MOJARadio site is now live. The music is coming soon but you can settle in now in MOJALand. MOJALand looks like a nice place to hang out with your fellow modern jazz fans. When you check it out, friend me up! I’m tomorrowjazz.