Posted on: Tuesday, December 17, 2002

BYTE MARKS
Internet a haven for jazz lovers

By Burt Lum
A guide to cool Net sites and Web spots

One of my life's simple pleasures is getting e-mails from readers. Whether it's in the form of acknowledgement, alternative points of view or criticism, it's gratifying to get feedback.

A recent column I did on Smoothjazz.com brought in a wealth of interaction from stalwart jazz personalities and motivated readers. There's enough here worth sharing in another column on jazz.

Mike Bloom, a longtime jazz radio personality in Hawai'i between 1974 and 1982, wrote in to update me on his 20 years since leaving KNDI and KGU. He now has his own music PR company with clients like Herbie Hancock, Mike Stern, Rachel Z, Brian Bromberg, Eliades Ochoa (of Buena Vista Social Club fame), Bill Evans (the sax player), Dennis Chambers, Jackie Ryan, and others.

Heidi Chang, also an alum of KGU, updated me on her latest project. Not jazz per se, she profiles Jim Darling, who studies the humpback whale song for NPR. The segment can be found at the Living on Earth archives for Nov. 8 at www.loe.org/archives/archives.htm.

Another jazz torchbearer, Robb Peterson, who is on at KTUH on Sunday and Monday from 9 a.m. to noon, turned me on to www.interjazz.com. The Interjazz site, besides providing portal services for jazz musicians, streams live concerts from clubs such as the Blue Note in New York. If you miss the live performances, you can still listen to recently archived concerts by Sergio Mendes, Chick Corea, Toots Thielemans, the Congo Kings and others.

Jazz radio is also alive and well on the Internet. The discerning Bytemarks readership recommends these: KKJZ.org streaming from California State University-Long Beach, KCSM.org from the College of San Mateo and KPLU.org, from Pacific Lutheran University.

If you enjoy smooth jazz, check out the streams from www.kksf.com or www.knik.com. For a unique listening experience, several readers recommended www.jazzfm.com. This is live from London. During their day (our night) they play contemporary jazz, and in the evening they play a cool mix of soul, down-tempo jazz and some late-night lounge. ;-)

Burt Lum is a click away at burt@brouhaha.net.