This year has brought a number of new shows to your True Community Radio station, expanding our mission to bring diverse, locally generated programming to our diverse local community. Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m. you can now tune in to “Jazz Lines” to wind down from your working day with a made-in-America musical genre.
“Jazz is a great art form that allows individual creativity and spontaneous solos with a framework to keep it together,” host Jim Trussell explains.
“Jazz Lines” celebrates the whole range of jazz; a recent show featured the great classics of the late 1950s and early 1960s. “These days I listen to a lot of hard bop and modern jazz,” Jim explains. “My rotation is always shifting, but recently I’ve been listening to Chick Corea, Christian McBride, and Pat Metheny.”
For Jim, creating a show involves more than just selecting tracks. Aware that music listeners have many streaming options, he offers something beyond just a well-chosen playlist. Each show has a theme that forms connections between the songs and focuses his brief discussions. “I’ve had themes like live jazz, jazz by trios, and career arcs of noted musicians.” “Jazz Lines,” the show’s title, refers to lines of music, but it also expresses his approach to hosting — connecting songs by drawing a line from one to the next.
“Most programs are just me and music, but I’ve had the great fortune to interview some noted jazz musicians,” Jim reflects. He was especially gratified to interview drummer Paul Wertico, who played with guitarist Pat Metheny for many years.
Jim grew up playing drums, which drew him to jazz at an early age. “My ninth grade band instructor told me he reached the limit of what he could teach in percussion, and referred me to Howie Mann, a local jazz drummer in New York,” he recalls. Those lessons generated a lifelong interest in the music.
Jim became involved with KWVH, Wimberley Valley Radio, a few years ago, serving as board president for a time. When an opportunity arose, he shared his passion by creating “Jazz Lines,” which just expanded to two hours, for KWVH. KZSM consistently seeks variety in our music shows, so a locally produced jazz show was a welcome addition to our schedule.
We’re happy to be sharing “Jazz Lines” with the community radio station just up the road. Tune in Tuesday to see why.
