Bill Virgin's Radio Beat October 19, 2006

Includes archive of Bill Virgin's columns fromJ une 2006 - March 2009

Postby radiofan » Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:35 pm

Thursday, October 19, 2006

On Radio: DJ's silly salutation begets a play

By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER


Dick Stein is nervous about his upcoming debut as producer, writer and performer of a radio drama, but not because it'll be done live; he is, after all, a veteran of the business and does a daily show on jazz station KPLU-FM (88.5).

What concerns him, he says, is this: "I'm not used to performing before a live audience that can get at me."

That sort of wry humor is likely to be on full display in "Jimmy Jazzoid, DJ Detective, and the Death Beak of Ballard," which will be performed at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle and aired live on KPLU at 8 p.m. Oct. 30 (the show is sold out). The show will be rebroadcast at noon Oct. 31.

The humor starts with the term jazzoid, which Stein's listeners immediately will recognize as his trademark greeting (partly inspired, he says, by Rudy Vallee's "Hi-ho, everybody!"). Exactly where the term jazzoid" originated Stein isn't sure of. He says it "just kind of popped out of my mouth" the first time he was on KPLU. "I'm stuck with it now." The first few years he received "huffy letters" from people who didn't like it, but "familiarity has softened the blow."

Then there's the story itself, in which Stein as Jimmy Jazzoid investigates "a mad scientist and his army of half-bird/half-human minions." The cast includes fellow KPLU staffers Paige Hansen, Robin Lloyd and Rich Germaine, as well as a mystery actor as the mad scientist. "Mostly it's just silly," Stein promises.

The show is a stew mixing radio drama with jazz; singer Greta Matassa and her band perform as part of the play, as does the a cappella group the Fabulous Fenderskirts.

Stein says that group performs a big number at the end (he won't say in advance what it is) that was the starting point when he sketched out "Jimmy Jazzoid." "I wrote backwards from the end," he says.

Stein joined KPLU in 1992, after a hiatus of nearly a dozen years away from radio. He mentioned to his neighbor -- Nick Morrison, KPLU's morning host -- that he had done radio, and was recruited to the station, first as a fill-in, then as a regular host. When Morrison left KPLU to commercial smooth jazz station KWJZ-FM, Stein moved to mornings (Morrison is now back at KPLU). In addition to his on-air work, he does production work for KPLU, and did about 100 episodes of "Jazz Kitchen," a series ostensibly about jazz musicians and food but which often were "three-minute mini-plays."

Those who aren't jazz fans might know Stein's voice from another venue: He supplied the voice for the dictionary on the Microsoft Bookshelf CD-ROM.



In other radio notes:


Speaking of radio drama, Jim French's "Imagination Theatre" is venturing to West Seattle next Monday for the taping of a Frankenstein-style tale. The doors at Kenyon Hall (formerly Hokum Hall) open at 7 p.m.


Two recent passings in the radio world to note. Mike Phillips, whose radio career included stops at KJR-AM and KAYO-AM in Seattle in the 1960s, died at age 64.

Christopher Glenn, a long-time voice on CBS Radio News as well as the "In the News" feature on Saturday morning television, died at age 68.


Salem Communications said it has dropped operation of KIKN-AM (1290) in Port Angeles in preparation for boosting KKOL-AM (1300) in Seattle to 50,000 watts. KIKN had been simulcasting KKOL's programming.


Another wrinkle on the recent news of Air America's bankruptcy filing, reported last weekend in the P-I business section. Two co-founders of Air America have started their own network for liberal hosts and plan to launch it on a Phoenix station. One of Nova M's hosts is Mike Malloy, formerly of Air America. There's no Seattle affiliate yet, but the fledgling network is streaming at www.novamradio.com.


KIRO-AM (710) has added the nationally syndicated show "Midnight Trucking Radio Network," hosted by Gary McNamara and Eric Harley, midnight to 5 a.m. daily.


P-I reporters Robert McClure and Lisa Stiffler discuss their recent series on the environmental health of Puget Sound on "Weekday" at 9 a.m. today on KUOW-FM (94.9).


Don Riggs' guests on "Introspect Northwest" at 7 a.m. Saturday on KPTK-AM (1090) and 7 a.m. Sunday on KMPS-FM (94.1) include Nora Ephron, author of "I Worry About My Neck."


The Sunday edition of French's "Imagination Theatre," heard at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KIXI-AM (880), features a Sherlock Holmes adventure that was a winner in its recent scriptwriting contest.


"Voices of Diversity" at 6 p.m. Wednesday on KBCS-FM (91.3) looks at relations between African Americans and Latinos on the immigration issue.

P-I reporter Bill Virgin can be reached at 206-448-8319 or billvirgin@seattlepi.com.

Bill Virnin's Radio Beat in the Thursday Seattle P-I
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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