Are there any current or former jazz djs here tonight?

[Tom Kitten]

And if so, did you ever get any complaints from callers about the music you played?

I did, once, I was playing John Coltrane "India" from "Introspections"...

"Do you call this jazz? the voice said on the phone.... "Well, yes, this is John Coltrane" I replied...

The man replied "Well I don't think this is jazz!"

I replied "well it's John Coltrane, and he is jazz , a giant of jazz , and if you don't like this then I'm afraid I can't help you. Now I have to get back to my show"...And I hung up...

I was also a rock dj and got one complaint once, for playing the Velvet Underground...I wonder if it was the same person?

Why do people call up and complain to djs anyways?

[progmom]

1. I got more calls when I did overnights

But mostly they were from men wanting to meet me. That was weird.


I think the only complaint that ever got me into trouble was from my show the Saturday after the election. I closed my show with the following statement:

"For those of my friends who are distressed by the events of the past week, I will ask you to not lose faith. This country was founded on great things, and we will fight to do what is right. Now go out there and do something good for someone."

The station got an irate letter from a listener who read between the lines and was angry about me pushing my political opinions. Oh well.

[parasim]

2. Yup.

A long time ago I used to do this little free-improv jazz show on a local station and once I was playing Anthony Braxton's 6 compositions for Alto Sax and accidently put on the wrong side, the side with 22 or 23 minutes of squeakin' and squawkin'. I just let it play.

Well, almost immediatly afterwards, I got 2 calls. The first one said "Thanks, man, you're playing the coolest stuff, I wish I was recording it!" and then 2 minutes later came, "Will you shut that shit off?"

I'm like, "Well, why didn't you? You're the one that didn't like it."

He hung up.

I'm like, "Coming up next, Ornette Coleman..."

I loved doing that show...