KBCA Playlists

[Nick Francis]

I was trying to find some old KBCA airchecks online, but no luck. I did find some then-current playlists, however. Interesting to see just what was "Hot" at the time.


From 1967:



From 1969:

[Darryl]

Craig Hundley! CRAIG HUNDLEY!!! I haven't seen that name in decades. I wonder what happened to him? Anyway, this is great stuff. Looks like the playlist was pretty diverse back then, too.

[Lee M Cohen]

Originally Posted by Darryl

Craig Hundley! CRAIG HUNDLEY!!! I haven't seen that name in decades. I wonder what happened to him? Anyway, this is great stuff. Looks like the playlist was pretty diverse back then, too.

Craig opened a recording studio in Burbank... he changed his name to Huxley. He brought his daughter to see Ravi Coltrane at The Brassarie one night and I got a chance to speak to him. He doesn't talk about the past much, I have one of the Trio LPs.

Lee M Cohen

[Lee M Cohen]

Originally Posted by Nick Francis

I was trying to find some old KBCA airchecks online, but no luck. I did find some then-current playlists, however. Interesting to see just what was "Hot" at the time.

Great stuff, Nick, Lou Rawles, Aretha Franklin, Young-Holt Trio and "Limited" too, I imagine... it was a mix of R&B, pre-Smooth, and Straight-Ahead. Dennis Smith used to play "Nights In White Satin".

Lee M Cohen

[Nick Francis]

The 1969 list is much more in the pocket, with lots of Blue Note and Atlantic releases. It seems that the "psychedelic" mood of the Summer of 67 rubs off a little on the jazzbos, with the inclusion of Donovan and Rolling Stones covers, plus Bola Sete, and two albums each by Hugh Masakela and Charles Lloyd. Wild times indeed.

I'm a SoCal native (UCLA grad) and got my intitial education in jazz by listening to KBCA and KKGO in the late 60's and 70's; hence my interest in LA Jazz Radio, past & present.

[Lee Gato]

Originally Posted by Lee M Cohen

it was a mix of R&B, pre-Smooth, and Straight-Ahead

Man, I HATED the channel during the years it was doing that.

[Lee M Cohen]

Originally Posted by Nick Francis

The 1969 list is much more in the pocket, with lots of Blue Note and Atlantic releases. It seems that the "psychedelic" mood of the Summer of 67 rubs off a little on the jazzbos, with the inclusion of Donovan and Rolling Stones covers, plus Bola Sete, and two albums each by Hugh Masakela and Charles Lloyd. Wild times indeed.

I'm a SoCal native (UCLA grad) and got my intitial education in jazz by listening to KBCA and KKGO in the late 60's and 70's; hence my interest in LA Jazz Radio, past & present.

Then you must remember the great free concerts at The Pilgrimage and Oliver Nelson on Campus at UCLA. I used to park in a free "secret" spot behind Royce Hall in a maintanence area. HA! I went to Uni, so spent lots of time in Westwood. Do you remember the GRANNY and GRAMMY record shop?

When did Gerald Wilson and Leonard Feather come on board?

Lee

[Jim R]

I'm curious- does anybody know if this was really the first 24-hour jazz radio station? I don't claim to know any different, but I've heard similar claims over the years made by various stations, and some I knew were false. I read somewhere that KCBA started in the early 60's, after having changed its programming (and call letters) from the original station which apparently began in 1958 or '59. I do know that Pat Henry's old KJAZ station here in the Bay Area was started in '59, but I don't know when it went to 24-hour broadcasting.

[clinthopson]

KNOB in Long Beach was pretty much all-jazz back in the late 50s with the great Sleepy Stein as evening dj.

I remember live feeds of the Chico Hamilton Quintet with Buddy Colette, Jim Hall, Fred Katz and Carson Smith from the Strollers on Pine St.

"Here's Fats for all you cats."

[Lee M Cohen]

Originally Posted by Jim R

I'm curious- does anybody know if this was really the first 24-hour jazz radio station? I don't claim to know any different, but I've heard similar claims over the years made by various stations, and some I knew were false. I read somewhere that KCBA started in the early 60's, after having changed its programming (and call letters) from the original station which apparently began in 1958 or '59. I do know that Pat Henry's old KJAZ station here in the Bay Area was started in '59, but I don't know when it went to 24-hour broadcasting.

When I lived in SF this was often debated, it was one of those NORTH / SOUTH issues. Pat Henry was a pretty stubborn guy... when he sold out to Ron Cowan he wouldn't give up his KJAZ personalized CA license plate. I used to see his Porsche Speester with the KJAZ plate parked near Polk and California all time, YEARS, after Pat signed over KJAZ to Ron. There was also always an argument of which jazz fest was "first/longest", Monterey or Newport. Monterey claims it because it was never interprupted and cancelled because of a riot. I never got an agreed on answer when living in either SF Bay Area or LA...

Lee M Cohen

[PEETRICK]

Originally Posted by Jim R

I'm curious- does anybody know if this was really the first 24-hour jazz radio station? I don't claim to know any different, but I've heard similar claims over the years made by various stations, and some I knew were false. I read somewhere that KCBA started in the early 60's, after having changed its programming (and call letters) from the original station which apparently began in 1958 or '59. I do know that Pat Henry's old KJAZ station here in the Bay Area was started in '59, but I don't know when it went to 24-hour broadcasting.

Dear Jim R.
I am seeing this thread a year after you posted it and I'm sure you have been answered many times.

The first jazz station was KNOB in 1954 the Jazz Knob at fm 98 in Long Beach (Signal Hill) CA. Alex Sleepy Stein came up with the concept and if you want to know more please email me at patrickj@la.twcbc.com. I knew Sleepy and actually knew Pat Henry and visited Pat in his home in the Oakland Berkely hills.

Peetrick