[Dixielandjazz] Pandora

[Don]

My sister just sent me a link to an online radio music service called 
Pandora.  She forwarded a "station" from her friend called Glenn Miller, 
which is obviously '40's big band.  I decided to try it and created an 
account (yeah I probably contributed to some spammers list I wasn't on 
already).  The way it works, you submit a song or artist you want to 
hear, so I started off with Louis, and it played a fairly late Louis and 
All Stars recording.  So I gave it a tougher test and requested Lu 
Watters.  Bang. up came Big Bear Stomp, All Right!!.  Then it followed 
with Bix's Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down.  Then came a loud and fast 
Al Hirt number I didn't like, but there is a feedback button where you 
give the current selection a thumbs up or down.  I gave Al the thumbs 
down and it immediately moved on to Jelly Roll Morton.  It went on with 
more Louis, then Pee Wee Russel then more Bix, Johnny Dodds and King Oliver.

The service is free if you don't mind some advertisements, so far it's 
been Apple itunes music store.  There is an option to download the tunes 
playing for a fee as well.  There is also an option to subscribe for 
something like $26 a year and the ads go away.

You can create as many "stations" as you want.  I created a Bluegrass 
station starting out with Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs.  Also my own 
"Glenn Miller" type station with Ellington, Basie et al. For my long 
suffering wife I created a Henry Mancini station.

I suspect the dixieland station will probably start repeating artists if 
not tunes, but it is always a surprise what's coming next.  I  heard a 
tune by Dr. Michael White who I heard of because of  Katrina publicity, 
but had never heard.  Was a good tune, I might even buy it.

For anyone interested, the link is:
http://www.pandora.com

Don Robertson
Napa, CA