[Dixielandjazz] Half a million people can't be wrong!

[Steve Barbone]

Congratulations Brian & John. You are showing us the way.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone 

on 9/23/06 11:57 AM, brian at radiojazz.co.uk at brian at radiojazz.co.uk wrote:

 
> The Hot Jazz Channel internet traditional jazz radio station has just
> chalked up an amazing milestone.
> 
> It's logged its half millionth listener.
> 
> This is thought to be a record for an internet jazz show.
> 
> Started just twelve months ago by computer wizard John Booth and jazz writer
> & journalist Brian Harvey, this completely uncommercial station broadcasts a
> new eighteen track half hour show every month. The show is available
> worldwide 24-hours a day seven days a week and regularly attracts
> enthusiastic audiences of over 50,000.
> 
> "I was frustrated with the lack of our kind of music in both public service
> and commercial broadcasts" said Brian. "There are thriving traditional and
> mainstream jazz scenes in many parts of the world but the musicians within
> them and the record companies that serve them are virtually ignored by
> mainstream broadcasters. The Arts Council in Britain for example is
> convinced that jazz began in the 1940s with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie
> Parker and not in New Orleans with Buddy Bolden at the turn of the 19th
> century."
> 
> He continued "with the very active help of musicians like Chris Barber, and
> bands like that of the Bob Crosby Bobcats, the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, the
> Cell Block Seven Jazzband and many record companies we have been able to
> show that there is a large worldwide audience for good traditional and
> mainstream jazz. Our aim through the show is to help keep the music alive
> and to spread the word that it may be a hundred years old but it's still
> being played. And - all that people have to do is get out there and find it.
> We hope that they will".