Hundreds of listeners gathered last week to start their holiday celebrations and the festive season with KCSM. It was an evening of good friends, good food and great live jazz! A Special thank you to everyone who brought a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots toy drive. Lots of local kids will have a happier holiday because of your generosity. (click story headline for more photo)

Sonoma Valley resident Kathleen Lawton was part of the lucky audience when soulful vocalist Allan Harris and guitarist Bruce Forman performed an extraordinary set at the Sebastiani Theater in Sonoma on Sunday December 7. The concert, dedicated to the music of Nat King Cole, was sponsored by the Sonoma Valley Jazz Society. (click header for more)

On Saturday night Kathleen Harris, KCSM Development Director, headed to the Golden Gate Theatre to soak in the sounds of live jazz from one of KCSMs favorites, Kamasi Washington, who delivered a powerful performance that had the crowd on its feet. After the show, Kathleen captured a special moment: Karen, a devoted KCSM fan, reaching out to thank Kamasi for the music that has meant so much to her. This simple handshake between artist and listener captures what KCSM is all about—real connections, shared love of jazz, and a community that stretches from the airwaves to the concert hall. A moment of pure jazz joy that reflects KCSMs unequaled connection to the Bay Area jazz scene.

Singer/songwriter and blues and boogie pianist, Eden Brent is a Greenville, Mississippi native from a family of riverboat captains, guitar pickers, big band singers and all the various characters you’d want in a Southern novel. Eden’s new CD, Getaway Blues, is a celebration of her roots and the music that’s surrounded her throughout her life in Greenville, the home of The Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival, the oldest blues festival in the world. Growing up, Eden heard everything from Hank Williams to Nat Cole around the house, as well as most nights, joining in the post-dinner family singalongs. Greenville neighbor, author Julia Reed, remembers Eden’s home as a soulful and far funnier version of The Sound of Music, and refers to the family as the von Brents.

Coming Soon.

Don Bowman and Dewey Terry never scored a national hit record, but together as the 1950s duo Don & Dewey, they remain one of R&B and early Rock n' Roll's best kept secrets. They grew up as friends in Pasadena, CA, joining fellow students at John Muir High School to form The Squires. In 1955, the group scored a local Los Angeles hit with "Sindy," which has since become a vocal group classic, but when no follow-up hits materialized, Don & Dewey were persuaded to go off on their own by local manager John Criner. After a few sides for local labels Spot and Shade tanked, Criner sold their contract off to Art Rupe, owner of the much larger Specialty Records in LA. Rupe and his A&R man, Bumps Blackwell worked with Don (who was now known as Don Harris) & Dewey, trying to turn their frantic brand of up-tempo jump blues into something, but it never really caught on. Don & Dewey remarkably wrote most of their own material, which was not a standard practice back in the '50s and though they couldn't score hits with their own recordings, other artists were able to. Dale and Grace took Don & Dewey's "I'm Leaving It All Up To You" to the top of the pop chart (#6 R&B) in '63 and the Righteous Brothers cracked the pop chart with their version of "Justine" in '65. The Olympics made a hit out of "Big Boy Pete" in '60, while The Premiers entered the top 20 with "Farmer John" in '64. This week reveals the story of one of early Rock's craziest duos as the ol' Rockola Juke is loaded with their jumpin', jivin' sides.

A wild ride through Hiromi's music. Hiromi has been pushing musical boundaries for over two decades, fusing classical, jazz, rock, and pure imagination. In this episode of Jazz Night in America, the pianist looks back on her career through 10 tracks from 10 different bands she’s led or been part of. From early trio recordings to duets with Chick Corea, a Star Wars surprise, and her latest band Sonicwonder, this is Hiromi in her own words and sound.

Coming Soon.

This episode includes selections in memory of the late Sara Jordan Powell (pictured) and the Reverend Dr. Delores Cain (Florida Mass Choir), as well as from the Trumpeteers, Nightingales, Aretha Franklin, Prof. Harold Boggs, and others.

Liz Taylor, President of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER) Marine. DOER builds cutting edge submersibles used to research the oceans of the world. They’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the field, including collaborating with director James Cameron. Host Scott Piehler talks with Liz about the science of marine exploration, DOER’s public facing Deep Ocean Explore store, ways that everyone can help our oceans, and what it meant to grow up as the daughter of oceanographers.

Chickasaw Storytelling Traditions. Gina Chick shared her personal connection to the Chickasaw tribe and discussed how storytelling became a family tradition while living in the Marshall Islands. She described her experiences serving in the Peace Corps in Belize and emphasized the importance of cultural heritage and traditions in bringing communities together. Gina discussed her approach to writing "Undrowned," a young adult fantasy novel that blends traditional Chickasaw stories with modern storytelling techniques, and advised young Indigenous writers on creating authentic stories.