Congratulations and good luck to KCSM’s very own Chris Cortez, who was nominated for the 2026 Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in the category Bay Area Audiocaster of the Year! VOTING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Thank you to the incredible audience that made the 20th Jazz on the Hill such a joyful celebration — the guests who filled the hill, the listeners who tuned in, the families who brought the next generation, and every person who helped make the 2026 festival feel unforgettable. Every cheer, every quiet listen, and every moment shared on the hill became part of something that reached far beyond the stage — from master artists to young musicians, from College of San Mateo to listeners around the world. Photos coming soon.

Thank you to everyone who made the first Friends of Jazz on the Hill gathering so full of purpose, celebration, and possibility. The evening honored Tuck & Patti with the ICON Award for their extraordinary artistry and brought our community together to support the next generation of jazz musicians. Because of the generosity in the room, the 2027 Youth Stage will have the support to grow — and, for the first time ever, KCSM can capture and share Youth Stage performances beyond the festival day. Even more young musicians will have the chance to be heard. Thank you for helping open the stage wider, carry the music farther, and make Jazz on the Hill possible for the next generation.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Musings on Miles: An Evening with Sonny Buxton, a celebration of Sonny’s voice, legacy, and extraordinary place in Bay Area jazz. Through music, conversation, mentorship, and shared memory, the evening honored Sonny’s lifelong commitment to bringing jazz stories to the people. It also helped launch the Sonny Buxton Jazz Legacy Fund, supporting paid internships, mentorship, broadcast training, and opportunities for the next generation of jazz storytellers. We are deeply grateful to our guests, artists, donors, and listeners for helping carry Sonny’s legacy forward.

On McCoy Tyner, The Large Ensemble Recordings, Part 1 we present the piano giant leading large ensembles between 1967 and 1977. In the company of Lee Morgan, Bennie Maupin, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, and more.

Award-winning journalist, music critic and co-creator/host of NPR’s Alt Latino, Felix Contreras has the widest range of music he adores of anyone I know. He’s an international ambassador of Latin music and art but can just as easily rhapsodize about his love for The Grateful Dead, jazz, and the Beatles and explain poetically how it all connects. Felix and I met at NPR in 2001 when Jazz Inspired was part of a show called, “Jazz Riffs” and Felix was the Executive Director of the series. Felix has been a dear friend ever since, and a tireless supporter of Jazz Inspired, so it was a treat and honor to finally have him on the show.

Max Johnson 3. Described as “an intrepid composer, architect of sound and beast of the bass…”, composer, bassist, and improviser Max Johnson is one of the most prolific music makers in the jazz, bluegrass, improvised music, and contemporary classical worlds. Johnson has released nearly 20 albums and performed over three thousand concerts internationally with artists like Anthony Braxton, Geri Allen and Mary Halvorson. This performance features Neta Raanan on Tenor Saxophone and Eliza Salem on Drums performing selections from their 2024 album I’ll See You Again. From May 1st, 2025 Daniel Peck is your host for the Max Johnson 3…Live at the Bop Stop.

Imperial Records, Part 11 - 1957-58. This week, we conclude our Imperial series with part eleven, focusing on Imperial's R&B releases from the end of 1957 and the beginning of 1958. There's a new hit-maker in town as Imperial signs the young heartthrob, Ricky Nelson as well as other Rockabilly, Rock and Pop acts. Chudd begins to move the label away from Rhythm & Blues and that great New Orleans sound that brought the hits over the past decade. Fats is still able to chart and does so with gusto as "What Will I Tell My Heart," "Wait & See," "When I See You," "Sick & Tired" and "The Big Beat" all make the charts. Ernie Freeman scores one of Imperial's best-sellers with his cover of the Bill Justis tune, "Raunchy" and Bobby Mitchell records the first version of "I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday." 1958 is a great place for us to stop as we've covered Imperial's R&B heyday over the past eleven weeks on your source for the "soul that came before Rock n' Roll.

Max Johnson 3. Described as “an intrepid composer, architect of sound and beast of the bass…”) composer, bassist, and improviser Max Johnson is one of the most prolific music makers in the jazz, bluegrass, improvised music, and contemporary classical worlds. Johnson has released nearly 20 albums and performed over three thousand concerts internationally with artists like Anthony Braxton, Geri Allen and Mary Halvorson. This performance features Neta Raanan on Tenor Saxophone and Eliza Salem on Drums performing selections from their 2024 album I’ll See You Again. From May 1st, 2025 Daniel Peck is your host for the Max Johnson 3…Live at the Bop Stop.

The Resilient Activist. Sami Aaron, founder of The Resilient Activist, shares her journey from being a data manager to supporting environmental activists. Sami highlights the need for mental health support within the environmental movement, she encourages individuals to talk about their climate emotions and recommends resources for climate anxiety. (more)

Stanley Stovall, longtime Chicago choir director, is our guest this week. He talks about working at Mt. Eagle BC, with Rev. Ernest Franklin, Lavelle Lacy, Robert Wooten, Charles Clency, and others. Music samples galore!

Eitan Manhoff is the owner of Oakland’s Cape & Cowl Comics. In August, the store’s “Cape & Cowl Con” returns to Alameda’s Faction Brewing for a full day of all thing's fandom. Cape & Cowl is recognized as one of the best comic book stores in the world, having received the prestigious 2023 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, a global honor bestowed upon a single store that have done an outstanding job supporting the comics art medium, both in their local communities and the industry at large.