JAZZ in IRELAND: Part 1 of a new series of articles from Ireland and Europe for KCSM.org INTRO by Melanie O’Reilly, jazz singer, radio host & producer, jazz educator. Happy St Patrick’s Day! On this day when Irish culture is celebrated around the world, we begin a new series of regular articles on Jazz in Ireland on the KCSM website. Jazz is alive and well in contemporary Ireland with jazz festivals, jazz workshops, and jazz education in third-level institutions flourishing, with bebop, swing, blues, fusion, ethno-jazz, jazz rock, Celtic jazz, Latin-jazz and improvised explorations being the norm. (click story subject to continue)

Melanie Berzon was a true powerhouse at KCSM for over 25 years. She served as Program Director before moving into the role of Director of Operations, but most listeners know her as the unforgettable afternoon cohost of Jazz In The Afternoon, sharing the mic on alternating days with fellow afternoon dynamo Jesse "Chuy" Varela. Together, they were unstoppable especially during Fund Drives, when their energy, camaraderie, and talent for turning listeners into supporters were unmatched. (click story subject to continue)

This month, KCSM Jazz 91 proudly celebrates Women’s History Month with a full lineup of special programming honoring the extraordinary women who have shaped jazz. All month long, listeners can enjoy curated shows spotlighting the groundbreaking artists, composers, bandleaders, and broadcasters past and present whose voices and vision have defined the sound of the genre. From trailblazing legends to today’s innovators, KCSM Jazz 91 highlights the significant contributions of women both behind the mic and on the bandstand—celebrating their enduring impact on the past, present, and future of jazz.

Annie Laurie. We celebrate one of the heroines of Rhythm & Blues and early Rock n' Roll as Annie Laurie takes the spotlight on this week's "Juke In The Back." Not much is known about her early years except that she was born in Atlanta in 1924. Her first recording was "St. Louis Blues" with bassist and bandleader Dallas Barley and from there she toured with Snookum Russell before Paul Gayten asked her to join his band in New Orleans. She made the "Crescent City" her new home and recorded the first hit version of Buddy & Ella Johnson's "Since I Fell For You," helping to make it a standard. Many classic recordings with Paul Gayten followed with a few more making the charts before she began recording on her own on Columbia's newly reactivated Blues subsidiary, Okeh Records. The Okeh sides were harder-edged and more contemporary R&B sounding, but none of them charted. A short stint with Savoy proved unfruitful, but she did get to record with Hal Singer's band, which included guitar legend, Mickey Baker. She was back in the R&B Top 5 in 1957 with "It Hurts To Be In Love" for DeLuxe, but by the early '60s, she gave up music for devotion to God.

Shirley Horn: The Queen of Silence and Anticipation. We celebrate Women's History Month with a spotlight on Miss Shirley Horn. We bring you a 1991 concert featuring special guests Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Toots Thielemans, and more.

Part 2. Horace Silver: Opus De Funk / The 1950s Blue Note Recordings. With the hard bop and soulful jazz master in some of his greatest sessions. In the company of Art Farmer, Hank Mobley, Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook and more. Hope you can join me.

Antoine Drye. Composer/trumpeter Antoine Drye’s latest CD, Retreat to Beauty, with orchestrations by Isaac Raz, celebrates Antoine’s love of the Great American Songbook, and newer compositions that honor that tradition. It’s rare to hear a recording these days with an orchestra with live musicians, not sampled sounds. Retreat to Beauty celebrates not only this music, but the communal experience of making it.

This episode includes selections from Alex Bradford (pictured), Caravans, Evelyn Gay, Salem Travelers, Angelic Choir feat. Gerri Griffin, Sons of David, Chicago's New Friendship MBC Choir, and others.

Jonathan DeLong is the co-founder and Executive Director of The Reap Climate Center. Their mission is: “to increase access to climate change mitigation by providing ecological experiences and climate job pathways.” Host Scott Piehler talks with Jonathan about REAP’s community outreach, education programs, job training, and the importance of treating nature as infrastructure.

Jay Rockefeller, former United States Senator, West Virginia. Rockefeller was the only serving politician of the Rockefeller family during his tenure in the United States Senate, and the only one to have held office as a Democrat, in what has been a traditionally Republican family. He served on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, including as chairman of the Subcommittee on Medicare and Long-term Care (later Health Care). He became a leading spokesman for healthcare reform, advocating for improved and modernized Medicare, expanded access to healthcare, and increased health coverage for children. He authored the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), that has provided health care coverage for millions of poor children. He played a crucial role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, advocating for a public option. In this week’s encore recording Rockefeller spoke on a wide range of topics including National Healthcare for poor, one of his top legislative priorities during his time in the United States Senate.

Power of Feelings. Vivian Dittmar discuss the topic that change is coming, whether we like it or not, but the question is, what is that change going to look like? Is it going to be a transition to a more healthy, sustainable, slower, more humane way of life that works better for all species on the planet, or are we transitioning into a kind of dystopian techno-utopia that isn’t really working for anyone except a very, very small elite?