Saturdays | 7 – 10 pm
John Penney was born and raised in Ithaca, New York, and began hosting and programming weekly jazz and folk music programs on student owned commercial radio station WVBR-FM at the age of 15.
In 1967 WVBR became one of the first FM radio stations in the country to program “progressive rock.” John was instrumental in the creation of the format and became one of WVBR’s most popular on-air personalities, frequently featuring live studio performances on his show. He served as Music Director beginning in 1970, and continued to program jazz, folk, and rock programs through 1971.
In 1978, at the age of 25, John became the National Promotion Director of Amherst Records in Buffalo, New York, where he was instrumental in establishing the career of the platinum selling band Spyro Gyra. He also became the most popular jazz host on public radio WBFO, as measured by Arbitron and listener donations.
In 1984 John moved to Detroit as the Michigan Regional Representative for Action, and in 1989 was hired by Warner Elektra Atlantic as a sales rep. During his 15 year career with WEA John gained a national reputation as a creative and innovative marketer, among other things designing and executing the company’s first regional catalog promotion with Wal-Mart, which was used to leverage the first national event.
John joined the air staff of public radio WDET-FM in Detroit in 1986 as host of a music variety program. John pioneered the concept of presenting “all the varieties of music” in such a way as to demonstrate the continuity between diverse musical forms by making the connection between current and historic recordings. His program became one of the most popular on the air.
John is a popular and sought after MC for live events, and for years was a fixture on stage at the Detroit Jazz Festival in Hart Plaza. He helped to create an innovative format for radio broadcasts of the festival, and served as national co-anchor for five years. John began his association with the AMRF in 2004 when Ron Harwood asked him to MC the 6th Annual Motor City Boogie Woogie and Blues Festival. He became consultant/Director in September of 2005. John is also collaborating with Ron on a book about the life and times of classic blues singer Sippie Wallace and her siblings.
John’s Latest Playlist
Jazzfest Detroit 11-27-2021
Time Start Artist Title Album Label
7:00pm
Cyrille Aimee Being Alive Move On: A Sondheim Adventure Mack Avenue
Aguanko Pattern Recognition Pattern Recognition Aguanko Music
Harold Maburn Dahomey Dance Plays Coltrane Smoke Sessions
Joey DeFrancesco This Time Around More Music Mack Avenue
Fats Waller Winter Weather Essential Collection Avid
Nat Adderley Mean To Me Work Song Riverside
Nancy Wilson and Terence Blanchard Anyone Can Whistle Colors and Light: Jazz Sketches on Sondheim Sony Classics
Christian McBride Big Band Road Song “For Jimmy, Wes, and Oliver” Mack Avenue
Gerry Gibbs Trasher Trios Kick Those Feet Songs From My Father Whaling City
Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force Money Can’t Buy My Love Dear Love Empress Legacy
8:00pm
Duke Robillard with Scott Hamilton Glide On Swing Rounder
Oscar Peterson Trio The Jet Song West Side Story Verve
Eddie Harris Freedom Jazz Dance The In Sound Atlantic
Matthew Whitaker Blue Rondo Connections Resilience
Johnny Griffin and Eddie “”Lockjaw”” Davis Funky Fluke In Copenhagen Storyville
John Scofield Dang Swing Combo 66 Verve
9:00pm
Bill Charlap The Duke Street of Dreams Blue Note
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga I Concentrate On You Love For Sale Columbia
Christian McBride and Inside Straight Sweet Bread Live At the Village Vanguard Mack Avenue
Herbie Hancock They Asked Me Why I Believe In You Colors and Light: Jazz Sketches on Sondheim Sony Classics
Miles Davis Solea Sketches of Spain Columbia
Ledisi My Baby Just Cares For Me Sings Nina Simone BMG
Cyrus Chestnut Skating A Charlie Brown Christmas Atlantic
Charles Earland Killer Joe Cookin’ With the Mighty Burner High Note
It’s Saturday night, October 16, 2021, the eve of this year’s Free Press Marathon and you just finished describing the kick you get out of watching squirrels pelting various targets, maybe including people, with acorns. Then you cued up your next tune and missed the desired cut on your first three tries, but that just gave you more time to chat about squirrels, acorns, and the great music coming up. Thanks, John. I really enjoy your show.
I listened to the Detroit Jazz Festival 2021 and I have two comments.
First, as God transcends our religion, so God’s gift, music, transcends our tastes, our prejudices, our biases, and all our boundaries. The Festival was a sublime human continuity, together from a distance. So many persons and musicians speaking to me and us, soul to soul.
Second, the musicians offered their finest wine, with heartfelt generosity. That wine was fresh and unique, but truly aged by our times.
This was a wonderful Festival and thank you John and WRCJ for your part in bringing it to us.
Hello Rodger, thank you. John, Linda and Maxine enjoyed the Festival as well. Hopefully it came through on the air. Thanks for being a part of it!
If most other music radio programs are courses in music appreciation, John Penney holds court for a graduate level course, perhaps even a philosophical doctorate seminar. Your elucidation, John, of various artist’s craft, their personalities, connections, preferences, growth and artistic trajectories are presented as though you are sitting with colleagues presenting the history and significance without pretense. What comes through is your sheer love of the music and the art forms- a kind of agony and the ecstasy of the inner life of music. Thank you John Penney for your thoughts.
Thank you Rodger, that’s a kind, well written commendation. John will appreciate it.
Ditto!
As first a listener, and second a co-worker I second these appreciations of John Penney’s approach to jazz radio. Sublime and totally approachable.
Hey John, You might get an email from my nephew, Owen Marchell, a senior in high school in Ithaca. He’s into music right now during all this craziness, especially Frank Zappa. Somehow you name came up today during our long distance Christmas call. First time I haven’t been with family for the holidays in years. Hope all is well with you. I mentioned your brother Chris and it turns out he was classmates with my brother Tim, Owen’s father.
Here’s to a better 2021!
Chris
Thanks Christine, we’ll send to John.