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
PLAYLIST 6-1-2019
Hour Duration Artist Title Album Label
7:00pm
5:09 John Pizzarelli Walk Between the Raindrops Double Exposure Telard
8:11 Wynton Kelly June Night Kelly Great Vee Gee
8:01 Steve Davis Inner Glimpse Correlations Smoke Sessions
5:07 Mary Stallings Stolen Moments Songs Were Made to Sing Smoke Sessions
5:45 Eddie Daniels Tango Nove (New Tango) The Heart of Brazil Resonance
9:26 Medeski Martin & Wood Nostalgia In Times Square Free Magic Inderecto
5:02 Vincent Herring “Fly, Little Bird, Fly” Night and Day Smoke Sessions
9:14 Charles Mingus Pussy Cat Dues Mingus Ah Um Columbia
8:00pm
9:30 Betty Carter Bridges The Music Never Stops Blue Engine
7:54 Ralph Peterson and the Messenger Legacy Along Came Betty “Legacy Alive v6, at the Side Door” Onyx
5:40 Geri Allen In Real Time Timeless Portraits and Dreams Telarc
3:56 Elvin Jones Dear John C. Dear John C Impulse
5:23 Kurt Elling Tutti For Cootie 1619 Broadway Concord
3:17 Miles Davis and Michel LeGrand Paris Walking II Selections from Dingo OMPST Warner Bros.
11:35 The Jazz Crusaders Wilton’s Boogaloo The Festival Album Pacific Jazz
7:52 Jazz At Lincoln Center Orch. w/ Wynton Marsalis I Left My Baby Live In Cuba Blue Engine
9:00pm
8:11 Wayne Shorter With Hunt Speak No Evil Blue Note
9:07 Kermit Ruffins If I Only Had A Brain Happy Talk Basin Street
12:59 “Thad Jones, Mel Lewis Orchestra” Backbone All My Memories Resonance
5:32 Mr. Bruce Roy Hargrove Habana Verve
2:25 Jazzmeia Horn Social Call A Social Call Concord
3:09 Bill Frisell Bryant’s Boogie Guitar In the Space Age Sony
6:35 Bobby Hutherson Herzog Total Eclipse Blue Note
6:17 Donald Byrd The Loner Slow Drag Blue Note
Hoping for details about the lovely covers of “In a Mellow Tone” to open the Jazzfest program on Saturday, July 6th. Thanks.
Hello Catherine, John Penney chose Duke Ellington to perform “In A Mellow Tone”.
Sorry it took me so long Catherine. First version was Duke 1940. He wrote the music, Milt Gable. Second was the vocalese version by (Dave) Lambert (John) Hendricks and (Annie) Ross. Third was a Coleman Hawkins cover, and finally George Duke. Thanks for listening!
There was a song playing at 8pm called “love wants to dance;” I don’t remember the date but it would not have been further than 6/10/2019 from today.
Could you please give artist name for this song and where to purchase it, further, what was the song name and artist that played after that song?
Thanks
Hello Mark, that might have been Maxine or John. We will ask. Thanks for listening!
I really enjoyed the jazz on Saturday, May 25th. In particular, there was an instrumental piece playing around 9:50-9:55 pm that I liked, but I did not know the name. Could you let me know the names of the song(s) playing around that time? Thank you!
Hello Jonathan, we will check with host John Penney…
Hi, I was following up to see if you could find the song title. Thank you.
Hello Jonathon, we asked John Penney but unfortunately he could not recall and didn’t have it written down. Sorry 🙁
Well, thanks anyway for checking.
Sorry! Thanks for tuning in.
We were listening to your station on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 9:09 p.m. and there was an awesome song playing (no vocals). Is there anyway you can tell me what this song was, the artist, etc? Thank you.
Hello Robin, around that time was “Groovin’ High” by the Keith Jarrett Trio from the album “Whisper Not Live in Paris 1999”. Thanks for listening!
The music on the 25th of May was a very refreshing change. Very funky and not decades old.
Whoever put it together, Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Jim, that was John Penney himself!
Hello,
Who is the pianist in the DIA recording with Chris, which John aired almost at the end of the fundraising hour tonight (Sat. Oct.13 ’18)? I really enjoyed listening to the recording. A very interesting flow of different tunes = creativity flowing. I hope John will air it again, or make it available for “on demand” page. Thank you very much for sharing!
Hello Mari, that was Bess Bonnier. We will tell John you enjoyed that one.
And, John Penney, you yourself are also the real deal. We are of similar ages. I do swordplay and paint in oils which makes me a martial artist. Explained more fully on my website. I was kept (sort of) in the pop realm by the Allman Brothers with their versions of the blues. Also attended the Ann Arbor Blues Fest in Ann Arbor in the seventies.
Listening to your show tonight. Missed all of Friday so you ARE the news. When I first heard Chris (after discovering WRCJ from recognizing Dave Wagner’s WQRS voice) he announced the location as “one long bomb from Orchestra Hall” and I was hooked.
I was listening to a remake of Lee Morgan’s the gigolo. Who was that artist? This was on Saturday August 25.
Hello Gregory, that was performed by Harold Mabern from his album “to Love and Be Loved” on the Smoke Sessions label. Thanks for tuning in!
John, you mentioned tonight (02/24) that you love (and implied have long known) Roomful of Blues. My son-inn-law is their keyboardist (piano and organ)… I also
‘really like them and have long before he joined up, albeit I believe he has added to their great sound. Love to chat about them maybe during a song,,, or just glad you get this. nn 586-925-1539 my cell, be glad to call if their is a studio number if it is not a bother.
Hi Jeff, we will pass that note along to John. Thanks for listening.
Hello,
Was listening to your program on Saturday Feb 17 and a piece of music from 7:42 to about 7:50pm. Would love any information on the song. Thank you for your time. John.
P.s. As a musician who plays out in the metro-area music scene, I really appreciate hearing your selections of music. Always an education when I listen,
Hello John, we sent your question along to John Penney. And thanks to you for performing for us non-musicians!
Thank you getting back to me.
Who performed the last song played on Saturday, September 9th’s edition of Jazzfest! It was “You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me” if I remember correctly.
Hello Ron, the song was by pianist and vocalist Elaine Elias, from her most recent CD, Dance of Time.
Thank you!!!!!!!!!
John
Sorry about the car stuff at your area. But you know if it wasn’t for the car culture of Detroit the jazz would sound like it came from Iowa or Missouri. Blue collar, innovative unique Detroit! Love cars and jazz!!!!!!!!!