MAY DAY ! MAY DAY! Yesterday, May 1, Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM) began operating San Francisco based KBLX radio station, 109.2, the QUIET STORM. Emergency E-mails went out the week before alerting faithful listeners the station had been sold and their favorite morning man – COUSIN KEVIN BROWN FIRED!
The shocking news rocked the Bay Area. Brown had been program director and on-air personality about 22 years. Popular with KBLX audiences. Beginning Monday, May 7, the NEW KBLX weekly lineup will feature The syndicated STEVE HARVEY Show (6 am-10am). According to Entercom Press Release, DWIGHT WALKER, Entercom San Francisco Vice President and Market Manager, “Entercom couldn’t be more excited to start working with a tremendous heritage brand like KBLX!”
Before the change, KBLX had a SPECIAL brand – a connection with the San Francisco Bay Area community! So, let’s see what direction the new owners will take beyond the morning change.
Harvey has mass appeal – a television host, comedian, best-selling author, his first book, “Act like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” spent 60 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. Harvey is quoted in the release, “I will be waking KBLX listeners up every morning with inspiration and a whole lot of funny!” OK, my brother, will definitely check out your DEBUT! But, LET’S BE REAL, things will not be the same – lost will be that DIRECT contact with our community! Folks, it’s all about MONEY!
A LOVE SUPREME! Recently, Archbishop FRANZO KING and The Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church presented their 2nd Annual Benefit Concert at Rasselas Jazz Supper Club on Fillmore. The experience transcended me deep into the spirit of JOHN COLTRANE, one of the most influential Jazz musician in the history of the music. His life presence left us on July 17, 1967. But his music and philosophy live on! Chanting of “Love Supreme,” recorded in 1964 on Impulse Records, was a project that meant the most to him, his gift to God.
The evening was spiritually hot! Filled with a Message to edify, uplift and renew the spirit of the Jazz great that live on within cult groups who keep his music and philosophy alive!
Archbishop King and followers worship in the ground floor retail space located at 1286 Fillmore Street, within a block from Yoshi’s. Bishop King, grass roots community activist fighting causes, especially in Bayview Hunters Point, NOW fighting to save his home, underwater, threatened with EVICTION!
The evening benefit fundraiser concert took over Rasselas back lounge – the pulsating hard Bop rhythms felt to the BONE! Bishop King blows a meeeean saxophone with the hip Coltrane Church Ensemble that include his wife, Pastor WANIKA STEPHENS on Bass; The Voices of Compassion included GLORIA FISHER ; Tap Dancers MEGAN HAUNGS and TOES TIRANOFF; and SPECIAL guests – vocalist ANN MACK (strains of Sarah Vaughn) who flew up from L.A., and Extraordinaire saxist AZAR LAWRENCE, from New York, literally BLEW THE ROOF off the club with powerful offerings that made you tremble (he’s a former resident with McCoy Tyner band). CHRISTINE HARRIS, of The Jazz Heritage Center, thrilled over saxman’s performance – Girlfriend, book him in the Lush Life Gallery!
HEY, IT’S NICE TO BE NICE AND TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE … LOOK FOR ME … I’LL BE THERE …
E-mail Rochelle at iheard@earthlink.net
