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.

It was a special Valentine's Day here at KCSM with Tiffany Austin turning the day into a celebration of everything you love about Jazz. Listeners turned their donations into "Jazz Love Notes" - dedicating their gift in honor of someone special and shared short notes about what jazz or their favorite artists meant to them. It was a fun, funny and inspiring day!

AB Trio. Buffalo based Adam Bronstein is a guitar player known for his clever songwriting and playful improvisation. Focusing on guitar at the forefront of its sound, his trio’s music is instrumental with influences ranging from jazz through Hip Hop, R&B and Psychedelia. We were excited to catch Adam on a recent trip to his native Buffalo, and even more excited when he appeared on tour at the Bop Stop for this May 22nd. 2025 appearance in support of his most recent release ABTrio. Featuring Adam on Guitar, James Benders on Bass and Gabriel Wells on Drums and Percussion, Daniel Peck is your host for Adam Bronstein and the AB Trio-Live at the Bop Stop.

Live 1951: Midnight Matinee. This unique program is designed to put the listener in a front row seat for a live rhythm review performance. So often, we wonder what a live program would have been like before the dawn of Rock n' Roll? Well, thanks to the preservation of this 2-week program in Los Angeles from late September and early October of 1951, we can catch a glimpse. Promoter Bill Lester intended to hold weekly midnight concerts at the Olympic Auditorium in downtown LA, but after 2 weeks, the late-night shows were scraped, due to the fact that they were losing money. Lester hired LA disc jockey, Hunter Hancock, who was a trailblazer in playing R&B on the radio to emcee the shows. Some of the biggest names in West Coast R&B performed; Big Jay McNeely, Floyd Dixon, Maxwell Davis and Peppermint Harris. What's spectacular is the lesser-known talent; Madelyn Perkins, Ernie Andrews, Smilin' Smokey Lynn and the Gospel group, the Golden Keys. Radio station KMPC agreed to air the first half hour of these 2-hour concerts, which should have led to greater promotion of the event, but alas, after 2 weeks it was done. We are so fortunate that Bill Lester recorded portions of these shows, so that 75 years later, we can still experience the excitement and joy of the music. Sit back as Matt The Cat takes you to the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles for the Midnight Matinee, an exciting jaunt into the world of the live R&B review show.

We celebrate Betty Carter’s lasting influence at Jazz at Lincoln Center with a performance by vocalist Charenée Wade, accompanied by many former members of Carter's bands through the years.

Coming Soon.

Buffalo based Adam Bronstein is a guitar player known for his clever songwriting and playful improvisation. Focusing on guitar at the forefront of its sound, his trio’s music is instrumental with influences ranging from jazz through Hip Hop, R&B and Psychedelia. We were excited to catch Adam on a recent trip to his native Buffalo, and even more excited when he appeared on tour at the Bop Stop for this May 22nd. 2025 appearance in support of his most recent release ABTrio. Featuring Adam on Guitar, James Benders on Bass and Gabriel Wells on Drums and Percussion, Daniel Peck is your host for Adam Bronstein and the AB Trio-Live at the Bop Stop.

This week’s program is an encore recording of the program is being hosted by William Luck. It’s an "oldie but goodie" Gospel Memories program edition broadcast on March 24, 2012.

Sean Padilla is the creator of The Alameda Pulse, an Instagram-based guide to the best of Alameda. Host Scott Piehler talks with Sean about their shared love of all things Alameda, what it takes to spread the world in the modern digital world, and how ultimately, the mission of The Alameda Pulse is not clicks, it’s community.

Quincy Troupe, Author: Miles, The Autobiography and Miles and Me, Part 2. Troupe attended Grambling State University in Louisiana on a basketball scholarship. He later joined the United States Army, where he was stationed in France, playing on the Army basketball team. While there, he had a chance encounter with the noted French Existentialist philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, who suggested to Troupe that he try his hand at poetry. When he returned to civilian life, Troupe moved to L.A, where he decided to pursue writing, enrolling in journalism classes at the Los Angeles City College. Later he began writing for the Los Angeles Free Press.In 1985, Spin magazine hired Troupe to write an exclusive two-part interview with Miles Davis, which led Simon & Schuster to him as co-author for Davis's autobiography. In 1990, Quincy’s book, Miles: The Autobiography won an American Book Award for the authors, garnering them numerous positive reviews and accolades.