KPLU Jazz and Blues Hosts

Jazz & Blues Hosts

The KPLU and Jazz24 family includes many distinct and memorable voices. Meet the local jazz and blues hosts who entertain and educate our listeners each day of the week.

	Nick Francis *Music Director* Francis began his radio career in 1983 at KLSK-FM, an eclectic-based jazz station in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For the last 20+ years, he has hosted and programmed jazz radio, including Music Director at KKSF-FM/San Francisco, Program Director at KKNW-FM/Seattle and Program Director at WJZZ-FM/Atlanta. During his six years as Program Director at KYOT-FM/Phoenix, he helped it become the first jazz station in America to achieve number-one status. Since 1999, Francis has produced and hosted "Quietmusic", a weekly nationally-syndicated radio program which airs in 75 markets and is distributed by WestStar Radio Network. He also has wide-ranging experience in radio promotion, research and consulting. In 1999, Francis produced the techno-jazz themed Smoke N Function CD on Atlantic Records. Currently, he hosts a jazz website at www.quietfm.com, and produces a music blog, Jazz and Conversation, which currently receives over 30,000 visits a month. With his extensive knowledge of web-based technology, Francis' influence on the evolving sound of KPLU's world-class jazz webstream at www.kplu.org will be integral. E-mail Nick at nfrancis@kplu.org
	Dick Stein Jazz Host KPLU jazz host Dick Stein grew up in New Rochelle, NY. He has lived in Tacoma since 1976 after eight years in Alaska. Prior to KPLU, Stein found employment as an Air Force teletype repairman, radio call-in show host, country, classical and top-40 disk jockey, liquor delivery driver, chimney sweeper, window washer, freelance voice talent and advertising copywriter. He was for many years the voice of the talking dictionary on the Microsoft Bookshelf CD-ROM, in which he pronounced swear words with dignified aplomb. Dick’s hobbies include books, cooking, movies, poker and a wide range of other sedentary activities. Proud to have been voted Washington State’s foremost indoorsman for six consecutive years, he has no interest in al fresco activities of any kind. "I do my part to help preserve the wilderness by being sure to stay out of it," he affirms. Stein is married to nationally noted jewelry designer and part-time cowgirl Cheryl DeGroot. They live in Tacoma with their cats Minnie and Kukla. Email Stein at dstein@kplu.org
	Abe Beeson Jazz Host Evening Jazz host Abe Beeson was born in the Eastern Washington town of Ellensburg but has spent most of his life in the Western Washington. A 1993 graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, home to KPLU, Abe graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Communications. Abe was hired in 1989 as a news production assistant, and worked his way through the ranks, hosting his first jazz program on Christmas Day of 1990. Abe's interest in radio goes back to his childhood listening to the CBS Mystery Theater. His interest in music came from his parents interests in the Beatles and artists, including Jimi Hendrix, CSNY, Stevie Wonder, and Manhattan Transfer. Beeson is a dedicated fan of nearly all styles of music, from hip-hop to punk rock to country and (of course) jazz. His favorite jazz musicians include Thelonious Monk, Gene Harris, Ben Webster, and Miles Davis to name only a few. Abe's hobbies include sailing, skiing, bicycling, and what he refers to as the "greatest game ever invented" - basketball. E-mail Abe at abeeson@kplu.org
	Kevin Kniestedt Jazz Host Jazz on the Grooveyard host Kevin Kniestedt grew up and has spent most of his life in the Seattle area. After studying music at Whitworth College and briefly in Rome, Italy, and Munich, Germany, Kevin returned to the Pacific Northwest to pursue a career in radio. Kevin began his radio career in 1999 as the host of multiple programs on KWRS 90.3 in Spokane, including a jazz and classic rock program. In 2000, he joined on with the NPR affiliate in Spokane, KPBX 91.1. He soon became the Associate Producer of a weekly arts program, Art a la Carte, where he and the other team members of Art a la Carte received a prestigious PRNDI award. Kevin can now be heard hosting Jazz on the Grooveyard, as well as hosting Weekend Edition Saturday and authoring KPLU’s jazz blog, Groove Notes. He has also had the opportunity to interview some of the best musicians in jazz, including Clark Terry, Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis, Jane Monheit, Terrance Blanchard, Maynard Ferguson, Eldar, and Jacqui Naylor. Kevin has played the trumpet since he was ten, and began playing jazz when he was fourteen. While involved with Whitworth College's prestigious jazz program, Kevin performed with multiple school bands, and was the leader of a charity big band called CJO. Kevin was also the trumpet player for the short-lived but well-liked Spokane jazz group Epistrophy from 1999-2001. Kevin also loves tennis and coaches every summer, and makes sure to catch a dozen or so movies each year at a variety of film festivals. He lives with his roommate and his cat, Stella, in downtown Tacoma. E-mail Kevin at kkniestedt@kplu.org
	Robin Lloyd *Jazz Host* Robin Lloyd was born and raised in the Detroit area, and could be found most nights during her childhood glued to the radio under her pillow until well past her bedtime. She performed radio plays in junior high and high school, took various radio apprenticeships in high school and college, and has held a number of different positions at community and public radio stations in Michigan and Western Washington, including Jazz and Blues Host, Producer, Production Manager, Station Operations Manager, and Program Director. With a solid background in jazz and blues, Robin appreciates many styles of music, and has a special fondness for the African and Latin forms that blend so well with jazz. Robin is married to drummer Michael Slivka; together they manage a household full of dogs, cats and percussion. Email Robin at rlloyd@kplu.org
	John Kessler All Blues Host KPLU is a natural fit for John Kessler. Jazz Musician, recording engineer and producer, he has also been associated with Public Radio since 1983. After growing up in Manhattan and Chicago, Kessler became a full-time musician, playing the East Coast, and settling in Charleston, WV. About that time he became involved with a fledgling Public Radio show called "Mountain Stage", which was just going into production. The weekly 2 hour live music show quickly became popular, and achieved national syndication through American Public Radio (Now PRI) in the mid 80's. Kessler was Musical Director and bassist of the 7 piece Mountain Stage Band, working and recording with literally hundreds of national acts, including Dr. John, Mose Allison, Sarah MacLachlan, Gatemouth Brown and Pinetop Perkins. Along the way John continued an active touring schedule, and also operated a commercial recording studio for 2 years. In 1998 John moved to Seattle, seeking a more urban environment, and quickly became involved with the local music scene, forming the jazz quartet "4 Out Of 5 Doctors". John married Lisabeth Sterling in Winter of 2001, and they live in Ballard with Lisabeth's daughter. Lisabeth is a well known glass artist whose work is shown in several galleries around the country. When he's not immersed in some home renovation project, or a musical endeavor in his home studio, John can be spotted cycling the Burke-Gilman trail. E-mail John at jkessler@kplu.org
	Mary McCann Jazz Host Mary McCann is a poet, artist, writer, performer, music fan, inventrix, farmer and all around Renaissance woman. Having completely investigated sunny and hot for over 25 years, she left Arizona for the other side of the meteorological coin in June 2006 and makes her home in rural Washington state. An award winning disc jockey in the Phoenix, AZ market during the 80s and 90s, McCann turned to Internet radio in 1999 and currently programs over 20 Internet radio stations for AOL, the largest Internet radio provider in the world. McCann’s stations vary from African, World Music, French and German language stations, Hawaiian, Celtic, Americana, Bluegrass and Folk, Klezmer and beyond. Her tastes and knowledge of music are far ranging and deep. McCann’s last book published was “Noisy By Nature”, an artists book, on ASU’s Pyracantha Press imprint. Mary’s favorite state motto is from Kansas. “Ad astra per aspera”
	Rich Germaine Fill-in Jazz Host Rich Germaine calls himself "the sixth man off the bench"... and is very proud of his role on KPLU as the number one "fill-in" jazz host. Rich is also the voice of many of the underwriting and promotional announcements you hear on KPLU. Rich has been in the radio and TV business for more than 30 years, many of them in Seattle. His "on-air" radio gigs have included Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle for such notable stations as KFOG and KIRO. His passion for jazz also includes playing the vibes [for his own amusement] and hosting a syndicated Gospel Jazz show heard weekly on the Jazz Radio Network. When not on the air at KPLU, Rich works from his home-studio as a professional voice-over talent for commercials and documentaries. He is also a partner in a Seattle-based jingle and advertising company. Rich lives in Gig Harbor, Washingon with his wife Cherie, and they are the proud parents of two adult sons, a teen-age daughter and one new grandson [so far].
	Paige Hansen Fill-in Jazz Host Paige Hansen has worked in public radio since 1993. On a bet from her father, she applied for an internship at the NPR station at her college - KUNC in Greeley Colorado. After two news internships and one music internship, she started hosting the diverse music in the evenings. It was there she learned to love the immediacy of radio! She was invigorated by this fast paced muti-tasking world where a host has to be a good talker, a quick engineer and producer and a speedy improvisor all at the same time. It applealed to Paige's theather and music interests as well. Paige majored in Communications and minored in theater at the University of Northern Colorado. She's locally anchored NPR's All Things Considered at two affiliate FM stations for 10 years, and Morning Edition at KPLU for a year. Paige enjoys music she's in a jazz combo as a singer annd plays piano and sings with the original band Parkland. She lives in Lakewood where she spends as much time possible playing with her toddler and husband. E-mail Paige Hansen at phansen@kplu.org Click here for Paige Hansen's stories
	Nick Morrison Production Manager/Part-Time Jazz Host Nick Morrison has been with KPLU off and on (though mostly ‘on’) since 1987. He worked as one of KPLU’s Midday Jazz hosts from 1987 through 2005 and served for several of those years as the station’s Music Director. Since 2008, Nick has worked as KPLU’s Production Manager, a job that entails working with all departments of the radio station to write, produce and sometime voice on-air messages. He also works closely with the KPLU and NPR websites, providing them with theme-based music lists and performance interviews with jazz and blues artists visiting Seattle. When not at work, Nick can usually be found at his home in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood, collecting movies, books and dust.

	Ruby Brown Jazz Host Ruby Brown began her career in radio late in life- only after returning to school in her mid-thirties for a second more 'relevant' degree. A career in health care felt unfulfilling so Ruby decided to pursue her true dream (at the age of 9 she is known to have said, "I want to be a DJ!")~radio has been calling as long as she can recall. A communications student, Ruby worked for almost 5 years at KAOS in Olympia~ as on-air host, world music director and student program director. She was hired right after graduation at a large AAA station in Seattle where she stayed for close to 5 years. Listening to commercials has never been Ruby's 'cup of tea', so she badgered poor Joey Cohn (Program Director at KPLU) to give her a chance on the KPLU airwaves. Ruby currently hosts Jazz Sunday Side Up (9am-1pm Sundays) and occasionally fills in on other jazz shows at KPLU. E-mail Ruby at rbrown@kplu.org
	Jason Parker *Fill-in Jazz Host* Jason Parker is a professional musician by trade. He plays his trumpet in many different bands around the Seattle area, from his own Jason Parker Quartet to the Bitches Brew-inspired Water Babies, to the 13-piece Soul Provider and more. When he's not here at KPLU playing you the Jazz and Blues that you love, you'll most likely find him out in the clubs blowing his horn. As for radio, Jason has held many different positions in his 20 year career, including DJ, Music Director, Program Director, and Consultant to some of the finest stations in the country. After 10 years of bugging KPLU's Program Director Joey Cohn for a job, he finally broke him down this year. Jason looks forward to helping spread the gospel of Jazz and Blues through the airwaves of KPLU. You can check out Jason's musical endeavors at his website, www.jasonparkermusic.com. Email Jason at jparker@kplu.org
	Jim Wilke *Jazz Host* Host Jim Wilke is a professional recording engineer and writer in addition to his radio programs which include "Jazz After Hours" on Public Radio International, heard nationwide since 1984. "Jazz Northwest" is Jim's weekly survey of the regional jazz scene Sundays at 1 pm. The show goes "on location" alternate weeks for the sound of live jazz in clubs, concerts and festivals around the Northwest from Portland to Vancouver BC. Email Jim at jim@jazzafterhours.org