Comments on: Conover’s Coming Over: Willis Conover and Jazz at the Voice of America http://wfiu.org/nightlights/conovers-comin-over-willis-conover-and-jazz-at-the-voice-of-america/ Night Lights is a weekly classic jazz program and jazz blog by host David Brent Johnson produced by WFIU Public Media in Bloomington, Indiana. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:20:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Dave Berk http://wfiu.org/nightlights/conovers-comin-over-willis-conover-and-jazz-at-the-voice-of-america/#comment-121 Dave Berk Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:55:35 +0000 http://nightlights.blogs.wfiu.org/2007/11/12/conovers-comin-over-willis-conover-and-jazz-at-the-voice-of-america/#comment-121 David-----congratulations on providing such a glorious & enriching experience. I remember reading the DOWNBEAT review of the "House Of Sounds" and it spoke rapturously of "The Song Is You." I ran out to Glen Wallich's Music City to score a copy of the Brunswick LP. I loved big bands, vibes and Sarah Vaughan. I wore it out. I was 16. David—–congratulations on providing such a glorious & enriching experience.

I remember reading the DOWNBEAT review of the “House Of Sounds”
and it spoke rapturously of “The Song Is You.” I ran out to Glen Wallich’s
Music City to score a copy of the Brunswick LP. I loved big bands, vibes and Sarah Vaughan. I wore it out. I was 16.

]]> By: Bill Forbes http://wfiu.org/nightlights/conovers-comin-over-willis-conover-and-jazz-at-the-voice-of-america/#comment-120 Bill Forbes Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:41:03 +0000 http://nightlights.blogs.wfiu.org/2007/11/12/conovers-comin-over-willis-conover-and-jazz-at-the-voice-of-america/#comment-120 I'm certainly looking forward to this show. Conover's program brought me up-to-date American jazz sounds which were rarely heard in Britain in the late 50s and early 60s. I remember listening with my ear to the receiver, trying to hear the music through a barrage of static on long wave radio. To get through all this, a piece had to have something extra. I remember that Gil Evans' version of George Russell's "Jambangle", which I was hearing for the first time in about 1958, certainly had it! At a point the mid-60s, Conover repeatedly offered free back copies of Downbeat and Metronome to anyone who would write in. I replied and duly received my copies. Shortly after, the program disappeared off the air for ever. I think I had been part of an exercise to estimate audience size, which had produced an unfortunate result for jazz enthusiasts! I’m certainly looking forward to this show. Conover’s program brought me up-to-date American jazz sounds which were rarely heard in Britain in the late 50s and early 60s. I remember listening with my ear to the receiver, trying to hear the music through a barrage of static on long wave radio. To get through all this,
a piece had to have something extra. I remember that Gil Evans’ version of George Russell’s “Jambangle”, which I was hearing for the first time in about 1958, certainly had it! At a point the mid-60s, Conover repeatedly offered free back copies of Downbeat and Metronome to anyone who would write in. I replied and duly received my copies. Shortly after, the program disappeared off the air for ever. I think I had been part of an exercise to estimate audience size, which had produced an unfortunate result for jazz enthusiasts!

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