"I was fortunate to work with a prime Phoenix metropolitan radio station that featured jazz and gave me complete freedom in their library. I could play anything—no restrictions—which allowed me to be creative, spontaneous, and truly enjoy the music. My show aired Monday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on a widely heard FM station across Arizona.

Reel Raw reflects the incredible roster of artists who came through the studio—many traveling from Vegas to Los Angeles, San Francisco, the East Coast, or returning from those cities. Phoenix was a natural stopover, and surprisingly to some, a true jazz mecca at the time. Artists often scheduled performances in Arizona, making it convenient for them to visit my show, promote their appearances, and encourage the community to come out and support live jazz.

We welcomed an extraordinary lineup of talent—jazz greats who sat in, performed, and shared their stories. I recorded every interview on reel-to-reel tape and stored them in a bin in my garage since 1984, surviving decades of Arizona heat. Only recently were those reel-to-reel tapes transferred to digital files.

What you hear now are the original, unedited recordings. They haven’t been altered for content—that’s why they’re Raw, straight from the Reel. Hence, Reel Raw.

These interviews were recorded between 1980 and 1985."

To listen to Reel Raw Episodes: Use the ▶ icon to stream directly on this page