Do you hear what I hear? It’s ‘Smooth Hanukkah’
In a world where radio stations air Christmas tunes around the clock from Halloween to New Year’s, can you imagine a full-time channel playing nothing but Hanukkah music? Now that would be a miracle!
Just such a miracle happened this week with the launch of “Smooth Hanukkah,” a streaming audio channel from smooth jazz webcaster ChiTownSmoothJazz.com, a service of Kurt Hanson’s Chicago-based AccuRadio Inc. And it arrives just in time: Hanukkah begins at sundown Dec. 11 and lasts eight days.
Billed as “the first radio channel in the world devoted entirely to the wonderful music surrounding the Festival of Lights,” the “Smooth Hanukkah” online stream is the brainchild of Rick O’Dell, operations manager of ChiTownSmoothJazz.com and former program director and midday personality at WNUA.
“I’ve been playing Christmas music on the air since the early ’80s,” O’Dell said. “Every year I get requests for songs pertaining to Hanukkah. Trouble is, we never had enough Hanukkah music in a contemporary vein — until now. The marriage of smooth jazz and Hanukkah has been nothing short of remarkable. In many cases, the result is simply entrancing.”
The channel features jazzy versions of traditional Jewish holiday songs by such artists as Kenny G, Dave Koz, Bela Fleck and Ben Sidran, as well as original compositions. It’s one of more than a dozen smooth jazz radio channels on the free site.
Host of “Smooth Hanukkah” is veteran broadcaster and ChicagoNow blogger Bruce Wolf, who’s said to be quite a dreidel spinner himself.
“I am proud to be a Jew and to help out in any way I can with this effort,” Wolf said. “As someone once pointed out, the Jews wrote a lot of the great Christmas songs — ‘White Christmas’ by Irving Berlin, ‘The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)’ by Mel Torme. I’m pretty sure there never has been a Hanukkah song written by a Christian, though I’d have loved to hear a latke fugue by J.S. Bach. I’m grateful that I was asked to do this, and I’m hoping I’ll be asked to intro the best of Purim Rock.”
Elsewhere on the media beat:
- Tickets are sold out for what’s being called the last-ever live performance by Bill Jackson, the legendary Chicago children’s show host best known for “Cartoon Town,” “The B.J. and Dirty Dragon Show” and “Gigglesnort Hotel.” Jackson and his puppet pals will appear Saturday in Oak Park at a benefit for the Museum of Broadcast Communications. One of the most inspired talents in Chicago television history, Jackson designed and built the sets, created and worked all of the puppets, wrote the scripts and was the voice of the characters.
- Business is booming for Tom Hudson, former host of Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting’s nationally syndicated “First Business” and onetime news anchor at former all-news WMAQ. On Tuesday, he was named co-anchor of PBS’ “Nightly Business Report.” He’ll succeed Paul Kangas, who’s retiring after 30 years with the Miami-based business news program.
- A clarification to an item here earlier this week about the resignation of Ben Goldberger as editor of Huffington Post Chicago: While candidates are still being interviewed for that position, New York-based blog editor Matt Sledge is handling the editing, publishing and placement of blogs that had been overseen by Goldberger.
02
12 2009
blogs.vocalo.org
Yes, but what about me?
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/blogshakalaka
Technically it’s not “the first radio channel in the world devoted entirely to the wonderful music surrounding the Festival of Lights,” – Sirius/XM had a Hanukkah channel last year and will be doing it again this year (although I don’t think it’s on the air yet). I suppose this may be the first free one, though.
Wait til i lern to typ my bog wil be gooder than yous sucky. bruc u wish u were me. right lov jim!@#$%^
Oy vey! I’m not sure this is the real spirit of the Chanukah story (i.e. throwing off outsideinfluences). But it is fun nonetheless.
Bruce….ISn’t that you in the picture before you shaved it off?
Hanukkah is a minor holiday.
And, there are a number of full time year round places streaming Jewish music.
Besides Dreidel, Dreidel, I canot think of any Chanukkah songs. I look forward to listening.
What’s wrong with 24/7 Dreidel Dreidel?
I can’t wait for the mancow vs bruce insult fest, let the bitch slapping begin!
Let me just state that I am in no way related to Dave Koz, or that “Kahz” guy on the Mix. Also,please do not mistake Bruce Wolf for me- he doesn’t deserve such an insult.Nice to be able to read you again, Rob…
Smooth Hanukkah would’ve been a perfect fit for our recently retired pal Bernie Finkel. Working with Bernie oh these many years introduced me to some great music. Bernie had it all.
I’m proud of Rick O’Dell for coming up with this idea. I’m even more impressed that he agreed to pose for the photo in the blog post.
The photo was taken at 233 North Michigan last year when I was asked to light the menorah in the lobby. Four months of being pummeled by PPM while at the helm of WNUA had obviously taken their toll by that point.
Bruce Wolf, solid pro that he is, made sure he got the name “Dave Koz” right in his voicetracks, giving me one read with a “KAHZ” and, with a nod to Svengoolie, another read with “KOHZ.” Somehow, in all my years of playing Dave’s music in Chicago, no listener ever got the two Koz’s mixed up.
Does this mean I’ll be hearing “Spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica”, or isn’t that smooth enough.
Rick: Are you 2nd generation or 3rd generation American citizen? Just wondering what your name was when they came through Ellis Island …. O’Dellowitz — O’Dellinsky? I think you might be the first Jew with O’ in your name. Shalom my friend…
So nu, what is all that banging in between songs. Getting interference from the anti-Semites? Or is it the Xmas Drummer Boy?
How about a channel with all Adam Sandler Hannukah songs all the time?
Anyway, Mazel Tov, ChiTownSmoothJazz.com, and here’s to you. L’Chaim!
Rob,
Thanks so much for sharing this great information. It was forwarded all over the country for great listening…..
Great to have you back…
Oh Tannenbaum, Oh Tannenbaum, put down that tree, you’re Jewish.
Now that’s smooth!
thank you Robert Feder for the information. Great to keep reading your columns from Raleigh, North Carolina.
WOW! As a proud tribal member, I am excited to hear of this! and happy Chet Chitchatstein will be hosting! :-)
I am half Jewish (we only lit 4 candles on Hannukah). So I only plan to listen for four days. Is that ok?
My mom never talked about her family and their beliefs or lack thereof. She was a convert and it this was before she knew my dad, so not one of convenience. My knowledge of Judaism was gleaned from reading the holiday issues of “Highlights for Children” and watching Robby Benson in “The Chosen.”