As I Please

In this week's Just Jazz show... * Brien Andrews - Don't Dance, Just Groove* Chase Huna - Dynamic Duo* Boney James - Full Effect* Lars Taylor - Dance Forever* Dena DeRose (featuring Sheila Jordan) - Small Day Tomorrow* BK Jackson - Silver Lining* Alex Churchill (feat. Andréa Lisa) - Best of Me* Markus Rutz - East to West* Allen Carman Project - Fingerprints* Dave Coz and David Sanborn - Side by Side* Bob Baldwin - Back to Basics* Charlton Singleton - Sea Breeze

The Cool Nights show may be no more, but Just Jazz is on its way...

* Walter Chancellor - Steppin' Out* Kim Scott & Jazmin Ghent - Free To Be* Nick Colionne - Let's Get Serious* Vandell Andrew - Flow* Ralph Johnson - Smooth and You* Herbie Hancock - 4 A.M. // Cool Classic* BK Jackson - Silver Lining // COOL CUT OF THE WEEK* Earnest Walker, Jr. - Palm Avenue* Lars Taylor Interview with Steve Hart* Lars Taylor - Keep it Going* Kathy Kosins - Foxy lady

* Rocco Ventrella - On The Road* U-Nam - Each's Day a Gift feat. Steve Brookstein* Ron King - Downtown Mama* Ralph Johnson - Smooth And You* Azymuth - Jazz Carnival* Christian Sands - Drive // COOL CUT OF THE WEEK* Marcus Anderson - Just A Taste* The Ramsay Lewis Trio - The In Crowd - Cool Classic* Ben Tankard & Michael Manson - Right Turn Ahead

Lots of people want to start a podcast but put it off because they doubt themselves. I'm here to say that you have a voice and if you want to start podcasting then you owe it to yourself to at least start. You may discover it's not for you (as there is a bit of donkey work involved - writing these show notes for example). But you may love it, get into your stride and build a whole new hobby or raise your profile to become the 'go to' person for information on your subject matter / genre. My advice though, is to write down the subject headings of your first 10 podcasts before you start - particularly if your show is not driven by news and events. If you still have the enthusiasm for hosting podcasts after the first 10 episodes have been released then you may be onto something. If not...well podcasting isn't for everyone – so perhaps use a different outlet, start a blog and publish your thoughts or grab a camera and make videos about it. But don't let self doubt get in the way....

We are all used to chatting with people via Voice Over IP (Voip) services such as Skype and Zoom etc, and we all know the audio quality isn't always that brilliant. In addition to low audio quality, there are often frequent audio drop-outs and sometimes people's voices become fuzzy and garbled – just when they say something important. So while Voip services can be used to record a podcast interview, if you really do want the best possible audio quality then there is a simple(ish) workaround that includes using the Voip service of your choice together with a belt-and-braces approach. And that required each party to the interview to record themselves locally. They can use a digital recorder, perhaps their phone (at a high quality audio setting), or a mic connected to their computer. Any audio issues resulting from the Voip service will be inconsequential as you will have 'clean' audio recorded locally. Then you just bring those recordings into your multi-track audio editing and work with the supplied files. But even then, it's not foolproof - as audio drift can be an issue - but there is a solution...

It's easy to get in a rut when it comes to producing a podcast every week - particularly if you are hosting a podcast on behalf of your company. Where do the story ideas come from? To help out, here are five ideas to lift your show out of the doldrums... In no particular order: * Ensure your podcast offers real value to your listeners. What practical advice and information can you share that will not only resonate with your listeners, but really help them? * Is your firm involved in community projects, or has it donated to a good cause in the community? If so, tell your listeners those stories by featuring the people your company is helping. * Expand your podcast now and again to include photos and video on the episode's web page. Add a bit of extra content to generate added interest.* Have you recorded a very long episode? Is it too long? Release two versions. A cut down episode featuring the highlights and key points for distribution, and a full version that only resides on your website. Promote the long version in the short version of your podcast.* Don't forget the listeners! Invite feedback and questions about your industry. You never know what you'll be asked and it could make for some fascinating episodes.

We've all seen the discussions about using music in podcasts...That's right - you can't use this week's number one as the intro to your show – unless you have a licence to cover the royalties, have permission from all owners of the track, or you are reviewing a snippet to critique it. For your show's intro you are best off using Royalty Free Music. Which is not always 'Free Music'. It is 'Royalty' free music. Which means that once you have paid to use it; or obtained it legally from a royalty free library, then you are able to use it without having to pay every time you... er, use it. While to can use your typewriter to Google royalty free music libraries; I have saved you the effort if you want free music. That's right; royalty free music that you can use for zero payment. My top three (in no particular order) are: * The Free Music Archive* Facebook Creator Studio* YouTube Audio Library If you know of any other free (legal) libraries then do let me know. In addition, most PCs come with music-making apps. Why not create something unique? All the best, Steve

Having a dedicated website for your podcast can help podcasters in lots of ways. It provides a central anchor point for the podcast that isn't reliant on any streaming service and it allows you to create and publish content that isn't a podcast. For example, you may decide that a written feature is the best way to share information along with relevant hotlinks. Or perhaps there are photos and videos you want to share. Bringing all your content under one roof can help centralise your podcasts and all the other bits and bobs you do. And you can give people a place to subscribe – not only to your podcast but everything else you do too. I use a free Mailchimp account that is connected to my RSS feed. It means that when I publish a post, the subscriber email is sent automatically. There are plenty of free options for websites, but for the most flexibility – and ownership – I prefer to host my a WordPress site on my own hosting plan. If you haven't got a website for your podcast, then do consider it. And yes, get the domain name that's the same name as your podcast (if at all possible). If you have any questions about podcasts or WordPress website than do drop me a line. Cheers, Steve

* Sylvia Bennett/Arturo Sandoval – Lorilee* Will Sumner – Where We Go* Philippe Saisse – Eva Kant Dance* Lars Taylor – Sweet Onion* RJ & The Assignment/Kiara Brown – Everybody Wants To Rule The World* Bob James – Sign Of The Times* Jakob Magnusson – Caption This* Justin Young – Groove Magic // COOL CUT OF THE WEEK* DW3/Richard Elliot – Let’s Have Fun Tonight* Flora Martinez – Happy* Bill King – Sundown Comin’* Four80East – Ba Ba Brazil

If you like jazz see www.JustJazz.World * Sylvia Bennett/Arturo Sandoval - Lorilee* Bennett Lorilee ft. Arturo Sandoval -* Will Sumner - Where We Go* Philippe Saisse - Eva Kant Dance* Lars Taylor - Sweet Onion* RJ & The Assignment/Kiara Brown - Everybody Wants To Rule The World* Bob James - Sign Of The Times* Jakob Magnusson - Caption This* Justin Young - Groove Magic* DW3/Richard Elliot - Let's Have Fun Tonight* Flora Martinez - Happy* Bill King - Sundown Comin'* Four80East - Ba Ba Brazil

Lays Taylor began his musical career in the 1990s; moving from his native Switzerland to work as a popular and versatile session guitarist and keyboard player in Berlin. Back then he was known as Lars Rüetschi (his real name) and was kept busy in the studio – playing on many hits with popular artists of the day, and as a live performer – until around 2009. Following a break of a few years he returned to writing and recording music in his home studio, based in a quiet Swiss village – well away from the frantic life of a big city. Although he prefers not to be placed in any music genre, his two most recent releases are popular with fans of smooth jazz. Sweet Onion was released in 2019 and is still regularly featured on the radio, and his latest single Keep it Going is gaining in popularity every day. Both tracks involved iconic producer Paul Brown in post production. Radio station owners can download this interview package for broadcast - uncut>>HERE<< Buy Lars' music wherever you get your digital music or here. Lars' YouTube page is here.

* Walter Chancellor - Steppin' Out* Kim Scott & Jazmin Ghent - Free To Be* Nick Colionne - Let's Get Serious* Vandell Andrew - Flow* Ralph Johnson - Smooth and You* Herbie Hancock - 4 A.M.* BK Jackson - Silver Lining - COOL CUT OF THE WEEK* Earnest Walker, Jr. - Palm Avenue* Lars Taylor Interview with Steve Hart* Lars Taylor - Keep it Going* Kathy Kosins - Foxy lady

Podcasts are an ideal addition to any company's content marketing mix – and here’s why. Every current survey of podcast listenership shows that an increasing number of people are listening to them. Years ago podcasts were the product of geeks serving a niche market (they used to be called audioblogs). But during the last few years podcasting has mushroomed into the mainstream. Everyone you speak with seems to have at least one favourite podcast. And according to survey company Roy Morgan, last year (2019) more than 320,000 New Zealanders downloaded audio or video podcasts in an average four weeks, an increase of nearly 150,000 compared to 2016 – an 82 per cent increase. A survey by Radio New Zealand released in June 2019 showed 31 per cent of Kiwi's download podcasts. And 48 per cent of all podcast listeners in New Zealand are aged under 45-years-old. Any marketer has to concede that podcasting is not a passing fad.  The founder of the Content Marketing Institute, Joe Pulizzi, says podcasts offer “the best definition of ‘content’ I’ve seen”. It seems pretty clear to me there is plenty of room for business owners to exploit the podcast platform to promote their brand and increase thier relationship with their current and future customers. Audio offers a level of convenience, reach and engagement that is unmatched by any other medium. Why do you think radio is still so popular? However, your podcast content has to be engaging. You have to put the audience first. You can’t just say “buy from us because we are good”. That’s a commercial. You have to deliver much more than that. You have to give something away. Any thoughts of a sale must come after the relationship has been established. The content of your podcast could a story about how you helped a customer; about how you came up with the idea of your widget, the lessons learned in its development, the failures, the problem solving, your successes. Honest stories that build credibility and trust. Use podcasts to tell your story and the stories behind your services and products, as well as share industry news and information, along with your pick of future trends in your industry. A podcast is less time consuming to make than a video, and can provide an easy way for you to include other people in the recording. They are cheap to distribute too. There’s also a level of trust that’s built up by people listening to your voice, getting to know you, and getting a feel for your personality. A podcast can help establish you as an expert, an authority within your industry. It will expand your reach to people you could never otherwise hope to meet or influence. Too shy to put yourself out there? Don't like hearing your own voice? Well, dig deep, and embrace the medium. Think you need expensive equipment? No, you can start by recording on your phone – speaking directly into its microphone, and doing any editing on the free audio app that came with your PC. Produce one a week; build a following, and watch your brand grow.

Rick Habana is a producer, songwriter, engineer and composer. In this interview Rick tells Steve Hart about his passion for blending music genres to create his unique smooth jazz sound. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Rick says he has succeeded in creating a sound that has landed him numerous music placements with many of the top television stations – not just in the US but around the world. Rick has also started breaking new barriers on a project called The Collective, where he works on mostly live music with international musicians and singers from all over the world. The Collective project involves musicians based in Finland, Italy, Netherlands, London, Canada, Venezuela, South Africa, Spain and Sweden. Together they have helped make a dream come true for Rick. The Collective Volume 1 features smooth jazz legend Paul Brown on some tracks; one being Smooth it Out. The album's first single release. Rick plans to release an ongoing series of albums under The Collective brand. Broadcasters are free to broadcast the interview. Download it HERE. Please credit Steve Hart and mention this website.