Absinthe Radio News

19 February 2006

WALLY in the BIG APPLE

Calling all Manhattan bugs & Absintheurs!!!! Wally Stephens here, your nouveau-M.C. of green fairy boogie woogie.

I’ll be down at The Cajun Restaurant tomorrow, Feb 20, (129 8th Ave – at 16th Street) checking out Kevin Dorn’s Traditional Jazz Collective – and some truly trickerating Cajun cuisine. The group features clarinet, saxophone and trombone, and plays in the tradition of Fats Waller, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and Eddie Condon, with a sound all their own. They go on tomorrow night (Mon. February 20) at 8pm. The Cajun told me “this is our very best band, and we’re very excited to have them”. For details, check out www.cajunjazz.com Hope to see you there !!!

The following night, I’ll be trotting on up to the Famous Birdland ( 315 West 44th St - btw 8th & 9th Ave) Tuesday Feb 21 at 11pm to check out The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Directed by Paul Ellington & Jack Jeffers. For details, go to www.birdlandjazz.com Reservations recommended.
On Wednesday night (Feb 22nd) I’ll be down in the Village at Arthur’s Tavern, 57 Grove Street to hear John “Tasty” Parker. Johnny recorded with Sykes, singer Etta Jones, Gatemouth Moore, Sy Oliver, and stepped in for Cat Anderson in Duke Ellington's band. In the 1950s, Parker gigged with Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk, and in the 1970s, with pianist Brooks Kerr and famed drummer Sonny Greer. Tasty's credentials continue: he played with Harry Connick, Jr. at the Algonquin Hotel, and with Terri Thornton for the house jazz band at the Casa Bella Restaurant in Little Italy. For details, visit www.arthurstavernnyc.com John goes on at 10pm.

See you there !
Wally

21 August 2005

After many agonizing months of benign neglect, I am more than happy to introduce Wally Stephens, Absinthe Radio's new big cheese. Wally really knows his onions, so get ready to see and hear some amazing things. I bet you might even get an addition or two to the playlist!

OK enough static from me. I'll beat it and let the man himself spill. Take it away, Wally!

Central, Gimme Harlem, 4-9-4...

Hello bugs & Absintheurs, Wally Stephens here, your nouveau-M.C. of green fairy boogie woogie. Now before Vaz cuts out for good-like, we need to recognize him as the original Felix Rex, the one who turned all your Gateways into gramophones, your Compaqs into Crosleys. It's easy to take that sort of magic for granted on this side of the mic, but it takes real vision, passion and dedication to dream it up and pull it off on the other side. You've really got your boots on, Vaz, and we all appreciate your work - every time we tune in.

When Vaz invited me to step into the Absinthe Radio booth to take over his airwaves, it was a little like stepping into a shadowy absinthe bar in the French Quarter. I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into, but I instantly dug the alluring suspense. While I continue to learn my way around the station, Vaz is fast becoming a good friend and mentor. Along with his friendship, he has given me something great - a chance to turn something wonderful into something spectacular. I'm flattered and honored by the opportunity, and am looking forward to sharing the experience with all of you along the way.

As for me, that's not important right now. More about me later. Suffice it to say that, like Vaz, my own affinity for Jazz age sound and culture is bona-fide, and that like Vaz, I have my own unique but similar vision of the station. Don't worry; it's still midnight-black and hallucinogenic-green. Rest easy, lots of new and groovy things are in the works behind the curtains. So kick back and stir up a good louche - or whatever jitter sauce you prefer. Our verdant muse has been putting together some really swell jams that'll really bust your conk.

Au revoir, for now, and remember, "Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder".

Wally Stephens

14 March 2005

Applications are closed. I have received several compelling applications for taking over Absinthe Radio and I am going to focus on those. I will not consider additional applications.

1 February 2005

Absinthe Radio for Sale?
Well, not exactly. However, after almost six years of bevolently neglectful operation, I've decided to give it up. I had grand visions for this site. I wanted it to be the premiere source of Jazz Age music and information. I wanted specialty shows for different holidays and seasons. I wanted Absnithe news, too, but the focus was the music. But the truth is, I just didn't have the time and when my daughter was born in October of 2001, I had even less of it. When I lost all my correspondence from the previous 4 years, I knew it was time to cash in.

But I don't want to see Absinthe Radio die, and that's where you come in.

I've decided to give this site away. If you love Absinthe Radio and think you've got what's needed to take Absinthe Radio to the next level, click here for more information.

30 June 2004

Email Massacre!
In the process of switching hosting companies, I completely lost all my email, including historical correspondence as well as a month's worth of unread messages. If you wrote Absinthe Radio and haven't gotten a response, please write again! I love to hear from you and always write back (even if it takes a long, long time).

The new email address is absintheradio@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you!

14 February 2004

Happy St. Valentine's Day Massacre!
On this day in 1929, the most spectacular mob hit in gangland history took place. Read about it here!

24 December 2003

Merry Christmas!
If you've tried to email the station recently, you probably got an error stating the mailbox was full. This has been fixed and you can get through again. I apologize for any inconvenience!

5 November 2003

My copy of Absinthe, Sip of Seduction, arrived! It's a great looking book with lots of photos and information, both historical and modern. If you're looking for a good read, check it out. You'll be supporting both Absinthe Radio as well as a friend of the station.

28 October 2003

Another update: the Tune In page is up. Some pages are just going to load in the frame on the home page, so I'm going to have to rework the home page to add a link in the Nav so the news can be reloaded. That's OK, I'm going to be replacing that placeholder image anyway.

27 October 2003

Can you believe it? A site update! The last update was just over one year ago! We have a whole new look for the home page, but I'm still working on the other pages. Take a look around and let me know what you think.

Looking for a fine book? Betina Wittels' new book Absinthe, Sip of Seduction, is now published and available for purchase! Betina is a friend of the station and mentions us in her book, so support her and order a copy today!