WMOT 89.5 FM recently announced that rebroadcasts of the radio show “Improvised Thoughts” will replace “Music City Roots” in the show’s original Sunday 7 p.m. weekly time slot, beginning Sunday, Feb. 9.
“Improvised Thoughts” is hosted and co-produced by jazz piano legend Beegie Adair and jazz radio veteran Greg Lee. Recorded at WMOT from 1991 to 1997, the popular radio talk/music show featured local and international jazz artists including such greats as Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Marian McPartland, Benny Golson and Helen Merrill, to name a few. Most shows will air as they were originally heard in the 1990s, with updated information available on the station’s website.
“The WMOT audience and fans of Beegie Adair will enjoy ‘Improvised Thoughts.’ Ms. Adair is an accomplished musician, loved by fans worldwide, and is a terrific interviewer,” said Greg Lee, program director for WMOT. “Good music and conversation about good music by the people who make it is a delight to hear. To have such an influential musical figure at the helm, interviewing some of jazz’s most iconic players, along with those who were then rising-stars, is well worth a visit to WMOT on Sunday nights at 7. Many will remember the series when it was in production in the ‘90s, but an entirely new listenership should have the opportunity to hear it, too.”
Adair adds “I’m incredibly pleased that ‘Improvised Thoughts’ is about to be rebroadcast, with all the wonderful musicians and singers I was privileged to interview back then. I’m very proud of this project.”
Ms. Adair, a Steinway Artist, cites George Shearing, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner among her influences. She has recorded and appeared on over 100 CDs (35 of which are recorded with her trio), ranging from Cole Porter standards to Frank Sinatra classics to romantic World War II ballads. Her 6-CD Centennial Composers Collection of tunes by Rodgers, Gershwin, Kern, Ellington, Carmichael and Berlin became an instant collectible classic upon its release. Having sold more than a million records, the Beegie Adair Trio is one of the most respected and successful jazz trios in the world. Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Adair appeared twice on Marian McPartland’s “Piano Jazz” and cited McPartland as a friend and influence.
WMOT is a radio station featuring classical music, jazz music, and news and talk programming, serving the metropolitan Nashville market. It is licensed to Middle Tennessee State University, located in nearby Murfreesboro. Due to its location, WMOT’s signal is strongest and most clear in Nashville and surrounding counties. It is branded as Middle Tennessee Public Radio. “Improvised Thoughts” will be formatted for radio, live streaming and on-demand for fans worldwide at wmot.org, where a complete list of programs and more details can be found. More information on Beegie Adair can be found at beegieadair.com.
