Jon Armstrong
Host of Don't Call It JazzHost of Don't Call it Jazz (DCiJ) on KISU-FM. DCiJ air's twice monthly on Saturday nights at 7:00 pm.
Jonathan Armstrong is an Idaho based creative musician, bandleader, composer, and innovative educator. In 2015, he moved to Pocatello to take the job as the Director of Jazz Studies at Idaho State University. Before that he resided in Los Angeles, where we worked as a professional musician. He has released two critically acclaimed albums: “Farewell” (2013) features compositions for a 25-piece large ensemble, and “Burnt Hibiscus” (2015) sets surrealist poetry to Indian ragas for a 10-piece ensemble. He is also a member of the Kobie Watkins Grouptet, a jazz quintet that regularly performs all throughout the country. Their debut album "Movement" was released in 2018.
Jon was recently awarded a 2019 Idaho Commission on the Arts Performing Arts Fellowship. He enjoys long walks in the Pocatello hills with his wife, daughter, and dog.
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The ISU Video Game Music Ensemble will be presenting their spring concert Saturday April 19th at 7:30pm in Jensen Concert Hall. I am joined in-studio by my colleague and co-director of the VGME, Dr. Eddie Ludema to talk about the concert, the ensemble, and the work our amazing students put into the performance. -
For this episode of Don’t Call it Jazz, I am honored to present the live recording from the debut performance of my new composition, “Voluntary Breath” a concerto for orchestra and solo saxophone. The piece was premiered by the Great Falls Symphony, based in Great Falls, Montana, under the direction of Grant Harville. -
I am very excited to welcome my wonderful music department colleague Jenna McLean back on the show, to talk about and check out her new album, For Your Love. -
This episode of Don’t Call it Jazz will provide a full preview of the upcoming ISU Jazz Fest, happening on Friday February 7th and Saturday February 8th featuring the wonderful musician, world-percussionist and drummer Randy Gloss coming from Los Angeles. -
The last few weeks have been so sad for me and my family, as we watch helplessly from our home in Idaho, the devastation from the wildfires in Los Angeles. My wife and I lived in Northern Altadena for many years while we were down there, and our old neighborhood is completely gone. Obliterated in the blink of an eye by a brutally violent wildfire. -
Jon curates a playlist of some of the great music released on City Creek Records in 2024, discussing the projects in detail, revealing some planned projects for 2025, and shares his new year’s resolution for the ISU Commercial Music Program and City Creek Records. -
Merry Christmas from Don’t Call it Jazz! 🎄✨ This year, we’re celebrating the season with a festive mix of old-timey and bluegrass Christmas tunes. Join us for a heartwarming musical holiday!
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I am happy to welcome Keith Kelly again to the show, this time to share the music that each of us is teaching our students at our respective schools! Keith is a professor of music at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, AZ.
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Don't Call It Jazz welcomes back Kieth Kelley to take you on a deep dive into two great records: Alice Coltrane's Ptah the El Daoud and Qasim Naqvi's Two Centuries. Jon and Keith put together a playlist of tracks from each of the principal players on both of these legendary albums.
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I am excited to welcome Dr. Jenna McLean, my colleague in the ISU music department and co-director of the commercial music big band to Don’t Call it Jazz. Jenna and I converted the big band to this open-instrumentation group as a way to better represent and support the growing and dynamic talent of the commercial music program. We put together ten interesting new arrangements of songs by Stevie Wonder for our debut concert, Friday October 25th in Jensen Hall at the Stephen’s Performing Arts Center. Concert starts at 7:30pm, tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance.
