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.
-
For this episode of Don’t Call it Jazz, Jon digs into his recent purchases and shares some of his favorite recent tracks. Not so much a best-of, but a collection of great creative jazz music from some wonderful contemporary artists that Jon has been listening to on repeat recently. -
Don't Call it Jazz is proud to present an annual tradition of celebrating LGBTQ musicians in recognition of pride month.
-
Don't Call it Jazz is proud to present an interview and listening hang with Jens Kuross, an outstanding musician and producer based in Boise, ID. Jens completed a residency at ISU for the commercial music program where he produced four original recordings of student compositions, and we'll be checking out those recordings.
-
Don't Call it Jazz is proud to present an interview and listening hang with Jens Kuross, an outstanding musician and producer based in Boise, ID. Jens completed a residency at ISU for the commercial music program where he produced four original recordings of student compositions. We'll be checking those recordings out next week, but for this week, enjoy a stimulating conversation about art while we check out some of Jens' music along the way.
-
Mason Wittman is one of the first graduates of ISU's brand new commercial music degree. As part of their degree, students must produce an album of original material. Mason Wittman completed the very first album coming from the commercial music degree with his release, "Blue Autumn".
-
Charnett Moffett was a virtuosic bassist from NYC, born to a family of musicians. His led one of the more fascinating and impactful careers of any contemporary jazz musician. Moffett performed with some of the most influential musicians, and recorded on some of the most important and seminal albums in jazz history. His own recordings were hyper creative and daring.
-
Barbara Morrison was an incredible jazz vocalist, and an iconic figure in the Los Angeles arts community. She performed with some of the most important figures in jazz and R&B including Johnny Otis, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Doc Severinsen, Ray Charles, and more.
-
Don't Call is Jazz will be dedicating the March 26th episode entirely to the life and career of Ron Miles, a brilliant jazz musician who tragically passed on March 8th earlier this year. He died from a rare blood disease, and was only 58 years old.
-
Happy New Year from Don’t Call it Jazz! In what has become a tradition for this show, we ring in the new year with the incandescent and powerful spirit of Alice Coltrane. This episode we will be checking out the brilliant 1968 album, A Monastic Trio, which was dedicated to Alice’s late husband John Coltrane, who had died just a year prior.
-
Merry Christmas to all from Don’t Call it Jazz! This year we will be celebrating with the iconic soundtrack to, A Charlie Brown Christmas, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
