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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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Don’t Call It Jazz is thrilled to welcome Christopher Williams on the show to discuss and promote the 2024 Shady Grove Music Camp.
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Host Jon Armstrong celebrates the culmination of Pride month with the 4th annual Don’t Call it Jazz episode featuring a playlist of contemporary and historic LGBTQ jazz and creative musicians. The history of jazz has a complicated and toxic relationship with LGBTQ musicians, who have often been sidelined and ostracized, preventing many talented and visionary artists from flourishing and contributing to the art form.
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Host Jon Armstrong is thrilled to welcome Jaden Andrews to Don’t Call It Jazz to discuss his debut album, “Among the Stars” out on City Creek Records.
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Host Jonathan Armstrong is proud to host Lenet Neifert for a conversation about Juneteenth and to play a couple of tunes together for this episode of Don’t Call It Jazz. We discuss Lenet’s experience growing up as a Black Woman in Compton, CA, and how she came to live and perform in Pocatello.
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Don’t Call it Jazz is proud to welcome Dan Simms to discuss the Meadowlark Music Fest, happening in Old Town Pocatello June 5-8. In this episode of DCiJ we preview festival artists and provide a discount code for those planning to attend!
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Jon Armstrong from Don’t Call it Jazz is pleased to present a two-part podcast series on Casey Kalmenson, who goes by Little Monarch, the wonderful LA-based music producer. Casey came to Pocatello in 2023 as the second ever guest artist for the annual ISU Commercial Music Residency. Armstrong devised of this residency idea, where a contemporary music producer collaborates directly with commercial music students to produce an EP of original music.
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Don’t Call it Jazz is trying a new type of conversation show where host Jon Armstrong is joined by his longtime friend and musical collaborator Keith Kelly. The two of them will be trying a couple different show formats including, Old and New Dreams, where they compare an old classic album with a modern one.
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Claire's album is an exciting mix of pop, electronica, rock, jazz, and funk.During this two episode, Jon and Claire discuss the process of producing and releasing the album, what life after college looks like, and her goals as an artist and educator.
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Bengals Defeat Hornets in Dominant Fashion, 68-40
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Bengals Wrap Up Riverfront Invitational With Competitive Day Three