61 years of Hot Air

Today at 5 on CBC Radio One Hot Air begins its 61st season. The Hot Air web site claims this makes it the "longest-running show on radio". I'm not sure that's true. The longest-running show on CBC? What about the Saturday afternoon Opera? Longest-running jazz show? Regardless, it's a remarkable achievement. Bob Smith started out on CJOR in the late thirties hosting Definition of Swing. On February 1, 1947 he debuted as host of Hot Air on CBC, continuing for 35 years. Bob told me about his battles with CBC brass over his playing avant garde jazz on his show. In the forties that was Bebop! I met Bob around 1975 when I decided to start up a jazz society and introduced myself to him. He had small office at the Corby Distillery offices on Howe Street. I thought Corby's was his day job but I eventually learned that they just provided an office from which he could manage his jazz activities. Besides Hot Air, he also wrote a weekly jazz column for the Vancouver Sun. Bob didn't know me from Adam the first time I showed up at his office but he was completely supportive and generous with his advice. That very weekend his Sun column was all about me and my plans. He showed up at every show I presented, reviewed or previewed most of them, and had me on Hot Air twice. His passion for jazz never waned and, sadly, when his health began to fail he retired from broadcasting. He left Hot Air in 1982 and died May 16, 1989 at age 69. Since '82 Hot Air has been hosted by Harvey Dawes, Bruno Cimolai, Gordon Hunt and, for the past dozen years by Paul Grant. Neil Ritchie has been the show's producer since 1980. In addition to playing a wide range of recorded jazz, Hot Air regularly records and showcases the best of Vancouver's jazz musicians. Four CD compilations of BC artists have been issued, as well. They were available exclusively from The Magic Flute but as that store recently went out of business we'll have to wait and see what alternative they come up with. (Details on Hot Air Volume 4 are here.) Tomorrow on Jazz Beat, Quebec pianist Marianne Trudel in an exclusive Jazz Beat performance with Vancouver's André Lachance on bass and Dylan van der Schyff on drums. Jazz Beat is heard at 8PM on CBC Radio Two and again at 11PM on the Radio One network. Thanks to Chuck Davis and Gord Lansdell for help with the Bob Smith info. Be sure to check out Davis' History of Metropolitan Vancouver and Lansdell's Vancouver Broadcasters web sites.