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Hey Everyone!
Check out this month's Big Band Swing feature below:

Jim Stone
Big band Swing Host
info@wlnz.org

By Ann Kammerer

Jim Stone decided what he wanted to do with his life by listening to AM-radio.  Graduating high school in 1963, Stone packed his bags and set out from his native St. Johns, Mich., to Chicago. His goal: to study broadcasting. His ambition: to become a disc jockey. His dream: to be just like his favorite Detroit personalities spinning music for the greater good.

"I thought I would do the evening show so I could sleep in the morning," said the now veteran production director at WJIM radio, and host of Big Band Swing on Lansing Community College's WLNZ 89.7-FM. "I also thought I would never play country music and would play what I liked. Well, in my first radio job, I had to get up at 4 a.m., sign on the station at 5 a.m., and play country music. And I did that for five years."

Today, almost 40 years later, Stone is a testament to his original dream. In addition to his full-time job at WJIM, he's a Big Band aficionado, playing recordings and interviewing top personalities of the big band era as part of his volunteer radio gig with LCC.
Big Band Swing airs Saturdays from 7 to 9 p.m. on WLNZ. The fast-paced show features what Stone calls the best of '30s and '40s music, plus the up-and-coming talent of today. Stone formats each broadcast around a theme or particular artist, including interviews with past and present personalities of the big band scene. The show originated on commercial radio, but was picked up by WLNZ in 1993.

"It's a lot of fun," said Stone of the show he produces from his in-home studio in DeWitt. "I love this music. That's number 1. Second, it's just a thrill to meet and talk to the artists."
Stone has interviewed big names and big draws like Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Doris Day, Woody Herman, Eddie Fisher and Keely Smith. Some interviews, he said, lead to others or even to special requests.

"I did a special on the Modernaires, and interviewed Alan Copeland," said Stone. "A few weeks later, I got a call from Tom Shields who used to manage the Modernaires. He told me one of the original members of the group was in a nursing home and that it would really brighten his spirits to hear the interview and the show, so I made arrangements to get him a copy."
In addition to the interviews and music, Stone also provides behind-the-scenes tidbits for listeners. He said each two-hour show takes an average of 10 to 12 hours to record and produce.
Stone draws selections from a personal collection of 20,000 albums and CDs. Many he found at garage sales or at the Salvation Army. Recently, he has been shopping on E-Bay, discovering a wealth of obscure recordings from collectors around the world.

"This music was alive and big and popular back in its time," said Stone. "But I don't think it's ever really gone away, especially with the new type of swing that's hit the country. For me, you can never get tired of hearing In the Mood."

Jim Stone's Big Band Swing can be heard two times every week. Tune in on Tuesday and Saturday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00.