What We Learned from "Father KUVO"

Steve Chavis:

I take full credit for Carlos Lando’s 39-year run as programming leader of the world famous KUVO JAZZ radio. We met at Boulder’s rock station KBCO, and I spotted the advertisement that fledgling KUVO was looking for a Program Director. I showed the ad to Carlos and said, “Man, this job has you written all over it.” You’re welcome.

“Does it swing?” I think he picked this up line from trombonist/shellist Steve Turre (who probably got it from Mingus), but the notion of “swing” is as hazy as a San Francisco crepescule. Beat? Heavy bass? Syncopation? Funky horn line? As I learned, morning show after morning show, even ballads can swing, in a slow-rocking way. But the music must swing.

Good live music does not always mean a good recording. As a veteran producer of countless live sessions and resulting recordings, Carlos observed that sometimes, live sessions have an energy that is experienced in-person, but does not translate when you listen to the recording later on. Some things are just better live.

And on that note, Carlos has a passion for performance broadcasts is unrivaled. Perhaps he was inspired by the great radio sessions of the early days of jazz (in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s). He’s a big fan of the European radio orchestras, and the high-quality transcriptions of those live broadcast performances. His zeal for the live set was embodied in the development of the Phyllis A. Greer Performance Studio at KUVO’s Welton studios in the 1990s, aughts, and 2010s. (And those performances that did translate well to recording showed up on 11 CDs known as Live at the Oasis.) Live music on the air is a beautiful thing.

Texas Tenors! I knew about Stanley Turrentine and Grover Washington Jr. Through the headphones, I fell in love with the final breaths through the saxophone valves at the end of a ballad. But Carlos opened my ears to the power of Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate and King Curtis. Deep soul. Blues-based. A whole lotta feeling.

Sustainability! When Carlos tabbed me to be KUVO’s third program director, one of his management tips was to invest in the things that had longevity. Many good show ideas walk in the door, but only a few of them have enough musical heft to last more than a year. That’s one thing that ties together all the shows you hear on KUVO. There’s way more music and story than you’ll ever hear in a single listening session, or in a year. That’s one reason KUVO keeps on sounding good.

(And by the way, Morning Set fans, nothing has been as fun as pushing Carlos Lando’s buttons, and drawing more amazing stories about his life and career.)

Abi Clark:

Feel for rhythmic integrity. Carlos taught me that a song should be something you can grip onto. The way to pull you in comes down to the rhythm that drives it. It deepens the sound, and an authentic soul-shining solo can never hurt. As I navigate newly released head-bopping grooves on the Thursday Jazz Odyssey, this lesson always stands true on the tracks that stand out.

It's all in the mix. As the principal programmer who defined KUVO’s multifaceted sound, Carlos sees the value in a good roadmap that ensures we hit all the musical stops. So when you reach for a striking vocal, balance it out with a swinging instrumental. Add a little Latin tinge or a bluesy note when it feels right. It’s like pairing a heady IPA with a good Reuben sandwich, aim for songs that complement each other.