Inside Jazz (www.insidejazz.com) is founded on an unusual premise, described like this: “We don’t play any commercially-released product.” The four stations that comprise Inside Jazz feature all live performances, recorded in clubs and other live venues, mostly in the Los Angeles area.
The result is an exceptionally invigorating stream experience, with long cuts, extended soloing, and the energy of a concert and audience.
Inside jazz divides its deep trove of concert recordings into four stations:
- The Mix: the flagship station, the Mix combines jazz sub-genres into a wide variety of music.
- Straighten Up: As you would guess, this one is for straight-ahead jazz — pure acoustic treatments of standards.
- Contemporary: Veering from standards, this stream offers more original tunes and vocals
- Fusion: A clear-cut sub-genre station, Fusion does not fall into the Smooth Jazz morass, and, at the other end of the spectrum, does not burn you with Acid Jazz. It is serious playing that embraces backbeats and funk.
Don’t let the 1996-style website put you off. The listening is outstanding, and the site dishes out valuable information about the artists. Inside jazz is a great Internet radio station, with the sort of off-the-beaten-path programming dedication that justifies the entire indie-radio category. Every jazz lover needs to know about Inside Jazz.