Feature on ExcursionsRadio
By Morgan Barela
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A dynamic show featuring a deeper look into how jazz and hip-hop connect, ExcursionsRadio provides both an educational and entertaining experience for listeners. ExcursionsRadio, the KJazz program hosted by Dan Seeff, explores the connection between jazz and rap, from the fusion genre itself to how both genres have influenced each other independently.
Jazz has had a profound impact on hip-hop since the genre’s inception. In hip-hop’s golden age in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, jazz rap was an innovative take on rap music that fused jazz instrumentation with
hip-hop rhythms.
Getting its name from A Tribe Called Quest’s “Excursions,”Seeff hosts a dynamic show every Thursday from 10pm to 12am. Seeff is a musician and producer who studied upright bass with Ron Carter, and has worked on several hip-hop records. He brings a deep knowledge of both jazz and hip-hop and its complex history to the show.
ExcursionsRadio is the world’s only hip-hop and jazz focused radio show. Each show highlights the creativity and innovation of jazz and hip-hop, with exploration into different artists, albums, and hip-hop productions that sample jazz songs.
Seeff says that his goal is to highlight the connections between jazz and hip-hop while producing a show that is engaging to the listener. “I just was always interested in how [jazz and hip-hop] connect. I would notice all these similarities…I see both styles of music as an extension of the blues,” Seeff said when asked what motivated him to produce ExcursionsRadio.
Recently, on the February 13th show, Seeff dove into the work of hip-hop group De La Soul. Listeners heard the group’s debut album 3 Feet High and Rising, with the jazz songs they sampled played in between each track.
While ExcursionsRadio focuses primarily on hip-hop and jazz musicians, the program also goes beyond the confines of this already expansive genre, exploring the ways in which both jazz and hip-hop influence the work of other artists such as Amy Winehouse. The program also features the work of more traditional jazz musicians, including those who have explored the rhythm of hip-hop in their own work. The work of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and more jazz artists has been the subject of several ExcursionsRadio shows. The program also highlights the way in which the legacy of notable jazz musicians is continued by the sampling of their work in hip-hop.
When asked to summarize what ExcursionsRadio is about, Seeff reflected on what a regular listener told him recently. “I listen to your show every week. I love to dance and learn,” said the listener.
You can listen to ExcursionsRadio every Thursday from 10pm to 12am on KJazz 88.1FM, hosted by Daniel Seef.
