End of an Era

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Michele LaVigne

Jane Reynolds and Steve Braunginn

Strictly Jazz Sounds has been one of WORT-FM's afternoon jazz shows for many years, with Steve Braunginn and Jane Reynolds sharing hosting duties — and always playing plenty of music by local and regional performers. As the co-hosts are both retiring (June 2 and 9 are their final programs), the Madison jazz community will gather to say thank you with music. An all-star band will include Hanah Jon Taylor, saxophone; Russ Johnson, trumpet; Darren Sterud, trombone; Reynolds and Johannes Wallmann on piano; Nick Moran and Laurie Lang on bass; Vincent Davis, Matt Endres and Rick Flowers on drums; and expect other surprise guests.

media release: “END OF AN ERA” MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF WORT’S STEVE BRAUNGINN AND JANE REYNOLDS.  On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at 7:00pm, Café CODA will host a jazz community celebration for two of WORT-FM’s veteran program hosts, Steve Braunginn and Jane Reynolds, as they retire from Strictly Jazz Sounds, their long-running Thursday afternoon program (2:00-5:00pm) at 89.9FM.  (Steve will broadcast his final Strictly Jazz Sounds show on Thursday, June 2^nd, and Jane will follow with her final show on Thursday, June 9.

Performers for this special event will include: Hanah Jon Taylor, saxophone; Russ Johnson, trumpet; Darren Sterud, trombone (2nd set); Jane Reynolds, piano; Johannes Wallmann, piano; Nick Moran, bass; Laurie Lang, bass; Vincent Davis, drums; Rick Flowers, drums; Matt Endres, drums; and others!

Steve and Jane are closing out decades of commitment to jazz radio (20 and 37 years, respectively), and many of our community’s top-flight jazz musicians will come together to say “thank you” in a session produced by UW Jazz Studies Director Johannes Wallmann.   

1985 was a milestone year for Jane, as she became a founding member of the Madison Music Collective and a jazz host on WORT for a new program she called Jazz Sounds. Wanting to give other musicians more visibility in our community, she created a weekly jazz calendar and began featuring musicians on the air for live interviews. Nearing her 20^th anniversary on WORT, Steve joined her for what became Strictly Jazz Sounds.

The June 8 event will also be a farewell gig for Steve, as he and his wife Jenny begin a new era in Columbus, Ohio, where they can be a bigger part of their young granddaughter’s life.  And it will be a time for community members to show their appreciation for Steve’s many years of wide-ranging service to Greater Madison, most notably serving as President/CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison, a Dane County Board supervisor, a founding member of the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium board, a Madison school district teacher, and so many other nonprofit, civic, and governmental appointed positions.

Says Steve, “While it’s sad to say good-bye to the Madison jazz community and to our listeners of Strictly Jazz Sounds on WORT, I am delighted that I could spend these 17-plus years on the air with my dear friend and co-host, Jane Reynolds. Saluting Madison, all of those in the jazz community, and to Jane – as we customarily say to each other – I love you madly.”

Be a part of this historic farewell to Steve and Jane as we send them off into a new era in their lives on June 8 at Cafe CODA, 1224 Williamson St.