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10 Things You Might Not Know About, Smooth Jazz Now Program Director, John Beaudin
.jpg) April 4, 2011 – John Beaudin has had a dream to be a broadcaster since he was in grade six. “I sometimes wished I would have aimed higher,” says the Program Director of Smooth Jazz Now, “It’s been a great job but like everyone says don’t expect to drive a Porsche.”
Smooth Jazz Now is Beaudin’s third Program Directors job, the first two being “The Breeze” and “California 103.”
Find out more about the man who started Smooth Jazz Now.
1 – Is seriously into meditation and has been practicing since he was twelve but after a divorce in 1986 he really got serious sometimes meditating for six hours a day.
2 – Has four children. Two from a previous marriage (Candice and Marc) and two school aged kids (Danica and Chase). He also has 4 grandkids from his older Children
3 – Is one of the few programmers who will admit that Smooth Jazz, as a format, is in trouble. Thinks big changes are on the way in order to for the format to survive. “It needs to change or its dead.”
4 – Once syndicated a popular show called the “Cross Canada Report” which was heard in every major and mid-market in Canada except Toronto. It featured two versions, one for Rock stations and one for the AC crowd.
5 – His dream American built car is the new Camaro and the Porsche 911 ranks as his European fav.
6 – John considers Edmonton, Alberta, Canada as his favorite place to live. “Having had my radio career split in three, starting in Edmonton, them moving to Vancouver then Calgary, I’d say that Vancouver is easily the most beautiful town but interestingly I still get lots of mail from people who listened to me in Edmonton and my best friends still live there.”
7 – Is starting an online Rock station (www.rockhistorybook.com) later this year.. I have always been into AC and Rock just as much as Smooth Jazz throughout my career and since I work for one of the biggest AC station in the country (QM-FM in Vancouver) I thought it was time to revisit Rock.
8 – Is married to Smooth Jazz Now evening host Shannon Edwards. “The lady who was teaching me Reiki in 1997 wanted to set us up,” says Beaudin, “So I walked into the store that Shannon owned and, like a movie, she kind of turned around slowly with her beautiful hair brushing in the air, and my first thought was, “There is no way on earth that gorgeous thing will ever date me! Luckily we hit it off from the moment we met.”
9 – Considers guitarist Daryl Stuermer (of Genesis and Phil Collins fame) as one of the best guys he’s ever interviewed. “Daryl is just a class act, I could talk to him for hours.” Steve Oliver and Peter White rank close behind.
10 – Has been in broadcasting since 1982.
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May 1, 2012 - We live in a world where most instrumental music sounds like it was made for a 5x5 vertically moving room and that includes some Smooth Jazz. Interestingly, most Smooth Jazz musicians are technically some of the best players on the planet but many have fallen into this big vacuous hole, an amnesic state, where channelling Bert Kaempfert is common place. 
April 17, 2012 – Get ready for another beautiful journey from David Benoit on May 29th. His new album, `Conversation,’ will no doubt serve as another expansion for the Smooth Jazz format. 
April 26, 2012 - Norah Jones is set to appear with a Live-on-Letterman webcast, featuring Jones from the prestigious Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, Wednesday, May 2nd at 8:00 ET. This is a clever, strategic move for Jones to push her next album “Little Broken Hearts” set for a May 1st release. 
April 4, 2012 – Esperanza Spalding is a groovy chick. I mean, really, when she’s in the room, everyone else disappears and I’m talkin’ more than that big “love-sculpture” hair. She’s the type of musician you might walk up to at a party, ask about her music, and walk away three hours later regretting the question. This lady has a vision so you better have a seat. 
February 21, 2012 - As it was stated during the Grammy Awards, "We've had a death in the family." Now our own Jazz family is remembeing Whitney Houston. 
February 21, 2012 - Shock, disappointment and horror are some of the many words fans used to describe Whitney Houston’s untimely death last week (February 11, 2012). My family and I were outside a Starbucks when one of our radio listeners texted me with, at first, the rumor. 
– Not many groups have stood the test of time like Airborne. Coming in around the time that the NAC format was really starting to cook, 1988, this outfit grew with every project, gig and album. Having just released their most powerful album yet, New Horizon’s, it looks like the world is ready for this, a full dose of positive, social conscious fusion. We sat down with the band to chat about all the twisting, yet beneficial roads taken. 
– The smart ones in life know that it’s not how you fall down in life that counts but how you get up. Zach Bandolin has had his fair share of topsy-turvy moments but the guitarist keeps swinging. 
- French Smooth Jazz guitar sensation Emmanuel Abitebol, more known as U-NAM, came to fame with his widely acclaimed somophore album ‘Back from the 80’s’ released in 2007. 
October 20, 2011 – This is no ordinary album. In fact, there is nothing normal about this album and that’s what makes this one of the most perfect projects that’s ever come across my desk. 
– On her third album Colbie Caillat has decided to strategically give us an uptempo summer-vibe. It still sounds like her smash debut “Coco” but this time it’s Colbie with caffeine and it’s positive and fun
– There are not too many things in life as deliciously lazy as Michael Franks voice. The guy could chill out someone on deaths door. Seriously, angst has no place on a Michael Franks record – he’s good at one great thing..making you feel good! 
- Programming Smooth Jazz Radio has allowed me to discover talent over the decades and follow the twists and turns in their career. Such is the case of saxophonist Steve Cole an artist whom has played on numerous number #1 Smooth Jazz hits and been a regular spin on most smooth jazz radio stations play lists. 
– There’s always been an understated value to everything that Sade does and sameness to her entire repertoire. That quality of old wine has served the singer/band well… until now. Unlike Norah Jones who has, at least, tried to mix-up-the-pot, Sade really needs to stop wearing the same dress to every party. 
– Well, one things for sure, Mindi Abair is not shopping on Main Street anymore. As they say, “run away from the past and eventually it will run into you.” 
