John Beaudin - Hi Porsche, thanks for taking the time to do the interview. So you now have been at WNUA in Chicago for two and a half years. Were you doing Smooth Jazz before that?

Porsche - No, I wasn't. I was doing Urban A.C.

John - I'm curious how much of the format did you know before you got there?

Porsche - I was always familiar with traditional Jazz and I always enjoyed listening to Kenny G and Kirk Whalum but to say that I was a Smooth Jazz listener? Not really and a lot of that had to do with age and the format I was working in at the time.

John - Where were you then?

Porsche - I was in Memphis which is my hometown but I had worked other markets. I had just relocated back to Memphis maybe four years ago. I got into the music industry working for Sony music/Epic records and they made a lot of changes so I had an opportunity to work in my home town so I jumped on it.

John - Was your show "Jazzin' Up" at WNUA?

Porsche - No. "Jazzin' Up" was a project that I was doing when I first got into radio when I was doing mainstream radio. I'm one of those people that will go for it especially if it sounds like an interesting opportunity and this certainly was. "Jazzin' Up" was a project that I did with a roommate of mine who was in TV and we presented the project, found a sponsor, started working it and they aired it in twenty radio markets.

John - You were subconsciously training yourself for a future life in Smooth Jazz! (laughing)

Porsche - (laughing) I really was. You know sometimes when I see my bio and read that I always think that it was pretty cool.

John - You know when I was doing Smooth Jazz or N.A.C. as we used to call it in the early days I had this local phenomenon musician on the show every Thursday in Edmonton. His name was Andreas Schwabe, he was a nice kid and he would take ideas from listeners on inspiration for a song. In one night while I was spinning the tunes he would write, produce and present this totally finished song at the end of the night. I'm not sure if he or I came up with the idea but it really clicked in Edmonton in 1988. Andreas took a trip to Chicago around that time and the more people he talked to the more he heard about WNUA. The people at the station at the time were so nice they gave him a tour, a WNUA hat and I remember Andreas saying how incredibly friendly everyone was and how interested they were to hear that we were also introducing the format to Canada.

Porsche - Yeah, that's the way it is around here. The people here just love this format, they truly do and it really shows. I'm not surprised to hear that.

John - A lot of stations are doing Smooth Jazz now but WNUA and The Wave in L.A. really deserve a lot of credit for introducing it full scale! You're on sampler what, sixteen now?

Porsche - Number sixteen and a big concert lined up.

John - Yes with Michael McDonald.

Porsche - And David Benoit will both be here to celebrate the unveiling of the new CD sampler and it's always a big party and wonderful time at the Chicago Theatre so I'm looking forward to it on October 25th.

John - We play music in a genre filled with just the nicest people!

Porsche - Oh my goodness, I am so enjoying myself. (laughing) Getting to know the artists, getting a feel for the artist and it's just such a cool format. You know that friend of yours that came to WNUA in 1988 that had that great reception well that's how it is around here. I work with a really cool group of people with wonderful spirits. When I got here I knew nothing about the format and they really worked with me, gave me the time and set up the atmosphere that I needed to really embrace the format and learn as much as I could. I'm really enjoying it, I'm thoroughly enjoying the whole experience.

John - Smooth Jazz is also a lifestyle type of format, it's a user friendly format.

Porsche - Definitely and that's how I describe the station to a lot of friends who ask me what it is like working at a Smooth Jazz station. It's a lifestyle station and it's what we do everyday. There's a certain kind of person listening to this music that enjoys the music and can work to it, who enjoys entertaining using the radio to entertain guests. You can be on your boat listening to Smooth Jazz or on a plane.

John - As I always say writing a book, reading a book, making love or just making time for yourself.

Porsche - (laughing) Yeah, that's right, it's not distracting at all.

John - How much do you kick it up for the drive show?

Porsche - Well, on the morning show we have a musical expert in there with Ramsey Lewis so he can definitely handle that. In the afternoon during the 2:00pm hour I'm still focusing on people in the office and around 4:30pm I start changing things around. Traffic in Chicago starts building up around 4:00pm. Traffic in Chicago is crazy and it's now called the driving city. (laughing)

John - Do the jocks give feedback on what's being played at WNUA?

Porsche - Well, the station does a lot of research to find out what the listeners here in Chicago want.

John - You're still consulted by Broadcast Architecture of course since you're both owned by Clear Channel.

Porsche - Yes, that's right and the music is very much tailored to the Chicago listener. You may find a lot of Smooth Jazz artists that we're playing like Peter White, Kirk Whalum and David Benoit that are a big part of the format but we also play Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Sade and maybe even some old school because of our listener ship.

John - There's always talk of both sides of the coin, the aging population and the possibility of even younger fans to this format.

Porsche - Right and you want that and that's a part of my focus as well. I came from an Urban mainstream station and being in my late thirties there a side of me that still feels pretty hip and pretty young and I do have friends and family that are my core and so I know my core is listening. I also know though that there are younger friends of mine who are listening to the station as well so how do I maintain those listeners? You have to really speak their language and let them feel the music and it is an education and that's where the show prep comes in.

John - Where do you want to be in five years? Will you still be a Smooth Jazz gal?

Porsche - (laughing) Oh, I'll definitely still be in the format. I'm growing in the format and I definitely see myself growing day by day and there's so much for me to learn and there's so many people around here that I'm learning from. You know to be here in Chicago at WNUA this is a dream come true.

John - WNUA and The Wave that's as high as you can go in the format.

Porsche - (laughing) Right, exactly. People ask me all the time, "Where do you want to go from here?" (laughing) I'm fine where I am. It doesn't get any better than this!

John - We ask all our "Behind the Mic" guests this question and that's what trait, mistake, habit etc drive you nuts about other broadcasters?

Porsche - Well?

John - Come on there has to be something? (laughing)

Porsche - (laughing) Oh there is! Now that I am a stickler for show prep it's when I hear other broadcasters not being prepared once they open the mic. It really bugs me because that air time is so precious and if you want to maintain that listener you have to be talking about something. Give me something to hold on to, you know?

John - My Old teacher Mel Stevenson who recently passed away used to say this is your last break knucklehead so what's in your brain?(laughing)

Porsche - (laughing) Yeah, be prepared every time you open the mic. Let your light shine through.

John - Amen!

Porsche - (laughing)

John - Tell me about some of the Smooth Jazzers that you really love?

Porsche - Right now we're getting a lot of requests for this new artist named Praful out of Amsterdam and I'm really diggin' that track called "Sigh." I also love Chris Botti, I just saw him in concert. He is so cute and he is a hottie on trumpet. He's got the looks and the sound!

John - And they say only Robert Johnson made a deal with the devil?

Porsche - (Laughing)

John - He has a great reputation. I've talked to a lot of musicians who really love Chris.

Porsche - Chris Botti's the man.

John - Well, you're not going to get me to say he's a hottie okay?

Porsche - (laughing)

John - Who else do you love?

Porsche - Kirk Whalum has always been a favorite of mine. He's A1 on my list and he's from Memphis and so am I. Of course, we also have Ramsey Lewis, I can't forget about my co-host. (laughing) Ramsey has a new one out with the Urban Knights that's a really good track so I'm digging that one too. You know there are so many artists that I like it's hard for me to say that one is my favorite because I flip every week.

John - I like the Praful thing. It's cool because it mixes up the format

Porsche - Yeah.

John - Other than Smooth Jazz what are you listening to?

Porsche - Usually I'm listening to gospel music. I listen to a lot of Gospel and the Blues. Last night I was watching TV which I hardly ever do and they had this program on PBS called "On the Road to Memphis" and it was a Blues show. I just loved it. It was BB King and all these Blues guys and I thought I miss that music.

John - I was never a big Blues guy but in the last two months it's seeping through. My best buddy Jeff is a big Blues fan so he's working on me. I just talked to Les Sabler who is one of the most knowledgeable Blues guys out there and last night I interviewed Colin James who has such an understanding and love for the genre that it's infectious.

Porsche - Oh yeah. I went home over the weekend and I was hanging out with a buddy of mine and we walked down Beale Street and my friend said I need to go in here and holler at this guy and so they took us in this back way and when we got in BB King was on stage playing!

John - That's cool! And even better you weren't expecting it.

Porsche - Yeah, Friday night. I had so much fun at this BB King concert. I must be really getting mature! (laughing)

John - Tell me about your very first on air shift? Were you a wreck?

Porsche - (laughing) Oh my goodness yeah! I remember a buddy of mine Michael Jeffries who's a big mentor of mine asked me, "Have you ever heard yourself live on the air?" At that point I had interned at a couple of stations but had never been on live. He said, "You've never heard yourself live? Well, this is going to be a really wild experience for you." (laughing) So I went in there with my mind open on what this feeling was going to be like and from that moment on I was hooked! That whole feeling of just hearing myself through the headphones made me feel like I've got to do this again. I have to do this forever.

John - It is something that everyone should try. There's no feeling like it.

Porsche - Yeah, really there is no feeling like it. You know the nervousness I had then I still have. When I get ready to go on at 2:00pm I'll be nervous again, I'll have that thought in my mind. It's going to be a really cool feeling. I'll feel like I'm floating.

John - That nervousness can give a broadcaster an edge. Musicians talk about it and how that edge keeps the creativity flowing, makes them want to strive more and so they work harder.

Porsche - Very true and you know for me that nervousness wears off once I start talking, it's gone but it's there between 2:00 and 2:15pm and I want it to stay there. You know I'll be in radio for the rest of my life. (laughing)

John - Hey? You're preaching to the choir! What's been your best experience in Radio?

Porsche - Moving to Chicago. This has been a really cool experience and it's getting better day by day I tell you. When I got this job I wasn't looking for a gig. It just happened.

John - How did it come together?

Porsche - My VP came to me and said, "One of our Clear Channel properties in Chicago has been listening to you online." I didn't know if I was interested in moving again because I had just moved back to Memphis.

John - That's a nice compliment when they come to you.

Porsche - Yeah. It was Bob Kaake who was our regional VP and he had worked the Memphis market back in the day. He used to program one of the AC stations and he has a real love for Memphis. He had been looking for someone to replace Lonnie here because she was relocating back to Pittsburgh. So, it just started from there. He started communicating with other programmers and my name kept popping up so he started listing to me online. I only found out the station was WNUA when I came in for the interview. I had no idea what format it was that I was interviewing for and they were just very nice. As soon as I got here my first thought was wow these are great people.

John - Well, you work for the big boys, Clear Channel. Hell, they own everything! My sweetie Shannon is ready to deliver our second child and if I read the fine print I'm sure they own the little guy! (laughing)

Porsche - (Laughing) Yeah, they own a lot!

John - What's been the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you on air live?

Porsche - (Laughing) Well, I'm always embarrassed if I mispronounce a name especially doing this format because you have to go on like you are the expert.

John - It's a smart audience, they know how to pronounce those names!

Porsche - (laughing) You can't be on the air mispronouncing titles and peoples names.

John - When you first got to WNUA that must have happened a few times?

Porsche - (laughing) Yes and they were the most embarrassing moments. Fortunately, I work with a team of people that will come in and say, "Okay, this is how you say that."

John - Tell me about that Music legend morning man that WNUA has on board, Ramsey Lewis?

Porsche - You're talking about a man who is so gracious. Ramsey is one of those people who you want to hang around with. He's usually gone when I come in but sometimes he's here. His energy is so calm and he's just so comfortable in his own skin. It's incredible to just feel his energy. When I first came here he had a concert and I was to intro that show and Wynton Marsalis was also on the bill. I had just recently met Ramsey so I was thinking he's not going to remember me. (laughing) So I got there, asked for him and he met me at the gate and he just made me feel like I was his daughter. (laughing) So he takes me to his dressing room and he's got the baby grand and the champagne on ice and at that point I became a groupie of Ramsey Lewis. (laughing) Maybe it comes from being young but I was thinking this is Ramsey Lewis! It does not get any better than this. He is just a super nice man and he's like a storyteller. I just want to be around him and here the juicy stories. Every time I run into him I tell him, "You are the man!" (laughing)

John - If his "Legends ff Jazz" show is any indication then yes this guy is comfortable in his skin. He's like someone's favorite uncle. Porsche thanks so much for that chat it's really been a lot of fun and you are inspiring to talk to.

Porsche - Thanks John, I really enjoyed this. I look forward to seeing it on the site.