Allow me a moment of pride by association. Kudos to my colleague Eric Jackson on the kickoff of a special celebration of his career. The man who earned the title the “Dean of Boston Jazz Radio” will be honored all this week for his contributions to the jazz world. Contributions which go far beyond greater Boston.
Eric has been a fixture on Boston airwaves since 1969, when he hosted his first radio show at Boston University’s WTBU station. He first got behind the mic there while studying to be a psychiatrist. A 2012 BU alumni magazine profile of him revealed that his first show was actually R&B. Later, he added shows showcasing jazz and mixed music. Pretty soon, he discarded his psychiatrist plans in favor of a career in radio, specifically jazz radio. Actually, he came by his interests honestly — his dad, Samuel, was a big jazz fan and the first African-American radio announcer in New England. In the years after Eric landed at WGBH radio, his dad was a featured guest on his yearly Father’s Day program.
His signature show, Eric in the Evening, debuted in 1981, four years after he started working at WGBH. I discovered it after I moved to Boston, and right away, it became appointment listening for me. I am a lifelong jazz enthusiast, with a special love for vocalists like the deceased masters Shirley Horn and Betty Carter. Today, it’s Gregory Porter and Dianne Reeves, along with Peel Me A Grape’s Diana Krall — all featured on Eric’s decades-long playlist. His show was both a chance to hear some of my favorites, but also to find out about musicians I didn’t know.
We regular listeners were also treated to live in-studio concerts and interviews with jazz masters, like Roxbury-born star drummer Roy Haynes, whom Eric knew well. Eric said he liked to program the order of the selections in the moment — much like an improvised jazz composition. Actually, the whole show always made me feel as though I were in a hip jazz club with Eric as the emcee, inviting us in with his trademark, “Let’s take a listen.” Adding to the jazzy vibe, Eric’s dulcet tones — just made for the radio. To my ears, his voice sounds like the smooth bluesy notes of jazz music. I’ve always been fascinated with how he softens the edges of the word "piano." When he says it, it sounds like "pee-ahhh-no." So cool.
Not only do his fans hail from around the nation and the world, critics have recognized his expertise. He’s won top awards from the National Jazz Journalists and JazzBoston. He’s lectured at Leeds College of Music in England, and helped develop exhibits for the American Jazz Museum. And his class, the African-American Experience Through Music, is a staple at Northeastern University.
Some things have changed in the 40 years since Eric first started on WGBH radio. No more albums or cassettes — it’s all digital plays. And six years ago, he transitioned from a daily weeknight show to his weekend show, which is now a centerpiece on WGBH’s Jazz 24/7 network. Last year, Eric accepted Jazzweek’s 2017 Station of the Year award for the digital service’s 40 hours of programming.
Eric Jackson, congratulations on four decades of making jazz come alive. Psychiatry’s loss is our musical gain.
