Frank Matheis and John Jackson, 1989
What gives this FM the right to write about the blues?
He plays slide guitar so badly, he needs some way to compensate.
When he was 16, his confused mother looked at the posters in his room and wanted to know, “My God. Don’t you listen to any white people?”
He spent nearly a decade on the radio in New York/Connecticut hosting wild blues & roots shows and produced an award winning radio blues documentary that aired on three continents.
He can play a mean harp.
RADIO PROJECTS
Independent Programmer- Deutschlandradio (German NPR) 2009
To be aired at 11 PM Dec. 26 to 27, 2009. A program for the series “Lange Nacht”, a three-hour long autobiographical radio-documentary special about emigrating to America.
Specialty Programmer & Host 2005-2006
WVKR 91.3 FM, Poughkeepsie, New York
Host of “Bon-Ton Roulet”, an eclectic roots program featuring predominately acoustic blues. In 2006 I stopped the program due to illness.
Specialty Programmer & Host 1997-2005
WKZE 98.1 FM/1020 AM , Sharon Connecticut, beaming to the tri-state region of Connecticut -Massachusetts-New York.
Roots & Blues expert programming, with a wide-ranging, eclectic format. Two very popular programs: “Frank’s Picks” aired every Friday for 8 years from 7 to 10 PM. The “Blues Show” aired from Jan. 2004 to March 2005 and featured all types of blues, old, new, acoustic, electric, etc.
Independent Programmer- Deutschlandradio (German NPR) 1999
Produced a blues series entitled as a guest of the syndicated show “Musik am Morgen”. Six segments aired in the German language. Produced a three-hour documentary as a feature of the popular “Lange Nacht” program. German special version of the documentary “I Wish I was in Heaven Sitting Down”. “And also “American Folk- from Hawaii to Quebec” – a three hour exploration of American roots music. These programs aired nationwide on 80 German NPR stations.
The English version of the blues documentary “I Wish I was in Heaven Sitting Down” aired on:
• Martin “Lester” Dunstan- “Lester” presents “JuzBlooz” 3WAY FM 100.9 MHz, Warrnambool, Australia – May 30 to July 4, 2000
• Geoff Pegler’s BluesBeat- FM 89.3 Victor Harbor, 94.7 Strathalbyn, 88.3 Yankalilla S.A.; and “The Sound of the Fleurieu” FM 106.7 Mildura, 90.7 Robinvale & Wentworth Vic, 87.8 Coomealla Nsw. Australia – April 22- May 27, 2000
• KCCK-FM, Cedar Rapids, Iowa- October 1999
• WKZE- FM, 98.1 – January 1999, replayed in January 2001
Guest Programmer: Slovenian National Radio 1998
“A Musical Postcard from America” with Slovenian journalist and motorcyclist Benka Pulko.
RADIO AWARDS
Communicator Award of Excellence – Best Documentary 1999
“I Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down” a documentary about the Mississippi Blues.
Communicator Award of Excellence – Best Documentary 2001
“Hey, where is Django Playing?” a biographical documentary about Gypsy Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.
New York Festivals 2003 – Best International Documentary
“American Folk Music from Hawaii to Quebec” in German for German NPR.
MUSIC WRITING
• Folker major German music magazine covering folk and world music. Occasional contributing blues columnist.
• Contributing writer to Blues Access, one of the most respected US blues magazines. (Unfortunately, Blues Access folded in January 2002.)
• Occasional Contributing Writer to Blues & Rhythm (UK), Sing-Out, The Music Matters Review, InsideOut, Fast Folk, The Artful Times, Dutchess Magazine, The Country and more.
• Former CD review columnist for Taconic Weekend, the arts & entertainment insert in a series of newspapers in the Hudson Valley, New York. Wrote more than 250 articles from 1996 to 2001. From 2001-2008 I contributed a series of articles entitled “Musical Musings”.
SHORT STORIES- FICTION
Published in “The Country” Magazine
“To Fill a Spinning Sky” October 2002
“Jesse Mae’s Blues” July 2003
“Robert Johnson with a Cigarette” November 2007
“Knocked Out” August 2009
Frank Matheis and Doug Macleod
