Since she started teaching 20 years ago, RuthAnn Spike’s students have always told her that she had a great reading voice, and that she should to be on the radio. She would read portions of the history textbook to her Tiburon Middle School history classes, and the students would be mesmerized as she narrated the voyages of traders along the ancient Silk Road. Spike had been asked to record five pieces for KQED’s Perspectives series, so perhaps her students were right, and she should be on the radio.
Now, thanks to Sausalito’s community radio station, the 2011 California Golden Bell Award winner will be making her debut as a bona fide DJ. RuthAnn won’t be reading history books though, she’ll be showcasing the good time, soulful music of her favorite city: New Orleans, Louisiana. Her show is called Gumbo, and each week she’ll be serving up some tasty bits of the melodic melting pot that makes “the city that care forgot.”
“Listeners to my show will hear a musical travel brochure featuring blues and jazz traditions of New Orleans…from classic tunes by Louis Armstrong, along with some of the city’s fun modern players like John Boutte (who sings the title track of HBO’s series Treme), and of course, Trombone Shorty.” Spike said. “I figure, if you can’t go to the party that IS New Orleans, why not bring people a little bit of the party TO people in southern Marin?” Why New Orleans? Spike says she fell in love with the city visiting it on her 21st Birthday and attending Mardi Gras. “It’s a city whose music is fun and uplifting. It’s accessible to everyone, and the sounds speak to the universal longing for having fun, and getting through the tougher times.”
“Gumbo” launches at 8 p.m. Saturday on Radio Sausalito 1610 AM with a repeat broadcast Tuesday night at 8 p.m. The show can also be heard on Cable Television throughout Marin County (except Novato) on Tuesday afternoon at 4pm via Radio Sausalito’s Channel 26 audio feed.
---
Radio Sausalito is Southern Marin’s community radio station broadcasting commercial-free jazz and locally-oriented programming 24 hours a day. Using a unique network of synchronous FCC-certified repeaters, Radio Sausalito can be heard throughout Southern Marin at 1610 AM . The station is also heard county-wide on Cable Channel 26 anytime by selecting the secondary audio setting on any TV or VCR. Our programming is also transmitted worldwide via free Podcasts on iTunes.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
