Check out our long distance dedication to DJ Tom Priesmeyer of Swing Shift (11am – 1pm on Fridays) by the popGeezer of This is Pop (noon – 2pm Saturdays)
During the first phase of the Covid outbreak, and while I was briefly allowed to work from home, I streamed WXNA on the “big stereo system” quite often. One Thursday mid-morning, I first heard Tom Priesmeyer’s “Swing Shift.”
The big band orchestra Jazz and Swing that is the heart of Tom’s show is one of my favorite genres of musical sounds, so I was immediately drawn to the show. Beyond the music itself, Tom’s deep annotation of his weekly playlist selections – his audible liner notes – makes the listening experience richer and truly educational.
If you need a detailed history of the bands that Iowa’s favorite musical son Bix Beiderbecke played for, or the inaccuracies of his fictionalized 1950 biopic “Young Man with A Horn” – and who doesn’t? – then this is the show for you.
Tom’s voice is warm and gently professorial, which makes the facts and stats go down with the proverbial spoonful of sugar. The playlist covers big band Jazz’s wide musical spectrum, which, for me, is a pure shot of Dopamine.
And if you need the maximum daily requirement of acoustic bass, you need Swing Shift in your life.
