CJSW Funding Drive 2024 and Breaking The Tethers - What's on the mix?!

During this year's CJSW Funding Drive, when you donate at the $35 level or higher, you can pick up a special mix of music from a CJSW program, including for my show, Breaking The Tethers. Here's what's on the BTT mix (artist, song, album):

Albert "Tootie" Heath - "Kawaida" (Kawaida)

Amnesiac Quartet - "Bloom" (Tribute to Radiohead, vol. 2)

Chris Mondak - "Skunk funk" (Blank with colour)

D.D. Jackson - "Daylight shooting in Little Italy" (Poetry project)

Disaster Pony - "Hot like bugs" (Disaster pony)

Freddie Hubbard - "First light" (First light)

Howard Moody/John Surman - "Dancing in the loft" (Rain on the window)

I.P.A. - "Grimsta" (Grimsta)

Juan Perea - "Tyner tune" (Lightkeeper)

Kamasi Washington - "The magnificent 7" (The epic)

Larry Young - "Mother ship" (Mother ship)

NO HAY BANDA & Steven Takasugi - "Il Teatro Rosso, scene II - the spasms of trapped animals" (Il Teatro Rosso)

Steve Lehman - "34a" (The music of Anthony Braxton)

These tracks were played on Breaking The Tethers, most, if not all, within the past year, since the last Funding Drive in 2024.

If you'd like to donate, please go to cjsw.com/donate or call 403-220-5000.

Thanks!

Andrew

CJSW Funding Drive 2024 and Breaking The Tethers

Once again, it's Funding Drive time for CJSW, Calgary's campus and community radio station. This is vital time for CJSW, when we call upon our awesome listeners for their support. 

Here's the basic information about the Drive this year:

*The Drive runs from Friday, October 17 through Friday, October 24 (ending at 6 pm that day).

*The theme is Play/Connect/Discover:

*The goal is $200,000.

*You can donate online at cjsw.com/donate or by calling 403-220-5000.

*While any level of donation is welcome, there are various incentives at different levels; see here.

*Individual CJSW programs also have show-specific incentives. These are in addition to the station-level stuff and will vary from show to show. 

*There are payment options available, including monthly payments.

Looking more specifically at Breaking The Tethers, the BTT 2025 Funding Drive show will take place on Monday, October 20, from 10 to 11 am MT, at cjsw.com or 90.9 FM. This is the 20th FD show for BTT! As this is the 20th and the program will take place on the 20th, for fundraising, I have a goal I'm calling 20-200-2000:

*A minimum of $20 raised. I think we can get there 😀.

*Next level up is $200. I suspect we can reach this level as well.

*The top level that I'd like to hit is $2000. BTT has been in this territory in the past a few times but not for a number of years. I'm hoping we can remedy this in 2025!

There will also be a special Breaking The Tethers musical mix available at the $35 donation level. This is made up of a bunch of awesome tunes that were all featured on BTT episodes. I'll post a tracklist for the mix later today.

I'll also have some show-specific incentives, including some great jazz and jazz-adjacent CDs. These include:

Eric Alexander - Timing is everything

Vanish Gould - She's not shiny, she's not smooth

Brother Jack McDuff - Ain't no sunshine

Vincente Arthur - Short stories

Atlantis Jazz Ensemble - Celestial suite

Dwarfs of East Agouza - Sasquatch landslide

There may be other (non-CD) BTT incentives available (you'll need to listen in to find out!)

I'll also be appearing on another fine CJSW program during Funding Drive, Alternative To What? I occasionally fill in on ATW and regular host Kerry Clarke has kindly invited me to join her for the 2025 Drive edition of ATW. We'll be on air on Thursday, October 23, from 4 to 6 pm, at cjsw.com or 90.9 FM.

That's all! Many thanks.

Andrew

 

October 13, 2025

"New and varied" is what I said was the theme of BTT this week. There were only a few dips into the past and rest of the material were new releases. My fave pieces from were probably these three, played in a row (more or less):

"Il se passe des choses (instrumental)" by Brigette Fontaine, from Brigette Fontaine est folle (see, I like melodic stuff!)

"Saber tooth millipede" by the Dwarfs of East Agouza, from Sasquatch landslide (an awesome title for an awesome album)

"Minor escapade" by Danny Thompson, from Whatever (the first solo album by the recently-departed bass great)

The podcast for this show is here. Give it a listen.

Breaking The Tethers will be on next week, on Monday, October 20, from 10 to 11 am MT, at cjsw.com or 90.9 FM. However, it won't be a usual sort of show; it's going to be the annual Funding Drive Breaking The Tethers program! CJSW Funding Drive 2025 begins on Friday, October 17 (and runs through Friday, October 24). The BTT FD show will feature some great tunes and good talk. As this is my 20th funding drive and the show takes place on the 20th, in terms of fundraising, I'm aiming for 20-200-2000:

*A minimum of $20 raised. I think we can get there 😀.

*Next level up is $200. I suspect we can reach this level as well.

*The top level that I'd like to hit is $2000. BTT has been in this territory in the past a few times but not for a number of years. I'm hoping we can remedy this in 2025!

Anyway, more information about the Funding Drive will be coming soon on this blog. If you want to get a head start on donating, please go here.

I'm also going to be appearing with Kerry Clarke on the FD edition of her fine show, Alternative To What, which I sometimes guest host. That'll be on Thursday, October 21, from 4 to 6 pm, at cjsw.com or 90.9 FM. 

Thanks.

Andrew

October 6, 2025

This BTT episode started with a big soul-jazz groove ("Delilah" by Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet from Turn it up!) then most of the rest of the proceedings headed into the sonic orbit. I dig the freak outs and there was definitely some of that in this show. What was the wildest thing? Probably "Monoceros 2" by Evan Parker from the Monoceros album (at some point in the not-too-distant future, I will play "Monoceros 4" from the same record). Check it all out and get weird here.

The next BTT show will be Monday, October 13, from 10 to 11 am MT, at cjsw.com or 90.9 FM. This will be the last "regular" show for a couple of weeks as the annual CJSW Funding Drive is beginning soon. The Drive will run from Friday, October 17 through Friday, October 24. The Breaking The Tethers Funding Drive show will be on Monday, October 20, usual time, usual place. This show, which will be my 20th CJSW Funding Drive program, should be lots of fun and hopefully will raise much money for the station. If you'd like to get a jump on donating, you can do that here. I'll have more on the Drive and BTT soon. 

Oh, I should also note that I'll be hanging out with Kerry Clarke on the FD version of her show, Alternative To What, on Thursday, October 23, from 4 to 6 pm MT, cjsw.com or 90.9 FM. More on this later, too.

Thanks.

Andrew