Posted by chicagomedia.org on September 30, 2009 at 13:57:45:
Rick O'Dell serves 'Sunday Brunch' again
Former WNUA-FM 95.5 mainstay Rick O'Dell has resurrected "Sunday Brunch" as a 24/7 online audio streaming channel on ChiTownSmoothJazz.com, where he is operations manager.
The "Brunch," which launched on Feb. 22, 1987 on then-WCLR-FM 101.9, was a pioneer in giving Chicago listeners a blend of contemporary jazz, New Age music and eclectic vocals. It anchored weekends on WNUA until Clear Channel switched the station from smooth jazz to a Spanish format last May.
O'Dell, who was dropped by WNUA four months earlier, was "Brunch" host and producer for much of its run and will be again in its new round-the-clock Internet incarnation.
"Wanting to remain true to the original concept of the show, which was to feature a mellow, intimate blend of acoustic instrumental music and vocals, I went back to my original playlists from the late '80s to assemble the musical core of the show," O'Dell said. "For the past 10 years or so on WNUA, the 'Sunday Brunch' had departed from its base of New Age music and multi-genre vocals in favor of jazz-funk and pop songs. I am happy to be able to return the show to its earlier groundbreaking music mix."
ChiTownSmoothJazz.com is a division of Chicago-based Accuradio.com.
(Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune)