Our On-Air Staff
WMWM's Jazz department is staffed with adult volunteers from the surrounding communities. With diverse backgrounds and careers, our staff brings a vast range of musical tastes and styles to our jazz department. Each host is given free reign in the selection of artists and music that is presented in their show. As a result, a wide range of jazz styles, from "straight up classic" jazz to Brazilian jazz, to modern jazz to smooth jazz are represented.
Brian Vita, Jazz Director
A lifelong resident of the North Shore, Brian grew up in a musical family. His grandfather, Alexander Thomas, toured the country playing the bass during the "Big Band" era.
Email: brian@wmwmjazz.com
David Biggs
David has been affiliated with Salem State College radio since 1996 when he premiered on a once-a-week alternative rock, and academic advising information radio program Tuesday mornings from 7:00 until 9:00AM. The response was so overwhelming, that it was soon expanded to three mornings a week(Tuesdays through Thursdays) and is broadcast during the academic year months between September and May. He inherited the mantle of "Jazz Directory" in 1998 when Brandi, the former director retired and moved to New Hampshire. Since then, he and his colleagues on "Mood Swings" endeavor to various types of jazz to the audiences of the North Shore. From "smooth Jazz" to classics, hard bop, fusion, and a little historical lessons built in, under his leadership, the show continues into it's upcoming fifteenth anniversary in 2008.
David is familiar with all forms of jazz, but is partial to early jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Count Basie. That being said, he also enjoys the later contemporaries such as Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Grover Washington Jr., and the Jazz Crusaders, right through to the young lions and lionesses of today such as Mindi Abair, Candi Dulfer, Diana Krall, Yolands Adams, Terri Lynn Carrington, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Acoustic Alchemy, and Earl Klugh.
Email: david@wmwmjazz.com
Matt Caruso
Matt Caruso of Salem, a graduate of Salem State College, is a Human Resources Professional by day, and a music lover the rest of his waking hours. As the Chief Listening Officer for Salem Sounds, he has produced both ticketed and free outdoor concerts in Salem. He is a current member of the board of directors for the Boston Artists Ensemble, a founding director for the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival, and a former executive board member of the Salem High School Music Boosters.
Email: matt@wmwmjazz.com
Larry Green
Larry, he's like this guy, you know? We don't know much about him. Could be a professor. Could be a serial killer. All we know is that he plays some killer jazz.
Email: brian@wmwmjazz.com