Review

January 8th, 2009

Doug Best Swings!

And the audience swings too! At least they did when Doug presented his program at the Escondido Woman's Club meeting on Monday.

Doug is a radio legend with over 40 years of broadcasting. He enjoys bringing all the best in swing and jazz to radio listeners, and he shared some of those great songs at the meeting, along with a beautiful Jim Reeves gospel song. In addition to the music, he shared a story of when he was in his early 20s and interviewed Louie "Satchmo" Armstrong when all the other young people were afraid to.

Another story he told was about a great trumpet player - John Best (no relation) who played with some great groups of that time. John bought a home in Pauma Valley where he used to practice his trumpet in the evenings and there was a pack of coyotes and one little "runt" coyote that would come up to the fence around his home. When John would hit the high notes, the "runt" would tilt his head just like he was really enjoying the music. One day while working in his grove, John fell and broke his back. As the day wore on and it started to get dark, the coyotes started to come around and were getting pretty brazen when the "runt" got in the middle of them and started growling and carrying on so to break up the pack and they left John alone.

These are the types of stories you can hear, along with the best in swing music with a touch of New Orleans jazz, when you listen to Doug Best Swings! on Saturdays from 7am to 12Noon, on KKSM, 1320 AM, Palomar College Radio. His show is also available on www.palomar.edu/kkfm/dougbest and Cox Cable 957.

Doug Best with his 'side-kick' Sharon Prince.