Jedd Beaudoin

Host/Producer

Jedd Beaudoin

Jedd Beaudoin is an award-winning writer and broadcaster who has been with KMUW since 2007. He is the host and producer of Strange Currency, a two-hour music show, which airs Monday-Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m. He is also the producer of the bi-weekly trends commentary “A Musical Life,” as well as “Musical Space.” He received his MFA in creative writing (fiction) from Wichita State University in 2001 (where he was a Creative Writing Fellow) and holds a B.A. in English (with an emphasis in writing) from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Beaudoin hosts Wichita Sessions on KPTS Channel 8. The show, which features local and regional music acts in performance, is now in its third season. Since 1999 he has worked as a freelance journalist. He served as music critic and editor for two Wichita alternative newspapers, F5 (2003-06) and Wichita City Paper (of which he was also managing editor, 2006-07). He currently contributes music, film, and book reviews to PopMatters.com, where he also pens (alternating with two other writers) commentary on country music for the site’s “Kickin’ Up Dust” column.

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Jonny Lang Looks Forward With ‘Signs’

By Jedd Beaudoin • 5 hours ago

Jonny Lang was 16-years-old when his 1997 album Lie To Me became an inescapable presence on radio. Lang's mixture of soul, blues and R&B quickly earned him a loyal following. He was first exposed to that blend of music on his family's farm in North Dakota.

A Musical Life: Helen Cruz

By Jedd Beaudoin • 8 hours ago

Helen Cruz serves as bassist and vocalist in Mystery Blood alongside Matthew Clagg and Mason Monigold. She is a graduate of Wichita State University where she studied geology. She can be heard on Mystery Blood’s High On Death LP.

“I started experimenting with the banjo at first and was just teaching myself. Matthew Clagg asked me to be in one of his side projects. They were going record and they only had a month to find a bass player. They talked to me, I agreed and then I learned all these songs for the record. That’s how I started playing bass.

Fastball Ups Game With ‘Step Into Light’

By Jedd Beaudoin • Jun 16, 2017

Fastball's "The Way" was one of the inescapable singles of 1998. It became a top ten hit on Billboard's Hot 100 charts and earned attention in markets such as Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and Australia. All The Money That Pain Can Buy, the album that spawned the single, sold over a million copies and earned the trio two Grammy nominations. Co-founder Tony Scalzo says that where some bands might have been frightened by the prospect of not sustaining its standing in the charts, Fastball has no such concerns.

Lizz Winstead Talks Lady Parts Justice League Vagical Mystery Tour

By Jedd Beaudoin • Jun 15, 2017

Comedian Lizz Winstead co-founded Lady Parts Justice League in 2012; the organization is comprised of feminists who use comedy to raise awareness of reproductive rights issues. Winstead was inspired to form the Justice League in 2012 as she finished work on her book Lizz Free or Die and prepared to leave her native Minnesota for her adopted hometown of Brooklyn. She was struck by what she saw as a rolling back of reproductive rights and decided to work toward raising awareness of these issues through her unique brand of comedy.

Celebrating Todd, Paul, And The Arrival Of Summer

By Jedd Beaudoin • Jun 12, 2017

Friday, June 16

The Magpie Salute reunites former Black Crowes guitarists Marc Ford and Rich Robinson in a band that combines expansive classic rock sensibilities with soul and R&B influences. We’ll hear selections from the self-titled debut from The Magpie Salute plus selections from the latest by Gov’t Mule, Revolution Come …. Revolution Go.

Saturday, June 17

A Musical Life: Zac Harrington

By Jedd Beaudoin • Jun 9, 2017

Zac Harrington is a Wichita-based soundman and musician whose credits include work with Sun & Stone, Weather Vain and Big Red Horse.

White Knights, Old Friends And The Life You Really Want

By Jedd Beaudoin • Jun 7, 2017

Friday, June 9

Released in 1987 The Joshua Tree transformed U2 from a favorite band of rock critics into mainstream superstars. The band has just released a deluxe edition of the album, featuring B-sides, rarities and a Madison Square Garden concert from the same year. Listen for selections from that effort on this episode of the show as well as music from the latest by former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters, Is This The Life We Really Want?, his first collection of all-new material since 1992.

Saturday, June 10

White Knight is the latest release from Todd Rundgren. The album fuses Rundgren’s classic pop and soul sensibilities with his more recent interest in electronic dance music. It also features collaborations from Robyn, Trent Reznor with Atticus Ross and Daryl Hall. We’ll hear selections from it on this episode of Strange Currency as well as music from former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe.

Monday, June 12

Released 40 years ago, Bob Marley’s Exodus remains not only one of his most popular but most beloved albums. To celebrate the record’s anniversary, Marley’s son Ziggy has delivered a reimagined version of the record titled Exodus 40: The Movement Continues. The collection features new vocal elements left off the original record as well as new versions of classic songs that retain the elder Marley’s performances. Listen for music from that recording as well as music from Andre Cymone.

Tuesday, June 13

Chuck is the first album of new material from Chuck Berry in nearly 40 years. It was completed before the musician’s passing earlier this year and features contributions from Gary Clarke Jr. among others. We’ll hear music from it on this episode as well as selections from the latest by Low Cut Connie.

Wednesday, June 14

After leaving Prince’s band in 1981, Andre Cymone embarked on a promising solo career, which he launched with the album Living in the New Wave. We’ll hear selections from that release as well as music from Tommy ‘86’s Transhumanism.

Thursday, June 15

We’ll hear music from Old Crow Medicine Show’s 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde plus music from Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie. The two longtime Fleetwood Mac members have just released their first-ever collaborative recording. The self-titled effort has its roots in an aborted attempt to make a new Fleetwood Mac album and features all members of that band except Stevie Nicks.

Brit Floyd Goes Beyond ‘The Wall’ And ‘Moon’ For Immersive Experience

By Jedd Beaudoin • Jun 7, 2017

Since 2011 Damian Darlington has been leading Brit Floyd, a group dedicated to recreating the experience of Pink Floyd's legendary live shows. The guitarist points out that it's a difficult task not just because of the technical nature of the stage show but also because of Pink Floyd's rich discography. Pink Floyd already had seven albums to its credit by the time it released 1973's landmark Dark Side of the Moon.

A Dream House, Manic Revelations And Heroes

By Jedd Beaudoin • May 30, 2017

Thursday, June 1

We celebrate the birthday of Simon Gallup, bassist with The Cure. We’ll hear selections from throughout his tenure with that band plus his work with the short lived band Fools Dance. You can also hear selections from A Kiss in the Dream House from Siouxsie and The Banshees.

Friday, June 2

It’s our New Month, New Music show with selections from Low Cut Connie, Los Straitjackets and music from the latest by Justin Townes Earle, Kids in the Street.

Saturday, June 3

A Musical Life: Frank Bravo

By Jedd Beaudoin • May 26, 2017

Frank Bravo is a Wichita music scene veteran who currently performs as a solo artist in Dreamverb and is a member of the band Zone Ender. He reunites annually with the band Bellafonte.

“I think of my flaws. I figured that that’s the best part to get out of myself. If I’m OK with talking about them and just playing unequipped that maybe for those moments I could not plagiarize myself.

Jedd Beaudoin

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