Sarah Toulouse profile picture

Sarah Toulouse

I am here for Friends and Networking

About Me


I am a producer at WBEZ-FM 91.5 Chicago Public Radio. I produce music stories and interviews for our public affairs/news shows - "Morning Edition," "All Things Considered," "Eight Forty-Eight," "Hello Beautiful", as well as record/engineer music performances in our Performance Studio for our local shows, and also our nationally syndicated rock and roll talk show "Sound Opinions."My "beat" for news is primarily special or rare performances from artists visiting the Chicago region, as well as local artists and special music events/anniversaries.Occasionally I produce one-hour music specials that run on Sunday nights.I also maintain the music library and performance archives for the station. All genres of music are accepted for the music library, but I generally cover jazz, blues, experimental and other "beyond category" artists. If you would like to submit CD/information/other materials about your band or other "outsider" type of creative work for consideration, please feel free to contact me with email here or regular mail at work. Artists in Chicago, Northern Illinois, Southeast Wisconsin, Southeast Michigan and Northwest Indiana are especially encouraged to send submissions.
FYI- Anything sent cannot be returned.
Sarah Toulouse
Music Producer / Music Library
Chicago Public Radio
848 E. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Perhaps you remember that WBEZ used to have nightly music shows. I USED to spin jazz weeknights, and host a modern/progressive/jazz-blues-soul-funk-jam-world-experiment al music program called Extensions --- those programs are NO MAS on Chicago Public Radio, as of January 8, 2007.
Thanks to all who enjoyed and supported Extensions, as well as the weeknight jazz and blues programs over the years on WBEZ.
~~~~~~~~~~
Random Favorites from 2007:
Flight of the Conchords - Distant Future
Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days 100 Nights
Antibalas - Security
Ari Brown - Live at the Green Mill
Tegan and Sara - The Con
Nick Lowe - At My Age
Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy~~~~~~~~~~
Random Favorites From 2006:
ARTIST -- CD
Hazmat Modine -- Bahamut
World Saxophone Quartet -- Political Blues
John Ellis -- By A Thread
Dr. Lonnie Smith -- Jungle Soul
Jack DeJohnette/Bill Frisell -- The Elephant Sleeps...
Jamie Saft Trio -- Trouble
OOIOO -- Taiga
Nomo -- Newtones
Bobby Previte -- Coalition of the Willing
Charlie Hunter -- Copperopolis
Skeriks Syncopated Taint Septet -- Husky
Stanton Moore -- III
Medeski Scofield Martin Wood -- Out Louder
Ernest Dawkins New Horizons Ensemble -- The Messenger
Von Freeman -- Good Forever
Spaceheater -- The Record
Gianluca Petrella - Indigo 4
Dave Douglass -- Meaning and Mystery
Nino Moschella -- The Fix
Dead Combo -- Vol. 2
Juana Molina -- Son
Extra Golden -- Ok Oyot System
BellRays -- Have A Little Faith
Irma Thomas -- After The Rain
Califone -- Roots & Crowns
Islands -- Back To Sea
Annuals -- Be He Me
Beirut -- Gulag Orkestar
~~~~~~~~~~
Outside of radio, I also work as a professional photographer and try to travel as much as possible. These are my crazy pets - cat Scura and bird Saso.

My Interests

MUSIC-MOVIES-BOOKS......TRAVEL - Some people shop, I travel. I really can't afford to do either, I'm living paycheck to paycheck, but whatever I mangage to save, it's always a miracle for me get out of Chicago even on a shoe-string budget. I suppose that makes it all the more wonderful when I actually get to put my feet in another place. Anyway, Italy, Europe, South America, Carribbean islands, New Orleans, New York, Memphis, Arizona, Wisconsin and anywhere on old Route 66 are some of my favorites. Would like to visit Egypt, Tokyo, Cuba, Australia.

Favorite restaurants around the world:
Chicago - Gioco, Thai Lagoon, and Aurelio's(Homewood)
NYC - Victor's
New Orleans - red beans & rice at French Quarter Market
Rome - Otello and Bianco Esquilino
Buenos Aires - anywhere they serve steak

I'd like to meet:

Musicians, music industry professionals, and anyone who likes to talk about music.
You are now marked on my profile visitor map!

Music:

MUSIC - jazz, blues, world music, punk, jam bands, experimental, R&B, funk, soul, nu-soul, soundtracks, anything "beyond category" and any music that is or has roots in anything old-school. I have appreciation for just about everything genuinely produced with blood, sweat and tears from deep wells of creativity in all genres. I don't much appreciate formulaic generic unoriginal work in anything, be it music, art, film, books or baking cookies.

*this section is under construction, but I'm taking a break now* Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Les Paul, Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, George Freeman, Von Freeman, Fred Anderson, Oscar Brown Jr, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, Emily Remler, Dorothy Donegan, Mary Lou Williams, Gene Ammons, Eddie Harris, Lou Donaldson, Red Holloway, Jimmy Smith, Lonnie Smith, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Willis Gator Jackson, Clearance Gatmouth Brown, Ray Charles, Charles Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Big Maybelle, Albert King, Earl King, Johnny Guitar Watson, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Phil Upchurch, Olu Dara, Ink Spots, Curtis Mayfield, Donnie Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Sly & The Family Stone, Booker T. & The MGs, James Brown, Rev. James Cleveland, Mahalia Jackson, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Betty Harris, Irma Thomas, Dixie Cups, Bettye LaVette, Chaka Khan, Jimmy Scott, Lou Rawls, Esther Phillips, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Etta Jones, Ruth Brown, Tina Turner (with Ike), Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Outcast, Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Warren Zevon, Tom Waits, Los Straightjackts, Parliament Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefhart, Velvet Underground, The Cramps, Minutemen, Bauhaus, David Johansen, David Byrne, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Os Mutantes, Baden Powell, Claude Dubussy, Maria Callas, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Leonard Cohen, Astor Piazzola, Fred Buscaglione, Gino Paoli, Mina, Nino Rota anything old-school on Stax, Hi, Sun, Chess, Atlantic, Delmark, Blue Note, Verve........so many more.

Movies:

FILMS - I like all kinds, even Hollywood crap when I can't sleep. Favorite films include La Dolce Vita, La Vita e Bella, A Fistfull of Dollars, Roman Holiday, I Vitelloni, La Strada, Le Notti di Cabiria, A Touch of Evil, The Lady from Shanghai, The Third Man, Shadow of a Doubt, The Night of the Hunter, The Bicycle Thief, Il Postino, 1984, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Life Aquatic, Shadow of the Vampire, Bringing Out the Dead, Broken Flowers, American Splendor, Adaptation, Motorcycle Diaries, Waking Life, Basquiat, Lenny, This is Spinal Tap, Blue Velvet, Fargo, Barton Fink, Brazil, Dead Ringers, O Brother Where Art Thou, Lolita, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Barfly, Chinatown, Vertigo, Bird, Ray, Blues Brothers, High Fedelity, Sid and Nancy, Wings of Desire, City of God, Frida, Syriana, Kung Fu Hustle, The Godfather...leave the gun, take the cannoli......okay I'll stop now.

Television:

Curb Your Enthusiasm, Simpsons, anything on PBS (Frontline, Image Union, American Experience, Globe Trekker) and METV (I-Spy, Honeymooners, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Svengoolie)

Books:

AUTHORS - Joseph Campbell, Charles Bukowski, Nick Hornby, David Sedaris, Gunter Grass, Graham Greene, Tony Fitzpatrick, Dalton Trumbo, Studs Terkel, Truman Capote, Harper Lee, John Kennedy Toole, Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion.

Heroes:

My mother and father

My Blog

Happy Birthday Miles Davis - May 26

Hay all, Miles would have turned 80 years old this Friday. Wow. I'm celebrating with a Miles' Fusion feature on Extensions Friday night at 1-5am. Then Sunday I'll have a thee-hour special commemora...
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Thu, 25 May 2006 06:40:00 PST

Revolving Featured Artist Archive Vol.2 - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Sharon Jones is the Real Deal Evander Holyfield of funky soul and R&B. I'm also hearing a tiny bit of Fela afro-beat in the Dap-Kings, but that could just be my ears. C...
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Fri, 05 May 2006 02:53:00 PST

Happy Birthday James Brown

"I don't know karate, but I know ka-ra-zy"- The Payback, James Brown James Brown, b May 3, 1933 Barnwell, South Carolina
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Wed, 03 May 2006 12:57:00 PST

Happy Birthday Albert King

"Born under a bad signI been down since I begin to crawlIf it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all"ain't it the truthHere is Albert King's bio...
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Wed, 26 Apr 2006 01:39:00 PST

Anger Management when you can't stop being angry

Does anyone know of any batting cages around Chicago?
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Fri, 14 Apr 2006 04:29:00 PST

01: 02: 03 04/05/06

DID YOU KNOW??On Wednesday this week at two minutes and threeseconds after 1:00 in the morning the time and date will be01: 02: 03 04/05/06That won't ever happen again. You may now returnto your life...
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Tue, 04 Apr 2006 09:05:00 PST

R.I.P. Jackie McLean

Thank you Jackie McLean for Little Melonae, Appointment in Ghana, and for playing "fat" jazz before anyone knew anything about being "phat." ...
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Sun, 02 Apr 2006 02:23:00 PST

Concert Suggestions April 2 - 8

Sun 4/2 - The Neville Brothers - Harold D. McAninch Arts CenterSun 4/2 - Ray Davies and Band - Vic TheatreSun 4/2 - Joey DeFrancesco Organ Trio - Jazz ShowcaseMon 4/3 - Jon Langford moderates The Craf...
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Sun, 02 Apr 2006 10:35:00 PST

Chaka Khan interview link

Chicago native and soulful diva Chaka Khan was interviewed by my friend Richard Steele on our morning show Eight-Forty-Eight (March 24). Here is a link to listen to the interview. Chaka Kahn on Chica...
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 09:49:00 PST

Revolving Featured Artist Archive Vol.1 - Dead Combo

Dead Combo is from Portugal and their new CD dropped on March 20. Think Link Ray playing "Rumble" in a Spaghetti Western shot in Lisbon. Click image for their myspace profile and music....
Posted by Sarah Toulouse on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 09:32:00 PST