Larry Green (RIP) – Out Of The Blue

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Please join us as we re-roll these classic shows we recorded back in 2014/15.

Heeeeeeeeeee’s baaaaaaaaack!  The highest rated jazz host is now on RTDS!  Larry Green, formerly of JAZZ-FM in Toronto now hosts “Out Of The Blue” heard Mondays from 1-3 pm on RTDS, starting September 8th, and will be re-rolled Tuesday – Friday in the same time slot. The spirit of jazz. A touch of everything and then some…”  Once broadcast from the top of the CN Tower, Larry will now be heard from the top of Willowdale 🙂

It seems that doing a Jazz radio show was meant to be part of Larry Green’s life. Growing up in Toronto’s multi-cultural Kensington Market area, music was part of the culture and community.

After many years of studying music, including Toronto’s Oakwood Collegiate, Larry began working delivering mail at CBC Toronto. Del Mott, a CBC host of many national radio shows, had befriended Larry at the corporation as well as hearing him play at various venues. He helped this fledgling radio voice get hired at CHVC- Niagara Falls, Ontario, his first radio job. This rude radio awakening was followed by on-air performances in Guelph Ontario; Vancouver and Penticton, British Columbia; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Toronto and several other Canadian stations.

Larry eventually ended up doing the afternoon drive show on the then experimental CHUM-FM in Toronto. During his stay at  CHUM, he was also appointed creative director of the entire group of CHUM stations at that time, and was the first Canadian recipient of the coveted Armstrong Award, “for excellence in FM broadcasting”, given out by Columbia University.

Larry hosted the first music show on Toronto’s CITY-TV, and co-hosted a national children’s show on CBC-TV (After Four), with Jan Tennant.

Eventually, Larry moved into the music business as the marketing director for GRT Records, and then the National Promotion Manager for WEA Music ( Warner Bros. Elektra and Atlantic Records ).

He was approached by CFNY-FM Toronto, and asked to do their weekly jazz show. That show produced great ratings for the station, and soon after, Larry syndicated his Out of The Blue show nationwide with the same results.

Always expanding his horizons, Larry moved into program management for Telemedia Broadcasting. He assumed the responsibilities of Program Director/Operations Manager, and was a front-line contributor at their CRTC FM hearing.

Larry continued his association with CBC radio, firstly as the jazz host of Catherine O’Hara’s Later The Same Day, and later on, producing and hosting a 13-week national series using the Blindfold Test theme.  All of his work was celebrated and well-accepted by audience and management alike. Some of the shows included musicians like Ahmad Jamal, Ernestine Anderson, Chuck Mangione, Joey DeFrancesco, Oliver Jones, Phil Nimmons, Rob McConnell and others.

An international opportunity also arose, and Larry created, produced and voiced a successful jazz show on the web at theiceberg.com.

Although Larry has consistently acted as a mentor, and consultant, he augmented that part of his career by creating a program for the Learning Annex called Putting Your Voice To Work. This very successful program ran for two years, and was designed to teach techniques for developing voice talent for commercials, animation and announcing.

He also was an instructor for Humber College’s Broadcasting Program.

Larry joined JAZZ FM91 April 1st, 2002, and could be heard Monday – Friday, 2 – 6pm. Larry was consistently at the top of the stations ratings, continued to interview dozens of international and Canadian  celebrities and  was the Winner of The National Jazz Broadcaster of the year, .( 2006 ), and was nominated for this same award in 2007.

As part of his duties at JAZZ FM 91, Larry took a program idea, named it JAZZOLOGY, and developed a format for this extremely successful, accredited program that incorporates jazz students from four Toronto area Colleges and Universities. Larry hosted, produced and directed this show. As a result of the success of Jazzology, Larry was nominated for an honourary degree at the University of Toronto.

In 2014 at an industry event, RTDS founder Todd Miller met Larry, and after a brief conversation Larry decided to create new Out Of The Blue shows for RTDS.

Larry Green passed away Saturday January 2nd 2021 after a lengthy illness. He was 81…our condolences to his family and many friends that were touched by Larry’s presence…

Out Of The Blue can be heard Mondays from 1 – 3 pm each week, or heard on demand at anytime below:

THE SPRIT OF JAZZ. A TOUCH OF EVERYTHING AND THEN SOME…

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