Part of my reason for having been in the music business at all (as it was not a very lucrative business anyway) was a desire to assist artists who are Christians in pursuing their vocation while embedded in the larger culture (as opposed to cloistered in an artificial Christian subculture).  I felt that  excellent music that spoke to the universals of what was true and good would resonate with both Christians and non-Christians.  It does.  However, the business environment between 1995 and 2005 had little place for such music.  I remember meetings with Christian record label representatives who, while admitting that they loved the music, declined to sell it, insisting that it had no place on Christian radio and would sell poorly in Christian book stores.  (If you didn't know it, most execs at Christian record labels do not listen to the very music they promote and sell.)  As a label, Silent Planet Records was a stealth label in the Christian market, whereas in the larger mainstream market, while distribution was not difficult to obtain, the sheer quantity of product made it difficult to obtain shelf space in stores or sufficient attention.

Musing on this sorry state of affairs in 1999, I came up with the brilliant (read ill-advised and expensive) idea to produce a radio show for Christian radio to promote this music.  I selected veteran Christian musician and author John Fischer to host, figuring that this would give us credibility in the marketplace.  We also gave the show to Christian radio.  What Christian radio show would not accept such free programming?  Most, come to find out.  While some understood the content, most didn't.  In fact, suffice it to say that the featured music, interviews, and commentary on the one-hour weekly show were too artful and thoughtful for the dumbed-down world of Christian radio. 

Now, it's been a while, and I'm over all that.  Radio is still a formulaic place, with tight playlists configured to appeal to a specific demographic.  But thoughtful music, like most good art, generally belongs to a small group of folk who "get it."  I suspect that some of you are reading this blog.  For that reason, I've decide to make these shows available on the blog as downloadable MP3s.  That's right --- free.  I think you'll appreciate them more than the radio promoters and label reps. 

Each show is around 55 minutes long and comes in three segments.  In the left sidebar, under the Wide Angle logo, you'll find the three segments from the premiere episode.  Click on each link and the file will download.  In the weeks and months ahead, I'll be uploading more shows.  There's a lot of great material! And while there's obviously not any new music, much may be new to you, anyway, and besides, great music lives on.  If you want a short promo, try this (you may need to click play twice):

Listening to this premiere episode, it's apparent that we are both finding our way and introducing the series.  There's an interview with Jan Krist, music by Pierce Pettis, Brooks Williams, Bruce Cockburn and more, and pithy commentary by John Fischer.  I hope you enjoy it. 

Stay tuned for more from Wide Angle Radio.  And let me know what you think by posting a comment.