Voice of America Washington, DC 20547 Tel: (202) 619-2538 Fax: (202) 619-1241 E-mail: pubaff@ibb.gov

Jazz Host Russ Davis Joins VOA Music Mix

Washington, D.C., July 2, 1999 Continuing in the great jazz tradition created at the Voice of America by Willis Conover, VOA welcomes Russ Davis as the new host of "Jazz America," VOA's new jazz program that debuts on Saturday, July 3. Davis has been nominated by Billboard Magazine as "Jazz Personality of the Year," and he was voted "Jazz Person of the Year" by the Gavin Report.

Davis has spent more than 20 years as a jazz host, producing syndicated programs for stations throughout the United States and around the world. For the last ten years, he hosted a daily jazz show on WQCD-FM, New York City's number one jazz station. Davis currently hosts a syndicated jazz program heard on 36 stations in Japan as well as Jazz FM throughout England.

"We selected Russ as host of 'Jazz America' after an exhaustive nationwide talent search," said John Stevenson, Director of VOA's Special English and Music Division. "We welcome him to the Voice of America and know that he will produce a quality program for our listeners."

"Jazz America" will be part of the regularly scheduled line up on "VOA Music Mix," the new 24-hour music stream that is offered along with "VOA News Now" via satellite to more than 1,000 local radio stations around the world. Davis will produce "Jazz America" in New York City and it will be heard on Saturdays and Sundays around the world.

Davis' hometown is Birmingham, Alabama, and he attended the University of Alabama. He currently lives in New York City and enjoys basketball, tennis, scuba diving and studying the Civil War. He is a member of the Civil War Roundtable of New York.

"Jazz America" will be VOA's first regularly scheduled jazz program since the death of Mr. Connover in 1996. Conover, jazz host from 1954 to 1996, was world-renowned for his programs on the Voice of America and introduced jazz to millions of listeners around the world.

The Voice of America broadcasts U.S., world, and regional news in English and 52 other languages to an estimated weekly audience of 86 million listeners. More than 1,000 local radio stations around the world broadcast VOA-produced programming.

Contact: George Mackenzie
Phone: (202) 619-2538
E-mail: pubaff@voa.gov