Jim McGrath (Retired)

Born and raised in Rochester, Jim started listening to music in the 50’s coming to jazz in high school due to a priest that enjoyed jazz and had an after school jazz club. It was just a listening activity but that coupled with stories of The Pythodd Club and other Jazz venues lead Jim to a life long love of the music. But after “liking what he liked” he sat down and tried to figure out what he liked about the music styles, and the common denominator turned out to be the blues. Radio was always another passion listening to WHAM, WBBF, WSAY, WLS, WCFL, WCMF  and others in the late night hours during high school thinking this was the coolest job. In the USN Jim got a chance to listen to people like E.Rodney Jones & Wolfman Jack on the border blasters of the California/Mexico border. And in Chicago he listened to such announcers as Larry Lujack, Daddy-o Daley and Dick Biondi. Jim held those and others in high esteem for bringing him the music that he still listens to today. J never worked at a commercial station but has worked at public/NPR stations and college stations which offered greater freedom. It is with that in mind that he is starting to host The Blues Spectrum at its third station. It was born in the 70’s at WITR, WXXI AM was its next home for close to 17 years and he ended his career at Jazz90.1 before retiring from radio.