2026.01.05 Jay Rodriguez on Jim Pepper - 1 of 3

from Deep Focus · host Small Media Large

Meet me at Edge City. Isn't that place where worlds collide the only one where new ideas are ever generated? Saxophonist Jim Pepper knew all about these cultural collisions. His band Free Spirits was arguably the first to combine rock and jazz elements, and his oft-covered song Witchitai-To is perhaps the only hit to feature an authentic Native American chant in the history of the Billboard pop charts (we sure can't think of another one; can you?). Yes, this man changed the world, at least twice! This spirit of discovery and of sharing culture is what this episode of Deep Focus is all about. Fellow multi-reedman Jay Rodriguez knows. You know him as a founding member of Groove Collective, but this three-time Grammy nominee has also played with everyone from Prince to Stevie Wonder, Celia Cruz to Gil Evans. He's one of the cats. Jay Rodriguez joins host Mitch Goldman in the studios of WKCR to explore the soul and the legacy of Jim Pepper through live, unreleased recordings from the archives. Deep Focus this Monday (Jan 5) from 6p to 9p NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD, or wkcr.org. Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/. Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted. Just like WKCR, it's ad-free, all free, totally non-commercial. We won't even ask for your contact info. Learn more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us on Instagram @deep_focus_podcast. Photo credit: publishing info not available. #WKCR #DeepFocus #JimPepper #JayRodriguez #GrooveCollective #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman Deep Focus is a production of Small Media Large.

What this episode covers

Meet me at Edge City. Isn't that place where worlds collide the only one where new ideas are ever generated? Saxophonist Jim Pepper knew all about these cultural collisions. His band Free Spirits was arguably the first to combine rock and jazz elements, and his oft-covered song Witchitai-To is perhaps the only hit to feature an authentic Native American chant in the history of the Billboard pop charts (we sure can't think of another one; can you?). Yes, this man changed the world, at least twice! This spirit of discovery and of sharing culture is what this episode of Deep Focus is all about. Fellow multi-reedman Jay Rodriguez knows. You know him as a founding member of Groove Collective, but this three-time Grammy nominee has also played with everyone from Prince to Stevie Wonder, Celia Cruz to Gil Evans. He's one of the cats. Jay Rodriguez joins host Mitch Goldman in the studios of WKCR to explore the soul and the legacy of Jim Pepper through live, unreleased recordings from the archives. Deep Focus this Monday (Jan 5) from 6p to 9p NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD, or wkcr.org. Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/. Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted. Just like WKCR, it's ad-free, all free, totally non-commercial. We won't even ask for your contact info. Learn more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us onInstagram @deep_focus_podcast. Photo credit: publishing info not available. #WKCR #DeepFocus #JimPepper #JayRodriguez #GrooveCollective #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman Deep Focus is a production of Small Media Large.

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2026.01.05 Jay Rodriguez on Jim Pepper - 1 of 3

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This episode was published on February 1, 2026.

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