Robert Ginsburg is calling your bluff: you probably don’t like jazz as much as you think you do.
“I think jazz is very much an acquired taste. This may be cynical, but I have found that most people who, when they say they enjoy jazz, are really saying they like the idea of jazz. They know it’s hip and they know it’s part of our culture, but they don’t really like the music as much as the vibe associated with it,” Ginsburg said.
While Ginsburg has strong beliefs about the stylish genre, he’s devoted his career to providing spaces for jazz lovers and the “jazz curious” alike.
Ginsburg, the award-winning host of KUAF’s long-running Shades of Jazz show, is a lifelong jazz aficionado. Ginsburg’s affection for the genre was introduced at a young age through his mother, a pianist who encouraged his musical interests, but his “precocious” nature resulted in an impatience to the rigor and discipline required to master an instrument. So, he learned the basics of the piano and drums by ear. As he got older, he found his passions aligned more in live performances and music curation. Ginsburg said he felt the most inspired when attending a concert or finding a life-changing piece of music on the radio.
“Looking back at my career, it’s always, always been about the connections you make as a music listener. When you’re hearing a brilliant piece of music for the first time, it can feel like you’ve discovered something incredible. I wanted to do radio because half the joy of music is sharing it with people,” Ginsburg said.
In college, Ginsburg found the perfect outlet: hosting a radio show. After a stint of radio hosting at his alma mater in Columbia, Missouri, Ginsburg relocated to Fayetteville where he quickly found himself as the new host of a late-night radio jazz show – a position he’s held for almost fifty years.
“I am the kind of person who sticks with the things I love,” Ginsburg said.
KUAF’s Shades of Jazz show is on every Friday night from 10:00 pm to midnight with a rebroadcast on Saturdays at 11:00 am. Each show features a selection of jazz recording curated by Ginsburg and exclusive interviews with jazz performers from across the world.
“I’m less interested in the superstars than I am in the people that I think are going to be superstars. My goal for the show is to bring in people that I believe are deserving of more recognition,” Ginsburg said.
A recognizable reputation
The dedication Ginsburg gives to Shades of Jazz has not gone unnoticed, and his reputation for providing accessible avenues for community members to enjoy jazz music in the pre-streaming era has led him to places he never could have imagined.
In 1992, Ginsburg founded and launched Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society, a local nonprofit dedicated to enriching the region with jazz performances and artist promotions. Throughout the year, the nonprofit builds a calendar of free and low-cost jazz performances for the community to enjoy.
“The difference between listening to music and seeing performances live is night and day,” Ginsburg said.
The nonprofit also hosts the All Stars Youth Ensemble program, a space for young jazz musicians to come together and sharpen their craft. To Ginsburg, spaces like these are important for the preservation of the genre.
“If a young person can get exposed to music and they can form an interest in it, then, man, they are in it. That’s how you develop the future of the jazz audience and aspiring jazz musicians. The other fringe benefit is that, if they get into it and they get talented, all of their friends are going to catch the bug and start going to shows and become jazz fans.” Ginsburg said.
Additionally, Ginsburg serves as the official jazz curator for the Walton Arts Center, a position similar in vein to his role at his nonprofit. He is entrusted to bring in internationally-renowned jazz performers to the region for the venue. Past “cool cats” include Samara Joy, Pat Metheny and Kurt Elling.
A lasting legacy
Ginsburg has been at the reins of the Northwest Arkansas jazz community for almost fifty years, and his legacy has been officially documented into history. With a rosterof awards and accolades, including induction into the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame in 2024, preceded by the 2016 Jazz Heroes award through the Jazz Journalists Association and the Arkansas Governor’s Award for Arts and Community Development in 2011.
Although the recognitions were an esteemed honor, it was never the goal for Ginsburg.
“I have not pursued this career for the glory or to build a legacy, but I do feel very good about what I’ve been able to do just for the sake of doing it,” Ginsburg said.
Though Ginsburg is aware that the time to hang up his hat as KUAF’s jazz show host will arrive, he isn’t sure he sees the end in sight just yet. He has never seen the position as work, but as an opportunity to blend his deep appreciation for the niche genre and his love for radio. From where he’s standing, Ginsburg knows he has built a career he can be proud of and one he is certain has made an impact on the community and the fight to preserve the jazz genre.
Check out Shades of Jazz on KUAF 91.3 every Friday night at 10:00pm - 12:00am and Saturday afternoon from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on KUAF’s HD-3 digital feed. Follow along with local jazz happenings hosted by the Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society through their Instagram @NorthwestArkansasJazzSociety or by signing up for their newsletter online at www.digjazz.com.
Sidebar: Robert Ginsburg has built his career on enriching the Northwest Arkansas community with jazz performances and cultural education, but did you know he is also an avid outdoor enthusiast? The jazz expert holds outdoor excursions such as caving, biking and wilderness hiking dear to his heart, and his passions led him to a detour outside of his jazz career. In 1982, Ginsburg opened Uncle Sam’s Safari Outfitters, a local establishment furnished with outdoor clothing and gear. Although no longer affiliated with the company, the outfitter still serves the adventurers of Fayetteville to this day.