Linda Guebert

KPFZ Radio- Denim Alley

Linda Guebert is the programmer and host of "Denim Alley," an American roots music program on KPFZ, a low-power, community radio station in Lake County, California.  The program and the station have been on the air for two years.

"This whole thing has been a real adventure," Linda says. "Almost none of us at the station had any radio experience at all when we started."

She freely admits to being a radio novice herself.  "I'm certainly no expert in roots music, but I've loved folk, country and bluegrass music for a long time," she says.  "I can't believe how much I've learned since I started doing Denim Alley."

The program is a mix of classic roots music, new releases, and "whatever else I feel like playing."  A regular feature on the program is two (and sometimes more) versions of the same song. "This gives me an opportunity to research the song and the artists who have performed it," she says.  "And there is no shortage of songs that have been recorded more than once.  In fact, I have quite a backlog of them."

Linda also likes to play songs that are thematically related.  "I don't do this every week, but it's fun to take a word or an idea and see how many songs I can pull together that relate to it. I've done everything from roses to cigarettes to bedding ("Satin Sheets," "Send Me the Pillow that You Dream On").  Listeners seem to respond well to this feature."

In her non-radio-host life, Linda teaches English as a second language to adults.  She has traveled in many countries, including a stint as a teacher trainer in Mozambique in the mid-1980's.  She is also very involved in community theater and is currently directing the Lakeport Community Players' production of The Sound of Music.

Denim Alley is on the air live from 2-4 p.m. on Saturdays and rebroadcast from 7-9 p.m. on Sundays.  Playlists are posted at www.kpfz.org.