In an age when broadcast radio is increasingly homogenized and corporate, WAMU’s Hot Jazz Saturday Night is a refuge for those with an interest in vintage jazz, swing and big band from the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s. Host Rob Bamberger, whose record collection has taken over his basement and laundry room, has been laying down jazz knowledge every Saturday night from 7 to 10 p.m. since 1980. That makes 25 years — congrats to both Bamberger and WAMU, one of D.C.’s NPR affiliates over at American University. From WAMU’s Web site, Bamberger speaks on his role in today’s radio:

“There are virtually no places left on radio where someone like me is given three hours weekly to program music free of focus-group driven playlists and to present it as I hope works best for listeners and artists who might otherwise be totally forgotten.”

And why is jazz programming so sparse in a town that gave birth to Duke Ellington and rivaled Harlem as a ’20s and ’30s hot spot? We guess that’s a question for another time.

What we appreciate most about Hot Jazz is the tone it sets. The Sept. 3 broadcast was all about New Orleans, starting off with a heart-wrenching rendition of “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?” sung by Miss Anguish herself, Billie Holiday. Can’t say it made us feel better about the Gulf Coast disaster, but at least we knew someone out there was feeling what we feel.

According to WAMU, some sort of celebration is in the works. Get on the ball, public radio people. Plan ahead!

Photo of Rob Bamberger from WAMU.org.