When I'm at home, I almost always have WBGO 88.3FM on in the background. The Newark-based station, which went on the air in 1979, is generally regarded as the best jazz station in the country - if not the world, thanks to the global reach of it's online stream. This has a lot to do with the fact that most of the artists you hear on WBGO live in the NYC area, and almost all of them have a close, personal relationship with both the station and its lineup of veteran announcers.

So, when I was invited by Amy Niles - a former colleague who is now WBGO's COO - to come visit the station on a day off from work, I jumped at the chance. I spent a total of four hours there yesterday, hanging out with morning host Gary Walker (who's on my radio literally every morning), midday host Dan Karcher, and the legendary Dr. Michael Bourne, whose booming, raspy voice is even more overwhelming in person. Suffice to say, I heard all kinds of stories you'll never hear on the air, including one that involved a very famous trumpeter (now deceased) who apparently loved to watch "As the World Turns" while smoking something a bit stronger than tobacco. (No, it wasn't Satchmo.)

I had a blast. Thanks so much guys - you do tremendous work. 

More pictures after the jump.