City Cast Denver

“Just when the government was about to let crowds of people congregate again so that we could play our horns once more, the lid was clamped down tighter than ever.” That’s how jazz legend Louis Armstrong remembered his experience of the 1918 pandemic in New Orleans in his 1954 memoir Satchmo. “Everybody was down with it, except me.” Because he managed to survive, jazz flourished across the country in the mid-20th century, including here in Denver, where Five Points earned a reputation for world-class jazz. Armstrong himself even played at the iconic Rossonian Hotel on Welton Street. So now that the government is again allowing some crowds to congregate, are we on the brink of a jazz renaissance? City Cast Denver guest host donnie l. betts visits one of Denver’s premier jazz clubs, Dazzle, to listen to some music and talk through this moment in Denver jazz with legendary pianist Purnell Steen, Dazzle co-owner Matt Ruff, and trombonist Stafford Hunter. If you’re interested in sampling some live jazz for yourself, Stafford Hunter’s Young Lions are playing a set at Dazzle tonight — July 21 at 7 p.m. — but if you can’t make it down there, Dazzle is offering a livestream to enjoy the performance from home. Find all the details right here. Looking to pocket an extra $100? All you’ve got to do is fill out our listener survey, and you’ll have a chance to win it all! It’ll only take a few minutes, and you’ll be helping us out a ton: https://denver.citycast.fm/survey/Get our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And follow us on Twitter: @CityCastDenver

These are boom times for gun sellers in Colorado, with more gun purchases reported in 2020 than in 2000, 2001 and 2002 combined, according to the Denver Post. Look a little closer at those numbers, and the story gets a little more complicated, especially for Black people in Denver. City Cast Denver guest host donnie l. betts sits down with Alton Clark, the founder of 5280 Steel, a local gun club that saw its membership double in the past year. Then, he takes a tour of 1770 Armory and Gun Club, a new virtual firing range that opened in Five Points last September, with one of its founders, Shawn McWilliams. They discuss their personal relationships with guns, the taboo of gun ownership in the Black community, and what they think is driving the recent boom in gun sales. To hear donnie’s production of The Knock-Kneed Man: The Story of Crispus Attucks Freedom Fighter, click here. Want to win $100? All you have to do is tell us what you think about City Cast Denver. Take our listener survey, and you’ll be entered to win! https://denver.citycast.fm/survey/Get the newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Get the tweets: @CityCastDenver

Earlier this year, journalist Julian Rubinstein published The Holly, a thorough and revealing look at the history of gang violence in Denver, focusing in particular on the story of one former gang member turned anti-gang activist Terrance Roberts. It’s a fascinating book that answered many questions about a little-understood issue in our city, and it landed as violent crime is once again on the rise. So is the current spike in homicides and shootings related to gang violence? And how big is Denver’s gang problem anyways? City Cast Denver guest host donnie l. betts sat down with the new head of Denver’s anti-gang efforts, Nicole Monroe, to talk through how gangs operate in Denver today and what her office is doing about it.For more on gang violence in Denver, here’s a link to our episode earlier this year with Julian Rubinstein and Terrance Roberts.Want to get your hands on some ferociously cool City Cast Denver swag? Sign up for our new perks program. Get your personal referral link here, and start sharing with friends you think would appreciate a little more Denver in their days. If just one person uses your link to sign up, we’ll send you our personal recommendations for summer fun in Denver. Learn more and get started: https://denver.citycast.fm/referrals/And if you’re not already getting the City Cast Denver newsletter, you can subscribe right here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Don’t miss the tweets: @citycastdenver

It's time for another #listenlocal podcast recommendation from our friend Berry of Podcasts in Color, the largest database of podcasts produced by people of color in the world. Berry's pick this month is The Taxman, Colorado Public Radio's three-parter on Douglas Bruce, the man behind the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights and his legacy in Colorado today. Initially published in 2017, this is still a must-listen for any Coloradan who has ever wondered why our state has such a complicated relationship with taxes.The Taxman was produced by CPR News, specifically Rachel Estabrook, Ben Markus, and past City Cast Denver guest Nate Minor.Listen to the whole series here and follow Berry on Twitter @podcastsincolor. Catch up with the rest of CPR's podcast slate here.

TGIF! We’re back with another news round-up for you today, and this week City Cast Denver producers Paul Karolyi and Xandra McMahon are joined by award-winning storyteller, inventor, and activist donnie betts. We’re excited to have him on the show today, and to announce that he’ll be guest hosting City Cast Denver all next week! But first, listen in to this conversation about the week’s top stories, “meh” stories, and each person’s highlight of the week.If you want to hear more from donnie before he starts guest-hosting the show on Monday, do yourself a favor and listen to a few episodes of his podcast Destination Freedom: Black Radio Days.Speaking of highlights, did you know we put together a list of our favorite things to do in Denver in the summer? Refer just one person to the City Cast Denver newsletter, and you’ll get these recommendations in your inbox. Want to refer more people? We got some swag for you! Find out more and get your referral link here: https://denver.citycast.fm/referrals/If you have a few minutes, fill out our listener survey and let us know what you think of the podcast! It’ll really help us out, plus you’ll be entered in a drawing to win $100!Subscribe to the newsletter and stay on top of all the happenings: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! @CityCastDenver 

History Colorado has been documenting the state’s stories since 1879, just three years after Colorado became a state. And the way we teach history has changed a lot in the last 142 years. In the organization’s recent past, controversy around a 2013 Sand Creek Massacre exhibit propelled History Colorado towards a more community-centered mission. And just this past week, the organization announced a new executive director, Dawn DiPrince. City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon sits down with Dawn to talk about History Colorado’s past, present, and future. Like the show? Have an idea of how we could make it better? Take our listener survey and get a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card: https://denver.citycast.fm/survey/Want even more City Cast Denver in your life? Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And don’t forget about the tweets! @citycastdenver 

What do Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Grateful Dead have in common? If you guessed music, good for you, that’s correct. But more specifically, they all played shows at a long-forgotten hippie rock club in southwest Denver that was only open for 10 months in 1967 and 1968. DU professor Scott Montgomery and filmmaker Dan Obarski made a documentary, The Tale of the Dog, which argues that without that short-lived little club, Denver would never have been able to attract such high-profile acts and become the live music destination we know it as today. City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon sits down with Scott and Dan to talk through the six years of research that went into their documentary, the Family Dog’s lasting legacy, and the real story behind Canned Heat’s famous run-in with Denver police. The Tale of the Dog is available for streaming now. Find out more at thetaleofthedog.com.Do you love the show? Are there things we’re doing you want more of? Less of? We want to hear from you! Take our listener survey and be entered for a chance to win $100. It’ll only take a few minutes. Here’s the link: https://denver.citycast.fm/survey/ Want even more City Cast Denver in your life? Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And don’t forget about the tweets! @citycastdenver 

Housing activists and our unhoused neighbors say that the City of Denver has been increasing sweeps of homeless encampments ahead of today’s MLB All-Star Game at Coors Field, and many have accused Mayor Michael Hancock of attempting to whitewash our housing crisis for the TV cameras. But there’s more to this story than meets the eye. Denverite reporter Kevin Beaty filed records requests to get a better picture of the underlying data, and he sits down with City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon to unpack it. For an even deeper dive into the data Kevin dug up, here’s his report for Denverite. Get the newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Get the tweets: @CityCastDenver

The Globeville and Elyria-Swansea (GES) neighborhoods never seem to get a fair shake. Hemmed in by industrial polluters, highways, and massive commercial real estate developments, the area has long been among the poorest and most marginalized in the city. So when the City of Denver suspended work on one piece of the redevelopment of the new National Western Center during the pandemic, they saw an opportunity to claim some community control. City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon sits down with the director of the GES Coalition Organizing for Health and Housing Justice, Nola Miguel, and GES Coalition organizer and lifelong resident Alfonso Espino to talk about reparations and their new campaign to establish a “community-driven” planning process for that land.Read the GES Coalition’s whole plan for The Triangle right here. Have you been hoping for a way to support your favorite local daily news podcast? We want to make the best show we can, and we could use your help. Take just a few minutes to fill out this listener survey, and you’ll be entered to win $100: https://denver.citycast.fm/survey/ Want even more City Cast Denver in your life? Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And don’t forget about the tweets! @citycastdenver 

Happy Friday! We’re shaking things up a bit and have 15 minutes of news catch-up for you. City Cast Denver producers Paul Karolyi and Xandra McMahon chat about the top stories from the week, that huge upcoming sporting event, and the news that made them feel “meh.” Want a shot at a $100? All you’ve got to do is fill out our new listener survey here: https://denver.citycast.fm/survey/ It’ll take 5 minutes, and no matter what we’ll be grateful! And you can get some sweet City Cast Denver swag FOR FREE if you refer some of your friends to subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter. If just one of them signs up, you get our personal recommendations for summer in the city. How cool is that! Grab your referral link and get started here: https://denver.citycast.fm/referrals/Subscribe to the newsletter and be caught up on the news all the time: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastDenver