"JAZZ On The Side" is a weekly one-hour music and history review, focusing on moments and musicians in jazz history that deserve to be better remembered. Hundreds of great players, singers, composers and arrangers have made major contributions to jazz, only to end up under-appreciated or forgotten. As "sidemen," many worked in the shadow of more famous names. Others quit music, died young, left the U.S. to live elsewhere, or simply got a bad rap from critics.

While the contributions of giants like Armstrong, Ellington, Parker, Gillespie, Davis, Coltrane, etc. continue to be documented (as they should be), the story of the jazz "sideman" often goes untold. By throwing the spotlight on the wonderful music and often-colorful lives of these very talented men and women, "JAZZ On The Side" is telling "the rest of the jazz story."

The program is written, produced, and hosted by R. Austin Bealmear, who has 45 years experience as a jazz musician, producer, architect, writer, and collector. "To me, documentaries are at their most fascinating when they light up the dark, forgotten corners of history. The real heart of a story is in the people and moments often overlooked by covering big names and events. I hope this program will help everyone see the true richness and diversity of this music."

Unlike many documentary style programs, each show includes complete tracks of recordings, many extraordinary, many rare or seldom heard, that reveal why these artists deserve so much more attention. Mr. Bealmear's commentary combines historic background, critical opinion, and often humorous detail, entertaining to veteran musicians, newcomers to jazz, and everyone in between. There is a theme to each show, most of which relate to one or two profiled artists, and all styles of jazz are included, with emphasis on the American scene from 1930 to 1980.

After a year in development, "JAZZ On The Side" began airing on WMOT Jazz89 in Nashville, TN in October, 2001.