You may not know the name, but you've heard The Voice. Since the 1940s, Ken Nordine has been known as radio's undisputed "King Of The Voice-overs." His impossibly resonant baritone has been heard extolling the virtues of everything from Levi's 501s to Slugeta Snail Bait. But in the deepest recesses of Ken Nordine's mind there exists a magical domain, several galaxies to the left of Madison Avenue. This is the world of Word Jazz.
Word Jazz is the name Ken gave to the unique art form he invented as a creative diversion from his day job. Falling into the cracks somewhere between Beat poetry, shaggy-dog storytelling and standup comedy (delivered sitting down), Word Jazz earned Nordine an avid cult following, with the release of a string of albums on various labels in the late 1950s and early '60s, and a National Public Radio series in the 80s. Among Ken's earliest and most rabid fans was a loose collection of Northern California seekers of fun, truth and music that eventually mutated into the Grateful Dead.
From the Grateful Dead website
You may not know the name, but you've heard The Voice. Since the 1940s, Ken Nordine has been known as radio's undisputed "King Of The Voice-overs." His impossibly resonant baritone has been heard extolling the virtues of everything from Levi's 501s to Slugeta Snail Bait. But in the deepest recesses of Ken Nordine's mind there exists a magical domain, several galaxies to the left of Madison Avenue. This is the world of Word Jazz.
Word Jazz is the name Ken gave to the unique art form he invented as a creative diversion from his day job. Falling into the cracks somewhere between Beat poetry, shaggy-dog storytelling and standup comedy (delivered sitting down), Word Jazz earned Nordine an avid cult following, with the release of a string of albums on various labels in the late 1950s and early '60s, and a National Public Radio series in the 80s. Among Ken's earliest and most rabid fans was a loose collection of Northern California seekers of fun, truth and music that eventually mutated into the Grateful Dead.