Ben Luhrman is the host of Rockin in Rhythm, a show airing on KRTU on Sundays from 9am to 10am. Ben was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and graduated from UTSA. He has been swing dancing to vintage jazz music since 2006. He gets to travel across the country to dance with others in the community. Ben considers himself an amateur clarinetist and he likes to collect jazz records. He is also a member of the Soul Spot DJ collective. When he does have free time he enjoys gardening, reading, and getting outdoors to hike or fish. He is currently working in elementary specialized education in a San Antonio school district.
“Education is at the center of most things I do. There is always more to learn and history to discover!”
Ben’s first experience with Jazz music was in his grandfather’s house. As a baby, his grandfather played jazz records or Riverwalk Jazz on the radio. He listened to blues, gospel, ragtime, and traditional jazz from a young age. Ben’s music taste shifted once he learned to dance the charleston, lindy hop, balboa, and collegiate shag. He began to listen more to more music with danceable elements.
Ben first started listening to KRTU in 2005 when he began swing dancing. He was exclusively a listener until he was asked to DJ by local bandleader Jim Cullum Jr. for Skyline Swing, an event on the Trinity University campus. Johnny Panzarella, the host of “Sinatra and Friends” recommended Ben to KRTU music director, Kory Cook. From there, Ben met with KRTU general manager, JJ Lopez and was offered a volunteer position for an on-air show. Kory and Ben discussed a show centered around big bands, combos, and musicians that had a driving sound before Rock ‘n’ Roll was popularized with genres like swing, jump blues, boogie woogie, hot club, traditional jazz and more. “Thus, Rockin In Rhythm (a tune recorded many times during the swing era) was born.” Ben generally plays music from his own vinyl collection and he likes to feature musicians who have had a birthday that week or month. He will usually discuss recording dates, record labels, and the lives of the musicians he features during Rockin in Rhythm. He provided this mixcloud page containing some of the mixes he has created for the show.
“I wanted to get involved with KRTU because preservation of this style of music is important and the work of independent non-commercial radio is vital to the community. These recordings have shaped our world and culture for decades.”
Ben is currently listening to The Jazz Tribune's complete Jelly Roll Morton sets featuring Omer Simeon, Albert Nicholas, and Zutty Singleton and others. In the swing style, he has been diving into the music of guitarist Charlie Christian and his work with the Benny Goodman sextet. “Wow these recordings [Charlie Christian and the Benny Goodman sextet] are amazing… one of the first times the electric guitar was used in jazz, white & black musicians making music together. It paved the way for many musicians to come.”
You can find more information on Ben Luhrman and his creative pursuits on his website.
“Music to me is the ultimate expression of emotion and art. It can make you feel happy, loved, melancholy, grateful, or excited to be alive.”
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