In a room slightly larger than an office supply closet, Robbie Stevens broadcasts radio waves of wailing saxophones, blaring trumpets and pounding drums over the Internet.
Stevens, 42, is the host of Jazzville, a jazz radio show that launched Saturday on growradio.org.
Grow Radio is a local nonprofit Internet radio station.
Jazzville airs each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m on the website.
WXJZ is the only other radio station in Gainesville that plays jazz, and it plays only smooth jazz, Stevens said.
Jazzville features a range of styles, from some of the earliest traditional jazz through big band, be-bop, hard bop, modern jazz and even some jazz fusion.
"I'll let the music speak for itself, but occasionally I will include stories of interest on musical artists and recording technology," said Stevens, who works at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts during the week.
Jazz is an important genre to share with long-time fans and new listeners because it is a true American treasure, Stevens said.
A musician himself, Stevens plays the drums and studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Growing up, Stevens also had a jazz musician for a father. His father has now donated his entire vinyl collection to the radio show.
"When you think about it, [jazz is] the soundtrack for our country in the last 100 years through Prohibition and the Roaring ‘20s, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War," he said. "It's now an important part of the world culture."
Artists featured on Jazzville include important players in jazz history, such as Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.
Jazz vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and Harry Connick Jr., as well as current artists like Kenny Garret, Christian Scott and Vijay Iyer are also featured.
In the future, Stevens hopes to interview local jazz musicians and others who are stopping by to perform in Gainesville.
Bill Bryson, Grow Radio station manager, launched the Internet radio station two years ago to do exactly what Jazzville does: provide a variety of music unavailable on local FM.
Bryson said he wanted to fill the void of a traditional college radio in Gainesville.
Other Grow Radio stations include metal, hip-hop, experimental, talk and boogie and blues.
Grow Radio's programming comes from music lovers who have the freedom to play music they are excited about, he said.
Listeners can stream content from growradio.org in real time, download an iPhone or smartphone app for playback on the go, or download the shows as podcasts to listen to in the future, Bryson said.
The station is staffed by volunteer DJs who host an assortment of shows with music from different genres for, but not limited to, the Gainesville community, Stevens said.
"The most important part of being a fan and a listener is that you continue to grow and discover new artists," Stevens said.
UF business graduate Dave Newell DJs his Thursday night hip-hop radio show, "Enjoy the Silence," in Grow Radio's studio, located downtown.
