Soundside

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Democrats in Olympia plan for massive budget gap Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

Washington lawmakers are facing an estimated $12 billion dollar budget deficit as they prepare to go back to work next week. How to cover that gap is the big story heading into the session.

Majority Democrats are already floating possibilities for new taxes to bridge the difference between spending and revenue. And while the budget is undoubtedly the biggest challenge – lawmakers are also expected to be tackling sticky issues like rent increase caps and education funding.

Guest:

Washington State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (WA 43 - Seattle)

Relevant Links:

KUOW: ‘A perfect storm’: Inside Washington’s massive budget gap

Washington State Standard: Making sense of Washington’s multi-billion dollar budget hole

Seattle Times: WA’s 2025 legislative session will feature new faces, big budget gap

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new governor, budget woes, and pickleball: KUOW's newsroom shares their big stories of 2025 Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

2025 is officially here - and with that comes a whole lotta new: new resolutions, new goals, and a new page a day pull away calendar on your desk at work.

But even with all this new to look forward to - at least one thing will stay the same in 2025: we’ll be here to bring you the news coverage you rely on and trust every day.

Soundside reached out to the KUOW newsroom to ask reporters about the big stories they’ll cover this year.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Kenny G went from local fill-in to global saxophone phenom Jan 03, 2025

Show notes

He’s no longer rolling up to Franklin High School in a blue Oldsmobile Super 88 with homemade white wall tires, or knocking out accounting tests on the University of Washington campus, but Kenny G is still in touch with his Seattle roots -- even after selling more than 75 million records worldwide.

The iconic sax-man played a run of sold-out shows at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley over the turn of the new year. In case you couldn’t make it to a show, the story of how Kenneth Gorelick of Seward Park became one of the best-selling instrumentalists of all time is chronicled in Kenny G’s new memoir, “Life in the Key of G.”

The book explores the craft of saxophone playing and the mind of a meticulous artist, always striving to improve. Readers also get some unexpected stories -- like how Kenny G once tried his best to get fired from Whitney Houston’s tour, or the time Elton John gave him a “pinch” of approval.

Soundside's Libby Denkmann caught up with Kenny from his LA studio ahead of his return to Jazz Alley.

Guests:

Kenny G

Related Links:

Kenny G

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Soundside's Producer Picks: Jazz clubs, real-life superheroes, and late nights in Pioneer Square Dec 31, 2024

Show notes

Soundside will be off the air on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. We will be back with some fresh new stories Jan. 2.

For today, we’ve revisiting a mix of some of Soundside producer Alec Cowan's favorite segments from this past year, including his patrol with a pair Seattle's "real-life superheroes" and the musicians keeping jazz music alive in Seattle.

We also have one newstory for you, courtesy of producer Jason Megatron Burrows. 2024 was the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. Burrows explored how the game is staying up to date after 5 decades of gameplay, and its attempt to stay relevant in 2025.

Hear and read the original stories below.

Stories Featured:

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside looks back at the 50th Anniversary of D&D Dec 30, 2024

Show notes

The tabletop role playing game Dungeons & Dragons was first published in 1974.

5 decades later, there’s a new ‘edition’ of the game out, and D&D has changed dramatically from its origins in a little house in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

The anniversary is happening at a delicate time for the company, Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro. Arguably the first modern tabletop role playing game is, today, fighting for market share – squaring off against a horde of fierce competitors seeking to lure players away to different adventures.

So what’s the Renton-based publisher doing to remain on top?

Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is our resident “dungeon master” here at Soundside. He spent 2024 celebrating the 50th anniversary of the game at events around the country.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

RELATED LINKS:

GUESTS:

Chris Perkins - Creative Director at Wizards of the Coast
Ginny Di - YouTube D&D Creator

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Libby looks back on her favorite Soundside stories of 2024 Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

The Soundside team is taking the week off to rest and prepare for some upcoming shows we’re working on in the new year.

So in the meantime, we're going to revisit two of Libby's segments from 2024.

And to do that, we're going back in time, to the Seattle of the 1990s.

We’ll look back on the music of grunge band The Gits, and hear from the band’s former drummer about his decision to revisit and reclaim the group's history.

And later, we’ll revisit the story of a bank robber that feels practically ripped from the silver screen.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

STORIES FEATURED:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your favorite sounds of the Pacific Northwest Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

All this week, Soundside has heard from local sound artists about their quintessential sounds of the Pacific Northwest.

We’ve heard coyotes howling across the Methow Valley, the bygone squeak of a metro bus, and the rhythm of melting snow.

Along the way we’ve asked for your favorite Northwest sounds. You sent us some good ones – the sound of North Cascades rain on a tent, and a chorus of frogs croaking in Marymoor Park.

You also wrote in with your favorites: the grinding of espresso, the crack of Ken Griffey Jr.’s bat, and the mechanical sounds of fog horns, light rail doors, and Boeing airplanes.

Thank you for all your submissions, and happy holidays.

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