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Published on Thursday, 15 April 2010 13:08
On the air this morning, WLFM's Rick O'Dell proudly announced to the 87.7 Smooth Jazz listening audience that the beloved "Smooth Jazz Sunday Brunch" is returning to the airwaves in just a couple of weekends. The latest incarnation of the "Sunday Brunch" begins on April 25th and will be located at downtown Chicago's Rosebud Prime restaurant.
Alex Dana, Founder and Owner of Rosebud Restaurants, and Joe Ahern, the former Chicago television President and General Manager and now President of Rosebud Restaurants, are happy to be teaming up with Pat Kelley, Senior Vice President and General Manager of WLFM-LP and Rick O'Dell, the station's Program Director. The return of this famous weekend show of Rick O'Dell's has been long asked for by fans. Now, thanks largely to Rosebud Prime, it is coming back.
Starting on the 25th of this month, and each Sunday thereafter, the "Smooth Jazz Sunday Brunch" will be broadcasting live 10:00am until 2:00pm from Rosebud Prime, located at 1 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago. Patrons in the restaurant will be enjoying the establishment's fine brunch cuisine, while patrons and WLFM listeners will be enjoying some fine, relaxing Smooth Jazz favorites.
The on-air host each Sunday will be the ever-popular Rick O'Dell. He will host the show live from Rosebud Prime itself every two weeks. On the weeks he is not on location, he will be hosting the show from the WLFM studios, while other local WLFM hosts will be at Rosebud Prime and contributing to the show from there.
Said O'Dell about the exciting re-launch of the "Sunday Brunch" show: "We couldn't have come up with a better scenario for the return of the 'Smooth Jazz Sunday Brunch.' The quality and tradition of the Rosebud Restaurants combined with the music of our show -- it'll be a unique Sunday morning experience, whether you're dining at Rosebud Prime or listening at home."
The Smooth Jazz Sunday Brunch has had a long history in Chicago radio. It first started out as the "Sunday Lite Brunch" on WCLR-FM in February of 1987. Rick O'Dell was the first host and helped put the music together for the show. At the time, the phrase "Smooth Jazz" was not yet around, so the show was simply described as "a blend of contemporary jazz, New Age music and vocals." The show was an amazing success for the station and preceded WRXR-FM's flip to WNUA-FM, a then full-time new age station, by many months. Rick O'Dell had moved over to WNUA and WCLR eventually flipped to WTMX-FM. In 1993, the "Sunday Brunch" returned, now on WNUA and now as the "Smooth Jazz Sunday Brunch," as "Smooth Jazz" has become the catchy way of describing the jazz/new age/instrumental/soft vocal mix of music. The show was then broadcast live from the restaurant in the Hotel Nikko. It eventually moved to the restaurant within the Chicago Hilton & Towers. Clear Channel Radio, WNUA's owner, canceled the show (despite its bringing in of advertising income for the station) in 2007. Under two years later, Clear Channel canceled the entire Smooth Jazz format on WNUA, which led to the birth of 87.7 Smooth Jazz. (Most of the staffers at WLFM came from WNUA.)
For almost three years, Rick O'Dell has been asked the question, "When are you bringing back the 'Sunday Brunch' show?" As of this month, it is a question he no longer has to field.
For those who like to attend a live broadcast of WLFM's new "Smooth Jazz Sunday Brunch," all one has to do is to make a Sunday morning reservation at Rosebud Prime. That can be done by calling 312-384-1900, or by logging on to their website, located
HERE, and doing so online.
Ever the salesman, Alex Dana, owner of the eleven Rosebud Restaurants, added, "We hope you will join us for Rosebud's tradition of great food, huge portions and now, a whole new dining experience as we launch Sunday Brunch at Rosebud Prime."
