Jesse Varela Jesse "Chuy" Varela is music director at KCSM Jazz 91 at the College of San Mateo. Prior he worked for KPFA Radio in Berkeley as public affairs and music director as well as the now-defunct KJAZ Radio in Alameda as on-air announcer/program host. He is a freelance writer for the Eastbay Express, SF Chronicle, San Jose Metro, El Tecolote in the Bay Area and contributor to Jazz Times and Latin Beat Magazines. Varela is also a contributor to NPR as a feature producer for Jazz Riffs, Latino USA and hosting NPR's New Year's Eve Coast to Coast Celebration in 2001 and 2003 from Yoshi's in Oakland. He is also on the SFJAZZ Festival Artistic Advisory Committee and a consultant to the Smithsonian Institution exhibit "Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination." He has taught courses on Latin Jazz for Stanford University's Continuing Studies Dept., lectured at UC Berkeley & UC Riverside and written liner notes and co-produced compilations and reissue packages for Verve, Fantasy, Concord, Rhino, Arhoolie and others. Varela was awarded 2003 JAZZWEEK Programmer of the Year in June and is a previous Gavin Magazine Music Director of the Year honoree.
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