San Mateo jazz station KCSM 91.1 FM is nothing less than a Bay Area treasure. Indeed, thanks to the wonders of Internet radio, the channel now ranks as international gem.

This great commercial-free jazz station based at the College of San Mateo, however, is also in big financial trouble. The channel is facing a $40,000 shortfall in its operating budget, thanks to statewide cuts in education funding, and that money needs to made up soon or KCSM might be forced to sign off — for good.

Fortunately, there is some hope, in the form of two benefit concerts at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square in Oakland on June 30th, 2009. These “Close the Gap” fundraisers will feature three talented Bay Area pianists — Denny Zeitlin, Jon Jang and Taylor Eigsti.

It’s hard to overstate how important it is for local jazz fans to support KCSM. The channel is said to be one of the last remaining all-jazz stations on the planet. It’s certainly one of the few that still favors “real” jazz, as defined by such titans as Charles Mingus, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, as opposed to the commercially respectable, and much maligned, smooth variety. (Smooth jazz stations, by the way, are also in real trouble — as local listeners found out when KKSF 103.7 FM changed over to a classic rock format last month.)

If both of these “Closing the Gap” shows manage to sell out, according to organizer Chuy Varela, the station should be safe. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

For information about donating to the station, call (800) 477-5276 or visit www.kcsm.org.

Tickets for the fundraiser are $50. Show times are 8 and 10 p.m.

Location:
Yoshi’s at Jack London Square
510 Embarcadero West
Oakland, CA
(510) 238-9200
www.yoshis.com

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