Crooner Jeff Gilbert celebrates the second anniversary of his radio broadcast, “Jeff’s Joynt.” He names Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and Rudy Vallee as his biggest influences.
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Wielding an arsenal of stylish eccentricities, radio personality and host Jeff Gilbert celebrates two years of his program “Jeff’s Joynt” on radio station KSVY 91.3 Sonoma this month. “Jeff’s Joynt” combines the aura of the 1950s with the personas of an array of Hollywood stars, with all voices performed by Gilbert except for the occasional visitor.
“We had a Marilyn Monroe impersonator on last week,” said the 46-year-old Gilbert, who may have been born a little too late. His biggest influences have been Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and Rudy Vallee, to name a few, and it is apparent in the confident swagger he postures off air.
“Jeff’s Joynt” is a culmination of Gilbert’s passion combined with classic elements of style. With more than 5,000 films in his collection, as well as 28,000 LPs, Gilbert is a period historian.
“I have three barns to hold most of my collection,” he said. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have room to live.”
Gilbert also has more than 25,000 sheet music numbers and over 17,000 records in his 78-rpm holdings, and he incorporates virtually all these treasures into his show from 3 to 4 p.m. every weekday.
The show thrives on Gilbert’s improvisational skill and on his ability to interact gracefully with his guests. He is also an excellent singer, as exhibited on his albums where he covers songs going as far back as 1931.
“I have never bought a ‘rock’ album and could not tell you the title of one song that is a hit today,” said Gilbert.
Having performed all over, it was a roundabout tour for Gilbert before he finally found his place on air at KSVY. In his early 20s, Gilbert performed with Rex Allen’s Orchestra before touring the Midwest with Tony Barron. He began a two and a half year stint at the Hotel La Rose in Santa Rosa in the late 1980s and fondly remembers attending the Rudy Vallee safe opening at the star’s house in 1988. At that event, he sang a medley of Vallee hits that inspired a Los Angeles Times reporter to write, “Vallee was the first crooner and Jeff Gilbert is the last.”
Gilbert won the Bing Crosby Croon-alike contest in San Francisco in 1989 and 1990. During that time he also appeared with the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra. These days, when not performing on air, Gilbert can often be heard singing on Friday and Saturday nights before the feature films at Sebastiani Theatre.
“Jeff’s Joynt” can be heard Monday through Friday from 3 to 4 p.m. on KSVY 91.3 Sonoma.
