.png)
By Sam for Boston Compass (#130)
December 6, 2020
REST IN PEACE JEFF BREEZE
Last month we lost a real one. Jeff Breeze, the host of Pipeline! on WMBR passed away on November 8, 2020. As a Boston Compass supporter from day one, Jeff holds a special place in our hearts here at Brain Arts Org. Much like our monthly journalistic effort, Pipeline! is a relentless labor of love brought to you by a small handful of dedicated people (shout out engineer Mike Reed) whose collective contribution to the scene defies the logic of profit.
Jeff was a rare breed, indeed: for over 20 years his incredible voice carried THE local music show on WMBR into our ears and our hearts. Every week he uncovered and shined light on the latest and best local New England music he could find and even had live, in-studio performances up until the COVID outbreak. Even during these difficult times when radio stations and venues alike are shuttered, leaving musicians and fans with nowhere to express their true selves, Jeff made it happen - check out the last 6 months of virtual performances at pipelinewmbr.bandcamp.com.
The man was as committed as he was tall (moreso than most). Jeff was hilarious, had an encyclopedic knowledge of music and went out of his way to stay in the loop around Boston, even if he often had to hit me up to fill a cancelation on 48 hours’ notice. Jeff and I were really close personally, and he always supported me in our shared mission to bolster the scene but he especially loved and appreciated the Compass. So if you appreciate this analog pipeline to local art and music, then go turn your radio on and set a reminder to tune in to Pipeline! every Tuesday at 8pm for the show that Jeff Breeze made A Thing.
—Sam Potrykus