here's a lot of sound reverberating in Bruce Pingree's head.

Talk to him for five minutes and you'll quickly realize that at any moment of any given day, his imagination is filled with the voices, music, songs, oral history and family trees of the entire 20th century's blues and jazz musicians. Names like John Lee Hooker, Hound Dog Taylor, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington would be recognizable to most, but only the most knowledgeable of his peers will be able to keep up with his patter of references, a sort of real-time version of a Google search. That's because Pingree's been cataloging the songs of the nation's black music almost as long as he's been alive, and for the past three decades, he's been building that catalog and sharing it over the airwaves during his radio show, The Blues Show, on WUNH, 91.3 FM. Each week, Pingree fits his tall, lanky frame behind the cramped studio console, surrounded by the station's stacks of CDs and vinyl, the latter of which he makes great use of on his show.

This Sunday, May 1, he'll be marking his 30th anniversary at WUNH by broadcasting live from the Memorial Union Building from 5 to 8 p.m. Among the guests joining him to play live are Paul Prue, Doug Bennett, Paul Rishell and Annie Raines, Bruce Katz and Pingree's longtime friend and colleague T.J. Wheeler. A similar show took place this past Sunday, where Tom Richter, Racky Thomas, Bob Halperin, and Ted Drozdowski and The Scissormen gave performances that alternated between fiery intensity and laid-back cool. All were ably assisted by the incisive mandolin work of Jon Ross.

Pingree's commitment to promoting good music doesn't end at radio. He's also the longtime manager and music booker at the Press Room on Daniel Street, Portsmouth's bastion of blues, folk and jazz, where former owner Jay Smith brought him on board after seeing him as a deejay at the old Riverside Club. Pingree has also served in an advisory capacity for The Music Hall; is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Blues Bank Collective and for WCSA-LP, Portsmouth's new community radio station; and is one of the founders of the long-running Portsmouth Blues Festival and one of the principal organizers for the recent Jazzmouth Jazz & Poetry Festival. More importantly, he's "the man" when it comes to a thorough knowledge of the local music scene and its history.

"He's like an encyclopedia," says longtime friend and saxophonist Matt Langley. "He knows the stuff cold. He's a receptive person, and I think the music at the Press Room and the other things he's involved with are reflective of that."

Pingree's diverse tastes were nurtured during his youth in Concord. "My parents were strong supporters of the arts," he says. "They encouraged my brother Geoff and I to be involved and were very supportive of that involvement."

For Bruce, that meant playing trumpet and French horn in the high school band and being exposed to concerts by a bevy of different artists. "I was lucky to be able to hear Duke Ellington's band, the Buddy Rich Big Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band when I was growing up," Pingree says. The seed for radio was planted by his father Tom. "My Dad used to read news and literary works on WKXL radio in Concord back in the 1940s. Listening to him speak about that experience sparked an interest in radio for me."

An additional inspiration came from a family friend. "Mel Bolden was an artist who was good friends with our family. He had a real love for jazz and would tell me stories about people like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker that helped to pique my interest in jazz."

As a student at UNH, Pingree quickly got involved in the college radio station. "My friend Gary Hayworth from Manchester began working at WUNH during my first semester in the fall of 1972. By the next semester, he was the station manager, and I was one of his assistants," he says.

Pingree learned the behind-the-scenes aspects of radio by performing a variety of administrative tasks, as well as covering some on-air shifts and co-hosting occasional shows. By 1975, Pingree had received his FCC license, and soon after began to formulate a proposal for a blues show for the station. "Leon Boule, who was the manager at the time, had me take the exam to get the license. Shortly after receiving it, I began to think of pitching a blues show to him. Then one day, he called me in and told me, 'I want you to do a blues show for us, and I want it to start in a couple of weeks.' So, I ended up with the show, which aired on Mondays from 9 to 11 p.m." The show shifted to Sundays in 1978 while Pingree was on a break from the station. "I went on a cross country trip including some extensive travel in Canada. John Palmer took over while I was gone, and the shift took place at that time." Soon after his return, management asked Pingree to take the show back over.

Richard Smith, head of Cuzin' Richard Entertainment in Portsmouth, was Pingree's assistant when he was the station manager in 1975-76.

"I've always been struck by how much Bruce loves what he does and the energy and commitment he brings to his show and his other endeavors. He has such a deep and tremendous knowledge of music that it's uncanny. He's a real asset to the Seacoast area, and people have really come to trust his judgement in terms of his show, as well as at the Press Room," Smith says.

In addition to his Sunday show, Pingree can also be heard behind the microphone on Tuesdays. "That's more of a general interest show where I cover a wide gamut of stuff, from jazz to rock to the latest electronica and trance styles. I like a wide variety of music, and on this show I get to play a lot of new releases and older things as well," Pingree says. The show technically runs from 9 a.m. to noon, but Pingree can often be heard on air into the mid to late afternoon. "It's a fun show, though it can make for a long day."

But it's his role with The Blues Show that has led people to recognize Pingree as a tireless advocate of the music. "I've know Bruce for over 15 years," said blues harpist Annie Raines, "and in that time, Bruce has proven himself to be a faithful and supportive disciple of the music." Raines and her husband guitarist Paul Rishell have appeared on the show on several occasions. Guitarist T.J. Wheeler, founder of the Seacoast-based Blues Bank Collective adds similar praise. "Bruce has been a tireless force for great music in the Seacoast for years. He's our own New Hampshire Gris-Gris Man who for 30 years has been keepin' all of our mojos working!"

In addition to celebrating his thirty years at WUNH, the anniversary shows are serving as a fundraiser for two organizations that are very important to Pingree. "We're charging an admission of $3 for students and $5 for non-UNH fans with all of the proceeds going to the Blues Bank Collective and the Music Maker Relief Foundation," Pingree explained.

"Music Maker is an organization based in North Carolina that has tracked down many of the early and obscure blues musicians and provides them with financial support for medical and life needs, as well as helping to document their lives and their music. And the Blues Bank is TJ's organization that promotes Blues in the Schools initiatives across the country and around the world. Both are very important organizations deserving of all the support they can get."

There is a side to Pingree that those who know him in the music world may not know about. He's an avid baseball and hockey fan, periodically lacing up skates to take part in pick-up hockey games in the area. During baseball season, he can often be found taking in Red Sox games at the Press Room. He's a voracious reader of books, especially biographies and memoirs, as well as history and political works. Whenever he can, he travels to those areas of the country that tie into his musical interests. He's been to New Orleans on several occasions, including last year when the employees and friends of the Press Room gave him a 50th birthday present of a one-week, expenses-paid trip. Pingree has also traveled to Memphis and Detroit, as well as around parts of the Mississippi Delta region. "The one place I haven't been able to get to yet is Chicago," he said. Looks like a road trip may be called for.

With everything he does, one aspect of Pingree's career that gets overlooked is his legacy as a natural teacher. When I first began seriously exploring blues music in the late 1980s, I asked T.J. Wheeler if he would provide me with some guidance. "Sure," said TJ. "But the guy to really talk to is Bruce." Taking that advice, I one day asked Bruce for his guidance. Getting that trademark, somewhat-steely look back from him, he said, "Sure." He's since imparted a wealth of knowledge, some of which you'll find in a book and much of which you won't.

Radio personality, club manager, music booker, advisor for the arts, occasional poetry reader, as well as the Mayor of Daniel Street, Pingree is an original, one of the dedicated few who've ensured that the wheels of the music scene continue to turn for the next generation. His passion and commitment are undeniable.

One of Pingree's longtime friends, jazz saxophonist and Portsmouth native Charlie Kohlhase, says it best.

"Being a long-term community radio disc jockey myself, I can attest that there are a lot of 'unique characters' in the scene and scant few rewards for your efforts," Kolhase says. "In order to stay committed, you have to be stubbornly determined, extraordinarily dedicated to your subject and, well, a 'unique character.' Bruce Pingree certainly has all of those qualities and here he is...30 years at it? Good Lord. He certainly has my appreciation as well as that of many of his subjects. Let's hope he doesn't tire any time soon!"