Jazz on the BBC

[Bev Stapleton]

Some of you might not be aware that the BBC now broadcasts online. It also archives its programmes for a week after broadcast so you can hear them when you want to. Have a look here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/

Particular favourites of mine:

Jazz on 3 (Fridays 11.30 p.m. UK time) - contemporary jazz, often at the cutting edge. Plenty of exclusive live recording.

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The Saturday slot:

Jazz Line-up (4.00 p.m.) - a magazine programe hosted by Claire Martin or Stacey Kent. A mainstream programme but always plays something of interest.

Jazz Record Requests (5.00 p.m) - a long serving programme that does as it says. The place to hear Louis Armstrong alongside Ornette Coleman alongside Tommy Dorsey alongside Gianluigi Trovesi. The perfect programme to broaden horizons.

Jazz File (6.00) - a 30 minute documentary slot, normally a series of several programmes. There were some great ones last year including superb series on Wayne Shorter and Mike Westbrook. The current series is Alan Shypton on Fats Waller.

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Humphrey Lyttleton (8.00 Monday) - UK veteran trumpet player and open eared enthusiast. Humph concentrates on the early jazz and swing eras but is welcoming of most styles.

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Lots of short series too on Radio 2. It's worth keeping an eye out on the website above.

[JazzKitten]

Sometimes I like to listen to archives of the bbc on-line jazz while I'm at work. I like their in depth interviews a great deal!

JK :)

[AfricaBrass]

Thanks for the tip!

I've listened to some BBC shows online before. Some were very interesting. I'd like to hear some more British jazz.

[Bev Stapleton]

Wayne Shorter is in the UK this month and the BBC are broadcasting one of his concerts on the Jazz on 3 slot (11.30 UK time, Friday) on 28th March.

[JohnS]

Jazz File is awful. I rarely listen but when I do I hear a knight who doesn't play jazz and can't sing, a piano/vocal trio who are absolutely "pointless" (that's part of the name of their new cd), a tenor saxist who sounded barely competent and then had the nerve to criticise Dizzy Gillespie.

[reg]

you can also listen to BBC Scotlands excellent jazz program Be-Bop to Hip-Hop online
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/programmes/other/bebop.shtml

[Bev Stapleton]

Originally posted by JohnS
Jazz File is awful. I rarely listen but when I do I hear a knight who doesn't play jazz and can't sing, a piano/vocal trio who are absolutely "pointless" (that's part of the name of their new cd), a tenor saxist who sounded barely competent and then had the nerve to criticise Dizzy Gillespie.

Have to respectfully disagree with you there, John.

I always find Jazz File informed and well balanced. It has that usual BBC approach to documentary of at least trying to sound a little detached. As opposed to the type of muso-documentary where some enthusiast over-emotes about his or her heroes.

Give it a listen, everyone, if you like radio documentaries, and see if it suits your taste.

I'd forgotten about "Bebop to Hip Hop" - I agree, its a marvellous programme. I really must get broadband so I can listen to it regularly.

[tonym]

Unfortunate that you think Jazz File is awful, John S.
I remember some very well produced docs over the last few years, ie. 60 years of Blue Note (if i can say that name here, in light of recent events) and the very recent Wayne Shorter doc.
Fair enough, you may never like every episode or every series - i happened to think the Crumb doc. broadcast this year was probably the worst radio i have ever heard, purely by virtue of it's presenter (IMO not a natural for this medium).

Keep checking the listings and you may be pleasantly surprised.

BTW Bev, a friend of mine assures me that the Realplayer BBC use doesn't get much better with broadband connection!

Also, Jazz on 3, Fri. 14th March, Dave Binney in concert. Hopefully the one from the Vortex in London last autumn. Saw his other UK gig the night after. Brilliant.

Cheers, tony.

[JohnS]

Bev and Tony, I've given myself a slap on the wrist-I mean't Jazz Line Up. As I say I'm not a regular listener but I've been deeply disappointed by the few I've heard. That said the last programme was quite acceptable. To set the record straight Jazz File is fine.

[reg]

just noticed that there's a new series of Modern Jazz Classics on BBC radio 2 tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 9.30PM.
this week it's about Hancock's HeadHunters album with interviews with herbie and bennie maupin.
over the next few weeks they are also covering max roach - freedom now suite and wayne shorter - speak no evil.
sounds good :)

[tonym]

But John, Stacey Kent presents some of the Jazz Line Up programmes - i can see us falling out already!!!

[Bev Stapleton]

Jazz Line-Up seems to be aimed at a 'mainstream' jazz audience - but a modern mainstream audience. I actually like the way Stacey Kent and Claire Martin present the programme - jazz as something enjoyable rather than jazz as something to get all intellectual about. They play some fluff but they also play lots of stuff I enjoy, ancient and modern. I like their exhuberance.

I do wish the BBC would coax Brian Morton back (I read he's retiring from his Scottish programmes). He occasionally does reviews on Jazz Line-up, but I think he deserves a programme of his own. His 'Impressions' programme of the mid to late-90s was a model of how I like a jazz programme to be - everything from free improv to Ella, with an emphasis on the contemporary.

Two great names from the past come to mind. Charles Fox (who was recently discussed on the BNBB) who did much to champion new jazz on the BBC. And Peter Clayton, whose late night Sunday programme in the late 70s and early 80s was the source of much of my jazz learning. Both sadly passed away.

Clayton also did a Saturday morning programme of completely catholic pop music. You'd get Frank Sinatra next to Love! No pretension, no airs and graces, no snobbery. Which is what I like about Martin and Kent. There's a place for erudition in jazz but it needs its fun side too.

[STAN TRACEY]

Radio 2 starts a new series of "Live From The Stables" tonight at 9pm featuring Guy Barker playing tracks from Porttrait in Black & White & Clare Martin with a Big Band. Stan Tracey will feature in a future episode and if its the concert my friend went to recentlky at the Stables it will be The Under Milk Wood concert he gave recently with Philip Maddoc narrating & Bobby Wellins on tenor..
There's also a lot of good Jazz on local radio I have run a few series myself on a local station but you have to keep the brief broad so as not to frighten the new to Jazz listeners.

[JohnS]

Tony, Stacey isn't really to my taste but we won't fall out over it.

[Philip]

Sadly, it looks as though Brian Morton reached some kind of personal crisis, finding the policies of the BBC in Scotland too London-centric and not even being being very happy with his broadcasting skills. It appears that after the original interview in the Glasgow Herald on February 19 (1), he was immediately removed from his post according to an article which followed the next day (2).

(1) http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/20-2-19103-0-25-21.html

(2) http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/21-2-19103-0-59-23.html

[Bev Stapleton]

Two sad articles.

To think he believes himself not to be a natural broadcaster.

He has enthusiasm, deep knowledge and a gift for exploring the out-of-the-way.

A natural jazz broadcaster, I'd have thought.

[Joel]

Originally posted by Bev Stapleton
[B]...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/

Particular favourites of mine:

Jazz on 3 (Fridays 11.30 p.m. UK time) - contemporary jazz, often at the cutting edge. Plenty of exclusive live recording.
.../B]


I noticed you mentioned "Contemporary Jazz" but I probably wont be able to catch this due to the time zones but can you mention afew artists that you've heard?

any British contempo jazzers in the line up?

thanks.