Monday nights

[Alyn_Shipton]

Even if Jazzwise got the title of JRR wrong (Jazz Notes? That stopped 16 years ago!) you might all be interested to know about this: http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/brea...-3-s-jazz-on-3

[Jazzrook]

Very good news, Alyn. Will be listening in April!

[Quarky]

Congratulations Alyn. look forward to seeing what the future has to offer!

[Ian Thumwood]

With the new presenter billed as a leading British jazz musician, I wondered if Big Ron Coltrane has come back from the dead? (Much missed around these parts.)

Incidentally, the reference to Dankworth programme and Jazz File, I would be interested to learn whether there will be any attempt to replicate the Dankworth / Steve Gray programme that analysed jazz arrangement in detail. I've always felt that this was one of the most interesting attempts made a getting to understand jazz and regular features of this sort would be a welcome addition. Hopefully a return to the unflashy style of presentation on "Impressions" will also be on the cards and an appreciation of the musically worthy as opposed to modish.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

With the new presenter billed as a leading British jazz musician, I wondered if Big Ron Coltrane has come back from the dead? (Much missed around these parts.)

Incidentally, the reference to Dankworth programme and Jazz File, I would be interested to learn whether there will be any attempt to replicate the Dankworth / Steve Gray programme that analysed jazz arrangement in detail. I've always felt that this was one of the most interesting attempts made a getting to understand jazz and regular features of this sort would be a welcome addition. Hopefully a return to the unflashy style of presentation on "Impressions" will also be on the cards and an appreciation of the musically worthy as opposed to modish.

Jamie Cullum?


BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

Listening to Jazz on 3, it was intriguing to consider the perspective with from which jazz was reviewed. The perception was clearly that the move away from the more "traditional" aspects of jazz was favoured so that the music seemed like a improvising -based selection from the old "Mixing it" programme. I think that the Pronesis track was the most polished of those chosen but I found it quite dull - don't even get me on Go Go Penguin, a group seemingly hitting the jackpot with a record deal with Blue Note. I didn't like the rock-inspired Scandinavian group either.

In my opinion, I think it is ok to acknowledge the wide swathe of styles in jazz but I felt that the attention to the fringe elements just demonstrated how weak a lot of the newer records selected were. I didn't feel that it reflected the kind of contemporary jazz that I look out for and when it came to the Paul Bley tribute at the end, it was a relief to hear something that actually swung.

I am afraid that the style of presentation has always been off-putting and whist I know that Jez has his adherents and I have friends who love his programme, the programme has too narrow a focus to be of interest. There is an obsession with the shiny and new. The weirdest thing about it is that whilst the music chosen on the old "Impressions" programme very much informed my record buying habits back in the 1990s, I wonder just how many of the featured artists from those days would now be considered "old hat." The new Scofield album is a good example. The featured quartet made it's debut around 1989 and jazz has changed a lot in those 27 years. Wind back 27 years and this was the time that the Coltrane quartet was in full flow and Miles hadn't yet formed the second quintet! That said, John Scofield's record on Verve is just about the best thing I have heard for a long, long while and was far more accomplished that any of the new records selected by Jez. I suppose Scofield would now be considered prime JLU material but I think this demonstrates the key issue for me that the current jazz that is being produced in the mainstream or taking it's cues from the 1960's avant garde as is the case with the Delmark crew is far better than a lot of the newer artists coming through, especially from Europe. For Jez, it would be preferable to feature something that sounded "different" or at a tangent from jazz as opposed to a new record that swung it's socks off. Jez just seems "anti-swing" and maybe not aware that the majority of contemporary jazz still manages to swing regardless of whether it is Wynton, Scofield, Tomeka Reid, Dave Douglas, Hamid Drake or Josh Berman. The current jazz scene is far healthier that the music featured on Jo3 suggests and perhaps far more rooted in it's traditions that Jez would want to believe. I will glad to see his programme pulled. As for the "Jazzwise" editor's comments, they just seemed typical of the current malaise that insists on over-praising the new and the lazy appellation of hyperbole to some quite mundane acts. The programme was been weak since it's inception and not really deserving on a supposedly "high brow" radio station. A change will be greatly welcome.

[Tom Audustus]

... Jez just seems "anti-swing" and maybe not aware that the majority of contemporary jazz still manages to swing regardless of whether it is Wynton, Scofield, Tomeka Reid, Dave Douglas, Hamid Drake or Josh Berman. The current jazz scene is far healthier that the music featured on Jo3 suggests and perhaps far more rooted in it's traditions that Jez would want to believe. I will glad to see his programme pulled. As for the "Jazzwise" editor's comments, they just seemed typical of the current malaise that insists on over-praising the new and the lazy appellation of hyperbole to some quite mundane acts. The programme was been weak since it's inception and not really deserving on a supposedly "high brow" radio station. A change will be greatly welcome.

I'd agree with that. Fairly uninspired fusion-ish bands seem to be getting a lot of hype at the expense of much better and more interesting and inventive (often older) musicians. In particular, Jazzwise does seem to be dominated by the idea that if you're over 35 you are over the hill.

[PUSB]

That GoGo Penguin track was particularly dull. Also all the waffle about vinyl and the prices reflected an interest in trends extrinsic to the music. Jez should never have been let near jazz programmes.

[Quarky]

Even if Jazzwise got the title of JRR wrong (Jazz Notes? That stopped 16 years ago!) you might all be interested to know about this: http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/brea...-3-s-jazz-on-3

Noted that Jez Nelson will be joining Jazz FM in April for a Saturday night show:

Excited to be joining @jazzfm from April 2nd. The mission continues!
http://www.jazzfm.com/news/music-new...th-jez-nelson/ …

Hopefully Jez will pull up the standards of Jazz FM, rather than being dragged down to their usual level of dross.

There are a few hopeful signs - Vinny Moreno's Transatlantic Jazz, and Empirical hosted a show recently on True Brits.

CORRECTION: Vinny Mareno seems to be going the same way as the other presenters- female singers Jazz/ Soul.

[Tom Audustus]

That GoGo Penguin track was particularly dull. Also all the waffle about vinyl and the prices reflected an interest in trends extrinsic to the music. Jez should never have been let near jazz programmes.

GoGo Penguin are over-hyped. They seem to have found themselves a very good PR team !!!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

From Richard Williams' Blue Moment blog just now...

"Jazz on 3 will be replaced on BBC Radio 3 by Jazz Now, presented by Soweto Kinch. Jez Nelson's Somethin' Else will be on Jazz FM on Saturday nights from April 2.

So its, Soweto go...

BN.

[Serial_Apologist]

From Richard Williams' Blue Moment blog just now...

"Jazz on 3 will be replaced on BBC Radio 3 by Jazz Now, presented by Soweto Kinch. Jez Nelson's Somethin' Else will be on Jazz FM on Saturday nights from April 2.

So its, Soweto go...

BN.

Excellent - Mr Kinch tends to know what he's rapping about.

[Jazzrook]

I feared Jamie Cullum but Soweto Kinch should be fine as a presenter.
Look forward to the new Jo3 regime in April.

JR

[PUSB]

Yes, I think this should be a good choice - would be hard to be worse than Jez anyway.

[Alyn_Shipton]

Details now officially released - boardees NB the Ran Blake interview.

http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/breaking-news/14121-smith-kinch-and-ryan-present-radio-3-s-jazz-now