New Late Junction

[french frank]

I believe LJ started a new contract last April, though whether with the same production company I know not.

Has anyone noticed any changes in content or presentation? If so, comments?

If already discussed, please redirect me

[Globaltruth]

Yes.

In a slightly obsessive way I've done a quick count back to April 7 and only 3 presenters have been used since then
Verity Sharp 19
Max Reinhardt 19
Nick Luscombe 17
(quick count, may be one or two out but as a general indicator accurate enough)
Does this mean Fiona Talkington has not been invited to join the production company? Shame if so, she brought her own knowledgeable style to the show; Mara Carlyle, a relaxed and thoughtful presenter also seems to have disappeared, in fact the trend seems to be to invite guests to choose records to accompany one of the fixed rota of presenters.

My biased personal opinion is that the show has become more 'Resonance FM meets Mixing It' with an, at times almost obsessive, focus on the 'wierd and dark' (Max Reinhardt's words not mine, from a trail they produced for the endless festival episodes). I no longer listen as regularly as I once did, it's actually not as varied and stimulating as once I found it. Nick Luscombe seems to epitomise the new trend, having tried repeatedly to give him another chance, I've decided life is too short and I've discovered the joy of podcasts from around the world, which I can listen to as and when I want.

[french frank]

Yes.

In a slightly obsessive way I've done a quick count back to April 7 and only 3 presenters have been used since then

Interesting, thanks, Global. The brief said: "There are 6 current presenters: Fiona Talkington, Verity Sharp, Nick Luscombe, Max Reinhardt, Ann Hilde Neset and Mara Carlyle with occasional guests. We are happy to hear about other suggested voices and any thoughts about a presenter strategy."

Looks like the presenter strategy was 'fewer presenters'.

[DracoM]

Verity's progs seem as varied as heretofore?

[Globaltruth]

Could well be that my perception is coloured by the use of fewer presenters. Need Scandinavian bias from Fiona Talkington, overflows from The Wire magazine from Anne Hilde Neset and musical saw from Mara Catlyle.

And generally more yodelling from almost anyone.

[Serial_Apologist]

My biased personal opinion is that the show has become more 'Resonance FM meets Mixing It' with an, at times almost obsessive, focus on the 'wierd and dark' (Max Reinhardt's words not mine, from a trail they produced for the endless festival episodes).

Mine too - albeit more from taking note of the RT's item blurb than listening. Were this to be the case, I probably would tune in more than I presently do, while sympathising with World Music aficionados for the loss of a proportion of their listening preferences. The solution for both parties, of course, would be the re-introduction of Mixing It. Why that wonderful programme was dropped in the first place is anybody's guess.

[Globaltruth]

Mine too - albeit more from taking note of the RT's item blurb than listening. Were this to be the case, I probably would tune in more than I presently do, while sympathising with World Music aficionados for the loss of a proportion of their listening preferences. The solution for both parties, of course, would be the re-introduction of Mixing It. Why that wonderful programme was dropped in the first place is anybody's guess.

[MrGongGong]

And generally more yodelling from almost anyone.

I would recommend Christian Zehnder for all your yodelling requirements

[johncorrigan]

I would recommend Christian Zehnder for all your yodelling requirements

DeZuriks' 'Arizona Yodeller'...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNYDyXn6qso

[MrGongGong]

DeZuriks' 'Arizona Yodeller'...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNYDyXn6qso

Cheesy

I more a

man myself

[french frank]

I was trying to establish whether there had been significant changes to Late Junction since last April. So far, the most significant appears to be that there are now only three presenters who have more or less equally shared the duty. And perhaps less variety, perhaps a slight change in the music selected?

[johncorrigan]

I was trying to establish whether there had been significant changes to Late Junction since last April. So far, the most significant appears to be that there are now only three presenters who have more or less equally shared the duty. And perhaps less variety, perhaps a slight change in the music selected?

I had a look at a couple of Max Reinhardt LJs from a couple of years ago and compared them with a couple of weeks ago, frank. Looking at the playlist doesn't offer much and yet the programmes feel different. Certainly the loss of Fiona Talkington has, as Global said, meant a lessening in the influence of the Scandanavian elements in the show. When Verity returned to LJ duties her shows were much more folk inspired but a couple of recent shows had her playing a much more esoteric blend, at least it felt that way to me. There's not much difference in what Nick Luscombe plays from what he ever played as far as I can hear. However, there were 4 women and two men on the roster and it now feels like there are two men and one woman there. That feels like a difference in the balance of the programme. Certainly there's less World Music on the programme, and less blues. Whether that's intentional I don't know, but there seems to be more electronica and more indescribables in the mix these days.

[french frank]

Thanks, jc

Strange that they had reported almost 60% of listeners were male, so the three presenters dropped were all female?

There was a reported surge in listeners last quarter compared with a year ago, but I still feel this is more likely to have been a statistical blip as any April changes hadn't really had time to filter through to previous non-listeners.

LJ has, in practice (I think), been understood as a supplement to R3's World Music content (not sure that was the original intention) so a possible move towards electronica/Mixing It is interesting.

[Incidentally, when Mixing It was dropped I read somewhere (think it might have been the Guardian) that Ed Baxter of Resonance blamed it on FoR3 In the first place our argument for MI on R3 was that it was a sort of companion programme to Hear & Now; in the second, any idea that RW would at any time have responded to a suggestion from us is insane! Believe me, I speak from experience!]

[Globaltruth]

Reduced Listening are the production company that are now/currently responsible for Late Junction (as per the first post in this thread.
Here is their (somewhat skeletal) web site

http://www.reducedlistening.co.uk/

the page about LJ

http://www.reducedlistening.co.uk/late-junction

Two of the core team are ex-BBC Radio 3 (the name Peter Meanwell will probably be familiar to long-term LJ listeners).
I think Fiona T has now joined the team of regular presenters, based on the fact that she's done a few shows recently and also that she has also been the subject of the 'make-over' on the splash page for LJ which has a similar look-and-feel for all 4 current presenters.
We seem to have lost Mara Carlyle and Anne Hilde Neset though...

[Quarky]

The two most recent sessions with Jennifer Walshe and Shabaka Hutchings as guest presenters were a great success and should be repeated more often.

Not fond at all of Jennifer's vocal contortions, but she came across as a sane, balanced and enlightened person.

Shabaka's episode, to which I am currently listening, is important in that it helps to answer my question:: Which other categories of music should Jazz musicians be influenced by, and to what extent?