It feels like we have been waiting a very long time for a piece of news to emerge from Broadcasting House that is as positive for UK jazz as today’s announcement from BBC Radio 3.
I’m thinking back the the days when jazz had a presence in the BBC through Humphrey Lyttelton. He died in 2008. Yes, it’s that long…
Here goes: BBC Radio 3 is announcing the launch of ’Round Midnight with Soweto Kinch, going out nightly from Monday to Friday from April. Congratulations to Soweto and to Karen Pearson and her team at Folded Wing.
For Soweto Kinch to be given this broad canvas of five shows a week to portray the depth and breadth and quality of what is happening on our scene is a quite remarkable development.
Here is the text of the BBC’s release:
(begins) ’Round Midnight is a new evening programme presented by British saxophonist Soweto Kinch, adding a weekday jazz focus to the station’s schedule, while Jazz Record Requests remains as a Sunday slot dedicated to the genre. ’Round Midnight features the best in jazz, with a particular focus on British artists (Mon-Fri, 23:30 – 00:30). (ends)
And here is the more detailed press release from Folded Wing:
(begins) ‘Round Midnight – Folded Wing to produce new week-night jazz show for BBC Radio 3, presented by Soweto Kinch.
Award-winning indie Folded Wing are to launch a brand-new late night jazz show for BBC Radio 3. The show – ‘Round Midnight – will air Monday to Friday from 2330 to 0030 championing the thriving British jazz scene. The main presenter will be acclaimed saxophonist, composer and MC Soweto Kinch. ‘Round Midnight will also reflect the rich history of the jazz genre, showcasing the best tracks from international artists and working with BBC Introducing to bring new talent to a wider audience.
Folded Wing founder and CEO Karen Pearson says: “We believe passionately that jazz is for everyone. So, we’ve planned a show that is a must-listen for dedicated jazz fans and is also welcoming and inclusive for anyone who wants to learn more. It’s a defining moment for the company, which started in my flat 17 years ago and has grown into one of the biggest producers of jazz content in the UK.”
Soweto Kinch, who will present some of the shows from his Birmingham studio, says: “The British Jazz scene is continuing to grow, especially with Ezra Collective winning this year’s Mercury Prize. I’m really excited to play the latest tracks from new and emergent musicians, as well as the heritage artists and works which inspired them. Jazz has become such an interconnected and global family, its tendrils reaching into new and often unpredictable places. I can’t wait to share some incredible music from around the world.”
‘Round Midnight – named after the Thelonious Monk tune of the same name – will also feature live music, including studio sessions, performances from UK and international festivals and recordings from jazz clubs across the UK. On Friday nights, the show will become The ‘Round Midnight Jazz Club, with guest artists curating the playlist and monthly live performances.
Essex-based indie Folded Wing have a long track-record in jazz. CEO Karen Pearson produced Gilles Peterson’s BBC show for seven years and, since 2010, the company have made Jamie Cullum’s Tuesday night jazz show for BBC Radio 2. Across the years, Jamie has interviewed legendary jazz names, given crucial support to young artists and picked up three ARIA awards – the radio industry’s most prestigious prize. In 2023, Folded Wing’s six-part Jazz Meets Classical series for Jazz FM and Scala Radio was nominated for Best Music Special at the ARIAS. The company also produce Romesh Ranganathan’s award-winning For The Love of Hip-Hop for BBC Radio 2 and a range of content for commercial clients. In 2022 Karen Pearson was presented with a Radio Academy Fellowship, their highest award. (ends)
24 responses
This is great news!
Particularly given BBC Radio Scotland’s decision last year to cancel much of its jazz (and traditional/folk) programming! I wonder whether success in R3 might lead to more jazz across other parts of the BBC?
And I hope Soweto Kinch’s involvement might leave some space from the usual (if understandable) London dominance of jazz programming on radio and tv!
And last year after a 15-year run, BBC Radio Ulster inexplicably dropped JazzWorld hosted by trumpeter and jazz educator Linley Hamilton. That was a good run for sure but the show wasn’t replaced. It was available to anyone in the UK on BBC Sounds. Linley highlighted the work of Irish and British jazz musicians as well as those from further afield, while providing eloquent and informed commentary that only a fellow jazz musician can. So it is good that a new show is coming and on a regular basis with another informed host.
Something more regular like this is a great development, especially with someone of gravitas like Soweto. They do a daily show on France Musique and it really gives space and makes a great impact. Let’s hope that Freeness continues for the freer side of the music.
You just wonder what the BBC are planning as they normally give with one hand and take back the other. A reduced Jazz Record Requests perhaps?. As it is lately it seems to be top heavy with singers, some of whom can barely be described as jazz singers (the last track on the February 18th edition will prove my point – a quavery juvenile voice, very little girlish “mummy, I’ve wet my knickers” sort of timbre).
Time of transmission for the series will be key – long gone are the days when I would sit up till 1 a.m. on Monday morning for Peter Clayton’s Sounds of Jazz and Jazz Club.
I wish it well.
Jazz record requests is confirmed as an hour every Sunday from 4 as at present. And if you disagree with what is being requested (and we do our best accurately to reflect the range of requests that come in, although there are always far more than can be broadcast, then do send us a request – jrr@bbc.co.uk.
I love your response! Mr Shipton! I also enjoy your show whenever I get the chance to listen in! Keri up the great work!
I am just hoping that the BBC are not so short of money they are trying to penny-pinch, because in recent weeks, two editions of JRR have been repeats – one of the Tony Bennett tribute, and yesterday the Wayne Shorter one. I hope all is well, but this was previously unheard of – even when Peter Clayton was in the final stages of his sad illness, shows were not repeated – there was either an extra edition in the can, or on one occasion the studio continuity man read the postcards out. If the BBC want to save money and not look cheap, perhaps they should revert JRR to Saturdays where, every year or so, they had the excuse to pull JRR for yet another performance of the Ring cycle for a few Saturdays.
They’re changing the Saturday line up and “J to Z, the jazz programme, is replaced by a new late weeknight jazz show, Round Midnight, presented by saxophonist and poet Soweto Kinch” according to the Guardian. So you’re right!
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/26/a-james-bond-night-radio-3-boss-sam-jackson-shakeup-jools-holland
It’s a terrible loss that BBC3 have replaced our beloved Julian Joseph OBE who has been presenting superb shows for 25years!! That’s an unbelievable contribution-let’s mark that ! And we hope that maybe BBC 2 or 4 snap up this greatness. And yes exactly – a great Saturday spot for Jazz now been relocated to this late hour!
This will be a net loss. When the BBC announce new they mention continuity as well.
No mention of J to Z or Freeness: so they are being cut out. Corey Mwamba has already posted on Facebook that his contract is ending. We are a long way short of the music that Jazz on Three used to present : live shows in full from international artists recorded on tour and broadcast shortly afterwards. A few hours a week of DJing is not doing anything to support the genre or entertain and inform the audience.
New schedule : 6 hours a week (Round Midnight + Jazz Record Requests)
Old schedule: 3.5 hours (J to Z + Jazz record requests + Freeness)
If that is a net loss then I am Queen of Romania.
“A few hours of DJ’ing”. You need to Para 3 of the Folded wing Press Release
I’m sitting here thinking… That’s a lot of programming! I often caught J to Z as usually driving to a venue at that time on a Saturday. 23:30 is a very jazz time… But of course it’ll be on sounds. You know… If one was to go back and listen to all catalogued episodes of J2Z it would take a while right?!?
It’s excellent news, even better if this turns out to be a live broadcast each night and not a pre recorded show.
Good news at last. Jazz has been very badly served by the BBC and the media generally in recent years compared to the coverage years ago. UK jazz is at a high point today, world leading in many ways, and it is good to have that recognised.
Sounds a great addition!
No need to stay up half the night just download the BBC Sounds app and listen at your leisure.
I will!
Of course there is BBC Sounds on which to catch up, but the scheduling of the new late night programme while axing a weekend afternoon programme suggests a lazy attitude by the planners stereotyping people who like jazz as night owls.
Not all good news. Undoubtedly Soweto Kinch’s programmes will be worth listening to, but Corey Mwamba’s Freeness programme is ending, and apparently J to Z likewise. Still missing from BBC jazz coverage will be concert or club gigs presented as a continuous whole, which haven’t been heard regularly since around 2015. J to Z usually featured just snippets from such performances. It’s as if classical music was presented as “Here’s the first movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Later in the programme we’ll have the second movement, and the other two movements might appear in a couple of weeks’ time if we can fit them in”. The only complete jazz concerts I’ve heard recently on BBC Radio 3 were those featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra at the London Jazz Festival, such as the Tomasz Stanko tribute in 2022 and Rob Luft’s guitar concerto last year. It may be a question of affordability, particularly for visiting stars from the USA.
Further to the above, I see that Soweto’s programme will feature some recordings of studio or live sessions. But it seems probable that this will still be the “snippets” treatment as in J to Z. I’ll be happy to be proved wrong.
To all those complaining about radio shows comprised of snippets, could I suggest that if you want to hear longer sets by artists of your choice you might like to consider buying some of their records? Just sayin’…
Not all “the artists of your choice” record, in case you have not noticed.
Totally brilliant commission! As in totally brilliant for uk jazz and the national/global audiences they’ve long since needed!
But.. whoever wrote this … sort it out!!
“I’m thinking back the the days when jazz had a presence in the BBC through Humphrey Lyttelton. He died in 2008. Yes, it’s that long…”
Dude get it right!
Myself and Somethin Else got a 90 minute a week 9-10 year commission to do contemporary jazz gigs/reviews/ features on BBC in 1997 I think ….. the ONLY place on Overground UK radio to play ANY uk jazz. I ran it. Uk Black Jazz (Gary & Janine and all their wonderful artists got the same place as legends like Pharoah.
“if you want to hear longer sets by artists of your choice you might like to consider buying some of their records?”
And if you want other people to have that opportunity and to become aware of what Jazz can offer? To put this in context, for example, Keith Jarret’s ‘Koln Concert’ is the best-selling piano concert recording in history. By rights it should be one of the most played music pieces on Radio 3 in practice I doubt whether it has ever been played even in part. Does anyone have any evidence to contrary?
To give the BBC credit they did celebrate the 50th anniversary of Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’, although unfortunately the programme itself was 3 minutes shorter than the duration of the album.
There was no celebration whatsoever by the BBC of the 100th anniversary of the first jazz recording. They missed the opportunity to celebrate and review a century of recorded jazz.
Hi, I’m not a fan of Keith Jarret; Blakey, Silver, Adderley are much more my style but hasn’t at least an hour of the Koln concert been televised on BBC TV 4 (3?) within the last 18 months? I’ve googled it but found no trace of it being broadcast on UK TV at anytime. I only watched it out of curiosity. I’m still a Blakey fan. Someone else surely saw it. Good listening.
Great news for Jazz (except it looks like the excellent J-Z is being given the boot). Downside is what is going to happen to Night Tracks which is currently broadcast 11.00 to 12.30 – a excellent nightly programme which has provided much musical pleasure to me and brought attention to music that I would never otherwise hear. A tragic error if this is to be booted out also.