Jazz Radio UK is a pressure group formed to lobby for more jazz on the radio in the UK. They have just launched a survey online, giving you the chance to register your views
For me and a generation of jazzers, the Somethin’ Else and Gilles Peterson shows on Jazz FM introduced us to a world of music we could never otherwise have imagined, let alone heard. Of course it was not all ‘pure jazz’, global sounds jostled with demented beats and left-field hip hop too.
The effect is still with us today. All the key radio DJs of that time are still busy moving crowds and producing shows and a generation of artists have emerged from the exposure to new (and old) forms of music that occurred. Jazz FM famously slid into its smooth mix of Sting and Aretha Franklin and is now called Smooth FM.
There is a gaping hole for a jazz station, ideally on FM, but certainly at least on one of the commercial DAB multiplexes. Fly backs this initiative unreservedly. Bring the jazz back and make it global, make it funky and let it be far out.
Put your voice into the mix at http://www.myspace.com/jazzradiouk
Fly 
i would like to here more jazz on the radio because its easy listening and great to drive to, as im in my car for many hours at a time
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Jazz FM became Smooth FM and lost Sarah Ward etc due to
the way questions to a focus group were pitched. So would a
new broadcaster be doomed to follow the same comprimise trail? SW has found an enlightened litle station in
Devo anyway, but I wonder if the internet is not the way forward for jazz. wbgo ny does very well out of global subscription, but it doesnt cover the european scene. To
make it pay I think it would have to be pan european, take advantage of French, German and Scandanavian money, and team up with the likes
of Serious,Peterson et al. To
achieve pole position(and wonga) it could make jazz progs and formats for other networks…Anyway, more power to a much needed retrenchment
of the good stuff.
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yes there should be a dedicated jazz station , i love jazz ( along with lots of other types of music ) – like jazz most of what i like is never aired on the radio , i dj too (part-time) , and want to play jazz most of the time but although there are lots of people who would like to hear it , there is also lots of narrow-minded venue owners who think everyone should be listening to house or modern ‘r+b’ , and many clueless punters who expect that too , it amazes me the rubbish played on the radio that is force fed to us in shops , if people did get to here decent music they would realise what they are missing , i dont listen to the radio as i have thousands of records and cds + i intensely hate advertising , but i would listen to a jazz station occasionally , jazz fm when it first aired was good but there is nowhere anymore that i know where your average jazz fan could hear some authentic music , i feel sorry for people unaware of some of the best music ever made , so i hope you succeed !
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I live in Glasgow which has a pretty good reputation for music but try finding a radio station broadcasting in Scotland that plays much jazz…Scottish radio is a jazz desert with the VERY occasional oasis!
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would love to have a radio station that decated to jazz as i love jazz music but it needs to be on fm so everyone can tune in so it will be more of a sucess.
from ecco
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Hi Guys,
brilliant what you are doing..bring the jazz on again!
All the best and support..sar xx
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please can you tell me the frequency of the new jazz radio station that started at Christmas time? Thanks
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I grew up listening to jazz, I did not become a full time pro musician but on a Sunday when I play one of my several bass guitars for my church and other younger bass players see me. It amazes them and my Jazz CD collection comes as a result of listening to musicians I like who are never featured on mainstream recordings.
Record companies and Radio Stations like computer generated and sampled music with no soul to keep production costs and royalties to a minimum whilst robbing the public of decent technical and pleasant music. Modern pop is not a progression bring back jazz on our radio stations.
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When I was just 20 years old I waitressed and bartended at a fantastic Jazz Club called The Encore in Pittsburgh,Pa. USA. It was an education in Jazz like no other and the names of George Benson ( a regular) Charles Mingus, and Dizzy Gillesspi were just some of the known players there. Our house band was the brilliant trombonist Harold Betters and his band and during the mid 70’s when I was there it was the sweetest of sounds. Now, 30 years later and a resident of London it is inconcievable that there isnt a Jazz station on London’s FM stations. They absolutely murdered what was left of jazz on Smooth FM now playing the same mainstream crap you can hear anywhere! What is wrong with this city??? Jazz is an institution and all of the RnB, rappers and all of rock comes from there, even if those performers havent got a clue about that!! BRING BACK JAZZ and come into the 21st Century!!!
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For over 20years I have written and broadcast about jazz. I visit New York and have heard most of the “monsters” in my time. Ronnie Scott who I knew also thought that Jazz was presented in a poor light, strange announcers with treble clefs on unlikely jumpers AGH.
Keep up the good work
Steve T
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Jazz needs a voice… in England. keep up the pressure.
Curt
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What on earth has happened? No Jazz on the “earthly” radio…in your car? This has to be one of the craziest things to have happened to British music in a long time! Please, can we have Smooth Jazz FM back on the radio.
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Used to love mix on JazzFM, especially people like Sarah Ward – even though not a ‘Jazz buff’
SmoothFM is like a poor version of Heart/Magic now – can’t imagine it makes much dough, as frankly H/M do that kind of thing so much better
Yes, roll on a new station with more of a jazz angle.
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I don’t know who Clara Anderson is but as I switched on just now she said, “Here’s someone who was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie. I just love the sound of him playing the xylophone”. He didn’t- he played, as every jazz fan knows-the vibraphone.
Get the experts to present your programmes.
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Hi
My name is Lee Moulsdale and I am the Programme Controller for Play Radio UK based on the South Coast. We are planning to launch a dedicated Jazz station as part of our range of internet radio services (www.playradiouk.com). We intend to launch in sept/oct and are looning for some expertise to help us populate the music policy of Play Jazz UK. If any forum users would like to help please contact me lee@playradiouk.com
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What happened to JazzFM, it was a great station, and why is Jazz music so badly represented in our mainstream radio. Is mediocrity taking over. Please Please Please bring back JazzFM.
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Same feelings as Debbie – whatever happened to Jazz FM?….. Life is not the same without it. I sorely miss the wonderful music heard on it…….
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I agree with you all that is why I have created my own jazz radio at
http://www.jazz-radio.fm which is on line 24/7, it is listed already in the top 10 of Yahoo, Google & MSN, under “jazz radio” there are no audio adverts, and you can also tune into my live programs each weekend on Radio Onda Cero International here in Spain, these have features and interviews on as well as a full range of Jazz.
Check out my site and have a look at “guest photos” to see some of the top musicians I have interviewed. The message board also makes interesting reading.
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