Radio 3’s new daily jazz show ‘Round Midnight begins on Easter Monday and the first month promises an exciting range of guests and live music. ‘Round Midnight is presented by acclaimed saxophonist, composer and MC Soweto Kinch and made by award-winning indie Folded Wing.
Airing Monday to Friday from 2330 to 0030, it will feature a wide selection of jazz from different eras and around the world, but with a particular focus on the vibrant new UK jazz scene. Emphasising that focus, the opening track on the inaugural show is from Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective. Overall, 60% of the playlists will be drawn from the UK, and half of the music on each show will be new.
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‘Round Midnight will have two regular features running from Monday to Thursday on alternate weeks. In ‘4/4’ guests choose four tracks which have influenced their lives and their music. First guest will be saxophonist Nubya Garcia, followed later in the month by fellow sax player and composer Cassie Kinoshi and singer Jacqui Dankworth. In ‘Flowers’, guests pay tribute to the living legends of jazz who’ve inspired them. Scottish pianist Fergus McCreadie is first to hand out the bouquets.
Fridays will be the home of live studio sessions, conversation and tracks from festivals and jazz clubs around the UK. On Friday 5th April, Zara McFarlane will interpret songs by Sarah Vaughan, accompanied live in the studio by Lyle Barton on keys, Nick Ereaut on bass and the drummer Jas Kayser. Later in the month, Femi Koleoso of Ezra Collective will be Soweto’s first Friday guest for an in-depth musical discussion.
Jazz DJ’s from across the BBC and a range of guest artists will be invited to contribute mixes on Friday nights – already lined up are 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson and CassKid from BBC 1Xtra. Other scheduled musical highlights include a previously unheard session track from UK jazz legend Norma Winstone, recorded for Jamie Cullum’s show at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in 2014, and a newly discovered live version of Alice Coltrane’s Journey In Satchidananda, which will be played in its full 15 minutes.
‘Round Midnight is working closely with BBC Introducing to foster the next generation of UK jazz talent. Aspiring musicians are encouraged to submit their tracks to Soweto via the BBC Introducing uploader. BBC Introducing tracks have already been scheduled for airplay and the programme will be picking artists for the long-running Introducing stage at Latitude Festival in July.
Listeners can get in touch with Soweto and the team via [email protected]
Folded Wing founder and CEO Karen Pearson says: “These first shows are a true celebration of the rich UK jazz scene and the music’s amazing heritage. Soweto is the perfect guide.”
Read Soweto's interview with London Jazz News here.
‘ROUND MIDNIGHT BEGINS APRIL 1st ON BBC RADIO 3 AND ON BBC SOUNDS.
