The Hot Box: Recent Episodes
Donald Helme
The Hot Box covers the best in Irish recorded jazz, set it in the wider context of the international language that is jazz.
Join Donald Helme on this edition of The Hot Box as he celebrates the life and music of one of jazz’s most influential figures, Miles Davis, marking what would have been the legendary trumpeter’s 100th birthday. From his groundbreaking innovations in bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz and jazz fusion, Miles Davis reshaped the course of modern music and continues to inspire generations of musicians and listeners alike.
Donald reflects on the enduring legacy of Davis and introduces a carefully curated selection of recordings spanning his extraordinary career, offering both long-time fans and newcomers an opportunity to rediscover the music of one of jazz’s true visionaries.
The programme also opens with a look at an outstanding new release from the Jed Levy / Phil Robson Quartet, The Unpredictability of the Sea, released by Livia Records, before embarking on a musical journey through the remarkable catalogue of Miles Davis.
Track list for The Hot Box #154 – Miles Davis 100
- 3 Chord Trick – Phil Robson / Jed levy Quartet
- Jeru – Gerry Mulligan
- Footprints – Wayne Shorter
- So What – Miles Davis
- Straight, No Chaser – Thelonious Monk
- Summertime – George Gershwin
- My Ship – Gil Evans & Miles Davis
- Boplicity – Gil Evans & Miles Davis
- Springsville – Miles Davis
- Canute – Phil Robson / Jed levy Quartet
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Whilst enjoying the multitude of styles that compose the repertoire of jazz today, many fans have long decried the disappearance of Bebop in favour of crossover music and other listener-to-listener styles. There is some evidence though that things may be changing, and one piece of that evidence is the emergence of some bands playing music closer to bop or hard bop style.
One such is the British quintet Five Way Split, and Hot Box 152 samples tracks from their new album, Modus Operandi, alongside such classic hard boppers as Horace Silver and Art Blakey.
Track list for The Hot Box #152 – Back to Bebop!
- Dr Stol / Five Way Split
- Modus Operandi / Five Way Split
- Along Came Betty / Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
- These Foolish Things / Charlie Parker
- Something to Remember You By / Charlie Parker
- Juicy Lucy / Horace Silver
- Sister Sadie / Horace Silver
- Two Little Alphas / Five Way Split
- Sack of Woe / Cannonball Adderley
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The upcoming visit of Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra to these shores prompts an hour of listening to their diverse music in the Hot Box.
Founded in 1988 and under Marsalis’ direction since 1991, it has become an important icon for quality and stability in the world of jazz music. It has played in Ireland before, but since Marsalis announced his upcoming retirement, their concerts in Ireland develop even more significance.
Enjoy an hour taken from their huge catalogue of recordings in Hot Box 151.
Track list for The Hot Box #151 – Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
- Havan Special Arturo O’Farrill
- Black & Tan fantasy Duke Ellington
- 2/3 Adventure Carllos Henriquez
- Baa Baa Black Sheep Sherman Irby
- Dizzy Moods Charles Mingus
- Mood indigo – Bli Blip – Harlem Air Shaft – Portrait of Louis Armstrong Duke Ellington
- Blood Cry/ La Lamada de la Sangue Wynton Marsalis
All tracks The Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra
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All the music in Hot Box 150 is from the flautist/saxophonist Ken Peplowski, who died on 2nd February this year aboard a jazz cruise liner. He was one of the finest musicians of his generation, spanning traditional and modern jazz styles.
Track list for The Hot Box #150 – Ken Peplowski
- Jim Dawgs — from the album Illuminations
- Vignette — from the album Happy Together
- The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise — from the album Happy Together
- I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face — from the album Easy to Remember
- People Will Say We’re in Love — from the album Lost in the Stars
- My Ship — from the album Lost in the Stars
- Good Morning Heartache — from the album Lost in the Stars
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Welcome to Hot Box 149. We begin with a sparkling new release on Blue Note from the young American pianist Paul Cornish. Hailing from Texas, Cornish was a finalist in the prestigious Herbie Hancock International Piano Competition three years ago, and has already shared the stage with many of the leading figures in jazz today.
From there, we move into the distinctive voice of Cécile McLorin Salvant, with two selections from her Oh Snap album, before turning to the richly textured harp work of Brandee Younger on Gadabout Season. We close out the programme with two beautifully crafted pieces from Irish guitarist Louis Stewart, drawn from his album Joyce Notes.
A programme of fresh, expressive music — Hot Box 149 is all about new sounds and standout voices in contemporary jazz.
Track list for The Hot Box #149 – New Stuff
- Quinxiety – Paul Cornish
- Anything But No – Cecile McLorin Salvant
- Tackle This Stone – Cecile McLorin Salvant
- End Means – Brandee Younger
- Gadabout Season – Brandee Younger
- Gerty McDowell – Louis Stewart
- Molly – Louis Stewart
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Hot Box 148 is going to be both sad and joyful since we now remember the extraordinary drummer Jack DeJohnette who died at the end of October aged 83. He was a native of Chicago and certainly could lay a claim to being the greatest of all jazz drummers. Immensely influential in the overall direction of drumming in jazz and, by any standards, extraordinarily versatile.
You only have to rattle off the names of the musicians he worked with to emphasise that point, take Miles Davis for example, then Bill Evans, John Surman, Keith Jarrett and Pat Matheney, really ticking most of the boxes in the post-bop era. So, let’s listen to some of that music while we pay tribute to an extraordinary musician.
Track list for The Hot Box #148 – Jack DeJohnette
- Sleeping Bee – Bill Evans Trio
- Forest Flower: Sunrise / Sunset – Charles Lloyd Quartet at Monterey Jazz Festival
- The Wrong Blues – Keith Jarrett Trio
- Hilltop Dancer – John Surman
- Entranced Androids – Jack DeJohnette
- Spanish Key – Miles Davis
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An eclectic selection of music that may reflect the desire of the “music business” to generate some income for musicians over the festive period! Or it may represent a genuine love for all things Christmas – or both! An hour of jazz selected to sit back and enjoy.
Track list for The Hot Box #147 – Christmas Box
- Barbara Dennerlein: Let It Snow
- The Capital Bones Big Band: Big Bad Drummin’ Dude
- Eddie Higgins: Sleigh Ride
- Nigel Mooney: Good Morning Blues
- Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass Band: White Christmas/Let it Snow/Winter Wonderland
- Rob McConnell’s Christmas Waltz
- NYJO Twelve Bars of Christmas
- NYJO While Shepherds Waved
- Nigel Mooney 21st Century Santa Claus Blues
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The Hot Box 146 is packed with brand new releases, and as ever there is more to play than time to play it. Donald Helme opens the show with music from pianist John Donegan and his new album Interfuse, featuring Richie Buckley.
The programme then moves through a wide range of contemporary jazz, including trumpet-led material from Alex Sipiagin, the spacious and lyrical trio work of Fred Hersch, and the driving ensemble sound of Visions Jazz Ensemble. Larger-scale writing also features orchestral pieces from the Jihye Lee Orchestra and their album Infinite Connections.
Track list for The Hot Box #146 – New Releases
- Five to One. John DoneganTrio + Richie Buckley: from the album Interfuse: JayDee Records
- Sufa Tham. Alex Sipiagin from the album Reverberations
- Fred Hersch Trio from the album The Surrounding Green
- The Surrounding Green: Fred Hersch Trio
- Rocky Top: Visions Jazz Ensemble. Fight Songs album
- Surrender: Jihye Lee Orchestra album “Infinite Connections”: Motema
- Born in 1935. Jihye Lee Orchestra
- Interfuse: John Donegan Trio plus Richie Buckley.
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The new edition of the Hot Box consists of all new material from Ireland and the USA. An hour of the very best in jazz. The international talent is represented by tracks from a youthful band the Visions Jazz Ensemble, with music based on US college “fight songs”. Also music from Joe Lovano with the Martin Wasilewski Trio.
Closer to home is the stunning new album from Carole Nelson and her trio “Through the Storm” and a remastered re-release of the Louis Stewart/Brian Dunning album “Alone Together”, both on the Livia Records label. Plus a glimpse of the new single from Emilie Conway!
All that and more in the Hot Box!
Track list for The Hot Box #145 – New Material from Ireland and USA
- Anchors Aweigh – Visions Jazz Ensemble
- Busy Work – Organ Freeman
- We Begin Here – Carole Nelson Trio
- Lift Off – Carole Nelson Trio
- West Coast Blues – Louis Stewart, Brian Dunning
- Glory Glory – Visions Jazz Ensemble
- Homage – Homage (Joe Lovano)
- In Walked Piet – Emilie Conway
- If I had You – Charlie Moon Sings & Plays
- Hot Time in The Old Town Tonight – Visions Jazz Ensemble
- Victory March – Visions Jazz Ensemble
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This episode of The Hot Box has a distinctly retro feel, as we celebrate the lives and talents of two remarkable female jazz singers who recently passed away.
We’re remembering the incomparable British singer Dame Cleo Laine, and the lesser-known but deeply respected American vocalist Sheila Jordan. While Sheila was widely admired among jazz musicians and insiders, she remained under the radar for many casual listeners — though she did, in fact, perform in Ireland once.
Track list for The Hot Box #144 – Celebrating Two Jazz Greats
- Hum Drum Blues – Sheila Jordan
- Let’s Face the Music and Dance – Sheila Jordan
- Baltimore Oriole – Sheila Jordan
- I Got it Bad – Dame Cleo Laine
- Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone – Dame Cleo Laine
- St. Louis Blues – Dame Cleo Laine
- Fascinatin’ Rhythm – Dame Cleo Laine
- If You Could See Me Now – Sheila Jordan
- Dat Dere – Sheila Jordan
- Where or When – Sonny Rollins
- Moritat (Mack the Knife) – Sonny Rollins
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Donald Helme takes the lid off the Hot Box once again, and this time he’s digging deep into a special file marked “Jazz in Ireland”. Reaching back across the decades, Donald unearths vintage recordings that showcase both the big names who have defined the Irish jazz landscape and the lesser-known voices who, for one reason or another, seemed to fade into history.
Track list for The Hot Box #143 – Jazz in Ireland
- Feels So Good – Chuck Mangione
- Taylor Made – Linley Hamilton
- Coded Remorse – Justin Caroll
- Sea Legs – Michael Buckley
- Little Niles – The Kevin Brady Trio
- Uzac – Greg Lloyd
- Don’t Stop The Train – Eddie Palmieri
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Welcome to the 142nd edition of The Hot Box with Donald Helme. This episode is a real treat, dedicated entirely to the music of the legendary Gil Evans. We’re marking the release of what may be the final volume of unearthed Evans material, lovingly brought to light by arranger and bandleader Ryan Truesdell.
Truesdell has spent years digging into the Evans archive, bringing this extraordinary music to life through his acclaimed ensemble, The Gil Evans Project. Alongside selections from the latest release, we’ll also revisit highlights from the earlier albums. And we’ll hear about the live sessions that once brought this music to the stage at New York’s much-missed Jazz Standard, where it was performed annually in all its glory.
The first track of the show is introduced with a snippet from the liner notes written by Ryan Truesdell.
Track list for The Hot Box #142 – Ryan Truesdell and Gil Evans
- Spoonful: The Gil Evans Project from the album Shades of Sound
- How About You: the Gil Evans Project from the album Centennial
- Dancing on a Great Big Rainbow from the album Centennial
- Ballad of the Sad Young Men from the album Shades of Sound
- Concorde from the album Lines of Colour
- Gypsy Jump from the album Lines of Colour
- Laughing at Life from the album Shades of Colour
- Nettie’s Blues from the album Shades of Colour
- Orgone from the album Live at Umbria Jazz Vol 1
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In this slightly different edition of The Hot Box, Donald Helme takes a detour through the timeless melodies of one of jazz’s most enduring composers: George Gershwin. Inspired by the brand new release The Man I Love from British pianist Gabriel Latchin,
Track list for The Hot Box #141 – A Gershwin Celebration
- They All Laughed. Gabriel Latchin Trio from the new album “The Man I Love”
- Oh Lady Be Good. Fabrizio Bosso and Renato Solani.
- Embraceable You. Cleo Laine
- Oh Lady Be Good. Benny Goodman & Lionel Hampton
- How Long Has This Been going On? Coleman Hawkins
- S’Wonderful. Gabriel Latchin Trio
- Love Walked In. Gabriel Latchin Trio
- I Was Doing Alright. Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson
- The Can’t Take That Away From Me. Susannah McCorkle
- Jazzbo Brown Blues: Sir Andrew Davis
- Someone To Watch Over Me: Roland Kirk
- Summertime: Charlie Parker
- Strike Up The Band: Errol Garner
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This edition of The Hot Box features a major re-issue, a remixed and remastered release of Louis Stewart’s quartet album with John Taylor, Sam Jones and Billy Higgins from Livia Records.
Originally recorded in 1977, and released in 1980 with some edits and overdubs, this impeccable version restores the original London recording and adds two extra tracks.
The results are possibly the best Louis Stewart studio recording, with top level accompaniment from the brilliant supporting trio.
Track list for The Hot Box #140 – I Thought About You
- Litha – Louis Stewart
- The Sidewinder – Lee Morgan
- Spontaneous Combustion – Cannonball Adderley
- Straight No Chaser – Louis Stewart
- Wagon Wheels – Grant Green
- All Blues – Louis Stewart
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This edition has both a tilt towards new material and a tilt towards jazz guitar, with material from the French guitarist Romain Pilon’s new album Open Roads, and from the archive, tracks from Tommy Halferty’s extensive back catalogue.
Track list for The Hot Box #139 – New Material
- Giant Steps: Oz Noy
- Blackbird: Tommy Halferty with Mike Nielsen
- Ralph’s New Blues: Tommy Halferty Trio
- Long Story Short: Romain Pilon
- Golden Rod: Michael Buckley
- At Swing Two Birds: Ronan Guilfoyle
- Ready for Cooky: Romain Pilon
- Divergent Journeys: Christian Sands
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The Hot Box #138 celebrates the music of another recently departed musician, “Roy Ayres.” Originally known as a jazz vibraphone player, he rapidly expanded his status and became, some would say, one of the major creators of jazz funk.
Track list for The Hot Box #138 – Roy Ayres
- Compared to What – Roberta Flack
- The Ringer – Roy Ayers
- Searching – Roy Ayers
- Memphis Underground – Herbie Mann
- Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty – Herbie Mann
- Virgo Vibes – Roy Ayers
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A selection of some wonderful music from albums released in recent weeks, from concert performances in the 1990s to brand new compositions and recordings both Irish and American.
Track list for The Hot Box #137 – New Releases
- There Will Never Be Another You: Oscar Peterson Quartet from the album “City Lights”recorded in 1994
- Strange Taste: Michael Buckley from the album Ebb And Flow recorded in 2024
- Fun One: Oz Noy from the album Fun One recorded in 2024
- Milestones: Oz Noy from the same album
- Lion Song: Emmet Cohen from the album Vibe Provider recorded in 2024
- Vibe Provider: Emmet Cohen from the same album
- Christian Sands: Ain’t That The Same from the album Embracing Dawn recorded in 2024
- Kelly’s Blues: Oscar Peterson from the album City Lights
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He was born in 1926 and lived to be just 98 years old, having played in public well into his 80s. Donaldson was an alto saxophonist who began his career as a disciple of Charlie Parker, with whom he played, but, as part of the group of young players recruited to Blue Note Records in the 1950s he developed a more soulful sound. In the hour-long tribute to his music, we sample that great era of jazz, “Hard Bop” in which Donaldson was so important.
Track list for The Hot Box #136 – In Memory of Lou Donaldson
- Watusi Jump: Lou Donaldson: “Here ’Tis”
- Hipty Hop: Lou Donaldson: “A Man with a Horn”
- Spaceman Twist: Lou Donaldson “The Natural Soul”
- Wee Dot: Art Blakey: “A Night at Birdland Volume Two”
- Alligator Boogaloo: Lou Donaldson “The Scorpion”
- Polka Dots and Moonbeams: Lou Donaldson “Gravy Train”
- The Sermon: Jimmy Smith: Blue Note “The Sermon”
All tracks are on the Blue Note Records label.
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The Hot Box 134 is devoted to the memory of the great drummer Roy Haynes. Haynes died, at the age of 99 in November last year, secure in his place as one of the greatest drummers of all time. His career spanned the whole of the era of modern jazz, his first big job being with Charlie Parker in then1940s.
Track list for The Hot Box #134 – Roy Haynes
- Red Rose: Roy Haynes/Henri Renaud: Vogue Records
- Moose the Mooch: Roy Haynes: Dreyfus Jazz
- Ah Leu Cha: Roy Haynes: Dreyfus Jazz
- Hoe Down: Oliver Nelson: Impulse
- Light Blue: Thelonius Monk: Riverside
- Bouncing with Bud: Bud Powell: Blue Note
- Bud Powell: Blue Note
- Questions and Answers: Gary Burton: Concord
- Smoke Stack: Andrew Hill: Blue Note
- Reaching Fourth: McCoy Tyner
- Like Minds: Gary Burton
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Welcome to the first Hot Box of 2025. Regular listeners will know that we had a rush of obituary type shows at the back end of last year but we start 2025 with some new material as well as a quick nod in the obituary section again, I’m sorry to say, to remember the great saxophone player Lou Donaldson.
Track list for The Hot Box #135 – Some New Stuff
- Musicians: Yonathon Avishai: Shapes & Sounds; Jazz & People JPCD824005
- The Signalman: Sue Rynhart: Say Pluto; mrsuesue records
- Here ’Tis: Lou Donaldson: Blue Note 5099 5 14371 2 1
- Blue in Green; Pat Leary (Live at Midnight Tea
- When You’re Smiling: Yonathon Avishai (as above)
- Long Years Ago: Sue Rynhart (as above)
- The One Who Smiles: Yonathon Avishai (as above)
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(The Ghost of Christmas Past)
Celebrating Christmas and also celebrating the 90th anniversary of the campaign to ban jazz in Ireland, which seems to have failed.
Track list for The Christmas Box 2024
- Gin for Christmas: Lionel Hampton
- Swingin’ Them Jingle Bells: Fats Waller
- Jingle Bells: Benny Carter
- When Winter Comes: Artie Shaw
- Christmas Night in Harlem: Paul Whiteman
- Santa’s Secret: Johnny Guarneri & Slam Stewart
- Bounce of the Sugar Plum Fairy: John Kirby
- Wild Party 1934: Fletcher Henderson
- I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm:Billie Holliday
- Santa Claus is coming to Town: Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
- Freeze and Melt: Eddie Lang
- The Christmas Song: Dinah Shore
- It Happened in Sun Valley: Glenn Miller
- Santa Claus Blues: Red Onion Jazz Band
- Freeze Out: Clarence Williams
- At The Christmas Ball: Bessie Smith
- Snowfall: Claude Thornhill
- Sleighride: Eddie Higgins
Tune In:
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The celebrated composer, orchestrator and arranger, and sometime trumpet player, Quincy Jones, died November 3rd aged 91. The Hot Box looks at the jazz contribution he made in the latter part of the 20th century, with tracks from Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole and the man himself.
Track list for The Hot Box #133 – Remembering Quincy Jones
- Rat Race: Count Basie Orchestra
- Muttnik: Count Basie Orchestra
- Hicky Burr: Bill Cosby and Quincy Jones
- Eubie Walkin’: Bill Cosby and Quincy Jones
- No More Blues: Quincy Jones Big Band
- Birth of the Band: Quincy Jones Big Band
- Let the Good Times Roll: Ray Charles
- The Midnight Sun Never Sets; Sarah Vaughan
- Joe Turner’s Blues: Nat King Cole
- Have You Met Benny Bailey? Count Basie Orchestra
- Rat Race: Count Basie Orchestra
- Listen Up: Quincy Jones
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The Hot Box #132, an hour-long exploration of fresh and exciting sounds in jazz. This episode dives into new material from remarkable artists, blending the vibrancy of contemporary jazz with the timeless artistry of legends. Featuring tracks from John Donegan’s Irish Sextet, Shuteen Erdenebaatar, and the Jihye Lee Orchestra, the episode showcases dynamic compositions and inventive storytelling.
Listeners will also revisit the brilliance of guitar virtuosos Louis Stewart and Martin Taylor, alongside a stirring collaboration from Geri Allen and Kurt Rosenwinkel. It’s a rich, varied playlist that promises to engage jazz enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Tune in and discover something new!
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This special episode pays tribute to the remarkable life and music of the late Benny Golson — a saxophonist, composer, and arranger whose profound influence on jazz endures through both his compositions and recordings. Golson’s legacy is woven into jazz history, known for iconic pieces that have become standards in the jazz repertoire.
In today’s episode, we’ll hear selections from Golson’s esteemed career, including his own performances and interpretations of his work by legends like Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Quincy Jones. We’ll journey through classics like “Along Came Betty,” “Whisper Not,” and “I Remember Clifford,” showcasing the depth of Golson’s contributions to jazz. So, sit back and join us as we celebrate the music and memory of Benny Golson.
The Hot Box #131 Track Listing
- Along Came Betty: Quincy Jones “Birth of the Blues” Essential Jazz EJC55448
- Moanin’: Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers: Not Now NOT2CD344
- Whisper Not: Benny Golson “New Tunes, New’tet” Concord 0888072311213
- Domingo: Benny Golson “Domingo” Dreyfus Jazz FDM36557-2
- Dear Kathy: Benny Golson “Turning Point” Gambit 69250
- Killer Joe: Benny Golson “Terminal 1” Concord CCD 2259-2
- I Remember Clifford: Quincy Jones “Birth of a Band” Essential Jazz EJC55448
- Blues March: Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers Not Now NOT2CD344
- Uptown Afternoon: Benny Golson “New Tunes, New’tet” Concord 0888072311213
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In this episode of The Hot Box, we revisit a theme from episode #128 where we took a deep dive into the piano files, looking for the slightly less obviously famous musicians but still among the very best in the world.
The Hot Box #129 Track Listing
- Blues in Baxters Pad: Gene Harris Quartet (from the album “At Ste.Chapelle Winery”)
- Japanese Brunch: David Budway (from the album “A New Kiss”)
- Ask Me Now: Russell Malone & Benny Green (from the album “Jazz at the Bistro”)
- Tale of the Fingers: Russell Malone& Benny Green (from the album “Jazz at the Bistro”)
- Alligator Crawl: Ralph Sutton & Peter O’Brien (from the album “A Stride Odyssey”)
- My Little Suede Shoes: Gene Harris Quartet (from the album “At Ste.Chapelle Winery”)
- Wine Wine Wine: Freddie Roach (from the album “Good Move”)
- Maintain Speed Through the Tunnel: David Budway (from the album “A New Kiss”)
- Caravan: Dick Hyman (from the album Music of 1937”: Maybeck Recitals volume 3)
Tune In:
- Live Broadcast: Every two weeks on Jazz Radio Eire. Listen Live
- Listen Back: Catch past episodes on The Hot Box Jazz and Jazz Ireland.
Subscribe to The Hot Box:
- Via Android: Subscribe on Android
- By Email: Subscribe by Email
Spread the Word: Help us grow our jazz community by sharing The Hot Box with your friends and on social media. Your support keeps us going!
(Note HB 129 is in production but has not been posted yet so will follow 130)
In this special episode of The Hot Box, we pay tribute to the remarkable Russell Malone, a virtuoso guitarist known for his versatility, impeccable swing, and soulful sound. Throughout his distinguished career, Malone collaborated with legends like Diana Krall and Ron Carter, while also shining as a solo artist.
Join us as we journey through a selection of tracks that highlight his incredible artistry. From his unforgettable performances on classics like “Sweet Georgia Peach” to his original compositions like “Malone Blues,” this episode is a celebration of Russell Malone’s enduring legacy in jazz.
Enjoy the music, and let’s remember the brilliance of Russell Malone together!
- Diana Krall: I’m an Errand Boy for Rhythm: Impulse IMP 11642
- Ron Carter: Soft Winds: In and Out records LC07588
- Diana Krall: Frim Fram Sauce: Impulse IMP 11642
- Russell Malone: Sweet Georgia Peach Impulse IMP12822
- Diane Reeves: I’m in Love Again Blue Note 0946 3 89658 2 4
- Russell Malone: St Louis Blues Columbia CK52825
- Russell Malone: You’ve Got a Friend. MaxJazz MXJ601
- Russell Malone: Sugar buzz. MaxJazz MXJ601
- Russell Malone: He said What? MaxJazz MXJ602
- Russell Malone: Malone Blues MaxJazz MXJ602
Tune In:
- Live Broadcast: Every two weeks on Jazz Radio Eire. Listen Live
- Listen Back: Catch past episodes on The Hot Box Jazz and Jazz Ireland.
Subscribe to The Hot Box:
- Via Android: Subscribe on Android
- By Email: Subscribe by Email
Spread the Word: Help us grow our jazz community by sharing The Hot Box with your friends and on social media. Your support keeps us going!
Firstly, we would like to welcome back Jazz Ireland to the jazz scene and without further ado here’s #126!
www.jazzireland.ie
A long jump in just one hour, from a live concert by Duke Ellington’s Orchestra in Paris to settings of the poetry of Emily Dickinson by the Italian guitarist Daniele Cervigni, with a few new releases in between!
Another root in the big band files yields some great performances from bands you may never had heard before….
It happens to be Ella’s anniversary of her first concert in Ireland and also her birthday. Join Donald for 100% Ella!
As the title suggests, here are some big bands you’ve never heard of!
The Lloyd Ryan Big Band?
The Jazz Pacific Orchestra?
Ring a bell?
All on the 119th Hot Box!
Your latest edition of The Hot Box with Donald Helme. Put the kettle on, sit back and relax with #117!
John Pizzarelli, Bobby Short and Mose Allison. All will be revealed on The Hot Box #114!
The clarinet has been an endangered species for most of the last 50 years, and despite much admiration for modern-day exponents such as Anat Cohen, it remains on the outer fringes of jazz. Hot Box takes a look at clarinet from the heyday of Benny Goodman, Sidney Bechet and Jimmie Noone through to today’s most admired exponent, Anat Cohen. Some critics have suggested its decline is due to the difficulty of playing it: “It was invented by three people who never met each other” was the comment of Basie band sax player Frank Wess!
After the great reaction to Hot Box 108’s focus on big bands, we felt that a second dip into this big reservoir of music was advisable, if not inevitable. Some of the best ever herein!
Stimulated by the upcoming release of John Donegan’s album Light Streams featuring his Irish Sextet, Hot Box 107 checks out some new releases, and a couple of returns to recent albums for a second look.
Hot on the heels of a little exploration of the role of the Hammond organ in jazz (HB104) a listener suggested we take a look at the role of another “minority” instrument in jazz music – the vibraphone. So we have. Starting at the beginning we hear from Lionel Hampton through to some modern-day masters like Warren Wolf and Stefan Harris. And we find Roger Beaujolais along the way. Who?
This edition of the Hot Box is comprised 9 pieces of new material, with all of it coming from USA and Canada.
In which we devote over an hour to the Hammond organ! In vogue during the 1960s and having star exponents like Jimmy Smith, and latterly Joey DeFrancesco, the Hammond B3 occupied a secure slot in instrumental jazz. Has it lost that?
Hot Box this time is Organic!
Tony Bennett died on July 21st, aged 96, representing in a very real sense “the end of an era”. Across much of the history of crooning and singing jazz, Bennett succeeded in transferring a reputation amongst older fans of the Great American Songbook to an entirely new generation. He never lost his conviction that good music, good songs would eventually triumph. Hot Box 103 peeks into his enormous catalogue………
Some jazz journalists have been using phrases like “the end of an era” since the death of Wayne Shorter and Ahmad Jamal. In this Hot Box we pay tribute to a few of the jazz greats who have left us in recent years…….or stopped performing.
As the title suggests, this is a new record for the hot box. Five fantastic tracks, one hour show! Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim) kicking things off with 13 minutes of magic.
We made it! 100 episodes of The Hot Box. Thank you to all our listeners and subscribers for sticking with me. In this episode we feature two tracks from our good friend Linley Hamilton, with Gerry Buckley starting us off.
The new Hot Box website is now online,
http://www.hotboxjazz.com
This episode brings us one away from 100 epsiodes of The Hox Box. Included this week are some new releases and two tracks from the Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson.
New Stuff!
Its Donald’s first show on JazzÉIRE!. This show features all new releases for this Hot Box
www.jazzeireradio.com
After the great reaction to Hot Box 96, we decided to do a second edition devoted to the fantastic 42 volume series of solo piano recitals known as the Maybeck Series. Recorded over 6 years from 1990 to 1996, the concerts took place in the wood lined hall designed by the now iconic architect Bernard Maybeck, with just 50 seats in the audience and a perfectly tuned Yamaha grand piano.
Long unavailable on LP or CD it is now available on Spotify, but here Donald takes us through more of the stellar pianists who featured - Gerry Wiggins, Toshiko Akyoshi, Cedar Walton and more.
The 96th edition of The Hot Box!
This an all-piano affair that marks the re-release (on Spotify) of all 42 albums recorded in the 90’s, of the solo piano recitals branded as The Maybeck Recitals. Recorded by the independent Concord Jazz label, they present a who’s who of jazz pianists of the last decade of the last century. The real biggies aren’t there - the Herbie Hancocks, the Oscar Petersons - perhaps Concord couldn’t afford their fees - but taken overall the recordings represent a diversity of brilliance. From stride to modernism.
In this edition we sample 9 of the players, from JoAnne Brackeen to Jim McNeely, and have cause to celebrate the amazing acoustics of the hall itself - lined with rosewood panels and an audience of only 50 - and the Yamaha grand piano at its centre. If the very best piano music is your bag, tune in to The Hot Box.
The Hot Box 95: What’s in it?
Some great new music that’s what. Two from America, one from Belgium, and two from Ireland.
The album Tim Fitzgerald’s Full House was awarded to Daniel Cervigni who emailed Donald@jazzireland.ie, and now you can contact Donald to “win” the copy of Chick Corea’s Acoustic Band double album “Live”, which marks the second anniversary of Chick’s death.
The Box goes abroad this time, heading south east to Italy, where some exceptional and distinctive jazz can be found. In this edition we highlight the marked attention to lyricism which informs so much Italian jazz, as though perhaps the traditions of Italy’s great classical tradition and opera lie beneath much of the contemporary jazz scene. We start however at the inception of jazz in Italy, banned as it was by the Fascist regime in the 1930s.
Why do some bands choose brand names rather than the name of their leader? A very brief investigation in the Hot Box #093.
The 92nd Hot Box is hot with guitars all the way. And there’s a reason. The new album from Chicago-based guitarist Tim Fitzgerald. Better still, you could become the lucky owner of a copy. An album that has been Album of the Month in Downbeat with a four and a half star review! So check in to the Box and see how you could get lucky!
The 91st Hot Box takes a look at Christmas (already!)A selection of jazz from all eras that celebrates or satirises Christmas from the personal collection of Donald Helme.
A cornucopia of delights from new recordings makes up the 66-odd minutes of this edition, starting out with a track from one of the new jazz superstars.
Tracks this time are exclusively (well almost) from brand shiny new albums. The exception sadly is another of those remembrance pieces, this time for the singer Tina May who died earlier this year.
In the 87th Hot Box we scratched the surface of the hot topic of females in jazz, and now we to try to go a little deeper, so the 88th picks out some more women whose contribution to jazz has been stellar. And then we take a listen to an extract from the famous Piano Jazz series presented by Marian McPartland, in the studio with her friend, the legendary Mary Lou Williams. We’re still only scratching the surface, or as one of our chosen songs says, Scratchin’ in the Gravel!
The Hot Box 87 - in which we celebrate some of the best female jazz artists past and present
Scratching the surface in just an hour, we can listen to a few of the female jazz musicians that have been prominent, but in such a talented minority, for the 100 or so years of jazz music.
A plethora of all-new material this time around in The Hot Box 086 including a great set from John Donegan’s Irish Sextet and the long awaited blues bonanza on Nigel Mooney’s Mooney’s Blues.
And the Hot Box gets to number 85!
This time, a few samples from the Jazz Times’s Top 10 albums of the 1980s, together with a review of the new Palmetto release by baritone and clarinet star Brian Landrus. And the third and final track, never before heard, of the Louis Stewart/Honor Heffernan acoustic session.
This edition is full to bursting with new material, and includes another track - never before heard -from Honor Heffernan and Louis Stewart, as well two new ECM releases and pieces from the first volume of the all-guitar tribute to Pat Martino on the High Note label.
The Hot Box 83 “The Nostalgia Show” all started with a listener request to look at some of the music that ignited a whole new era for jazz audiences, the last of the 50s and the full post-bop era.
In this episode of The Hot Box there is an hour-plus of new recordings from at home and abroad, celebrating the return to both collective recording and live performance.
This episode of the Hot Box sets the scene for Jazz Legends – Charles Mingus 100th and Miles Davis Kind of Blue.
21st April – National Concert Hall – Dublin
22nd April – Cork Opera House – Cork City
On the centenary of his birth, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra & Big Band pays tribute to Charles Mingus. In an imaginative first, the RTÉ CO has joined forces with its counterpart the BBC Concert Orchestra to commission a special set of brand-new orchestrations from Guy Barker, allowing both orchestras to do full justice to one of the greatest jazz musicians of them all.
A complete departure for our 80th birthday, with wall-to-wall vocal groups, stimulated by a positive reaction to the all-vocal content of the 77th Hot Box. So, for the first time, we have an hour of the best harmony vocalising in jazz, from the streets of New Orleans to Carnegie Hall.
Once again, the central preoccupation is the amazing roster of guitar players, this time those filed under the letter H. And under that heading the music world was blessed for many years with the presence of Jim Hall. So there’s some great straight ahead jazz from him, and some less straight ahead from Joel Harrison and Charlie Hunter.
Listen back to the live broadcast of The Hot Box on Jazz Radio Ireland for New Year’s Eve 2021. This is a 2-hour special edition of The Hot Box presented by Donald Helme.
The Hot Box #77……What’s Inside?
Taking a leaf out of the book of jazz station WBGO Newark New Jersey, this edition of The Hot Box presents “Singers Unlimited”.
So if vocal jazz sets your pulse racing, this one’s for you. And there’s a little nod in the direction Christmas as well. Every one of these great singers has appeared in Ireland over the years. (And of course, some of them are Irish!)
In The Hot Box number 76 we delve into the Guitar Files labelled “G”.
The towering figure of Grant Green seems to dominate this file, maybe the most productive guitarist of the 1960’s, who sounded then, and still sounds, like nobody else. Then we have the young bloods, Alex Goodman from Canada and Riccardo Grilli from Brazil, both fully paid members of the New York jazz scene today. So the 76th Hot Box is rich in contrasting styles.
The Hot Box number 75!
What’s in it this time? We have tried to be quite noisy in celebration of our 75th edition - a “milestone”.
The celebration starts with the Chuck Owen Jazz Surge with more from Lonnie Smith, Eddie Daniels, The Big Phat Band, and Steve Slagle throughout the show.
The main event in The Hot Box 074 is a move to the Guitar Files Letter F. So we feature 3 greats from that file, Tal Farlow, Bill Frisell and Chris Flory. But there’s other stuff too. An exciting taster from Aoife Doyle’s upcoming new album, the single Strength to be Strong, and a track from Kevin Brady’s Electric Quartet upcoming world release “Plan B”.
Plus we find an amazing young guitarist from the D file who has just come to our attention, Graham Dechter, from his new album “Major Influence”.
The 73rd episode of The Hot Box……
This time around the jazz hour has some swing classics and samples from two new albums that amount to “jazz archaeology”. A compilation of 1930’s recordings by very underappreciated trumpeter and singer Valaida Snow, and a - literally - lost session by the NEA Jazz Master - Sheila Jordan.
This episode also breaks the record for the number of tracks played in a Hot Box!
The exploration of the Guitar Files reaches the Letter E in the 72nd edition of The Hot Box and although few in number, guitarists in this file are very big in reputation, especially for those of us who like the straight-ahead, post bebop styles.
The next edition of The Hot Box will be posted in about 2 weeks, and the next Guitar File (the letter F) in September.
A great mix of big band and a nod in the direction of classical influences in jazz, with the first time on Hot Box, tracks from Maria Schneider’s multi-award winning masterpiece Data Lords. And the very last piece of the jigsaw puzzle that enveloped the Jazz Worms.
In this edition we head into the Guitar Files once again, focussing on the letter D. It’s a sparse file, so we’ve looked back and found a couple of fine players omitted from the C file, and looked forward with an appetiser for the E file to come…….
And we talk some about the Fund for Phil as well as two other funding endeavours for Nigel Mooney’s upcoming album and Jazz Ireland.
In the 69th episode of The Hot Box we follow the trail of the Jazz Worms, only to find it leads back to The Fox Inn at Ashbourne, County Meath, via Denver, Colorado. The Worms have just released their second album - after a pause of 30 years!
The 69th Hot Box also features music by Brazilian pianist and arranger Antonio Adolfo, and some previously unreleased music from Wes Montgomery and also from the German big band leader Kurt Edelhagen.
Irish diva Carmel McCreagh rounds things out.
In this series of glimpses into the world of jazz guitar, Hot Box 68 finds perhaps the most important guitarist of them all - Charlie Christian. He was born in 1916 and sadly died of tuberculosis when just 25 years old, but he’d already established the amplified guitar as a permanent part of the instrumental repertoire of jazz, and gone part of the way in leading jazz out of the Swing Era and into Bebop and modern jazz.
Other prominent players in the “C” file include Larry Coryell, Steve Cardenas and Philip Catherine.
An hour of guitar with a wide range of styles.
After the last edition of Hot Box Xtra, remembering the great Chick Corea (1941 - 2021), Donald Helme returns to some “New Stuff“ with a varied programme from jazz-funk to lush vocals, from the valedictory saxophone of Jimmy Heath to brilliant solo piano.
Chick Corea 1941-2021
A Hot Box Xtra checks out the music of one of the most important musicians in jazz. Sadly, he passed away in February this year aged 79.
A pianist, composer and bandleader who visited all corners of the music box from Hispanic to Fusion, from Jazz to Classical. Chick Corea collected an amazing 23 Grammy Awards over his career - probably more than any other musician - delivering almost 90 recorded albums during his 60 plus years as a professional. He had played concerts in Ireland on several occasions.
Footnote: Since this programme was recorded, the 2021 Grammys were announced March 14, and Chick Corea received posthumously two more awards, for Best Improvised Jazz Solo (All Blues - included in this tribute show) and the album Trilogy 2 in which it featured.
In this edition we once again visit the alphabetical countdown of prominent jazz guitar players, taking a few more filed under the letter B. And we indulge in a little repetition to celebrate Ireland’s guitarist Hugh Buckley.
Included is one piece by the late Chick Corea who died on February 9 2021.
After too long a gap, The Hot Box returns with tracks from recently released albums by Christian McBride, John Beasley, Chick Corea and the Cuban wonder Harold Lopez Nussa amongst others.
There’s an emphasis on big bands, with among others, selections from the “tribute” album “For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver” by Christian McBride.
The Hot Box 64th edition…in which we check out guitar players filed under the letter B.
The file must run to two editions, so popular is that letter in the array of surnames. The letter B starts to illustrate the diversity and depth of the guitar’s contribution to the jazz music we love.
The 63rd edition of Hot Box reminds us of the importance of Charlie Parker as we celebrate his 100th anniversary, we mark the death of one of the greatest of bass players Gary Peacock, we offer a shout-out for Sonny Rollins whose 90th birthday has just passed, and we revel in a massive re-release of long unavailable albums by the self-taught genius of the piano, Errol Garner. In between all of that some exciting new material, including an album featuring Irish guitarist David O’Rourke.
The 62nd edition of The Hot Box opens up the guitar files for an alphabetical series that will cover a wide range of eras and styles in the very wide world of the guitar in jazz. By some margin the guitar is the most popular of all musical instruments, and its presence in jazz is no less widespread, blossoming when someone had the bright idea of amplifying its sound. Right now, there are over 30 pro or semi-pro guitarists in Ireland who play jazz, although finding their recorded output may be problematic.
So, we start with The A File - John Abercrombie, Howard Alden and Laurindo Almeida for starters.
It seems that this is a time for memories of the great jazz musicians of yesterday who have “left the building” during the current pandemic (but not necessarily as a direct result of it), and in The Hot Box #061 we celebrate the music of saxophonist Jimmy Heath, singer/pianist Freddy Cole and singer Annie Ross. And we find some new music from Brazilian, New York based guitarist Riccardo Grilli.
The final episode of The Piano Files A-Z. The Z File
Not too may surnames start with the letter Z but here we find 4 amazing piano players that give us a wide spectrum of style and content……the majority of tracks included here were recorded live, in front of an audience. Remember those days?
Joe Zawinul, the former Miles Davis collaborator and founding member of Weather Report.
Denny Zeitlin, professor of Clinical Psychiatry with over 30 jazz albums to his name.
Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, classical student fusing jazz with Azerbajani Mugam.
Peter Zak, prolific proponent of the Eternal Triangle - his phrase for the jazz piano trio.
In this episode of the Hot Box we celebrate the life of Jimmy Cobb who died last month aged 91, and legendary pianist McCoy Tyner who recently passed away. We also sample three new albums (*), two of which have diverse Irish interest!
Welcome to The Hot Box #058 in which we delve further into the alphabetical piano files with Part 2 of the File for W. There are some amazing artists in the episode.
Be sure to listen out for an interview where Marian McPartland hosts the great Mary Lou Williams on her long running radio show “Piano Jazz” on NPR in October of 1978. It is quite wonderful to hear Mary Lou Williams chat about music and list of all the names of bands and musicians she has worked with when she started out as a teenager right the way through to the modern era.
Over an hour of jazz music from Ireland, America, South Africa and Brazil, wide ranging in style and mood. You can hear tracks from The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Basil Coatzee, Dianne Schuur, Count Basie Orchestras, Christine Tobin, Scott Flanagan and more.
In this episode of The Hot Box we celebrate the music of four amazing musicians who have sadly left the stage in the past few weeks, Bucky Pizzarelli, Lee Konitz, Wallace Roney and Ellis Marsalis.
Selected for the times we are living in, Xtra tracks from The Hot Box that should immediately improve your blood circulation and set the mood firmly to positive.
In this episode of the Hot Box we celebrate the life and music of Art Blakey whose centennial was not so long ago. We find ourselves in very unfamiliar times, gigs and festivals have been cancelled the wold over which means no work for thousands of jazz musicians who rely on live performances to earn a crust. Perhaps we can help by purchasing their recordings so check out the Jazz Ireland Shop for a range of albums.
On a brighter note it’s always very exciting for me, and a personal pleasure to put up a brand new Irish album and to be able to give it a 5 STAR rating, in Hot Box 057 I get to do that twice.
The first new album is from Dr Linley Hamilton called “For The Record”, it really is a charming album and happily it seems to be getting a lot of well-deserved attention and praise.
The second new album is from Carole Nelson whom you will remember released her album “One Day in Winter” to a great deal of critical acclaim in 2017 and now she has done it again with “Arboreal”.
All of the albums mentioned here are available in the Jazz Ireland Shop where 100% of the revenue always goes direct to musicians.
Welcome to The Hot Box #056 where we delve into the Piano in the key of W. We are getting to the end of the piano files and who knows what comes next. The W file is a very big file with so many great players that we might run into two episodes, which it gives us an opportunity to hear some slightly longer pieces that we would have had to cut out for the sake of time.
A nice big band welcome to the 55th edition of the Hot Box. The big success of Zandra Queen of Jazz from Darn Skippy Productions at the Smock Alley Theatre Dublin put me in mind to make an edition of the hot box centred on women in jazz. A fascinating glimpse into another world and caused me to reflect on the status of women in the jazz world over time.
So far as I am aware there are no recorded pieces from Zandra Mitchell but we can enjoy and talk about many other women in jazz. I had planned the Hot Box 55 to be a big band show, so why not combine the two.
Welcome to The Hot Box #054 where we get ever closer to the end of the long-running series The Piano Files! In this episode we explore pianists under the letters U… and V as well as a few omissions from the letter T. It turns out that the popularity of the letter V as the first letter in Cuban surnames becomes extremely focussed when it comes to piano players. All the Vs are Cuban. As for U, only one player was found with that initial letter!
A Special Christmas Edition of The Hot Box in which we try to avoid the schmaltzy Christmas songs you know and love…….
Over an hour of newly released jazz in The Hot Box 053, you’ll find tracks from Corkonian John Donegan to veteran British multi-instrumentalist Alan Barnes, from Chick Corea to new singing sensation Veronica Swift.
The Hot Box #052 continues down the alphabet of pianists, and this time investigates the musicians filed under the letter T. A file that contains at least 3 of the all-time legends of jazz, not to mention 4 piano players with the same surname!
We are still seeking recordings by Irish pianists, so if you know of any, let us know. The Hot Box is released on www.jazzireland.ie every 2 weeks and can be heard on-line around the world. Tell your jazz loving friends, and talk to us direct with comments and suggestions to donald@jazzireland.ie
All shows available on Jazz Ireland: http://www.jazzireland.ie/blog/the-hot-box.html
“Festivalisation” of jazz was a gradual process but one that seemed, a few years ago, to be terminal. Luckily, good sense has prevailed and jazz festivals have taken their rightful place in the overall scheme of things. Now Ireland boasts at least 7 such events, most of which are autumnal, including the great-grandmother of them all, Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. Started in 1978 and still prospering. In the Hot Box we check out some of the artists and bands appearing in Cork 2019, including headliners Kurt Elling, Linley Hamilton and Fred Hersch. And some less well-known - Airelle Besson, Sue Rynhart and Les Fans Flures.
We have a really fantastic line-up in The Hot Box #050 for Pianists under the letter S. Sampling multiple styles you will hear tracks from artists such as Ralph Sutton, Horace Silver, Helen Sung, Matthew Ship, Willie “The Lion” Smith, Martial Solal, Esbjorn Svensson, Bobo Stenson and more.
We also feature a track from Gwilym Simcock who is performing the New Ross Piano Festival Jazz Day on September 26th. You can view the event listing here. Then a wonderful track to close the lid on the 50th Episode of The Hot Box Podcast from Christian Sands entitled Reaching for the Sun.
The Hot Box 49 is an advanced peak behind the curtain of an upcoming concert from the RTE Concert Orchestra featuring a feast of George Gershwin music cantering on the first ever live performance of the Concert Version of the Armstrong / Ella orchestration “Porgy & Bess”.
The recreation of Russel Garcia’s entire score has been achieved by Derry born, award-winning jazz trumpeter and arranger Ryan Quigley. The world premiere of this concert will be performed by RTÉ Concert Orchestra on the 11th of September in The National Concert Hall in Dublin. The Ella & Louis parts will be delivered by Nicola Emmanuelle (‘the real deal’ – Time Out) and five-time British Jazz Awards winner Enrico Tomasso – who as a child actually knew Louis Armstrong.
The night is packed with more Gershwin greats: Rhapsody in Blue, featuring internationally acclaimed pianist Adam Johnson, The Man I Love, Embraceable You, Fascinating Rhythmand Nelson Riddle’s arrangement of I Got Rhythm.
A Special Edition celebrating the centennial of pianist George Shearing 1919 - 2011
The Pianist George Shearing was born in Battersea, London in August 1919, blind from birth. He emigrated to the USA in 1947, soon establishing the so-called “Shearing Sound” with his quintet. The band scored popular hits in the late 40’s and early 50’s, unwittingly inventing a sound formula that would endear itself to commercial arrangers across the world. Of particular interest for Irish listeners is the fact that Shearing’s preferred guitarist for much of the late 20th century was Louis Stewart. Shearing was knighted for his services to music. “Not bad for a blind boy from Battersea”.
The Hot Box number 47 in which we have wall-to-wall female vocalists………………….
This is the first time Hot Box has gone all-female-vocal, but a really exciting programme results, with several current singers featured both from Ireland and beyond. It seems that there is an explosion of female vocalising today, and it recalls the days when all the big bands had to front with at least one female vocalist - a “canary” as they were pejoratively nicknamed. Most of them fell into obscurity. Nowadays the singer is more likely to have to make a solo career from scratch.Its still a struggle but a different kind of struggle.
The surge in vocal jazz also makes for song selection that encompasses material from the popular to the classic, reaching as it always has, to the world beyond jazz.
There are few sounds in jazz more appealing than that of a big fat unit comprising around 17 musicians, well drilled, swinging, and with star solo improvisations on top. The 46th Hot Box celebrates some of those sounds with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar, including The New Irish Jazz Orchestra, whose formerly unpublished pieces from live concert performance are featured here. Also sit back and enjoy two wonderful tracks from Fred Hersch’s brand new album - a significant departure for him - with the WDR Big Band under the direction of the multi-award winning arranger Vince Mendoza.
Another hour of superb jazz piano from Donald Helme in The Hot Box #045 A to Z of Jazz Piano Part 17 – The Letter R. In this episode you can hear from artists such as Ted Rosenthal, Gene Rodgers, Eric Reed, Renee Rosnes, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Michele Rosewoman and many more. There is some really amazing music in this one.
There are so many new and exciting releases that have come up recently that we have decided to postpone the piano files for a spell otherwise this incredible list of tracks in Hot Box 44 wouldn’t be new releases anymore.
You can hear tracks from artists such as Polly Gibbons, Herlin Riley, Randy Brecker, Cyrille Aimée, Carol Sudhalter, John Donegan, Tommy Halferty & Norma Winstone and more.
The Hot Box 43 aims to set the scene for a major presentation of the pieces from Miles Davis’ extraordinary recording “Kind of Blue” in an orchestral setting at The National Concert Hallat the end of May. This concert will feature the RTE Concert Orchestra, as well as featured soloists all under the direction of Guy Barker one of the leading trumpet players in the world. Whet your appetite over the next hour in the run up to this much anticipated concert.
The Hot Box 42 is overflowing with amazing music. This time around in the A – Z of Jazz Piano we cover the letter P which is one of those files full of historical importance. You can hear from artists such as Bud Powel, one of the founders of modern jazz as well as Oscar Peterson who was a huge presence in jazz for 50 years or so. Then you can hear from the remarkable Michelle Petruciianni and some exciting contemporary players like Aaron Parks and Tommaso Perazzo.
The Hot Box 41 is very much so a vocal affair with truly exceptional quality singing over the hour with artists from America, Paris and Ireland. This Hot Box contains all new releases form the last few months. You can hear from artists such as Liv Monaghan, Carmel McCreagh, Cecile Mclorin Salvant, Connie Han, Tony Bennet and Aleka to name a few.
The Hot Box 40 is full of fun and great quality jazz pianists under the letter O in our journey of the A – Z of Jazz Piano. Some lesser known pianists in this episode with some honky-tonk and big band jazz from artists such as Makoto Ozone, Professor Peter O’Brien, Arturo O’Farrill, Colm O’Brien, Fintan O’Neill and Bill O’Connell.
This Hot Box is a retrospective of music by the late Roy Hargrove, who died on November 2nd 2018 aged just 49.
Roy Hargrove was a hard bop-oriented musician (and acclaimed "Young Lion") who became one of America's premier trumpeters during the late '80s and beyond. A fine, straight-ahead player who spent his childhood years in Texas, Hargrove met trumpet virtuoso Wynton Marsalis in 1987, when the latter musician visited Hargrove's high school in Dallas.
Impressed with the student's sound, Marsalis allowed Hargrove to sit in with his band and helped him secure additional work with major players, including Bobby Watson, Ricky Ford, Carl Allen, and the group Superblue. Hargrove attended Berklee for one year (1988-1989) before decamping to New York City, where his studio career took flight.
In The Hot Box Episode 38 we delve into the file of pianists whose name begins with the letter N. After the deluge of candidates filed under M, N has a relative dearth: we only find 5 piano players in this edition of The Hot Box. We also have another Hot Spot, the fine new recording by reed playing master Eddie Daniels.
In The Hot Box #037 we check out two of the new albums that have come our way in recent months, wrapping the whole thing in a legendary Guitar Night which features Andreas Varady, John Scofield, Louis Stewart, Tommy Halferty and Frank Vignola among others.
In The Hot Box Episode 36 we continue to trawl the files piano players who have graced the jazz stage over the past century or so, and the letter M proved especially fruitful. Last time (Hot Box#34) we had Monk and Moran, now we come to Mehldau and McPartland.
In The Hot Box Episode 35 we find new recordings from several Irish jazz musicians and quite a few from the wide world as well. There are also two exceptional “archive” recordings never before released from Grant Green and Errol Garner.
Representing Ireland you can hear tracks from Cormac Kenevey, Gemma Sugrue & Julian Colarossi Quartet as well as a re-release from Michael Buckley and a track from Tommy Halferty with HLT Organ Trio. Just over an hour of the Best in New Releases.
The letter M is the most popular opener for surnames, and pianist aren’t excepted, so the M file is to spread over two shows, PLUS we complete the L file with popular Irish-based pianist and composer, Greg Lloyd. And - another double L, Lou Levy, one of the most revered vocal accompanists of all time.
There’s a Latin feel to the Hot Box this time around, keeping company with the hot summer perhaps. And nearly all the music played is from brand new releases so we are literally, a HOT box. We also step into the re-creation of some of the oldest and most revered swing numbers, reimagined by an orchestra dedicated to that task, and pause to reflect on the music of a much loved New Orleans piano player of whom Steve Bernstein said, “No-one had a left hand like him, no-one on the planet. It was so strong and fast, and he had such control of every part of it”. Check out his version of Basin Street Blues in this Hot Box.
In episode 32 of The Hot Box we find ourselves surrounded by piano players whose names mysteriously begin with the same letter…..L. It’s a rich collection however, from boogie to brilliance, from archived to current, so tune in now………
In the 31st episode of The Hot Box, Donald Helme plays all-new material from a range of sources including some of the best new releases from Ireland. Music from Dublin based quartet Åtsch, and the veteran Irish pianist working in Britain, John Donegan with his quintet.
And further afield, you’ll find some stunning new music from Venezuelan composer Edward Simon, from veteran pianist Kenny Barron and an extraordinary historic performance by the great Dizzy Gillespie recorded in 1978 but just issued.
The Hot Box opens the file labelled K! Yes, the great endeavour of trawling the files of piano players has got as far as the letter K this time around, and a bumper file it is too. Not dominated by a single “Big Name”, (J for Jarrett!) but a great representative sample of some of the best pianists around today.
You’ll hear Dave Kikoski, the incredible Geoffrey Keezer, Frank Kimbrough among others from the current crop, and reaching back a bit Roger Kellaway and the late Wynton Kelly. And of course, the K file also contains the much missed pianist from Dublin, the late Noel Kelehan. So tune in and enjoy.
In The Hot Box Episode 29 we celebrate International Jazz Day which is a relatively new affair started back in 2011 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and gain much ground.
This episode features a necessarily small sample of music created by jazz musicians from many different countries, including Ireland, demonstrating the increasingly wide dimension of jazz music today and the role that it plays around the world. Even the first piece played includes musicians from Colombia, Cuba, Canada, USA, Switzerland, Argentina, Greece, France and Portugal, recorded in a big band led by Colombian newcomer Juan Andres Ospina.
You can hear tracks from Francesco Turrisi’s new album “Northern Migrations” as well as Linley Hamilton’s new album “Making Other Arrangements”. On top of that we have tracks from a surprise parcel from the Norwegian Embassy in Dublin and many more international acts.
In The Hot Box Episode 28 we explore Alt Big Bands from the 1920’s onwards some of which might be considered slightly left of field but an amazing line up all the same. You will hear from bands such as Claude Thornhil Band, Billy May & His Orchestra as well as Stan Kenton and Jimmie Lunceford. Just under an hour of Big Band Jazz.
The Hot Box Episode 27 in which we delve into the piano files labelled “J”
It so happens that J is a significant file for the fact that it contains Keith Jarrett, Ahmad Jamal and Hank Jones, three mighty big reputations and among the most popular jazz pianists of all time. It’s easy to be blown away by the sheer volume of material that Jarrett has created in trio, solo and other formats, so we have been highly selective (based on the 35 CDs in the file!).
Jamal is among the most interesting players, having been dismissed early in his career as “just a cocktail pianist”, until an angry response from Miles Davis came to his rescue. He established himself as the custodian of a new piano style, at a time when everyone else thought they had to obey the rules of be-bop. Then there is the immaculate Hank, eldest of the supremely talented Jones boys, Thadeus (Thad) and Elvin. His contributions to this Hot Box are exquisite.
The “bari” is by no means the largest of Adolph Sax’s family of instruments but the even larger ones look as though they would fit nicely into an oil refinery. The baritone, which is itself quite a hefty instrument, first became a regular element in jazz music when it became the must-have anchor for the lower register harmonies in the big band era, before which it had been something of a novelty. Baritone players today are a select bunch, far outnumbered by their peers who play tenor or alto, although many musicians today like to collect the set, or a good part of it, and double on a range of saxes.
Hot Box 26 is by no means exhaustive but tries to give a quick summary of the sound of the baritone, from Harry Carney, through to the light-toned but immensely popular Gerry Mulligan, to today’s masters such as Gary Smulyan and Claire Daly. Keen observers will spot the Irish contingent of players, both Mulligan (historically), and Claire Daly today who flaunt their Irish roots.
To welcome 2018, The Hot Box presents an all-singing show hosted as usual by former RTE presenter Donald Helme. This is a mix of Irish and American singers, with some special attention paid to the late Jon Hendrix, who also features in Donald’s blog piece recalling Hendrix’s residency in Ashbourne, Co. Meath back in the late 1960s. The show also presents a new singer who hails from the New England area of the US, Allegra Levy, who has, according to those in the know, or at any rate in the publicity business, “taken the jazz world by storm”. She is a real new voice on the scene, and composes much of her own work too.
In this episode of The Hot Box we have 80 minutes of the best of Big Band music culled from the post-bebop era, from the best in Europe as well as the USA. You will hear from Clare Fischer, Joe Roccisano, Christian McBride Big Band and John Beasley’s Monk-estra. On the Irish front we have a track from the Hot House Big Band featuring Mark Wilde on saxophone and Julien Colarossi on guitar.
In the epic series of alphabetical pianists started early in 2017 we reached the letter H, in Hot Box 21, only to find such a plethora of riches that they spilled over the confines of a single Box. As luck would have it, the letter I has very few incumbents so we are able, in Hot Box 23 to play the missing H’s - or at least most of them - and both the I’s. And speaking of the letter I, we couldn’t resist the temptation to play a very early “Capetown jazz” piece from the South African star Abdullah Ibrahim that runs a little over 15 minutes!
In this episode of The Hot Box we check out some new material from Lizz Wright, Sean Jones, Christian McBride’s Big Band, Julian Colarossi and John Keogh, The Carole Nelson Trio and the remarkable Cecile McLorin-Salvant. All that, and we join the celebrations for Jazz on the Terrace, that unique entity in the world of jazz, a promoter and presenter that has prospered for 35 years. Episode 22 is the most chilled Hot Box yet.
Once more we delve into the files to find pianists filed in alphabetical order. In some recent forays it may have been difficult to fill the show, not so with the Letter H. In fact there are so many important piano players in this file we can’t fit them all into The Hot Box episode 21!
In the HOT SPOT this time - new albums……
The Whistling Girl from Honor Heffernan & Trevor Knight on Featherhead Records
Live in Montreal from Hiromo and Edmar Castaneda on Telarc label
In Hot Box Episode 20 we pay homage to two jazz festivals that present contrasting pleasures to jazz fans over the October public holiday weekend in Ireland. The one celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2017 and is recognised worldwide as one of the major jazz-focussed events in the calendar, the other remains something of a secret, but gaining in its reach and appeal each year.
So listen in as Donald Helme takes into the world of gypsy jazz at Django Sur Lennon, (in Ramelton, County Donegal) and checks out a couple of the headliners at Cork 2017 (well you know where that is).
And in The Hot Spot this time are tracks from Kurt Rosenwinkel and Ambrose Akinmusire.
In the 19th edition of The Hot Box we revisit the A – Z of Jazz Piano series focusing on the letter G.You will hear from such greats as Benny Green, Erroll Garner, Robert Glasper, Larry Goldings and many more.
Also in The Hot Box #19 we introduce “The Hot Spot” where we feature some new releases hitting the music scene. We have a track from David Rooney’s debut album “Bound Together” and we will also feature Edel Meade who launches her debut album “Blue Fantasia” on 28th of September just a few days from now in the Bello Bar Dublin.
Be sure to check out the event details here: Edel Meade - Blue Fantasia Album Launch
This Hot Box is a special Xtra in memory of John Abercrombie who passed away on August 22, 2017 at the age of 72. In The Hot Box 18 we celebrated “guitar” and though it would be fitting to include an extra special show for Abercrombie.
John Abercrombie was an American jazz guitarist, composer and bandleader. His work explored jazz fusion, post bop, free jazz and avant-garde jazz. Abercrombie studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He recorded his debut album, Timeless with Manfred Eicher's ECM label, and recorded principally with this label since then.
Abercrombie played with Billy Cobham, Ralph Towner, Jack DeJohnette, Charles Lloyd, Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker. He was known for his spare, understated and eclectic style and his work with organ trios.
In this edition of The Hot Box, Donald Helme rejoices in the rebirth of Dublin Guitar Night (last Tuesday of every month) in its new venue, The Grand Social, and presents a wide ranging soundscape of guitar from Frank Vignola to Laurindo Almeida, from Eric Bibb to Phil Upchurch, and of course, a couple of local heroes too, Hugh Buckley and Nigel Mooney.
The guitar is far and away the most popular instrument in blues, rock and jazz, and that is reflected in the audiences it always attracts. Enjoy nearly an hour and a half of guitar in The Hot Box #18.
The 17th iteration of The Hot Box finds us back in pursuit of jazz piano genius by delving into the files, and this time around we have reached the letter F. F finds us in rich territory with Cuban maestro Roberto Fonseca, Italian Antonio Farao with top-drawer US bandmates, and the Flanagans, the late Tommy spelled with an “A”, and the young Irish master Scott, spelled with an “I”. The programme concludes with two tracks from 84 year-old Dave Frishberg, swinging pianist, songwriter and vocalist.
In The Hot Box #16 we take a listen to many of the just-released new albums, and also pay tribute to one of jazz’s most luminous pianists, who died in June from cancer at the age of 60, Geri Allen. Geri featured in Hot Box No.7 when we checked out pianists filed under the letter A!
The new material includes a wide range of singers from the latest wonder voice in America, Jazzmeia Horn, to our own Aoife Doyle from her new, self-penned quartet album “Clouds”. Also included are tracks from Diana Krall’s latest album “Turn Up the Quiet”. The show also makes good an omission from Pianists filed under the letter D from Hot Box 12, where tracks from Irish pianist John Donegan were unavailable. John’s new solo album, Jen’s Progress is duly sampled here!
Continuing the epic series on piano players in jazz, Donald has reached the letter E, where he finds one of the most important and influential pianists of all time, Bill Evans. It is probably true that almost all piano players in the modern era have been, to some extent, influenced by Evans.
He was something of a prodigy and began earning money from his music whilst still a teenager, but it wasn’t until he was 30, in 1959, and recorded with Miles Davis on the biggest selling jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue, that he reached beyond a small base of aficionados and found a wider public.
The Hot Box follows Evans career from Kind of Blue, through the seminal trio recordings made at the Village Vanguard in 1961, to some of his later trios, also taking in important duo performances with Tony Bennett and Jim Hall along the way. The letter E also finds two young pianists of extraordinary skill, Russian born Eldar (now using his second name too, which is Djangerov) and the Californian, Taylor Eigsti. A recording by Brazilian Eliane Elias rounds out almost one and a half hours of Hot Box 15.
This is a BIG Hot Box, responding to the demands of listeners for a Big Band Special. However, it doesn’t contain the standard historic fare of Basie, Ellington and Herman. Instead you’ll find the one-off bands of bassists Ron Carter (celebrating his 80th birthday this year) and Christian McBride, the modern sounds of both Bob Mintzer’s Big Band and The Big Phat Band from Hollywood, California, and from above the 49th Parallel, the Grammy winning band of trombonist Rob McConnell, The Boss Brass. You’ll also find some tracks laid down by Dublin’s Hot House Big Band, now commencing a residency at Harry’s on The Green.
As a pause for breath, Hot Box 14 also features new material from Irish jazz singer Edel Meade, from Brazilian singer and pianist Eliane Elias’ new album on Concord, “Dance of Time”, and from New England pianist Pete Malinvarni’s new album “Heaven”.
Dare we say… a heavenly set! It runs one and a half hours. Enjoy!
In the 13th edition of The Hot Box, Donald looks for pianists filed under the letter D, and plays pieces from Aaron Diehl, Kenny Drew Jr, and Jim Doherty. Some omissions of course but as a generality, surnames beginning with D seem not to provoke adoption of the piano as an instrument of choice!
As widely celebrated, the year 1917 saw the beginning of recorded jazz, but was also the birth year of Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk. Ella at 100, a 4-CD box has just been released on Verve, and Jon Beasley’s MONK-estra Volume 1 offers some tempting examples of Monk restated for a big orchestra. (Don’t worry, Dizzy comes along in the next Hot Box!)
The “Unreliable Memory” in HB13 continues reflections on The Fox Inn in Ashbourne Co. Meath, epicentre of jazz in Ireland in the late 1960s, where unbelievably, Keith Jarrett was in residence for a week at the precise moment he was starting out as a leader, after his popular sideman role with the Charles Lloyd Quartet. And the Fox also hosted one of the most important figures in vocal jazz, Jon Hendrix, on two separate occasions, plus another third of the popular vocal group Lambert, Hendrix & Ross, Scotland’s Annie Ross.
New releases of note - superb tenor playing by Chicago’s Jon Irabagon, and the intense vocal experience from Ireland’s own Sue Rynhart, from her brand new album “Signals”.
The next Hot Box will be a uniquely BIG Hot Box, with nothing but fully loaded large aggregations. Tuning up in about 2 weeks!
In the 12th edition of The Hot Box we establish a flashback to jazz events in Ireland in the distant past. In Hot Box 11 we heard how a hotel in Ballsbridge had not one, but two resident jazz groups, and how members of the famous Ray Charles big band used to sit in. "Free jazz for the price of half a pint" said our correspondent, who was an impecunious student in 1964.
Now dubbed Unreliable Memories, in the next historic tale, Donald Helme recalls Ireland’s Number 1 location for the presentation of jazz in the late 1960s, The Fox Inn in Ballymadun, Ashbourne, Co. Meath! Purchased by American saxophonist Jim Riley, when the gents toilet was the next door field, and the nightly takings were £5, the remote country pub became a haven for jazz fans for about 6 years, with residencies by the likes of Keith Jarrett, Jon Hendrix , Annie Ross, John Surman, Mal Waldron and Lee Konitz.
Hot Box 12 features tracks by Konitz and Waldron, plus a never-before heard piece by Jim Riley himself after he had sold up and settled in Denver, Colorado. Plus new work by guitarist Kevin Eubanks, Hammond exponent Joey DeFrancesco and violinist Christian Garrick.
The 11th edition of The Hot Box takes a new turn on the A-Z of pianists, and digresses to pay tribute to the recently deceased guitar hero Larry Coryell, who died on February 19th, not long after declaring that he wished to come and settle in Ireland! His dislike of the recent political events in the USA were well publicised. He is a sad loss to the jazz world, and The Hot Box has mined the archives for 2 pieces recorded with a quartet (including Fintan O’Neill) in Dublin back in 2004.
On the keyboard front, we feature New York-based Dubliner Justin Carroll, both in quartet format on piano and with his well-liked organ trio Organics. Other C pianists are Chick Corea, with his double Grammy-winning album Trilogy, Bill Charlap who has a beautiful new album out entitled Notes from New York, Gerald Clayton, Billy Childs (also a new album, Rebirth), Michel Camilo, and the wildest card, Ray Charles. The latter features on the show in a reminiscence of his band’s stay in Dublin whilst making a movie in Ardmore in 1964. Happily, this month also coincides with a never-before released recording by that big band, of a concert in Zurich in 1961.
A great mix of music running 80 minutes.
This time around we have a very special Hot Box for you with Al Ryan as guest presenter. Al Ryan is a well-known Irish trumpeter and broadcaster who now lives in the UK. He was a producer and presenter of jazz programmes for RTE and Lyric FM in Eire, covering of all Ireland’s major festivals, notably Cork Jazz, for nine years. He now broadcasts regularly for BBC Radio Oxford, as well as leading his own 17-piece big band in the UK and Ireland.
The Hot Box #010 features new releases from pianist Joey Alexander, Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel and Japanese trumpeter Takuya Kuroda.
Plus tracks from e.s.t to mark ACT music’s 25th birthday, Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie all who celebrate centenaries this year and the Irish fraternity is represented by Paul Dunlea, Linley Hamilton and Boylan, Buckley & Evans.
We are still seeking recordings by Irish pianists, so if you know of any, let us know. The Hot Box is released on www.jazzireland.ie every 2 weeks and can be heard on-line around the world. Tell your jazz loving friends, and talk to us direct with comments and suggestions to donald@jazzireland.ie
The A-Z of Jazz Piano: this time - Pianists in the key of B
The task of hunting down jazz piano from A to Z is really only just beginning, but B proved to be a most rich seam of artists, and the The Hot Box #9 show may be remarkable for who we had to leave out as much as for those we included.
Hear The Bad Plus (yes, yes a bit of a B cheat) and Count Basie, Kenny Barron, Ray Bryant, Jaki Byard and Dave Brubeck amongst an hour long feast of pianists filed under the letter B. And of course, a celebration of the fine pianist from Dublin, Cian Boylan.
The Hot Box is released on www.jazzireland.ie every 2 weeks and can be heard on-line around the world. Tell your jazz loving friends, and talk to us direct with comments and suggestions to donald@jazzireland.ie
All singing and all-female version of THE HOT BOX this time around, a rich seam of talent in Ireland and set amongst the best in the world. In this hour expect to find award-winning Charanee Wade and Cecile McLorin Salvant, plus Honor Heffernan, Maria Tecce, Mary Coughlan and Liane Carroll.
Vocal performance within jazz can sometimes be “hotly” debated (geddit?) - are you a jazz singer if you don’t scat? Our answer is emphatically yes, it all depends on interpretation, phrasing, harmonisation…….we could go on. Welcome to The Hot Box No 8.
We are still seeking recordings by Irish pianists, so if you know of any, let us know. We have a B…Cian Boylan, but more are needed!
Contact please donald@jazzireland.ie
To greet 2017 The Hot Box embarks on a series that features jazz pianists across all styles, countries of origin and eras, spanning most of the hundred years of recorded jazz, and starting with the letter "A", working over time - a long time! - to “Z". The Piano Series will run for once each month.
“A" takes us back to the boogie-woogie of Albert Ammons, to the unique style of the recently departed Mose Allison, up to the present day Lynne Arriale, Monty Alexander and more. Enjoy the letter "A", and keep a look out for the letter B in February.
We are still seeking recordings by Irish pianists, so if you know of any, let us know. We have a B…Cian Boylan, but more are needed!
Contact please donald@jazzireland.ie
Two extracts from Jim Doherty’s infamous “Spondance” form the centrepiece of the sixth Hot Box. And then its big orchestras all the way. Lincoln Centre Orchestra’s Vitoria Suite, an extract from Maria Schneider’s Grammy winning The Thompson Fields, and the some lively contributions from the Spanners Big Band in London.
The fifth Hot Box includes the charming album MIQ plays MJQ, highlighting an Irish quartet that included Tony Micelo on vibes. Also check out the debut album by progressive group CEO Experiment, underlining the lively international jazz scene in Ireland. Also featured are tracks by recent visitors to Ireland, Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd and the Hot Club of Cowtown.
You can talk to The Hot Box by emailing .donald@jazzireland.ie
Jazz Ireland releases the fourth edition of The Hot Box, hosted by veteran jazz presenter Donald Helme. The show includes new releases from Resonance Records, previously unreleased gems by Bill Evans, Stan Getz and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. All pristine and excellent recordings. The Bill Evans double album was recorded in Germany just days after the trio recorded their “Live at Montreux” album. The show also includes vocal jazz from Emilie Conway, Carmel McCreagh and Renée Marie.
You can talk to The Hot Box by emailing .donald@jazzireland.ie
The Hot Box 003 is a guitar parade, put together in honour of JJ Smyth’s jazz venue, and their legendary “Guitar Nights” which are now looking like things of the past following the sale of the pub this autumn. The Hot Box honours some of the finest Irish guitarists, including Tommy Halferty, Mike Nielsen and Hugh Buckley. You’ll also hear tracks from Jon Scofield’s new album “Country for Old Men”, from Frank Vignola and Bill Frisell among others.
You can talk to The Hot Box by emailing .donald@jazzireland.ie
In the second issue we wanted to pay personal tribute to the great Irish musician Louis Stewart who died recently. I feel that whilst musicians around the world recognised Louis’ brilliance, the listening public in Ireland never really appreciated the talent in their midst, excepting a few dedicated guitar fans. The 90 minute show gives us a musical insight and included rare material with the Tubby Hayes band as well as an extraordinary recording with the late drummer John Wadham.
Welcome to the very first issue of The Hot box. In this issue you will hear the young Cleveland-based trumpeter Dominick Farrinacci, tracks from Irish drummer Kevin Brady and his trio, Irish singer Stella Bass, and the new American piano virtuoso Sullivan Fortner amongst many others. Show lasts one hour.
Comments and questions welcomed - donald@jazzireland.ie