A new landmark four-part series is to launch on Jazz FM – the UK’s largest jazz, soul and blues radio station – on Sunday 12th March, which will look at the role of the arranger in jazz music. Known as a genre based in improvisation, musician and broadcaster Joe Stilgoe looks to explore what an arranger’s place is in jazz, and how they achieve it in “The Arrangers”.
Nick Pitts, Content Director of Jazz FM and Scala Radio:
“This is an idea direct from Joe’s head because of the nature of his work, and I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to bring his idea to fruition. This form of music within jazz is all around us, so it’s great to learn more about this unsung craft, from those who create it, those who conduct it and those who benefit from it – the artists themselves.”
Throughout the series, Joe will talk to many musicians an arrangers themselves, including Vince Mendoza, Ollie Howell, Rosie Frater-Taylor, Guy Barker and Jules Buckley. Together they will look at the role of arranging through the themes “Orchestration”, “Romance” and “Education”. Joe will also be joined throughout the series by accomplished arranger and educator Tom Richards who will demystify these key themes.
But the series’ first episode throws the spotlight on one of the greatest living arrangers in the music today – Quincy Jones, who turns 90 that week.
Presenter Joe Stilgoe:
“I grabbed the opportunity to make a series about arrangers with both ears as I feel it’s very much a dark art for lots of people – many record producers are well known and celebrated the world over but arrangers, who often do so much of the work with little fanfare, have mostly been fairly anonymous to the wider public. The aim was to peek into their world while making the conversations accessible, and to celebrate the people who are there to realise musical ideas in the most meticulous, ingenious and beautiful way. This series aims to makes stars of those who work in the shadows.”
One of the most successful musicians and arrangers of his generation, Quincy has 80 GRAMMY® nominations to his name alongside his 28 wins and was not only responsible for releases under his own name, but as an arranger for the likes of Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Sinatra.
He later went on to take the pop world by storm in arranging and producing some of the biggest selling albums of all time. In this programme, Joe will talk with Siedah Garrett and Toto’s David Paich along with many others about working with Quincy, and visit some unheard archive audio from Quincy Jones himself.
Nick Pitts, Content Director of Jazz FM and Scala Radio:
“To be able to springboard this series off the back of the 90th birthday of a true arrangement living legend in Quincy Jones is also a wonderful thing. Quincy is known for so much, but he learnt his chops from playing for the likes of Basie and Sinatra to arranging for them and so many more, to being one of the most sought-after producers and arrangers in the world. In 2016 he won the Jazz FM Impact Award and this episode will explain just why he has such impact, even today”
The Arrangers with Joe Stilgoe, 9pm, Sundays, from 12th March – 2nd April 2023.
