Movie legend Jeff Goldblum, Grammy™ winner Samara Joy, comedian and actor Doc Brown and Strictly Come Dancing singer Tommy Blaize lead this year’s star-studded schedule for Christmas and New Year on Jazz FM.
Jazz FM’s Content Director Nick Pitts:
“Every year, we hand the reigns of the sleigh over to the superstars of our music along with those who have an unexpected passion for it to entertain the Jazz FM audience over the festive period, and every year I wonder how on earth we can top it 12 months later. I never need worry – this year the team have pulled out all of the stops to deliver a selection or programmes and guest presenters and Jazz FM is going to sound amazing”.
The festive output also sees special programmes from YolanDa Brown (along with members of her family), breakfast host Nigel Williams and a return of Tim Smith with a special Christmas edition of ‘Jazz On Screen‘. Sarah Ward presents two editions of her now traditional ‘Christmas Collection‘ ahead of the festive period while there are nightly live concerts from Jazz FM favourites including saxophonist John Altman, vocalist Judith Owen, bluesman Kingfish and the legendary Buddy Rich Big Band, recorded live in Manchester.
Comedian and Actor Doc Brown:
“When I was asked to curate a couple of hours of music for Jazz FM, my one stipulation was that I have to choose all the music myself. I’m a music fanatic and grew up listening to my dad’s jazz records, then I’ve collected a whole vinyl collection of my own, and my wife has loads of Motown and Stax stuff here, so on New Year’s Day we’ll be picking directly from my collection, tracing lines through different genres, picking a few classics and hopefully introducing people to some records they’ve never heard before.”
Double-Jazz FM Award winner Georgia Cécile joins to present a special Boxing Day edition of Dinner Jazz and Emma-Jean Thackray returns for a New Year’s Eve party special following her hit November residency on the station. Robbie Vincent will broadcast a live show on New Year’s Day morning while comedian John Thomson reflects Jazz Drummers as Jazz FM teams up with sister station Absolute Radio.
There’s also a chance to hear Dave Koz take us through a selection of Christmas jazz in a repeat of last year’s ‘Classic Christmas Playback’ special, and actor Damian Lewis’ New Year’s Day programme from January 2023.
Some programmes concentrate on Celtic Jazz, vocal icons, Calypso music, Afrojazz and Afrobeat as well as celebrations of jazz, soul and blues. Jazz FM is the largest commercial jazz station in the world, celebrating the complete spectrum of Jazz in all its colourful forms since 1990. Grammy™ Newcomer of 2023 Samara Joy notes, “I’m so excited to be doing this show on Jazz FM. I always felt that when I listened to the radio I could host my own show. This show will be a combination of my favourite genres: R’n’B, gospel and jazz, and I’m looking forward to introducing the Jazz FM listeners to what I listened to and still listen to during the Christmas holidays.”
Strictly Come Dancing’s Tommy Blaize:
“I’m very excited to be celebrating Christmas Day with the Jazz FM listeners. There’s so much wonderful music to choose from and of course some of it is material I’ve sung on the Strictly specials over the years! Not many people know I’m actually a pianist and studied jazz at music college, so I might even have to play a couple of things live on the piano, I’ll have to see what spontaneously takes my fancy!”
