Geoff closes the year with a Christmas ‘session’ that blends memory, humour, and unapologetic swing, featuring the brilliant Ian Shaw and the incomparable Trudy Kerr. From the first count-in you can feel the band's pocket and the playful way we shape tradition: ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’ settles into a medium swing, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ nods to Horace Silver, ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ stretches on a tasty vamp, and ‘Deck the Halls’ dances with a Latin pulse. Between takes we wand...
Geoff is in the coastal town of Deal in Kent to meet with the wonderful jazz singer and lyricist Norma Winstone. A childhood steeped in radio, a cinema crush on Lena Horne, and a record collection that swung from Ella and Louis to Sinatra’s ‘Only The Lonely’—Norma charts how a voice finds its own gravity. We talk about the hinge moments that redirected the road: pub sit‑ins that led to John Taylor, the New Jazz Orchestra and Michael Garrick inviting the voice into instrumental roles, and Kenn...
Geoff is back in Bedford, England to sit down with the highly-acclaimed American singer, songwriter and keyboardist Charlie Wood. A voice steeped in Memphis and refined in London, Charlie Wood’s conversation moves from Beale Street grind to big-band elegance. We start with origins: a home filled with Charlie Parker records, classical lessons, and the kind of eclectic listening that makes Johnny Cash, B.B. King, and Debussy feel like neighbours. That early mix shaped a musician who treats song...
This week Geoff is in Bedford, England to meet with one of the most highly regarded British jazz singers Jacqui Dankworth MBE – daughter of singer Cleo Laine and musician John Dankworth. A song can carry a family. This episode begins with Stephen Sondheim and a daughter finding strength after losing her mother, the incomparable Cleo Laine. From the first quiet days after the memorial to the bright lights of new stages, we trace an artist's path through grief, discipline, and the brave work of...
Geoff is in Ruislip, West London at the home of the legendary jazz bassist Dave Green. A soft case in an aircraft hold, a school-grade rental at a major festival, and the quiet conviction that your sound should survive all of it—Dave takes us through a bassist's life built on time, touch, and taste. From tea chest beginnings with next‑door neighbour Charlie Watts, to month-long residencies at Ronnie Scott's, Dave maps the long road from village halls to the world's jazz stages with humour and...
Geoff is in the Hertfordshire town of Watford to chat with the wonderful British jazz vibraphone player Anthony Kerr…digging into practice, reading, and why space shapes sound. A trumpet felt like the wrong clothes. Drums were closer. Then Anthony hit a vibraphone at the Belfast School of Music and everything snapped into place. That moment of fit carries through this conversation as we trace his route from school band standards to New York's proving grounds and back to London's 606 Club with...
Geoff is in the North London suburb of Muswell Hill to sit down with the highly acclaimed trumpeter Henry Lowther as he unpacks the sessions, the stories and the systems behind a musician who has been a mainstay of the British jazz scene for over half a century. A trumpet on a cathedral step, a helicopter over Woodstock, and a fixer's phone call that changes your week—Henry Lowther has lived the kind of musical life that hides in liner notes and explodes on stage. Henry takes us inside London...
Geoff is in the picturesque Oxfordshire town of Henley on Thames to meet with the wonderful saxophonist (and former orthopaedic surgeon) Art Themen. What began with a misassembled clarinet and a missing page turned into a life split between the operating theatre and the bandstand, shaped by New Orleans tone, bebop language, and the stubborn joy of playing for real people in real rooms. We trace the arc from tin whistles and trad bands to hearing Louis Armstrong's All‑Stars in Manchester...
This week Geoff is in Suffolk to catch up with the fabulous jazz pianist, singer, composer and author Chris Ingham. Sitting at Chris’s piano in Suffolk, we trace how a kid who refused lessons became a singer-pianist, bandleader and repertoire obsessive who builds shows people actually want to hear. Chris takes us from The Beatles and Sinatra to Hoagy Carmichael and Dudley Moore, revealing why “themes” hook audiences, why standards are the best teachers, and how self-discipline sticks only whe...
In this episode, Geoff catches up with the wonderful trumpet player and educator Martin Shaw. Born into a household where music constantly filled the air—his mother a classical pianist, his father a jazz improviser—Martin's story reveals how these dual influences created the perfect foundation for his development. Martin shares the pivotal moment when, as a schoolboy faced with the choice between heading to the tuck shop or trying brass instruments, he chose the latter and discovered his life...
Geoff travels to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in the heart of the City of London to meet with the wonderful guitarist and educator Chris Allard. Growing up in a musical family with roots stretching back to The Juilliard School in New York, Chris recalls his path from classical piano lessons to discovering rock guitar through Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, before Pat Metheny's ‘Letter From Home’ (1989) opened the door to jazz improvisation. This pivotal moment set him on a course that ...
Geoff travels to London’s West End to catch up with the legendary jazz guitarist Jim Mullen. The conversation offers a masterclass in authentic musical development as Jim recounts his journey from Glasgow's jazz clubs to becoming one of Britain's most distinctive guitarists. Approaching his 80th birthday, he reflects on the transformative experiences that shaped his musical identity – witnessing jazz titans like John Coltrane, Ray Brown, and the Oscar Peterson Trio in his hometown durin...
Geoff is in Finchley, North London to catch up with the wonderful saxophonist, flautist and composer Theo Travis. Theo takes us on a captivating journey through his remarkable musical career, from classical beginnings to jazz excellence and groundbreaking prog rock collaborations. This conversation feels like eavesdropping on two musicians sharing secrets about their craft, filled with moments of genuine musical insight and discovery. Theo reveals how his early musical path began with classic...
Geoff is in Greenwich, London to meet with the renowned saxophonist and composer Mark Lockheart. Mark's story begins with the heartwarming image of waking up to his father's jazz records and following his dad into saxophone playing at age eleven. What follows is a rich narrative of musical discovery that spans decades. Mark vividly recalls the American record club that delivered formative jazz recordings to his family home, introducing him to the sounds of Wes Montgomery and Paul Desmond that...
Geoff travels to Honor Oak Park in South London to meet with an old friend – the British composer and pianist Simon Wallace. Simon opens a portal into jazz's rich tapestry through personal stories that span from his childhood in South Wales to the vibrant scenes of New York City and London. This conversation reveals how a secondary school music teacher sparked what he beautifully describes as discovering “…a magic window into another world" – specifically the world of Black American cul...
Geoff gets a visit from the wonderful pianist and composer Andrea Vicari who opens up about her rich musical journey inspired by her jazz pianist father and a house filled with the sounds of jazz legends like Louis Armstrong. Andrea shares fascinating insights into her improvisation process, demonstrating how pentatonic scales and fourth-based voicings – influenced by McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea – shape her approach to standards like the 1940s classic ‘On Green Dolphin Street’ which she perfo...
Geoff is at the Troubadour club in London with the highly acclaimed jazz drummer Sebastiaan de Krom. When a jazz bassist and drummer have played together for 25 years, there's a musical telepathy that can't be taught—it can only be earned through countless gigs, recording sessions, and miles on the road. In this revealing conversation, Sebastiaan opens up about his remarkable journey from banging on pots and pans as a toddler in Holland to becoming one of the UK’s most respected jazz drummers...
Geoff sits down with the award-winning jazz vocalist Anita Wardell. In this intimate conversation, Anita shares how music became her sanctuary during a difficult childhood and continues to be her healing force while recovering from a stroke suffered 16 months prior. "Music was where I kind of got myself together," she reflects, describing how discovering jazz gave her focus and purpose at a crucial time in her life. Anita reflects on the time she heard two students practicing Dizzy Gillespie’...
Geoff is in Box Hill, Surrey to meet with the legendary jazz saxophonist, composer and educator Stan Sulzmann. Stan takes us on a captivating journey through his remarkable career as one of Britain's most respected jazz saxophonists. From his unexpected start with a secondhand Selmer tenor saxophone to playing alongside jazz royalty, the interview reveals both musical insights and deeply personal reflections. The conversation opens windows into jazz history as Stan recounts his transformative...
Geoff heads east to Essex to catch up with an old friend — the award-winning jazz saxophonist, bandleader, arranger, and recording engineer Derek Nash. What happens when a lifelong love of saxophone meets decades of sound engineering expertise? Derek Nash's musical journey provides the perfect answer. From the moment 12-year-old Derek heard the Pink Panther theme played by a tenor saxophonist during his father's BBC radio broadcast, his path was set. Though his career would take a 20-year det...