CHILLI JAZZ RADIO NEWS

NOT TO BE MISSED DRIVING HOME WITH TOM

Thursday 30th April 5pm

TODD'S TURNTABLE

THURSDAY 30th April 8PM

FRIDAY 2AM & 7PM, SUNDAY 4PM,

Do not miss the brilliant Tod Gordon and his themed shows

THIS WEEK

The Richard A. Whiting Songbook

The Hitmaker Behind Hollywood’s Most Famous Tunes

Richard Armstrong Whiting (1891–1938) was an American songwriter and composer whose work helped define early 20th‑century popular music and classic film. He wrote enduring standards including “Hooray for Hollywood,” “Ain’t We Got Fun?” and “On the Good Ship Lollipop,” and earned an Academy Award nomination in 1936 for “When Did You Leave Heaven.”

He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936 for "When Did You Leave Heaven" from the film Sing, Baby Sing.

RECORD OF THE WEEK

Les McCann Ltd. & Lou Rawls – Four Classic Albums (2CD Remastered)

AVID Jazz presents a remastered 2CD edition pairing three early-1960s Pacific albums by Les McCann Ltd. with Lou Rawls’ classic Stormy Monday

Les McCann began his jazz career in the late 1950s with a run of Pacific Records albums. Starting out as a singer, drummer and tuba player, he went on to become a largely self-taught jazz pianist, with a formative spell at Los Angeles City College. While his early work is sometimes overshadowed by his later success in the late 1960s and 1970s—when he became a cool jazz-funk star and a favourite source of hip-hop samples—this set shines a light on some of his finest early-1960s recordings for Pacific. CD1 features two standout performances from his famed Ltd. Trio (one studio, one live). Our third selection adds the incredible guitarist Joe Pass to the line-up—an inspired addition. The fourth album finds Les alongside Lou Rawls on the classic Stormy Monday, with Leroy Vinnegar and Ron Jefferson, and of course Rawls’ immaculate vocal performance.

STAR-SPANGLED RADIO HOUR

Wednesday 29th April 5pm

Friday 5pm, Sunday 12pm

Jimmy Dorsey

Swing-Era Clarinet Star and Big Band Leader

Jimmy Dorsey helped define the sound of swing as a celebrated clarinetist and alto saxophonist, leading hit-making big bands from the 1930s to the 1950s—alongside and beyond the famous Dorsey Brothers Orchestra.

• Signature hits: “Amapola,” “Green Eyes,” and “So Rare.”
• Notable recordings: Influential performances on “Singin’ the Blues” and “Georgia on My Mind.”
• Big band era: Led major ensembles through the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
• On television: Co-hosted Stage Show, bringing big band music to a wider audience.
• Legacy: A defining swing stylist whose sound and phrasing influenced generations of jazz musicians.

THE JAZZ SET

WITH TOM STEVENS

Wednesday's 8.00pm

Friday 24th 7.00pm and Saturday 25th 2.30pm

With the permission of The Airmen Of Note Chilli Jazz Radio is proud to present our live recording from the Schessinger Auditorium, Washington DC on 12th March 2026

The Big Band Heat

WITH TOM STEVENS

Saturday 2nd May 2.00pm

also Sunday 8pm & Monday 2pm

This week Tom has brilliant show packed with new music and interviews

Featuring an interview with Captain Philip Trudgean of The Royal Marine's "Oceanires Big Band" 

From Big Band Roots to a Modern Revival

The Oceanires began in the 1940s during the height of the big band era, gaining wider recognition through appearances such as the Royal Tournament and the 1958 film Indiscreet. After reforming in 2022, the group is led by Captain Philip Trudgean, who joined the Portsmouth band in 2003, trained at the Royal Northern College of Music as a percussionist, and previously served with the Band of HM Royal Marines Collingwood.

And There's More!!!!!

Tom Talks to One of the UK’s Finest Drummers: The Brilliant Pete Cater

Acclaimed UK big band drummer Pete Cater—British Jazz Awards Best Big Band winner (2000) and former member of “The Best of British Jazz.” Expect top‑tier big band drumming and music drawn from a career that includes three acclaimed album releases.

NOW YOU HAS "JAZZ JAZZ JAZZ"

WITH JOHN PETTERS

Saturday's 7pm

Sunday 7pm, Monday 7pm, Tuesday 12am, Wednesday 5am

Saturday's 8pm

Sunday 2pm Monday 4am, Tuesday 6pm

Join David Harding-Price tonight for his fabulous Blue's Show

JAZZ GEMS

WITH TOM STEVENS

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF BIG BANDS & JAZZ

MONDAY'S 11.00PM

The Michele Monro Podcast

The 1st Thursday of every month 7pm -8pm

Michelle Monro talks about her father the legendary singer Matt Monro.

MEET THE PRESENTERS