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

1. They All Laughed. Gabriel Latchin Trio from the new album “The Man I Love”
2. Oh Lady Be Good. Fabrizio Bosso and Renato Solani.
3. Embraceable You. Cleo Laine
4. Oh Lady Be Good. Benny Goodman & Lionel Hampton
5. How Long Has This Been going On? Coleman Hawkins
6. S’Wonderful. Gabriel Latchin Trio
7. Love Walked In. Gabriel Latchin Trio
8. I Was Doing Alright. Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson
9. The Can’t Take That Away From Me. Susannah McCorkle
10. Jazzbo Brown Blues: Sir Andrew Davis
11. Someone To Watch Over Me: Roland Kirk
12. Summertime: Charlie Parker
13. Strike Up The Band: Errol Garner

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:39 — 56.4MB)

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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

1. Litha – Louis Stewart
2. The Sidewinder – Lee Morgan
3. Spontaneous Combustion – Cannonball Adderley
4. Straight No Chaser – Louis Stewart
5. Wagon Wheels – Grant Green
6. All Blues – Louis Stewart

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:19 — 52.5MB)

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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

1. Giant Steps: Oz Noy
2. Blackbird: Tommy Halferty with Mike Nielsen
3. Ralph’s New Blues: Tommy Halferty Trio
4. Long Story Short: Romain Pilon
5. Golden Rod: Michael Buckley
6. At Swing Two Birds: Ronan Guilfoyle
7. Ready for Cooky: Romain Pilon
8. Divergent Journeys: Christian Sands

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:47 — 55.7MB)

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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

1. Compared to What – Roberta Flack
2. The Ringer – Roy Ayers
3. Searching – Roy Ayers
4. Memphis Underground – Herbie Mann
5. Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty – Herbie Mann
6. Virgo Vibes – Roy Ayers

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:27 — 56.3MB)

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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

1. There Will Never Be Another You: Oscar Peterson Quartet from the album “City Lights”recorded in 1994
2. Strange Taste: Michael Buckley from the album Ebb And Flow recorded in 2024
3. Fun One: Oz Noy from the album Fun One recorded in 2024
4. Milestones: Oz Noy from the same album
5. Lion Song: Emmet Cohen from the album Vibe Provider recorded in 2024
6. Vibe Provider: Emmet Cohen from the same album
7. Christian Sands: Ain’t That The Same from the album Embracing Dawn recorded in 2024
8. Kelly’s Blues: Oscar Peterson from the album City Lights

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:56 — 65.9MB)

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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

1. Watusi Jump: Lou Donaldson: “Here ’Tis”
2. Hipty Hop: Lou Donaldson: “A Man with a Horn”
3. Spaceman Twist: Lou Donaldson “The Natural Soul”
4. Wee Dot: Art Blakey: “A Night at Birdland Volume Two”
5. Alligator Boogaloo: Lou Donaldson “The Scorpion”
6. Polka Dots and Moonbeams: Lou Donaldson “Gravy Train”
7. The Sermon: Jimmy Smith: Blue Note “The Sermon”

All tracks are on the Blue Note Records label.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:16 — 65.2MB)

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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

1. Red Rose: Roy Haynes/Henri Renaud: Vogue Records
2. Moose the Mooch: Roy Haynes: Dreyfus Jazz
3. Ah Leu Cha: Roy Haynes: Dreyfus Jazz
4. Hoe Down: Oliver Nelson: Impulse
5. Light Blue: Thelonius Monk: Riverside
6. Bouncing with Bud: Bud Powell: Blue Note
7. Bud Powell: Blue Note
8. Questions and Answers: Gary Burton: Concord
9. Smoke Stack: Andrew Hill: Blue Note
10. Reaching Fourth: McCoy Tyner
11. Like Minds: Gary Burton

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:51 — 54.8MB)

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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

1. Musicians: Yonathon Avishai: Shapes & Sounds; Jazz & People JPCD824005
2. The Signalman: Sue Rynhart: Say Pluto; mrsuesue records
3. Here ’Tis: Lou Donaldson: Blue Note 5099 5 14371 2 1
4. Blue in Green; Pat Leary (Live at Midnight Tea
5. When You’re Smiling: Yonathon Avishai (as above)
6. Long Years Ago: Sue Rynhart (as above)
7. The One Who Smiles: Yonathon Avishai (as above)

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:58 — 52.2MB)

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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

1. Gin for Christmas: Lionel Hampton
2. Swingin’ Them Jingle Bells: Fats Waller
3. Jingle Bells: Benny Carter
4. When Winter Comes: Artie Shaw
5. Christmas Night in Harlem: Paul Whiteman
6. Santa’s Secret: Johnny Guarneri & Slam Stewart
7. Bounce of the Sugar Plum Fairy: John Kirby
8. Wild Party 1934: Fletcher Henderson
9. I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm:Billie Holliday
10. Santa Claus is coming to Town: Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
11. Freeze and Melt: Eddie Lang
12. The Christmas Song: Dinah Shore
13. It Happened in Sun Valley: Glenn Miller
14. Santa Claus Blues: Red Onion Jazz Band
15. Freeze Out: Clarence Williams
16. At The Christmas Ball: Bessie Smith
17. Snowfall: Claude Thornhill
18. Sleighride: Eddie Higgins

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:56 — 56.7MB)

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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

1. Rat Race: Count Basie Orchestra
2. Muttnik: Count Basie Orchestra
3. Hicky Burr: Bill Cosby and Quincy Jones
4. Eubie Walkin’: Bill Cosby and Quincy Jones
5. No More Blues: Quincy Jones Big Band
6. Birth of the Band: Quincy Jones Big Band
7. Let the Good Times Roll: Ray Charles
8. The Midnight Sun Never Sets; Sarah Vaughan
9. Joe Turner’s Blues: Nat King Cole
10. Have You Met Benny Bailey? Count Basie Orchestra
11. Rat Race: Count Basie Orchestra
12. Listen Up: Quincy Jones

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:01 — 56.8MB)

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