The Hot Box
Since the demise of RTE Lyric’s Jazz Alley, which broadcast every week from the first weekend of the station’s existence until it was axed at the end of 2015, there has been no regular national programme devoted to jazz. The Hot Box aims to fill that gap with former Jazz Alley presenter Donald Helme.
The Hot Box sets the best of Irish recorded jazz in the wider context of the universal language that is jazz worldwide. It tries to emphasise accessability and sheer enjoyment, and is building an audience well beyond the shores of its home country.
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- Written by: Donald Helme
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: The Hot Box
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
- Red Rose: Roy Haynes/Henri Renaud: Vogue Records
- Moose the Mooch: Roy Haynes: Dreyfus Jazz
- Ah Leu Cha: Roy Haynes: Dreyfus Jazz
- Hoe Down: Oliver Nelson: Impulse
- Light Blue: Thelonius Monk: Riverside
- Bouncing with Bud: Bud Powell: Blue Note
- Bud Powell: Blue Note
- Questions and Answers: Gary Burton: Concord
- Smoke Stack: Andrew Hill: Blue Note
- Reaching Fourth: McCoy Tyner
- Like Minds: Gary Burton
Tune In:
- Live Broadcast: Every two weeks on Jazz Radio Eire. Listen Live
- Listen Back: Catch past episodes on The Hot Box Jazz and Jazz Ireland.
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About The Hot Box: The Hot Box celebrates the best of Irish jazz within the global jazz tradition. Our focus is on accessibility and pure enjoyment, drawing listeners from far beyond Ireland's shores. We are always on the lookout for new recordings by Irish artists or Irish-inspired works. If you have any suggestions or recordings to share, please get in touch!
Contact Us: For questions, comments, and requests, email Donald Helme at .
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- Written by: Donald Helme
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: The Hot Box
Read more: The Hot Box #135 - Some New Stuff
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.
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- Written by: Donald Helme
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: The Hot Box
Read more: The Christmas Box 2024
(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.
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- Written by: Donald Helme
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: The Hot Box
Read more: The Hot Box #133 - Remembering Quincy Jones
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.
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- Written by: Donald Helme
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: The Hot Box
Read more: The Hot Box #132 – New Stuff
The Hot Box #132, an hour-long exploration of fresh and exciting sounds in jazz. This episode dives into new material from remarkable artists, blending the vibrancy of contemporary jazz with the timeless artistry of legends. Featuring tracks from John Donegan's Irish Sextet, Shuteen Erdenebaatar, and the Jihye Lee Orchestra, the episode showcases dynamic compositions and inventive storytelling.
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- Written by: Donald Helme
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: The Hot Box
Read more: The Hot Box #131 - Benny Golson
This special episode pays tribute to the remarkable life and music of the late Benny Golson — a saxophonist, composer, and arranger whose profound influence on jazz endures through both his compositions and recordings. Golson’s legacy is woven into jazz history, known for iconic pieces that have become standards in the jazz repertoire.
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- Written by: Donald Helme
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: The Hot Box
Read more: The Hot Box #129 - Exploring More Piano
In this episode of The Hot Box, we revisit a theme from episode #128 where we took a deep dive into the piano files, looking for the slightly less obviously famous musicians but still among the very best in the world.