This episode of the Hot Box sets the scene for Jazz Legends – Charles Mingus 100th and Miles Davis Kind of Blue.  

21^st April – National Concert Hall – Dublin

22^nd April – Cork Opera House – Cork City

On the centenary of his birth, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra & Big Band pays tribute to Charles Mingus. In an imaginative first, the RTÉ CO has joined forces with its counterpart the BBC Concert Orchestra to commission a special set of brand-new orchestrations from Guy Barker, allowing both orchestras to do full justice to one of the greatest jazz musicians of them all. 

Read more: The Hot Box #081 - Jazz Legends

A complete departure for our 80th birthday, with wall-to-wall vocal groups, stimulated by a positive reaction to the all-vocal content of the 77th Hot Box. So, for the first time, we have an hour of the best harmony vocalising in jazz, from the streets of New Orleans to Carnegie Hall.

Read more: The Hot Box #080 – Wall-to-Wall Vocal Groups

Once again, the central preoccupation is the amazing roster of guitar players, this time those filed under the letter H. And under that heading the music world was blessed for many years with the presence of Jim Hall. So there’s some great straight ahead jazz from him, and some less straight ahead from Joel Harrison and Charlie Hunter.

Read more: The Hot Box #079 - The Guitar Files - Part 9

Listen back to the live broadcast of The Hot Box on Jazz Radio Ireland for New Year’s Eve 2021. This is a 2-hour special edition of The Hot Box presented by Donald Helme.

Read more: The Hot Box #078 - New Year’s Eve Hot Box Special

The Hot Box #77……What’s Inside?

Taking a leaf out of the book of jazz station WBGO Newark New Jersey, this edition of The Hot Box presents “Singers Unlimited”.

So if vocal jazz sets your pulse racing, this one’s for you. And there’s a little nod in the direction Christmas as well. Every one of these great singers has appeared in Ireland over the years. (And of course, some of them are Irish!)

Read more: The Hot Box #077 - Singers Unlimited

In The Hot Box number 76 we delve into the Guitar Files labelled “G”.

The towering figure of Grant Green seems to dominate this file, maybe the most productive guitarist of the 1960’s, who sounded then, and still sounds, like nobody else. Then we have the young bloods, Alex Goodman from Canada and Riccardo Grilli from Brazil, both fully paid members of the New York jazz scene today. So the 76th Hot Box is rich in contrasting styles.

Read more: The Hot Box #076 - The Guitar Files - Part 8

The Hot Box number 75!

What’s in it this time? We have tried to be quite noisy in celebration of our 75th edition - a “milestone”.

The celebration starts with the Chuck Owen Jazz Surge with more from Lonnie Smith, Eddie Daniels, The Big Phat Band, and Steve Slagle throughout the show.

Read more: The Hot Box #075 - Milestones