Non-stop all-stars at 15th annual Jazz day concert

Pictured L-R: Dee Dee Bridgewater, James Carter, Mino Cinélu (percussion), and Gregory Porter.

The 15th annual International Jazz Day 2026 on 30 April concluded with an all-star concert in Chicago, hosted at the Lyric Opera House. More than 40 artists performed, including Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gregory Porter, Jacob Collier and Buddy Guy. The concert opened with a tribute to Chicago’s musical history. Bridgewater and Porter performed “The In-Crowd” in honour of Ramsey Lewis, followed by Hancock’s reinterpretation

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Why 82% of Musicians Fear They Can’t Make a Living Anymore

A comprehensive study by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) reveals both opportunities and serious threats from AI music generation for Australian and New Zealand musicians.  According to the 2024 report, 38% of the 4,200 surveyed members are already using AI in their music work, with the highest adoption rates among 45-54 year olds at

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Cali Jones Returns with a New Sound

Cali Jones sax player.

Smooth jazz saxophonist Cali Jones is back, after more than a year away, and he’s sounding sharper, more focused, and more soulful than ever. In this episode of the Just Jazz podcast, Cali sits down to talk about the journey so far; from his 2022 debut album Soul Assassin to the evolution behind his latest track Midnight Strut, and what

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Rebecca Rafla – A Fresh Voice with a Timeless Touch

In the latest episode of Just Jazz, I sit down with vocalist Rebecca Rafla, an artist whose sound bridges the gap between classic jazz tradition and contemporary expression. Drawing inspiration from legendary performers such as Sarah Vaughan and Tony Bennett, Rafla has developed a style that is both elegant and accessible. Her voice carries a warm, expressive quality, paired

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The rising tide of AI ‘music’

Just Jazz presenter Steve Hart.

AI-generated music tracks are now landing in my inbox, just as Sony takes action against Spotify to get 135,000 deep-fake songs removed from its system. Given this, I couldn’t help myself from commenting on the risks of playing AI music on my weekly radio show. The challenge to support bona fide musicians is real as

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Give the people a voice

Vox pops give locals a voice on your radio station

When I first started out as a young news reporter working for a regional newspaper I quickly learned that news doesn’t always come to you. There were days when the phones didn’t ring, the fax machine stayed silent, and there was nothing useful in the post. After calling around the usual contacts, schools, emergency services,

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The Ghosts of Motley Hall

Somewhere in the English countryside, a grand manor house stands in elegant decay, quiet, forgotten, and seemingly empty. But beneath its fading exterior lies a lively secret. This is the world of The Ghosts of Motley Hall, a charming and quietly imaginative British series that first aired in 1976. Set in the ancestral home of

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Eyes Wide Shut movie review

Eyes Wide Shut movie review by Steve Hart.

Step into the strange, hypnotic world of Eyes Wide Shut – the final, controversial film from legendary director Stanley Kubrick. In this episode of The Channel I dive into the movie that left audiences divided: is it a slow-burn psychological masterpiece… or simply two and a half hours of Tom Cruise wandering through dimly lit

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