The Unheard Sinatra

(Radio Times by Russell.)

This weekend’s Saturday Classics (Radio 3, Saturday, 1:00pm) is presented by Geoffrey Smith. The avuncular American will be playing some jazz including Duke Ellington and Keith Jarrett. At five o’clock Gareth Williams’ European trio can be heard on Jazz Line-Up. This year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival features on Hear and Now at 10:00pm. 

Of interest to devotees of free jazz will be Simon H Fell’s Ensemble Anomaly. The set list includes pieces by Derek Bailey, Lol Coxhill and Paul Rutherford. Dom Lash and John Tilbury will be working with Fell. Midnight, again on Radio 3, that man Smith keeps his regular date with Geoffrey Smith’s Jazz. His subject this week is Phil Woods.

On Monday Herbie Goins will be remembered by Paul Jones (Radio 2, 7:00pm). Then at ten Frank and the Golden Era of Radio promises previously unheard material from ‘30s-‘40s radio programmes featuring a young Frank Sinatra. Stay tuned to Radio 2 if you’re a Sinatra fan to hear a repeat of a programme presented by Jamie Cullum: When Frank Met Billie (Tuesday 10:00pm). And if you’re a Billie Holiday fan stay up all night, all week to catch Billie and Me – the Billie Holiday Story. The first of six half hour programmes goes out at two in the morning (Monday night/Tuesday morning) on BBC 6 Music. The series was first aired in 2003. Finally, Soul Music, BBC Radio 4 Extra, Friday, 6:30pm, profiles Peggy Lee. The singer’s daughter, Nicki Foster, talks about her famous mother.    

Russell.