Jazz FM have announced this morning some schedule changes in their evening ‘Discovery’ output following the retirement of Helen Mayhew.  She left at the end of January after 36 years of association with the radio station going back to the day of launch on 4th March 1990 (you can listen to her first ever show from the launch day of Jazz FM alongside other archive content on our Rayo app now).

Joining the station will be a host of musicians to tell the story of the music that they are famous for.

GRAMMY® award winning jazz musician Jon Cleary will be broadcasting weekly from his home in New Orleans with a show about the music from the crescent city including guests and live performances.

Jazz FM Award winning vocalist Mica Millar will be joining to host a weekly show that celebrates the greatest musical instrument of all – the human voice in “Mica Millar’s Jazz Voices”.  As an artist who has her second album coming out very soon, Mica has supported Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and Gregory Porter.

And it’s a return to Jazz FM and a regular programme for saxophonist Leo Green.  Leo – son of legendary broadcaster and musician Benny Green – returns to Jazz FM after being part of the relaunch line up in 2008.  Leo is one of Sir Van Morrison’s musicians of choice and regularly tours the UK with his own band and others.  Having recently served as a guest host for various shows and projects, his fulltime return will focus on big band, swing and trad music.

There’s also a change to Friday nights with Dinner Jazz returning to the night alongside programmes that celebrate chill and electronica jazz.

These changes take effect from Monday 16th January, with Jon Cleary’s first show from NOLA taking place on the world-famous Mardi Gras Day so expect some real party vibes in his first show.

Jon Cleary: “Jazz FM has always been one of my favourite stations to enjoy when back home in Blighty, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to dig into my records and bring listeners a taste of my hometown, New Orleans, and the musical worlds that surround and inspire it, and maybe a few stories, too!”

Mica Millar: “I’m really excited to be joining the Jazz FM family and presenting my own show. Jazz FM and have been huge champions of me and my music since I released my first album so to be able to present and champion other artists – particularly focussing on vocalists is going to be really special.”

Leo Green: “I am so happy to be back on Jazz FM every Sunday night, for two hours of the greatest swing and jazz of all time.  It’s a station I love and have a real affinity with and I can promise that for our two hours together every Sunday evening, the world will seem like a better place!” 

Nick Pitts, Content Director of Jazz FM and Magic Classical: “It is sad to say goodbye to Helen after an astonishing run on Jazz FM, but we send her on her next journey in life with our best wishes and love and can’t wait to hear all about it.
In the meantime, it’s great to be able to welcome Jon, Mica and Leo BACK to Jazz FM because they have all presented shows as guest hosts over the last 12 months and have sounded great, so we know the audience will be pleased to have them back.
It’s also a real coup that we can have those that live and breathe the music they love as performers and then transfer and share that passion with our listeners.”