Jazz Matters is my home for contemporary jazz, nu-jazz and music that reaches beyond familiar boundaries. Through original shows, guest programmes, conversations, playlists, and long-form writing, I share music I love, music I believe in and music I think deserves to be heard. The emphasis is always on discovery: established artists alongside emerging independent voices from the UK and around the world. Every programme has its own character, but each reflects the same open-minded approach. Jazz Matters is for listeners who remain curious, value thoughtful broadcasting, and want to explore where jazz is going next.
Mestizo Sounds crosses musical borders without worrying about labels, categories, or conventional genre boundaries. Presented by Pedro, each edition follows the connections between different cultures, rhythms and sounds — moving wherever the music leads. Familiar names may sit alongside unexpected discoveries. The purpose is to bring emotion to the forefront and let the music speak louder and clearer. Mestizo Sounds has a unique motto: Music Without Frontiers — whether conceptual or geographical. Open-minded, exploratory and driven by genuine enthusiasm, it is not about fitting music neatly into boxes. It is simply about the music.
Broadcasting from Córdoba, Argentina, Andino brings the sounds of an eclectic collection made across the globe to Jazz Matters through Music4TakingOff. His selections travel widely across continents, moving from dance-floor rhythms and contemporary grooves to acoustic traditions and music rooted in local culture. Expect familiar sounds alongside discoveries from America, Asia and beyond, with each edition offering a different route through a rich and varied musical landscape. Music4TakingOff is not locked into any one style or genre. It is Andino’s personal journey through the music around him: energetic, exploratory and shaped by the places, people, and rhythms of the continent he calls home.
NuDirections explores the spaces where jazz meets rhythm, place and wider musical culture. It gives me room to travel beyond the main Jazz Matters sound into broken beat, Brazilian, Latin, African and Japanese music, alongside Balearic sounds, house and other global influences. Some editions follow a particular location through the NuDirections Visits series, while others dig more deeply into an artist, label, or musical movement. It is open-minded, beat-led and driven by discovery rather than genre boundaries. NuDirections is where different sounds connect, unexpected paths open up and the journey matters just as much as the destination.