Ken Bruce Joins Jazz FM

Legendary broadcaster Ken Bruce MBE is joining Jazz FM - the UK’s only jazz, soul and blues radio station - for a four-part Saturday night series throughout September that looks at the role of the jazz drummer in a series called ‘Ken Bruce on Drums’.

The Greatest Hits Radio presenter whose move to the network was last years most talked about audio news story has a passion for drumming and jazz drummers, playing in a band himself.

The series aims to give recognition to the important job of the jazz drummer over the life of jazz, from the pioneers in hardbop and bebop (in an episode called Bop Masters) and the likes of Buddy Rich, Gene Kruper and Mel Lewis (in an episode called The Greatest Hitters), plus funk, fusion and today’s new generation of British players.

Alongside Ken in each episode will be Simple Minds drummer – and a jazz fusion drummer in his own right – Mel Gaynor, who each week will give Ken a drum lesson looking at the various styles with live examples at the drum kit.

Also featuring in the series will be archive audio from Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Art Blakey Geoff Hayden, Moses Boyd, Steve Gadd, Cindy Blackman Santana and many more, alongside some of the greatest examples of jazz drummers on record from across the decades.

Of the series and presenting a show on drumming on Jazz FM, Ken Bruce said: “You have no idea how excited I am at moving studios at Bauer Media to work with the team at Jazz FM on this series. As a fan of jazz and a (questionable) drummer myself, these programmes really are a dream come true where I can explore these two passions with the listeners.

Not only am I looking forward to playing some very different music than I am used to playing on Greatest Hits Radio, but also I cannot wait to learn about the story of drumming and the various forms of it from the superb Mel Gaynor to enlighten us all and make me a better drummer!.”