Robbie Vincent shares all about his new show

Radio legend Robbie Vincent will make a return to weekly broadcasting on Jazz FM following a series of specials in May 2020. Before his new show - which starts Sunday 4th April from 1pm - we sat down with him to get a flavour of what we can expect.

If you want to get in contact or drop Robbie a message, you can reach him here...

How do you feel getting back behind the microphone and returning to Jazz FM?

I haven't been away really because I'm always haunting the corridors but had some practice with New Year's Eve and the other bank holiday programmes, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think it's a real challenge coming back filling the gaps in between two fine broadcasters on a Sunday.

Tell us about your new programme on Jazz FM, what can we expect?

You can expect some retro style, you can expect some very fresh things that pop up every year, meaning new artists on the block and lots of quality tunes that you'd have in the mature side of the music garden. Hopefully ones you've completely forgotten about. Gosh, doesn't that sound good?

What excites you about the music you play?

Oh, I love finding great tracks. It's very frustrating having got to mile four on my treadmill, and I'm listening to a new CD and a track just almost makes you want to stop and have a rest. They do come along and I think, "I wish I still had the show and I could share this with everyone..." Well, I can now.

For those who might not know, what drew you to broadcasting in the first place?

I left the London Evening Standard where I was the youngest ever reporter there. I thought that newspapers were really for older people and radio had always interested me and I got a job when the BBC introduced BBC Radio London. I was a reporter initially and then news editing. Then when there was an outbreak of illness, nobody else could sit down or stand up, so, I somehow got myself a radio show. And to be honest, nobody was listening anyway but what a great way to learn how to broadcast.

Are you able to outline some of the most memorable moments of your career to date?

One of the greatest storytellers, no doubt is Bobby Womack. All his stories are so believable. But one of them that he told without smiling, without giving anything away, about Altrina Grayson, who has got a great voice. And, he told me in an interview, that he was at an airport and he went to get a burger and behind the bar was Altrina singing, and he said, "Wow, you've got a great voice, why don't you come and sing on a track for me?" And he then went on to say... "well, you know, finding a great singer in a burger bar and ending up singing on a great track", with a straight face. Of course, it was a complete monstrous porky pie. One of his other very favourite stories, at an airport again and I think he sat down and made up these stories waiting for a late plane… he told me that a guy was going to sue him because one of Bobby's tracks made his wife leave him.

What have been some of your standout gigs from over the years? Why?

Maze, it has to be and I've seen a few great artists from you know, Mali to some of the West Coast rock bands as well to you name it, but the atmosphere in London at the first Maze concert was something to behold. It really was Maze at their very, very best, the atmosphere is the thing about live music. You can't buy that on a CD or on vinyl. You can't buy the atmosphere. It was an absolutely electric, fantastic gig.

Which contemporary artists are you excited about at the moment?

I think we got a tsunami of fantastic new music and audio and some, for instance, Pat Metheny is still making great records and great tunes and on the first new programme, we'll be featuring one from his most recent album. He’s as good as ever, so you mustn't forget that there are plenty out there that haven't lost it and are still making great tunes. But I think Ledisi and Kem as well, there’s something about what he sings.

I was in New Orleans around about this time, I got back to this country just before the lockdown, I was in a bar and there was a guy sound asleep at the bar. I think he had too much to drink. His partner, girlfriend, lover whatever she was, while he snoring away, went over and put this fantastic love song on and it was Kem. And, to this day, I wonder if Kem reminded her of somebody who was not sound asleep and snoring lying on the bar in New Orleans.

Contact Robbie Vincent

If you want to get in contact or drop Robbie a message, you can reach him here...

Take a look at some of our other presenters on Jazz FM...

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