Philip Worts has always been a fan of a wide range of music, but it wasn’t until later in life that he stumbled onto the genre of smooth jazz – and now he makes a radio show dedicated to it, Smooth Jazz with Phil.

Smooth jazz is a sub-genre of jazz and is known for its smooth melody lines and relaxed sound. It contains a variety of instruments, such as saxophone, drums, keyboards and vocals, and rose in popularity during the 1980s and ‘90s.

‘It’s a genre of music that people don’t know a lot about these days,’ says Phil. ‘Maybe the word ‘jazz’ puts people off, but I have found that there aren’t many radio stations that will play it.’

To get his smooth jazz fix, Phil has had to turn to American radio stations.

‘There is a strong community of smooth jazz artists in Florida’, he says. ‘I listen to a radio station from there – Sea Breeze – and there are even smooth jazz festivals held around the States’.

Phil decided that it was high time that New Zealand had its own smooth jazz radio to tune into, and Smooth Jazz with Phil was born. His show began with Hutt City FM and now airs on Wellington Access Radio every Wednesday night from 9-10pm.

‘I’m really enjoying making the show,’ he says. ‘I use CDS to play the music, and I try to mix up the playlist with different artists. I also like to give a bit of background on who the listeners are hearing.’

The music ranges from American artists such as Carol Albert and Michael Lington, Canadian Diana Krall, to our own New Zealand star of smooth jazz, Ryan La Valette. La Valette is now based in the States, but Phil has interviewed him in the past and hopes to speak to him again. Phil is also in touch with a number of American musicians, some of whom have recorded stings for his radio show, and is working on encouraging them to come and tour in New Zealand!

So, what can you expect if you tune into Smooth Jazz with Phil?

‘I want listeners to be able to relax at the end of their day. The show is on at a perfect time to wind down and enjoy the music.

But I also want people to be more aware of the great artists that play and compose smooth jazz.’

 

You can listen to Smooth Jazz with Phil every Wednesday evening at 9pm on 106.1FM or stream via www.accessradio.org.nz

Listen back to past episodes at:

https://accessradio.org.nz/shows-podcasts/smooth-jazz-with-phil/