In the first live BBC black and white TV programme since the 1970s, BBC Four revives the iconic 1960s BBC show Jazz 625 for one night only.
Broadcasting live from Cheltenham during the Jazz Festival, the special show will feature a house band - led by pianist Robert Mitchell - with special guests including Joshua Redman, Jean Toussaint, Shirley Tetteh, Jacqui Dankworth and Gregory Porter.
There’s also an exclusive recorded performance from legendary Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, showing off his jazz-chops in a quartet with saxophonist Scott Hamilton - a clip of the performance can be seen here:
On Jazz 625, Charlie Watts, says: "That’s one of the nice things about Jazz 625, they had all the best guys on there… In those days, they had real stars and distinctive players. That was one of things I loved about those guys, they just looked so great when they played."
Jazz 625 broadcast from 1964 to 1966 and featured classic performances from the likes of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Ronnie Scott and Cleo Laine. This one-night revival will feature selections from the archive and the house band, with guests paying tribute to those who performed in the original series and includes a new interview with Dame Cleo Laine reflecting on her performance on a classic edition of Jazz 625.
Jazz 625 Live: For One Night Only will be broadcast live on BBC Four at 9pm on Friday 3 May and there will be comprehensive coverage of Cheltenham Jazz Festival on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 Music
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