My musical DNA was formed the first time I heard All ’N’ All by Earth, Wind & Fire. That 1977 album didn’t just soundtrack my life—it shaped how I think and feel about the world. Funk grooves wrapped around cosmic ideas, tender ballads of hope, explosive jazz energy, and that unforgettable ancient-future gatefold artwork. It felt like the essence of life pressed into vinyl. What’s not to love? From that moment on, music wasn’t just something I liked—it was the path I was on.

Growing up in London in the 1970s, I fell deep into soul and funk culture. I collected records obsessively and snuck into the legendary Crackers club to hear George Power play. Saturdays meant ice skating at Streatham to disco hits, or sweating it out at the 100 Club while Ronnie L delivered a boogie-funk masterclass. Groove Records on Greek Street was the Mecca—the source. My best friend lived in a big South London house, and somehow we persuaded his parents to let us turn the basement into our own club, complete with a separate entrance and bar. Some very good parties happened down there.

Radio came next—and it stuck. A studio, a microphone, and a stack of records to share? That’s my happy place. In the 1970s you could count London radio stations on one hand, and very few felt like they spoke to me. Then I discovered a Sunday-only pirate station called Radio Invicta. Suddenly I was hearing the music I loved, presented by voices I recognised and trusted—voices I can still hear in my head. In 1984, luck intervened when I met a TV engineer who built radio transmitters. He ran a station called Radio Activity, and I joined in. I was terrible—but keen.

As my ears opened further to jazz, Sunday nights led me to the Belvedere Arms in Richmond, where Gilles Peterson was drawing a young crowd with Latin jazz and Blue Note grooves. By the mid-80s, that room had become a gathering place for people who would go on to help shape London’s music culture. Around that time, K-Jazz emerged—the UK’s first dedicated jazz radio station, broadcasting across London every Sunday. Being part of that with Gilles, Jez Nelson, Bob Jones, Paul Bradshaw, Tomek, DJ Anthu and others was a privilege. In 1985, I also founded soul station Starpoint Radio, sharing the airwaves with what would become iconic pirate stations like Kiss FM and LWR.

Change came quickly. With pressure mounting on the Thatcher government to widen radio choice, new legal stations appeared—and one of the earliest surprises was Jazz FM, launched in March 1990. I joined in 1989 and suddenly found myself in a dream job at London’s first 24-hour jazz station. In 1991, I moved to the newly licensed Kiss 100 FM with Jez, taking our late night Somethin’ Else show with us. Over the next 15 years, I think I worked every clock hour possible. Alongside that, I co-founded a production company—also called Somethin’ Else—with Jez, which he later grew into something truly special.

Kiss 100’s latter pop radio format was never really home, though. Music—deep, meaningful music—is my lifeblood. So in 2006 I joined Choice FM, serving London’s Black community, and also became part of the launch team for TheJazz, a new UK-wide jazz station launched on Christmas Day that year. When Jazz FM had closed in 2005, and TheJazz later followed despite strong audiences, it genuinely felt like jazz radio in the UK might be finished. Happily, I was wrong.

Jazz FM returned on digital radio in 2010, and soon I was back among friends—hosting weekend breakfast, weekday breakfast, mid-mornings, and later a late-night Saturday show called The Blueprint. After six years as Head of Music, I stepped away from the day job to become Head of Content at Jazzed, a groundbreaking app combining listening, watching, and reading—entirely dedicated to jazz in all its forms.

Radio is still my happy place. So in May 2024, Jez Nelson and I co-founded One Jazz, a global internet radio station built to explore the outer limits of the music. It’s proudly not-for-profit, volunteer-led, and fuelled entirely by love. It may well be the thing I’m proudest of. We’re also still happily part of the Jazz FM family at weekends. I’m also a regular on London’s Mi-Soul Radio, and have been since day one in 2012. I currently host The Hump, playing uncut funk on a 3 week rotation on Tuesday nights.

Alongside all of this I also programme music for several festivals and am a founder member of AFC Wimbledon, where I host at the club’s new stadium on home match days.