The Hot Box

The Hot Box


Latest Episodes

The Hot Box #143 – Jazz in Ireland
August 21, 2025

Donald Helme takes the lid off the Hot Box once again, and this time hes digging deep into a special file marked Jazz in Ireland. Reaching back across the decades, Donald unearths vintage recording

The Hot Box #142 – Ryan Truesdell and Gil Evans
August 08, 2025

Welcome to the 142nd edition of The Hot Box with Donald Helme. This episode is a real treat, dedicated entirely to the music of the legendary Gil Evans. Were marking the release of what may be the fi

The Hot Box #141 – A Gershwin Celebration
June 23, 2025

In this slightly different edition of The Hot Box, Donald Helme takes a detour through the timeless melodies of one of jazz's most enduring composers: George Gershwin. Inspired by the brand new releas

The Hot Box #140 – I Thought About You
May 13, 2025

This edition of The Hot Box features a major re-issue, a remixed and remastered release of Louis Stewarts quartet album with John Taylor, Sam Jones and Billy Higgins from Livia Records. - Originally

The Hot Box #139 – New Material
April 17, 2025

This edition has both a tilt towards new material and a tilt towards jazz guitar, with material from the French guitarist Romain Pilons new album Open Roads, and from the archive, tracks from Tommy H

The Hot Box #138 – Roy Ayres
April 03, 2025

The Hot Box #138 celebrates the music of another recently departed musician, Roy Ayres. Originally known as a jazz vibraphone player, he rapidly expanded his status and became, some would say, one o

The Hot Box #137 – New Releases
March 25, 2025

A selection of some wonderful music from albums released in recent weeks, from concert performances in the 1990s to brand new compositions and recordings both Irish and American. Track list for The H

The Hot Box #136 – In Memory of Lou Donaldson
March 11, 2025

He was born in 1926 and lived to be just 98 years old, having played in public well into his 80s. Donaldson was an alto saxophonist who began his career as a disciple of Charlie Parker, with whom he p

The Hot Box #134 – Roy Haynes
February 18, 2025

The Hot Box 134 is devoted to the memory of the great drummer Roy Haynes. Haynes died, at the age of 99 in November last year, secure in his place as one of the greatest drummers of all time. His care

The Hot Box #135 – Some New Stuff
January 29, 2025

Welcome to the first Hot Box of 2025. Regular listeners will know that we had a rush of obituary type shows at the back end of last year but we start 2025 with some new material as well as a quick nod