A nice big band welcome to the 55th edition of the Hot Box. The big success of Zandra Queen of Jazz from Darn Skippy Productions at the Smock Alley Theatre Dublin put me in mind to make an edition of the hot box centred on women in jazz. A fascinating glimpse into another world and caused me to reflect on the status of women in the jazz world over time.

So far as I am aware there are no recorded pieces from Zandra Mitchell but we can enjoy and talk about many other women in jazz. I had planned the Hot Box 55 to be a big band show, so why not combine the two.