It felt like a very special night in a packed Radio Theatre inside the newly re-furbished BBC Broadcasting House. Radio 3’s Jazz Line-Up celebrated John Taylor’s 70th birthday (the actual day was three weeks ago) by presenting him in five different formats: (1) Solo; (2) in quartet with Julian Siegel, Chris Laurence and Martin France; (3) in a two-piano duo with Richard Fairhurst; (4) in a duo with Oren Marshall on tuba;  and (5) the full sextet.

Presenter was Claire Martin. The transmission goes out at 11.50pm on Sunday on Radio3. THE FULL SET-LISTS ARE HERE


What moment will I want to recapture particularly on Radio3? Loads, but the deliciously quiet endings to all three of the piano duet numbers felt special. What will I as a listener  have to imagine? John Taylor’s rapt expression of complete delirious enjoyment as Oren Marshall was playing. Belated  happy birthday.