Mike Chadwick. Selfie at the 2014 North Sea Jazz Festival

It is twenty years since Mick Chadwick started broadcasting for JazzFM. An incredulous Kerstan Mackness celebrates the anniversary:

Blimey, has it really been twenty years? It barely seems possible. But then again it is actually quite hard to remember a time when Mike wasn’t on the radio, a reassuring weekly presence, spinning the very best in contemporary sounds and quietly, stubbornly doing his bit to keep the “Jazz” in Jazz FM while shining a bright light on the music’s ‘Cutting Edge’.

Indeed, it’s hard to imagine what the UK scene would be like without the man affectionately known as Mr Chadders. From his legendary (and much missed) record shop Decoy, a vital part of Manchester’s musical life, to his work as a promoter at Band on the Wall, Kendall Brewery and beyond, Mike has been a vital part of the UK jazz scene for years. But of course he is best known as a hugely influential DJ, championing the likes of Neil Cowley, Matthew Halsall and GoGo Penguin (to name just a few of the acts he’s championed) and bringing the sounds of Snarky Puppy to the UK’s attention.

Mike has probably done more than pretty much any other DJ to promote the new bands and sounds which are the very lifeblood of the scene. But perhaps best of all, like all true fans of the music, Mike has never lost that sense of joy we all feel when you hear something new and brilliant for the first time: Only last week, I sent him an email asking what he thought of the latest release on a local indy label, ‘Bloody Brilliant’ he answered and thinking about it, that’s what Mike is, “Bloody Brilliant”, and long may he continue.

Happy Anniversary Mike!

LINK: Nigel Williams did an audio interview with Mike Chadwick