“Jazz n Stuff” presenter, Bob Draper did not know it at the time, but when he was about 8 years old he became a jazz fan. As this is about 1953 he is fuzzy about the details, but he caught Mumps and was in solitary confinement, a kindly neighbour lent him a wind up record player with a pile of 78s. 

This pile included sounds of the 20/30/40s in the shape of Bob Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and jazz bands of those eras. Unfortunately, he wore the wind-up mechanism out, but the music had entered the subconscious and despite the allure of Rock ‘n’ Roll some four years later, he was always drawn to the sounds of jazz on the “light programme” and later “Voice of America” listened to late at night on the portable radio, where the American greats and regular jazz could be heard. 

Reaching early teens and the advent of the family “stereo radiogram” meant the purchase of LPs was warranted, so his first Jazz records arrived. Many hours spent in the local coffee bar where the two brothers who ran the place were jazz fans with a good selection on the Juke-Box added to the growing enthusiasm for the music.  

Count Basie and his great band of the early 60s were seen live at the Odeon, Walthamstow. Joe Williams and Lambert Hendricks and Ross were also in the line-up. Duke Ellington with Ella on the bill, a number of years later at the Odeon Hammersmith, not to mention visits to some of the London jazz clubs.

He also got caught up in the so called “Trad Jazz” boom of the late 50s/ early 60s.

Then you had the Rhythm and Blues of the UK bands, Animals, Stones, Myall, Clapton, Fame and so on which led to the original black Blues and RnB artists getting their long overdue recognition in the USA and Europe.

Soul, Motown and all the other great music that derived from the Blues and Jazz came along in the 60s and 70s. 

He has never understood why many jazz fans have to be so violently parochial to their favourite form of Jazz and he enjoys experiencing all of the music’s many shades. 

A move from London to Bracknell in ’67 was fortuitous, because 1973 saw the opening of “South Hill Park Arts Centre”. Bob has been involved with the centre in various ways since that year and has just completed another stint as a board member during which time he was able to encourage regular jazz again under the “Jazz n Stuff” banner and helps to promote these sessions. 

Bob’s radio show will reflect jazz at South Hill Park, from 1974 when the first Bracknell Jazz Festival was held to current times.  

If you have been to any Bracknell Jazz Festivals, or other jazz events at South Hill Park, let Bob know of a favourite artist you have seen and he will dig out a track.