Sweet & Swing
| Genre | Big band music / Swing music |
|---|---|
| Running time | Fridays, 9:00pm-10:00pm |
| Country of origin | Isle of Man |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | Manx Radio |
| Starring | Howard "H" Caine |
| Created by | Jim Caine |
| Original release | 1990s – present |
| Audio format | FM and MW radio and online |
| Opening theme | Slow Train Blues |
| Ending theme | Slow Train Blues |
| Website | http://www.manxradio.com/blog.aspx?blogid=14760 |
Sweet & Swing, is a radio programme broadcast on Manx Radio and features music from the Big Band Era.[1] The show is presented by Howard Caine (known as "H"), having previously been a joint presentation with the late Jim "The Jazz" Caine, the programme's creator.
In January 2017 Manx Radio introduced a sister programme to Sweet & Swing. The new programme, titled Jumpin' In, now alternates on Manx Radio's Friday night schedule over a fixed scheduled period.
Sweet & Swing features music from the 1920s through to the 1950s; however music by contemporary Big Bands is also included on the playlist.[1] The programme is transmitted on the station's 9:00pm – 10:00pm slot on Friday nights and is broadcast on FM and MW frequencies as well as world wide through the Manx Radio website.[1][2]
Show format
Introduction
The programme begins shortly after the conclusion of the previous music slot at 9:00pm. Howard Caine commences each episode with the sentence; "A very good evening to you"[1] and then proceeds to play the show's theme tune, Slow Train Blues by Eric Winstone.[1]
Main content
The show uses various features in the form of mini series. During its 2017 Autumn to Christmas run, the main content was entitled Hits of the Blitz, comprising solo artists and renowned acts such as Flanagan and Allen. A new and popular dimension to the show during its Spring run of 2018 was a guess the year feature, recalling music and news with the listener invited to recall which particular year was being referred to.
Following the death of the show's creator, a regular feature during the Spring run of 2018 was devoted to Jim Caine's personal recollections. Paying tribute, the snippets recalled a personal critique of the band leaders and solo artists who had featured during previous editions of the show.
Another regular feature of the playlist is what Howard Caine refers to as a "twofah:" two-for-the-price-of-one, where two recordings from a particular artist or dance band are played in succession.
Conclusion
The broadcast generally ends with Howard Caine reviewing certain aspects of that particular night's show whilst Slow Train Blues fades in the background.[1] The edition is then available on the Manx Radio website to be listened to again for the following seven days.[1]
The presentational style of the programme is light-hearted, educational and informative. The programme has listeners as far away from the Isle of Man as The Philippines and New Zealand.[1]
Whilst Manx Radio is a commercial radio station, Sweet & Swing is not interrupted by the playing of commercials.
History
The programme can trace its lineage from former Manx Radio programmes of a similar genre such as the late Jim Caine's previous jazz show and Manx Radio's Big Band Hour, which was presented by former BBC Radio Controller, Mark White.[1] Sweet & Swing bases its format on a mixture of music from British dance bands of the 20s and 30s and from the Big Band Era. The show was originally presented solely by Jim Caine, but his workload was reduced following a bout of illness leading to some listeners fearing for the show's continuance. However Howard Caine, employed primarily as a Manx Radio journalist and newscaster,[3] then began presenting the main content of the show.[1]
During a broadcast on 16 December 2016 Howard Caine announced that the format of Manx Radio's 9pm Friday night music slot was to change from the beginning of 2017. Following the appointment of Alex Brindley as Manx Radio's Programme Controller, it was explained during the broadcast that a new programme relating to a more jazz orientated presentation would occur, more in resemblance of the previous Jim Caine's Jazz Show with the new show to be called Jumpin' In. Transmissions began at the end of January, running through the winter period until the end of April, when it was again replaced by Sweet & Swing. The sister programmes now occupy specific transmission periods for the 9pm music slot.
Featured Artist
Until 2016 the Featured Artist segment comprised the main content of the show. Featured Artist would be recorded at the home of the late Jim Caine,[1] referred to by his co-presenter as "The Maestro"[1] due to his encyclopaedic knowledge of the artists and songs of the Sweet & Swing era and would encompass a montage of previous recollections from Jim Caine concerning various artists.
Howard Caine would often refer to Jim Caine's house as either "Music Man HQ," "Maestro HQ" or "Maestro Towers" and until the change in format would begin that particular segment of the show with a brief résumé of the past week's weather before that week's chosen artist was revealed.[1]
Numerous artists have featured over the history of the show,[1] some of whom were known personally to Jim Caine (an accomplished jazz musician and raconteur in his own right). Such artists which have been featured include a diverse mix of repertoire ranging from the sounds of Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Ray Noble, Harry Roy, Geraldo, Tommy Dorsey, Ambrose, Ted Heath, and Jack Hylton, through the swing era to the modern era with the likes of the Pasadena Roof Orchestra and The RAF Squadronaires.[1]
Solo artists also featured, including such people as Vera Lynn and Al Bowlly.[1]
Of particular renown was the work of Joe Loss[1] who spent several seasons playing at the Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man during the 1950s. Another artist performing in Douglas during the immediate post-war years, and who was also acquainted with Jim Caine, was Ivy Benson. More later Bud Freeman became known to Jim Caine, with Freeman staying at the family home where he was introduced to the young Howard. Said to of been a keen player of the game Scrabble, Bud Freeman also left a token to the family consisting of one of his coats. The coat has been kept for posterity and is referred to as the "Bud Coat." Also known to the presenters was Humphrey Lyttleton, who would receive Manx Kippers from Jim Caine.[1]
Jazz Christmas Special
Previously referred to as the Caine Gang Christmas Party, one specific programme during the course of the Festive Season [1] would see "H" Caine joined by his brother Chris together with a contribution from "The Maestro". This would generally take the format of a jocular presentation with the presenters playing some personal favourite jazz numbers as well as recounting certain anecdotes.[1]
- Howard Caine also presents Manx Radio's nature programme Mannin the Wild.[2]