Close enough for jazz? Jazz returns to the air at the BBC in Belfast this summer. Photo: marlbank

• Stephen Graham

It looks like a new ''jazz series'' is to air later this year on BBC Radio Ulster. But will this series be a short lived affair or a regular schedule fixture in embryo?

For now there are no shows at all! Sadly long time Jazz Club host Walter Love died earlier this year bringing to an end his popular trad-loving station staple. Paul McClean, executive editor of music, arts and events at the BBC in Belfast indicated to us back in February that the station ''plan to donate Walter’s Jazz CDs and some books to the Belfast Central Library to have a Walter Love special jazz section.''

Radio Ulster had however by then already axed the forward looking contemporary scene Jazz World show in 2023.

But contrary to such jazz media coverage shrinkage locally Northern Ireland jazz has seen a lot of increased activity since Lockdown in the Belfast area with regular weekly gigs at pianist Scott Flanigan's club in Belfast's trendy Ballyhackamore on Fridays, improved programming at Berts in the Cathedral Quarter plus national all-Ireland and international acts presented regularly at Magy's Farm in rural County Down by Jazz World presenter Dr Linley Hamilton and his wife poet Maggie Doyle, formerly editor of music programmes at the Belfast headquartered station.

Northern Ireland's biggest and best jazz festival held in Derry annually takes place in the spring to be held over the early-May bank holiday weekend once again. Omagh singer Victoria Geelan, the vaudevillian pop polymath Duke Special who is easily jazz relatable and Derry new generation guitar star Joseph Leighton are notable in the Derry City, Strabane District Council & Guinness backed line-up for 2024. As for the new series, details are under wraps but a BBC Northern Ireland spokesperson told marlbank: ''We’ll have a new jazz series in early summer and will continue to reflect this genre of music in other parts of the BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle schedule.''