The radio, in many people’s eyes the perfect companion, unobtrusive, clear and concise and full of mystery. Like a night in the theatre it speaks to you from out of the darkness, it talks to you like an old friend who understands your need for whatever genre it has in store and unlike television and cinema with its blatant chattering and full on meddlesome ways, the radio has a technique, a manner, in which it makes you feel as though you are the only one hearing the conversation; a two way discussion peppered with great music.
The golden days of radio may be long gone, having departed when television reared its even uglier head and started to offer its wares all day and everyday, when nine in the morning, the eyes were glued to the screen and were dominated by flashing images. Radio perhaps never stood a chance, however it survived and has flourished albeit at times with too much choice crowding the air waves.
The fan of the radio is drawn not only to the music that the station has to offer but they have to feel trust in the presenter, the greats all had it and whilst perhaps some broke that trust, whilst some took advantage of conviction, others only wanted their belief in the song to cross the boundary between the studio and the person at home; the small secret shared, the playing of a certain track that would be transferred simply into the repetitive humming the following day.
Finding a presenter to trust is not that easy, especially when there are so many stations to choose from in the 21st Century. From the geniuses of the day in Terry Wogan, Tommy Vance, Janice Long, Annie Nightingale and Kenny Everett to the modern day equivalents in Dave Monks and Mark Radcliffe, the presenter must be heard and trusted to get the song across whilst offering something of themselves to the listener.
Scan the dails, press the preset buttons as many times as you like, it will be first and foremost the presenter that will draw you in, with wit and faith, they will offer you something that will peak your interest and it only takes a minute of hearing their voice to know whether you will continue or press the next preset.
It takes a lot to come up with an idea, to capture the personality of the presenter and his choice in music but in the deep countryside of Banbury, of the charm of the Oxfordshire town comes a new man to take the listener’s through their nights on a once a week basis. Regardless of your views, it is the voice, the love for the music that makes you want to listen to Jez Denton. An enjoyable 90 minutes is assured as you listen to Late Night With Jez on Puritan Radio for the trust is there, the man may be a novice in radio terms, a respected grand beginner to whom the words will come, it is though the infectious desire to impart something grand, something on the verge of musical intoxication which makes Jez Denton stand out.
Opening your show with Marillion will always catch the Progressive Rock fan’s ear but there is more to it than that, instinctively you trust his judgement, his stories, especially when it comes to playing cricket with the great Richard Thompson or nearly having Roy Wood as his uncle. Trust, it is vital on the radio and as you come across a presenter to take you through the sweltering heat of summer and the cosy nights of autumn, trust is exactly what you find in Jez Denton.
Radio was built for the voice, authority and knowledge in the chosen subject vital; Late Night With Jez was a winner from the start.
Ian D. Hall