Introduced by Humphrey Lyttelton

From the Jazz Man
Jazz fans admit to an obsessive urge to play their favourite records to--or should I say at - other people. One recalls jazz parties which have ended in stubborn stalemate as host and guests, each hugging a stack of treasured LPs to his breast, glare at each other over the top of the record-player. If I may scramble a few metaphors, these admirable zealots are the bastion, bulwark, and backbone of a programme like Jazz Record Requests in the Music Programme.
Casting an analytical eye over the postcards, one detects the odd inquisitive request for something heard fleetingly before, and the nostalgic request for some cherished memory of a '78' which long ago crumbled into dust. But it's clear that the bulk of the requests-and happily they have accumulated into a bulk since we started four weeks ago-are from people who possess the record, know it backwards and are determined that others should hear it. And this is good - it spreads jazz taste more effectively than any didactic lecturing from an 'expert.'

What is the disc-jockey's role in all this? As the man who passes on the message, so to speak, he occupies a very, very hot seat. Hell knows no fury like a jazz fan scorned. But when all the abuse and the congratulations are weighed up, it's still a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning, eh?
(Humphrey Lyttelton)