David Jensen hosts third series on Jazz FM playing his favourite music

Broadcasting veteran David “Kid” Jensen is returning to Jazz FM for a third series where he plays tracks from his extensive jazz collection.

David Jensen’s Jazz will air for an extended eight-week run across April and May, from Saturday 8 April at 9pm.

The series starts three days before World Parkinson’s Day, which takes place on Tuesday 11 April. David has been living with Parkinson’s for over a decade and is an ambassador for Parkinson’s UK.

This third series will see Jazz FM team up with the charity once again to raise awareness of the condition and the hard work taking place to find better treatments and a cure.

David’s first two series – an annual occurrence since 2021 – saw him engage with the audience in his love of the genre that came from his trumpet-playing professional jazz musician father in his homeland Canada along with his first broadcasts on CJOV FM in the mid-1960s.

Speaking about returning for a third series, David said: “It’s so great to be back on Jazz FM in association with my friends from Parkinson’s UK. Regular listeners will hopefully look forward to some more of my favourite tunes, peppered with some anecdotes from my 50 years in the business, and new listeners may be intrigued to hear that this old pop DJ is a not-so-secret Jazz fanatic.”

Paul Jackson-Clark, Director of Fundraising & Experience at Parkinson’s UK, said: “David is a fantastic ambassador for Parkinson’s UK and the wider Parkinson’s community. His determination to increase understanding of the condition among the wider public is one of many reasons why he is such an inspiration.

“We are absolutely delighted that he will be stepping up to the microphone once again at Jazz FM and raising awareness through his show. It’s wonderful that it returns to coincide with World Parkinson’s Day, which is all about celebrating the bright and the brilliant. David is a shining example of that.

“Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world and currently there is no cure. Current treatments aren’t good enough, and people can experience distressing side effects from their medication.

“Thanks to the support of the public, we’re making the research breakthroughs we need to develop better treatments and a cure, transforming the lives of people with Parkinson’s, their families, friends and carers. Thank you to David and Jazz FM for their generous support.”

Jazz FM’s Content Director Nick Pitts adds: “Kid remains one of the greatest broadcasters of his generation. His enthusiasm still shines through, regardless of his battles with Parkinson’s, and his selection shows both his extensive knowledge plus his continuing curiosity in the jazz world today.

“He also uses the show as an opportunity to tell his stories of meeting the famous musicians and they really are some of the best: in the past he has regaled us with stories of interviewing Sir Van Morrison on a bed face down and how Gil Scott Heron chased after him down the streets of Nottingham to say hi, so we can’t wait to hear what stories we’ll get this time.”