Ella Radio - Straight-Ahead

Ella Radio - Straight-Ahead lives up to its name: no-frills, classic jazz programming that knows exactly what it is. It eschews fusion or smooth detours. Instead, you get hard bop, bebop, and standards - think Thelonious Monk's solo piano, Miles Davis's '50s quintet, John Coltrane's sheets of sound. The German announcements are minimal, respectful of the music. The playlist is curated by someone with deep knowledge; transitions feel thoughtful, not algorithmic. At 192kbps, the audio does justice to warm analog recordings. It's a rare Jazz radio Germany that stays so focused. You put it on when…