As host of France Musique’s daily jazz show Au Cœur du Jazz, Nicolas Pommaret has the ear of millions of jazz fans across the country.
I caught up with him to talk about his journey to national radio, how he selects music, and how musicians can best get their music heard.
Stay tuned for some great insight on his part, including:
- Building the ‘menu’ of a daily jazz show
- Why CD is still preferred over digital for many media people
- How to pitch new music—hint, not via social media!
Thanks for joining me, Nicolas! Could you start by sharing a little about your background and how you got into music and radio?
Absolutely. I’m a musician first—I trained as a classical pianist at the conservatory in Valence, and later became a tubist.
Though I don’t play professionally these days, music has always been at the heart of what I do.
On the radio side, I’ve always been passionate about it. As a teenager, I was already tuning in to stations like Radio France, which wasn’t very typical for someone my age!
About a dozen years ago, I got involved with a local community station and created a show called Déclectic Jazz. It ended up being broadcast on around 40 stations in France and even internationally, including in Chicago and Vancouver.
That show eventually led to my current role with France Musique.
For those unfamiliar, how would you describe France Musique and your show’s place within it?
France Musique is part of Radio France, the country’s main public broadcasting group.
The station is dedicated to music of all kinds, and jazz has a special place—there are two hours of jazz every day, from 6–8 p.m.
My show, Au Cœur du Jazz, airs live Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. It focuses on new releases and current events in the jazz world, mostly French but not exclusively.
We feature a new album each day, and once a week we invite guests into the studio to discuss their projects.
How do you choose which albums and artists to feature?
It’s a bit like cooking—I go to the market and see what’s fresh. I try to build a “menu” for each show, with a common thread: maybe around a sound, an instrument, or a theme.
While I have personal tastes, I don’t just feature what I like most. My goal is to highlight what’s interesting and representative of the scene. That means balancing different styles, generations, and also paying attention to diversity in terms of gender and background.
With so much music out there, how do you manage your listening?
I listen at home, often with headphones. I receive a lot of digital submissions, but I still prefer physical CDs—they’re tangible, easier to organise, and I don’t lose track of them like I might with links buried in emails.
Once I listen to a CD, it gets moved to a different section on my shelf so I can track what’s been heard and prioritised. It’s old-school, but effective.
Do you listen to full albums?
I try to, especially knowing how much time and emotion goes into making them. But of course, I sometimes skip ahead if something really doesn’t fit the editorial line of the show.
Still, I make an effort, because I know it matters to the musicians.
What’s your advice to musicians who are promoting themselves?
The best thing is to send a concise, clear email to my official email at Radio France.
Don’t rely on social media messages—they get lost or forgotten. If I’m interested, I’ll suggest you send a CD or a promo link.
If you were releasing a new jazz album today, how would you go about promoting it?
If I were a musician, I’d probably turn to a good PR agent. It helps build trust with media like us.
If that’s not an option, just write directly with a well-organised message, like I mentioned.
Keep it professional and to the point.
Any upcoming events people should know about?
Right now, the show runs daily from our Paris studio.
Our next live broadcast on location will be at the Jazz sous les Pommiers festival in Coutances on May 29–30, 2025.
Big thanks to Nicolas for taking the time to answer these questions! You can tune into his show live, or check out the past playlists, via the Radio France website and app. It’s a great window into the world of jazz!