Best jazz stations for late-night work

Late-night work needs music that sets a mood without asking for attention. Lyrics compete with the words in your head, and tempo changes break concentration. Good jazz radio solves both: mostly instrumental, steady, and deep enough that it never feels like wallpaper. Here are six that do.

The safest choice. Swiss public radio, no ads, almost no talk, and a programme that leans toward piano trios, standards and mellow swing. It never jolts you.

A public radio jazz service from the Pacific Northwest that plays the music's greatest hits in the best sense: Coltrane, Ella, Blue Note classics, plus newer players. Ideal when you want to recognise what you hear.

The Paris jazz station. A little livelier, with more vocal jazz and soul-jazz, and a French accent between songs. Good for the first, more energetic hours of a long night.

From the Scottish hi-fi maker Linn, programmed with an audiophile's ear. Fewer interruptions than almost anything else on this list.

Not strictly a jazz station, and that's its charm: New Orleans jazz, R&B and brass bands from a community station. Save it for when you need a lift.

When pure jazz starts to blur, switch to FIP. It mixes jazz with soul, world music and film scores, at the same calm volume.

Set a station in the morning and save it, so it's one tap at night. And if none of these fit tonight, roll the dice on the Jazz page for a random jazz station from anywhere.