Reuben Jackson Credit: Courtesy of Reuben Jackson
Reuben Jackson, host of “Friday Night Jazz” on Vermont Public Radio, announced Tuesday via Facebook that he is leaving the show in April. He has helmed the popular weekly jazz program since 2012 when he replaced George Thomas. Thomas had hosted “Jazz with George Thomas” on VPR for over a decade.
“Basically, I am leaving because it is time,” Jackson wrote in an email to Seven Days.

Jackson, who is a Washington D.C. native as well as a poet and jazz scholar, did not indicate what he plans to do next. His final VPR broadcast will be Friday, April 27.

The 61-year-old Jackson is the latest in a string of VPR employees to exit the station in 2017. These include former deputy news director Annie Russell, digital reporter Taylor Dobbs (who joins Seven Days in December) and president and CEO Robin Turnau. The last will step down in March.

“Friday Night Jazz” airs weekly on VPR at 8 p.m.

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Jordan Adams joined Seven Days as music editor in 2016. In 2021, he became an arts and culture staff writer. He's won awards from the Vermont Press Association and the New England Newspaper and Press Association. In 2022, he became a freelance contributor.

3 replies on “Reuben Jackson To Leave Vermont Public Radio”

  1. This is very sad to learn – Jackson’s beautiful voice, incredible musical knowledge, acute social consciousness and wry sense of humor make “Friday Night Jazz” a weekly must-listen experience for me and thousands of others. Will have to make sure I don’t miss a single show between now and April!

  3. A big loss. I was not a fan of the former host and currently do not tune in weekly. However, I tune in enough to say I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate Jackson’s eclectic style or should I say, choices, and frankly, he’s got that voice. Friday night Jazz also does not repeat ad nauseum on VPR unlike a couple other shows I used to listen to regularly.

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