Sweet & Swing

The programme begins shortly after the conclusion of the previous music slot at 9:00 pm. Howard Caine commences each episode with the greeting "A very good evening to you"[1] and then proceeds to play the show's theme tune, Slow Train Blues by Eric Winstone.[1]

The show uses various features in the form of mini series. During its 2017 autumn-to-Christmas run, the main content was entitled Hits of the Blitz, comprising solo artists and renowned acts such as Flanagan and Allen. A new and popular dimension to the show during its spring run of 2018 was a 'Guess-the-year' feature, recalling music and news with the listener invited to recall which particular year was being referred to.

Following the death of the show's creator, a regular feature during the spring run of 2018 was devoted to Jim Caine's personal recollections. Paying tribute, the snippets recalled a personal critique of the band leaders and solo artists who had featured during previous editions of the show.

Another regular feature of the playlist is what Howard Caine refers to as a "twofah", i.e. two-for-the-price-of-one, where two recordings from a particular artist or dance band are played in succession.

The broadcast generally ends with Howard Caine reviewing certain aspects of that particular night's show, whilst Slow Train Blues fades in the background.[1] The edition is then available on the Manx Radio website to be listened to again for the following seven days.[1]

The presentational style of the programme is light-hearted, educational and informative. The programme has listeners as far away from the Isle of Man as the Philippines and New Zealand.[1]

While Manx Radio is a commercial radio station, Sweet & Swing is not interrupted by the playing of commercials. However for a time from September 2022 the show was sponsored by a Manx-based vintner.

Until 2016, the 'Featured Artist' segment comprised the main content of the show. 'Featured Artist' would be recorded at the home of Jim Caine,[1] referred to by his co-presenter as "The Maestro"[1] due to his encyclopaedic knowledge of the artists and songs of the Sweet & Swing era, and would encompass a montage of previous recollections from Jim Caine concerning various artists.

Howard Caine would often refer to Jim Caine's house as either "Music Man HQ," "Maestro HQ" or "Maestro Towers" and until the change in format would begin that particular segment of the show with a brief résumé of the past week's weather before that week's chosen artist was revealed.[1]

Numerous artists have featured over the history of the show,[1] some of whom were known personally to Jim Caine (an accomplished jazz musician and raconteur in his own right). Such artists which have been featured include a diverse mix of repertoire ranging from the sounds of Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Ray Noble, Harry Roy, Geraldo, Tommy Dorsey, Ambrose, Ted Heath and Jack Hylton, through the swing era to the modern era with the likes of the Pasadena Roof Orchestra and The RAF Squadronaires.[1]

Solo artists also featured, including performers such as Vera Lynn and Al Bowlly.[1]

Of particular renown was the work of Joe Loss[1] who spent several seasons playing at the Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man during the 1950s. Another artist performing in Douglas during the immediate post-war years, and who was also acquainted with Jim Caine, was Ivy Benson. Later Bud Freeman became known to Jim Caine, with Freeman staying at the family home where he was introduced to the young Howard. Said to have been a keen player of the game Scrabble, Bud Freeman also left a token to the family consisting of one of his coats. The coat has been kept for posterity and is referred to as the "Bud Coat". Also known to the presenters was Humphrey Lyttleton, who would receive Manx kippers from Jim Caine.[1]