Monday, August 17
Night Train marks birthdays of two stalwarts of the Blue Note label – saxophonist Ike Quebec, and pianist and composer Duke Pearson. There’s new music from Jerry Granelli (a tribute to Mose Allison and Vince Guaraldi) and the all-star Idle Hands lineup. And Night Train continues the August Charlie Parker Centennial feature with covers of his compositions from Curtis Stigers and Hilton Ruiz, and a special in hour two focusing on Bird’s groundbreaking Dial and Savoy recordings.
Tuesday, August 18
It’s unusual instruments in jazz this time on the Night Train. We’ll hear jazz harp (from Dorothy Ashby and Carol Robbins), sitar (on a piece from trumpeter Brad Goode), violin (Regina Carter from her debut album), harmonica (from two masters – Toots Thielemans and Howard Levy), oboe (Yusef Lateef), bass trumpet (Al Muirhead from an album featuring the instrument), alto flute (Herbie Mann), accordion (Richard Galliano), and kora and balafon (from the Kora Jazz Trio).
Wednesday, August 19
Night Train highlights standards from such Great American songbook masters as Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and Hoagy Carmichael tonight. For the August Charlie Parker Centennial feature, we’ll hear classic Bird compositions performed by Mulgrew Miller and Eddie Landsberg. And there’s new music from the 3D Jazz Trio, Kandace Springs, Swingadelic, Bill Frisell and reissues from Erroll Garner and Peggy Lee.
Thursday, August 20
Birthday salutes tonight to Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava, trombone pioneer Jack Teagarden, and bassist John Clayton (also featured in hour two in a Clayton Brothers concert special from the Savannah Music Festival). Plus new music from the vocal group Duchess, flutist Gerald Beckett, and clarinet and New Orleans trad jazz master Dr. Michael White – and Vincent Herring, Gary Bartz and Bobby Watson’s tribute to Charlie Parker for his centennial birthday. (And be sure to catch the comb solo in hour one!)
