Monday, February 13
Night Train kicks off the week with music from some of this year's jazz Grammy winners – including Snarky Puppy, Samara Joy, the Generation Gap Band, and Terri Lyne Carrington. We also continue the February Dexter Gordon Centennial Birthday feature focusing on his legendary tenor battles with Wardell Gray, who was born on this date and is the subject of a special in hour two of the show. Our featured new release of the week helps get us ready for Mardi Gras – it's Delfeayo Marsalis's "Uptown on Mardi Gras Day". And we showcase the Getz/Gilberto Jazz Samba album that was recorded on this date in 1962 and a recent release from guitarist Nate Najar in tribute to that groundbreaking release.
Tuesday, February 14
Night Train joins Global Village and Strange Currency to celebrate Valentine's Day with a show devoted to songs of the heart. Highlights include selections from Chet Baker, Nina Simone, Shirley Horn, Etta James, John Coltrane with Johnny Hartman, Karrin Allyson (revisiting Coltrane's Ballads album) and Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Armstrong. It's also the birthday of saxophonist Maceo Parker (of James Brown's J.B. Horns fame) and trombonist Rob McConnell, so the show highlights the romantic side of their work as well.
Wednesday, February 15
Night Train marks birthdays of composer Harold Arlen and singer, songwriter and pianist Dena DeRose. It is also the birthday of Crescent City drummer Herlin Rilay, and we'll hear him on this week's Featured New Release from Delfeayo Marsalis in hour one and in a concert special in hour two of the show. Plus, music from albums recorded on this date from two great trumpeters – Lee Morgan and Chet Baker – and the first commercial recording of the Ellington/Strayhorn classic "Take the A Train", also recorded on this date in 1941.
Thursday, February 16
Night Train pays tribute tonight to composer Burt Bacharach, who passed away earlier this month, with some great jazz covers of his classics from the likes of Pat Metheny, Sonny Stitt, Stanley Turrentine, Erroll Garner and more – including a preview of an Elvis Costello/Burt Bacharach deluxe compilation due out at the beginning of March. We'll also hear more from February featured artist Dexter Gordon and from this week's Featured New Release from Delfeayo Marsalis. And we remember Jeff Clayton with music that he did as part of The Clayton Brothers band – including a concert special with the group from the Savannah Music Festival in hour two of the show.
