Monday 7.17.23
Night Train marks the birthday of pianist Vince Guaraldi (of Peanuts music fame) with music he did with July featured artist Bola Sete. It’s also the birthday of drummer Joe Morello (heard here with both Marian McPartland and Dave Brubeck), and baritone saxophonist Nick Brignola. Another July featured artist, drummer Philly Joe Jones, appeared on the underappreciated Blue Note debut of J.R. Monterose. And we have two Tims for Featured New Releases of the Week – pianist Tim Ray and saxophonist Tim Lin.
(Global Village also features music from Guaraldi with Sete tonight.)
Tuesday 7.18.23
Night Train heads down I-35 for music from musicians born in Texas. We’ll hear guitarist Herb Ellis from an album he did with members of Bob Wills’ band and Willie Nelson, Texas tenors James Clay, Arnett Cobb, King Curtis and David ‘Fathead’ Newman, sax and clarinet player Jimmy Giuffre, guitarists Larry Coryell and Zachary Breaux, and Crusaders’ members Stix Hooper and Wayne Henderson.
Wednesday 7.19.23
Tonight on the Night Train – birthday salutes to guitarist and much-in-demand session player Phil Upchurch (as a leader and with Joey DeFrancesco and Jimmy Smith) and singer Carmen Bradford (featured in concert in an hour two special). We’ll hear July featured artists Bola Sete, and Johnny Hartman (from the classic album he did with John Coltrane). And there’s new music from pianist Tim Ray, organist Jim Alfredson, and Brazilian pianist, composer, and arranger Antonio Adolfo.
Thursday 7.20.23
The National Endowment for the Arts just announced the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters (Greg Abate, Amina Claudine Myers, Terence Blanchard). In a special program tonight, Night Train showcases women who have been so honored. Since 1982 when the NEA program began, over 150 artists have been selected – of them around two dozen have been women. We’ll highlight music from those honorees – including Ella Fitzgerald (the first woman NEA Jazz Master) and singers Betty Carter, Carmen McRae, Abbey Lincoln, Sarah Vaughan, and Dee Dee Bridgewater; trombonist Melba Liston (one of the first female instrumentalists named an NEA Jazz Master); and pianists Carla Bley, Marian McPartland, and Joanne Brackeen.
