Monday 12.29.25
SPECIAL: Night Train joins in with Global Village to celebrate International Cello Day. We’ll highlight jazz cello in hour one from Ray Brown, Akua Dixon, Oscar Pettiford, Helen Sung with the Harlem Quartet, David Darling, Quartet Indigo, and Wayne Shorter with a cello ensemble. Then in hour two, it’s a concert special with Quattro, which also boasts cello as part of its instrumental lineup.
Tuesday 12.30.25
SPECIAL: Against all odds the jazz big band has survived and even thrived a century after its first appearance, with a wide array of groups expanding the range of styles and sounds that large ensembles play. In this edition of the Night Train, we highlight music from contemporary big bands, including the all-female Diva Jazz Orchestra, the latest (and other Grammy-nominated set) from the Christian McBride Big Band, Latin big band sounds from the Airmen of Note and also the CCCN Jazz Orchestra with Hendrik Meurkens, 2025 Guggenheim Fellow John Yao & His 17-Piece Instrument, university bands from the University of Las Vegas and the University of Central Florida, German groups including the Frankfurt Radio Big Band (with John Beasley in a salute to Return to Forever) and the WDR Big Band (with some big band bluegrass), and an array of unusual instruments fronting the Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine.
Wednesday 12.31.25
SPECIAL: As we get ready to see in a new year, Night Train looks both ahead and back with two special shows. In hour one, it’s music to sweep out the old and welcome in the new with a New Year special from Jazz and the American Spirit. Then in hour two, we look back at a different ’26 new year – 1926 – a year of fascinating inventions and developments, and lots of great early jazz from the likes of Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and the first recorded scat tune from Louis Armstrong, all showcased on New Year 1926 from Club McKenzie.
Thursday 1.1.26
SPECIAL: Night Train kicks off the new year with a look back at show favorites of 2025. It was another eclectic year in jazz, and we showcase everything from solos and duos to large ensembles, 1920s tributes to modern sounds, great veterans to impressive debuts, and everything from ballads to bluesy, brassy, and Latin flavored titles. Join us as we kick off our January Feature looking back at the best of 2025 in jazz.
