Monday 2.2.26
It’s National Ukulele Day and Night Train celebrates with some jazz ukes in hour one and a “Ukulele Heaven” special highlighting recordings from the height of the craze for the instrument in the ‘20s. We also mark birthdays of tenor players Stan Getz and Sonny Stitt. We kick off the February Feature celebrating the art of scat singing with one of the greats, Ella Fitzgerald. Our Featured New Release of the Week comes from vibes player and composer Vance Thompson. And we’ll hear the first Return to Forever album, recorded on this date in 1972, and music from Maria Schneider, just awarded the prestigious 2026 Rolf Schock Prize in Musical Arts.
(Global Village also celebrates Ukulele Day tonight.)
Tuesday 2.3.26
It’s the birthday of Lil Hardin Armstrong – pianist, composer and one of the musicians on “Heebie Jeebies,” the groundbreaking scat recording whose centennial we are celebrating throughout this month. We also mark birthdays of tenor player John Handy and tuba master Bob Stewart. We’ll hear more from our Featured New Release of the Week from vibes player and composer Vance Thompson. And in hour two, in conjunction with the February Feature, it’s a special that showcases some of the early scat recordings that followed on the success of “Heebie Jeebies.”
Wednesday 2.4.26
Tonight on the Night Train, it’s “Tenors of Our Time” as we highlight contemporary tenor saxophone players and contemporary releases from veteran tenor players. We’ll hear music from Roy Hargrove’s Tenor of Our Times album with special guest Stanley Turrentine, Bob Mintzer with the WDR Big Band, alto player Eric Person with tenor veteran Houston Person (no relation), the Joey DeFrancesco album that featured his first time on record playing tenor, famed tenor player Charles Lloyd with his modern Marvels lineup, a tribute to tenor legend John Coltrane from tenor man Dave Wilson, and tenor player Javon Jackson with music from the Lucky 13 album he did with Les McCann.
Thursday 2.5.26
SPECIAL: It’s National Weatherpersons’ Day and Night Train celebrates with a show devoted to their favorite topic – the weather! We’ll have some “Stormy Weather,” “Slow Hot Wind,” “Snowfall,” and more meteorological delights from legends and favorites including Nina Simone, the Red Garland Trio, John McLaughlin, and Wes Montgomery.
(Global Village also celebrates Weatherpersons’ Day tonight.)
