Night Lights Classic Jazz
From 1973 to 2004 the Dutch radio show “Tros Sesjun” broadcast live jazz every week, featuring artists such as Bill Evans in their late-period prime.
Wayne Shorter, one of the great tenor saxophonists and composers of the modern jazz era, is an enigmatic and searching musician and personality.
In the 1950s Cafe Bohemia was one of the most happening jazz clubs in New York—a club that caught the vibe of the city's thriving art and intellectual scene.
Wynton Marsalis is both respected and scorned as jazz's most prominent spokesperson. Yet in the early '80s, he was seen simply as a brilliant young trumpeter.
Many of Horace Silver's compositions, such as “Opus de Funk,” “The Preacher,” “Nica’s Dream,” and “Peace” have become jazz standards heard frequently today.
Art Blakey led the much-noted Jazz Messengers for four decades, and the lesser-known 1957 edition gave him one of his most diverse years on record.
This week on Night Lights I’ll be playing jazz from a new Miles Davis concert release–MONTEREY ’63, featuring the then-new rhythm section of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams…along with Mosaic Records reissues of classic hardbop J.J. Johnson/Kai Winding and Art Blakey albums… the never-before-released Ella Fitzgerald LOVE LETTERS, featuring the singer in small-group settings, with big bands, and with the London Symphony Orchestra…and much, much more. And I’ll be broadcasting live, because this is the beginning of…
Tenor saxophonist John Gilmore spent most of his career with Sun Ra and his Arkestra, recording outside of Sun Ra’s band on only a handful of occasions.
Sometimes when a great jazz musician dies, another jazz musician writes a musical tribute. On this Memorial Day weekend edition of Night Lights we’ll hear elegies for Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Sonny Clark, Clifford Brown, Billie Holiday and more, from artists such as Lennie Tristano, Bill Evans…
In the 1950s French directors turned to American musicians such as Miles Davis and Art Blakey to score the moody, cutting-edge films that they were making.
David Brent Johnson hosts the weekly WFIU historical jazz program Night Lights and Afterglow as well. Learn more »
Johnny Hartman, Blossom Dearie, Dean Martin and others help us pay tribute to the Indiana songwriter.
Afterglow is WFIU's weekly program of jazz and American popular song hosted by David Brent Johnson.
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