Night Lights Classic Jazz
One of my favorite Billie Holiday records is Solitude. Released in 1952, in my mind it's one of the singer's best efforts for Verve, curiously overlooked.
An iconic singer, a songwriter (or two) named Irene, lost love and inspiration, and a history-mystery of identity.
We'll hear collaborations with former Basie big-band singers Billie Holiday and Helen Humes, as well as a live version of some bop anthems.
Although there had been tribute LPs to other artists before Billie Holiday–Bix Beiderbecke and Fats Waller among them–the concept really took off in the two years before and after Holiday’s death in 1959, as six albums dedicated to the iconic singer…
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…
This edition of Night Lights is a salute to warmer weather with “Let’s Spring One,” including music from Ike Quebec, Thelonious Monk & Milt Jackson, Anita O’Day, Nat King Cole, Charlie Parker, June Christy…
Billie Holiday died in New York City at 3 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 1959–45 years to the day of this broadcast. In addition to Holiday’s music–”Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me,” from her little-known last album BILLIE HOLIDAY (recorded after LADY IN SATIN), “This Year’s Kisses” (with Lester Young), the vibrant early side “Life Begins When You’re in Love,” a moodier & spookier alternate take of her Decca recording “No More,” and other…
David Brent Johnson hosts the weekly WFIU historical jazz program Night Lights and Afterglow as well. Learn more »
In 1964 Dean Martin recorded a laidback martini-at-the-fireside album that included the original version of a song that would soon become his signature tune.
Afterglow is WFIU's weekly program of jazz and American popular song hosted by David Brent Johnson.
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