Night Lights Classic Jazz

A Winning Season of Jazz: Columbia Records in the Late 1970s

In the late 1970s Columbia Records’ jazz roster included artists such as Dexter Gordon, Woody Shaw, Weather Report, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Stan Getz and others, led by a label executive with a deep passion for their music. The program includes commentary from jazz producer Michael Cuscuna. Read More »

Recent Shows

The Last: Final Recordings Of Jazz Greats

In the final months of their lives, jazz artists have sometimes made recordings of great power and poignancy. This edition of Night Lights features music from Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Clifford Brown, Stan Getz and more.

Jazz fans are known for their religious-like zeal, but in the 1960s jazz sometimes became a PART of religion, providing the soundtrack for masses and other church ceremonies.

Night Lights pays tribute to the holidays in the mellowest of moods.

In 1929 two future jazz piano greats were born thousands of miles but just days apart. Both would go on to develop their art under the influence of Bud Powell.

In 1969 the 26-year-old German musician Manfred Eicher began what would become one of the world’s longest-running and most influential jazz labels, with a signature production approach that emphasized space and a roster of artists that included Keith Jarrett, Paul Motian, Chick Corea, and Gary Burton.

At the end of 1967 one of the most popular groups in jazz, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, disbanded. What did its star alto saxophonist Paul Desmond do next? Desmond biographer Doug Ramsey joins us to discuss the musician's last decade.

Drummer Roy Haynes' career reads like a roll-call of jazz history. Hear him with Lester Young, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and others.

One of the most successful producers in the history of commercial music began as a jazz artist.

Older stories »

Night Lights Blog

Remembering Janis Stockhouse Part 2

We continue our remembrance of the Bloomington jazz educator with former Stockhouse student Sara Caswell and Stockhouse's colleague Thomas Wilson.

Jazz artists and educators Natalie Boeyink, Rachel Caswell, and Lissa May discuss the life and legacy of the longtime Bloomington High School North band director.

Joe Bourne, the founding host of WFIU's long-running weekday afternoon jazz program Just You And Me, came back to help the show turn 40 with a live-audience broadcast.

A Quincy Jones tribute and remembrance.

David Brent Johnson remembers Indiana writer Dan Wakefield.

Two of the late singer's children stopped by WFIU to discuss their mother's life and music.

A musical and conversational remembrance of Bloomington singer Janiece Jaffe, who passed away on November 23, 2022 at 64. Jaffe friends and collaborators Dave Bruker, Peter Lerner, and David Miller discuss her life and legacy, and we hear some of Jaffe's concert and studio recordings as well.

More classic jazz sets on the way from Mosaic Records.

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Noon Edition

A Winning Season of Jazz: Columbia Records in the Late 1970s

Recent Shows

The Last: Final Recordings Of Jazz Greats

Sacred Blue: Jazz Goes To Church In the 1960s

Have Yourself a Very Quiet Christmas

Bud's Buds: Barry Harris And Toshiko Akiyoshi

ECM: Birth Of A Label

After Brubeck: Paul Desmond In The 1970s

Snap, Crackle And Swing: Young Roy Haynes

Q Is For Jazz: Quincy Jones

Night Lights Blog

Remembering Janis Stockhouse Part 2

Remembering Janis Stockhouse

Just You And Joe: Joe Bourne Returns For A WFIU Jazz Celebration

Quincy Jones Brought Us Together

Wakefield's Way: Dan Wakefield, 1932-2024

A Family Tribute To Janiece Jaffe

A Tribute To Janiece Jaffe 1958-2022

New And Forthcoming From Mosaic: Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Clark, Jazz At The Philharmonic

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