This week's Night Lights program pays a centennial tribute to the man trombonist Trummy Young described as "a bubbling gladiator" and whom fellow trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie called "the messiah of our generation":
Portrait Of Little Jazz: A Centennial Tribute To Roy Eldridge
The program focuses on recordings Eldridge made between the late 1930s and 1950s, including encounters with Chu Berry, Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins, classic sides with Gene Krupa and Artie Shaw, and some of Eldridge's Verve leader dates. It is archived for online listening..
To delve deeper into a truly comprehensive overview of Eldridge's considerable musical legacy, check out this weekend's 48-hour WKCR Eldridge marathon broadcast.