Afterglow

[ghost of miles]

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving The Big Bands to begin hosting the two-hour Friday-night program that follows it--Afterglow, a long-running jazz/jazz ballads/American-popular-song program. The show was created in the late 1970s and hosted for more than two decades by the venerable Dick Bishop, a jazz institution at WFIU, and a friend of Marian McPartland's (the name comes from a McPartland composition). Dick, who's still very active in the community, had a great voice (I call it "martini moon"), a bit of Rat-Pack-era sensibility, and great taste in music--the show always came off as a sort of hip jazz-for-lovers program. I'll be bringing my own approach to the show, but will try to retain its essential appeal--a late-night program where fans of both Kind of Blue and, say, Fred Astaire's Verve recordings or Julie London's Liberty albums can find common ground.

Tonight's program features Nancy Wilson's Great American Songbook anthology, a set devoted to the music of Jules Styne (I'll be doing one a week throughout the month in observation of the recent centennary), an early concert performance (1949) of "Lush Life" from the Nat King Cole Trio, Jeremy Pelt's take on Mingus' "Weird Nightmare," Betty Carter's recording of the theme from Dr. Kildare, Sonny Criss doing "The Beat Goes On," and more. Afterglow airs at 10:10 p.m. every Friday night; we will be archiving the programs as well. It's the same Listen Live link as Night Lights.

[ghost of miles]

Up for broadcast. Hope the chatroom doesn't get a hold of it...

[ghost of miles]

Tonight on Afterglow the featured CD is June Christy's June's Got Rhythm, a 1958 collaboration with husband and tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper, and a more uptempo companion to their other collaborative project, Ballads for Night People. We'll hear an adventurous treatment of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" and several other songs from the original album, plus one of the bonus tracks on the CD reissue--the Gershwins' "Looking for a Boy," taken from Christy's jazz album for kids, The Cool School. Other tracks this evening include Larry Golding and Madeleine Peyroux's new take on W.C. Handy's "Hesitation Blues," a "Mal Waldron Songbook" set featuring interpretations from John Coltrane and Waldron himself, another Jules Styne set--this one of his World War II songs--and Dexter Gordon's rendition of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." Afterglow airs this evening at 10:10 (7:10 California time, 9:10 Chicago time) on WFIU.

Next week's feature: Ike Quebec, The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions.

[ghost of miles]

Just wanted to let folks know that WNIN, the NPR member station in Evansville, IN, has picked this show up, and will be airing it every Saturday night from 10 to midnight, immediately following Night Lights (which now airs an hour earlier in the Tri-State area). WNIN's listen-live link is here.

This month's featured CDs on Afterglow:

March 3/4--Dianne Reeves, GOOD NIGHT & GOOD LUCK

March 10/11--Dick and Kiz Harp, AT THE 90TH FLOOR and AGAIN AT THE 90TH FLOOR

March 17/18--Nat King Cole, COAST TO COAST-LIVE

March 24/25--Lea Delaria, DOUBLE STANDARDS

March 31/April 1--Red Garland, AT THE PRELUDE.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I've been playing McCoy Tyner's "Nights of ballads and blues" and Phineas Newborn's "Please send me someone to love" a lot lately. Both wonderful albums for that sort of thing.

MG

[ghost of miles]

I've been playing McCoy Tyner's "Nights of ballads and blues" and Phineas Newborn's "Please send me someone to love" a lot lately. Both wonderful albums for that sort of thing.

MG

You're kidding--I just literally took that CD off my player. I'd been listening to it because I'm already at work on the 3/24 program.

Hadn't thought about the Phineas, but you're exactly right. The challenge with this sort of program is not to let it get too jazz-for-lovers-ish, to the point that people doze off. You have to throw in some curveballs, not to jar, but to tug... mix in some shadows with the candlelight. The program I taped this a.m. for 3/17 included Brad Mehldau's "River Man" from LIVE IN TOKYO... things like that, lyrical but a bit dark. Along with the usual Sinatra, etc. (Not that there isn't plenty of dark Sinatra...)

[JSngry]

(Not that there isn't plenty of dark Sinatra...)

When all is said and done, is there really any other kind?

[ghost of miles]

(Not that there isn't plenty of dark Sinatra...)

When all is said and done, is there really any other kind?

Guess you're right--consider, for example, the horror to be found in "Mama Will Bark."

[ghost of miles]

Tonight on Afterglow:

Dianne Reeves' Grammy-winning soundtrack to the Oscar-nominated movie, plus Chris Potter's take on Radiohead's "Morning Bell," a set of John Coltrane on Prestige performing Jules Styne tunes, Astrud Gilberto, Andrew Hill (new music from TIMELINES), Charles Tolliver, Bud Powell, Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan, and more. Afterglow airs this evening at 10 p.m. Indiana time on WFIU and 9 p.m. Central Standard Time tomorrow night on WNIN-Evansville. (World Clock here.)

Next week: Dallas jazz-duo cult Dick & Kiz Harp.

[ghost of miles]

Tonight on Afterglow we'll be featuring the music of Dick and Kiz Harp, a husband-and-wife piano/vocal duo who ran their own nightclub, the 90th Floor, in late 1950s Dallas. Kiz Harp, whose singing style was compared to Anita O'Day's and Sylvia Sims', came from South Bend, Indiana; she died at the age of 29 from a cerebral hemorrhage, shortly after the Harps' first album had been released. Another, posthumous LP was subsequently issued; we'll hear music from both albums, which have been reissued on CD by Bruce Collier, the man who founded 90th Floor Records in order to record the Harps (they spurned offers from several major labels because the labels wanted to record them with a heavy orchestral backing). (This autumn I'll be doing an entire show about the Harps for Night Lights, and it will include an interview with Bruce Collier.) We'll also have our usual mix of jazz, jazz ballads, and American popular song. Afterglow airs at 10:05 p.m. Eastern time tonight on WFIU and tomorrow night (Saturday) at 10 p.m. Central time on WNIN.

[Guest]

Looking forward to hearing your Cole broadcast. 'Coast to Coast Live is a great set (the WNEW one anyway). Incidentally, I just interviewed Joe Zito the other day who was Cole's conductor during this period. I asked him about the WNEW gig and he said they did a couple of those, hopefully more tapes will be uncovered. He did say that 'Nobody's Heart,' which he arranged, was supposed to be followed by 'Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan' as sort of a sad song medley (similar to the one at the Fresno show), but Nat cut it off after 'Nobody's Heart.' What have liked to have heard the whole thing, but 'Nobody's Heart' is pretty damn good on its own.

Here's to a great show.

Jordan

Edited March 18, 2006 by jtaylor

[ghost of miles]

Looking forward to hearing your Cole broadcast. 'Coast to Coast Live is a great set (the WNEW one anyway). Incidentally, I just interviewed Joe Zito the other day who was Cole's conductor during this period. I asked him about the WNEW gig and he said they did a couple of those, hopefully more tapes will be uncovered. He did say that 'Nobody's Heart,' which he arranged, was supposed to be followed by 'Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan' as sort of a sad song medley (similar to the one at the Fresno show), but Nat cut it off after 'Nobody's Heart.' What have liked to have heard the whole thing, but 'Nobody's Heart' is pretty damn good on its own.

Here's to a great show.

Jordan

Jordan, thanks for the backstory on that--very interesting. I used only the WNEW broadcast for the show; I agree that it's a more compelling program than the Fresno one. Let's hope that more of those tapes turn up!

David

[Guest]

Looking forward to hearing your Cole broadcast. 'Coast to Coast Live is a great set (the WNEW one anyway). Incidentally, I just interviewed Joe Zito the other day who was Cole's conductor during this period. I asked him about the WNEW gig and he said they did a couple of those, hopefully more tapes will be uncovered. He did say that 'Nobody's Heart,' which he arranged, was supposed to be followed by 'Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan' as sort of a sad song medley (similar to the one at the Fresno show), but Nat cut it off after 'Nobody's Heart.' What have liked to have heard the whole thing, but 'Nobody's Heart' is pretty damn good on its own.

Here's to a great show.

Jordan

Jordan, thanks for the backstory on that--very interesting. I used only the WNEW broadcast for the show; I agree that it's a more compelling program than the Fresno one. Let's hope that more of those tapes turn up!

David

I missed the show. Is there an archive?

[ghost of miles]

Looking forward to hearing your Cole broadcast. 'Coast to Coast Live is a great set (the WNEW one anyway). Incidentally, I just interviewed Joe Zito the other day who was Cole's conductor during this period. I asked him about the WNEW gig and he said they did a couple of those, hopefully more tapes will be uncovered. He did say that 'Nobody's Heart,' which he arranged, was supposed to be followed by 'Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan' as sort of a sad song medley (similar to the one at the Fresno show), but Nat cut it off after 'Nobody's Heart.' What have liked to have heard the whole thing, but 'Nobody's Heart' is pretty damn good on its own.

Here's to a great show.

Jordan

Jordan, thanks for the backstory on that--very interesting. I used only the WNEW broadcast for the show; I agree that it's a more compelling program than the Fresno one. Let's hope that more of those tapes turn up!

David

I missed the show. Is there an archive?

Yes. A bit behind schedule on this, but everything since February should be up and online in the next week or two.

[ghost of miles]

Web-page still in progress, but the programs are now archived.

Featured for March 31 WFIU/April 1 WNIN: Red Garland, AT THE PRELUDE.

[alocispepraluger102]

Web-page still in progress, but the programs are now archived.

Featured for March 31 WFIU/April 1 WNIN: Red Garland, AT THE PRELUDE.

does it have a page of past programs like the very classy nightlights?

[ghost of miles]

Yes, I'm sorry--here's a direct link to the archives. At this point it's looser than Night Lights, more of a mix program with a featured CD, artist, or sometimes a theme for each show. There are also a few modern/contemporary recordings making their way onto the playlists (I played our Internet hometown heroes Organissimo on one of the very first programs that I did); in any case, right now it's more of a "vibe" show than a thematic/historical one, hopefully good late-night smoking/drinking/wondering jazz, with a strong twist of GAS (aka Great American Songbook). Here's the April-features rundown:

April 7--Mulligan Mosaic Select

April 14--Songs of the Season (Spring)

April 21--Mark Murphy's HIP PARADE/PLAYING THE FIELD & Julie London's JULIE/LOVE ON THE ROCKS.

April 28--Blossom Dearie's 80th b-day and Cassandra Wilson's THUNDERBIRD.

Edited March 31, 2006 by ghost of miles

[alocispepraluger102]

Yes, I'm sorry--here's a direct link to the archives. At this point it's looser than Night Lights, more of a mix program with a featured CD, artist, or sometimes a theme for each show. There are also a few modern/contemporary recordings making their way onto the playlists (I played our Internet hometown heroes Organissimo on one of the very first programs that I did); in any case, right now it's more of a "vibe" show than a thematic/historical one, hopefully good late-night smoking/drinking/wondering jazz, with a strong twist of GAS (aka Great American Songbook). Here's the April-features rundown:

April 7--Mulligan Mosaic Select

April 14--Songs of the Season (Spring)

April 21--Mark Murphy's HIP PARADE/PLAYING THE FIELD & Julie London's JULIE/LOVE ON THE ROCKS.

April 28--Blossom Dearie's 80th b-day and Cassandra Wilson's THUNDERBIRD.

BTW the links for the 3/24 show are apparently broken.. I sent a note to our webmaster this a.m., and hopefully they'll be fixed tomorrow.

...great to know you are archived. hope to soak up a few on a rainy day. which programs are the strongest of this series?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Yes, I'm sorry--here's a direct link to the archives. At this point it's looser than Night Lights, more of a mix program with a featured CD, artist, or sometimes a theme for each show. There are also a few modern/contemporary recordings making their way onto the playlists (I played our Internet hometown heroes Organissimo on one of the very first programs that I did); in any case, right now it's more of a "vibe" show than a thematic/historical one, hopefully good late-night smoking/drinking/wondering jazz, with a strong twist of GAS (aka Great American Songbook). Here's the April-features rundown:

April 7--Mulligan Mosaic Select

April 14--Songs of the Season (Spring)

April 21--Mark Murphy's HIP PARADE/PLAYING THE FIELD & Julie London's JULIE/LOVE ON THE ROCKS.

April 28--Blossom Dearie's 80th b-day and Cassandra Wilson's THUNDERBIRD.

I was playing David Newman's "Under a Woodstock moon" yesterday. Some nice Spring things in that one.

MG

[ghost of miles]

...great to know you are archived. hope to soak up a few on a rainy day. which programs are the strongest of this series?

I thought the March 10 program, with the sets featuring Dick & Kiz Harp, turned out pretty well.

[alocispepraluger102]

...great to know you are archived. hope to soak up a few on a rainy day. which programs are the strongest of this series?

I thought the March 10 program, with the sets featuring Dick & Kiz Harp, turned out pretty well.

fabulous drinking music, my first listen was your recent king cole 1------with you and laz and NUR and columbia university and my huge collection and the bbc and a fabolus guitar program 9-12 on sunday mornings from DC, i desperately need to grow another set of ears.

[kinuta]

Thanks for archiving this and the Big Band site. Your efforts are appreciated.

If ever you decide to do an Akiyoshi-Tabackin BB set then I'll be pleased to help out with hard to find items.

[ghost of miles]

fabulous drinking music, my first listen was your recent king cole 1------

Thank you, thank you! That's just about what the vibe of the show should be... kinuta, yeah, I've been wanting to do a show on Akiyoshi's big bands at some point. Thanks much for the offer... I'll probaby take you up on it.

[neveronfriday]

Just wanted to let you know that I'm really enjoying your broadcast. I'm in this fancy hospital at the moment that's got single rooms with classy notebooks and free Internet access (and no, that's not normal in my country at all) and the broadcasts are helping me get through a lot of painful stuff. I think I've gone through your archives a hundred times. Faves so far have been the Cole, the Christy mix and the Ike Quebec one.

Thanks.

P.S.: I also listen regularly at home.

[brownie]

Just wanted to let you know that I'm really enjoying your broadcast. I'm in this fancy hospital at the moment that's got single rooms with classy notebooks and free Internet access (and no, that's not normal in my country at all) and the broadcasts are helping me get through a lot of painful stuff. I think I've gone through your archives a hundred times. Faves so far have been the Cole, the Christy mix and the Ike Quebec one.

Thanks.

P.S.: I also listen regularly at home.

Good to see this, neveronfriday! You're obviously taking the best medicine available

Get on well