ghost of miles

I've sent a message to our webmaster and operations person. In the meantime, you should still be able to access the "Support" page through the link at the top of the archives page. Obviously we are in dire need of support!

We are starting a mini-fund drive for the Night Lights archives, with a goal of raising $500 by Labor Day Monday, which will follow show #100 ("I Want to Live!"). If you listen to the program in the WFIU, WNIN, or Michigan Blue Lake listening areas & wish to make a contribution, I'd ask that you do so during those stations' normal fund-drives, pledging to the station while the program is on. However, if you enjoy hearing programs in the archives so much that you just don't want to wait, please go ahead! The archives are maintained so that listeners can hear the wide range of historical jazz programs that Night Lights provides at any time. In the coming months I hope to offer more programs that utilize interviews with jazz writers such as Larry Kart, Nat Hentoff, and John Gennari; support for the Night Lights archives will enable us to expand the scope of the show in this and other ways, such as wider national distribution for the program. If you chip in at the $60 level or higher, you'll receive a Blue Note RVG cd of your choice. I'm grateful to any and all who do choose to make a contribution; this board in particular has been extremely supportive of the show. (Also very grateful to those who've e-mailed me with program ideas and suggestions, or just to tell me that a certain link isn't working!) You can make a contribution here. Upcoming programs in September: Sept. 2--"I Want to Live!" Music from Johnny Mandel's score for the 1958 movie starring Susan Hayward as Barbara Graham, a real-life Gerry Mulligan fan who was tried for murder and executed in California in 1955, despite her protestations of innocence. Mulligan is just one of many stellar jazz musicians on the soundtrack. Sept. 9--"Norman Granz's Jazz Scene." Selections from one of the first lavish and limited-edition jazz box-sets, including recordings by Ralph Burns, George Handy, Charlie Parker, and Machito. Sept. 16--"Jazz Does Disney." Jazz interpretations of tunes from Disney movies, performed by Dave Brubeck, Sun Ra, Betty Carter, Sonny Rollins, and others. Sept. 23--"Red Trane." The late-1950s studio encounters of John Coltrane and Red Garland. Sept. 30--"When Betty Met the Duke." The scant but compelling discography of singer Betty Roche with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. ...and much more planned for October. And if you can't kick in a financial contribution to the archives, rare LPs and secret B-B-Q recipes are welcome as well! With much thanks and appreciation for all the help you've provided in developing this show, David

If anybody has a copy of this, could they contact me via PM? Thanks!

I've become more and more of a Murphy fan as time's gone on, and I'll probably do another show devoted to him later on--would sure like to come up with a theme that could incorporate Midnight Mood into it. ("Mark Murphy in the 1960s," maybe, or something along those lines; "Mark Murphy in Europe," perhaps?) I think I quoted Murphy during the program as saying that he found his early singing a bit "stiff," and in regards to the Decca recordings, I can definitely hear that at times--though I still enjoy them. I think he really hit his stride on Capitol.

This program is now archived.

This week on Night Lights it’s “Hip Parade: Early Mark Murphy.” Perennially-hip jazz singer Mark Murphy got his start recording for Decca in the mid-1950s, with albums that featured arrangements by Ralph Burns. Decca producer Milt Gabler, who signed Murphy, said he thought the vocalist “every bit as good as Mel Torme, and that the first record he’d make would scare Frank Sinatra.” Murphy went on to record three LPs with Capitol, utilizing the arranging skills of West Coast musician Bill Holman. Although none of these records was as commercially successful as Murphy and his labels hoped, they marked the start of a great career. “Hip Parade: Early Mark Murphy” airs Saturday, August 5 at 11 p.m. EST on WFIU and at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville. Michigan listeners can also catch it Sunday evening at 10 p.m. EST on Blue Lake Public Radio. The program will be posted Monday afternoon in the Night Lights archives. Next week: "When Russell Met Baker" on WFIU and "Not Afraid to Live: Frank Hewitt" on WNIN and Blue Lake.

Listed on Amazon as well.

Story on NPR Jim Sangrey or any other folks familiar with this outfit?

Archive of Dmitry's interview w/Walt Dickerson. Here's the John Dennis excerpt:

Even though I already have the trio sessions on the Mingus Debut box, I went ahead & picked up NEW PIANO EXPRESSIONS as part of the $2.98 blowout Concord sale... and am I glad that I did. This CD is wonderful to listen to. I'm going to hunt around for Dmitry's interview online. Man, I wish JD had recorded more!

To one of the most benevolent and knowledgeable presences in the online jazz community. Happy birthday, Lon!

More on Mr. Moto: Matthew--note Eric Ambler reference!

Reason #1,731 why I'm a liberal instead of a conservative--I'm more than happy to take Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert over Bill O'Reilly and Geraldo Rivera. Via Media Matters, O'Reilly and Rivera's take on why Mel's getting pilloried in the media is a much greater "evil" than Mel's anti-Semitic remarks:

Excited about this one, which came out this week... both for Peter Lorre and the cinematography (THANK YOU, MR. MOTO in particular was said to be an influence upon the look of CITIZEN KANE): Mr. Moto V. 1

Uncle Skid, thanks for posting the archive info--I was away from a computer yesterday. Candid/Mixed request duly noted! That 1960-62 period is one of my favorite Cecil periods. Kalo, I'd love to be on the air in Boston, but haven't reached out to any stations there yet.

How similar is the CD reissue to the Savoy double-LP ALL STAR SEXTETS? Track listing for ALL STAR SEXTETS: Side 1 Rockaway The Things We Did Last Summer SMTWTFFSS Blues Side 2 Le Sneak Ballad to the East Blu-A-Round Side 3 Lo-Ba BA-DUT-DU-DAT Sugar Dugar Side 4 SMTWFTSS Blues Jamila The Moors

I'm glad, Bentsy; especially happy to have listeners in Israel. White Lightning tells me that he posts the show in his jazz forum there. Actually, he may collaborate with me on one or two Night Lights programs in the coming year.

Not sure how much I agree with Dan W. here--I still think the Yanks' great 1996-2001 era was a result of Steinbrenner's being off the scene for a couple of years. Still, interesting to see somebody defending the Boss:

That's a beautiful post, Joe. Hope we can hook up in Indy soon (best scenario: Organissimo gets a gig at Radio Radio!).

Located THE GREAT BLACK WAY and am more than halfway through--and yesterday I blew through Thomas Merton's NO MAN IS AN ISLAND. I had to set the Miller aside, with intentions of picking it up again soon; sometimes there's a certain sameness to his style, or tone, that wears on me after a bit.

This week on Night Lights it’s “Jazz Advance: Early Cecil Taylor.” Pianist Cecil Taylor is one of the most influential pioneers of late-20th-century improvised music; as author John Litweiler says in his book The Freedom Principle, “One of the running threads in the story of today’s jazz is that so many of the advances first appeared in Cecil Taylor’s music.” Taylor’s musical universe, often perceived by mainstream jazz fans as a challenging, distant place, is thoroughly grounded in the music’s history; and his early influences ran from Dave Brubeck and Lennie Tristano to Horace Silver and Duke Ellington. We’ll hear selections from the 1950s albums that gave birth to Taylor’s career—Jazz Advance, Looking Ahead, Coltrane Time (Taylor’s only meeting on record with John Coltrane), and Love For Sale, along with a performance from the 1957 Newport Festival. “Jazz Advance” airs Saturday, July 29 at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU and at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville; Michigan listeners can hear it Sunday evening at 10 p.m EST on Blue Lake Public Radio. The program will be posted Monday afternoon in the Night Lights archives. Next week: "Hip Parade: Early Mark Murphy."

Here's a curiosity: Cut out of a 1973 TV special "We Love You Madly."

Ella sings "Street of Dreams" 1968

Lazaro, sounds great--unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to tune in, as I'm taking my wife out for a late dinner in celebration of her birthday today. You going to play anything off Buell Neidlinger's BLUE CHOPSTICKS? That's one of my favorite Herbie tributes outside of the HNP cds.

But... when I follow the tracking link, it says there's no info yet for this shipment. Which seems odd, if it's actually shipped... this mean it's still waiting to be picked up at Concord?