"The Duke Pearson Songbook" on Night Lights

[ghost of miles]

Duke Pearson was a pianist, composer, and arranger who helped craft the sound of many of the Blue Note label’s classic mid-1960s releases. He had a gift for writing quickly and coming up with memorable melodies that could be bright, poignant, or Sidewinder-style funky; several of his compositions, such as “Jeannine” and “Cristo Redentor,” have become jazz standards. “The Duke Pearson Songbook” celebrates what would have been Pearson’s 75th birthday (Aug. 17) with recordings of his music by Grant Green, Joe Henderson, Big John Patton, Donald Byrd, and Pearson himself, including one number by his late-1960s big band. (A future program will explore that band at greater length, featuring interview clips from Pearson himself.)

"The Duke Pearson Songbook" airs tonight at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU and at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville; it will also air Sunday evening at 10 on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio. The program will be posted for online listening Monday morning in the Night Lights archives.

You can view Pearson's discography at the Jazz Discography site.

Next week: "I Want to Live!"

[Big Al]

Okay, I may have to break away from listening to the Max Roach tribute for this!

This isn't gonna cause me to buy stuff again, is it?

[ghost of miles]

Oh, I hope so!

But you shouldn't bail on Max--that's why we have the archives. (And with the new site, I can post the show myself, which means it will be up on Monday morning like clockwork.) I wish I could've done a Max tribute, but NLights is done 6-8 weeks in advance... I've been able to sneak memorial shows into "holes" a couple of times, but it's rare that I can do that.

[Daniel A]

Thanks for letting us know!

It also made me change back my avatar...

[ghost of miles]

"The Duke Pearson Songbook" is now archived.

[ghost of miles]

We'll be re-airing The Duke Pearson Songbook this week, but it's already archived for online listening. Airtimes and station links around the country listed here.

[Shawn]

Thanks man, I'll definitely be checking this out since I'm the resident Pearson FANATIC on the board.

[ghost of miles]

Thanks man, I'll definitely be checking this out since I'm the resident Pearson FANATIC on the board.

Cool--hope it's up to a Pearson fan's standards! I'm still planning to do a sequel about his big-band recordings that will incorporate some Pearson interview remarks (courtesy of a fellow board member and DJ).

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

what do u mean pearson interview? print or recorded? what do you mean? what are you talking about? how can we learn about this interview in its entirety?

[JSngry]

what do u mean pearson interview? print or recorded? what do you mean? what are you talking about? how can we learn about this interview in its entirety?

I'm sure this is not the same one, but here's a DB interview w/Pearson:

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

wow! thanks jsngfyr!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

hmm, they never recorded for Bob Shad and Mainstream? right?

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

bob shads grandson is the guy who writes all those whaky movies like anchorman and 40 yr old virgin- didnt know that! lol