Ladies & gents, I’m about to put on “An American Prayer” by Jim Morrison, music by The Doors; it’s 11:55 at night. I will report when it’s done what it was like; I’ve heard it’s one of those albums you JUST GOTTA listen to after dark.
Any other suggestions?
Someone Else
Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon would be an obvious choice. Other good choices are Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, the soundtrack to Round Midnight, and (trust me) The Alan Parsons Project’s Eye in the Sky.
KneadtoKnow, I think I’m heading over to your place for a nightcap. Great selection of music. I’d put a Billie Holiday in with your mix, maybe the Silver Collection, because it’s mellow, and I like Ben Webster “dark” sound with Billie, especially late at night. (I do like Lester Young with her too, but earlier in the evening.)
For two years a while back, I did a late-night radio show on a local community radio station. It was known as being mellow, nocturnal, and occasionally depressing as hell. I have a few suggestions…
Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Sessions
Low: The Curtain Hits The Cast
Rufus Wainwright: Rufus Wainwright
Bjork: Vespertine
Lullaby for the Working Class: I Never Even Asked For Light
Bright Eyes: Fevers and Mirrors
The Blue Nile: Hats
Spain: Spain
Ida: The Braille Night
Mazzy Star: So Tonight That I Might See
Julee Cruise: Floating into the Night
Leonard Cohen: The Future
Tom Waits: Blue Valentine
Aria: Aria
Man, I miss doing that show. Maybe I’ll revive it again someday if I quit my day job.
When I’m just sitting around late at night, I tend to listen to stuff like The Cure or Depeche Mode.
This brings back a nice memory: As a high school student in the Cleveland area back in the 80s, I could always look forward, on Saturday nights at midnight, to hearing Funkadelic’s classic jam, “Maggot Brain” on WMMS. Me and my friend Matt would always sit around in the dark drinking beers and listening to it. Good times, good times.
I’ll second the Billie Holiday selection already mentioned: The Silver Collection on Verve. I’ll also throw these into the mix-
The Grateful Dead - Reckoning (all acoustic and mellow, mellow, mellow)
Cafe’ Del Mar - Volume 2 (electronica - you’ll be so laid back you may fall over)
Chet Baker - Chet (mournful trumpet)
I agree with most of those suggestions (particularly Leonard Cohen and Pink Floyd). I’d also suggest Skinny Puppy or Nurse With Wound.
I always liked the sound of Miles Davis “In A Silent Way” after midnight.
Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” also goes well around this time.
Tom Waits’ “Closing Time” and “The Heart Of Saturday Night” never fail either.
Lots of good picks here so far. My personal wee hours fave is The Gil Evans Orchestra’s OUT OF THE COOL, from 1961.
Great rich arrangements, heavy on the low brass…four trombones and tuba, up against only two trumpets and four reeds.
And in Johnny Coles (trumpet), Ray Crawford (guitar), and Jimmy Knepper (trombone), you have three of the most nocturnal soloists in modern jazz.
Thanks Ukelele Ike, for inspiring me to get out some old vinyls that I hadn’t listened to in a while. All of “The Birth of the Cool” followed by “Out of the Cool”: how can a chilly, blustery afternoon be any better?
I pulled out a Thelonious Monk album too, and that amazing Jazz at Massey Hall LP. I guess I should start buying some of these in cd form. I’ve been trying not to wear out my vinyls, but I don’t always realize how much I miss some of these old favourites.
By the way, I was under the impression that Gil Evans had once done a version of “Orange the color of her dress then silk blues” (or “then blue silk”, I’m not quite sure of the title). I have a Charlie Mingus on piano (!) version, and the second part of the title is given as “then silk blues” on that one). What I’d like to know is the title of the album with Gil Evans playing that tune. Thanks.
There’s a glorious duo version on PARIS BLUES, a dynamite CD from 1988 that features just Gil on acoustic and electric pianos, and Steve Lacy on soprano saxophone.
On vinyl, I have it on PRIESTESS (Antilles 1010, 1977), with George Adams taking the tenor solo…GIL EVANS: LIVE AT THE PUBLIC THEATER 1980 (Blackhawk 561-1, 1982), and GIL EVANS AND THE MONDAY NIGHT ORCHESTRA, LIVE AT SWEET BASIL (Gramavision 18-8610-1, 1986), also with Adams soloing.
It comes under various titles, including “Orange was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue,” “Orange was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk,” and just “Orange was the Color of Her Dress.”
By the way, PARIS BLUES is a great album for blustery afternoon listening. Maybe we should start a new thread for that sort of thing…
Edgar Varese’s Un Grand Sommeil Noir
The Doves - Lost Souls
Portishead - Dummy
Beth Orton - Central Reservation
The Tea Party - The Edges of Twilight
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Good Son
Especially if it’s ridiculously late, and you know you should go to bed, but it’s just far too nice sitting there with a glass of red wine, chatting with your best friends.
[sub](I miss you guys.)[/sub]
A must for late night listening is Astral Weeks by Van Morrison. It was recorded late at night and it has that kind of vibe to it.
Chris W
Sounds great to me, Ukelele Ike, you go ahead.
As a rank newbie, my new thread posts tend to sink like lead balloons.