# Late at night music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023 "2001-10-23T03:56:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![someone\_else](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@someone\_else](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/someone_else)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/1 "2001-10-23T03:56:28Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/2 "2001-10-23T04:06:05Z")
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_. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/3 "2001-10-23T04:51:37Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/4 "2001-10-23T06:33:31Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/5 "2001-10-23T08:01:21Z")
When I’m just sitting around late at night, I tend to listen to stuff like The Cure or Depeche Mode. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/6 "2001-10-23T12:57:40Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/7 "2001-10-23T13:03:23Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/8 "2001-10-23T13:22:13Z")
I agree with most of those suggestions (particularly Leonard Cohen and Pink Floyd). I’d also suggest Skinny Puppy or Nurse With Wound. ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/9 "2001-10-23T17:13:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/10 "2001-10-23T17:32:13Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/11 "2001-10-26T00:46:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/12 "2001-10-26T02:58:15Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/13 "2001-10-26T03:01:02Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/14 "2001-10-26T03:12:07Z")
**Edgar Varese’s** _Un Grand Sommeil Noir_ ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/15 "2001-10-26T03:51:46Z")
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] ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/16 "2001-10-26T04:03:03Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/late-at-night-music/89023/17 "2001-10-26T04:05:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*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… \*\* Sounds great to me, Ukelele Ike, you go ahead.🙂 As a rank newbie, my new thread posts tend to sink like lead balloons.