The Night Beat — National Piano Month

The Wednesday Night Beat with your host Doug Crane closes out National Piano Month for 2024 on September 25 at 8 p.m. with the Monty Alexander Trio’s album for Pablo Records “Monty Alexander in Tokyo.” Recorded in Tokyo in January of 1979, it features spellbinding solos throughout by pianist Monty along with stellar support from drummer Frank Gant (5/26/1931-07/19/2021) and bassist Andy Simpkins (4/29/1932-6/2/1999).

The first song I heard from the album was “Just in Time.” I was driving home in the summer of 1980 while I was still living in Columbus, Ohio listening to WBBY-FM, a full-time jazz radio station located in the nearby suburb of Westerville when I first heard Monty’s version of “Just in Time” from the album. Not knowing who it was, I kept listening and driving until the disc jockey Hugh “Zoot” Strider back announced the song.

As I was working in a record shop at the time, I bought the album the very next day. It served as my introduction to what a great pianist Monty Alexander is and remains to this day. And the rest of the album proved to be just as outstanding.

But what’s better? The 2004 reissue of the album on compact disc. It included three additional tracks with “Impressions” and “Nature Boy” among them. “Nature Boy” is the real surprise with an intro that borrows much from Al Green’s “Love and Happiness.”

I hope you’ll be sure to tune in for “Monty Alexander in Tokyo”, one of my “guilty pleasure” albums.

As you may have heard, KUVO’s Fall Pledge Drive begins on Friday. While you can always donate at the KUVO website 24 hours a day, this is one of the few times of the year KUVO likes to remind you that it takes cash to keep the station afloat. KUVO has been on the air for just under 40 years. And it’s been your money, cash, moolah, or whatever you choose to call it that ensures KUVO will be around for years to come. During pledge drives, I always like to use the word “invest” as I think it speaks to the KUVO’s dedication to the music you hear every day regardless of whether it’s jazz, blues, salsa, R&B, Brazilian, and much, much more. KUVO does its best to keep you up to date about musicians coming to town, and events you might be interested in and offers live music from its studios at RMPM by professional and student musicians plus much, much more. 

The Monday-Thursday Night Beat hosts rely on you for us to remain on the air.  Three of us are volunteers with over 75 years of service to public radio.  Regardless of when you pledge/invest in KUVO during this drive, please make sure to mention to the person you talk to by phone or in the comment section of the online form how much you value the evening programming on KUVO.  Thank you for your continued support! —Doug Crane

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