25 years aboard the Night Train: tracing the roots of a riff

25 years aboard the Night Train or tracing the roots of a riff. 

Night Train's genesis was a 1940 recording, That's the Blues, Old Man by a small group of Duke Ellington sidemen led by Johnny Hodges. It later became the thematic riff in Duke's own 1946 composition, Happy Go Lucky Local. 

One of the band members on that recording was saxophonist Jimmy Forrest. In 1952, Forrest lifted the riff, placing it in an R&B setting, took the composition credit and had the first hit with Night Train. 

When Duke was urged to sue Forrest for taking credit for the tune, his response was, "I guess we'll just have to try harder."

Over the years, Night Train had many famed conductors steering it into bold new lands. One of the more influential was early rock and roll sax honker extraordinaire, Sam Butera, whose fame is derived from his lengthy tenure with Louis Prima. 

For 25 years, the Night Train gathered steam, getting faster, grittier and becoming more earth bound until it landed in the hands of James Brown, who lifted it up into the jet stream and that's where this version of the tale ends.

Jimmy Forrest -1952

Earl Bostic - 1952

Louis Prima and Sam Butera - 1957

Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery 1962

James Brown and His Famous Flames - The Tami Show 1965

This is the complete performance that made Little Mickey Jagger, whose band followed JB, go wee-wee in his panties. If you think I am mistaken, check out check out the Stones from the same show, then tell me it wasn't amateur hour compared to this explosion.