Late-Night Autumn Warmth: Jazz Ballads for Chilly Evenings
Even though it’s still only September, the weather has already cooled down significantly! I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been enjoying the lower temperatures and chill in the air. At night, I’ve been leaving all the windows in my apartment open to feel the breeze and listen to the chirps of the crickets as I fall asleep. The chilly evenings also give me a reason to get all cozy and bundled up under a warm blanket with a steaming mug of chamomile tea. I think there is something so comfortable about desiring warmth, rather than trying to escape heat, the latter of which we have been doing all summer! So, to help you stay warm during these chilly autumn nights, Night is Alive has crafted a playlist to warm your hearts.
Lorca Hart Trio – Here’s That Rainy Day
When was the last time that you took a bubble bath? During the heat of the summer, a hot bath was probably the last thing you wanted to do, but now that we’re venturing into autumn, it sounds like the perfect way to relax. Listen to the raindrops patter on your rooftop while you lean back, relax and ease yourself into the warmth of the evening. Here’s that rainy day that the Lorca Hart Trio captures in their song from Night is Alive’s album Colors of Jazz!
WJ3 All-Stars – Cry Me A River
Sometimes I think it’s nice to lean into melancholy by listening to some sad music, like this song from Night is Alive’s album Lovers and Love Songs. The beautiful instrumentals provide a soft backdrop to stay up late binge-reading a book all curled up on the couch. Maybe you’re reading a tragedy, gothic or a romance and there’s thunder and lightning outside!
Harry Allen Trio – Seems To Me I’ve Heard That Song Before
For some reason the colder weather has got me feeling some deja vu recently. Have you ever experienced deja vu? It somehow feels both spooky and comforting, just like the chills of early autumn. A good friend once told me that experiencing deja vu means that you’re on the right path, that you are following your fate. Like this song, from Night is Alive’s album It Takes 3 portrays, sometimes it just seems to me I’ve heard that song before . . .
Bill Cunliffe, Martin Wind & Tim Horner – Border Widow’s Lament
Wind’s bass in this song, from Night is Alive’s album Border Widow’s Lament, sounds very haunting, hypnotic and gothic, like the early wisps of fall. Autumn is the favorite season of many because it portends harvest and Halloween. Have you thought about what costume you will wear for Halloween? It’s never too early to start brainstorming and planning.
John DiMartino, Joe Magnarelli, Wayne Escoffery & others – Gypsy
As the nights grow longer and daylight shortens, I can’t help but to think of wandering souls. Like the nomadic, free-spirited gypsies, autumn can be a time of rambling and roving. In this song, from Night is Alive’s album Old New Borrowed & Blue, Magnarelli’s wayfaring trumpet evokes a pleasant restlessness. Why not allow that restlessness to inspire a late night walk among the full moon and stars?
Check out this music and more on Night is Alive’s albums page.
written by Jacqueline Knirnschild
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
