A collection that charts the softer (but definitely not the lighter) side of jazz,
Late Night Jazz Essentials all but deserves its title, including excellent selections by many of the best jazz artists of all time. From
John Coltrane ("After the Rain") to
Miles Davis ("When I Fall in Love") to
Billie Holiday ("Body and Soul") to
Herbie Hancock ("Cantaloupe Island") to
Dexter Gordon ("Darn That Dream") to
Johnny Hartman ("I Just Dropped by to Say Hello"), the disc moves from vocals to instrumentals with much care, and ends on a perfect note, with a version of the ultimate after-hours standard, "'Round Midnight," recorded by
Thelonious Monk and
Gerry Mulligan.