Sunday Night (American TV program)
Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, is a late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists. It was hosted by Jools Holland and David Sanborn, and featured Marcus Miller as musical director. Guests included acts such as Sonny Rollins, Shinehead, Sister Carol, Sonic Youth, Richard Thompson, Jo-El Sonnier, Joe Sample, Slim Gaillard, Elliott Sharp, Pere Ubu, Pharoah Sanders, and many others. In addition, vintage clips of jazz legends like Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, and Billie Holiday were also featured. The show also featured a house band of Omar Hakim (drums), Marcus Miller (bass), Philippe Saisse (keys), David Sanborn (sax), Hiram Bullock (guitar), and Jools Holland (piano). The show often allowed its guests ample time to explain the origins of their sound, meaning of songs, etc. It also provided a national audience for lesser-known acts (such as Arto Lindsay's band, Ambitious Lovers). Hal Willner was the music coordinator, responsible for the interesting musical mix-and-matching that took place on the show.
| Sunday Night | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Michelob Presents Night Music |
| Starring | Jools Holland, David Sanborn, various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 44 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lorne Michaels |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | syndication |
| Original release | 1988 – 1990 |
Cast and crew
| plays | 1988 1st lineup | 1989 2nd lineup | 1989 3rd lineup | 1989 4th lineup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| keys | Philippe Saisse | Philippe Saisse | Philippe Saisse | Philippe Saisse |
| guitar | Hiram Bullock | Hiram Bullock | Hiram Bullock | Robben Ford |
| drums | Omar Hakim | Omar Hakim | J.T. Lewis | J.T. Lewis |
| bass | Marcus Miller | Tom Barney | Tom Barney | Marcus Miller |
| Music Associate (keys): | Brenda V. Browne | Brenda V. Browne | ||
| plays | 1989 5th lineup |
|---|---|
| keys | Philippe Saisse |
| guitar | Hiram Bullock |
| drums | Omar Hakim |
| bass | Tom Barney |
| hand drum | Don Alias |
| Hosts: | Jools Holland |
(occasional piano or organ accompaniment) (frequent saxophone accompaniment) |
| Title | Name |
|---|---|
| Sponsor: | Michelob |
| Production companies: | Broadway Video, Inc. PRA, Inc. |
| Videotaped at: | Chelsea Television Studios, New York City |
| Director: | Dave Wilson (1988–89) John Fortenberry (season 2: 1989–90) |
| Musical Directors: | Marcus Miller (1988, 1989) George Duke (1989) |
| Producer: | John Head |
| Co-Producer: | Patrick Rains |
Episodes
References
- "Night Music", closing credits, episode 201 (1989)
- "Sunday Night" episodes 104 (1988), 113 (1989), 114 (1989), 121 (1989)
- Broadway Video, Distribution, Night Music, Internet Archive Wayback Machine, July 6, 2004
External links
- All About Jazz discussion forum, with detailed episode listings, as copied from Broadway Video defunct web site listing
- It was the greatest show on television, Thus Spake Drake blog, July 23, 2005, with production details, episode listings, and partial song performance listings
- Petition to reissue Night Music (Sunday Night) TV series on DVD or iTunes
- Sunday Night / Michelob Presents Night Music at IMDb