Jimmy Forrest

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Jimmy Robert Forrest Jr. (January 24, 1920 - August 26, 1980) was a jazz musician who played tenor saxophone throughout his career. He is famous for his first solo recording of "Night Train," with its irresistible hook and classic tenor solo. He recorded frequently as both a side man and leader. "Bolo Blues" was his other major hit.

Forrest was born in St. Louis and played with the legendary Fate Marable as a young man. He was with Jay McShann in 1940-42 and with Andy Kirk from 1942-48, when he joined Duke Ellington. After his solo career, he played in small combos with Harry "Sweets" Edison and Al Grey as well as appearing with Count Basie.

"Night Train" became a standard, and has been recorded by many jazz and blues musicians since, with notable versions by James Brown and Oscar Peterson and Top 40 version by Buddy Morrow's big band.

"Night Train" has a long and complicated history. The familiar opening riff was first recorded in 1940 by a small group led by Johnny Hodges under the title "That's the Blues, Old Man". Hodges was a member of Duke Ellington's Orchestra. Ellington used the riff as the opening and closing theme to a longer-form composition "Happy-Go-Lucky Local" that was itself one of four parts of Deep South Suite.

Forrest was part of the band and played the tune, which has a long tenor saxophone break in the middle. In 1951, after leaving Ellington, Forrest recorded "Night Train" on United Records in 1951 and had a major rhythm and blues hit. "Night Train" employs the same riff, but in a much earthier fashion, more rhythmic and less harmonically sophisticated. Forrest inserted his own solo over a stop-time rhythm not used in the Ellington composition. He certainly put his own stamp on the song, but the relation to the earlier compositions is obvious.

Forrest's solo on "Night Train", like the "Flying Home" solo by Illinois Jacquet and the solo on "Harvard Blues" by Don Byas is usually preserved in cover versions and played by others much as on the original recording.

Forrest performed in bands led by Ellington, Count Basie, Andy Kirk, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. He co-led a quintet with trombonist Al Grey and recorded albums for several different labels as a leader.