Jimmy Forrest

Jimmy Forrest gained acclaim as a versatile tenor saxophonist whose signature achievement came with the 1950s recording of “Night Train,” a piece he adapted from the closing section of Duke Ellington’s “Happy Go Lucky Local.” During his high-school years in St. Louis he performed alongside pianist Eddie Johnson, the storied Fate Marable, and the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra. He joined Don Albert’s touring band in 1938 and later spent two years in Jay McShann’s Orchestra from 1940 to 1942. Moving to New York, Forrest worked with Andy Kirk between 1942 and 1948 and then briefly with Duke Ellington in 1949, after which he returned to his hometown. The success of “Night Train” made him a sought-after performer and led to a string of jazz-inflected R&B singles. His most notable later partnerships included stints with Harry “Sweets” Edison from 1958 to 1963, Count Basie’s Orchestra from 1972 to 1977, and a co-led quintet with Al Grey that continued until Forrest’s death. His discography features sessions for United—later reissued by Delmark—Prestige/New Jazz from 1960 to 1962, and Palo Alto in 1978.