Night Train began as a jazz standard first recorded by Jimmy Forrest in 1951, built on an earlier Duke Ellington theme. Oscar Peterson made it the title track of his 1963 Verve album Night Train, recorded with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen. The album became one of Peterson's best known releases, prized for its blues roots and tight trio interplay. Short excerpts still circulate online because the groove instantly signals classic jazz, travel and nighttime sophistication.