In memory of Sonny Rollins

Jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins had a long stretch of noteworthy recordings during his 95 years of life.  In his memory, these are 10 tunes I recommend:

• Best Wishes (Live) (Rollins's saxophone playing is joyful in this expansive uptempo tune.  I'm glad the audience was so appreciative.) 
• God Bless The Child (It doesn't surprise me that there are so many versions of this tune.  Its strong, thoughtful melody works equally well when sung or played on the guitar, piano, or, in this case, tenor sax.  This expansive rendition gives the listener ample time to hear Rollins's smooth, ringing tone.)
• How Are Things In Glocca Morra? (Rollins carries the melody on tenor sax perfectly, and Wynton Kelly's piano playing adds considerably to the song's atmosphere.)
• I Can't Get Started (with Roy Hargrove) (Rollins and Hargrove show that this often-sung standard works just as well as a saxophone-and-trumpet duet.  The tune's heart shines through in any context.)  
• Isn't She Lovely? (Thanks to the 45 my dad gave me when I was in grade school, this was the first Rollins recording I ever heard.  I was impressed by how skillfully Rollins converted this Stevie Wonder song into a saxophone instrumental.) 
• Lust For Life (The stairstep-style trumpet intro, and the way it sets the stage for Rollins's saxophone, made me hear, at an early age, what sets jazz apart from all other forms of music.) 
• Mambo Bounce (A hip tenor sax melody that would serve traditional jazz and easy listening playlists well; although it might be a stretch for some listeners, it could segue with Percy Faith and his orchestra's "Go-Go-Po-Go.")
• St. Thomas (Rollins composed this infectious Latin jazz rhythm and carried it off on saxophone, making it my favorite track of his.  Also recommended: Ron Carter's rendition, which shows how well the melody also works on the bass.) 
• There Are Such Things (One of several sax-based gems from the album, "Worktime."  For more uptempo fare, check out "It's All Right With Me.")
• Til There Was You (I've always liked the smooth sensitivity with which The Beatles covered this, but Rollins conveys a similar carefree outlook on the saxophone.)

Community Radio St. Louis highlights X

Five standout tunes heard yesterday:

Songwriters Showcase

• If Heaven-Gretchen Peters (These lyrics confront the uncomfortable reality that we can't all be on Earth with everyone we'd like to have with us at the same time.  They also, however, offer listeners comfort that there's a place where that reality is possible.) 

Folks Of The World

• Tata Dios-Linda Ronstadt (Ronstadt's captivating vocals convey lyrics about accepting one's fate--or at least not questioning it.)
• Paidushka-Basork (Every instrumentalist in this ensemble creates tension convincingly here.)

R.S.V.P.

• It Never Entered My Mind-Miles Davis Quintet (A warm, captivating rendition of this standard, due in large part to Davis's resonance on trumpet and the ambience of Red Garland's piano playing.  This could have segued easily with...)
• My Funny Valentine (Live At Newport)-McCoy Tyner (...Tyner's contemplative piano version of this standard.  Clark Terry's trumpet playing is key to the melancholy bent of this melody.)

FM dial scan highlights CCCIV

Five standout tunes heard this morning:

WSIE 88.7 FM

• All Blues-Nicholas Payton & Butcher Brown (An interesting rendition of the Miles Davis tune, released in February, with just enough of a contemporary sheen.)
• Hot Sauce-Randy Brecker (This appealing uptempo trumpet melody, released in February, should appeal to any rhythm section player with even a modicum of energy.)

KSHE 94.7 FM

• Using The Power-Climax Blues Band (Energetic idealism that isn't preachy.)
• Cruel To Be Kind-Nick Lowe (Lyrically, the tune expresses a philosophy that's questionable, at best.  It's extremely catchy power pop, though.  Sidebar: Bravo to KSHE for a unique spin on what would ordinarily be the station's annual Rock And Roll 500 countdown.  Letting 50-year KSHE veteran John Ulett play his 500 favorite album rock tunes is resulting in a fresher countdown with more surprises than usual.  When you've been with a station for five decades and have the depth of musical knowledge to pull this off, why shouldn't you be allowed to do this?)

KLOU 103.3 FM

• Head Over Heels-The Go-Gos ("Head Over Heels" and "Turn To You" are the band's two catchiest hits, in my opinion.  It's no coincidence that both tunes share a similar energy.)

Post-show music to enjoy

To cope with the withdrawal I'm feeling after the end of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," I've watched various performances by Louis Cato & The Great Big Joy Machine.  "Gratitude" is the song I think I'll miss most as bumper music.  It's sunny, brassy, accessible jazz and a welcoming way to wake up.  If "Gratitude" was playing on the clock radio, I'd think, "Well, that's one positive thing that has happened so far today."

Context? CDXXXVII

Although I enjoyed the festive atmosphere that Paul McCartney created for everyone with "Hello, Goodbye" on the final episode of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," I also enjoyed the appropriate lyrics in the Elvis Costello song before it, "Jump Up."  Considering the political climate in which Colbert's show ended, it was fitting that Jon Batiste, Louis Cato, Costello, and Colbert sing a song about the empty promises some politicians make.

Years ago, I wrote a poem.  In the center of the page, I wrote, "A promise is just a plan of the moment." In a circle around it, I wrote a series of promises that people make but often don't fulfill, such as, "I'll give you a call," "I'll make you a tape," and "We'll have lunch sometime."  I thought back to writing that poem as the quartet sang about being careful not to trust a supposed guarantee someone gives you. 

Quite often, people just say what they think works to their advantage in the moment or allows them a graceful exit from a conversation or a situation.  When people throw caution to the wind by taking the bait, the consequences are sometimes dire.  That's the situation this country is in now--and the one in which Colbert's show concluded last night.

An appropriate algorithmic tie-in

This morning, I called up the Aragorn Ballroom Orchestra's version of "Theme From 'The Lord Of The Rings'" on YouTube.  My father passed that 45 on to me in the late '70s, and it has remained a favorite instrumental of mine since then.  Despite what the ensemble's name suggests, this isn't your standard tepid, strings-sweetened easy listening version of a familiar tune.  The players really commit to it and give it every ounce of energy they have.  If you liked "American Top 40"'s mid '70s to early '80s closing theme, "Shuckatoom," you'll likely enjoy this, as well.

Fittingly, that selection triggered the YouTube algorithm to suggest a People interview with Stephen Colbert about "The Late Show" ending tonight and his plans for the future, which include co-writing a "Lord Of The Rings" script.

Here's wishing Colbert success with that script and all of his future projects.  Bravo to him for speaking searing truths to those in power.  Clearly, they have deserved to hear them via "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" since 2015.

Persistent earworm alert CDXXXVII

I've written multiple posts about my ongoing battle with dysphonia, which sometimes compromises my ability to speak.  After a recent setback with a botox injection in a vocal cord and cold and allergy issues, the song, "If I Only Had A Brain," which I've renamed "If I Only Had A Voice," has been on my mind.  At the moment, it has to stay in my mind, since I can't exactly sing it.  My regular voice has popped in here and there today, however, so I'll latch onto all the glimmers of hope I can.

Even when my voice comes back fully, however, I still don't think I'll sing it.  Even without dysphonia, my signing range has always been rather limited.