No rough-and-tumble brass here

It amuses me that iTunes placed a C designation next to Michael B. Nelson's "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear," indicating that it's a clean, non-explicit rendition.  It's a big band instrumental, though, so I wasn't expecting anything objectionable.  That C label, however, makes me wonder if there's an explicit outtake in which a trumpeter plays a wrong note, throws his horn across the room, and shouts, "@#&*!"

Persistent earworm alert CDLXII

What music goes with a cloudy, muted Fall morning just after Halloween?  After stepping outside today, I'm convinced it's The Mitchel Forman Trio-Squared's piano-centered instrumental, "Patience."  It has that grey day feel with a side of tempered optimism.  When the tune become more commanding, I remind myself that it eventually returns to its central theme, which conceivably could accompany one's solitary ice skating session.

Community Radio St. Louis highlights XVI (Halloween edition)

October 31, 2006: I like that all of these Halloween decorations I displayed 20 years ago have a certain friendliness and aren't intended to scare anyone.

One Halloween Eve and seven Halloween morning highlights:

Dangerous Curves 

• Haunted-Dusty Springfield (An energetic 1971 release with relatable lyrics about holding onto someone's memory, set to a '60s Motown-style beat.) 

Musical Merry-Go-Round 

• Sounds Of Halloween-Nathalia (This is a good summary of Halloween sights and sounds.  I can imagine The Wailin' Jennys singing this; in fact, their track, "The Devil's Paintbrush Road," could segue with this.)
• Ghostbusters-Andrew & Polly (This is a fun cover of Ray Parker, Jr.'s hit.  Polly's suggestions about who to call before ghostbusters are quite logical.) 

Move The Needle

• Haunted House Boogie-Jack Rivers (This is from 1951 but could pass for a '40s arrangement.  The catchy piano, fiddle, and guitar playing enhances the vocals.  If I had played this on WEW, I probably would have segued it with Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie.")
• That Old Black Magic-Sammy Davis, Jr. (To me, Louis Prima and Keely Smith sing the default version of this.  Davis's rendition shows that it also works as a self-assured lounge number, though.  The fake-out in the intro is an interesting choice, as it could easily make listeners think they're hearing the beginning of "Sabre Dance.") 
• The Great Pumpkin Waltz-Vince Guaraldi (Echoing what I wrote in yesterday's post, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks a set of Halloween music should end on a reassuring note.)

Full Circle

• Valley Of The Damned-The Budos Band (This 2019 instrumental pulls off the unusual trick of sounding haunting and Celtic.)
• The Twilight Zone-The Ventures (Eerie guitar.) 

Limited tolerance for frights

This morning, I listened to a decently written and performed CBS Radio Mystery Theater episode.  It was about a husband and wife who buy a grandfather clock that turns out to be a portal to Hell.  Even though it was fictitious, it left me with a creepy feeling at the end.

While that indicates how well the script was executed, I think I'll stay away from any further frights through Halloween.  Life, after all, gives people enough scares without having to seek out fictional ones.  

There's a reason, after all, that I always like to end Halloween on a positive note by making Vince Guaraldi's "The Great Pumpkin Waltz" the last song I hear.

SiriusXM highlights CLXXXI

Today's standout tunes:

Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals

• For You-Scuff Selam (This bittersweet melody could segue with "World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies.)

The Covers Channel

• Espresso-I'm With Her (Hearing this Sabrina Carpenter tune recast with these three voices in an acoustic, folkier arrangement made the tune more to my taste.)

Deep Tracks Just Music

• Driftwood-The Moody Blues (The passage of time is undeniably difficult to accept sometimes.)

Escape

• Sailing-Romantic Strings (This Christopher Cross hit--his best, in my opinion--is ideal for this type of easy listening instrumentation.)

Jam On 309

• Dreams-The Allman Brothers Band (This is some convincing bluesy rock emoting.  With its compatible organ playing, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" by Blood, Sweat & Tears would flow well into this.)

Lo-Fi Cafe

• Alone Together-Jazzinuf (A warm piano part backed up with modern-sounding accompaniment.)

Real Jazz Just Music

• The Surest Things Can Change-Steve Wilson (Fanciful keyboard and saxophone with a mid '70s-to-early '80s vibe.)

The Verge

• Wheel-Living Hour (An honest acknowledgment of a relationship mismatch.  This is from 2025, but the guitar playing gives it a '90s grunge feel.)

Watercolors

• Dancing In The Sand-Steve Oliver/Peter White (Pleasant, upbeat smooth jazz guitar with vocal punctuation and a light tropical feel.)

Women Of Rock

• Talk Of The Town-The Pretenders (This isn't one of the most-played Pretenders radio tracks, but it should be.  Lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally, everything clicks.  A strong hook?  Check.  A sing-along chorus?  Check.  Lyrics that build well?  Check.  This should have been as big of a hit as one the band's other best tracks, "Back On The Chain Gang.")

Yacht Soul

• Breezin'-George Benson (One of the most refreshing, relaxing guitar instrumentals ever recorded and one of several reasons the "Breezin'" album has sold extremely well over the last 41 years.  Also recommended from the album: "This Masquerade" and "Affirmation.") 

Only in college CXXI

During my senior year, the first week of the new school year was a bit of a free-for-all at KCOU.  Ostensibly, there was a clear dividing line between the Summer and first semester DJ schedules, but it wasn't followed completely.  As a result, even though I wasn't scheduled yet, I went in twice during the first week to turn on the transmitter and do two impromptu editions of "Jazz Odyssey."  Before going on the air the first day, another DJ, Randy, and I were perplexed that music couldn't be heard in cue through the station's sound board.  In retrospect, we should have called the chief engineer.  I put on some music to play in cue, and both of us started punching buttons and adjusting levers until an ear-splitting blast of sound rivaling this one came barreling out of the speakers.  Somehow, one or both of us stumbled onto the solution.  

The next day, however, I was faced with the same problem.  Neither Randy nor I could remember how we'd inadvertently gotten sound in cue the day before, so we tried our same semi-random procedure--and were nearly knocked backwards once again by a blaring cacophony of notes.

"We're going to go deaf if we keep doing this," Randy remarked to me. 

Fortunately, I never encountered that situation again.  It was worth the momentarily piercing sound, though, to actually hear the music I was going to play before it aired. 

The elusive Halloween song segue

Since first hearing and later playing 9353's "Spooky Room" on KCOU in the early '90s, I've always thought of it as one of the catchiest fit-for-Halloween songs.  Decades later, however, I still haven't found a suitable Halloween indie rock segue for it that I'd want to hear.

Halloween music is challenging that way.  There isn't as wide a selection of it as Christmas music, and a lot of it is mediocre.  Like most genres, indie rock isn't known for its vast selection of compelling, non-novelty Halloween fare.  Shivaree's "Goodnight Moon," for instance, is a well-structured and well-sung Halloween track.  I never tire of hearing it, but it could never segue rhythmically or atmospherically with "Spooky Room."

I'll keep digging, but for now, I'll just enjoy "Spooky Room" as a standalone track.