Shuffling the tunes in my iTunes library produced the following recent results:
1. A Baby Just Like You-John Denver
(This doesn't receive a lot of airplay today, but it's a thoughtful tribute to Denver's son, tied in with the wonder of Christmas.)
2. Deeper Shade Of Soul-Urban Dance Squad
(One of the more accessible rap tracks; a cover tune that shows how sampling should be done.)
3. Don't Ever Leave Me-Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden
(One of 2010's best jazz releases, and this elegant piano and bass rendition is a key reason why. The world lost a great jazz bassist in Haden in July. His "Haunted Heart" and "Always Say Goodbye" CDs are strongly recommended.)
4. You Belong To Me-The Waking Hours
(There's a late '50/early '60s influence on the vocals here. This longtime indie band deserves more national attention. Their song, "123," was used on "How I Met Your Mother," deservedly, but "I'm Falling Down," "What You Don't Know," and "December Sun" should have been hits.)
5. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing-Take 6
(An excellent vocal rendering of one of the most forceful carols. I saw Take 6 open for Al Jarreau in 1989, and it's a concert I wish I could relive. "Gold Mine," "Spread Love," and "Get Away, Jordan" are among the group's best work.)
6. Not California-Hem
(Hem consistently turns out well-crafted, well-sung gems from the heart, such as this one.)
7. More Today Than Yesterday-Kermit Ruffins
(A swingin' big band/vocal take on the Spiral Starecase--Yes, that's how the band spells its name--hit.)
8. These Are The Fables-The New Pornographers
(Not a great name for a band, but Neko Case's vocals on this 2005 track hold up well.)
9. You'll Remember-Patty Griffin
(An appropriately sparse arrangement, given the reflective nature of the lyrics--a compelling, soulful voice and an unobtrusive upright bass.)
10. Silent Night-Roger Williams
(This piano-and-strings arrangement is a throwback to a time when easy listening music was more prevalent.)
11. That's The Way It Goes-The Manhattan Transfer
(See my previous posts, "Saying it all in less than three minutes" and "In memory of Tim Hauser.")
12. The Art Of Virtue-Adrienne Young
(Benjamin Franklin has never sounded so contemporary.)
13. Someday, Someway ("Driving And Dreaming" EP version)-Marshall Crenshaw
(A slowed-down arrangement of Crenshaw's excellent 1982 hit; the original and demo versions are still the two best ones, but this is also welcome. It's puzzling that Crenshaw hasn't had more chart success, considering all of the radio-friendly songs he writes; "Whenever You're On My Mind," "Mary Anne," "Cynical Girl," and "You're My Favorite Waste Of Time," at a minimum, should have been hits.)
14. This Is Going To Stop-GrooveLily
(Val Vigoda sings this moving account of a relationship, from its beginning to its wistful end, with full conviction.)
15. O Come O Come Emmanuel-Sufjan Stevens
(A plaintive piano instrumental of this Advent hymn.)
16. You're My Favorite Waste Of Time-Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
(As I said in my review of track 13...)
17. These Days-The Waking Hours
(A more uptempo track than "You Belong To Me" that brings to mind The Who's "The Kids Are Alright." Those who like the feel of the band's song, "123," will probably like this one, although the outlook in these lyrics is grim.)
18. Acapulco (Sunrise)-The Explorers Club
(A short, pleasant instrumental interlude that lives up to its name. "Run Run Run" is another standout track from the CD, "Grand Hotel.")
19. Weight Of The World-GrooveLily
(Here comes the light at the end of the tunnel. See my previous post, "- to +.")
20. Our Own Place And Time-Grey Eye Glances
(Vocally and lyrically compatible with GrooveLily. This is one of the better original Christmas songs. "Let's just say that it's been quite a year." In a word, yes.)
21. Spain-Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
(One of my favorite songs to play during my high school jazz band days. It's difficult not to get caught up in the Spanish feel of this track, regardless of which instrument you play. One of Chick Corea's best tracks.)
22. The Bells Of Bethlehem-Charlie Byrd
(A beautiful, memorable Christmas guitar instrumental.)
23. Down By The Riverside-Charlie Haden & Hank Jones
(A tasteful piano-and-bass rendition.)
24. In My Hands-Natalie MacMaster
(I've always liked this spoken/sung Celtic track that ostensibly describes a violin.)
25. Samba da Volta-Toquinho & Vinicius de Moraes
(A breath of fresh air from Brazil; thanks to KDHX's "Radio Rio" for bringing this track to my attention.)
26. Nucleus-The Alan Parsons Project
(We have liftoff. Now, we're floating in space.)
27. Night Train-The Scofflaws
(One of the best arrangements of this jazz standard, complete with spoken shout-outs to various reggae and ska giants.)
28. Gabriel's Mother's Hiway Ballad #16 Blues-Paul Stookey
(One-third of Peter, Paul & Mary produced an excellent album, "Paul And...," from which this is taken.)
29. Driving Home For Christmas-Michael Ball
(The lyrics convey the warmth and happiness people generally feel when driving home for Christmas. WRTH is the only station on which I've heard this.)
30. A Surfeit Of Lampreys-Fairport Convention
(An unconventional song title for this catchy, Celtic-flavored, electric instrumental.)
31. Long Journey-Sarah Jarosz
(A standout track from Jarosz's strong debut CD. Not surprisingly, Jarosz has lived up to the bright future promised on her first release. "Build Me Up From Bones" builds impressively on the sentiments expressed in this song.)
