Alt Country-Americana
- I'm A Memory-Sara Watkins (Watkins handles Willie Nelson's song deftly, singing "Cloooooose your eyes, I'm a memory," with absolute conviction. Also recommended from her strong "Sun Midnight Sun" CD: "You And Me" and "The Foothills," a brisk romp of an instrumental that meshes bluegrass and Celtic sensibilities effectively.)
- Dying To Live-Rich Aucoin (The stark piano arrangement and recurring, minimalist vocals make this an effective track, especially for middle-of-the-night listening. The song's general feel reminds me of The Guess Who's "Sour Suite" and Elvis Costello's "In The Darkest Place.")
- Where Are You Now?-Jenny Mayhem & The Fuzz Orchestrator (Dreamy, spacy vocals in a good track from last year; the tune would flow well before or after The Ocean Blue's "Blow My Mind" or after "Waltzing Back" by The Cranberries.)
- Try A Little Tenderness-Otis Redding (Exceptionally effective emoting; there's a reason this song has been played for decades.)
- Canada In Springtime-The Free Design (A choral group with a sunny, idealistic outlook, as demonstrated on this track and others, such as "Chorale," "Ivy On A Windy Day," and "The Proper Ornaments.")
- I Am Sad-Kate Rusby (Rusby's beautiful voice makes a plaintive song more poignant and an optimistic one all the more upbeat. Also recommended: "Planets," "Sir Eglamore," and "Annan Waters.")
- Long Ride Home-Patty Griffin (Griffin is a consistently strong lyricist, as "Long Ride Home" illustrates. Also recommended: "Rain," which is possibly her most effective, heart-wrenching song.)
- Winnie Hayes' Jig/The Lonesome Jig-John Williams (A welcoming Celtic medley.)
- Up Above My Head (I Hear Music In The Air)-Ruthie Foster (If you think a large choir is essential for gospel music to be uplifting, Foster presents a compelling counterargument here.)
- Choro-Aquiles Baez (An enjoyable piece to play for a clarinetist, I'd imagine.)
- Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major (London Philharmonic/Marin Alsop, conductor) (I'm inclined to recommend any rendition of this symphony simply on the strength of the piece. I'm glad that I heard this version before recommending it, as it's well worth repeated listening. The London Philharmonic's performance of the symphony's final movement is particularly spirited.)
- Antonin Dvorak: Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Jiri Belohlavek, conductor; Alisa Weilerstein, cello) (A gripping, lyrical piece, played with considerable feeling.)
- I Thought About You-The Four Freshmen & Jo Stafford (A combination that works in harmony; I would've played this on WEW.)
