'50s On 5
- Come Softly To Me-The Fleetwoods (Soft, tasteful harmonies; one of the best songs of the decade.)
- Don't Let The Rain Come Down-Serendipity Singers (It's interesting to imagine how the Muppets might interpret this fun folk tune. The singers, despite their concern, sound surprisingly cheery about the prospect of rain coming in through a hole in the roof.)
- Come Away With Me-Norah Jones ("Don't Know Why" and "Come Away With Me" struck a chord with so many listeners and started Jones on the path to considerable, well-deserved commercial success. Her breathy vocals on this track hold up exceptionally well after hundreds of listens.)
- Life Is Beautiful-Keb' Mo' (A comforting tune about appreciating life's positive aspects; Taj Mahal would likely pull off an equally effective version.)
- Pannonica-Billy Pierce (An effective faster sax-based version of a great Thelonious Monk tune.)
- They Can't Take That Away From Me-Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (One of the best versions of this standard; solid vocals, trumpet, and piano convey optimistic lyrics. John Pizzarelli's version is also worth hearing.)
- When The Saints Go Marching In-Monty Alexander (A good stride piano arrangement.)
- Use Me-Bill Withers (I remember hearing this great uptempo track for the first time in 1988. At that time, WMRY had an eclectic rock format, a 24-hour no-repeat policy, and allowed the announcers to choose the music. The guitar hook drew me right in, and for someone who's being used, the protagonist is clearly at peace with it.)
- The First Circle-Boca Livre (One of the most tuneful selections I've ever heard on this channel; its instrumentation, vocals, and melody bring to mind elements of Dori Caymmi's and George Duke's music.)
- Fernando Sor: Variations On A Theme By Mozart (Andres Segovia, guitar) (Knowing that Segovia played this makes it a reflexive recommendation. Also recommended: Segovia's "My Favorite Spanish Encores" album.)
