Monday, June 15, 2015

FM dial scan highlights XXXIII

Five of the better tunes I've heard over the last five days:

KDHX 88.1 FM
  • Leave Me Be-The Zombies (Sometimes, one just needs to be left alone.)
  • Femme Fatale-Girl In A Coma (This reworking of a Velvet Underground tune gives it more of a kick and grabs the listener more effectively.)
WSIE 88.7 FM
  • U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)-Cyrus Chestnut featuring Curtis Lundy & Victor Lewis (All hail the rhythm section; any piano, bass, and drum ensemble that can sustain a groove like this for 8 1/2 minutes deserves the listener's respect.)
KWMU 90.7 FM
  • Four Brothers-Art Pepper (An ear-catching big band arrangement of a tune best known in its Woody Herman and Manhattan Transfer incarnations; this version stays faithful to the original, and that's a sound choice.  It was a pleasure to hear this on "Jazz Unlimited.")
KEZK 102.5 FM
  • Harden My Heart-Quarterflash (I never disliked this song, but I've come to appreciate it more on its own merits instead of just thinking of it as one of many decent early '80s hits.  Quarterflash's follow-up hit, "Find Another Fool," showcases the band's ability to rock out in a faster tempo.)