The Bridge
- St. Judy's Comet-Paul Simon (A gentle way to prod one's children to go to sleep.)
- El Paso-Jack Jezzro (It's more than a novelty song or commercial jingle for tacos; Jezzro proves that it's also a credible guitar instrumental.)
- Circles-Atlantic Starr (A groove that lives up to its name, with lyrics that capture what it feels like to ponder a weighty decision.)
- Be My Baby-The Ronettes (As I wrote previously about "Superstar" by The Carpenters, I've always thought the word, "baby," when referring to anyone, should be used sparingly in lyrics. This is one time when it worked and resulted in a sing-along pop smash.)
- Sukiyaki-A Taste Of Honey (Silky vocals; it's not surprising that this ballad was a big hit in 1981.)
- Flowers For A Lady-Charles Mingus (A tune written by tenor saxophonist George Adams that cooks; it allows the trumpet, tenor sax, and piano to stretch out on their solos, with bass support all the while from Mingus.)
- People Get Ready-The Impressions (Lyrics of hope and salvation that command respect. The Persuasions recorded an excellent a cappella version of it.)
- Reunion-Jonathan Butler (This tropical-flavored guitar instrumental segues well with Butler's "High Tide.")
