'60s On 6
- Walk Away Renee-The Left Banke (One of the best-written, best-sung, and best-structured songs about a relationship falling apart.)
- Jesse-Carly Simon (This was a bigger hit in 1980 than I realized. Although it isn't usually played on the radio now, I remember hearing it fairly often on KSLQ then. Simon's opening lyric, "Oh, Mother, say a prayer for me...," draws the listener in. The scenario she describes isn't pleasant, but her effective vocals and the song's unusual melody warrant repeated listening.)
- Growin'-Loggins & Messina (A realistic yet optimistic look at a relationship and its potential.)
- Serenade To A Cuckoo-Jethro Tull (A jazzy flute arrangement; it proves that not every album rock tune requires wailing guitars.)
- When She Was My Girl-The Four Tops (To my ears, the tune's easy groove and backing vocals are even more appealing than those of their slight-variations-on-a-template '60s smashes. This deserved comeback hit from 1981 deserves more airplay.)
- Turned To Blue-Nancy Wilson (Thanks to stations like WSIE and SiriusXM's Real Jazz, I've come to realize how strong of a vocalist Wilson is and how she sings with just the right amount of emotion.)
- B's River-Marcus Miller (A noteworthy jazz track from last year; Lee Hogans has plenty of room in which to shine on trumpet, but the listener won't fail to notice Miller's bass line.)
- Beyond The Sea-Bobby Caldwell (With source material this solid, Caldwell already has the audience primed to appreciate his vocals; a solid cover of a tune best known in its Bobby Darin incarnation.)
