KXCI (Tucson, AZ)
- Aht Uh Mi Hed-Shuggie Otis (Considering how easily his music fit in with the '70s pop and R&B scenes, it's surprising that Otis didn't have commercial success. Also recommended: "Strawberry Letter 23," which was a hit for The Brothers Johnson.)
- What Cha' Gonna Do For Me-Chaka Khan (Khan takes a good Ned Doheny/Average White Band album track to the next level. Her vocals soar over strong, rhythmic backing.)
- Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Live)-Cannonball Adderley (I've praised other versions of this tune previously, but this version is especially noteworthy. Hearing it in a slower tempo, with feeling behind every note on the saxophone and piano, before an appreciative audience, should make a listener enjoy the song all the more.)
- Wayfaring Stranger-Eva Cassidy (Scores of artists have recorded this folk tune, but Cassidy's excellent version stands out. I was surprised to hear Cassidy on a jazz program, but it was immediately apparent that there's a strong jazz vibe in her vocals here--as well as a strong blues bent and a compelling soul influence.)
- Detour Ahead-Stan Getz & The Oscar Peterson Trio (Quiet elegance; equally tasteful tenor sax playing from Getz and piano playing from Peterson.)
- Africa-NEXT Collective (A captivating, close-your-eyes-and-listen instrumental cover of the D'Angelo tune.)
- Behind The Armory-Case/Lang/Veirs (A seemingly unlikely blend of voices--from Neko Case, K.D. Lang, and Laura Veirs--comes together impressively on this new release. The first half of 2016 has seen a lot of strong vocal releases and some commendable instrumental ones. If the second half of the year is anything like the first half, compiling my annual favorite-music-of-the-year list will be quite a challenge.)
- One Overlord-Brian Reitzel (How Richard Thompson might sound as a new age vocalist while traveling through space. The ethereal arrangement of the tune segues well with...)
- Daydream-Britta Phillips (...this one. All three of these tunes were on Wednesday night's "Echoes" program.)
