Music doesn't move you? Who are you?

I like to believe that most people share my passion for music.  Every now and then, however, I've been reminded that music doesn't move everyone to the same extent.

I once told a former co-worker about how impressively a band had performed on "Saturday Night Live."

"Oh, really?" he said.  "For me, those bands are an excuse to change the channel."

I've never fathomed how anyone can have a lack of interest in music, but I've heard that it happens.

"And now, 14 minutes of continuous music!"

One radio contest that isn't likely to make a comeback: counting the number of minutes in a music sweep.  In the early '80s, radio stations here used to make a bigger deal about the amount of continuous music they played.  At least two stations held contests in which DJs asked listeners to call in and state the number of minutes a music sweep lasted.  On at least one of those stations, the DJ would state the time when starting the sweep and the time as it ended.  By today's standards, some of the music sweeps contained relatively modest amounts of music.  Stations would promote sets of continuous music lasting for 21-23 minutes fairly often.  Given that you'd find that amount of music on one side of an LP at the time, such amounts must have seemed generous at the time.

An overlooked cover tune XVI

I praised "This Will Be Our Year" by The Zombies in a previous post.  The tune sports some of the best lyrics about giving credit to someone where it's due and maintains an optimistic view of the future.  Yesterday, I saw a impressive cover of it by Swear and Shake on YouTube.  The song works well in an acoustic guitar-with-vocals-version, and the vocals bring to mind Fiona Apple's soulful, bluesy sound.  Here's hoping it's released officially.

Online radio sampler highlights XLIII

Standout selections I've heard this morning:

KBEM (Minneapolis, MN)

• Sermonette-Dakota Dave Hull (Fine ambling-down-the-lane fingerpicking guitar, in keeping with the general consistency of Hull's latest release, "Heavenly Hope.")
• Number Four-Dexter Gordon (Gordon's straight ahead tenor sax and a strong rhythm section keep the tune perking.)

KWMU-3 (St. Louis, MO)

• Franz Schubert: Standchen (Serenade) (Luiza Borac, piano) (Resonant and moving; Borac plays it with force and delicacy, as needed.  For a more tender reading, listen to Dora Deliyska's interpretation.)

WCBN (Ann Arbor, MI) 

• Times We Share-Headhunters (This tight, catchy '60s power pop tune combines some of the best elements of early Beatles and Zombies tunes.)

WDHR (Lynwood, IL)

• I Got You (Leslie Carter's Soul Desire Instrumental Mix)-Leslie Carter (Eight-and-a-half minutes of uptempo jazz/house that would fit in well on a smooth jazz station at night, next to the right Soulive track.)

WKZE (Red Hook, NY)

• Sing A Simple Song-Sly & The Family Stone (One of the funkier call-and-response tunes of its time, or really any time.)
• She Cries Your Name-Beth Orton (Some of Orton's best vocals, set to a cool acoustic, sometimes Celtic backdrop.)

WXPN (Philadelphia, PA)

• Emotion-Samantha Sang (Sang was the right lead vocalist to pull off the wistfulness the lyrics required.  Considering this was a hit in 1978, The Bee Gees were the right backing vocalists.)
• What A Fool Believes-The Doobie Brothers (It's unusual for me to hear two such big hits on WXPN, which is known for the depth of its singer-songwriter programming.  Today is "Throwback Thursday," though, and I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that this is, essentially, a flawless tune.  It's lyrically strong and forwards its narrative effectively.  It builds to its chorus perfectly with a great sing-along hook.  I'm not sure anyone other than Michael McDonald could have socked the lead vocals home so effectively.  In short, it's well-written, well-sung, and well-produced.  That's a hat trick not just any pop tune pulls off.) 

WEW playlist flashback: 7/27/96

Here's the music I chose for my 5:30-10 a.m. radio stint on this day 20 years ago:

   1.  Don't You Know I Care-Antonio Hart
(Outstanding saxophone playing from an artist who deserves more recognition; this is the title track from a strong CD, whose three best tracks, in my opinion, are the last three on the disc.  Also recommended: "Black & Gold" and "From Across The Ocean.")
   2.  Terry's Theme From Limelight-Frank Chacksfield and his orchestra
---
   3.  I Only Have Eyes For You-The Flamingos
(The phrase, "sha bop, sha bop," has never been used more effectively.)
   4.  Never Let Me Go-Diane Schuur
   5.  I Thought About You-Tony Bennett
---
   6.  Sleepwalk-Santo & Johnny
(A serene melody for guitar, in its original form here and in Larry Carlton's cover.)
   7.  If I Had You-Erroll Garner
---
   8.  I Hear You Knocking-Gale Storm
   9.  All Or Nothing At All-Barry Manilow with The Harry James Orchestra
 10.  Last Date-Floyd Cramer
(Still a favorite midtempo piano instrumental; I was glad to hear Blues, Incorporated play it in concert here three years ago.)
---
 11.  I Say A Little Prayer-Dionne Warwick
 12.  (What A) Wonderful World-Sam Cooke
---
 13.  Moonlight Becomes You-Johnny Mathis
 14.  There!  I've Said It Again-Bobby Vinton
 ---
 15.  As Time Goes By-Sammy Kaye
 16.  Why Ask Why?-Michele Shaheen
 17.  The Girl From Ipanema-Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto
(Decades later, the melody endures.  Erin Bode's cover of it is recommended, as well.)
---
 18.  I Didn't Know What Time It Was-Carmen Cavallaro and his orchestra
---
 19.  I Got The Sun In The Morning-Les Brown and his orchestra
(A good reminder that things usually aren't as bad as they seem--and, if they are, you can still play the tune ironically...)
 20.  All That Jazz-Sammy Davis, Jr.
(...and then segue it with this tune.)
 21.  My Old Flame-Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band
---
 22.  Love Song-Ramsey Lewis
 23.  Love's Theme-Love Unlimited Orchestra
 24.  Midnight Sun-June Christy
 25.  Skylark-Linda Ronstadt with Nelson Riddle & his orchestra
---
 26.  Angel Face-Milt Jackson
 27.  How High The Moon-Les Paul & Mary Ford
 28.  Winchester Cathedral-New Vaudeville Band
---
 29.  What's New-Joey DeFrancesco
 30.  It's Only A Paper Moon-Ella Fitzgerald
 31.  Lazy Day-Spanky & Our Gang
(If this doesn't perk you up at least a smidgen, I can't help you.)
---
 32.  Love Is Blue-Paul Mauriat
 33.  Tracy's Theme-Spencer Ross
---
 34.  They Can't Take That Away From Me-John Pizzarelli
(Pizzarelli strikes the right tone here--determined yet carefree.)
 35.  I've Got You Under My Skin-Frank Sinatra
---
 36.  Twilight Time-The Platters
 37.  Never On Sunday-The Chordettes
---
 38.  Spanish Harlem-Ben E. King
 39.  Body And Soul-Coleman Hawkins and his orchestra
 40.  Day Dream-Duke Ellington
---
 41.  You Belong To My Heart-Bing Crosby with Xavier Cugat and his orchestra
 42.  You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To-Julie London
 43.  Rum And Coca-Cola-The Andrews Sisters
---
 44.  St. Louis Blues-Louis Armstrong with Velma Middleton
---
 45.  Bolero At The Savoy-Roy Eldridge with The Gene Krupa Orchestra featuring Anita O'Day
 46.  Let's Go Joe-Cab Calloway
 47.  Save The Last Dance For Me-The Drifters
---
 48.  Break The Ice-Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band
 49.  Great Times-Pat Longo with Frank Sinatra, Jr.
 50.  Trickle Trickle-The Manhattan Transfer
---
 51.  You're The Top-Hal Linden & Eileen Rodgers
 52.  One Mint Julep-Ray Charles
(The epitome of coolness in an instrumental, in any era.)
 53.  The Wedding Samba-Edmundo Ros and his orchestra
 54.  Fly Me To The Moon-Bossa Nova-Joe Harnell and his orchestra
---
 55.  Green, Green-The New Christy Minstrels
 56.  Baby Elephant Walk-Lawrence Welk and his orchestra
(As my brother remembers, our middle school speech/drama teacher only had limited resources for background music.  This was one of the few in-classroom musical options students had, which gave a lot of puppet shows a whimsical bounce, by default.)
 57.  When I'm 64-The Beatles
 58.  Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat-The Ink Spots
 59.  The Longest Walk-Jaye P. Morgan
---
 60.  (CLOSING THEME) Closing Time-Tom Waits
---
--- indicates a short break for a slogan and time check or a longer break for back announcing the music.

Persistent earworm alert XXXII

One measure of an effective commercial slogan is its ability to crowd out all others of its kind.  I haven't lived near a Ruma's Deli location since the '90s, but I can rarely walk past any sandwich shop without hearing the Ruma's radio jingle from the '80s in my mind.  Despite not having had a Ruma's sandwich in over two decades, the slogan, "We cater to you.  Made fresh, too.  There's a lot to love at Ruma's Deli," starts playing involuntarily in my mind.

Obviously, the attributes in the jingle aren't unique to any one deli, but that hook, "There's a lot to love...," had to have boosted sales when it aired.  The deli's touting of "old family recipes" and "the biggest sandwiches you've ever seen" in song must have been good for business, as well. 

Without the jingle, the sandwich ingredients and deli service would still be the same.  Yet, if you're a St. Louisan of a certain age and remember that hook, it's probably making you crave a Ruma's sandwich.  Such is the power of a well-crafted jingle.

Best to wear headphones?

When you hear church bells chime, do they make you want to contemplate profound questions about the universe, or do they make you contemplate your own mortality?

I've found that the chimes of a full hymn or melodic fragment generally bring the former to my mind, but a single or repeated stroke on one note often implants the latter in the back of my mind.

I live in a city with abundant churches, so their chiming bells are unavoidable.  I always breathe a little easier, though, when I step out the front door and hear bells clanging an uplifting melody.

What risks?

"I will never criticize you for taking a risk in here," the orchestra director said to the class.

"Hmmm," I thought.  "We have to show up on time for rehearsals and concerts and play the music as written, in tune and in time, and with the loud and soft dynamics that are indicated.  We're not playing jazz, where some degree of improvisation is allowed.  What risks are we allowed to take?  Are we allowed to shout, 'Shazam!  That's a riveting solo!' while rehearsing a concerto?  Are we allowed to invent our own counterpoint in a time signature that differs from that of the piece?  Is it permissible to start speaking in tongues during a concert if the spirit moves us?"

I still wonder what risks the director would have allowed.

Context? XV

During a conversation I had with an All-State High School Orchestra musician in 1987, this violinist who also played guitar mused, "One of the mysteries God gave us when he made this place was..."

...Any guesses as to how he completed that statement?  Did he elaborate upon the inclination humans have to be compassionate even when it isn't reciprocated?  Did he mention the instinctive nature humans and animals have to do things they haven't been taught?  Did he surmise that some of the things we think are coincidences aren't coincidences, after all?

No.  Instead, he continued,"...when you press your foot on a pedal while playing guitar, you get the word, 'Wah.'"

And, so you do.  While it might not be the loftiest mystery God left us, it's mysterious, nevertheless.

Credit where it's due

During my year on the high school newspaper staff, each student was required to interview four beats, i.e. teachers and/or administrators, each week or every other week, depending on each beat's preference.  Students asked what their beats liked and disliked about the most recent issue and if they had any story ideas.  All four of my beats were music teachers; I interviewed the two band directors, the orchestra director, and one of the chorus instructors regularly.

The chorus teacher gave me some unexpected feedback on an article.  The reporter interviewed the five teachers whom students considered the school's best.

"Not to take anything away from those teachers," she said, "but, more often than not, these types of accolades go to instructors of honors and advanced placement classes.  Their students are already motivated to learn.  I would contend that it's as much or more of an accomplishment for a teacher to reach students who don't necessarily want to be there."

She hadn't mentioned her classes specifically, but I understood what she meant.  Her chorus students generally didn't sing in any of the school's advanced choirs or pursue any form of music as an occupation; most of her students took her classes to fulfill the school's required arts credit.

I think her perspective was well-reasoned.  When students are routinely interested and prepared for class, the battle between a teacher and the students is already half-won.  However, when a teacher can spark the interest of students who only signed up for the class to fulfill a requirement, it's an arguably greater achievement.

Tunes and Starburst

A former music store chain also sold candy at one time.  Apparently, the reasoning was that people might buy videos there and want to replicate the experience of being in a theater.  I thought, "Candy isn't usually offered at a music store, so I'm not sure who would buy it."  One day, I bought one of my favorite snacks, Starburst, there.  As soon as I got home and bit into it, I thought, "I was afraid this would happen.  The candy was sitting around for so many months there, it's like biting into pieces of granite.  I suspect that certain rocks might be chewier than this."

Just as I wouldn't have bought a dusty, most-likely-expired can of green beans from a convenience store, I should have passed on buying candy from a place that wasn't accustomed to selling it.  From then on, I toughed it out and enjoyed the music I'd bought there without concessions.  I only have one set of teeth, after all.

Exalted Marketing 101

Although it wasn't the most environmentally conscious packaging, something about the way oldie 45s were presented at Record Bar made me want to buy them there as a kid.  Instead of filing the 45s by themselves in a bin, each oldie was wrapped up against a large piece of cardboard that said "OLDIES" repeatedly, and the label at the top would leave no doubt about the artist or song on each side.

An example:

"MITCHELL, JONI
HELP ME
b/w Free Man In Paris"

It was assumed that the customer knew or could figure out that b/w stood for "backed with."

The giant, attached cardboard label made oldies easier to flip through in the bins and also gave the impression that you weren't just buying a small, mass-produced slab of wax.  It felt as though you were buying a musical artifact that had stood the test of time.  With or without the cardboard, the music was the same.  I wonder, though, what percentage of record-buying consumers bought their oldie 45s at Record Bar without being fully aware of why they'd chosen that store.

Looking back, the packaging was rather wasteful.  I don't doubt that it increased sales, however.

Persistent earworm alert XXXI

Proof that a tune can be simultaneously heartfelt and robotic: Field Music's "It's A Good Thing," which was released in February.  Since hearing it Monday morning on KDHX's "Emotional Rescue," I've had it on a recurring mental loop.  The lyrics justify the thesis, to an extent, about why it's good to give yourself to someone.  For the most part, however, the repetition of "It's a good thing" makes the song.  Talking Heads could cover it effectively.

Not the best of friends, but...

There was one person, with whom I didn't get along all that well in middle school, whose attitude toward me changed for the better during high school.  A friend of mine had written a story on my bass playing for a journalism class.  My former antagonist was in that class, read the story, and told me a few days later, "I was impressed by that story.  I didn't know you played (the bass.)" 

The story had gotten his attention because he was a band student.  We didn't become best friends, but his attitude toward me was generally civil, from then on.  I became more civil toward him, in return.

Sometimes, when you learn what talents a person has, it gives you a dose of humanity.

A hint to practice more

Once, during my beginning orchestra class, a cellist forgot to bring the music.  Mr. D., the orchestra director, placed a level three music book on her stand.

"Um, this is level three," she said.

"Oh, sorry," Mr. D. said, replacing it with a level two book.

"Uh...," she started to respond.

The director realized his mistake.  Half-sighing, he took the book back, replaced it with a level one book and said, "Level one...We're still on level one."

I thought that was an interesting, passive-aggressive way of indicating that the class wasn't as far along as it should be.

Paying imaginary radio staffers

One of the most relevant-to-a-job assignments I ever completed:

In college, I took a radio/TV programming and management class.  One of the class's major projects that semester was to pretend as though each of us were running a particular radio station.  We were asked to write a paper justifying what we would do with the station.  Among the topics we had to address:

• Would we keep the station's current format or change it?  Either way, we needed to defend our decision, using the station's ratings, the ratings and formats of other stations in the market, and the potential for attracting an audience with our chosen format.
• If we chose a music format, we had to explain how we would choose the station's music library and why our method of programming would draw an audience.
• How many people would we employ if we ran the station?  What would be their titles, salaries, and duties? 

My analysis received a B grade.  The instructor, a radio station general manager, didn't question much of what I'd written, except in the section about salaries.  Although I wanted to pay the station's staffers more than what I'd specified, I knew that many radio jobs pay modest wages.  Therefore, I proposed relatively low salaries, thinking they were what the instructor wanted to see.  I was wrong.  Next to most of my proposed salaries, the instructor wrote, "low," or "low, unless part-time."

Looking back, I find the instructor's comments refreshing.  It was good to learn that at least one radio station g.m. would have paid those employees living wages.  Granted, that's easier to do when a situation isn't real.

Persistent earworm alert XXX

Writing about the pit orchestra director's Busch Stadium remark in Wednesday's post reminded me of a commercial jingle that hadn't crossed my mind in years.  One of the earliest memories I have of Cardinal baseball on KMOX in the late '70s and early '80s is the jingle, "We love baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet."  It was also used in Chevrolet's TV commercials.

Talk about portraying baseball as America's national pastime and Chevrolet as an American auto manufacturer in a sing-along format...Decades later, it still hasn't left my mind.

FM dial scan highlights LXIII

Standout tunes heard yesterday:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Who's Gonna Take The Weight-The Coolin' System (The brassy funk on this instrumental cover of a Kool & The Gang tune would segue well with "El Nino" by The Sound Stylistics.)
• Must Be Something-Gil Scott-Heron (The track is from 1975, and the sentiments expressed, in light of recent news events, are sadly timely...)
• Mississippi Goddam-Nina Simone (...So are the sung and spoken sentiments in this tune.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Laughter In The Rain-Earl Klugh (Neil Sedaka's tune lends itself well to a smooth jazz guitar rendering, as Klugh demonstrates.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Move Me-Sara Watkins (Watkins sings this recently released tune, especially its chorus, forcefully.  It's good to hear another solo release from this talented Nickel Creek vocalist and violinist.)

Frozen treats: An incentive to stick around

When you're involved in your high school's production of "The Music Man," how do you get the entire audience to stay through the intermission and find out if the predicted trouble in River City materializes?  If you're an actor, you can convey gravity and urgency in your performance, drawing the audience into the story.  If you're a pit orchestra musician, you can play the tunes with a deft touch, in hopes of getting people to hum or sing along.  If you're a director, you can oversee both of these performance aspects and also give the audience one more incentive...

..."We have ice cream outside, folks!  We have ice cream outside!" the play's director bellowed during intermission.

"It's like we're at Busch Stadium," the pit orchestra director joked.

Perhaps, it was...As Cardinal baseball fans know, good production on the field, plus ice cream for the fans, convinces most spectators to stay through the ninth inning.  The same principle applies on stage and in the pit orchestra.

Rolling the dice on music picks

Years ago, I used to order CDs from a mail order company that offered nostalgic music.  Once, I chose the grab bag option on the order form.  For a low price, I'd receive an unspecified number of mystery CDs. 

Naturally, there was an element of risk.  I might have received several discs by singers with grating voices, whose CDs didn't sell for good reason.  The company might have shipped discs that stopped playing after the second track.  Or, I might have opened the box, only to find multiple discs by a well-intentioned but overly idealistic singer, warbling such rudimentary lyrics as, "The sun is shining.  Yes, it is.  The sun is shining.  How 'bout that?  Yay, OK, hooray!"

Fortunately, I had a better fate than that.  All three of my randomly selected mystery CDs were Christmas music compilations performed by uncredited artists.  It was disorienting not to know which ensemble was performing Handel's "Messiah," which orchestra was playing "Away In A Manger," or anything about the choir that was singing "The Holly And The Ivy."  Considering how strong the source material was, however, the artists' anonymity didn't detract from the music's warmth.

May you have comparable good luck when ordering music by the grab bag.

Prelude to an evening of great jazz

You're in for a treat when a renowned artist and an announcer with vast music programming experience join forces on the radio.  Such was the case on WNUA's former program, "Jazz, Ramsey And Yvonne."  During a trip to Chicago on May 26, 1990, I tuned in and heard an evening of excellent, well-programmed jazz.  Hearing legendary musician Ramsey Lewis and longtime Chicago DJ and programmer Yvonne Daniels combine their talents that night makes me wish that online streaming had been around then.  This was part of their show intro that night:

Yvonne: ...We have some great surprises for you, some nice stuff planned...
Ramsey: We have to warn 'em now...that we're also going to play some stuff we brought from home.  Sometimes, I feel sort of guilty because of the cracks and pops (in the records), but I think the music is well worth the things we bring from home.
Yvonne: And again, I remind you that we have records all over the floor...
Ramsey: That's right--literally.
Yvonne: ...All up against the wall, and sometimes, I want to play two at a time, you know, 'cause we do have so many that we want to get in.  The first one that we're going to show off is Quincy Jones again, but this is quite different for Quincy...

...With that, the show's first selection, "Tell Me A Bedtime Story," began playing.  A strong radio program, in my opinion, should mimic a good used record store.  There should be a tasteful blend of obscure and familiar music, with a good helping of tunes that build on a listener's knowledge base.  When the hosts know their music well and share their knowledge and good taste with the audience, that enthusiasm should rub off on the listeners--and hopefully, result in increased sales for artists whose work deserves more recognition.

There can never be enough shows in the style of "Jazz, Ramsey And Yvonne"--on the radio or the Internet.

Name that 30-minute tune...

A program director told me about a call he took from a listener.  The listener asked him, "What was that song you played that goes, 'Da, da, da, dum!  Da, da, da, dum?'"  The program director was amused that the listener referred to such a famous piece as a song but didn't want to burst out laughing; he turned away from the phone to compose himself.  The listener continued singing a substantial portion of the piece's first movement.  When the listener finally paused, the p.d. told him, stifling as much of the chuckle in his voice as he could, that the piece he'd heard was Beethoven's fifth symphony.

Context? XIV

During an FM dial scan in March, I heard this excerpt from a commercial: "They have massive TVs. You can watch all the games in comfier seats.  Better food, better beers...Hundreds of games to play, as well...I mean, these TVs are monstrous."

I don't know the name or the location of the venue that was advertised.  For those who want to see the World Series, Super Bowl, or Stanley Cup on a larger-than-life screen, I'm sure the huge TVs are an effective draw.  Still, for those want something more out of the experience, I have to think that no jumbo screen trumps watching the game with people you care about at your home or a friend or relative's home.  I suspect most people, if they're honest, react to at least some big games the way Future Ted did in an episode of "How I Met Your Mother."  Years later, when recalling a time when his four friends and he watched the Super Bowl together, he says, "I don't remember who won.  I don't even remember who played..."    

I imagine most people are like that.

A bass-playing concertmaster?

An eighth grade memory: A friend was looking at the program from one of my middle school string orchestra concerts.  He said, "I see you listed as principal in your section, but I don't see you listed as concertmaster."  "The concertmaster is always a violinist," I said.  "All orchestras are set up that way."  "But, if you didn't have all the sections, you wouldn't have the song," he countered.  "It's true that a piece of music needs all of its sections to sound complete," I said. "I play bass, though, so I can't be the concertmaster.  The concertmaster is always a violinist."  "That hardly seems fair," my friend responded.  "If I were you, I'd ask to be named concertmaster."

Obviously, there was no chance of a bass player, or anyone other than a violinist, being named concertmaster.  You have to appreciate it when a friend has your back like that, though.

Online radio sampler highlights XLII

Standout tracks heard this afternoon:

KEXP (Seattle, WA)

• Heart Of Glass-Blondie (Rare is the pop dance tune that holds up 37 years after it was a hit.  Vocally and rhythmically, "Heart Of Glass" is as appealing as it was decades ago.)

WBOM (Rockford, IL)

• Bohemia After Dark-New York Trio; Richard Galliano (Galliano makes Oscar Pettiford's tune swing on the accordion, and his rhythm section follows suit.)
• Tickle Toe-Les Double Six (A French vocal equivalent of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.  Lyle Lovett & His Large Band's version is especially strong, but this vocal rendition is worth hearing.)

WKZE (Red Hook, NY)

• Slow Jam-Vieux Farka Toure (An easy-going guitar instrumental that doesn't fall squarely into any one genre.)

WMBR (Cambridge, MA)

• Summertime-Joe Venuti (Venuti makes the violin wail as if he were playing blues guitar.)

WSUM (Madison, WI)

• Oye Como Va-Tito Puente (If you only know Santana's version, try this spicy rendition, as well...)
• Leah-Mongo Santamaria (...Then, listen to this faster, spicier number with strong horn parts and rhythmic support.)

An overlooked cover tune XV

For some reason, this came to mind as anesthesia was being applied to a tooth I was having pulled this morning:

One hallmark of an impressive cover tune is its ability for the singer to make it sound as though she wrote it.  If it's from a genre that's outside of her usual range, it's all the more impressive.  Such is the case with Dar Williams on her cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb."  If I hadn't known otherwise, I would have thought Williams wrote it.  Williams sings and plays it, with backing vocals from Ani DiFranco, in her own effectively plaintive way.  She stays faithful to the spirit of the song while putting her own stamp on it.  I never hear her version played anywhere, but a station with an expansive AAA format should find space for it in its playlist.

FM dial scan highlights LXII

Some of the better songs I've heard since last Wednesday:

KDHX 88.1 FM 

• Where Do You Wanna Go?-Super Furry Animals (Bouncy, infectious power pop, right from the first note.)
• Blue World-The Moody Blues (It was good to hear this 1983 track I hadn't heard in a long time.  Listeners who like Justin Hayward's vocals on "The Voice" should also enjoy this track.  Eric Woolfson of The Alan Parsons Project could have done a credible cover of this.)
• Climbing Mountains-Meg Hutchinson (Well-written and sung.  It's a good sign when you hear a tune and say, "I'd like to hear more by this artist."  I hear elements of Beth Orton in her vocals.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Feels Like Rain-Buddy Guy (It was a pleasant surprise to hear Guy's reflective vocals on one of my favorite blues tunes last week.  I enjoyed playing this on KCOU when the CD was new.)
• A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square-The Manhattan Transfer (One of the classiest ways to say, "What a night it was when we met."  No version of it gets a lot of radio airplay these days, so it was another pleasant surprise to hear it.)
• I'll Write A Song For You-Regina Carter (An enjoyable violin rendition of an Earth, Wind & Fire tune that should have been a hit.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Try Try Try-Rachael Sage (Appealingly breathy vocals; at times, Sage sings at the top of her range, bringing to mind Sara Watkins on Nickel Creek's "Best Of Luck."  Add a clap-along beat and appealing violin backing, and you've got a winner of a tune.)

Music for every taste on the 4th

In 2011, I was photographing Kirkwood Park's fireworks.  I had to run for cover, however, when this meteor came too close for comfort...

...Well, actually, I didn't.  (Fortunately, it wasn't a meteor, after all.)  I had better luck photographing downtown Kirkwood's fireworks two years later.

At long last, it's here--America's 240th birthday.  Tonight, many of us will watch fireworks displays set to music that spans a wide range of formats and tastes.  Considering how abrupt some of the transitions between tunes are, I won't be surprised if I hear Tennessee Ernie Ford's version of "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" segued with Pink's "Get The Party Started."  Somewhere in this country, a music coordinator is probably splicing those tunes together right now in preparation for tonight's display at a park or fairground...

...And, somehow, with the right combination of colors and booms, it will magically work.  Some forms of alchemy defy explanation.

Persistent earworm alert XXIX

Even though I hadn't heard the song in decades, the upcoming Independence Day holiday must have made me recall the enjoyable 1982 Pointer Sisters hit, "American Music," yesterday and keep it in mind since then.  I don't remember it being played on the radio, aside from when it was a hit, so I was surprised that it sprang to mind recently.

Its steady beat and upbeat outlook make it a pleasant tune to remember.  The lyrics reassure listeners that popular artists and songs will change over time, but there will always be good music to enjoy.

Now that I've just listened to it, I should refresh my memory of the group's other strong hits, such as "Jump (For My Love)," "Automatic," and "I'm So Excited."  I don't hear their music on the radio as often as I did during the '80s, but listening to "American Music" again reminded me that they recorded a lot of respectable hits.

Another Keillor-inspired memory

In my high school drama class, each student had to memorize and perform two monologues.  I chose one of Garrison Keillor's radio monologues in which he talked about resolving to do better in physics class.  He vowed to keep up with the material and not let it get the best of him.  Unfortunately for him, weeks passed, and he couldn't figure it out.  He sat in the back of the classroom, trying not to be noticed.  Eventually, the teacher noticed him hiding and called on him.  Keillor couldn't solve a problem that the teacher posed.

"We took this up last week, Mr. Keillor," the teacher said.  "You were here, as I recall.  You seemed to be awake.  Your eyes were open."

Keillor recalled the class laughing and thought, "Teachers aren't supposed to make of fun of kids.  They're supposed to teach kids.  What kind of man is this?  Why does he hate me?"

Then, the story took an unexpected turn.

"And I turned around," Keillor said, "and his eyes were empty...Big chunks of his face were falling off.  I grabbed for the pointer.  Well, I didn't, really."

I was determined to pick monologues that no one else would think to choose.  Instead of relying on the same few books of monologues that most other students used, I decided to use my own sources.  (My first monologue was a sarcastic Andy Rooney column about how newscasts would sound if they only reported good news.)  My choices irritated another student.

"Oh, do a real monologue," he said.  "(Choosing a Garrison Keillor piece) would be like me doing something from 'Star Trek!'"

"Strong material is strong material," I replied.  "Most people in this room can probably relate to falling behind in a class and being called on when they have no idea how to answer a teacher's questions.  Keillor's material works on the radio, and it works for this class."

And, so it did.  More than a quarter-century later, I still think I made the right choices.  Thank you to Garrison Keillor for helping me earn an A for my second monologue performance.

Only in college XVII

One of my college roommates used to practice tai chi in our dorm room.  One morning, I walked in while he was doing tai chi with the TV on.  A Pepsi commercial with uptempo music was playing, so I called out, "Quick!  Tai chi!"  He then started doing a medley of tai chi moves, 10 times faster than usual. 

I think he was onto something.  Contradictory as it might sound, maybe that's the way to go.  You find the right upbeat music and then launch into your tai chi.  Instead of being a stress reduction technique, it becomes an "I'm greeting the day right this instant!" adrenaline jump-starter.