WEW playlist flashback: 8/31/96

The music I played on WEW 770 AM from 6 to 10 a.m. 20 years ago today:

   1.  Three Little Words-Nat King Cole
   2.  The Trolley Song-The Pied Pipers
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   3.  Dream A Little Dream Of Me-Dean Martin
   4.  I'll Buy That Dream-Helen Forrest & Dick Haymes
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   5.  What A Wonderful World-Louis Armstrong
(Two former co-workers used to break into the first verse of this at unexpected intervals.  Hearing the tune that way brought home how difficult it is to sing with Armstrong's sincerity.)
   6.  I'm In The Mood For Love-Erroll Garner
   7.  Here's That Rainy Day-Tony Bennett
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   8.  Samantha-Sammy Nestico
   9.  Jessica-Dave Evans
(I was determined to find a place for this on the air, as it's one of the most beautiful guitar instrumentals I've ever heard.  Of all the tunes I brought in from home for WEW, this is possibly my favorite.  It sounds as though it should be played by an out-of-the-way brook in a park...)
 10.  Frangenti-Nashville Mandolin Ensemble
(...and it segues seamlessly with this tempo and instrumentation.)
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 11.  Maybe You'll Be There-Gordon Jenkins and his orchestra
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 12.  My Foolish Heart-Charlie Watts Quintet with Bernard Fowler
(If you like this, you might also enjoy this combo's version of "Bewitched.")
 13.  Love Walked In-Diane Schuur
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 14.  Sentimental Journey-Les Brown and his orchestra with Doris Day
(Almost any version of this is a safe choice for this format.)
 15.  Because You're Mine-Kitty Kallen
 16.  How Deep Is The Ocean?-Michele Shaheen
(Shaheen was one of the most obscure artists in the station's CD library.  Considering her vocal talents, her work should have a wider audience.)
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 17.  So Near And Yet So Far-Mary Cleere Haran
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 18.  Save The Last Dance For Me-The Drifters
 19.  For All We Know-Dexter Gordon
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 20.  Jingle Jangle Jingle-Kay Kyser and his orchestra
 21.  Speak Low-Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians
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 22.  Moonlight In Vermont-Billy Butterfield and his orchestra with Margaret Whiting
(As with "Sentimental Journey," just about any version of this is a safe choice for this format.)
 23.  I'll Be Seeing You-Johnny Mathis
(As with "Sentimental Journey" and "Moonlight In Vermont...")
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 24.  All The Way-Keely Smith
 25.  Them There Eyes-Anita O'Day
 26.  Chicago-Count Basie & Tony Bennett
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 27.  Stop Me Leading Me On-Joey DeFrancesco
 28.  Moondance-Michael Feinstein
 29.  Ray's Rockhouse (Live)-The Manhattan Transfer
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 30.  Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea-Stan Kenton
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 31.  Release Me-Engelbert Humperdinck (*)
 32.  Melody Of Love-Billy Vaughn and his orchestra
 33.  Chiquita-Richard Clayderman
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 34.  Body And Soul-Coleman Hawkins and his orchestra
(As with "Sentimental Journey," "Moonlight In Vermont," and "I'll Be Seeing You...")
 35.  Moon River-Vince Guaraldi Trio
(As with "Sentimental Journey," "Moonlight In Vermont," "I'll Be Seeing You," and "Body And Soul...")
 36.  They Can't Take That Away From Me-John Pizzarelli
 37.  Blue Light, Red Light-Harry Connick, Jr.
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 38.  In My Life-The Beatles
(It was a pleasure to pair a song about appreciating life...)
 39.  The House You Live In-Gordon Lightfoot
(...with a song about how to live.)
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 40.  Jitterbug Waltz-Renee Rosnes Trio with string orchestra
(For an especially elegant jitterbug...)
 41.  Romance A La Mode-Fats Waller
 42.  Ebb Tide-Frank Sinatra
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 43.  You Came A Long Way From St. Louis-Ray McKinley
(One of the catchiest tunes from the '40s I ever played on WEW and a cool way to kick off a dance set.)
 44.  Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha-Sam Cooke
(The more I hear this, the more I'm convinced that it would segue with Jimmy Cliff's "You Can Get It If You Really Want.")
 45.  Blue Tango-Leroy Anderson
 46.  Begin The Beguine-Les Brown
 47.  Summer Samba-Walter Wanderley
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 48.  Rose Room-Ray Anthony
 49.  Skyliner-Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band
 50.  And The Angels Sing-Barry Manilow
 51.  The Gypsy In My Soul-Melissa Manchester
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 52.  The Very Thought Of You-Natalie Cole
 53.  (CLOSING THEME) Closing Time-Tom Waits
(For me, "Closing Time" was especially appropriate on this day in 1996.  It was my last day on WEW before going full-time at my other job.  I thoroughly enjoyed choosing music for my on-air shifts, so in retrospect, I wish I'd stayed around.  Nevertheless, I'm thankful for the time I had at WEW and all other radio stations where I've worked.)
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(*) indicates a listener's request.
--- indicates a short break for a slogan and time check or a longer break for back announcing the music.

"Time for your not applicable traffic report..."

One of the most inexplicable quirks of radio listening: Why do we listen to radio traffic reports when we aren't on or heading toward any of the roads mentioned?  After all, I don't expect to hear, "Drew's car should be OK heading into work.  In fact, after two more left turns, he should be in the parking lot within four minutes," or "The usual route Drew takes to the grocery store isn't backed up at the moment, so it should be smooth sailing."

"Mild congratulations to you..."

When you're assigned to share a music stand with someone, it helps if you get along.  One way of keeping the peace, as I discovered in one orchestra, is to compliment your fellow players.  I don't remember who started it, but I had a routine with another bassist, in which we'd compliment each other for the most routine accomplishments.  Examples:  "You placed that music on the stand commendably."  "You turned that page exceptionally well."  "Good job of not playing during that measure of rests." "Excellent work there, in..."

...Hang on.  The phone is ringing.

"Good job of combining words into sentences in order to complete a blog post?"

Now, that was a considerate phone call.

An overlooked cover tune XVIII

Sometimes, hearing a well-known song in an acoustic setting makes its lyrics resonate more effectively.  I've always liked The Alan Parsons Project's "Eye In The Sky," but Jonatha Brooke's vocals-and-guitar rendition turns the lyrics into more of an effective warning.  The Parsons version is pleasant, although the vocals sound somewhat detached from the subject matter.  In Brooke's cover, I'm more convinced that the protagonist actually can read a person's mind.  Sometimes, a voice and a guitar are all you need to bring good lyrics to life.

Mangled syntax: An on-air hazard

If you're on the air often enough, you'll eventually make a split-the-difference mistake.  For instance, you'll intend to close your show by saying, "This has been..." or "My name is..."  Instead, here's what will happen.  Out of common decency, I've changed the announcer's name:

Yesterday, while listening to radio stations from several different states, I heard an announcer end his show by saying, "My name has been John Smith."  After a pause, he clarified, "Actually, my name still is John Smith."

The announcer's syntax error reminded me of an on-air weather report I did years ago.  I intended to say, "Things are still pretty soaked out there due to last night's heavy rain."  Instead, I inadvertently began, "Things are still pretty soaked out there due to those..."

"Those?"  I thought.  "Why did I say, 'those?'  Where do I go from here?"

I completed the sentence, "...droplets of rain that fell last night."

That might have been the only time I used the phrase, "droplets of rain," on the air.  I wish I'd referred to the rain as "those showers" or "those buckets of rain."  "Droplets" came to mind first, even though the word understated how heavily it had rained.

Such is the risk of ad-libbing on the air.

Online radio sampler highlights XLV

Seven of the better tunes I've heard over the last three days:

KFJC (Los Altos Hills, CA)

• I Do It For Your Love (Live)-Toots Thielemans (Thielemans plays the harmonica from up in the clouds on this track, or so it seems.  It would segue with Stevie Wonder's harmonica instrumental, "Easy Goin' Evening."  Also recommended: "Bluesette," which KFJC also played today.)

KUTX (Austin, TX)

• Casual Party-Band Of Horses (One of 2016's best tunes for driving; I hear elements of Wilco on this track, released in June, and it could segue with Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want To.")

WKNC (Raleigh, NC)

• Everyday Is A New Start-Sun Glitters (I'd categorize this as a progressive new age instrumental.  The song's title is appropriate, as it's easy to imagine a listener waking up to this.)

WKZE (Red Hook, NY)

• Sleeping In A Car-The Staves (Beguiling vocal harmonies from three sisters on this tune, released in May.  Also recommended: "In The Long Run" and "Tongue Behind My Teeth.")
• Will It Go Round In Circles-Billy Preston (One of the more memorable hits of the '70s, thanks to its unique lyrics, an ear-catching hook, and cool harmonica punctuation.)

WNUR (Chicago, IL)

• Ema's Mood (Live)-Steve Cohn Quintet (An intriguing concert performance from 1982.  Cohn anchors the tune on piano, and there's impressive interplay between David Shrader on tenor sax and Warren Gale on trumpet.)

WXTJ (Charlottesville, VA)

• I Am A Town-Mary Chapin Carpenter (Sensitively written and sung lyrics about a struggling city.)

An overlooked cover tune XVII

Although the Seals & Crofts version of "Summer Breeze" will always be the definitive one for me, The Isley Brothers deserve credit for their well-done cover of it.  Their version slows down the tempo, starts with the chorus, reduces the number of verses, and adds a wailing guitar part late in the tune.  The thoughtful nature of the tune comes through in their reworking, which should have been a hit.

A new conducting perspective

Advice worth keeping in mind when your ensemble has a guest conductor or new conductor: "Keep your mind open," a new conductor told an orchestra in which I played.  "Remember, there's more than one way to do this."

"Everyone, listen up! Song A5 is starting!"

When I was in grade school, a pizza and ice cream restaurant I went to had a jukebox.  Back then, it seemed perfectly natural to deposit a quarter, select a song, and have that 45 played to the entire restaurant.  My familiarity with jukebox oldies then was confined largely to what I'd heard KXOK play on its "Super Oldies Show" and the handful of tunes I heard on the ostensibly '50s-based  "Happy Days" TV show.  My choices were typically safe, obvious ones.  I can't imagine that anyone in the restaurant thought, "Oh, no!  'Let It Be' by The Beatles?  Blech!"  Today, however, playing a song on a jukebox would strike me as presumptuous, even if I'd paid to hear it.  Thinking that everyone in an establishment should hear the song I picked?  Why would I do that, when I could play the song over headphones, just to myself?

Outside of concerts, music is less of a shared experience than it used to be.  In some respects, that's not a bad thing.

Accepting a bassist's backup role

Generally, you don't play the bass to become a star.

While taking bass lessons in high school, I was pleased to see Chicago's "Colour My World" in one of my music books.  My bass teacher gave me clearance to learn it, but practicing it brought home the dissatisfaction a bass player sometimes has.  Yes, I was playing "Colour My World," but it was the rhythm part, with no hint of the melody.  No one hearing me play it would have thought, "Hey, that's 'Colour My World.'"

On the flip side, Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" lets the bass player in on the main theme, and it's a catchy one.  A saxophonist can jump off the stage, walk out into the audience, and wail away on that theme.  The bassist, however, has to stay on stage, playing the same riff the entire time.  While it's the riff that propels the tune, it feels odd and repetitive to play just one lick over and over. 

That's the nature of the bass, though; except when playing a bass concerto or recording your own album in the style of Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, or Victor Wooten, a bassist's role is a supporting one.

Getting that radio voice back

In 2014, I wrote about my battle with dysphonia and how it affected my voice.  An encouraging sign that the botox shots in my vocal cords have restored my radio voice since then: When I answered the phone at work, a caller said, "Is it live, or is it Memorex?"  (If you don't remember, that's the slogan from the Memorex cassette tape commercials.)

If you're a dysphonia sufferer, take heart in this.  Ask the doctor to quantify the amount of botox you're being given, if (s)he hasn't spelled it out.  Let the doctor hear how you sound, so you can be given more or less botox, as needed.  My voice has come a long way over the past two years.  So can yours.

Persistent earworm alert XXXV

The lyric, "If I should die in a car wreck, may I have Van Morrison on my tape deck," from Poi Dog Pondering's "U Li La Lu," has been on my mind a lot in recent days.  I don't know what triggered it, but I've wondered, since playing the song on KCOU in the early '90s, if the songwriter's primary objective with that wish was for the protagonist to hear a great artist one more time or to be thought of as deep after passing away.  Or, perhaps both of those objectives were intended, in roughly equal measure.  Ever since hearing the song way back when, that lyric has always jumped out at me.

Only in college XIX

One truism about college life: At some point, you will have to study for a test or complete a paper or project while you have the flu.  If you have to write anything for a class while you're sick, your finished product may be rather bizarre.

Once, when I was sick, I had to write four radio commercial scripts for a class.  I'd gotten perfect scores on the previous scripts I'd written, but when you can't breathe well, have chills, and ache all over, you might have trouble turning out your best work.  Fortunately, I received an A- on my four scripts.  I still think, however, that I elicited that grade largely because of three commercials I'd written.  I suspect that the flu-induced ad I wrote about a grating clown, Bozo Bob, brought my average down.  In my commercial, Bozo Bob panned the stereos that competing electronics stores sold, saying they were made of twigs and patched together with duct tape.  In the margin, the teacher wrote, "A store might not want to antagonize its competition so directly."

The lesson I learned from this: Always think ahead.  Have solid material on paper, or at least in mind, so you don't have to struggle if you get sick.

Stingray Music highlights XXIV

Noteworthy tunes heard this morning:

Cocktail Lounge 

• Kites Are Fun-The Free Design (Clear, smooth vocal harmonies; the chorus is fit for a commercial about kites.  "Kites Are Fun" was released in 1967, the same year that The Fifth Dimension's "Up, Up And Away" was a hit.  Given the related spirit of the songs, some adult contemporary stations of the time must have segued the two songs.)

Easy Listening 

• Homeward Bound-Alex de Grassi (A guitar instrumental that respects Simon & Garfunkel's original version.)

Folk Roots 

• Invisible-Sara Watkins (Watkins excels in this type of cathartic singing.  I want to root for the protagonist when hearing this.)
• Red & White & Blue & Gold-Aoife O'Donovan (One of her best tracks on the "Fossils" CD; O'Donovan's vocals are simultaneously subtle and direct here.)

Jazz Masters

• Days Of Wine And Roses-Wes Montgomery (There are countless easy listening renditions of "Days...," but Montgomery makes the tune sound as if it was intended to be scored exclusively for jazz guitar and organ.  That's an impressive feat to pull off with a tune that's so well-known.)

Jazz Now

• Acrobat-Alex Goodman (Folk-style guitar coalesces well with jazz vibraphone here.)
• Look Around You-James Danderfer (How "People Get Ready" might have sounded if conceived originally for the clarinet.)

Retro R&B

• Walk Away Renee-The Four Tops (A fine cover of a great oldie by The Left Banke.)
• What It Comes Down To-The Isley Brothers (Recently, in an FM dial scan highlights post, I praised KDHX for playing "If You Were There."  This is another of-its-time track from the same album, "3+3.") 

World Carnival

• Parabens-Marcos Valle (International music meets techno, vocally and instrumentally.)

SiriusXM highlights XLIV

Some of the stronger selections I heard Wednesday:

Bluesville

• Stormy Monday-T-Bone Walker (One of the strongest versions of the tune.  Walker's vocals carry home the tune's tale of misery, with just the right amount of punctuation from the guitar and horns.)

Chill

• Future Self-Boehm featuring Melody Noel (One of the more interesting, sticks-with-you tunes of 2016; lyrically, it posits that even if you could send a letter of warning to your future self, it might not help, and you still might make the same choice.  The video, in which the lyrics are written with a fountain pen on envelopes, is effective, as well.)

Elvis Radio 

• Kentucky Rain-Elvis Presley (I've never cared for much of Presley's music, but I make exceptions for "Kentucky Rain" and "Suspicious Minds."  Both are atypical of his general sound; in both songs, he emotes effectively without overdoing it.  Years ago, our oldies station here, KLOU, went through a phase while broadening its playlist.  During that time, "Kentucky Rain" came up far more often than any other Elvis tune when I listened.  That's as it should be, I think.)

The Loft 

• Sing Me To Sleep-Allison Moorer (Low-pitched, heartfelt vocals.)

Siriusly Sinatra

• Good Morning Heartache-Gloria Estefan (Laura Fygi's breathy version is still my favorite, but Estefan's rendition shows her emoting in a different manner than on most of her hits.)

SiriusXMU 

• Uncle John's Band-Lucius (One of the stronger Grateful Dead tunes, reinvented with female vocalists, and seemingly sung from somewhere in space.)

Spa

• Aspens In January-Michael Gettel (An appropriately titled piano instrumental; it's easy to picture the stillness of a Winter landscape while listening.)

Watercolors

• Concrete Love-Julia Fordham (Soft, plaintive vocals make this one of Fordham's best tunes.  It was just as appropriate for "The World Cafe" as it was for our former smooth jazz station here, WSSM.  Also recommended: "Killing Me Slowly.") 
• Good News-Fattburger (An upbeat instrumental that works as background accompaniment at a hockey game as easily as it fits in on a smooth jazz station.) 

Yacht Rock Radio

• Heart To Heart-Kenny Loggins (One of the stronger Loggins solo hits, but it's not played on the radio these days.  In retrospect, the song's arrangement is very of its time, i.e. late 1982/early '83.)

Online radio sampler highlights XLIV

Standout late night selections:

KBCS (Bellevue, WA)

• Shining In The Distance-The Stray Birds (Appealing vocal harmonies and fiddling from the band's release, "Magic Fire," due out Friday.  The tune's title could just as easily have been, "Is It Not Time?")

KMHD (Portland, OR)

• Common Unity-Chaos In The CBD featuring Archie Pelago (The saxophone floats over a subtle dance/trance groove.)

WFDU (Teaneck, NJ)

• Wade In The Water-Kirk Whalum featuring George Duke & Paul Jackson, Jr. (An inspired 13 minutes and change.  I hear elements of Al Jarreau in the scatting.  This version also integrates "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" into the mix seamlessly.)

WSKG (Binghamton, NY)

• Franz Joseph Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major (Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Jahja Ling, conductor; Rolf Smedvig, trumpet) (Contains one of the most engaging, heroic-sounding first movements of any concerto.  Smedvig plays with a clear, resounding tone.)

WTUL (New Orleans, LA)

• Blue Star Linoleum-Devils Wielding Scimitars (Don't let the band name throw you off.  This is a catchy vocals-and-guitar-driven track from 1990 that should be better known.  This is approximately what 10,000 Maniacs or possibly Blondie might have sounded like if they'd gone in a somewhat harder direction.)

Don't omit the director's name.

2004:  If Rosie had been an orchestra conductor, it wouldn't have surprised me if she'd critiqued the players from a director's chair.

I had a dream recently in which former family cat Rosie had just read an article about her conducting prowess.  (Just go with it.)  She was miffed that the article and photo caption didn't refer to her by name even once.  In her irritation, she was pacing back and forth, while listening to one song repeatedly.

The song?  Jim Croce's "I Got A Name."

It's odd how dreams are often about implausible situations, but sometimes, they still capture the essence of someone's personality.

Persistent earworm alert XXXIV

I don't know why one song comes to mind lately when I read the newspaper's business section.  In recent weeks, whenever I've read about businesses struggling or closing, I've thought of the oldie, "You've Got Your Troubles," by The Fortunes.  I don't wish for any business to falter or fail, so I don't know why those stories would trigger the lyric, "You've got your troubles.  I got mine."  That lyric won't leave my mind, though, and it baffles me.

Only in college XVIII

During my freshman year of college, one renegade resident of my floor, in response to the noise someone was shouting from a window, headed to the stairwell, and...responded.  He then dashed into my dorm room, where his roommate, my roommate, and I were talking.

Several seconds later, a resident assistant from another floor knocked on the door.  When we answered, the r.a. was out of breath.

"I've just come from the stairwell," he said, panting yet sounding like an executioner.  "Someone was singing 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling' at the top of his lungs, and I'm pretty sure he ran into this room.  Do any of you want to own up to that?"

The four of us looked at each other.  After a pause, the singing scofflaw raised his hand.  The r.a. reminded him that our floor was a designated quiet floor and that singing loudly out the window at such a late hour was inconsiderate.

As far as I know, the guilty party never sang that Righteous Brothers oldie, or any other song, out of a dorm window again.  You just never know when a resident assistant's stern guidance will change a student's direction and set him on the path to becoming a solid citizen.

Thus ends Sarcastic Conclusion Day at the ballpark.

FM dial scan highlights LXV

Ear-catching selections I've heard over the past week or so:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• You Can Feel It-Young Gun Silver Fox (One of the easiest-on-the-ears tunes of 2016; I would have guessed it was a late '70s or early '80s hit.  Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," America's "You Can Do Magic," and Real Estate's "Crime" would all flow smoothly into this tune.)
• A Walk In The Woods-Michelle Malone (This acoustic guitar instrumental is titled appropriately.)
• Early Morning Light-Sarah Jarosz (One of many vocal highlights from Jarosz's latest release, "Undercurrent.")
• If You Were There-The Isley Brothers (I'm not sure how I overlooked this uptempo gem of an album track from 1973.  Smooth vocals mesh well with of-its-time instrumentation.  The Stylistics could have pulled off a strong cover of it.)

KWMU 90.7 FM

• Lush Life-John Coltrane (Fourteen minutes of elegant, sax-led bliss.  Coltrane's version with vocalist Johnny Hartman is also recommended.)

KSHE 94.7 FM

• A Trick Of The Tail-Genesis (This title track is from the band's first album with Phil Collins as lead singer.  It's the band's best album, in my opinion, with no weak tracks and a general consistency in the writing.  Also recommended: "Entangled," "Dance On A Volcano," "Squonk," and "Los Endos.")
• I'm Alive-Gamma (Robotic backing vocals give the tune an ELO feel, if Jeff Lynne had decided to emphasize the electric guitar instead of the keyboards.)

Sitting where the teacher can see you

A memory from the first day of sixth grade chorus class:  Mrs. B. welcomed us to her class and said, "Go ahead and sit anywhere..."  Some of us climbed the riser steps and started to sit down in the back row, when she clarified, in her Texas accent, "...but not back there!  I need my bifocals to see back there!"

Just as being invited to "make yourself at home" doesn't mean you should start eating food out of your host's refrigerator, some of us learned that day that the word "anywhere" shouldn't always be taken literally.

WEW playlist flashback: 8/10/96

My music picks for my 6-10 a.m. shift on this day 20 years ago:

   1.  When Lights Are Low-Herbie Mann
(This classy, low-key flute melody was one of my favorite tracks that I brought in from home for the first song of the morning.  It doesn't jolt the listeners; it eases them into the new day.)
   2.  I Only Have Eyes For You-Count Basie Orchestra with George Benson
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   3.  My Heart Stood Still-Erroll Garner
   4.  Symphony-Freddy Martin and his orchestra
   5.  Tennessee Waltz-Patti Page (*)
(The listeners' requests were an interesting, diverse lot that day, as you'll see.)
   6.  These Foolish Things-Chet Baker
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   7.  My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time-Les Brown and his orchestra with Doris Day
   8.  Out Of This World-Mary Cleere Haran
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   9.  Somewhere Along The Way-Nat King Cole
 10.  When Sunny Gets Blue-Johnny Mathis
(One of the safest choices for a vocal ballad, in this format.)
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 11.  Stardust-Artie Shaw (*)
 12.  One Together-Fleetwood Mac
(I might be the only DJ in history to pair these two songs together on the air.  Somehow, the segue works.  "One Together," much like "Mission Bell" from the "Kiln House" album, has a throwback feel.)
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 13.  What's New-Milt Jackson
 14.  Someone To Watch Over Me-Linda Ronstadt & The Nelson Riddle Orchestra
 15.  From The Bottom Of My Heart-Harry James and his orchestra with Frank Sinatra
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 16.  When My Dreamboat Comes Home-Kay Starr
 17.  I Got Rhythm-Tony Bennett
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 18.  Coquette-John Pizzarelli
 19.  Blue Light, Red Light-Harry Connick, Jr.
(A sly melody that has to be a blast to sing or play.)
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 20.  Mairzy Doats-The Merry Macs (*)
(When a listener requests a whimsical tune like this, it can be tricky to find an appropriate segue...)
 21.  Trickle Trickle-The Manhattan Transfer
(...This is one option, however.)
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 22.  Sleepytime Gal-Glen Gray (*)
 23.  Embraceable You-Ray Anthony
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 24.  Sunday Will Never Be The Same-Spanky & Our Gang
 25.  Music Box Dancer-Frank Mills
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 26.  Relaxin' At Camarillo-Charlie Haden Quartet West
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 27.  Charles Matthew Hallelujah-Dave Brubeck Quartet
(Written to celebrate the birth of one of Brubeck's sons.  The tune takes the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah" and works its way through several jazzy variations of it.)
 28.  Lady Be Good-Melissa Manchester
 29.  Day In-Day Out-Michele Shaheen
 30.  Pressure Cooker-Sammy Nestico
(One of the most challenging jazz tunes I ever played on the bass; fast, constant shifting between notes is required, and it almost necessitates the use of a bionic arm.)
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 31.  You Go To My Head-Charlie Watts
 32.  Canadian Sunset-Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra
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 33.  Dream A Little Dream Of Me-Mama Cass
 34.  King Of The Road-Roger Miller
 35.  Twilight Time-The Platters
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 36.  Moanin'-Joey DeFrancesco
 37.  Summer Samba-Walter Wanderley
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 38.  Sunset In Paradise-Pete Fountain
(Rest in peace, Pete Fountain; the longtime clarinetist passed away on August 6.)
 39.  Bourgeois Boogie-Ornette Coleman & Prime Time
(This is about as far out as I went on WEW, musically; the majority of the audience was in the 75-plus age bracket, so I suspect they wouldn't likely have welcomed a jazz tune that was more raucous and experimental than this.)
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 40.  The Lion Sleeps Tonight-The Tokens
 41.  Michelle-The Beatles
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 42.  Rockin' In Rhythm-Duke Ellington
 43.  Choo Choo Ch'Boogie-Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
 44.  Let's Go, Joe-Cab Calloway
 45.  Arise And Shine-Vanessa Rubin
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 46.  A Swingin' Safari-Billy Vaughn and his orchestra
 47.  Cab Driver-The Mills Brothers
 48.  Twistin' The Night Away-Sam Cooke
(One indication that a song has you under its spell: You sing and move along to it with wild abandon while driving.  A former co-worker told me she'd done this, to the amusement of another driver.  Good for her, not caring what the other driver thought.)
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 49.  Begin The Beguine-The Andrews Sisters
 50.  Black Nightgown-Woody Herman
 51.  I've Got The World On A String-Louis Prima
 52.  I Never Knew-Louis Armstrong
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 53.  Get Me On Your Mind-Jay McShann and his orchestra
 54.  There I Go-Vaughn Monroe and his orchestra
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 55.  Chiquita-Richard Clayderman
 56.  (CLOSING THEME) Closing Time-Tom Waits
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(*) indicates a listener's request.
--- indicates a short break for a slogan and time check or a longer break for back announcing the music.

A classic put to good use

Several days ago, an ice cream truck drove down my street playing Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer."  As attention-getters go, that's probably a good choice; nearly everyone knows the melody, and it's ideal for a calliope-style arrangement.  Why not use it to draw customers to the Dreamsicles and Drumsticks?

Ending Mass on a peaceful note

Looking back, I'm pretty sure that "Let There Be Peace On Earth" was the most frequent closing hymn at the church I attended in the early '80s.  Although the hymn's lyrics are idealistic, its "Let it begin with me" sentiment is a good reminder of the power each individual has to be a force for good.  I don't know how often singing or hearing it has changed anyone's intentions for the better, but it's tempting to believe that it calms people down, at least occasionally.

Listen, but leave the DJ alone.

"So, you plan to work your way up in radio for fame and fortune--or, well, just fortune, at least?" I once asked a DJ.  "Right," the DJ responded.  "No desire for fame, but I'll take the fortune."

I was glad I revised my question.  While asking it, I realized I was talking to someone who enjoys being on the air but probably likes being left alone as much as I do--and as much as I suspect most announcers do.

The right pre-concert perspective

I wish I'd reminded myself more often to relax before playing in concerts.  Looking back, I should have told myself more frequently, "I know this music.  I've practiced it, and we've rehearsed it many times.  Just because an audience is here tonight doesn't mean I'll suddenly forget everything I've learned.  Chances are, none of the audience members are following along with scores of the pieces we're playing, singling out the bass lines.  Besides, if I flub a note, I won't be the only one, and the audience might not even notice.  This is a huge orchestra, and there's safety in numbers."

That's the shot of confidence every performer should have before a concert.

"Make sure the plot isn't predictable."

"You should write a mystery," my high school orchestra director once told me.  "A really good mystery is hard to write, (especially) that surprise ending."

He wasn't wrong, but that out-of-the-blue recommendation qualifies for the "Orchestra directors have unusual personalities" canon.

Context? XVI

During an FM dial scan today, the sentence, "He wallows in the unpleasantness of existence," caught my attention.

When I flipped back to Public Radio International's "The World" on KWMU, I was surprised to hear a reporter was talking about Gudetama, a sad, apprehensive cartoon egg yolk based in Japan. 

At first, I'd wondered if the reporter was reviewing an existential author's work or doing a piece on depression.  The thought, "Obviously, he must be talking about a cartoon egg yolk," never entered my mind.

Just when you think you've heard everything...

FM dial scan highlights LXIV

Five of the better tunes I've heard since Monday:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Colours So Fine-Miranda Lee Richards (Appealingly airy, psychedelic vocals and instrumentation on this track, released in January.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Alma Con Alma-Manuel Valera, Sr. (Excellent Latin jazz.  Valera's saxophone leads an engaging melody that's great for driving and wouldn't be out of place on a smooth jazz station.)
• Take Me To The Alley-Gregory Porter (Movingly sung vocals convey lyrics that work on a spiritual level.  It's the emotive title track of Porter's latest release.  Also recommended: Porter's "Liquid Spirit" CD.)

KEZK 102.5 FM

• The Way It Is-Bruce Hornsby & The Range (An impressive debut pop hit, lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally.  Certainly, it has one of the most attention-getting piano intros.  The attitude that Hornsby questions in the lyrics is still applicable 30 years later.)

WARH 106.5 FM

• I'll Stand By You-The Pretenders (The tune conveys exactly the right amount of sentimentality, without being maudlin.)

Persistent earworm alert XXXIII

For the last three days, "Hummingbird" by Seals & Crofts has been on my mind.  A song about appreciating a hummingbird, or almost any other animal, wouldn't likely be a pop hit today, but it was in 1973.  The repetition of "Hummingbird, don't fly away, fly away," punctuated by a flute, doesn't leave my mind easily once I hear it.  The tune's strong vocal harmonies and outside-the-norm lyrics make it one of the most pleasant earworms I've heard.

On second thought...

...Naming the five fish my family had in the '90s after Genesis albums, i.e. Wind, Wuthering, Foxtrot, Genesis, and Abacab, was a tad eccentric of me.