FM dial scan highlights LXVIII

Pleasant selections heard recently:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• The Skies Will Break-Corinne Bailey Rae (Rae's vocals and the instrumentation convey the illusion of hurtling through space.  It's a fine intro to her latest release, "The Heart Speaks In Whispers.")
• Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore-The Carpenters (It's unusual to hear The Carpenters on KDHX; in fact, today marked the first time I'd ever heard any radio station play this beautifully sung cover of the Ruby & The Romantics tune.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Fly Me To The Moon-Eldar Djangirov (This impressive piano arrangement falls somewhere between traditional jazz and lounge music.)
• On The Other End Of The Phone-Melissa Manchester featuring Joe Sample and Dionne Warwick (Quite an impressive trio; Manchester and Warwick harmonize exceptionally well with Sample's piano accompaniment.)

K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. KNOU-HD2

• Sharon Isbin: Pilgrim's Waltz (Sharon Isbin, guitar; Mark O'Connor, violin) (A short, beguiling movement that conveys the feel of Autumn; it's one of many impressive compositions on Isbin's "Journey To The New World" release.)

An overlooked cover tune XIX

Sometimes, an artist can take a well-known melody, slow down its tempo, and make it work with just a voice and a guitar.  James Taylor does this on his rendition of "Oh, Susannah."  One of his best, biggest hits, "Fire And Rain," overshadows it on the "Sweet Baby James" album, but it's a good example of how you can hear a well-worn melody in a new way.

Context? XVIII

Heard on an Ohio radio station: "...Paul isn't here this week.  I'm a lesser host..."

That out-of-context introduction got my attention early this morning.  I'd never heard any announcer refer to himself as a lesser host.  He clarified that his knowledge of Japanese music wasn't as deep as the regular host's and that he'd chosen a narrower range of music for the show than the usual host would have.  Although his admission was refreshingly honest, I also thought, "That's interesting, going out of your way to lower the audience's expectations, right off the bat."

Online radio sampler highlights XLVII

Late night standouts:

KAFM (Grand Junction, CO)

• Sky Is Crying-Joanna Connor (If you like the emotive singing and guitar wailing of Stevie Ray Vaughan's rendition, give Connor's version a listen.  She plays and sings it with considerable feeling, as well.)
• Black Crow-Holly Hyatt & Jon Burden (A haunting acoustic number for guitar, bass, and vocalist.)

KEXP (Seattle, WA)

• September Gurls-Big Star (One of the band's best examples of tuneful, sing-along power pop; it still mystifies me that it wasn't a hit.)

WFSK (Nashville, TN)

• I Live For You-Kevin Whalum (Some of 2016's best jazzy, subtle vocals; I would have guessed this was a Michael Franks track from the '70s.)

WKSU (Kent, OH) 

• Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major: IV. Allegro con spirito (Philadelphia Orchestra/Riccardo Muti, conductor) (A fitting finale for a symphony; the orchestra handles the movement's many arpeggios deftly.  The movement weaves major and minor key themes together effectively.)
• Antonin Dvorak: Humoresque No. 2 (Orion Weiss, piano) (An interpretation that proves that "warm" and "forceful" aren't always contradictory terms.  I hear more of the warmth here.)

WPMD (Norwalk, CA)

• Spill The Wine-Eric Burdon & War (In 1970, if you were in your teens or twenties and were trying to convince someone from an older generation that current rock music was more accessible than it seems, you wouldn't likely have used this tune as evidence.  This is one of the quirkiest, jazziest melodies set against equally quirky talk-sing vocals.  I'll never forget the first time I heard this song as a kid.  I heard Burdon muse, "I dreamed I was in a Hollywood movie--and that I was the star of the movie.  This really blew my mind..."  I thought, "What on Earth...?"  I kept listening, though, and the tune stayed with me for weeks afterward.)
• Keep On Moving-Little Johnny Hamilton And The Creators (An early incarnation of the band that became War.  As the DJ mentioned, this sounds like The Impressions.  It's a catchy, concise groove about missing someone.) 

Request vs. suggestion

I always liked that WMRY, our eclectic rock station here from 1986 to '89, played songs "by suggestion" instead of "by request," as other stations do.  "By request," to me, means a listener calling in and saying, "I want to hear 'Chappaqua' by Solution."  "By suggestion," on the other hand, means a listener asking the DJ, "You know what would fit well into this winding, expansive instrumental groove you've started?  Solution's 'Chappaqua.'  I haven't heard it in years, and it would really hit the spot."  The difference is subtle, but the attitude behind the phrase, "by suggestion," is yet another reason I miss WMRY.

"Sir, please play this song, Sir. Thank you, Sir."

One truism about radio announcing: Whenever I've sounded remotely like Rod Serling on the air, request line callers have called me "Sir" three times more frequently.  Usually, they've also sounded about three times more somber.

Decades after "The Twilight Zone"'s original run, Serling's deadly serious delivery still resonates with an audience.

"An apple by any other name..."

Not every choice one makes while grocery shopping has to be rational.  During a recent trip to the store, I bought some Jazz apples impulsively.  Naturally, with a name like Jazz, I half-expected the apples to have improvised flavors and for no two of them to taste alike.  Obviously, that's not the case.  It's funny how much branding makes a difference in our decisions.  Even though there's no connection between jazz music and apples, the Jazz moniker made me choose them over all the others.  I might have been hasty, not giving the Envy apples a second glance.

Context? XVII

"Everybody, be a line note!"  "Everybody, be a space note!"

While these are odd requests to hear a teacher bark at students out of context, there's a reason for them.  If you ever walk past an elementary school music classroom and hear a music teacher demand that his or her class become line and/or space notes, these orders aren't intended only for students to learn the difference between the notes of the treble and bass clefs.  Per a lecturer at a national high school music convention I attended in the '80s, it's a warning to the class that the teacher is at the end of his or her rope--especially if (s)he stands on a desk, table, or piano bench.

I suppose that's about the limit of anger that's advisable for a teacher to convey.

Persistent earworm alert XXXVII

For the last two weeks, Rick Nelson's "Garden Party," an account of his not-so-warmly-received concert performance at Madison Square Garden, has run through my mind.  Fortunately for Nelson, that sour experience gave him the makings of a big hit in 1972.  I've always liked the portion of the chorus in which he sings, "You see, you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself."  Those are words by which to live, especially when you pursue anything artistic.  Inevitably, the audience's response will be subjective.  Nelson's matter-of-fact, "Oh, well" approach to the vocals is more effective than a venomous approach would have been.  It's a smart way to convey a smart perspective.

A nebulously defined leading band

In high school, someone asked me to edit a story she'd written about U2.  In her article, she referred to U2 as "rock's leading band."

"How is U2 rock's leading band?" I asked.  "Does U2 lead in some measurement of record sales, chart hits, or concert attendance?  Is there a survey of critics or fans that names them the best band of the year?"

"No, they're just rock's leading band," she replied.

"I would leave out the phrase, 'rock's leading band,' then," I said.  "It isn't defined in the article, and it's an opinion."

"No, it's a fact," she said.  "They're rock's leading band."

I drew a line through the phrase when I edited the article, but my guess is that "rock's leading band" appeared in her final version.

Stingray Music highlights XXVI

More noteworthy selections from recent days:

Canadian Indie

• Cloud In The Sky-Gabriella (It's a pleasure to have freedom of decision, even though the plethora of choices one has to make are sometimes overwhelming.)

Cocktail Lounge 

• Monterey Peninsula-Burt Bacharach (An interesting 1973 blend of easy listening and jazz styles, with a hint of a melody that could've been a Wehrenberg Theater jingle.)

Folk Roots

• Run To Heaven-The Infamous Stringdusters featuring Aoife O'Donovan (O'Donovan's voice shines in this fast-paced bluegrass context against a backdrop of guitar, banjo, and fiddle.  I was pleased to learn that Sarah Jarosz and O'Donovan will be regular duet partners on Chris Thile's edition of "A Prairie Home Companion," which begins October 15.)
• The Snows They Melt The Soonest-Susan McKeown (Stark, contemplative vocals that wouldn't be out of place on a new age station.)
• Vincent-Don McLean (A listener would have to be pretty heartless not to be moved by these lyrics or McLean's sensitive delivery of them.)

Jazz Masters

• Message To A Friend-Pat Metheny & Charlie Haden (This subtle guitar-and-bass instrumental conjures up images of a pastoral landscape, as do other tracks on their "Beyond The Missouri Sky" CD.)
• Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams-George Benson (Benson's graceful guitar playing and the orchestral backing make this one of his most tender instrumentals.)

Retro R&B

• Rhythm-Major Lance (Major Lance and company lay down a fun, concise rhythm here.  It's a shame I never hear this 1964 hit on the radio here.)

SiriusXM highlights XLVII

Monday morning highlights:

1st Wave 

• It's My Life-Talk Talk (Effective '80s vocal angst that I can't imagine being recorded in any other era.)

'60s On 6

• A Sign Of The Times-Petula Clark (Many listeners, upon hearing Clark's name, would think of "Downtown."  I'd argue that this song holds up better, however, and should be the tune of hers that comes to mind first.)

Escape

• What's New-Pat Valentino (This instrumental arrangement straddles the easy listening and smooth jazz genres well.)

Margaritaville

• Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)-Van Morrison (An unusual track for Morrison, as its appeal is largely in its feel instead of its lyrics.  He replicated some of this tune's upbeat, catchy flavor on "Joyous Sound.")

Real Jazz

• Above The Clouds-Amina Figarova (Figarova anchors this appealingly breezy tune on piano and allows plenty of space for the flute, trumpet, saxophone, drums, and bass to shine.)
• Avila And Tequila-Hank Mobley (Saxophonist Mobley and his rhythm section cook on this uptempo workout.)

The Spectrum

• Turn It On Again-Genesis (Mike Rutherford was onto something when he came up with the tune's central riff, and Phil Collins was wise in speeding it up.  This is one of the band's most effectively constructed tunes; it has a great build, a strong hook, and forceful vocals.  The pause when Collins sings, "I...I...get so lonely when she's not there," is one of its most effective attributes.)

Watercolors

• Leading Me Back To You-Joe Sample with Michael Franks (Franks was a smart choice as the vocalist, as he conveys the relief and happiness in lyrics such as, "Now, the ordeal is over...," without overemoting.)

Blues-playing justification

Recently, while cat-sitting, I passed three witch cats.  One of them started playing a harmonica.  A second witch cat sang, "Ba, ba-ba-bump."  A third witch cat joined in, singing, "Ba, ba-ba-ba-bump."

Then, unexpectedly, the music stopped.

One witch cat asked the others, "We have the power to shape reality to our liking.  Isn't it disingenuous of us to sing and play the blues?"

"Yes, we can bend reality to suit us in some ways," another witch cat countered.  "Still, we're not immune from all of life's setbacks.  I stubbed my paw yesterday, for instance."

"There is a song in that," the third witch cat chimed in.

With that, the three of them improvised a new tune, "Stubbed Paw Blues (Playing Through The Pain)."

One rarely sees such an impressive display of self-actualization from witch cats.

Dusty oldies

A memory of WGCI: In addition to playing an appealing mix of old and new R&B, I was struck, when I visited Chicago in the '80s and early '90s, by how the station referred to an oldie as a dusty.  It's an interesting idea, actually, conjuring up the image of a dusty record being taken off a shelf and played on the air.  I've never heard any other station refer to oldies as dusties since then.  Decades later, though, I still remember the term and associate it immediately with WGCI.  That's effective marketing. 

Stingray Music highlights XXV

Some of the more interesting selections I heard yesterday and today:

Alt Country-Americana

• Hard Night-Kelley McRae (One of McRae's more forcefully sung and played tunes from her latest release, "The Wayside."  Also recommended: "Morning Song," to hear the softer side of her work.)
• Valley Clouds-Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop (I praised this duo's "Every Songbird Says" previously.  Their call-and-response abilities shine on that tune.  On "Valley Clouds," it's easy to hear how well-matched Beam and Hoop are as singers.)

Chamber Music

• Franz Schubert: Impromptu No. 2 in A-flat major, D.935 (Alfred Brendel, piano) (It's difficult not to appreciate Brendel's technical expertise and Schubert's contrasting dynamics.)

Classic R&B And Soul 

• You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)-Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. (Endearingly of its time, instrumentally and vocally.  Also recommended: "Wonderful.")

Cocktail Lounge

• To Wes-I Gres (Bossa nova organ music fit for the ballpark, the elevator, or home; lounge music at its finest.)

Folk Roots

• Analog Hero-Mark Erelli (Erelli's vocals bring Jackson Browne to mind.)
• On Horseback-Eileen Ivers (Ivers conveys the urgency of a horseback ride convincingly on the fiddle.)

Jazz Masters

• The Village Caller-Johnny Lytle (There's a Martin Denny, "Quiet Village" type of vibe here.)
• You Go To My Head-Chet Baker (Baker conveys an elegant last-dance-of-the-night feel on trumpet.)

Pop Classics

• Frederic Chopin: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 8 (Leila Josefowicz, Garrick Ohlsson, and Carter Brey) (A gripping, intimate interpretation.)

Rewind--'80s & '90s

• Brimful Of Asha-Cornershop (Cornershop builds the tune around a memorable recurring riff, ensuring that you won't forget the hook soon.  It was good to hear this tune again, as you don't usually hear it on the radio these days.)

SiriusXM highlights XLVI

Among the better songs heard today:

Escape

• This Masquerade-Norm Geller (George Benson made the tune famous, and Geller shows that it also works as a piano-based easy listening cover.)

The Loft

• Five O'Clock World-The Vogues (One of the most cathartic tunes about leaving the pressures of work behind when you head home.)

The Message

• Between You And Me-dc Talk (Good lyrics about clearing one's conscience in a pleasant arrangement; WVRV, our former station known as "The River," used to play this.) 

Real Jazz

• Stars Fell On Alabama-Cannonball Adderley/George Duke (An ideal vehicle for excellent sax solos--and harmonica solos, as Toots Thielemans proves on his rendition.)

Siriusly Sinatra 

• When I Fall In Love-Linda Ronstadt (Equally at home in a traditional jazz, smooth jazz, or music-of-your-life format.  This is one of Ronstadt's most effective covers, as she sings it with such feeling and holds each note for the precisely appropriate amount of time.)

Soul Town

• A House Is Not A Home-Dionne Warwick (Warwick sings this with an effective blend of grandeur and resignation.)
• Thin Line Between Love And Hate-The Persuaders (The Persuaders sing this with a convincing level of understanding.)

Watercolors

• Kings-Kevin Toney (A cool breeze of a piano melody, in the way that Freddie Ravel's "Sunny Side Up" is; I was always glad to see this come up on KNJZ's playlist.)

SiriusXM highlights XLV

Wednesday afternoon standouts:

'40s Junction

• Be My Life's Companion-The Mills Brothers with Sy Oliver (A classy assortment of sentiments, delivered with the ensemble's consistently impressive harmonizing.  The Mills Brothers were one of my favorite groups to play on WEW.)

Kirk Franklin's Praise 

• Hear My Cry-Randall Fears/Blessed Through Christ (Uplifting lead and supporting voices, with engaging organ accompaniment.)

Pop2K

• Breathless-The Corrs (The well-sung, well-produced, energetic hook has undoubtedly compelled many listeners to turn the tune up while driving.)

Siriusly Sinatra

• Stormy Weather-Gladys Knight (Knight's voice is a natural fit for this standard.)

Soul Town

• You're All I Need To Get By-Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (The vocal arrangement of the recurring lyric, "You're all I need to get by," reminded me of Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love," which was also a hit for Carl Carlton.)

Spa

• China-Wind Machine (It's easy to close one's eyes and get immersed in the guitar part.  Also recommended: "Road To Freedom.")

Watercolors

• Francesca-Ricardo Silveira (A relaxing, mellow guitar piece, with effective, recurring trumpet punctuation.)
• Hide & Seek (Bahjee Bahjee)-Regina Carter (A compelling instrumental blend of jazz and hip hop on the violin.)
• Somehow Our Love Survives-Joe Sample with Al Jarreau (One of many highlights from Sample's excellent release, "Spellbound."  Sample lays down an appealing, uptempo keyboard part, and Jarreau's vocals invite the listener to sing along.  Also recommended: "All God's Children," Sample's strong pairing with Michael Franks, "Leading Me Back To You," and an excellent number with Take 6, "U-Turn.")

FM dial scan highlights LXVII

Some of the best tunes I've heard since Saturday:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Lydia, The Tattooed Lady-Rowlf The Dog (The singing, piano-playing Muppet pulls off a fun, credible rendition of this quirky tune.  I also recommend his version of "New York State Of Mind.")
• Do Not Go Gentle-Jorma Kaukonen (A low-key, melodic acoustic number from the Jefferson Airplane guitarist that was a strong first song choice on "Backroads" Saturday.)
• Summer's Almost Over-Cheryl Wheeler (A perfectly timed choice of seasonal lyrics.  Wheeler's voice and guitar conjure up seasonal images effectively.  Much like Carrie Newcomer, Wheeler is adept at making you want to know, or at least understand, the people about whom she sings.  Also recommended: "75 Septembers" and "When Fall Comes To New England.")
• Blackbird (Live)-Joan Baez with David Crosby (One of Paul McCartney's most thoughtful, sensitive Beatles compositions, covered by two folk-rock giants.  It's one of the best performances from Baez's "75th Birthday Celebration" CD, released in June.)
• Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child (Live)-The Wailin' Jennys (Sadly, these sentiments felt all too appropriate to hear on September 11.  The vocal harmonies are appropriately solemn.  Surprisingly, The Wailin' Jennys up the tempo when you might not expect it.)

WSIE 88.7 FM 

• Long Ago And Far Away-Earl Klugh (James Taylor's hit works equally well as an acoustic guitar instrumental.)
• Knocks Me Off My Feet-Stevie Wonder (Considering how effectively Wonder sets the mood with his piano playing and vocals, I'm surprised this wasn't a top 40 hit.  The stellar album from which it originates, "Songs In The Key Of Life," is a treasure trove of some of his best work.  Among its many highlights: "Another Star," "As," "I Wish," "Saturn," and "Sir Duke.")

KEZK 102.5 FM

• The Tide Is High-Blondie (An unusual tropical style for a number one hit, particularly in 1981, but it works.)
• Tainted Love-Soft Cell (Among the many one-hit wonder '80s tunes, I suspect this ranks high on the list of tunes-with-which-people-sing-along-without-realizing-it.  It just draws the listener in from the beginning with "Sometimes, I feel I've got to run away...")

Should've taken more piano lessons

After listening to Bruce Hornsby's "Walk In The Sun" recently, I wished I would have taken piano lessons longer than I did.  It would have been worth it to play with the force Hornsby does on "Walk In The Sun"--or "Great Divide," for that matter.

Treating music as a hot potato

As you've gleaned by now, music is one of my main reasons for living.  On this day 15 years ago, however, most music suddenly seemed insignificant to me.

I had to attend a staff meeting at a previous job during the afternoon of September 11, 2001.  During the ride into work, I kept listening to coverage, mainly on NPR's KWMU, of the fallout from the horrific terrorist attacks and kept listening even after I'd parked.  It took some time before I finally emerged from the car.

For two weeks after the attacks, when scanning the AM and FM dials, I treated music as a hot potato.  It's one thing to avoid heavy metal tunes on Christmas Eve because they don't fit the mood.  When nearly 3,000 lives have been snuffed out for no good reason, though, it's perfectly reasonable to think that music, aside from Samuel Barber's Adagio For Strings or Sting's "Fragile," is intrusive.  Even when there was no new information about the attacks and the news was repetitive or incorrect, I still thought I should hear the coverage.  Listening to most forms of music, even cerebral ones, felt inappropriate. 

About two weeks later, I got back into a music-listening routine.  I heard a well-programmed 5 a.m. hour's worth of singer-songwriter tunes on KDHX's former program, "It's Late," and thought, "I guess this is as good of a way as any to ease back into one of my passions."

On this blog, for the most part, when I write about radio stations, I mostly tout the great, diverse music I've heard.  If I'd been writing this blog on September 11, 2001, however, I would have been praising KWMU and KMOX for their news coverage.  Of all the days in my life, 9/11/01 was the most conspicuous one in which radio news justifiably took precedence over music.

Listening to edits and staying entertained

For a broadcasting school production class instructor, it must get monotonous to hear hundreds of essentially identical student-edited versions of Pink Floyd's "Money" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."  It's no wonder, then, that one instructor whom I asked to listen to my condensed version of Depeche Mode's "Policy Of Truth" started my tape and drummed along on a desk with it, using two pencils, the entire time.  At the end of the tune, he asked, "Did the song time out OK?"  I said it did, and he marked down 10 out of 10 points for my rendition.  It isn't often that a school project elicits three minutes of drumming from the person grading it.

Online radio sampler highlights XLVI

Seven appealing tunes I've heard this morning:

KMPS (Seattle, WA)

• Landslide-Dixie Chicks (This is one of the most thoughtful Stevie Nicks-penned Fleetwood Mac tunes, and these three voices harmonize well on this cover.)

KPTZ (Port Townsend, WA)

• The Sleeping Tune-Stanley Greenthal (A quiet instrumental that would segue with Jay Ungar & Molly Mason's "Thanksgiving Waltz" or Nickel Creek's "First And Last Waltz.")

KRFH (Arcata, CA)

• If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out-Cat Stevens (Upbeat lyrics remind us that we have more freedom of decision than we might think.)
• Person To Person (Live)-Average White Band (I'm pleased that KRFH reached back 40 years for this spirited concert recording.  This is an ideal choice for a concert jam and must have been a blast to play during the soundcheck, for the singers and instrumentalists alike.  It's also a pleasure to hear the players introduced.)

KUVO (Denver, CO)

• Joy Waltz-Chester Thompson Trio (Piano, bass, and drums pull off this brisk rhythm from last year's "Simpler Times" release impressively.  Also recommended: "Elation," which lives up to its name.)
• Quietude-Dorothy Ashby (Somehow, this artist escaped my notice until now.  Ashby plays an elegant jazz harp, so I'm glad KUVO aired it.  Also recommended: Ashby's version of "Round Midnight.")

WDCB (Chicago, IL)

• Blackbird/Bye Bye Blackbird-Sara Gazarek & Josh Nelson (Well-done intermingling between the Beatles classic and a standard from 1926.  Nelson's piano compliments Gazarek's vocals effectively.  For another strong collaboration, listen to Erin Bode's and Nelson's "All Again.")

Sun-eliciting music?

James Taylor's ability to draw the sun out from behind the clouds impressed me on Wednesday.  As I played Taylor's "Sunny Skies," the overcast skies suddenly turned sunny.

Unfortunately, I couldn't replicate this result on Thursday, as the rain continued to fall.  Perhaps, as with Linus getting the rain to stop only part of the time in "Peanuts" by saying, "Rain, rain, go away...," a mere mortal can only elicit that result every so often.

Then again, maybe I should have made more of an effort Thursday by choosing a different song; in retrospect, perhaps I should have played Chicago's "Wake Up Sunshine."

Or, maybe someone else negated the effect of my playing "Sunny Skies" a second time by playing the Jonathan Edwards tune, "Sunshine."  The sun might have been irked to hear, "Sunshine, go away today..."

Maybe playing "Sun King" by The Beatles, Petra Haden's "Sunshine Life For Me," or The Brady Bunch's "It's A Sunshine Day" will make the storms go away Friday.  We'll see.

"Can you hear the cat?"

My first musical memory from my first week of school 40 years ago: I remember one of the kindergarten teachers playing a record for the class more than once during that first week.  I don't know the name of the artist or the album, but four decades later, I still remember hearing, "Can you hear the cat?  Can you hear the cat?  The cat says, 'Meow, meow,' all day long.  Can you hear the cat?"  The singer repeated this routine in the other verses, naming a different animal each time.  (i.e.  "Can you hear the dog?  Can you hear the dog?  The dog says, 'Woof, woof,' all day long.  Can you hear the dog?")

On second thought, maybe it was, "Listen to the cat.  Listen to the cat..." I've been listening to cats routinely in the four decades since then, so apparently, the Pavlovian association started early.

"Your audition was great, but..."

When I was in high school, the new conductor of an orchestra in which I played explained the thinking behind chair placements.

"We took a lot of things into consideration (after auditions)," he said.  "For instance, there's (so-and-so) in the cello section.  He's one of the youngest people in the orchestra, and it's his first year with us.  We could easily have given him a higher chair placement, but if we start him off there, where's he going to go?"

I probably wasn't the only orchestra member who thought, "What?  If he plays well enough to deserve a higher chair placement, he should have a higher chair placement.  A good teacher doesn't tell a student, 'You earned an A on this essay, but you're the youngest person in this class, and it's the first essay you've turned in, so I'm giving you a B instead.  After all, if you start off with an A, where will you go from there?"

Motivation to advance beyond an assigned chair is a musician's own business.

Subtle tune? A passing grade, then...

It's satisfying to have a say in which songs a radio station plays and how often it plays them.  When WSSM was our smooth jazz station, I was on its listener advisory panel.  WSSM emailed me periodic surveys, asking me to rate songs they played on a one-to-five scale.  I remember submitting a lot of three and four ratings, as the station's music was generally good.  I reserved fives for my favorite vocals, such as "Don't Know Why" or "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones or favorite instrumentals, such as Acoustic Alchemy's "Wish You Were Near" and Turning Point's "Estrella."  I hardly ever submitted a one rating, though, unless a song clearly didn't belong in a smooth jazz format.  I would guess that most listeners surveyed probably didn't submit a lot of one ratings.  Smooth jazz, after all, isn't an in-your-face format.  Even when a smooth jazz instrumental or vocal is bland or doesn't make much of an impression, I can't imagine getting worked up enough to think, "Blech!  This song is awful!  I don't ever want to hear it again!  If I could give it a rating below one, I would!"  I imagine a lot of smooth jazz tunes elicited ratings of three or higher simply because the format is subtle and inoffensive.

FM dial scan highlights LXVI

Some of the better selections I've heard over the weekend:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Joe Hill-John McCutcheon (McCutcheon sings with gravitas, as usual.  Also recommended: "Harness Up The Day," in which McCutcheon sings Woody Guthrie's lyrics with impeccable heart.)
• This Little Light Of Mine-Jennifer Paskow (Paskow sings this new release's optimistic lyrics in an appealingly breathy voice.  I could imagine Norah Jones doing a credible rendition of it.)

WSIE 88.7 FM  

• East River Drive-Russ Freeman (Grover Washington, Jr.'s version, with its perfectly paced saxophone, will always be the definitive one for me.  Freeman, however, shows that a guitar can also set the scene effectively.)
• Many Moons Ago-Emma Larsson (Larsson's emotive voice finds support from a strong rhythm section.)

KWMU 90.7 FM

• Two Bass Hit-Miles Davis (The first five notes let listeners know they're in for a raucous ride.  Davis and his combo convey the illusion of a big band setting the music aside and jammin'.  John Coltrane's tenor sax is a key part of this effect.)

Judge or spectator?

When I was in college, I was one of two students my bass teacher invited to judge All-State High School Orchestra bass auditions.  I wondered how that would work.  Would we fill out evaluation forms or take notes on each player's audition?  Would our panel debate who should get which chair?  Would any of us disagree on the rankings?

Actually, the process could not have been simpler.  After the last bassist auditioned, my teacher said to the other judges, "The order I would go with is so-and-so as first chair, so-and-so in second chair, so-and-so third," etc.  We all nodded and said, "Yes," "OK," and "Sounds good."  And, that was that.  As an afterthought, she added, "During last night's rehearsal, they were already standing in the order they ended up finishing.  We didn't need to do this."

It's always satisfying to have a voice in a democratic process.

Persistent earworm alert XXXVI

Every once in a while, an instrumental with a weary, trundling-through-the-rote-tasks-of-the-day vibe comes to mind, and it's a tune I don't mind hearing several times in a row.  For years, "Over The River" by The High Llamas has made me envision a commercial in which factory workers are punching their time cards, one by one.  During the flute interlude at the 43-second mark, a butterfly enters the room, followed by an artist who is paying no mind to the factory workers.  Instead, she's concentrating intensely on the butterfly and painting it in vivid colors.  The colors spring off of the canvas, in contrast to the washed out, dull gray scene of workers punching in.  The final scene zooms in on the painting, where, below the butterfly, the artist has painted, "Find your calling.  Feed your muse."  On the next line is the URL for a job listings site.

I'm surprised that no one, to my knowledge, has filmed such a commercial already.  Granted, it sounds as though a robot is chirping periodically throughout the tune, so maybe no one has found the right way to integrate that aspect of the tune into a commercial.

Only in college XX

I suppose this is as dignified of a way as any to start off my third year of blog posts:

My college orchestra director once told us about the irritation his college orchestra conductor showed with a concert audience.  The orchestra was performing a piece with a false ending.  Instead of looking to see if the conductor's hands were still up, some audience members jumped the gun by applauding too early.  The conductor chastised them during the piece's few remaining measures.  While conducting the few remaining bars, he said out loud, in time to the music, "Stupid bastards!"

According to our director, many of the musicians were unable to finish the piece because they were laughing so hard.  As our rehearsal ended that evening, it occurred to me that you rarely see that sort of hat trick in concert.  How often, during a concert, do you see such an honest display of humanity by the audience, the musicians, and the conductor?