KDHX 88.1 FM
- This Land Is Your Land-Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (Rest in peace, Sharon Jones. Far too many talented musicians have passed away this year. Jones sings this with an effective, sobering undercurrent. Strongly recommended: "Got To Be The Way It Is.")
- Over The River And Through The Woods-Dog On Fleas (Debbie Lan's vocals here fall somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Petra Haden.)
- We Gather Together-Elizabeth King & Otto Krease (This Thanksgiving favorite works well as a mandolin instrumental.)
- No Regrets-Tom Rush (For times when saying goodbye is the right thing but not the easiest thing...)
- If You Live-Mose Allison (Allison is another talented artist who passed away recently. Allison conveys of-its-time coolness on the piano and in the vocals here. I also recommend his versions of "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." While no one can top Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington, respectively, Allison's cover versions are impressive.)
- Temptation-Diana Krall (Krall's vocal delivery is appropriately sultry. Check YouTube for her 2010 concert performance of "Temptation" in France.)
- Chillin'-George Duke (The tune's laid-back keyboard groove and sunny backing vocals warrant regular airplay on smooth jazz stations.)
- 25 Years Of Rootabagas-Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts (Drummer Wilson anchors an impressive ensemble. I was surprised to learn this track is from 2007. Gary Versace's atmospheric organ playing and Terell Stafford's throwback trumpet part made me think I was listening to a Verve Records release from the '60s.)
- Keep On Trying-Strawbs (You don't usually hear inspirational rock tracks sung in this style on the radio today. Also recommended: "Simple Visions," "Charmer," and "(Wasting My Time) Thinking Of You.")
- Linus And Lucy-Vince Guaraldi Trio (Could there be a more perfect match than Guaraldi's piano arrangements and the "Peanuts" characters? It's astonishing that after viewing "A Charlie Brown Christmas" the first time, the network executives weren't immediately sold on the music--or the special itself.)
- Claude Bolling: Picnic Suite (Jean-Pierre Rampal, flute; Alexandre Lagoya, guitar; Claude Bolling, piano) (It was a pleasant surprise to hear Radio Arts Foundation turn over so much of its 1 p.m. hour Friday to this impressive Bolling piece that's at the intersection of Classical music and jazz. The piece's pick-me-up quality made the overcast skies not feel so gloomy.)
