You know you've chosen the right cat...

...when she curls up on you at the beginning of 42 Robert Schumann piano movements and is still there, purring happily, during the 42nd movement.  Nine years ago today, I adopted Sylvia, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

June 2017: Sylvia, content to enjoy quality music with a catnip mouse.

Thoughtful instrumentation from woodland creatures

Does anyone else imagine forest animals playing the instruments on Donovan's "Jennifer Juniper?"  I doubt I'm the only one.  For a song that comes from the heart, it wouldn't be out of place.

"$2.49?! Too rich for my blood..."

Today, I played a bunch of 45s.  I smiled at the memory of buying one of them, "What A Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers.  The store from which I bought it in the early '80s charged $2.49 for it.  I remember feeling taken aback. 

"$2.49?" I thought.  "That's 50 cents higher than what most record stores charge.  Hmmm...I don't know.  Then again, it's in the oldies section and has 'It Keeps You Runnin' on the back.  With most current 45s, I usually just listen to the A side, so I'd be getting two hits for the price of one."

I shouldn't have hesitated.  As I wrote in a previous post, "What A Fool Believes" is essentially a perfectly written, sung, and played song, and $2.49, over a lifetime, is a bargain.

SiriusXM highlights LXVIII

Recent standouts:

The Beatles Channel

• Two Of Us-The Beatles (It sounds odd to say a Beatles tune isn't played on the radio as often as it should be, but that's the case here.  This is some of the best Lennon-McCartney harmonizing.)

The Bridge

• Up On The Roof-James Taylor (The Drifters recorded the definitive rendition, but Taylor's thoughtful take with a slower tempo also works.)

Covers Channel

• Passionfruit-Alexi Blue (With a voice that emotes this convincingly in an R&B/current pop style, Blue seems headed for a long, successful career.) 

Deep Tracks

• Oh Well-Fleetwood Mac (One of Peter Green's standouts from the band's early years; Green doesn't mince words in his lyrics here, and the entire band rocks out with abandon.) 

Escape

• Something's Gotta Give-Beegie Adair (I played several versions of this Johnny Mercer tune on WEW.  I wish this version had been around then, as the tune sounds best as an instrumental.  Adair's piano, along with the bass and drums, keep the bounce in the song's step.)

No Shoes Radio

• Coastline-Hollow Coves (A pleasant midtempo track, released in March, with easy-to-digest vocals about getting away from it all with someone special.)

ONEderland

• Theme From "The Greatest American Hero"-Joey Scarbury (Deep down, who doesn't like the optimism and sincerity of this 1981 hit?)

Real Jazz

• West 42nd Street-Kenny Dorham (An uptempo melody with plenty of room for Dorham to shine on trumpet and Rocky Boyd to shimmer on tenor sax.)

A similar progression, if you think about it

Sometimes, an arrangement you didn't expect makes you hear something in a song you wouldn't have noticed otherwise.  While listening to SiriusXM's Escape station yesterday, I heard Lex DeAzevedo's version of The Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream."  Somehow, hearing it as an easy listening instrumental made me realize that the "...Even if time ain't really on my side" section sounds similar to the "But when you talk about destruction..." portion of "Revolution" by The Beatles.  I then tried to imagine how DeAzevedo might have arranged "Revolution."  "Revolution" is seemingly incompatible with the easy listening format, on the surface.  Considering that "Revolution" urges people not to go into combat, however, a soft instrumental rendition of it actually makes sense.

Stingray Music highlights XL

Standout selections heard yesterday:

Classic Masters

• Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 (Columbia Symphony Orchestra/Leonard Bernstein, conductor; Glenn Gould, piano) (A captivating reading that's alternately tender and forceful.)

Cool Jazz

• Seulb-Herb Ellis & Joe Pass (A pleasant, ambling-down-a-country-road, fingerpicking guitar vibe.)

Folk Roots

• Detour Sign (Live)-Aoife O'Donovan (Anyone who doubts the power of a soft voice should hear "Detour Sign" or any number of other tracks on O'Donovan's "In The Magic Hour" release.)
• Feelin' Good Again-Watkins Family Hour (Sara Watkins handles lead vocals deftly on this moving cover of a Robert Earl Keen tune.)

Jazz Masters

• Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered-Art Pepper (The tune lends itself to elegant vocals and a variety of instruments; in this case, it's a great fit for the saxophone.)
• You Go To My Head-Lucky Thompson (Sublime saxophone, piano, guitar, and vibes.  The warmth of this rendition would come through even on a scratched LP played through rudimentary speakers.)

Rewind--'80s & '90s

• A Little Time-The Beautiful South (An honest rendering of what it feels like to step back from a big decision and realize that it's best not to make a commitment.)

Context? XXVII

I was surprised to hear Ms. Kathleen, the librarian on KDHX's "Musical Merry-Go-Round" with Grandfather Stark, read on the air, "Be careful you don't catch rabies and die."  Quite an unusual sentence to hear out of context...If I heard correctly, it was a father's advice to his son, who was searching for bats in Daniel and Jill Pinkwater's Looking For Bobowicz.

If the goal of the book's excerpt was to make listeners think, "What's going on here?  I want to read the rest of this story," then mission accomplished, I suspect.

Persistent earworm alert LXIV

In the Spring and Summer of 1991, it was nearly impossible to listen to a CHR station for any length of time and not hear it.  Apparently, the beat struck a chord with people, for whatever reason, and so did the vocals.  You might remember the lyric, "The things--you say," with the pause halfway through.  Although it isn't one of my favorite songs, I can't deny that it's hard to forget once you hear it.  EMF's "Unbelievable" has been stuck in my mind since yesterday.

Keeping rigid time

While watching a symphony orchestra rehearsal in the '80s, I saw an incident that still makes me think, "Technically, that's correct, but..."

Per union requirements, one of the orchestra's musicians was the designated timekeeper.  The conductor was telling a section what corrections he wanted to hear, when the timekeeper called out, "Time!"

The conductor stopped in mid-sentence, and the musicians went on their scheduled break.  Technically, this is correct.  No conductor should take advantage of an orchestra, and musicians should have their scheduled breaks. 

Still...Having to stop in mid-sentence, though?  That strikes me as petty.

Lugging a bass around isn't for everyone.

As I was carrying my upright bass to an orchestra rehearsal, someone I knew from a college class remarked, "You have more tolerance than I do.  I don't think I could stand carrying a bass even as far as that tree."

The tree he referenced wasn't more than 10 feet away.

I still think that's one of the most honest reactions I've ever gotten while lugging a bass around.

Context? XXVI

Each Friday, my sixth grade English teacher would say to the class, "1, 2, 3...Sing!"

At her request, we'd all sing, "Ba, dum, bum, bum, bum; it's bonus time!"

We accepted this without question at the time.  To this day, however, I have no idea why we did that.

Persistent earworm alert LXIII

I never shopped at the 905 liquor store, but I still remember the store's commercial jingle from decades ago.  The last time I saw 9:05 on a clock today, the jingle, "905 brings your party to life," started infiltrating my thoughts.  I didn't buy any liquor, as I've never cared for the taste of any of it.  Still, part of my mind has inexplicably reserved a space for that jingle.

I swear, I don't know how or why the mind works the way it does sometimes.

Kudos to the thoughtful elephant

Every now and then, I listen to Gene Cotton's "Me And The Elephant."  As songs about remembering someone go, it's unique yet seemingly familiar.  Benny Whitehead's lyrics recall the fun time a person had with someone special during a trip to the zoo more than a year earlier.  The singer claims that, although most of the zoo animals have supposedly forgotten their visit, "me and the elephant, we'll never forget you."  The sensitive lyrics and an arrangement that reminds me of Jimmy Buffett's "Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes" are a pleasant way of honoring someone who is no longer nearby.

Finishing the sentence XIII

In 1988, I created the following unfinished sentence and received these responses:

The hallmark of a true musician is...

...playing or attempting more than one instrument, playing with taste, and not being an egomaniac. (Jon B.)

...love of all music.  Dedication toward one field--Classical, jazz, or modern--will lessen the total musician.  The true musician can appreciate something that is well-written. (Elizabeth F.)

...a feeling for the music...being able to become one with your instrument...or someone with an idol who follows him/her like (s)he's a god and uses every technique (s)he uses.  This person would also have pictures and such and know where (their idol) is performing at all times. (Gina L.)

...mind over fingers. (Scott S.)

...waking before 9 a.m. (Mark W.)

...waking after 11 a.m. (Mark M.)

FM dial scan highlights LXXXII

I've heard a lot of gems on the St. Louis FM dial this morning.  Among them:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Good Old Desk-Harry Nilsson (Who else would write a tuneful tribute to the comfort and structure that a desk provides?  Admittedly, as a blogger, these lyrics strike a chord with me.)
• Sunken Garden-William Tyler (A pleasant, thought-provoking acoustic guitar instrumental that wouldn't be out of place on a new age playlist.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed-John Pizzarelli (Leave it to Pizzarelli to offer a tasteful, guitar-based tribute to The Allman Brothers Band.  First, as a tribute to Gregg Allman, who passed away last month, listen to the original studio and concert versions.  Allman's haunting organ solo, along with some of the band's most gripping, expansive guitar playing, make this one of their strongest efforts.  Then, listen to Pizzarelli's respectable cover version.)
• Place To Hide-Kandace Springs (Graceful piano accompaniment for lyrics that bring to mind James Taylor's sentiments in "You've Got A Friend.")
• Bag's Groove-Ron Carter (Excellent, par-for-the-course straight ahead bass playing from Carter; with such strong, well-covered source material, every track on Carter's 2007 release, "Dear Miles," deserves airplay.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Down-Marian Hill (Samantha Gongol's vocals on the hard-to-forget chorus mesh effectively with the piano and skillfully placed techno effects.  The tune is just repetitive enough without wearing out its welcome.) 

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

• Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto In B minor For Four Guitars and Orchestra (The Romeros; San Antonio Symphony Orchestra/Victor Alessandro, conductor) (I hear elements of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos in this piece.  How often do you hear a piece for four guitars that brings to mind multiple compelling Bach works?)
  

An overlooked cover tune XXXI

Among the highlights I heard on KDHX's "Pop! The Beat Bubble Burst" this morning: Spanky & Our Gang's cover of "And Your Bird Can Sing."  Smartly, the band stayed close to the template The Beatles used, evoking a similar spirit from their rendition.  I'd expect no less from the smooth harmonizers who gave us "Lazy Day," played earlier in the show.

Online radio sampler highlights LIX

Standout selections heard this afternoon:

KAFM (Grand Junction, CO)

• East Of The Sun (West Of The Moon) (Live)-Diana Krall (Krall cooks on piano and vocals on this cover of the Brooks Bowman-penned tune.  Krall sounds freer in concert here than on some of her studio recordings.)

KEXP (Seattle, WA)

• Simpatico-NAVVI (Sly, haunting dance/trance music; Kristin Henry's vocals on this track approximate how Loreena McKennitt might sound in this genre.)

WKZE (Red Hook, NY)

• Fire On The Bayou-The Neville Brothers (I hear aspects of Earth, Wind & Fire in the backing vocals and horn arrangement; that's never a bad thing.)
• I Can't Help Myself-Miss Tess (Powerful, commanding, bluesy vocals.)

WSUM (Madison, WI)

• J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 In D major, BWV 1012: II. Allemande (Viola de Hoog, cello) (de Hoog plays this movement with moving depth and sensitivity.)

"Cite your source, and win a prize."

During the '80s, I won an album rock station's trivia contest by answering the question, "What was the original name of the band Chicago?"

I called in and answered, "The Big Thing."  (For those who don't know, that was the band's name before it became Chicago Transit Authority and then Chicago.)

The DJ asked, "Did you say, 'The Big Thin' or 'The Big Thing?'"

Thinking that the DJ might have read the same typo in one of the sources I'd used, I replied, "If you're using (such-and-such) rock encyclopedia as your source, it says, 'The Big Thin.'  All the other sources I've ever seen, however, say, 'The Big Thing.'"

He responded, "(Such-and-such) rock encyclopedia is the source I'm using, and it says, 'The Big Thin,' as you said.  I hadn't heard that it was actually 'The Big Thing,' but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.  You win..."

That's the only time I've ever given two answers to any trivia question, cited my sources, and won a prize.  Who knew that answering with footnotes could get you a CD?

Context? XXV

Heard on a Classical station this morning: "I like critics who say positive things." 

I don't know the context of that opinion, but I'd like to believe that the announcer who said that would like this blog.  I'll sometimes offer mild criticism or sarcasm on this blog, but so far, I haven't felt the need to write any scathing reviews.  The Internet has more than enough of that already, so I like to think that, in some small way, my reviews and recollections here are a force for good...

...More often than not, anyway...

Good compilation, modest title

If you're a regular National Public Radio listener, you've probably heard Terry Gross's program, "Fresh Air."  Gross has conducted many intelligent interviews over the years with a wide away of actors, artists, authors, comedians, and musicians on that show.

It's interesting to me that, despite Gross's long track record, the title of her interview compilation, All I Did Was Ask, is so self-effacing.  Although there's something refreshing about the polite modesty of that title, I would be surprised to see a similarly modest title on any compilation of interviews outside of NPR.

Sarcastic musical praise

Years ago, a former co-worker, angered by a contentious discussion he'd had with another co-worker, griped to everyone in the room, "(So-and-so) is impossible to deal with!  Who does he think he is?  Does he think he's God?!" 

By coincidence, the four of us who were scheduled to work that day had all attended Catholic churches.  Thus, when this frustrated co-worker started singing, "Lamb of Biff*," the rest of us jumped in and sang along, "...you take away the sins of the world!"

From a religious standpoint, that might not have been the most appropriate reaction.  From a humorous, cathartic standpoint, however...

*--not the offending co-worker's real name

The importance of prereading

Years ago,  I was announcing the days and times of an upcoming festival's air show on the radio.  As I was reading the announcement, however, I noticed that the starting time of one day's air show was missing.  This was during the relatively early days of the Internet, and there was no access to it in the studio, so I couldn't look it up while I was on the air.

As soon as I finished the air show announcement, an incensed listener called.

"What time is the air show on Saturday?!" she demanded.

I had to admit that I didn't know.

"Well, what will I do?  I want to see the air show that day!" she continued.

That incident reminded me of the importance of reading copy thoroughly before going on the air and choosing alternate copy if information is missing.  It wasn't my fault that a starting time was missing from the copy, but if I'd read it completely before going on the air, I would have noticed the missing time and chosen a different announcement.

An overlooked cover tune XXX

In 1969, Blood, Sweat & Tears had a big hit with "You've Made Me So Very Happy."  David Clayton-Thomas emoted convincingly in a pop hit that still stands out on the radio.

Another version, however, also deserves its due.  Although you don't usually hear his rendition today, Lou Rawls covered the tune in 1970.  The keyboard and horn intros give the song an instant atmosphere of sophistication and coolness.  Rawls then enters the picture, singing with relative subtlety and customary confidence.  Rawls obviously knew he'd picked a winner, as "You've Made Me So Very Happy" was not only one of his singles but the title track of one of his albums.

Doesn't work both ways...

"I always thought I'd get out of broadcasting and go into professional sports.  It seems like the logical next step."

--A favorite quip from KYKY's Guy Phillips that I still remember from the '80s

Serendipitous "Wedding March" timing

This morning, on the Radio Arts Foundation's K297BI 107.3 FM, Jim Doyle played Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" from "A Midsummer Night's Dream."  He dedicated it to a couple celebrating 41 years of marriage.

My first reaction was, "Best wishes to them; 41 years is a long time."

Immediately after that, however, I thought, "Yes, 41 years is impressive, but I know a couple celebrating 48 years of marriage today."

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad.

Can't like every song...

Ordinarily, one of the biggest rules for an announcer at any commercial radio station is that you never denigrate any music you play on-air.  I was surprised, in the early '90s, to hear an album rock DJ say on the air, "That's the latest from (a well-known vocal group)--and I hated it."  Although the song he'd played was a far cry from the band's best work, it was surprising to hear him dismiss it so bluntly.  I sympathized, though.  Although I've enjoyed the majority of the music I've played on the air, I would sometimes play a grating tune because it was on the playlist and/or because I knew listeners would expect to hear it.  I never panned any song I played on the air, but I sometimes thought, "This is (or was) a big seller?  People are moved by this?  What do listeners hear in this?"   

During a music meeting at a station that had decided to stop using consultants, the powers that be encouraged the air staff to submit suggestions on what music to add to the station's rotation.  One announcer said there were certain songs we shouldn't be playing and started reading off a list of songs that she thought shouldn't be on the playlist.

One of the station's higher-ups clarified, "That's not really the kind of feedback we're looking for.  If you're a model, you don't say, 'I'm not going to wear green...'"

As much as I enjoy a great deal of music, I've had to remind myself as an announcer that my tastes are not everyone's tastes.  If you work in radio, you'll inevitably play songs that you can't stand.  When that has happened, I've reminded myself, "This isn't a great song, but some listeners like it, for whatever reason.  This is the agenda I'm paid to carry out."

Good taste, at the newscaster's discretion

Several months ago, I was listening to a noncommercial radio station from another state.  The announcer was treating the newscast rather casually, frequently pausing and letting dead air go by so he could skim a story before reading it on the air.  At one point, he even got up and looked around the studio for an events calendar that tied in with one of the stories he'd read.  Although this wasn't the most polished, prepared broadcast journalism I'd heard, I half-admired the way he handled one story.  During one story, he announced, "You know what?  I'm not going to read the rest of this.  It's too tawdry.  (So-and-so, whose name he'd mentioned in the story), good luck to you, man..."

When was the last time you heard any announcer censor a news story like that while reading it?

Persistent earworm alert LXII

In recent days, I've been hard-pressed to get Steve Martin's "King Tut" out of my mind.  I remember being amused by it when our chorus class sang it in sixth grade, but I hadn't thought about the tune much since then.  Looking back, it's funny to remember Mrs. B. playing the song on the piano and leading us in the spoken word parts--i.e. "Golden idols," "He's an Egyptian," and "He gave his life for tourism."  Although our in-class performances of "King Tut" weren't as humorous as Martin's on "Saturday Night Live," it makes me smile to think of our class singing such an offbeat tune at a young age and not being at all self-conscious about it.

An overlooked cover tune XXIX

Among the scores of easily accessible tunes Paul McCartney wrote for The Beatles, "I Will" stands out as especially easy to digest.  It's a highlight of the album, "The Beatles," a.k.a. "The White Album."  Lyrically, it's an easy-to-take-in tribute to one's significant other.  As Ed Gerhard demonstrates on his "House Of Guitars" CD, however, it also stands on its own as an engaging guitar instrumental.

"It was 50 years ago today..."

I woke up this morning to cloudy skies.  I put on music that I thought matched the atmosphere--Sarah Jarosz's "Run Away," "Midnight Lullaby" by Tom Waits, and Ella Fitzgerald's version of "Georgia On My Mind."  Then, as the sun began to peak through, I remembered that it's June 1--the date on which a Beatles album with seismic effects on rock music, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," was released 50 years ago in America.

After playing the original album in its entirety, I listened to the 18 tracks on the economy-size deluxe edition.  Among the highlights:

• A Day In The Life (Take 1 With Hums) (As a child, the structure of "A Day In The Life" struck me as one of the band's most impressive achievements.  It still does.  It's interesting to hear this rendition with a piano line instead of the orchestral crescendo that would lead into Paul McCartney's "Woke up, fell out of bed..." sequence and a group hum at the end instead of the famous last piano chord.)
• Fixing A Hole (Speech and Take 3) (It's enjoyable to hear McCartney sing a somewhat looser version of a tune I think is underrated, by Beatles standards.)
• Getting Better (Take 1/Instrumental and Speech At The End) (I've always liked the optimistic vibe of this tune, and it's a pleasure to realize, after all this time, how credible it sounds just as an instrumental.)
• Good Morning Good Morning (Take 8) (I like hearing John Lennon sing this without production gimmicks layered over his voice.  Some listeners might find it disorienting to hear the tune without the chorus, but it's a fun work-in-progress version.)
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Speech and Take 8) (McCartney's yowl during the intro is well-placed and wouldn't have been out of place on the album.)
• Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 26) (A respectable experiment with a faster tempo.  Although "Strawberry Fields..." wasn't on the album, it was released as a single in 1967.)

It's also a pleasure to hear previously unreleased studio banter come to life five decades later, showing bits of the debate and experimentation that went into the group's creative process.  It speaks well of the music-buying public that this seminal concept album still garners monster sales and appreciation.  Here's hoping that anyone who enjoys the album as much as I do has time to hear it today.