You're not wrong, but... II

Once, when one of the orchestras in which I played was walking to a rehearsal, one player announced, seemingly out of the blue, "I just love music, for some reason."

The ensemble's director said to those walking a few feet behind her, including me, "If you love something so much, why would you abuse it?"

I just smiled slightly.  I didn't disagree with his assessment but thought it best not to add insult to injury.  I'm still not sure if the player heard the director's retort.

Agreeing to disagree?

A reminder that no two announcers are exactly alike, as this back announcing from 1988 illustrates:

"101.1 FM, WMRY, That's Yes, 'I've Seen All Good People.'  It's from their 1971 album.  Lineup on this album, let's see who they were: OK, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Tony Kaye, Bill Bruford.  Yes, definitely one of their better lineups.  (Of) course, (whenever) they have Bill Bruford, it's a better lineup.  What?  You disagree?  Well, you're entitled to do that."

Many DJs would start their back announcing of that Yes tune similarly, but very few would end it in the offbeat manner that announcer did.

Only in college XXXVI

Why work at a college radio station?  Former KCOU general manager Mike summarized it well, I think, in 1992:

"I think that the satisfaction you get from seeing a band that's nothing become big over a period of years, a period of months, is just incredibly satisfying, and knowing that you played some role in that...Knowing that Streetside (Records) in Columbia was the first store in America to report Nirvana at number one.  Why did they report Nirvana at number one?  Well, because we'd been hyping them all Fall.  All our DJs went up there and bought their record...KCOU had a small, small part in breaking Nirvana and much larger part in breaking a band like Uncle Tupelo...We get no ratings, nobody listens to us, (and) we don't make any money.  So, we take our satisfaction from the bands that we help."

FM dial scan highlights LXXXVI

Friday through Monday highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• You Move Me Like A Slug-The Boorays (This was always a fun tune to play on KCOU, and it was a pleasure to hear The Boorays perform this live in Columbia, Missouri.  The propulsive drums-and-bass intro draws me right into the tune.  It's easy to find yourself drumming or singing along without realizing it.)
• The Other Side Of This Life-The Youngbloods (As I listened to this 1967 gem on "Sound Salvation," I imagined how The Guess Who might have covered it.  Burton Cummings and company would likely have recorded this just as effectively as Jesse Colin Young and company.)
• Bog A'Lochain-Mary Jane Lamond (Mantra-like Celtic vocals with well-blended fiddle and bagpipes.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Stone Flower-Antonio Carlos Jobim (If you like Deodato's interpretation of "Also Sprach Zarathustra," you'll probably enjoy this album title track from 1970.  There's some impressive, of-its-time interplay between violin, piano, bass, and drums.) 

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Blow Away-A Fine Frenzy (There's an appealing energy here.  Alison Sudol's alternately forthright and delicate alto voice serves the song effectively.)

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

• The 405-Isaac Hayes (A breezy, refreshing, guitar-dominated uptempo smooth jazz instrumental, with a hint of "Shaft" early in the tune.)

Can't hurt to clarify

Heard on KWMU in October 1991: "...All that and more on National Public Radio's 'Weekend Edition,' from 7 to 9 right here on your station for jazz and 411. (Pause) That means information."

I always thought that was a smart way of sounding current while bringing the uninitiated up to speed tactfully.

Only in college XXXV

Sometimes, the book of copy from which we read public service announcements on KCOU would be a bit light on options.  Once, when I was caught in this situation, I decided to have some fun with it.

"When selecting copy to read on the air, it's important to choose announcements that are of the utmost relevance to our listeners," I announced.  "That said, owning a horse has many benefits..."

I'm sure owning a horse is very fulfilling, but I suspect that few, if any, of the station's indie rock listeners were inspired to buy a horse after hearing that announcement.

Persistent earworm alert LXX

I'm sure I'm not the only one to whom this has happened:

Walking past a cardboard box marked, "Handle With Care," earlier this week sparked my memory of the Traveling Wilburys tune by that name. 

Vocally, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty are an unusual blend.  Hearing "Handle With Care" after so many years, however, reminds me how its accessibility resonated with listeners in 1988 and was a wise choice for the band's leadoff single.

WEW playlist flashback: 8/24/96

The songs I selected for my 6-10 a.m. shift on this day 21 years ago:

   1.  As Time Goes By-Natalie Cole
   2.  Moon River-Vince Guaraldi Trio
(For some listeners, the tune might be incomplete without its lyrics.  Guaraldi more than makes up for this with his thoughtful piano playing, I think.)
   3.  Lush Life-Nat King Cole
---
   4.  It's Only A Paper Moon-Ella Fitzgerald
   5.  The Way We Were-Les Brown
   6.  I Concentrate On You-Johnny Mathis
---
   7.  I Only Have Eyes For You-Ray Anthony
   8.  They Can't Take That Away From Me-Frank Sinatra
   9.  These Foolish Things-Chet Baker
 10.  Ebb Tide-Frank Chacksfield
---
 11.  Stormy Weather-Lena Horne
 12.  Dream A Little Dream Of Me-Mama Cass
---
 13.  Star Dust-Artie Shaw and his orchestra
 14.  What's New-Linda Ronstadt
---
 15.  So Near And Yet So Far-Mary Cleere Haran
 16.  Do You Want To Dance?-Bette Midler
---
 17.  Up On The Roof-The Drifters
 18.  Groovy People-Lou Rawls
(I always looked forward to playing this when I wanted an uptempo segue.  Rawls sings an upbeat tribute to "groovy, down home people.")
 19.  Easy Money-Count Basie
 20.  I've Got The World On A String-Tony Bennett
---
 21.  Satin Doll-Duke Ellington
 22.  I Got The Sun In The Morning-Les Brown and his orchestra with Doris Day
 23.  All That Jazz-Sammy Davis, Jr.
---
 24.  I Get A Kick Out Of You-Dionne Warwick
(Not just any vocalist can sing a Great American Songbook tune and an of-the-moment pop hit such as "Take The Short Way Home" with equal ease.  Warwick, however, has been equally adept in both arenas for decades.)
---
 25.  Come Rain Or Come Shine-Michele Shaheen
 26.  Summertime-Sam Cooke
---
 27.  If I Could Give You More-Harry Connick, Jr.
 28.  This Could Be The Start Of Something-Jack Jones
 29.  Lady Be Good-Melissa Manchester
 30.  Stop Leading Me On-Joey DeFrancesco
---
 31.  Jessica's Day-Antonio Hart
 32.  All Of Me-Louis Armstrong
 33.  The Song Is You-Keely Smith
---
 34.  I've Got You Under My Skin-Renee Rosnes trio with string orchestra
 35.  After You've Gone-Kay Starr
 36.  September Song-Django Reinhardt
(To many listeners, this is thought of as a vocal number first; this rendition for guitar and clarinet shows that it works just as well as an instrumental.)
 37.  Sleepy Time Gal-Dean Martin
 38.  Last Date-Floyd Cramer
---
 39.  From The Bottom Of My Heart-Harry James & his orchestra with Frank Sinatra
 40.  Coquette-John Pizzarelli
(Of all the CDs I brought in from home, Pizzarelli's "After Hours" elicited the most frequent positive feedback from listeners.  The album is loaded with well-known melodies and smooth vocals ideal for the station's format.)
---
 41.  That's Amore-Dean Martin (*)
 42.  My Funny Valentine-Dinah Shore
 43.  Bewitched-Charlie Watts Quintet with Bernard Fowler
(This is the best version of the tune I've heard.  Fowler really sells the concept of being enamored with someone on this track.  I wouldn't question anyone who sings about being smitten with this much feeling and conviction.)
---
 44.  Trickle Trickle-The Manhattan Transfer
(When you start off a set with such energetic vocals, you can't segue them with a ballad.  A leadoff track with such pep necessitates building an uptempo music set around it.)
 45.  Begin The Beguine-Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band
 46.  John Brown's Body-Si Zentner & his orchestra
 47.  I Got Rhythm-The Metronome All-Stars
 48.  Bounce Me Brother With A Solid Four-The Andrews Sisters
---
 49.  Canadian Sunset-Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra
 50.  Blue Tango-Leroy Anderson
---
 51.  Lazy River-Bobby Darin
 52.  Moondance-Michael Feinstein
---
 53.  Rosetta-Nat King Cole
 54.  (CLOSING THEME) Closing Time-Tom Waits
---

(*) indicates a listener's request.
--- indicates a short break for a slogan and time check or a longer break for back announcing the music.

Only in college XXXIV

On the first day of a music appreciation class, the instructor told us, "The grading scale is curved.  Breaking points for As, Bs, Cs, Ds often fall below the classic cutoff points of 90, 80, 70, and 60 percent."

Then, he paused and said, "Sometimes, they're embarrassingly below those points."

I thought that was an interesting way to say, "Look, just learn what you're supposed to about Count Basie and Duke Ellington, OK?"

Online radio sampler highlights LXII

Late night standouts:

WFSK (Nashville, TN)

• Now That The Summer's Here-Michael Franks (Laid back vocals capture the essence of hoping Summer will be a relaxing, never-ending season.)

WORT (Madison, WI)

• Wunderbar-The Barbacans (Not just any garage rock band blends elements of Question Mark & The Mysterians, Franz Ferdinand, Love, and free form jazz this successfully.  This is one of four standout tracks I heard on "Leopard Print Lounge.")
• Need All The Help I Can Get-The Cleopatras (Pursuing someone?  Although it might be wishful thinking, good luck charms and spells might give you an edge.)
• Were You Real?-Brand New Sinclairs (Listening to this while sitting perfectly still?  Not even tapping a toe or two?  Are you a statue?) 
• 24 Hours From London-Little Murders (See my comments on "Were You Real?"  If you're waiting for a yes or no answer from someone about the future of your relationship, this is about as tuneful as waiting music gets.)

WRTI (Philadelphia, PA)

• Isn't This A Lovely Day?-Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Fitzgerald and Armstrong don't let a rainy day dampen their spirits in this cover of the Irving Berlin tune.  I also recommend their rendition of "Moonlight In Vermont.")
• Naima-Alan Broadbent/London Metropolitan Orchestra (Sweeping grandeur dominates this piano-anchored rendition of John Coltrane's famous tune.  This is from "Developing Story," released in June.  It segues well with...)
• Paint It Black-The Danish Radio Big Band & Charlie Watts (Live) (...this considerably slowed down cover of a Rolling Stones song.  The guitar playing falls somewhere between Al Di Meola on Chick Corea & Return To Forever's "The Shadow Of Lo" and Carlos Santana.)

WRUW (Cleveland, OH)

• Summer Of Love-La Sera (Lyrics seemingly from the late '50s or early '60s filtered through modern vocals, guitar, and rhythm section arrangements.  Katy Goodman's voice shines on this upbeat track from 2014.  It says what it needs to in just under two minutes, but I still wish the tune was twice as long.)

WSUM (Madison, WI)

• Under African Skies-Paul Simon (Simon's "Graceland" album has so much excellent music; unfortunately, "Under African Skies" has always been underplayed on the radio.  It's a great set of lyrics about the Biblical Joseph and how we're all interconnected.)

Fitting eclipse music

In honor of today's solar eclipse, here are six sun and moon-themed tunes that have come to my mind repeatedly in recent days:

• Entre Nous-Rush (Hoping that your path will interact gracefully with someone else's, despite your differences, manifests itself in lyrics such as, "We are planets to each other, drifting in our orbits to a brief eclipse...")
• Invisible Sun-The Police (If ever there were a day for the lyric, "Best to be an invisible sun...")
• Me, I Prefer The Moon-Jenny McCormick (McCormick sings thoughtfully about the moon's sometimes overlooked qualities.)
• Moon Song-Norah Jones (Jones ponders where the moon goes when you don't see it in this elegantly sung number.)
• Reaching For The Moon-Erin Bode (Bode sings this Irving Berlin song effectively, bringing out the depths of goals that sound like a stretch.)
• Rooty Toot Toot For The Moon-Michael Johnson (During its new age, "Breeze 97" days in the late '80s, KLTH 97.1 FM used to play this singer-songwriter track.  In it, Johnson sings about the moon as "a pearl of wisdom, a slice of green cheese, burning just like kerosene.")

Hopefully, at least one of those tunes is new to you and will serve as part of your mental or actual soundtrack for today's eclipse.  Here's hoping everyone who desires it will get to see the moon pass between the sun and Earth today.

Can't please every listener

Whenever you tweak or switch formats at a station, it's inevitable that some listeners will complain.  Fortunately, the positive responses I received on the phone to the music I selected on WEW outnumbered the negative ones.  One of my favorite calls came from a listener who said, "I'm liking what I'm hearing you play this morning--that Ramsey Lewis tune, especially.  This signals a good format change.  This sure beats the sappy music your station used to play.  This is much easier to listen to while I'm working."  Another caller thanked me for being one of the few DJs who would think to play Coleman Hawkins on the air.  One morning, however, after playing "Everybody's Boppin'" by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, I heard from an irritated listener.

"Now, that's really soothing," she said sarcastically.  "That's really great for me to get up and have my coffee to.  Thanks a lot."

"Sorry you didn't enjoy that," I replied.  "It's a well-known jazz tune."

"Well, as I see it, you're there to please the majority," she said.  "How many people like jazz?  Not that many.  I don't know about this station.  They're making changes, you know."

"Yes," I responded.  "We're putting a wider range of music into the mix these days."

Her reply?  "Well, I don't like some of the changes, but I thank you for letting me express my opinion."

Credit where it's due: At least, she ended her call on an up note.

Only in college XXXIII

A DJ was looking at a college radio station's on-air schedule.  After seeing Bob Jones listed on the schedule, she remarked, "I've never met anyone named Bob Jones here.  Is that a generic name they're listing on the schedule until the shift is filled, or is there actually a Bob Jones who works here?"

Bob Jones was the actual name of a DJ that semester.  If I hadn't known that, though, I might have wondered the same thing.  In college, it's easy to forget sometimes that the simplest answer is often the correct one.

Context? XXIX

I swear I heard this exchange during the Cardinal baseball broadcast last night on KMOX:

Announcer 1: They're exercising the patience of Job.
Announcer 2: They're exercising their right to remain silent.

I wish I hadn't been listening so passively, as I'm curious to know the context of that exchange.  It isn't often that you hear two announcers exchanging a Biblical reference and a Miranda Warning excerpt during a baseball game.

Delayed gratification

Back when our NPR affiliate, KWMU, played Classical music during the day, the station mailed out a monthly program schedule.  During the mid to late '80s, I would scan the program guide, looking for pieces I'd played at school or in after-school ensembles.  I'd underline pieces scheduled for times when I thought I'd be home and tune in during those scheduled times.

In an age when it's so easy to call up pieces through iTunes, YouTube, and many other outlets instantly, it's odd to think that I once awaited a mailed program guide so I could look through it and say, "Oh, good!  They'll be playing that Haydn trumpet concerto I like 29 days from now!"

Undeniably, today's listening options are more convenient.  Still, because of the time I had to wait to hear some of my favorite pieces decades ago, I suspect I paid more attention to them when they aired then and probably appreciated them all the more.

Only in college XXXII

A DJ with whom I worked at a college radio station summoned me to the production room, asking me to listen to one of her favorite songs, Nilsson's "Me And My Arrow."  When it ended, she acted somewhat sheepish about having played it.  Although I reacted positively to the tune, I wish I'd responded more specifically then.  I wish I'd told her, "That's an admirable favorite song.  It's an endearing tune about the friendship between a boy and his dog.  Nothing wrong with that..."  As someone who has shoehorned tales of his cat, Sylvia, and other family cats into many blog posts ostensibly about music, I can relate.  "Me And My Arrow" is a sincere, heartfelt tribute to a beloved pet.  If that concept moves you, listen to it--without feeling sheepish.

FM dial scan highlights LXXXV

Monday and Tuesday highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• As Fast As My Feet-Linda Thompson featuring Teddy, Kami, and Muna Thompson (Appealingly blended vocal harmonies that bring The Be Good Tanyas to mind.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• O Pato (The Duck)-Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd (A fresh breeze of a melody for saxophone and guitar; part of an ideal soundtrack for driving with the top down.)
• Moments-Kem (Smooth vocals fit for a late night playlist.  Al Jarreau could have sung an impressive cover of this.) 

W279AQ 103.7 FM, a.k.a. KLOU-HD2

• Never Too Much-Luther Vandross (With all due respect to "Stop To Love," this is the best uptempo Vandross tune.  The long instrumental intro sets the scene perfectly, and the vocals build to a satisfying chorus.)
• Tender Love-Force M.D.s (I hadn't heard this ballad in years.  Hearing these slick vocals after so many years, it's easy to remember why it was a hit in 1986.)

A universal reviewer's truism

I'm sure I'm not the only reviewer who, when writing anything about The Beatles, starts hearing John Lennon sing, "There's nothing you can do that can't be done," or "There's nothing you can know that isn't known."  I suspect most reviewers think of those "All You Need Is Love" lyrics when realizing that about one billion others wrote about the band before they did.

That realization shouldn't stop any of us from writing about The Beatles, however.  When a band is that deservedly renowned, a music blog is incomplete without at least an occasional mention of it.  Besides, even if you were thinking about The Beatles recently, maybe you weren't thinking about "You Never Give Me Your Money" on the day I wrote about it but were moved to listen to it.

I highlight a lot of obscure artists on this blog, hoping that readers will seek out their music.  Sometimes, however, it's fitting to acknowledge the influence of a band or artist that's justifiably popular--even when you're the one billionth person to do so.

An overlooked cover tune XXXVII

No one tops Stevie Wonder's original version of "Superstition," but for a rendition with ethereal, steeped-in-the-'70s keyboard and horns, check out Ahmad Jamal's instrumental rendering of it.  I never hear it on the radio, so WSIE would be wise to play it.

Persistent earworm alert LXIX

If you've watched even a smidgen of TV online or on an actual set this year, you've probably seen the Google Pixel phone commercial that uses the song, "Water Fountain," by tUnE-yArDs.  The song has stayed in my mind--and possibly yours, as well, for months.  Usually, when it infiltrates my brain, the lyric, "We're gonna get the water from your house, your house," comes to mind.

In keeping with her daily habit of drinking from the kitchen faucet, my cat, Sylvia, sings the line as, "I'm gonna drink the water from the tap, the tap..."   She deserves credit for her accurate narration, as this photo from last month shows:

Perk up--with some uptempo blues!

The first time I aired John Mayall's "Play The Harp" on KCOU, I thought, "Yeah!  This is cool!  Who wouldn't like to hear this blend of guitar, harmonica, and vocals as a pick-me-up?!"

Then, I thought about how I'd reacted. 

"What a strange way to feel about a blues tune," I thought.  "Blues music, as the term implies so bluntly, isn't supposed to be a joyous romp.  It's supposed to be a stark, heartfelt reminder of the pain and injustice that life sometimes heaps mercilessly upon people.  As great as 'Play The Harp' is, it isn't blues--at least not entirely.  At the time it was released, it would have fit in well on KSHE's album rock playlist."

Years later, while talking with my brother, I praised the spitfire guitar part of The Bob Riedy Blues Band's instrumental, "Just Off Halsted," which I'd heard on KDHX.

"This is the way blues music should sound," I enthused.

"Yes, if only blues sounded more like jazz," my brother responded.

Alas, I must admit, I'm not always a blues purist. 

Well, it's time for some coffee.  I won't drink it without anything in it, though.  I'll make sure to drown out the coffee taste with tons of creamer and at least five packets of sugar...

...There!  Coffee, in its, um, most natural, undiluted form--tasting, um, almost nothing like coffee...

There's a parallel there, but I'm trying not to think about it.

Looking out for the host

An exchange I heard on an AM radio sports talk show in 1985 between a caller and the host, a former NFL player:

Host: You're on the air.  What's on your mind tonight?
Caller: I just wanted to say this much.  If I (were) going to take the time and call you, I would never give you the kind of a conversation you had not too long ago.  And I think that you give your guests on there more time than you give yourself.
Host (chuckling:) OK.  Thank you.
Caller: Those kind(s) of things (bother) me.
Host: OK.  Don't let it bother you.  Thank you.
Caller: Goodbye.
Host: OK.  You're nice to call.  When somebody calls up and gets on me a little bit, I really appreciate your calling and coming to my defense, but that's really not necessary...Believe me, I've had criticisms before that weren't nearly that well-phrased, and a lot of them came from (my former NFL coach.)

Even back then, both sides of that exchange stood out to me.  I haven't often heard listeners calling in to defend a talk show host that way, and it was considerate of the listener to expect a certain level of civility in her fellow callers.  It was also impressive how the host thanked the listener, didn't let the previous criticism get to him, and got in a dig at his former coach without belaboring the point.

Thirty-two years later, I still say, "Well-played, both of you."

In memory of Glen Campbell

The world lost a clear, resonant voice in Glen Campbell yesterday.  These are five of his best recordings, in my opinion:

• By The Time I Get To Phoenix (In Campbell's hands, this is a concise tale of a couple's relationship fracturing irreparably.  For contrast, listen to how Isaac Hayes talk-sings his way through the song, at much greater length.)
• Gentle On My Mind (Some of the more compelling lyrics, and one of the more uptempo songs about a couple's chemistry that I've liked.  It's puzzling that this wasn't a bigger hit.)
• I Will Never Pass This Way Again (This is the most obscure of the five songs I've listed.  Campbell sings convincingly about sharing a kind word and lending a helping hand to those who need it before it's too late.)
• There's No Place Like Home (Given its lyrical appreciation for Christmases past, present, and future, "There's No Place Like Home" is ideal for Christmas Eve.  It seems especially appropriate to listen to it on vinyl.)
• Wichita Lineman (Campbell's wistful vocals nail the confessional intent of Jimmy Webb's lyrics.  Dee Felice Trio also captured the tune's wistfulness effectively in its piano-anchored instrumental version, and Ghost Of An American Airman recorded a solid indie rock cover of it.)

FM dial scan highlights LXXXIV

Six of the better tunes I've heard over the past week:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Baltimore-Randy Newman (For decades, Newman's lyrics have taken clever, unflinching looks at less-than-flattering people and places.  Sometimes, as in "Political Science," he makes his points sarcastically.  In other tunes, such as "Baltimore," he sings the unvarnished truth, as he sees it.)
• Change The Sheets-Kathleen Edwards (An uptempo, driving melody paired with effective lyrics about a flawed relationship.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• It's A Wonderful Time For Love-Norah Jones (A highlights of last year's "Day Breaks" release; Jones excels at sly, sultry piano-and-vocal numbers such as these; this tune has the added bonus of flowing naturally into or out of Van Morrison's "Moondance.")
• St. Thomas-Ray Obiedo featuring Norbert Stachel and Peter Horvath (One of the most instantly appealing jazz melodies, to my ears; Sonny Rollins and Ron Carter proved that it works equally well on the saxophone and the bass.  This version conveys more of a Caribbean feel than I've heard in any rendition.)

W279AQ 103.7 FM, a.k.a. KLOU-HD2

• For The Love Of You-The Isley Brothers (These smooth, heartfelt vocals should be a staple of any Quiet Storm format.  Also recommended: Earl Klugh's cover, which shows the tune works just as well as a guitar instrumental.  I'm glad to have a solid blend of new and old school R&B on the FM dial again, under the MAJIC identifier.)

K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. KNOU-HD2 

• Friends And Strangers-Ronnie Laws (If you don't recognize the title, you still might have heard this as the on-hold music for any number of businesses or started singing along while hearing it on any credible smooth jazz or R&B station without realizing it.  Laws pulled off the impressive feat of crafting an unobtrusive but firmly memorable melody with appealing, recurring background vocals.)

Recalling most of your cats' names

A favorite moment from J.C. Corcoran's morning show on KSD: In October 1998, Corcoran interviewed Cardinal baseball manager Tony La Russa.  Near the end of the interview, Corcoran said to La Russa, "You've got about a minute left.  I want to hear them.  You've got 10 cats.  I want to hear their names. Go!"  After listing his cats, La Russa asked, "How many is that?"  "Nine!" Corcoran responded.  "Sh...Shoot...," La Russa said, to laughter from Corcoran and company.  After naming his three dogs and two kids, La Russa said, "I've got to come up with that 10th cat, or I can't go home."

I wonder at what point the 10th cat's name occurred to La Russa.

Handling the unexpected deftly

One mark of a professional broadcaster is rolling gracefully with surprises.  Garrison Keillor did this humorously during a live broadcast of "A Prairie Home Companion."  I heard this during a rebroadcast of the show on October 15, 1988:

"...As I was saying 'Hello' to all those people, I'm suddenly joined here on stage by Philip Brunelle and his trio, Janis Hardy, and Mr. Vern Sutton, who are now going to do that segment of songs which I was talking about much earlier in the show...I thought they were going to do it then, but they're going to do it now.  So, if you've just tuned in in the last few minutes, this doesn't probably make a lot of sense, but you'll now get to hear something, which, if they had done it before, you wouldn't have heard it.  So, it all works out for the best."

An overlooked cover tune XXXVI

Nearly every listener, upon reading the words, "You must remember this...," thinks of "As Time Goes By," made famous in the movie, "Casablanca."  There are countless renditions of it, but Hagood Hardy recorded a version that isn't played often these days.  In Hardy's hands, "As Time Goes By" is a stately, piano-anchored instrumental that straddles the line between easy listening and jazz.  I wonder if it was on KEZK's playlist during the early to mid '80s.

"Great concert! Go play games!"

An unexpected source once praised my middle school orchestra's endeavors.  During eighth grade computer class, Mr. C., who taught primarily shop classes, started a class by saying, "We had a concert here last night, and one of your classmates, Andrew, was in it.  The orchestra played so well, I was very impressed, and I think that we ought to have a game day because of it."

I hadn't expected such enthusiastic feedback from the shop-turned-computer-class teacher.  Although there was no logical connection between a successful concert and playing computer games,  I wasn't about to argue.  Perhaps Mr. C. didn't feel like teaching that day.  Even if that was the case, it impressed me that he recognized the orchestra's efforts and that my bass playing resulted in a fun day for everyone.

Sometimes, I thought some of my teachers were just going through the motions.  Then, I'd see that they rooted for their students' success in ways I hadn't considered.

An enthusiastic endorsement

Yesterday, I recommended "Dizzy's Bounce" by Bahama Soul Club enthusiastically.  I should have gone even farther in my praise for such an infectious tune.  Before posting features such as Online radio sampler highlights, I take notes on the selections I plan to recommend.  Yesterday, as I started to write a tentative review of the tune on paper, I realized there was no ink cartridge in the pen.  I'd gotten so into the tune's beat while drumming on the desk that the ink cartridge had flown out of the pen and landed under the desk. 

If that isn't a ringing endorsement of the song, I'm not sure what is.

Online radio sampler highlights LXI

Standout selections heard today:

KCOU (Columbia, MO)

• Cozy-D-ROCKSTEADY (This appealing groove, released in February, features chill instrumentation and recurring vocals that would flow well after the Boehm featuring Melody Noel track, "Future Self.")

KUCI (Irvine, CA)

• Dizzy's Bounce-Bahama Soul Club featuring Brenda Boykin (This is how you give Dizzy Gillespie his due while creating a fresh groove that holds up after repeated listens.  "Big Idea" by The Brecker Brothers would sound good before this.)
• Amor Eterno-Vanessa Zamora (The appealing uptempo vocals and guitar could segue with Marshall Crenshaw's "Theme From 'Flaregun.'")
• Begin The Beguine-Artie Shaw (A stately swing arrangement of this deservedly much-covered Cole Porter tune.)

WRHU (Hempstead, NY)

• Breezin'-George Benson (One of the most refreshing, relaxing guitar instrumentals ever recorded and one of several reasons the "Breezin'" album has sold extremely well over the last 41 years.  Also recommended from the album: "This Masquerade" and "Affirmation.") 

WSKG (Binghamton, NY)

• Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet No. 25 in C major (Daedalus Quartet) (The quartet plays with impressive precision, particularly in the closing Allegro movement.)
• Luis de Narvaez: Diferencias on O Gloriosa Domina (Frank Wallace, vihuela) (This pre-Baroque piece for an instrument that falls somewhere between a lute and a guitar perked up my morning--subtly.)

WTUL (New Orleans, LA) 

• There Is A Light That Never Goes Out-The Dum Dum Girls (Neil Finn's version of this tune by The Smiths is still the strongest one, in my opinion, but the level of conviction and energy here make this a credible cover, as well.)

WUSC (Columbia, SC)

• So Much To Say-Hannah Miller (Sincere, heartfelt vocals and acoustic guitar convey sad lyrics about regrets.)

An overlooked cover tune XXXV

Understandably, for many listeners, Bobby Darin's version of "Beyond The Sea" is the definitive one. George Benson's rendition, however, deserves more recognition.  Benson shows that the tune is a natural fit for his voice; he maintains an appropriate balance between power and tenderness.  Elegant piano and big band backing underscore his strong vocal performance.  In his long, successful career as a jazz and pop guitarist and vocalist,  he has recorded so many excellent original songs. Consequently, radio stations sometimes overlook his cover tunes.  His take on "Beyond The Sea" shouldn't be overlooked, however.