'70s On 7
- Right Down The Line-Gerry Rafferty (Another way of conveying the sentiments expressed in Jim Croce's "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song." As much as I've always liked Rafferty's "Baker Street" and "Get It Right Next Time," this, to me, is Rafferty's best song, by a nose.)
- Stay (I Missed You)-Lisa Loeb (I've always liked the honesty and vulnerability with which Loeb sings this. Her new release of covers, "Lullaby Girl," is also recommended; her rendition of "Dream A Little Dream" is a highlight.)
- Who Can I Turn To?-Beegie Adair (An elegant piano cover, fit for a traditional jazz station. I also recommend Nancy Wilson's vocal rendition.)
- Second Nature-Neil Finn (A highlight of the Crowded House singer's latest release, "Out Of Silence." A well-put-together arrangement of lead and backing vocals, keyboard, and strings coalesces effectively in this tale of a match between a man and woman that probably should happen but won't.)
- Pata Pata-Miriam Makeba (A well-known, much-covered dance number with strategically placed spoken word interludes about the dance. A dance this joyous should have a difficult time wearing out its welcome.)
- You Can Get It If You Really Want-Jimmy Cliff (One of Cliff's best-known recordings, for good reason; it's a sunny, singable tribute to what one can achieve through hard work and perseverance.)
- It's Only A Paper Moon-Marcus Roberts Trio (With solid, well-covered material like this, the trio is already halfway home. In a configuration of piano, bass, and drums, it's impressive and unusual to hear the bass carry the melody.)
- Satin Doll-Ray Bryant (It's impressive to hear a piano take the place of a big band in this Duke Ellington classic. I hear elements of "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" in this rendition.)
- When I Fall In Love-Chucho Valdes (In most renditions, this is a sensitively sung ballad. Valdes, however, shows that it also works as a brisk piano instrumental.)
- For Once In My Life-Stevie Wonder (One of Wonder's best early hits; it expresses the exuberance virtually anyone would feel upon finding the one for whom they've searched.)
- Hello Stranger-Barbara Lewis (Sultry vocals and one of the best uses of "shoo-bop, shoo-bop"s in a pop song. Yvonne Elliman also sings it well.)
- J.S. Bach: Lute Suite in C minor, BWV 997 (Ricardo Gallen, guitar) (Gallen pulls off the uptempo yet somber aspects of the suite with aplomb.)
- Mt. Airy Road-George Benson & Earl Klugh (It's puzzling that former smooth jazz radio stations here didn't have this immediately accessible, uptempo guitar track in heavy rotation.)
