The music I chose for my 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. shift on this day 22 years ago:
1. Polka Dots And Moonbeams-Wes Montgomery
(I brought this in from home. I wanted to start things off on a classy note, and guitar instrumentals don't get much more elegant than this. Although it stands perfectly well on its own, it could also underscore scenes of upscale homes for sale.)
2. A Song For You-Ray Charles
(Charles sings Leon Russell's song with perfect understanding. I love how the last note of Montgomery's "Polka Dots And Moonbeams" segues naturally with "A Song For You"'s cascading piano intro.)
3. Moonlight Becomes You-Mary Cleere Haran
(More piano and vocals in a natural segue with "A Song For You." I still like the way these first three songs sound together.)
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4. Wild Goose Chase-Nat King Cole
(After a sublime set of slow tunes, I alerted the audience that I was about to pick up the tempo.)
5. Lover Come Back To Me-Ella Fitzgerald
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6. Sabre Dance-Woody Herman
(What could possibly segue with a tune this frantic? Well...)
7. Blue Skies-Al Jarreau
(...Jarreau's rapid fire vocals did the trick. A listener who heard me play these two songs called in and said sarcastically, "That's real soothing music for me to get up and have my coffee to. Thanks a lot." Although it wasn't one of the more positive calls I received from a listener, she at least had the decency to end her call with, "I thank you for letting me express my opinion.")
8. Guys And Dolls-Michael Hashim
9. American Patrol-Glenn Miller
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10. I Think I Got It-Nat Adderley Septet
(Excellent, brisk cornet, saxophone, and rhythm section playing from the underrated album, "Don't Look Back." If you enjoy this, you'll likely enjoy the similar feel of the album's title track.)
11. That Old Black Magic-Louis Prima & Keely Smith
(Prima and Smith sing to each other with appropriate precision and abandon; those aren't contradictory terms here.)
12. Solar-Renee Rosnes Trio with string orchestra
(Rosnes and company do this Miles Davis song justice.)
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13. Just One Of Those Things-Erroll Garner
14. Puttin' On The Ritz-Andy Prior & The Night Owls
(If you've only heard Taco's version, check out how well the song works as a big band instrumental with a scat interlude.)
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15. Chicago-Count Basie & Tony Bennett
16. Only The Lonely-Roy Orbison
17. Let's Get Lost-Vaughn Monroe
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18. How Little We Know-Joey DeFranceso
19. Wild Is The Wind-Johnny Mathis
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20. Release Me-Engelbert Humperdinck (*)
21. On A Little Street In Singapore-Harry James & Frank Sinatra
22. A Sunday Kind Of Love-Claude Thornhill and his orchestra featuring Fran Warren
23. Fiesta In Blue-Natalie Cole
24. When You Wish Upon A Star-The Lettermen
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25. Avenue Of Stars-Charlie Haden Quartet West
26. Sentimental Me-The Ames Brothers
27. It Might As Well Be Spring-John Pizzarelli
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28. They Say That Love Is Wonderful-Lionel Hampton
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29. Early Autumn-Ray Anthony
30. Fly Me To The Moon-Bossa Nova-Joe Harnell and his orchestra
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31. If I Could Give You More-Harry Connick, Jr.
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32. Caledonia-Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
33. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy-Bette Midler
34. Crosstown-Duke Ellington
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35. Someone To Watch Over Me-Toni Tennille
36. Speak Low-Barbara Streisand
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37. I'm Gonna Sit Write Down And Write Myself A Letter-Billy Williams
38. Spanish Harlem-Ben E. King
(Is there a bad rendition of this? Aretha Franklin, The Crusaders, and King set the bar high for anyone else who wishes to cover this.)
39. Isle Of Capri-Jackie Lee and his orchestra
40. Pompton Turnpike-Charlie Barnet and his orchestra
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41. Them There Eyes-Peggy Lee
42. I Got The Sun In The Morning-Les Brown and his orchestra featuring Doris Day
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43. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry-Linda Ronstadt with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra
44. Lazy River-Kay Starr
45. Canadian Sunset-Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra
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46. Cab Driver-The Mills Brothers
(This was the song I played most often on WEW. This is one of the classiest, catchiest tunes about pursuing someone while trying not to be too obvious.)
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47. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans-Louis Armstrong
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48. Second Balcony Jump-Earl Hines
49. Going To Chicago-Count Basie
50. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea-Eddy Duchin featuring Patricia Norman
51. A Foggy Night-Artie Shaw
52. On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe-Johnny Mercer
53. Hobo's Blues-Paul Simon with Stephane Grappelli
(I'd brought this guitar and violin collaboration in from home and was determined to find a place for it, even if I had to shoehorn it into the playlist. Fortunately, the feel of "...Atchison, Topkea, And The Santa Fe" struck me as compatible with it.)
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54. Can't Take My Eyes Off You-Frankie Valli
55. Come Softly To Me-The Fleetwoods
(Soft, tasteful harmonies; one of the best hits of the '50s.)
56. I'll Be Seeing You-Jo Stafford
57. In The Still Of The Night-The Five Satins
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58. I'll Never Be The Same-Teddy Wilson
(In retrospect, I could have segued this with almost any version of "As Time Goes By.")
59. Last Date-Floyd Cramer
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60. Tell It Like It Is-Aaron Neville
61. I'll Be Seeing You-Sammy Davis, Jr.
62. Yesterday-The Beatles
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63. (CLOSING THEME) Closing Time-Tom Waits
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(*) indicates a listener's request.
--- indicates a short break for a slogan and time check or a longer break for back announcing the music.
