Stingray Music highlights LXIX

2013: While listening to music, this witch cat agreed with me that Donovan's "Season Of The Witch" rhyme of stitch with witch is too contrived.

Monday and Tuesday standouts:

Canadian Indie

• Moon Tan-Atlaas (Appropriately spacey vocals and instrumentation.  The tempo of Belle Starr's "Rearview" would lead into it well.  If this song had existed in the early '90s, I would have played it on KCOU.)

Cool Jazz

• Come Rain Or Come Shine-Joe Sample (A lush, elegant rendition for piano and strings.)

Folk Roots

• The One Who Knows-Dar Williams featuring Alison Krauss (A beautiful blend of two well-matched voices underscores the sensitivity in Williams's lyrics.  Also recommended: "I Saw A Bird Fly Away" and "The World's Not Falling Apart.")

Holiday Hits

• Moon Over Bourbon Street-Sting (An appropriate match of haunting vocals with understated instrumentation.  Choose the version in which he sings like himself rather than Louis Armstrong, however.) 
• Psycho: The Murder-101 Strings (I was on the fence about recommending this.  Saying this is a departure for one of the best known easy listening ensembles is an understatement.  Still, it's appropriately grim and tense, which shows the orchestra has range beyond its generally sedate repertoire.)
• Somebody's Watching Me-Rockwell (In an age of webcams, video doorbells, and way too much social media, these lyrics sound all the more prescient.)

Jazz Now

• Les joues roses-Jonathan Turgeon Trio (An appropriately contemplative piano melody, fit for late Autumn.) 

Popcorn

• 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.)

A not-so-eerie Halloween option

Looking for a Halloween-appropriate tune that's spooky, but only mildly so?  Listen to The Manhattan Transfer's "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone."  I rarely hear it on the radio, but I guarantee it's one of the best-sung tunes of its kind.

Persistent earworm alert CXIII

In recent days, the Little River Band's song, "The Night Owls," has been on a recurring loop in my mind.  I'm not sure what triggered it, but when it was a hit 37 years ago, "The Night Owls" was my idea of edgy rock.  I suppose, in comparison to some of the band's other hits, such as "Cool Change," "Reminiscing," and "We Two," it was.  Lyrically and vocally, the attitude was there.

SiriusXM highlights CI

Saturday and Sunday highlights:

'40s Junction

• C Jam Blues-Duke Ellington (The 1942 version that SiriusXM played emphasized what a toe-tappin' jam this is, particularly for a clarinetist.)

'60s On 6

• Bend Me, Shape Me-The American Breed (I imagine, in late 1967 and early '68, that a lot of teen and twentysomething listeners turned up the radio when this came on.  There must have been a lot of involuntary singing and clapping along with this one.  This catchy, tightly constructed oldie is still a favorite of mine.)

'80s On 8

• Nobody-Sylvia (Despite almost never hearing this song on the radio, it has stayed with me since 1982.  Thanks to "American Top 40," I got to know this tune about keeping a rival for one's significant other at bay through surveillance.  I have to admire the protagonist's resolve and how she summarizes it with a catchy hook.)
• You Don't Want Me Anymore-Steel Breeze (It's deceptively difficult to convey universal sentiments in a fresh, original-for-the-time way.  Steel Breeze pulled it off here and caught the listener's ear from the first five memorable notes.)

Bluesville

• Back Water Blues-Ally Venable Band (Venable sings and plays guitar with the confidence of a seasoned veteran.  If this doesn't suggest a bright future--and a bright present, for that matter--I'm not sure what would.)

Enlighten

• Just As I Am-Chet Atkins (Tasteful, understated guitar playing; par for the course with Atkins.) 

Love

• More Love-Kim Carnes (The rasp in Carnes's voice suits this Smokey Robinson tune well.  "Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters would segue smoothly after it.)

Real Jazz

• If I Were A Bell-Jimmy Smith (This much-covered tune works well at an unhurried tempo, played with a bounce, on the organ.)

Spa

• Island Cathedral-Pam Asberry (An appropriate title for a solemn piano piece.)

"Today, on my nuisance of a radio shift..."

Years ago, I heard a morning DJ say, "There's a lot I need to do today, and this shift is sort of in the way."

That's not a recommended career move.  Still, it was considerate to tell listeners that they wouldn't miss anything if they turned off the radio.

Fit for an uptempo fright

Although there's a ton of cool uptempo jazz, very little of it lends itself to Halloween.  If, however, you're looking for a spooky-sounding, jazzy instrumental to underscore your run across a darkened parking lot or garage in the rain on Halloween night, check out "On The Loose" by Slowly.  I pulled out a sampler CD from 1996 today, and the tune left the same haunting impression it did 22 years ago.

Stingray Music highlights LXVIII

Noteworthy selections heard via U-verse this morning:

Cocktail Lounge

• I'm A Fool To Care-Les Paul & Mary Ford (I hear elements of Cass Elliot's voice in Mary Ford's vocals.)
• Ponteio-Astrud Gilberto with Stanley Turrentine (A beguiling uptempo, Brazilian-style stew of vocals, saxophone, rhythm section, and Toots Thielemans on harmonica.)

Easy Listening

• Somewhere In The Night-Cal Tjader (Presenting the cooler, jazzier side of easy listening--with Tjader on the vibraphone.)

Folk Roots

• Percy's Song-Fairport Convention (A strong cover of the Bob Dylan tune about an unjust sentence, featuring some of the group's best Sandy Denny-led vocal harmonies.) 

Jazz Masters

• Tangerine-Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster (Two renowned tenor saxophonists carry off an excellent midtempo rendition.) 

Jukebox Oldies

• Before And After-Chad & Jeremy (An effective lyrical contrast in a person when he was with someone and when he wasn't.  Pop music lost a bit of its wide-eyed sincerity when it stopped sounding like this.)

Nature

• In The Rainforest-Part 1-David Sun (A diverse array of bird songs, with calls and responses.)

Pop Classics

• Edward Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85: I. Adagio-Moderato (London Symphony Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli, conductor; Jacqueline du Pre, cello) (If you're seeking dramatic, gripping swells of sound, this is your movement.)

World Carnival

• Arianita-Quantic & Combo Barbaro (World Lounge would also be an accurate categorization of this appealing number with its percolating piano underscoring.  This could segue with the Gilberto/Turrentine tune, "Ponteio," reviewed in the Cocktail Lounge section.)

SiriusXM highlights C

Some of the best selections I heard this morning:

Bluegrass Junction

• Save This Heart-Molly Tuttle (One of the strongest "Can this relationship be saved?" songs I've heard; Tuttle's forthright vocals and guitar playing could segue with Nickel Creek's "Smoothie Song" or any number of Sara Watkins songs.)

Bluesville

• Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?-Ray Charles & Bonnie Raitt (A great pairing of stellar, accomplished performers who know how to portray heartache in their vocals many times over.) 

Classic Rewind

• Just A Job To Do-Genesis (If you put aside the ominous implication of surveillance in the lyrics, this is a great listen.  Phil Collins kicks the energy level into the stratosphere here.)

Real Jazz

• Wave-Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (One of the coolest, breeziest, uptempo melodies for tenor sax; Paul Desmond's version of Paul Simon's "Was A Sunny Day" would sound great before it.)

Siriusly Sinatra

• They Didn't Believe Me-Charlie Watts Quintet (Bernard Fowler's committed vocals sell the lyrics about being smitten convincingly.  The strong CD from which it originates, "Warm & Tender," was a frequent go-to choice for me when programming my shifts on WEW.  Also recommended: "Bewitched" and "My Ship.")

Soul Town

• Oh, What A Night!-The Dells (Lyrically, everything is right on the surface here.  Instrumentally and vocally, this 1969 hit sounds a like doo-wop throwback.)

Symphony Hall

• Franz Schubert: "Rosamunde" Overture (Cleveland Orchestra/George Szell, conductor) (Conveys turbulence and joy in equal, gripping measure.)

Underground Garage

• See My Way-The Who (Should I feel sorry for the protagonist, who feels persecuted for his point of view, or for the person whom he believes should think as he does?  In either case, this is a fun, short tune that's somewhat overlooked on the radio.)

Leaving the question dangling

In the spirit of Halloween, I'm reminded of the eeriest outro of any radio show.  When you're looking to bid your audience a turbulent good night, you can hardly do it more effectively than Himan Brown.  I always thought his ending CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes with, "Pleasant...dreams?" was pitch perfect.

FM dial scan highlights CIV

Standout selections from recent weeks:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Mat Troi Den (Black Sun)-Phu'o'ng Hoang & Minh Xuan (Emotive Vietnamese vocals over infectious Jimi Hendrix-style guitar backing.)
• Never Asked For It-Sorry, Scout (I can't ask for more blistering commitment from a lead vocalist or a band; this local band is fit for KSHE, as far as I'm concerned.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Four On Six-Wes Montgomery (Solid, straight ahead jazz guitar and rhythm section; as usual, it's a captivating recipe.  Also recommended: "Polka Dots And Moonbeams.")
• Seven Years Of Good Luck-Joe Sample (There's an accessible spookiness to this melody, which made it appropriate theme music for KNJZ's "Lights Out, St. Louis.")
• Can't Run But-Paul Simon with yMusic (It was a pleasure to hear this new, reworked version during the "New Music Spotlight" feature.  It's ear-catching to hear Simon sing this with backing that's reminiscent of "Peter And The Wolf.")

WFUN 95.5 FM

• People Get Ready-The Impressions (Lyrics of hope and salvation that command respect.  This version's gloss is appealing, but if you want to hear an equally or perhaps more poignant rendition, The Persuasions recorded an excellent a cappella version of it.)
• I Love You For All Seasons-The Fuzz (With harmonies this endearing, it's puzzling that this 1971 release was the band's only top 40 hit.  As the DJ said, "This is what good music feels like.") 

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

• Charlie Chaplin: Smile (From "Modern Times") (Anne Akiko Meyers, violin) (This is the most I've heard a violin sing in some time.  The fade-out is particularly resonant.)
• Ottorino Respighi: Pines Of Rome: IV. The Pines Of The Appian Way (Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields/Sir Neville Marriner, conductor) (I've raved about the structure of this heroic movement before.  During the morning I'd heard it, I had just seen a beautiful sunrise.  This movement underscored how gripping it was; it was a grand, effective way of saying, "And now, presenting the new day...")
  

The theme to end all news themes

I remember first hearing the six-tone CBS Radio News theme in the '80s.  It's so Pavlovian for me now that, even when I'm not listening to the radio, I still hear it in my mind at the top of the hour.  Decades later, it's still the theme that indicates, "This is the news."

That's a theme with staying power.

Even if only five people listen...

...it's reassuring to know that public affairs radio programs still air on Sunday morning.  In a world that isn't always as civil as it should be, it's comforting that sedate discussions about local issues still take place.

Context? XLIV

Heard two days ago on a Connecticut radio station: "They got established before the deer could eat them."

That's a sentence you don't hear often during an interview.  When I doubled back to the station, I learned that the guest was specifying which types of grasses are safe to plant around animals and where and when they should be planted.

Online radio sampler highlights LXXXIII

Five noteworthy tunes heard yesterday:

KAFM (Grand Junction, CO)

• Fight-Vanessa Peters (A new release with refreshingly honest lyrics about fearing failure and feeling weary--and a good pep talk about finding inner strength.)

KEXP (Seattle, WA)

• The Mayor Of Simpleton-XTC (One of XTC's strongest tracks, with powerful, confident vocals and percussion that makes you want to drum along on the dashboard.  Lyrically, the tune reminds me of Sam Cooke's "(What A) Wonderful World."  In each song, the protagonist claims not to know much; it's obvious, however, that both protagonists are smarter than they claim to be.  As much as I love music, I'm parsimonious about giving songs A grades.  "The Mayor Of Simpleton," in my view, deserves an A.)
  

WCBN (Ann Arbor, MI)

• Theme From Konono No. 2-The Ex & Brass Unbound (While listening to the intro, I half-expected to hear Saga start singing an alternative arrangement of "On The Loose."  Instrumentally, this is an appealingly energetic mix of guitar and trumpet.  It was also an interesting way to segue from a polka show to a rock show.)

WRTI (Philadelphia, PA)

• Early Autumn-Stan Getz (One of the warmest saxophone tones any listener could want.)
• What's New-George Benson (A sublime, melodic rendition for guitar and piano.)

Context? XLIII

Heard during a noncommercial California radio station's pledge drive: "It's all being funneled into the massage fund."

I didn't hear what preceded that statement, but the announcer then went on to tout the station's benefits and the sacrifices it has made, so whatever she said before the funneling comment was presumably sarcastic.

Full-fledged support--with an asterisk

For two school years, at my college bass teacher's request, I gave bass lessons to a high school student after school.  Just before the student's second year, I asked his mother for a pay increase.  At the start of the next lesson, the student told me, "I hear you asked for an increase.  It's not my money, so I think you should get it."

There's nothing like support with a disclaimer.  Or, as a former supervisor used to say, "I'm with you, win or tie."

Persistent earworm alert CXII

I wish these were only hypothetical situations for me, but they aren't.  In recent weeks, I had trouble with my voice coming back after a shot for dysphonia.  I went to an urgent care center, where I was diagnosed with acute sinusitis; this further delayed the return of my voice.  I got my voice back, but shortly after that, I discovered I was allergic to one of the sinusitis medications; this resulted in a visit to the emergency room and yet another in a series of prescriptions.  Appropriately, the chorus of a Richard Dimples Fields song, which is also its title, has run through my mind a lot lately.  If you remember hearing it, as I did, on KMJM in the early '80s, let's all sing the chorus...

...Ready? 

"If it ain't one thing, it's another..."

Only human, after all

This shouldn't have irritated me.  First, a radio news anchor got tripped up in a sentence and had to say it again.  Shortly after that, a reporter stumbled when saying, "integrity."  Neither of them intended to make mistakes.  Stumbling over a word or sentence isn't a crime, and it can happen to anyone.

I wonder now why I glared at the radio.

Kid or adult music? Splitting the difference

If you're a parent of young children, you probably want them to have at least some exposure to music.  In their formative years, you likely want them to learn skills and values that are important to you.  Other times, you might want them to hear how catchy and fun music is at its best.  How do you choose music that reflects your objectives without being too saccharine?  Craig & Company has the answer in the song, "P.B. And J."  Lyrically, it's overtly tailored to kids; musically, however, it resembles Van Morrison's "Moondance."

That's an impressive trick to pull off--communicating directly with your preschool through kindergarten audience without driving their parents mad.

Stingray Music highlights LXVII

Thursday morning standouts:

Alt Rock Classics

• Home For A Rest-Spirit Of The West (Ordinarily, I don't recommend songs about consuming too much alcohol, but instrumentally, this is such a spirited reel.)

Cool Jazz

• Pensativa-Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (An inviting bossa nova-esque stew of trumpet and rhythm instruments.) 

Folk Roots

• Gone Too Soon-Sarah Jarosz (It's a shame that we can't freeze all the positive emotional moments we want and stay in them for as long as we'd like.  Jarosz conveys such wistfulness convincingly.)
• Lay Low-Gretchen Peters (It's also a shame that we drift apart from people over time.  Thoughtful lyrics such as these remind us that, if nothing else, we can always try to decompress.)
  

Jazz Now

• Emptiness-Trio Elf (Appropriately bleak piano underpinning with an intermittent techno feel.) 

Pop Classics

• Ottorino Respighi: Antiche Danze ed Arie per Liuto, Suite No. 3: III. Siciliana (Ensemble Amati) (When I hear Respighi's name, I think of the the last movement of "Pines Of Rome" and expect reflexively to hear a brassy, heroic movement.  After hearing the third movement of this suite, I was glad to be reminded that Respighi was also adept at composing tender, downcast music for strings.)

Retro R&B

• The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face-Roberta Flack (I like Pete Seeger's and Roberta Flack's versions of this for the same reason; both renditions, in their own ways, convey the emotional intensity of a moment in which a person's life changed for the better.) 

Revival--'60s & '70s

• Move On Up-Curtis Mayfield (One of Mayfield's best uptempo tracks; the song sustains its vibe for all nine minutes.  It's effective motivational music for getting up and starting the day.)

Rewind--'80s & '90s

• All Time High-Rita Coolidge (Lyrically, this sounds like any number of soft rock songs, but Coolidge sells it, and it crescendos effectively to its chorus.  I always thought this deserved more airplay.)

SiriusXM highlights XCIX

Standout selections heard Wednesday afternoon:

Classic Vinyl

• Hymn 43-Jethro Tull (If you're 40 or older and have even the slightest affinity for album rock, you've probably played this recurring guitar riff on a real guitar or air guitar, maybe involuntarily.)

The Coffee House 

• Kiss Me (Exclusive)-Marie Miller (An endearing acoustic cover of the Sixpence None The Richer hit.)

Escape

• Airport Love Theme-Vincent Bell (The wah-wah-wah-wah reverberation screams, "1970!"  I keep expecting Barry White to start speaking over this of-its-time R&B arrangement.) 

The Groove

• Walking In Rhythm-Blackbyrds (Some of the sunniest vocals of the '70s, fit for days when everything is going right.) 

No Shoes Radio

• Summer Wind-Willie Nelson (Nelson sings this with grit and understanding, and the backing instrumentation, especially the harmonica, gives the lyrics additional heft.)

Real Jazz

• Gravy Train-Lou Donaldson (We should all feel accomplished to make it to age 91, as Donaldson has, and have walking saxophone melodies as hip as this among our life's work.)

Soul Town

• Ask The Lonely-The Four Tops (This was a hit in 1965, but I don't think I've ever heard any radio station play it.  If you need a heartbreak-based tune in which to wallow, this is it.  Levi Stubbs conveys every ounce of pain the lyrics require.) 

Spa

• Tally's Lullaby-Karen Marie Garrett (A heartfelt, sensitive melody for piano and cello.) 

Symphony Hall

• Frederic Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op.52 (Arthur Rubenstein, piano) (Beautiful synergy between the treble and bass clef parts; an initially tender piece that indulges appropriately forceful flights of fancy.) 

Watercolors

• Out Of The Blue-Maysa (Smooth vocals in an uptempo groove fit for late nights.  Also recommended: "Friendly Pressure.")

A welcome divertissement

I had just heard the Cologne Chamber Orchestra perform Mozart's Divertimento No. 11 in D major on SiriusXM this afternoon.  Unexpectedly, the Symphony Hall announcer mused, "Isn't it nice to be diverted?" 

Well, yes--especially when you use Classical music, per the announcer, as "a respite from the news."  In fact, I don't want to stop with being diverted.  I'd also like to be enraptured by a rhapsody, knocked out by a nocturne, and feel simpatico with a symphony.

So often, the news is just that depressing.

Even if I were prescient...

...this would still be a surprise.  I've been watching highlights of Fleetwood Mac's concert in Chicago from last Saturday.  As much of a fan as I've been of Fleetwood Mac for decades, I could not have predicted that in 2018, I'd be watching and enjoying their versions of Split Enz's "I Got You" and Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over," with Neil Finn on lead vocals.

Seek out the clips, and prepare to be impressed.  Finn fits in easily with Fleetwood Mac.

Statistically unlikely, but...

I knew the odds of this were extremely small when I was a kid.  Still, when I heard "American Top 40"'s Casey Kasem announce that a favorite song had moved up a notch, I liked to think, "It must have been my purchase of the single that did it."

Welcoming wake-up music

I wasn't fully awake, but I could have sworn I heard an ice cream truck playing a faster-than-usual version of "O Canada" on my street this afternoon.  That's not a bad way to be awakened.  After all, it's difficult to work up any ire toward a truck driving by with ice cream that people want. 

I'm glad that everything in life doesn't work that way, though.  I'd be angry, for instance, if I could only purchase health insurance when a truck drives by at unexpected intervals playing Pink Floyd's "Money."

Birthday perspective

In the back of my mind, I sometimes hope that positive, interesting local or national news will happen on my birthday, and that I'll record at least one newscast capturing the emotion of the moment.  When that doesn't occur, as was the case today, I remind myself that Olivia Newton-John was wise to ask, "Have you never been happy just to hear your song?"  Today, I've been happy--to hear Stan Getz with Charlie Byrd, Lena Horne, and Cannonball Adderley on WSIE, Joni Mitchell and Mary Chapin Carpenter on KDHX, and the start of a new season of "Live From Here" on KWMU.

On a day that's already positive for me, what more do I really need or want from the radio?

FM dial scan highlights CIII

Five of the best tunes I've heard on the radio in September and early October:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• 17 Days ("Piano & A Microphone 1983" version)-Prince (I've written before about this being one of my favorite Prince songs; I like this expanded, freewheeling voice-and-a-piano demo as much as the previously released studio version.)
• Old Stuff, New Glass-The Orielles (Great jangly synergy between the guitar, bass, and vocals; a power pop highlight of 2018.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• All Over-Phoebe Snow (I was pleasantly surprised to hear WSIE play this 1976 album track. Lyrically, this is an honest yet humble way of saying, "I'm enjoying the success I'm having, so I hope it lasts as long as possible.")
• Many Moons-The Bosman Twins (Bravo to WSIE for playing a track by a local artist each hour for much of the day.  This mid to uptempo saxophone-and-flute number brings Grover Washington, Jr. to mind.) 

KWMU 90.7 FM

• One Million Circumstances-Randy Brecker & Mats Holmquist with UMO Jazz Orchestra (A brassy theme fit for the Olympics or "Wide World Of Sports.")

Persistent earworm alert CXI

Strangely, Toni Basil's "Shopping From A To Z" has infiltrated my mind today.  I've never listened to the entire song, but I know Basil deserves credit for admitting that she didn't buy anything starting with the letter X.  Even today, when you can buy yogurt and a lawn chair from the same store, it would be stretching things to say that you bought an x-ray machine or a xylophone from the same store that sells apples and liver.

Only in college LIX

As basic as it sounds, there's one central question a music reviewer must answer.  As one college DJ wrote on an alt-rock review sheet next to the critic's cryptic summary, "What does it sound like?  You've heard it.  I haven't."

Only in college LVIII

I enjoyed writing CD reviews for KCOU.  As jazz director, I reviewed mostly jazz albums for the station.  The review sheet attached to each CD always included three sections: Review, Opinion, and Best Tracks.  I always liked this format, as it gave the reviewer the chance to say all that needed to be said about an album and gave the DJs a good overview of what to expect.  Naturally, it was easier to write an entirely positive review than a more critical one.  Here, for example, is a review I wrote in May 1993:

Artist: Vanessa Rubin
Title: Pastiche
Label: Novus

Review: Rubin claims a range of vocal influences, including Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.  All styles appear at various times and are skillfully rendered and appealing.  A talented, all-acoustic team of rhythm musicians adds considerably to Rubin's already strong vocals.

Opinion: One of the more appealing vocal releases to enter the jazz format.  Hear this one out.

Best Tracks: 1, 6 (good bare bones bass line), 7 (cool brass arrangement), 9 (tasty Jimmy Smith-style rhythm arrangement; cool organ line from Aaron Graves), 11

Stingray Music highlights LXVI

Standout selections from recent days:

Alt Country-Americana

• Everybody Knows-The Jayhawks (A lyrically compelling pep talk for times when you feel overwhelmed.  The Dixie Chicks recorded a strong version of this, as well.)

Alt Rock Classics

• Policy Of Truth-Depeche Mode (Not exactly a pick-me-up, but the chorus and general vibe of the tune don't leave my mind easily whenever I hear it.  I imagine some listeners would also have this reaction to it.)

Baroque

• J.S. Bach: Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV.1003 (Isabelle Faust, violin) (An appropriate solo violin piece for melancholy times.)

Folk Roots

• Whippoorwill-Sparrow Blue (This release from January features endearing vocal harmonies, harmonica, and acoustic guitar.  This would fit in well on KDHX's "Backroads" playlist.)

Jazz Masters

• The Nearness Of You-Teddy Edwards (Sultry saxophone stylings.)

Jazz Now

• Lament-Steve Davis (The melody of this appropriately titled piano-anchored piece sports a melody that's sorrowful but tinged with hope.) 

Retro R&B

• (I Know) I'm Losing You-The Temptations (The vocals convey the uncomfortable realization in the lyrics effectively.)

Spa

• Floating-Ken Bonfield (A warm, tender guitar melody with an undercurrent of strings from a consistently strong album, "Homecoming."  Also recommended: "From A Friend" and, really, anything from the "Mystic Morning" and "Homecoming" albums.)