Bluesville
- You Can Love Yourself-Keb' Mo' (Feeling unloved and needing a shot of self-esteem? This is your song.)
- Anyway-Manassas (If karaoke had been all the rage in the early '70s, this would have been a good track for a group of confident friends to belt out. Stephen Stills and company are clearly enjoying themselves, and it shows in the synchronicity between the vocalists and instrumentalists. Also recommended: "Both Of Us (Bound To Lose.)"
- A Long Time, A Long Way To Go-Todd Rundgren (One of Rundgren's subtler tunes; a voice and piano are all that's needed to sing sentiments appropriate for Valentine's Day, under less than ideal circumstances.)
- Cupid-Tew/Dale (Although there's no topping the hit versions by Sam Cooke or The Spinners, the song lends itself well to an easy listening, keyboard-and-strings rendition.)
- All Blues-Miles Davis (For jazz aficionados, this is one of the most obvious recommendations. This is one of the most-played, recognizable trumpet melodies in jazz. To hear it in a different light, check out Ron Carter's rendition; Carter carries the melody on the upright bass in his almost as captivating version.)
- Hard Work-Vincent Herring (A sly, on-the-move melody for saxophone and rhythm section.)
- Need Your Love-Tennis (Countless artists have sung similar sentiments, but that doesn't stop Tennis from singing earnestly about such well-worn territory and making it fresh. "Need Your Love" is from the group's forthcoming release, "Swimmer," due out on Valentine's Day.)
- See You Through My Eyes-The Head And The Heart (See my review of Keb' Mo's "You Can Love Yourself." It's hard not to root for the person to whom these sentiments are sung.)
- Shake-Jesse Cook (A captivating Spanish guitar riff sustains the tune for nearly four minutes.)
