Seven tunes, covering a 55-year span of music, heard today:
KPTZ (Port Townsend, WA)
- Farewell Babylon-Kate Wallace (Wallace's strong alto vocals on this 2010 release remind me of how Carrie Newcomer might sound with bluegrass instrumentation.)
- Nice Time-Johnny Nash (Nash's voice is perfect for this pleasant 1974 rendition of a Bob Marley-penned tune.)
- Skulk-Steve Gadd Band (A cool, drum-propelled instrumental that could pass for a Steely Dan backing track. I'm not sure how I missed this in 2018.)
KZSC (Santa Cruz, CA)
- Roxy Funk-The Sure Fire Jazz Ensemble (A brassy jazz-funk rendering of a Roy Ayers tune. If I didn't know otherwise, I would have thought this ensemble released this in the '70s. It's actually a 2019 cover, though. Also recommended: "Backyard Boogie," which features wah-wah guitar, elements of The Meters and Tower Of Power, and segue potential with Rusty Bryant's "Ga Gang Gang Goong.")
WCBN (Ann Arbor, MI)
- My Conversation-The Uniques (R&B through the reggae filter of 1968; a nice blend of welcoming vocals with comforting, recurring piano punctuation.)
WRTI (Philadelphia, PA)
- The Green Leaves Of Summer-Hampton Hawes (This title track from a 1964 LP starts off as an evocative, reflective piano piece, not unlike that of Bill Evans. Then, the bass and drums come in and add some energy to the proceedings. Hawes also plays a strong version of "St. Thomas" on this album.)
WXYC (Chapel Hill, NC)
- Feel The Sunshine (Vocal Mix)-Alex Reece (To borrow from my review of "The Green Leaves Of Summer," this 1995 piece of electronica starts off with a mood in Deborah Anderson's mysterious vocals and the instrumentation that suggests a desolate street at night. Then, the bass and drums come in, adding energy to the proceedings.)
