Eight of the better tunes I've heard today:
KDHX 88.1 FM
- You're My Latest, My Greatest-Sir Charles Jones (An impressively emotive cover. Didn't I just hear Teddy Pendergrass sing this frequently on KMJM? Yes, I did--a mere 39 years ago, when his version, titled "You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration," was new.)
- Traveler-Mark Harris II (How Chick Corea and Return To Forever might have sounded in space.)
WSIE 88.7 FM
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing-Boney James (The approach James takes to this carol on saxophone brings Kenny G and Dave Koz to mind. The guitar and keyboard underpinnings differentiate it from those artists.)
- Nite Crawler-The Crusaders (A sunny, steady groove, thanks especially to Wilton Felder on sax and Joe Sample on keyboard.)
- I'll Be Home For Christmas-Oscar Peterson (Peterson gives the carol an appealingly bluesy feel on the piano. Strongly recommended from the same album: the best, most sublime version of "Away In A Manger" I've ever heard; Peterson and Jack Schantz give the carol a beautifully warm, intimate gloss.)
- Hit Or Miss-Bo Diddley (How was this not a hit? This was the second time I'd heard this 1974 album track on WSIE, and I can't get enough of it. This is one of the coolest declarations of individuality I've heard. It's also a great example of catchy genre-blending; blues, R&B, jazz, and rock elements coalesce perfectly here.)
- River-Joni Mitchell (With all of its turbulence, who doesn't want to find a river and skate away from 2020, at least part of the time?)
K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. WFUN-HD2
- Powerhouse-Joe Lovano Us Five (Props to Lovano for a band name that recognizes all of the band members' contributions; Lovano flutters adventurously on saxophone here over a powerhouse rhythm section.)
