Ten Friday morning highlights:
KBAQ (Phoenix, AZ)
- Georg Philipp Telemann: Concerto For Four Violins in D major (Musica Antiqua Koln/Reinhard Goebel, conductor) (Mostly brisk and invigorating, but the lyrical, sorrowful passages are just as captivating.)
- Erik Satie: Three Gymnopedies (Pascal Roge, piano) (Three subtle, contemplative piano movements that could also work in a new age context. I also recommend renditions by Liona Boyd, Christopher Parkening, and John Williams.)
KUTX (Austin, TX)
- Free Your Mind-Made Kuti (A swirling stew of trumpet, saxophone, and rhythm section, centered around a hypnotic vocal refrain.)
- Stargazer-Golden Dawn Arkestra (When the tempo picks up, the tune has an appealingly brassy, '70s vibe.)
WEAA (Baltimore, MD)
- What's New-Ahmad Jamal (A dreamlike piano solo take on this standard.)
- Confirmation (Live)-Modern Jazz Quartet (The vibraphone carries the bouncy melody of this Charlie Parker tune impressively.)
WUMB (Boston, MA)
- Angel Mine-Cowboy Junkies (Margo Timmins sings these sensitive, thoughtful lyrics about staying together and seeing past someone's imperfections quietly and effectively. This is the group's best song, in my opinion.)
- Whatever's For Us, For Us-Joan Armatrading (A pleasant acoustic tune from 1972; folky, direct lyrics and guitar.)
WWHM (Sumter, SC)
- Caravan Of Love-Isley-Jasper-Isley (I hadn't heard this welcoming R&B ballad in some time. I was glad to be reminded of it and to flash back to early 1986, when KYKY played it.)
- Emotion-Samantha Sang (Sang was the right lead vocalist to pull off the wistfulness the lyrics required. Considering this was a hit in 1978, The Bee Gees were the right backing vocalists.)
