Thursday morning highlights:
Big Band
- I Can't Get Started-Bunny Berigan (The vocals on this much-covered standard convey universally relatable lyrics about heartbreak. Berigan's trumpet playing on this 1937 recording underscores those sentiments powerfully.)
The Blues
- All You Ever Bring Me Is The Blues-Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps featuring Johnny Lee Schell (Downcast vocals fit for a rainy, gloomy morning such as this one in St. Louis.)
Chamber Music
- Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in B major, D.575 (Wilhelm Kempff, piano) (I can always trust that I'll enjoy a Schubert piece. It's a pleasure to hear Kempff play lyrical passages that mimic rolling sea waves in the first movement and jauntier, skipping-along passages in the fourth movement with equal grace.)
Cool Jazz
- Eight-Nicholas Payton (Payton plays trumpet and keyboard with equal finesse in this tune, with an intro that reminds me of Chick Corea during his Return To Forever years. Jon Batiste's "Blacck" would segue well after this.)
Folk Roots
- Little Lies-I'm With Her (Excellent, heartfelt vocal harmonies from Aoife O'Donovan, Sarah Jarosz, and Sara Watkins, as usual. Lyrically, these are brave admissions that arise from acknowledging that a relationship doesn't quite work. In all likelihood, this trio could sing about tax-deferred municipal bonds or taking out the garbage, and their lyrics, instrumental prowess, and vocal harmonies would be strong enough for me to recommend the song on this blog.)
Holiday Hits
- J.S. Bach: Toccata And Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (Simon Preston, organ) (This is the most recognizable haunted organ melody to most listeners. It's fitting for Halloween, but it's important to choose the right version. I've heard renditions in which the organist plays the piece too fast, obscuring the eerie impact of the melody. I've also heard versions in which the organist plays too deliberately slowly, lingering too long between notes. Preston wisely takes the middle ground.)
Indie Classics
- We Could Send Letters-Aztec Camera (The lyrics, vocals, and jangly guitar on this 1983 tune still hold up. Lyrically, this is a good way of saying, "Maybe we aren't meant to be together forever, but we still treasure each other, so let's keep in touch." I wish I'd thought to play this on KCOU.)
Latin Lounge
- El Amor Acaba-Valeria (The piano and rhythm section anchor this laid-back groove well, but the vocals, while effective, are a tad buried in the mix.)
- Got To Get You Off My Mind-Solomon Burke (Rhythmically, this 1965 hit would segue well with any version of "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You." Lyrically, however, the tunes are polar opposites.)
