Five Thursday morning highlights:
KCAT (Pine Bluff, AR)
- Busted-Ray Charles (Charles has an especially bluesy vibe here, which the horn section punctuates impressively.)
KEWU (Cheney, WA)
- Wood Place-Janine Santana (Santana provides the percussion undercurrent for this brassy, big band-style mambo-flavored instrumental. Poncho Sanchez's "Not Necessarily" would segue well after this.)
- Brief Talk-Fabrizio Sotti (This easy-to-digest guitar and organ melody fits equally well into a smooth jazz or traditional jazz playlist. This would flow well into "Eydie's Tune" by Marshall Crenshaw. Also recommended: Sotti's "Deep Blue," on Cassandra Wilson's "Another Country" release.)
WHYS (Eau Claire, WI)
- Son Of A Preacher Man-Natalie Merchant (Merchant sings this Dusty Springfield tune with Gospel-tinged conviction.)
- The Over Grown Waltz-Bela Fleck (A great match of tempo and style for Fleck's banjo playing, which meshes compellingly with the mandolin.)
