Saturday morning recommendations:
Bluegrass
- Where The Streets Have No Name-The Goodfellers (I've written previously about how my reaction to most U2 songs isn't as enthusiastic as those of most listeners. Bono's emoting works well, however, on "Where The Streets Have No Name." It's interesting to hear it recast here in a faster tempo with banjo, fiddle, and vocals.)
Canadian Indie
- Lovesick Utopia-Charlotte Day Wilson (The airy alto vocals serve the lyrics effectively. I'd be curious to hear Kerri Anderson cover this.)
Chamber Music
- J.S. Bach: Partita For Keyboard No. 4 in D major, BWV.828: I. Overture (Glenn Gould, piano) (This movement requires a dexterity comparable to that of string players who perform the first and last movements of Bach's third Brandenburg Concerto.)
- Reynaldo Hahn: Premieres Valses--I. Avec elegance (Cristina Ariagno, piano) (An endearing waltz, played with excellent resonance.)
Cool Jazz
- Quiet Moments-Lonnie Liston Smith (Tasteful, pleasant, overtly 1978 piano and strings with a bossa nova feel. This is ideal for a traditional jazz station's after sunset playlist.)
Everything '80s
- The Warrior-Scandal featuring Patty Smyth (The empowering vocals and sing-along chorus hold up 38 years later.)
Folk Roots
- Oh Very Young-Cat Stevens (Over time, this has become one of my favorite songs. How could I not respect the thoughtfulness that Stevens conveys regarding the fleeting passage of time? The forceful backing vocals late in the tune add appropriate gravity to the lyrics. I'm always curious to hear how radio stations handle this when it comes up. If you're locked into a rigid commercial format, "Oh Very Young" presents a challenge; even in its time, it didn't sound like a conventional pop hit. Thus, it doesn't segue easily with other hits from or outside its era. Wise program directors are best advised to program it at the end of a set.)
- Dandelion-Carolina Story (I hear influences of mid to late '70s Fleetwood Mac and "Angel Mine" by Cowboy Junkies in this tune.)
Jazz Masters
- It Never Entered My Mind-Miles Davis (This is some of Davis's most lyrical trumpet playing with gentle piano underpinning from Red Garland.)
New Age
- Living In The Country-George Winston (Winston's "Autumn" album is the gold standard, to me, for new age piano. This track from his "Summer" album, however, also deserves its due. When the tempo accelerates, the ragtime-influenced hook carries the melody.)
