FM dial scan highlights CCXVIII

Friday morning highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Try Again-Supertramp (When you're accustomed to hearing hits such as "Goodbye Stranger" and "The Logical Song," it's a bit of an adjustment to hear Supertramp in a 1970 prog rock context.  There's piping reminiscent of Jethro Tull, and I hear elements of '60s Moody Blues.  The middle of the night is an appropriate time for a 12-minute opus like this...)
• With You There To Help Me-Jethro Tull (...as well as this six-minutes-and-change of similar guitar-heavy stylings and characteristic piping, also from 1970.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Feels Like Forever-Lindsey Webster (Pleasant piano and vocal phrasing that reminds me of Eliane Elias and Basia.)
• Brooklyn Heights-Down To The Bone (This uptempo piano-centered instrumental has a sly middle-of-the-night vibe.  Also recommended: "17 Mile Drive" and "3 Days In Manhattan.")

KEZK 102.5 FM

• Der Kommissar-After The Fire (I remember hearing this on the radio frequently in the Spring of '83--and for good reasons.  This is how you build to a hook and maintain said hook.  If you're going to have just one hit, this is a well-structured, catchy one to have.)
• Escapade-Janet Jackson (When one of your most rhythmically and vocally appealing tunes, "Miss You Much," has massive success, it's smart business to repeat that formula at least one more time.)
  

SiriusXM highlights CXXXVII

Standout selections heard this afternoon:

The Coffee House Discovery

• Sunshine Baby-The Japanese House (These are some of 2023's more endearing bittersweet lyrics and vocals.  The guitar outro is a perfect ending.)
• If You're Hurting-Trousdale (Speaking of endearing bittersweet lyrics and vocals, this May release is a good companion piece with Colin Hay's "Send Somebody."  Another plus: The group's vocal phrasing reminds me at times of Shawn Colvin and The Staves.)

Deep Tracks

• The King Will Come-Wishbone Ash (I can't be the only listener who hears a Neil Young influence here.)
• Stomp-Little Feat (I like it when this type of guitar intro lives up to its promise.  This nine-minute instrumental sustains its energy.)

Real Jazz

• Cantaloupe Island-Jean-Luc Ponty & George Duke (A faithful rendering of the Herbie Hancock classic.)
• Best Wishes (Live)-Sonny Rollins (Joyous saxophone playing in this expansive uptempo tune.  I'm glad the audience was so appreciative.)

SiriusXMU Discovery

• Eastern Ave-Flasher (This May release is a fun blend of power pop, dream pop, and grunge.  I also like the lyrical reverence for the past.)

Spa

• Dawn On Red Mountain-Ann Sweeten (A pleasant piano melody that would sound right to me after Ken Bonfield's "The Passing.")

Symphony Hall

• Claude Debussy: Nocturnes (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Jarvi, conductor) (This gripping reading brings out the dramatic tension of the first movement, the power and fierce melodic drive of the second movement, and lyrical, fanciful nature of the choir and strings in the third movement.)

Yacht Rock Radio

• Crazy Love-Poco (This hit has always had several positive qualities, in my view.  The lyrics are thoughtful, the vocal harmonies serve them well, and the acoustic guitar underscores the tune sensitively.  For a faster take on the song, check out Tina Adair's version.)
  

Online radio sampler highlights CCIX

Eight ear-catching tunes heard today:

KCMP (St. Paul, MN)

• Easy For You-Anna Graves (This March release has perceptive lyrics about the tunnel vision that sometimes accompanies relationships.)

KKJZ (Long Beach, CA)

• It's Easy To Remember-John Coltrane (Warm, bright saxophone tone and an equally tasteful, supportive rhythm section.  The piano outro dovetails smoothly into...)
• If You Could See Me Now-Chet Baker (...this sublime piano intro and welcoming, resonant trumpet melody.)

KRDP (Apache Junction, AZ)

• Hit It-BK Trio (A cool straight ahead guitar-and-organ jazz instrumental with an appealing bounce.)

WXYG (Sauk Rapids, MN)

• Colorado Song-Ozark Mountain Daredevils (This tune about going back to Colorado says only what it needs to say lyrically.  The guitar and backing vocals sustain the last three minutes of the tune impressively.)

WYTX (Rock Hill, SC)

• It's Gonna Get Better-Genesis (This somewhat overlooked track from the band's self-titled album admits that a healing path is sometimes a long one.  Nevertheless, the lyrics are still encouraging.)

WZBT (Gettysburg, PA)

• Trust-Ane Brun (Brun's breathy soprano vocals serve the lyrics effectively in this 2020 release.  WZBT segued this appropriately with "Unfold" by Melody's Echo Chamber, which also has intriguing soprano vocals.)
• Stay-Esther Rose (Rose's endearing vocals and guitar playing in this April release have a folky charm.)
  

The foot-biting default option XXIV

I know my cat, Collette, will achieve her goals when she busts out Jim Morrison-style vocals.  I'm unnerved that just outside the computer room door, she's singing, "I will bite your feet," repeatedly to the tune of "Waiting For The Sun" by The Doors.

What sharp focus--and teeth--Collette has.  Well, I'd better open the door and get this over with...

A pretty exclusive gig

One afternoon this month, I sampled a low-power, out-of-town station that presented newscasts and programs from an international perspective.  I liked the concept of the station but wondered how long it would survive, as a counter on the station's website never exceeded four listeners during the time I heard it.

"It's fun to be part of such a small group listening to this station," I thought.  "Then again, there are pitfalls to running a station that only draws a small audience."

Here's hoping the station survives somehow.  It's a not a good sign, however, that I've already forgotten the station's call letters and city.

Context? CCLIII

About 20 years ago, I heard an AM radio talk show host hesitate briefly.  He was searching for a term to describe those who commit violent crimes.  I understood why he paused.  It might have been tempting for him to curse, but one isn't supposed to swear on the radio.  He settled for calling such criminals "pieces of human debris."

I thought that was a fair compromise in a situation where you have to censor yourself.

Context? CCLII

An AM radio talk show host admitted during a live commercial Thursday that the business he was touting wasn't the easiest to find "because it's not the kind of place that pops out at you."

While that's refreshingly honest, it's an unusual to hear a business admit, in essence, "You might drive right past us inadvertently, but if you find us, it'll be worth the effort."

A function of age XIV

Another sign that I'm not as young as I once was: A little while ago, I heard an indie rock song on the radio.  While it wouldn't be one of my favorite songs at any age, 22-year-old me might still have played it on the air, figuring others might like it.  52-year-old me, however, reacted less patiently to it.  In the middle of an excessively long fade-out of guitar feedback, I said, "Oh, come on.  Stop it!"  

At 22, I might have given the group the benefit of the doubt, thinking, "The group is just expressing itself.  This ending might benefit from some editing, but the artists must want this fade-out to linger in listeners' minds."

At 52, I thought, "This is self-indulgent noise.  You're the creators of this song, and you have every right to record a fade-out like this, but how about being more concise--and melodic?"

In fairness, what's noise to one person is mellifluous to another.  Hmmm...Apparently, my more idealistic 22-year-old self wants to counter me.  I don't know that he'll change the gist of my 52-year-old reaction, but maybe he'll soften it a tad.

Context? CCLI

After turning the radio on Tuesday night, I heard a sports talk show host say, "Everyone's gettin' Cs today."  I immediately thought he was referring to a C letter grade and thought, "Hmmm...I wonder which team(s) he's evaluating and why he considers the players so-so."  As I listened longer, I realized he was referring to multiple players who had been named team captains.

That made sense--and I was glad to hear the host praising excellence instead of harping on mediocrity.

Online radio sampler highlights CCVIII

Six standout songs heard today:

KBOO (Portland, OR)

• It's Worth Believin'-Gordon Lightfoot (Lyrically, this is a shrewd reminder to trust one's intuition about a relationship going south.)
• L'enfant Et La Gazelle-Miriam Makeba (Beautifully sung vocals over a strong rhythm section.  "Pata Pata" has been my default Makeba tune for years, but this 1971 track deserves just as much attention.)

KZSC (Santa Cruz, CA)

• I'll Come Running Back To You-Sam Cooke (While running back to someone who jilted you isn't always the best idea, hearing this on crackling vinyl underscored the heartache in Cooke's vocals.)
• Oop Bop Sh'Bam-Charlie Parker (I used to play this on WEW, and its catchy chorus still creeps into my mind at unexpected moments.)

WTJU (Charlottesville, VA)

• Lighthouse-Caroline Spence featuring Sarah Jarosz (Vocally, this May release reminds me somewhat of Shawn Colvin and Patty Griffin.)
• Wind The Clock-Alison Brown (After just one listen, I'm convinced that this May release is one of 2023's best instrumentals.  If you don't think the banjo is a melodic instrument, perhaps this will change your mind.  I'm hard-pressed to name another banjo player besides Bela Fleck who can blend folk and smooth jazz elements so smoothly.)
  

Only in college CII

One night at KCOU, a DJ asked me to answer the phone while she was on the air.  Upon answering, a listener spewed his critique of a song that was playing.  

He yelled, "Why the @#&* are you playing this $!^)?!  This song is awful!"

I told him I'd relay his review to the DJ.  Shortly after I'd told her what he'd said, she back announced the song and added, "Based on the listener feedback we've received, we'll have to play that again really soon."

I thought her reaction was appropriate.  While the song about liking pudding wasn't the most listener-friendly tune I'd ever heard, it didn't warrant the listener's intense, profane tirade.  

I still wonder if the DJ played the tune again during her shift--and if the same enraged listener called in again.  Hopefully, he calmed down and realized that a few minutes of discordant music on a college radio station doesn't merit such vitriol.

Persistent earworm alert CCCII

You'd think if a song stays with you for days on end, you either have strong positive or negative feelings about it.  It puzzles me, then, that "Cool Night" by Paul Davis keeps coming to mind, as I have no strong feelings either way about it.  I remember it getting fairly heavy airplay during its chart run in late 1981 and early '82.  I don't hear it often today, though.

Maybe I've thought about it so often because it's one of the first songs that makes me think of the yacht rock genre.  Or, maybe it's just nice to remember a time when a song that takes its time to build could be a hit.  In a world that often moves too fast, it's sometimes gratifying to hear a song that's in no great hurry.

Context? CCL

About 40 years ago, I showed my father the book of playlists I'd compiled for my radio station that no one could hear.  Upon seeing "Paperlate" by Genesis on one playlist, my dad asked, "What does that mean?  The paper's not early?  The paper's late?"

Yes, according to various sources.  The term refers to the late edition of a British newspaper.  The song, however, is about playing it too safe in life.

Back then, I didn't know any of this.  I replied, "I'm not sure, actually."  At the time, I just thought the lyrics sang well but hadn't attempted to decipher them.

I'm glad to have inherited my dad's journalistic inquisitiveness--resulting in my answering a musical question posed just four decades ago.

An overlooked cover tune CXXV

Thanks to its unusual 5/4 time signature and memorable melody, the Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Take Five" is one of the best-known jazz tunes.  Composer Paul Desmond nailed the melody on alto sax.

There's a cover of it that I never hear anywhere, though.  In his version, Toots Thielemans shows how well the melody translates to the harmonica.  That's not the first instrument most listeners would likely think of as suitable for covering the tune, I would guess, but Thielemans shows how appropriate it is.

Context? CCXLIX

Last week, I heard a promo for an "all-vinyl radio show."  Each week, all of the songs the DJ plays are on records.

That used to be the norm decades ago, so it's nice to know there's a show on a noncommercial station that revives this practice.

As the DJ said, "Let's listen to some records together."

Provided the records are of broadcast quality, why not?

Context? CCXLVIII

A radio talk show host told a guest yesterday how surprised he was that 80% of drivers claim to have displayed road rage.  His guest countered that the real figure is probably higher.

What specifically constituted road rage for that survey's purposes?  When drivers pounded on the dashboard but refrained from honking their horns or directing profane remarks or obscene gestures at the driver, did that count as road rage?  When they just swore under their breath at someone's reckless driving, did that constitute road rage?  What if they didn't react directly to a reckless driver in the moment but instead called and vented their ire toward whoever answered the phone in response to a "How's my driving?" sticker?

To some extent, I'm inclined to second the host's surprise.  Then, when I think about how tense society is these days, I wouldn't be surprised if the guest's reaction is more accurate.

Online radio sampler highlights CCVII

Nine of the more interesting songs I've heard today:

KCMU (Napa, CA)

• Sunny Road-Roosevelt Sykes (Impressive, committed blues vocals, piano, guitar, and trumpet from 1946.)
• Thinking Like That-Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions (Quiet guitar and vocals fit for ruminating.)

KMRD (Madrid, NM)

• Aguirre I  (L'acrime di Rei)-Popul Vuh (The choir is key to enhancing this haunting celestial soundscape, so ending the piece with a one-minute flute solo is an interesting, unexpected choice.)

KRBX (Boise, ID)

• Falling-Dara Tucker (Tucker's vocals mesh compellingly with the piano playing of Aaron Parks in this new release.  Both artists pull off the impressive feat of sounding simultaneously melancholy and upbeat.  Lyrically and instrumentally, this is an appropriate tune for Autumn.)
• Miles City Train-George Winston (Six well-maintained minutes of raucous, brisk, saloon-style piano playing.  I was just listening to Winston's "Ballads And Blues 1972" LP last month, so I'm glad to know someone appreciates this tune as much as I do.)

WDNA (Miami, FL)

• Sketch I--Truth Be Told For MLW-Cecilia Smith (Smith's fine tribute to jazz piano artist Mary Lou Williams, released last month, makes me want to hear more from Williams--and Smith.  Smith glides smoothly from a sly mood to an impish one on the vibraphone here.  I also recommend Smith's rendition of "St. Louis Blues.")
• Modesty-Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri (This is one of the coolest, catchiest Latin jazz instrumentals I've heard in a while.  Somehow, I'd overlooked this gem from 1966.)

WXPN (Philadelphia, PA)

• Expert In A Dying Field-The Beths (Lyrically, this is a sound metaphor for a relationship nearing its end.)
• Life By The Drop-Stevie Ray Vaughan (Vaughan's strongly sustained galloping guitar rhythm suits these lyrics well.)
  

Just when you think you know someone...

I remember the record store clerk's quizzical look as she rang up my Sly & The Family Stone cassette in the early '90s. We knew each other fairly well from school, but her puzzled but not unkind look suggested, "I never thought of him as a Sly & The Family Stone listener."

Well...We all have layers.

Context? CCXLVII

One recent morning, a neighbor told me about someone she knew who'd named his dog Townes...

"...after Townes Van Zandt," we both said.

My neighbor told me this person exclaimed, "You're the first person who has ever gotten that (name's source!)"

Out of respect for the composer of "To Live Is To Fly," it's good to know that at least three of us in the world have our priorities in order.

Context? CCXLVI

I rarely hear song intros as self-deprecating as one I heard Friday.  The DJ said, "This next song is about being an idiot.  You know you've been there.  I know I've been there."  She elaborated that she'd become a better botanist recently and after an unspecified mishap realized, "Just because I can (identify) plants, (it) doesn't mean I can do anything..."

We all have those moments, I think, of believing we've conquered the world when we've actually just mastered a small portion of it.

Persistent earworm alert CCCI

I was surprised that WSIE played Billy Joel's instrumental, "Root Beer Rag," this morning.  Even for a station that has a refreshingly wide-ranging, diverse playlist, I wasn't expecting to hear a piece that could underscore scenes of chaos or wacky hijinks.

Many listeners might have heard "Root Beer Rag" in that context and thought it was generic comedic music.  It was a fun romp to hear unexpectedly, and I don't mind having it stuck in my mind.  After all, how could you not respect Joel's dexterity in pulling off such a challenging piano piece?

Online radio sampler highlights CCVI

Friday standouts:

KCOH (Houston, TX)

• Hey, Western Union Man-Jerry Butler (A rhythmically and vocally strong 1968 oldie.  Telegrams are an obsolete method of communication, but the protagonist's urgency in wanting to reach his beloved still comes through.)

KFAI (Minneapolis, MN)

• A Felicidade-Astrud Gilberto (Wise words about enjoying happy moments before they end--sung compellingly by Gilberto, as usual, with orchestral backing for gravity.)
  

KOMF (Denver, CO)

• Balloon-The Symbols (Confidently delivered bluesy rock vocals.)

WGUC (Cincinnati, OH)

• Johann Strauss, Jr.: Emperor Waltz, Op. 437 (Vienna Philharmonic/Mariss Jansons, conductor) (Appropriately lighthearted playing from the strings and winds, heroic playing from the brass, and particularly effective crescendos.) 

WRHC (Three Oaks, MI)

• Metropole-Cesar Mariano & CIA (Not every ensemble can pull off this fast-to-slow-to-fast progression this well.  I hear elements of Chick Corea and George Duke in this 1977 track.)

WXSU (Salisbury, MD)

• Bad Self Portraits-Lake Street Dive (Rachael Price's vocals here remind me of Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi, and that's never a bad thing.  Lyrically, this is an admirably honest way of coping with a breakup.)

WYEP (Pittsburgh, PA)

• Watching The Credits-The Beths (I immediately liked the energy of "Happy Unhappy" and "Dying To Believe" when I first heard them.  I was pleased to hear a similar energy in this 2023 track--and I'm glad I'm not the only person who finds reviews inherently interesting to read, even when I don't end up seeing, hearing, or reading the material being reviewed.)

SiriusXM highlights CXXXVI

Noteworthy selections heard today:

Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals

• Two Ships-Sam Blakelock (This would segue well after Patty Griffin's "Rain.")

Alt R&B

• Calm & Patient-Jhene Aiko (Vocally and lyrically uplifting.  This is a comforting reminder about a higher power looking out for us when we're struggling.)

HBCU

• Because Of You-Collaboration (A thoughtful saxophone-driven smooth jazz instrumental.)

The Loft

• Michelangelo-Cassandra Jenkins (Effectively quiet vocals and good lyrics about making the best of an imperfect situation.)

North Americana

• You And Me-Charlotte Cornfield (Endearingly optimistic yet realistic lyrics.  This is an honest way to acknowledge, "Yes, we've had our troubles, but the future still looks encouraging.")

SiriusXM Pops

• Gustav Holst: The Planets; "Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity" (St. Louis Symphony Orchestra/Walter Susskind, conductor) (An appropriately mighty rendering, especially in the strings and brass, of a mighty planet.  I also noticed the tambourine more than I have in any other rendition.)

SiriusXMU

• Default-Django Django (Catchy vocals augmented by steady rhythm players.)

Tom Petty's Buried Treasure

• What'd I Say-Jimmy Smith (With Smith at the keys, I'm not surprised that this Ray Charles classic translated so smoothly to the organ.)
  

Yacht Rock Radio

• Year Of The Cat-Al Stewart (Consider such Stewart hits as "Time Passages," "Song On The Radio," and "Year Of The Cat."  There's a level of literacy, appreciation for people and places, and well-crafted musicianship that the pop charts could use more of today.)

FM dial scan highlights CCXVII

Five ear-catching tunes I've heard today:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• The Moonlight Song-Blaze Foley (Most songs with this type of folky guitar intro, sincere lyrics, and unassuming vocal delivery get my attention.)
• The Shape Of Things To Come-Slade (This is frequently the outlook of progressive teens and young adults.  If I programmed an album rock station, I'd pair this with Quicksilver Messenger Service's "Pride Of Man," a lyrical warning to those who refuse to heed the warning Slade sings about here.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Walk In The Night-Jr. Walker & The All-Stars (This song presents a strong case for establishing a mood in F-sharp major.  This impressive combo of shimmering saxophone, rhythm section, and vocal punctuation has 1971 stamped on it in the best way.  It speaks to the quality of the "Moody Jr." album that a tune this strong was buried as the 9th of 10 tracks.)
• Baila-Janet Evra (The trumpet, piano, and drums set a compelling tone in their intro, and Evra delivers warm vocals, as usual.)

WFUN 96.3 FM

• Casanova-Levert (I've always liked the bounce in this 1987 hit's step.)
  

Online radio sampler highlights CCV

Six standout selections heard today:

KBUU (Malibu, CA)

• Suburban Wonderland-The Heirs (One way of saying, "Let's enjoy each other.")
• California Soul-Marlena Shaw (Strong, well-produced vocals and orchestral backing.  I'm glad there's a station playing this 1969 R&B gem.)

KWMU-3 (St. Louis, MO)

• Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor (Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; Lambert Orkis, piano) (One of Classical music's most recognizable melodies in the deft hands of two accomplished musicians who conquer the piece's tempo changes and mood shifts with aplomb.)

WMPG (Portland, ME)

• Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose-Lyn Collins (A well-sustained groove, committed vocals, and lyrics that say just what they need to say.  Collins sang with James Brown, and Brown's influence is heavy here.)

WUNH (Durham, NH)

• Every Day A Dream-Menahan Street Band (A pleasant instrumental, fit for a leisurely stroll.  This is an impressively blended stew of trumpet, organ, and guitar.)

WXPK (Briarcliff Manor, NY)

• Whenever You're On My Mind-Marshall Crenshaw (Countless artists have written and sung similar sentiments.  Few of them, however, have pulled off this combination of tunefulness and sincerity.)
  

"One smooth jazz DJ prep manual, please..."

The intensity with which I listened and took notes amuses me now.  It was June 1994, and I'd just been hired as a part-time DJ at smooth jazz station KNJZ.  

Before my first air shift, I listened to several hours of an overnight shift.  I jotted down how often the DJ spoke, whether the breaks between songs were short or long, and the phrasing used when announcing, back announcing, and stating station slogans.  I also got an overall feel for the station's playlist and was pleased that I knew most of the artists.

No one told me I had to do this.  I just thought it was a wise move.  Granted, I wasn't preparing to work in a nuclear power plant.  Lives don't hang in the balance when you're a smooth jazz DJ.  Still, why not be as prepared as possible before starting a job?

Demanding excellence II

Another thought about a hot-tempered college orchestra director that our high school orchestra observed in 1986: I wonder what percentage of his students received A grades.  My guess is that an A wasn't easy to attain.  After all, if you're inclined to throw music stands in frustration...

Demanding excellence

Mrs. S., my double bass instructor during the '80s and '90s, once said of a St. Louis Symphony Orchestra guest conductor, "The orchestra goes up a notch whenever he comes around."

That's an admirable reputation to have--provided you're not a tyrant.

Conducting students wanted: Thick skin needed II

A visiting conductor sat in on one of my college orchestra director's student conducting training classes.  He asked Mr. D., "Have you done the hands-in-pockets exercise yet?"  In other words, had he directed the student to put his hands in his pockets and conduct with his face or eyes? 

"Not so much with him yet," Mr. D. responded.

I pitied the student conductor.  He must have been thinking, "Mr. D. has moved me around like a mannequin when he was dissatisfied with my conducting, chastised me for having an opinion about how to interpret a piece, and yelled at me to smile when conducting happy music.  Now, sometime soon, he'll probably order me to put my hands in my pockets and conduct the orchestra by blinking.  Thanks, visiting conductor, for reminding Mr. D. of another way to compromise my command of the orchestra!"

On the plus side, perhaps the student conductor's skin became extra thick--and so well-insulated that he didn't need to wear a coat that Winter.

Context? CCXLV

An AM radio host said this morning that he was sorry to ruin everyone's breakfast with the fact that their gardens "are worth more in February than they are today."

Given the scarcity of locally grown produce in February as opposed to June, that makes sense.  Here's hoping no listeners took out their wrath on the host.