More than one way to underscore Mass

Last night, I watched an Easter Vigil Mass online.  It was held at a church I used to attend in the '80s, so I was curious to see how they'd handle hymns.  I had assumed the congregation would stand, and an organist would accompany them as they sang hymns.  That was how hymns were sung when I was in the congregation.

Instead, trained musicians sang and sometimes played various instruments for more modern-sounding hymns.  I was fine with that.  The congregation still got to join in during the choruses, and it gave Mass a dimension it didn't used to have.  Why not have a trumpeter when the occasion calls for it?  Why not have a guitarist strum along when it's appropriate?  Why not have professional singers belt hymns tastefully?

The allure of shuffle mode LV

I played Michele Shaheen's version of "How Deep Is The Ocean" and Wes Montgomery's "Polka Dots And Moonbeams" separately on WEW and was surprised when iTunes shuffle mode segued them for me on Wednesday.  Trying to pair an elegant, somewhat dreamy vocal number with an elegant, somewhat dreamy instrumental takes some thinking.  Upon hearing those tunes back to back, I was impressed by how well Shaheen's vocals and the trumpet outro slide smoothly into Montgomery's guitar playing.

I just wish I'd thought to program them together back in '96.

Context? CCCXII

I was surprised to hear a radio sermon on Easter Sunday once in which the priest said, "We, as (members of a particular denomination), are not generally accustomed to displaying unrestrained joy."  

I wasn't surprised that he advocated being joyful on Easter.  However, I didn't expect him to say, in essence, "Generally, we're somewhat inhibited and guarded.  Today, we don't have to act that way."

Online radio sampler highlights CCXXXI

Thursday afternoon highlights:

KOTO (Telluride, CO)

• Roxanne-DubXanne (Yes, it's the hit by The Police, reworked into a credible reggae cover.)

KRTU (San Antonio, TX)

• The Night Has A Thousand Eyes-John Coltrane (With this much inviting pep from McCoy Tyner on piano and Coltrane on tenor sax, I'm surprised jazz stations don't play this more often.)
• Sweet Bread-Warren Wolf (A superbly maintained energy level from a combo that cooks.  Wolf anchors the tune solidly on vibraphone, as usual.)

KVRF (Palmer, AK)

• Satin Doll-Stephane Grappelli (As accustomed as I am to hearing this Duke Ellington standard in a big band arrangement, it's impressive to hear a violinist carry this melody for so long.)

WDVX (Knoxville, TN)

• Passengers-Aoife O'Donovan & Madison Cunningham (I wish I'd known about this track when it was released, so I could have included it in my Favorite music of 2022 countdown.  Vocally, rhythmically, and lyrically, this is one of O'Donovan's best songs.  It's a nice reminder that we inhabit a vast universe, and while our roles in it are small, we each make a difference.)

WMRW (Warren, VT)

• Don't Cry Baby-Madeleine Peyroux (Peyroux sings like an old soul convincingly.  It wouldn't surprise me if Leon Redbone had covered this.)
• Phantom Doll-Tracy Grammer (The piano accompaniment adds appealing color to Grammer's vocals.  Rhythmically, this could segue with "Turn Back, O Man" from the "Godspell" soundtrack.)

WMUH (Allentown, PA)

• Featherstone-The Paper Kites (Brave lyrics about admitting you aren't on the same page with someone.)

Context? CCCXI

The radio personality who said, "If you try to keep track of all the streaming services, you'll lose your marbles," this morning is correct.

I've probably missed out on a few interesting dramas and sitcoms.  Still, I refuse to pay for 10 different ways of watching TV.  I'll read a review of a show that sounds mildly interesting and lose interest when reading that it's only available through BananaSplitFlixLalaPlus or some facsimile.

No, thanks.  I have sufficient other options to watch, listen to, and read already.

Persistent earworm alert CCCXXIV

I've never been to a rodeo, and cattle rustling isn't a thing where I live.  In fact, those activities have nothing to do with my completely non-rural life.  It's puzzling, then, that a song about those topics--sung by a not-so-obvious source, no less--is on my mind.

Such are the curious circumstances behind the Stan Rogers tune, "Night Guard," settling in my brain.

FM dial scan highlights CCXXXVIII

Five ear-catching tunes heard yesterday:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• I'm On My Way-Barbara Dane (This is how you draw listeners in with a piano intro.  Lyrically, the tune keeps their attention by describing a person working up the courage to leave a toxic situation.  This could segue with "Unchain My Heart" by Ray Charles.)

KWMU 90.7 FM

• Remember-Hank Mobley (A smooth tenor sax cover of an uptempo standard.)
• Our Spanish Love Song-Charlie Haden Quartet West (Whether Haden played bass as part of a duo or combo, I knew the results would always be top-notch.  This combo captures the bittersweet aspect of this melody perfectly.)

KSHE 94.7 FM

• Strike Up The Band-Michael Stanley Band (One of the group's most effective live tracks.  Also recommended: "Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind," an equally effective, slower-paced track that also works well live, thanks to its sing-along chorus.)
• Every Kinda People-Robert Palmer (Idealistic?  Perhaps--but also correct.)

Context? CCCX

I assumed it was a pledge drive Wednesday when the AM radio announcer said, "Did we make it?  Where did the boss go?  We're 50 dollars away.  The phones kept ringin'...I'm going to call it and say we did it, and if that means I have to go get 50 dollars, I'll go get 50 dollars."

I'd say you met your goal.  That's what fundraising is about.  Success is success--even if you have to chip in your own money to achieve it.

FM dial scan highlights CCXXXVII

One Friday and five Saturday standouts:

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Lake Nerraw Flow-Warren Wolf (Cool uptempo interplay between the vibraphone and piano.)
• J&J's-Kait Dunton (An appealing groove for keyboard, bass, and drums; it starts and ends at an unhurried pace while the volume and intensity build in the middle.)

KCFV 89.5 FM

• Green & Gold-Lianne La Havas (A thoughtful lyrical reminder that we're all products of our environment, and our family's influence over who we become looms large.)
• Strawberry Letter 23-The Brothers Johnson (The Brothers Johnson put some gloss on this strong Shuggie Otis tune, resulting in a big hit.  The more I hear this, the more I appreciate how difficult it must be to sing.  As in "Across The Universe" by The Beatles, there isn't a true chorus; both songs keep building lyrically on what they've started and don't allow much room for the singer to take a breath.)
  

KWUR 90.3 FM

• Meredith Monk: Jewish Storyteller/Dance/Dream (Impressively layered a cappella vocals.  If the overt avant-garde nature of "Turtle Dreams" scared you off, give this is a chance; you'll likely find it more accessible.)
• Valentin Silvestrov: Abendserenade (Anastasia Kobekina, cello) (A graceful, lyrical interpretation of a sorrowful piece.)

Context? CCCIX

An AM radio station host said, "I think one of our big problems in America today is that we have lost respect for authority, whether it be to the church, whether it be to the parents, to the ministers, to the law enforcement officers, to the teachers...They've tied the hands of the classroom teachers so that they can't demand the respect that they really need for learning."

You might guess that this is a recent quote.  Actually, it's from a program I heard in June 1984.  Certain perceptions--with elements of truth--are perpetual.

Context? CCCVIII

Yesterday, I discovered an unlabeled cassette.  I had no idea what was on the tape or what year I'd recorded it.  Upon playing it, it appeared to be an NPR newscast from 2004.  The newscaster said, "John Kerry says he'll raise taxes but only on the rich."

That's a reminder that a lot of news is often about plans that don't pan out--or materialize but not through the person(s) who promised them or on the originally projected timetable. 

Online radio sampler highlights CCXXX

Six gems heard today:

KNED (McAlester, OK)

• Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue-Crystal Gayle (Forthright, matter-of-fact lyrics say everything they need to say in just two-and-a-half minutes.  Gayle's spot on vocal delivery conveys the pain of rejection.)

KSRQ (Thief River Falls, MN)

• Mercy Street-Peter Gabriel (I don't listen to this track all that often.  I should, however, as it's stark, bleak, and gripping.)

WDCB (Chicago, IL)

• Scratchin' In The Gravel-Marian McPartland (A classy piano performance of this Mary Lou Williams jazz-meets-blues melody.  This is yet another example of why Williams should be better known.  The station could have segued it with...)
• The Double Up-Lee Morgan (...this track, thanks to Cedar Walton's piano intro.  Morgan is in commanding form on trumpet, as usual.)

WVBY (Beckley, WV)

• Ruth Gipps: Symphony No. 2 in B major, Op. 30 (Basel Sinfonietta/Jessica Horsley, conductor)  (An impressively rhapsodic work in which the brass, winds, strings, and percussion sections all get to build dramatic tension.)

WWMV (Madison, WI)

• Heartbeat-Taana Gardner (I always let this dance groove play out when hearing it on KMJM in 1981.  Gardner maximizes a strong hook compellingly.)
  

Persistent earworm alert CCCXXIII

I've only heard Todd Rundgren's "Property" on one radio station, but that station played it frequently.  In late 1993, WFXB played it often as part of its AAA format.  The tune's robotic rhythm is hard to forget, which makes it good driving music.

Regarding the lyrics, I'll say this: If you're unmarried and nod in agreement with the viewpoint Rundgren espouses, marriage might not be for you.  Or, at least, you'd be wise to choose your spouse carefully.

A linguistic irritant XXXIII

I know that flautist is just as correct as flutist when referring to a flute player.  Still, it irks me whenever an announcer refers to a flutist as a flautist.  We don't refer to trumpeters as traumpeters, nor do we call a tuba player a tauba player.  We also don't call a drummer a percaussionist who plays the draums.

Classical music is sometimes perceived unfairly as pretentious.  Much of it is actually quite accessible.  Why not cater to that accessibility by calling a flutist a flutist?

Slim odds of hearing it, but...

Granted, I'd never heard any radio station play the tune.  Even though it was a hit, it was unrealistic to expect to hear it aired years later.  Still, I thought, with Paul McCartney leading the proceedings, just maybe the station would air it on St. Patrick's Day.

In that spirit, I called a soft rock station in the early '80s and asked to hear "Give Ireland Back To The Irish" by Wings. The DJ responded honestly, "I'll see what I can do, but I'm not sure that we have that song."

The station didn't play it.  I wasn't that surprised.  Even when a song's viewpoint is justified, overtly political tunes admonishing those responsible for killing protesters don't segue easily with Air Supply and Seals & Crofts hits.

A function of age XXIV

Earlier this week, I spent 10 minutes trying to recall a song's title and artist.  I remembered that the tune is by a singer who has her arms raised on one of her CD covers.  I recalled the general feel of the tune and what I thought was one lyric from it.  At first, I thought the song was from the early '00s but remembered later that it's actually from the '90s.

I'm glad I remembered the title and artist eventually.  I'm also glad that this happened at home and not in public.  Otherwise, I might have turned into the exasperating bookstore customer who tells a clerk, "I'm looking for a book.  I don't know the title or the author or even how it would be categorized.  I just remember that the cover is blue--well, not entirely blue.  On second thought, it might be mostly green with a hint of blue..."

I'm feeling a lot of sympathy for book and music store clerks, at the moment.

The allure of shuffle mode LIV

I've listened to "California Blue" by The Orange Peels and "Too Late" by Shoes many times separately, but I'd never heard them back to back until yesterday.  That iTunes shuffle mode pairing makes sense.  Both songs are about missed windows of opportunity and are lyrically sobering but musically catchy.  

That's the clever trick good power pop pulls off; it leaves you feeling revitalized despite its ruminations on flawed situations.  I'm curious to see if iTunes ever finds a similarly suitable segue with "Starry Eyes" by The Records.

Online radio sampler highlights CCXXIX

Noteworthy tunes heard today:

KDLO (Watertown, SD)

• If I Fall, You're Going Down With Me-Dixie Chicks (An honest, direct way of detailing how precarious some relationships are.)
• Outbound Plane-Suzy Bogguss (Bogguss recorded a strong cover of this Nanci Griffith tune.  Lyrically, it's an effective way of saying, "It doesn't matter why this relationship ended.  The bottom line is that it fell apart."  Rhythmically, Toni Price's "Hey" would segue well with this.)

KSQD (Santa Cruz, CA)

• Cave-Mini Trees featuring Medium Build (A good new release about the possibility of an opportunity not presenting itself again.)
• Digging In The Dirt-Sheryl Crow featuring Peter Gabriel (I've always thought this Peter Gabriel tune is a sound way of channeling one's fury toward someone.  Crow captures that anger convincingly in her new cover version.)

WICR (Indianapolis, IN)

• It Never Entered My Mind-Wayne Alpern (A fine version of this standard, which Alpern leads on saxophone.  It's intriguing to hear just winds and brass carrying this melody.)
• Take The A Train-Charles Mingus (This jazz standard is best known to most listeners in its Duke Ellington renditions.  This is one of the faster instrumental interpretations I've heard, yet every lead instrument has a chance to shine.)
  

FM dial scan highlights CCXXXVI

Tuesday and Wednesday highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• You're The Best Thing-The Style Council (College rock stations likely played this in 1984.  The saxophone and bass backing underscore the vocals well, giving the tune some smooth jazz and R&B depth.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• More Today Than Yesterday-The Ryan Marquez Trio (A strong instrumental cover of the Spiral Starecase--Yes, that's how it was spelled--oldie.  Piano, bass, and drums are all you need to capture the tune's essence.)
• There's Nothing Like This-Omar (Smooth late night vocals and bass underscoring fit for a Quiet Storm format.  I'm surprised that WSIE and KDHX are the only two stations I've heard play this.)

KEZK 102.5 FM

• The Look Of Love-ABC (The majority of '80s hits weren't bastions of subtlety--and there's no denying that many of them still hold up.  This is one melodramatic example, along with the group's similar, high energy hit, "Poison Arrow.")

 K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. WFUN-HD2

• Aaron Copland: Quiet City (Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields/Sir Neville Marriner, conductor; Celia Nicklin, English horn; Michael Laird, trumpet) (The ringing, resonant tone from every brass and string player serves this tense piece effectively.  I can just imagine how gripping it feels in surround sound or when played live.)

In memory of Eric Carmen

When I read about power pop groups, The Raspberries rank second only to Badfinger as a frequently mentioned influence.  I was sorry to read this morning that lead Raspberries singer Eric Carmen passed away. In the Summer of '88, his solo hit, "Make Me Lose Control," was on the radio constantly, thanks to its memorable, sing-along chorus.  It's a pleasure to still hear it on the radio and online today.

Four of the best songs Carmen recorded with The Raspberries, in my view, are:

• Drivin' Around (For those who like the feel of Summer-themed Beach Boys tunes, this deserves a listen.)
• Go All The Way (One of the coolest, crunchiest rock guitar intros--and riffs--ever recorded.  This 1972 track was the band's biggest hit and warrants the airplay it still gets.)
• I Wanna Be With You (Another infectious melody with well-executed call-and-response vocals.  The Sneetches and Shoes recorded a strong cover version.)
• Nobody Knows (A tightly constructed track with impressive Beatles-influenced vocals, especially in the chorus.  This is one of the band's more underrated tunes.)

Context? CCCVII

A memory from my one semester at a Catholic grade school: I rode with two neighbor students to school one morning.  One of their sisters, who was driving, asked, "Does this carpool like to hear music?"  She was about to turn on the radio when two of her brothers protested vehemently, saying, "No, please, no!"  

I wouldn't have minded hearing some music, but I understood why she left the radio off.  When one or more passengers act as though they'd rather snack on live cicadas than listen to music in the car, it's probably best not to play it and keep the peace.

Reassuring bells

Hearing church bells in downtown Kirkwood, Missouri adds to the town's ambience, I think.  In this town, there's no shortage of them, and I've always liked that.  If I'm indoors when they ring, I'll typically pause whatever media I'm watching or hearing.  When I'm outdoors, I'll usually wait until the bells finish ringing before going inside.  It's like waiting for a comforting song to conclude.

Regardless of one's spiritual beliefs or lack of them, church bells are a reassuring reminder that you're part of a world that's bigger than it sometimes feels.

Yes, we're a team, but...

I've written previously about my college orchestra director's rotational seating.  Granted, as an orchestral musician, you get to play great pieces by stellar composers regardless of your chair placement.

Still, did I have a slight ego boost when the designation of Principal appeared next to my name on certain concert programs?

Yes, in all honesty.  I know it shouldn't matter, but I never tired of the good musician implication that title carried.  Vanity is ill-advised, but what if the title that elicits it is the result of your hard work and years of practice?

No last name necessary

A friend told me his grandfather enjoyed jazz--and "Grover," in particular.  He said his grandpa always referred to the saxophonist just by his first name.  Anyone who knew jazz knew he was referring to Grover Washington, Jr.  While Grover is a fairly unusual first name, the first name only recognition is usually a sure sign that an artist has made it.

Ask any fan of Miles.

Online radio sampler highlights CCXXVIII

Noteworthy music heard this morning:

KXLU (Los Angeles, CA)

• Way Star-Rubba (Dreamlike, somewhat tense new age underscoring from 1978.  This instrumental shows how effectively a keyboard sets a gloomy mood.)

KXSF (San Francisco, CA)

• Needles And Pins-Beach Day (To my surprise, there's a new cover of this 1964 oldie by The Searchers out this month.  This version has an undeniable modern rock feel, with vocals sung from a female perspective.)

WEMU (Ypsilanti, MI)

• Lady Sings The Blues-Herbie Nichols Trio (I'm used to hearing vocal renditions of this, so it's refreshing to hear a piano, bass, and drums instrumental that swings.)
• Footprints-Frank Morgan (Morgan covers this Wayne Shorter tune effectively on saxophone.  If you're going to hear a jazz melody in the semi-unusual time signature of 6/4, this is a strong one.)

WKNC (Raleigh, NC)

• Feel Better-Rosemary Fairweather (Compelling energy, infectious guitar, and interestingly high-pitched vocals.  Lyrically, this tune about a relationship that doesn't work could segue with...)
• Step On Me-The Cardigans (...these lyrics about how not to treat one's significant other.  Nina Persson's upper register vocals are captivating, as usual.  Also recommended: "Carnival" and "Fine.")
  

FM dial scan highlights CCXXXV

Wednesday standouts:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Every Morning-Keb' Mo' (This is one of Keb' Mo's bluesier tunes.  Rhythmically, this reminds me of Amos Lee's "Bottom Of The Barrel," but the DJ's choice of segue, Taj Mahal's "Fishin' Blues," works just as well.)
• Head Over Heels-Japanese Breakfast (Among Tears For Fears songs, I prefer "Last Days On Earth," "Break It Down Again," and "Sowing The Seeds Of Love."  I was never a huge fan of this hit, but this more appealing cover makes me appreciate the song a bit more.  Michelle Zauner recasts it in a stark, more solemn light that wouldn't be out of place in a soap opera.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Who Will Comfort Me?-Melody Gardot (There's an appealing Peggy Lee, "Fever" style to this tune.  Gardot's assured vocals and her band's sly accompaniment really sell this.  Her laugh in the outro is icing on the cake.  Gardot has recorded such quality work, and although she has a following, her music deserves a larger audience.)
• Star Eyes-Freddie Hubbard (The saxophone intro on Charlie Parker's version is one of the most effective openings of any jazz recording.  Hubbard's rendition doesn't have that intro, but his warm interpretation shows how the melody fits the trumpet equally well.)

KCLC 89.1 FM 

• No California-Ilsey (These lyrics about wishing for a change of scenery after a breakup fit well over guitar backing that reminds me of Firefall's "Mexico."  I wish I'd paid this song more notice when it was released last October.)

K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. WFUN-HD2

• Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, "Scottish" (London Symphony Orchestra/Peter Maag, conductor) (I enjoyed playing such a dramatic work on the bass in the '80s.  After our ensemble's first rehearsal of it, I felt invigorated--but wiped out.  This symphony requires considerable vigor from its musicians, so I can only imagine how players who carry the melody feel when they complete it.  Here's how much this London Symphony interpretation captivated me:  After hearing it on Classic 107.3, I called it up on YouTube and listened to it again.  I don't do that with just any symphony.)
  

Only in college CVI

When I started at KCOU, an in-studio light flashed whenever anyone called the request line.  Some staffers, however, argued that it was too easy to miss calls when the phone didn't actually ring.  For a time, then, the request line phone actually rang, resulting in on-air scenarios like this:

Me: I'm about to give away two tickets to see (a local band) at The Blue Note tonight.  When the music starts, please be the first caller...

(The request line phone started ringing.)

Me (answering the phone on the air:) But not yet!  (After hanging up:) When the music starts, the first caller will win two tickets...

There are drawbacks when your station sounds like it's hosting a never-ending telethon.

The allure of shuffle mode LIII

iTunes pairs waltzes together only occasionally for me in shuffle mode.  Last week, however, it segued Leo Kottke's "Crow River Waltz" with Gloria Attoun's "Barefoot Waltz."  I'd listened to both guitar instrumentals separately many times, but it hadn't dawned on me to play them back to back.

After hearing how well those tunes mesh, it hit home how captivating a 3/4 time signature is in the right context.

Context? CCCVI

This morning, a radio personality acknowledged a fellow talk show host's birthday on-air--with a qualifier.  He said that the host was one of the nicest people he knew "for someone who's completely politically misguided."

In this contentious election year, I suspect that will be one of the milder disclaimers I'll hear.

Broadened horizons

About four months into my postcollege work life, a co-worker and I were listening, at my suggestion, to KATZ 100.3 FM in the office.  

Upon hearing an instrumental she liked, my co-worker said, "This is considered jazz?  This is nice.  I like it."

I was glad that jazz gained at least a partial convert that night in '93.  To many listeners who don't seek out jazz, it probably seems like an exclusive, indecipherable world.  When I first heard artists such as Ron Carter, Sonny Rollins, and Stanley Turrentine in grade school, however, I recognized how accessible jazz frequently is.  To the uninitiated, jazz might infer hearing 10 minutes of strangely improvised, discordant wailing. 

That's not usually the case, however, so it was heartening to see someone who didn't know jazz well discover how melodic and listener-friendly much of it is.

The allure of shuffle mode LII

On Wednesday, iTunes shuffle mode segued two songs in my library with similar positive vibes.  Chicago's "Wake Up Sunshine" prods the sun to emerge while the guitar instrumental "Belfast" by Neil Jacobs maintains a happy-go-lucky vibe fit for skipping down a lane after the sun appears.

I recommend that pairing for all incurable optimists who wish to stay more upbeat than the rest of us.