Standout selections heard today:
Bakersfield Beat
- Old Paint-Linda Ronstadt (If you've only heard scattered hits by Ronstadt, it might surprise you to hear Ronstadt pull off Carl Sandburg lyrics in a country-tinged arrangement.)
The Coffee House
- Time After Time-Iron & Wine (Given the sensitive acoustic nature of Iron & Wine's music, this Cyndi Lauper hit fits easily into the group's repertoire.)
- Heatstroke-Khalid (This happens almost every year. I post my countdown of favorite songs for the year, and then, within a week or so, I hear at least one tune I wish I'd known about earlier. This is one such track; the laid-back, upbeat vibe in its vocals and instrumentation would have qualified it for my Favorite music of 2024 rankings if I'd heard it earlier this year.)
Escape
- I'll Be Home For Christmas-Lisa Addeo (Once you get past the offbeat intro, this is a pleasant, melodic piano rendition.)
Hallmark Radio
- Angels We Have Heard On High-for KING & COUNTRY (If you like the way Jars Of Clay modernized the arrangement of "The Little Drummer Boy" in the '90s, you'll probably enjoy this similar approach to "Angels...")
Holiday Pops
- We Three Kings Of Orient Are-Philadelphia Brass Ensemble (An ideal configuration of instruments to convey a journey upon which royalty embarks.)
- Medley: O Come, All Ye Faithful, Angels We Have Heard On High, Hark The Herald Angels Sing-John Bayless (A tasteful piano medley with graceful interweaving of themes.)
SiriusXMU
- Lights Are Changing-Mary Lou Lord (I'm primed to like just about any tune whose intro reminds me of "There She Goes" by The Las. Vocally and lyrically, "Lights Are Changing" lives up to the promise of its intro.)
- One Quiet Night-Pat Metheny (An aptly titled contemplative guitar instrumental. This is the title track from, in my opinion, one of Metheny's best CDs. Also recommended: "Over On 4th Street" and Metheny's understated version of the Norah Jones hit, "Don't Know Why.")
Watercolors
- Murky Moon-Kayla Waters (The appealing rhythm of this keyboard-centered instrumental could segue with Paul Hardcastle's "Rain Forest.")
