Saturday's highlights:
1st Wave
- Once In A Lifetime-Talking Heads (This is still one of the band's best builds to a chorus. Kermit The Frog sang a credible rendition of it, as well, on the '90s "Muppet Show" reboot, "Muppets Tonight.")
The Coffee House
- One And Only-Michael Kiwanuka (Well-written, realistic lyrics acknowledging that any relationship comes with at least minor bumps in the road.)
Escape
- Baby Come Back-Lex DeAzevedo (This 1977-'78 Player hit lends itself easily to an easy listening arrangement, especially in the piano and strings.)
HBCU
- Can't Get You Out Of My Head-Incognito ("After The Fall" is still my favorite Incognito instrumental, but these vocals are equally at home in a smooth jazz or R&B playlist.)
The Loft
- Bullseye-Shootouts (A Grand Ole Opry-style guitar instrumental. Tommy Emmanuel would likely cover this effectively.)
Piano Instrumentals
- Frangenti-George Winston (If I programmed an acoustic music show, I'd play the guitar instrumental, "Jessica," by Dave Evans before this rendition of a Massimo Gatti piece. The trills that Winston plays mimic a mandolin convincingly, so multiple Nashville Mandolin Ensemble tracks could segue with this.)
Real Jazz
- Chasin' Kendall-Stefon Harris/Blackout (The sunny mood of this vibraphone-anchored instrumental reminds me of "Groovin'" by The Rascals.)
SiriusXMU
- Appropriate Emotions-The Bug Club (I like the amusingly clinical, tongue-in-cheek lyrics of this new release. I can imagine a couple who appreciates this style of humor giving each other deliberately restrained greeting cards with inscriptions such as, "To my favorite carbon-based life form," or "To an endearing amalgamation of atoms..." I'd be curious to hear Tennis cover this track.)
Symphony Hall
- Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F major (Musicians from the Marlboro Music Festival) (This composition's warmth and depth struck me immediately, but that's no surprise, coming from Ravel. The drama of the fourth movement made me want to scamper down a hillside to keep up with the finale's energy.)
The Verge
- People Pleaser-Gabrielle Shonk (Good lyrics about resolving not to be treated like a doormat.)
The Village
- Gypsy Rose-Tracy Grammer (The Kennedys sing my favorite version of this, but Grammer's subtler acoustic-guitar-and-vocals rendition is strong, as well.)
