FM dial scan highlights CCLXXXIV

Six of the better tracks played today:

WSIE 88.7 FM 

• You Belong To Me-Carly Simon (I'm glad there's a place in WSIE's generally jazzy mix for a pop tune with a jazz-adjacent bent like this.  The Doobie Brothers also recorded a strong version of this.)
• The Cat-Jimmy Smith (Hip for 1964 organ playing from Smith, as expected, augmented by joyful, explosive brass.)

KWMU 90.7 FM 

• There's A Small Hotel-Houston Person (Smooth, resonant tenor sax tone from Person and excellent rhythm section backing.  The Gene Harris Quartet's "Strollin'" would flow well into this rendition of a frequently covered tune...)
• I've Got You Under My Skin-Beegie Adair Trio (...or this fine piano rendition of another much-covered melody.)

KSHE 94.7 FM 

• Solsbury Hill-Peter Gabriel (Honest lyrics about knowing when it's time to leave a situation.)
• Right Down The Line-Gerry Rafferty (Another way of conveying the sentiments expressed in Jim Croce's "I'll Have To Say I Love You In  A Song."  As much as I've always liked Rafferty's "Baker Street" and "Get It Right Next Time," this, to me, is Rafferty's best song, by a nose.)

An overlooked cover tune CLXXIV

I realized recently that I haven't given Triste Janero's version of The Lovin' Spoonful's "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" its due.  After listening to it again, I appreciate it just as much as the original version.  The Lovin' Spoonful gives it more of a jaunty stroll vibe, which is likely a large part of why it was a hit.  Triste Janero's rendition, however, gives the tune a completely different energy.  Brazilian-style guitar underscores an attitude in the vocals of, "Look, just relax.  Make an effort, but don't look so desperate.  You're still my chosen one."  It isn't as overtly hook-laden, but it's just as compelling in its own way.

Context? CDV

Last night, before playing a live version of Aretha Franklin's "Oh Me, Oh My," the K297BI announcer said to pay attention to the bass because "it's doing some heavy lifting."

She was right.  Franklin's emotive vocals and the piano are key to the song's mood, but the bass has a more prominent role that you don't hear on the studio recording. 

As a bass player, it's nice to be reminded that your instrument, which usually plays a supporting role, is a key ingredient in making a song resonate. 

Impromptu balance correction II

As soon as the song started, I knew the speakers weren't balanced properly.  The chorus of Mason Proffit's "Voice Of Change" came through loud and clear, but the verses didn't.

My second listen with the proper audio balance was much more satisfying.  Lyrics demanding justice are much more impactful when they don't sound like, "Mumble, mumble, barely audible screed about discontentment, something, something, people giving orders..."

Persistent earworm alert CCCXCII

After watching Level 42 perform on "Saturday Live," the former '80s British equivalent of "Saturday Night Live," I thought, "I should listen to 'Running In The Family' more often.  Its lyrics about how much our upbringing influences how we approach life are perceptive, the tune's sensibility is overtly English, and its synthesized rhythm, rooted firmly in 1987, is catchy.  I have to respect any group that can make an infectious hook out of the lyrics, 'Looking back, it's so bizarre.  It runs in the family...'"

If the American pop charts were meritocratic barometers of taste, "Running In The Family" would have been a hit in the states.

Family entertainment? III

I've written previously about my surprise at hearing two different local bands play "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads at the same venue.  Recently, while looking back at KCOU's Top 88.1 Countdown from 1992, I was surprised to see that listeners ranked it 49th, one notch ahead of one of my favorite songs, XTC's "King For A Day."  

I'm puzzled that "Psycho Killer" was the only Talking Heads song that made it into the countdown that year, when other, more widely palatable tunes of theirs, such as "Once In A Lifetime," "And She Was," "Take Me To The River," and "(Nothing But) Flowers," didn't. 

I really hope that the tune's rhythm--and not its lyrics--are "Psycho Killer"'s main draw. 

An overlooked cover tune CLXXIII

After catching Bob Baldwin's instrumental rendition of the Seals & Crofts hit, "Summer Breeze," on WSIE today, I'm surprised I don't hear it regularly on smooth jazz stations.  For pleasant, relaxing listening, it checks multiple boxes: Baldwin's easy-on-the-ears piano carrying the melody, Marion Meadows fluttering over the tune on saxophone, and solid execution of one of the strongest, most recognizable hits of the '70s.

Narrowcasting by default

This afternoon, I heard an engaging Joaquin Rodrigo piece, Fantasía Para un Gentilhombre: Españoleta, performed by Granada Orquesta Ciudad, conducted by Josep Pons, and featuring guitarist Marco Socías.  

The guitar and woodwind passages were particularly appealing, so it was considerate of a college radio station to play it just for me.  I didn't request it, but according to their website's listener tally, I was the only person listening online.

This surprised me.  I thought, "School's back in session, I'm not a student there, and I'm the only person tuned in online.  Aren't at least a few people who work there, a few students, or some community members also listening?" 

Perhaps a few people had their radios tuned to that station.  It's odd, though, that I was the only person in the universe listening to that compelling guitar concerto on that station's stream today.

An overlooked cover tune CLXXII

While listening to Leo Kottke's "A Shout Toward Noon" CD Thursday, I was struck by how perfect his cover of The Allman Brothers Band's "Little Martha" is.  The Duane Allman-penned original version of the acoustic guitar instrumental sounds as if Kottke composed it.  

Because it's so in keeping with his style of guitar playing, Kottke's version, in my view, is as strong as the original.  Randy Kerber's synthesized backing adds to the tune's warmth and punctuates the melody all the more. 

It isn't often that I wish for two versions of a song to come up equally during shuffle mode sessions, but that's the case here.

Context? CDIV

I was sitting outside about 20 years ago when I heard the longest, loudest cacophony of birds tweeting that I'd ever heard.  It was an impressive variety of birdsong, but to this day, I still wonder if the birds were having a summit, a spat, or a spat within a summit. 

Context? CDIII

While scanning the AM dial this afternoon, I heard someone being interviewed refer to "people on their computers--or gizmos, as I like to call them."

I aspire to be that person as I age.  There's a point at which using gizmo syntax sounds endearingly retro instead of hopelessly out of touch. 

Online radio sampler highlights CCLXXVIII

Noteworthy gems heard today:

KFSL (Fossil, OR) 

• Only A Broken Heart-Tom Petty (An effective way of reminding yourself, "I will get through this.")

KUWL (Laramie, WY) 

• The Courtship-Benny Carter And The Jazz Giants (The rhythm section creates a steady, leisurely groove while the saxophone and trumpet make their presence known.)

KVLU (Beaumont, TX) 

• Dolphins-Beth Orton featuring Terry Callier (The idealism of these lyrics sounds even more unattainable today than it did in 1996.)
• Lost Hollow Lament-Robin Bullock (Contemplative, sensitively played guitar and flute.)

WIKD (Daytona Beach, FL) 

• Can't Keep Checking My Phone-Unknown Mortal Orchestra (A fun dance vibe, not too far removed from the group's standout track, "Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays.")

WITT (Indianapolis, IN) 

• Lost, Night-Bill Frisell (This suspenseful guitar piece could underscore a graveyard exploration on Halloween.) 

WMBR (Cambridge, MA)

• Going Out Of My Head-Petula Clark (The Lettermen and Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 recorded two of the best versions of this, but Clark's version also deserves its due.  The tempo and enunciation are a bit more deliberate, but they make the crescendo in the chorus command attention.)
• Utero Dei-Mondo Lava (Spacey new electronica, complete with crashing waves.  I would program Popol Vuh's "Dans La Nuit, La Neige" before it.)

Linguistic bemusement X

A memory from April 2004: I was surprised to hear two songs in a row on KDHX's "Lotsa A Cappella" that featured instruments, including one song that had a lengthy instrumental interlude.

One of the substitute hosts explained, "They have such beautiful voices, so I don't think we should hold it against them that they use instruments."

In their defense, the tunes warranted the airtime.  Besides, the show was called "Lotsa A Cappella," not "Only A Cappella," so technically, they were in the clear.

Context? CDII

This morning, a radio station caller mentioned that a grandchild of hers is attending Mizzou for college and "is pursuing...something."

The caller didn't mention a major or a goal the student has.  

"That's college," I thought.  "It's a time of life when it's OK, at least early on, not to know exactly where you're heading or what you want to pursue."

Sometimes, I envy that feeling. 

Persistent earworm alert CCCXCI

Since hearing it during today's 1980 rerun of "American Top 40" on KLOU, Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" has been stuck in my mind.  The memory of our sixth grade chorus class singing it while Mrs. B. accompanied us on the piano made me smile.  It would have been even more enjoyable if she'd split the class in half and had us alternate verses in call-and-response form, as Joel did with his band.  That's just a quibble, though.

Sidebar: This was a good week for pop music 45 years ago.  George Benson's "Give Me The Night," Olivia Newton-John's "Magic," "Upside Down" by Diana Ross, Irene Cara's "Fame," "Sailing" by Christopher Cross, Paul Simon's "Late In The Evening," and "Misunderstanding" by Genesis were all in the upper half of "American Top 40"'s countdown that week.

As I write, the S.O.S. Band's "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" is starting--another catchy earworm...I miss the early '80s pop scene.

Linguistic bemusement IX

Decades ago, it was more common to hear radio weather forecasts with predictions such as "a high in the upper 70s" or "a low in the lower 60s."

However, two different program directors that I know advised their announcers to pick a temperature in the predicted range and call that the high or low temperature.  Both of them would have wanted their announcers to condense the ranges in the previous paragraph to "a high of 78" and "a low of 62."

Given that weather forecasts are approximations in the first place, that's sound advice.

Context? CDI

As a musician, you can expand your palette or stick to a formula that works best for you or elicits the most commercial success.  Ramsey Lewis said on his self-titled radio show in 1995, "It's come to my attention that a lot of the young piano players...that you on hear on (the) radio, especially, it sounds like they took a few ounces of Keith Jarrett, a couple parts of Joe Sample, and a few bars of early Ramsey Lewis, and they sort of build a style around that without studying what those three piano players themselves were influenced by and not really going even further into the tradition of jazz piano."

To each, his or her own, but that's a pretty solid argument in favor of not stagnating as an artist. 

Context? CD

After seeing the illustration of various McDonaldland characters on a McDonald's bag recently, I exclaimed, "I didn't know Mayor McCheese played the bass!  How about that?  Common ground..."

I wonder if any other bassist has ever reacted that way.

Remembering KNJZ II

Fifty-four-year old me just listened to 24-year-old me.  More specifically, I just listened to a recording of myself as a KNJZ DJ from August 13, 1995.  That date looms large in my memory, as I was on the air for 12 hours.  Two DJs were on vacation, so shifts that were usually divided among five announcers were split among just three of us.  I worked 6 a.m.-12 p.m. and 6 p.m.-12 a.m.  I was especially pleased to work that night, as I got to choose the music for the 7-10 p.m. "Lights Out, St. Louis" show.  While listening to 90 minutes of "Lights Out..." from 30 years ago, these thoughts struck me:

• I grinned when hearing the first song on the tape, David Benoit's "Houston."  I had just played it in iTunes this morning, not remembering that I'd played it on-air 30 years ago.  I always thought "Houston" should have been a staple track on smooth jazz stations, as it's a strong piano melody and injects a large jolt of energy into an uptempo music set.
• I'm pleased that I segued Vince Guaraldi's "Pebble Beach" with Ramsey Lewis's version of "Do You Know The Way To San Jose?"  Those tunes flowed well and gave me the chance to promote "The Ramsey Lewis Show," which aired from 10 p.m to midnight.
• Although it's a classy, engaging way to start a tune, the opening passage for woodwinds is probably why I've rarely heard Wes Montgomery's rendition of "Fly Me To The Moon" on the radio.  Listeners who don't tune in often might think they've stumbled onto a Classical station--until Montgomery's jazz guitar kicks in.
• It was fun to play listeners' requested dedications, such as Tom Scott featuring Maysa Leak's "Don't Get Any Better" and Everette Harp's "If I Had To Live My Life Without You," while attaching the names of those requesting the tunes and those for whom they were requested.  I hope the beneficiaries of those requests were moved by the requesters' song choices and sentiments behind them.
• It felt strange yet refreshing to hear entire commercial sets without any mentions of websites or social media.  An announcer in one ad advised listeners to get a pencil and paper to write down a company's phone number, which you don't hear so often today. 

This is my 4,000th post for this blog, and I'm glad that my penchants for music appreciation and nostalgia haven't dimmed. 

Context? CCCXCIX

A talk show host defended his medium this morning, saying that "AM radio is podcasting--except it's not live, and you can't take phone calls."

As a frequent listener of AM talk station KTRS and long-time listener of KMOX, I agree that AM radio deserves its due--when it comes to entertainment, news, weather alerts, and interesting discussions.

I'm divided, however, when it comes to listeners calling in.  Unfortunately, the most clueless callers are  sometimes the most outspoken, frequent ones.  Also, once in a blue moon, something like this happens. 

Nevertheless, there's still a place in the media ecosystem for everything AM radio offers. 

Persistent earworm alert CCCXC

I haven't heard Christopher Cross's 1983 hit, "All Right," in years, but it entered my mind this morning.  The grounded optimism with which Cross sings this underscores that giving a relationship another try might be advisable.  The lyrics suggest that it'll succeed because--well, the protagonist just feels like it will.

That's flimsy justification for giving a relationship another go, but during this not so great year for our country, perhaps today's earworm is a subconscious wish for something to turn out well for some deserving people somewhere.  

SiriusXM highlights CLVII

Eight standout tunes heard today:

'40s Junction 

• Put Another Chair At The Table-The Mills Brothers (A classy way to welcome someone home.)

Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals

• Place In The Sun-Lennie Rhoads/Fin Moon (Bittersweet, contemplative guitar.)

Classic Folk

• Talk To Me Of Mendocino-Kate McGarrigle/Anna McGarrigle (An acknowledgment that even if you long to trade a chaotic setting for a peaceful one, you might miss the chaos now and then.) 

The Coffee House

• Love You For A Long Time-Maggie Rogers ("Light On" has been my favorite Rogers tune for several years, but with a hook this solid, "...Long Time" is a close second choice.)

Lo-Fi Cafe 

• DD.019-J Dilla (A relatively brief, flute-propelled beat.)

Real Jazz

• B's River-Marcus Miller (Uptempo, melancholy bass.  The piano and trumpet are key to the tune's ambience.)

The Village 

• Passing Through-Catie Curtis (Although we can't control other people, we can at least set a good example for those we influence.)
• Soul Companion-Mary Chapin Carpenter featuring James Taylor (A comforting way of saying, "There's someone for everyone.")

Online radio sampler highlights CCLXXVII

Five Saturday night highlights:

KCJV (Marta, TX) 

• I'll Try To Forgive You-Robert & The Eternals (It takes talent to make well-worn sentiments sound fresh, but this oldie, with its early '60s-style pop vocals and organ, pulls it off.  Sidebar: I have to admire a radio station whose slogan is, "We play the rarest records in the world.")

KYGT (Idaho Springs, CO) 

• Two Paths-David Helpling & Jon Jenkins (This compelling instrumental straddles the line between new age and rock.)

WJPC (Chicago, IL) 

• Poquito Spanish, Poquito Funk-George Benson (A self-assured guitar groove with occasional vocal punctuation, as needed.)
• Find A Way-Aloe Blacc (This steady rhythm lends itself well to being looped.)

WKYW (Keyser, WV)

• Cherokee Shuffle-Sally Van Meter (Fast, dexterous pickin' and fiddlin'.) 

FM dial scan highlights CCLXXXIII

Today's standouts:

KDHX 88.1 FM 

• No News Is Good News-Pops Staples (The rhythm and attitude of this tune remind me of Johnny Guitar Watson's "A Real Mother For Ya," which I first heard on KDHX years ago and would recommend as a segue.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Re-Entry-Kait Dunton (Dunton's strong, rhythmic piano playing propels this uptempo melody, along with prominent bass and drums.)
• Feel The Heat-Nathan Mitchell (Strong piano underpinning and horns carry this upbeat smooth jazz melody, released in June.)

KCLC 89.1 FM 

• Miles And Miles-The Heavy Heavy (An appealing driving energy.  Also recommended: "Happiness.")

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

• Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in D minor (Philippe Entremont, piano) (I admire how this piece pulls off the unusual hat trick of sounding grim, tender, and whimsical over 9 1/2 minutes.)  

Context? CCCXCVIII

Today, I turned on the radio just in time to hear a commercial announcer say, "Electricity is important.  Without electricity, you're sittin' in the dark."

I'm not sure what product was being promoted, as I turned the radio off after that sentence.  Whatever company it was had the right idea, however, in starting its commercial with an irrefutable premise.

An overlooked cover tune CLXXI

I've always thought of "Ventura Highway" as America's most pleasant hit.  Its breezy guitar part and vocals make it fit for driving, making listeners accept the quirky lyrical phrasing,"alligator lizards in the air," without question.  For decades, I didn't know that was a reference to cloud shapes.  In or out of context, however, the laid-back vocal stylings make that unusual syntax sound pleasantly palatable.

If you haven't listened to WSIE or another jazz station or stream lately, you might not know that Dw3 featuring Peter White covers "Ventura Highway" compellingly.  Vocally and instrumentally, the group nails the tune's essence.  By slowing down the tempo just a tad, emphasizing White's guitar playing, and giving the tune some smooth jazz and R&B gloss, this ensemble puts its own spin on the song without compromising the original version's appeal. 

I'll be surprised if this rendition doesn't make my Favorite music of 2025 countdown.

A professional perk

One of the best things about working in radio, especially when you choose the music and your shift doesn't require a ton of show prep, is that you never walk into the studio thinking, "Ugh...I have to do this again?  Blech."

At least, that's how I always thought. 

Only in college CXIV

Each year, the University Philharmonic director appointed various orchestra members to play in the pit orchestra for the school's annual musical.  One year, I was surprised to learn that a violist who hadn't been selected was playing in the production.  She told me that a violist who had been selected offered her "one whopper pizza" if she'd take his place.

If only I'd known I could have bribed another bassist with food, I could have avoided playing in the pit for "H.M.S. Pinafore."  It's a Gilbert and Sullivan production, but my reaction to it 35 years ago--i.e. not for modern sensibilities and not for me--still stands.

I don't remember which production the substitute violist played, but I'm not surprised that she accepted the original violist's offer.  When you're a college student, pizza is often a sufficient incentive.

Persistent earworm alert CCCLXXXIX

Although it's out of context, I've been thinking of the chorus, "Time for a cool change...," from the Little River Band's "Cool Change."

It's refreshing to have temperatures cool down and save some money by finally turning off the air conditioner overnight.

Persistent earworm alert CCCLXXXVIII

I haven't heard it recently, but the 1970 hit, "Give Me Just A Little More Time," by The Chairmen Of The Board has been on my mind tonight.  I've always liked the blend of realism and optimism the lyrics offer.  "...Time" has a sound way of telling someone, "Trust me.  In the end, things will turn out fine for us.  Don't worry," that's applicable in any era.

Segue suggestion V

While listening to Carrie Newcomer's "Lean In Toward The Light" recently, I thought, "'Lord, Won't You Help Me?' by Sara Watkins would flow well into this."

Lyrically, it makes sense.  Why not have a song about requesting help segue with a song about the best attitude to have while receiving help?