Despite what I wrote yesterday about not being in the Halloween spirit, three of these seven tracks I heard today are ideal for October 31:
KALX (Berkeley, CA)
- Lester Left Town-Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (A cool descending hook propels the melody that tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter composed. There's some fine synergy between trumpeter Lee Morgan and Shorter here.)
KXUA (Fayetteville, AR)
- Broken Chords Can Sing A Little-A Silver Mt. Zion (Grim piano, apt for an eerie Halloween.)
KYAC (Mill City, OR)
- Falling Star-Karla Bonoff (Brave lyrics about grappling with rejection. I've listened to Bonoff's self-titled LP multiple times, and it puzzles me that such consistently solid singer-songwriter material didn't get more attention when it was released. Also recommended: "Home" and "Someone To Lay Down Beside Me.")
WLFR (Pomona, NJ)
- Incarnadine-Mary Halvorson (A spooky blend of instruments, fit for underscoring an undercover investigation of a mad scientist's lab.)
WLOU (Louisville, KY)
- Happy Feelings-Maze featuring Frankie Beverly (One of the band's standout tracks that lives up to its title. Also recommended: "Golden Time Of Day.")
WRCT (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Experiment In Terror-Al Caiola (Spy thriller pursuing-a-suspect instrumental underscoring.)
WUIS-HD3 (Springfield, IL)
- Here I Am-Lyle Lovett & His Large Band (Clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics, with effective alternating between spoken and sung passages. This 1989 release is one of Lovett's more memorable efforts.)
