Not feeling a day over 1,000

I've always liked the sound of a well-preserved LP or 45.  I was reminded of how retro my interest in music on vinyl is, though, when...

...a former co-worker asked if I ever listened to music "on those big records."
...another former co-worker said records were given away as prizes in a church raffle about 15 years ago, and kids in grade school who won them stared at them and asked older people at the event, "What do we do with these?"
...a friend from college went back for another degree in recent years and took a music appreciation course.  When the teacher asked for someone to work the record player, she volunteered.  She was the only person in the room, aside from the instructor, who knew how to operate a turntable.

Objectively, a record is an eccentric form of technology.  The act of putting a needle on a piece of wax to hear sounds is, after all, quirky.  Still, considering that so much music has slipped through the cracks and will never be available online or on CD, a good turntable is a sound investment.

Simple Christmas cheer

It's good to know, in an era of somewhat excessive technology, that a concept as basic as a Christmas-carols-by-phone service still works.  People call in, and volunteers sing the requested Christmas carols over the phone.

Around mid December last year, when I was in need of some Christmas cheer, I called one such hotline and heard, "Hi!  We're Hannah and Jake!  Which Christmas carol would you like to hear?"  I requested "The First Noel," and both volunteers sang a soaring rendition of it, nailing the high notes.  Considering that none of the hotline's volunteers were professional singers, I was impressed that those two sang so well.

That was the first time I'd called a Christmas carol hotline, but I imagine it won't be the last.

Shuffle mode results VIII

My iTunes shuffle mode has been in a Christmas frame of mind recently, as evidenced by selections such as...

...1.  Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow-Joe Pass
(A breezy, straight ahead, jazzy instrumental, with Pass's guitar leading the way.  From a consistently good, low-key album, "Six String Santa.")
   2.  Stir The Fire-John Kirkpatrick
(Lyrics, sung with booming conviction, about the importance of getting a fire started in Winter.  Kirkpatrick makes the convincing case that a roaring fire when it's cold ranks up there with oxygen as a necessity.)
   3.  I've Just Seen A Face (Live from Louisville, Kentucky)-The String Cheese Incident
(Nothing tops the Beatles original, but this is a fun, expansive romp.)
   4.  Simple Gifts-Castlebay
(A fast-paced, angelic-sounding instrumental rendition.)
   5.  Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)-The Stylistics
(The Stylistics used this effective template multiple times in crafting their '70s ballads.)
   6.  Nice, Nice, Very Nice-Ambrosia
(A Kurt Vonnegut poem set to music, resulting in a compelling song about how everyone fits into this world and contributes something to it.)
   7.  How High The Moon-Sean Jones Quartet
(Please see my previous review of "We'll Meet Under The Stars."  A muted trumpet is used effectively here.)
   8.  Ooh Oh-Keri Noble
(Accessible, universal lyrics about the heartbreak that life throws at you and grappling with how to handle it.)
   9.  Think I'm Gonna Feel Better-Gene Clark
(What The Doors might have sounded like if they'd emulated The Byrds.)
 10.  Country-Keith Jarrett
(One of Jarrett's most accessible performances, with excellent interplay between the piano and the saxophone.)
 11.  Santa Claus Is Coming To Town-Dave Valentin
(My favorite version of this song; an energetic flute instrumental that kicks into a fun, mambo-flavored gear.)
 12.  When The First Snow Falls-Hagood Hardy
(A contemplative, piano-and-vibes tune that illustrates its title well.)
 13.  Still, Still, Still-Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields/Neville Marriner, director
(One of the quieter Christmas carols, sung with appropriate reverence.)
 14.  Adeste Fideles-Bonnie Rideout, Maggie Sansone & Al Petteway
(Bagpipes might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they work in this rendition.  This unusual mix of instruments does the carol justice, making it sound almost like a Yuletide version of "Taps.")
 15.  Home Sweet Home-Rick Thum
(St. Louis-based Thum dulcimer artist Thum conveys the image of a happy home effectively.)
 16.  Bombshell-Sierra Hull
(As I noted in "Favorite pairs of segues VI," the sky's the limit for this talented mandolinist.)
 17.  Shaft In Africa-The Mighty Show-Stoppers
(A crackling ensemble builds on the essence of Isaac Hayes convincingly in this impressive instrumental.)
 18.  All I Want-Tierney Sutton
(Sutton capitalizes on the jazzy feel of Joni Mitchell's leadoff "Blue" song.)
 19.  There's A Train That Leaves Tonight-Mary Black
(Will the protagonist get on the train?  Maybe.  It sounds as though she probably will.)
 20.  Mr. Super Hip-Jamey Aebersold
(A cool way to learn to play the bass, as presented on the "Nothin' But Blues, Vol. 2: Jazz and Rock" instructional album.  This could easily have been the theme from "Barney Miller."  The seemingly incongruous "1, 2, 3, 4" countdown prior to the tune sets the stage perfectly, somehow.)
 21.  Come Saturday Morning-The Sandpipers
(For the incurably optimistic, retro idealist with his or her head in the clouds.)
 22.  Out Of Time-Erin Bode
(One of my favorite low-key Bode charmers that I'd like to hear in concert again.  Her scatting at the 2:36 and 3:41 marks adds subtle spice to an already appealing groove.)
 23.  Mwana Talitambula-Regina Carter
(One of Carter's quiter efforts.  A thoughtful violin performance, as usual.)
 24.  The Holly And The Ivy-Robert DeCormier Ensemble
(This carol has relatively sparse lyrics, and yet, it's one of my favorites.  This ensemble performs it with just the right level of gravity.  The last 18 seconds are particularly effective.)
 25.  Secret Place-Je Suis Animal
(Endearing, uptempo indie rock with a feel that brings to mind Film School's "Sunny Day.")
 26.  Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34--3.  Alborada-Vivo E Strepitoso (Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy)
(A fast, stately movement, with violins conveying a spirited, anthemic feel.)
 27.  Time In The World-Colleen Green
(The '80s are back--or so one might think after hearing the synthesizer and wrapped-in-gauze vocals on this track from 2013.)
 28.  Winter Wonderland-Hagood Hardy
(An easy listening instrumental arrangement with an early '70s feel.)
 29.  The First Noel-Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
(This arrangement hits the appropriate midpoint between intimate and reverent.)
 30.  Bob's Theme-Nickel
(Air guitars were invented for just this type of indie rock instrumental.)
 31.  Chant Of The Wanderer-The Sons Of The Pioneers
(One of many reasons I'll miss Craig Ferguson's incarnation of "The Late Late Show" when it ends in two weeks: Five to six years ago, Ferguson opened a lot of his shows with lip-synched performances of disparate songs, ranging from Hanson's "MMMBop" to "Chant Of The Wanderer," often featuring members of his staff, puppets, and himself.  Not just any host could pull off an entertaining, lip-synched rendition of an unlikely throwback tune such as this, but Ferguson did.  It made me appreciate the campfire sing-along quality of the song in a way I didn't before.)
 32.  Higher Than Hope (acoustic version)-Daryl Braithwaite
(A take-on-the-world set of lyrics suitable for Olympic ceremonies.  KYKY is the only station on which I ever heard the original version; that's puzzling, considering how uplifting and radio-friendly it is.)
 33.  Say Oh Say-Courtney Jaye
(As mentioned in my first "Favorite pairs of segues" post, this is a strong tune from 2013 with a '70s throwback feel.)
 34.  The Girl From Ipanema-Erin Bode Group
(From early in Bode's career; a solid cover that rivals Astrud Gilberto's famous take.)
 35.  Stone Crazy World-Wilson Pickett
(What does one do when the world goes mad?  According to Pickett, the first step is to acknowledge the madness.  After that...?)
 36.  Chick A Boom Boom Boom-Mocean Worker
(This track is the lyrical equivalent of eating potato chips--no real nutritional value but tasty.  Just try to get it out of your mind once you've heard it.)
 37.  O Tannenbaum-The Norman Luboff Choir
(A dignified rendition that gives Christmas trees their due.)

Buying a CD from us? What are you thinking?

Over 20 years ago, I purchased a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CD.  As I put it on the counter, the cashier remarked, "I guess there's no accounting for taste."  I was tempted to respond, "My apologies for subsidizing your last three hours of work."  In the spirit of Christmas, though, I'm glad I held my tongue.  At least, I think so...maybe.

Maybe the principal was on to something...

"I don't want this year's Christmas program to be the type of show in which each class just walks out and sings 'Frosty The Snowman,'" said the chorus director.  "I can see it having a news, sports, and weather parody, interviews with students doing parodies of teachers, various variety show acts, and a good helping of music."

Thus began our in-class brainstorming sessions for the Christmas program fiasco of '84.  When the principal heard what the director had planned, he told him, "That sounds awfully ambitious.  If you're planning to mount something that elaborate, rehearsals should have started back in October."

"Yes, there are a lot of acts," the director responded.  "What each person actually does in the show won't take that long, though."

As it turned out, the principal was onto something.

Despite having multiple brainstorming sessions in class, the director held only one rehearsal--four hours before the show started.  Even then, students were only asked to perform parts of their acts so they'd have an idea of where they'd be on stage.

There were some bright spots.  The news, sports, and weather parodies went fairly well, by middle school standards, despite the fact that no microphones were provided, and no one sitting beyond the eighth row could hear them.  After completing my weather parody, I introduced our director, who took the mic for a comedy monologue.  It was a decent introduction to the show, but as my brother pointed out later, "Why was the teacher doing a monologue?  The show is supposed to be about the students."

Other sporadic highlights followed.  Germaine sang a strong rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time."  Four girls performed a well-choreographed version of Madonna's "Burning Up."  One or two other acts went off relatively well.  As for the rest of the show, however...

...The first musical act, scheduled to sing New Edition's "Cool It Now," was introduced.  (Did I mention this was 1984?)  As the curtains opened, however, stage fright set in, as all three students stared, open-mouthed, at the audience.  Quickly sensing their panic, the director immediately motioned for the curtains to be closed and announced, optimistically, "But they'll be back!" 

...My friend, Mark, was about to go on stage to do a parody of our seventh grade math teacher.  The director was going to ask him questions, to which Mark had rehearsed his answers.  Just before they hit the stage, though, the director whispered to him, "I forgot the questions," forcing them to ad-lib their way through the entire bit.

...Just before a choral performance of another Yuletide favorite, "Endless Love" by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross, those of us whose acts were finished got a stunning surprise.  The person manning the curtains was supposed to open only the curtain nearest the stage; instead, he opened both curtains.  Unexpectedly, those of us whose acts were over were suddenly on stage.  Rather than scurry off, we all formed an impromptu back row of the chorus and attempted to join in on "Endless Love," which none of us had ever sung.  We got through it by singing a half-beat or so behind the chorus who had actually sung it in class. 

...To top off the whole fiasco, a large group of students acted out the verses in "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" as our director played the piano and led the singing.  If there was one act that especially needed more rehearsal, it was this one.  Among other miscues:

• The person illustrating five gold rings ran out the first time with five rings jingling on a key chain but skipped out on the rest of the verses.
• There were at least three verses in which no one appeared on stage.
• Three girls walked on stage to represent six geese a-laying, dropping tennis balls from behind, one of which bounced off the stage and hit someone in the audience.
• Shortly before the show, another friend, Mike, asked the director how he was going to represent a partridge in a pear tree.  Forced to improvise, someone went outside, broke off a tree limb, and taped a stuffed dog toy to it.  Thus, 12 times that evening, Mike walked across the stage carrying a tree limb with an attached stuffed dog, stopped halfway through each time, smiled at the audience, and continued walking.  He deserved credit, actually, for being the only person who did exactly what he was supposed to do every time his verse came up.
• During the last verse, the director realized what a fiasco the sing-along had become.  He deliberately sped up the tempo, causing everyone to run out on stage at the same time and nearly collide with each other.

The following year, my class went on to high school, and middle school became a distant memory--not completely distant, however, as our partridge in a pear tree representative, Mike, went back to the middle school to watch the Christmas show.

"How was it?" I asked.

"It was a lot different than ours," Mike replied.  "Basically, each class just walked out and sang 'Frosty The Snowman...'"

FM dial scan highlights XIII

Standout selections heard this morning:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• It's A Shame-The Spinners (Recorded before the band's change in lead singers, this hit is just as strong as the band's later ones.  "I'll Be Around," "Games People Play," "Then Came You," and "The Rubberband Man" are among the band's best work.  It's no wonder that when they were on "Saturday Night Live" in the early '80s, Bill Murray introduced them as "here to sing some of the best music ever made.")
• Don't Know What It Means-PussNBoots (It's interesting hearing Norah Jones sing in a rockabilly style.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Martha's Prize-Cedar Walton (Fine straight ahead piano jazz.  "Warm To The Touch" is another standout of Walton's but with powerful vocals.)

KLOU 103.3 FM

• Sleigh Ride-The Ronettes (A fun arrangement of "Sleigh Ride," with memorable backup singing.)

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

• Franz Joseph Haydn: Christmas Symphony in D minor (London Festival Orchestra/Russ Pople, conductor) (Conveys the grandeur and happiness of Christmas, particularly through one waltzing movement, appropriately.)
• Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in C major, Op. 59, No. 3 (Arianna String Quartet) (An appealingly warm reading from this St. Louis-based ensemble.)

Why I buy vinyl and shop at local stores

For about a month, I've made a concerted effort to buy merchandise from small, neighborhood businesses--the pharmacy, the bookstore, and the hardware store, among them--instead of big conglomerates.  Even if I only spend 10 or 15 dollars in one visit at those places, it always feels like it matters a lot more to those stores than it would to big chain stores.  There's the added bonus of feeling like more than just a number when you shop there.

Another way of saying this: About 15 years ago, I went to a record store.  The clerk told me the store was having trouble selling the reissued "1962-1966" and "1967-1970" Beatles LPs. 

"We figured, 'It's the Beatles,'" he said.  "People are always collecting Beatle albums.  We thought, 'Surely, if we order five copies of each album, they'll sell.'  They haven't sold, though.  People walk past them and say, 'Oh, look!  Vinyl!  Wow!  Neat!'  They don't buy them, though."

After too many years of driving past small, local businesses that need my support, I decided I didn't want to be the customer who walks past the LPs, metaphorically speaking, and just says, "Vinyl! Wow! Neat!" without buying anything.  My conscience feels better, as a result.