SiriusXM highlights L

Some of the better tunes I heard this morning:

The Blend

• The Game Of Love-Santana featuring Michelle Branch (This still gets a healthy amount of airplay on soft rock stations, for good reason.  I suspect that the hook, "a little bit of this, a little of that," gets a lot of listeners singing along in their cars.)

The Bridge

• This Is It-Kenny Loggins (Another soft rock smash that still gets played fairly often, as it sports some of the most accessible lyrics about tackling a challenge.  The effectiveness of the lyrics is due in no small part to Michael McDonald's powerful backing vocals.) 

The Coffee House

• If The Stars Were Mine-Melody Gardot (Gardot sings like an old soul, in the best sense, on this tasteful track.)

The Loft

• Move On Up-Curtis Mayfield (One of Mayfield's best uptempo tracks; the song sustains its vibe for all nine minutes.  It's effective motivational music for getting up and starting the day.)

Real Jazz

• Moonglow-Victor Goines (Shades of "How Deep Is The Ocean," if it were scored for the clarinet.)

Soul Town

• I Do-The Marvelows (This was a hit in 1965, but its harmonies sound more in step with the late '50s/early '60s pop scene.  The J. Geils Band covered it in 1983.)

Tom Petty Radio

• My Back Pages (Live)-Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn & Neil Young (Contains one of my favorite Dylan lyrics, "...I was so much older then.  I'm younger than that now."  I especially enjoy how The Byrds covered it, so it's good to hear McGuinn as part of this quartet.  In terms of vocals and attitude, all four artists are logical choices to tackle this song.)

Watercolors

• Sure Thing-St. Germain featuring John Lee Hooker (A groove that throbs appealingly for over six minutes.)

Happy birthday to, um, someone...

Today, I wouldn't ask a DJ to mention my birthday on the air.  On this night in 1985, however, I did.  I asked longtime jazz DJ Leo Chears to please say, "Happy birthday," to "someone I know"--me, actually, although I didn't tell him that--on WMRY.  Between songs, in his laid back cadence, Chears said, "Before I play another tune on this album, I want to wish a very happy birthday to Andrew..." He continued, "I want to send the whole show out to the gentleman.  Sure hope he is enjoying his birthday.  And, if you're in that birthday or anniversary mode, ditto for you."

At 15, I appreciated one of the most knowledgeable music experts in town acknowledging my birthday--and me, as a listener--on the air.  Although I wouldn't make such a call today, I appreciate having that memory as I turn 46.

SiriusXM highlights XLIX

Some of the more interesting selections I heard this morning:

'40s Junction

• Misty-Erroll Garner (Not everyone knows that Garner wrote this classic for the piano in 1954. Scores of artists--including Johnny Mathis, most famously--covered it with Johnny Burke's lyrics.  I'm not surprised that SiriusXM played it on its '40s Junction station because it sounds as though it's from that decade.)

Classic Vinyl

• The Kids Are Alright-The Who (Anyone who thinks this way, without guile, deserves an A for attitude.  I was pleased when I learned that Big Star's "In The Street" was chosen as "That '70s Show"'s theme song, but I've read that "The Kids Are Alright" was in contention, and I imagine it would have worked just as well.  Strongly recommended: Neil Finn's cover version.)

Deep Tracks

• It's Likely To Have A Name Next Week-Caravan (Nearly eight minutes of appealing early '70s prog rock, with elements of Brian Auger and Yes, that could just as easily have been played on the Jam_On station.  The melody is mainly instrumental with minimal, unobtrusive vocals and plenty of space for the guitar and keyboard to surge ahead.  The honesty of the title is a bonus.)

The Groove

• Another Star-Stevie Wonder (Yet another gem from the treasure trove, "Songs In The Key Of Life."  It's one of the longer tracks on the album; vocally and instrumentally, however, Wonder and company could easily sustain this groove for an additional eight minutes.)
• A Love Bizarre-Sheila E. (It's easy to hear Prince's influence on this tune he co-wrote with Sheila E.)

The Loft

• Love Letter-Bonnie Raitt (Most songs with a title like this would run the risk of being overly syrupy.  That's not the case here.  Raitt sings "Love Letter" with her usual full-throated, bluesy conviction and rocks its rhythm.) 

Siriusly Sinatra

• Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?-The Manhattan Transfer (It's a testament to the song's adaptability that it lends itself equally well to a solo vocalist such as Louis Armstrong, a smoky piano rendition by Ellis Marsalis, and the collective vocal harmonies of The Manhattan Transfer.)
• That Old Black Magic-Debby Boone (Boone takes an interesting approach on this cover, singing it in the style of Frank Sinatra's "Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week."  It's a slower tempo than that of the definitive version, to my ears, by Louis Prima and Keely Smith, but it works.  Sidebar: If you like the Prima & Smith version, check YouTube for Jim Henson's "Sam And Friends" segment that features it.  The puppets dancing to it on TV, as well as the puppets watching it, obviously dig it.)

Symphony Hall

• Claude Debussy: Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun (French National Orchestra/Daniele Gatti, conductor) (After two years of reviewing music on this blog, it's about time this piece came up.  I'm always curious to hear how the flutist in any rendition of this piece approaches the opening solo.  This soloist takes a somewhat slower, more deliberate approach than I've heard on other recordings, but it's no less appealing.)
• Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 60 in C major (Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields/Sir Neville Marriner, conductor) (When you're as talented and prolific a composer as Haydn, you can confidently incorporate a deliberately out-of-tune passage for the violins into a symphony's final movement as a joke that listeners will enjoy.  I was sorry to learn of Marriner's passing on Sunday at age 92.  If you've listened to any Classical radio station or streaming service for more than an hour in your life, you've probably heard at least some of his many engaging, accessible interpretations of orchestral or choral pieces.)  

Watercolors

• Lesley Ann-David Sanborn (This is the closest Sanborn's saxophone has ever come to sounding like a music box while playing a song's hook.  This track is a mainstay of smooth jazz radio stations, for good reason.)

Stingray Music highlights XXVII

Some of the best tunes that I heard U-verse serve up Tuesday morning:

Alt Country-Americana

• Something Tamed Something Wild-Mary Chapin Carpenter (A well-written ode to the happy moments of one's past and a reminder to appreciate the present, sung with Carpenter's usual conviction.  It's from her CD, "The Things That We Are Made Of," released in May.) 

Canadian Indie

• Advancement Of The Human Age-The Gertrudes (Quirky lead and backing vocals, with effective use of ukulele and trumpet...It's an unlikely blend that sustains the tune for nearly seven minutes.  I can imagine a good noncommercial station playing Zumpano's "Temptation Summary" before it.)

Caribbean Vintage Vibes

• The Way I Feel-Keith Thompson (Thompson sings these universal sentiments of loss with an effective, understated air of resignation.)

Cool Jazz

• Breezin'-Gabor Szabo (You've probably heard George Benson's excellent version of this much-played guitar instrumental.  Now, hear the original template that inspired Benson to expand upon a great, refreshing theme.)
• Shining Tear Of The Sun-Elizabeth Shepherd (If there's such a genre as upbeat melancholia, this is an excellent example of it.  Shepherd crafted an appealing vamp of a piano melody in which to wallow, and her vocals match perfectly.  A good eclectic radio station ought to play Nickel Creek's "Reasons Why" before this.)

Folk Roots

• Farewell To St. Dolores-Pine Hill Project (Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky are a well-matched vocal duo here.  The song's chorus, derived from a yodel, is strangely moving.)

Jazz Now

• Sea Of Tranquility-Marcos Amorim (A laid back, midtempo guitar instrumental that lives up to its title.)

Smooth Jazz

• We Were There-Marcus Miller (A joyous stew of vocals and bass that suggests a George Duke influence.)

Hoping for positive ripples

On this day, 25 years ago, I went on the air for the first time at a real radio station.  I recorded my demo tape for my college station, KCOU, early that morning.  Although there may have only been about 10 people listening between 5 and 6 a.m. that day, it was still satisfying to be on the air, setting an agenda and seeing it through.  I chose all of the music, sequencing tunes from different genres together in a way I thought made musical sense.   

When I returned to my dorm, I realized that I hadn't initialed the new CD and vinyl tracking labels KCOU used to determine which new songs were played each week and how often they were played.  I rushed back to the station and noted the track numbers of the new songs I'd played.  It amuses me now how seriously I took this responsibility.  After all, did I think that my one play of each of those songs would make or break particular bands?  Did I think that failing to note one spin of a disc would cause it to miss the cutoff for the airplay charts that KCOU submitted to "College Music Journal," an industry music charts and reviews publication, and result in an indie band's members saying, "That's it.  We're not on the charts.  It isn't happening for us.  Let's throw in the towel and go back to washing dishes and stocking shelves?"

Well...yes--to some extent.  In the back of my mind, I probably did think that.  I thought then--and still think--that good music deserves its due.  Even though I knew it was unlikely, I hoped that my one spin of each new song that day would be enough to boost its airplay tally, causing it to make the CMJ chart and spark the interest of DJs in other cities.  I imagined them thinking, "That's a compelling-sounding band name (or song title.)  I should seek that out and play it on the air."  I envisioned those albums catching on at other radio stations and listeners calling in, saying, "That sounds really good.  Who is that?"  The listeners would then head to a record store and buy the album or single.

At least, that's what I imagined might happen.  I still hope that scenario came true, at least occasionally.

SiriusXM highlights XLVIII

Standout tracks heard this morning:

The Bridge

• Dear Prudence-The Beatles (One of John Lennon's most endearing, optimistic Beatles contributions, right from the fade-in.)
• Sunshine Superman-Donovan (As Donovan mentioned in his interview on "The Village Folk Show," it's unusual for a song to incorporate jazz, Caribbean influences, harpsichord, and superhero references.  That unlikely blend meshes well here, though.)

The Coffee House

• All Your Favorite Bands (Acoustic)-Dawes ("May all your favorite bands stay together," Dawes sings.  That's a considerate sentiment to wish upon anyone.)

Deep Tracks 

• Down To You-Joni Mitchell (One of several "Court And Spark" highlights; the orchestral backing adds gravity and texture to Mitchell's vocals.)

The Groove

• As-Stevie Wonder (A "Songs In The Key Of Life" standout.  Powerful lead and backing vocals, and a groove that holds up for a good, long while.  I'm surprised it wasn't a bigger hit.)

No Shoes Radio

• Down Under-Colin Hay (Hay proves that a scaled down, acoustic approach serves the song at least as well as Men At Work's original version.)

Real Jazz

• The Sequel-Mulgrew Miller And Wingspan (The piano, vibes, and saxophone interact compellingly on this Miller-penned tune and bring Thelonious Monk's music to mind.)

Spa

• The Moon Inside-Jami Sieber (Sieber's haunting cello part could underscore a scene of someone walking through a dense forest late at night.)

All about the names

When giving sports highlights on the radio, it's advisable to fit in as many names as possible.  It's one thing to say that one team defeated another by a particular score, but what player doesn't enjoy having his or her contribution to a victory mentioned on the air?

Once upon a time, I was one of two people who used to report prep sports scores and highlights during 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on Saturday.  As you would expect, the 11 p.m. report gave me more scores and highlights from which to choose, as the day's games were usually over by then.  I preferred broadcasting the 6 p.m. report, however.  Not every game was over at that time, so I was able to give more individual highlights.  I'd mention, for instance, that John Smith ran in four touchdowns or Jane Doe pitched a shutout.  It was gratifying to imagine those players being pleased to hear their achievements mentioned on the air.  It was also satisfying to imagine their parents turning to them and saying, "Way to go..."

Games are about the players, not just the final scores.  That's one of the most important things to keep in mind when broadcasting sports highlights.