Stingray Music highlights XLVII

Ear-catching tunes heard this morning:

Classic R&B And Soul

• Atlantic Avenue-Average White Band (I've owned this tune on vinyl for decades and thought since childhood that it should be a hit, but this was the first time I'd ever heard anyone else play it.  Vocally and instrumentally, the tune justifies the appeal of what many listeners would consider an enjoyable getaway locale.  If I were programming a smooth jazz station, "Atlantic Avenue" would be in the rotation.)
• I'll Never Love This Way Again-Dionne Warwick (Throughout her entire career, Warwick has been an engaging vocalist.  Although many listeners gravitate toward the soaring, leave-nothing-on-the-table emoting of Whitney Houston on "I Will Always Love You," Warwick's subtler emoting on "I'll Never..." and scores of other hits strikes me as more realistic and suited to repeated listening.)

Cocktail Lounge

• Half Forgotten Daydreams-John Cameron (A beguiling fusion of easy listening and Quiet Storm formats; not just anyone can blend the best elements of laid back R&B and lush strings, but Cameron pulled it off.  The recurring "wah-wah-wah-wah-wah" cements the tune firmly in 1974.  It would flow well after Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Forever In Love.")

Folk Roots

• The Beaches Of St. Valery/Elizabeth Clare-Battlefield Band (A compelling tale about the horrors of war and the lack of appreciation that some combatants face.  It's a pleasure to hear such a well-written Celtic narrative on this channel.)
• Illinois-Anna Tivel (Unsettling lyrics, sung hauntingly.  I'd be curious to hear Sara Watkins cover this.) 

Jazz Masters

• The Peacocks-Jimmy Rowles & Stan Getz (Setting the scene for some film noir?) 

Jazz Now

• Emily-Mike Rud (An uptempo guitar rendering of the Mercer/Mandel tune.  I also recommend Nika Rejto's more expansive, flute-based rendition.)
• Never Let Me Go-Helen Sung (This contemplative piano-anchored instrumental allows the tender contributions of violinist Regina Carter and the rhythm section ample room to breathe.)

New Age

• The Fifth Wave-Suzanne Ciani (Anyone who thinks all new age music involves just holding the same synthesized chord down for an eternity and performing inoffensive but unmemorable melodies should listen to "The Fifth Wave."  Ciani displays a moving range of emotion and force on the piano here.)

A byproduct of good medical news

Earlier this week, I was a nervous wreck.  I was fairly certain I'd get a tough-to-handle medical diagnosis.  Fortunately, however, things turned out much better than expected.

Suddenly, Neil Diamond's "I'm Alive" sounds more resonant to me than ever.

SiriusXM highlights LXXV

Standout tunes heard this morning:

'90s On 9

• Prayer For The Dying-Seal (One of Seal's most gripping songs; somber lyrics, sung with exactly the right degree of emotion.)

The Beatles Channel

• In My Life-The Beatles (Some of the most thoughtful lyrics about appreciating one's past and present; the Baroque harpsichord solo fits perfectly with the song's blend of sentimentality and nostalgia.  For years, I've said that "Rubber Soul" is my favorite Beatles album, and this reflective tune is the best of the bunch, in my opinion.)

The Coffee House

• Santeria-Aimee Allen (No disrespect to the band Sublime, but Allen's thoughtful acoustic cover gives the lyrics more heartfelt delicacy.  Her approach to the vocals reminds me of Ani DiFranco.)

The Groove

• Strawberry Letter 23-The Brothers Johnson (The Brothers Johnson put some gloss on this strong Shuggie Otis tune, resulting in a big hit 40 years ago.  The more I hear this, the more I appreciate how difficult it must be to sing.  As in "Across The Universe" by The Beatles, there isn't a true chorus; both songs keep building lyrically on what they've started and don't allow much room for the singer to take a breath.)

Heart & Soul 

• Gold-Andra Day (Honestly, powerfully sung lyrics about the consequences of choosing the wrong partner in life.)

The Loft 

• Book Of Dreams-Suzanne Vega (We can all be strong and resilient in our dreams, if not in everyday life.)

Tom Petty Radio

• The Woods (Exclusive)-Tom Petty (Sadly, when quality musicians pass away, you sometimes notice aspects of their music you wish you'd appreciated more when they were alive.  That's the case for me with "The Woods."  Listening to this acoustic version now, I hear elements of The Beatles, Eric Clapton, and "Wake Up Little Susie" by The Everly Brothers; that's a respectable trio of influences, to say the least.)

Stingray Music highlights XLVI

Standout tracks heard today:

Adult Alternative

• Like Fugitives-Rosanne Cash (Cash's heartfelt vocals are perfect for conveying narratives of loss and injustice.) 

Canadian Indie

• Evelyn-Hannah Georgas (The chorus of steely yet soft-spoken resolve should amp up a lot of listeners.  John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" segues well with this, to my ears.)

Classic R&B And Soul

• Inspiration Information-Shuggie Otis (Considering how accessible the vocals are, it's puzzling that Otis didn't have the commercial success in the '70s that he deserved.)
• I Want You-Marvin Gaye (It's deceptively difficult to pull off lyrics that are direct yet laid back, but Gaye pulls it off here.) 

East Africa Gospel

• Katonda Muliro-Angel Kisakye (Kisakye sings reassuringly about God's role as a consuming fire.)

Jazz Now

• Easy Walker-Christian McBride (Christian Sands carries the tune's elegance on piano.) 

Rewind--'80s & '90s

• Your Woman-White Town (Offbeat vocals, covered with electronic gauze; for a brief time in 1997, you couldn't get away from this song on the radio.  I remember WVRV, in particular, playing it frequently.  If I'd been writing this blog then, this could have qualified easily as a persistent earworm.)

An overlooked cover tune XL

I never would have thought to weave a Bob Dylan and a Blue Oyster cult tune into a mash-up, but it makes perfect sense when you hear Kerri Anderson's "All Along The Watchtower (Don't Fear The Reaper.)"  Her rendition of "...Watchtower" begins quietly, building to furiously strummed guitar at the 1:26 mark, with belted vocals to match 15 seconds later.  Anderson detours seamlessly into "...Reaper" with a deft blend of delicacy and directness, then returns to "...Watchtower."  It's a clever idea, executed impressively.

"No stitches after taking it on the chin..."

Writing yesterday about varying my baseball doubleheader scores phrasing triggered a memory.  I once heard an AM radio talk show host do his "free association" list of the day's baseball scores.  Instead of just saying that the Rockies defeated the Marlins, he said, "The Marlins found the Rockies impassable."

I'm still conflicted about whether the host was being clever or trying too hard.

Overhyped twosomes

When I used to write and broadcast radio sports reports, days with lots of baseball and softball doubleheaders challenged me.  I didn't want the scores to become monotonous, so I'd vary my word choices as much as possible.

What I would typically say during a scores report:

• Team A notched two large victories over Team B by scores of 23-5 and 15-4.
• Team C won twice, as well, downing Team D, 9-7 and 14-3.
• Team E eked out a couple of close wins over Team F, 2-1 and 3-2.
• It was a mixed day for Team G in its doubleheader.  It was Team G 9, Team H 6 and Team H over Team G, 13-2.
• It was also a split decision for Teams I and J.  In game one, Team I topped Team J, 10-3.  In game two, Team J outscored Team I, 9-2.

Further into a report, however, I felt I was starting to sound like this:

• Ye Gods, it was a two-pronged barn burner for Team K in its 9-8 and 10-9 wins over Team L!
• Nothing could deter Team M in its maniacal 12-3 and 14-4 manhandlings of Team N.
• Heavily caffeinated Team O shut out seemingly somnambulant Team P, 8-nothing and 9-zero.
• The scales of justice balanced for Teams Q and R.  In game one, Team Q got past Team R, 5-3.  Team R, however, summoned its collective inner Libra in game two to best Team Q by that same score. 
• Here's what you call a lopsided, leaping-off-the-teeter-totter-with-abrupt-alacrity-when-a-swarm-of-bees-seeks-its-revenge-upon-you-for-denigrating-its-species-as-good-for-almost-nothing-but-honey pair of outcomes.  In the first contest, Team S stuck out its metaphorical feet, tripping up Team T, 15-5.  Team T didn't mope about its battle scars between games, however, as a quick jaunt to an urgent care center and unanimous resolve not to ride a 50-year-old, splinter-laden bench resulted in its 16-1 conquering of Team S in their second out-for-blood-but-not-in-a-life-threatening-way-because-there-are-laws confrontation.

Although that's obviously exaggerated, you can just imagine how my sports reports sounded on a day packed with doubleheader makeups after two straight weeks of rain.