Can't listen too much

My high school orchestra director, Mr. D., surprised me once when he was going over a passage with another section of the orchestra.

"What do you think about what you just heard?" he asked me.

"I'm sorry," I replied honestly.  "My mind wandered, and I wasn't really listening."

"This is an ensemble," he reminded me.  "We listen to each other."

Mr. D.'s unexpected question irked me slightly.  Admittedly, however, it was a good reminder that even when your section isn't playing, listening to those who are is the respectful, responsible thing to do.

Persistent earworm alert LXXVI

I remember the Sherwood Ford jingle as, "He gives a better, better deal on a better, better car, and he sells at a better, better price price.  He gives a greater, greater deal on a greater, greater car--so good, good, you got to say it twice twice."  Naturally, a "Sherwood Sherwood Ford Ford" tag followed that jingle in the radio commercials.

I can't say that's one of my favorite commercial jingles.  Decades later, however, I still remember it, so that's effective advertising...

...Or maybe not, as I drive a Toyota.

A positive change of the guard

A memory from 1999: The radio was on WVRV, "The River," one night at work.  Fiona Apple's latest single, "Fast As You Can," was playing.  I remarked to a co-worker, "This new single of hers isn't getting much play here."  "I can see why," my co-worker responded.  "It's not that great of a song."

I thought it was an interesting choice of a release for Apple, whose previous singles, "Shadowboxer," "Sleep To Dream," and "Criminal," had been more accessible and received more airplay.  Some listeners might have been turned off by "Fast As You Can"'s manic lurches in tempo and the protagonist's warning that a potential suitor might be wise to flee.  Still, the song was always strangely intriguing to me. 

I thought back to that night as I listened to "A Prairie Home Companion" last Saturday.  Apple was one of many musical guests in a packed show, and she performed an impressive, spitfire rendition of "Fast As You Can."  At the 4:29 mark, she shouted, "GO!!!!"  A great albeit brief band freakout, which "...Prairie Home..." host Chris Thile led on mandolin, ensued, bringing the song to a dramatic close.  It was a pleasure to hear one Apple's underappreciated tunes get its due.

Another musical highlight: Dan Auerbach's "Shine On Me," which has become one of my favorite songs of 2017.  If you have a pulse, singing along with the tune's poppy chorus is almost involuntary.  It doesn't hurt that the tune's feel brings Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open The Door" to mind.

To top everything off, "...Prairie Home..." also featured renowned violinist Hilary Hahn performing moving works by J.S. Bach.

This Saturday's show should be stellar, as Thile's old band, Nickel Creek, will reunite.  Just running through the possibilities of everything they might perform makes it a can't-miss show, in my estimation.  I've raved before about the collective abilities of Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins, and Thile; any band that can produce such gems as "Reasons Why," "Out Of The Woods," "The Lighthouse's Tale," "Beauty And The Mess," "Smoothie Song," "This Side," and "Young," deserves considerable respect--and record sales.

Yes, I miss the singular voice that is Garrison Keillor and his "News From Lake Wobegon" monologues.  However, the musical guests, the continuity with the previous "...Prairie Home..." incarnation, and Thile's showmanship demonstrate that this new version of "...Prairie Home...," now in its second season, is in excellent hands.

Making history with a "new" format--or not

Over a decade ago, a DJ I know was at a radio station meeting.  A consultant announced that the format to which the station was switching had never been done in St. Louis.  Later in the meeting, the DJ told him, "Actually, (this format) has been done here before."  "No," he replied.  "It hasn't been tried here." "Yes, it has," she replied. "I did afternoon drive at (the previous station with that format.)"  "Oh," he replied sheepishly.  "I told (the new radio station's powers that be) it hadn't been done in this market."

It's easy to proclaim something is historical when you don't know its history.

Online radio sampler highlights LXIV (Halloween edition)

With all due respect to Sting, you haven't heard the most gripping incarnation of "Moon Over Bourbon Street" until you've heard these three witch cats sing it.  Their balalaika accompaniment is also a key ingredient.

Six selections heard today whose titles, at least, relate to Halloween:

KWMU-3 (St. Louis, MO)

• William Bolcom: "Graceful Ghost" Rag (Paul Jacobs, piano) (Although ragtime classifies the piece's genre accurately, midtempo contemplative swing is just as accurate.  The production is appropriately airy for a ghost-themed composition.)
• Rudolf Friml: The Devil's Joke (Stephanie Chase, violin) (This piece demands considerable dexterity and precision from a violinist.  I'm no fan of the devil, but if he wanted to defeat Johnny in that Charlie Daniels-narrated "Devil Went Down To Georgia" fiddle playoff, he should have mastered this piece.)

WUMB (Boston, MA)

• Ghost Town-Dispatch (In case you were wondering, this isn't a cover of the Halloween-appropriate tune by The Specials.  It is, however, an effective, matter-of-fact look at a town whose businesses are mostly shuttered.)

WXPN (Philadelphia, PA)

• Ghost Writer-Garland Jeffreys (Not just any artist could sing about this profession and make it sound this appealing.  The organ intro gives the tune instant atmosphere.)
• Bury My Lovely-October Project (Weighty lyrics demand an epic vocalist, and Mary Fahl's grandiose alto is perfect here.)
• Haunt You-Mesa Jane (When wondering if you're on the right path in life, who doesn't feel like this, at least part of the time?  A steady dance groove underpins compelling vocals and accessible lyrics about second-guessing yourself.)

Wobbling the pitch sparingly

With stringed orchestral instruments, I've always thought of vibrato as a pinch of salt you add to a dish.  Typically, you don't pour a full shaker of salt onto your food; you might, however, season it sparingly with a little salt.  The same should be true of vibrato.  When it's appropriate to give a passage added warmth, wobble the pitch as needed.  If you use vibrato on every note, however, the effect is compromised, and it might look like you're showing off.

After reading about how vibrato used to be perceived in David Byrne's impressive book, How Music Works, I felt vindicated about using it sparingly on the upright bass.

FM dial scan highlights LXXXVIII

Wednesday through Sunday standouts:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• The Raven-The Flat Five (Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, set to a Lambert, Hendricks & Ross-style vocal arrangement, with bass and drums. Credit to Dr. Jeff, host of "The Big Bang," for selecting this seasonally appropriate track and the next two songs.)
• The Kind Of Love We're In-Freedy Johnston (The tune's structure and arrangement brought Ambrosia to mind as I listened.  Also, it's not immediately obvious, but does the way Johnston sings the chorus remind anyone besides me of the "I just know we'll have a good time" section of Janet Jackson's "Runaway?")
• Paradiso Twist-The Kaisers (To me, this surf instrumental sounds like The Ventures with a hint of the early Beatles tune, "I Saw Her Standing There.")

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Moonlight In Vermont-Chet Baker (Sublime trumpet, with a moving piano interlude.)
• If I Tell You I Love You-Melody Gardot (If there's room for a song in film noir, this could work.  Gardot's assured, wise-beyond-her-years vocals somehow soften the blow of rejection.)
• Steppin' Out-Jeanette Harris featuring Tm Watson (A steadily energetic saxophone-and-bass groove, ideal for morning drive on smooth jazz stations.)

KSHE 94.7 FM

• Empty Pages-Traffic (Some of Steve Winwood's most appealing vocals, augmented by the keyboard's bounce.)
• Autumn/The Winter Long-Strawbs (Thoughtful ruminations on the transitions between seasons.  It's a shame album rock stations don't play songs like this more often.) 

W279AQ 103.7 FM, a.k.a. KLOU-HD2

• Sweep Around-The Williams Brothers (If you prefer to hear these sentiments in a gentler, less direct way, listen to The Mills Brothers sing "Brighten The Corner Where You Are.")