A linguistic irritant X

When giving a weather forecast, there's no better word for cold than cold.  Freezing temperatures are predicted overnight, so I'm pleasantly surprised not to hear any radio announcer referring to the weather as nippy.  A word that sounds as silly as nippy should be reserved strictly for songs about Jack Frost.

A linguistic irritant IX

While listening to election night returns on the radio, I'm impressed that no commentator has leaned on the crutch, "We'll know more later."

In the past, when I've heard that, I've thought, "That stands to reason, considering only 12% of the precincts have reported their vote totals."

Context? XLV

Sometimes, someone will hit you with a song lyric you weren't expecting, as in this conversation I heard years ago:

Co-worker #1: Daniel, my brother, you are older than me.
Co-worker #2: I'm not older than you.

I wonder if the first co-worker ever explained to the second one that he was quoting Elton John's song, "Daniel."

Just introduce the music...

I gnashed my teeth one day during the '80s upon hearing a DJ say, "These are The Pointer Sisters, sounding like nice young ladies on this record..."

I thought, "No.  Don't do that.  It sounds patronizing." 

The DJ likely meant that as a compliment, but he shouldn't have phrased it that way.  A generic intro, such as, "These are the Pointer Sisters with 'Jump (For My Love),'" would have been better.

Stingray Music highlights LXX

Thursday and Friday highlights:

The Chill Lounge

• Across My Mind-Giacomo Bondi (A spacey instrumental, fit for late nights on a smooth jazz station.)

Cocktail Lounge

• Yesterdays-Cal Tjader (A sly, slinky melody for vibraphone; musty in a good sense.) 

Folk Roots

• Storm In A Teacup-Susan McKeown & The Chanting House (A haunting Celtic number, fit for acknowledging difficult times.  Also recommended: "Ce Leis e?")
• Walk Awhile-Fairport Convention (Spirited fiddling and vocals; a "Full House" album highlight.) 

Holiday Hits

• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen-John Tesh & The Christmas Symphony Orchestra (A stately rendition for brass.)

Jazz Latino

• Ponte Pa'L Monte-William Cepeda (An infectious blend of brass, guitar, and vocals.) 

Rewind--'80s & '90s

• Set Adrift On Memory Bliss-P.M. Dawn ("Set Adrift..." samples Spandau Ballet's "True" effectively, without letting it overpower the song.  Also recommended: "To Serenade A Rainbow," "A Watcher's Point Of View," and "Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine.")

Silk 

• You To Me Are Everything-The Real Thing (I hear why this was such a big British R&B hit in 1976; vocally and instrumentally, "You To Me..." shows how to execute a well-worn lyrical theme and catch the listener's ear.)

SiriusXM highlights CII

Recent standouts:

1st Wave

• Uncertain Smile-The The (This could segue with The Style Council's "Walls Come Tumbling Down.")

Chill

• Far Away Place Remix-Xinobi/Jody Wisternoff/James Grant (Four recurring sung notes set the tone for this uptempo, trance-based groove.)

Deep Tracks

• You Left Me Sore-Todd Rundgren (Something about the piano part makes me think this could segue with "D.W. Washburn" by The Monkees.)

Escape

• 'Deed I Do-Pete Fountain (A cool, bluesy, flute-dominated rendition; you don't usually hear a lot of New Orleans style in easy listening music, but you do here.)

Real Jazz

• Blues Samuel-Sammy Nestico And The SWR Big Band (Don't let the "Blues" in the title mislead you; this is actually an upbeat big band number that swings.)
• Fly Me To The Moon-Joey DeFrancesco (Smooth organ pyrotechnics and a cool walking bass line make this a strong cover version.)
• For Duke P.-Bobby Hutcherson (A vibraphone piece that cooks, thanks to Hutcherson.  It certainly doesn't hurt to have such luminaries as Joe Henderson on tenor sax and Grant Green on guitar.)

A linguistic irritant VIII

Record companies, while a recording artist is still alive, please don't jump the gun on declaring the artist's career, or at least the hit-making days, over.  I have a Dionne Warwick compilation titled, "Her All-Time Greatest Hits."  Upon closer inspection, however, it contains only her hits from 1962 to 1970.  Although Warwick released a lot of good music during that time, her career and hits extend far past 1970.  "All-Time Greatest Hits?"  No.  Those were her greatest hits during her early years.