FM dial scan highlights LXXII

Wednesday afternoon highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Rewards-Kylie Auldist (It's hard to believe this is a 2016 release, as its dance vibe and vocals would have segued smoothly with Madonna's "Holiday" in 1983.)
• Midnight Rider-Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (An impressive cover of the Allman Brothers Band tune, with horns handling the original version's guitar part deftly.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Deck The Halls-Herbie Hancock (Possibly the most raucous version--the most raucous jazz version, at least--of this carol.  The carol's familiar theme is apparent near the beginning and end of the tune.  In between, the brass players, especially trumpeter Woody Shaw, and rhythm players take the melody and fly with it.  Everyone spits the notes out at a breakneck tempo, making listeners almost forget they're hearing "Deck The Halls."  This is one of the standout tracks on the various artists "Jingle Bell Jazz" compilation.  Dave Brubeck's "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" cover is another highlight.) 
• Silent Night-Ann Hampton Callaway (Tasteful, elegant vocals, as I'd expect from a singer of this caliber.)
• I'll Be Loving You-Gabriela Anders (Smooth, sultry vocals that fit into traditional and smooth jazz formats easily.  There's a pleasant consistency to "Wanting," the CD from which this comes.)

KEZK 102.5 FM 

• I Saw Three Ships-Sting (Sting's brisk, upbeat take on this carol serves it well.)

Remember, he was benevolent...

I won't name the ensemble, but I've heard a version of "Good King Wenceslas" in which the vocalist assuming the king's role gets a little too into the part.  Yes, Wenceslas was a king, but he was known for his kindness.  The singer I heard takes a little too much pleasure in sounding high and mighty.  I'll admit that it's a decent version of a good carol, but as I listened, I kept thinking, "Let's hear more of the 'good' in this interpretation and less of the 'king.'"  Maybe it's best to just listen to the Muppet Brass Buskers or Philadelphia Brass Ensemble perform it as an instrumental.

Persistent earworm alert XLII

I've hardly ever eaten Kix cereal.  I can't even remember the last time I bought it.  I haven't seen a commercial for Kix in many years.  And yet, inexplicably, a Kix TV commercial jingle from the '80s lodged itself in my mind this morning.

You might remember the jingle, "Kids like Kix for what Kix has got.  Moms like Kix for what Kix has not."  I always thought it was smart to market Kix equally well to the kids who would eat it and the parents who would buy it.  Apparently, kids like the cereal's corn taste, and moms like that Kix has low sugar content and lacks the additives that many other cereals have.

Decades later, that jingle won't leave my mind.  I can't be the only susceptible viewer who's considering buying Kix at this moment.  After all, when you have taste and fewer additives on your side...

Light hostility among conductors

My high school orchestra director, Mr. D., gave me a ride home one year from All-State Orchestra.  Or, he eventually did, at least, after getting together for drinks with the All-State conductor and another orchestra director.  It was interesting for me to watch three conductors one-up each other in their stories.

"I remember waiting forever to receive that music," one conductor said.

"And I remember waiting forever for the payment for it," another responded.

The three of them had a seemingly good time, laughing at each other's memories.

After the other two conductors left, Mr. D. said to me, "That's known as penance time in the business."

Staying mellow while conducting

Whenever choral directors conducted any of the orchestras in which I played, I noticed that they never seemed very temperamental.  Unlike orchestra conductors, I don't recall any choir director getting all that upset with an orchestra.  Most likely, it's because they were used to working with singers.  When you get angry with your choir, you risk making the singers' voices tense up, which could result in them sounding strained and tentative.  I'd like to think that a calm, cool approach is best, generally, when conducting any orchestra or chorus.  It's good to see a conductor's mellow demeanor reap rewards.

Who was that rebel Yuletide music enthusiast?

Now that it's the Christmas season, how do you acknowledge it musically?  I heard someone blasting "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms through an open window yesterday.  Although playing music that loud is usually ill-advised, it's nice to know that someone likes Christmas enough to want to crank up "Jingle Bell Rock."  Turning up the volume to 11, per Spinal Tap, isn't usually done with Christmas music, so it was refreshing to hear--for those 30 seconds, at least.

Online radio sampler highlights XLIX (Thanksgiving edition)

Once again, WXPN has programmed an impressively diverse array of family, home, and Thanksgiving-related themes.  Other radio stations have played scattered harvest-themed selections, as well.  Among the highlights I've heard today:

KQAC (Portland, OR)

• Shenandoah (Lara Downes, piano) (A moving arrangement for solo piano; it's easy to imagine pastoral landscapes during the harvest as you listen.)

KWMU-3 (St. Louis, MO)

• We Gather Together (Dale Warland Singers) (A tasteful, solemn choral rendition with effective crescendos.)

WXPN (Philadelphia, PA)

• Driving Home-Cheryl Wheeler (Sensitively sung lyrics about driving home in no great rush.  Thanksgiving is a great holiday on which to slow down and appreciate what's around you.)
• Friendships-Ellis Marsalis Trio (A contemplative, elegant piano instrumental.  If you've never heard Marsalis play, check this out, and then check out everything on his "Heart Of Gold" CD.)
• Homegoing-LisaBeth Weber & Maggie Marshall (Nice folky violin, guitar and vocals, appropriate for a "welcome home" song.)
• Follow That Road-Anne Hills (As far as I know, no GPS is this thorough or considerate.  Hills sings street directions endearingly, tailored to each season.)
• Home-Karla Bonoff (It was a pleasure to hear the original version, in all its sincerity and conviction.  The Boxcar Lilies released a beautifully sung cover of it last year.)

Thank you to everyone who enjoys reading my blog!  Here's wishing all of you a pleasant Thanksgiving, or if you don't celebrate it, a pleasant Thursday.