AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wand

Artist:Wand

Song:Rio Grande

Album:Laughing Matter

Wand is s Los Angeles based neo psychedelic band that have had success as an album and touring band. They've been around since 2013 so that makes me wonder if the natives are getting restless. Before forming Wand, lead singer and guitarist Cory Hanson recorded as W.H.I.T.E. and played guitar with singer songwriter Mikal Cronin and in the bands Together Panagea and Meatbodies. He decoded to form a new band with former art school classmates Evan Burrows and Lee Landey. Landey didn't stay but Burrows is still the drummer. Hanson decided to call the band Wand which I think is too generic. Hanson says that was deliberate. They toured with Ty Segall and released the 2014 album Ganglion Reef on Segall's label God? with distribution from the Chicago based indie label Drag City. Wand is still on Drag City. For the 2015 album 1000 Days, guitarist Daniel Martens and bassist Lee Landey left. Meanwhile, Hanson considered self producing and that's what Wand has done ever since. Hanson and Burrows write and produce everything. Rio Grande is from the 2019 album Laughing Matter. Lee Landey was still playing bass on the album. He just wasn't touring because he has a family. They went on hiatus and Hanson recorded a couple of solo albums. They finally replaced Landey with Evan Becker for a 2022 tour. The album Vertigo was released in 2024. They toured earlier this year but they are off the road right now. There has been talk that Hanson may go solo or have Wand record more mainstream music to get on a major label to get a hit single. I don't know what he will do but the constant touring must be a grind. Here's the video for Rio Grande by Wand. And yes, the video was deliberately produced like this.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Fitz and the Tantrums

Artist:Fitz and the Tantrums

Song:HandClap

Album:Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums have had success as an album and touring band. The 2016 single HandClap did well on the Alternative Rock chart. They were formed in Los Angeles in 2008 by lead singer James "Fitz" Fitzpatrick. The other original members were co-lead singer Noelle Scaggs, James King on sax, Jeremy Ruzumna on keyboards, Joseph Karnes on bass and John Wicks on drums. Most are still in the band. The purchase of an old electric organ inspired Fitzpatrick to write a song. After he played it for his college buddy King, he brought in the others. They released an EP in 2009. Their big break came when Maroon 5 leader Adam Levine heard it and Fitz and the Tantrums opened for them on a college tour. Then they signed with Dangerbird Records with Atlantic distribution. HandClap is from the 2016 album Fitz and the Tantrums. The album did well. It was certified Gold. HandClap reached #2 on the Alternative Rock chart. It's their biggest hit to date. Most of the album was produced by Jesse Shatkin who has produced Sia and Kelly Clarkson. But HandClap was written and produced by Grammy winning producer Ricky Reed, his partner Sam Hollander and Fitz and the Tantrums. The band members are not credited individually. It looks like the royalties are split evenly. The album is available as a digital download. John Wicks left in 2022 to teach at the University of Montana. Blair Sirita was brought in to play drums on the 2025 album Man on the Moon. But a permanent replacement has not been named. Here's the video for HandClap by Fitz and the Tantrums.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lee Ritenour

Artist:Lee Ritenour f/John Scofield

Song:Lay It Down

Album:6 String Theory

Normally I like to give an overview of an artist. But I haven't done that yet for jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour. This 2010 album 6 String Theory was released to celebrate Ritenour's 50th anniversary in jazz. He actually released his first album as a leader in 1976. 6 String Theory has a different guitarist on each song. He also launched a 6 String Theory competition for aspiring jazz guitarists. Shon Boubil won the first contest and he won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston and he got to play on the album. Boubil is working on his Ph.D. in theoretical physics and education at the University of Western Australia. So it remains to be seen if Boubil becomes a musician. I have my doubts. Ritenour holds the competition every two years and it has expanded to include piano, bass and drums. All the winners got Berklee scholarships. I guess Ritenour's thinking is no one did this for him when he was coming up. He just wants to pay it forward. The idea for the album came first. It inspired Ritenour to start the competition. Lay It Down was the first song on the album featuring guitarist John Schofield. I could be wrong but I don't think they had ever recorded together. It's an original song written, produced and arranged by Ritenour. The other musicians are Larry Goldings on organ, Melvin Lee Davis on bass and Harvey Mason Sr. on drums. Other guests include Keb' Mo, Taj Mahal, Pat Martino, Joey DeFrancesco, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Cray, Steve Lukather, Neal Schon, Slash, George Benson, Vince Gill, Jonny Lang, Joe Robinson, Andy McKee, Mike Stern, Tomoyasu Hotei, Guthrie Gowan, Tai Wilkenfeld and Shon Boubil. This album is available on CD. This album is on Concord. Ritenour's latest album Brasil was released on Candid last year. Ritenour is usually on tour. He's on a break right now but he'll be back on the road in January. Here's Lee Ritenour with Otmaro Ruiz on keyboards, Hadrien Feraud on bass and Wesley Ritenour on drums performing Lay It Down at the Blue Note in Hawaii 2018. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Grass Roots

Artist:The Grass Roots

Song:Midnight Confessions

Album:Playlist: The Very Best of the Grass Roots

The 1968 top five hit Midnight Confessions was the biggest hit for the band The Grass Roots. They had a pretty good run from 1967-72. The most interesting thing about The Grass Roots was they weren't a band at first. They were created in 1965 by Dunhill Records owner Lou Adler and the songwriting and producing team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. Adler wanted to cash in on the folk rock movement. The 1965 top thirty hit Where Were You When I Needed You  was recorded by studio musicians. Sloan sang lead and played guitar. The other musicians were Larry Knechtel on keyboards, Joe Osborn on bass and Bones Howe on drums. None of those guys including Sloan wanted to tour. So Sloan and Barri found a group called The Bedouins in San Francisco and they became The Grass Roots. The problem was they wanted to record their own music. So Dunhill started over. When The Bedouins tried to continue as The Grass Roots, Dunhill threatened legal action. So Sloan and Barri went searching for a new band. A band called The 13th Floor had sent a demo to Dunhill. This band was led by guitarist Creed Bratton and keyboardist Warren Entner. The only problem was the lead singer had been drafted into the army. He was replaced by Rob Grill. The music continued to be written and produced by Sloan and Barri and performed by studio musicians. But at least they now had a touring band. Their first top ten hit was the 1967 single Let's Live for Today which was based on an Italian song. And that was the beginning of five years of success. Some of the band still wanted to write their own songs. But the success tempered that. The 1968 single Midnight Confessions  reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written by Lou T. Josie of the band Ever-Green Blues. They had sent a demo to Dunhill and Barri thought it would be perfect for The Grass Roots. The demo had horns so Barri got Jimmie Haskell to write the arrangement. Grill and Entner shared lead vocals. Members of The Wrecking Crew played on the record including Mike Deasy on guitar, Carol Kaye on bass, Don Randi on piano, Larry Knechtel on organ, Hal Blaine on drums and Emil Richards on percussion. Saxophonist Plas Johnson led the horn section. Midnight Confessions was only released as a single. When it became a hit, Dunhill put it on a hastily assembled LP called Golden Grass. That is out of print but you can get all The Grass Roots hits on this budget comp. The Grass Roots' final top ten hit was Sooner or Later in 1971. By that time, there had been several personnel changes and they left Dunhill in 1974. I thought they did well for an ad hoc band. A version of The Grass Roots still plays oldies cruises. But none are original members. Here's The Grass Roots performing Midnight Confessions. This looks like the original band lineup.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Flaming Lips

Artist:The Flaming Lips

Song:She Don't Use Jelly

Album:Greatest Hits Vol. 1

The neo psychedelic band The Flaming Lips have been around since the 80s. They are an album and touring band. The 1993 single She Don't Use Jelly is their only chart single. But they don't need hit singles. The Flaming Lips were formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City with Wayne Coyne on guitar, his brother Mark Coyne on lead vocals, Michael Ivins on bass and Dave Kotska on drums. Wayne Coyne is the only original member still in the band. They released an EP in 1984 and Mark Coyne left soon after. Wayne Coyne took over as lead singer. Kotska was replaced by Richard English. Then Nathan Roberts replaced English and guitarist Jonathan Donohue of Mercury Rev was added. At the time they were recording for the indie label Restless. They signed with Warner Bros. for the 1992 album Hit to Death in the Future Head. The improved distribution and increased promotion budget increased album sales. Meanwhile, Donohue and Roberts were replaced by Ronald Jones and Steven Drozd. Previously The Flaming Lips had worked with producer Dave Fridmann. For the 1992 album Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, The Flaming Lips are credited with writing and producing. But my guess is Coyne is really writing and producing and if the others don't like it they can leave. And that's what they did. The single She Don't Use Jelly reached #55 on the Billboard Hot 100. And that was their only chart single. But The Flaming Lips continued to have success when they went to a more experimental sound. They had their greatest success when the 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots was certified Gold without the benefit of a hit single. This 3CD comp covers everything. The Flaming Lips last released an album in 2020. So they may be working on new music. Here's the video for She Don't Use Jelly by The Flaming Lips. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Charlotte Flair vs Asuka

Here's the match video of Charlotte Flair vs Asuka from last night's episode of Smackdown. This match determined which team gets the advantage for tonight's War Games match. So I expected Charlotte to win. The match was OK. It wasn't four stars or anything. As usual, I didn't like Charlotte's sandbagging which she does to all her opponents. But Asuka got her licks in. The only thing I hated was the spot with the mist when Asuka accidently misted the timekeeper. Charlotte didn't get out of the way. She was never close enough to get out of the way. I'm sure she was yelled at afterwards. But that's typical of Charlotte's sandbagging. She always promises to do a spot but then she doesn't do it properly. And she does it enough that it seems deliberate. As for tonight's War Games match, the only thing I'm hearing is a possible split between Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. We have always seen heel turns in War Games matches so it wouldn't surprise me. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eric Prydz

Artist:Eric Prydz

Song:Call on Me

Album:Red Hot Hits

Here's a record that topped the charts across Europe including England. It was successful mainly because it samples the chorus of a popular oldie. They do that because it works. The guy behind it is Swedish DJ Eric Prydz. Call on Me was his first and still his biggest hit. He was born July 19, 1976 in Taby, Sweden which is a suburb of Stockholm. His parents bought him a keyboard so he could make music in his bedroom. In 1994, Prydz was drummer of the synth band Enemy Alliance. They were looking to be the next Kraftwerk. When that went nowhere, Prydz started making music with a couple of friends and worked locally as a DJ. He gave a cassette to a friend and it ended up in EMI's London office. They released a single in 2000 followed by an EP. This did well enough in clubs that it got him remix work which pays the bills. Then he got together with Ministry of Sound to produce Call on Me. The sample is the chorus of the 1982 Steve Winwood song Valerie. Winwood even recorded new vocals for the record. Remember he wrote the song so he's getting paid. The song was first sampled in 2002 by the French duo Together. It played in clubs. But when Ministry of Sound wanted to release it as a record, Together decided against it. And that's when Ministry of Sound took it to Prydz. The record was very successful. It topped the British Singles chart and was a hit across Europe. It was only released as a single so you you can only get it on various artists comps like this 2CD comp from BMG. The music video is notable because of how lousy it is. The British music paper NME ranked it #5 on their list of the 50 Worst Music Videos Ever. It's an erotic aerobics video that appears to be a tribute to the 1985 film Perfect starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis. Ministry of Sound produced it. Prydz has never had another hit that big. But he still releases singles on his Pryda label and DJs live shows. Here's the video for Call on Me by Eric Prydz. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Michael Buble

Artist:Michael Buble

Song:Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Album:Christmas: Deluxe Special Edition

Canadian Michael Buble is the current equivalent of a classic crooner. He was very successful twenty years ago. He has faded but he's been very successful. The big difference between Buble and other similar crooners is he has Warner Bros. and uber producer David Foster behind him. If you are a Buble fan, you may already have his 2011 album Christmas as it was a big seller at the time. Of course Buble's 2003 album Michael Buble was his big breakthrough. Soon after that, he released a Christmas EP Let It Snow. It was a bonus CD in the deluxe edition of Michael Buble. He was very successful after that. He didn't really need any hit singles. His albums sold millions for the next several years. Buble was scheduled to host A Michael Buble Christmas on NBC Dec. 6, 2011. So I guess Buble and Foster thought they could release a Christmas album and promote it on the TV special. Foster produced most of the album though Bob Rock produced a few tracks including Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Buble records mostly Christmas standards. There are two original songs. Special guests include The Puppini Sisters, Shania Twain and Thalia. The album and TV special were both very successful. The album was certified Diamond and has sold 16 million copies worldwide. It's Buble's biggest selling album because it's now a Christmas perennial and during this time of year, it becomes a best seller all over again. This 2012 Deluxe Special Edition has four bonus tracks and is available as a budget CD. They released a 10th Anniversary edition in 2022 but it's too expensive. Buble has done several Christmas TV specials. But his regular albums haven't been successful in recent years. His highest profile gig is as a coach on The Voice. He didn't work with Foster on his latest album Higher in 2022. Maybe it's time for Buble and Foster to record a new Christmas album and take over the Holiday charts next year. I bet it would be a big seller. Here's Michael Buble performing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from Buble's 2012 TV special.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marcus Strickland's Twi-Life

Artist:Marcus Strickland's Twi-Life f/Jean Baylor

Song:Alive

Album:Nihil Novi

Saxophonist Marcus Strickland has been hailed as a rising star of jazz according to critic's polls. The 2016 album Nihil Novi is one of two albums Strickland recorded for Blue Note. He has since returned to recording for his own label. So maybe he doesn't want to be a big star. He was born Feb. 24, 1979 in Gainesville, FL. and grew up in Miami. His father was a drummer and so is his twin brother E.J. Strickland. Strickland started out as a sideman with Christian McBride and Jeff "Tain" Watts. And he was in legendary drummer Roy Haynes' band for five years. He first recorded as a leader in 2001 for the Spanish label Fresh Sound. Then he recorded for his own label. The Down Beat Magazine Critic's Poll named him a Rising Star first on soprano sax in 2008 and then tenor sax in 2010. And he was named 2006 Best New Artist in JazzTimes Magazine's Reader's Poll. So Strickland's manager Meghan Stabile convinced him that he needed to be on a major label. And she has a working relationship with Blue Note Records president Don Was. The 2016 album Nihil Novi was his first Blue Note album. Meshell Ndegeocello was brought in to produce. The band was Strickland's usual band of Mitch Henry and Masayuki "BIGYUKI" Hirano on keyboards, Kyle Miles on bass and Charles Haynes on drums. And no, he is not related to Roy Haynes. Special guests include Robert Glasper and Pino Palladino. Jean Baylor sings on Alive and two other songs. She was a member of the 90s girl group Zhane. She currently records with her husband former Yellowjackets drummer Marcus Baylor. The trumpet solo is by Keyon Harrold who currently records for Concord. This album is available as a digital download. Strickland produced the 2018 album People of the Sun. But he decided to leave Blue Note and return to recording for his own label. His latest album The Universe's Wildest Dream was released in 2023. The musicians are the same but Haynes owns a recording studio in Miami. So Strickland may have a comfort level there as opposed to recording for Blue Note in New York. Strickland teaches at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Here's the video for Alive by Marcus Strickland's Twi-Life featuring Jean Baylor. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tiny Tim

Artist:Tiny Tim

Song:Tiptoe Thru the Tulips with Me

Album:Buried Treasure: Lost Gems from Deep in the 60s Vaults

If you were around in the late 60s, you should remember this unavoidable top twenty hit by Herbert "Tiny Tim" Khaury, his ukulele and his falsetto singing voice. I don't mind novelty records. But I didn't like this. I was listening to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis at the time. I thought this was a joke. But was Khaury in on the joke? He was born Apr. 12, 1932 in New York City. His parents were textile workers. His mother was from Poland and his father was from Lebanon. He was five years old when his father gave him a wind up gramophone and Henry Burr's 1915 recording of Beautiful Ohio. I'm sure he drove his parents nuts with that recording. Then he taught himself to play guitar. As a teen, he spent a lot of time at public library reading about the early days of the music business. After his appendix was removed in 1945, Khaury dropped out of school and listening to Rudy Vallee made him think he could sing in a high register. He also taught himself to play the ukulele. While working as a messenger at MGM's New York office, he started entering talent shows and that's when he grew his hair long and wore makeup. His mother was going to send him to a psychiatrist but his dad put a stop to that. He started performing as Larry Love, the Singing Canary in Times Square. He got a manager who got him paid gigs. He used various names until one night he followed a midget on a show and his manager gave him the name Tiny Tim. Khaury made some film and TV appearances. But the key one was the 1968 flower power documentary You Are What You Eat. And that got him a booking on NBC's popular comedy variety show Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Co-host Dan Rowan announced that they were showcasing new talent. Khaury arrived with his ukulele in a shopping bag. Obviously the whole thing was a gag. But after a couple more appearances on Laugh-In, Khaury got a record deal with Warner Bros.' Reprise label. They assigned him to house producer Richard Perry and he produced the 1968 album God Bless Tiny Tim. This was Perry's first album. But he would go on to great success in the 70s producing Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson among other things. Artie Butler was the arranger. Khaury recorded what he liked which was Tin Pan Alley standards like Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips. That song was written by Al Dubin and Joe Burke for the 1929 film Gold Diggers of Broadway. "Crooning Troubadour" Nick Lucas topped the charts for ten weeks after singing it in the film. It was a forgotten song when Khaury recorded it. It reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and God Bless Tiny Tim reached #7 on the Billboard 200. The record was a hit because Khaury performed the song on Laugh-In. Remember the whole thing was supposed to be a gag. But Khaury taking it seriously is what made it work. After a couple of his singles charted, the highlight of Khaury's run was when he got married on The Tonight Show in front of a viewing audience of forty million. He faded after that like most novelty acts. But he continued to perform and occasionally record until he suffered a heart attack during a performance in Minneapolis and died on Nov. 30, 1996 at age 64. You can get Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips on this 2CD various artists comp from Collector's Choice. This is the original recording. Beware of knock off versions. Here's Tiny Tim performing Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips on the German TV show Beat-Club 1968.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wes Montgomery

Artist:Wes Montgomery

Song:Windy

Album:Work from Home with Wes Montgomery

This is another in my series of Jazz for Beginners complete with a performance video clip and an affordable compilation. Wes Montgomery was a great jazz guitarist who was influential because of his technique and also because in his later recordings he had mainstream commercial success. His 1967 single Windy was a top fifty pop hit and the album A Day in the Life was a big seller. Jazz purists complained that this wasn't jazz. But jazz was in the doldrums at the time and needed to change. Of course jazz purists prefer Montgomery's earlier recordings on Riverside. He was born John Leslie Montgomery Mar. 6, 1923 in Indianapolis. The nickname Wes is a child's abbreviation of Leslie. His bothers were also jazz musicians. William "Monk" Montgomery played bass and Charles "Buddy" Montgomery played vibraphone and piano. When their parents split up, the boys moved to Columbus, OH to live with their father. After high school, they moved back to Indianapolis. Montgomery got married and was working as a welder. When he heard a Charlie Christian record, Montgomery taught himself to play guitar by imitating Christian. He had no formal instruction and couldn't read music. Montgomery started playing Indianapolis clubs while working at a milk company in the daytime. Then in 1948, Lionel Hampton came through Indianapolis and hired Montgomery because he sounded like Charlie Christian. Montgomery was in the Hampton band for two years. He was afraid to fly so he drove to all the shows. He returned to Indianapolis to play clubs. He formed a band with his brothers and they moved to Los Angeles in 1957. Monk and Buddy formed The Mastersounds and recorded a couple of albums for Pacific Jazz. Wes returned to Indianapolis to lead a trio with organist Melvin Rhyne. When Cannonball Adderley saw him, he convinced Riverside Records owner Orrin Keepnews to sign him. After recording a couple of albums, Wes and Rhyne moved back to Los Angeles to form The Montgomery Brothers with Monk and Buddy. They split up after a couple of albums and Wes returned to Indianapolis. Montgomery left Riverside for Verve in 1963. By this time, Norman Granz had sold Verve to  MGM and they brought in Creed Taylor to produce. Taylor was a proponent of commercializing jazz and he went on to start CTI Records. Jazz purists complained about Montgomery's Verve albums. But those albums sold at a time when jazz was not selling. Call it a formula if you like. But it was successful. When it became clear to Taylor that MGM was going to close Verve, he started his own label CTI and got A&M to distribute Montgomery's 1967 album A Day in the Life. The single Windy reached #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album reached #13 on the Billboard 200. The musicians on the album were Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Grady Tate on drums and Ray Barretto on percussion. Plus an orchestra arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky. Montgomery recorded three albums for A&M and his success likely would have continued. Except he died of a heart attack on June 15, 1968 at age 45. This comp was released by Verve in 2020 and is available digitally. It has over three hours of music. Here's Wes Montgomery performing Windy on a 1967 episode of The Hollywood Palace.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Les Baxter

Artist:Les Baxter

Song:Unchained Melody

Album:Thinking of You

Les Baxter was an arranger and conductor for Capitol Records in the 50s. He recorded all kinds of music. The 1955 single Unchained Melody topped the charts. No doubt most listeners are familiar with the 1965 Righteous Brothers hit Unchained Melody. The song had been around for ten years. I'll explain in a minute. Baxter was born Mar. 14, 1922 in Mexia, TX. He studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory and Pepperdine College in Los Angeles. After playing sax in Freddie Slack's big band, Baxter decided he wanted to be a singer. And he sang with Mel Torme's Mel Tones. But in 1950, Baxter took a job as an arranger and conductor at Capitol Records. He conducted the orchestra for Nat King Cole's Mona Lisa. Baxter seemed to specialize in what became known as Exotica. He produced Peruvian singer Yma Sumac's first album and wrote and produced Martin Denny's 1959 hit Quiet Village. He also recorded plenty of instrumental easy listening albums. Unchained Melody was the theme for the 1955 prison film Unchained. The song was written by the film's composer Alex North with lyrics by Hy Zaret. Opera singer Todd Duncan sang it when he appeared in the film. In those days, it was not unusual for several versions of a song from a film to be recorded and compete with each other for chart position.  Baxter's version of Unchained Melody had an orchestra and chorus. It was also recorded by singers Al Hibbler and Roy Hamilton. Baxter's version topped the Billboard pop chart while Hibbler and Hamilton topped the R&B chart. I don't think Duncan's recording was released as a single. It hardly matters as all three guys were black. And in those days, white radio stations didn't play black artists. So that left clear sailing for Baxter. Baxter's version of Unchained Melody was a quickie recording so it was only released as a single. This was Baxter's biggest chart hit. Baxter continued to record easy listening albums for Capitol and for Reprise when he and Nelson Riddle moved there in 1962. Baxter also scored plenty of films including the Beach Party movies. Baxter continued to work on music until he died on Jan. 15, 1993 at age 73. This 2CD comp from the reissue label Jasmine covers his entire career. Here's a video of Unchained Melody by Less Baxter.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Bluegrass Album Band

Artist:The Bluegrass Album Band

Song:Cheyenne

Album:The Bluegrass Compact Disc

Here's a supergroup with some of the most badass musicians on the planet and it was formed by accident. Then they recorded and toured for fifteen years. I just find that terms like supergroup are tossed around way too liberally. But this band is a supergroup. The year was 1980. Banjoist J.D. Crowe was gathering musicians to record an album for singer and guitarist Tony Rice. Musicians were J.D. Crowe on banjo, Doyle Lawson on mandolin, Bobby Hicks on fiddle and Todd Phillips on bass. This 1981 album of bluegrass standards was called The Bluegrass Album. Rounder released it and announced that on future albums, they would be called The Bluegrass Album Band. Rice was credited as producer on all the albums. And they were numbered as Vol. 2, Vol. 3 etc. One major addition to the band on the 1983 album Vol. 3 was Jerry Douglas on dobro. Cheyenne is from the 1984 album Vol. 4. Hicks wrote Cheyenne when he was in Bill Monroe's band. This comp was released in 1986 and it's available on CD. I think that at the time, Rice told Rounder that Vol. 4 would be the band's final album. When The Bluegrass Album Band reformed in 1989, Hicks and Phillips were replaced by Vassar Clements on fiddle and Mark Schultz on bass. That can happen as these guys are very busy. Hicks and Phillips returned for the 1996 album Vol. 6. That's the last time The Bluegrass Album Band recorded. But they did reunite for a 2013 show. Bluegrass fans need to check them out. Here's The Bluegrass Album Band performing Cheyenne on an episode of Nashville Now.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Afel Bocoum

Artist:Afel Bocoum

Song:Bombolo Liilo

Album:Linde

Malian musician Afel Bocoum was a long time member of Ali Farka Toure's band. After Toure died in 2006, Bocoum released a few solo albums. He is currently a member of the band Alkibar Jr. Bocoum was born in Mali in 1955. He joined Ali Farka Toure's band as an apprentice in 1968. They are from the same town so Bocoum always respected Toure as a mentor. Farka's singer Harber Maiga taught Bocoum to sing and write songs. He left the band in 1975 as he won a scholarship to an agricultural college. He returned to Toure's band in 1980. He also formed his own band Alkibar and recorded an album in 1999. Bocoum has recorded mostly for Nick Gold's World Circuit label. Bocoum also appeared on Blur singer Damon Albarn's 2002 album Mali Music and he toured with Albarn. Bombolo Liilo is from Bocoum's 2011 album Linde. Albarn and World Circuit owner Nick Gold were executive producers. The album was produced by Paul Chandler and Mark Mulholland. Both are knowledgeable about African music. Chandler has produced Bocoum's band Alkibar Jr. This album is available on CD. This is Bocoum's latest album. He is currently touring Europe with Alkibar Jr. Here's Afel Bocoum performing Bombolo Liilo at a 2020 rehearsal. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Christina Aguilera

Artist:Christina Aguilera

Song:Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Album:My Kind of Christmas

This Christmas album by pop singer Christina Aguilera was a big seller when it was released in 2000. It sold a million copies which is great for a Christmas album. At the time, Christina had just become a big star with singles like Genie in a Bottle. She was on tour and her next album of original music would be  the 2002 album Stripped. So RCA Records executive producer Ron Fair figured they needed a couple of stopgap albums until Stripped was ready. So first they released the Spanish language album Mi Reflejo in Sept. 2000. That album was written and produced by veteran producer Rudy Perez. That album sold a half million copies which is pretty good for a Spanish album. And it was followed in Oct. 2000 by the album My Kind of Christmas. They had released The Christmas Song as a single and it reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 so Fair knew it would be a big seller. The album was certified Platinum and it topped Billboard's seasonal chart. Christina was touring when this album was recorded. Fair produced most of the album. It's mostly Christmas standards like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas which Judy Garland sang in the 1943 film Meet Me in St. Louis. As we have learned in recent years, there is plenty of money to be made with original Christmas songs. But there are only three original songs on this album. It's available as a budget CD. These days Christina isn't as popular as she used to be. Her latest album in 2022 was the Spanish language album Aguilera. And instead of touring, she has been doing residencies in Las Vegas. Last month it was announced that to celebrate the 25th anniversary of My Kind of Christmas, the concert film Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris will be released to theaters in December. Shouldn't that be a TV special or released direct to streaming? A soundtrack album might do well. Here's Christina Aguilera and Brian McKnight performing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas on the 2000 ABC TV special Christina Aguilera: My Reflection. This performance was on the home video release. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Josh Thompson

Artist:Josh Thompson

Song:Beer on the Table

Album:Way Out Here

Josh Thompson started out as a Nashville songwriter. Like many songwriters, he wanted to be a big country music star. When that didn't work out for him, he returned to songwriting. He was born Jan. 23, 1978 in Cedarburg, WI which is a Milwaukee suburb. Thompson moved to Nashville in 2005. After he co-wrote the title track of Jason Michael Carroll's 2009 album Growing Up Is Getting Old, Thompson signed with Columbia Records and recorded the 2010 album Way Out Here with producer Michael Knox. He is the son of Rock 'n' Roll legend Buddy Knox. And he discovered Jason Aldean. Beer on the Table was the first of three singles from the album. It reached #17 on the Country Singles chart. Thompson co-wrote the song with the husband and wife team of Ken Johnson and Andi Zack. This is their only chart single. Thompson co-wrote all the songs on the album. When the other two singles  didn't do much better and neither did the album, Thompson was moved to RCA. Way Out Here is available on CD.He started recording an album with producer Phil O'Donnell. A single was released. When it didn't do well, the album was cancelled and Thompson left RCA. Thompson signed with Toby Keith's Show Dog label distributed by Universal. The 2014 album Turn It Up was produced by Mark Wright and Cliff Audretch III. Both are veteran producers. When this didn't do as well as Thompson's first album, He left Show Dog too. Since then, Thompson has concentrated on songwriting and he has had success co-writing songs for Morgan Wallen. His story is not unusual in Nashville. Some guys are not meant to be stars. But Thompson can make a good living as a songwriter. Here's the video for Beer on the Table by Josh Thompson.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Jackson 5

Artist:The Jackson 5

Song:I'll Be There

Album:The Ultimate Collection

There was a brief time in the early 70s that The Jackson 5 were the hottest act in music. They scored four #1 hits in a row including the 1970 single I'll Be There. They faded after that and reinvented themselves as The Jacksons. Of course Motown owner Berry Gordy's greatest fear was The Jackson 5 growing up and losing their appeal. But they changed with the times very well and had renewed success as The Jacksons. Of course we all know that The Jackson 5 are from Gary, IN and they were taught music by their father Joe Jackson. They won local talent contests in the mid 60s. Then dad signed them to local record label Steeltown Records owned by record producer Gordon Keith with Atlantic distribution. They had modest success with the 1967 single Big Boy. But Keith found out that Joe Jackson was trying to contact Motown. So he was running out of time. In July 1968, The Jackson 5 were opening for Motown act Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers. After watching them perform, Taylor got them an audition at Motown in Detroit. At first, Gordy was against signing any "kid acts", but he signed them. And once he got them out of their Steeltown contract, The Jackson Five signed a seven year deal. Motown's official story was that Diana Ross discovered The Jackson 5. But Bobby Taylor actually discovered them. He just wasn't a big Motown star. Motown even called The Jackson 5's 1970 debut album Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5. That's when Jacksomania was born. Of course most of the attention went to 11 year old lead singer Michael Jackson. Motown claimed he was eight years old. Marlon, Jackie, Jermaine and Tito Jackson probably didn't care as long as they were successful. The first three Jackson 5 albums were very successful. They scored four straight number one hits. I'll Be There was the fourth of those hits and it was from the 1970 album Third Album. Gordy had put together The Corporation to write and produce Jackson 5 records. He did this to keep control after Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown to start their own label. Of course it didn't last because Gordy can drive people crazy. So by the time Third Album was recorded, longtime Motown songwriter producer Hal Davis was in charge and The Corporation was just an alias for Gordy. I'll Be There topped the charts. Michael and Jermaine sang lead. I'll Be There was written by Gordy, Bob West, Davis and Willie Hutch. Hutch started out as a songwriter and producer for The 5th Dimension. Davis brought him to Motown and he recorded a few albums until leaving in 1977. Bob West was a session bassist and member of the Los Angeles session musician collective The Wrecking Crew. He not only co-wrote I'll Be There but he wrote the arrangement. Other musicians were Joe Sample of The Crusaders on keyboards, David T. Walker, Louis Shelton and Arthur Wright on guitar and Gene Pello on drums. This comp covers the entire Jackson 5 run. The Jackson 5 faded after this. They had to change. So they left Motown for Epic Records in 1976 and started recording as The Jacksons. I'll look at that in a future post. Here's The Jackson 5 performing I'll Be There on a 1970 episode of The Jim Nabors Hour. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bettye Swann

Artist:Bettye Swann

Song:Make Me Yours

Album:The Very Best of Bettye Swann

Soul singer Bettye Swann topped the R&B charts with the 1967 single Make Me Yours. It was also a top thirty pop hit. She also wrote the song. She continued to record for the next decade and it was still her biggest hit. She was born Betty Jean Champion Oct. 24, 1944 in Shreveport, LA as one of 14 children. She grew up in Arcadia, LA. She was in a vocal group called Arcadia and they moved to Los Angeles in 1963. Local DJ Al Scott became her manager and had her change her name to Bettye Swann. After releasing a couple of singles, Bettye signed with Money Records owned by producer Arthur Wright. And he produced the 1967 single Make Me Yours. It topped the R&B Singles chart and reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released the album Make Me Yours. Bettye wrote most of the songs on the album. When subsequent singles didn't catch on, Bettye fired Scott and married her new manager George Barton. They moved to Georgia and she got a new record deal with Capitol. She didn't have much success there or when she switched to Atlantic in 1972. I noticed that both labels had her record covers of songs like Angel of the Morning instead of letting her write her own songs. Bettye retired from music in 1980 after her husband and manager died. This comp from the British oldies label Kent Records covers Bettye's entire career. Bettye changed her name to Betty Barton and became a teacher in Las Vegas. She is now retired. Here's a video of Make Me Yours by Bettye Swann.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Terrian

Artist:Terrian

Song:Honestly, We Just Need Jesus

Album:Give It Time

Singer Terrian Bass Woods became known through her association with CCM uber producer Toby "TobyMac" McKeehan. She was supposed to be lead singer of his band that was to be called Diversecity. But it doesn't look like that band ever recorded. They may have toured but at some point, TobyMac decided not to continue the band. So instead Terrian appeared on TobyMac's 2022 album Life After Death. And she signed a record deal with his label Gotee Records. And now Terrian's 2024 debut album Give It Time and singles like Honestly, We Just Need Jesus are making waves in CCM. Terrian was born Sept. 2, 1998 in Memphis. She grew up singing in church and cites Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary as big influences. As I said, Terrian was supposed to be lead singer of Diversecity in 2017. When that band didn't come together as TobyMac had hoped, he turned Terrian into a solo artist with a couple of singles in 2019. Eventually, he got around to recording a Terrian album with producers like Joel Setien and Jordan Mohilowski. Give It Time had success on the CCM charts and songs like Honestly, We Just Need Jesus were popular online. So is Terrian gospel or CCM? Well, TobyMac has always straddled gospel and CCM. Remember the female trio Out of Eden? The gospel music business tends to get hung up on labels and that's something TobyMac is trying to avoid. I think she's a gospel singer so I like her. Her album is available on CD. Here's the video for Honestly, We Just Need Jesus by Terrian.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Pee Wee Crayton

Artist:Pee Wee Crayton

Song:Blues After Hours

Album:The Pee Wee Crayton Collection 1947-62

Blues guitarist Pee Wee Crayton topped the R&B charts with the 1948 single Blues After Hours. It was his very first record and it was big enough to keep Crayton busy on tour until his 1985 death. He was born Connie Curtis Crayton Dec. 18, 1914 in Rockdale, TX. Crayton moved to Los Angeles in 1935 and settled in Oakland. His main guitar influence was the great T-Bone Walker who taught Crayton the basics of blues guitar. Crayton signed with Modern Records in 1948. They were owned by the Bihari brothers and based in Los Angeles. They released lots of blues but weren't as successful as Chess Records. Crayton based Blues After Hours on the Erskine Hawkins song After Hours. Crayton started writing it while playing a San Francisco club. He played it for Jules Bihari and he wanted to record it. Crayton told him the song wasn't finished. But Bihari wanted to record it anyway. So much of Blues After Hours was improvised. It paid off as Blues After Hours topped the Race Records chart. Musicians who played on the record included Buddy Floyd on tenor sax, David Lee Johnson on piano, Bill Davis on bass and Candy Johnson on drums. A couple of Crayton's other records charted. But Blues After Hours was his biggest hit. Crayton left Modern in 1951. He recorded for several other labels but most notably for Imperial Records for producer Dave Bartholomew in New Orleans. He also recorded for Aladdin, Vee-Jay, Jamie, Guyden and Smash. All these recordings are on this 2CD comp from the British oldies label Acrobat. Crayton wouldn't record again until the 1971 album Things I Used to Do for Vanguard Records. He recorded occasionally for small labels and continued to tour until he died on June 25, 1985 at age 70. Here's a video for Blues After Hours by Pee Wee Crayton. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Choir of Young Believers

Artist:Choir of Young Believers

Song:Under the Moon

Album:This Is for the White in Your Eyes/Burn the Flag

Here's another example of a solo artist giving himself a band name. This is usually done to preserve anonymity but I don't think that's true in this case. The man behind Choir of Young Believers was Danish guitarist Jannis Noya Makrigiannis from Copenhagen, Denmark. He was in the band Lake Placid. They released an album in 2004 and then split up. Makrigiannis moved to the Greek island of Samos to work on his own music. When he returned to Copenhagen, he brought in musicians to record the 2007 EP Burn the Flag followed by the album This Is for the White in Your Eyes. They got airplay on Danish radio. Choir of Young Believers won Best New Act at the Danish Music Awards. They played the 2009 SXSW music festival and that led to a US record deal with indie label Ghostly International. They released This Is for the White in Your Eyes in the US in 2009. The music is folk rock with cello by Cecille Trier. You'll see her in the video clip. Why the band name? Well, Makrigiannis is a long name so that was probably a good idea. The album Rhine Gold was released in 2012 followed by the 2016 album Grasque. Makrigiannis wrote and produced everything himself and brought in musicians to play on his albums and formed a band for touring. The music was critically acclaimed. But it's not commercial music. So they had potential to build a cult following. Burn the Flag and This Is for the White in Your Eyes are on one budget CD. Sadly Makrigiannis got sick and after releasing the 2022 album Holy Smoke, Makrigiannis died on Dec. 30, 2022. Here's Choir of Young Believers performing Under the Moon for Seattle radio station KEXP Oct. 23, 2009. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Beatles

Artist:The Beatles

Song:Hey Jude

Album:1967-1970

The big difference between The Beatles' early days and the later days is they retired from touring in 1966. So they became a studio band. It allowed them to make more experimental music that they wouldn't have attempted if they were still touring. The change didn't seem to hurt record sales. Of course there was also the risk that they would tire of each other and I think that's what led to the eventual split. By the time the single Hey Jude was released in 1968, The Beatles announced the formation of their new record company Apple Corps. Did they need to start their own company? Of course not but John Lennon and Paul McCartney had big plans. George Harrison and Ringo Starr didn't think much of it. Hey Jude was one of Apple's "First Four" singles. This is an example of some of Apple's silly nonsense. But Hey Jude was a great song and it topped the charts worldwide. Lennon had left his wife Cynthia for Yoko Ono. So McCartney wrote Hey Jude to comfort Lennon's son Julian. The record was seven minutes long and the final refrain lasted four minutes. That would have been very unusual. It also shows how sappy McCartney's songs had become. And that would get worse post Beatles. They even filmed a promotional clip that aired on the TV show Frost on Sunday starring David Frost. You can get Hey Jude on this 2CD comp. By this time, Lennon and McCartney weren't writing together. It wouldn't be long before The Beatles split up for good. And I believe the decision to retire from touring led to the split. They had too much time on their hands to get upset about nothing. And if you have seen any of The Beatles documentaries of that time period, that's exactly what was happening. Here's the video for Hey Jude by The Beatles.

 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jordan Feliz

Artist:Jordan Feliz

Song:Jesus Is Coming Back

Album:Say It: Deluxe Edition

Jordan Feliz is a CCM singer songwriter who mixes soul and gospel with pop. He has had success on the Christian charts and is a Dove award winner. He was born Mar. 15, 1989 in Clovis, CA which is a Fresno suburb. After graduating from high school in 2007, he joined the band A Current Affair as lead singer. They found him on MySpace. A Current Affair performed a style of hard rock called Screamo where the lead singer screams the lyrics. Even for hard rock, there is a limited market for Screamo. It's also tough on the singer's vocal cords. After releasing a couple of EPs, Feliz left A Current Affair in 2012 and moved to Nashville to pursue a music career. A Current Affair split up. Feliz worked day jobs and became a church worship leader. He was invited to participate in an unsigned artists' retreat hosted by the CCM label Centricity. They signed him and Feliz released his 2015 debut album Beloved. The single The River reached #2 on the Christian chart. He also won a New Artist of the Year Dove award. Feliz writes and produces with producer Colby Wedgeworth who has produced Lincoln Brewster. Jesus Is Coming Back is from the 2020 album Say It. As with previous albums, Feliz wrote and produced with Wedgeworth. Guest artists include Aaron Cole, Hulvey, Lecrae, Terrian and TobyMac. They made plans to release a Deluxe Edition of Say It in 2022. To promote it, a remix of Jesus Is Coming Back featuring Mandisa and Jonathan Traylor was released as a single. It reached #2 on the Christian charts. The only thing they did wrong is they didn't make a new video. The Special Edition of Say It has several bonus tracks and is available on CD. Feliz' latest album Everything Good was released last year. He is currently on tour. Here's the video for Jesus Is Coming Back by Jordan Feliz.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barbara George

Artist:Barbara George

Song:I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)

Album:The Best of Sue Records

The 1962 single I Know was a top five hit and it topped the R&B charts. It was the only big hit for R&B singer songwriter Barbara George. A couple of her other songs charted so she is not technically a one hit wonder. But I Know is her only memorable song and it still gets played on oldies radio. She was born Barbara Ann Smith Aug. 16, 1942 in New Orleans. She grew up singing in church and New Orleans music legend Jessie Hill (Ooh Poo Pah Doo) discovered her and sent her to producer Harold Battiste. He was the arranger on Sam Cooke's 1957 classic You Send Me. Then in 1961 he started AFO Records (All for One). Sue Records was the distributor. And that's when Hill brought him Barbara George. They recorded an album. And the big surprise was when I Know reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B Singles chart. Barbara wrote most of the songs on the album including I Know. Battiste produced and arranged and also played piano and sax. Sue Records owner Juggy Murray was executive producer. The musicians were New Orleans session guys like like Alvin "Red" Tyler on sax, Marcel Richardson on piano, Roy Montrell on guitar, Peter Badie on bass and John Boudreaux on drums. Melvin Lastie played the cornet solo on I Know. Sue released a few more singles but they weren't able to repeat the success of I Know. It turned out to be AFO's only big hit. And in 1962, he sold it to Sue and moved to Los Angeles. Battiste was musical director for Sonny & Cher including for their TV variety show. Meanwhile, Sue Records sold their catalog to United Artists in 1968. So Capitol has released a couple of Sue Records box sets. But they have also licensed Sue to Collectables who released this various artists CD which includes songs by Ike & Tina Turner and Jimmy McGriff. Barbara George released music occasionally until her 1982 retirement. She died on Aug. 10, 2006 at age 63. Here's a video for I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) by Barbara George.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kabuki Warrors vs Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss

Here's the match video of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss defending the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships vs the Kabuki Warriors. This was set up on Friday's episode of Smackdown when Nia Jax won over Alexa and unveiled NXT's Lash Legend as her new tag team partner. Then afterwards when Alexa and Charlotte were in the medical room when the Kabuki Warriors showed up disguised as nurses and Asuka used the poison mist. So this match was mainly to set up the upcoming War Games match but also a possible title change. So this is more angle than match. The end comes when Nia and Lash interfere when Charlotte has her figure eight leglock on Asuka. Then Alexa gets tossed over the announce table and Asuka and Kairi finish Charlotte with their double team Insane Elbow to win the match. So the Kabuki Warriors are the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. I told you that would happen. Post match, the heels form an alliance and beat up the babyfaces until IYO SKY shows up followed by the returning Rhea Ripley wearing a mask on her broken nose. So we now have the participants in the women's War Games. I can't wait to see the crazy things IYO will do. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ezio Pinza

Artist:Ezio Pinza f/Mary Martin

Song:Some Enchanted Evening

Album:South Pacific: Original Broadway Cast

Italian opera singer Ezio Pinza was a star in New York's Metropolitan Opera for over twenty years. But he is probably best remembered for starring as Emile de Becque in the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical South Pacific. Of course most folks are familiar with the 1958 film of South Pacific and never got see Pinza perform in the show. Well, you will get to see him today as I have found a newly discovered video clip on the Rodgers and Hammerstein YouTube page. Pinza was born May 18, 1892 in Rome, Italy. He grew up in Ravenna on Italy's east coast. He started singing at the Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini in Bologna and made his operatic debut in 1914. Pinza served in the military during WWI. He sang at the famed opera house La Scala in Milan in 1922. His career blossomed under La Scala's conductor Arturo Toscanini. Pinza made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1926. Then he moved to the US permanently and sang for them from 1927-48. He also sang at the New York Philharmonic and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. But the Met was his main place until he left in 1948. Pinza was bored and he wanted new challenges. Edwin Lester of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera signed Pinza for a show that never happened. Lester asked Richard Rodgers to take over Pinza's contract. And Rodgers thought Pinza would be perfect as Emile Le Becque in South Pacific. Mary Martin was hired to play Nellie Forbush and they were perfect together. South Pacific opened on Broadway on Apr. 7, 1949 and the show was a huge success. But Pinza only stayed for a few months as he signed a movie deal with MGM. The problem was the two films he made there bombed. So they cancelled his contract. Sony released South Pacific on CD in 1993 with several bonus tracks. Pinza went into TV and had his own show for a while. He appeared in the 1954 Broadway musical Fanny. Then his health failed. After a series of heart attacks, Pinza suffered a stroke and died on May 9, 1957 at age 64. There were plans for Pinza to star in the 1958 film South Pacific. But he died before production began. Here's Ezio Pinza with Mary Martin performing Some Enchanted Evening on the 1954 TV special General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Oscar Peterson Ben Webster

Artist:Oscar Peterson Ben Webster

Song:Perdido

Album:During This Time

When I watched the excellent documentary Oscar Peterson: Black + White, the only thing that bothered me was that Danish bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (NHOP) was never mentioned in the film. He worked with Peterson from 1972-87. So I believe he was as important to Peterson as Ray Brown was in the 50s. And you know what, Brown agrees with me. He thought NHOP was the only other bassist who could keep up with Peterson. So he should have been mentioned in the doc. This is to correct that oversight. NHOP was born May 27, 1946 in Osted, Zealand, Denmark. His father was church organist. NHOP took piano lessons as a child. But he took up the bass as a teen and formed his first band at age 15. He was 17 when Count Basie offered him a job but NHOP turned it down. His main influences are Walter Page, Paul Chambers, Scott LaFaro and Ray Brown. NHOP moved to Paris and was the house bassist at the jazz club The Montmartre which was a regular stop for touring US jazz musicians. And that's where he met Peterson. At the time, Peterson was at a low point in his career especially after Verve Records closed. He thought NHOP was as good as Brown. So he took him on the road and formed a trio with guitarist Joe Pass. This collaboration revitalized Peterson's career at Norman Granz' new label Pablo Records. The problem was I could find live clips of Peterson and NHOP performing. But they never recorded the song. That is also true of the jazz classic Perdido. But I have found a CD of a 1972 live recording featuring jazz sax legend Ben Webster. The drummer is Tony Incalazo, an American who lived in Germany. It was filmed for German TV on Dec. 14, 1972 in Hannover, Germany. The CD and DVD were released in 2014 on the German label MIG's jazz label Art of Groove. As I said, Peterson and NHOP worked together until 1987. NHOP also recorded as a leader mostly for SteepleChase. He may have looked like a college professor but he was highly respected by his peers. Neils-Henning Orsted Pedersen died on Apr. 19, 2005 at age 58. Here's Oscar Peterson, Ben Webster, Neils-Henning Orsted Petersen and Tony Incalazo preforming Perdido in Hannover, Germany Dec. 14, 1972.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba

Artist:Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba

Song: Musow Fanga

Album:Ba Power

Bassekou Kouyate is a Malian musician and leading proponent of the ngoni which is similar to the lute. He frequently performs with his singer wife Amy Sacko and they released an album last year. He was born Aug. 7, 1966 in Garana, Mali. His father also played the ngoni and taught all his sons to play it. His mother was a singer. Kouyate was one of thirteen children. His father was not a professional musician because he thought God would punish him. But as a teen, Kouyate was playing at local parties and thought he could be a musician. After his father died, Kouyate moved to Segu to join guitarist Cheikh Oumar Diabate's band featuring his singer wife Nainy. That's also where he met Amy Sacko. That's where he learned to be a musician. He toured with Diabate in the 80s until he joined Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra in the late 80s. Habib Koite was lead singer. Kouyate married Amy Sacko in 1990 and started his own band in 1995. The formation of the band Ngoni Ba came out of discussions with producer Lucy Duran who had produced Diabate's band. She got him a record deal with the German label Outhere Records. After several albums, he switched to the German label Glitterbeat for the 2015 album Ba Power featuring the song Musow Fanga. The album was produced by The Walkabouts lead singer and guitarist Chris Eckman who also plays guitar on the record. He records for Glitterbeat. This album is available as a budget CD. After one more album, Kouyate disbanded Ngoni Ba in 2019. Last year Kouyate and Amy released the album Djudjon on the Danish label One World Records. He wrote and produced it himself at home in Mali. The two continue to tour the world and are recommended to Malian music fans. Here's the video for Musow Fanga byBassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Natalie Layne

Artist:Natalie Layne

Song:Amen

EP:Amen

Natalie Layne is a CCM singer who could have a big future if she can release more music. So far she has released 2 EPs and that's not enough. But I like what I have heard. Natalie is from Colorado Springs, CO. She grew up singing in church and decided she wanted a career in music. So she moved to Nashville and graduated from Belmont University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in commercial music and a master's degree in commercial piano. Before moving to Nashville she was a worship leader at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. She is currently a worship leader at Ethos Church in Nashville. Natalie self released an EP in 2017 followed by the album Be Human in 2020. Then she released a 2021 single and EP through Rixon Entertainment. They are more management company than record label. The EP had the desired effect as it got Natalie a record deal with the CCM label Centricity. They are distributed by Universal. The EP Amen was released in 2023 and she started touring and opening for Jeremy Camp and Chris Tomlin. Natalie writes and produces everything herself. And Amen has a more contemporary sound than I hear on a lot of CCM. And of course a lot of P&W sounds alike. So I like what I hear. The EP Amen is available as a budget CD. I would just like to see her release more music. She released a single earlier this year and the 2025 album Joy is mostly music that had already been released including Amen. One potential problem is that CCM superstar Lauren Daigle is also on Centricity and Natalie may have to move to a different label to get a decent promotion budget. Here's the video for Amen by Natalie Layne. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Helms

Artist:Bobby Helms

Song:My Special Angel

Album:Feauleins, Jacquelines and Special Angels

Country singer Bobby Helms is best known for the 1957 Christmas perennial Jingle Bell Rock. But he topped the country charts with the 1957 singles Fraulein and My Special Angel and My Special Angel was a top ten pop hit. Helms was born Aug. 15, 1933 in Bloomington, IN. He performed with his brother Freddie in the Midwest before moving to Nashville in 1956 to sign with Decca Records. Helms had his greatest success in 1957 when the single Fraulein topped the country charts and reached #36 on the pop chart. This was followed by My Special Angel which also topped the country charts. But the big surprise was when it reached #7 on the pop chart. Jingle Bell Rock followed that and that still gets Christmas airplay. Then Decca released the album Bobby Helms Sings to My Special Angel. The problem is that Fraulein and Jingle Bell Rock were only released as singles and aren't on the album. The best way to get all three hits on one CD is on this comp from the reissue label Jasmine. My Special Angel was the biggest hit written by singer songwriter Jimmy Duncan. Decca Nashville head Paul Cohen produced. He established Decca Nashville but left in 1958 and Owen Bradley took over. And he made Decca a force in Nashville. Other than the seasonal airplay of Jingle Bell Rock, Helms didn't have any more pop hits. He continued to have success in country until the mid 60s when he left Decca for Kapp. Helms continued to tour and record for smaller labels until he died on June 19, 1997 at age 64. Bobby Helms is in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Here's Bobby Helms performing My Special Angel on the Dec. 1, 1957 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marvin Gaye

Artist:Marvin Gaye

Song:I Want to Come Home for Christmas

AlbumYou're the Man

I always like to feature Christmas songs at this time of year. And I also like to feature lost songs or as I call them, discography orphans. I Want to Come Home for Christmas covers both things. You're the Man was supposed to be Gaye's 1972 follow up album to What's Going On. And he was also planning to record a Christmas album. You're the Man was released as a single in 1972. Gaye was inspired by the 1972 presidential election. At the time, Gaye was in trouble for failure to pay back taxes. So You're the Man was a callout especially to George McGovern about righting all the wrongs of the previous administration. Gaye wrote the song with Kenneth Stover who worked with him on What's Going On. Members of Hamilton Bohannon's band played on the record. The idea was to build an album around You're the Man similar to What's Going On. You're the Man was released as a single and when it flopped, Gaye decided to scrap the album. Meanwhile, Gaye was thinking about recording a Christmas album. I Want to Go Home for Christmas came about when Gaye was visiting his friend Forest Hairston. Hairston had written songs with Smokey Robinson. Hairston was writing a song about Vietnam War veterans wanting to  come home for Christmas. Gaye helped him finish the song and record it at Motown's Los Angeles studio. Though Gaye's Christmas album was never released, I Want to Go Home for Christmas was released as a single because the song is about Vietnam War veterans. Motown didn't want to release it. The song has turned up on comps over the years and many R&B radio stations play it during the Christmas season. This album You're the Man was promoted as a lost album when it was released in 2019. Fifteen of the songs have been released on compilations over the years. Now you can get them on one CD along with some additional songs. I think Marvin Gaye fans should check it out. Here's the video for I Want to Go Home for Christmas by Marvin Gaye.