Random 10 for Aug. 5, 2008
1. Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, “Here I Am”
“Please, if it’s not too late … make mine a cheeseburger.” This jazzy 1989 gem illustrates Lovett at his best — wry, funny and vivid. For me, too much of his work veers into the staid, but not this song.
2. Elvis Costello, “Can You Be True”
3. The Replacements, “Johnny’s Gonna Die”
4. The Squirrel Nut Zippers, “Put a Lid on It”
Unjustly lumped in with the swing revivalists from the mid-Nineties, this Chapel Hill, N.C.-based outfit possessed an almost breathtaking diversity. “Put a Lid on It” is a lot more perky than most of what Billie Holiday produced, but Zippers’ vocalist Katharine Whalen sure does have a set of pipes that hearkens back to that late great singer.
5. Beck, “Farewell Ride”
6. Artie Shaw & His Orchestra, “Begin the Beguine”
7. Ted Hawkins, “Green-Eyed Girl”
8. Ray Charles, “That Lucky Old Sun”
9. Benny Goodman, “Sing, Sing, Sing (with a Swing)”
If not the iconic composition of the big band era, it’s gotta be in the top five. “King of Swing” Benny Goodman immortalized it, although it had been written by Louis Prima.
10. The Format, “If Work Permits”
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Hey Squirrel Nut Zippers and Benny Goodman! Now, that’s some pop music!