Sunday, January 2nd, 2005 ... 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. ... KZSU, 90.1 FM

Filling the spot normally occupied by Kesha's "Lift Jesus Higher" show. The plan was to go with a Sunday-morning vibe ... start with some easier jazz stuff, then a folk / mellow rock section. Maybe into tougher jazz from there, and ending with rollicking blues.

They aren't in Kesha's orbit I'm sure, but Guided by Voices played their farewell show in Chicago on New Year's Eve, so I definitely wanted to include their final song.

Format:
ARTIST -- "TRACK TITLE" -- ALBUM TITLE (LABEL, YEAR)

Keith Jarrett -- "The Journey Home" -- My Song (ECM, 1978)

A fast-paced but gentle piece, one of my favorites from Jarrett's '70s period (which always seemed more open-aired and friendly than his standards trio, IMHO). Nice way to start a day when you're sitting alone at a radio station before sunrise.

* Ben Schwendener and Uwe Steinmetz -- "Dona Dona" -- Apfelschaun (Gravity Arts, 2003)

* Dom Minasi -- "I Who Have Nothing" -- Quick Response (CDM, 2004)

* Jeff Johnson -- "The Good Life" -- Near Earth (Origin, 2004)

Ron Miles Quintet -- "Parade" -- Laughing Barrel (Sterling Circle, 2003)

* Makanda Ken McIntyre -- "Charshee" -- In the Wind (Passin' Thru, 2004)

Heartwarming set of woodwind quartets with McIntyre overdubbing all four parts. McIntyre is best known to me for avant-jazz work, but these pieces dig deep into his musical roots, displaying elements of blues and even New Orleans jazz (think Preservation Hall). It's a bit poignant considering this is a posthumous release, but the mood is quite cheerful. This particular track is a happy, soft, all-flute song.

* Rudresh Mahanthappa -- "Kannada" -- Mother Tongue (Pi Recordings, 2004)

Powerful saxophonist from NYC, with a quartet featuring the steely piano sounds of Vijay Iyer. I've raved about these guys before -- they produce a distinctive 21st-century sound and are a great addition to the jazz tradition.

* Matthew Shipp -- "Invisible Light" -- Harmony and Abyss (Thirsty Ear, 2004)

-- 7:00 p.m. --

* Big Satan including Tim Berne -- "Emportez-moi" -- Souls Saved Hear (Thirsty Ear, 2004)

(Shipp and Berne: token snippets to satisfy my avant-jazz jones. Both less than 2 minutes ... what the heck.)

* Triage -- "In the Afternoon" -- American Mythology (Okka Disk, 2004)

Charles Mingus -- "Myself When I Am Real" -- Thirteen Pictures (Atlantic, )

*! Tim Grimm -- "Barbara Allen" -- Names (Wind River, 2004)

*! Tom Smith -- "Behind Your Smile" -- Little Dog (Lone Oak, 2001)

*! James Colley -- "August" -- California Skin (Last Stop, 2004)

*! Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks -- "That's the Smoke They're Blowin'" -- Selected Shorts (Surfdog, 2004)

*! Andy Grooms Living Room -- "Mary or Mephisto" -- Grateful to Burn (Makeshift, 2004)

*! Steve Earle -- "Rich Man's War" -- The Revolution Starts ... Now (Artemis, 2004)

?! Sally Fingerett -- "Pink Lemonade" -- My Good Company (Shanachie, 1998)

*! Tom Corbett -- "On a New York Evening" -- Cloudless Blue Sky (Round Hole, 2004)

-- 8:00 p.m. --

! Joe Ely -- "My Baby Think She's French" -- Lord of the Highway (Hightone, 1987)

With a title like that, how can you go wrong? Fun rockabilly country stuff.

*! A.C. Newman -- "Drink to Me, Babe, Then" -- The Slow Wonder (Matador, 2004)

*! Noam Pikelny -- "Super Grouper" -- In the Maze (Compass, 2004)

Really nice instrumental bluegrass.

*! The Court and Spark -- "Sundowner, You" -- Witch Season (Absolutely Kosher, 2004)

*! Kimya Dawson -- "Moving On" -- Hidden Vagenda (Secretly Canadian, 2004)

*! Knife in the Water -- "The Very Air" -- Cut the Cord (Aspyr Media, 2003)

*! The Gourds -- "Wired Ole Gal" -- Blood of the Ram (Eleven Thirty, 2004)

*! Guided by Voices -- "Window of My World" -- Half Smiles of the Decomposed (Matador, 2004)
?! Doug Gillard -- "Present" -- Salamander (Pink Frost/Big Takeover, 2004)
! Guided by Voices -- "Don't Stop Now" -- Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (Matador, 1996)

A three-song mini-celebration of the final Guided by Voices show, which was in Chicago on New Year's Eve. "Window" was the soundtrack to a nostalgia slideshow that preceded each show on this last tour, and "Don't Stop Now" was the final song of that final show -- appropriately poignant and anthemic.

* Jr. Wells -- "Baby, Please Lend Me Your Love" -- Southside Blues Jam (Delmark, 1992; recorded 1969)

* Detroit Jr. -- "Call My Job" -- Blues on the Internet (Delmark, 2004)

* Finis Tasby -- "Call My Job" -- V/A: The Manish Boys (Delta Groove, 2004)

* = Item in KZSU rotation
! = Folk/pop/rock (as opposed to blues or jazz)
? = Item not in KZSU library

-- Go back to Memory Select playlists.
-- Bay Area free/improv music calendar: http://www.bayimproviser.com.