Molly Mason & Jay Ungar > The Lover’s Waltz
Composed by Jay Ungar & Molly Mason

Truly, one of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard. Molly and Jay are national treasures.

I’ve no idea what this week’s theme is going to be, but this song just cuts through so deeply, I needed to lead with it.

Update: OK, it was obvious to everyone but me.

Violin Week #1
Legends of the Violin #1 & #2
Ballad #42

Keith Jarrett > When I Fall In Love
Composed by Victor Young & Edward Heyman

It’s no surprise to Keith fans that he’s a sentimentalist (no surprise to my closest listeners that I am either), so I was going to feature something from his tribute to Miles’ life. I chose one of his trio’s spontaneous interpretations of one of my favorite Miles tracks instead.

Fitting to end the week on a standard, given the decades he’s dedicated to them. This one is traditionally jazz than my the album from the beginning of the week, but, just as satisfying.

Keith Jarrett Week #5
Legends of the Piano #2
Ballad #41
Standards #9

Keith Jarrett > My Wild Irish Rose
Composed by Chauncey Olcott

Never in a hundred years (OK, maybe 40) would it have occurred to me that I’d build our first artist week around Keith Jarrett. Hank Jones, Cecil Taylor, maybe Herbie Hancock? Them, I might have predicted. But year after year I keep pulling Keith albums out.

Particularly this one. (In fact, I featured it a year ago.) Not jazz in any traditional sense (no soloing), but I can’t imagine anyone but a jazzman interpreting melodies this way.

To me, this song was just an international cliche until I couldn’t dislodge Keith’s version from my head. He nails the melody so deeply…

Keith Jarrett Week #1
Legends of the Piano #2
Ballad #40 
Standards #8

The Doors > The Crystal Ship
Composed by The Doors

Our ends segued pretty neatly into the explosion of the ‘rock’ era. We enjoyed the music (early on, especially Ray and Brian) but as a band we were rooted in an earlier moment. So, when we covered The Doors we didn’t pick Break On Through (To the Other Side) like a lot of friends would have preferred. Our vocal front line (Rodney, Phil and Ray) three part harmonized The Crystal Ship. Hey, it worked for us.

Neglekted Few Week #10 
Legends of Rock #16 
Ballad #39

Peaches & Herb > For Your Love
Composed by Ed Townsend

Our band was blessed with incredible vocal chops. Rodney was our lead singer and had the voice of a black angel. But when you added Phil and Ray, and trumped it with the three of them practicing in the school choir every week, we beat everyone in the harmony department, hands down.

It was the other guys who brought in most of our great material, including this Peaches & Herb track, which was one of our shining moments. (We even sang it on WABC Radio’s battle of the band competition, Cousin Brucie’s “Big Break.” Alas, we didn’t win.) They could sing the hell out of this one.

Neglekted Few Week #3 
Ballad #38

Raul Malo > Beautiful Dreamer
Composed by Stephen Foster

My search for beautiful songs has turned up some great things this week, including this gem from an even more beautiful album, celebrating one of America’s first pop songwriters. The singer’s unfamiliar? Maybe you know him from The Mavericks.

Beautiful Week #4
Ballad #37
Legends of Pop #9

The Four Freshman > But Beautiful
Composed by Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Burke

I didn’t really know this famous song until I did an iTunes search and found that I owned six different versions. And the main thing I knew about The Four Freshman is their sound almost invented the Beach Boys. And an Amazon search didn’t turn up their version. But, it definitely lives up to its name.

Beautiful Week #3
Ballad #36 
Legends of Pop #8

Ray Charles > America the Beautiful
Composed by Katharine Lee Bates & Samuel A. Ward

Despite its ubiquity when I was young, I’m not sure I ever really heard this song until Ray imprinted it in my soul when I was in my 20s. Most young people don’t seem to know it now, so maybe he can still make a difference.

Beautiful Week #2
Ballad #35 
Legends of Soul #26 
Legends of the Piano #9 
Legends of Pop #7

Charles Lloyd > You Are So Beautiful
Composed by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher, & maybe Dennis Wilson

Joe Cocker made this so popular, and it was covered so often that it became a standard. But, jazz musicians tend to only think of standards as the “Great American Songbook” songs of the pre-rock era. But, Charles Lloyd always defined his own standards.

Beautiful Week #1
Ballad #34 
Legends of the Saxophone #15

Led Zeppelin > I Can’t Quit You Baby
Composed by Otis Rush

I’m not sure that a Led Zep Otis Rush cover would qualify to anyone else as a ballad or even a classic rock power ballad. But, it’s my blog, and I’ll cry if I want to.

Ballads Week #4
Legends of Rock #14 
Legends of the Guitar #12
Ballad #33 
Cover #48