'Richey Recommends' Revisited

A Fun Music Countdown of Artists & Their Witty Tunes

During the Covid lockdown spring of 2020, I did a handful of videos on YouTube that I called “Richey Recommends,” featuring musical countdowns of five song recommendations of everything from dinnertime jazz to classical and more. It was fun for me if no one else. Don’t worry. I’ve no plans to reprise that video venture. But I did think I should revisit the recommendations part—sans my ‘face for radio’ on the video screen.

Anybody that’s listened to or read my not-so-pithy comments on music education will likely recall words like “We don’t eat steak for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” referring to the fact that we want a balanced diet of all kinds of food. The parallel to music is that music educators and apologists don’t advocate for only Bach 24/7. We do know what jazz, blues, and country sound like. If you are like me, sometimes you want a steak, and sometimes you want a hamburger. Some juicy burgers are out there, and I thought I’d share another round of “Richey Recommends” here on Substack. You don’t have to share my love of these sounds, but hopefully, you will see the uniqueness of their sound and find some novelty and delight in them—if only for a little while. So, grab a glass of your favorite relaxing beverage and be ready to listen to these tracks in part or whole. They are well worth your time as you stretch your musical enjoyment in directions you haven’t in a while—or ever.

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#5—The Human Saxophone

The first on our countdown is a jazz singer (Kurt Elling) that was unknown to me until a friend handed me a cool beverage in his living room and turned on this song on his vintage analog stereo. The song is called “Moonlight Serenade.” All I could think of as I listened was, “This guy sounds like a human saxophone, and I love it.” Don’t believe me? Feel free to scroll to the 1:25 mark, listen to that vocal riff that is only ten seconds long, and tell me I’m wrong. It’s relaxing, enjoyable, and addictive. It’s not your mother’s Glen Miller “Moonlight Serenade,” you’ll be glad because this different version is exquisite.

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#4—The King of the Country Road

The next on this little countdown is a leap from the relaxed evening jazz sounds of Kurt Elling to the guitar-wielding genius of Roger Miller. Most know him for his King of the Road, Chug-a-Lug, or Dang Me. But that only scratches the surface of the musical meanderings of Roger Miller. Roger was witty and funny in his musical comedy, not to mention the endearing twang of his voice that leaves you wanting more. This “Got 2 Again” song is what I settled on to show both the wit and fun that Roger wielded in his songs. Take a listen below. It’s just a fun ballad that epitomizes Roger Miller’s country genius.

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#3—The Piano King of Story

If Roger Miller was the guitar-wielding King of Story, then the piano-wielding compatriot is Randy Newman. Thanks to Randy Newman’s movie scoring for animated films, many don’t get to focus on the genius of Randy’s story-telling. He writes about issues that many shy away from today. He gets away with it because he narrates a character not necessarily meant to be his own voice or viewpoint. Randy’s nasal, angular voice is palpable with such a beautiful story and lyrics. This Louisiana boy also loves to hear the New Orleans Jazz and Blues influence coming out in so much of his music. The song below is Linda Ronstadt’s voice singing an original song from Randy Newman’s 1995 Musical, Faust, where Faust inquires if Margaret (Linda Ronstadt) was born in heaven because of her immense beauty. She replies that she was born in Gainesville and sings this beautiful ballad that epitomizes the song-writing genius of Randy Newman and how he knows how to write just enough piano accompaniment to propel and not distract from the story. Take a listen.

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#2—The Silky Smooth King of Soul

Kurt Elling’s voice is smooth, but there is no smoother, dulcet tone than the one-and-only Lou Rawls. It was hard to select a song of his. So I opted to pick a witty song that might not be as well known. “She’s No Lady” is a fun ballad. Also, check out “Suffering with the Blues” or Lou’s cover of the famous Etta James’ standard “At Last.” All these are well worth the listen to help you appreciate the smooth, soulful sounds of Lou Rawls.

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#1—A Splendid Simon Cover Artist: Josh Turner

Last but not least, I give you a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Baby Driver.” This modern Singer/Songwriter, Josh Turner, has some great covers of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and others. His voice is smooth, but his guitar fingerstyle is just as good. He’s done some great work to bring to a younger audience some of the best singer/songwriter sounds of his parent’s generation. He’s the guy playing the Martin guitar in this video. Check it out cause it is one stellar performance all around.

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Conclusion

I won’t do this kind of thing too often, but now and then, it is worth appreciating a wider body of fun and witty music. Like a good meal, it can be savory, sweet, and maybe even salty. Hopefully, you will enjoy it and check out these artists. These are not their best songs, but just songs that I thought would be a helpful hook. If nothing else, you’ll understand a bit more of what makes me the special brand of musical weird that I am.