Doin' the Friday Shuffle

With one step.

1. "Looks like December" - Antonio Carlos Jobim - Antonio Carlos Jobim's Finest Hour
I love "Waters of March" with all my being, but this isn't doing it for me.

2. "Jeremiah Blues (Part 1)" -- Sting -- The Soul Cages
I love this song, a jazzy-bluesy hybrid with some great end-of-the-world lyrics.

3. "The Woman with the Alabaster Box" - Arvo Part - I am the True Vine
Part's music is just gorgeous, hushed and solemn but still full of life. The balance here between the men and women in the choir creates a nice kind of duality.

4. "Pickin' on Your baby" - Louis Armstrong - The Essential Louis Armstrong
Ancient, scratchy-sounding song with Louis on the trumpet and some warbly female singing the lead. For me, of primarily historical interest.

5. "Esmeralda" - Alan Menken and Tim Stephen Schwartz - Der Glockner Von Notre Dame
The Berlin Original Cast recording (sung in German) of the seemingly abandoned stage version of Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This is a new song written for the score that makes ample use of themes from the film. Stirring Broadway stuff.

6. "Puerto Rican Day Parade" - Paul Simon - The Capeman (Original Broadway Cast)
Authentic-sounding Puerto Rican music from Simon, in an upbeat, trumpet-filled number from his underrated Broadway score.

7. "Move On" - Beradette Peters - Sondheim, Etc.
Touching live rendition of one of her signature Sunday in the Park with George songs. The revised, more "Broadway" orchestration is a bit of a disappointment.

8. "The Juggernaut" - Andrew Lippa - The Wild Party (Original Cast Recording)
Very energetic big ensemble number from Lippa's play. Many scoffed at the anachronistic electric guitars, but I think they give the score a great sound.

9. "When I Was Cruel No. 2" - Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel
Costello builds an insinuating, creepy song out of a sampled loop. He's still got it.

10. "Blood of Eden" - Peter Gabriel - Us
One of my favorite Gabriel songs, a simple, slow, delicate ballad with a great vocal.

Until Whenever