Just cuz I know you really care

It's about that time for me to review what's in the old blog playlist these days (and don't say, "A lot," smart aleck).

• "Black Cow" -- Steely Dan, Aja (1977): Quintessential '70s jazz-rock w/ some great narrative, good solos (Victor Feldman on electric piano, Tom Scott on sax)...and it's the Dan, so it must be good, right?
• "Low Down" -- Boz Scaggs, Silk Degrees (1976): Funky piece by Boz to whom I was really introduced by a co-worker and now really can't go much longer than a day without taking a listen.
• "Fascinating Rhythm" -- Dave Grusin, The Gershwin Connection (1991): Grusin (probably known best, somewhat unfortunately, for the theme to St. Elsewhere) keys this Gershwin arrangement with one of my favorite drummers (Dave Weckl) and my favorite vibraphonist (Gary Burton).
• "Follow Me" -- Pat Metheny Group, Imaginary Day (1997): Just a chill instrumental with cool guitar effects and driving piano by Lyle Mays.
• "DJ Culture" -- Pet Shop Boys, Discography (1991): Why not?
• "Again and Again" -- The Bird and the Bee, The Bird and the Bee (2007): Catchy post-pop ditty (recently performed rather sketchily, IMHO, on The Tonight Show).
• "Keep Moving" -- Ivy, In the Clear (2005): Dark yet bouncy (a la Saint Etienne), rife with melancholic trumpet...genius.
• "Reelin' In the Years (Live)" -- Steely Dan, Alive in America (1995): Great re-imagining of the original Dan classic; features Cornelius Bumpus on sax and Georg Wadenius on guitar.
• "Undertow" -- Chroma Key, Dead Air for Radios (1999): Dream Theater member's side project; just because...
• "Come In Out of the Rain" -- Engineers, Engineers (2005): Hailed by many in the Brit press for being at the vanguard of that nation's new music movement.
• "Soul Circus" -- Victor Wooten, Soul Circus (2005): Flecktone bass deity goes to town and adds some (more) soul.
• "Check the Rhime" -- A Tribe Called Quest, The Low End Theory (1991): Killer track from seminal collective's debut album.
• "Green Earrings" -- Steely Dan, The Royal Scam (1976): For a long time, my favorite Steely track; great bass and guitar work, especially in the bridge.
• "Opening" -- Philip Glass, Glassworks (1990): Sparse piano provides insights into the minimalist mind of Glass.
• "The Night Belongs to Mona" -- Donald Fagen, Morph the Cat (2006): Post-9.11 paranoia takes hold of a formerly bubbly Manhattanite, but Fagen makes it fun (sort of).
• "The Hook" -- Stephen Malkmus, Stephen Malkmus (2001): Fun narrative piece by the former Pavement front man.
• "Political Science" -- Randy Newman, The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 1 (2003): Even though it was written in the '70s, this song (this version is only Newman and his piano).
• "Back In the Day" -- Christina Aguilera, Back to Basics (2006): Xtina's paean to those who came before.
• "Almost Gothic" -- Steely Dan, Two Against Nature (2000): My favorite song from Becker and Fagen's Grammy-winning comeback.
• "Nothing Personal" -- Stefon Harris & Blackout, Evolution (2004): Driving, vibraphone-driven combo jam.
• "3 Sides" -- W. Ellington Felton, Outrospective: Me Then, Me Now: DC-based conscious artist who DJs (at least, until recently he did) during Belgian Beer Happy Hour at Bohemian Caverns.
• "Pixeleen" -- Steely Dan, Everything Must Go (2003): The Dan turn gamers (or is it indie auteurs) and manipulate an impressionable and attractive youth.
• "Everywhen" -- Massive Attack, 100th Window (2003): These trip-hop pioneers go at it again in this really dark (but mesmerizing) piece.
• "The Hollow" -- A Perfect Circle, Mer de Noms (2000): I can't believe this Tool frontman "side project" album is seven years old.
• "Premonition" -- Manic (2006 [?]): Downloaded from Amie Street; a good counterpoint to "Everywhen."
• "Down In the Bottom" -- Walter Becker, 11 Tracks of Whack (1994): First track off of the long-silent other Dan-ite's debut solo album.
• "That Door" -- Grow (2006 [?]): See "Premonition"; sounds like the Max Weinberg 7 dropped a little of the swing and added some funk (and vocals).
• "Sal Mineo" -- Doxy, Doxy Demos (2006 [?]): See "That Door"; hard-driving track that I like, but I must admit that any band that uses the name of a relatively long-forgotten movie star/murder victim will win my vote any day.
• "Jet Lag" -- Joss Stone, Mind, Body & Soul (2004): Bluesy pop from the apparent reigning queen of that idiom.
• "Sleepless" -- Marconi Union, Distance (2006): Don't try any lifting and don't operate heavy machinery after listening to this coma-inducing sonicscape.
• "Coming Back to Life" -- Pink Floyd, The Division Bell (1994): All the things one likes about more recent Floyd (i.e., strong Gilmour guitar, intros that last for three minutes, no Roger Waters muckin' about).
• "Dr. Wu" -- Steely Dan, Katy Lied (1975): Phil Woods' sax solo is but one piece of this masterful musical puzzle.
• "We R in Need of a Musical Revolution" -- Esthero, Wikked Lil' Grrrls (2005): The title says it all.

If you'd like more information on any of these tracks, let me know; I just don't particularly feel like doing a bunch of links, etc., right now. Sorry.