Tuesday 10-4-05:

Intro: You're tuned into KJUC, 770/880 AM, Santa Barbara's first in independent music - so underground, the FCC doesn’t even know we’re here. I'm AJ Nelson, and you're listening to what has been tentatively titled The Keys, a program that will focus on all things piano. I have a couple taglines based on the title, none of which are remotely clever - like on real radio, you know? - but even so, I'm accepting any and all suggestions for new program titles- in fact, any of our three listeners can make a suggestion by emailing me at phorc@umail.ucsb.edu. You got something to say? Let's hear it.

Like I said, this program takes a look at just about anything featuring, concerned with, or supported by piano, which I believe to be a richly complex and sometimes underappreciated musical instrument in today's guitar- and synthesizer-saturated world. On this show, anything piano, anything goes. I make one exception: no Coldplay. Ever.

Let's have a listen to the start of today's set *CUE* this is Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" from Dark Side of the Moon, released by Capitol Records.


TRACK 5 The Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon (Capitol)
Some of their best work with blues, tribute to founding member Syd Barrett? (He was replaced by David Gilmour.) (Also tributes to Barrett: Wish You Were Here, Shine On You Crazy Diamond.) DURATION 4:44


TRACK 11 Layla - Derek and the Dominoes, Cream of Clapton (Polydor, originally Atco)
In Jim Gordon's piano section, use of the Lydian 4th on Bb chord (although the song is in no discernable key, originally in C before producers slowed down the tape). DURATION 7:05


TRACK 9 'Round Midnight - Thelonious Monk, KCSM: A Century of Jazz
Probably recorded with Blue Note Records, better recording on album Thelonious Himself. DURATION 5:21


TRACK 11 The Last Polka - Ben Folds Five, Ben Folds Five (Passenger)
Great, great man. Note the lyric: "But baby, I've been doing fine/How do you think that I survived/the other twenty-five before you?" DURATION 4:34


TRACK 1 Matrix - Chick Corea, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (Blue Note)
Recorded with Miroslav Vitous (bass) and Roy Haynes (piano), very highly respected trio. Very progressive album, released in '68, earned a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame in '99. DURATION 6:21


TRACK 3 Cantaloupe Island - Herbie Hancock, Empyrean Isles (Blue Note)
Hancock performing Mozart at age 11 w/ Chicago Symphony, became pianist in Davis's 2nd quintet (later replaced by Corea). DURATION 5:32


TRACK 8 Oceana - David Benoit, The Artist's Choice (Hip-O)
Poppy, synthesized, but still smart and highly melodic. DURATION 5:08


TRACK 2 Philosophy - Ben Folds Five, Ben Folds Five (Passenger)
Very demonstrative of Ben Folds' talent as a song-writer and a musician. Note the quote from Rhapsody in Blue. DURATION 4:36


Outro: That’s the show for today. I hope you enjoyed what you heard, and maybe decided you’d like to dig a little deeper into the music of some of the artists you heard here. That’s my hope, really. Sometime in the next few weeks, I hope to pick up some new music from amazon and ebay and whatnot, and between that and KCSB’s amazing music library, I think we’ll be pretty well set. Got any suggestions for music or artists you think I should include on the show? Email me at phorc@umail.ucsb.edu.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to end the show, and I think I’m going to end it with a quote. There are a lot of quotes in the world, and I think it’s unlikely that I’ll ever run out, so it seems like a solid plan to me. This is from the two-act play Endgame, by Samuel Beckett. The character is Clov. “When there were still bicycles I wept to have one. I crawled at your feet. You told me to go to hell. Now there are none.” *CUE Gig in the Sky* This is The Keys, on KJUC, 770/880 AM. I’m AJ Nelson, and I’m taking off the headphones now.

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And thus my plans to dominate the world of mass media commences, one independent, non-commercial radio station at a time.

Also, I just found out I was called back for Improvability. That could develop into a beautiful thing, or absolutely nothing. We shall see.

For anyone wondering: yes, Kurt Vonnegut has written at least one novel that couldn't be described as "bizzare." I'm reading Player Piano, his first novel, and I'm mostly enjoying it. It's frustrating in a lot of ways, because Vonnegut isn't afraid to let his hero fail at just about everything he does, in spite of being one of the most (reluctantly) powerful men in the country.

Oh, and college is pretty cool, too.


--AJ