The call is coming from inside the house
I like listening to smooth jazz. That’s water-downed, commercialized jazz. It’s not pure and true jazz enthusiasts will take exception, but it’s my preferred music. So things were running along smooth as silk here in Motown for the last few years.
The Mystery Mobile was set to Smooth Jazz V98.7 and things were Cobra Kai. And then one Sunday morning while driving to church I heard a cryptic statement. It was something like, “Smooth changes are coming. Make sure to listen to Smooth Jazz V98.7 on HD2 radio.” Come again?
Why would they need to mention HD2 radio at all, I wondered. I was really hoping it just meant the sound of those mellow tunes were going to be even more crisp bouncin’ around inside my ride. But the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach told me otherwise. So I wasn’t extremely surprised to hear the junk coming out of the speakers on Monday morning.
98.7 is now Amp Radio. Amp? It’s stompin’ party music and I’ve been forced to change that particular preset to the Classical station. Yes, that new music has sent me running to the strains of violins and oboes. I really never thought that would happen.
To make matters even worse, another station is now playing All Christmas Music, All the Time (pauses to shoot herself in the head.) I know you dig it, Lin, but I cannot stomach it. It’s torture to me being forced to listen to the piped in music at the mall. Thank you Amazon for allowing me to take care of my shopping needs online.
Where was I? Right, no more jazz for me.
I’ve discovered that HD2 is where discontinued formats go to die. It is common practice to broadcast an older, discontinued format on HD2 channels, such as WPGB in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which carries its former smooth jazz format on its HD2 band. I gleaned this knowledge while violently surfing the ‘net to find out where V98.7 went.
Found ‘em, jack! But while I was looking for them I found a new pal called Ultra Smooth Jazz.
What I like most about my new pal is that there are roughly 14 channels — flavors o’ jazz. I can go all instrumental, I can listen to new releases or I can listen to some Broadway jazz when the mood strikes. There are three minutes of commercials in every hour — according to the announcer. I’m convinced some of those commercials are only 15 seconds, but the majority are 30 seconds, so you will hear at least six commercials per hour.
But the best feature by far is the option to skip an artist, or better yet, to entirely ban an artist. Sweep the Leg, jack! Some of those overplayed songs can be kicked right to the curb.
Now that you have the back story, I can explain why Sir Christopher Botti freaks me out on a daily basis.
I keep hearing songs from his album Chris Botti: Live in Boston. And he has a few covers from Sting which sound. Exactly. Like. Sting. Singing.
But when I click on the music info, it’s Chris Botti’s album that pops up.
Dude you’re seriously freaking me out. Every time I hear you I’m sure it’s Sting shakin’ up his old stuff ala Clapton’s Layla redux on MTV Unplugged. So I click over, every single time, expecting to see Sting. But it’s you.
It’s like you look exactly like Sting — exactly — and then like a mask you pulled off your face, it’s revealed that Sting is actually Chris Botti.
Stop that, okay?
Oy to the vey. Just delved into this mystery a little deeper and I’ve discovered why he sounds exactly like Sting.
It is Sting singing. The call is coming from inside the house.
Dude’s a trumpeter. He plays trumpet while the original artist sings the song, which explains (clears throat) why the singer sounds just like Sting.
Yes, I did wonder what was up with the album cover art. It looks like he’s standing there on stage tooting a horn. Which, apparently, he is.
Cardiogirl Love, Botti 40.
Tags: Things that are jacked up
Wow, where do I begin???
I hate when they mix up the stations on me. Ugh! I lost our smooth jazz station that way too. Joe has Sirius in his car and I am seriously considering it for the house–for that very reason. I like my tunes commercial free and I want to hear what I want to hear without change! I must be getting old.
I LOVE Chris Botti! You have soooo gotta check out Chris Bottin in Boston! He plays along with a ton of stars–Sting, Josh Groban, Yo Yo Ma, Steven Tyler, Katherine McPhee, John Mayer. The Sting song is just one of a couple on the DVD/CD combo pack. Coming from the mom of a trumpet player, Botti ROCKS it! He is just so dang smooth on that bad boy. And he lets his guest actually do their thing while he plays in the background.
Chris Botti is a gentleman and he and his band stay after every concert to meet everyone who would like to meet them. He encourages kids to come and bring their instrument for him to sign! I wanted to see him here this summer but there was a conflict in our schedule. I was bummin!
Oh, and for the Christmas tunes–I hate them non-stop too. I’ve got some good tunes you may enjoy (not your overplayed ones) and I may just have to send you a Lin’s Favorite Christmas Tunes CD to bring you over to happy side of Christmas songs.
Yeah, it’s taken me awhile to get over the smooth jazz debacle. They did the same thing to my second country music station. I have finally been forced to go to … wait for it … the Jesus rock station.
Yes, I have 12 presets and I will use them all. But as you can see numbers 11 and 12 are scraping the bottom of the musical barrel.
I will have to check out more of his album. I was really surprised to see he plays trumpet because I didn’t hear him in the background there.
Oh how we differ. I hate smooth Jazz with a passion. Passion. Any easy listening just sounds so, I can’t come up with a PC term. Real jazz is very cool for an evening out in a club. I used to play the trumpet, so I’m a real brass whore. But even in jazz the woodwinds aren’t so wimpy. I enjoy the clubs, the jazz musician crowd are a fun bunch and extraordinarily talented. It makes me very jealous.
I was brought up on The Doors and Led Zeppelin. My daddy really loves The Doors, and so do I though now as much as Daddy does. Eric Clapton was my first fave artist. I lived and breathed Layla for like six months when I was 11. Poor George Harrison.
As a survival mechanism, I have learned to listen to some rap and mostly all country. I shy away from the poppy stuff. I really hate pop, rarely do I like on a song on the Pop Top 40. I do really like Eminem. I can get all sorts of work done listening to him, and it’s pretty hard to have any hate towards George Strait.
YAY, it’s Christmas song time. I’m changing the station when I hear Frosty the Snowman though. Oh, or Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, I hate those songs so much. I want to hear O Holy Night, dammit.
You can drive and listen to Classical? I get too lulled and forget where I’m going. I do love classical though. The Messiah holds a special place in my heart.
Yeah, I knew the true jazz aficionados would not agree. I guess that is what it is. I’ll give you a pass on Seinfeld and flip flops :) and you’ll give me a pass on low tops and smooth jazz.
Since I’m not really into Classical it’s sort of like wearing a nubby wool sweater. It doesn’t allow me to relax, so it’s not a problem driving to it.
I’m not an aficionado, I just hate easy listening. It makes me feel old. But jazz has trumpets and I love trumpets, but I go to a jazz club about once a year. I love watching improv. It’s fascinating to someone who was only moderately talented at the instrument. Jazz is like a musical experiment. As far as being knowledgeable about the genre? Not so much, I just enjoy listening to it from time to time.
You listen to music you’re not really into? Interesting.
One time I missed my exit after driving for three hours because I was so into my new Les Mis CD. Do you hear the people sing?
I’ve never been to a jazz club, but it sounds like fun.
I only listen to music I don’t like when there are commercials on every other station. There are 12 pre-sets. Yes, I said TWELVE.
It feels like five to seven times per hour ,11 of those stations have commercials going at the same time. Enter Classical music.
Christmas music before Thanksgiving is obscene. Christmas music before December is morally wrong.
…I hate Christmas music. Which means, of course, that the JEWISH fiance just bops out to it frequently. (He didn’t have it blasting all over his house as a kid. Nor did he have to sing it in Every. Choir. Ever.)
Thankfully, my mother has lately taken to playing classical music at low levels during holidays, now. Much more acceptable… unless she puts on the Beatles. That would make my entire family get up and dance.
That’s so funny that your fiance is into. Although I am responding to the stereotype. I can do Classical Christmas. At very, very low levels
You must get XM Radio. It will take care of all of this.
Seriously, I’m mayor of Cheapskate town, but both of the cars we own have XM. It’s not perfect, but at least you get a lot of choices.
Yes! It’s a pleasure to meet you Mayor, can I join your cabinet as Deputy Mayor?
We did have Sirius with our lease on the van for one year. I. LOVED. IT. But then we had to pay for it and my natural tendencies kicked in. So I am now left to bitch about the stations that are left.
I screamed when I read the title of this post. That was a scary movie! Then I screamed again. Smooth jazz?!?! Not my cup of tea, but I respect your opinion and am glad you found an alternative station. I would probably be happy with the “stompin’ party music,” but that’s just me.
No smooth jazz for you, JD? I just assumed everyone loved smooth jazz. Huh.
I just can’t handle the music that the kids are listening to today. Oy, it’s finally happened. I’ve hit middle age.
No you haven’t, I don’t like it either.
I hate it when stations move, and I hate it worse when they move and don’t tell you! For a couple of months now, I’ve been forced to listen to a station I used to listen to. I am so missing Steve Harvey in the morning.
I recently reviewed a CD At home with Josh, forget the last name, and friends. Chris Botti was one of the friends. I too like Chris Botti. He can blow that horn!
Isn’t that a drag? I really thought the numbers were high enough for that station to survive. Apparently not.
I wonder if that’s Josh Grobin. I might have to check him out, too.
For years there was a Classic Rock station in Atlanta that we would always turn on while driving through. One trip we turn it on and I’m listening to Korn. Everyone in the car just stared at the radio for a minute and we listened to three songs before we accepted they really had changed the station.
That bites. Especially when it’s a station you really like.
KUBLAkai! KUBLAkai! You nutbar.
Sorry to hear about your music woes. There is nothing worse than having your ear candy messed with. Absolutely nothing.
Have I faux pas-ed? I was using Cobra Kai from The Karate Kid (thanks sw!) to mean everything was perfect, wonderful and at the top of the game like the karate students that were the best.
Yeah. I want my ear candy back. Now.
No, it was my faux pas. And now I can’t even find my KUBLA kai reference to offer even a little saving grace for myself.
Can I have the brain back, now?
(laughs) I think I’ve been hoarding the brain in 2009. I resolve, in 2010, to let you have more access to it.
Maybe in Canuckia it’s Kukla Kai from Kukla, Fran and Ollie.
I’m with StrugglingWriter: we ARE a dual-satellite radio household. I came in with XM, Mike with Sirius, and then we all collectively merged! I mostly listen in the car, he generally streams it online, and we both listen to exactly what we want to listen to, whenever we want to hear it.
You need to update that Amazon Christmas Wish List STAT, CG. (I’m with you on the online holiday shopping, and it ain’t just ’cause Mike works for IMDb.com, which is an Amazon subsidiary…) ;-)
That’s an interesting idea — asking for a year-long subscription of satellite radio for Christmas. Hmmm…
I do love Amazon with an undying passion and I get really pissed off when I go there, order some stuff that’s over $25 so I automatically qualify for Super Saver shipping and then find out some of the stuff I ordered comes from a third party.
So the shipping ain’t free. Psyche! But I’ll still go that route just to avoid the mall.
well i love jazz, any kind of jazz. it’s so, well smooth. i’ve heard of chris botti, but didn’t know he was a trumpeter. i guess it’s the same with herb alpert. he also plays trumpet and will have an artist sing lead vocals..but you absolutely hear him (his instrument). now i need to go find an mp3 of a tune janet jackson ….wait, i can listen to it on youtube. save my money. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJkYM_1F2ms
you would think the artists is singing and not playing, but a lot of jazz musicians do that. quincy jones as well. heck, i might be able to produce an album, i don’t have to sing. bucket list!
Man that YouTube song is like six degrees of separation:
Herb Alpert with Lisa Keith singing lead, accompanied by Janet Jackson, sampled for Queen Latifah’s “Just Another Day” and BTNH “Dayz of our Lives.” It is wild how they shake it up, I suppose that’s the sign of a true artist.
We were just listening to Sade on the way home from school yesterday and Katie said, “This is relaxing.” Yes, it is relaxing grasshopper. Let the smooth notes wash over you.