Rainy Day Weekend

Into our lives a little rain must fall, but it seems like here in Sonoma, it all came this week! A deluge, if you will, requires a soundtrack - today we have a little rainy day music to compliment our wet skies. Cuddle up with a cup of hot tea, coffee, or chocolate and enjoy nature's display.

playlist:

A Rainy Day - Tony Bennett
Stormy Weather - Lena Horne
Back Water Blues - Dinah Washington
Rain is Such a Lonesome Sound - Jay McShann
In The Rain - The Dramatics
Baby, The Rain Must Fall - Glenn Yarbrough
It's Raining Hard Outside - Yanka Rupkina
Here's That Rainy Day - Judy Garland
It Feels Like Raine - Maria Muldaur
Early Morning Rain - Eva Cassidy
Thunder's Windmill - Spencer Brewer
The Gentle Rain - Astrud Gilberto
Feels Like Rain - Mychael Danna
Praying for Rain - Phil Thornton and Hossam Ramzy
Endless Rain - Alex De Grassi
The Garden Planet - Paul Lloyd Warner
Rain Dance - Adiemus
The Storm - Ekova
Tone Row Weaver - John Klemmer
Come in From the Rain - Vic Damone
I'm Always Chasing Rainbows - Judy Garland
Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland
Rainbow Connection - Kenny Loggins
Isn't This a Lovely Day - Francis Thorne
Singin' in the Rain - Judy Garland

A Tribute To Dr. Martin Luther King

Dynamic Duo's

Today we double your pleasure with some classics, as well as tunes duos you may not know - or better yet, you didn't realize these artists had teamed up. Stay tuned on this foggy Sonoma morning to great music times two!

playlist

Sisters - Bette Midler, Linda Rondstadt
Devoted to You - Carly Simon, James Taylor
Tenderly - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong
Cheek to Cheek - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong
They Can't Take That Away from Me - Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole
I've Got the World on a String - Frank Sinatra, Liza Minella
Where or When - Steve Lawarence, Eydie Gorme
You Don't Know Me - Ray Charles, Diana Krall
Written in the Stars - Elton John, LeAnn Rimes
For Good - Idina Menzel, Kristen Chenoweth
Some Velvet Morning - Lee Hazelwood, Nancy Sinatra
El Condor Pasa - Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel
Sounds of Silence - Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel
Blessings to All Beings - Kumara and Catherine
Pondering the Lotus - Dean Evenson, D'Rachael
The Being Between - Sergio and Odair Assad
Fisherman's Dream - Eric Tingstad, Nancy Rumbel
Nessun Dorma - Placido Domingo, Nello Santi, Berlin State Opera Orchestra
Pie Jesu - Sarah Brightman,
Whenever I Call You Friend - Kenny Loggins, Stevie Nicks
Deep Purple - Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond
Sentimental Journey - Les Brown, Doris Day
Anywhere the Heart Goes -
With a Song In My Heart - Mario Lanza and Ray Sinatra
A Whole New World - Brad Kane, Lea Salonga
One For My Baby - Bette Midler
Unforgettable - Natalie Cole, Nat King Cole
Over the Rainbow - Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis
What a Wonderful World - Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder

Mark Your Calendars

Ok, I know you got a new calendar for the holidays... I did! and gave a few away myself. So now that the holidays are over and it seems we're in the celebration doldrums, I have found many opportunities to celebrate the lesser known 'holidays'. And I have the music to help you with your festivities! So get out your calendar and mark these dates...

holiday - playlist - artist

Jan.1 - New Year's Day: Let's Start the New Year Right - Bing Crosby
Sept. 13 - Positive Thinking Day
July 11 - Cheer up the Lonely Day
Sept. 21 - World Gratitude Day
Act-Cent-U-Ate the Positive - Willie Nelson
Gratitude - India.Aire

Jan. 13 - Make Your Dreams Come True Day
Hold On to Your Dreams - Stevie Wonder

Jan. 3 - Today!! Festival of Sleep Day
Feb. 28 - Public Sleeping Day
Sleep Tight - Celine Dion
When It's Sleepy Time Down South - Sidney Bechet

National Relaxation Day
Relax Max - Dinah Washington


At the Zoo - Simon and Garfunkel
Baby Elephant Walk - Henry Mancini

Jan. 5 - National Bird Day
June 20 - National Bald Eagle Day
Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band
Return of the Eagle - Craig Chaquico

Sept. 24 - National Bluebird of Happiness Day
Bluebird Island - Hank Snow
Zip-A Dee-Doo-Dah - Maria Muldaur

Oct. 1 - Homemade Cookies Day
Nov. 26 - National Cake Day
Mar. 4 - National Poundcake Day
Let's Bake Cookies - Maggie G.
I'd've Baked a Cake - Maria Muldaur
Pound Cake - Lester Young with Count Basie

Third Sunday in July - National Ice Cream Day
Aug. 2 - Ice cream Sandwich Day
Ice Cream - Asheba

Feb. 10, Oct. 28, Dec. 28 - National Chocolate Day
June 26 - Chocolate Pudding Day
Chocolate is My Favorite Vegetable - Les Julian
Chocolate Sabroso - Chocolate Armenteros

Cherry Pie Day - Feb 20. National Cherry Cheesecake Day - April 23. National Cherry Cobbler Day - May 17. National Cherries Jubilee Day - September 24 .
Bowl of Cherries - Rhythm Child


Apples and Pancakes - Shawn Pander
Strawberry Fields - Beatles
Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino
Watermelon Man - Poncho Sanchez

More to Celebrate!

This week we celebrate Kwanzaa, wrapping it up with the New Year of 2010. Kwanzaa, an African American holiday, celebrates seven principles that would be in the interest of the whole world to observe and honor. The seven principles are Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith. Imagine if we all worked together to honor ourselves, our families, our communities, our planet. We have the Women of the Calabash to bring this celebration to us with their Kwanzaa Album. These are noble principles we could start to incorporate into our New Year Resolutions - just think, world peace around the corner... it could happen! Happy New Year everyone!!

playlist:
The Kwanzaa Album - Women of the Calabash

Winterbound - Tom Bruner
A New Year Carol - Anonymous 4
A New Year - Paul Lloyd Warner
A New Year's Gift - Paul Hillier & Theatre of Voices
Down in Yon Forest/ New Year's Eve - John McCutcheon
The Turning of the Year - David Arkenstone
Through the Years - Judy Garland
Celebrate Me Home - Kenny Loggins
Celebrate - Three Dog Night
Celebration - Kook & The Gang, Featuring J.T.
Happy Now - Poncho Sanchez
So Long - Farewell- Goodbye - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Bringing in a Brand New Year - B.B. King
Snowy New Year's Eve - Maria De Angelis
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Rosemary Clooney
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Harry Connick Jr.
Happy New Year - ABBA
Auld Lang Syne - Glenn Miller Orchestra

Happy New Year everyone!

Winter Holidays

The Winter solstice is tomorrow, December 21st, Chanukkah just finished up last Friday, Christmas will be celebrated this Thursday and Friday, and Kwaanza starts on Saturday. Whew! Good thing we have so much beautiful music to get us through the whirlwind of celebration. Hopefully this music today will have a centering, calming effect for you as you prepare for your celebrations of choice.

playlist

Song for Yule - Victoria Parks
Lift Every Voice and Sing - Women of the Calabash
Winter Peace - Jim Brickman
Blessings - Jim Brickman
Fireside - Jim Brickman
Starbright - Kenny Loggins, Jim Brickman
The Gift - Collin Raye, Susan Ashton, Jim Brickman
Shalom Alechem - Ot Azoj Klezmerband
Candle Lighting Blessings - The Zamir Chorale of Boston
Maoz Tsur - Traditional - The Zamir Chorale of Boston
Maoz Tsur - Italian chant - The Zamir Chorale of Boston
Maoz Tsur - Della Vita - The Zamir Chorale of Boston
Maoz tsur - By the Waters - The Zamir Chorale of Boston
Chanukah Variations - The Zamir Chorale of Boston
The Twelve Days of Christmas - The Christmas Revels
Sunlight Returns - Hillary Stagg
Snowbound - Don Jackson, London Symphony Orchestra
Ice Dance -Don Jackson, London Symphony Orchestra
Solstice - Don Jackson, London Symphony Orchestra
Winter Carol - Don Jackson, London Symphony Orchestra
Dona Nobis Pacem - Yo-Yo Ma
Song for A Winter's Night - Sarah McLachlan
Sweet Secret Peace - Neil Finn
Snow is Lightly Falling - Nightnoise
A Christmas Jig/ Mouth of the Tobique Reel - Yo Yo Ma, Natalie MacMaster
Panzolina: A Galician Carol - Yo Yo Ma, Cristina Pato
My Favorite Things - Yo Yo Ma, Chris Botti
You Couldn't be Cuter - Yo Yo Ma, Diana Krall
Here Comes the Sun - Yo Yo Ma, James Taylor
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Jim Brickman
Sending you a Little Christmas - Jim Brickman, Kristy Starling, Susan Ashton

Here We Come a' Caroling...

One of my favorite aspects of this holiday season is the music, especially the folk songs or carols. These reach back to a time when people gathered to sing the songs that couldn't be sung in church. Combining the tradition of wassailing, singing simple songs of the season for your neighbors was once a commonplace occurrence. We don't really see that anymore, so today, for your holiday pleasure, I will bring my friends around your radio to serenade you with carols...

Caroling, Caroling - Nat King Cole

from Straight No Chaser:
Carol of the Bells
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard on High
Silent Night
We Three Kings
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

from Anna Maria Mendieta:
Coventry Carol
Lo, How a Rose

from The Christmas Revels:
Wassail Carol from Gloucestshire
The Boar's Head Carol
The Holly and the Ivy
Les Anges dans Nos Campagnes
Jesus Christ s'Habille En Pauvre
Guillaume, Prends Ton Tambourin
Pour Nos Remettre En Son Paradis

from The Westminster Concert Bell Choir
Carols in Color
A Carol for All Seasons

The Bells of Christmas - Frank, Tina, Nancy and Frank Sinatra Jr.

from Gramercy Brass:
Away in a Manger
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

What Child is This - Mary Beth Carlson
O Holy Night - Michael Crawford
St. Basil's Hymn - Patrick Ball
O come, O come Emmanuel - Patrick Ball

from the San Francisco Girls Chorus

A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten
Joy to the World
Away in a Manger
Good King Wenceslas
Dime el Camino
Ave Maria
More I cannot wish you

I wish the best of the holiday season to all of my listeners - near and far!