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It was a sad day for music when Scott Walker passed away on March 22nd. For me, this song from 1969 has a perfect spring feeling in the music and the words. The album is Scott 3, one of the beloved series of solo albums he released between 1967 and 1970.

For my last mix, I went back to the explosion of midtempo electronic music that occurred in the early 2000s. I didn’t get to some albums that were an important part of that explosion, the Verve Remixed series that started in 2002. It’s dangerous messing around with artists like Ella Fitzgerald, but for me, re-interpretations like this one combine the old and new successfully.

The 1972 track by prolific percussionist Airto Moriera is noteworthy for the involvement of Keith Jarrett, who didn’t do much work as a “sideman”. He wrote this song as well as providing a piano part that sounds like nobody else. You might also be surprised to find George Benson on guitar, but before his pop stardom in the late 70s, he put in years as a jazz bandleader and soloist.

Thanks to Lou Rawls, Kenny Gamble, and Leon Huff for a perfect Philly classic with a spring theme!

I’m not afraid to admit that I love Mike Oldfield. In the 70s he went from super huge to super uncool pretty quickly. As with any musician whose career becomes defined by fashion and/or commercial success, I like to ask: what about the music? I’ve been revisiting his many releases of the 70s, 80s, and 90s and enjoying them thoroughly. After listening to Hergest Ridge from 1974, this guitar and oboe duet got stuck in my head.

1. Scott Walker – Copenhagen
2. The Dream Academy – Hampstead girl
3. Vinicius Cantuária with Michael Leonhart – Cubanos postizos
4. Jex Opolis – Fifth wind
5. Minnie Riperton – The edge of a dream
6. Toro Y Moi – Mirage
7. Ella Fitzgerald – Wait till you see him (De-Phazz mix)
8. Airto with Keith Jarrett – So tender
9. BadBadNotGood & Little Dragon – Tried
10. Claude Nougaro – Cécile ma fille
11. Ray Barretto & New World Spirit – Guaji-Rita
12. Bonobo with Andreya Triana – Stay the same
13. Ennio Morricone – Invito allo sport
14. Vetiver – Backwards slowly
15. Lou Rawls – Spring again
16. Cantoma with Javier Bergia – Abando
17. Cocteau Twins – Cico buff
18. Mike Oldfield – Hergest Ridge (excerpt)