Strong Songs

The jazz standard "All The Things You Are" has been performed countless times by master jazz vocalists, 30s big bands, bebop small groups, hard-bop combos, modern deconstructionists, and even soon-to-be Kings of Pop. On this episode, Kirk takes listeners through the history of the now-famous tune, from its humble Broadway origins all the way to his recording studio in Portland, where he and some...

Turn around... every now and then I get a little lonely and the snare is sounding smallTurn around... every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of sleigh bellsTurn around... every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the cannons will not fireTurn around......every now and then Kirk decides to take on a classic 80s power ballad, and winds up learning a thing or...

How should you count The Police's "Bed's Too Big Without You?" Why do so many people revere Marty Friedman's solo on Megadeth's "Tornado of Souls"? What's going on with those pauses during the Bluey theme? And what the heck is that sound on Sly and the Family Stone's "Sex Machine"? Those questions and many more on the first mailbag episode of Season Seven. Thanks to Nevada Jones (voice) and Scott...

Kirk pays a visit the musical world of The Muppets, from their Sesame Street origins in the 60s to the globe-hopping, cinematic heights of the 70s and 80s, with plenty of detours along the way.FEATURING:"Sesame Street Theme" by Joe Raposo, Jon Stone, and Bruce Hart"Mah Na Mah Na" by Piero Umilliani from Sweden: Heaven and Hell"Pinball Number Count" by Walt Kraemer and Ed Bogas, feat. The Pointer...

Kirk digs into one of the most dense and challenging records in his collection, with an analysis of "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" from The Mars Volta's 2003 progressive rock opus De-Loused in the Comatorium.Written by: Omar Rodríguez-López, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and Jeremy WardProduced by: Omar Rodríguez-López & Rick RubinAlbum: De-Loused in the Comatorium, 2003Listen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO...

Kirk digs into Fiona Apple's breakneck 1999 single "Fast As You Can," a cornerstone in her late 90s collaborations with Jon Brion, as well as her work with drummer Matt Chamberlain.Written by: Fiona AppleProduced by: Jon BrionAlbum: When The Pawn..., 1999Listen/Buy via Album.LinkALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:Jon Brion in Performing Songwriter Magazine, 2000"Criminal" by Fiona Apple from Tidal,...

Strong Songs Season Seven kicks off with two of the most famous songs ever recorded, from one of the biggest bands in the world. U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "With or Without You" make up two-thirds of the three-song "suite" of hit singles that kicked off their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. As it turns out, the two songs have a lot to say to one another! They also have a lot to say...

Strong Songs Season Seven is now underway! You can listen to the season premiere right now on Patreon, or here in the main feed in two weeks, on March 7.For those next two weeks, sign up to become a patron of the show and use the code "STRONG" and you'll get 80% off your first month. So basically, you can listen to the premiere right now for one dollar. Or just wait, that's fine too. The promo...

In between seasons, Kirk re-ran a bunch of old episodes and prefaced each one with a new music recommendation. He's taking those down recasts in preparation for season seven, but it seemed like a good idea to put all the music recommendations in one place. So that's what this episode is!DISCUSSED AND RECOMMENDED:"The Meadow" by Nickel Creek from Celebrants, 2023"Chip Monkey" by Kick the Cat from...

In light of Janis Stockhouse's unexpected death at the tail end of 2024, we're re-posting Kirk's 2019 interview with her for anyone who might want to listen to it.Janis started teaching at North high school in Bloomington, Indiana, in the early 1980s. It was a time when "jazz education" as a concept was still a relatively new thing. She retired 38 years later, having grown the North band program...