Morning Becomes Eclectic: Selected On-Air Performances

All tracks digitally recorded during live performances on KCRW-FM, Santa Monica, California in March & April 1999.Personnel: Dan Wilson, Joe Henry, John Martyn, Jonathan Donahue, Lyle Lovett, PJ Harvey, SuGar Yoshinaga, Beth Orton (vocals, guitar); John McCrea (vocals, acoustic guitar); Yumiko Ono (vocals, mini-Moog synthesizer); China Forbes, Leigh Nash, Angélique Kidjo, Anne Preven, Skye Edwards, Beth Hirsch (vocals); Matt Slocum (guitar, horns); Sean Kelly, Sean Kelly , Tony Ayiotou, Gregg Arreguin, Jeremy Hogg, John Parish, Ross Godfrey, Rusty Anderson, Scott Cutler, Ted Barnes, Grasshopper (guitar); Xan McCurdy (electric guitar); Vince Di Fiore (trumpet, keyboards); Gavin Bondy (trumpet); Robert Taylor (trombone); Thomas Lauderdale, Brad Mehldau (piano); Jacob Slichter (keyboards, drums); Aston Harvey, Justin Russo, Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Roger Manning , Adam Snyder, Jamie Muhoberac, John Munson, Nicolas Godin, Spencer Cozens, Brian Kehew (keyboards); Doug Smith (vibraphone, percussion); Gabe Nelson (bass guitar); Jim Lampi (Chapman stick); Todd Roper, Scott Coogan (drums, percussion); Curt Bisquera, Richard Rothfus, Clive Jernner, Dale Baker, Arran Ahmun, Jorge Rossy, Rob Ellis, Jeff Mercel, Brian Reitzell (drums); Brian Davis (congas, percussion); Jason Turnbridge (scratches).DJs: Matt Cantor; Jason Turnbridge.Recording information: KCRW Studios, CA (06/23/1998/06/30/1998).Photographer: Michael Traister.Easing the listener in with Angelique Kidjo's A Capella "Blewu" and easing her out with Pink Martini's twisted take on "Que Sera Sera" 16 tracks later, you can't say the folks who put together this best-of from the Los Angeles public radio station's studio weren't thinking. However the question remains: what were they thinking? This is the series formerly known as Rare on Air which featured tracks by artists with far more name recognition than this bunch -- though Lyle Lovett and PJ Harvey are the star turns here that will resonate with the target adult hipster audience. Nonetheless, John Martyn's epic "Glory Box," Joe Henry's "Monkey" (superior to his clinical album version) and Beth Orton's acoustic "Sugar Boy" are keepers. ~ Denise Sullivan

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