7:00am

James Brown “Papa Don't Take No Mess” from JB40: 40th Anniversary Collection (Polydor 1996) —Watching the TV show Memphis Beat, I get all kinds of great ideas for songs to play - hadn't thought of this classic in a while, but there it was setting up a scene, and I had to bring it with me.Buy it!

7:09am

Charles Mingles “Fables of Faubus” from Mingus Ah Um (Columbia 1959) —The first jazz record I ever bought, and still one of the greatest I've ever heard.Buy it!

7:24am

Peter Tosh “Downpressor Man” from Equal Rights (Columbia 1977) N  —I've known all these songs forever, but I never really sat down and listened to this album until recently, when I picked up this nice package full of bonus material - Tosh in 1977 was as good as anybody recording that year.Buy it!

7:35am

Buddy & Julie Miller “One Part, Two Part” from Written In Chalk (New Word Music 2009) N  —I don't know much about Dee ERvin, the writer of this beauitful love song, but Buddy sings the heck out of it.Buy it!

7:46am

Charles Brown “Black Night” from Blues Masters Vol. 1: Urban Blues (Rhino 1992) —One of the most perfect matches between song and singer - Brown could deliver a smooth heartbreak, and who the heck is playing that cool guitar lick?Buy it!

7:54am

Clarence Fountain & Sam Butler “I Shall Not Be Moved” from Stepping Up and Stepping Out (Tyscot 2009) —Even after singing for decades, this former Blind Boy could still deliver.Buy it!

8:06am

Three O'Clock “Jet Fighter” from Sixteen Tambourines (Frontier 1983) —This was how we rocked back in the day.Buy it!

8:12am

City Squirrel “Watertown” from Blow Music OnlyWith Delicate Mad Worship (Redpill 2010) —Mitch Easter plays bass & co-produced this nifty record from St. Louis expat Stephan Bayley. Oh, yeah, & he got Dave Mattacks to play drums.Buy it!

8:21am

The Cyrkle “There's a Fire In the Fireplace” from Red Rubber Ball (Sundazed 2001) —More than a 2-hit wonder, the Cyrkle rocked this cowbell classic.Buy it!

8:31am

Jim Lauderdale “Don't Tempt the Devil (With Your Love)” from Reason and Rhyme (SUGAR HILL www.sugarhillrecords.com 2011) N  —Seriously, I can't believe it took Robert Hunter 40 years to think of this song title - it seems so like him. Bet he can't believe a singer as good as Lauderdale wants to present his lyrics.Buy it!

8:37am

Jeff Bridges “What a Little Bit of Love Can Do” from Jeff Bridges (EMI 2011) N  —It's not like Bridges is a brilliant singer or anything, but this is one heck of a catchy number.Buy it!

8:49am

Bottle Rockets “Perfect Far Away” from Not So Loud (Bloodshot www.bloodshotrecords.com 2011) N  —The story Brian Henneman tells of the genesis of this song is hilarious - it's about trying to see Dolly Parton at the VP Fair.Buy it!

9:01am

Steve Cropper “Don't Be Ashamed” from Dedicated (429 2011) N  —Bettye LaVette sings this one with Willie Jones - she sounds way more fired up here than she did on her last record. And Cropper obviously loves playing this stuff, too.Buy it!

9:06am

Huey "Piano" Smith and His Clowns “Everybody's Whalin'” from This Is Huey Piano Smith (Music Club 1998) —I love that "wailin'" is spelled "whalin'."Buy it!

9:11am

The Flamingos “Lovers Never Say Goodbye” from Best of the Flamingos (Rhino 1990) —This is doo-wop sadness at its best, no matter how "keep your chin up" the lyrics are.Buy it!

9:18am

Johnny Adams “If I Could See You One More Time” from Heart & Soul (Vampi Soul vampisoul.com 1969) —So back when I was younger, I knew Johnny Adams was good, but I just couldn't be bothered to go see him the one time (in my memory) he played St. Louis. Talk about one of the dumbest decisions ever! The older I get, the more brilliant I think he was.Buy it!

9:32am

k.d. lang & The Siss Boom Bang “I Confess” from Sing It Loud (Nonesuch 2011) N  —Big giant huge colossal song.Buy it!

9:42am

John Hiatt “Damn This Town” from Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns (New West 2011) N  —Easily one of the year's best songs. Actually, that last one was another of them.Buy it!

9:51am

Rum Drum Ramblers “Gonna Haunt You” from Mean Scene (self timtimebomb.com/bob/ 2010) N  —Two of the South City Three are also in this band - they get their fill of old time stuff.Buy it!