Various Artists: Songs That Made the Phone Light Up

The concept is intriguing: put together a batch of songs that caused the phone to ring at a Philadelphia station 30 years ago. Producer Joel Dorn worked a shift at WHAT-FM and chose thirteen songs that always got a great response from his audience. Seven are string-saturated late night numbers by such jazz stalwarts as Dinah Washington, Joe Williams and King Pleasure. Jazz fans will perhaps be more drawn to Jimmy Rushing with the Brubeck Quartet, Oscar Brown Jr.’s talking “Forty Acres and a Mule,” Etta Jones plus rhythm singing “Through a Long and Sleepless Night,” Lambert, Hendricks and Ross’ rousing “Gimme that Wine” and Lorez Alexandria’s unique rendition of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Baltimore Oriole.”

Originally Published April 1, 1999