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I would like to report that it was an awesome Friday and that I picked a big chunk ‘o Rat Pack Luv to kick it off.

The problem is, that’s not what happened

Now here’s a surprising record. Amos Hoffman mixes the Middle Eastern sounds of the oud with jazz.

This is a bad thing, because now I want to buy an oud…and I really don’t need any more stringed instruments. If you’re not afraid of developing an extreme urge to buy an oud, check out Evolution.

This is the 5th Anniversary Edition of The Friday Morning Listen.

It’s hard to believe, but five years have passed since I started writing this thing. That’s a whole bunch of Fridays!

A lot of things have come to pass since I started this column and that’s exactly what I’m musing on this morning.

Are there any records out there that, no matter how hard you try, you just don’t get? I’ve been thinking about this for a while, the ‘why’ of it. That little bit of insight is tough to come by.

Sometimes, you’ve just got to accept reality, even with no explanation.

Or maybe just a little.

By far, my favorite cover and a movie/television theme song was done by the late Danny Gatton on his album 88 Elmira St. It was the theme from Simpsons. Oh yes, it rocked.

Now we have an extension of a longstanding jazz tradition: covers of popular songs as well as movie and television themes.

Man, it sure has been a long time since I heard “Captain Kangaroo”!

One of my favorite instrumental records (before I became a TrueJazzSnob™) used to be Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz’ Music for Piano and Drums. At that time, it seemed surprising that Bruford, Mr. Yes and King Crimson, would do an album that veered so close to jazz. Of course, Bruford revealed his true stripes later on with Earthworks.

Anyhow, this Grupa Janke Randalu record absolutely kills.

I’m looking at the oddest collection of people. The young man to my right, dressed in sweatpants, hoodie & flip-flops (It’s 38 degrees and raining outside. What the heck?!) is alternating between reading The Bush Tragedy and staring at the crotch of the woman seated at a table opposite our cozy leather couch section. This seems risky to me, since the woman’s boyfriend has what looks like some sort of stun gun in his holster. To my left a man with very black hair, ponytail tucked under a black beret, thumbs through music and biker chick magazines. He looks like he could be Aaron Neville’s brother. There’s a round table full of of a group of young folks doing a read-through of some play. An older man just took a seat over near the windows — his balding head and hurricane-blown hair makes him look like Ray Walston. Isn’t he dead?

I just bought books on memoir writing (Natalie Goldberg) and a collection of Tom Waits-related stuff.

My head feels like it’ll explode any second now.

Despite screwing up the data (I used some two-year old information), I made an announcement of sorts that Tom Waits has summer tour plans.

The old article (I should never write when I’m that tired) spoke of the mini-tour that Waits did in 2006. This time around? Details haven’t been released yet. I’m waiting…

In the meantime, you can read my fabulous blunder here.

I’m not much of a club-goer. In fact, I’ve only been to one dance club and I totally freakin’ hated it. The bass from the sound system made me want to barf, the girls dancing in cages creeped me out…it was not good.

Still, I heard that Akoya Afrobeat is knocking some people out on the dance floors of NYC. I believe it. This album is a non-stop party right from the first couple of bar. Check it out.

OK, so I’ve always loved ambient, wandering music that’s full of weird blurpy noise. Sorry!

Anyhow, Stefan Németh has a very cool collection of music that started off life as support for films and art installations. Check it out.