J is for Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, and the Jayhawks

I’m doing this blogging A to Z thing. Today is J.

The names in the title are three of my go-to Pandora choices when I need to get work done. By no means a comprehensive list, but they conveniently begin with J. And of course, it’s those artists and artists like them.

Right now I’m listening to a song called Banana Pancakes.  (Ironic lyrics: “…this song is meant to keep ya from doing what you’re supposed to”).

The beauty of Pandora is that you discover artists you didn’t know – something you used to be able to do listening to the radio. I’m pretty sure I discovered Jack Johnson on the Jason Mraz station. Don’t know how I became aware of Jason Mraz.

Of course we also used to have these places called record stores. I distinctly remember hearing the Jayhawks for the first time in Tower Records in Manhattan – early 90s I guess, I think it was Take Me With You When You Go. I walked out with 2 Jayhawks CDs.

The Jayhawks which were my intro to alt-country – Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Old 97s, and of course Hank III.

Almost midnight gotta get this posted – that’s it for the brief musical tour of my psyche.