WPRB Princeton 103.3 FM

New Jersey's Only Radio Station

WPRB is a community-supported, freeform radio station. Our FM signal (103.3) serves central New Jersey, Philadelphia, eastern PA and the northern tip of Delaware. We reach a global audience at wprb.com.

Serenade to a Cuckoo with Jerry Gordon

Sep 3, 2025 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Music

With Jerry Gordon

Serenade to a Cuckoo & Jerry's Room: first a two hour jazz show featuring new, modern jazz releases or special jazz features, followed by a one hour show of various themes that are non-jazz, including pop, r&b, rock, and blues from the forties thru the seventies! You will love it!

9.3.25 Chilled Spiritual Jazz, early 70s soul

Spiritual Jazz that is not cacophonous, early 70s soul

12:00 PM		Billy Mohler Abstract 3 Anatomy Contagious Music 2022
12:02 PM		Steve Turre Medley: Serenade to a Cuckoo / Bright Moments The Spirits Up Above HighNote Records 2004
12:14 PM		Marion Brown Maimoun Vista Verve Reissues 1975
12:29 PM		Don Preston Trio The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbeque Transformation Cryptogramophone 2001
12:29 PM		Elvin Jones Simone Coalition CM BLUE NOTE (A92) 1970
12:44 PM		John Coltrane Quartet Wise One Crescent Verve Reissues 1964
12:50 PM		Archie Shepp Soul Eyes Ballads For Trane
12:54 PM		Oliver Nelson Ralph's New Blues (feat. Eric Dolphy) Straight Ahead (feat. Eric Dolphy) [Full Album Plus Bonus Tracks] Jazz Classics 2014
1:10 PM		Leon Thomas The Creator Has a Master Plan Spirits Known and Unknown Ace Records 1969
1:13 PM		Mtume Sais (Intro) Rebirth Cycle Third Street
1:22 PM		Mtume Sais Rebirth Cycle Third Street
1:44 PM		Charles Mingus Nostalgia In Times Square (Live) Jazz Portraits: Mingus In Wonderland (Live) Blue Note Records 1959
1:47 PM		Gunter Hampel We Move The 8th of July 1969
2:07 PM		War Slippin' into Darkness All Day Music Avenue Records 1971
2:12 PM		Jackson 5 Dancing Machine Dancing Machine UNI/MOTOWN 1974
2:17 PM		The O'Jays 992 Arguments Back Stabbers Legacy/Epic Associated 1972
2:23 PM		The Spinners It's a Shame 2nd Time Around UNI/MOTOWN 1970
2:24 PM		The Main Ingredient Just Don't Want to Be Lonely Euphrates River (Bonus Track Version) RCA/Legacy 1973
2:27 PM		Curtis Mayfield Give Me Your Love Superfly (Motion Picture Soundtrack) Charly Records 2001
2:37 PM		The Delfonics Didn't I 'Blow Your Mind This Time' The Delfonics RCA/Legacy 1970
2:41 PM		The Stylistics Betcha by Golly, Wow (Lp Version) The Stylistics AVCO Records Corp. 1970
2:41 PM		Stevie Wonder Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) Music of My Mind Motown 1972
2:44 PM		Marvin Gaye Trouble Man (Trouble Man Original Film Score) Trouble Man (40th Anniversary Expanded Edition) UNI/MOTOWN 1972
2:50 PM		The Isley Brothers Work to Do Brother, Brother, Brother Epic/Legacy 1972
2:54 PM		The Jimmy Castor Bunch Supersound Supersound (feat. The Everything Man) Rhino Atlantic 1974

Chat is archived.

Hi everybody! This is Jerry Gordon, in for #6 today. Please stay and enjoy the show.

I'm just going to pretend like it's Friday then.

Hi, Travis. Great! Pretend the weekend begins in 5 hours!

WHOA...it's Serenade to a Cuckoo on a WEDNESDAY!

Sounds like a plan, thanks for the go-ahead.

🎶 🐦 There's that theme song...

Thanks for listening, Travis!

Hi Christine, how are you doing? Beautiful today, right?

Hi Jerry...thanks for subbing for Number 6 today

Superlative weather 🌤

He and I go back a ways!

Time to get out there on your canoe!

Wait a minute what is going on

I don't know what happened, Adam. I smelled some incense and the next thing I knew I was on the radio, don't know what happened!

Greetings Jerry and listeners. Thanks for filling in for Johnny Callison

My #1 fave, no one can ever replace him! I remember the home run in the all star game! Will never forget

Went down to the part for past Saturday's game. That was a great time

Nice, Brian!

If I hear another media talking head say unofficial end of summer I am going to transform into the Unabomber.

Amen. Summer ends on September 20 something. I have it dialed in that way. Makes sense to me just fine.

They banned me from citizen banks park because I don’t spend enough money there. I think the homemade scorecard was the deal breaker.

Hi Jerry, Patrick, Brian D, Adamgoget, Christine, Travis

We're peakin... get the orange juice...

Fwiw, meteorological summer ends on August 31

Jerry I remember buying those way cool punk and rock EPS at your shop. Did the jazz labels issue any of those

The Phils are such a pleasure when everything is going well and they are hitting. Brian, what prompted you to go to the game?

Patrick, like myself, you don't want to pay more than 15 cents for a scorecard. Once again you have proven to be an innovator and a cheapskate.

Hey Jerry that Milwaukee looks like a fun place to watch a game. A drunkards dream if I ever did see one .!!

Hi Rob, perfect weather for you. Any new birds move into your neighborhood?

In the 50s, jazz eps were plentiful. I accumulated a bunch when I had my store. Clifford Brown, Chico Hamilton, great stuff. I still treasure them.

Great night for Birds last night Jerry. Orioles,Blue Jays and Cardinals all victorious

And I went to college in Wisconsin, occasionally went into Milwaukee. A whole different culture. The bars received the same respect as the library. Considered a wholesome family place. Kids received beer mugs from their parents on their 16th birthday.

Pabst #1!!! Budweiser was way, way behind. Pabst and Old Golds.

What made Milwaukee famous made a loser out of me

Schlitz was always crappy

The death of Jerry Lees cousin the Reverend Jimmy Swaggart surprisingly got little notice or attention. He was an 80s icon of the religious con men genre. Entertaining even though you knew he was a scammer

No new birds in my immediate neighborhood, Jerry. But a few minutes away somebody spotted a Golden-winged Warbler (https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/608879122 not my photo) and I zoomed over there and saw it! I hadn't seen one in 8 years

What abour "Rhinelander, fresh as Wisconsin's Northwoods" ?

I way preferred Reverend Ike!

Wow Rob, you must have been fast! Where is the native habitat during the summer?

Reverend Ike’s church still standing on North Broad Street . They have a new con called ticketing fees,service fees, processing fees and building restoration fees. PTL indeed!!

Travis, excellent beer knowledge!!! I also used to drink a delicious beer called Special Export made by Heilmanns

Ha, yeah I remember Special Export too. Also Extra Gold made by Coors

Jerry, breeding range is MA to MN south to the mountains of NC and TN. It winters in Central America and n.w. South America

Travis, were you living in Wisconsin?

Rob I saw some groovy birds at Eastern Neck Wild refuge last week. Near Rock Hall Md

@Patrick, nice! What were some of them?

I grew up in Indiana. Rhinelander was $6-7 for a case of returnable bottles that we could use to bottle our own and had a nice sturdy box. Old Milwaukee and Milwaukee's Best were always a go-to, and tons of Old Style when I lived in CHicago.

Sorry Rob I am not much of an orthonoligist.

Birds and Beers! Cheers!

I'm just an amateur birdwatcher, but I did get a change to visit the Cornell Ornithology Lab in Ithaca last week when I was on vacation.

Nothing better than the midwest, Travis! What great memories you have conjured up!

Sierra collaboration Oktoberfest just poured. Green salad, pulled pork w/bbq & Thai chili sauce combined, quinoa, couple pickle slices. And some great jazz!! A fine afternoon. Gotta get out for a walk later

Hi Rob, Patrick, Brian D, Adamgoget & Travis 👋

Fine indeed, Brian!

I remember Dad getting Rhinelander once in a while back in the day. He always mixed it up at the beer distributor. Had his faves but would try out something different every other trip or so

Christine, I didn't realize that trip happened already. What beers did you drink, and how was Cooperstown? Wow.

Saw a couple of Cooperstown whisky offerings in the PA stores clearance deals. Lots of great discounts going on.

Brian, that just worked me up into a frenzy! Pulled Pork and Quinoa. There should be a name for that! That all would qualify for a "Last Meal"

Add a powdered Jelly Donut and I'm good to go.

I never got to Cooperstown this trip, @Jerry. I stayed in the Ithaca area for an extra day. I still have yet to visit the Ommegang brewery

"24 elsinore please, i believe there will be no charge due to a mouse found in the bottle"

It were eazy too....open fridge, microwave, and a coupla shakes from bottles only actions needed

"Bob I've got that guy's hockey card all over my room! " Good ol Angus MacInnes the Gold Leader starred in Strange Brew, Atlantic City, Star Wars etc (RIP last year)

Travis, Brian D, I have to investigate this 24 Elsinore thing!

You'll need a flux capacitor with the Hollywood Canadiana appended update

Patrick, do you have any orthodontist jokes?

Sorry Jerry I’ve given up comedy to become a televangelist

Christine, what did you do in Ithaca?

Patrick, Reverend Ike or Father Divine?

@Patrick, lol

Christine, Patrick could pull it off!

@Jerry, I spent a day at the Cornell Art musum and walking around the trails (Sapsucker Woods) surrounding the Cornell Lab, and time walking around the city,

Sounds great.

I always liked that Little Jimmy Jeter evangelist from Mary Hartman Mary Hartman

It's a very walkable city with many good restaurants. And three bookstores, an art house cinema, and Moosewood of course. I had lunch at Moosewood one day. Really nice city and friendly people.

Love Ithaca! Have not been in a while. Great town and area. Good scenery. Those gorges wow. Moosewood restaurant.

ha jinx

Is that the famous Moosewood Healthy Restaurant with several books of their recipes?

Aye the very one Jerry

I bet that was good. Is it still there?

@Brian, right? There's so much to see and do. I need to go back soon!

Last time we were there at Moosewood they had fish and maybe some other animal protein on the menu. I think Christine confirmed it is still there

No worries, Patrick

@Jerry, yes! That's the Moosewood Restaurant that opened in 1973. They've published several cookbooks that have become classics. Inside the restaurant there's a little area for merch. I had lunch there last week.

@Christine, very cool! We were up there about 17 years ago

@Christine, I was in Ithaca in the 70s too and I ate at Moosewood at least once

@Rob, I thought of you when visiting the Cornell Lab. Have you been there? This was my first visit to the lab and the trails.

We did a fall road trip in 2007 starting from (well here in PA) Alfred, NY over to Portland, ME area. Tried to stick to mostly smaller roads and towns. Really good time, eats, scenery, weather etc. Good time o year to see that part of country.

Love a good road trip. 🚗

My 8th birthday 1977 was the famous Grateful Dead show at Cornell at Barton Hall. A great tape that one. The "Betty Boards" - Betty Cantor-Jackson inner circle crew member who archived some of the best moments and had a great ear for a mix.

that Leon Thomas track was so cool!

Hi Patti, thanks for listening. Yep, it is a classic. He also did it with Pharoah Sanders.

Pete Cosey & Reggie Lucas shredding the guitars into other universi on that Mtume lp

When I used to drive to Baltimore in the 80 s for Orioles games Mtume owned the local airwaves

Absolutely, Brian. I don't even know. how you know!

My civic duty is complete

Patrick, absolutely

Hey Mike, an important and surprising contribution you made!

Someone had to do it.

Mike your job was to get Will C. Back on the airwaves!!!!!

Yep....I miss ole Rico

Will C probably rocking a new Micah Parsons jersey

Mike, how are you and early 70s soul music and r&b?

Early 70's I was completely Prog and Glam. Soul came later.

wow! Did you have elevated shoes?

Hey Jerry PRB turned down my polka show for the fall schedule. A bunch of Jimmy Sturr haters!!!

I can't believe it!

Yes ...platform boots with rainbows on them. I looked llike Frakenstein

They made me like 6'6".....my GF was 5'4"

Have your girlfriends and wives converted to your musical tastes as you went through the changes?

They pretty much all hated what I listened to

Wow! What magic power did you posess?

Chau Jerry, I enjoyed these first 2 hours, but alas I have to go. Thanks for jazz. Until the next time!

Thanks very much, Rob. I am always appreciative of when you listen! Have a good evening!

Nothing to it...I had good drugs and a hot car.

I think you are still using that formula.

Ha!!!!!....shhhhhhh

Not one GF could sit through 4 sides of Tales From Topographic Oceans

Neither could Rick Wakeman

Even with the STP you were into at the time?

Then again....not many friends could either

Rick could make it if he had a good curry!

Ah yes...the great oil additive

I do know this is War

Yeah, a great one. You may know alot of these songs

Probably one of the most bizarre concerts I attended was the remnants of WAR playing at one of those cheesy Delaware River clubs outdoors. They did a tribute to O. J.

No they di'int.

I bought the first one with Burdon when it came out

It was a Blatstein operation so I was glad to get home with my wallet intact

You were hip!

They were cheesy...The Yacht Club....The Beach Club

Slipping into the Darkness of the Fiyo on the Bayou... Like an Eagle

It might have been Rock Lobster

Ha!...right! At the time I was doing stuff for WYSP and many parties at those places

Hahaha! Patrick, you are Zelig

Ha!....Zellig!!!

Shoutout to Philadelphia Delaware Riverfront the most wasted underutilized water based area on the East Coast. Corrupt and Contented indeed

who knows this song by the intro

I did not

Some of my relatives came into the USA through the Philadelphia port. Where was it? Where are the remnants?

Great question

My paternal grandfather landed at Washington. Avenue

We were so poor I think mine swam here

Philadelphia was a big destination/port for Italians. Jews and Italians, right to Sough Philadelphia.

OK, Patrick, nice! Are there any remnants from "back in the day"? I have to read about the Philadelphia Port, why they stopped, etc.

This is what Google says: Historically, significant immigration to Philadelphia occurred at the Washington Avenue Immigration Station from 1873 to 1915, where over one million immigrants entered the country

Also says it was demolished

Thanks, Mike. My peeps came over around 1910. Interesting! I wonder why

Fathers side from Germany mid 1800's Mothers side around the same time from England

I do like this one a lot

It's a goodie!

Probably destroyed by the Nativists

A fierce battle between 1972 and 1973 for greatest radio year

There are a few things left : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Avenue_Immigration_Station

Celebrating my 50 th year of ignoring the Jaws movie .Probably one of the few Americans who never saw it. We should never normalize Shark hate.

Saw it when it came out and that was that

Good for you, Patrick. You never went with the "flow"

When someone asks what the TSOP was just play this

Mike your battle between 1972 and 1973 is a good one, I can't speak for the rock of those two years.

But I never missed an episode of Flipper

An old friend, the late TJ Tindall played guitar on many TSOP recordings

Patrick, do you or anyone else have a "favorite year" for music. I would be curious.

Esoterica and I can speak of it!

Ha, Flipper. I wonder what his contract looked like at the time!

Is that a peak Esoterica year?

We share a love of Mott the Hoople and T Rex

It’s all subjective Jerry . I was 13 and 14 then . Wasn’t a cynic. Everything new and interesting. Had no idea what Walk on The Willd Side was about though. How did that clear the censors??

I think they just had no idea what it meant.

Both Dr John and ELP got away with Brain Salad Surgery

I think that was it, no idea.

Smooooooooth

Great show Jerry! I have to remember to clock in for work tomorrow it not being Friday and all....

I never know what day it is

Thank you, Brian. Thanks for the cool stuff you mentioned in the chat.

Mike, I think you were employing this song and your STP in your slick RX7 up and down 611

A lot went on in that car.....

Hahahaha. Some real characters came through there

Thanks very much, everybody for listening, chatting, and being clever!

Glad I could catch the last half

The bulk of the last hour was 1970-1972

I do remember some of these when I was poor and only had an AM radio

How were you listening to Tales of Topographic Oceans, although that was later

In the car

I wasn't clear.... AM radio in the car

Dang. I should have done my errand now instead of an hour ago. Look at all those great soul songs I misssed!

*missed

The hits!

Supersounds!

Yeah, man!

WFIL powerplay!

FONK!

Or for me, WOL and WUST

An often sampled song

WASHINGTON, DC!

Till Friday

THANKS, MIKE, ROB