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Serenade to a Cuckoo with Jerry Gordon

Dec 12, 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!

12.12.25

1 hour of new modern jazz releases, 1 hour of klezmer and other Hanuka music, 1 hour of the music and the productions of Steve Cropper

12:02 PM		Leo Genovese Harps For Hope Solo Brooklyn
12:07 PM		Dhafer Youssef Terpsichorean Shiraz ACT Music 2025
12:11 PM		Billy Hart Giant Steps Multidirectional Smoke Sessions 2025
12:19 PM		Al Foster Pent-Up House (Live at Smoke) Live at Smoke Smoke Sessions 2025
12:30 PM		Kahil El'Zabar & Ethnic Heritage Ensemble Caravan (Live at "mu") Let the Spirit Out (Live at "mu") Spiritmuse Records 2025
12:45 PM		Don Was I Ain't Got Nothin' But Time Groove In The Face Of Adversity Mack Avenue Records 2025
12:51 PM		Mike Clark Epistrophy II (feat. Eddie Henderson, Patrice Rushen, Henry "the Skipper" Franklin & Craig Handy) Itai Doshin (feat. Eddie Henderson, Patrice Rushen, Henry "the Skipper" Franklin & Craig Handy) Wide Hive Records 2025
12:55 PM		Bill Bickford, Joe Corsello, Rick Petrone & Steve Marcus Serenade to a Cuckoo Steve Marcus Project Mighty Quinn Productions 2007
1:09 PM		The Frank London Big Band Oh Hanukka Groove The Best of Festival of Light Six Degrees Records 2012
1:15 PM		Shirim Klezmer Orchestra Dance of the Latkes Queens (Based on "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy") Klezmer Nutcracker Newport Classic 1998
1:15 PM		The Klezmer Conservatory Band Oy Chanukah, Oy Chanukah! Oy Chanukah! Rounder Records 1987
1:21 PM		Don Byron Dreidel Song Plays the Music of Mickey Katz Nonesuch 1993
1:27 PM		Mickey Katz and His Orchestra The Litvak Square Dance Simcha Time: Mickey Katz Plays Music For Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and Brisses Blue Note Records 1994
1:27 PM		Matisyahu Happy Hanukkah Happy Hanukkah - Single Fallen Sparks Records 2012
1:29 PM		David Krakauer with Kathleen Tagg Jammin' with Socalled Mazel Tov Cocktail Party
2:25 PM		Otis Redding I Can't Turn You Loose (2020 Remaster) The Best Of Otis Redding Rhino Atlantic 1971
1:40 AM		The Klezmer Conservatory Band A Yingele Fun Polyn Oy Chanukah! Rounder Records 1987
1:50 AM		Velouria Til Next Hanukkah Rodney on the ROQ
2:05 AM		The Mar-Keys Last Night Stax-Volt: The Complete Singles 1959-1968 Rhino Atlantic 1991
2:15 AM		Booker T. & The M.G.'s Green Onions Green Onions Rhino Atlantic 1962
2:20 AM		Rufus Thomas Walking the Dog (Remastered) Walking the Dog (Remastered) - Single Bacci Bros Records 1963
2:27 AM		Otis Redding Mr. Pitiful Stax-Volt: The Complete Singles 1959-1968 Rhino Atlantic 1991
2:30 AM		The Astors Candy Atlantic Gold
2:35 AM		Don Covay See Saw See Saw Woah Dad! 1966
2:37 AM		Otis Redding I Can't Turn You Loose Stax-Volt: The Complete Singles 1959-1968 Rhino Atlantic 1991
2:40 AM		Otis Redding Respect (Single Version) Atlantic Top 60: Sweat-Soaked Soul Classics Rhino Atlantic 2007
2:44 AM		Otis Redding Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) The Very Best of Otis Redding Rhino Atlantic 1992
2:48 AM		Wilson Pickett In the Midnight Hour In the Midnight Hour Rhino Atlantic 1965
2:51 AM		Wilson Pickett 634-5789 Rhino Hi-Five: Wilson Pickett - EP Rhino Atlantic 2005
2:53 AM		Carla Thomas B-A-B-Y Stax Classics Rhino Atlantic 2017
2:55 AM		Eddie Floyd Knock on Wood Atlantic R&B Classics - The 60's Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2025
2:56 AM		Sam & Dave Hold on I'm Comin' Stax Classics Rhino Atlantic 2017
2:57 AM		Albert King Oh, Pretty Woman Born Under A Bad Sign Craft Recordings 1966
2:58 AM		Albert King Crosscut Saw Born Under a Bad Sign Stax 1966
2:59 AM		Otis Redding (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay Stax Classics Rhino Atlantic 2017
3:00 AM		Sam & Dave I Thank You Stax '68: A Memphis Story Craft Recordings 2018

Chat is archived.

Welcome, everybody, to Serenade to a Cuckoo! Plenty of great music for you today!

Happy Friday to Jerry and everybody!

Hi Rick, Happy Friday! We got a Bari cued up for you for later!

Jerry, nice! Note that I'm waiting with baited breath for the Klezmer and Hanukah music also!

I know you, Rick! I have such good Klemer lined up, I'm thrilled myself! Thank you for that!

Klezmer

No John Klemmer today!

haha!

Hi Jerry. I have been clicked in. Happy to have you in my digiteria. I hope you have a great show.

Hey Richard!

Thank you, Richard, for checkin in!

Greetings and good day to Jerry and all his listeners. WPRB SPINITRON contains multitudes of Richard’s

Hey Patrick!

Hi Patrick, thanks for being here as always. Your humor, knowledge, and fun facts are always a great addition to the show!

Mark Turner on tenor

Somebody told me today was the Third Street Jazz Christmas party. I am down here in Old City by myself in the cold.

I'm sorry, Patrick. That was 36 years ago. So sorry you missed that last one.

What else was happening in Philly 36 years ago?

Rick, a big tenor coming up next also

I'm diggin' this already!

Guy I worked with was a big autograph hunter. Told me Billy Hart was one of the nicest people he encountered.

Just got the invite in the mail. I didn’t check the date.

Hi Jerry & all! 🎶 🐦

Hey Christine!

That's good to hear, Patrick. A great one!

This is Chris Potter on tenor.

Hi Christine! Glad to see you!

Was able to see Eric Mintel at Bucks County Comm College last night . Hardest working man in Jazz . He did a Vince Giuraldi tribute Christmas show

I've been listening 🎶 📻 but I can't hang in the chat much today. Work is too busy.

The audacity of these employers!

Glad you made it here at all. I bet this week is busy for youo!

They are a terrible inconvenience

Eric mintel's tenor player, Nelson Hill, was a former member of Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop,Nouveau band. nelson's a very talented player.

back to back percussionists

Tonight live at Smoke in NYC: Coltrane Festival week One with Melissa Aldana, Walter Smith III & George Garzone Sextet https://livestreams.smokejazz.com/ Livestream!

Charles Schultz wanted Dave Brubeck to do the Peanuts Christmas music, but Dave was too busy and had to take 5. So he had him contact Vince Giuraldi

Thank you sir

Interesting factoid, Patrick. Did not know that!

Oh baby, I'm hearing bari madness!

Oh yeah!

He's testifyin'!

This is as good as getting a B-3 shot!

I try to keep you in balance

It's working.

I try to keep Patrick and Russ in balance, but that's not possible. And of course Christine needs her percussion

50 years ago a cornucopia of local entertainment options. Lonnie Liston Smith and his Cosmic Echoes. Patti Smith and Tom Rapp. Janus Ian. foghat.Frankie Laine. The Dovells.Main Ingredient.Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee.Hugh Masakela.and the ubiquitous Johnnys Dance Band,

Jerry often refers to Russ and I as Goofus and Gallant!

Changing roles sometimes.

A lot of good entertainment 50 years ago. Hard to believe that was in a weekend. Will that ever again happen in Philadelphia?

Thinking not at these prices. Even adjusted for inflation concerts were much cheaper then

I remember when the Poconos was a hotbed of musical activity. Not any more.

It's in the stupidly expensive column for sure Mike.

Hi!

Indeed

Hey Mike! I think you are right. But it also has been noticed that a lot of acts skip Philadelphia these days!

That's some percussion, all right

Wonder why....plenty of decent venues

Yeah the math doesn’t work anymore. Seems like Fillmore ,Union Transfer and the Met do good with the young people. You need a cattle prod to get older audiences out . Those punitive fees and other three card monte tricks deter people from buying tix.

This song is unreal. Welcome Rabbi Felaffelstein! You cover all bases of cosmic conciousness.

Oy, no seats! Can't do that anymore

That Goniff at City Winery forces you to buy 0vrrpriced food and booze.

When Patrick starts speaking Yiddish, you know he's pissed.

Took my roomie's son to Union Transfer....I sat in the bar

Forget a no seat venue! I avoid them, but...

Patrick had mentioned and I concur many jazz artists go from NY to DC, skip over Philly

I'm lovin' this track.

Does Johnny Brenda's have a bar seat with your name on it up stairs Mike?

I hate to say I've never been there!

GTFOH!

Too much traffic from Mike's house plus nowhere to park his exotic automobiles.

I'm known by name there... lol

Jerry, this is a helluva good set!

I did have a seat at Dobb's however

There it is. :)

Patrick had a whole booth at Hymie's Delicatessen

To be fair, I just waqlk over a few blocks and don't have parking issues. :)

I have mapped Johnny Brenda's and the parking does look sparse

It is and they don't serve salted peanuts either.

Parking near Johnny Brenda's is tough, but I have had good luck parking on Shackamaxon Street.

Bastards!

There's that theme song again 🎶🐦

No peanuts?

Thank you, Christine

They would have to raise ticket prices again.

I can live with $40 shows, but $270 at a ain venue is not happening.

Main

Does Johnny Brenda’s still do shows. I saw a great Marc Ribot show there

Oh yeah

They still have great acts come through on the cheap.

If you don't mind standing that is.

Woof!

Junior just requested Jackie Wilson Stop Dogging Me Around

Ha! He waited for me to go on the mic before he started digging a hole next me.

He was looking for his Hanukah presents and Hanukah gelt.

There you go, Rick

Speaking of digging, dig this track!!!

Frank London, an incredible musician and arranger. This is a Hanukah "medley"

Is Hanukah going to include Susan Lanni Watkins?

Sounds orthodox to me.

Yes, Rabbi Burgsteinski, thsat was an orthodox version of the Nutcracker!

OK peeps, time to dance!

Gotta crack some nuts to make Charoset and Rugelach

Thanks for this great Hanukah music Jerry. It reminds me it’s time to take down my Halloween decorations

Rabbi Kerroffle's cosmic plane of existence allows him to receive recipe transmissions from 200 A.D.

Patrick, at least you don't have to take down last years Christmas decorations now.

Why only 12:02PM in the playlist?

Put Santa out on the lawn beating up the Halloween decoration Pat!

This is an analog reality on the radio.

Time is different here.

A Yiddish square dance!

Star of David dance?

This is Joel Grey's Father

That would work!

Gotta love that geometry.

Love Don Byron playing Mickey Katz!

But he referenced chicken wing's in that song!

Russ, that Painted Bride concert is exceptional.

RIP Painted Bride! When idealistic hippies morph into heartless real estate magnates.

“Know what I mean?”

Folks are looking for souvenirs around around the premises.

Patrick, I will respectfully tell you that the Painted Bride was out of money. It was an act of desperation, they needed the bread and people tried to stop them. That's BS in my book, or my faulty perspective.

Apartment rent will be around $3000 at least.

Ouch

With all respect Jerry, the Bride was not out of money. According to reporting this week by the Inquirer, “Executive director Laurel Raczka said the organization was not in financial distress but chose to ditch the building so the Bride could explore new ways to present the arts.” https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/inq2/painted-bride-art-center-timeline-20251211.html?id=bGQIsbv821Sqc&utm_source=social&utm_campaign=gift_link&utm_medium=referral

Sad,RIP Painted Bride...sad..lol, great show today Jer,..please email me todays show as I missed the beginning...Yes, they could have saved the present building of the Bride'...greed..

Russ, the Philadelphia Inquirer is not a credible source.

Hi Sheila, will do!

Sheila, how about Val the grandma!

I don’t want to argue about the Bride here, Jerry, but what is your “credible source” about the Bride being out of money?

It was a great intimate venue. Got to see Junior Walker,Robert Fripp,Rickie Lee Jones, Sun Ra,Jamaldeen Tacuma,John Zorn there..

I saw Charles Mingus there.

Hey Rob! Welcome!

thank you Jerry , i am now boned up on Jewish traditions

The cuckoo of the week is the Common Cuckoo (a European species) that was on eastern Long Island in late October https://ebird.org/checklist/S281359007

That was the first one ever seen in New York

Hey Rob they are having a big bird event in nearby Bucks County. Next three Saturdays orthnologists are counting and identifying various area birds.

Ironically religious Irishers also pound on the table at the words …. last call!!

Saw many outstanding concerts at the Bride at its various locations on South Street, Bread Street and Vine Street. Sad to see the building demolished. The Bride is operating in West Philly. https://paintedbride.org/

I had this 45. :)

This has been a theme song to so many things, I half expected Jerry to stars talking 30 seconds in.

Reminds me of the last scene in American Graffiti

Hey Mike, thanks much for being here.

I'd like to dedicate this to listener Junior....

@Patrick, yes! That sounds like the Christmas Bird Count, which goes on every year in late December through early January all around the country (and Canada too). I'll be on the Washington DC count on the 20th. Hopefully it won't be too cold!

Mike C, I'll 2nd that motion.

Yes!

those songs want to play

Mike Trop the Jerry who talked over music was the late Geator. Made sure you couldn’t record the record.

Thank you, Mike, but Junior is busy digging thru carpet and wood floors trying to find something more interesting. is brother Ralph just chills and watches

The Geator never talked up a song, he talked over it.

Hy Lit, my hero

Hi Affrig! Thanks for lestening!

listening

every friday

Hey Jerry who is Junior favorite TV dog? Lassie,Deputy Dog, Scoobie , Rin Tin Tin?

Mr. Peabody

Headed up to the joy of Friday Street Road Traffic. Everyone have a great weekend and a joyous Hanukkah.

My dog likesTriumph the insult comic dog

hahaha, not surprised, Mike!!!!

Ugh....Street Road...the worst

Patrick, thanks, have a great weekend and a safe one, snow Saturday night starting around 10 pm

Eagles game at my house is in jeopardy

street road in buckingham township or 132

132 for sure

Can you sneak in some RS

This song rocks!

Jerry will be making some good luck latkes for the Eagles game.

Can you sneak in some RCO Allstars?

Octofish. No

Eagles will need it!

With extra sour cream

Yes sour cream. Mike knows as does russ and Rabbi Falaffelstein

Yeah...not an applesauce guy

Haha, what a great comment. Where dod you stand on chopped liver?

I make a killer liver stir fry

Wow.

Wow, not for the weak.

It's amazing if I may say so myself

Lots of R&B today. Great show.

I actually like the Ami Stewart version

When my wife was pregnant the first time, I caught her by surprise at night eating peanut butter and liver

Thanks, Rob, for listening and being here today!

Mike, that's because you have great taste. Besides liver, the Ami Stewart was one of the greatest tracks of the disco era!

It really was...have the cassette

Amazing! Still? THAT is a died in the wool music man

I have far too many cassettes

Musical edification at it's finest! Thanks Jerry! Enjoy Hanukkah time!

Chag Sameach

Chag Sameach!

no fear , it's not the oakland raiders

What a bunch of characters. Thank you Rabbi Steinski. Thank you Mike who picked up Hebrew, latkes and sour cream along the way. Mike, too much. Russ, Patrick, Rick, Christine, everybody, thank you!

Happy Hanukkah, Jerry! Great show!

Jerry, as Freddy Mitchell used to say: "Fred-X delivers". Well, you delivered another top quality show to us today! Totally enjoyable! Everybody have a good weekend and Happy Hanukkah!

Haha, RAbbi! Love it!

Affrig, thanks so much.

Left Rabbi Russell Woessner, thank you!

Good ol' Fredex, thank you!