After Hours 3

Hard to believe that I am on volume three of this pick. I really was originally thinking I might get lucky and do a couple of these. The more I hear, the more I like it though. I have been playing all the volumes in my house. Hopefully you are liking them too. I called it After Hours, because it reminds me of an after hour smoky jazz club. Makes me want to light up a cigar and drink a brandy. Go listen to the others in the series. This one features mostly female torch singers and a few AI females. Definitely not traditional.

After Hours 3

40 Rickie Lee Jones - Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying

41 Abbey Lincoln - Blue Monk

42 Diana Krall - Almost Blue

43 Lana Del Rey - Blue Velvet

44 Vintage Echoes - Pour Me Slow

45 Peggy Lee - Black Coffee

46 Cosmai - I Love Paul

47 Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox featuring Haley Reinhart - Seven Nation Army

48 Shirley Horn - Here's to Life

49 Kaite Bush - Physical

50 Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind

51 Billie Holiday - You Don't Know What Love Is

52 Blossom Dearie - Once Upon A Summertime

53 Helen Merrill - What's New

54 June Christy - Something Cool

55 Dinah Washington - Drinking Again

56 Kaite Bush - Oops

57 Cassandra Wilson - Strange Fruit

58 Julie London - Cry Me A River

59 Sarah Vaughan - September Song

Cocktail Hour 2 (repost)

Yesterday I posted part one of this pick, well, reposted it. I updated links because I was looking at it again and noticed that four years came and went and the links didn't stay current. But the music holds up. Here's what I wrote then about this: Part two of this pick. Cocktail hour is what I call it but it's appropriate for dinner or any other time you want some good music that you don't need to dance to. You can put it on for quiet moments like that or whatever. Go to sleep with this on in the background. That's nice, too. Now go check out the After Hours ones from a few days ago.

Cocktail Hour 2 (repost)

23 Jamie Cullum - What A Difference A Day Made

24 Sting - Englishman In New York

25 Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good

26 Laura Mvula - Green Garden

27 Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

28 George Michael - Brother Can You Spare A Dime

29 Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me

30 Michael Buble - Haven't Met You Yet

31 Natalie Cole - This Will Be

32 Robbie Williams - Beyond The Sea

33 Van Morrison - Moondance

34 Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer

35 John Mayer - Slow Dancing In A Burning Room

36 Rumer - Slow

37 Michael Buble - Moondance

38 Sade - By Your Side

39 Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing's Real But Love

40 Hozier - Take Me to Church

41 Ella Mai - Boo'd Up

Cocktail Hour 1 (repost)

Since I just posted the After Hours picks the last couple of days, I thought I woud revisit this two volume set. The links were dead anyway, so I updated them here. I sort of quote what I wrote before: Some standards and a few not yet, but all are appropriate for cocktails or dinner. I like all of these. They are classics or classic sounding to me. I remember watching the movie Umbrellas Of Cherbourg as a kid and just loving Catherine Deneuve. It always stayed with me and is perfect for this pick. Sorry, but Bjork got in here twice. Once in her pre-Sugarcubes band Gling Glo and once solo much later. I just do love the sound of both tracks and Luktar-Gvendur was the inspiration for making this playlist. BTW, I really like the marbling technique for the cover background. Fun to do!

Cocktail Hour 1 (repost)

01 Gordon McRae & Jo Stafford - 'A' Your Adorable

02 Gling Glo - Luktar-Gvendur

03 kd Lang - The Air That I Breathe

04 Julie London - I'm In The Mood For Love

05 Astrud Gilberto - Corcovado

06 Jo Stafford - Falling In Love Again

07 Sinead O'Connor - My Heart Belongs To Daddy

08 Don Henley - Come Rain Or Come Shine

09 Sting - My One And Only Love

10 Kate Bush - The Man I Love

11 Catherine Deneuve & Nino Castelnuovo - Devant Le Garage

12 Doris Day - Bewitched

13 Claudine Longet - Meditation

14 Dean Martin - Pretty Baby

15 Billie Holiday - Our Love Is Here To Stay

16 Susanna Hoffs - The Look of Love

17 Bjork - I Can't Help Loving That Man

18 Wayne Newton - Danke Schoen

19 Nancy Sinatra - Call Me

20 Lisa Stansfield - Down In The Depths

21 Linda Ronstadt - You Took Advantage Of Me

22 Tony Bennett - Jeepers Creepers

After Hours 2

Yesterday’s pick set the scene — tonight’s keeps the lights low and the room quieter. The air feels thicker, the piano slower, the bass heavier, like it’s learned something from the silence. This one leans deeper into that after-midnight calm — where the smoke curls, the clock forgets, and every note feels like it’s playing just for you. Several AI tunes made the cut again (that was the point after all), but the mood stays human — worn, warm, and wide awake at 2 a.m.

After Hours 2

22 Remix Realms - Billie Jean

23 Jimmy Scott - I'm Through With Love

24 Anarch-I-Wamba - Knocked Down

25 Nat King Cole - Lonely One

26 Arthur Prysock - I Worry About You

27 True Believers - One Tequila

28 Zero Sugar - Lounge Lightning

29 Lou Rawls - Willow Weep For Me

30 Frank Sinatra - One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

31 re-SOUL - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

32 Art-I Ramone - Sedated

33 AI Tendencies - Institutionalized

34 Andy Bey - In A Sentimental Mood

35 Mark Murphy - My Foolish Heart

36 Mel Torme - Blue Moon

37 Zero Sugar - A(i)ck Shun

38 Richard Cheese - Just Like Heaven

39 Doug Hilton - The Moonlight Mocks Me (It's Cold and Blue)

After Hours 1

When the lights fade and the last glass clinks, the real music begins. This pick drifts through a 1950s saloon haze — slow, smoky jazz wrapped in barroom quiet. Sparse piano and brushed snares sway around a thumping upright bass, while a low baritone croon leans close, all grit and midnight warmth. At the mic, Zero Sugar’s own boxer — no howls, just bark and heart — croons the kind of tunes made for the hour after the night ends. A couple of AI tunes here, but the rest...

After Hours 1

01 Johnny Hartman - Unforgettable

02 re-SOUL - Baby Shark

03 Dean Martin - I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)

04 Tony Bennett - I Wanna Be Around

05 Don Nelson featuring Jimmy Rowles, Leroy Vinnegar & Stan Levey - The Wind

06 Ray Charles - Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)

07 Midnight Jazz - Velvet Corners

08 Sam Cooke - Lost And Lookin'

09 Mose Allison - Lost Mind

10 Raviel Blackthorne - Tonight, I'm A Little Too Broken

11 Sammy Davis Jr. - I'm A Fool To Want You

12 Sound Of Moc - She Wore Blue Under Streetlights

13 Chet Baker - Almost Blue

14 Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

15 Lee Hazlewood - Your Sweet Love

16 Electric Prunes - Too Much To Dream (After Hours Mix)

17 Zero Sugar - Love Is Like Lounging

18 Charles Brown - Driftin' Blues

19 Jack Jones - Here's That Rainy Day

20 Zero Sugar - Faux On The Run

21 Chris Connor - Lush Life

Modern Prelude 2

More of the modern coctail hour music in this pick. Volume 2 of this 40 track compilation. One of the artists, Corinne Bailey Rae, when I first heard tracks from her, I was blown away. I immediately thought of Stevie Wonder and Motown. Listening to tracks from her now, I think how she has such a unique sound that is universal. Much of these tracks on this compilation has that same universal feel. Play them during dinner or at any place you want like cocktail hours.

Modern Prelude 2

21 John Mayer - Daughters

22 Natalie Merchant - Kind and Generous

23 Uncle Kracker & Kenny Chesney - When The Sun Goes Down

24 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love

25 Ben Harper - Gold To Me

26 Joss Stone - Some Kind Of Wonderful

27 Jack Johnson - Do You Remember

28 David Gray - The One I Love

29 Dido - Here With Me

30 Dave Matthews Band - Dreamgirl

31 Corinne Bailey Rae - I'd Like To

32 Citizen Cope - If There's Love

33 John Legend - Sun Comes Up

34 Paolo Nutini - Loving You

35 Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston - Love Like This

36 Carlos Santana featuring Dave Matthews - Love of my Life

37 Jack Johnson - Never Know

38 Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life

39 Coldplay - Green Eyes.mp3

40 311 - Love Song

Modern Prelude 1

This pick is based on a cocktail hour dinner music playlist from a DJ Magazine some years back. Two volumes total. It can go in tandem with the American Standard volumes from a few days ago. So the songs are good for cocktail hour at any wedding.

Modern Prelude 1

01 Jack Johnson - Better Together

02 Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

03 David Gray - You're The World To Me

04 Dave Matthews Band - Stay (Wasting Time)

05 Ben Harper - By My side

06 Colbie Caillat  - Bubbly

07 John Legend - Save Room

08 Dido - Thank You

09 Carlos Santana featuring Chad Kroeger - Into The Night

10 Joss Stone - Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' On Me)

11 Jack Johnson - Upside Down

12 Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am

13 Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah

14 Robin Thicke - Lost Without U

15 Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful Of Sunshine

16 Dave Matthews Band - Where Are You Going

17 Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals - Steal My Kisses

18 India Arie - Purify Me

19 Cake - Strangers In The Night

20 Jack Johnson - Banana Pancakes

American Songbook 2

This is volume two of the cocktail or dinner hour of American Standards. Just a continuation of the same voices, pretty much in this pick. And nothing in here that most people wouldn't love during any time of conversation. I will get to the modern stuff soon. I think this is the shortest writeup so far. BTW, how do you like the cover? Patriotic enough?

American Songbook 2

22 Dean Martin - Ain't That A Kick In The Head

23 Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young

24 Michael Buble - Fever

25 Tony Bennett - Steppin` Out With My Baby

26 Frank Sinatra - I've Got The World On A String

27 Ella Fitzgerald - Hooray For Love

28 Nat King Cole - Let There Be Love

29 Harry Connick Jr. - I Could Write A Book

30 Ella Fitzgerald - I Only Have Eyes For You

31 Frank Sinatra - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life

32 Michael Buble - The Best Is Yet To Come

33 Jane Monheit - Taking A Chance On Love

34 Ella Fitzgerald - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

35 Louis Armstrong - It Takes Two To Tango

36 Nancy Wilson - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

37 Dean Martin - True Love (Digitally Remastered 98)

38 Billie Holiday - I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

39 Bing Crosby - Exactly Like You

40 Sarah Vaughan - I Can't Give You Anything But Love

41 Ella Fitzgerald - From This Moment On

42 Paul Anka - Waiting For A Girl Like You

American Songbook 1

Basically this pick is of standards to play at cocktail hour or perhaps dinner at a wedding. I have two volumes of the standards and two more that are a little bit more modern. Look up cocktail hour to find them, later. I am a big Dean Martin fan, so a him and the Rat Pack. This originally came from a DJ magazine playlist. Not much else to say, but it's hard to go wrong with this set. BTW, I left ufile since they were requiring payment in crypto and I wasn't doing it. So now I am at Proton Drive. Been using it and Proton Mail for awhile anyway. All the old stuff will stay at the old site, but new is going here.

American Songbook 1

01 Frank Sinatra - The Way You Look Tonight

02 Dean Martin - I'm Sitting On Top Of The World 

03 Louis Armstrong - Love Is Here To Stay

04 Nat King Cole - L-O-V-E

05 Frank Sinatra - Come Fly With Me

06 Michael Buble - Everything

07 Billie Holiday - Let's Do It

08 Ella Fitzgerald - Too Marvelous For Words

09 Frank Sinatra - I Get A Kick Out Of You

10 Diana Krall - S'Wonderful

11 Michael Buble - Moondance

12 Dean Martin - You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You

13 Nat King Cole - Almost Like Being In Love

14 Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)

15 Ray Charles - You Are My Sunshine

16 Tony Bennett - Just In Time

17 Michael Buble - For Once In My Life

18 Frank Sinatra - I've Got You Under My Skin

19 Sammy Davis, Jr - (Love Is) The Tender Trap

20 Ella Fitzgerald - Something's Gotta Give

21 Paul Anka - The Way You Make Me Feel

Cocktail Hour 2

Part two of this pick. Cocktail hour is what I call it but it's appropriate for dinner or any other time you want some good music that you don't need to dance to. You can put it on for quiet moments like that or whatever. Go to sleep with this on in the background. That's nice, too. If you didn't get part one of this playlist go back a few days and find it.

Cocktail Hour 2

23 Jamie Cullum - What A Difference A Day Made

24 Sting - Englishman In New York

25 Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good

26 Laura Mvula - Green Garden

27 Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

28 George Michael - Brother Can You Spare A Dime

29 Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me

30 Michael Buble - Haven't Met You Yet

31 Natalie Cole - This Will Be

32 Robbie Williams - Beyond The Sea

33 Van Morrison - Moondance

34 Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer

35 John Mayer - Slow Dancing In A Burning Room

36 Rumer - Slow

37 Michael Buble - Moondance

38 Sade - By Your Side

39 Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing's Real But Love

40 Hozier - Take Me to Church

41 Ella Mai - Boo'd Up

Cocktail Hour 1

A nice selection of newer and older songs suitable for cocktail hour. Some standards and a few not yet, but all are appropriate for cocktails or dinner. I like all of these (and the ones in volume 2). They are classics or classic sounding to me. I remember watching the movie Umbrellas Of Cherbourg as a kid and just loving Catherine Deneuve. It always stayed with me and is perfect for this pick. Sorry, but Bjork got in here twice. Once in her pre-Sugarcubes band Gling Glo and once solo much later. I just do love the sound of both tracks and Luktar-Gvendur was the inspiration for making this playlist. BTW, I really like the marbling technique for the cover background. Fun to do!

Cocktail Hour 1

01 Gordon McRae & Jo Stafford - 'A' Your Adorable

02 Gling Glo - Luktar-Gvendur

03 kd Lang - The Air That I Breathe

04 Julie London - I'm In The Mood For Love

05 Astrud Gilberto - Corcovado

06 Jo Stafford - Falling In Love Again

07 Sinead O'Connor - My Heart Belongs To Daddy

08 Don Henley - Come Rain Or Come Shine

09 Sting - My One And Only Love

10 Kate Bush - The Man I Love

11 Catherine Deneuve & Nino Castelnuovo - Devant Le Garage

12 Doris Day - Bewitched

13 Claudine Longet - Meditation

14 Dean Martin - Pretty Baby

15 Billie Holiday - Our Love Is Here To Stay

16 Susanna Hoffs - The Look of Love

17 Bjork - I Can't Help Loving That Man

18 Wayne Newton - Danke Schoen

19 Nancy Sinatra - Call Me

20 Lisa Stansfield - Down In The Depths

21 Linda Ronstadt - You Took Advantage Of Me

22 Tony Bennett - Jeepers Creepers