Now I’ve heard everything… literally.
Have you ever found yourself humming along to the jazzy selections featured during the local weather segments on the Weather Channel?
This time of year they play songs including Peanuts’ classics such as Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy” during the “Local on the 8’s” segments. You know, the cut-ins that show you what the weather will be like as you head out to finish your Christmas shopping.
Well, now you don’t have to miss a beat when you are away from your TV. The Weather Channel has just released its first CD: “The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz.”
Can you believe it? The Weather Channel is taking on the music world.
The CD is a 12 song compilation of the Weather Channel’s most requested selections featured during the “Local on the 8s,” which airs six times an hour. The disc features jazz artists such as Chick Corea, Jeff Lorber, Dave Koz and Najee. There are also a few holiday tunes and a couple of light rock songs, though all of them are instrumental. The new disc also features three tracks produced exclusively for the Weather Channel–Mark Krumowski’s “Wait a Minute,” Ryan Farish’s “Holding Hands” and Jeanne Ricks'”Simple Pleasure.”
According to record producers, the disc has been 25 years in the making. That’s how long the Weather Channel and its well-received melodious local weather segments have been around. Though, when the channel first started employees would dip into their own record collections for selections. These days the Weather Channel has a guy they call the “Music Man” whose main job is to find the right tunes to accompany the local weather forecasts.
Weather Channel executives say the idea to create a CD came from the thousands of requests made from viewers who wanted to know the name of the song or artist featured on the “Local on the 8’s.” Years later musicians began sending demos to the station asking for the chance to be one of the featured “weather songs.” Currently, the Weather Channel receives about 80 unsolicited music previews a month.
“The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz” is available online and at Barnes & Noble and other retail stores. And get this… it’s currently No. 2 on Billboard magazine’s contemporary jazz chart.
Ho, ho, ho!
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