🎧Episode 114: Jazz Sermons, Pop Surprises & Smart Funk That Should’ve Been Bigger

Episode 114 moves from jazz-stage intensity to modern pop polish before landing in two very different corners of musical memory.Curtis opens with a fiery performance from the Wynton Marsalis Septet, where improvisation, groove, and spiritual energy collide in a piece that feels part concert, part sermon. Jonathan follows with a polished selection from Keith Urban, blending country songwriting with pop accessibility and studio sheen.In the category songs, Curtis brings a Too Smart for Top 40 pick from Jamiroquai, a track packed with groove, social commentary, and musicianship that somehow still found its way onto mainstream radio. Jonathan closes things out with a Guilty Pleasure courtesy of Simple Minds, a massive ’80s anthem that proves some songs never really leave the cultural bloodstream.Jazz fire, pop craftsmanship, and two songs that still spark strong opinions—Episode 114 covers a lot of musical ground.Curtis Gross is a self-employed video editor.Jonathan Workman is an adult learning consultant based in Wichita, KS.---Make sure you are subscribed to Why Is This So Hard For You. Type Why Is This So Hard For You in your podcast provider, hit that subscription button, and leave us a five-star review. This will make it easier for other podcast listeners to find the podcast.---The intro music is the first 30 seconds of the Ornette Coleman tune "Song X" fed into AI software that attempts to output the song to a solo piano transcription. The outro music is the first 30 seconds of Sonny Rollins' version of the tune "St. Thomas" fed into the same software.