🎧Episode 129: Late-Night Trumpet, Debut Album Horns & A Big-Band Cover Finale

🎧Episode 129: Late-Night Trumpet, Debut Album Horns & A Big-Band Cover Finale

Derek is still hanging around for Episode 129, which means the episode has room for smooth late-night atmosphere, ambitious debut-album energy, and a few jazz turns along the way. Jonathan opens with a moody collaboration from Chris Botti and The Blue Nile, bringing atmospheric trumpet, polished production, and cinematic melancholy. Curtis then continues his run through standout debut-album cuts with an early Chicago Transit Authority track, full of bold horn arrangements, shifting sections, and the ambitious energy that made that first record such a statement. Derek follows with a groove-heavy selection from John Scofield, adding guitar-driven jazz attitude, rhythmic bite, and just enough strangeness to keep everyone slightly off balance. For the category song, Jonathan brings Covers with a powerhouse version from Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns, turning a soul classic into a full-band, brass-forward workout. Jazz atmosphere, debut-album ambition, Scofield grit, and a horn-section cover that goes all in—Episode 129 has plenty to dig into. 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.

🎧 Episode 128: Heart Tests, Heart Songs & A Very Literal Theme Episode

Episode 128 brings Derek back to the show, and this one comes with an unusually personal theme. Curtis talks about recently going through a stress test and echocardiogram after having some strange heart sensations, so naturally the only reasonable response was to build an entire episode around heart-related songs. Curtis opens with a moody, atmospheric selection from Porcupine Tree, setting a darker and more reflective tone than usual. Derek follows with a fusion-heavy piece from the Chick Corea Elektric Band, bringing precision, movement, and serious musicianship into the heart-themed mix. Jonathan then shifts gears with a powerhouse rock entry from Pat Benatar, adding big vocals, big hooks, and classic ’80s energy. For the category song, Curtis brings it home with #1 In Our Hearts, featuring a smooth, soulful Kenny Loggins classic that ties the whole episode together almost too perfectly. Health updates, heart puns, prog atmosphere, fusion brilliance, rock drama, and yachtiest closer ever—Episode 128 proves that sometimes the theme chooses you. 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.

🎧Episode 127: Level 42 Groove, Norah Jones Cool & Sippy Cup Yacht Rock

Episode 127 moves from tight British jazz-funk into smoky modern songwriting before taking a sharp turn into kid-sized smoothness and soundtrack-country glory. Curtis opens with a groove-heavy selection from Level 42, bringing slap-bass energy, sharp musicianship, and that unmistakable blend of funk, pop, and precision. Jonathan follows with a beautifully restrained track from Norah Jones, leaning into mood, melody, and the kind of understated cool that rewards close listening. In the category songs, Curtis introduces Sippy Cup Yacht Rock, featuring a smooth, soft-rock-adjacent selection from Stephen Spencer that proves even the smallest sailors deserve polished production. Jonathan closes with Soundtrack Singles, pulling a legendary Jerry Reed track from Smokey and the Bandit—pure southern charm, highway momentum, and cinematic personality. Jazz-funk flash, late-night subtlety, children’s yacht-rock absurdity, and one all-time soundtrack ride—Episode 127 has range. 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.

🎧Episode 126: Prog-Pop Turns, Rickie Lee Jones Cool & The David Foster Factor

This episode moves from ’80s prog-pop precision into songwriter sophistication before landing in show-tune energy and one very David Foster-shaped category pick. Jonathan opens with a bright, punchy selection from Yes, leaning into the band’s more streamlined era where big musicianship meets accessible hooks. Curtis follows with a laid-back, character-rich track from Rickie Lee Jones, bringing that unmistakable blend of jazz, pop, storytelling, and offbeat cool. In the category songs, Jonathan brings Show Tunes into the mix with a theatrical selection from Brassroots District, giving the episode a little stage-ready flair. Curtis closes things out with Because David Foster, featuring Peter Allen and all the polished, dramatic, hyper-crafted energy that category name implies. Prog polish, songwriter charm, musical-theater detours, and peak Foster fingerprints—this one covers a lot of very specific 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.

🎧Episode 125: Van Halen Double Feature, Bad Earworms & A Future Star on the Launchpad

Episode 125 turns into a full Van Halen moment as both Jonathan and Curtis arrive with tracks from different corners of the band’s catalog. Jonathan kicks things off with a high-energy, late-era cut that brings big hooks, big guitars, and full arena confidence, while Curtis follows with an early classic that captures the attitude, swing, and personality that helped make the band impossible to ignore. In the category songs, Jonathan introduces Worms In My Ears—a home for songs that are undeniably catchy, but maybe in the most irritating way possible. His pick from ABC opens the floor for a discussion about the difference between a great hook and a hook that simply will not leave you alone. Curtis then brings On The Cusp of Fame, spotlighting an early Bryan Adams track from just before he fully broke through as one of the defining rock voices of the ’80s. A Van Halen two-pack, a dangerously persistent earworm, and a future superstar waiting at the edge of fame—Episode 125 brings plenty of hooks, riffs, and category chaos. 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.