Items16The creator’s order
  1. 1Cheek to CheekCheek to CheekFitzgerald and Armstrong have different ways of placing the melody, and the soft swing leaves both room. It gives people finding their seats something familiar to listen for without filling the spaces between introductions.0
  2. 2MushaboomMushaboomThe plucked guitar and the extra voices in the refrain give the room an easy early bounce. Feist’s daydream about having a place of her own supplies a small story if anyone pauses to hear the words.0
  3. 3Egyptian FantasyEgyptian FantasyThe horns trade phrases with Toussaint’s piano in this version of the tune by Sidney Bechet and John Reid. It gives the table an instrumental stretch where people can talk and still catch a melody or two.0
  4. 4Song for My FatherSong for My FatherThe repeating low notes leave room for the horns to tell the rest of the tune. It’s a useful bridge between the earlier jazz and the soul records that follow. Even someone who misses the solos can catch the phrase that starts it all.0
  5. 5Green & GoldGreen & GoldA lilting guitar line and close, relaxed vocal give the song enough shape at low volume. The words trace childhood and family roots, which gives an attentive guest a second reason to stay with it.0
  6. 6Put Your Records OnPut Your Records OnAcoustic strums keep time while the chorus opens up around Bailey Rae’s voice. The melody is easy to catch from across the table and the encouragement in the words suits a room that’s becoming more comfortable.0
  7. 7The Click SongThe Click SongMakeba sings the traditional Xhosa song Qongqothwane, and the answering voices lock into the rhythm of the words. Put it on midway through dinner, when the table is lively enough to catch the call and response between conversations.0
  8. 8Saturday SunSaturday SunThe string strum gets the chorus moving, and the higher voices help it rise without pushing the volume too far. It’s a bright pickup between older songs with similarly easy refrains.0
  9. 9HypotheticalsHypotheticalsA nimble bass figure gives the song its bounce before the refrain turns wondering aloud into something catchy. It suits the livelier middle of dinner, when a well-placed beat can keep the room moving.0
  10. 10Green OnionsGreen OnionsThe organ riff and clipped guitar make a little room for each other. It’s a satisfying stretch of music without words just when the table gets louder. The short phrases are easy to pick out even if the volume is low.0