Bob Dorough - Sunday at Iridium (2004)

Best known as one of the principal voices of Schoolhouse Rock (and less known as one of the series' principal composers), Bob Dorough has also had a career as a jazz pianist-singer. Sunday at Iridium captures a 2004 date wearing that particular hat, as Dorough and the rest of his quartet, plus guest stars Joe Wilder and Daryl Sherman, barrel through a number of originals plus some standards ("Down St. Thomas Way," "We'll Be Together Again"). Dorough's songs tend to examine the theme of love and lack the wit of, say, a Dave Frishberg, and his piano-playing is rather on the wild and sloppy side, but his folksy charm easily wins over his live audience, especially when he leads them on a sing-along version of "Three Is a Magic Number." --David Horiuchi