tkeith

Fact. Tried to play Ursula on a gig once with Tim Webb. Love the song, but... MAN! My Dad was in the audience and said, "that's the second-best version of that song I've ever heard" Tim: "How many have you heard?" Dad: "Just the original and that one."

Finally getting to this, Ken. Sorry about the delay -- I *REALLY* need to retire. Track 01 - Not my genre, admittedly, but this sounds as if the tempo is beyond the comfort level of the player (the time is a little hitchy). My guess is a modern player playing in the style. It’s interesting, but seems to just miss the mark by a bit to my ear. Track 02 - Billie’s Bounce by a bouncy guitarist. Maybe Doug Raney? Track 03 - Variation on a theme, here. I always think Sonny Rollins when I hear a song with this feel — which is very Don’t Stop The Carnival to my ear. Tenor out of the Joe school. This has that late 80s/early 90s feel to me. Lots of amp effects on the guitar, lots of progression in the recording. Tenor could well be Joe, but not on his top day. If not, the guy owes Joe and Sonny lunch. I’m going to guess it IS Joe, circa mid-late 80s. Thinking drummer’s record, but it’s so much a “jazz” guy. Can’t think of the guy’s name, but he was on the cover of Downbeat in the late 80s. Hey wait! There’s a volume button here. /eyes roll/ Questioning the Joe call, but can’t think of anyone who has his lines down this well. I’ll stick with Joe. Liking it better with the volume up. Don’t think it’s Scofield on guitar, but it could be. Track 04 - Definitely a band I don’t know. This is a whole chunk of the genre I’m ill-informed on. Basically, the soprano in the sax section, excepting The Jazz Orchestra, is usually a sign it’s somebody I don’t know in this context. Soprano could be anybody — literally anyone from Bob Wilbur to Jeff Coffin. Has that polish that leaves me not caring a whole lot. Impressive musicianship, but sing me a song, bro. Trumpeter sounds like an older player. I know Clark Terry does the two-handed, two-horns thing, but it doesn’t sound like him to me. Track 05 - Nice, Mal Waldron density to those opening chords. The darkness makes me happy. Not Mal, though. Yesterdays, but by the time the theme is stated, it’s kind of lost me. It felt like it was going somewhere, but this was not what I was hearing. No guesses. Track 06 - Along Came Betty. Interesting arrangment. Something about the stomping is turning me off. Otherwise, I like this. Yeah. That’s really killing it for me. Just seems… forced. Track 07 - Reminds me of something that was on a recent(ish) BFT. That cut was, I believe, Paul Horn. This is trying to be a lot of things, most of them very successfully. Polite enough to be a movie/tv soundtrack, but interesting enough to be enjoyable. That trumpet player really enjoyed his Miles recordings. REALLY enjoyed them. This works in the way the … wait… all bets are off. Phil Woods. That’s Trane, so it IS Miles. (Second listen) Oh, for f***’s sake. Opening track from this. Clearly off my game, here. To finish the truncated thought, I was leaning towards the Danish Radio Big Band. Track 08 - Standards I know but not by name. Cussed iPod syndrome. Totally unfamiliar with this brass-heavy arrangment. It works, though. I want to guess someone like Dave Stryker but it seems older than that. Could be Kenny Burrell from that period of his that I am not familiar with (CTI forward). Track 09 - Yeah. Singing the song along with it, but you think I can remember the f***in’ title? Egad, getting old sucks. Mind is saying Pettiford, but can’t recall the title for the life of me. GAH! Track 10 - What’s New. Man, LOVE that tone and that breath. Got a little Giuffre in there, a little Getz… touch of Zoot. I know this guy. That’s Tommy Flanagan on piano — those voicings… so warm. Nice brush work — telling the story. OH! That’s Bobby Jaspar! Now WONDER those brushes were speaking to me. It’s from this. PERFECT use of vibrato. Track 11 - Oh, hello, bass hook. Ray Nance. Okay, BFT, you don’t get me this time — that’s gotta be Abdul-Malik. And it is. From this. Been reading William Parker’s Conversations, and there’s a great one with Walter Perkins. Two names I wouldn’t have associated prior to reading it. Is it possible Ray Nance was the most soulful person to ever walk the planet? I think so. Track 12 - Song is super familiar, but I’m thinking it’s just based on something I know. Ah… I’m thinking of the tune Curtain Call. It’s not that, but could be based on it. I don’t know these guys. Track 13 - Well, there’s Billy Higgins. And Harold Land, older. Thinking this is one of those Playboy Jazz Festival bills. And There’s Bobby. That’s Cedar behind him. Curtis Fuller. So, I was close, it’s this. Track 2. Always loved Land, but never fully appreciated how great he was until I tried to play some of those Hutcherson/Land tunes. Harold was a baaaaaaaaad man. Track 14 - You’d be so nice to come home to… even if you were listening to stringed instruments around a camp fire. Something to Shout About! Actually, I would LOVE to be around this campfire. (Tried to light one this afternoon, but the wind would not cooperate. I smell like smoke and if I close my eyes, this is the greatest drumless drum circle ever!) No clue who it is. Track 15 - Two pianists. No idea who they are, what it is, or if I like it. I know I’m not currently in this headspace and it’s stressing the f*** out of me. Gotta be newer because there are elements of Pullen, but it’s too clean. Not something I can play for the wife — she’d snap. Track 16 - More Yesterdays. Feels like I’m living in the past, here. Very facile pianist. No guess. Track 17 - Guessing this is the same as Track 14. Snowfall. Thankfully, nothing but sunlight today. It’s an odd crossover of folkish and traditional Jazz. Not sure where I am on it. Again, could make for the coolest camp fire ever, but for sitting and listening, I’m uncertain. I had nothing for much of this, but had a sweet spot. I can't ask for more in a BFT!

Hey man! I got a chuckle out of that one. I was gettin' my Joe on.

Decades ago, I recall reading a Downbeat BFT with saxophonist Bill Evans. The fifth track was from pianist Bill Evans' album Quintessence. I forget which cut they played, but he really ripped it. Described it as leaving him feeling really cold and he didn't like it at all. If you look at the personnel on that album, you'd expect it to be the album of the decade (Evans, Harold Land, Kenny Burrell). I've never liked it. I've listened and found it "ok" if I was in the mood, but really, it's a miss for me. Evans (the saxophonist) was borderline apologetic for his comments after the reveal. I didn't think he should have been. I've heard Charlie Parker records I didn't like. Ellington had some clunkers. Coltrane? Absolutely. One of the great joys of the BFT is it forces you to listen blindly. When you post your one-off responses, this can happen. It's all good. If you ask, I'll tell you I love Sam Rivers (and I do), but frequently, his cuts in the BFT leave me wanting. It is what it is. Now, WHAT IS THAT LAST TRACK!?!?!?!? Editorial note: Perhaps I'll include a cut from Aunt Angele in my next BFT. She was self taught and every song sounded exactly the same, but 9 times out of ten, you could guess the song. It was weird. One thing it had, she conveyed the joy playing music gave her. That's one thing missing from MANY pro musicians, IMHO.

Hey man, sorry I'm late to the game. End of the semester and I'm ragged. A lotta hits, a few misses. Next-to-last track on this is a KILLER! Track 01 - A little too honky tonky for my taste. This occupies that odd bridge between Funky Jazz and Rock-and-Roll that I just can never seem to get myself to agree with. Track 02 - And this is closer to the first part of that situation I described above. Sort of has that Don Pullen meets Cosby feel. I like this, even if it’s a little Magione in its overall feel. Loses enough in the trumpet solo, this could actually be Chuck. Still like the overall feel. Be nice if the reverb on the horns matched, but in general, I enjoy this. Track 03 - Nice, straight ahead, somewhat modern with the funk A-section. Maybe Bobby Shew? Track 04 - The open chords say Harold Mabern, but the rhythmic patterns say otherwise. Track 05 - Another straight-ahead feel with a touch of out? A lot familiar about that alto, and yet no guess. Nothing wrong with this one. It’s not coming to a desert island with me, but I could listen to this all day without issue. Could that be Gene on piano? (I mean, I HAVE to guess him once on your test!) Track 06 - That’s gotta be Ricky Ford, doesn’t it? Almost seems more Ricky than Ricky. Like a touch of Arnett Cobb. I’m going to hate myself a long time for not getting this one. Track 07 - The alto is all over it. That putrid bass has to go. This is the sound that kept me from being a bigger Maceo fan. Rhythm section sounds like my Aunt Angele’s organ. I don’t mean that to be flattering. Track 08 - Very few songs, by very few people, should be played at this tempo, and execution is pivotal. This one misses. Track 09 - Now this one hits on all counts. Definitely derivative of some things I’m more familiar with, but this has some Billy Harper touches in that melody, and it has the feel of Lee Morgan’s last band. Not Billy… could be Bennie Maupin. Not Lee, but somebody from the camp. Break my heart and tell me this is a band from Japan I’ve never heard of. Track 10 - Nice version of Willow Weep For Me, but not getting a definite sense of the ID. Not someone I’m overly familiar with, but a good version of the tune. Track 11 - My gut says Von Freeman. Oddly, I’ve got a different version of this tune by Von that is completely different. Tone seems a bit more spread than Von’s, though. Trying to think of a Chicago guy with a beastly tone like that. Could be Ari, but doesn’t sound close enough to Sheep and I’m not hearing any of the trademark Ari lines. Almost a Don Byas edge to that tenor. Makes me wonder if this could be a Billy Mitchell thing I’ve somehow missed. Track 12 - More Willow, seemingly from the same date. Maybe Red Holloway? Okay, that HAS to be Gene, doesn’t it? Track 13 - 100% here for this. Heard a lot of forgettable takes on this song. This is NOT that. Locked directly in. I need more of this. 5:44 “Harrgh!” YEAH! Tenor is a monster. Trumpet is not giving that vibe, but is definitely a respectable pro. I’m not as excited as the dude in the audience, but man, this track is killin’! It’s the tenor’s feature, but I’ll take seconds on this one. Drummer is all OVER it. Guessing this is not a commercial release. Track 14 - Alls I’ll say is I felt like I was being watched. It’s good to know a guy. Man! Whatever else I walk away from this test feeling, Track 13 is an absolute bitch!

Very upset at some of what I missed, here. In fact, at least four that I missed are IN MY COLLECTION! Damned situation has eliminated my commuter listening time... need to address that.

Yes. Tragedy of my job taking so much of my time that I'm only able to scan the posts. I'll pipe down and wait for the reveal!

Actually woke up Saturday morning and transcribed it. Just had to. Inherited, all of it. Conrad-Johnson amp/pre that belonged to my late uncle. A pair of Alison III speakers my Dad parted with. The CD player is the only thing NOT inherited, purchased second hand -- a Tascam that will play the iPod, as well. Shame on me for not bagging Criss. I'll let myself off for missing Chico Freeman b/c of the terrible sound (damned engineers), but... Meh.

Got to this one on the big system last night. Old fashioned hand-written notes I'm retyping. Yes... I've got cabin fever. I usually do okay on Felser's tests, but this one kicked my ass, hard. Track 1 - 70s. Song is reminiscent of Charles Tolliver's On The Nile. Aggressive tenor. No idea on the trombone (only vague guesses I will not share). Getting a Randy Brecker vibe from the trumpet, but better. Perhaps Jack Walrath? No, I like this more. Track 2 - Sounds like Kenny Burrell right off. Grooves like a sonovabitch. Not sure what's up with the mix, but clearly the guitarist's record. It's got a CTI vibe, but in a good way. Track 3 - I mean, that's gotta be Lennie, doesn't it? Tempus Fugit. Hmmm... thinking not Lennie, but who? Track 4 - Johnny Come Lately. Weird arrangement. There's something very familiar about those VERY busy drums. Could that be Han Bennink? Something very Hal Galper about the piano. Heavy Dizzy influence on the trumpet, but not Faddis. Track 5 - Larry Young feel in 3 -- I'm all in. Drumer out-Purdie's Purdie! Not Larry. Was thinking Pat Martino, but clearly this is the organist's date. Track 6 - Mingusy arrangement. But no. Clean alto sound, but very west coast. Shades of John Handy as it goes on, but seems less driven by the blues. Hmmm... Arrangement is like Mingus-meets-Slide Hampton. Track 7 - Back-to-back burners. Very clean trumpet sound. Something marchy about the drums. Makes me wonder if this could be one of Kenny Clarke's things. Track 8 - Soundtracky quality to the sound. Love that vamp. There are moments I think I know that trumpet, but I'm not sure I do. Tenor has shades of many, from Gilmore to Rouse. You're killin' me, Smalls! Track 9 - Didn't love the bass intro, but VERY MUCH love the vamp. What's going on with the sound, though? Don't think I know the tenor. Mal Waldron on piano, but what is he doing here? Is this the record with David Friesen? That would explain my reaction to the bass. Not sure of the tenor, want to like it more than I do. The effects kind of bug me. Bass sounds MUCH better in the solo here -- getting more of a McBee vibe, and that's a very good thing! Track 10 - Don't know who it is, but I smell espionage!!! I want to say Rudolph Johnson on tenor. Band has that Clark-Boland feel to it. Yeah, I'm in on this one, too. Track 11 - Has an Art Farmer feel, but I can't quite commit. Nope, not Art. I mean, it's in 3, so I've gotta have it. Sounds like maybe Barney Kessell on guitar, something about that comping. If it's Farmer and Jim Hall I'm going to scream. Track 12 - No clue. Reminds me of a tune I may put on my next BFT, though. Track 13 - You've got me -- all in. That's gotta be Lloyd McNeil (a guy I only discovered through the BFTs!). It's Tzigane from this. A lot to like here, and a BFT I know I'm going to come back to. I don't think I've every done this poorly on one of your tests. Well done, sir! SONOVA!!!!! I psyched myself out. I recognized KD, but it didn't fit right and I couldn't even bring myself to write his name down. Too chicken to commit on Farmer and missing Chico. UNACCEPTABLE! And on the BIG system, too! NO EXCUSES. I suck eggs.

I'm a George fan, but sadly, much of his output is made up of albums with two strong tracks and a lot of filler thereafter, IMHO. This one and Sound Suggestions on ECM are the standouts in my collection (if you want to save a little cash). City Gates is fair, Earth Beams is good. After that, I find them inconsistent at best. Particularly with the Adams-Pullen Quartet setting, where it became an exercise in how-fast-can-we-play. In general, that band would have benefited greatly from shaving 20BPM off the pace most of the time.

Just putting this here because my Dad posted it in the main thread. Organissimo November Blindfold Test #200 REVEAL 1. Big Alice (Don Pullen) HOWARD JOHNSON: Gravity!!! Howard Johnson,tu. Bob Stewart,tu. Dave Bargeron,tu. Earl McIntyre,tu. Raymond Chew,p. Bob Cranshaw,b. Kenwood Dennard,d. -12/95 2. Blu-a-Round (Sahib Shihab) SAHIB SHIHAB: Jazz Sahib Phil Woods,as. Benny Golson,ts. Sahib Shihab,bs. Bill Evans,p. Oscar Pettiford,b. Art Taylor,d. -11/57 3. Children of the World (Khan Jamal) KHAN JAMAL: Three Khan Jamal,vb. Pierre Dorge,g. Johnny Dyani,b. -10/84 4. Lonnie’s Lament (John Coltrane) ARI BROWN: Groove Awakening Ari Brown,ts. Kirk Brown,p. Yusef Ben Israel,b. Avreeayl Ra,d. Dr. Cuz,pc. -5/13 5. Tonk (Ray Bryant) ART FARMER: Perception Art Farmer,flgh. Harold Mabern,p. Tommy Williams,b. Roy McCurdy,d. -10/61 6. Send in the Clowns GEORGE ADAMS: Paradise Space Shuttle George Adams,ts. Rahn Burton,p. Don Pate,b. Al Foster,d. Azzendin Weston,pc. -12/79 7. A Notion (Albert Heath) SAM JONES/NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN: Double Bass Sam Jones,b. N-H Orsted Pedersen,b. Philip Catherine,g. Billy Higgins,d. -2/76 8. Kamal’s Gift (Hugh Ragin) HUGH RAGIN: Revelation Hugh Ragin,tp. Assif Tsahar,ts. William Parker,b. Hamid Drake,d. -9/03 9. Body and Soul AHMED ABDUL-MALIK: Spellbound Ray Nance,cnt. Seldon Powell,ts. Paul Neves,p. Ahmed Abdul-Malik,b. Walter Perkins,d. -3/64 10. Twinkle Toes (Will Smith) MAX ROACH: M’Boom Roy Brooks,cymb. Joe Chambers,vb. Omar Clay,mrb. Fred King,mrb. Max Roach,tymp. Ray Mantilla,bells. Warren Smith, Afr.bells. Freddie Waits,xylp. -7/79 11. Nothing But Love (Frank Lowe) BILLY BANG: Above & Beyond Frank Lowe,ts. Billy Bang,vi. Andrew Bemkey,p. Tood Nicholson,b. Tatsuya Nakatini,d. -4/03

July, please.

Eeesh. I missed Miles. It seemed too obvious. Surprised I didn't like the Owens cut more. And fooled by JG!? WTF is wrong with me!?

Well, I was going to hold off on this one because I had an advance listen, but I see everybody else is cooped up, as well. Track 01 - Sophisticated Alice (later Big Alice). Don't know who, doesn't matter -- it's a Pullen tune and it's a bitch. I assume that's DP on piano. Maybe not; seems a bit stiffer than Don. It's not Craig Harris. Is that actually a Euphonium? What the hell is this? Some of the lines are straight bebop (and grossly out of context), but then it flirts with being downright dirty. Stewart and HoJo are the only guys I can think of that would do something like this, but that doesn't sound like a Tuba to me. And it clearly is NOT Pullen on piano. Maybe Steve Turre? They don't *quite* pull it off, but it still works. Wondering if your throwing a curve with some newer players. Maybe Anthony Cox on piano. Arrangement is Quotey Quotenstien, but I'm loving it. Track 02 - Man! What a BITCH of a tune! [FYI -- Growing up, this guy used to make me mixed tapes like this all the time. Not a bad way to learn.] Though I'm sure I have this, it's dancing around me. It's guys I know but I'm trying too hard. Stitt? Benny Golson. Man... why is he NOT the guy every horn player loses his mind over? So that's Sahib. Could that have been Phil Woods on alto? Seems like the band on New York Scene, but I can't think of the title. Track 03 - If this isn't Sam Cooke's Wonderful World, it probably should be. Because of recent avenues your ears went down, it has me thinking Khan Jamal, and that could be right. Either that or somebody like Warren Smith. I'm about to doze here, but I'm doing it with a smile. Track 04 - ARI!!!!! How can this NOT make you smile? Two tenors just sit there, **glaring** at me while I listen to this. Ari is SUCH a baaaad mf! Track 05 - This just showed up recently on a BFT if I'm not mistaken. Tonk (Ray Bryant?), from Art Farmer's Perception. Yes please. Track 06 - How dare you. Grew up in a duplex owned by my grandparents. My grandfather told me he loved it when I played this song (transcribed it from the album; for me this was the first version I really knew beyond the one lyric). George was inspired to do this tune by Elizabeth Taylor's version. One of my first purchases from Loony Tunes in Boston. Track 07 - Swear I know the tune, but I'll be wrong. So... guitar and two basses? So there's only a handful of people this could be. I'm also positive you've played this for me once before and I was surprised. But, my memory is shit, so I get to be surprised, again! Track 08 - You're a dirty man. MY GUUUUYS! Took me forever because Assif threw me off. I couldn't come up with Ragin's name, and when I did the rest of it smashed me in my face. Lucky enough to take part in an after show jam with this rhythm section years ago in central Maine. Still have chills. #Hamid Kamal's Gift from Revelation. Track 09 - Yeah, pretty sure you played this for me recently, too. I'm always wrong if I don't try it, Sweets? If I guess him, it'll be one of the others I'll usually guess here. Gotta listen again, but I'll come back. This is killing me, because I know this is a tenor I absolutely love! Smoother than Ike. Clean and powerful. Lucky? Fifth listen, damnit. I'm going to get this guy. WAIT! That's Ray Nance! Shit! Of course! Took some sleuthing, but I got it. I'm wrong on the tenor and I would have NEVER guessed this. Track 10 - Can't get me here! Gotta be Khan Jamal! It's one of the ones I don't have, but you definitely laid this on me on a recent visit. Track 11 - Damnit! I know this. I'm sure I have it, but I'm not seeing it. It's Frank Lowe, but I'm not sure if that's Bang, I don't think so. This is a bitch, too! Drummer is a bad man. Damned digital piano. Okay, found it, but I don't have it? Don't know how that is. It's Nothing But Love from this. Okay, coach. How bad'I hit?

With apologies, very late to the game this month. Track 01 -- This sounds familiar, but the longer it goes on, the less I feel that way. Sounds like a player whose main horn is the soprano, rather than a doubler. However, the list of players I can think of who fit that description is very short, particularly in the post-Lacy era. I like the general feel, but the drummer bores the hell out of me. Seems like if there was a bit more drive, this would really cook. Soprano player has a nice sound, but when the improv tries to get too tricky, it loses it's footing to my ear, and ends up being a far less interesting statement. I don't believe I know these players. I'd like to hear more, but with a more supportive drummer. Don't know the song, but it owes much to Lacy and Monk. Track 02 -- Born to be Blue, representative of what I don't care for about 90% of Jazz vocalists. She has a nice voice, but just sing the damned song. There's a Miriam Klein record from the 70s (IIRC) featuring Dexter Gordon. If you've known me 3 seconds, you know I love Dex. I find that album almost unlistenable because she just won't shut up. I'm sure the opinion is not popular, but too many singers have to play star and ruin the music. The rhythm section is really enjoyable, and I'm even going to go so far as to suggest it's Mal Waldron on piano, because it's that good. Likewise the bass player. When the singing comes back in, it's very good at first, but then she gets all vocalist. Sorry, just my bias, but this one missus and it's all the singers fault. Track 03 -- This one is odd, but speaks directly to me. Glad to hear increasingly more exploration of this instrumentation. It's not desert island material, but it IS sheer enjoyment. Track 04 -- Billie's Bounce, my guess is by a blues guitarist, because that is not a Jazz rhythm section. Guitarist can play, though again, definitely rooted in a different style. Listened for the guitarist, in spite of the bass/drums. Almost sounds like a canned backing behind the guitar and the keys. Track 05 -- All The Things You Are. This one has all that the last one didn't. Weird comment, but reminds me of the old Music Minus One series from the 1950s. Makes me wonder if we're not dealing with Milt Hinton, Barry Galbraith, Osie Johnson, and Tyree Glenn. Again, not desert island material, but a very enjoyable cut -- mostly because they're just playing the music. There's great musicianship without competing egos. Track 06 -- Thought we were going in the direction of Caravan. Instead, feels more like someone went in that direction and avoided royalties. Not the level of musicianship of the last cut, but they mean it. Thinking it's a little newer than it sounds, but not by much. Track 07 -- Comin' Home Baby. Not going to lie, I'm a sucker for this feel. Sure sounds like a younger Ronnie Cuber, but seems too obvious. Nope. I take it back -- this guy is more raw than Ronnie (and I mean that in a good way). No new ground being broken, but I can sit through this all day long. Insert guitarist here. Could be Pat Martino, but I don't think this guy is quite there. Still, I find no fault with any of this -- maybe I'm an easy mark for this genre. That COULD be Groove Holmes, because the organist is no slouch. Seems maybe a shade off of Groove, but if it's not him, has definitely done a lot of listening to the man. I'll take extra helpings of this, please. Track 08 -- Sounds kind of like a soundtrack. I like the oddness of the instrumentation, in context. I'm getting a sense of Peter Sellers in the playful nature of the composition. I don't think it IS a soundtrack, but it oughta be. Track 09 -- Good tune. That rhythm section sound is perfect. Almost feels like this song could be done even a tad slower or more rubato. I really like this a lot, but I've got nothing on the saxophonist. Wondering if it's one of those local/regional players on one of his rare recorded dates. Again, could take a lot more of this. Beautiful song. Almost has the kind of feel of a Johnny Griffin ballad, but not that level of facility (hell, who DID?). Track 10 -- Sure has a Randy Weston feel in the first 20 seconds. That left hand is filthy, and it surely does sound like Randy. Wait, that phrasing is Billy Harper, though the sound isn't quite. This must be that duet of Randy and Billy not too long ago. Is the tune Blue Moses? Yeah, that's Billy. A little sleuthing suggests it's Blues To Senegal from this. Track 11 -- Not sure who it is, but I'll bet the ranch that's Stanley Clarke on bass. Sure sounds like McCoy's piano, too. It's McCoy, but is it Stanley? I was sure early, now I'm not. Doesn't walk like Stanley, but that opening piece was very much in the Stanley alley. I'm sticking with Stanley, but not sure what this is. Needle drop, so it could be Rites of Strings, but I'm not familiar with the music from that album. Track 12 -- Busy 70s Jazz? Reminds me of the Roy Haynes Hip Ensemble. "I have no kick against modern Jazz, Unless they try to play it too darn fast, And change the beauty of the melody, Until it sounds just like a symphony" - Chuck Berry Sure sounds like Randy Brecker of that period on trumpet. Track 13 -- 70s cheese, but I'm not proud -- I love it. The electronics bug me, but in the setting has me feeling wistful. Makes me feel like Donald Fagen on the way to a hangover. Sounds like somebody going for a hit. To my ear, they should have made it. That guitar reminds me of the guitar on Pharoah! on India Navigation. The hornline is very Mangione-influenced. Man, I'd play this stuff if asked. Track 14 -- Holy Land! I've been trying to find a chart that includes this intro. One of the first tunes my Dad taught me (he no longer owned the record, so I played notes until he heard the right one). It's not Cedar. I like the addition of the strings. Now, that sounds like Billy Higgins' gallop, so what the heck is this? Sounds like Buster Williams to me on bass. I take it back; that is either Cedar or somebody doing their best Cedar in tribute. I can hear Billy's grunt, so there is no more doubt, there. How do I not have this? Nice! A quote of Clifford's The Highest Mountain at the end of the piano solo. Must have. Track 15 -- Detest that drum sound (not the player, the recording). Recognize the song once it gets going around 1:30, but can't give you the title. I refer back to the Chuck Berry quote. These are good players, but I'd rather slow it down and hear the message. This is so fast it lacks a message, to me. Amazing ability, but the tempo is gratuitous. Bassist has a great sound (slow down so I can hear it [YOU DAMNED KIDS!!!]). This would be intense live (minus the crappy engineering). Curious what it is (particularly because of the instrumentation). Very much like the bassist. Track 16 -- Take 5, obviously. Desmond, and I assume Ed Bickert. Oh, yeah. I bought this on vinyl in college at a flea market. Live. Great quote in Desmond's notes about Bickert: "He smokes more than me, which is impossible." The way this tune should have always been done, particularly the bass. Stuff landed on both sides of me, but my ears appreciated the exercise overall. I feel like I should have known more of these people so I'm looking forward to the reveal.