tkeith

Listened earlier in the month while doing drywall work. Finally getting around to putting thoughts on paper (with second listen). Track 01 - Grooveyard, but not a version I'm familiar with. Pleasant enough, but I'm missing Harold Land. Great tune. Track 02 - There's a certain quality here reminding me of Rolf, one of my favorite muppets. A Mose Allison feel, but doesn't sound like him (though I'm certainly no expert on Mose). I appreciate the piano work more than the vocals. Perhaps it's just the phones, but are there two pianos here? Track 03 - Tune seems to be borrowing from a Clifford Brown tune, if I'm not mistaken. Guessing mid-50s from the recording. I like this, but not sure how often I'd go back to it. Track 04 - Full brass band, which leaves me with about two options from my collection, and it's neither, so I'm just going to listen. Track 05 - Love the song (and it's familiar-ish). Sax player has that modernish think I can't quite get to. Reasonably sure it's a tenor, but also has a James Spaulding-ish quality to it (but to my ear lacks his story). Fun ride. Track 06 - Recognize the song, but can't put the title to it. That Getz CD was one of the first available when our household migrated to CDs. Could be Anthony Ortega on alto. This is the keeper for me thus far. Damn if I can remember the song name, though. Track 07 - I'm getting pulled in multiple directions. I think like is winning, though. This is strange. Like Tristano-meets-Randy Weston-meets-Flora Purim-meets-... I dunno... middle eastern/north African flavor? Hell, I'm in. Track 08 - Another winner. Do I recognize the tune, or am I recognizing adjacent works? (Footprints, Teo) Tenor loses me. Same issue I had with track 5. It's too much from the practice room, and the feel of this tune is NOT that. That 2-4 feel sets this up with a really unique feel. Guitarist gets closer than the tenor did, for sure. Trumpet caps it off with the top solo of the three. Damned tenor players. Curious what this is -- really like the feel of the tune. Track 09 - Bittersweet. Certainly narrows down the options. With the bass lead, I have to assume it's a Sam Jones record. Only other versions I know are Eastern Rebellion and Glenn Wilson/Rory Stuart (which I believe I first heard in a BFT). Just printed charts for this, today (you hear that, Tim!?). Doesn't sound like Sam. No idea. Track 10 - Nice trio work, but nothing that stands out for me to recognize. Familiar-ish tune, again. Track 11 - I like this, but the recording frustrates me (headphones). It's nearly complete stereo separation, which is NOT they way a human hears music. Musicianship is excellent. Reminds me of Surman, but I don't think it's him. And then, around 1:40, we go all practice room. Just don't. Track 12 - Somebody gonna get knifed. Getting a distinct Gato vibe, but that sure sounds like an alto. Track 13 - I'm just not hearing this going anywhere. Track 14 - This one is weird. Actually really like the band, but can't get past the, uh... vocals. These seems like an animated soundtrack. Vibes are doing something distinctly in the groove, and the quirky arrangement is perfect. But that vocal. Eesh. Think this is basically all new to me. I have three piles: Like - Keep - No thanks. The small pile is that last one.

Explains why I didn't nail the Stewart track -- always gravitated towards the live side on that. Higgins is masterful on those live cuts. Looking at the cover, maybe this is different than what I have (cover sure is). #MoreMoneyLeavingMyWallet Shocked that was Billy Hart on the last track. Engineer needs to find a new gig, because that dude is THE loudest drummer I've ever seen. Also, I'm a fan, so to miss him bugs me. #blamesEngineerToSaveFace

Also happened across some interesting tapes on Archive from a guy name David W. Niven (NOT the actor). Interwebs IDs him as being from Jersey, but that accent is decidedly New England.

Yeah, I saw that, but didn't care for the shipping. Four of them were available from one seller on eBay, no shipping charges, returns accepted. Total: $27

All 5 headed my way.

Damn. I'll have to go on an RS listening binge. I was thinking the same thing when I read his comments. That was, indeed, how I made the leap. Appreciate those recs. I shall get busy.

Well, Dan -- a number of hits, a few misses, and almost no pegs. Apologies for taking three weeks to get to this, month got away, but the reasons are good (music!). I need to preface, on a streak of shit sleep, so advance apologies for anything particularly stupid that is said by way of observation. Track 01 - This is some happy music. Not sure what, but I'm here for it. I mean, obvious guess would be Tito. I have nothing pushing me there besides genre and timbales, but this is what his band sounded like when I saw it. Kind of hoping Mario Rivera's tenor will show up. *Could* be Steve Turre, so I'm not giving up on Tito. Alas, no Mario tenor. I find this music fun to play, fun to listen to, and absolutely miserable to read. Hmmm... that sure sounds like Hilton Ruiz on piano. Track 02 - Love that drum intro. I mean, no new ground being broken here, but I'm FINE with that. This has what I like. Those drums are a bit heavy, but it works. In fact, I think it's a compliment. I saw Ralph Peterson lay this down with Benny Golson's Blakey tribute band one night. Second set. It was WAY different than the first. When RP went here, the guy next to me said, "Here we go! They must gone out and got somethin' between sets." These are good vibes. Trumpet is familiar if underwhelming. Maybe Randy Brecker? Don't know the alto, but it's a real voice. The way I WANT Kenny Garrett to play. I'll take a full plate of this with all the sides. Mmh. I *do* loathe that ending, though. Track 03 - Sounds like someone a bit smitten. I'm not sure I'm fully buying the story (compared to the last cut). Can't put my finger on this. Tenor reminds me of Hadley Caliman later in life, but less bite. There's nothing *wrong* here, but there's something about those double-time runs... the rhythm is just a tick off. It's pleasant enough, but not sure I'd give it multiple spins. Seems to suffer from that edge that a lot of the Concord stuff suffers from, to my ear. Track 04 - Sounds like Bergonzi to me. I saw him interviewed where he said he never listens to his own stuff after it's recorded. I think he should. This just doesn't sound personal to me. I'll take the last cut, despite my criticisms. Tenor here is clearly a really solid musician (has that Eric Alexander thing going on, but the sound seems more like Bergonzi). Again, nothing wrong with it, just not hitting the right spots for me. Strangled altissimo on cue, not a single note out of place. I wish there was one. Doesn't feel like these guys are communicating. Drums lack dynamics and in general, almost sounds like horn was recorded separate from rhythm section (like, different takes). Track 05 - 10 seconds in, this has all the last cut was missing. I mean, I'm not saying this is Kind of Blue, but it feels a lot more real than the last track. Love the arrangement. Losing me as it goes on. A lot of affectation, but I'm not really feeling the message. Actually reminds me of Bleeding Gums Murphy on the Simpsons. A talented player who at times seems to lack taste (boy, I'm a bastard today, huh?). A reasonable listen, but preferred the ensemble portions to the improv. Track 06 - Early on, I was hoping we'd gotten an Abdullah Ibrahim cut. I'm kind of diggin' the 2nd-line Bebop. Tenor could be Ralph Bowen. I give full props for taking a different approach to this tune. Not blown away by any of the soloists, but not turned off, either. Alto player is a little too affected. Has that thing that make me nuts about both Garrett and Rudresh. Forget the name and just play, man. Seems like since they've gone to the "swing" feel, they've lost what they built in this tune. This could be anybody playing anything. Unfortunate, because they had really developed something. Liking the bass. Drum break was appropriately short. All around, just feels a little clean to me. Track 07 - That's Robert Stewart. No question. I think this might be the record I DON'T have. Certainly post-Coltrane with a huge debt to be paid, but he's got a voice. It's him. I'm sure most of you have seen that NPR article where they tried to quantify what we appreciate about "swing". I don't think it CAN be quantified. This has it. It's definitely derivitive, but they also mean it. I'm hedging my bets... this could be the earlier record with Revelations (doesn't get quite as much play in my rotation), but I'm thinking it's newer. Uh -- at the end the influence of his teacher (Pharoah) comes out. Without listening to decide, I'm thinking it might be from The Force (one I have) or Heaven and Earth (which I DON'T have). Track 08 - Sounds like Ernie Andrews on vocals, which is always a win. So, this must be the Gene entry. Sounds like Teddy Edwards on tenor, later. Track 09 - Full Concord. So much so that I'm guessing that's George Mraz. It's a fun ride. Thinking maybe Red Holloway or... maybe Scott Hamilton. Another, not-new-ground-but-they-mean-it entry. It's got that sound (again, guessing Concord) that fights me, but the band is cookin'. Sometimes that hard shuffle is a miss for me, but every time it's been on this BFT, it's been a win. Track 10 - Tickle-Toe. Aw, yeah. The real guys. Sure sounds like Zoot, and pretty sure I heard Buddy Tate on the head. Second tenor is definitely Buddy. Okay, that's Al Cohn. Sleuthing tells me that Mr. Hamilton fooled me on the Zoot guess, which should make him proud. I freely admit to having nowhere near enough sample of Scott Hamilton's output. Educate me, dudes -- what do I NEED? McKenna. Like to think I'd have gotten him without the sleuth job. So I'm assuming it's this. Track 11 - Something is missing here. Everything feels a tick off, rhythmically. Could be Bobby Shew on flugelhorn. Doesn't sound like they're listening to one another. Flugel is... it's a tick behind -- the rhythm is lagging. If not for that, I might say David Weiss on flugelhorn, but... I dunno, this just isn't clicking. Digging the bass. That drum kit is over-mic'd; no subtlety to it at all. Something almost sounds like Billy Higgins in the snare, but nothing else about it. Maybe Farnsworth? Mark Ferber? I like the harmony of the tune, but the rhythm just misses, and it seems to be everybody. Always an education when I take your BFTs.

April goes to Big Al. July or September are available. I'll take the whichever one doesn't go.

March is yours, sir!

Just throwing this out there because there were some unfamiliar names (to me) in this thread: we still currently have openings for March, April, July and September for 2023. I'll take one of those, but I'd prefer to let others have first choice on the specifics. If you're curious or know someone who may be, please reach out.

Still looking for presenters for March, April, July and September. I'll take one of these, but I'm trying to leave this open for people with harder schedules to manage. If you know someone who doesn't currently participate but you think would be a good fit, please reach out to them.

Well one thing has been consistently confirmed (with ONE exception in the history of my participation in the BFT) -- I do NOT care for Michael Brecker. Just don't hear him, and don't get him. Klemmer is a 50-50 mix for me when I hear him. Dad's influence steered me away from him (and probably my own purchases in that musical neighborhood -- Tom Scott, et all). Would love some MUST HAVE recommendations from you and Jim.

I got scared and had to go back an listen. I stand by it. I think the CTI-ism of track 4 hid the tone of the sax player (that's my excuse and I'm doubling down on it!). I have a TON of T, and he's always so BOLD, no matter the setting. Here, he's rather subdued, and I blame the engineer.

I wanted to say JM on Maria, but I was too much of a wimp. I have one compilation of his, and I wasn't sure enough to commit. #DamnIt

Apologies for the playing ordeal you guys are going through -- I'm using Firefox and it opens right up (tried on two other computers). Fesler, for sure on the group listen! We had a good time with it, though we realized it's not the most riveting watch.

Welp, the original idea went a little whack. I was going to transcribe the conversation using YouTube, but there's a copyright claim, so... here's the evidence from Tim and myself. (audio gets a bit louder as it goes, but you'll do better with headphones) BFT 225 analysis and associated nonsense from two blokes in chairs.

Confirmed. The ID is still open, but that's because I only found it via sleuthing, so I didn't want to claim the glory.

I suppose I'd better get in here before all the glory is gone. Track 01 - Easy*. Can't miss Ari. With Kahil doing his best impersonation of Elvin. There's nothing I don't love about this. And, with due respect to Pharoah (and if you've known me 3 seconds, you know I absolutely LOVE Pharoah), this is absolute ownership. Pharoah acquits himself well, but Ari just... wow. Kahil certainly gets it. And let's not sleep on that bassist from Children of the Corn. Track 3 from this. *[inside joke between me and Tim] Track 02 - The head me thinking Ahmed Abdullah, but that tenor is throwing me. Sounds like Eric Alexander if somebody pissed him off (in a good way). Not Ahmed Abdullah. I'm liking the drums most prominently, but I can hear what you like about the bassist, who sure as hell sounds like Ron Carter at times. Wait, that's gotta be Tony Williams. Second listen... Art Farmer? What? Okay, sleuthing gets me to the answer, but I"m not posting that because I didn't KNOW it. That tenor player should take my comment as a HUGE compliment. Literally never cared for the guy, but this sure as hell works. Track 03 - Oddly, this track doesn't load into Apple Music for me, but I can play it in preview pane. Sax has a little Eddie Harris going for it, but the rest of it is like CTI mixed with that odd Trane 4tet recording of Nature Boy. I like it, but WHAT is going on here!?!? Now, that's GOT to be Eddie. Man, this is KILLIN'! Almost has the vibe of Joe McPhee's Nation Time. Love this. Track 04 - I mean, rhodes, that Guilherme Franco percussion vibe... I'm in . Man, this is bitching my brew. I mean, has to be Bennie Maupin, doesn't it? Well, that's Woody Shaw, so I'm probably on point with Guilherme Franco. Okay, another sleuth job. Under my radar so I'm not posting the answer, again, because I didn't *know* it. Not Maupin, but I'm still comfortable with what got me to that guess. Track 05 - I don't think I know this but it's lovely. Touches on some Mal Waldron feel at the end, but seems to lack that "thing" he has. Track 06 - Now, as many times as we've hung, we've never talked about stuff like this. Obviously Lockjaw. Ah! Jerome Richardson for sure, so this is from The Cookbook (one of them). JR works his butt off here, but man... that's Lockjaw. Track 07 - Something marchy about those drums. For sure I've heard this, but don't recall you playing it. Marchy + loose... Blackwell? Oh, wait. No. It's Air. Forget the track, but man, when I hear this, I sure hear Fred's influence on you. Man, Threadgill can write! Not to mention play. Really love his gritty tenor sound. Not an ounce of bullshit anywhere near this music. This is rapidly turning into one of my favorite BFTs. Track 08 - Not sure, but I love everything about it. Man, that interlude sounds like something else... Jesus this cooks! Second listen. Okay, that's definitely Harold Land. Third listen -- Rosolino, put the ranch on it. OH! CHRIST! Vic Feldman on Vibes! How dare you, sir! Track 09 - Okay, lots of piano, so it's gotta be the piano choir (because I'll eat my hat if that's not Cowell doing his Tatum impression). Man, this must have been something to see. AND they don't get in one another's way. Amazing stuff. Track 10 - I mean, it's Mal. Or is it. Could be Ibrahim, too. Now I'm thinking Embryo, so back to Mal. Hell, I give up. Track 11 - That opening vibe reeks of Ari Brown. Nope. Now you're just being difficult. Too commercial to be what I thought it was. Wait, that sure sounds like David Murray (because it is). What the hell IS this? Track 12 - Well, this escalated quickly. Heavily commercial featuring the unemployment stick. I mean, I don't hate it, but I could if pushed. Make that a bari, maybe a little John Surman, and I could be all in. I just loathe that flashy clarinet. Wait now, that could certainly be Sonny Sharrock, so I'm coming around. Yeah, if we can agree to blast the unemployment stick to another planet, I'll get onboard. Track 13 - Ominous. Then optimistic. Then slightly maudlin in a romantic vein. Okay, we need to pick a focus here. I'm warming to it to the point I want to like it, but... I just can't quite get to the vocalist. And the background... there's something that makes it feel like the Oscars' band. I just can't get to her. There's something almost Pharoah-ish about that sax player, so I'm thinking it's that Chicago guy that fools me and makes me think he's Pharoah. I see why you like it, but I just can't get fully onboard on this one -- it's the combination of the vocals and the poppy band behind it all. I'll never remember the guy's name I'm thinking of, but he was on a BFT within the past year and I didn't know him but you did.

With apologies, Jim -- I've been in home improvement project hell for most of the month. If not for a text exchange with WebbCity today, I might have completely forgotten about this. Track 01 - Pretty straight forward stuff. Organ is VERY heavy in the mix, so I assume the leader. The tenor players time suggests Jimmy Heath, but it's a bigger sound on the laptop speakers, closer to Gator, but not him. Switching to ear buds to see if that helps. Hmmm... that's a little cleaner, but that organ is still WAY too bright. Love that fool-you ending. Drums are quite busy, but no idea who. Track 02 - I hope it's rooted in sarcasm. I was listening to The Nylons, who do a great cover of the song being borrowed, yesterday. Track 03 - Sure sounds like George Braith to me. Organ is prominent here, as well, but it works a bit better to my ear. Love the overall feel. Not particularly deep, but I don't care -- it makes me happy. Weird for me to say as a horn player, but the horn is the least appealing thing to me here. That rhythm section sets up a great feel, but I want more done with it. Track 04 - Dmitri from Paris? Can't say I love it, but it also kind of works. I was being cheeky with my original comment, but I'm going to go ahead and double down on it, because it's precisely the sort of thing DFP does. Hard to tell what's being sampled because they've tweaked the sound so much, but first impressions were Mulligan w/Brookmeyer. Track 05 - What my brain experiences internally whenever somebody puts on 80s cheeze metal like Foreigner or Def Leppard. Wait, I take that back. This is more serious than that, but not my thing. Mix this with Yoko and THAT'S what my brain experiences when being forced to sit through either of the aforementioned bands. Track 06 - Reminds me of Ahmed Abdul Malik's stuff on Prestige. I find it interesting, but I have to be in the right mood. I don't THINK this is that. Kind of loses me just before the 3 minute mark. No guesses other than NOT AAM. Track 07 - Voice sounds like Amiri Baraka. Perhaps the New York Art Quartet? Could be Roswell. Amiri sounds older here. Nope, that's sure sounds like young Shepp. Unsure, but I'm listening multiple times. Track 08 - Now, I know that vocalist. AND that tenor. Damn it. Oh, Christ! Of course. That's Sonny with Earl Coleman. I bought this when I was a kid for Ee-Ah, and even though I tended to not care for vocals (blame my old man), I always loved this. And MAN! I forgot how much Sonny is killin' it on this! Great pick! Can't say it's what I was expecting, which, I guess, is precisely what I was expecting! Thanks, Jim! Welp, after pawing through the comments, I guess I need to go back and dig out the New York Art Quartet recordings and lay ears on them, again. Re-listening to track 1. I would never have gotten the tune from this version, but I actually like what they did with it. Also, COMPLETELY concur with your assessment of Sonny's work on that track.

WebbCity in November and Felser in December.

Beautiful. Thanks, dudes.

No worries -- I was asleep at the wheel on the thread. (That's a lie... I never sleep... I wait.) Updated the master list: Tim in October, Jim in November.

Tim, Jim said "please," so I'd like to give him October, though you technically laid claim, first. Please advise.

Guy definitely hears things his own way (and I mean that as a positive). Really something to see him live -- has a physical presence that cannot be ignored.

Awfully quiet in here...