tkeith

'Bout an hour.

Just my $.02, but I'll miss BOTH your tests if you got that route. I also cordially invite you both to hang here in NH if you find yourself up here for a bevvy and some listening, regardless of what happens with respect to the BFT.

Wow... just noticed it bleeped comedian Richard Shawn's name. Really, guys? Really?

Alrighty! Here goes. I got an advanced listen but wanted to wait to post because I knew I did pretty well. December is a bear with work, so I went ahead and listened when Felser sent the test. Track 01 -- Discovered this one by accident while searching for music by William Parker. This features Don Smith's vocals (better known to me from Dick Griffin's Now Is The Time). Incidentally, he's also Lonnie's brother. It's the opener from this. Track 02 -- Huh! Speaking of Dick Griffin! Another opener. Discovered this one looking to round out my collection of another Billy (who appears on one track on the B-side). It's track 1 from this. Hubert Laws! I came to him via his brother Ronnie appearing on Solid Gold when I was just a pup. MUCH to love on this record (WHAT A TRUMPET SECTION!!!!). Track 03 -- I got the tenor as Rouse pretty quickly, but I had to mine the collection to find this one. WOW! ANOTHER opener! This time from this. Track 04 -- Tasty Rhodes! The House on Maple Street! Smilin' Billy, so I'm assuming Walton and Jordan. No! Wait! Duh! I've got this. I think it's the last thing I have by Hank Mobley. Track 3 from this. Track 05 -- Hmmm. You have me on this one, brother. Got that 70s sound so my first thought is Urbaniak. Maybe with some of the cats from era (Randy Brecker?). No, seems like these guys are headier than RB. Track 06 -- HAHAHA!!! How dare you, sir! Track 07 -- Aw yeah! Track 2 with NASTY Thad from this. And there's that Henry guy. Man, discovered this one only a few years back -- what a BITCH of a record. E is SUCH a bad man! Track 08 -- No shit, I was just listening to this track (another version) on the drive to work. This is not a familiar version, but Don Pullen is doing his thing. And George Adams? Oh! No! AAAAHHH! It's track 3 from this. Filthiness! Track 09 -- This song... I know this, but again, not this version. Quite likely, because that sure sounds like Gary Bartz. Definitely Gary, sounds like Freddie? No! That's Woody Shaw. This has to be from the Blackstone set. Never going to place the title. Track 10 -- Checking the mirror on my Mercury Cyclone for the po-lice. Rhodes, horns, mixing between 70s jazz-funk and swing. This is what Maynard WANTED his band to sound like in the 70s. So much to love in this. The voices work, the shifting feel. That NASTY, growling bari! It's like if Children of Forever didn't take itself so severely seriously (but in a good way! -- another album I love, by the way). I'll be interested in the reveal on this one. But, I swear, if it's Kamasi, I'm quitting. On the one hand, I'll be pissed if I have this. On the other hand, it'll save me money if I do. Track 11 -- I'm a bad person, but all I can see if Dick Shawn's LSD performing this, and it makes me happy as hell! Much happiness in this one!

July, please.

You give me way too much credit. I meant "I Wish I Knew".

Getting a jump on this one -- busy time of year, but the perfect excuse to get some grading done. Track 01 - Welp, obviously it's St. Thomas, but likely in one of its other incarnations (I mean, we KNOW Theodore didn't actually *write* it). No idea. Maybe Kenny Drew? I dig it, though. Track 02 - Love the loping feel of the drums. Nice comping on the head. Something has me leaning towards Kamuca. Actually reminds me of Don Sleet's record All Members quite a bit, but I haven't played that in ages. Doesn't sound like Jimmy Heath to me, though. Can't quite place the trumpeter, but love his clean, crips tone. Two-for-two on this test, though. Track 03 - Something doesn't sound right about the drums in the mix. Almost like it was recorded separately from the rest. My grandmother had a Chico Hamilton record like this. It sets the drums off too much from the rest of the recording, which I am otherwise enjoying a great deal. Track 04 - Oddly angular. Almost in an Ellington sort of a way, but that's not who it is. Nice KC feel to the head. Got some thoughts on the tenor, but I'm going to listen again. Don't know the 'bone. Nice, brassy trumpet. A little more subdued than Buck Clayton, but I'm thinking someone along those lines. On second listen, I'm going to go with my gut and say Allen Eager on tenor. Track 05 - No idea, but the longer it went on, the more I liked it. Nice. Track 06 - Reminds me of the Embryo album For Eva, featuring Mal Waldron, but that's definitely not Mal. I like this, though. I'm leaning European, which means I don't know who this is. Again, I'm liking it. Track 07 - This one is the first one that hasn't grabbed me. Very busy, and that guitar is a bit intrusive. It's interesting, and I'd probably be a lot more into it without the guitar. Track 08 - This has a familiar feel, but my ears are lying to me -- I don't know what this is. Track 09 - At first, I didn't think I'd like this, but once it got going, I was hooked. All in. No idea what this is. His voice almost sounds like Olu Dara's. Track 10 - Another I am not familiar with, but I like it. I like it a lot. Track 11 - A lot of these cuts sound almost like rock bands I probably know doing a "jazzy" cut. They work, though. I mean, not sure I'm going to take Kind of Blue off the turn-table to hear them, but they hold up well. Track 12 - This sounds more familiar. Alto has a J-Mac quality (not him, but I think I know this player). Drums remind me of Greg Bandy's work on an obscure Pharoah Sanders record on India Navigation. Or, more accurately, I'd guess that reminds me of this. Can't offer a reasonable guess, but I like it. Track 13 - I like the feel and the general musicianship, but I don't think I know these players. Track 14 - Stop me if you've heard this before: I like the feel of this, but don't know the players. This alto sounds very familiar, but I don't have the name. Not sure on the tenor. Sounds a bit like a LOT of guys. I hear some Willis Jackson influence, for sure -- but could it be the man himself? I don't think it is, so it probably is. Track 15 - This reminds me a bit of Jimmy Jones and a bit of some older Mal Waldron recordings I have. I don't think it's either, but I like it. Track 16 - Something very familiar about this. Not sure if I own this, but I have definitely heard it... recently. Comping behind the trumpet doesn't seem to be quite... syncing isn't the word... they just don't seem to be connecting. Trumpet work is nice, though. Ah! Wait a minute. That's Ralph Moore, I'm sure of it. He's a guy I always want to like more than I do, but here, he's clicking. This is beautiful. Piano is familiar but, not a slam dunk. Could be Geri Allen. Track 17 - More modern player whom I cannot name, but this is actually quite pleasant, if a bit more orchestrated than I usually lean towards. Very nice, though. Track 18 - Tune seems very familiar, but again, I think my ears are lying to me. Reminds me of a tune on a Rashied Ali record, and that CLEARLY is not what this is. Organ doesn't really seem to fit with the feel. I like the guitar, though. Track 19 - This is really nice. That tenor... I know that tenor. Tune almost sounds like I Wish I Knew, but I don't think that's right. Clear, strong tone, and tasteful embellishments by the piano -- just like it was meant to be. Could this be one of the Getz/Barron sessions that was recorded prior to People Time? Has that feel and is at the level of quality, but seems a bit less outwardly... showy isn't the word, but... that Getz thing, than I would expect if it is him. I have to say, this was one of the more enjoyable BFTs this year! So I wasn't crazy thinking there was an Adams/Pullen vibe. I wanted to make that comment, but thought I must be nuts.

Wowsers! Kamasi got me (sort of), again! And SHAME on me for not getting Lacy. I have the record, but play Moods more. Still, that's an inexcusable miss.

Forgot to follow the thread. Mistaking Roscoe for Joseph -- SHAME on me. That said, I usually find Joseph a bit more down home, so it's a complimentary assessment, as Roscoe doesn't always reach me.

Late to the dance, here. Sorry. This one hit some strange areas, but also some areas that REALLY struck a note with me (especially where it wound up!). Track 01 - Seems like a remake (sort of like the ones you see on YouTube of bands redoing music from the 20s and/or modern tunes in that style. Accomplished musicians, but not sure how frequently I would spin this. Track 02 - Now this is right in the happy zone. Decidedly Tyner-esque feel. Some touches of Charles Brackeen in the cry of that tenor, but the player seems more out of that Liebman set than CB. That bass sound is off-putting. I don't think it's the player, but the recording. If not McCoy, somebody that owes a HUGE debt. Possibly Franklin Kiermyer on drums? I want to guess Jon Faddis on trumpet because of the heavy Dizzy influence, but seems to have more taste than JF, and his sound isn't so... well... ugly (never sold on JF). Track 03 - Very little of this pocket of the genre reaches me (Peter Apfelbaum is a noted exception). It just doesn't seem to... swing. Love the growl of the bari against the more trebly sound of the guitar. Underwhelmed by the improvisational segments. This type of music should have a fun feel to it... to my ear, it's missing here. It seems more forced than fun. Track 04 - I like this one better than the last, but it suffers from a bit of the same issue, to my ear. This stuff is brutal to read and difficult to play. When the right band does it, though, it has the feel of fun that it's supposed to inspire. This track comes closer, but still seems to miss by a bit. Track 05 - This one is as cerebral/technical as either of the last two, but it works much better, IMO. Can't put my finger on why, but I'm not focused on the counting so much (though that's definitely in there), it just seems to have a more lyrical underpinning, in spite of all that technique. Mild, Woody-esque trumpet sound (flugel?); whatever, it works well against the tension build by the piano comping, without feeling frenetic. Even when it gets loco, it's still within itself. Reminds me of a Jimmy Owens album I have (and, of course, later Miles). Not completely sold on the use of effects, but it still works. For this style of tenor playing, I'm less bothered by the effects (in much the same way I appreciate Bob Berg's more commercial/smoothish recordings more than his straight-ahead endeavors). The feel works, but it goes on too long, and when the tenor gets into the repetitive articulation, my interest wanes. Track 06 - A little too late-70s Weather Report-ish for my liking. Definitely hear the Bitches Brew influence on this, but lacks the same fire. Track 07 - Aw yeah! That's the AEC, baby! I think this is from one of the Dreaming Of The Masters sets, but can't recall which one. Man, LOVE when these guys lock into that groove! A little sleuthing tells me I have the right song but the wrong date. It appears to be the last track from this. Joseph Jarman is a baaaaaaaaaaad man. Track 08 - This one is interesting. I first, I was thinking a Billy Bang date, has that feel. But, alas... no Billy. I'm not sure I'm entirely sold, but this one WILL get another listen or two, for sure. It's busy, but in an interesting way. Compositionally, it's kind of Braxtonian, which ordinarily would lead me to click fast forward, but this one interests me. Track 09 - I want to like this more than I do. There's a lot here I SHOULD like, but it seems to be taking forever to unfold. Has the feel of Old and New Dreams larger projects (like the one with Dewey Redman, Ballad of the Fallen), but never seems to quite develop to that point. Not sure who this is, but I don't think it's that band. Track 10 - Does Tad Dameron ever NOT work? I don't have any guesses, but I completely love everything about this. Track 11 - No clue, but it's a BFT... so... I'm guessing it's Gene Harris. Maybe Ben Riley on drums? Track 12 - Liking this loads. A lot of thoughts as to who it might be, but keep talking myself out of all of them (David Harris, Frank Lacy). This one works. Has the feel of a Peter Warren date. Track 13 - Well, there's Mr. Shepp, and unmistakable as only he can be. This is older, because he's got a certain bite that is missing in his more recent recordings. I'll guess this is around 1976. I had a date from the late 80s (may still have it) with Richard Davis, but this has it ALL over that date. Man! I love Shepp! Thanks for the sounds!

Shame on me! I should have had that.

Here's my take on this one. I did get a bit of an advance listen, but responses are from the first listen. Track 01 - This reminds me a lot of one of the cuts from my BFT. Soprano player strikes me as maybe more of a regional player, but I think that adds to the draw of this cut, because it's not "perfect". This is not in my usual ballpark, but hear a lot to like here. Track 02 - Yeah, I'm all in on this one. This is the sort of thing made me go out and buy a bass clari. Or course, that was forgetting that I suck. This has all kinds of things I love. That bass hook, the groove -- it's all there. (Incidentally, seeing Mathieu Belanger in Montreal was another of the motivating factors!) Track 03 - Sounds like Kenny Wheeler to me. Maybe with a Pat Methenyish guy. I like the trumpet more than the guitar on this. Track 04 - First reaction is Giuffre on bari. Again, a lot to like here. You're en fuego! Straight ahead, good ol' fashioned no bullshit swinging 4/4 Jazz. Not a thing wrong with that. Track 05 - I was thinking Lazy Afternoon, at first. No idea who, but again, this is VERY nice. Piano is absolutely haunting. Track 06 - Really loving both the bone and the instrumentation. This is one of my favorite BFTs of this year. Track 07 - More strange instrumentation, but more love. This damned test is going to cost me money!!! Track 08 - Sounds like Sean Bergin and Curtis Clark to me, but I don't recognize it, so I am most likely wrong. Track 09 - Odd. Got an Elanor Rigby vibe on the head. Loses a touch of its cool once the solos start -- gets more of a CTI feel, but overall, I still like this a lot. Track 10 - Has an ECM feel to it, similar to the DeJohnette bands, but it's its own thing. Abstract, but musical. Another one I like a lot. Track 11 - Ordinarily, this would be a stretch for me, as the head seems a bit math-jazzy. But this combination works here. Clearly a modern player (Bob Berg influence?). I don't love the improvisational statement, but there's no denying the overall groove. Another keeper. Your killin' it, but I'm able to ID NADA! Track 12 - This has a Sam Rivers feel to it, but perhaps a bit more European (think Gunther Hampel). Again, abstract, but musical. This has a bit less of the groove that the others had, but it still works. Track 13 - That modern guitar sound that I find so troubling. I suppose it's the influence of Pat Metheny (with whom I rarely click). This seems more like Ben Monder or someone of that ilk. The heavily effected guitar always sort of bugs me... frankly, kind of puts me to sleep. I like the loping feel of the drums (I'm a sucker for 3), but otherwise, this strikes me more as a background cut. Also, MG, try refreshing your browser -- I'm able to see it from my tablet.

Got around to this while staying at the beach during a rainy stretch. Track 01 — The gospel feel doesn’t bother me, but the vibrato is a bit over the top. Could be Byard Lancaster, though the genre seems all wrong for that guess. Song reminds me of something else and I keep expecting it to go there. Listening on a tablet —am I hearing a tuba in there? Track 02 — Slam Stewart, for sure. I know there is an album with this tune w/Papa Jo and Wild Bill Davis — this is not that. Track 03 — Needle drop. No guess on the guitar. Sounds like Ain’t Nobody’s Business in 3. Tenor is a Jazz guy (as opposed to a blues guy) but not someone I am familiar with. It works, but I’m convinceI don’t know any of these people. Track 04 — Strikes me as a pianist playing the organ, but can’t say who. Don’t recognize the drummer. Track 05 — Somebody Makin’ Whoopie. Playing like Ray would sing it. Since it’s a blindfold test, I’ll guess Gene Harris. 😁 Track 06 — I do not know these people. Enjoying, but as background. Track 07 — willow weeping for someone I do not know. A very tappy player. Seems influenced by Django. Track 08 — I am a sucker for this feel. No idea who it is, but I’ll take seconds, please. Oddly, bari solo didn’t really click for me. Track 09 — sounds like the Crusaders. Nope. I was thinking Way Back Home. Could be them backing a vocalist. Sounds like Joe for sure. I can’t recall Wilton on soprano, but I’d bet it sounds about like this. Man, this REALLY sounds like that song. One owes the other royalties. Track 10 — Likable, but I keep wanting to hear an Ellington blend in the sax section. Enjoyable, no guess. Track 11 — Intrigue on the intro, wasn’t prepared for Gershwin. Don’t know the vocalist. Has that feel that maybe she’s someone famous trying her hand at singing (reasonably successfully). No guess. Track 12 — sounds like a variant of Lester Leaps In. Perhaps a later contemporary, but not quite on the same plane. I like this guy’s beastly tone Track 13 — weird guess here: O. C. Smith? No idea on the band. Track 14 — Wow, I really whiffed on this test. I was thinking Mr. Jordan at first, but that does not seem correct. As always a challenging test. I really hate it when I get no-hit! After reading the thread: Welp, my ears didn't betray me on #9, but did on #2. Correct me if I'm wrong, here, isn't Major usually signing an octave ABOVE his bow?

You are most welcome and I'm sure all the musicians thank you for your purchases!

01 - El-P, Please Stay (Yesterday) from High Water (2004) From Thirsty Ear’s The Blue Series Continuum. This was an interesting project from Thirsty Ear that you can read more about here. I first heard some of this on Prime Cuts on MPBN back when Ken Eisen was hosting the show. Roy Campbell - trumpet, Steve Swell - trombone, Matthew Shipp - piano, Daniel Carter - woodwinds, William Parker - bass, Guillermo E. Brown - drums, El-P - producer 02 - Henry Butler, Fivin’ Around from Fivin’ Around (1986) This was a discovery back in my college radio days. Knew nothing about Butler, but fell in love with this track. Jeff Clayton - oboe, Henry Butler - piano, Charlie Haden - bass, Billy Higgins - drums 03 - Martina Almgren Quartet, Rumsia Samla from Unden (2009) I discovered this completely by accident back when I was subscribing to eMusic. It popped up and I listened to clips, liked it, took a chance. Nothing ground-breaking, but really enjoy most of this record. Björn Almgren - tenor saxophone, Tommy Kotter - piano, Owe Almgren - electric bass, Martina Almgren - drums 04 - Bridgewater Bros, Dear Trane from Lightning And Thunder (1978) I found my way to Cecil through Max Roach’s band, and then to this record via an article about the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. Cecil Bridgewater - trumpet/flugelhorn, Ron Bridgewater - tenor saxophone, Stanley Cowell - piano, Reggie Workman - bass, Michael Carvin - drums 05 - Robert Stewart, Get Out! from In The Gutta (1996) Robert Stewart is another guy I discovered through Ken Eisen. Robert used to have all of his stuff on his website. I sent him a message letting him know it was all downloadable. He said he knew. I told him I’d prefer to see him make a living and offered to pay for the downloads. He told me he wanted people to have his music. So I have it. (And yes, I have bought the albums, since). Robert Stewart - vocals & tenor saxophone, Ed Kelly - organ, Reginald Veal - bass, Jeff “Tain” Watts - drums 06 - Bobby Battle, To Wisdom, The Prize from The Offering (1993) This record showed up in my iPod rotation and never fails to send me to the screen to see what I’m listening to. Mapleshade really managed to capture that Prestige drum sound, and it frequently messes with me when trying to ID a track. Larry Willis - piano, Santi Debriano - bass, Bobby Battle - drums 07 - Sonny Fortune, Billy Harper, Stanley Cowell, Reggie Workman, Billy Hart, Awakening from Great Friends (1986) Billy Harper is a hero to me, but I like his own stuff usually much better than his stuff as a sideman. This one is is the middle ground. Sonny always leaves me a bit off, but again, he works in this setting. Sonny Fortune - alto saxophone, Billy Harper - tenor saxophone, Stanley Cowell - piano, Reggie Workman - bass, Billy Hart - drums 08 - George Adams, City of Peace from Paradise Space Shuttle (1979) My father picked this record out for me at Loony Tunes in Boston when I was… hell… 13? At first, I didn’t care for it, but George quickly became a personal favorite. This was the inspiration for my first attempt at improvising on the saxophone. Thanks to Richard Gardzina for his patience and support in that endeavor. George Adams - tenor saxophone, Rahn Burton - piano, Don Pate - bass, Al Foster - drums, Azzedin Weston - percussion 09 - Lloyd McNeil, Salvation Army from Treasures (1976) I became familiar with Lloyd through the BFTs. Man, am I glad I did! Covering this tune is a goal of the current quartet/quintet project I’m involved in. Lloyd McNeill - flute, Dom Salvador - piano, Cecil McBee - bass, Brian Blake and Portinho - drums, Ray Armando - percussion 10 - John Gordon, Making Memories from Step By Step (1976) I’m a sucker for most all things Strata-East, and this is no exception. John Gordon - trombone, Charles Tolliver - trumpet, Roland Alexander - woodwinds, Stanley Cowell - piano, Lisle Atkinson - bass, Andrew Cyrille - drums Probably a good time to mention that none of the reoccurring personnel on this BFT were intentional, excepting the two tracks from El-P. 11 - Charles Brackeen Quartet, Cing Kong from Worshippers Come Nigh (1988) available here: https://silkheart.bandcamp.com/ Brackeen is an under appreciated genius in my estimation. Here is the link to Silkheart's bandcamp page. Charles Brackeen - tenor saxophone, Olu Dara - cornet, Fred Hopkins - bass, Andrew Cyrille - drums 12 - Frank Lacy, Settegast Strut. 12:50 This is another tune I want to cover with the current project. I *love* Frank Lacy. I first heard this covered by Bluiett’s Baritone Saxophone Group, and they completely missed the feel of the song. This song has the strut, and Lacy feels the spirit. This interview may also be of interest. Frank Lacy - trombone, Katy Roberts - piano, Radu Olawu Ben Juda (Richard “Radu” Williams) - bass, Doug Hammond - drums 13 - El-P, Please Leave (Yesterday) from High Water (2004) Roy Campbell - trumpet, Steve Swell - trombone, Matthew Shipp - piano, Daniel Carter - woodwinds, William Parker - bass, Guillermo E. Brown - drums, El-P - producer

Welcome!

Happy to spend your money.

Felser is correct and this is my Favorite Frank Lacy release. Much to love on this record.

To access July’s BFT, please use the following link. http://thomkeith.net/index.php/blindfold-tests/ at the risk of stepping on KEN’s toenails, I’m going to start this today (not sure I am available tomorrow). Apologies in advance — this is a long BFT. I am usually better about that. Mostly long tracks, more of a listener than a fooler. Enjoy!

Frank Lacy is correct.

Older than that group... or at least, in a different loft. Yes, yes you do. It is available and I can provide you with the link in the reveal. Sorry about the dent. Not Roswell, and probably considered more mainstream than that, but actually covers a broader spectrum. One might (and this player DOES) argue that this trombonist is "the most widely idiomatically recorded musician of [their] generation".

Nailed it.

Man, you are so sniffing around the fire! Azar Lawrence DOES appear on this album, but this is not him. I'll be surprised if anyone gets this one. Your assessment that they are not Caribbean is correct. They seem to cover a fairly wide stylistic swath. Nothing about your reaction to this is a surprise, and yes, the bassist is INDEED a heavy musician. I would say the pianist qualifies, as well. This guy was a discovery to me about 20 years back. Haven't heard all that much from him recently, which could be as much my fault as his. I like where your ears took you, but this test does the impossible -- a BFT from me absent a John Hicks appearance.

Ding! Ding!

He is in there, and it is his composition, but the band operates under multiple names.