tkeith

Huh! I guess my ears didn't betray me on track 9!

Well, as usual, delayed, but here we go. track 01 - I mean, what's not to like about this? It's been said here that "J-Griff fools no one." That is, once again, proven to be true. Probably a rote guess, but sure sounds like Paul Chambers on bass. Funky post-bop piano. Several options, but none staking a claim. Feel like I should have a better shot at the 'bone, but I've got nothin'. Nothing to not love about this. track 02 - Change in gears, but I'm still in the happy zone. The blend of those horns! Yes, please. Loping three feel, Rhodes. I can even get beyond that drum sound. So, mid-70s. There's a rawness to the alto that has me looking in Byard Lancaster's neighborhood, but not him. Don't think it's Marion Brown, either, but sure in the right side of town. Okay, that's got to be Ranelin, right? So was that Wendell Harrison on alto? I'm always repelled by arrangement for arrangement's sake -- this is most certainly NOT that. What a great arrangement! track 03 - First impressions are envisioning a glossy CD case. Feels quite clean, but I'm going to reserve judgment. Woody Shaw feel, but I think much more recent. Very clean recording, and very clean execution... maybe too clean. Yeah, that tenor is not growing on me. I'm hearing the practice room and feeling nothing. Nice piano work. Not Kenny Barron, but maybe a disciple? Trumpet invokes shades of Woody and Kenny Wheeler, but unfortunately, it's neither. This is pretty, polite, interesting music -- it just isn't giving me the feels. Nice bass work. track 04 - What are you doing to me, man? I know it's Joplin, but not sure which. I'm not enamored of the execution. Leaves me asking why? I mean, if you're going to do this, execute. Can't help but wonder if you're sneaking Braxton in to see if you can send me to the Piscataqua bridge. I'll pass on this one. track 05 - AH! THERE WE GO! THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT! And, Henry T fools NO one! From what may well be my favorite Air album. I often wonder if our friends who specialize in this era have heard this, and what they would think. track 06 - I'm liking it, but asking myself why. It's not the horn, for sure. Though, whatever the hell is happening, it's with intent. But that drummer! He's sounding like Franklin Kiermayer WISHES he sounded. Got an edge with a bit of Elvin. Gotta be a Chicago guy. Can't tell the era from the recording. I think it's a retro-style modern recording. Bassist is on point, too. Got a nice Garrison groove. Maybe Isaiah Spencer on drums? Whomever it is, an absolute MF! Still waiting for the sax to GO someplace. I mean, I get it, just not sure we needed 4-1/2 minutes of that motif. Doesn't sound like Ivo Perelman, but DOES sound like the sort of thing he would do. See, now it sounds older (loft Jazz), but I'm more and more certain that's Isaiah. track 07 - You're certainly not a one-trick pony. Certainly feels like Herbie Nichols. But knowing you, and knowing Herbie, it's probably Elmo Hope. I wish I had a better grasp on whether or not I'm right about that. If I DON'T have this, I certainly need it. There's nothing I don't love about this. track 08 - Clifford Jordan (fools no one). At first I was thinking that weird later record split with Ran Blake, but then I recognized it. One of my favorite album covers of all time. Can't recall the name of the tune, but this is a sneaky good record, particularly He's A Hero. track 09 - At first I was thinking Sonny Sharrock, then Ava Mendoza. It's neither. Has a Very, Very Circus vibe to it, but leans more... not fusion... I'm getting almost a Jamaladeen Tacuma vibe, but shuffled with VVC. What the hell is this? Gotta be Chicago, no? track 10 - No idea, but I love it. Been really getting into some of the older stuff of this genre and completely loving it. What happened there? I thought I was on to track 11 with two Latin tunes in a row, then it just went buh-bye. track 11 - But this makes me okay with that. Pensive and almost new-agey, except that it holds my interest. Getting a Ben Monder vibe from the guitarist. Composition reminds me of Donny McCaslin's writing, except that I'm really enjoying this and Donny tends to put me to sleep. No clue. Quite a varied array! I think I like your work on short notice!

I think I'm hearing Percy Heath. Side note: BFT Archive project has finally comments. Tests 1-4 added today. For those not in the know, Jim was able to furnish me with most of the tests from 1-55, and a few stragglers thereafter. If anybody has old discs of files of the old tests, please PM me with what you have. I'd like to make that archive as complete as possible, just because.

Alrighty, got to it before mid-month! Not a lot I knew for sure, but what I did, I'm sure of. track 01 - Cherokee. A song on my rusty razor list. My first thought was Stitt, but I'm unaware of a recording with a nylon-string guitar. Which, naturally, means nothing. As it went on, though, the vibe was less Stitt-like. Monstrous chops, but like Stitt on indica. track 02 - The Kicker. I've got several organ versions of this, and this doesn't seem to match any of them. Mayhaps Pat Martino? track 03 - Okay, tune is obvious, title less so. Red Cross? That's Clifford Jordan on tenor. Okay, that's Don Cherry, and the sound is clearly Strata-East, so this must be from the box set. Sounds like Blackwell on drums, not sure on the bass. Clifford is in that Golson category for me -- doesn't get NEARLY enough respect. Very walk-y bass, but not Leroy Vinnegar. Maybe Jamil Nassir? Calvin Hill? Definitely Blackwell. track 04 - Straight, No Chaser. Was thinking Barry Harris, at first, but seems far to frenetic. I don't thnk it's Bud Powell. Really not sure. track 05 - Tune is familiar, title and player are not. Enjoyed it,bt more as an investigation. track 06 - That sure sounds like Teddy Edwards. Bags Groove or one of them. Quick solos until the organ, so it's the organist's date. Just not sure. track 07 - Recognize the tune, sort of. Wondering if this is a variation of something familiar. Reminds me of an old record my grandmother had with Basie on organ, but it's too busy to be him. Enjoyed it without recognition. track 08 - Recognize the tune instantly, but damned if I know the title. I know I have a version by Zoot somewhere, which is likely the version I'm most familiar with. Can only say who it isn't. Double-time vibes works well of the in-the-pocket RS. Wait, maybe it's so simple as to actually be who I think it isn't. Is this some variation of the MJQ? track 09 - My ear is expecting this to be something else, but, as usual, the title escapes me. Think my brain was hearing 'Til There Was You. track 10 - Unknown. Gary Burton, perhaps? Not uber familiar with him, but some cuts were on my phone during my recent travel and the sound tracks. Kind of lost the thread, here. Not really hitting for me. Sort of dreamy, without really holding my focus. track 11 - Huh, kind of reminds me of what I used to occasionally like to listen to when I first got into the music. This reeks of being a pop crossover, but hell if I know the title. Yeah, hear it now, but can't peg it. I used to work in a furniture store that played the local soft rock station all day long, and this tune was in the rotation. I like this much better than what I heard daily of the original, but beyond that nostalgic recognition, I'm out. There's a video out there of Maceo's band doing Sexual Healing, and it has a similar feel to this. But, as it's Maceo, I prefer it. track 12 - Medley a la JATP? I think we had Startdust, into I'm Confessin'. Nope. Band isn't strong enough behind the soloist to be JATP. Perhaps a name band under the leadership of an "all-star" soloist? When You're Smilin'. So, the first section, I was thinking, Louis or a person doing their best Louis. I'm thinking the latter. Everybody is clapping on 2 and 4, so I assume it's a Japanese audience. Not sure why that is, but it is. Okay, well, that certainly changes things. So, Louis fronting a tour band? A fairly straight-ahead mix. Looking forward to filling in blanks. In my comments about the straight-forward nature, I almost made the comment, "Did Dan put this one together?"

Brief interruption: We need a June test presenter.

Welp... getting in under the wire, yet, again. Most of this found a happy spot in my belly. A couple-or-few did not. But nothing was an all-out No, and a lot were emphatic YES! track 01 - Sound is 70s, but the material is certainly newer. My first thought was James Spaulding, but then I caught the material. Love the feel of this. Very Lonnie Liston Smith in the 70s. Flutist is a bit lick-happy, but that’s where we are, isn’t it? What’s done here is done to very good effect. Recording sound is very good — drums aren’t over-mic’d so you hear them as drums (instead of individual parts of the kit). Not the most worthy of arco bass solos. Unemployment stick courtesy of the flutist? Seems to be the same path of ideas. Nothing that I’m not liking about this, but I AM curious if it would hold up upon repeated listening. Bitch of a cut, though. These folks have certainly listened to Pharaoh from the late-60s/early-70s, and I have zero issue with that. track 02 - I want this to be Another Earth. So much so that I’m going to hazard an early guess that one of these guys is Bartz. Not in love with the “composition”. First guy has certainly listened to his Bartz. Perhaps a student thereof. About 2:40, s/he seems to run out of steam on the groove. Keeps blowing, and sort of recovers it, but there’s a definite lull around that time stamp. Okay, I’m doubling down. I’ll eat my hat if that’s not Bartz (though, it’s recent, because he’s sounding older). Only other explanation is it’s TWO Bartz protegés. Part of me is thinking this cut showed up on another BFT a few years back. If it IS Bartz (and I think it is), he’s not in top form, here. track 03 - In three and a tenor — what’s not to like? Liking this cut a lot. The bass is holding down the bottom without being in the way. Just hit those roots and hold them. Let it develop on its own. Reminds me of Chuck Domanico on that Barney Kessel record w/Elvin. Guitarist is more out of that post-Scofield school. Tenor has a beefier tone, like he didn’t lock himself in a practice room away from other people masturbating his tone. This feels like a player I could listen to and enjoy THE MUSIC irrespective of the saxophone. Yes, please. No new ground, but man, they’re crushin’ what they’re doing. Okay, that’s two wins, one maybe, but thus far, this is the class of the test. Love that bass player. There are points in the melody where this sound a lot like Tchicai with Curtis Clark (obviously not that, but they match the feel of, say, Letter To South Africa) — a very nice neighborhood, indeed. track 04 - My gut tells me Avishai Cohen. Very pretty melody, but lacks the grunt of the last cut. Sounds very soundtrack-y. It’s okay, but didn’t really hold my interest. Perhaps in context I’d feel differently. As just music, feels a bit slick. track 05 - How I like my Scotch. Doubler, and one who likes his Stitt (nothing wrong with that). Weird comp, but RS sounds to me like the band on Groovin’ With Jug, but with better sound (and minus Groove Holmes). Enjoying it, but no idea who we’ve got. My guess is these are veterans and not tributary players. Gosh, could somebody be honing in on Dan’s Gene Harris territory? Not in love with the guitarist. Nothing “wrong,” just feels like I’m listening to an omnibook-constructed solo. I’m not hearing the player. Flutist doesn’t seem as strong as Frank Wess, but might be someone of that generation (or at least out of that school). track 06 - Reminds me of a restaurant we used to go to in a neighboring town. We always felt we weren’t young enough nor pretty enough to be there, but this was the type of music they’d be playing. In fact, that’s how I discovered Radio Citizen, but I digress. This feels like somebody said, “Let’s do a Santana kind of vibe,” and then did it admirably. I like this a lot, but it feels more background to me. GREAT background, but background nonetheless. That restaurant served cornbread with a whipped maple-pork fat “butter”. This makes me want that, badly. track 07 - One of the crossovers that misses for me — Jazz and “hip hop”. Never seems to fully hit for me. Better than pop, but not something I’d spin regularly. And now that the unemployment stick arrives, I’m seeing a glossy cover in the stack of CDs that was not going to make the cut for my show. I get the draw, a bit, but it just doesn’t hold up for me. I’m old. I KNOW how hard you have to work to get that snake-charming stick to sound like that, and to do THIS with it… just seems like a low payoff. Too smooth for my taste. track 08 - This is probably not nearly as technically accomplished as the last cut, but it has that FEEL. Before the lead came in, it reminded me of one of those older Richie Havens albums that always seemed to have one cut that flirted with the J-word. Love this feel. I could sit through a day of this, and would give body parts to play over this. Yes, please. I was thinking, guitarist isn’t Grant Green, but then realize s/he has sure as hell listened to a LOT of GG. Borders on slick, but REALLY works. track 09 - Hearing so many things. Green Onions. The Hot Spot. Band has a great groove. Tenor is precisely what I don’t like to listen to. Ah, now I’m hearing the lyric, but not quite. Dead? Yes, that’s it. But I don’t know the actual lyrics. My cousin did an album (with an involved backstory) of Dead tunes with Chicken lyrics around 1990. Those are the lyrics I know. “Cluckin’, cause we’re chickens, man Cluckin’, for the Purdue man, Even, with our heads chopped off, We just keep cluckin’ ooo-ooo-oo-o-oo-on.” I’ll take the groove if you sub out a different tenor player. Almost has a Robert Stewart vibe, but doesn’t hold up to where he would take this. Cool cover, though. Props to the band. track 10 - What would have happened if Amiri Baraka had linked up with Mike Westbrook. Low end of that trumpet reminds me of David Weiss, but the mid and upper registers are way more… it’s not that they’re more aggressive, but there seems to be better facility (which is saying something, because DW can PLAY). Okay, it is live — was thinking it had to be from the tonal variance in the trumpet. (Mics are the enemy!) <— [read that “Mikes”] Like an angry pep band. Maybe a Fred Ho project? I’m at a loss. I know the Chicago guys achieve this feel at times (thinking of Ernest Dawkins), but I don’t think this is that group of musicians. Didn’t love the feel, but overall liked the tune. Very curious. Welcome to the BFT, Matthew! Glad to have your ears in the mix! I'll be damned. I should have trusted my Dawkins radar.

Hola! Matthew (new guy presenting this month) is having issues logging in (got locked out b/c he tried to use his screen name). I'm starting the thread for him and we're hoping he'll be along shortly. Available here: https://thomkeith.net/blindfold-tests/2025-blindfold-tests/

If you can snag the video of Henry Threadgill's Society Situation Dance band, he's on that (along with John Stubblefield).

Update: I have a new presenter, but we're working on getting his account activated.

Claiming July, but, for the moment, I'm unable to edit the post containing the calendar.

I was hearing KD on track 10, but really figured I must be losing it. I'll be damned. Also, no takers on April, yet. Again, I *CANNOT* take April.

But for track 12, this test has left me about as happy as a BFT can when Felser was not involved. track 01 - Love the sound of this piano. Okay, Caravan. I was hoping for solo piano, but about a minute in, I'm fine with that not being the case. Love how this is unfolding. Tasty bass, too. It's not the Mal Waldron I want, but I'm really digging this. It's a unique interpretation that pays respect to the song, and it's interesting. Can't ask for much more than that. track 02 - This is odd. It's a unique tenor voice, and a conversation. I like that. But there's something about that tenor that's also losing me a bit. They're kind of wandering. It's honest, and they're communicating, but this almost feels like a rehearsal take. Live, it'd be great, but as much as I'm enjoying the interaction, I'm not sure I would as much on repeated plays. One thing I DO applaud is, for it's wandering, I'm not hearing the practice room... they ARE creating. Bass is the standout to me. Drummer has a fondness for Rashid Ali (and I can't fault him). track 03 - I got distracted and didn't realize track had changed. Tenor came in and I said, "That sounds like Booker T.!" I went to rewind what I thought was track 2, saw it was track 3 just as the bass hook to Hussen Kalle Mazeltov began. Love this cut, love the album. Transcribed this way back -- if only I could get someone to play it (looking at you, Tim!). Great choice. Man! Cyrille is SO fantastic! track 04 - Unsure. Maybe George Lewis? Dunno. Interesting, but not sure it's going in the "A" stack. track 05 - Unemployment stick NOT sounding like a snake charmer! NICE! Weird follow-up to the last tune, but it works. Sound recording doesn't excite me (either that or that's the worst snare ever made), but this puts it all together. I've reached a point that I almost can't listen to soprano these days, but this works on all levels. There is a significant drop after the sax solo. That IS the worst sounding snare I've ever heard. Fortunately, the soprano comes back and saves it. I recall a gig where a drummer was playing his "funk kit" and that's the sound the snare made. Just, no. Tim was on that gig. Fortunately, no audience member were. track 06 - Not sure what this is (Sam Rivers?), but I'm loving it. I'm thinnking of a game Charlie Kohlhase introduced me to -- Fantasy Jazz Band. I had the thought of Henry Threadgill and Shelly Manne when this started (Thanks, Charlie!). Once it gets going, definitely getting a Smiley Winters vibe from those drums. Trumpet doesn't try to do to much. Man, THIS is what I want to hear when I go to see live music! I've got no ID on this, but I'm definitely adding it to the stacks. track 07 - Borrowing from Horace... or Steely Dan. Kind of like it. Reminds me of the Bob Moses record with Autumn Liebs. I take that back -- this is MUCH heavier. Pianist is in that Tyner vein, but when he slows it down, there's a chunk of Andrew Hill that is very pleasing. Bass and drums are complementing the piano perfectly. Thoughtful, patient bass solo. What's not to like about this? (Hey Tim! They stole the bass line from Moonlight!) track 08 - Straight-forward-ish. Stabby drums behind a tastefully aggressive trumpet. Loving what the bass player is doing. Pianist could soften the blows a bit, but it works for the most part. Again with an Andrew Hill feel on the piano -- am I sensing a sub-theme? Now moving towards McCoy, but I'm not offended. This one works. More nice bass work. track 09 - Almost has the air of early Frank Lowe, that roiling, spinning tenor. It's not Frank's sound, though. Much going on here, all of it pleasing. Now it DOES sound like Frank. Maybe I should eat something. track 10 - Genre spanning, again. Parts of this almost sound like a Jazztet date. Trumpet has edge, but also has chops. Tenor reminds me of a guy nobody has heard of who went to Yale (and showed up on one of my BFTs). If I saw this, I'd be quite happy. The proper respect is paid to tradition, but I don't feel like this is being rehashed. It's not lights out, but it's admirable in its imperfections. Doing his best J-Griff! Damnit! You're going to make me spend money!!! track 11 - Angular and wispy. I'm not in love, but I'm not offended. My only complaint is this is going to be too short for what it feels like it's setting up. If I can figure out who that tenor in the left channel is, s/he will wake up one day unable to find their sound, because I'm going to steal it. track 12 - I have a lot of stuff adjacent to this in my collection, but this one is missing for me. Hearing more noisy than creative, and my patience wanes quickly when that happens. Tenor overdoes it a bit. Trombone is there, though, right where they need to be. The drums are giving him the right support. I guess it's the tenor bugging more than anything. Last track wasn't long enough, this one is dragging. Piano comes in and now we're back to noiseville. Maybe my brain is just in relax mode, but now this is pissing me off. Maybe that's the point. I'll pass on this one (and wish perhaps I had). track 13 - Nice choice for a set ender. Pulse (lacking in the last cut), more in-the-tradition, but doing it right. As it goes on, hearing more of the vocabulary, but less spontaneity. Confident it's not someone I know, but the chops are clearly there. Rhythmically, there's something South African about the sax player. No new ground broken in the rhythm section, but they're doing what they're doing well. About the half-way point, if that's NOT McCoy, they owe some SERIOUS royalties. Thanks! And apologies for dragging ass a week longer than I'd promised!

With apologies (since I haven't put my ears to this test, yet). I just posted in the sign-up thread. We need a presenter for April. Ordinarily when there's a gap, I would just step in (I haven't claimed a month, yet), but I can't do it in April. Anybody? Bueller? Anyone?

Hey kids! We need a presenter for April. I can't take it this month.

Despite my cantankerous responses, I appreciate that this BFT forced me right outside my element [Donny]. track 01 - Interesting, though slightly out of my element. A bit more in the "classical" vein than my preference. Well done, though, as it goes on, it loses me a bit. I'm reminded of the saxophone mouthpiece guru who, in the past year, posted to the socials asking if sax players preferred Jazz or Classical. The overwhelming response was Jazz. He then chided all of us for our answers, suggesting we had no idea what we were talking about. So, why ask? About the 3 minute mark things kick in and go in a very nice direction. That is some powerful trumpet, and not bashful. Yeah, I've completely flipped my perspective on this. The intro goes down a strange path that takes me out of my element, but this fires nicely. Yes, please. Alto player does quite get to that same place. I like Doplhy, too. This doesn't *quite* hold together. That trumpet solo was worth the price of admission, but I'm not sure this will hold up on repeated listening. track 02 - A true bari player, if my ears are being honest with me (as opposed to a doubler). It's not Cuber, but this player likes RC a bunch (not a bad thing). Never played this much on bari until about a year ago, and then wondered why not. It's a nice fit (not all songs are). My ears tell me that this person has listened to a lot of the rock/funk side of this instrument. I'm guessing a younger player. track 03 - Tune is Cool Struttin' and that sure sounds like Sonny Clark, but this is not the version I'm familiar with. Recognize the bone but can't put a name. Not Curtis. Tenor is familiar, but again, no name coming. track 04 - This would land better if that last tune wasn't such a bitch. With all the effects and loungie percussion, however, I feel like I've wandered into the David Friesen café. If this came on the radio or in a pop culture setting, I'd be onboard. This reeks of one of those one-guy-plays-it-all projects, though, and for that reason, I'm out. Wants to be later Eddie Harris, but it just isn't. track 05 - More effects. This is where you tap into my inner curmudgeon. Nope. track 06 - Pretty, polite. Almost has an Ibrahim vibe to it. It's a strong composition, but I'm not in love with the arrangement. Progression almost has an Only Trust Your Heart vibe. Wait, that almost sounds like Benny Carter on alto, but I don't recognize this at all. That would explain what I'm hearing in the composition, though. Something is off here (third listen). Not Benny, but royalties are owed. track 07 - This is the almost BFT. I'm getting a strong Konitz vibe from the alto, but it's not him. Fan? Contemporary? Leaning towards the latter. This is its own thing and it works well. A bit more controlled than my preference, but this is for real. Very curious. Taking Jerome in a little different direction. track 08 - I like all of what is going on here. I'm not a big fan of that Monder-ish guitar sound, but there is a uniqueness here that I appreciate. This isn't the rule book formula, and deserves kudos for that if nothing else. I keep wanting this to go a certain place. It doesn't, but it a way that I actually respect. This is not a monkey performing for me, the listener; there's a purpose here and they are not being deterred by what I might want. This might be my favorite track outside of track 3. About the three minute mark, guitarist pushes it in a decidedly Tom Waits direction that I don't entire love. I think the key is, they don't care. track 09 - There is a familiarity here, but it's an adjacent one. The tune remarkably familiar. Strong alto sound, but I'm not sold. The tune doesn't gel. Doesn't really sound like these guys are much listening to one another. Seems like it's trying to be too many things at once, and not really achieving any of those things. Not nearly as hip as it seems to think it is. And by 5:30, we're into full-on practice room masturbation -- I'm out. track 10 - Took awhile for me to identify Sophisticated Lady in there, but are we doing a medley, or is this really that tune? Seems more Monk than Ellington, but it's neither. It's not quite hitting. Each time it gets close, it gets bangy (like Ran Blake). Okay, we're back at Sophisticated Lady. Live I might feel differently, but this one misses for me. track 11 - Not in love with the vocals, but this is sincere. Don't recognize the tune. The sound on this recording leaves much to be desired. Somes like the vocals, saxophone, were recorded down a hallway. Saxophonist is older -- there's a shakiness at times that reveals physical age. Perhaps vocalist is also the horn player? That would explain the oddness I'm hearing in the singing, but they are both recorded in the same way that doesn't entirely work. Really sounds like this may have been recorded in different studios and mixed after the fact. track 12 - This has a lot of promise off the bat. Has a Mapleshade sound to it, particularly those drums. Busy piano, but that bass allows for a lot to happen. Even though the bass travels, ultimately it holds down the vibe, and the drums are right there, too. Piano could do pretty much anything -- not really commanding my attention. Drums and bass are killing it, though (in a good way). Got almost a Pharoah vibe to it. In fact, that may be Cecil, but it sounds like a more modern recording. Give me that bass and drums any and ALL the time. Much as the piano isn't making a full impression on me, I'd LOVE to play with this guy. It would force me out of habits. I need this. Apologies for taking the better part of three weeks to get to this. #12 will make me spend money (and likely #3), but it was worth it. Okay, my ears didn't lie to me on track 3, though I should have gotten Forrest. So track 6 IS Benny? I feel better if that's the case, but also feel worse at not having this. And track 12! I'll be damned! I didn't have Jack, but that makes perfect sense. I shall have to acquire this. Also, Jim's post is the perfect explanation for why I don't read prior to listening. #PresentingTheAnswerKey