John B

You would enjoy the rest of the album. I chose their shortest duo performance in order to fit onto the single BFT disc. They have more time to stretch out on other tracks.

#4 - Correct. Accordion, tuba, oud, clarinet and drums. #2 - I hadn't made the Mingus connection with track #2, but I can see what you mean. Most of this band's material isn't as hyper or ska-like as this track, but they are all full of humor, energy and wonderful technique. I'm enjoying reading your impressions!

Austin Sunday is a really solid release. After one listen I might prefer this one to Manhattan Tuesday. Glasgow Monday is still my favorite live release, out of those I have heard.

I don't know a lot about the players involved but, judging by their playing on other tracks from the album, they were capable of more technically proficient and interesting playing. I'm guessing that the arrangement of this traditional tune has a lot to do with how simply they play it.

You have touched on a few of the reasons I included this track. As you mention, some of the playing is simplistic and not very original, but the track has a groove that really got in my head and stuck.

Given that this will be a short month with the holidays I'm going to go ahead and open the discussion thread now. I'll make sure I post answers before the new year. Again, I'm still happy to send a copy to anyone who is interested but hasn't yet signed up. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts and impressions on the disc!

That would never get any interest or go anywhere...

I have it, but haven't listened to it in quite some time. I recall really enjoying it. If you do a search in Recommendations I believe we had some discussion, with very positive feedback, regarding this disc in the Funny Rat thread.

I'm fairly certain that user is weasel walter.

Discs have been shipped to everyone who has signed up so far. I'll plan on starting a discussion thread at the end of this week. There is still time to sign up and join in if anyone else is interested.

Discs are going out in the mail tomorrow morning to everyone who has signed up so far. Please let me know when your discs arrive. There is still time to sign up and join in the fun just in time for thr holidays!

I'm going to start mailing discs out this week. There is still plenty of time to sign up, so I'm hoping a few more people join in. Please let me know via PM or by posting here when your discs arive. I'll start a discussion thread once mikeweil posts his answers for BFT #52.

Has anyone picked up any of the live dvds yet? I just counted 13 cds of live material as well as 4 dvds released to date. This includes a 4cd live set. Not too shabby for someone who had never performed live until a few years back. I just placed an order for a few of the sets. I'm really looking forward to Manhattan Tuesday, with Loren Connors.

11. I’ve got mixed feelings on this track. It doesn’t totally click for me. I’ve listened to it many times and still can’t quite make up my mind how I feel about it. The arrangement is almost too lush and “syrupy” at times. On the other hand, the playing does have a nice, relaxed vibe that maintains my interest. I feel like this one flirts with treacle, but never fully crosses over. 12. Another really odd tune. I enjoy the percussion, as busy and “blocky” as it is. The lead horn just floats over the proceedings, doing his own thing, never concerned by the almost agitated, metronomic horns and percussion behind him. His tone sounds awfully familiar… 13. This track has a very interesting mood and atmosphere. There is an almost African sound from the percussion, but I don’t believe the musicians are from Africa. The first comparison that comes to mind when I hear this mix of “world” music, classical, and jazz is the Brazilian group Uakti. This track sounds less “new-agey” than I remember Uakti sounding on the one album I have heard of theirs. I’m looking forward to finding out who this is. 14. This sounds like the same singer as on track #1. I prefer the singing on this track, probably due to the lack of scatting early on. The scatting does eventually start to get to me. I still don’t love the band, but I’m not as put off by their slickness on this one. Not a favorite, but a nice end to the disc, bringing us back full circle to the start. Thank you for a very enjoyable BFT. I’ve really enjoyed listening to these tracks and I am looking forward to reading the answers. I’m sure I will be exploring some of this music further.

That was the first album that popped into my head. Have a great trip!

8. This one is a lot more straight ahead bop, with some latin percussion added to the mix. Nice playing by all involved, although the bass player really shines. Nice work by the drummer, too. The more I listen to this one the more it sounds like something that could have been released on Blue Note in the early 1960’s, although the recording quality makes me think it is more recent than that. I feel like I should know who these players are. Very nice. 9. More “quirky” vocals buried in the mix, but I’m finding them amusing rather than annoying this time. That said, this is another track, like #8, that has the classic post-bop / latin thing going on. The horns and bass are nice, but it is the pianist who steals the show for me. He starts off fairly “in the pocket” but gets some nice and angular playing in as the song goes along. I’m not finding the percussion very interesting, however. It fills a more subtle role, adding color to the tune rather than actively engaging the listener. Again, I wouldn’t be surprised if you said this was recorded in the early 1960’s. 10. Much more engaging percussion than on the previous song. I’m hearing a very joyful, exuberant vibe on this track. The tune alternates between more subtle, almost plaintive, small group sections and more bombastic, almost martial larger group sections. The unison horn parts, starting around 3:00, have an almost marching band sound. I keep having the mental image of a really hip large band taking the field at half time during a college football (U.S.) game, all dressed up in matching outfits. Very nice playing by all involved.

I listened to this track a few more times and then saw your comment. I had been thinking that I was reminded of the sound of Marc Ribot's Cubanos Postizos project, which brought me back to John Zorn, which made me think of Tzadik. A brief search yielded this disc, specifically track 4, as the likely source for this one. Is the rest of the album as enjoyable as this track?

5. Another great track. The “vocalist” can be fairly annoying at times, but he is not able to detract from the fine performance. The funky break at 3:30 never fails to take me by surprise. I’m really enjoying the pianists work here. He has a very nice touch. Delicate at times, forceful and funky at others. The drummer also shows a nice touch. Very supportive, but he keeps things interesting and fresh. The bass player caught my ears the least, but his work is fine, and suits the performance perfectly. There is nothing brash or showy about this performance. The playing is subtle and nuanced and very interesting. A big thumbs up for this one, except for the vocals. 6. A much busier and more active tune. The pianist dominates, and must be the leader. Very nice work. I’m enjoying the percussion, too. The bass player really gets lost in the mix, so nothing specific I can say about his playing. Interestingly short utilization of the tenor. He adds a nice flavor to the mix, although I found myself losing interest at around 2:20 as his solo became more “beep beep beep” staccato. Overall a nice tune, but it felt a little long. Too much “busy” and not enough fresh ideas to necessitate four and a half minutes of play time. 7. What an odd track. I like this one a lot. I’m not sure I could even name all of the instruments correctly. A little “French café” a little movie theme, a little latin, a little jazz, all mixed together. If Zorn composed for a genre-hopping latin-jazz band and crossed his film work with Naked City I would expect something like this. (That is a compliment, by the way.) The “sickly” trombone solo that starts at 4:45 makes me think this is someone being somewhat ironic. A hint of “downtown NYC hipster” vibe more so than a “traditional” latin player vibe. I’m curious to find out who this is.

I've been "nudged" that I'm running a bit late in starting the signup for my BFT, so.... I've compiled a single disc that I plan on mailing to everyone, as I haven't found the time to figure out how to convert to mp3 and upload to a sharing site. I figure this will take a while with the holidays coming up, so I'll try to get the non-USA discs out before the end of the month, with the US discs following shortly thereafter. Feel free to send me a PM or post here to signup. Thanks! Signed up and discs shipped: Bright Moments sidewinder Nate Dorward mikeweil king ubu Van Basten II saxmaam fent99 street singer Signed up, disc not yet shipped:

I'm having trouble finding much free time to sit down and compose my thoughts, so I'll add comments in chunks. 1. I am usually not a fan of vocals in jazz, and this track isn't doing anything to sway me. The band is fine at what they do, but I'm not really connecting with this tune. This one sounds too slick and polished for my liking. The band is technically proficient, but I'm not hearing any fire or excitement. 2. I like this one more than track #1, but I'm not fully connecting with it. The tune itself has a fairly nice groove but I find some of the playing to be too restrained and the solos really do nothing for me. I like the pianists support work, but the solo sounds far too smooth for my taste. The sax is ok, but not really grabbing me. Four stars for the percussion, drums, and piano comping, one star for the solos. Reading back over this I think my comments are coming across harsher than I intended. I found a lot to enjoy with this track but would have loved to hear more drive from the sax and more fire from the pianist's solos. Nice work by the rhythm section, however. 3. This one sounded too smooth to me on first listen but I invariably found myself tapping my toes and bobbing my head in time with the track a few minutes in. After a few minutes this track won me over. The rhythm section steals the show for me but I have no complaints regarding the sax, vibes and flute. They create a nice, relaxed mood that almost ends up supporting the more exciting work from the percussionists. There can't be too many latin jazz albums with a jazz flautists, but I have no clue who this is. 4. I really dig this one. They get a very nice groove going and the playing has a real edge to it that I found lacking in earlier tracks. A few of these players sound familiar, especially the trumpet, bass and piano, but I'm not able identify anyone. I'm almost hearing a "Randy Weston's African Rhythms" vibe from this band in places. An excellent track. I'm really looking forward to finding out who this is.

Well, I own this disc and raved about it when I first picked it up, but I never made the connection here. Time to go back and give this one another spin.

A few more thoughts: 7. This track didn’t really grab me at first, but it has grown on me with repeated listens. The piano player reminds me of Andrew Hill, but with a “lighter” touch. The bass and drums are excellent, too. This track came across as fairly straightforward and uneventful on first listen, but repeated listens have revealed how quirky and unpredictable it really is. 8. I have no idea who this is, as my exposure to solo violin recordings is very limited. Off the top of my head I believe I only have the solo Malcolm Goldstein disc on Eremite. This might be the track I have listened to the most on this BFT. Not easy listening at all, and fairly abrasive and grating in spots, but very interesting. This piece is very impressive, technically, and shows a sly sense of humor. I’m really looking forward to finding out who this is. 9. Ellington writing for ICP? This is another tune that is quirkier than it seems at first. Very interesting writing and some nice soloing and ensemble playing from all involved. This did seem to drag a bit at times, and I’m not sure the group needed to take twelve and a half minutes to say what they had to say. On the whole I give this one an enthusiastic thumbs up and am looking forward to finding out who this is so I can check out the entire album. 10. This one sounds very familiar, but I’m not able to put my finger on who this is. I’m guessing this is just one pianist, although it really sounds like two at times. At first I was reminded of Vijay Iyer / Rudresh Mahanthappa, but the groove of the tune has more in common with some of the David S. Ware / Matthew Shipp discs on Aum or Thirsty Ear This is really going to bug me until I figure it out. I really like this track. It is very repetitive, but I’m a sucker for a good groove. 11. Very nice. The trombonist sounds familiar. My guess is that he is Dutch. Weirbos, perhaps? A very nice way to end the test. I really enjoyed listening to this disc. Some very enjoyable tracks and all were interesting. I’ll either be kicking myself for not guessing a few discs I own or running out to make a few purchases once the answers are posted. Thanks again!

I've really been enjoying listening to this disc. Each track was at least interesting, if not something I would reach for repeatedly. 1. Bobby McFerrin meets the Four Freshmen? This is really not my cup of tea. I don't really feel that all of the random parts: the vocals / poem / beatbox / instruments ever came together into a coherent whole. More cutesy and "oddball" than effective. I was shocked when I did a search and saw which label this is on. 2. If you told me that this was a rehearsal outtake from the In A Silent Way sessions I would believe you. This one doesn't really go anywhere, although I like everything that they play. It's almost frustrating, as they have the beginnings of a good groove and could, I believe, have taken this piece to more interesting places. 3. Speaking of groove....this one is fairly loosely played, apart from the clattering, clanking mechanical-workshop percussion and the piano. I'm guessing this is the pianist's date, as he seems to dominate the proceedings. The guitar and sax aren't doing all that much for me. Too laid-back, as if they were coming from an entirely different place / groove than the percussionist. The trumpet works, however. I'm guessing this is a more recent track than it sounds like. 4. Derek Bailey covering Michael Hedges? No clue who this is, but I'm enjoying it quite a bit. A very pretty performance, even as the guitarist chops and deconstructs the tune. 5. There is a lot to like about this track, but I kept wishing they would let loose a bit more and play with some more fire. This one becomes too rigid and predictable at times, which is a shame. This has a very late-'60's vibe to it, but it sounds like a more recent recording. Definitely a thumbs-up from me, with reservations. 6. Someone has been listening to Pharoah's early albums on Impulse!, and then they bring in some Ayler, too. I was enjoying this track, if a little surprised by how restrained / under-recorded the rhythm section was, until 6:35 hit. Damn, this just got taken up another few notches. This one is either taken from the early 1970's or someone is doing a fantastic job paying homage to that era and players. Very nice. more comments to follow.

My copy arrived today. I'm looking forward to giving it a first listen.

I'm somewhat embarrased that I was not able to guess these correctly, as I own all three albums. I'm still hoping to find time to go back and listen to a few tracks on your BFT now that the answers are available. Thanks again!