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fent99

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  1. Blindfold Test 124 Discussion Thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted · Edited by fent99

    What an interesting BFT!

    1 Trumpet, bells, piano and harp! Then soprano sax and cymbals. A very atmospheric piece; funereal.

    Not sure about funereal but it is the last piece in the sequence and lots of atmosphere

    2 Brubeck-ish tune. The bass player sounds like the leader, with a long solo, but then it becomes clear as the pianist’s support gradually turns into a solo, rather in the way some MJQ cuts developed. I’m getting a bit of a Clare Fischer feeling about this. I never pursued his work after ‘Great white hope’; maybe a mistake. I like this a lot. Definitely music to live with.

    Hear what you are saying about the tune, and its something I've maybe played more than anything else since I discovered it. Not familiar with Fischer so could be close to the mark, can't say

    3 A piano trio, but not behaving much like a piano trio. I don’t like the sound of the piano much – it’s rather clangy. But otherwise, this is more music to live with.

    I love this too despite or maybe because of the sound esp of the bass (hint). Been listening to the composer a lot ,not always jazz tho'

    4 Alto sax and piano. I should really like to say the sax player is Earl Turbinton – he played very much like this (but unaccompanied) at Professor Longhair’s funeral - but I’m afraid it ain’t. Very interested to see who this is.

    I like duets like this Archie Shepp did a number of albums with piano (Waldron or Parlan) but this is much more recent and closer to home than that

    5 Piano with strings! Don’t hear too many strings on BFTs. I can see why someone would like this – there’s a lot of interest in the way the tune goes, the way it’s arranged and the solos. But I can’t say it’s for me; too clever.

    Not enough strings for sure in these BFTs. Definitely in the arrangement for me and the sound of it alltogether

    6 Guitar and bass, with a quiet assist from a drummer. As in 2, the bass player gets the first bite. But seems to me the drummer’s the real star of the guitar solo. That’s not to say the guitarist is bad – he’s damn good. But it’s like he doesn’t really mean it, flitting from one melodic mood to the next. At four minutes, I could really do with a sax solo, straight and from the heart, but I get a load of applause and a bass solo. OK, more applause at 6 minutes and more guitar, then the drummer takes the lead. He must have drowned the audience in sweat! But they liked it.

    A guitar led gig and though everyone is great the drummer was the star so a good spot MG

    7 A tuba! And a bass! Is it an alto sax and violin? Can’t say I find the tune very attractive. In fact, the more of this I hear, the more I think that the only one who’s got a real thing together is the tuba player. No that’s not true; he’s the only one whose thing I like.

    A great sax player leads this but maybe not his best record. Do love the tuba though. Its a classic tune if not that attractive

    8 Starts off as if it’s going to be a Bobby Timmons piece. Then it turns into something else a bit like Duke Pearson might play/write. Another one I like. More music to live with. This BFT is looking expensive.

    Definitely a pianist with music to live with. Another new favourite of mine which I'm still digging into and I'm sure others on the board will urge me to other recordings

    9 After a slow intro that had me thinking about the sound of Freddie Hubbard, this jumps into a Latin-ish groove in which even the improvised passages sound (competently) arranged. Definitely not for me.

    There's a story to why this is in (like most of the tunes/performances) and up for air too.

    10 Nice players; nice ideas, but it just doesn’t seem to flow as much as I feel the musicians really want it to. When the backing vocalists come in it gets a lot more flow into it. I like the last minute and a quarter much more than the first three.

    A story here too, and maybe I needed a second opinion!

    1 That pianist is ALL over that piano. Oh and there’s a familiar lick to the tune that I can’t quite put a handle to. Smashing use of the sustain pedal you seldom hear in jazz. Most pianists so much want to make each note count that they’re very light on sustain. Junior Mance uses it occasionally at climactic points; so (and more frequently) does Les McCann. Here, it produces something like a Phil Spector effect. Cor! This cut is something I admire greatly rather than like very much.

    You 'might' know the tune and it was the only jazz performance hiding in a tribute album, bass player may also be more familiar than you think

    12 You really like textural effects, don’t you? This one’s even more textural than some of the others. So much so that it seems as if it’s done for its own sake.

    I picked this up in a sale and liked it more than I thought. Going to see him in a couple of weeks so that might show his true mettle.

    13 “A child is born’ by a guitar, vibes, bass, drums band. Plus a trumpet  Very nice. I’m not familiar with any of these players but I’m going to guess at a Gary Burton group.

    Led by Guitar and Trumpet rather than the vibes so not Burton though I like his records too and the soft style is similar. Never heard the vibes player on anything else but think he's more of a fusion player

    14 “Song for my father’ sung. I heard Leon Thomas sing this on his first album and thought that, like so many Horace Silver tunes, the words left so much to be desired. They should have got Teddy Edwards to write them – now there was a poet! I don’t know who this singer is but he’s heard Leon Thomas’ version.

    As noted above a bit of a homage to Leon Thomas and Horace Silver I love the song though and never tire of it. I hear you on the lyrics though, poetry it ain't. Love the sentiment...

    Well, a great deal of interest in this BFT. And a few things I’m feeling I’ve got to get into and spend some money. Oh well, that’s life, I guess. Thanks a lot for the ride, Guv; it was good.

    MG

    Thanks MG! Glad you enjoyed some or indeed any of it. A lot of my listening is in isolation and I do sometimes wonder if the thing I'm enjoying is something anyone else would be enjoying. Cheers!

  2. Blindfold Test 124 Discussion Thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    What an interesting BFT!

    Thanks MG, I'll take that as a compliment. Fuller responses tonight but I do like textures, interesting instrumentation (tuba!) and good arrangements.

    Regarding 14; as noted above it's not Leon Thomas though they acknowledge him in the liners. Going to have to get that album! Think that these discussions will make me spend more money too...

  3. Blindfold Test 124 Discussion Thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Much to listen to yet, but wanted to weigh in. Last track sounds like a big band version of Leon Thomas doing Horace Silver's "Song for My Father". Not the version from 'Spirits Known and Unknown' I grew up with.

    Cheers John

    Its not Leon Thomas though sounds pretty like him. I've never heard that version though. Its a great tune though and included as a tribute to Horace

  8. BFT 124 Signup

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Hi All

    My turn for July! Let me know who wants a download link and if anyone wants a CD that can be done also.

    Looking forward to compiling over the weekend and have a few things in mind. More of a mixtape of my current listening than anything too obscure.

    All welcome!

  9. Ace records top of the class for service (with Mosaic)

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    Had a similar problem with a Jackie Wilson best of that I remember buying in John Menzies on Princes Street in Edinburgh in about 1990 (the one you can see Ewan McGregor running from in Trainspotting)!

    Similarly sent it back with a nice note talking of my disappointment that it had decomposed and was sent another by return! I didn't expect another copy but excellent service, you're right. Its a great Jackie Wilson comp too!

    Pretty sure I have a copy of Johnny Lytle's 'Loop/New & Groovy' which I picked up for £1. Yours if you want it and I'll pass on the good feeling about Ace!

  10. BFT122

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Wow

    Been listening during my commute the last couple of days and haven't written notes yet so will try to do that before the end of the month (didn't manage on the last bft :-( )

    Loving it and like the exotica, soul and the 'otherness' of a lot of the tracks.

    First track reminds me of those library music recordings (De Wolfe?) and something says Basil Kirchin to me... I could be sooo wrong though (and probably am).

    More later though and there is one track I think I may have id'd and indeed may have...

  14. Suggestions sought: Turntable

    in Audio Talk

    Posted

    One of these, A Lark Ascending? (minus the weight/clamp) Or the silver-tubed tonearm model?

    rega_planar_3.jpg

    My turntable! I got it in a sealed box after a messy breakup nearly 20 years ago (it had been her dads). No-one asked for it back and its given great service since (with the odd stylus/rubber band). It replaced a turntable I bought at a car boot sale for £4 which with a new cartridge sounded great...

    Can't go wrong with the Rega and picking up a used one locally and getting it set up correctly would be my recommendation

  16. What was the worst thing you ever tried to eat?

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    Tripe ! :unsure:

    I was at a meeting in Madagascar, and they served this local dish, it was green in color, and the pure fat of some unidentified animal -- everyone got sick from that meal, not just the Europeans & Americans, but even the Africans.

    Thanks, I was just chewing on my breakfast.. :lol:

    Many years ago I went to Paris with my then girlfriend. Authentic french restaurant duly picked out from the guidebook, food then ordered. I did a bit of french in high school so thought I'd be safe enough with poulet something or other but when it came it was an unusually textured sausage, Didn't seem like chicken and if it was it seemed to be made of spiced chicken skins, tasted a bit like a peppery haggis so not really knowing how to ask about it I started eating it.

    About 20 mins later and several inches into the sausage there was a bit of a commotion at the next tabel where a lone diner was complaining loudly about his dinner and pointing at mine. Turned out I was eating his choice, the last one in the kitchen and some stupid "englishman" didn't know any better and was eating it.

    Andouillette was what I'd got (a tripe sausage) and although I'd got the gist of the insults and the shouting, I didn't have enough French to get involved in sorting it out. Quite a memorable french dining experience but not for any of the right reasons. Looking back its pretty funny but I'll not be eating any more tripe...

  19. Joni Mitchell - Hejira

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    I've a vague memory that some of the Hejira material debuted live on the Rolling Thunder Review tours with Dylan, is that right? Guessing these were solo acoustic slots? Thats not a chronology or scene I'd place that material with and it always surprised me that this material would be on that bill.

  20. Ronny Jordan RIP

    in Artists

    Posted · Edited by fent99

    Bought the single of So What at the time and it still gets played now and again. Actually saw a bar band here play the arrangement pretty much note for note in the summer and dug it out only recently.

    The other really memorable "musical" anecdote is CJ in the west wing lip-syncing to The Jackal in the West Wing. Its a great track too maybe on youtube (can't search from here , can someone link, Dana Bryant on vocals)?

    The acid jazz scene was never really to my taste. Few of the records have stuck with me but I recall some enjoyable nights in the Jazz Cafe and the taste of the DJs (and their continued crate digging) and musicianship of some of the bands was a treat at the time

    Way too young.

  22. Stop following an artist: how/why/when?

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    Van Morrison - thought it would never happen, but I just got bored 5-6 years ago.

    Think there are lots of pop/rock folks where I just get to the stage where either I think that they've said all they are going to say to me or like Van, they've maybe said all they are going to say. Lots of bands/artists REM, U2 have gone this way for me.

    Some though, and I'm thinking Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Sonny Rollins in this group, are folks who are still out there putting out music and playing live, all of which I'm grateful for. I don't love everything they put out and the gigs might not be all that on occasion. I also get frustrated when the critics tell you that each new thing is the best since their career high in 1974 (it seldom is). But I'm glad there's still new music and sometimes you get a gem. So what if its not Blood on the Tracks, After the Goldrush or the Bridge...

  23. Television (the band)

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    Saw them live a month ago in the Sage in Newcastle, UK (no Lloyd, not sure of the name of the second very capable guitar player) really enjoyed it particularly Verlaine's guitar work. Agreed that the bass and drums add to the uniqueness.

    Played nearly all of Marquee Moon which is one of those albums where every track is near perfect.

  25. One tune to the tune of another

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    One of the benefits of occasionally using the iPod random. Amazing how often you get a 'What is that?' moment, get it quite wrong and then want to re-explore. Random radio listening can do the same. I often have that happening to me when I tune into BBC Radio 3 in the car.

    Not to derail the thread but this is one of the changes in how we listen to music. I don't have a big ipod only 16 gb on my mobile but I change the music regularly sticking on albums freshly bought etc. It is amazing how often something comes on and I have to check who it is esp contemporary jazz. Only loaded it on last night and already I can't remember.

    I think I get what you mean by this. I was thinking I'd like to hear Kenny Burrell: Ellington is Forever so I just looked for other interpretations on my itunes some with guitar some by Ellington bands. Realised I generally prefer Ellington playing Ellington so problem solved and no more money to Amazon...

    I know somebody is going to burst my bubble and say you have to hear this...

    PS I kinda like Arbour Zena and enjoy the monolithic blocks of sound, when I'm in the mood

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