webbcity

Thanks for your comments! You have some great observations. The bari solo on #4 might just be one of my all-time favorites! It's not Ulmer on #5. And your comment on #6 is right on, in terms of the Ornette influence, and you're correct that it's not him.

Exactly, and that was a funny coincidence. I stumbled on that thread right after I finished putting this BFT together and was like "oh well, everyone will get that one!"

Hi all, happy to be presenting BFT 194 to you for the month of May, and here is your link, with many thanks to Thom Keith: http://thomkeith.net/index.php/blindfold-tests/ Hope you enjoy it.

Wow, some really interesting reveals here. I can't believe #5 is Rahsaan!! I really liked that, even moreso when I went back later to relisten. Also surprised at #6, I didn't really care for that one but do generally dig Hemphill. #7 had my interest too. I should really be a lot more familiar with the Either/Orchestra than I am. There was a lot of great stuff here... I am also adding the Muhal and the Ahmed Abdul-Malik to my want list. Track 8 -- haha! Thanks so much for your efforts putting this all together. A fun BFT!

Wow. Thanks for sharing that! I already have most of the Tribes in various formats, but since "A Message From The Tribe" is one of my all-time favorites, I think I need this 2 CD version. The P-Vine CD that came out a bunch of years ago consisted in large part of alternate vocal takes and mixes (unintentionally, I think), so I'm guessing that's what makes up the bonus disc here. The mastering on that P-Vine CD was horrible though, so I'm hoping this is a step up!

I'm pretty sure I used to have Focal Point! Not sure what happened to it. Gone with a few other things that have mysteriously disappeared over the years... Thanks for your responses. There are a few cuts here I may go back to and try to guess at again. Lots of great listening here!

Here are my thoughts as they occurred to me while listening: Track 1 - Definitely has an infectious feel to it. Gotta love that walking tuba! This is not normally my kind of thing, but I like this. Holy trombone solo, Batman! Though I was a bit fearful when this track started I gotta admit its won me over! A cool modern version of music from another era. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these guys weren't avant-guardists, actually. Huh, maybe this is even Lester Bowie? I don't know the Brass Fantasy stuff super well, but that would not shock me. Track 2 - This again is from an era and style I don't typically listen to. I appreciate it but it doesn't reach me as much as some other things do. But I like this overall. Not sure about that organ though. Track 3 - That's a great trumpet intro, very free and expressive. Oh wow, that's interesting... is that an electronic keyboard? Love the melody line that comes in with the horn & vibes. Really interesting orchestration...this is surprising. I thought it was going to go into a pretty straightforward big band thing but this is taking some really fascinating turns. I really dig this vibes player--that's a hell of a solo, some nice exploring. Trumpet player has a great sound. I think this might be a different trumpet player than who did the intro though? Hmmm...no, maybe not. Ooooh...cello! Hang on, if that's not Diedre Murray I'll eat my hat. Hold everything. It just hit me... is this Muhal?? I don't have this record, but I think I know this...one of his larger group recordings on Black Saint. I need this. Track 4 - You had me at flute. And now you have me again at: cool feel and horn backgrounds. This sounds vaguely Gerald Wilson-esque to me, but maybe that's because I just listened to some Gerald Wilson last night. I like this. Changing my mind about Wilson, he usually features more soloists and this seems to be all about the flute player, who is very good. Nice track. Track 5 - So, fantastic piano intro, into... harp and cello, alright! And more flute, yeah that ain't bad. What a lush sound on this track. As it goes on, it's very pleasant but it's not totally grabbing me in terms of emotional impact. Ah, it finally really starts cooking at the 7 minute mark where they change up the feel-- suddenly the horn player is on fire and the whole thing lights up. I kinda wish they had done that a few minutes ago! Track 6 - I had to start this one over because I realized I was spacing out. There's a LOT going on here. I'm both intrigued by the arrangement and also feel like there's a bit too much going on. There's no space here at all, nothing to grab on to. I don't know what's going on with all those horn backgrounds...there's just way too much and they stick out like a sore thumb, leaving no room for the soloist or anything... yeah...I dunno...this is not working for me. Track 7 - I love the piano player's approach on the intro--rootsy, not too flashy, just right. Reminds me of Waldron or Tapscott. Not sure that I absolutely love the composition, but the solos are fantastic. And here we come to the piano again, wow... yeah, I'm guessing the pianist must be the leader. That's where I'm hearing the overall concept coming from anyway. Again, holy trombone Batman! That's badass. Whoa. Definitely wasn't prepared for that change, just after the 5 min mark. Can't tell if that was really necessary. Overall I really like this track and this group though! Track 8 - This is a bit too over-produced for me, it almost has that GRP kind of feeling to it. A bit hipper than that, but I mean it's just too clean and "safe" I guess. The band is a little too uptight and the drummer's sense of swing is definitely not the same as mine. This one just isn't for me. Track 9 - The sax player sounds familiar to me. Definitely a unique group sound here, I'm having trouble placing it in context...the sax player sounds more contemporary/smooth leaning, then there's the Bitches Brew-esque guitar, effected keys, the chordal stuff going on in the electric bass...I'm not sure what to make of this. There are hints of a "grittier" direction and that's what I'm trying to latch onto. I think I'm much more interested in what the rhythm section is doing than I am in the sax player, who definitely has a confident sound, but isn't really telling me a story and just doesn't seem to fit here. The guitarist, on the other hand, IS going somewhere. That's a great solo. I think this would be a much stronger track without the saxophonist. I hear a great group plus maybe a "guest saxophonist" who doesn't fit in, to my ears. Track 10 - This is fun. Older style but it sounds like a more modern player. Not a style I'm super familiar with, but this is enjoyable. Track 11 - Cool instrumentation, once again. I do like the violinist a lot, and he/she sounds vaguely familiar somehow. I dig the subdued feel of this, it cooks along nicely. The piano solo is very tasty indeed. Okay, that other instrument, what is that...is that a kora? Really great flute solo at the end. This is pure class. It alternately sounds like something from around 1960, and then something from this decade. Really love this track. Track 12 - You like flute, and so do I. This is a nice track with a bit of a spiritual feel to it, I love the sections where they hang out on the pedal and it builds. Very Tyner-esque. Okay, hang on-- that IS The Real McCoy. Hell yes...this is really good. No guess on the other players. I like the drummer's feel a lot, the production is a bit interesting in the bass drum department, which makes me think Cobham or someone like that, but I dunno...it actually doesn't really sound like him. Anyway, this is great. Track 13 - That's definitely Steve Swallow on bass. This must be Carla Bley. I'm no expert, but it has that feel to it. I've had trouble getting into her stuff, but I think that's my own personal problem honestly. This is a really nice track. She has such a strong concept and sound. Even if it doesn't always appeal to me personally, I have a lot of respect for it. Sometimes I just have to make myself sit down and listen to it. I love what's BETWEEN the notes here, that's where the interest is. Some really great stuff here, a diverse and engaging set of music for sure! Thanks so much for your efforts in putting this together! 10 mins later: Oh wow, now that I see what has been guessed... that doesn't seem surprising on #11 at all. Based on this, and what little bits I've heard from him before, I definitely need to check more of his stuff out. Can't believe I didn't get #4! And I now know why the sax player on #9 didn't speak to me at all...

Thom, I think you may have played me some of "Coward" also. I forgot James Carter was on it! And I notice Shamie Royston's name on there too... I have an album of hers that I like a whole lot. I've always been a fan of Ginger Baker's playing but for some reason know very little of his jazz output. I need to listen to more.

Wow. Very cool! Same as Felser, very excited to know about #2 and #4. And #1! And the Ginger Baker with Pee Wee... wow! Was NOT expecting that.

**** 10 mins later... Wow, #7 is Marshall Allen? Amazing. And I've been meaning to check out Nubya Garcia, this has sealed the deal. Still several tracks here I'm dying to know. Thom, apparently you and I both think Quicksilver Messenger Service sounds like the Allman Brothers. Oh and I DEFINITELY need Mayan Temples!

Here are my notes as I listened... Track 1 - I dig this bass player. Nice tone, and a deep feeling to this intro. Oh man, it's a McCoy Tyner tune. Contemplation? I get the names mixed up but I think that's the one. What an incredible legacy Tyner has left behind. As for this performance, I really like this tenor player... the "search" is there. The group is cohesive and play off each other really well. The pianist is technically great but doesn't reach me emotionally as much as the tenor player does. Track 2 - Another bass intro, hurray! Again, what a great bass sound. Electric bass, yes? Ooooh... I REALLY like the feel on this, especially once the drums kick into that double time kinda thing. This is very cool. Love the extra percussion too. Damn. This feels crazy good. And I love how the tenor player is just cascading notes over the top of this. Killer solo. I like this a whole lot. Couldn't begin to guess who it is but I'm anxious to find out. Track 3 - Ah yes! I can name that tune in three notes! You Stepped Out of a Dream, Anthony Braxton and my man Dave Holland. This is from one of the Arista albums, but I forget which one. I love Braxton but on this particular track I feel like it takes him a little bit to get warmed up. Still I would give this 5 stars. DH is outstanding as always. Track 4 - So, you are batting 1000 on bass players so far! I love this from the get-go. Oh wow... the vocal and tenor blend really nicely on this. And that percolating 12/8 thing underneath... this is beautiful. There's something very familiar about this tenor player. Great sound! Very magical vibe to this tune that I love...this has transported me to another place. And a bit less than halfway through, I see we're just getting started. [6 or 7 mins later]...Wow. I need more of this please! Track 5 - Groovy! Funky mallets. The first person who comes to mind is Cal Tjader, just because of his reputation, not because I'm personally very knowledgeable about what he does. Fun tune. Track 6 - Hmmmm. Not really sure what to make of this. I like that it has a middle eastern flavor to it, but other than that it doesn't do a lot for me unfortunately. Track 7 - This is more my thing. The recording quality places this in the 60s or 70s. The drummer is off the charts! OK...that horn player. This has gotta be Brotzmann or someone like that. And Han Bennink? I listen to a fair amount of outside stuff, but this is more outside than my usual listening. I like it though. It's got to be European. Track 8 - Nice. I do love me some blues. Right out of the gate, some seriously rock-solid rhythm section playing. And that guitar player--damn! This is killer. Couldn't begin to guess but I hear a whole lotta Chicago in there. Love this. Track 9 - Oh! I know this! Sun Ra!! DAAAAAMNN I love this. I'm annoyed at myself for not remembering which tune it is, even though I can sing along with it. This is from one of those Delmark records, either Sun Song or Sound of Joy. Love it! Track 10 - More Sun Ra? Oh wow... it's the same tune as above. Holy smokes. This is fantastic. I don't know this recording. I assume this is also the Arkestra, that definitely sounds like Ra on keys & piano. Definitely excited to find out what record this from. The original is so perfect in its own way but this is one hell of an update, I love where they take this. Track 11 - GREAT groove opening this one up. Tenor / electric bass / drums sounds like a perfect combo to me. Reminds me a bit of the Odean Pope Trio, but that ain't Gerald Veasley on bass. However, I do love the bass player, nice solo and sound. And that's not Pope either. No idea who this is, but I like it! Track 12 - A giant nod to Fela here. Deep groove. This is a blast! Wait this IS Fela! Wasn't expecting it to drop down to nothing in the middle there, that was a nice touch as sometimes we need a break from the groove, as great as it is. And then it's cool to hear the different layered parts come back in as the tenor solo builds. Very cool. Track 13/14/15 - Took me a little while, but I think this is the Allman Brothers? I run hot and cold on them, and I'm no expert, but have definitely heard things I really dug and others not so much. This particular sequence doesn't do a ton for me, unfortunately...there's some good jamming but to me it feels a little bit aimless. Still, cool way to end a REALLY great BFT. Really looking forward to the reveal on many of these. This was a super fun listen. Thanks so much for your time & effort in putting this together! Now to go back and see what others had to say...

Listening right now (finally!) and hope to upload comments later today. Have not read anything in this thread yet. I'm about halfway through the tunes, and so far some killer stuff here!

Very cool. Definitely a lot of stuff here that is new to me! As I think I mentioned in the other thread, I finally picked up that Waldron album thanks to your track #2. Some of my other favorites were the Henri Texier (who I have heard before but am barely familiar with), the Andrew Hill (which I DEFINITELY need to pick up...wish it wasn't so expensive/rare), Randy Sandke, and Bobby Previte. Thanks for introducing me to some new things that I may not have otherwise heard!

Went back and listened to some of these again. No idea how I heard Scofield on #12, I gotta take the cotton outta my ears. That's John Abercrombie.

Despite my initial mixed reaction to this track I'm tempted to check out the whole album now. Listening back again I can hear the Peterson-isms better, but it still sounds not like typical OP to me. I'm clearly not as much of an OP expert as I thought I was! Probably expectation bias, yes! Although I'm well aware of the popular opinions against OP and his technical prowess, I've personally always found his playing very emotional and engaging. For some reason this particular track did NOT engage me as much as usual (though on a technical level it's faultless), so I'm intrigued by that and am trying to figure out why...

I'm surprised I didn't totally love #4, I am a massive Oscar Peterson fan. Listened a second time and definitely got more out of it though.

Wow, track 6 *is* Andrew Hill! That record is definitely on my want list now. It really sounded like a more recent record to me. Gonna have to go back and listen again!

I hear you. As you may recall, I felt similar frustration with my BFT in November too. I think we have to figure out a way to pull new people in here. I may post something to some of my social media accounts about this if nobody objects. Might be able to pull in some of my musician friends...?

I think that's partly what threw me off. Even after listening to this track again, a couple more times, it's not obvious to me that it's Dolphy. His sound is so different on this one track.

Just for the record, I've already bought the album Felser ID'd for track 2. That's one I should have picked up a long time ago!

Thank you! Agreed. It's very rare for me that I make a correct guess on these things, but I still enjoy trying...and listening! And just commenting on what I hear. That's the main thing.

This time I'll be one of the first rather than the last! I see there have been some responses but haven't looked at them yet. There is some GREAT stuff here, thoroughly enjoyed this! My notes as they occurred to me while listening are right here: -- Track 1 - I like the start-stop feel of the groove--very cool. Oh wow...yeah, that bass fill grabbed me, love that sound! This is really cool, I like the way everything is kind of interlocking, between the horns & rhythm. There's something Chicagoan about this. Is that a valve trombone? Great solo. Also nice how everyone drops out there except the bass. I really like this bass player. This is a 5 star track for me! Very anxious to learn who it is. Track 2 - Nice connection between the last tune and this one, what with the double stops in the strings. Man, you had me at the clarinet player, but cello too? The feel of this tune is beautiful. This is 2 for 2 for me so far... really love this. Great communication and a deep feeling. Great players here. Track 3 - Changing gears! Even though this isn't a style I listen to that often, I love it. Great energy and feeling here. Love that clarinet solo! That rhythm section is solid as a rock...damn, this grooves! So much joy here, it's infectious! Track 4 - I'm of mixed mind on this one...it's definitely some beautiful piano playing, but somehow it's not totally speaking to me. And I don't find the tune itself grabbing me all that much. Still, very well done, by a clearly gifted pianist. Track 5 - Kind of a Frisellian feel here. I like it, though that kind of western twang thing isn't always my bag. The production turns me off a little bit. But playing-wise, I like the trumpet solo a lot-- it takes more risks than I would normally expect on something like this. I can't get excited about vibrato guitar, but that's just a personal preference thing. Great sound on the trombone player! Overall an interesting track even if it's not really my thing. Track 6 - I like the way this starts. Great textures, with the strings and that funky groove underneath. Okay now... I like this piano player a LOT. I hear "the search" in his or her playing...much like listening to an old Elmo Hope or Andrew Hill record. Wow. This is super hip. Can I just digress for a moment and say I'm already worried about how much $$ this BFT is going to cost me? Damn this track is cool as hell. The stuff that the strings are doing harmonically over the groove is wild. Oooo, and surprise-- tenor! I like how the solo builds and the bass player starts to come out of the darkness a bit there too. Can't wait to find out what this is! Track 7 - A cool bit of counterpoint between the horns. I like that this is just clarinet, trumpet, and drums-- great instrumentation. Nice interplay here and I dig the feel. Track 8 - The opening makes me think of a movie soundtrack almost...dramatic and epic-feeling. Hmmm. Do I know this? Is this Kenny Wheeler? I think this is Music for Large & Small Ensembles, right? No...scratch that. I'm not sure what this is. I like it but it's not totally my flavor. Track 9 - I like this better once it settles into the groove about a minute in. I do like that fat bass sound. The groove actually never feels quite "there" though, to me...like, they could go deeper with it, to a place where it feels more comfortable. It feels a little stiff to me. The pianist is technically very good but not sure what he/she is saying. The bass solo starts out with that flashy riff and then sort of dissolves into I'm not sure what. I do like the sound, sort of McBee-ish, but...yeah, not reaching me. Track 10 - Nice simple vamp. I like the percussion...nice smooth feel on this. The way the horns are layered on top is very cool too, I like that sound. The mellow vibe is nice, but I do wish the soloists would come out of the box a little bit. The trumpet solo was starting to build and then it ended...kinda wanted to hear more of the trumpet player. Track 11 - Right out of the gate, YES! I dig the feel, the instrumentation (you had me at 2 clarinets!)...this is in the pocket from the get go. GREAT interplay and one-upsmanship between the 2 clarinets. This is excellent. Bass player & drummer are right there. That was too short, but oh so sweet! Track 12 - This guitar sound reminds me of someone but I can't put my finger on it. It's been a while since I've listened to Scofield, but this person sounds at least influenced by him. A bit different, but there's something there. Really thought this was gonna be a solo piece, wasn't expecting the other instruments to come in. It actually seems to fall apart a bit to my ears, once the pianist starts soloing. I could have done just the guitar part and left it at that I think. Now that I've said that--a great trumpet solo. This whole tune is confusing me a little but there are elements of it that I really like. Okay...maybe this IS Scofield? It's sounding like him more and more. If that isn't him, it's someone doing a very good imitation. Track 13 - Oh shit-- that bass player. Some Dave Hollandaisical stuff there. This things starts off-kilter and settles into a very interesting place. That is some seriously upper-register blowing. Oh wow, now we're on a different track again...this is an interesting tune. But a familiar motif coming back. That is some juicy Bari. Especially great when it starts to go outside and the edges dissolve a little. This arrangement is pretty wild, lots going on here! I would probably need a couple more listens to digest everything. This is fun though, I like it a lot. -- Thanks Milestones! As I said, really enjoyed this BFT and I appreciate you putting it together. I look forward to hearing what some of these are, though I'm sure my wallet doesn't... Funny, I wondered if it was Harrison on this too, though I didn't say so. I guess not though? EDIT: Funny, I guess it combined my posts, though I posted my initial responses, then looked at Felser's, and then posted the above comment about Harrison about 5 mins later.

I can take May (unless I should do a later month since I just did one in November?)...

Wow. Interesting reveal! Lots of folks I don't know here. My big takeaways are: Nisse Sandstrom (!), Sonny Criss, and hell yes, I need to listen to more Percy France! Thanks again Dan, some great things here that I need to investigate further...!