webbcity

Getting in just under the wire once again, with some comments noted as I listened. Haven't looked at anyone else's answers yet. Track 1 - The tune is of course Herbie's "Watermelon Man." This version of it isn't my thing though. Track 2 - Horace Silver's "Song for My Father." I'm curious who the tenor player is on this-- really great solo, fantastic sound. Track 3 - Ahhhh...now we're cookin! This is great from beat one. It's another Silver tune-- "Sister Sadie." This band is killin. Great soloists! Don't know the saxophonists but they're tearing it up. Oh, that's gotta be Clark Terry on trumpet, no? Don't know the other trumpet player. Track 4 - "Things Ain't What They Used to Be." Soulful. Hmmm, actually I don't love this alto player. Hope I don't regret saying that. The rhythm section feels a little uptight. Overall this is ok but feels way too polite. Track 5 - Sorry, not a huge fan of this one either. That trombonist has a massive sound though! Track 6 - Holy tuba, Batman! Wow. Some good soloing on this--especially that tuba player. Again I kinda wish the rhythm section could loosen up a little. Track 7 - Now this is a nice groove. Love the two tenors trading off, they are right in the pocket. This is good stuff. As they get into it, I want to pick a favorite between the 2 but can't as they keep one-upping each other! This one is a blast. Track 8 - Sorry, again with the rhythm section...just not my thing. But also again, the trombone-- nice solo! Actually I enjoy both horns & the piano solo here but I can't get around the bass player & drummer. Track 9 - Oh, this is good. Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower." I like this pianist, seems well suited to this type of solo performance. A bit of Chick Corea flavor in there at times. No idea who this is though. Track 10 - I feel like I'm making a lot of similar comments but again this feels a little too polite. Too overproduced. The bass player sounds like George Mraz. Ah, but the alto player-- I do like this. Definitely curious as to who's on alto here. This solo makes up for the rest of it. Track 11 - Applause at the beginning always bodes well. Oh, this is a Dizzy tune, isn't it? Can't remember the name. Wow, I like this alto player a lot. Several mins later...still intent on alto player. Whoa. Need to know who this is! Not that the rest of the band isn't great...I really dig the piano solo too. Track 12 - Monk's "Well You Needn't." Good band, nice reading of this. Dynamic horn player and the rhythm section cooks along nicely. A lot of skips in this track, unless it's my internet connection...or they are dropping beats all over the place. Track 13 - Really dig the tenor player. Unfortunately what's going on underneath is distracting me...the bass player is getting lost, and the piano player is playing a second walking line on top of the bass player's line. Oy. Anyway...ok, focus...yes, the tenor player is COOKING. I could listen to that sound all day. DAMN... this guy just keeps ramping the energy up, despite the rhythm section's efforts to weigh him down. What a solo! Definitely looking forward to finding out who this is! Track 14 - The tune is "Easy Living." Another beautiful tenor sound, warm & smooth. Woo! This is stunning. Great way to end the BFT. Thanks so much for your efforts on this Dan! Even though it didn't all click with me personally, there's a lot here that I'm anxious to learn more about. Always fun to listen what others put together. Many thanks!

Very cool! This was a blast. Just posted my thoughts on the discussion thread, then came here. Looks like I got at least a few of them. You know, I kinda wondered if that was Maria Schneider on #8. She's someone I need to investigate further. I DEFINITELY need to check out that Earl & Carl Grubbs record! I can't believe I haven't heard it before, honestly... have been aware of it forever but somehow never listened to it. Thanks again for your efforts on this. I loved nearly every track here... I think we have very similar tastes. Happy New Year!

Coming in under the wire! I literally started listening to this, and making my notes, 3 weeks ago. Learned soon after that my wife was going to need major surgery, and the rest is a blur. On the other side now, she is recovering, and all will be well. And I even managed to get this in before the end of the month! I see the reveal has already been posted, so I'll head over there in a minute to see if my answers made any sense. This was a GREAT set of tunes... many thanks to you, Felser, for this! There are many things here that I can tell I'm going to need to investigate further... 1. Right off the bat I love this...the bells, that bowed bass... gotta be McBee or Reggie Workman. Oh MAN. When that feel comes in...hoo boy! This is right up my alley. Very much a Pharoah vibe happening here. Wait...this has got to be Pharoah on soprano. Jesus this is good. I LOVE the drummer on this, there's a circular kind of thing going on in the drums that is just killer. What a band! 2. Really like this piano player. Love this tune and the feeling is right on. Right away I can tell this one is right up my alley too. I wish the horns were mixed a little louder. This has got to be the piano player's date. Or at least the piano player's tune. Soulful stuff here, really digging this. That's not Buster Williams, is it? No. Wow this is good. Love this trombone player! I suspect I will slap myself on the forehead when I read the reveal on this one. This is killer. 3. Oh man... what is this?? I know this tune but I can't think of the name. Good god. This is very cool... fusion bordering on Canterbury prog. I'm not super familiar with Brian Auger but wondering if it's him based on the keys here. This is a fun listen. It's driving me crazy that I can't ID the tune... it's just on the tip of my brain. 4. This is my kind of BFT. Again I love the feel of this. Wild guess on the trombone player-- Grachan Moncur? Wondering if this could be one of those BYG/Actuel records. Some very interesting stuff from the pianist, wow. I can't wait to see the reveal, so far I'm really anxious to learn what all of these are. I don't love this composition, to be honest, but the solos & playing on the rest of it more than make up for that! 5. Vibes! I can dig it. The bass & drums are great... supple support with a lot of sparseness, openness. Hang on, is this Khan Jamal on vibes? Yes! And that's definitely Johnny Dyani on bass. Can't remember the drummer though. I don't have this album, but I need it! This is excellent. 6. Does it get better than oboe and Fender Rhodes? Not really. Or wait, is it oboe? I don't think it's a soprano. Oh wow, I dig that bass groove. Tricky meter...in 9 I think? I really like what the drummer is doing too. And I love the background vox that just sort of "melt" in. This is very cool. This has the sound of something on the Black Jazz label. Again, anxious to learn who this is. 7. Oh boy...struggling with the tune name again. Airegin? This is burning, and is technically great, but I don't "feel" it as much as the other tunes here. It just doesn't scratch the same itch for me. Great playing though. I really like the piano player especially. So far there are a lot of pianists on this BFT that are standing out for me. 8. This is really nice. Beautiful and haunting... I love that lush chordal bed underneath the tenor soloist. Really great arranging. This is heartachingly beautiful...the tenor player and the rest of the band are all right there in the same space, in perfect sync with each other. Love this. 9. Okay, that's a hell of a drum solo out front. The Moontrane! Is this Woody's band? I'm embarrassed to say I can't ID him as well as I should be able to. This definitely sounds like it could be him though. This is killing. Boy, this tenor player is on fire... and sounds damn familiar too. Reggie Workman on bass maybe? A little hard to get the tone of the bass, but it's a hell of a solo. Wow. OK, I don't know how I didn't catch this before but that's gotta be Blakey on drums. Maybe Jazz Messengers from late 60s, early 70s?

+2!

Agreed! I think it's one of that lineup's best albums, if not their best. I definitely will! Have only had time for track 1 so far but based on that alone I can tell it's gonna be a fun one! The Mary Lou Williams CD is fantastic, but yeah, Steeplechase discs are not always as easy to find as one would hope. I also think it's criminal that the Amina album isn't available on CD...that is an AMAZING record. Thank you sir! I think you'd really enjoy that Frequency CD. Cheers!

Finally! My apologies for the delay. Rough start to the week here. I may keep my comments spare, we'll see... I had wanted to write a bit about each piece but I just haven't had any time. I had a few different semi-intentional themes here... women in jazz, Chicago, Coltrane...and I guess Odean Pope. 1. "Holy Waters" (Carlos Garnett) from NORMAN CONNORS - Love From the Sun (1974) Norman Connors - drums Dee Dee Bridgewater - vocals Onaje Allan Gumbs - piano Buster Williams - bass Carlos Garnett - soprano sax Gary Bartz - alto sax Hubert Laws - flute Eddie Henderson - trumpet Bill Summers/Kenneth Nash - percussion I actually learned about this album right here on this forum back in 2010. I was trying to ID this track from an online playlist and JSngry helped me out! -- 2. "I Remember Clifford" (Benny Golson) from MAX ROACH - Chattahoochee Red (1981) Max Roach (doesn't play on this tune!) Cecil Bridgewater - trumpet Odean Pope - tenor sax Calvin Hill - bass Incredibly, I have only recently discovered this album. How is it possible this has never been issued on CD? I can't describe in words how much I love this record. -- 3. "Saxophone Shop, Part 2" (Pope) from ODEAN POPE - Out For a Walk (1990) Odean Pope - tenor sax Gerald Veasley - 6-string elec bass Cornell Rochester - drums Odean part two. Love this record. But yes, the first thing that made me go "wow" was that bass solo. -- 4. "Ecstasy" (Hope) from ELMO HOPE ENSEMBLE - Sounds From Rikers Island (1963) Elmo Hope - piano Lawrence Jackson - trumpet John Gilmore - tenor sax Freddie Douglas - alto sax Ronnie Boykins - bass Philly Joe Jones - drums Classic Elmo Hope...a favorite of mine. Thom Keith nailed Gilmore on this! -- 5. "Portrait of Light" (Bankhead) from FREQUENCY - Frequency (2006) Ed Wilkerson - clarinet, bells Nicole Mitchell - flute Harrison Bankhead - cello, bells Avreeayl Ra - kalimba, percussion I don't see a lot of people talk about this album, but it's fantastic. This is one of the mellower tracks...I find it beautiful. If you are at all into Nicole Mitchell and/or the AACM you need to check this out. -- 6. "Jihad" (Rene McLean) from DOUG CARN (feat. JEAN CARN) - Revelation (1973) Doug Carn - keys Jean Carn - vox Olu Dara - vox, trumpet Rene McLean - vox, alto sax Nathan Page - guitar Walter Booker - bass Earl McIntyre - bass trumpet Ira Williams - drums A personal favorite. -- 7. "All the Things You Are" (Kern) from CONNIE CROTHERS - Perception (1974) Connie Crothers - piano Joe Solomon - bass Roger Mancuso - drums Yes, Crothers was a disciple of Tristano, which is obvious here. But is it wrong to say I like her better? I believe this was her first album. On later records she evolved to an amazing level, IMO. -- 8. "Gloria" (Williams) from MARY LOU WILLIAMS TRIO - Free Spirits (1975) MLW - piano Buster Williams - bass Mickey Roker - drums Been checking out a lot of Mary Lou Williams the past several years and this is a favorite. Love the easy, soulful feeling of this tune. There are other tracks on this album that better showcase Williams' piano prowess, but for whatever reason I went with this one. This is a bonus track on the CD, it's not on the original LP. -- 9. "Central Park West" (Coltrane) from ERNEST DAWKINS - Afro Straight (2012) Ernest Dawkins - alto saxophone Willerm Delisfort - piano Junius Paul - bass Isaiah Spencer - drums Ruben Alvarez - percussion Dawkins is one of my favorite modern saxophonists, I've seen him 5 or 6 times, mostly in Chicago where he hails from. In fact I bought my copy of this disc from the man himself and he kindly signed it for me. I love his take on this tune and his solo in particular. This album is much more inside than most of what he does. -- 10. "Dear Lord" (Coltrane) from MARILYN CRISPELL TRIO - Live in Zurich (1990) Crispell - piano Reggie Workman - bass Paul Motian - drums I think Crispell must love this tune, judging by the way she plays it and the fact that I have another recording of her doing this with Joseph Jarman. I feel the spirit of Trane in this. -- 11. "Solo for Unaccompanied Bass" (Brown) from RAY BROWN - Bass Hit! (1957) Brown - bass Ray Brown will always be the man. Sadly this is the only solo bass track from this LP, and I believe the only solo bass track he ever recorded. It's a beautiful piece of work, IMO. -- 12. "Cultural Differences" (Reid) from HEAR IN NOW - Not Living in Fear (2017) Mazz Swift - violin, voice Tomeka Reid - cello Silvia Bolognesi - bass I'm still becoming familiar with this album but it's pretty incredible. This particular track is just stunning to me. I think someone on Twitter mentioned it and when I knew Tomeka Reid was involved I knew I had to have it. -- 13. "Arashi No Yoru Kimi Ni Tsugu"* (Watanabe) from KAZUMI WATANABE & RESONANCE VOX - Pandora (1991) Kazumi Watanabe - guitars Vagabonde Suzuki - electric bass Rikiya Higashihara - drums Tomohiro Yahiro - percussion Asuka Kaneko - violin Zakir Hussain - tabla * "To the Stormy You"? (according to Google Translate) Yes, I know this was the wildcard. What can I say? I love Kazumi. And Asuka Kaneko on violin is absolutely ON FIRE here. -- 14. "Have Mercy Upon Us / Chant" (Myers) from AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS - Song for Mother E (1980) Amina Claudine Myers - organ, voice Pheeroan AkLaff - drums, gong, little instruments, voice Words are going to fail me on this one. Myers is beyond category and there are no superlatives I can use that will be enough for her. This piece is an 11 minute trip to somewhere beyond this world...a trip I want to take as often as possible. -- And there it is! Thanks to all who listened and commented. Phew! Now I can go check out BFT 189!

Thanks! And ouch! Last December sounds rough... Yes. I've been off this forum for quite a while but when Thom pulled me back in to do a BFT, I made a point of checking out the two previous BFTs, it seemed only fair. And I thoroughly enjoyed both! I hear you and I appreciate it! Sorry to sound like my feelings got all hurty. I do see it as an act of creativity too and really enjoyed putting it together. Honestly, I am terrible at guessing on these things. I try, and occasionally I may get one or two. But I don't really see that as the primary point. I like to hear things without the prejudice that comes with knowing what they are in advance, and just try to post my thoughts as I listen to the tracks and talk about what I like and don't like. I wish there were more people who felt comfortable doing that. The reveal is coming soon, I swear-- my apologies. Some unexpected things have come up in the last couple days and I am way behind. I thought I had put my notes together well enough when I put the test together but I have a bit more clean up to do before posting this. Should be up tomorrow.

Well, thanks to the few of you who participated. I'll post the reveal as soon as I get a chance, at some point today.

As expected, you either knew or were in the neighborhood on a bunch of these. Comments below... Well done my friend! If you've already looked at some of the other comments above then some of my comments are redundant.

Most DEFINITELY an old school player, but not one of those two. I'm tempted to give another hint but I'll hold off for now...

I remain hopeful!

Anyone else? Any more guesses or thoughts?

It could be partially, though this wouldn't fall under "early digital" for me... I think of early digital as like 1980 and this track is "a bit" later. That looks good!

I actually haven't heard a lot of Jean-Luc Ponty, which I'm kinda surprised at myself because I do enjoy a bit of 70s fusion, but the reason for that album in particular is just because I happened to hear a few cuts and really dug it, AND because it has Ralphe Armstrong on bass, who sounded killer on it from what I remember. But maybe I'll check out a few of these. Anyway, to reiterate, for those trying to follow along: there is no Jean-Luc Ponty on this BFT.

Nope, not Ponty, but that reminds me I need to pick up a copy of Enigmatic Ocean.

Missed your comment about WW-- it is not him.

Damn man, you are good! You got at least one that I thought nobody would get. I know a lot of people won't like #13, and to them I respectfully say: your loss! Correct!

Thanks for the early feedback! I knew you would get those two! Well done! In fact here's an old post that will illustrate where I first heard "Holy Waters" and will also indicate at least one other person who will ID this one correctly. ... I've checked out a little bit of Jean Carn from that Philly Intl era and dug it.

Hi all, I am the proud presenter of BFT188, with thanks to Thom Keith who brought me back into the loop here. Have really enjoyed the last few BFTs. I understand it's been a struggle to keep this going and I applaud all of you for keeping the tradition alive! Anyway, nobody's paying me to talk... I'm here to share music. So let's do it. Hope you find something you enjoy. I suspect there are a few tracks that some of you will get easily, and others that maybe nobody will get. I hope it's a fun listen though, it was certainly fun to put together. To listen, see http://thomkeith.net/index.php/blindfold-tests/ and select BFT188. Enjoy!

Wow, very interesting reveal! You're right, I can't believe nobody got Milt Jackson on track 8! I'm slapping my own forehead right now. Nice to know that was Ibrahim on track 5, I should have gotten that one. I think I even used to have that album. Some great stuff here overall. Thanks for your efforts!

That's cool...you got a great deal! And that 2fer sounds good! I actually have never heard of And Then Again. But all this got me to do a quick Googling which reminded me that I need to reinvestigate Dear John C. also!

Yes! And I remember being shocked that I didn't love it after seeing who it was. I need to go back and re-listen to that whole album soon. Maybe in the context of the whole album I'll have a different reaction to that track.

I may have to go back and try track 8 again. Anxious to see the reveal on a bunch of these! There was a different track on another BFT recently from that same Elvin album that #17 comes from. I've heard this album before but don't own it. I didn't love the other track (from the other BFT) but I DO love this one. Fantastic!

And here's the rest... there were a few clinkers for me in this second half but still a lot of great stuff. Thanks so much for your efforts! I'll be really interested to know who some of these are. And will finally dig in to some of the other posts now that I've put this out there... Track 8 - Impressions, taken at quite a clip! Love me some vibes but I can't tell who this is right off the bat. Actually the phrasing in the vibes solo feels a little square to me. This really is a bitch of a tempo though. The rhythm section damn sure is holding it together well. The piano player sure has chops, and a sense of humor. The "So What" tag is a nice touch. Track 9 - Now this is cookin! What a sound on that tenor player...wooo! Love the energy here, this is infectious stuff. How can you NOT tap your foot to this? Short but oh so sweet. No guesses again... I am batting zero. Track 10 - Boy this sounds familiar. Really digging the groove and the tune...I am all in on this. One hell of a guitar solo, precise, bluesy, AND soulful. At first I was going to date this from the 70s but now I'm wondering if it's actually a more modern recording? Hmm. I like the soprano solo too. This is one tight band. Track 11 - Well, it's gotta be Rufus Harley, right? Is there anyone else? Oh man... Eight Miles High!! Wow, this is a riot. Okay... the groove on this is SICK. I actually really love this. And Harley is a monster. I don't even really know what else to say, this is fantastic. I mean, just think of the balls it must have to taken to say, yeah, I'm gonna do Eight Miles High on the bagpipes and it's gonna be killin. Holy shit. Track 12 - OK, bagpipes redux! Oh wow, what is this? This is a fun listen but I have no idea who it is. Mamas & The Papas? Track 13 - Interesting sounds here... some odd vocalizing and maybe digeridoo? And definitely some 80s keyboard sounds. This sounds kind of like it's a theme from some show or movie. Track 14 - Holy shmaltz! I mean that in a good way. This sounds like a slightly more modern take on Esquivel or something. Not sure how I feel about this. It's fun but I don't think I'd listen to it again. It would actually come off better I think if some of the sounds weren't so processed-- I think some of the sax sounds and other instrument sounds are actually synthesized, right? Couldn't begin to guess who or what this is. Track 15 - Nice alto solo but overall this isn't really my bag. I'm sure the alto player is someone of note. Track 16 - Damn that's a lot of echo on that guitar. Again this one isn't really my thing. Track 17 - Oh man, I definitely know this one... Horace Silver? I think that's Freddie Hubbard on trumpet? And Wayne? That's gotta be Elvin on drums. Boy, this is one I really SHOULD be nailing. Killer track! I probably have this in my collection somewhere but can't remember what it is.

Really digging this so far. Have gotten through the first 7 tunes. Life being as busy as it is right now, I have to grab moments and listen as much as I can until I get interrupted! So here's the first chunk... Track 1 - Ha! Nice. It's the Carpenters' Close to You, although for a minute I was ready for Killer Joe. What a groove! Nice guitar solo. This is some classic, great sounding organ trio + horn stuff... I suspect it's a more recent recording than I think though? Hmm. I could be way off but it sounds like younger/more contemporary players who are playing in an "older" style. And that might come off sounding negative but I don't mean it that way. This track is a blast...good stuff. I dig the solos but it's the groove that gets me more than anything else. This is locked down! Track 2 - Oh wow... Gene McDaniels' Feel Like Making Love. Gene is my man and I do love this tune. I like this arrangement. It's always hard at first when it's a tune you love, and they mess around with the melody especially. That can be like messing with something that shouldn't be messed with. But I always appreciate very different arrangements of tunes-- if you're gonna cover something, you've GOTTA do it differently. Yeah... I do like this a lot. No guesses as to who it is, but it's well done. Track 3 - My Funny Valentine, of course. I have to admit this has never been one of my favorite tunes. When someone calls it on a gig I probably groan a little bit to myself. But anyway... this is a perfectly nice rendition. The piano player is excellent but it's not grabbing me. It feels like a very "polite" rendition, and again... don't love the tune, but that's just me. "It's not you, it's me..." Track 4 - A Night in Tunisia, and it's nice to hear it done rubato like this! Great piano playing. This is a hell of a performance. Just the right amount of everything, and it tells a story. I probably know this piano player but I can't make a good guess at the moment. Track 5 - Oh yeeeaaaaah... I love the way the alto player gets all dirty. More of that please. I'm drawn into this one immediately. I feel like I should know the tune but I'm not getting it. The changes sound familiar. Wow... downright nasty around the 2:40 mark! This is pretty cool. I like the range of techniques and dynamics from the alto. Whoever this is is really pushing it. Track 6 - I'm gonna guess right off the bat that this is Sam Jones on bass? Maybe? Hmmm. No, that's not right. Almost does sound like a cello or piccolo bass in the upper register there though. Nice feel on this...the drummer has a great drive and a crispyness that I like. The piano solo simmers along nicely and drops a bunch of quotes. So this is definitely a more recent recording than what I was initially thinking. The bass player is pretty facile, nice solo. Great track overall, and it's bugging me that I can't remember the name of this tune. Track 7 - Oh hell yes... that BASS sound... the low, growly thing. Love it. This is Sergio Mihanovich's Sometime Ago, great tune! The guitar solo is excellent... love the tone and approach. I'm reminded what a fun tune this is to play on. The pianist is having a great time. Oh damn, I love this tenor player too. Wait... is that a bari? This just gets better and better. I would really love to know what recording this is. Again...I will fail if I try to guess any of these players but I surely must know them. Oh yeah, the trumpet player too, jeezus. What a great band, whoever this is! Really beautiful. Haven't looked at any other responses yet and will try not to until I've gotten through the rest!