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BFT #16 Answers


Dan Gould

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[because I fear that I may be knocked offline for quite some time after Frances comes through, I am going to go ahead and post the answers now while I still can. Hopefully participants who haven't yet had a chance to post on the discussion threads will not go reading this prematurely!]

Thanks to everyone for their guesses/comments and ID's. It goes to show you can never predict how these BFTs will go: tunes you don't think will possibly get identified do, and the tunes you think are terrific get mostly middling reviews ...

On the question of the theme: No one quite got it, and I am not terribly surprised. But since I think the theme is kind of "neat", I've decided that I will hold off on identifying the theme, and give everyone a chance to study the information below and figure out the one thing that links every tune. And a very special gold star will go to the member who figures it out. :)

UPDATED 9/8/2004:

Jim Sangrey has figured out the theme, which I encapsulated as "One Degree of Blue Note": Each tune is connected to Blue Note Records in at most "one degree". I've edited the listings below just in case anyone will miss the connections.

Disc #1

Track 1

Ike Quebec, Girl of My Dreams (Clapp)

Savoy, 1945, with Johnny Guarneri, piano, Bill DeArango, guitar, Milt Hinton bass and J.C. Heard, drums. This transfer came from a Definitive compilation, though I originally heard this off a Savoy LP, The Angry Tenors

What can I say? I wanted to use an Ike tune, but with all of his BN output reissued, I figured I should go for something less well known. Little did I understand that several members would ID this track. Extra special kudos to Jim R. for using his guitarist ears to pick up on DeArango and work backwards to find Ike as the leader! :tup

Track 2

Ben Webster, Poutin' (Webster)

Germany Jazz Festival private recording, 1972.

Oscar Peterson, piano, Louis Hayes drums, unknown bass.

"Poutin" was originally recorded at the sessions that Verve put out as "King of the Tenors" but no one ID'd it. Anyway, its Ben, quite close to the end, and sounding, as Jim S. put it, "frisky." Make that, very frisky! One of his best performances, IMO, of his final years.

If you find someone who has this private recording, don't hesitate to trade for it!

Track 3

Ed Thigpen-Joe Lovano, Chelsea Bridge (Strayhorn)

with Carsten Dahl, piano, Jesper Bodilsen, bass.

The Element of Swing (Stunt Records). Recorded Copenhagen, October 2001.

One of my all-time favorite compositions, and I thought it would be nice to follow Ben, so strongly associated with this tune, with someone who starts with a bit of Ben's breathiness before delivering a lovely reading in his own way. Being a European recording, I thought our European friends might identify it, but while quite a number suspected it was Lovano, it was Cannonball Addict who got this one. :tup

Track 4

Joe Van Enkhuizen & Horace Parlan, Things Ain't What They Used to Be (Mercer Ellington)

Ellington Ballads (Timeless Records) 1990

Another one I thought that one of our our European friends might know, but no one could ID this particular track (though many people got the tune). I definitely recommend this CD, which stays generally in this late night vibe throughout, and is available in the US through Peter Crawford at Stateside Distributors.

Track 5

Les McCann, The Preacher (Horace Silver)

with Stanley Gilbert, bass, and Paul Humphrey, drums

The Gospel Soul, Pacific Jazz, 1963

My first BFT had a "Gene Harris decoy" track, and so I figured Les McCann would work fine here. And he did! :)

I can't help but point out Marty's reaction:

"drummer as dull as can be for my taste"

and Sangrey's:

"the drummer's got his pocket where Blakey had his. That's a STRONG backbeat!" and "But this is not some soul-jazz hack, whoever it is. Too much nuance for that."

:g

Track 6

Eric Allison, After Hours (Avery Parrish)

soloists: Eric Allison, tenor, Jesse Jones, Jr., alto, Lonnie Smith, piano.

Rest of band: John Bailey, trumpet, Turk Mauro, baritone, Dennis Marks, bass, Danny Burger, drums.

Eric Allisson, After Hours (Contemporary Records), 1997

Well, this tune did not get the universal approval I thought it deserves. There's a neat arrangement by Allison, here's his description:

"Always played as a piano feature, I instead took Avery Parrish's original solo and transcribed it for tenor sax in the opening solo. Then Jesse and Lonnie improvise their own blues over the familiar riffs of the original."

The album is terrific, as far as I'm concerned, though I'm not sure too many people will be looking for it.

Track 7

Kenny Dorham Quintet, Optional (Kenny Dorham)

Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Sam Jones and G.T. Hogan

Originally released on New Blue Horns which was a compilation of blues-based tunes that went unissued in the original sessions. In the CD era, some of these unissued tunes were reissued as bonus tracks, but I thought I was awfully clever to pick a tune from KD's vocal album (This is the Moment), which was not included on the CD reissue. Little did I know that Brownie would get this with no trouble at all! :tup I figured people might recognize KD and Curtis, but I really thought they'd struggle to come up with the session, and there's Brownie with all the details. :rmad::g

Track 8

Brian Lynch, Bus Stop Serenade (for KD) (Lynch)

Brian Lynch, trumpet, Mulgrew Miller, piano, Essiet Essiet, bass, Carl Allen, drums.

Tribute to the Trumpet Masters (Sharp Nine Records) 2000

I didn't really expect people to pick up a KD tune being followed by a KD tribute composition, but as tribute tunes go, I think Lynch did a nice job with it. The rest of the album is definitely recommended, a mixture of trumpet standards like "Search for the New Land" and other tribute tunes, including tributes to Woody Shaw, Blue Mitchell and Charles Tolliver.

Track 9

Howard McGhee Orchestra, Highest Mountain (Clifford Jordan)

Jordan is the only soloist

Cookin' Time (Zim Records) released 1977, recorded 1966

Many people identified the tune, and everyone assumed it was from Clifford Jordan's own big band albums. Finally, I faked you guys out and no one caught me!!! :g

Seems like a little known fact that Howard McGhee led a big band for a time in NYC in the mid-60s. In the band (at least on this record) were Bill Hardman, Norris Turney and Andy Bey. In fact, in 1966, the Howard McGhee orchestra had a steady Monday night gig at the Half Note, and the band worked intermittently until 1972. I originally thought that this was the earliest recording of the tune, from what I could see, it seems that he really started recording this in the early 70s with Cedar Walton. Then I realized the tune debuted on his Leadbelly tribute album. Oh well-still one of the earliest recorded versions.

Track 10

Odell Brown and the Organ-Izers, Maiden Voyage (Herbie Hancock)

Odell Brown, Raising the Roof (Cadet) 1966

Artee (Duke) Payne, Thomas Purvis, saxes (Payne first solo), Curtis Prince, drums, Brown, organ

And speaking of early recorded versions, I knew I had to use this tune for my BFT after Daniel A. claimed that the Denny Zeitlin recording he used on his BFT was the first recording of the tune without Hancock. Its not. Zeitlin recorded in 1967, this was recorded July of 1966.

But no matter-I like this version a lot, and with the leader not taking a solo, I figured there was no way this would get identified. But then, I didn't consider that Jim S. was participating. I can't tell you how shocked and dismayed I was with his, "two saxes, organ, Odell Brown?" comment! :rmad::excited::g

Track 11

Bert Myrick, Scorpio's Child (Kenny Cox)

George Bohanon, trombone, Ronnie Fields, tenor sax, Kenny Cox, piano, Will Austin, bass, Myrick, drums

Live and Well (Strata) recorded Ann Arbor, 4/12/65

Strata was a Detroit label which gave control of the music to its creators. Jim Gallert provided me with the transfer; apparently Myrick intends to reissue this concert and Gallert has written the liners. Not sure what the status of that project is though.

But an interesting slice of Detroit jazz when the Miles Quintet and Coltrane Quartet was being quite influential, and of course Kenny Cox is one of those obscure names that quite a few people in these parts know, so I thought that hearing one of his compositions would be of interest to a few people. (And more credit to Cannonball Addict for his "hunch" that the pianist was from Detroit!)

Disc #2

Track 1

Gene Harris, Summertime

Bern Jazz Festival radio broadcast, May 7, 1998

Andrew Kleindert, bass, Jim Mullins, guitar, Martin Drew

Edited from medley

This got mixed reviews, but I will always thrill to the sound of Gene Harris performing this song. This arrangement was first used on the Ray Brown Trio CD, Bam Bam Bam, and Gene probably played this tune in that way for the rest of his life. Not always in the over the top, showman style displayed here (and I understand that this would get mixed reactions). In fact, and I know I've told this story before but what the hey, my all-time favorite live jazz memory is at the Blue Note in New York, seeing Ray, Gene and Jeff Hamilton. Gene played this arrangement, but did it straight, and whipped the house into an extraordinary fever, building it up and up and up until the audience was going nuts. Finally the audience regained its senses, until Ray Brown brought the house down again when he looked at Gene and said, "you keep playing that piano like that, its gonna follow you home!" :g

Track 2

Ronnie Earl, Isabella (Burrell)

Earl, guitar, David "Fathead" Newman, tenor sax, Per Hansen, drums, Rod Carey, bass, Bruce Katz, piano and B-3

Grateful Heart (Bullseye Blues) 1995.

Ah, the irony. I gave Sangrey a hard time for using "non-jazz" musicians in his BFT, and here I come with a blues man. :g

But, as many pointed out (and kudos to Jim R. for getting this one, I thought he might), Earl does take much inspiration from jazz. I think the tune does go a bit longer than it had to, but I still dig it.

Track 3

Rickey Woodard, Jeannine (Duke Pearson)

Woodard, tenor, Dwight Dickerson piano, Tony Dumas, bass, Harold Mason, drums.

California Cookin' (Candid) 1991.

Note: In addition to the obvious Duke Pearson-BN connection, Dwight Dickerson appeared on Bobby Hutcherson's Japan-only release, Inner Glow.

A favorite tune, and I've dug Woodard's playing for a long time. I thought Catesta might guess this one, as he is a recent convert to the Woodard bandwagon. I have to admit, I never picked up on the "failure" of the rhythm section to do Woodard justice. BTW, not Woodard's first album, he recorded one for Fresh Sound in 1989 or '90, if I'm not mistaken, with a young Eric Reed in the rhythm section. Both are strongly recommended, California Cookin' has some nice covers of a couple of Hank Mobley compositions as well as some lovely balladry. Kudos again to Cannonball Addict for hunting this one down, not actually knowing the recording.

Track 4

Plas Johnson, Ease on Down The Road (from the musical The Whiz)

Johnson, tenor sax, Cedric Lawson, piano, Johnny Kirkwood, drums, Richard Reid, bass

Hot, Blue and Saxy (Carell Music)

Another tune with a decidedly mixed response. I thought this was one of the easiest to identify, but I guess I overestimated how well-known the tune is. I definitely remember The Wiz, and when I first heard this CD, I instantly enjoyed Plas' wailing. Credit to Catesta for identifying the CD, though I am guessing that he simply did an AMG search once he ID'd the track. That's why I figured this would get identified easily-if you know the tune, its the only jazz rendition of it in the AMG database!

Note: Plas Johnson, as Sangrey noted below, appeared on Bobby Hutcherson's Montara album.

Track 5

"Its not Acid Jazz, its just regular jazz"-Lou Donaldson interview, 1989 Chicago Jazz Festival

Reuben Wilson, Back at the Chicken Shack (Jimmy Smith)

Wilson, organ, Melvin Butler, tenor sax, Grant Green, Jr. guitar, Bernard Purdie, drums

Organ Blues (Jazzateria) 2002.

I thought I was being so clever, lifting a piece of an LD interview and adding it on a totally unrelated recording, and yet no one picked up on the editing (despite all the tape hiss), and even though Peter Johnson recognized the voice recording, he simply assumed that it was LD on the saxophone!

Guess I'm just a tricky son of a gun. And a darn good audio editor! :g

Anywhoo, I very much enjoy this cover of a classic tune, and after I decided to use it instead of the LD tune I was thinking about, I remembered the LD quote and thought that it went awfully nicely with the music. Less grit in the tenor, but there's also less grit in the organ and I think it blends very nicely together. The rest of the CD is similar, and highly recommended (if you're one of those who dug this track). Kudos to Big Al for remembering the tune from the radio.

Track 6

Jumpin' The Blues

soloists: Benny Carter/Terrence Blanchard/Hal Singer/Jay McShann

in the band: Jimmy Heath, Carmell Jones, Al Grey, Hal Singer, Mel Lewis, Phil Woods

Paris All-Star Blues (Music Masters)

A classic tune, and a great album from a great player. Hootie may seem to play the same tunes over and over again but he's a living link to another era, one of the few left, and I fervently hope that someday I will get to see him in person. Kudos to Sangrey for digging out the source.

Track 7

Sir Charles Thompson, Cool and Easy (Thompson)

Thompson, organ and piano, Percy France, tenor sax, J.C,. Heard, drums, Aaron Bell, bass

Sir Charles Thompson and the Swing Organ (Columbia) date unknown, but I believe around 1958

Well, RDK must be kicking himself right about now, as he wondered aloud if it might be Sir Charles, then decided it wasn't. :g

Track 8

Tadd Shull, Tadpole (Mike LeDonne)

Shull, tenor sax, Irvin Stokes, trumpet, Mike LeDonne, piano, Dennis Irwin, bass, Kenny Washington, drums

Deep Passion (Criss Cross) 1990

Note: Irv Stokes appeared on Lou Donaldson's Man with a Horn album.

Major kudos to Mike Weil for having the good taste to have this CD and the good ears to remember it! ;) As Mike says, Shull really sounds as if he comes to this style honestly and plays very strongly within it. The CD is outstanding throughout, with other hip sounding originals and covers of a Bennie Green tune and a Don Wilkerson number, right up Shull's alley. I really encourage people to check this disc out. I'm glad I gave it a chance-I certainly didn't know who he was, but this Criss Cross release sat in the local Border's shelves for I don't know how long before I gave it a go, and I'm awfully glad I did.

Track 9

Buddy Tate/Nat Simpkins/Houston Person, Buddy's Blues (Buddy Tate)

Tate, Simpkins, Person, tenor saxes, Stan Hope, piano, Major Holley, bass, Grady Tate, drums

Solo order: Tate, Simpkins, Person, Hope, Holley, Tate

Just Friends, The Tenors of Buddy Tate/Nat Simpkins/Houston Person (Muse) 1992.

Kudos to Brownie for figuring this out simply from Buddy Tate's presence, particularly considering that by his admission he has not heard this CD, and the AMG review is for a completely different album! And I must note that poor Nat SimPkins has his name misspelled on his debut album(!) which found him riding in very fast company and for me, holding his own nicely (not sure what Jim S. meant by "trying too hard").

c65791e7n1k.jpg

SimPkins two Muse CDs will be tough to find (the other one was with Gloria Coleman from the famous Soul Sisters date) but he has recorded several albums for the Blue Jay label and they are also quite nice. Like Shull, I think he comes to this Texas tenor style honestly. He played alot with Arnett Cobb and I think a lot of good stuff rubbed off on him!

Track 10

David "Bubba" Brooks, Willow Weep For Me

Brooks, tenor sax, Bross Townsend, piano, Bob Cunningham, bass, Grady Tate, drums

The Big Sound of Bubba Brooks (Claves Jazz) 1996

First of all, darn you Jim Sangrey for spotting Tina Brooks' younger brother like it was nothin'! ;)

Seriously, there's been some discussion about David Brooks' music so I thought this was a great opportunity to give people a chance to hear it. Some wondered if there was a connection between David and Tina but its interesting to see that while I don't think the age difference was all that much, clearly Bubba went into and stayed in an older style and Tina went as modern as he could.

This got somewhat mixed reviews (Marty really hated it, for one), to my surprise, because to me it was one of the very strongest cuts on either CD and was specifically chosen to wrap things up by taking a nod back towards the style established on the first cuts of Disc 1, and because I do feel it is a top flight performance and would be the best way to close the disc.

Was Brooks a technically adept saxophonist or a "hip" player? No, not at all. He spent most of his life in the R&B world, and clearly he was about one thing: feeling. And to me he packs a great deal of feeling into this old chestnut.

This CD will be tough to find (I got it from a Brit retailer through the web) but David Brooks recorded twice for the TCB label: Smooth Sailing features Kenny Drew Jr on piano and Polka Dots and Moonbeams features Lonnie Smith on organ. Only in the last couple of months, Organic Chemistry was issued, which, though led by organist Bobby Forrester, features Brooks blowing lengthy jams on a variety of standards. That one might be the easiest to seek out, though the TCB albums are also highly recommended.

Well that's it folks. The only thing missing now is the theme, which is contained in the track listing info above. Who will be the first to come up with it? And will I be able to get online and confirm it when someone guesses correctly? That will largely depend on Hurricane Frances, and I will do the best I can to monitor this thread as long as I can, but if I am knocked offline, I think that if/when someone gets it, you won't need me to confirm it, others will be able to say, "yup, that must be it!"

Edited by Dan Gould
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Dan, it was a true pleasure. A labor of love as all BFTs should be (and that desire to be recognized by our peers for getting one....that too).

I can't figure out theme. At first I thought it might be that each recording had someone on it from Texas, then I thought it might be each recording has a drummer, but neither held. All I can guess is that you featured mostly underappreciated guys except Gene Harris and Ben Webster don't exactly fit that description. Also I assume it is something that is objective. Underappreciatedness is not really something that can be objectively assessed. So I throw my hands in the air and say #@$^ it!

Matt

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Track 2

Ben Webster, Poutin' (Webster)

Germany Jazz Festival private recording, 1972.

Oscar Peterson, piano, Louis Hayes drums, unknown bass.

YES! One of the things that was really bugging me on this test was the piano player on this track. I posted (twice) that I thought it was O.P., but there was just enough doubt to leave me frustrated. Unless I missed it (entirely possible), nobody responded to my suggestion that it was Peterson, so I'm kind of surprised I was right.

On the McGhee (disc 1, track 9), you don't list Clifford Jordan as being in the band... but maybe it's a given? (or not?). The only reason I guessed the C.J. big band was because I thought I heard him solo (didn't recognize the tune, although I do recognize the title).

On disc 2 #7, Thompson played both organ and piano!?! I'm going to have to go back and listen to that again. That piano solo was t-a-s-t-y. Percy France... there's a name that certainly doesn't surprise me for that track. Not a name that I keep near the tip of my tongue, unfortunately...

I still don't see any common idea for a theme here... :unsure: ... gotta keep thinking... :unsure:

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Sorry Jim, I guess since I referred to the fact that everyone ID'd Clifford, it was a given that yes, this is Clifford Jordan as sole soloist on his own tune. I'll edit the post to make it clear.

On the OP track, I certainly felt it sounded like him, I was surprised when Randy Hersom said it sounded like a "soul jazz pianist". :blink:

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Track 6

Eric Allison, After Hours (Avery Parrish)

soloists:  Eric Allison, tenor, Jesse Jones, Jr., alto, Lonnie Smith, piano.

Rest of band:  John Bailey, trumpet, Turk Mauro, baritone, Dennis Marks, bass, Danny Burger, drums.

Eric Allisson, After Hours (Contemporary Records), 1997

Well, this tune did not get the universal approval I thought it deserves.  There's a neat arrangement by Allison, here's his description:

"Always played as a piano feature, I instead took Avery Parrish's original solo and transcribed it for tenor sax in the opening solo.  Then Jesse and Lonnie improvise their own blues over the familiar riffs of the original."

The album is terrific, as far as I'm concerned, though I'm not sure too many people will be looking for it.

I have this CD somewhere, so this is a BF first for me: a tune off an album I have. However, I remember that it didn't make much of an impression on me and after re-reading my comments in the guess thread:

6. I recognize this tune as that long track from the Sonny Side Up album, but I don’t know the name of it. No one sounds familiar to these ears, which is just as well, as I lost interest about halfway through.

.....it looks like I haven't really missed much! :P

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Track 9

Howard McGhee Orchestra, Highest Mountain (Clifford Jordan)

Jordan is the only soloist

Cookin' Time (Zim Records) released 1977, recorded 1966

Many people identified the tune, and everyone assumed it was from Clifford Jordan's own big band albums.  Finally, I faked you guys out and no one caught me!!!  :g

Seems like a little known fact that Howard McGhee led a big band for a time in NYC in the mid-60s.  In the band (at least on this record) were Bill Hardman, Norris Turney and Andy Bey.  In fact, in 1966, the Howard McGhee orchestra had a steady Monday night gig at the Half Note, and the band worked intermittently until 1972.  I originally thought that this was the earliest recording of the tune, from what I could see, it seems that he really started recording this in the early 70s with Cedar Walton. Then I realized the tune debuted on his Leadbelly tribute album.  Oh well-still one of the earliest recorded versions.

First of all, Dan, thanks for these many discoveries! A really great BFT, setting a new level for compilers to follow. Too bad I have mine done and ready to ship ... ;)

As far as the Clifford Jodan tune is concerned, to save my honorable reputation ;) , I stated in my first post that it was not from the Clifford Jordan big band albums.

I thought of McGhee's big band, and have that album, but didn't have the time to check. This is a nice LP, there is another issue on Spotlite or Hep, and McGhee deserves a lot of appraisal for running a big band at that time.

For this and the Quebec my rule #1 applies ....

p.s. darn these kyrillian keyboards .... :ph34r:

Edited by mikeweil
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Track 8

Tadd Shull, Tadpole (Mike LeDonne)

Shull, tenor sax, Irvin Stokes, trumpet, Mike LeDonne, piano, Dennis Irwin, bass, Kenny Washington, drums

Deep Passion (Criss Cross) 1990

Major kudos to Mike Weil for having the good taste to have this CD and the good ears to remember it!  ;)  As Mike says, Shull really sounds as if he comes to this style honestly and plays very strongly within it.  The CD is outstanding throughout, with other hip sounding originals and covers of a Bennie Green tune and a Don Wilkerson number, right up Shull's alley.  I really encourage people to check this disc out.  I'm glad I gave it a chance-I certainly didn't know who he was, but this Criss Cross release sat in the local Border's shelves for I don't know how long before I gave it a go, and I'm awfully glad I did.

Thanks for the compliment, Dan!

I warmheartedly recommend the six CDs Tad Shull did for Criss Cross, two as a leader, two with the Tenor Triangle, one with Mark Turner which sure would make a nice BFT item, and one as guest with the Melvin Rhyne Trio. Just go to the Criss Cross website and look up Tad Shull in the artist index, and you have 'em all.

The Tenor Triangle pairs him with our beloved Eric Alexander :g and Ralph Lalama, giving a good idea of what divides the authenticats from the copycats.

BTW, I bought the CD after a favourable review in down beat.

Edited by mikeweil
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Re: Disc 2 / Track #9: That there Nat Simpkins is born and raised in the town I live in. At least his name's still in the phone book and all the little mom and pop stores sell his discs at the counters. I've only listened to him a wee little bit and yowsa here is another from far away. :)

Now enlighten me please as to what's going on with that Major Holley solo?

Thanks again, Dan, for some good stuff!

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Yes... I guess I am completely in the dark as to his work. I believe I surely do have recordings with Holley on bass but have never heard this signature before.

While my attempts to hit up A :angry: MG go awry I'll have to check back with him later.

I will toss out my "theme" guess as having something to do with Quincy Jones???

Edited by Man with the Golden Arm
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As far as the theme is concerned: There is at least one musician on each track that is on a Blue Note album, or the tune was composed by a Blue Note artist - but there are about two tracks that will not fit into this scheme ... :(

Oh so close to a :tup

Think harder, study the names some more, and tweak your theme just a bit.

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