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BFT 37 disc 1 - discussion


mikeweil

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I may be a bit early in starting this discussion thread, but all the discs are mailed, and I will be on the road for the next five days with probably no access to the web.

Disc 1 has 15 tracks and runs 78:29 minutes, and starts with the surface noise of a shellac disc.

Some misleading hints for starters :P , and to arouse your curiosity:

- The theme of this BFT is contained in the name of the band that plays the first track.

- There are two musicians that appeared on my previous BFT # 18.

One of them appears on two tracks of disc 1, the other on one track of disc 1.

- One musician appears on one track each on both discs.

- One other musician appears twice on disc two and once on disc 1.

- Still another musician appears twice on disc 1.

This is all rather obscure stuff, so please do not limit yourself to posting HAFC, but tell me how you like/dislike the music and its players - to me, exchanging ideas about the music is much more important than simple guessing - you won't get very far with guessing on this one, anyway ... :P

Enjoy the music - and lemme know what ya think!

..... and thanks a thousand times for putting up with all this crazy music! :tup

Edited by mikeweil
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- There are two musicians that appeared on my previous BFT # 18.

One of them appears on two tracks of disc 1, the other on one track of disc 1.

- One musician appears on one track each on both discs.

- One other musician appears twice on disc two and once on disc 1.

- Still another musician appears twice on disc 1.

Sounds like a musical Sudoku game! :lol:

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gave it a first spin this afternoon and first impression is that I lurv the first part with all the whack stuff, had a bit of an attention dip half way through when it went and became a bit more pedestrian, but was wide awake towards the end again. Nothing I recognised as part of my collection, so this will be good edumacation!

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Dear Mike,

Thanks for sending me the two discs.

I gave it a first play, but really it felt me as if I was asked to give comment on the Eurovision Song Contest ... I liked most of the tunes, but I didn't recognize any musician or bands. I guess most of it must be European bands, perhaps German ones, so that should be an advantage for me.

Up to now I don't make any answer so far.

Keep swinging

Durium

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I guess most of it must be uropean bands, perhaps German ones, so that should be an advantage for me.

You're headed in the right direction, but of course it is not that simple ....

Again: I'm more interested in your comments about the music itself than any guesses about who it could be.

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Just a first spin so far. All I recognised was "Nuages" by Django for 12 and "Joy Spring" (Brownie of course) at 13. 15 sounds quite like Bobby Hutcherson but I would not be surprised to hear it isn't. Know the tune here but can't think of the name yet. Some of the intrumentalists elsewhere sounded somewhat familiar but in view of the German (?) connection I'm probably astray there.

I will try for more penetration later, bearing in mind your introductory comments Mike.

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So far, this disc reminds me of music I usually hear whenever I go to Waterloo Records. (Most Austinites and many Texans will know what that means).

Could you explain, please, for the non Texans? :huh:

Will post more later. I hope!

I hope so, too!

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Took a passive listen to the first disc last night - while relaxing in the bath and reading a manuscript about zombies no less! - and quite enjoyed what i was hearing. Didn't recognize anything, of course (except for a couple of tunes), but the disc is splendid as a whole, with a consistency to it that reminded me of a label comp.

Nice job, Mike - thanks again! More detailed comments to come...

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Having commented on all Bonus disc tracks, I'll make a start on this one.

1 - Strange mixture. "All the Things" going on in places. Don't know the singer. Name of the band, you say; no idea. Like it overall but nonplussed.

2 - I liked this one more but no more idea of who they might be. Sounded a little fleet to be slide trombone so maybe valve? Not sure. Two basses? Don't know the tune either but felt more at home here than with 1.

3 - Xylophone? Sounds like it in places anyway. Bass clarinet, ordinary clarinet too? Or is the bass clarinet sounding like two instruments? I'm expecting complaints soon for playing the same music over and over. Interesting stuff.

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4 - Nice bouncy track, no ideas who or what.

5 - A little funky. Keyboard of some kind, organ? Don't know the tune. Like the piano.

6 - Another one starting with some drumming. Kind of funky too. Is that a marimba? Couldn't like this much. Completely at a loss still.

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7 - Still a kind of funky rhythm. Doesn't transport me anywhere but okay.

8 - I have always disliked this kind of guitar sound - harsh. Soulful but shallow (predujice speaking). Ditto 7 mostly.

9 - Sounds like Rollins at the start - not really. Volume well up. Still in a funky groove, monotonous beat. Don't like much.

Not much to say about this bit but will continuing trying again soon.

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Thanks a lot for compiling this fun set, Mike! Here are some thoughts - I played it once while at work and took some notes... not that I was distracted from working... oh, no, of course not! :D

#1 Fun opening with that bass groove and the flute on top. Guitar is nice and soft, bass is very nice below, drums are excellent. The beginning of the piano solo with tenor and tuba (and later alto) "comping" is fun!

I'm pretty clueless who this could be from... it's fun and very competently performed, but not something of too much individualism, I think.

At some moments (after the piano solo where things boil up a bit and the collective improvisation starts) it reminds me of a tame version of the Lounge Lizards, but that's not them, I think.

The old LP at the end is a nice touch... that's "All the Things You Are", of course.

#2 Mangelsdorff? That opening line (repeated) sounds a lot like him! Also how he goes from there.

Two basses in there... definitely European, either from the late sixties/seventies or a later band that was around then. Terrific track! The openness of the sound and the melodic lines with the twin basses works perfectly for me!

(I can't find anything fitting the discography on Mangelsdorff's website...)

#3 Slick programming! Started with a "yuck"-moment for me, but then it makes sense, with the marimba (african or regular one?) and the beats. Nice bass clarinet on top. Me clueless, me like half this one... too sketchy, just good fun, but no real "point", I think (not that everything needs to have a point!)

#4 That's that beat that's also on that disc by that weird organ trio from that imperialist country... isn't it, Mr. drummer man?

But there's no organ involved... sounds pretty ambitious with woodwinds, muted trumpet, mallets and all, but when the tuba enters it gets even funkier. Very nice one!

Verra nice vibes! That beat gets infectuous again! It's so nice to hear a double bass playing such a funky groove!

Trumpet solo is nice, trombone is good, too - both are far from showing off.

#5 Yet another groove track? Is that the theme here? Organ this time... but not a real one? Sounds like some synth organ?

I know this tune... it's a Weather Report tune... ah, no, a Jaco tune? It's on one of his big band discs... Is this one of those Jaco memorial projects? Bass is lame compared to what he'd do in such a band! There's the steel drums... synth again? oh, wait, that's a piano! Piano solo builds nicely... still, the groove's a bit tame.

What's the name of this tune? Punk Jazz? Liberty City? Time to play the "Birthday Concert" disc again!

Boards on cliché when they get into that Tenor Madness/Rue Chaptal thing early in the bass solo... (the solo's better than that).

Just checked the AMG samples, it's indeed (a variant of?) "Liberty City".

#6 More "ethnic" beats, another short sample... very nice opening! The piano is a bit on the sweet side for my liking... the percussion stuff is pretty nice... what's this? Thumb piano?

Piano gets better, things get a bit more chaotic once the drums enter, although I'm not sure they add a lot. The marimba is very nice. African music? Some jazz or latin pianist sitting in? Me clueless again...

#7 Another simple melody... the bass keeps playing similar lines throughout, in the same register, which holds the loose ends together. Nice sound on alto... some Trane in there. Is this just one drummer? If yes, the mix is a bit strange (I'm listening on cheap headphones while at work...)

#8 WHOAH! This one's sexy! Slow blues, sounds like Sco and Mike Stern in the 83 or 84 Miles band... electric bass sounds great here! That drumroll... pretty old-fashioned... but things get real fun after that, drum-wise! Joey Baron? Is there anyone else able to have that kind of musical fun on drums?

Very very nice one, although I guess I wouldn't play a whole album of this very often...

#9 That tenor sounds like processed through some old analog cheapo thingy... baritone similar. Great fun! Very nicely constructed, with layer upon layer being added. The solo is very nice, slightly duckish at some moments...

#10 More bass clarinet... seems our Mr. Drummerman likes that deep woody sound?

Not my favourite track, I think...

#11 Electronically manipulated didjeridoo? A nice light groove with very nice, slightly bitter muted trumpet... tune sounds a bit familiar. Very nice accompaniment, whatever it is (just some hand-drums, in addition to the drumset?) - very nice when they double the tempo!

#12 That's that Hank Williams tune... some Jaco disciple again? Or the master himself? Oh, there it goes into an old standard... ah, "Prelude to a Kiss" when the alto enters. Very nice! Alto has a soft aand nice sound, less bite than the one on #7. What's the tune they play in the end? That's the one the bass plays before the alto enters.

Very nice one! Rather unlikely combination that works out wonderfully!

#13 "Joy Spring" by Clifford Brown... very nice!

Got it: last track here:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:bjuk6jo171r0

Worth checking out, Mike?

#14 Sounds like an old standard but I'm not sure. French horn is very nice! That sound gives me the goosebumps! Classy!

#15 Some lite vibes to end? Tjader?

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#2 Mangelsdorff? That opening line (repeated) sounds a lot like him! Also how he goes from there.

Two basses in there... definitely European, either from the late sixties/seventies or a later band that was around then. Terrific track! The openness of the sound and the melodic lines with the twin basses works perfectly for me!

(I can't find anything fitting the discography on Mangelsdorff's website...)

Not Albert, and listen to this track on good speakers to get the stringed instruments right ... not two basses, that is.

#5 Yet another groove track? Is that the theme here? Organ this time... but not a real one? Sounds like some synth organ?

I know this tune... it's a Weather Report tune... ah, no, a Jaco tune? It's on one of his big band discs... Is this one of those Jaco memorial projects? Bass is lame compared to what he'd do in such a band! There's the steel drums... synth again? oh, wait, that's a piano! Piano solo builds nicely... still, the groove's a bit tame.

What's the name of this tune? Punk Jazz? Liberty City? Time to play the "Birthday Concert" disc again!

Boards on cliché when they get into that Tenor Madness/Rue Chaptal thing early in the bass solo... (the solo's better than that).

Just checked the AMG samples, it's indeed (a variant of?) "Liberty City".

You got that tune right!

#6 More "ethnic" beats, another short sample... very nice opening! The piano is a bit on the sweet side for my liking... the percussion stuff is pretty nice... what's this? Thumb piano?

Piano gets better, things get a bit more chaotic once the drums enter, although I'm not sure they add a lot. The marimba is very nice. African music? Some jazz or latin pianist sitting in? Me clueless again...

No thumb piano here, and it's not a marimba, but a bala, as they call it on the Ivory Coast.

#7 Another simple melody... the bass keeps playing similar lines throughout, in the same register, which holds the loose ends together. Nice sound on alto... some Trane in there. Is this just one drummer? If yes, the mix is a bit strange (I'm listening on cheap headphones while at work...)

Just one drummer .....

#8 WHOAH! This one's sexy! Slow blues, sounds like Sco and Mike Stern in the 83 or 84 Miles band... electric bass sounds great here! That drumroll... pretty old-fashioned... but things get real fun after that, drum-wise! Joey Baron? Is there anyone else able to have that kind of musical fun on drums?

Very very nice one, although I guess I wouldn't play a whole album of this very often...

I feel exactly that way about this CD! Not any of the players you mentioned, though.

#12 That's that Hank Williams tune... some Jaco disciple again? Or the master himself? Oh, there it goes into an old standard... ah, "Prelude to a Kiss" when the alto enters. Very nice! Alto has a soft aand nice sound, less bite than the one on #7. What's the tune they play in the end? That's the one the bass plays before the alto enters.

Very nice one! Rather unlikely combination that works out wonderfully!

Hank Williams?!? :huh::rolleyes:

.... and Prelude to a kiss? Brush up your standards! :P

#13 "Joy Spring" by Clifford Brown... very nice!

Got it: last track here:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:bjuk6jo171r0

Worth checking out, Mike?

Excellent detective work! I'll write more about this disc in the answers thread.

#14 Sounds like an old standard but I'm not sure. French horn is very nice! That sound gives me the goosebumps! Classy!

Indeed! Glad to hear you like this! Not a standard, BTW.

#15 Some lite vibes to end? Tjader?

Not Tjader.

Thanks much for the royal answers!

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2 - I liked this one more but no more idea of who they might be. Sounded a little fleet to be slide trombone so maybe valve? Not sure. Two basses? Don't know the tune either but felt more at home here than with 1.

Again: Not two basses!

3 - Xylophone? Sounds like it in places anyway. Bass clarinet, ordinary clarinet too? Or is the bass clarinet sounding like two instruments? I'm expecting complaints soon for playing the same music over and over. Interesting stuff.

Marimba, bass clarinet, and a percussion/drums set, three players. Thuis BFT turns into an intrument recognizing test, it seems ....

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So far, this disc reminds me of music I usually hear whenever I go to Waterloo Records. (Most Austinites and many Texans will know what that means).

Could you explain, please, for the non Texans? :huh:

Waterloo Records is a brick-n-mortar in Austin, and every time I go in there, they are always playing some off-the-wall sounds like I've never heard before (along with the occasional Latvian Water-Buffalo Serenade thrown in for good measure) that alternately fascinates and frustrates me. Same with this BFT. (Hope that didn't come across too harsh)

So with all that in mind, here goes (and it ain't pretty):

Track 1: Starts off like a Johnny Pate arrangement filtered through Henry Threadgill. How’s THAT for name-dropping? Nice groove, but waaaaaay too busy for my tastes. Sounds like three or four different people stepping over each other to solo.

Track 2: Sounds like classical music played on a trombone. Doin’ nothing for me, sorry.

Track 3: Sorry, not a fan of so-called “world music” by any stretch, even if this isn’t. The way the marimba (or synth-marimba, for lack of a better term) is played here is like nails on a chalkboard.

Track 4: Nice color/harmonies courtesy of the clarinet & muted trumpets. Tuba makes it a little off-kilter, though. Drum sound a little too crisp for these ears. Like the sound of the vibes, though. Sound (i.e. mix) of the whole seems too claustrophobic, despite being extremely loose. Can’t explain why.

Track 5: Has that kind of Russell Gunn Ethnomusicology groove goin’ for it. Ahhh, I love electric piano like that! Mmmmm yeah! Keep that groove goin’, baby! Goes on a little too long, but nice groove nonetheless!

Track 6: Monk plays classical? Silver plays Satie? George Winston plays Monk plays Satie? No clue. No interest either, I’m afraid.

Track 7: I like sax-drums duets like this (I guess it’s a duet, can’t hear a bass player if there is one). That’s about all I can add to this, no clue who it is! Maybe Tony Williams shortly before he passed? Although the fidelity suggests something pretty recent.

Track 8: I wanna guess that Rene whatever-his-last-name-is. Like that’s any hint. Still, just a little too slow for me.

Track 9: Hellacious groove surrounded by a most interesting instrumental commentary behind the soloist. Hell, I couldn’t even identify the instruments if I had to! Hey, where’d the groove go? Now it’s starting to sound like it was recorded/engineered at the same studio as track 5.

Oh wait, that would be the start of track 10. DUHHHHH!!!! Pay attention, boy!!! Still, the soloists for tracks 9 and 10 sound like the same player. Very recent, which means I have NO idea who/what/where this is. Trumpeter sounds like Freddie, or someone who wishes he was Freddie. Maybe this is a wildly cleaned-up CTI recording? Too long for my tastes.

Track 11: HA! What a cool groove! Drat! Should know this tune. Maybe one of those Bill Laswell Miles remix projects (assuming there’s more than one)? Or maybe it’s from the Yo Miles set. But then, of course, I guess Miles for just about any muted trumpet that comes down the pike. Hmmm... as the track progresses and all the electronics phase out, we’re left with a nice trumpet-drums duet. Obviously not Miles; obviously, I’m still clueless.

Track 12: Jaco plays Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring? Interesting use of the electric bass as if it were a rhythm guitar a la Freddie Green. Maybe that really is Jaco. No idea who’s on alto, though.

Track 13: That’s some swingin’ cello, there!

Track 14: Nice. Lovely big band surrounding some vibes. Cal Tjader maybe? Something from Melancholy Moods (I think it’s called)?

Track 15: Now THIS sounds more like Tjader. Who knows? Two straight tracks o’ Tjader? ‘salright with me!!!

Oy, that was a tough one! Very eclectic, Mike. Many many surprises!

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So far, this disc reminds me of music I usually hear whenever I go to Waterloo Records. (Most Austinites and many Texans will know what that means).

Could you explain, please, for the non Texans? :huh:

Waterloo Records is a brick-n-mortar in Austin, and every time I go in there, they are always playing some off-the-wall sounds like I've never heard before (along with the occasional Latvian Water-Buffalo Serenade thrown in for good measure) that alternately fascinates and frustrates me. Same with this BFT. (Hope that didn't come across too harsh)

Not at all - whenever I get to Texas, I want you to take me there - I got a feelin' I might like it there!

Track 4: Nice color/harmonies courtesy of the clarinet & muted trumpets. Tuba makes it a little off-kilter, though. Drum sound a little too crisp for these ears. Like the sound of the vibes, though. Sound (i.e. mix) of the whole seems too claustrophobic, despite being extremely loose. Can’t explain why.

I feel the same about the recorded sound, especially after having heard that band live.

Track 7: I like sax-drums duets like this (I guess it’s a duet, can’t hear a bass player if there is one). That’s about all I can add to this, no clue who it is! Maybe Tony Williams shortly before he passed? Although the fidelity suggests something pretty recent.

It's not Tony, it's a trio, though not with bass, and it was recorded in 1982.

Track 9: Hellacious groove surrounded by a most interesting instrumental commentary behind the soloist. Hell, I couldn’t even identify the instruments if I had to! Hey, where’d the groove go? Now it’s starting to sound like it was recorded/engineered at the same studio as track 5.

Well, it's the same label and drummer as track 3!!! :g

Oh wait, that would be the start of track 10. DUHHHHH!!!! Pay attention, boy!!! Still, the soloists for tracks 9 and 10 sound like the same player. Very recent, which means I have NO idea who/what/where this is. Trumpeter sounds like Freddie, or someone who wishes he was Freddie. Maybe this is a wildly cleaned-up CTI recording? Too long for my tastes.

You're off track here ..... that trumpeter is not a US guy, completely at ease with himself, and a favourite of many a board member, but tracks 9 and 10 are by entirely different bands.

Track 11: HA! What a cool groove! Drat! Should know this tune. Maybe one of those Bill Laswell Miles remix projects (assuming there’s more than one)? Or maybe it’s from the Yo Miles set. But then, of course, I guess Miles for just about any muted trumpet that comes down the pike. Hmmm... as the track progresses and all the electronics phase out, we’re left with a nice trumpet-drums duet. Obviously not Miles; obviously, I’m still clueless.

No electronics involved here!

Track 12: Jaco plays Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring? Interesting use of the electric bass as if it were a rhythm guitar a la Freddie Green. Maybe that really is Jaco. No idea who’s on alto, though.

Thanks for giving king ubu a chance to read the correct name of the opening theme! It's not Jaco, but ....

Track 14: Nice. Lovely big band surrounding some vibes. Cal Tjader maybe? Something from Melancholy Moods (I think it’s called)?

Track 15: Now THIS sounds more like Tjader. Who knows? Two straight tracks o’ Tjader? ‘salright with me!!!

No Tjader, at least nowhere on this BFT!

Thanks for absolving the tough test!

Edited by mikeweil
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Track 12: Jaco plays Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring? Interesting use of the electric bass as if it were a rhythm guitar a la Freddie Green. Maybe that really is Jaco. No idea who’s on alto, though.

Thanks for giving king ubu a chance to read the correct name of the opening theme! It's not Jaco, but ....

ouch, ouch, and more ouch...

anyway... I'll certainly play the disc again!

could Bobby Previte be that very fun drummer?

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Track 12: Jaco plays Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring? Interesting use of the electric bass as if it were a rhythm guitar a la Freddie Green. Maybe that really is Jaco. No idea who’s on alto, though.

Thanks for giving king ubu a chance to read the correct name of the opening theme! It's not Jaco, but ....

ouch, ouch, and more ouch...

:D:D:D

Ah well, you did better than I did, so I can't chuckle TOO loudly! :P

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