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BFT 52 - discussion


mikeweil

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Please post your comments here - there is room for guesses, as there are some musicians involved you wouldn't expect to play in such a context, but I'm more interested in how you find the respective mixes of the components - anyway, looking forward to whatever you want to say, don't hold back, and play it loud! :excl:

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Okay, i listened more than one time to the compilation and here are some remarks from me.

Overall, it is a bit difficult for me to be "fair", because I know mikeweil personally and we share "some business" together :P and on the other hand I'm not that a fan of this kind of music... :w But i like latin-orientated music, it is not a matter of dislike that style at all, but i am not very fond of that "bigband-toot-along"-typed music, so this is the reason, why this is very difficult for me....

So, to get always a full amount of concentration to the tunes, i will post my impressions in parts.... if i listen to the disc totally, i get a bit of annoyed after some time and this is not fair, particullarly to the last tunes...., please forgive me for that and I have to say, my very personal view indeed, there is no fav. tune in this compilation, and that makes it even more difficult for me to be "fair".

Well, there might be a main theme in this...., i use a "cupboard-drawer-word" :crazy: it is about latin-orientated music. And it has a nice frame... first and last tune contain a female singer (one of mikeweils favourites in music :g ).

And i don't recognize anybody of the musicians (shame on me) ! -_-

I decide i will keep the remarks on my very personal impression and i try to get the right words for the description of what i like and what i don't like and i have to search for the reason why....

#1

Aha, this tune sounds quite familiar, it reminds me of "night and day" in a kind of a mambo-orientated bigband with female-singer. Sometimes i got the impression of a little quoting of "one note samba", but i think, this is the introduction-part of "night and day". Well, the band is nice cooking and the singer does her best, but they don't "reach" me. I am not very impressed of the voice and i get no "fascination" during the audition, all is okay, but not more. The best i can say is, it is a nice opener for this compilation. I stated, that i don't like the voice, well I have to say, that I have my problems with singers,I am an instrumental-music-freak. But mikeweil has given me some lessons.... but this one doesn't reach me. The band is playing very well, well trained and so on, but it is a bit of "I have heard that kind of interpretation of latin-typed music" to often, so, for me, there is no fascination or "tension" in this interpretation, sometimes i have the personal feeling, this is a peace of music that i will listen to during cleaning the flat....

#2

This one is one of the peaces i really dislike. There is an overall noodling and doodling together with to much of "taktaktaketak" and "clickiticlack" ... The funny thing is, this is not a bigband playing.... The interpretation of this tune is quite "nervious" and i get very nervious when i listen to this tune. I really can't listen very long to this kind of music, but this is very personal indeed. The playing of the musicians is okay, they are good, no question, and it is nice performed and it has some "fire" in it, but not for me. The soloing has always this "well-trained"- impression to me, it is all wellbalanced and always on the "secure side"... i miss the fun and the risk a bit.

#3

This one is much more comfortable to me, and i suspect, that i have heard this tune once upon a time... but i can't remember. It is more a ballad-typed piece of music (not a real ballad, but a bit of a ballad) and it has a bit of an easy-listening feel, but not in the "negative" way, it is an impression of feeling well, sitting in the sun, maybe some beach nearby and an overall fine day-feeling. All is relaxed and everybody enjoys this. That is my impression when listening to this interpretation. Here, i like the soloing, there a some unexpected moments, not that "I play an etude"-mood (... can you follow me ??? ) and i imagine fun in there. The band creates a very pleasant impression and they are listening to each other very carefully. I like this tune, but i don't have a clue, who they are. mikeweil you can "mark" this one, when we share our next audition :)

#4

This is another tune, that is not that bad. At first, they start with a riff-typed theme and then they move into a nice groove. Here there are a lot of funny ideas, hopefully not all writen in notes ??? The soloists sound sometimes a bit familiar, maybe i should know one of these.... They keep this one "rolling" but it has not that relaxed character of #3, it is more "cooking". and it is not a big-band.

#5

Ahhhh, the tune with the nice bass-solo, i always stopped all activities, when this solo appeared, and i have the strongly suspect, that i must know this bassplayer.... shame on me ! But back to the tune, It is a nice balladesc tune, it has some reminds of "modern-jazz-quartett-mood" until they start into the tune with that very fine strolling along. Hey and then the piano starts... well, a fine story-teller ! and there is a singing-along-the-melody ! Then we have a very pleasant part with rhythmical game-playing which turns into a very fine bass-Solo, this is one of the cutest bass-solos i heard in 2007! (i would be very proud of myself if i could play in this fine arts-style !!!! Okay... practice!!! ... but my stringholder is still broken :( ).

On the other hand... i think, this recording is not made in 21st century ?? And, mikeweil, may i have this one in my collection and i forgot it ??? Puh.....

This are the comments to the first 5 tunes, I have to make a break.... i have to start the cooking, but i will return with the following-up !

with regards

Mr. Bassman

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Thanks for chiming in, Mr. Bassman!

I think it has a lot to do with listening habits - the more you listen to jazz, the more details you hear - it is much the same with all types of Latin music.

# 3 is a very interesting album - isn't that a nice bass solo, too? A rather overlooked album ...

# 5 shame on you that you don't recognize the bassist! You should!!! You know him!!! But I didn't play this to you nor give you a copy, with regard to this BFT ... it was released in 2000 and recorded late 1999 or early 2000.

Edited by mikeweil
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Thanks for chiming in, Mr. Bassman!

I think it has a lot to do with listening habits - the more you listen to jazz, the more details you hear - it is much the same with all types of Latin music.

# 3 is a very interesting album - isn't that a nice bass solo, too? A rather overlooked album ...

# 5 shame on you that you don't recognize the bassist! You should!!! You know him!!! But I didn't play this to you nor give you a copy, with regard to this BFT ... it was released in 2000 and recorded late 1999 or early 2000.

Well, i understand this point about the listening habits, but there is still a personal matter of taste.... i know some things, what i had to choose if i want to make you "whooopeee" or "uaaaaarrrrghhh" :rolleyes: As i play lot of music and have to do some work here in those days, there is not much time for listening a lot. Therefore i am not well prepared....

But here we have the famous BFT-fun and i try to be as fair as i can be. You see, i take the shame on me with #5 :blush:

back to #3, i still have a foggy memory, that i hav listened to this tune some time ago, but it is thick fog :w

#5, hmmmm i should know the bass-player, indeed, but I'm somewhat "out of order" in the recognizing-business... no practice for a longer time.... we should work on this :party:

okay, here is the next part of my impressions:

#6

This is another not fav-tune for me, i don't like this kind of sports :w They use a lot of cliché-things, this piano-vamp is heard a lot .... and not very nice .... to my ears... The percussion-orchestra works like a steam-engine hurring down the hill... breathless running and increasing the tempo. I take a deep breath, when they arrive.... no accidence during that downhill-race.

#7

Uhhhh, violin with heavy vibrato ??? :lol: And the "nicest" woodwind-instrument sometimes used in the way i like this instrument most :wacko: (mikeweil knows, what i mean :g ) ...together in a misterious mixed-up with some marching rhythm... really not my cup of tee, i dislike this one. I will keep a cape of silence and say nothing more to this tune. sorry...

#8

Now, this one is more, let me say, a bit of balsam for my ears after #6 & #7 :D A not too difficult theme, nice performed and we have some nice solo-ing in this quite relaxed piece of music, the trumpet is very recommended and indeed the bass-solo, too (another shame-point for me... not even a guess). A nice peace of music and it is well-balanced.

#9

This tune has its roots in a strong blues-typed form - 12bar - and a fine latin rhythm overlayed. Then you take some little notes for a theme...(reminds me a bit into a "nighttrain"-direction) and then the cooking starts.... wow, a wild piano solo! This tune has more of a session-typed piece and not a working band (or they could hide this very well). The percussion-playing is sometimes a bit on the "clocky"-side, just my impression.

#10

Okay, I'm not used to this kind of music, it sounds a bit like a festival orchestra with some carneval-feeling. But the beginning is quite unusual for carnaval, the best part of this tune. Okay, not carnaval, this is to hard, but it is a celebration-like athmosphere, all people are happy, dancing is recommended! Not my fav-tune, but not like #7 :w

Well, i still have no guesses to the musicians.

The rest will follow tomorrow... i must have a break :g

with regards

Mr. Bassman

Edited by Mr. Bassman
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Okay, I'm in again...

just a bit of a supplement ....

I started my conference now accidently with listening again to #10... funny things happend, it seems to me, that not only the listening-habbits are responsible for a fair impression, there are much more factors.

I like it much better now (it is nearly 2 p.m. yesterday it was 2 a.m. and i was sleepy)! It is not recommended to listen to this tune, when the bed is calling! This tune is nice for feeling fit! It is more than a celebration-festival-orchestra, wow, there is a lot more, not only the annoying-me-at nighttime "taaataataaa", nice arrangement indeed, who is this piano-player ?

#11

When i had my first run through the compilation, this was a piece that i found (and still find) really worth to listen to, it is like a landmark in the rough sea, between #10 and #12. Okay, it is a larger group and normally I am not that pleased to this kind of music, but here i have to recommend this nice (I mean really nice, not the ironic "NICE") tune. And, as i am not in the guess-who-practice, I don't have any idea, hmmm.

#12

And now back to the "stormy side" :D This one started quite funny... a very "origin-based" rhythm-section (the low voice is not a bass... "talking" deep-drums???) accompanied with some wind (all sax???) and a saxophone-melody from another world, but this one seem to work, not tearing the musicians themselves apart. The more i listen to this one, the more i like this. I hope, the musicians had the same fun, when playing this, because this is really hard work to keep in this attitude. The ending is somewhat like switing off the knob.... they could go on and on :g

#13

This is a fine piece of music, much listening to each other, not that much written (in the first part).... aaaahhh, i like this kind of stuff. They develop here a kind of a story or screenplay.

This one has 2 different parts, maybe a suite ? Second part is more written and fixed (maybe in contrast to the first part). The strings and the percussion show a nice mood, but is this the whole thing ? I can imagine, that this is only a "takeout" of a larger work or should i say Opus? Hmmm, i have to wait until this one is unveiled...

#14

At last the closing tune, again with female singer (with background-singers) and big-Band, well played and nice singing, but not the stuff i like a lot. The part, where the singer sings "unisono" together with the band is a bit toooo much "trained" during the rehearsal :w and the scatting part is a bit "artificial" to me (german saying "wirkt etwas aufgesetzt", hopefully my translation is understandable, maybe there is a better vocable out there, but not in my dictionary.... ). Overall, this one is quite okay, baut i will not listen to this very often.... but a nice tune for the ending!

So, I'm through... :party: and hopefully i will get some help from the other BFT-participants for the "guess-who". And, again, mikeweil, thank you for this one, because it is always good, to listen to music one is not that used to ! When we meet again for our audition-festival :excited: , please take a reservation for #3, #5, #8, #11 and #13 for sure, maybe add the #10 and #12!

with regards

Mr. Bassman

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First of all Mike, thank you very much for this disk - it is a very 'listenable' BFT with its latin theme and one which I will spin again often in the future.

1. Vocal performance of 'Night and Day' with funky latin backing group. Have no idea of the singer, sounds like a native Brazilian.

2. On this track the playing/phrasing of the tenorist reminds me very much of David Sanchez - and that wouldn't be Edsel Gomez on piano would it? I have a few Sanchez albums but don't recognize this particular (and excellent) track. A very good mix of post-bop and Latin.

3. Beautiful opening to this track - immaculately played and recorded. First thoughts say that it's something Kenny Barron and Bobby Hutcherson might have put together (the tune certainly sounds in the style of Barron) but I don't think it's Bobby (the vibe accompaniment is not in his style at all). Dave Pike? Would certainly like to know more about this recording. Very nice, laid-back pace to the latin percussion.

4. A much edgier performance - the trumpeter has a very distinctive sound which is quite theatrical (could it be Enrico Rava?) Not sure about this track, will have to give it a few more spins.

5. Beautiful 12-toneish piano intro with bass - leading into a much more straight-ahead performance latin trio performance in a sort of Billy Taylor/Hank Jones-ish style. There's a bit of grunting going on here, so it couldn't be Keith could it? :crazy: Whoever it is has an immaculate touch on the keyboard.

6. I can see why you picked this one. It's 'Michael's Mambo' from this album. Here. This particular pianist was an excellent live performer who left some great albums and is very must missed from the scene. Giovanni Hidalgo (another great player, always excellent with this pianist) on latin percussion. Andy Gonzales on bass.

and now I will run the bath while listening to the rest of the disk. :)

Edited by sidewinder
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Thanks a lot for commenting!

1. Vocal performance of 'Night and Day' with funky latin backing group. Have no idea of the singer, sounds like a native Brazilian.

Only people from the US and Spanish speaking countries on this disc:

2. On this track the playing/phrasing of the tenorist reminds me very much of David Sanchez - and that wouldn't be Edsel Gomez on piano would it? I have a few Sanchez albums but don't recognize this particular (and excellent) track. A very good mix of post-bop and Latin.

Sanchez is on one track of the disc, but not on this one. It's a US player from the same generation you wouldn't expect in such a context.

3. Beautiful opening to this track - immaculately played and recorded. First thoughts say that it's something Kenny Barron and Bobby Hutcherson might have put together (the tune certainly sounds in the style of Barron) but I don't think it's Bobby (the vibe accompaniment is not in his style at all). Dave Pike? Would certainly like to know more about this recording. Very nice, laid-back pace to the latin percussion.

None of the players you mentioned. A somewhat overlooked album.

4. A much edgier performance - the trumpeter has a very distinctive sound which is quite theatrical (could it be Enrico Rava?) Not sure about this track, will have to give it a few more spins.

Not Rava - a US boy.

5. Beautiful 12-toneish piano intro with bass - leading into a much more straight-ahead performance latin trio performance in a sort of Billy Taylor/Hank Jones-ish style. There's a bit of grunting going on here, so it couldn't be Keith could it? :crazy: Whoever it is has an immaculate touch on the keyboard.

Not Hank nor Keith, a younger player - it's the bassist grunting here!

6. I can see why you picked this one. It's 'Michael's Mambo' from this album. Here. This particular pianist was an excellent live performer who left some great albums and is very must missed from the scene. Giovanni Hidalgo (another great player, always excellent with this pianist) on latin percussion. Andy Gonzalez on bass.

:tup Picked as a tribute to the late, great. Hilton Ruiz.

Edited by mikeweil
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I'm having trouble finding much free time to sit down and compose my thoughts, so I'll add comments in chunks.

1. I am usually not a fan of vocals in jazz, and this track isn't doing anything to sway me. The band is fine at what they do, but I'm not really connecting with this tune. This one sounds too slick and polished for my liking. The band is technically proficient, but I'm not hearing any fire or excitement.

2. I like this one more than track #1, but I'm not fully connecting with it. The tune itself has a fairly nice groove but I find some of the playing to be too restrained and the solos really do nothing for me. I like the pianists support work, but the solo sounds far too smooth for my taste. The sax is ok, but not really grabbing me. Four stars for the percussion, drums, and piano comping, one star for the solos.

Reading back over this I think my comments are coming across harsher than I intended. I found a lot to enjoy with this track but would have loved to hear more drive from the sax and more fire from the pianist's solos. Nice work by the rhythm section, however.

3. This one sounded too smooth to me on first listen but I invariably found myself tapping my toes and bobbing my head in time with the track a few minutes in. After a few minutes this track won me over. The rhythm section steals the show for me but I have no complaints regarding the sax, vibes and flute. They create a nice, relaxed mood that almost ends up supporting the more exciting work from the percussionists. There can't be too many latin jazz albums with a jazz flautists, but I have no clue who this is.

4. I really dig this one. They get a very nice groove going and the playing has a real edge to it that I found lacking in earlier tracks. A few of these players sound familiar, especially the trumpet, bass and piano, but I'm not able identify anyone. I'm almost hearing a "Randy Weston's African Rhythms" vibe from this band in places. An excellent track. I'm really looking forward to finding out who this is.

Edited by John B
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5. Another great track. The “vocalist” can be fairly annoying at times, but he is not able to detract from the fine performance. The funky break at 3:30 never fails to take me by surprise. I’m really enjoying the pianists work here. He has a very nice touch. Delicate at times, forceful and funky at others. The drummer also shows a nice touch. Very supportive, but he keeps things interesting and fresh. The bass player caught my ears the least, but his work is fine, and suits the performance perfectly. There is nothing brash or showy about this performance. The playing is subtle and nuanced and very interesting. A big thumbs up for this one, except for the vocals.

6. A much busier and more active tune. The pianist dominates, and must be the leader. Very nice work. I’m enjoying the percussion, too. The bass player really gets lost in the mix, so nothing specific I can say about his playing. Interestingly short utilization of the tenor. He adds a nice flavor to the mix, although I found myself losing interest at around 2:20 as his solo became more “beep beep beep” staccato. Overall a nice tune, but it felt a little long. Too much “busy” and not enough fresh ideas to necessitate four and a half minutes of play time.

7. What an odd track. I like this one a lot. I’m not sure I could even name all of the instruments correctly. A little “French café” a little movie theme, a little latin, a little jazz, all mixed together. If Zorn composed for a genre-hopping latin-jazz band and crossed his film work with Naked City I would expect something like this. (That is a compliment, by the way.) The “sickly” trombone solo that starts at 4:45 makes me think this is someone being somewhat ironic. A hint of “downtown NYC hipster” vibe more so than a “traditional” latin player vibe. I’m curious to find out who this is.

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Very interesting comments, John, for me, who knows who it is playing on all those tracks ...

3. This one sounded too smooth to me on first listen but I invariably found myself tapping my toes and bobbing my head in time with the track a few minutes in. After a few minutes this track won me over. The rhythm section steals the show for me but I have no complaints regarding the sax, vibes and flute. They create a nice, relaxed mood that almost ends up supporting the more exciting work from the percussionists. There can't be too many latin jazz albums with a jazz flautists, but I have no clue who this is.

The rhythm section is made up of some of the best on the scene! The flutist is not a jazz guy, usually.

4. I really dig this one. They get a very nice groove going and the playing has a real edge to it that I found lacking in earlier tracks. A few of these players sound familiar, especially the trumpet, bass and piano, but I'm not able identify anyone. I'm almost hearing a "Randy Weston's African Rhythms" vibe from this band in places. An excellent track. I'm really looking forward to finding out who this is.

Interesting - I find this is much wilder than what Randy Weston does, although I love his music, too.

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5. Another great track. The “vocalist” can be fairly annoying at times, but he is not able to detract from the fine performance. The funky break at 3:30 never fails to take me by surprise. I’m really enjoying the pianists work here. He has a very nice touch. Delicate at times, forceful and funky at others. The drummer also shows a nice touch. Very supportive, but he keeps things interesting and fresh. The bass player caught my ears the least, but his work is fine, and suits the performance perfectly. There is nothing brash or showy about this performance. The playing is subtle and nuanced and very interesting. A big thumbs up for this one, except for the vocals.

You'll shake your head once you will find out who it is there singing! (Not Jarrett, btw ...)

7. What an odd track. I like this one a lot. I’m not sure I could even name all of the instruments correctly. A little “French café” a little movie theme, a little latin, a little jazz, all mixed together. If Zorn composed for a genre-hopping latin-jazz band and crossed his film work with Naked City I would expect something like this. (That is a compliment, by the way.) The “sickly” trombone solo that starts at 4:45 makes me think this is someone being somewhat ironic. A hint of “downtown NYC hipster” vibe more so than a “traditional” latin player vibe. I’m curious to find out who this is.

By mentioning Zorn you're closer than you think ... the trombone is singing through a tuba, afaik ...

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By mentioning Zorn you're closer than you think ... the trombone is singing through a tuba, afaik ...

I listened to this track a few more times and then saw your comment. I had been thinking that I was reminded of the sound of Marc Ribot's Cubanos Postizos project, which brought me back to John Zorn, which made me think of Tzadik.

A brief search yielded this disc, specifically track 4, as the likely source for this one.

Is the rest of the album as enjoyable as this track?

Edited by John B
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8. This one is a lot more straight ahead bop, with some latin percussion added to the mix. Nice playing by all involved, although the bass player really shines. Nice work by the drummer, too. The more I listen to this one the more it sounds like something that could have been released on Blue Note in the early 1960’s, although the recording quality makes me think it is more recent than that. I feel like I should know who these players are. Very nice.

9. More “quirky” vocals buried in the mix, but I’m finding them amusing rather than annoying this time. That said, this is another track, like #8, that has the classic post-bop / latin thing going on. The horns and bass are nice, but it is the pianist who steals the show for me. He starts off fairly “in the pocket” but gets some nice and angular playing in as the song goes along. I’m not finding the percussion very interesting, however. It fills a more subtle role, adding color to the tune rather than actively engaging the listener. Again, I wouldn’t be surprised if you said this was recorded in the early 1960’s.

10. Much more engaging percussion than on the previous song. I’m hearing a very joyful, exuberant vibe on this track. The tune alternates between more subtle, almost plaintive, small group sections and more bombastic, almost martial larger group sections. The unison horn parts, starting around 3:00, have an almost marching band sound. I keep having the mental image of a really hip large band taking the field at half time during a college football (U.S.) game, all dressed up in matching outfits. Very nice playing by all involved.

Edited by John B
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8. ... The more I listen to this one the more it sounds like something that could have been released on Blue Note in the early 1960’s, although the recording quality makes me think it is more recent than that. I feel like I should know who these players are. Very nice.

It was recorded in 2001 - but it was the similarity in sound to records like Dorham's "Afro-Cuban" that I chose it for.

9. More “quirky” vocals buried in the mix, but I’m finding them amusing rather than annoying this time. That said, this is another track, like #8, that has the classic post-bop / latin thing going on. The horns and bass are nice, but it is the pianist who steals the show for me. He starts off fairly “in the pocket” but gets some nice and angular playing in as the song goes along. I’m not finding the percussion very interesting, however. It fills a more subtle role, adding color to the tune rather than actively engaging the listener. Again, I wouldn’t be surprised if you said this was recorded in the early 1960’s.

A 1998 recording - this time it's the pianist singing.

None of the tracks on this BFT was recorded before 1990.

10. Much more engaging percussion than on the previous song. I’m hearing a very joyful, exuberant vibe on this track. The tune alternates between more subtle, almost plaintive, small group sections and more bombastic, almost martial larger group sections. The unison horn parts, starting around 3:00, have an almost marching band sound. I keep having the mental image of a really hip large band taking the field at half time during a college football (U.S.) game, all dressed up in matching outfits. Very nice playing by all involved.

Well ... there's a celebratory tradition this refers to, although it's not football ...

Duh - I should try to catch some sleep before leaving for the airport at 4 a.m., but I never can before such a trip.

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OK, finally getting to this one, which arrived late. Some comments:

1) A really nice "Night & Day"; even the scat solo does it for me, & I basically hate scat singing. I always like the contrast in this kind of music between the laconic, off-beat bass playing & the denser rhythmic layers on top. Good horn chart, too.

2) I was anticipating that I wouldn't know anything on this BFT, & here's already a familiar track. This is ES's disc on Herbie Mann's short-lived Kokopelli label--I think I picked it up in a trade w/ John Felser (thanks John for recommending it!). The unmistakable MT on sax--it's almost nostalgic to hear him here sounding a lot more expressive & less airlessly "smart" than a few years later. You don't get a lot of the leader here, but the unexpectedly staged three-way dialogue between him & bass & the percussion is quite effective. (AMG link)

3) Lovely groove here--everything here seems to fit together, the percussion with the piano & bass.

4) A more nervous modern feel, with a great post-Monk use of out-of-sync rhythmic/melodic layers. Not sure who any of these guys are though I'll guess Gary Thomas for the tenor on the basis of his distinctive tone, even though this isn't the context I'd expect to find him in.

5) I was wondering how on earth this quiet Hank Jones-style piano was going to work its way to a Latin feel.... but it does! Surely an older player--has flash & the licks fall nicely under the fingers, but has a take-your-time vibe that I think most young players just can't manage. Nice drummer, quietly in dialogue with the bass & piano.

6) OK, so this is the first track where I think "this is a Latin piano player, not a jazz piano player in a Latin context". I think this is good but, it's not as "multi-dimensional" for me as a track like #5 or #2.

7) Where's "one"? :) Postmodern cafe music! Maybe a little repetitious/long, but I like the ingredients in the mix. Reminds me a bit of the stuff on the El Gallo Rojo label.

8) OK, we're back on "jazz" territory here. No idea who it is--thought of Oliver Lake for a few moments on the alto solo but it seems not quite as incandescent as I'd expect from him. Not terribly taken by the trumpeter--he's fine, just I think I've heard this stuff before. This is a good track but seems more familiar territory for me than the other tracks here.

9) The opening led me to expect something a little more unusual than this fairly straightforward Latinized blues, but that's good too. The alto player has a sense of humour, throwing in a passage of klezmer licks! & the sheer bravura looseness & freedom of the pianist is a pleasure to hear.

10) Though the most obvious stress in this BFT is the percussion, it occurs to me there's just as much stress on piano too. -- The percussion accompaniment sounds very carefully worked out, evolving in several directions with each section of the arrangement.

11) Oddly this reminded me of a track by Joost Buis's Astronotes which uses the same dreamy pileup of harmonies over a quiet dance rhythm. (Haven't got the album to hand but if anyone here has the album they'll know the one I mean.) But it's not them, some more mainstream guys.

12) A great texture, & then I'm left wondering why it doesn't go anywhere. Oh well.

13) God knows what this is! Definitely the oddest medley with "Round Midnight" I've encountered since Wiek Hijmans did it in conjunction with a piece by Sweelinck.

14) I found the latin section in the middle more appealing than the opening "straight" section, which I don't find really all that swinging (& the lyrics are, uh, limited). Nice Gil Evans touches in the harmonies (the voicings made me think of some passages on Porgy & Bess).

Edited by Nate Dorward
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BFT 52

This is a very nice, mostly Latin, compilation, Mike. I’ve enjoyed almost all the tracks; though there’s been nothing that made me leap around the room, yelling. I’ve no idea who any of these players are, so I’ll be interested to see the lineups.

1 “Night and day”; Don’t know the singer, but she has a nice voice. I like this a lot! Keep waiting for the also sax solo, though. Is the singer playing drums at the end?

2 Piano intro to s steaming rhythm.It has a feel like Moacir Santos’ Blue Note album, but I don’t know whether it’s him or not. After the sax solo, it seems to become a bit disjointed.

3 This tune gives me a very strong Willie Bobo feeling. But the tenor player has a very angular quality to his solo that I DON’T associate with Bobo – and am not very keen on. Otherwise, this is a very pleasant track.

4 Good groove but I don’t like what they’re playing over it. All those dissonances are pretty hard to dance to. Tenor player really doesn’t swing at all. But the pianist seems right there – I like his solo a lot. Think I’d like to hear him in a more conventional Latin setting. Perhaps I have and just don’t recognise him in this context.

5 Piano trio with percussion – a nice easeful cut to follow the last. No fireworks, but I can imagine this has a good place in an album.

6 I seem to recognise this, but don’t really. Is the pianist the same one as on #4? Now THIS tenor player is swingin’ and wailin’! YAY!!!!

7 Strings, marimba, xylophone, clarinet(s) – very mixed bag. And there’s a German oom-pah band bit at the end of each chorus. This is a very friendly kind of cut. Bet it comes from a film. Oh, is that a tuba or euphonium solo towards the end? Oh, AND an organ!!! I assume this is called “Guajira”. Delightful!

8 Very tuff cut. Feels like it doesn’t want to be in 6/8 but it’s being forced.

9 Portentous intro. Very nice alto solo: strong, groovy player. Like the trumpet solo, too: quite like Blue Mitchell in places, very solid. Pianist doesn’t feel quite so comfortable as the other soloists; I have the feeling that he’s the leader, though. Strange…

10 Another portentous intro. Can’t say these intros actually grab me. Once it gets going, it’s fine. Nice brash trombonist. Very powerful arrangement. Bet this band is a killer in person!

11 Lush arrangement – makes me think of Henry Mancini. Unfortunately, it’s not Plas Johnson on tenor. Sounds like “Easy to love” sometimes – is it based on those chords?

12 What an odd little thing! Sounds like George Braith meets Pony Poindexter (I know it’s not that).

13 Another strange thing. This seems more African than Latin, but it’s not really African either. Sounds like an Arts Council job.

14 What? Swinging in 4 on this CD? Oh, it’s the singer from #1 again. Love the tenor player’s sly accompaniment. Can’t get this quite as much as “Night and day”.

A very good programme overall, Mike – thanks very much. Looking forward to the revelations.

MG

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11. I’ve got mixed feelings on this track. It doesn’t totally click for me. I’ve listened to it many times and still can’t quite make up my mind how I feel about it. The arrangement is almost too lush and “syrupy” at times. On the other hand, the playing does have a nice, relaxed vibe that maintains my interest. I feel like this one flirts with treacle, but never fully crosses over.

12. Another really odd tune. I enjoy the percussion, as busy and “blocky” as it is. The lead horn just floats over the proceedings, doing his own thing, never concerned by the almost agitated, metronomic horns and percussion behind him. His tone sounds awfully familiar…

13. This track has a very interesting mood and atmosphere. There is an almost African sound from the percussion, but I don’t believe the musicians are from Africa. The first comparison that comes to mind when I hear this mix of “world” music, classical, and jazz is the Brazilian group Uakti. This track sounds less “new-agey” than I remember Uakti sounding on the one album I have heard of theirs. I’m looking forward to finding out who this is.

14. This sounds like the same singer as on track #1. I prefer the singing on this track, probably due to the lack of scatting early on. The scatting does eventually start to get to me. I still don’t love the band, but I’m not as put off by their slickness on this one. Not a favorite, but a nice end to the disc, bringing us back full circle to the start.

Thank you for a very enjoyable BFT. I’ve really enjoyed listening to these tracks and I am looking forward to reading the answers. I’m sure I will be exploring some of this music further.

Edited by John B
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Reporting in from the hotel lobby in Giardini Naxos just below Taormina, Sicily, Italy. Nice weather, cloudy but 20° Centigrade the day over - a lot warmer than chilly Germany that we successfully escaped for a week!

I have a blindfold test of its own kind here: Trying to guess the upteenth standard tune oozing from the muzak speakers here, trying to tell Night and Day from I've got you under my skin, as they all sound so similar in these versions ...

Edited by mikeweil
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