BFT #56 Discussion Disc 1

[BERIGAN]

Better late then never! Oh, and if you all feel like it, try guessing the years the tracks were recorded!

Edited March 27, 2008 by BERIGAN

[Dan Gould]

Conrad,

you need to start two discussion threads, one for each disc. Otherwise it gets confusing as to what tunes are being guessed at.

[BERIGAN]

Conrad,

you need to start two discussion threads, one for each disc. Otherwise it gets confusing as to what tunes are being guessed at.

Heh....I should have thought of that...but, I didn't

[lipi]

o.k. this is the first bft i participated in. thanks, berigan, for some great music. i really enjoyed some of these tracks...and really didn't like others. ) here my initial notes on disc 1. i listened to it at work, with interruptions and what have you, which i will use as an excuse for my absolutely embarrassing lack of knowledge and the stream-of-consciousness nature of the comments below.

disc 1

1. electric guitar, electric violin, echo-y vibes. what on earth is this? i have no idea. it's later than things i usually listen to, i suspect. would love it if it were acoustic. it's seriously weird. the style is right up my alley, meaning it's 40s or so, but the instrumentation makes it sound 60s or 70s.

2. i've made sounds like that when practicing without a trumpet, or, for that matter, a mouthpiece, but i always had the good sense not to record them. tom-toms keep threatening to break into a big, wild break, but it never happens. i keep thinking "stan kenton", but that's probably not right.

3. is that an electric bass? someone is going to identify that tenor player, but unfortunately i'm not that someone. blaring horns; must be 1950s.

4. oh. i have this, or have at least heard it, but can't for the life of me identify it. god. argh! frustrating. nice trumpet (with plunger mute?). man. i want to get up and dance. yeah! some boogie woogie piano. could this be kirk?

5. crazy unison. what is that? a trombone and a bari sax? no. sounds like two brass. piano doesn't do it for me. sounds like it's off vinyl. anyway, too modern for my taste; where's the melody? goes on forever. i'm skipping.

6. a trombone or perhaps a slide trumpet. then a regular trumpet. a chalumeau clarinet. no idea. you'd think the guitar player would give it away, but i don't know enough to make the call. four bars of violin; that should narrow it down. i should listen to more slow things.

7. tea for two, that much is clear. and it's a-rockin'. i like this. the tenor solo is o.k., but doesn't blow me away. are those bones, as in the percussive ones, not the ones you blow? i'm not a fan of the piano player(s?), but the rest of the rhythm section makes this a fun tune. sounds like a movie soundtrack. i think it's that horn hit on the end that really screams "hollywood".

8. i should know this. late 1920's? what's that crazy reed? is that an abused alto? someone playing on half a clarinet? a sarrusophone? wait...is that a soprano sax?! who on earth played those back then? it doesn't sound like the obvious guy. anyway: this is fun to listen to. more, please!

9. chick? it has that crispness i associate with him. no piano, or i would be tempted to think of early basie, too -- though not with those drums.

10. you can dance peabody or one-step quite nicely to this. i can't identify the bass...is that a booming tuba or a booming string bass? it's so low that i can't tell. i suspect tuba, because it's mostly playing every other.

11. snooze. nothing happens until the trumpet wakes us up at 1:45. but i wish he hadn't. i don't like this one. is this some white folks trying to be duke?

12. hey, yeah! 1940's style boogie woogie, but sounds like it's newer; echo/reverb/something, and possibly a flute in there. i can't identify half the things the rhythm section is whacking on. *listens some more* i take it back. maybe this really is 1940's.

13. gypsy swing. tatum? whoever it is was influenced by tatum. christian? or is it grimes? is that even electric? i have to listen to it more carefully on better speakers.

14. this sounds pretty familiar. late 1920's again? the solos sound like 1920's solos. i guess it could be 1950's revival, though it sounds pretty "original" to me. god, that trumpet has a clear tone! fun to listen to.

15. 1935-1940. someone is drivin' that band hard. trumpet leader? bari-sax? weak guitar solo -- sounds like he was caught off-guard.

16. duke? that's always a good guess.

17. must be goodman. that band has the goodman sound.

18. i feel stupid for not recognising this, because i probably have it. do i hear a trumbauer influence? well, everybody was influence by him, i guess. but i don't know who this is. anyway: good track.

19. what? hawai'ian? either that, or they're singing backwards.

20. bass player sounds like he's on ritalin. i don't like this one very much.

well. more question marks than statements in the above, i'm afraid. ) i'll try to do better on disc 2.

[BERIGAN]

o.k. this is the first bft i participated in. thanks, berigan, for some great music. i really enjoyed some of these tracks...and really didn't like others. ) disc 1

Thanks for chiming in first! Glad there was no middle ground!

1. electric guitar, electric violin, echo-y vibes. what on earth is this? i have no idea. it's later than things i usually listen to, i suspect. would love it if it were acoustic. it's seriously weird. the style is right up my alley, meaning it's 40s or so, but the instrumentation makes it sound 60s or 70s.

Interesting. Listened to it again, I don't think it's an electric violin, but I have been wrong before. It's also slightly older than you think. I thought it would be interesting if folks guessed what years the tracks were from!

2. i've made sounds like that when practicing without a trumpet, or, for that matter, a mouthpiece, but i always had the good sense not to record them. tom-toms keep threatening to break into a big, wild break, but it never happens. i keep thinking "stan kenton", but that's probably not right.

Don't hold back man, tell us how you really feel! I laughed out loud the first time I heard it, I heard in on a compilation disc, wasn't expecting it. But have grown to love the tune. Song title makes sound a bit more understandable. Not Kenton.

3. is that an electric bass? someone is going to identify that tenor player, but unfortunately i'm not that someone. blaring horns; must be 1950s.

Interesting question. Liner notes don't mention electrified bass. Sounds a bit like one though! Don't think it's as likely as you do, that the tenor player will be known...'cept for perhaps for JSngry. Not the 1950's, honest!

4. oh. i have this, or have at least heard it, but can't for the life of me identify it. god. argh! frustrating. nice trumpet (with plunger mute?). man. i want to get up and dance. yeah! some boogie woogie piano. could this be kirk?

Not Andy Kirk's Orchestra. I know what you mean about wanting to get up and dance!

5. crazy unison. what is that? a trombone and a bari sax? no. sounds like two brass. piano doesn't do it for me. sounds like it's off vinyl. anyway, too modern for my taste; where's the melody? goes on forever. i'm skipping.

Track 4 made you want to get up and dance, this one has you skipping, so I can safely say you loved it, right? Thats ok. It's a bit modern for my taste as well, but I just love it for some reason. Wish everyone could hear in on my Dad's huge 50's JBL's.... that helps. It was a big decision for me to add it, since it meant less tracks on this disc.

6. a trombone or perhaps a slide trumpet. then a regular trumpet. a chalumeau clarinet. no idea. you'd think the guitar player would give it away, but i don't know enough to make the call. four bars of violin; that should narrow it down. i should listen to more slow things.

Not a slide trumpet. Don't know much about clarinets. We should all listen to more slow things, IMHO!

7. tea for two, that much is clear. and it's a-rockin'. i like this. the tenor solo is o.k., but doesn't blow me away. are those bones, as in the percussive ones, not the ones you blow? i'm not a fan of the piano player(s?), but the rest of the rhythm section makes this a fun tune. sounds like a movie soundtrack. i think it's that horn hit on the end that really screams "hollywood".

No percussive bones as far as I know! Not a soundtrack tune either.

. i should know this. late 1920's? what's that crazy reed? is that an abused alto? someone playing on half a clarinet? a sarrusophone? wait...is that a soprano sax?! who on earth played those back then? it doesn't sound like the obvious guy. anyway: this is fun to listen to. more, please!

Very close on the year.

9. chick? it has that crispness i associate with him. no piano, or i would be tempted to think of early basie, too -- though not with those drums.

10. you can dance peabody or one-step quite nicely to this. i can't identify the bass...is that a booming tuba or a booming string bass? it's so low that i can't tell. i suspect tuba, because it's mostly playing every other.

11. snooze. nothing happens until the trumpet wakes us up at 1:45. but i wish he hadn't. i don't like this one. is this some white folks trying to be duke?

12. hey, yeah! 1940's style boogie woogie, but sounds like it's newer; echo/reverb/something, and possibly a flute in there. i can't identify half the things the rhythm section is whacking on. *listens some more* i take it back. maybe this really is 1940's.

13. gypsy swing. tatum? whoever it is was influenced by tatum. christian? or is it grimes? is that even electric? i have to listen to it more carefully on better speakers.

14. this sounds pretty familiar. late 1920's again? the solos sound like 1920's solos. i guess it could be 1950's revival, though it sounds pretty "original" to me. god, that trumpet has a clear tone! fun to listen to.

15. 1935-1940. someone is drivin' that band hard. trumpet leader? bari-sax? weak guitar solo -- sounds like he was caught off-guard.

16. duke? that's always a good guess.

17. must be goodman. that band has the goodman sound.

18. i feel stupid for not recognising this, because i probably have it. do i hear a trumbauer influence? well, everybody was influence by him, i guess. but i don't know who this is. anyway: good track.

19. what? hawai'ian? either that, or they're singing backwards.

20. bass player sounds like he's on ritalin. i don't like this one very much.

well. more question marks than statements in the above, i'm afraid. ) i'll try to do better on disc 2.

[BERIGAN]

o.k. this is the first bft i participated in. thanks, berigan, for some great music. i really enjoyed some of these tracks...and really didn't like others. ) disc 1

Thanks for chiming in first! Glad there was no middle ground!

1. electric guitar, electric violin, echo-y vibes. what on earth is this? i have no idea. it's later than things i usually listen to, i suspect. would love it if it were acoustic. it's seriously weird. the style is right up my alley, meaning it's 40s or so, but the instrumentation makes it sound 60s or 70s.

Interesting. Listened to it again, I don't think it's an electric violin, but I have been wrong before. It's also slightly older than you think. I thought it would be interesting if folks guessed what years the tracks were from!

2. i've made sounds like that when practicing without a trumpet, or, for that matter, a mouthpiece, but i always had the good sense not to record them. tom-toms keep threatening to break into a big, wild break, but it never happens. i keep thinking "stan kenton", but that's probably not right.

Don't hold back man, tell us how you really feel! I laughed out loud the first time I heard it, I heard in on a compilation disc, wasn't expecting it. But have grown to love the tune. Song title makes sound a bit more understandable. Not Kenton.

3. is that an electric bass? someone is going to identify that tenor player, but unfortunately i'm not that someone. blaring horns; must be 1950s.

Interesting question. Liner notes don't mention electrified bass. Sounds a bit like one though! Don't think it's as likely as you do, that the tenor player will be known...'cept for perhaps for JSngry. Not the 1950's, honest!

4. oh. i have this, or have at least heard it, but can't for the life of me identify it. god. argh! frustrating. nice trumpet (with plunger mute?). man. i want to get up and dance. yeah! some boogie woogie piano. could this be kirk?

Not Andy Kirk's Orchestra. I know what you mean about wanting to get up and dance!

5. crazy unison. what is that? a trombone and a bari sax? no. sounds like two brass. piano doesn't do it for me. sounds like it's off vinyl. anyway, too modern for my taste; where's the melody? goes on forever. i'm skipping.

Track 4 made you want to get up and dance, this one has you skipping, so I can safely say you loved it, right? Thats ok. It's a bit modern for my taste as well, but I just love it for some reason. Wish everyone could hear in on my Dad's huge 50's JBL's.... that helps. It was a big decision for me to add it, since it meant less tracks on this disc.

6. a trombone or perhaps a slide trumpet. then a regular trumpet. a chalumeau clarinet. no idea. you'd think the guitar player would give it away, but i don't know enough to make the call. four bars of violin; that should narrow it down. i should listen to more slow things.

Not a slide trumpet. Don't know much about clarinets. We should all listen to more slow things, IMHO!

7. tea for two, that much is clear. and it's a-rockin'. i like this. the tenor solo is o.k., but doesn't blow me away. are those bones, as in the percussive ones, not the ones you blow? i'm not a fan of the piano player(s?), but the rest of the rhythm section makes this a fun tune. sounds like a movie soundtrack. i think it's that horn hit on the end that really screams "hollywood".

No percussive bones as far as I know! Not a soundtrack tune either.

. i should know this. late 1920's? what's that crazy reed? is that an abused alto? someone playing on half a clarinet? a sarrusophone? wait...is that a soprano sax?! who on earth played those back then? it doesn't sound like the obvious guy. anyway: this is fun to listen to. more, please!

Very close on the year. I never noticed, but yeah liner notes do mention a Soprano being played, actually two names have SS next to them.

Gee??? Who knew there were limits on the number of times you can use quote boxes??? Seems silly to me, but must be in the software....henceforth, Alex will be in bold...

9. chick? it has that crispness i associate with him. no piano, or i would be tempted to think of early basie, too -- though not with those drums.

Nope, not Chick Webb!

10. you can dance peabody or one-step quite nicely to this. i can't identify the bass...is that a booming tuba or a booming string bass? it's so low that i can't tell. i suspect tuba, because it's mostly playing every other

Booming string bass and banjo tossed in. One of my favorite "early" tracks...takes awhile to get going, but builds up quite nicely, IMO.

11. snooze. nothing happens until the trumpet wakes us up at 1:45. but i wish he hadn't. i don't like this one. is this some white folks trying to be duke?

Oh well....I do like the line that you wish he hadn't awakened!

12. hey, yeah! 1940's style boogie woogie, but sounds like it's newer; echo/reverb/something, and possibly a flute in there. i can't identify half the things the rhythm section is whacking on. *listens some more* i take it back. maybe this really is 1940's.

Not newer. It is different, and from someone...wait...nevermind....I'll wait...it is different though, ain't it???

13. gypsy swing. tatum? whoever it is was influenced by tatum. christian? or is it grimes? is that even electric? i have to listen to it more carefully on better speakers.

Not Tatum, but most likely right in influenced by him....Not Christian or Grimes, but good guesses!(To be honest, not a name I know)

14. this sounds pretty familiar. late 1920's again? the solos sound like 1920's solos. i guess it could be 1950's revival, though it sounds pretty "original" to me. god, that trumpet has a clear tone! fun to listen to.

Yep on the timeframe! He sure does have a clear tone, doesn't he?

15. 1935-1940. someone is drivin' that band hard. trumpet leader? bari-sax? weak guitar solo -- sounds like he was caught off-guard

Right 5 year period! Yep trumpet leader, at least for these sides. Guitarist may have been caught off guard. Another guy who's name rings no bells...

16. duke? that's always a good guess.

Nope. But alway a good guess, like you say.

17. must be goodman. that band has the goodman sound

Right you are!

18. i feel stupid for not recognising this, because i probably have it. do i hear a trumbauer influence? well, everybody was influence by him, i guess. but i don't know who this is. anyway: good track

Not Tram....

19. what? hawai'ian? either that, or they're singing backwards.

Yep, singing backwards! No, first guess was right.

20. bass player sounds like he's on ritalin. i don't like this one very much

Bassist does sound focused, doesn't he?

well. more question marks than statements in the above, i'm afraid. ) i'll try to do better on disc 2.

Hey not bad at all Alex! I sure didnt' make it easy!

Edited March 27, 2008 by BERIGAN

[Rosco]

Very enjoyable collection, Berigan. I'm going to preface this by saying that this stuff is way out of my field- 95% of my collection is post 1945. I drew a resounding blank on pretty much most of the disc, but here are a few jottings I made listening to it the first time through:

#1: First thought is Lionel Hampton, second thought is Charlie Christian. Electric violin? Very compact arrangement, full of incident. Late 30s/ early 40s?

(I thought that was electric violin, too!)

#2: My only sure-fire slam dunk on this disc! It's track 14 on this CD(edit: dang! I can't make this link work! It's Rex Stewart, 'Menelik (The Lion of Judah)'. How could you forget that intro? Avant garde or what?

#3: Familiar sounding tenor saxophone. May kick myself for not identifying it.

#5: The piano is interesting... seems to be pushing the envelope a little... Familiar sounding tenor. Illinois Jacquet? Quirky trombonist. Bill Harris? Slightly later vintage, probably mid-late 40s?

Not doing too well here... will listen again and come back with further thoughts, if any....

Edited for several attempts at posting a link and to add some guesses at dates.

Edited March 27, 2008 by Rosco

[BERIGAN]

#1: First thought is Lionel Hampton, second thought is Charlie Christian. Electric violin? Very compact arrangement, full of incident. Late 30s/ early 40s?

(I thought that was electric violin, too!)

Might want to stick with that first thought! Wow! Maybe it is electric, sounds like someone else's style to me...will dig around and find out(if I can)Well, seems this guy DID play electric violin! Sure didn't know(or notice) that! Learn somethin' new every day! Good ears guys!

#2: My only sure-fire slam dunk on this disc! It's track 14 on this CD(edit: dang! I can't make this link work! It's Rex Stewart, 'Menelik (The Lion of Judah)'. How could you forget that intro? Avant garde or what?

Hey, very good! I don't understand why that track isn't better known(at least I didn't have it on any of my many Ellington or sidemen discs-found it on a Compilation disc) Love the way Rex plays with that slurred or half valve style... Allmusic likes to mess with their links...sometimes I have seen the info hidden even, for some reason.

#3: Familiar sounding tenor saxophone. May kick myself for not identifying it.

I think you guys are confusing him with someone else, but perhaps not!

#5: The piano is interesting... seems to be pushing the envelope a little... Familiar sounding tenor. Illinois Jacquet? Quirky trombonist. Bill Harris? Slightly later vintage, probably mid-late 40s?

Right on the button, era wise! Not Jacquet, very good guess on BH, since it's him!

Not doing too well here... will listen again and come back with further thoughts, if any....

Rosco, Seems pretty darn good for someone with a mainly post war collection!

Edited March 27, 2008 by BERIGAN

[lipi]

6. a trombone or perhaps a slide trumpet. then a regular trumpet. a chalumeau clarinet. no idea. you'd think the guitar player would give it away, but i don't know enough to make the call. four bars of violin; that should narrow it down. i should listen to more slow things.

Not a slide trumpet. Don't know much about clarinets. We should all listen to more slow things, IMHO!

sorry, i should have been clearer: "chalumeau" is the name of the low register on a clarinet (the warm, woody one), not of a type of clarinet. so my notes just said the guy played in the low register. i don't even know why i wrote that down.

btw, berigan, do you play guitar? i noticed a lot of guitar in these two discs. (or perhaps i just noticed a lot of it because i know about five jazz guitar players, and i can identify, at most, on a good day, one of them, so i kept thinking "man, i wish i knew more about these guys".)

[disc 2 guesses deleted. will paste in the other thread, when it appears.]

Edited March 27, 2008 by alex.

[Niko]

6. a trombone or perhaps a slide trumpet. then a regular trumpet. a chalumeau clarinet. no idea. you'd think the guitar player would give it away, but i don't know enough to make the call. four bars of violin; that should narrow it down. i should listen to more slow things.

Not a slide trumpet. Don't know much about clarinets. We should all listen to more slow things, IMHO!

sorry, i should have been clearer: "chalumeau" is the name of the low register on a clarinet (the warm, woody one), not of a type of clarinet. so my notes just said the guy played in the low register. i don't even know why i wrote that down.

actually, a chalumeau is a musical instrument in its own right, (and a type of clarinet if you want, it's wooden and has a single reed...); not a type of clarinet you would expect to hear on a 20th century (or 21th century) jazz recording however...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalumeau

(and besides that there is of course the other meaning of the word which you used...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalumeau_%28disambiguation%29 )

Edited March 27, 2008 by Niko

[BERIGAN]

anyway...disc 2! shall i stick it in this same thread? i'll just write everything that i hear again. if it's completely off, it should at least amuse, right?

disc 2

Whoa there Alex! Some good guesses, but I'll create a different thread for disc two a little later.(You may notice Dan reminded me to do this at the top of this thread, since I first posted this just as BFT #56) It would be too confusing to know who was talking about which disc and all that....If you can, just copy those answers down ( save in an email, or word program) and delete that post if you can. If you can't, it's won't be a problem....Thanks!

[BERIGAN]

Thanks for the info Niko...never heard of it before....

[tkeith]

I got nothin'. I'm just going to post my reactions as I listen. This is a weak genre for me thus, it's been a laborious BFT.

Track 1 – Hmm… not a clue. I’d guess Louis because of fat vibrato, but I seldom listen to this period. It does not lack heat, that’s for sure. Piano makes me want to hear Dave Burrell on Marion Brown’s SPOOKS.

Track 2 – Yaw killin’ me brothah! Again, no clue, but fun.

Track 3 – Again, no idea, but fun. Couldn’t listen to it all day, though.

Track 4 – Eeesh… I guess this is more of a listening exercise than a BFT for me. This one is cool, but I could do without the vocals.

Track 5 – T’ain’t my bag. Couldn’t make it through this one.

Track 6 – I like the piano, but the alto is off putting. Can’t explain why, it just… well… bugs me.

Track 7 – No idea. Sounds like a neat exercise more than a tune.

Track 8 – Feel like I’m watching Tom & Jerry. Most of these thus far have struck me as… I guess, cute. But not as bloody as the stuff I gravitate towards. Not sure, but seems like I’ve heard this tenor player.

Track 9 – This one’s not touching me a’tall.

Track 10 – Of all the slower tempo stuff, I like this one best thus far, but the scoopiness of the tenor player bugs me a bit. Not so much in the solo, but on the head. In the solo, it’s nice.

[tkeith]

That was from Friday, this is from today:

Track 11 – No impressions.

Track 12 – No impressions. I’m on day two – like I said earlier, it’s hard for me to listen to this period *constantly*.

Track 13 – Interestingly quirky. Reminds me a bit of the experimental Kenton phase. Don’t know the year, but I’d say this is definitely ahead of it’s time.

Track 14 – I like the band, the solos not as much.

Track 15 – Raucous, but to be honest, I tuned it out pretty quickly. Hope these responses aren’t too negative, I’m just typing what my gut sends me via my ears.

Track 16 – This sounds like Basie to me. It has more story than most of the rest of these. I realize that’s a poor way of wording it, but that’s my instant reaction. There’s a story being told, and I want to know the outcome. I haven’t felt that with the other tunes (excepting maybe tracks 10 & 13). I could guess a bunch of names and be wrong, so I’m not going to bother. I’d be breakfast on Basie, though.

Track 17 – I grew up listening to Basie and Ellington, and that stuff has always reached me and touched me more as a result. My grandparents took me to a dance when I was about 14, and Ted Herbert’s band was playing. I enjoyed it, but it lacked the magic of the Ellington & Basie stuff I was used to. That’s the way this strikes me. This would be fun to watch life, but it’s not really wowing me.

Track 18 – This is too early for my ears.

Track 19 – It’s neat to hear the horns mesh at this tempo, but I’m finding it hard to stay invested in the listening after a short time.

Track 20 – The instrumentation was enough to rope me in early on this one, I just wish each had more time to stretch. Just when I get interested in what one instrument is doing, another one takes over. That’s clearly the point, but I feel short changed. That’s it for this session, must go buy tires.

[Guest Bill Barton]

First, a little background. This is my first experience with the Blindfold Test, and this is a fun and thought-provoking collection. Thanks for all of your work, BERIGAN!

It's been years since I've listened to much vintage jazz. Back in the late 1970s through the 1990s I had a rather large LP collection. I never really kept count but it numbered somewhere around the 10,000 mark. In the late 1990s about 3/4 of the collection was ripped off and I currently have little pre-1950s recorded music: lots of Ellington, some Armstrong (The Hot 5s & 7s), a little Jelly Roll, one Pee Wee Russell, one early Roy Eldridge, and that's about it.

Back when I was Music Director at Mountain-Lake Public Radio in Plattsburgh, NY (1990-1996) I did an in-depth jazz history series on the air. Between my collection and the station's it managed to be relatively comprehensive. In those days I was thoroughly immersed in all of the eras and styles of the music. But now it all sounds fresh and new to me. And I'm amazed at how few of the selections here ring any bells in my memory.

I purposefully avoided reading any of the responses in the discussion thread before coming up with my own reactions. So here goes… First reactions:

1. This sounds like Django Reinhardt on electric guitar and I'd place this in the mid to late 1940s, probably recorded in Paris. I'd guess that it is Hubert Rostaing on clarinet. The piano sounds like it might be Stephane Grappelli, and I believe that he also plays violin here. The vibes threw me! At first I thought maybe Red Norvo, but now I'm not so sure. It could be Roger Chomer, whom I've never heard, but he played with Django around this time. On the tried-and-true Downbeat five-star scale I'd give this one three-and-a-half. I like this a lot.

2. My bet is that this is Adrian Rollini, probably from the late 1920s. This is a truly bizarre track! I like it but am somewhat baffled. This sucker is avant-garde for sure. The opening and closing sounds, which may or may not be a bass saxophone, remind me of Lester Bowie of all people. There are parts of this that sound a little like the early Duke Ellington band, but I don't think that it's him. This is a very, very nice trumpet solo. I can't really put my finger on whom it might be. Henry "Red" Allen? Three stars mainly on the strength of the trumpet solo and the oddball open and close.

3. Duke Ellington from the early to mid 1930s. Definitely low on the scale when it comes to the Duke. Not terribly memorable. Toward the ending it sounds very unfocused. One-and-a-half stars.

4. Ray McKinley, probably with Will Bradley and Freddie Slack on piano. No "Down the Road Apiece" but semi-okay. Circa 1939-1940. Two stars.

5. A small combo in the transition from swing to bop. 1940s. Damn! This sounds familiar… I should know who the pianist is. Dodo Marmarosa?

Could it be Bill Harris on trombone? Gene Ammons on tenor I think. A solid four-and-a-half stars.

6. Django Reinhardt again. 1930s. The guitar playing is nice but the rest of this is seriously hokey. There's an outside possibility it might be Oscar Aleman, who sometimes sounded uncannily like Django. One star.

7. A very tacky "Tea for Two." Probably early 1940s. The pianist sounds almost Tatum-esque but less harmonically adventurous and way too prolix for my taste. Gimmicky. One-half star.

8. This rocks! Great stuff! I'd say it's the Jimmie Lunceford orchestra in the 1930s with Joe Thomas the tenor soloist. Four stars.

9. Some super-tight ensembles here. A well-oiled machine for sure. Benny Goodman just before he hit it big and likely a Fletcher Henderson arrangement. Three stars.

10. I'd say that this is the same group as #9. A considerably less successful effort though. The drumming is truly annoying toward the end. One star.

11. Duke Ellington early 1930s. The two trumpet soloists are superb! Four stars.

12. I have absolutely no idea of who this is. Wait, maybe Ray McKinley again… The drumming is great. I'd guess that this was recorded around 1930. Three stars.

13. I'd say that this is Django again from the 1940s. Sounds like steel guitar in here; never knew he recorded with steel in the band. After a couple more listens it appears that he's getting that steel-ish sound from a regular hollow-body electric. Three-and-a-half stars.

14. Maybe Bennie Moten? This reminds me of how much more advanced trumpeters, trombonists and clarinetists were than the saxophonists in those days. Late 1920s? Early 1930s? Two-and-a-half stars.

15. This sounds like the same band as #14. This is one hell of a trumpet solo. Three-and-half stars mostly on the strength of the trumpet.

16. I have no idea who this is. It's a cool arrangement. Could it possibly be McKinney's Cotton Pickers? Early 1930s. Three stars.

17. Id say that this is Artie Shaw from the 1940s. Excellent drumming! Three stars.

18. Fletcher Henderson with a young Coleman Hawkins is my guess. Late 1920s or early 1930s. Two-and-a-half stars.

19. This one is fun. And more than a little odd. Hawaiian vocals and guitar? Hmmmm… There's some very pretty trumpet playing but I can't identify the player. Pops in a mellow mood? Two-and-a-half stars. Three for the trumpeter.

20. No idea! 1920s. Two stars.

.

[BERIGAN]

I got nothin'. I'm just going to post my reactions as I listen. This is a weak genre for me thus, it's been a laborious BFT.

Thom, I think I know why listening to this was so laborious, you just listened to disc 2 first! Seriously! There's no trumpet on track one, disc one...some of the other comments I double checked, and don't jibe with the tracks on disc 1. Fit disc 2 though. A couple of real quick comments on disc 2....

Track 6 – I like the piano, but the alto is off putting. Can’t explain why, it just… well… bugs me.

Not an Alto, which may be why you are not crazy about it....you don't hear a lot of this instrument these days.....

Track 10 – Of all the slower tempo stuff, I like this one best thus far, but the scoopiness of the tenor player bugs me a bit. Not so much in the solo, but on the head. In the solo, it’s nice.

Not a reed player, so gotta ask, what exactly is scoopiness?

Track 16 – This sounds like Basie to me. It has more story than most of the rest of these. I realize that’s a poor way of wording it, but that’s my instant reaction. There’s a story being told, and I want to know the outcome. I haven’t felt that with the other tunes (excepting maybe tracks 10 & 13). I could guess a bunch of names and be wrong, so I’m not going to bother. I’d be breakfast on Basie, though.

Hey, I figure even if only one track interests fans of newer jazz, I've succeeded! I will not do well at all the next BFT, but I will give it a try...

Not Basie , sure sounds like him though!

Ok, will comment further on your comments when a thread is started for disc 2!

[BERIGAN]

First, a little background. This is my first experience with the Blindfold Test, and this is a fun and thought-provoking collection. Thanks for all of your work, BERIGAN!

It's been years since I've listened to much vintage jazz. Back in the late 1970s through the 1990s I had a rather large LP collection. I never really kept count but it numbered somewhere around the 10,000 mark. In the late 1990s about 3/4 of the collection was ripped off and I currently have little pre-1950s recorded music: lots of Ellington, some Armstrong (The Hot 5s & 7s), a little Jelly Roll, one Pee Wee Russell, one early Roy Eldridge, and that's about it.

Back when I was Music Director at Mountain-Lake Public Radio in Plattsburgh, NY (1990-1996) I did an in-depth jazz history series on the air. Between my collection and the station's it managed to be relatively comprehensive. In those days I was thoroughly immersed in all of the eras and styles of the music. But now it all sounds fresh and new to me. And I'm amazed at how few of the selections here ring any bells in my memory.

Bill, thanks for the kind words! I was very surprised how much fun it was putting this together. Even if most of the tracks are not of interest to folks here, there is a chance someone will like something I have chosen since they are jazz fans of course! My friends don't get jazz, to say the least. Everything I like=cartoon music to their rock only ears.

I worked at borders for years, and between getting 25% off, plus $30 a month "book" credit(Which I never used for books, I can proudly say! ) I was able to buy a fair bit if stuff, without breaking the bank. And spending lots of time on breaks, and after work looking thru every jazz cd in stock, I was able to find a lot of stuff that wouldn't show up in many catalogs or would be noticed by a lot of people who didn't have the chance to check our stock every day....My how times have changed in the last decade! Now it sounds like Borders is your greatest hits only resource.

And yes, I like the sound of typing keys, clearly!

And sorry about having so many LP's stolen! You are a better man than me, I'd likely go on a killing spree if that happened to me.

Since quotes are limited for some reason., bold for your comments. Red for mine.

1. This sounds like Django Reinhardt on electric guitar and I'd place this in the mid to late 1940s, probably recorded in Paris. I'd guess that it is Hubert Rostaing on clarinet. The piano sounds like it might be Stephane Grappelli, and I believe that he also plays violin here. The vibes threw me! At first I thought maybe Red Norvo, but now I'm not so sure. It could be Roger Chomer, whom I've never heard, but he played with Django around this time. On the tried-and-true Downbeat five-star scale I'd give this one three-and-a-half. I like this a lot.

Every time I hear this song, I think Django, but honest, it's isn't! Earlier as well

2. My bet is that this is Adrian Rollini, probably from the late 1920s. This is a truly bizarre track! I like it but am somewhat baffled. This sucker is avant-garde for sure. The opening and closing sounds, which may or may not be a bass saxophone, remind me of Lester Bowie of all people. There are parts of this that sound a little like the early Duke Ellington band, but I don't think that it's him. This is a very, very nice trumpet solo. I can't really put my finger on whom it might be. Henry "Red" Allen? Three stars mainly on the strength of the trumpet solo and the oddball open and close.

You are close with the Duke comments!

3. Duke Ellington from the early to mid 1930s. Definitely low on the scale when it comes to the Duke. Not terribly memorable. Toward the ending it sounds very unfocused. One-and-a-half stars.

Later, and not Duke! Though Duke sure had issues ending tracks at times.

4. Ray McKinley, probably with Will Bradley and Freddie Slack on piano. No "Down the Road Apiece" but semi-okay. Circa 1939-1940. Two stars.

Nope!

5. A small combo in the transition from swing to bop. 1940s. Damn! This sounds familiar… I should know who the pianist is. Dodo Marmarosa?

Could it be Bill Harris on trombone? Gene Ammons on tenor I think. A solid four-and-a-half stars.

Not Dodo(Stupidly, I was looking online to see who it was, then I remembered that I wrote all that info down while recording the tracks! ) Right On Bill Harris! Not Gene Ammons.

6. Django Reinhardt again. 1930s. The guitar playing is nice but the rest of this is seriously hokey. There's an outside possibility it might be Oscar Aleman, who sometimes sounded uncannily like Django. One star.

Not Django, and earlier, which might explain the Hockeyness to your ears a bit. Not Oscar Aleman either.

7. A very tacky "Tea for Two." Probably early 1940s. The pianist sounds almost Tatum-esque but less harmonically adventurous and way too prolix for my taste. Gimmicky. One-half star.

Oh well, can't win 'em all! Guy had small hands for a pianist.....

8. This rocks! Great stuff! I'd say it's the Jimmie Lunceford orchestra in the 1930s with Joe Thomas the tenor soloist. Four stars.

I love it too, pure energy! Not Lunceford, not the 30's, and not Joe Thomas.

9. Some super-tight ensembles here. A well-oiled machine for sure. Benny Goodman just before he hit it big and likely a Fletcher Henderson arrangement. Three stars.

Wrong on Goodman, but most likely right on the arranger(Tired, need to go to bed, will check tomorrow and see if arranger mentioned)

10. I'd say that this is the same group as #9. A considerably less successful effort though. The drumming is truly annoying toward the end. One star

Not Goodman, or mystery band! Earlier than you might think as well. Funny, I love the drumming/bass combo(At least that's how it sounds to my ears)

11. Duke Ellington early 1930s. The two trumpet soloists are superb! Four stars.

Not Ellington, and later...I didn't want this to be too easy, or too boring! I agree about the soloists....would drive some folks up the wall though. Heck, Alex didn't like it much!(Though I liked his review!)

12. I have absolutely no idea of who this is. Wait, maybe Ray McKinley again… The drumming is great. I'd guess that this was recorded around 1930. Three stars.

Not McKinley. And later in the decade.

13. I'd say that this is Django again from the 1940s. Sounds like steel guitar in here; never knew he recorded with steel in the band. After a couple more listens it appears that he's getting that steel-ish sound from a regular hollow-body electric. Three-and-a-half stars.

Not Django. Is from the 40's.

14. Maybe Bennie Moten? This reminds me of how much more advanced trumpeters, trombonists and clarinetists were than the saxophonists in those days. Late 1920s? Early 1930s? Two-and-a-half stars.

Not Moten, but a good guess! Late 20's. When I first got into jazz, I was lead to believe there were few guys who could really play brass or reed instruments. It seemed like from what I read, only Armstrong, Hawkins, Biederbecke, and Bechet knew what they were doing...but, ears don't lie!

15. This sounds like the same band as #14. This is one hell of a trumpet solo. Three-and-half stars mostly on the strength of the trumpet.

Still not Moten, but it is a great solo, I won't argue!!!

16. I have no idea who this is. It's a cool arrangement. Could it possibly be McKinney's Cotton Pickers? Early 1930s. Three stars.

Not the Cotton Pickers...right on for the timeframe.

17. Id say that this is Artie Shaw from the 1940s. Excellent drumming! Three stars.

Not Shaw, but great drumming, by a guy I have never heard of....

18. Fletcher Henderson with a young Coleman Hawkins is my guess. Late 1920s or early 1930s. Two-and-a-half stars.

Not Fletcher(Though no doubt some of the guys played with him) and not Hawkins, but no doubt influenced by him. Mid 30s'

19. This one is fun. And more than a little odd. Hawaiian vocals and guitar? Hmmmm… There's some very pretty trumpet playing but I can't identify the player. Pops in a mellow mood? Two-and-a-half stars. Three for the trumpeter.

Can't say I have heard a lot of Hawaiian vocals with jazz(y) trumpet. Not Pops. A guy producer Michael Brooks said was the most underrated Jazz musician of the 20th Century! Now, I don't know if I would say that, but then again, I haven't heard a whole lot of his music. He was on hundreds of recordings, and there isn't a single cd of his music out there!!!

20. No idea! 1920s. Two stars.

A bit later on, mid 30's!

Edited March 30, 2008 by BERIGAN

[tkeith]

Track 21 – Not a clue in the house.

Track 22 – Hmmm… this is neat, it sort of has the type feel of something written by Abdullah Ibrahim. To my ear, this is one of the more musical cuts in this bft. Very listenable and interesting.

Track 23 – I know one of the things that troubles me about this genre – it’s my distaste for the clarinet. Still, this is a very interesting melody; very mysterious and patient.

Track 24 – This just doesn’t touch me.

Track 25 – If this didn’t have the vocalist it’d be interesting to me. Like the trumpet solo, but can’t go the singer.

Track 26 – This has been an interesting disc, but I can’t lie, I may not make it through disc 2 if it’s the same era. I can handle this stuff in small doses and moods, but this is a lot of time, which I don’t currently have an abundance of, to spend with a genre totally unfamiliar to me. I hope to learn from it, but I’m feeling a bit dejected at the moment.

[tkeith]

Track 27 – This gives me some hope, though I’m not a big fan of those vibes. I can hear where the stuff I listen to comes out of this, and that’s nice.

Track 28 – Again, this is closer to the stuff I listen to. Interesting. Has almost that Hamid Drake feel in the underlying beat. Neat.

Track 29 – Neat arrangement – I like the way it built up into crazy brass near the end.

Track 30 – Fun, just doesn’t maintain my interest.

Track 31 – I like this a lot. But for the sound, this could be from any era. It’s a simple line, but it has a strong feel to it. No idea who this is, but I would buy this. I love this bone player – no flash, just balls. Wish the sound was cleaner because I like what the drummer’s doing, but it winds up sounding muddled. Not sure about the tenor, other than to say he’s a bad man. Natural tendency is to guess Hawk. Don’t know for sure and don’t care – me likey!!!!! I actually hear a lot of David Murray in this guy, and that makes my solider salute. 7:05 – this MFer is knocking me out! Every modern player should have to listen to this and understand it. This is it! Unconscious!

Track 32 – I’ve heard this before, but I can’t place it. Nice way to cool down after the previous cut.

Track 33 – Hey! Finally a tune I know. I have a soft spot for this since hearing Lester Young’s vocal version. LOL No idea who the tenor is. Piano could be Fatha, but doesn’t sound loose enough.

Track 34 – Uh-oh… back to the other stuff… this just bugs me. Very busy and bouncy, but doesn’t really touch me.

Track 35 – See, now this is bouncy, but more interesting. Seems like it’s going somewhere where the last one just didn’t. The band parts work, but the improvs sort of leave me cold.

Track 36 – I like this arrangement on the introduction, but it slides back into that bouncy feel again. I guess it’s just a taste thing, but it doesn’t work for me.

[tkeith]

I’m determined to finish these today! Actually, I’m putting off doing the bills. Anyway, the music…

Track 37 – Now this is nice. I like the way the arrangement just steps along behind the lead. It’s a simple line, but it doesn’t need to be anything more – it does its job. Again, I don’t know who this is, but I would buy this. Man… wouldn’t want to be the guy sitting across from that trumpet player. LOL

I played with a band that had a trumpet player that would do that – we sat in a semi-circle… there was another trumpeter across from him, guy was really into Art Farmer and those type of players. I thought he was going to toss his horn at the brassy guy one night. Good times…

Track 38 – I like this one a lot, I kind of wanted them to stay with the opening feel, though. Again, really like the bone player.

Track 39 – Fingers all over the piano. Pianist makes me think of the style Newborn would later develop. Very listenable, but don’t know if I’d play it a lot.

Track 40 – Doesn’t make an impression on me. I’m finding myself unable to tune into it – doesn’t really distinguish itself from a lot of this BFT.

Track 41 – This sounds like early Ellington to me, but I’m probably wrong. Something about the alto has me thinking Hodges. If I’m right about that, tenor could be Webster, but this is just a collection of shots in the dark.

Track 42 – I like this. Again, the band seems to be supporting the lead – I hear a purpose. No idea who it is, though.

Track 43 – Nice sax arrangement. Odd, but the time seems to drag around 3:40… like the band starts to drag a bit.

Track 44 – I recognize this, but can’t say what it is. I’ve definitely heard it before. Again, the band segments work, but the improv just doesn’t do it for me. Kind of wish they hadn’t bothered with that part.

Track 45 – Excepting the slide, I like this. It’s fun and it’s jivey, but it works.

Track 46 – (46!?!?!??!?!) Makes me think of an old movie with all the characters going out for dinner at the Copa Cabana. I’m just waiting for Ava Gardner to do something mean to someone. ☺ I like it, though.

Berigan, thanks for a BFT that pushed my limits and kicked my ass. I’m going to go do my bills and cry, now.

[tkeith]

Crap... I was trying not to read the comments and didn't realize my mistake. Ugh. Oh well, I'm dying to know the answer to Track 5, disc 2.

*Scoopiness*

The tenor player was sort of 'dragging' up from a note (or perhaps 3 half-steps) below the note and it just wound up sounding maudlin and sloppy to me. In the solo, it came off as more expressive; on the head... it's tough to describe... he just didn't sound serious to me. I'd play like that if I were pissed off and didn't want to play the tune. Again, I know it's just a matter of taste, but... I'd have clicked the radio to talk radio if that came on.

[Guest Bill Barton]

1. This sounds like Django Reinhardt on electric guitar and I'd place this in the mid to late 1940s, probably recorded in Paris. I'd guess that it is Hubert Rostaing on clarinet. The piano sounds like it might be Stephane Grappelli, and I believe that he also plays violin here. The vibes threw me! At first I thought maybe Red Norvo, but now I'm not so sure. It could be Roger Chomer, whom I've never heard, but he played with Django around this time. On the tried-and-true Downbeat five-star scale I'd give this one three-and-a-half. I like this a lot.

Every time I hear this song, I think Django, but honest, it's isn't! Earlier as well

Now I'm really baffled. Eddie Durham's name immediately springs to mind. Could it possibly be Charlie Christian? Doesn't sound like him to me, but how many guys were playing electric guitar back that far? Not many! Floyd Smith?

2. My bet is that this is Adrian Rollini, probably from the late 1920s. This is a truly bizarre track! I like it but am somewhat baffled. This sucker is avant-garde for sure. The opening and closing sounds, which may or may not be a bass saxophone, remind me of Lester Bowie of all people. There are parts of this that sound a little like the early Duke Ellington band, but I don't think that it's him. This is a very, very nice trumpet solo. I can't really put my finger on whom it might be. Henry "Red" Allen? Three stars mainly on the strength of the trumpet solo and the oddball open and close.

You are close with the Duke comments!

Ah ha! Rex Stewart?

...

19. This one is fun. And more than a little odd. Hawaiian vocals and guitar? Hmmmm… There's some very pretty trumpet playing but I can't identify the player. Pops in a mellow mood? Two-and-a-half stars. Three for the trumpeter.

Can't say I have heard a lot of Hawaiian vocals with jazz(y) trumpet. Not Pops. A guy producer Michael Brooks said was the most underrated Jazz musician of the 20th Century! Now, I don't know if I would say that, but then again, I haven't heard a whole lot of his music. He was on hundreds of recordings, and there isn't a single cd of his music out there!!!

Jack Purvis?

[BERIGAN]

1. This sounds like Django Reinhardt on electric guitar and I'd place this in the mid to late 1940s, probably recorded in Paris. I'd guess that it is Hubert Rostaing on clarinet. The piano sounds like it might be Stephane Grappelli, and I believe that he also plays violin here. The vibes threw me! At first I thought maybe Red Norvo, but now I'm not so sure. It could be Roger Chomer, whom I've never heard, but he played with Django around this time. On the tried-and-true Downbeat five-star scale I'd give this one three-and-a-half. I like this a lot.

Every time I hear this song, I think Django, but honest, it's isn't! Earlier as well

Now I'm really baffled. Eddie Durham's name immediately springs to mind. Could it possibly be Charlie Christian? Doesn't sound like him to me, but how many guys were playing electric guitar back that far? Not many! Floyd Smith?

Not Charlie, or Floyd. A guy who played with some big names....

2. My bet is that this is Adrian Rollini, probably from the late 1920s. This is a truly bizarre track! I like it but am somewhat baffled. This sucker is avant-garde for sure. The opening and closing sounds, which may or may not be a bass saxophone, remind me of Lester Bowie of all people. There are parts of this that sound a little like the early Duke Ellington band, but I don't think that it's him. This is a very, very nice trumpet solo. I can't really put my finger on whom it might be. Henry "Red" Allen? Three stars mainly on the strength of the trumpet solo and the oddball open and close.

You are close with the Duke comments!

Ah ha! Rex Stewart?

There you go!

...

19. This one is fun. And more than a little odd. Hawaiian vocals and guitar? Hmmmm… There's some very pretty trumpet playing but I can't identify the player. Pops in a mellow mood? Two-and-a-half stars. Three for the trumpeter.

Can't say I have heard a lot of Hawaiian vocals with jazz(y) trumpet. Not Pops. A guy producer Michael Brooks said was the most underrated Jazz musician of the 20th Century! Now, I don't know if I would say that, but then again, I haven't heard a whole lot of his music. He was on hundreds of recordings, and there isn't a single cd of his music out there!!!

Jack Purvis?

No, but a darn good guess, he certainly should be better known!

Edited March 30, 2008 by BERIGAN

[Guest Bill Barton]

1. This sounds like Django Reinhardt on electric guitar and I'd place this in the mid to late 1940s, probably recorded in Paris. I'd guess that it is Hubert Rostaing on clarinet. The piano sounds like it might be Stephane Grappelli, and I believe that he also plays violin here. The vibes threw me! At first I thought maybe Red Norvo, but now I'm not so sure. It could be Roger Chomer, whom I've never heard, but he played with Django around this time. On the tried-and-true Downbeat five-star scale I'd give this one three-and-a-half. I like this a lot.

Every time I hear this song, I think Django, but honest, it's isn't! Earlier as well

Now I'm really baffled. Eddie Durham's name immediately springs to mind. Could it possibly be Charlie Christian? Doesn't sound like him to me, but how many guys were playing electric guitar back that far? Not many! Floyd Smith?

Not Charlie, or Floyd. A guy who played with some big names....

Maybe Les Paul? Damn! This still sounds like Django

2. My bet is that this is Adrian Rollini, probably from the late 1920s. This is a truly bizarre track! I like it but am somewhat baffled. This sucker is avant-garde for sure. The opening and closing sounds, which may or may not be a bass saxophone, remind me of Lester Bowie of all people. There are parts of this that sound a little like the early Duke Ellington band, but I don't think that it's him. This is a very, very nice trumpet solo. I can't really put my finger on whom it might be. Henry "Red" Allen? Three stars mainly on the strength of the trumpet solo and the oddball open and close.

You are close with the Duke comments!

Ah ha! Rex Stewart?

There you go!

So that probably means that the opening and closing sound color stuff isn't a bass saxophone at all, but a plain ol' trumpet. A wild track...

...

19. This one is fun. And more than a little odd. Hawaiian vocals and guitar? Hmmmm… There's some very pretty trumpet playing but I can't identify the player. Pops in a mellow mood? Two-and-a-half stars. Three for the trumpeter.

Can't say I have heard a lot of Hawaiian vocals with jazz(y) trumpet. Not Pops. A guy producer Michael Brooks said was the most underrated Jazz musician of the 20th Century! Now, I don't know if I would say that, but then again, I haven't heard a whole lot of his music. He was on hundreds of recordings, and there isn't a single cd of his music out there!!!

Jack Purvis?

No, but a darn good guess, he certainly should be better known!

This is turning out to be more of a guessing game than I expected. Sheesh. My ears certainly aren't very attuned to these eras anymore. Okay, another shot: Jabbo Smith?

[BERIGAN]

This is turning out to be more of a guessing game than I expected. Sheesh. My ears certainly aren't very attuned to these eras anymore. Okay, another shot: Jabbo Smith?

nope, he might be on one of the 2 cds though....