BFT #78 Discussion Thread

[Hot Ptah]

You can now begin your discussion of BFT #78.

I deliberately put in some songs which I thought could be identified. Sometimes I feel like I never know any of the answers to any Blindfold Test. I thought it might be enjoyable to be able to guess correctly on some of the songs. But then I am often surprised at which songs are, and are not, identified in the Blindfold Tests.

Hopefully an early song/artist identification will lead to more detailed discussions of the songs, the soloists, the approach of the composer, etc.

Have fun!

Edited September 1, 2010 by Hot Ptah

[Spontooneous]

Seems like I'm never the first one on these, so I'll jump in early this time. Only one positive ID, for 7.

1. Something about this makes me think it's honest-to-gosh African and not some Americans with a conga player. Love the tenor bridge, both times.

2. Seems Tapscottish to me, 'cept for that synthesizer. The drummer needs to relax some. I can live without the trombonist's "Afro Blue" quote. Like the piano solo very, very much; guitar is just OK.

3. Hey, that's an oboe! Which perhaps puts us in Lateef land? Some kind of '70s recording with direct-injection bass. That's a dandy piano solo.

4. The chart's more modern than some guys in the band are. Thought it might have been Buddy's band at first. Lumpy piano solo, cute tenor solo by a Prez fan. Wait a minute, they all said "Johnny Otis! Johnny Otis!" Cool ending. Faults and all, I love this. Johnny Otis is just about the coolest dude ever.

5. Anitra's Dance, after an intro that threw me. It's a John Kirby sextet, or someone who copped the instrumentation and attitude.

6. A pretty good big-band boogie-woogie. Damn fine piano solo, from a player who doesn't succumb to the temptation to sling some mud. That's not Benny on clarinet; sounds like Woody for a minute. Then the trumpet comes on all swaggering like Harry James, determined to obliterate everybody, so I'll guess Harry and that's my final answer.

7. I'd have to turn in my KC credentials if I didn't instantly recognize Moten's "Prince of Wails," the classic from 1932, with that jittery Ben Webster solo and some very amazing striding Basie. And just feel how poised Hot Lips Page is. What a way to finish this band's recording career! What tragedy that their few remaining years aren't documented in sound.

8. Tin Tin Deo is the tune, but no guess beyond that. Got a feeling that this is in my collection somewhere and that the answer is going to kick my butt.

9. Eronel! Nobody plays this wonderful tune. Sounds like Mal until near the end. Or maybe it's Mal in an uncharacteristically puckish mood.

10. Two basses and tenor, a configuration I've never heard before. Is that David Ware? Whoever it is, they're in too big a hurry to bring this thing to a climax. Then it's over too soon. (That's what she said.)

11. Nice idea using the Evans vamp on Prelude to a Kiss. Big flute sound and great control of the instrument. Piano solo makes me happy too. It isn't on James Newton's Ellington album, but the power and control have me thinking it's him.

12. Horace Silver's Peace. The performance seems familiar. The tenor reminds me of Junior Cook again and again -- big, pretty higher notes. More direct-injection bass, and an upright piano that needs some work. It just screams Muse Records. The piano playing makes me think of Albert Dailey. Bass seems like Buster Williams.

Or maybe I'm off base and this is George Coleman?

13. Like the cymbal coloration, but I'm a sucker for that. The pianist has the courage to leave space and the patience to wait until the time is right to make his move. I'm reminded of Ahmad Jamal. But then the horns come in, so it probably isn't Jamal. I surrender.

14. A big, glossy Stolen Moments with a pingy synthesizer that bugs me. Love the bass line, though. Is it Jaco? Hey guys, let's all speed up for the trumpet solo!

15. Well, the head didn't go where I thought it was going, so that's a good sign. I like the big, sloppy, juicy Roz Rudd-like trombone sound. But the setting seems too L.A.-studio-slick. A mystery track for me.

16. Back in the James Booker bag? Love the willingness to go for broke on a tune that could have been a sleepwalk. This is great.

I'm going to keep puzzling over some of these IDs. The whole collection is a pleasure.

[Jim R]

1. Nice groove, starting out kind of Horace Silver-ish, but becoming more R&B flavored overall. Works for me. I thought this track was too short, which is uncommon for me on a BFT.

2. Not my cup o' tea, and over 10 minutes of it... Oh well, next...

3. An interesting sounding band, and very well played, but I found it difficult to stay focused on this for 8 minutes. Probably a mood/timing thing. I'll try it again later.

4. Is it just me, or does the band not follow the tempo set by the drummer at the top? The track finds its legs, I just find this odd and distracting. Maybe it's me. Anyway, the drummer is what I find most interesting here. I should probably know who this is, but this era is generally off my radar and outside my realm of knowledge.

5. Sounds like this was probably ahead of its time when it was recorded. I hear little nods to classical music in there. Pretty interesting stuff, even if it's not up my alley.

6. This sounds like the WWII-era. Visions of sailors dancing (with women ). Not sure what band this is... maybe an all-star band? I can't even identify the clarinetist, which is sad...

7. Wow, talk about energy. I like the horn arrangement, which really spices this up. Is that a C-melody sax solo in there?

8. Tin Tin Deo. Nice full sound, and this trio is very together. Great stuff. I don't know who it is, but I think Dizzy would have dug it.

9. Damn, I should know the title of this... it's a very familiar theme... by Monk, yes? Not being played here by Monk, of course. At any rate, this is very tasty.

10. Well, all I could do was skim through this looking for any passages that would appeal to me. Unfortunately, no success.

11. "Prelude To A Kiss" with an adventurous harmonic backdrop from the pianist. Don't exactly love it, but I have to take my proverbial (not actually wearing one at the moment) hat off to the musicianship.

12. Horace Silver's "Peace". Really nicely done, by both the band and the engineer. I'm loving how well I can hear everybody so crisply. I don't know who this is, but they get a confident thumbs up from me.

13. Another nice groove, good playing, good sound, but I found six minutes of it to be a little monotonous. I feel similarly about this as I did with track 3 (I think this was less interesting to me, though).

14. A version of "Stolen Moments" that I'm not sure I've ever heard. That's saying something, because this composition is near the top of the list of things that have been over-played to death (at least on our local jazz station, KCSM) over the years. Great song, and worthy of being interpreted by a lot of musicians, but unfortunately my ears have just been bombarded with this tune to the point that I sometimes want to tune out. At least this track was short (not sure if anything went wrong, but on my MP3, it cuts in at the beginning and cuts off at the end... incomplete, that is).

15. Among the things on this test that I don't recognize, this is one of the more appealing tracks. I think it has to do with the interesting melody, as well as the instrumentation (nice combination of piano and organ, which doesn't always work this well, imo). Not crazy about the 'bone solos, but you can't always have everything.

16. When The Saints Go Marching In (or in this case, Out)... Perfectly fine finish, lighthearted, fun, and to the point. A nice way to wrap things up. Thanks again, Bill and Jeff.

[Hot Ptah]

Seems like I'm never the first one on these, so I'll jump in early this time. Only one positive ID, for 7.

1. Something about this makes me think it's honest-to-gosh African and not some Americans with a conga player. Love the tenor bridge, both times.

2. Seems Tapscottish to me, 'cept for that synthesizer. The drummer needs to relax some. I can live without the trombonist's "Afro Blue" quote. Like the piano solo very, very much; guitar is just OK.

It is not Horace Tapscott.

3. Hey, that's an oboe! Which perhaps puts us in Lateef land? Some kind of '70s recording with direct-injection bass. That's a dandy piano solo.

It is not Yusef Lateef.

4. The chart's more modern than some guys in the band are. Thought it might have been Buddy's band at first. Lumpy piano solo, cute tenor solo by a Prez fan. Wait a minute, they all said "Johnny Otis! Johnny Otis!" Cool ending. Faults and all, I love this. Johnny Otis is just about the coolest dude ever.

Wow, do you have sharp ears! I heard this many times and thought that they were shouting out nonsense syllables at the end. Only in the last week did I realize that

they were saying Johnny Otis.

There's a good reason why it sounds like a Prez fan. Now what is the song title?

5. Anitra's Dance, after an intro that threw me. It's a John Kirby sextet, or someone who copped the instrumentation and attitude.

DING DING DING!!! WE HAVE A WINNER! CORRECT SONG TITLE AND ARTIST!!!

It is interesting that you mentioned "or someone who copped the instrumentation and attitude" because Don Byron recorded a note for note rendition

of this Kirby arrangement on his "Bug Music" album, over 50 years after the original recording. But this is the original, not the Byron.

6. A pretty good big-band boogie-woogie. Damn fine piano solo, from a player who doesn't succumb to the temptation to sling some mud. That's not Benny on clarinet; sounds like Woody for a minute. Then the trumpet comes on all swaggering like Harry James, determined to obliterate everybody, so I'll guess Harry and that's my final answer.

Correct on Harry James. We still need correct information on the rest of it.

7. I'd have to turn in my KC credentials if I didn't instantly recognize Moten's "Prince of Wails," the classic from 1932, with that jittery Ben Webster solo and some very amazing striding Basie. And just feel how poised Hot Lips Page is. What a way to finish this band's recording career! What tragedy that their few remaining years aren't documented in sound.

DING DING DING DING!!! WE HAVE A WINNER ON EVERYTHING!!! I thought that the fact that Count Basie plays a great many more notes than he ever played in his terse, minimalistic style of later years would throw people off--but I did not count on a listener who was fed Kansas City's Arthur Bryant's barbecue for his baby food.

8. Tin Tin Deo is the tune, but no guess beyond that. Got a feeling that this is in my collection somewhere and that the answer is going to kick my butt.

Correct song title.

9. Eronel! Nobody plays this wonderful tune. Sounds like Mal until near the end. Or maybe it's Mal in an uncharacteristically puckish mood.

Correct song title. It's not Mal Waldron, although I admire that guess.

10. Two basses and tenor, a configuration I've never heard before. Is that David Ware? Whoever it is, they're in too big a hurry to bring this thing to a climax. Then it's over too soon. (That's what she said.)

Not David S. Ware.

11. Nice idea using the Evans vamp on Prelude to a Kiss. Big flute sound and great control of the instrument. Piano solo makes me happy too. It isn't on James Newton's Ellington album, but the power and control have me thinking it's him.

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner. It is James Newton on Prelude to a Kiss. Now who is the pianist, and which album?

12. Horace Silver's Peace. The performance seems familiar. The tenor reminds me of Junior Cook again and again -- big, pretty higher notes. More direct-injection bass, and an upright piano that needs some work. It just screams Muse Records. The piano playing makes me think of Albert Dailey. Bass seems like Buster Williams. Or maybe I'm off base and this is George Coleman?

It is Horace Silver's Peace. All other guesses, including the record label, are not correct.

13. Like the cymbal coloration, but I'm a sucker for that. The pianist has the courage to leave space and the patience to wait until the time is right to make his move. I'm reminded of Ahmad Jamal. But then the horns come in, so it probably isn't Jamal. I surrender.

It is not Jamal.

14. A big, glossy Stolen Moments with a pingy synthesizer that bugs me. Love the bass line, though. Is it Jaco? Hey guys, let's all speed up for the trumpet solo!

It is not Jaco.

15. Well, the head didn't go where I thought it was going, so that's a good sign. I like the big, sloppy, juicy Roz Rudd-like trombone sound. But the setting seems too L.A.-studio-slick. A mystery track for me.

16. Back in the James Booker bag? Love the willingness to go for broke on a tune that could have been a sleepwalk. This is great.

It is not James Booker.

I'm going to keep puzzling over some of these IDs. The whole collection is a pleasure.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Hot Ptah

[Hot Ptah]

1. Nice groove, starting out kind of Horace Silver-ish, but becoming more R&B flavored overall. Works for me. I thought this track was too short, which is uncommon for me on a BFT.

2. Not my cup o' tea, and over 10 minutes of it... Oh well, next...

3. An interesting sounding band, and very well played, but I found it difficult to stay focused on this for 8 minutes. Probably a mood/timing thing. I'll try it again later.

4. Is it just me, or does the band not follow the tempo set by the drummer at the top? The track finds its legs, I just find this odd and distracting. Maybe it's me. Anyway, the drummer is what I find most interesting here. I should probably know who this is, but this era is generally off my radar and outside my realm of knowledge.

5. Sounds like this was probably ahead of its time when it was recorded. I hear little nods to classical music in there. Pretty interesting stuff, even if it's not up my alley.

6. This sounds like the WWII-era. Visions of sailors dancing (with women ). Not sure what band this is... maybe an all-star band? I can't even identify the clarinetist, which is sad...

7. Wow, talk about energy. I like the horn arrangement, which really spices this up. Is that a C-melody sax solo in there?

8. Tin Tin Deo. Nice full sound, and this trio is very together. Great stuff. I don't know who it is, but I think Dizzy would have dug it.

9. Damn, I should know the title of this... it's a very familiar theme... by Monk, yes? Not being played here by Monk, of course. At any rate, this is very tasty.

10. Well, all I could do was skim through this looking for any passages that would appeal to me. Unfortunately, no success.

11. "Prelude To A Kiss" with an adventurous harmonic backdrop from the pianist. Don't exactly love it, but I have to take my proverbial (not actually wearing one at the moment) hat off to the musicianship.

12. Horace Silver's "Peace". Really nicely done, by both the band and the engineer. I'm loving how well I can hear everybody so crisply. I don't know who this is, but they get a confident thumbs up from me.

13. Another nice groove, good playing, good sound, but I found six minutes of it to be a little monotonous. I feel similarly about this as I did with track 3 (I think this was less interesting to me, though).

14. A version of "Stolen Moments" that I'm not sure I've ever heard. That's saying something, because this composition is near the top of the list of things that have been over-played to death (at least on our local jazz station, KCSM) over the years. Great song, and worthy of being interpreted by a lot of musicians, but unfortunately my ears have just been bombarded with this tune to the point that I sometimes want to tune out. At least this track was short (not sure if anything went wrong, but on my MP3, it cuts in at the beginning and cuts off at the end... incomplete, that is).

15. Among the things on this test that I don't recognize, this is one of the more appealing tracks. I think it has to do with the interesting melody, as well as the instrumentation (nice combination of piano and organ, which doesn't always work this well, imo). Not crazy about the 'bone solos, but you can't always have everything.

16. When The Saints Go Marching In (or in this case, Out)... Perfectly fine finish, lighthearted, fun, and to the point. A nice way to wrap things up. Thanks again, Bill and Jeff.

I like your comments, very perceptive. You correctly identified the song titles of 8, 11, 12, 14 and 16. You are right that #5 has hints, actually more than hints, of classical music. I love your comment about #6, the sailors dancing with women.

I think that you, and some others, will be surprised at who is playing "Stolen Moments" here.

[tkeith]

First listen, no peaking, one shot... I dug a the newer stuff, but the older stuff was not only unfamiliar, it really didn't speak to me. #3 is going to piss me off, because I KNOW it's in my semi-regular rotation.

Thanks for the test!

1 - First thought was Ra, but definitely not. No idea. I like it, but it leans almost toward poppishness. A good lead-in to the test.

2 - First thought on 'bone is that it's Derek Kwong, but it is not. My second thought is Dick Griffin, but it seems too out to be DG. FAT sound. Kuumba comes to mind, but it's far too reserved. Just not sure. I'd guess Frank, but with the caveat that I know I'm wrong. I feel like I SHOULD know this guy. No clues otherwise.

3 - I know this. Instantly I want to say Jesse Sharps. Hmmm... or maybe Charles Owens on one of the other Nimbus recordings. I have to think... shit, can't place it, but I know I have it.

4 - Not a clue. A bit more traditional than I tend to like my big bands.

5 - I got nothin'.

6 - Clueless. I was thinking maybe Roy Eldridge, but doesn't seem to burn quite as much.

7 - No idea.

8 - Tin Tin Deo. I recognize this, but can't place it. Could be somebody 'newer'... maybe Hilton Ruiz. It doesn't seem to grab me and hold me. The drummer seems a bit too... lackadaisical? The tune, to my ear, will always belong to the Tough Tenors. Pianist definitely has some sick chops (in fact, I don't think it is HR, because I'm really liking it, and he's not usually a guy I take to).

9 - Eronel, beautiful tune. Love the McPherson version with Clifford Jordan. In fact, that album made an appearance on a BFT not long ago. No clue on who.

10 - I like the instrumentation a lot, but the tenor player doesn't seem to be adding much to my ear. He's got some technique tricks, but I'm not hearing much of a story. Love the bowed... I think cello, but could well be bass. On the whole, the cut is a keeper, but it's all about the strings.

11 - I was nervous at first that someone was going to try to do Peace Piece. It's Prelude to a Kiss, but I'm not sure who is playing it.

12 - Right off the bat it sounds like Chico Freeman. Ah yes, it's Horace Silver's Peace, from this. Billy Hart gave it away (and India Navigation's brutal sound). Excellent record.

13 - This seems very familiar, too. I swear I just played this about a week ago, but damned if I can place it. Arggh! I'm definitely going to kick myself for this. Seems Dizzy-esque, but a brasher tone, and not quite Dizzy's effortlessness.

14 - Stolen Moments, obviously, but I'm not sure of the band. It's not doing it for me, though. Too damned compressed. Reminds me of that Bobby Hutcherson record with the L.A. Philharmonic. Sounds like Freddie Hubbard from the CTI years on trumpet, which would account for the over production.

15 - Not diggin' the organ in the early going here. Wow, that's two bones I would swear are Derek Kwong -- I must be having withdrawal. Could be Roswell, but I can't quite hear him in this setting. No idea on the others.

16 - When The Saints Go Marching In (You haven't heard this until you've heard Eddie Gale do it!). No clue who it is. It's not grabbing me, though... a bit more mustard than is necessary.

[Hot Ptah]

First listen, no peaking, one shot... I dug a the newer stuff, but the older stuff was not only unfamiliar, it really didn't speak to me. #3 is going to piss me off, because I KNOW it's in my semi-regular rotation.

Thanks for the test!

1 - First thought was Ra, but definitely not. No idea. I like it, but it leans almost toward poppishness. A good lead-in to the test.

2 - First thought on 'bone is that it's Derek Kwong, but it is not. My second thought is Dick Griffin, but it seems too out to be DG. FAT sound. Kuumba comes to mind, but it's far too reserved. Just not sure. I'd guess Frank, but with the caveat that I know I'm wrong. I feel like I SHOULD know this guy. No clues otherwise.

Your guesses are not correct.

3 - I know this. Instantly I want to say Jesse Sharps. Hmmm... or maybe Charles Owens on one of the other Nimbus recordings. I have to think... shit, can't place it, but I know I have it.

Not Sharps or Owens.

4 - Not a clue. A bit more traditional than I tend to like my big bands.

5 - I got nothin'.

6 - Clueless. I was thinking maybe Roy Eldridge, but doesn't seem to burn quite as much.

Not Roy.

7 - No idea.

8 - Tin Tin Deo. I recognize this, but can't place it. Could be somebody 'newer'... maybe Hilton Ruiz. It doesn't seem to grab me and hold me. The drummer seems a bit too... lackadaisical? The tune, to my ear, will always belong to the Tough Tenors. Pianist definitely has some sick chops (in fact, I don't think it is HR, because I'm really liking it, and he's not usually a guy I take to).

It's Tin Tin Deo. Not Ruiz.

9 - Eronel, beautiful tune. Love the McPherson version with Clifford Jordan. In fact, that album made an appearance on a BFT not long ago. No clue on who.

It is Eronel.

10 - I like the instrumentation a lot, but the tenor player doesn't seem to be adding much to my ear. He's got some technique tricks, but I'm not hearing much of a story. Love the bowed... I think cello, but could well be bass. On the whole, the cut is a keeper, but it's all about the strings.

11 - I was nervous at first that someone was going to try to do Peace Piece. It's Prelude to a Kiss, but I'm not sure who is playing it.

Correct song title.

12 - Right off the bat it sounds like Chico Freeman. Ah yes, it's Horace Silver's Peace, from this. Billy Hart gave it away (and India Navigation's brutal sound). Excellent record.

YES!!! YOU GOT IT!!!!

13 - This seems very familiar, too. I swear I just played this about a week ago, but damned if I can place it. Arggh! I'm definitely going to kick myself for this. Seems Dizzy-esque, but a brasher tone, and not quite Dizzy's effortlessness.

14 - Stolen Moments, obviously, but I'm not sure of the band. It's not doing it for me, though. Too damned compressed. Reminds me of that Bobby Hutcherson record with the L.A. Philharmonic. Sounds like Freddie Hubbard from the CTI years on trumpet, which would account for the over production.

Not Freddie.

15 - Not diggin' the organ in the early going here. Wow, that's two bones I would swear are Derek Kwong -- I must be having withdrawal. Could be Roswell, but I can't quite hear him in this setting. No idea on the others.

16 - When The Saints Go Marching In (You haven't heard this until you've heard Eddie Gale do it!). No clue who it is. It's not grabbing me, though... a bit more mustard than is necessary.

Really perceptive comments on some of the songs where you did not make a specific guess!

[jeffcrom]

As usual for me, I'm splitting my answers into a couple of posts. This will make me look better, because I knew a lot of the stuff in the first half. I listened to everything at least twice, and only looked things up in my own collection.

1. This is young Mac Rebennack, before he was Dr. John. The tune is “Sahara,” recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s famous studio on Governor Nicholls Street in New Orleans. I’ve got to wonder about this from a commercial standpoint – what was the target audience for this single? But in any case, this has a great feel. I don’t know what percentage of the tenor solos on New Orleans R & B records from this period are by “Mr. Lee” Allen, but it must be around 60%. He sounds great here. And Charles “Hungry” Williams’ drumming deserves a lot of the credit for the success of this track. I like this one very much.

2. “Carefree,” from one of Sun Ra’s last albums, Destination Unknown. For a long time it was hard for me to accept a Sun Ra album without John Gilmore, but he was ill and didn’t make this tour. Tyrone Hill is the trombone soloist, and he is very passionate here. This was recorded after Ra had his stroke, but his keyboard playing sounds pretty good. The ensemble is tighter than Ra’s bands were sometimes, but this still cooks hard. Outstanding.

3. I don’t know that many jazz oboists, but this sounds more like Yusef Lateef than any other oboist I know. So I’ll make the deeply profound statement that it’s either Yusef or someone I don’t know. What surprised me most about about this track was my reaction to it. It’s a well-played, interesting composition with good solos – and it doesn’t touch me at all. I’m not sure why, except that the slick mixing and mastering doesn’t help – the sound needs less sheen and more grit.

4. Well, Johnny Otis, I assume from the chant at the end. This is a nice, greasy big band piece, from the late 1940s, I’d guess. The solos are good, except that the tenor player sounds like he’s copying Paul Quinichette rather than Lester Young. Maybe it is Quinichette, but if so this is not his best work. Everything else about this performance is good. Another winner.

5. The John Kirby Sextet playing Grieg’s “Anitra’s Dance.” This is a lot of fun – a very clever arrangement. You can’t really tell from this totally-arranged piece, but Charlie Shavers and Billy Kyle never sounded better than with Kirby. This band could really play some jazz, but this is more or less a soufflé. Nothing wrong with that – I like this soufflé.

6. A broadcast recording of the Benny Goodman band playing Mary Lou Williams’ arrangement of “Roll ‘Em.” This band could get pretty hot, as they do here. Harry James wasn’t a genius, but in his early days could be a pretty exciting jazz player. Later on I guess he played “Ciribirbin” too many times. Great sounding sax section. I had to look up who was playing that meaty rhythm guitar – I should have known that it was Allen Reuss. I love the fact that Jess Stacy isn’t tempted to take the easy way out during his solo – I’m sure everyone was expecting some boogie. Goodman’s solo is good – not great. Overall, this is a great performance that shows what the fuss was all about.

7. Damn, I had forgotten how good this was! This is the Bennie Moten Orchestra from 1932, with Bill Basie on piano. It could almost be Fats Waller. I love this evidence that the later spareness of his playing was strictly a musical decision, not the result of lack of technique. Ben Webster is searching for himself here, and not coming up with much more than Coleman Hawkins. I like Lips Page’s spiky playing. And the band is a force of nature.

8. Three strong musicians playing “Tin Tin Deo.” The pianist sounds like John Hicks to me, but I have I feeling that’s going to just seem stupid when I find out who it really is. Nothing fancy here, but a masterful performance.

I'll post the rest soon.

[Hot Ptah]

As usual for me, I'm splitting my answers into a couple of posts. This will make me look better, because I knew a lot of the stuff in the first half. I listened to everything at least twice, and only looked things up in my own collection.

1. This is young Mac Rebennack, before he was Dr. John. The tune is “Sahara,” recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s famous studio on Governor Nicholls Street in New Orleans. I’ve got to wonder about this from a commercial standpoint – what was the target audience for this single? But in any case, this has a great feel. I don’t know what percentage of the tenor solos on New Orleans R & B records from this period are by “Mr. Lee” Allen, but it must be around 60%. He sounds great here. And Charles “Hungry” Williams’ drumming deserves a lot of the credit for the success of this track. I like this one very much.

YES!!! THAT'S IT!!! You know a lot about a lot of music. On my vinyl LP containing this cut, in the Ace Records Story Vol. 1-5 series, it states that the saxophone is played by Alvin "Red" Tyler. To try to confirm that, I emailed the Louisiana Music Factory staff, but they did not know who played on this cut.

2. “Carefree,” from one of Sun Ra’s last albums, Destination Unknown. For a long time it was hard for me to accept a Sun Ra album without John Gilmore, but he was ill and didn’t make this tour. Tyrone Hill is the trombone soloist, and he is very passionate here. This was recorded after Ra had his stroke, but his keyboard playing sounds pretty good. The ensemble is tighter than Ra’s bands were sometimes, but this still cooks hard. Outstanding.

YES!!! Everything you said there is absolutely correct. You ARE good!

3. I don’t know that many jazz oboists, but this sounds more like Yusef Lateef than any other oboist I know. So I’ll make the deeply profound statement that it’s either Yusef or someone I don’t know. What surprised me most about about this track was my reaction to it. It’s a well-played, interesting composition with good solos – and it doesn’t touch me at all. I’m not sure why, except that the slick mixing and mastering doesn’t help – the sound needs less sheen and more grit.

It's not Lateef on oboe.

4. Well, Johnny Otis, I assume from the chant at the end. This is a nice, greasy big band piece, from the late 1940s, I’d guess. The solos are good, except that the tenor player sounds like he’s copying Paul Quinichette rather than Lester Young. Maybe it is Quinichette, but if so this is not his best work. Everything else about this performance is good. Another winner.

The soloists are not identified in my CD booklet, but Paul Quinchette is in the sax section and I assume it is him. Who knows the title of this song, and the label it was recorded on?

5. The John Kirby Sextet playing Grieg’s “Anitra’s Dance.” This is a lot of fun – a very clever arrangement. You can’t really tell from this totally-arranged piece, but Charlie Shavers and Billy Kyle never sounded better than with Kirby. This band could really play some jazz, but this is more or less a soufflé. Nothing wrong with that – I like this soufflé.

YES! Spontooneous previously identified this. I also like how this cut is one indication among many, that Russell Procope had a significant career before joining Duke Ellington. He plays the alto sax here.

6. A broadcast recording of the Benny Goodman band playing Mary Lou Williams’ arrangement of “Roll ‘Em.” This band could get pretty hot, as they do here. Harry James wasn’t a genius, but in his early days could be a pretty exciting jazz player. Later on I guess he played “Ciribirbin” too many times. Great sounding sax section. I had to look up who was playing that meaty rhythm guitar – I should have known that it was Allen Reuss. I love the fact that Jess Stacy isn’t tempted to take the easy way out during his solo – I’m sure everyone was expecting some boogie. Goodman’s solo is good – not great. Overall, this is a great performance that shows what the fuss was all about.

All correct. One of the hallmarks of the Columbia Jazz Masterpieces CD reissue program of the late '80s and early '90s was its lack of quality liner notes. At one place in the CD booklet, it says that this was recorded in New York, and in another place it says that it was recorded at a specific hall in Pittsburgh.

7. Damn, I had forgotten how good this was! This is the Bennie Moten Orchestra from 1932, with Bill Basie on piano. It could almost be Fats Waller. I love this evidence that the later spareness of his playing was strictly a musical decision, not the result of lack of technique. Ben Webster is searching for himself here, and not coming up with much more than Coleman Hawkins. I like Lips Page’s spiky playing. And the band is a force of nature.

Yes. Spontooneous had previously identified all of this. As I said in my comments to his post, I put this on because I thought that some would not know how much piano Basie could play.

8. Three strong musicians playing “Tin Tin Deo.” The pianist sounds like John Hicks to me, but I have I feeling that’s going to just seem stupid when I find out who it really is. Nothing fancy here, but a masterful performance.

John Hicks is a good guess, and would probably have been my guess, but it is not him.

I'll post the rest soon.

Your ability to identify obscure cuts is amazing to me.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Hot Ptah

[Spontooneous]

You sly dog, Bill!

Number 11 is here.

Number 14 is here. Presumably the tempo jump comes from a splice.

[Hot Ptah]

You sly dog, Bill!

Number 11 is here.

Number 14 is here. Presumably the tempo jump comes from a splice.

You are correct as to both albums.

James Newton's "If Love" could, at one time, often be found in cut out bins, but it is an excellent album. It is his most mainstream jazz album.

I wondered if anyone would identify this version of "Stolen Moments" as having been recorded by Frank Zappa's 1988 big band. "Broadway The Hard Way" is my least favorite of the three live albums released from that tour. I like "Make a Jazz Noise Here" the best, followed by "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life". What you and another member have referred to as the abrupt transitions at the beginning and end of the song is unfortunately something that Zappa did a lot of with his live recordings in his later years, running them all together with no moment of silence between them, not even letting the last note fade before the next song began. This also occurs on his "You Can't Do That Onstage Anymore" series. I never liked that.

I rank "Broadway The Hard Way" as my third favorite live album from the 1988 Zappa big band tour, because it is mostly topical vocal songs, about political matters which were current at the time. The other two albums have a good deal of improvisation and instrumental songs.

So who is the trumpet soloist on Zappa's version of "Stolen Moments?"

Edited September 2, 2010 by Hot Ptah

[jeffcrom]

1. This is young Mac Rebennack, before he was Dr. John. The tune is “Sahara,” recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s famous studio on Governor Nicholls Street in New Orleans. I’ve got to wonder about this from a commercial standpoint – what was the target audience for this single? But in any case, this has a great feel. I don’t know what percentage of the tenor solos on New Orleans R & B records from this period are by “Mr. Lee” Allen, but it must be around 60%. He sounds great here. And Charles “Hungry” Williams’ drumming deserves a lot of the credit for the success of this track. I like this one very much.

YES!!! THAT'S IT!!! You know a lot about a lot of music. On my vinyl LP containing this cut, in the Ace Records Story Vol. 1-5 series, it states that the saxophone is played by Alvin "Red" Tyler. To try to confirm that, I emailed the Louisiana Music Factory staff, but they did not know who played on this cut.

I have this track on Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology on Rhino. They say it's Lee Allen.

Your ability to identify obscure cuts is amazing to me.

I just have a ridiculous record collection, and the first half of this BFT was right in my wheelhouse. The second half - not so much.

[Hot Ptah]

1. This is young Mac Rebennack, before he was Dr. John. The tune is “Sahara,” recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s famous studio on Governor Nicholls Street in New Orleans. I’ve got to wonder about this from a commercial standpoint – what was the target audience for this single? But in any case, this has a great feel. I don’t know what percentage of the tenor solos on New Orleans R & B records from this period are by “Mr. Lee” Allen, but it must be around 60%. He sounds great here. And Charles “Hungry” Williams’ drumming deserves a lot of the credit for the success of this track. I like this one very much.

YES!!! THAT'S IT!!! You know a lot about a lot of music. On my vinyl LP containing this cut, in the Ace Records Story Vol. 1-5 series, it states that the saxophone is played by Alvin "Red" Tyler. To try to confirm that, I emailed the Louisiana Music Factory staff, but they did not know who played on this cut.

I have this track on Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology on Rhino. They say it's Lee Allen.

I knew that, and that is why I emailed Louisiana Music Factory, because the musician credits for the song on Mos' Scocious do not look correct to me. Those credits omit the trumpet and conga players, for example. Also, there is that credit on the back of the Ace Records Story LP for Alvin "Red" Tyler. The sax breaks on "Sahara" do not sound like the Lee Allen solos I know from so many other New Orleans R&B songs. It could be Allen, but I find it not obvious.

[jeffcrom]

Part two:

9. Monk’s music, like Bach’s, should be able to stand up to a wide range of interpretations, but this pianist shows a basic misunderstanding of what the music is all about. It’s okay to play “Eronel” slowly like this – I kind of like the tempo – but he or she puts some of Monk’s syncopations squarely on the beat, playing havoc with Monk’s musical intentions. And there’s a “prettiness” to the whole thing – some dissonances notwithstanding. I’m going to be an old curmudgeon and say that I didn’t care for this.

10. Nice – relaxed, yet intense. It’s just long enough to say what they wanted to say. Good command of their instruments, but with plenty of grit. No idea who or what this is, but I like it.

11. Well, it’s James Newton playing “Prelude to a Kiss,” but it’s not from that excellent Ellington album he did for Blue Note back in the eighties. My guess on piano would be Anthony Davis, but that’s just a guess. This is beautiful – certainly on the conservative side of what Newton could do, but none the less excellent for its power held in reserve.

12. This one drove me crazy. I can’t come up with the name of the tune. Anyway, it sounds like Clifford Jordan playing it. The bass solo is a little breathless, but everything else is just perfect. The arc of the tune – switching to double time, sticks instead of brushes, etc. – is a little predictable, but it’s so good that you don’t care. Again, some masters at work.

13. I wasn’t crazy about this, but I think that says more about my tastes than about the music itself. I kept waiting for it to go somewhere else, but to be fair, that didn’t seem to be the point. Good playing all around, just not really my thing.

14. Music that’s too clean and slick already has a couple of strikes against it, in my opinion. This one was way too slick for me. The bass sound drove me crazy – not in a good way. And the rhythm section was busy, but not in any kind of interactive or conversational way – they sounded like they were throwing in a bunch of stuff because they could, not because it added to the music. The trumpet solo was good, though. I didn’t notice when you sent me the disc that this track was chopped off, or I would have asked you if that was your intention.

15. This is “Ad Infinitum” by Carla Bley, and I think it’s her band playing it, although I’ve never heard this recording. What a great composer – or at least tune writer, which is a pretty big part of being a jazz composer. Is that Gary Valente on trombone? Nice track. Art Farmer did a great version of this tune for Atlantic in 1965.

16. One of the grandfathers of New Orleans R & B piano, Tuts Washington. His rhythm was a little wonky at times, but that’s okay – he had a lot of soul. Tuts was a big influence on Professor Longhair, and so on NOLA R & B in general. Thanks for including this one.

Edit: I should have added that this is from Tuts' Rounder album New Orleans Piano Professor.

Thanks for a great BFT - I'm looking forward to reading what everybody else has to say.

1. This is young Mac Rebennack, before he was Dr. John. The tune is “Sahara,” recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s famous studio on Governor Nicholls Street in New Orleans. I’ve got to wonder about this from a commercial standpoint – what was the target audience for this single? But in any case, this has a great feel. I don’t know what percentage of the tenor solos on New Orleans R & B records from this period are by “Mr. Lee” Allen, but it must be around 60%. He sounds great here. And Charles “Hungry” Williams’ drumming deserves a lot of the credit for the success of this track. I like this one very much.

YES!!! THAT'S IT!!! You know a lot about a lot of music. On my vinyl LP containing this cut, in the Ace Records Story Vol. 1-5 series, it states that the saxophone is played by Alvin "Red" Tyler. To try to confirm that, I emailed the Louisiana Music Factory staff, but they did not know who played on this cut.

I have this track on Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology on Rhino. They say it's Lee Allen.

I knew that, and that is why I emailed Louisiana Music Factory, because the musician credits for the song on Mos' Scocious do not look correct to me. Those credits omit the trumpet and conga players, for example. Also, there is that credit on the back of the Ace Records Story LP for Alvin "Red" Tyler. The sax breaks on "Sahara" do not sound like the Lee Allen solos I know from so many other New Orleans R&B songs. It could be Allen, but I find it not obvious.

I'll compare it to some other Red Tyler tenor solos from that period and see what I think.

Edited September 2, 2010 by jeffcrom

[Spontooneous]

You sly dog, Bill!

Number 11 is here.

Number 14 is here. Presumably the tempo jump comes from a splice.

You are correct as to both albums.

James Newton's "If Love" could, at one time, often be found in cut out bins, but it is an excellent album. It is his most mainstream jazz album.

I wondered if anyone would identify this version of "Stolen Moments" as having been recorded by Frank Zappa's 1988 big band. "Broadway The Hard Way" is my least favorite of the three live albums released from that tour. I like "Make a Jazz Noise Here" the best, followed by "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life". What you and another member have referred to as the abrupt transitions at the beginning and end of the song is unfortunately something that Zappa did a lot of with his live recordings in his later years, running them all together with no moment of silence between them, not even letting the last note fade before the next song began. This also occurs on his "You Can't Do That Onstage Anymore" series. I never liked that.

I rank "Broadway The Hard Way" as my third favorite live album from the 1988 Zappa big band tour, because it is mostly topical vocal songs, about political matters which were current at the time. The other two albums have a good deal of improvisation and instrumental songs.

So who is the trumpet soloist on Zappa's version of "Stolen Moments?"

My copy of "If Love" came from a Half Price Books store in Indianapolis, about eight years before Half Price Books came to Kansas City. Really a lovely record. Michael Cain was on a lot of good sessions for a while, but he's fallen off my radar since. The disc was brought to us by the same company that flooded the market with all those cheap discs on the Laserlight label.

Zappa's trumpetist was Walt Fowler, brother Bruce on trombone. Only five horns, but the band sounds bigger.

[jeffcrom]

Okay, my biggest "D'oh!" moment so far has been not being able to come up with the title of Silver's "Peace." And mistaking Chico Freeman for Clifford Jordan makes me want to go back and hear some more Freeman.

[Hot Ptah]

Part two:

9. Monks music, like Bachs, should be able to stand up to a wide range of interpretations, but this pianist shows a basic misunderstanding of what the music is all about. Its okay to play Eronel slowly like this I kind of like the tempo but he or she puts some of Monks syncopations squarely on the beat, playing havoc with Monks musical intentions. And theres a prettiness to the whole thing some dissonances notwithstanding. Im going to be an old curmudgeon and say that I didnt care for this.

I think that when the pianist is identified, you will find it interesting. I confess that I included this partly because the pianist is an Organissimo board favorite, and I wanted to see if anyone would not really like this pianist if they heard this pianist's playing without knowing who it is.

10. Nice relaxed, yet intense. Its just long enough to say what they wanted to say. Good command of their instruments, but with plenty of grit. No idea who or what this is, but I like it.

11. Well, its James Newton playing Prelude to a Kiss, but its not from that excellent Ellington album he did for Blue Note back in the eighties. My guess on piano would be Anthony Davis, but thats just a guess. This is beautiful certainly on the conservative side of what Newton could do, but none the less excellent for its power held in reserve.

You are correct about James Newton and the song title. Spontoooneous has already identified the album, If Love. The pianist is Michael Cain.

12. This one drove me crazy. I cant come up with the name of the tune. Anyway, it sounds like Clifford Jordan playing it. The bass solo is a little breathless, but everything else is just perfect. The arc of the tune switching to double time, sticks instead of brushes, etc. is a little predictable, but its so good that you dont care. Again, some masters at work.

Thom Keith has identified this as Chico Freeman from his late 1970s album "Spirit Sensitive", on India Navigation, with John Hicks, Cecil McBee and Billy Hart. I confess that I included it partly because Chico Freeman has been the subject of much negative opinion on the Organissimo board, and I wanted to see if anyone would have a positive impression of him if they did not know who it was.

13. I wasnt crazy about this, but I think that says more about my tastes than about the music itself. I kept waiting for it to go somewhere else, but to be fair, that didnt seem to be the point. Good playing all around, just not really my thing.

14. Music thats too clean and slick already has a couple of strikes against it, in my opinion. This one was way too slick for me. The bass sound drove me crazy not in a good way. And the rhythm section was busy, but not in any kind of interactive or conversational way they sounded like they were throwing in a bunch of stuff because they could, not because it added to the music. The trumpet solo was good, though. I didnt notice when you sent me the disc that this track was chopped off, or I would have asked you if that was your intention.

Spontooneous has already identified this as Frank Zappa from "Broadway The Hard Way", one of three live albums released from his 1988 tour, in which the band included five jazz horn players. As I state in response to Spontooneous' post above, on his live albums released in the late 1980s and until his death, Zappa often ran the songs together, not letting the last notes fade on one song before beginning the next. I have never liked that and do not know why he thought it was a good idea. That is why the end sounds chopped off. The next few seconds are an electric guitar part for the next song, which does not fit with "Stolen Moments" at all, and which probably would have given the answer away for many people.

15. This is Ad Infinitum by Carla Bley, and I think its her band playing it, although Ive never heard this recording. What a great composer or at least tune writer, which is a pretty big part of being a jazz composer. Is that Gary Valente on trombone? Nice track. Art Farmer did a great version of this tune for Atlantic in 1965.

It is Carla Bley's "Ad Infinitum", from one of her albums, but not exactly with her band. This is one of the surprises of this Blindfold Test for me. I thought that everyone would identify this one instantly. That is why I put it near the end. I thought that all jazz fans who were listening during a certain time period probably had this album. I was wrong!

16. One of the grandfathers of New Orleans R & B piano, Tuts Washington. His rhythm was a little wonky at times, but thats okay he had a lot of soul. Tuts was a big influence on Professor Longhair, and so on NOLA R & B in general. Thanks for including this one.

Man, I CANNOT slip any New Orleans music past you! It is Tuts Washington, a sadly underrecorded player in my opinion. I like his piano stylings a lot.

Thanks for a great BFT - I'm looking forward to reading what everybody else has to say.

1. This is young Mac Rebennack, before he was Dr. John. The tune is Sahara, recorded at Cosimo Matassas famous studio on Governor Nicholls Street in New Orleans. Ive got to wonder about this from a commercial standpoint what was the target audience for this single? But in any case, this has a great feel. I dont know what percentage of the tenor solos on New Orleans R & B records from this period are by Mr. Lee Allen, but it must be around 60%. He sounds great here. And Charles Hungry Williams drumming deserves a lot of the credit for the success of this track. I like this one very much.

YES!!! THAT'S IT!!! You know a lot about a lot of music. On my vinyl LP containing this cut, in the Ace Records Story Vol. 1-5 series, it states that the saxophone is played by Alvin "Red" Tyler. To try to confirm that, I emailed the Louisiana Music Factory staff, but they did not know who played on this cut.

I have this track on Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology on Rhino. They say it's Lee Allen.

I knew that, and that is why I emailed Louisiana Music Factory, because the musician credits for the song on Mos' Scocious do not look correct to me. Those credits omit the trumpet and conga players, for example. Also, there is that credit on the back of the Ace Records Story LP for Alvin "Red" Tyler. The sax breaks on "Sahara" do not sound like the Lee Allen solos I know from so many other New Orleans R&B songs. It could be Allen, but I find it not obvious.

I'll compare it to some other Red Tyler tenor solos from that period and see what I think.

I have also emailed Offbeat magazine this morning. I don't know if anyone will respond, but I think that if they felt motivated to find the answer, they could. I reminded them of my many years of subscribing by mail, so we will see if they respond.

You sly dog, Bill!

Number 11 is here.

Number 14 is here. Presumably the tempo jump comes from a splice.

You are correct as to both albums.

James Newton's "If Love" could, at one time, often be found in cut out bins, but it is an excellent album. It is his most mainstream jazz album.

I wondered if anyone would identify this version of "Stolen Moments" as having been recorded by Frank Zappa's 1988 big band. "Broadway The Hard Way" is my least favorite of the three live albums released from that tour. I like "Make a Jazz Noise Here" the best, followed by "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life". What you and another member have referred to as the abrupt transitions at the beginning and end of the song is unfortunately something that Zappa did a lot of with his live recordings in his later years, running them all together with no moment of silence between them, not even letting the last note fade before the next song began. This also occurs on his "You Can't Do That Onstage Anymore" series. I never liked that.

I rank "Broadway The Hard Way" as my third favorite live album from the 1988 Zappa big band tour, because it is mostly topical vocal songs, about political matters which were current at the time. The other two albums have a good deal of improvisation and instrumental songs.

So who is the trumpet soloist on Zappa's version of "Stolen Moments?"

My copy of "If Love" came from a Half Price Books store in Indianapolis, about eight years before Half Price Books came to Kansas City. Really a lovely record. Michael Cain was on a lot of good sessions for a while, but he's fallen off my radar since. The disc was brought to us by the same company that flooded the market with all those cheap discs on the Laserlight label.

Zappa's trumpetist was Walt Fowler, brother Bruce on trombone. Only five horns, but the band sounds bigger.

Yes, you are correct. The trumpet player on the Zappa cut is Walt Fowler.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Hot Ptah

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Got this lunchtime today and could hardly wait to get it on. But housework intervened. Anyway, here we go on a really nice ride.

1 Phwoarrrrr! New Orleans but I can’t guess who. Tenor player sounds like Lee Allen.

2 This sounds like New Orleans drumming and New Orleans tuba playing, in 6/8 no less. Another one I don’t know. I love trombonists who sound brash and ruff like this! Is this one of those recent NO brass bands? I keep meaning to get some stuff of that nature. The guitarist sounds as if he should be familiar, but I don’t know him; kind of off-centre, like George Freeman – of course, it’s not him, he was too deep in his solo too quickly.

Wunnerful!!!!

3 Now this soprano sax player sounds like another I should know. But I don’t – he’s got a wonderful big sound, though, and I want to know who he is. I like the trumpet player’s sound too – another big sound, even using a plunger (?) mute.

There’s something vaguely film soundtrack-ish about the arrangement, but it’s ravishing.

That bass player is playing rather a lot of bass. Well, the whole rhythm section is all playing rather a lot.

4 Big band. Sounds like a revival of one of the old ones. But who’s that piano player? Ah, the last few seconds give it away – it’s Johnny Otis.

5 I think I recognise this. It’s one of the classical pieces adapted by the John Kirby sextet. Now, if I could only think of the title, I’d get this. Got to say, it sounds a bit different from the (Andorran) CD I have of that band.

6 Another big band. This one’s got a proper groove to it. Don’t know who this is.

7 Blimey, another big band. I’m going to guess Jay McShann; bloody lot of piano he’s playing. And the trumpet player is a gaaaaaaaaasssssss!

8 “Tin tin deo”, played off centre. Ah, now it settles down. I’m getting a strong Harold Mabern feeling about this guy. I like this guy and the performance, whoever it is.

9 Very strong Ellington feel to this pianist. Which means it’s probably Monk. Or Mingus.

10 Cor! Ravishing sound of those saxes melding! Not sure I’m completely with this, but it’s very interesting. Sounds like something I could end up liking a lot.

11 “Prelude to a kiss” by a flute. Good big sound to the flute. Is this just a duet with piano? Can’t hear bass & drums. I love the sound of this guy on flute. No guesses at the pianist. Oh, there is a bass player, I think. This treatment reminds me of Debussy!

12 “Peace” Ho yuss, Fathead with Ray Drummond. Gonna dig that out and give it a listen through.

13 Nice Latin groove. I get a Willie Bobo feeling about the groove. Don’t know who the pianist is, though. If I knew the tune, it would help, but I don’t. Ah, I’ve heard someone playing a bit like this quite recently. Oh yes, Oscar Peterson. Could it be him? Wow! And the trumpet player is soaring! I don’t know him, either. And that moaning trombone behind him just feels so right.

Oh, so nice. One to buy, I think.

14 “Stolen Moments” (or “The stolen moment”, as it was originally). I keep wanting Sonny Criss to come in all through the trumpet solo. Something wrong with this cut; cuts off during the trumpet solo at 2:57. I think it’s Freddie Hubbard, but I’m no expert.

15 Funny kind of thing. Funny kind of organ playing. Oh, but I like that trombone’s sound again. Oh wow!! Not the faintest idea of what this could be.

16 “The saints” – oh, this has got to be some more McShann. Or the only McShann, if my other guess was wrong.

Wow, what a nice BFT! Nothing in there that I didn’t like. And not much I knew about. Gonna listen to this again and again, I reckon. And buy some of them, too.

Thank you Bill.

MG

[Hot Ptah]

Got this lunchtime today and could hardly wait to get it on. But housework intervened. Anyway, here we go on a really nice ride.

1 Phwoarrrrr! New Orleans but I can’t guess who. Tenor player sounds like Lee Allen.

2 This sounds like New Orleans drumming and New Orleans tuba playing, in 6/8 no less. Another one I don’t know. I love trombonists who sound brash and ruff like this! Is this one of those recent NO brass bands? I keep meaning to get some stuff of that nature. The guitarist sounds as if he should be familiar, but I don’t know him; kind of off-centre, like George Freeman – of course, it’s not him, he was too deep in his solo too quickly.

Wunnerful!!!!

3 Now this soprano sax player sounds like another I should know. But I don’t – he’s got a wonderful big sound, though, and I want to know who he is. I like the trumpet player’s sound too – another big sound, even using a plunger (?) mute.

There’s something vaguely film soundtrack-ish about the arrangement, but it’s ravishing.

That bass player is playing rather a lot of bass. Well, the whole rhythm section is all playing rather a lot.

4 Big band. Sounds like a revival of one of the old ones. But who’s that piano player? Ah, the last few seconds give it away – it’s Johnny Otis.

5 I think I recognise this. It’s one of the classical pieces adapted by the John Kirby sextet. Now, if I could only think of the title, I’d get this. Got to say, it sounds a bit different from the (Andorran) CD I have of that band.

6 Another big band. This one’s got a proper groove to it. Don’t know who this is.

7 Blimey, another big band. I’m going to guess Jay McShann; bloody lot of piano he’s playing. And the trumpet player is a gaaaaaaaaasssssss!

8 “Tin tin deo”, played off centre. Ah, now it settles down. I’m getting a strong Harold Mabern feeling about this guy. I like this guy and the performance, whoever it is.

9 Very strong Ellington feel to this pianist. Which means it’s probably Monk. Or Mingus.

10 Cor! Ravishing sound of those saxes melding! Not sure I’m completely with this, but it’s very interesting. Sounds like something I could end up liking a lot.

11 “Prelude to a kiss” by a flute. Good big sound to the flute. Is this just a duet with piano? Can’t hear bass & drums. I love the sound of this guy on flute. No guesses at the pianist. Oh, there is a bass player, I think. This treatment reminds me of Debussy!

12 “Peace” Ho yuss, Fathead with Ray Drummond. Gonna dig that out and give it a listen through.

13 Nice Latin groove. I get a Willie Bobo feeling about the groove. Don’t know who the pianist is, though. If I knew the tune, it would help, but I don’t. Ah, I’ve heard someone playing a bit like this quite recently. Oh yes, Oscar Peterson. Could it be him? Wow! And the trumpet player is soaring! I don’t know him, either. And that moaning trombone behind him just feels so right.

Oh, so nice. One to buy, I think.

14 “Stolen Moments” (or “The stolen moment”, as it was originally). I keep wanting Sonny Criss to come in all through the trumpet solo. Something wrong with this cut; cuts off during the trumpet solo at 2:57. I think it’s Freddie Hubbard, but I’m no expert.

15 Funny kind of thing. Funny kind of organ playing. Oh, but I like that trombone’s sound again. Oh wow!! Not the faintest idea of what this could be.

16 “The saints” – oh, this has got to be some more McShann. Or the only McShann, if my other guess was wrong.

Wow, what a nice BFT! Nothing in there that I didn’t like. And not much I knew about. Gonna listen to this again and again, I reckon. And buy some of them, too.

Thank you Bill.

MG

I am glad that you liked it so much, Allan. You got John Kirby right.

Mabern is an interesting guess for #8, but is not correct. I have to say, all of your other guesses were not correct, just as my guesses never are correct in any BFT. You might want to go back and look at the other members' posts now, as some songs have been identified.

You may be surprised at who is playing the "bloody lot of piano" on #7.

You may have liked your first Sun Ra cut with #2!

I am glad that you like #13. I do too. No one has come close to identifying it yet. Where's seeline, I bet she would know!

The cutoff on #14 is explained in the posts above--it is the artist's own idea of how to present a series of live cuts. I have never liked it that way.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

12 - Right off the bat it sounds like Chico Freeman. Ah yes, it's Horace Silver's Peace, from this. Billy Hart gave it away (and India Navigation's brutal sound). Excellent record.

YES!!! YOU GOT IT!!!!

Damn! I should have done a comparison! It's even in a different key!

MG

[seeline]

# 11 must be Lew Tabackin with Toshiko, although the comping seems a little restrained for her...actually, the ending sounds *very* typical (for both of them). I wonder if he was playing with a shakuhachi headjoint? (If not, wow... he's one of the very few people I know of who can get those bends and glisses from a Western transverse flute.)

That version of Tin Tin Deo is gonna drive me bonkers until I figure it out - which should be "if" instead of until, really.

Whoever it is ... well, they're a fine pianist, but I think they're not from the Latin jazz end of things. (Though again, I could be very, very wrong on that!) I can see why Mabern's name has been mentioned.

Re. the Kirby track, that's lovely! A lot of his recordings used to be available on emusic.com, but unfortunately, there's some sort of licensing problem in the US. Damn!

Edited September 2, 2010 by seeline

[Hot Ptah]

# 11 must be Lew Tabackin with Toshiko, although the comping seems a little restrained for her...actually, the ending sounds *very* typical (for both of them). I wonder if he was playing with a shakuhachi headjoint? (If not, wow... he's one of the very few people I know of who can get those bends and glisses from a Western transverse flute.)

That version of Tin Tin Deo is gonna drive me bonkers until I figure it out - which should be "if" instead of until, really.

Whoever it is ... well, they're a fine pianist, but I think they're not from the Latin jazz end of things. (Though again, I could be very, very wrong on that!) I can see why Mabern's name has been mentioned.

Re. the Kirby track, that's lovely! A lot of his recordings used to be available on emusic.com, but unfortunately, there's some sort of licensing problem in the US. Damn!

What about #13, seeline?

[seeline]

Hah - I don't know! Ray Vega, maybe, or Charlie Sepulveda (on tpt, that is)? (this is totally off the top of my head; I still haven't heard the entire cut.)

What about Prelude to a Kiss, or was that covered in earlier posts?

Edited September 2, 2010 by seeline

[Hot Ptah]

Hah - I don't know! Ray Vega, maybe, or Charlie Sepulveda? (this is totally off the top of my head; I still haven't heard the entire cut.)

What about Prelude to a Kiss, or was that covered in earlier posts?

No and no.

We have had an answer to Prelude...

Edited September 2, 2010 by Hot Ptah

[seeline]

Damn - Newton was my other guess, and I almost went with him! Who's the pianist?