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Spontooneous

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Spoonie Love from Up Above -- this was a THOROUGHLY enjoyable test.

Back from hiatus... been a rough stretch, time-wise, but feels good to be back (for the moment).

Track 1 -- Oh! I know this tune! That's Dick Griffin's Come Dance With Me. I have it on A Dream For Rahsaan. Recognized the tune immediately, but took me a bit to put the name to it. Guitarist is busy for my taste. This sounds like one of Jerry Gonzalez' Bands to me. That's Dick on trombone. Ugh... definitely Hilton Ruiz on piano -- I saw him make a fool of himself one night doing that stuff; not a fan. [second listen] Sam Rivers is the tenor player, but I don't know the trumpeter. I don't have this.

Track 2 -- Quirky but likable. It's NOT Stanley Cowell -- somebody much more inside, maybe from the next generation? Very Tyner-esque, but a bit more locked in the tradition. The fleeting runs are very much out of McCoy, though. Feels a bit disjointed to me (which may be the intent). Could actually BE later McCoy, but I'm not that familiar with his more recent stuff -- it just hasn't held my interest.

Track 3 -- I'm sensing a trend beginning. :D This doesn't do anything for me. No idea.

Track 4 -- No clue. Quite a transition, though.

Track 5 -- No idea, but that was a lot of fun.

Track 6 -- Not sure. Not a bone player I'm overly familiar with. I'd definitely guess it's a younger guy.

Track 7 -- I know that tenor. Maybe Carter Jefferson? The whole vibe is early-80s, but I can't really place any of them. Maybe McBee on bass, but there's a lick in there that... man... it's the guy, whoever he is, but I'm not confident that it's Cecil. This is up my alley. That sounds very much like Mr. Shaw on trumpet, which means it's quite likely I actually *have* this (I've been on a late 50s kick of late, so I'm off my game). If that's the case, McBee is likely and it could be Rene McLean on tenor if not CJ. The arrangement is the only part of this not doing a lot for me, but overall, I like this, even with the fuzz tones.

Track 8 -- These seems to be trying too hard to be different, but I like anyway. Ah... they're trying to out-Monk Monk. Bye-Ah? I can never keep the names of my Monk tunes straight. No idea.

Track 9 -- Old Man River... odd, but likable. Soprano isn't doing much for me. Very lick-driven. It's interesting, but I don't think I'll listen twice. Tenor reminds me of Bill Saxton. Drums are conjuring a Bugs Bunny cartoon for me -- has me smiling.

Track 10 -- Strange version of Willow Weep For Me. I like the instrumental arrangement; could do without the vocals. Bass is very familiar; don't know the others, but I do like the instrumental portions of this a lot.

Track 11 -- Again, just fun. Sounds like a band recording after the period when this style was really popular (meaning the sound of the recording seems to be somewhere in the 50s). Nothing earth-shattering, but a whole lotta fun.

Track 12 -- Early impressions are Randy Weston on piano, but more likely someone playing like RW. Bass clarinetist has his Dolphy down... is this that Illinois Concert date? Yes, it is. This is one of his tunes... I forget the title. This is a strange record, but very enjoyable to hear Dolphy in this setting.

Track 13 -- Love it already. Just love me some bass. Has a very Abdullah Ibrahim feel.

Track 14 -- A bit reminiscent of Chico Freeman, which is to say, I love it.

Thanks for the ear candy!

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I only skipped through it to confirm that it uploaded into my itunes okay, will give it a first spin tonight. However...

Track one was great. Not normally the kind of thing I listen to, but it really jibed with the springtime weather we're having down here. You couldn't have started a playlist for me today with a better choice. Bravo.

Track thirteen forced me to listen all the way through. I started the song somewhere in the middle and after a few notes, I had no choice but to start the song at the beginning and listen all the way through. It reminds me of some of the stuff Gianluca Petrella is doing with his Cosmics band (when he doesn't have a crush on his IDM machine), a real big sound that soars overhead. Whoever this is, if the rest of the album is anything like this, it just shot to the top of my to purchase list. But there's a lot of Ibrahim out there that I haven't listened to yet, so I could see that being an avenue to pursue as well.

And I thought maybe I heard a Pullen cover of a Monk tune in there, but I'll have to give it a better listen later.

Thanks for putting this together.

Cheers.

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Spoonie Love from Up Above -- this was a THOROUGHLY enjoyable test.

Back from hiatus... been a rough stretch, time-wise, but feels good to be back (for the moment).

Track 1 -- Oh! I know this tune! That's Dick Griffin's Come Dance With Me. I have it on A Dream For Rahsaan. Recognized the tune immediately, but took me a bit to put the name to it. Guitarist is busy for my taste. This sounds like one of Jerry Gonzalez' Bands to me. That's Dick on trombone. Ugh... definitely Hilton Ruiz on piano -- I saw him make a fool of himself one night doing that stuff; not a fan. [second listen] Sam Rivers is the tenor player, but I don't know the trumpeter. I don't have this.

A homer on the first pitch! Right tune, composer and trombonist. Jerry Gonzalez is on the date but isn't the leader. Definitely Hilton Ruiz! And correct on Sam Rivers. Got pretty much everything but the album title here.

Track 2 -- Quirky but likable. It's NOT Stanley Cowell -- somebody much more inside, maybe from the next generation? Very Tyner-esque, but a bit more locked in the tradition. The fleeting runs are very much out of McCoy, though. Feels a bit disjointed to me (which may be the intent). Could actually BE later McCoy, but I'm not that familiar with his more recent stuff -- it just hasn't held my interest.

Not Cowell, but about the same age group. Not Tyner either.

Track 3 -- I'm sensing a trend beginning. :D This doesn't do anything for me. No idea.

Track 4 -- No clue. Quite a transition, though.

Track 5 -- No idea, but that was a lot of fun.

Track 6 -- Not sure. Not a bone player I'm overly familiar with. I'd definitely guess it's a younger guy.

Track 7 -- I know that tenor. Maybe Carter Jefferson? The whole vibe is early-80s, but I can't really place any of them. Maybe McBee on bass, but there's a lick in there that... man... it's the guy, whoever he is, but I'm not confident that it's Cecil. This is up my alley. That sounds very much like Mr. Shaw on trumpet, which means it's quite likely I actually *have* this (I've been on a late 50s kick of late, so I'm off my game). If that's the case, McBee is likely and it could be Rene McLean on tenor if not CJ. The arrangement is the only part of this not doing a lot for me, but overall, I like this, even with the fuzz tones.

Not Carter Jefferson, not Woody Shaw (though it's very Shaw-like). But you nailed Cecil McBee, and I'm filled with admiration. Give the arrangement a chance and it might grow on you, just for its sheer outrageousness.

Track 8 -- These seems to be trying too hard to be different, but I like anyway. Ah... they're trying to out-Monk Monk. Bye-Ah? I can never keep the names of my Monk tunes straight. No idea.

"Bye-Ya," yes.

Track 9 -- Old Man River... odd, but likable. Soprano isn't doing much for me. Very lick-driven. It's interesting, but I don't think I'll listen twice. Tenor reminds me of Bill Saxton. Drums are conjuring a Bugs Bunny cartoon for me -- has me smiling.

Right tune, and once again you leave me in awe of your ability to pluck soloists' identities out of mid-air. Yes, the tenor is Bill Saxton.

Track 10 -- Strange version of Willow Weep For Me. I like the instrumental arrangement; could do without the vocals. Bass is very familiar; don't know the others, but I do like the instrumental portions of this a lot.

Track 11 -- Again, just fun. Sounds like a band recording after the period when this style was really popular (meaning the sound of the recording seems to be somewhere in the 50s). Nothing earth-shattering, but a whole lotta fun.

Actually the recording's a lot older than the '50s. The transfer has a terrible '50s-style reverb added. This is the only digital version I could find, and I apologize. You should hear the original 78. It roars.

Track 12 -- Early impressions are Randy Weston on piano, but more likely someone playing like RW. Bass clarinetist has his Dolphy down... is this that Illinois Concert date? Yes, it is. This is one of his tunes... I forget the title. This is a strange record, but very enjoyable to hear Dolphy in this setting.

Not Weston. Not Dolphy. But one of the principal people on this one worked with Dolphy.

Track 13 -- Love it already. Just love me some bass. Has a very Abdullah Ibrahim feel.

Glad you liked. This is probably the track that's closest to my heart right now. Not Abdullah, but it's deeply connected to the part of the world he came from.

Track 14 -- A bit reminiscent of Chico Freeman, which is to say, I love it.

Not Chico. You're gonna love the answer when it comes.

Thanks for the ear candy!

And thank you!

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1. Thom Keith seems to know a lot more about this one than I do, so I'll just say it's pleasant, listenable Latin jazz.

2. Solo piano before a live audience. Fairly recent, judging by the recording quality. I have a track from Harold Mabern's Philadelphia Bound which, like this, has so much going on it sounds like a piano duo. So, Mabern?

3. Starts as super fast boogie (12 bar blues, of course) - and gets faster. Speeded-up or electronically processed recording. Would be great with an animated film.

4. My guess is this is Bix-type music around 1928.

5. Ah, the authentic boogie! Can't make his mind up whether it's 8 or 12 bar blues and deploys so many of the boogie licks and patterns. Love it! One of those guys around 1930 with names like Montana Taylor or Romeo Nelson.

6. Is this a trombone, or some other "horn" - euphonium or some such? I have vague memories of Matthew Gee soloing with the Ellington orchestra on (?)English horn. The drummer sounds very like Connie Kay, so could it be John Lewis on piano?

7. I'll back Thom's suggestion that it's Woody Shaw on trumpet.

8. A piano trio playing Monk's "Bye Ya".

9. This appeals less than the other tracks. "Old Man River", of course.

10. Nothing to add.

11. This sounds like Earl Hines' famous "trumpet style" piano and the piano is very upfront, so is this an Earl Hines orchestra?

12. Surely the bass clarinet is Dolphy. A peep in Cook and Morton suggests the Illinois Concert is the only recording with a group of this instrumentation, so is this it?

13. Reminds me of when I saw Gary Valenti with Carla Bley. South Africa also comes to mind.

14. Big-toned tenor and pianist who doesn't just comp but sometimes plays rhapsodic counterlines. Obvious rapport. Beautiful track. Might be George Adams and Don Pullen, but that's just a guess.

As you'll gather, written after reading Thom's contribution, but not Spontooneous' reply to this.

All in all, some really nice listening here. Thanks!

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1. Thom Keith seems to know a lot more about this one than I do, so I'll just say it's pleasant, listenable Latin jazz.

2. Solo piano before a live audience. Fairly recent, judging by the recording quality. I have a track from Harold Mabern's Philadelphia Bound which, like this, has so much going on it sounds like a piano duo. So, Mabern?

Not Mabern. Funny you should say that, because a Mabern track was the last thing cut from this BFT. The player is about the same age.

3. Starts as super fast boogie (12 bar blues, of course) - and gets faster. Speeded-up or electronically processed recording. Would be great with an animated film.

Not sped up or processed. This is an unaltered recording of a real-time audio event.

4. My guess is this is Bix-type music around 1928.

5. Ah, the authentic boogie! Can't make his mind up whether it's 8 or 12 bar blues and deploys so many of the boogie licks and patterns. Love it! One of those guys around 1930 with names like Montana Taylor or Romeo Nelson.

I love how he gets himself lost.

6. Is this a trombone, or some other "horn" - euphonium or some such? I have vague memories of Matthew Gee soloing with the Ellington orchestra on (?)English horn. The drummer sounds very like Connie Kay, so could it be John Lewis on piano?

It's a trombone. Here's a fine example of reaching the right conclusion by a divergent path: No, it isn't Connie Kay, but yes, it's John Lewis!

7. I'll back Thom's suggestion that it's Woody Shaw on trumpet.

Very reminiscent of Woody, but not him.

8. A piano trio playing Monk's "Bye Ya".

9. This appeals less than the other tracks. "Old Man River", of course.

10. Nothing to add.

11. This sounds like Earl Hines' famous "trumpet style" piano and the piano is very upfront, so is this an Earl Hines orchestra?

Absolutely right! It's funny -- I don't get a "trumpet" out of Earl's style, but many people do.

12. Surely the bass clarinet is Dolphy. A peep in Cook and Morton suggests the Illinois Concert is the only recording with a group of this instrumentation, so is this it?

Not Dolphy. But I should correct a statement I made in a previous post: Not one but two of the principals here worked with Dolphy.

13. Reminds me of when I saw Gary Valenti with Carla Bley. South Africa also comes to mind.

The South African connections here are deep.

14. Big-toned tenor and pianist who doesn't just comp but sometimes plays rhapsodic counterlines. Obvious rapport. Beautiful track. Might be George Adams and Don Pullen, but that's just a guess.

Not Adams and Pullen, but now I see how one might think that.

As you'll gather, written after reading Thom's contribution, but not Spontooneous' reply to this.

All in all, some really nice listening here. Thanks!

Thank you, Bill! Good to know the disc found a warm reception.

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Thanks for the feedback. Anything to say about my comment on 4?

Not Bix or any of his buddies as far as I know, but the time frame is close.

Want a really useless clue? I noticed the other day that somebody on this board is using an image of the leader on this tune as an avatar.

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Thanks for the feedback. Anything to say about my comment on 4?

Not Bix or any of his buddies as far as I know, but the time frame is close.

Want a really useless clue? I noticed the other day that somebody on this board is using an image of the leader on this tune as an avatar.

Thanks for the clue. Medjuck's avatar is a photo of Clarence Williams, who was around at that time.

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Track one was real enjoyable. Appears to have been guessed.

My first thought when I heard track two was to think how I don’t seem to be listening to much Hank Jones lately. That seems like too much of a coincidence.

Track 3. I’m not gonna be much good on any of the tracks that were recorded before 1950. It’s just not an area of jazz I’ve ever spent much time listening to. I do, however, have an album by Meade Lux Lewis, and it sure does sound like it.

Nothin’ on track four. I could throw out a bunch of names of musicians I’ve never much listened to, but that doesn’t really seem to be the spirit of the BFT. I do very much enjoy how the vibes come in. It also ends on a pretty note. It’s really a lovely tune. Looking forward to learning the identity of this one.

Nothing on track five, either.

Wow. Track six sound really familiar, and thus, it’s gonna be the hardest to figure out. Lemme get back to you on that one.

Track Seven has me thinking in two directions: It’s either Lonnie Liston Smith, something like “Expansions” or “Cosmic Funk” or it’s one of those gems that Joel Dorn reissued on the 32 jazz label, which would also make me choose a Woody Shaw album, but we know where that went.

Track 8, the percussion is totally throwing me off. It really has a modern take on the song to my ears. It would be my guess that this album was released in the last handful of years, but that statement may do more to embarrass myself than actually identify the tune. Very enjoyable.

Track 9. No guesses I’m afraid.

Track 10. Don’t know, but it’s very cool. I’m not much into jazz vocals, but this is a song that would make me want to investigate the rest of the album. Haunting tune.

Track 11. Nothing, I’m afraid. Like I said, I’m just out of my depth on pre-1950 jazz.

Track 12. First time listening through, can’t come up with any guesses. Too much going on to pick out something specific to track down an identity. The song was a lot fun to listen to, though.

Track 13. My favorite songs on the BFT. Earlier I made the comment that it sounds like Gianluca Petrella’s Cosmic Band, but that’s Italy, and it appears from comments above that South Africa is where I should be aiming my gaze.

Track 14. Is that George Coleman? It’s a powerful sound. George always a had a New York sound to him, strong and would push you out of its way if you weren’t looking.

I'm listening to track nine again, and it's making my cat go bonkers. She's suddenly sprinting across the room, crashing into anything that's in her path, and apparently all the notes coming out of the speakers look like tiny edible mice based on the way her eyes are darting in every direction possible.

When the song is over, I'm gonna have some cleaning up to do. Thanks for that.

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Track one was real enjoyable. Appears to have been guessed.

My first thought when I heard track two was to think how I don’t seem to be listening to much Hank Jones lately. That seems like too much of a coincidence.

Sorry, not Hank.

Track 3. I’m not gonna be much good on any of the tracks that were recorded before 1950. It’s just not an area of jazz I’ve ever spent much time listening to. I do, however, have an album by Meade Lux Lewis, and it sure does sound like it.

It's a crazy adaptation of Meade Lux Lewis' style, but it isn't him.

Nothin’ on track four. I could throw out a bunch of names of musicians I’ve never much listened to, but that doesn’t really seem to be the spirit of the BFT. I do very much enjoy how the vibes come in. It also ends on a pretty note. It’s really a lovely tune. Looking forward to learning the identity of this one.

Not vibes. It's a celesta.

Nothing on track five, either.

Wow. Track six sound really familiar, and thus, it’s gonna be the hardest to figure out. Lemme get back to you on that one.

Track Seven has me thinking in two directions: It’s either Lonnie Liston Smith, something like “Expansions” or “Cosmic Funk” or it’s one of those gems that Joel Dorn reissued on the 32 jazz label, which would also make me choose a Woody Shaw album, but we know where that went.

Nope on Lonnie Liston Smith, despite the pyeooow-pyeoow synth. There's no apparent No Joel Dorn involvement. It's a seldom-heard track, and I was curious how people would react.

Track 8, the percussion is totally throwing me off. It really has a modern take on the song to my ears. It would be my guess that this album was released in the last handful of years, but that statement may do more to embarrass myself than actually identify the tune. Very enjoyable.

It's the newset recording here, but not very new at this point.

Track 9. No guesses I’m afraid.

Track 10. Don’t know, but it’s very cool. I’m not much into jazz vocals, but this is a song that would make me want to investigate the rest of the album. Haunting tune.

Heard this for the first time on the car radio in the middle of Kansas late at night, and it felt so good.

Track 11. Nothing, I’m afraid. Like I said, I’m just out of my depth on pre-1950 jazz.

Track 12. First time listening through, can’t come up with any guesses. Too much going on to pick out something specific to track down an identity. The song was a lot fun to listen to, though.

Track 13. My favorite songs on the BFT. Earlier I made the comment that it sounds like Gianluca Petrella’s Cosmic Band, but that’s Italy, and it appears from comments above that South Africa is where I should be aiming my gaze.

Hadn't heard of Petrella until you mentioned him, but I'm liking what I'm hearing on his website. Thanks for the tip! As for Track 13, it's my favorite on the BFT as well.

Track 14. Is that George Coleman? It’s a powerful sound. George always a had a New York sound to him, strong and would push you out of its way if you weren’t looking.

Not George, but someone else with a lot of experience pushing others out of the way.

I'm listening to track nine again, and it's making my cat go bonkers. She's suddenly sprinting across the room, crashing into anything that's in her path, and apparently all the notes coming out of the speakers look like tiny edible mice based on the way her eyes are darting in every direction possible.

When the song is over, I'm gonna have some cleaning up to do. Thanks for that.

Maybe your cat's a conservative who doesn't like bitonality. The feline music critics here used to go ape-shit at the sound of a harmon-muted trumpet.

Welcome to BFT land, thanks for joining us, and please stick around!

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I've been sick and I'm leaving town tomorrow, so I haven't been able to put as much time as I would have liked into this BFT. There sure is some good music, but I hope I don't say anything too stupid. As usual, I haven't read any of this thread.

1. My first thought was that this was going to be too slick for my taste, but the high quality of the improvising got me past the little bit of “sheen” quickly.I don’t have this track in my collection, but I believe that I have another album by this gang. It sounds like Hilton Ruiz, with Sam Rivers on tenor. From there I’ll assume that it’s Lew Soloff on trumpet, Rodney Jones on guitar, and maybe Dick Griffin on trombone, just because they were in the band around that time. Of course, if I’m off base on Rivers and Ruiz, I’m way off base on the whole deal. In any case, it’s pretty hot, with good solos; I especially like the guitar solo. Good stuff.

2. The left-hand ostinato is so complex that I first assumed that this was a duet. Pretty impressive pianism here. Great interplay between the hands throughout. No idea who it is, but I’m impressed.

3. Is this a Conlon Nancarrow piano-roll piece? It’s impressive, but it gives me the willies. I’m going to have to listen to a Paul Desmond album after this.

4. Recognized this one right away, although I did go to my CD shelf to check myself. It’s “Cathedral Blues” by Tiny Parham and His Musicians. I love Parham’s records – they’re simpler than Jelly Roll Morton’s, but he was working on the same thing: giving some compositional structure to improvised jazz. Here it’s just a matter framing of his soloist and putting them in the right order. There were two trumpeters who recorded with Parham, Ray Hobson and Punch Miller. Miller’s solo here was not immediately impressive to me, but it really grew on me with a couple of listening. Primo stuff here.

5. My first thought was that this was played on an early electric piano, but I think the noise reduction/filtering is changing the sound of the piano. I don’t like the sound, but I like the piece, for what it is – a lively, untutored player who changes chords whenever he damn well feels like it. Don’t know who it is, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

6. “Animal Dance” by John Lewis and Albert Mangelsdorff. This is a great session; this and some other records from the 50's and 60's show what a fantastic straight-ahead/cool trombone player Mangelsdorff before he started exploring the further reaches of the trombone and jazz. Lewis’ playing and composing is really good here.

7. Very much of its time, but good. I could do without the swirly phase-shifter effects on the piano. It sounds like the trumpet (or one of the trumpets) is Woody Shaw. And the tenor soloist sounds very familiar to me – is it Bennie Maupin? Like I said, of its time, but in a good way, for the most part.

8. I felt that the intro was working its way toward a Monk tune before the melody was stated. It’s “Bye-Ya” by a an excellent, quirky pianist. I really like his “sideways” approach to the tune. The drummer sounds European to me; other than that I have no guesses.

9. The Erroll Parker Tentet playing “Old Man River” from the Night in Tunisia album. Among the musicians are Philip Harper, Donald Harrison, and Bill Saxton. Parker never liked to have just one solo going at a time, so there are usually two improvisers at once on this tune. He was a unique musician; he didn’t sound like anyone else as a pianist, drummer, or composer.

10. Well, the singer is good, but the “rhythm section” makes this one. I put that in quotes because the phrase “rhythm section” is totally inadequate to describe what they do here. A very creative approach to an overdone tune.

11. The piano player reminds me of Earl Hines, but I don’t know of any of his big-band sides that have a violin solo. So I don’t know who it is, but nice swinging arrangement, good violin, and great piano.

12. No idea what it is, but it’s cool! The bass clarinetist (or is that alto clarinet?) is strongly Dolphy-influenced. Creative, interesting music that goes through a lot of changes, but still hangs together. I like it.

13. Very stirring anthem with a Rudd-ish trombone, but don’t know who it is. The bass playing jumped out at me the second time through. I like it.

14. Well, it’s definitely Sam Rivers here, but I don’t know the setting, unless it’s Ruiz again. Just gorgeous tenor playing – the piano is great, too.

Thanks for a really enjoyable BFT.

Edited by jeffcrom
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I have rarely been as intrigued by a Blindfold Test, or enjoyed the music on a Blindfold Test so much, while having absolutely no clue as to any of the songs, artists or even soloists. Here are my impressions:

1. A good way to start a Blindfold Test, with a likeable, pleasant mood, which draws in the listener. I have no idea who any of the musicians are. It is very well played and of high quality.

2. A solo piano concert in front of a fairly small audience. At first I thought of the Maybeck series of solo piano recitals. However, the applause at the end does not have the sound qualities of Maybeck series applause, so I don't think that this comes from the Maybeck series. This applause is too unstructured and rough sounding to be Maybeck applause. You can really hear the smoothness and richness of the room when you hear Maybeck applause, and this applause sounds like it was recorded in a basement with old linoleum on the floor and metal folding chairs.

The pianist is not just someone who can put together boppish runs fluently. This pianist is a thinker, a conceptualizer. There are not that many of those. Mal Waldron is the type of pianist I am referring to, or Muhal Richard Abrams--they are thinkers. Ultimately I cannot identify the pianist, but I very much want to know who it is.

3. This is the type of off-the-wall oddity that is just made for Blindfold Tests. It sounds like a tack piano, but played with a wild imagination that is off the charts for any tack piano recordings I know of. This might be considered the all time revolutionary recording in the history of tack piano. Again, I can't wait to find out who it is.

4. Great! I love this stuff. On my first listens I wondered if this was the earliest recorded use of vibes in jazz history. But then I read your comment that it is a celesta instead. I had an idea that Jeff Cromwell would identify this one, and I was not disappointed.

5. I love this type of piano playing, and think that I know the major famous artists in this genre. I do not know this pianist, and will be very interested to find out who it is.

6. I really like the quirky composition and the sound of the trombone. The pianist plays beautifully. I cannot identify them.

7. I love the jazz of this time period, and think that this is a very successful track. I am not familiar with it, and can't identify any of the musicians. I am surprised that I do not know this, as I listened to a ton of jazz from this era during my early burst of jazz enthusiasm.

8. Monk's "Bye Ya", played by one of those pianists who is a thinker, a conceptualizer. This is an original interpretation, quite unusual compared to the way that Monk is often played. I like it a lot. No idea who it is.

9. This is the most unusual version of "Old Man River" I have ever heard, by a wide margin. I kept thinking, who would record something like this? After having gone over all of the usual suspects in my mind, I have concluded that this must be an original thinker who I have never heard of. I will be very interested to find out who it is.

10. This is a wonderful version of "Willow Weep for Me." Both the vocal sections and the instrumental sections really work for me. I can't identify anyone on it, but I keep replaying it.

11. I love this type of swing music! I can't figure out who is playing the violin. The only soloists I know from this era are Joe Venuti, Stephane Grappelli, Eddie South, Stuff Smith--it's none of those. It's an exciting violin solo, whoever it is. No clue as to any of the musicians.

12. The reed soloist is Dolphy-like. I am surprised by your comment that it is not Eric Dolphy. Your hint that two of the musicians worked with him does not help. I find this to be very intriguing, and I cannot identify anyone on it.

13. A South African jazz piece. I would only be making wild guesses if I threw out all of the big names from South Africa known to me. This piece is very beautiful, with deep feeling. I love it.

14. No idea who this is. Jeff Cromwell says that it is Sam Rivers. I did not hear that on my own.

A great Blindfold Test, with many moments to savor from a pure enjoyment standpoint. Also, there are many moments which inspire thought, curiosity, wonder. I can't wait for the Reveal!!!

Edited by Hot Ptah
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I've been sick and I'm leaving town tomorrow, so I haven't been able to put as much time as I would have liked into this BFT. There sure is some good music, but I hope I don't say anything too stupid. As usual, I haven't read any of this thread.

1. My first thought was that this was going to be too slick for my taste, but the high quality of the improvising got me past the little bit of “sheen” quickly.I don’t have this track in my collection, but I believe that I have another album by this gang. It sounds like Hilton Ruiz, with Sam Rivers on tenor. From there I’ll assume that it’s Lew Soloff on trumpet, Rodney Jones on guitar, and maybe Dick Griffin on trombone, just because they were in the band around that time. Of course, if I’m off base on Rivers and Ruiz, I’m way off base on the whole deal. In any case, it’s pretty hot, with good solos; I especially like the guitar solo. Good stuff.

Correct across the board.

2. The left-hand ostinato is so complex that I first assumed that this was a duet. Pretty impressive pianism here. Great interplay between the hands throughout. No idea who it is, but I’m impressed.

3. Is this a Conlon Nancarrow piano-roll piece? It’s impressive, but it gives me the willies. I’m going to have to listen to a Paul Desmond album after this.

Yep, it's Nancarrow, pushing the limits of the player piano. I love the crazy buildup of layers over the last minute or so.

4. Recognized this one right away, although I did go to my CD shelf to check myself. It’s “Cathedral Blues” by Tiny Parham and His Musicians. I love Parham’s records – they’re simpler than Jelly Roll Morton’s, but he was working on the same thing: giving some compositional structure to improvised jazz. Here it’s just a matter framing of his soloist and putting them in the right order. There were two trumpeters who recorded with Parham, Ray Hobson and Punch Miller. Miller’s solo here was not immediately impressive to me, but it really grew on me with a couple of listening. Primo stuff here.

Correct again.

5. My first thought was that this was played on an early electric piano, but I think the noise reduction/filtering is changing the sound of the piano. I don’t like the sound, but I like the piece, for what it is – a lively, untutored player who changes chords whenever he damn well feels like it. Don’t know who it is, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

6. “Animal Dance” by John Lewis and Albert Mangelsdorff. This is a great session; this and some other records from the 50's and 60's show what a fantastic straight-ahead/cool trombone player Mangelsdorff before he started exploring the further reaches of the trombone and jazz. Lewis’ playing and composing is really good here.

Correct again.

7. Very much of its time, but good. I could do without the swirly phase-shifter effects on the piano. It sounds like the trumpet (or one of the trumpets) is Woody Shaw. And the tenor soloist sounds very familiar to me – is it Bennie Maupin? Like I said, of its time, but in a good way, for the most part.

Not Bennie Maupin. The album credits only one trumpeter, so there must be some discreet overdubbing in the shout sections.

8. I felt that the intro was working its way toward a Monk tune before the melody was stated. It’s “Bye-Ya” by a an excellent, quirky pianist. I really like his “sideways” approach to the tune. The drummer sounds European to me; other than that I have no guesses.

9. The Erroll Parker Tentet playing “Old Man River” from the Night in Tunisia album. Among the musicians are Philip Harper, Donald Harrison, and Bill Saxton. Parker never liked to have just one solo going at a time, so there are usually two improvisers at once on this tune. He was a unique musician; he didn’t sound like anyone else as a pianist, drummer, or composer.

Another slam-dunk for Jeff.

10. Well, the singer is good, but the “rhythm section” makes this one. I put that in quotes because the phrase “rhythm section” is totally inadequate to describe what they do here. A very creative approach to an overdone tune.

11. The piano player reminds me of Earl Hines, but I don’t know of any of his big-band sides that have a violin solo. So I don’t know who it is, but nice swinging arrangement, good violin, and great piano.

12. No idea what it is, but it’s cool! The bass clarinetist (or is that alto clarinet?) is strongly Dolphy-influenced. Creative, interesting music that goes through a lot of changes, but still hangs together. I like it.

13. Very stirring anthem with a Rudd-ish trombone, but don’t know who it is. The bass playing jumped out at me the second time through. I like it.

14. Well, it’s definitely Sam Rivers here, but I don’t know the setting, unless it’s Ruiz again. Just gorgeous tenor playing – the piano is great, too.

Jeff is on to my tricks. It's Sam and Hilton again, from the same record. I'm curious to know what triggered the "definitely Sam" reaction.

Thanks for a really enjoyable BFT.

And thanks for the perceptive comments.

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I have rarely been as intrigued by a Blindfold Test, or enjoyed the music on a Blindfold Test so much, while having absolutely no clue as to any of the songs, artists or even soloists. Here are my impressions:

1. A good way to start a Blindfold Test, with a likeable, pleasant mood, which draws in the listener. I have no idea who any of the musicians are. It is very well played and of high quality.

2. A solo piano concert in front of a fairly small audience. At first I thought of the Maybeck series of solo piano recitals. However, the applause at the end does not have the sound qualities of Maybeck series applause, so I don't think that this comes from the Maybeck series. This applause is too unstructured and rough sounding to be Maybeck applause. You can really hear the smoothness and richness of the room when you hear Maybeck applause, and this applause sounds like it was recorded in a basement with old linoleum on the floor and metal folding chairs.

Go with that first thought!

The pianist is not just someone who can put together boppish runs fluently. This pianist is a thinker, a conceptualizer. There are not that many of those. Mal Waldron is the type of pianist I am referring to, or Muhal Richard Abrams--they are thinkers. Ultimately I cannot identify the pianist, but I very much want to know who it is.

3. This is the type of off-the-wall oddity that is just made for Blindfold Tests. It sounds like a tack piano, but played with a wild imagination that is off the charts for any tack piano recordings I know of. This might be considered the all time revolutionary recording in the history of tack piano. Again, I can't wait to find out who it is.

Revolutionary in its own way, yes. His explorations of rhythms no human can play continued in different directions for decades -- in this same already-obsolete medium.

4. Great! I love this stuff. On my first listens I wondered if this was the earliest recorded use of vibes in jazz history. But then I read your comment that it is a celesta instead. I had an idea that Jeff Cromwell would identify this one, and I was not disappointed.

5. I love this type of piano playing, and think that I know the major famous artists in this genre. I do not know this pianist, and will be very interested to find out who it is.

6. I really like the quirky composition and the sound of the trombone. The pianist plays beautifully. I cannot identify them.

I thought more people would pick up on the pianist, as Bill F. did.

7. I love the jazz of this time period, and think that this is a very successful track. I am not familiar with it, and can't identify any of the musicians. I am surprised that I do not know this, as I listened to a ton of jazz from this era during my early burst of jazz enthusiasm.

Took me a while -- I wasn't convinced by the arrangement at first -- but I'm completely in love with this odd duck now.

8. Monk's "Bye Ya", played by one of those pianists who is a thinker, a conceptualizer. This is an original interpretation, quite unusual compared to the way that Monk is often played. I like it a lot. No idea who it is.

9. This is the most unusual version of "Old Man River" I have ever heard, by a wide margin. I kept thinking, who would record something like this? After having gone over all of the usual suspects in my mind, I have concluded that this must be an original thinker who I have never heard of. I will be very interested to find out who it is.

10. This is a wonderful version of "Willow Weep for Me." Both the vocal sections and the instrumental sections really work for me. I can't identify anyone on it, but I keep replaying it.

11. I love this type of swing music! I can't figure out who is playing the violin. The only soloists I know from this era are Joe Venuti, Stephane Grappelli, Eddie South, Stuff Smith--it's none of those. It's an exciting violin solo, whoever it is. No clue as to any of the musicians.

The violinist is a guy from the Earl Hines band whom we don't usually associate with the violin. He was having a very good day in the studio. On the other side of the 78, his brief solo on his other ax also thrills me.

12. The reed soloist is Dolphy-like. I am surprised by your comment that it is not Eric Dolphy. Your hint that two of the musicians worked with him does not help. I find this to be very intriguing, and I cannot identify anyone on it.

13. A South African jazz piece. I would only be making wild guesses if I threw out all of the big names from South Africa known to me. This piece is very beautiful, with deep feeling. I love it.

My favorite thing on the whole BFT, and I'm gratified by the good response it's getting. I'm waiting for Ubu to waltz in and identify it.

14. No idea who this is. Jeff Cromwell says that it is Sam Rivers. I did not hear that on my own.

A great Blindfold Test, with many moments to savor from a pure enjoyment standpoint. Also, there are many moments which inspire thought, curiosity, wonder. I can't wait for the Reveal!!!

Thanks. Keep playing my CD-R like I'm playing yours!

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3. Is this a Conlon Nancarrow piano-roll piece? It’s impressive, but it gives me the willies. I’m going to have to listen to a Paul Desmond album after this.

Yep, it's Nancarrow, pushing the limits of the player piano. I love the crazy buildup of layers over the last minute or so.

14. Well, it’s definitely Sam Rivers here, but I don’t know the setting, unless it’s Ruiz again. Just gorgeous tenor playing – the piano is great, too.

Jeff is on to my tricks. It's Sam and Hilton again, from the same record. I'm curious to know what triggered the "definitely Sam" reaction.

I really admire Nancarrow for what he did with the resources available to him at the time, even if I don't objectively like the actual music that much. And while I was 95% sure that was Rivers on the first track, his playing on track 14 jumped out at me as obviously, 100% sure, no doubt Rivers. I'm not sure how to articulate how I recognized Rivers - how do you recognize any jazz musician? Sound, vocabulary, phrase construction, etc. And I've listened to Rivers a lot, in both "inside" and "outside" settings.

Anyway, great BFT.

Edited by jeffcrom
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From your response to my comments about #2, it is from a Maybeck solo piano recital disc. I am looking at a list of all of the Maybeck discs and trying to decide, from the Maybeck discs I do not have, who might have played the way that the pianist is playing on #2. I come up with Hal Galper as a possibility.

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From your response to my comments about #2, it is from a Maybeck solo piano recital disc. I am looking at a list of all of the Maybeck discs and trying to decide, from the Maybeck discs I do not have, who might have played the way that the pianist is playing on #2. I come up with Hal Galper as a possibility.

Not Hal, but the player is almost an exact contemporary.

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As ever with bft discs I find myself listening to things I'd never spin myself. I'll have a bit more time to listen over the weekend and maybe post some individual comments. Nothing I recognise immediately and all of it has some value although I thought the first tune was pretty cheesy and slick when it started, the playing was great once it got going.

Thanks!

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I've been traveling since the first of the month and thought I would get in alot of listening time but that didn't happen. I hate to agree with everyone else but track 13 is a standout for me as well. If not for the South Africa comments I would have been thinking about Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra. I pretty much have a tin ear but there seems to be a kinship there to me.

A number of other tracks are also interesting to me but I need to listen more. I just wanted to get in a comment and thank you for your effort.

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Late to the dance. Most of the music was unfamiliar to me - hope there's not something there that I have in my collection & didn't recognize.

1 - Didn't grab me. Seemed as if the musicians were on cruise control.

2 - Seemed like an exercise rather than music.

3 - I used to have a couple of Colin Nancarrow LPs in my collection. This sounded like something I remember from those.

4 - No idea who, but I love this one & want to get it when I find out who it is.

5 - Blues pianist - Might be something I may have in my collection, but I can't place it. Liked this track.

6 - Great trombone, tho no idea who. Another I'd buy.

7 - No comment - except not to my taste.

8 - Monk's "Bye-Ya". Liked the fact that the pianist tried to step outside and not play Monk's music as a Monk clone or turning it into a straight improviation. It wasn't completely successful to my ears, but props for trying something different.

9 - "Old Man River" - Didn't grab me. Strangely recorded - was it a drummer led session?

A musician friend has a line that it's more fun to play in a big band than to listen to one.

I'm not a musician, but I can imagine that being true - with a number of notable exceptions.

10 - Not sure if I ever need to hear another vocal version of "Willow Weep for Me". Enjoyed the pianist's contributions very much. Thought of Ran Blake, but probably not he.

11 - I'd buy this one just for the violinist's playing. The band's energy sounded a bit forced/unrelaxed to me, but perhaps that's what people needed back in the 30's - assume that's when it was recorded.

12 - First time I listened, I thought someone trying to do a Dolphy. Second time I listened, I thought perhaps it is Dolphy. Third time, I decided for sure that it wasn't Dolphy. No idea who it is. Arrangement sounded like they copped some things from Mingus, but without Mingus' magic. Each time I listened, I went back & forth between liking it and feeling that at times someone was being different just to be different.

13 - Kept waiting for something to happen. Then waiting for it to end. That said, I'm curious to know who this is.

14 - Liked this one some, but I have the feeling that this wasn't the saxophonist's strongest playing. Don't know who it is, but I just had the feeling that there was something more to be heard.

Seems as if I had a lot of negative comments, but I did find a number of tracks that I enjoyed enough to add to my collection. And, if that was a Nancarrow piano roll, I'm kind of sorry I traded my Nancarrow LPs.

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As ever with bft discs I find myself listening to things I'd never spin myself. I'll have a bit more time to listen over the weekend and maybe post some individual comments. Nothing I recognise immediately and all of it has some value although I thought the first tune was pretty cheesy and slick when it started, the playing was great once it got going.

Thanks!

Thanks for any and all listens. Yeah, those first few bars are close to cheesy, but it perks up nicely. C'mon back when you can.

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