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BFT 96 discussion


Spontooneous

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The discussion begins here. Whatcha like, what dontcha like, and why?

There's no big theme that I know of. The predominance of trombones and clarinets is a happy accident.

Latecomers are welcome, and can download here. That link takes you to a confusing spot with several download links – you want the one in a light-blue rectangle that says "Click here to start download from sendspace."

Play early and often.

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Track 1

Very much in the tradition of the 3-horns Jazz Messengers of the first half of the 1960s, but sounds like it's recorded in the last 20 years. The drummer gets that back beat shuffle so beloved of Blakey and trombone and trumpet carry on the Fuller and Hubbard message. I think we're in the same area here as One for All http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_All_(band)

though it's not them. I think I hear a saxophone in the ensembles, but if so, why doesn't he solo? Really like this one.

Track 3

Mid-1920s beginnings of larger ensembles. Could it be Fletcher Henderson? Emotion-drenched 12 bar blues with some wonderful cornet/trumpet and clarinet work, reminiscent of the styles of King Oliver/Freddie Keppard and Johnny Dodds/Jimmy Noone, respectively.

Track 9

John Coltrane's "Equinox" played by Danny Zeitlin (piano) and David Friesen (bass) on Live at Jazz Bakery recorded in L.A. in 1996. Admit to cheating on this one! :unsure: Recognized "Equinox" and it wasn't too difficult to identify it played by a piano and bass duo.

Track 10

A big band featuring a wah-wah plunger mute trombone in the ex-Ellington Quentin Jackson tradition (loved his late stuff with Thad And Mel.) But he died in 1976 and this sounds too contemporary a recording to be him. Great stuff!

Track 12

A quartet of clarinet, guitar, bass and drums. The bass technique suggests the 1950s and it all sounds like West Coast cool. Guitar reminds me of Jim Hall. Clarinet isn't Giuffre, so is it Pepper or Collette? Very much my sort of stuff!

More later.

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I am a big college basketball fan and I am about ready to go neck deep into March madness. In case I don't get back to this thread for awhile, I wanted to make sure you knew I've been listening to your BFT quite a bit the last few days. There isn't anything I just hate but there are a number of tracks that I like a lot.

Track 3 – A terrific band, terrific soloists and a terrific tune. I've said before that most of what I know about the traditional stuff has come from previous BFTs. My schooling continues.

Track 4 – Dulcimer? Or are they messing around inside the piano? Interesting sound.

Track 11 – This sounds like something I should have in my collection. It is definitely something I want to have. It reminds me of some things I've heard by Gerry Hemingway's quintet with Reijseger, Dressler, Wierbos and Moore. Maybe also a kinship to Sean Bergin. Whatever, this is my kind of music.

Those are the three I've listened to most so far but there is certainly some other good music to check out further. And I will. Thanks.

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A quick post now, because last month I kept waiting until I had listened more, and ended up not posting at all.

The two tracks that are things I may know (and are things I really like) are 3 and 6. I assume no one is surprised. :)

Track 3, I'm embarrassed to admit, I can't place. You'd think I'd be able to identify at least the trumpet player, but no. I'll have to listen to it a few more times.

Track 6 is Eddie Durham and His Band, "Moten Swing" from 1940. Either this one is played back a little too quickly, or the remastering I'm familiar with is a little slow. Either way: excellent stuff! What a great tune.

Edited by alex.
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Track 1

Very much in the tradition of the 3-horns Jazz Messengers of the first half of the 1960s, but sounds like it's recorded in the last 20 years. The drummer gets that back beat shuffle so beloved of Blakey and trombone and trumpet carry on the Fuller and Hubbard message. I think we're in the same area here as One for All http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_All_(band)

though it's not them. I think I hear a saxophone in the ensembles, but if so, why doesn't he solo? Really like this one.

Track 3

Mid-1920s beginnings of larger ensembles. Could it be Fletcher Henderson? Emotion-drenched 12 bar blues with some wonderful cornet/trumpet and clarinet work, reminiscent of the styles of King Oliver/Freddie Keppard and Johnny Dodds/Jimmy Noone, respectively.

Not Henderson -- the leader is much more obscure, in part because he didn't live very long. One of those clarinet guesses is right.

Track 9

John Coltrane's "Equinox" played by Danny Zeitlin (piano) and David Friesen (bass) on Live at Jazz Bakery recorded in L.A. in 1996. Admit to cheating on this one! :unsure: Recognized "Equinox" and it wasn't too difficult to identify it played by a piano and bass duo.

I have to admire really effective cheating like that! One down, 11 to go.

Track 10

A big band featuring a wah-wah plunger mute trombone in the ex-Ellington Quentin Jackson tradition (loved his late stuff with Thad And Mel.) But he died in 1976 and this sounds too contemporary a recording to be him. Great stuff!

The guess is not so far off, believe it or not. Mr. Weiss knows this one, he indicated to me even before the discussion thread was started. He'll post the ID if somebody else doesn't get it first. I just love this track.

Track 12

A quartet of clarinet, guitar, bass and drums. The bass technique suggests the 1950s and it all sounds like West Coast cool. Guitar reminds me of Jim Hall. Clarinet isn't Giuffre, so is it Pepper or Collette? Very much my sort of stuff!

Wrong coast, actually, but glad you like this one!

More later.

Can't wait. Your BFT skills continue to impress, Bill!

Is that Wallace Roney on track 5?

Not Wallace. But you're really, really, really close. Really close.

I don't have the music with me right now and can't find my notes. Drat! Is track 11 the one with trombone and strings? Is that Steve Turre's group, with his wife and other string players?

Not the Turres, but that's an interesting parallel that hadn't occurred to me. Now I'm remembering a jam involving Claude Williams and Akua Dixon Turre, circa 2000 -- she got cut real bad in that one, and Claude wasn't trying particiularly hard to cut her, it's just that some got it and some don't.

The answer to 11 is coming very soon.

Edited by Spontooneous
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I am a big college basketball fan and I am about ready to go neck deep into March madness. In case I don't get back to this thread for awhile, I wanted to make sure you knew I've been listening to your BFT quite a bit the last few days. There isn't anything I just hate but there are a number of tracks that I like a lot.

Track 3 – A terrific band, terrific soloists and a terrific tune. I've said before that most of what I know about the traditional stuff has come from previous BFTs. My schooling continues.

One of my favorite 1920s sides, period.

Track 4 – Dulcimer? Or are they messing around inside the piano? Interesting sound.

One player has an unusual stringed instrument, while the pianist does some messing around inside the piano.

Track 11 – This sounds like something I should have in my collection. It is definitely something I want to have. It reminds me of some things I've heard by Gerry Hemingway's quintet with Reijseger, Dressler, Wierbos and Moore. Maybe also a kinship to Sean Bergin. Whatever, this is my kind of music.

If this were a '60s game show, bells would be ringing and Johnny Olson would be announcing the prize. Hemingway is the leader, and Wierbos is the trombone.

Those are the three I've listened to most so far but there is certainly some other good music to check out further. And I will. Thanks.

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A quick post now, because last month I kept waiting until I had listened more, and ended up not posting at all.

The two tracks that are things I may know (and are things I really like) are 3 and 6. I assume no one is surprised. :)

Track 3, I'm embarrassed to admit, I can't place. You'd think I'd be able to identify at least the trumpet player, but no. I'll have to listen to it a few more times.

Track 6 is Eddie Durham and His Band, "Moten Swing" from 1940. Either this one is played back a little too quickly, or the remastering I'm familiar with is a little slow. Either way: excellent stuff! What a great tune.

Good to see you again, Alex! Yep, that's the side. I wanted everybody to hear the alto player, who is...?

(FWIW, tt's a John R.T. Davies transfer. I've heard the 78, and though my pitch is far from perfect, the transfer sounds right to me.)

That's two full identifications and one partial. Keep 'em coming!

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Good to see you again, Alex! Yep, that's the side. I wanted everybody to hear the alto player, who is...?

I assume you're referring to Buster Smith. Though Willard Brown of Jabbo (and later Ellington, and Calloway) fame is also on that session.

(FWIW, tt's a John R.T. Davies transfer. I've heard the 78, and though my pitch is far from perfect, the transfer sounds right to me.)

What CD is this on? (I just checked, and the only transfer I have is on That Devilin' Tune. It is indeed half a tone lower than yours.) I guess I can wait till the reveal, too. :)

And I know what track 3 is now, too. First cornet is Tommy Ladnier (that took longer than it ought to have!) and it's a really early recording. That means that it's probably from 1923, from his very first recording sessions. Ida Cox isn't on there, and that ain't Jelly, and that doesn't leave much! It's Ollie Powers' group. At this point I had to cheat and look up the title, though: "Play That Thing". A whole bunch of takes of that one tune were released, and this is the earliest available (though it's numbered "3").

Noone is the clarinetist, and Eddie Vincent is the trombone player. They both recorded with Freddie Keppard. (I assume everyone knows who Noone is, but Vincent isn't a very famous name.)

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Good to see you again, Alex! Yep, that's the side. I wanted everybody to hear the alto player, who is...?

I assume you're referring to Buster Smith. Though Willard Brown of Jabbo (and later Ellington, and Calloway) fame is also on that session.

(FWIW, tt's a John R.T. Davies transfer. I've heard the 78, and though my pitch is far from perfect, the transfer sounds right to me.)

What CD is this on? (I just checked, and the only transfer I have is on That Devilin' Tune. It is indeed half a tone lower than yours.) I guess I can wait till the reveal, too. :)

And I know what track 3 is now, too. First cornet is Tommy Ladnier (that took longer than it ought to have!) and it's a really early recording. That means that it's probably from 1923, from his very first recording sessions. Ida Cox isn't on there, and that ain't Jelly, and that doesn't leave much! It's Ollie Powers' group. At this point I had to cheat and look up the title, though: "Play That Thing". A whole bunch of takes of that one tune were released, and this is the earliest available (though it's numbered "3").

Noone is the clarinetist, and Eddie Vincent is the trombone player. They both recorded with Freddie Keppard. (I assume everyone knows who Noone is, but Vincent isn't a very famous name.)

You got it -- Ollie Powers. I'm happy to have this one on 78, too, but the transfer is from a Classics CD.

The Moten Swing transfer is from "Sounds of Harlem, Vol. 2" on Hep. Now I have to figure out how to transpose this one down a half-step in Audacity, and see if Allen is onto something...

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ITrack 11 – This sounds like something I should have in my collection. It is definitely something I want to have. It reminds me of some things I've heard by Gerry Hemingway's quintet with Reijseger, Dressler, Wierbos and Moore. Maybe also a kinship to Sean Bergin. Whatever, this is my kind of music.

If this were a '60s game show, bells would be ringing and Johnny Olson would be announcing the prize. Hemingway is the leader, and Wierbos is the trombone.

I did some searching because I had to know. No IDs since I "cheated" but I will say that I was surprised by the second horn player. I've never really liked the guys' music. I am very interested to hear your end of the month comments on this album.

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Jesus, I don't even have to put in the disclaimer about not reading the thread -- I got nothin'!

Track 1 - I like the music better than the recording would lead me to believe I would. It's got that hyper-compressed sound that marked so much of the late 80s/early 90s recording. Something about those drums has me thinking either Cecil Brooks or Ralph Peterson. Very nice tune/arrangement. Not sure what this is, but I'm pretty confident with the drum guess.

Track 2 - Not feeling this one. It's interesting on a cognitive level, but I'm not feeling it in the gut. No idea.

Track 3 - Clueless. Not my bag.

Track 4 - Something about this caught me immediately. I love the bass and the mix with the acoustic strings is nice. The tenor doesn't strike me as particularly unique -- more of that modern recordable sound. Reminds me of The Worst Pop Band Ever (a band I absolutely LOVE), but I don't think it's them.

Track 5 - I was hoping this was going to be the trio because the beginning had a nice cook to it. The horns didn't really add all that much. It's nice music, but doesn't make much of an impression on me. The general feel reminds me of the early Marsalis Brothers quintets, but this is later than that, I think. Alto player isn't reaching me. Chops are there, but I'm not buying it. Brassy modern trumpet sound; not Terrence Blanchard, but that generation. The whole thing just feels too busy to me.

Track 6 - No idea, but nice voicings in the arrangement. Seems too polite to be somebody like Louis Jordan, but that's what the arrangement reminds me of. The guitar must be the key, but it really doesn't fit to my ear.

Track 7 - This is kind of where I thought Track 5 was going. Again, this hits me on more of a cognitive level, but I like this a lot. Reminds me of something Vijay Iyer might do, but it's not him. About 1:30 starts flirting with Matthew Shipp, but I don't think it's him, either. I like the sound of the bass on this recording; it's modern clean, but they haven't destroyed the nuance with extreme compression. Looking forward to the reveal on this one, like it a lot.

Track 8 - Just not a fan of the instrument, nor the genre. Musicianship is amazing, though. Not going to make all 11:30, sorry.

Track 9 - The unmistakeable vamp of Equinox. I like that this moves in its own direction. It's not my favorite version, but it's certainly its own version. Very patient improvisation. I think this is an older player, maybe somebody just behind Kenny Barron's generation. It's equal parts Randy Weston and Roland Hannah. I like this, but I can't put a finger on who it is. Thoughtful bass solo with really nice comping behind it. Yeah, I think I need this.

Track 10 - Love the 'bone technique, but I'm not sure about the context. It's not a player I'm familiar with; the time is a bit stiff. The tune is quirky like something Dave Holland would write, but it's not him. Could be a later Mel Lewis project, but sounds a bit more modern than that (in terms of the recording). The horn arrangement almost sounds like synth to me (but then, I'm listening on a laptop). Drums work is definitely more modern than Mel, but this is certainly inspired by some of his later Jazz Orchestra arrangements.

Track 11 - Electric bass, hurting my neck. In its own way, I like this (in spite of my bias against electric bass). The feel is similar to Roswell's Mali Cool. The drums have the sound of one of those Laswell recordings from the early 90s. This is very enjoyable, but I have no clue who it is.

Track 12 - Don't know if it's on my end, but the bass is distorting like hell -- like being in a car with a cheap radio. This is an odd feel. Had that awkward yet swinging feel that Vince Guiraldi did so well. More clarinet, but this and the last tune are clarinet that I find pleasant (sort of like Darryl Harper's work, only this is more mainstream). Yeah, I like this, but again, no clue. Damn it, Spoon! You're pitching a shutout here!

Thanks for the listen. Even though much of this is not in my field, it was a nice bath for my ears. The later stuff on this one really resonated, though.

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Jesus, I don't even have to put in the disclaimer about not reading the thread -- I got nothin'!

Track 1 - I like the music better than the recording would lead me to believe I would. It's got that hyper-compressed sound that marked so much of the late 80s/early 90s recording. Something about those drums has me thinking either Cecil Brooks or Ralph Peterson. Very nice tune/arrangement. Not sure what this is, but I'm pretty confident with the drum guess.

Oh, Thom, Thom -- so close! The time frame is exactly right. The drum guess is perceptive, VERY perceptive, but not right.

Track 2 - Not feeling this one. It's interesting on a cognitive level, but I'm not feeling it in the gut. No idea.

Maybe more brain than brawn here, but the track still makes me happy.

Track 3 - Clueless. Not my bag.

Track 4 - Something about this caught me immediately. I love the bass and the mix with the acoustic strings is nice. The tenor doesn't strike me as particularly unique -- more of that modern recordable sound. Reminds me of The Worst Pop Band Ever (a band I absolutely LOVE), but I don't think it's them.

Obviously I need to look up that band.

Track 5 - I was hoping this was going to be the trio because the beginning had a nice cook to it. The horns didn't really add all that much. It's nice music, but doesn't make much of an impression on me. The general feel reminds me of the early Marsalis Brothers quintets, but this is later than that, I think. Alto player isn't reaching me. Chops are there, but I'm not buying it. Brassy modern trumpet sound; not Terrence Blanchard, but that generation. The whole thing just feels too busy to me.

Once again, you're so close to guessing this one... Yeah, it probably is too busy, but there are some lovely details in there.

Track 6 - No idea, but nice voicings in the arrangement. Seems too polite to be somebody like Louis Jordan, but that's what the arrangement reminds me of. The guitar must be the key, but it really doesn't fit to my ear.

Track 7 - This is kind of where I thought Track 5 was going. Again, this hits me on more of a cognitive level, but I like this a lot. Reminds me of something Vijay Iyer might do, but it's not him. About 1:30 starts flirting with Matthew Shipp, but I don't think it's him, either. I like the sound of the bass on this recording; it's modern clean, but they haven't destroyed the nuance with extreme compression. Looking forward to the reveal on this one, like it a lot.

So verrrrry close...

Track 8 - Just not a fan of the instrument, nor the genre. Musicianship is amazing, though. Not going to make all 11:30, sorry.

This one isn't for everybody, but I still get a kick out of it.

Track 9 - The unmistakeable vamp of Equinox. I like that this moves in its own direction. It's not my favorite version, but it's certainly its own version. Very patient improvisation. I think this is an older player, maybe somebody just behind Kenny Barron's generation. It's equal parts Randy Weston and Roland Hannah. I like this, but I can't put a finger on who it is. Thoughtful bass solo with really nice comping behind it. Yeah, I think I need this.

Bill F got it.

Track 10 - Love the 'bone technique, but I'm not sure about the context. It's not a player I'm familiar with; the time is a bit stiff. The tune is quirky like something Dave Holland would write, but it's not him. Could be a later Mel Lewis project, but sounds a bit more modern than that (in terms of the recording). The horn arrangement almost sounds like synth to me (but then, I'm listening on a laptop). Drums work is definitely more modern than Mel, but this is certainly inspired by some of his later Jazz Orchestra arrangements.

Ohhhh, Thom, you're walking a small circle around the correct answer.... No synths involved, just some judicious instrumental choices.

Track 11 - Electric bass, hurting my neck. In its own way, I like this (in spite of my bias against electric bass). The feel is similar to Roswell's Mali Cool. The drums have the sound of one of those Laswell recordings from the early 90s. This is very enjoyable, but I have no clue who it is.

I wouldn't mind hearing it with an acoustic bass, but I know what you mean. NIS has posted a partial ID.

Track 12 - Don't know if it's on my end, but the bass is distorting like hell -- like being in a car with a cheap radio. This is an odd feel. Had that awkward yet swinging feel that Vince Guiraldi did so well. More clarinet, but this and the last tune are clarinet that I find pleasant (sort of like Darryl Harper's work, only this is more mainstream). Yeah, I like this, but again, no clue. Damn it, Spoon! You're pitching a shutout here!

Sorry about that bass distortion, which bothered me too, but not enough to knock the track out of the BFT. It's an RVG recording, probably a little too "hot," though it isn't his digital mastering.

Thanks for the listen. Even though much of this is not in my field, it was a nice bath for my ears. The later stuff on this one really resonated, though.

Thanks for listening and responding, Thom! It's good to know that something resonated.

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ok!

Track 1) nice, enjoyable enough. didn't do anything for me though. not necessarily "stiff" but a little too 'clean' in the writing and some of the playing for me. nice bone and tpet solos though :tup 3 horn front line, right? no guess...

Track 2) nice idea(s). no serious guess, but maybe MMW or Bad Plus?

Track 4) certainly unique. really like the saxophone player's ideas. prepared clavichord? :crazy::rofl:

Track 5) 1st tune so far that really made me say "yeah!" out loud. very nice. little too much busyness and 'parroting' in the drum chair but very nice track. obviously relatively modern (last 10-15 years or so...). made me think along the lines of Jeremy Pelt or Jaleel Shaw. Maybe Douglas...

Track 7) "Somewhere." i like this one very much as well. VERY nice concept. excited for the reveal. early Kevin Hays?

Track 8) excellent virtuostic playing. didn't do anything for me. no guess...

Track 9) "Equinox." meh...

Track 10) awesome. don't know it but love it. has some of that modern orchestra voicing and color of maybe a schneider or brookmeyer, or even Jason Lindner. but i don't actually think it's them. Jay Anderson on bone :g don't know, awesome...

Track 12) beautiful. comping reminds me of Jim Hall...

thanks spontaneous!

Edited by thedwork
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ok!

Track 1) nice, enjoyable enough. didn't do anything for me though. not necessarily "stiff" but a little too 'clean' in the writing and some of the playing for me. nice bone and tpet solos though :tup 3 horn front line, right? no guess...

Four horns, truth to tell.

Track 2) nice idea(s). no serious guess, but maybe MMW or Bad Plus?

Not them, but I know what you mean.

Track 4) certainly unique. really like the saxophone player's ideas. prepared clavichord? :crazy::rofl:

The piano player does mess around inside his instrument some, but that only explains a part of it.

Track 5) 1st tune so far that really made me say "yeah!" out loud. very nice. little too much busyness and 'parroting' in the drum chair but very nice track. obviously relatively modern (last 10-15 years or so...). made me think along the lines of Jeremy Pelt or Jaleel Shaw. Maybe Douglas...

Actually it's older than that.

Track 7) "Somewhere." i like this one very much as well. VERY nice concept. excited for the reveal. early Kevin Hays?

You're the first to post the identity of the tune. Not Kevin, but I like the guess.

Track 8) excellent virtuostic playing. didn't do anything for me. no guess...

Track 9) "Equinox." meh...

I admit, this track doesn't always grab me, but when it does, watch out.

Track 10) awesome. don't know it but love it. has some of that modern orchestra voicing and color of maybe a schneider or brookmeyer, or even Jason Lindner. but i don't actually think it's them. Jay Anderson on bone :g don't know, awesome...

You mean Ray Anderson? Not him either. Glad you like it. I'm sure it will be unmasked shortly.

Track 12) beautiful. comping reminds me of Jim Hall...

Same reaction here, but not him. The guitarist is not exactly the first guy you think of as a soloist.

thanks spontaneous!

My pleasure. Looking forward to your BFT.

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ok!

Track 1) nice, enjoyable enough. didn't do anything for me though. not necessarily "stiff" but a little too 'clean' in the writing and some of the playing for me. nice bone and tpet solos though :tup 3 horn front line, right? no guess...

Four horns, truth to tell.

Track 2) nice idea(s). no serious guess, but maybe MMW or Bad Plus?

Not them, but I know what you mean.

Track 4) certainly unique. really like the saxophone player's ideas. prepared clavichord? :crazy::rofl:

The piano player does mess around inside his instrument some, but that only explains a part of it.

Track 5) 1st tune so far that really made me say "yeah!" out loud. very nice. little too much busyness and 'parroting' in the drum chair but very nice track. obviously relatively modern (last 10-15 years or so...). made me think along the lines of Jeremy Pelt or Jaleel Shaw. Maybe Douglas...

Actually it's older than that.

Track 7) "Somewhere." i like this one very much as well. VERY nice concept. excited for the reveal. early Kevin Hays?

You're the first to post the identity of the tune. Not Kevin, but I like the guess.

Track 8) excellent virtuostic playing. didn't do anything for me. no guess...

Track 9) "Equinox." meh...

I admit, this track doesn't always grab me, but when it does, watch out.

Track 10) awesome. don't know it but love it. has some of that modern orchestra voicing and color of maybe a schneider or brookmeyer, or even Jason Lindner. but i don't actually think it's them. Jay Anderson on bone :g don't know, awesome...

You mean Ray Anderson? Not him either. Glad you like it. I'm sure it will be unmasked shortly.

Track 12) beautiful. comping reminds me of Jim Hall...

Same reaction here, but not him. The guitarist is not exactly the first guy you think of as a soloist.

thanks spontaneous!

My pleasure. Looking forward to your BFT.

cool cool. since i posted all my thoughts/guesses, this morning at work i cheated and found out what tracks 5, 7, and 10 are. awesome!!! very interesting...

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's getting toward the end of the month, and I haven't weighed in yet, so here goes. As usual, I haven't read anything in this thread yet.

1. Hmmm…. Nothing wrong with it, but it leaves me a little cold. Sounds like the latter-day Jazz Messengers, except that the drumming is awfully restrained for Blakey. Everybody is good, but for me, there’s just no “there” there. I imagine most listeners here would disagree.

2. Intriguing music. I would have liked to hear them swing hard for a bit at some point, then go back into the pointillistic stuff, but this was interesting and well done.

3. The “instrument” I recognized first was the Paramount recording studio, which turned out some of the crappiest-sounding recordings of the time. But no matter – this is brilliant, one of the great recordings of jazz. It’s “Play That Thing,” by Ollie Powers’ Harmony Syncopators, with Tommy Ladnier and Jimmie Noone setting fire to everything in sight that day in 1923. I was struck with how much Noone’s second chorus sounded like early Sidney Bechet – or rather, vice versa. Jimmie Noone made some great recordings later, but this is the hottest thing he ever did.

4. Bass, drums, tenor sax, piano, and kora, I think. I like the blend of colors here. No idea who anyone is, but I like this. The kora player is outstanding.

5. I couldn’t help comparing this to track one, since they both seem to be latter-day hard bop, broadly speaking. This is vital and alive, whereas track one seemed kind of artificial to me. Everybody was playing; it swung and it was interesting. I liked this a lot.

6. I imagine that this has been identified by now – it’s from one of the first jazz albums – a collection of Kansas City jazz put out by Decca, first on 78. The track is “Moten Swing” by Eddie Durham’s little band, with Durham on guitar and featuring the great Buster Smith on alto, recorded in 1940. You can hear why Smith was such an influence on Charlie Parker – he’s technical assured, fluid, imaginative, and very personal. Great stuff.

7. A very interesting reconstruction of “Somewhere” by Vijay Iyer, from the 2009 Historicity album. I think this is an imaginative and fascinating way to approach a standard like this – very original and contemporary-sounding. Stephan Crump is on bass, Marcus Gilmore on drums.

8. The lands on or around the northeastern Mediterranean – Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania – have such incredible clarinet traditions. I can’t get enough of clarinet playing from this part of the world. I don’t know this track, but it sounds like Ivo Papasov on clarinet and Yuri Yunakov on alto sax. Both of them make me want to put my horns in the closet. This is stunning music.

9. Fantasia on “Equinox,” by a couple of excellent and imaginative players. Enjoyed it; don’t know who it might be.

10. Loves me some plunger trombone. Striking ensemble voicings. Hot music! I want to find out more about this track.

11. Nice enough, with the unusual instrumentation, but it doesn’t kill me. It starts to build up a head of steam toward the end, though. I like the clarinetist.

12. My first thought was a Jimmy Giuffre group, but I quickly eliminated that. Melodically, the clarinetist sounds like a restrained Tony Scott, but I obviously don’t know who anyone is. Again, it’s good, but nothing I’m exciting about hearing again. Track 10, on the other hand….

Nice BFT - I love the range of music, and although you can tell I wasn't crazy about a couple of tracks, there was nothing I actually disliked. Thanks for a good one.

Edited by jeffcrom
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It's getting toward the end of the month, and I haven't weighed in yet, so here goes. As usual, I haven't read anything in this thread yet.

1. Hmmm…. Nothing wrong with it, but it leaves me a little cold. Sounds like the latter-day Jazz Messengers, except that the drumming is awfully restrained for Blakey. Everybody is good, but for me, there’s just no “there” there. I imagine most listeners here would disagree.

I can relate. When I was much younger, I was absolutely crazy about this track. I'm much less crazy about it now, but not willing to throw it under the bus. Wanted to see what others would say.

I'd love it if somebody took another stab at identifiying the trumpeter.

2. Intriguing music. I would have liked to hear them swing hard for a bit at some point, then go back into the pointillistic stuff, but this was interesting and well done.

3. The “instrument” I recognized first was the Paramount recording studio, which turned out some of the crappiest-sounding recordings of the time. But no matter – this is brilliant, one of the great recordings of jazz. It’s “Play That Thing,” by Ollie Powers’ Harmony Syncopators, with Tommy Ladnier and Jimmie Noone setting fire to everything in sight that day in 1923. I was struck with how much Noone’s second chorus sounded like early Sidney Bechet – or rather, vice versa. Jimmie Noone made some great recordings later, but this is the hottest thing he ever did.

It's one of my favorite early-early sides. I have the 78 too, in terrible shape.

4. Bass, drums, tenor sax, piano, and kora, I think. I like the blend of colors here. No idea who anyone is, but I like this. The kora player is outstanding.

Finally, the instrumentation is correctly decoded. I'm dreaming of a chromatic kora.

5. I couldn’t help comparing this to track one, since they both seem to be latter-day hard bop, broadly speaking. This is vital and alive, whereas track one seemed kind of artificial to me. Everybody was playing; it swung and it was interesting. I liked this a lot.

Glad you like. HP figured out that Geri Allen is the pianist, but the others are not revealed.

6. I imagine that this has been identified by now – it’s from one of the first jazz albums – a collection of Kansas City jazz put out by Decca, first on 78. The track is “Moten Swing” by Eddie Durham’s little band, with Durham on guitar and featuring the great Buster Smith on alto, recorded in 1940. You can hear why Smith was such an influence on Charlie Parker – he’s technical assured, fluid, imaginative, and very personal. Great stuff.

Had to get some Kansas City in there somehow, and had to evangelize for Buster. I'd be interested in your view on the pitch issue, Jeff! Mr. Lowe transferred this disc a half-step below this JRT Davies transfer. And wouldn't you know it, now I can't find my copy of the 78.

7. A very interesting reconstruction of “Somewhere” by Vijay Iyer, from the 2009 Historicity album. I think this is an imaginative and fascinating way to approach a standard like this – very original and contemporary-sounding. Stephan Crump is on bass, Marcus Gilmore on drums.

Correctamundo! (OK, I still hate it when people say that.)

8. The lands on or around the northeastern Mediterranean – Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania – have such incredible clarinet traditions. I can’t get enough of clarinet playing from this part of the world. I don’t know this track, but it sounds like Ivo Papasov on clarinet and Yuri Yunakov on alto sax. Both of them make me want to put my horns in the closet. This is stunning music.

One more for Jeff! Papasov and Younakov it is. Personally, I'm stuck on the drumming, too.

9. Fantasia on “Equinox,” by a couple of excellent and imaginative players. Enjoyed it; don’t know who it might be.

10. Loves me some plunger trombone. Striking ensemble voicings. Hot music! I want to find out more about this track.

I'm hoping Mr. Weiss will weigh in; he knows all. You can take that as a clue.

11. Nice enough, with the unusual instrumentation, but it doesn’t kill me. It starts to build up a head of steam toward the end, though. I like the clarinetist.

12. My first thought was a Jimmy Giuffre group, but I quickly eliminated that. Melodically, the clarinetist sounds like a restrained Tony Scott, but I obviously don’t know who anyone is. Again, it’s good, but nothing I’m exciting about hearing again. Track 10, on the other hand….

Not Scott or Giuffre. These are studio-pro guys who just aren't the first ones you think of as soloists.

Nice BFT - I love the range of music, and although you can tell I wasn't crazy about a couple of tracks, there was nothing I actually disliked. Thanks for a good one.

And thank you!

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Track 1: And so another BFT gets off to a rousing start! Sounds like a late edition Jazz Messengers or a VERY good tribute to Art! Wouldn’t be surprised if that was Cedar at the ivories! Or Curtis on the ‘bone! Thought this might be from Curtis Fuller’s last album, but alas it ‘taint, so I have no idea who it is.

Track 2: Very Monk-ish. Either a tribute or someone struggling to find his voice via Monk. Keep trying, dude.

Track 3: Before my time. WAY before my time. I think I hear Charlie “Pterodactyl” Parker on lead banjo there. Little humor to brazenly disguise the fact that my knowledge of pre-bop jazz is on a Kardashian level of nothingness.

Which is not to say I don’t like it. Just feeling silly today....

Track 4: Ben Webster staggers into a Baghdad Café in response to a garbled Invitation in a Kaper of epic propulsions. That sounds more like the setup for a Henny Youngman joke. This works a lot better than it should. A LOT better! Yusef Lateef must be kicking himself!

Another groovy thing about this track is that I would normally expect the horns to go flying off into parts unknown, uncharted, and unlistenable, and it hasn’t happened. Yet, anyway. We’ll see if this hypnautical transom can really last as long as I hope it does. Ahhhhh, it did! Beautiful! Beautiful! Looking forward to finding out who this is! And where!

Track 5: I don’t know who this is, but it has such a familiar SOUND. Like, I may not have heard this band before, but this studio and this ground has been trod many times before. Doesn’t sound like Van Gelder’s house. No, it sounds like it was recorded somewhere in Florida or Louisiana, maybe in someone’s loft or on someone’s stolen yacht. I have nothing to bass this on, of course, and for all I know the reason it sounds so familiar is because it’s buried somewhere in my collection collecting dust among other things.

Track 6: CRAP!!! I know this! I’ve heard this! And I can’t remember who this is! And I’m gonna kick myself a few thousand times once I find out who it is! However, for posteriority’s sake, I’m gonna go ahead and guess it’s a Bird Savoy date and if I wasn’t so lazy (or at work, or both) I’d go hit up some sound samples to see if I’m even in the same solar system.

And no matter how many times I hear this melody, I will always ALWAYS forget the name of it. Drives me up a frickin’ wall, this does!

Track 7: Thought this was familiar too, but alas I’ve either got this in my collection and forgotten all about it, or had it at one time but foolishly sold it off, or maybe it was one of those thousands of CDs that a friend of mine had and let me rifle thru awhile back. I honestly don’t know.

I do know one thing, though: it’s been a while since a BFT has caused me to get so loopy with my writing, which I’m enjoying to know end! As you can tell!

Track 8: Hey, the clarinet player who was supposed to be on track 4 finally showed up. As did the rest of the band! GOD, I wanna get these two bands together! Hell, I might just mashup these two tracks and put it on MY BFT coming up next January! Bavarian middle-east Klezmer! Hoo hah! Bin Laden will rise from the dead only to get eaten up by the sharks as he tries to emerge from the depths of the sea (talk about a nautical knot, all for naught!) Good lord, did someone just blast some ancient east Indian curry powder into the room? The guitarist’s arm is about to fly off! Just another day in sunny Brzkistan, I s’pose. Actually, come to think of it, it sounds like a band of roaming gypsies kidnapped Don Wilson of the Ventures and are holding him hostage in order to create a bizarre hybrid of Sudanese Klezmer and surf music. They might just be on to something here. They might also be onto me, and I hope they are because I wanna be the bass player. You see what happens when you put a track on here that goes on for 800 hours? Sew due eye!!!!

Too much coffee in my creamer this morning, apparentlee.

Track 9: Well that was nice enough. Took the edge offa my lunatic ramblings of the earlier tracks.

Track 10: I am trying my hardest not to say anything bad, negative, or derogatory because I really don’t like this track. However, in the interest of brotherhood and kindness, I will refrain from saying that this sounds like one of Wynton Marsalis’ most blatant Ellington Orchestra rip-offs, right down to the belligerent abuse of a plunger that sounds more like Trick Daddy Nanton than the real deal. Yes, in the spirit of peace and harmony, I will refrain from saying such things. Because that would just be mean, and I refuse to contribute to the disharmony that already exists in everyday life as it is.

I also have a governor for sale down here, if anyone wants him. Take my governor, PLEASE!

Track 11: Ahhhh, that’s more like it. Love a repeated two-note figure that has all kinds of groovy silliness going on over it. I could drive around to this stuff all day. In fact, I just might!

Track 12: And so another BFT comes to a quiet comforting landing. Sounds like “You Don’t Know What Love Is” and I don’t know what jazz is, apparently. I’ll bet I have this, too. Will wonders never seize?

Another good ‘un. Hope the occasional flights off the proverbial handel didn’t throw anyone for a loop. Now to face the usual humiliation of all the things I missed.

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And I see that, after reading all the other guesses/comments, I will likely have made more than few enemies with my clueless ramblings. No offense was intended, and I would like to personally apologize to Michael Weiss, to whom I probably owe more than a debt of great value for my snarky comments about track 10. :winky:

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