BFT 96 discussion

[Michael Weiss]

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.

You owe me no apology whatsoever. To each their own.

I won't weigh in anymore than two points:

- I'm not on this date

- Kudos to the composer/arranger.

[jeffcrom]

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.

Well this transfer puts it right in tune in A flat, which is where I've always played the tune and thought it was written.

And to get really esoteric, A flat would put Buster Smith playing in the key of F on his alto saxophone, a transposing instrument. And that would make the little burble at 20 seconds make sense: his A flat key was sticking - not an uncommon problem on saxophone.

[tkeith]

Track 7 happened upon my iPod in the car today. A drummer I work with sent me some stuff he thought I might like. I only ended up putting the Vijay on the iPod. Alas, I have not listened to it enough. Egad.

[Spontooneous]

Spoiler Alert!

A little old-fashioned cheating lead me to look further into my drum guesses. My fourth guess was correct. I went Tain, first. It's the opener from this: SPOILER ALERT!!!! I wondered about Michael Philip Mossman on trumpet, but then arrived at the right guy shortly before finding the answer.

Finally. surely I'm ot the only one who dug that record back in the day?

[Spontooneous]

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.

They'd be flattered at the guesses. Thom K. just got this one.

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

A Monk influence perhaps, but this one lands closer to John Lewis' ken. Not a young guy looking for his voice, however.

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!

Ahh, good to know somebody found something to cerebrate about here. I wish my pun faculties were working better today and I could respond in a Joycean paragraph...

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.

The studio is familiar from many other recordings, though it isn't RVG. The engineer is also familiar. Maybe you'll get to ask him sometime. Hint hint.

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!

You stand accused of not being from Kansas City.

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.

Hyperactive comments for hyperactive music. I like that. Jeff just posted that it's Ivo Papasov's Bulgarian Wedding Band. The James Brown-style break kills me every time.

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

I figured everybody needed a break after the Bulgarian wedding.

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!

Your governor's best political pal is the governor of Kansas. See if you can get somebody to take them in a 2-for-1 sale. Meanwhile, give the track a few more chances. It's considerably weirder than you're giving it credit for.

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.

All well Handeled, always good to hear Bach from you, Al.

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.

Well this transfer puts it right in tune in A flat, which is where I've always played the tune and thought it was written.

And to get really esoteric, A flat would put Buster Smith playing in the key of F on his alto saxophone, a transposing instrument. And that would make the little burble at 20 seconds make sense: his A flat key was sticking - not an uncommon problem on saxophone.

Thank you, Jeff! Come see Buster's alto on display at the Blue Room in Kansas City sometime!

Edited March 23, 2012 by Spontooneous

[Big Al]

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.

They'd be flattered at the guesses. Thom K. just got this one.

Nice to know I was in the same neighborhood, if not the same metropolitan area!

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!

Ahh, good to know somebody found something to cerebrate about here. I wish my pun faculties were working better today and I could respond in a Joycean paragraph...

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.

The studio is familiar from many other recordings, though it isn't RVG. The engineer is also familiar. Maybe you'll get to ask him sometime. Hint hint.

Really? Sounds like you may know this chap!

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!

You stand accused of not being from Kansas City.

Guilty as charged. Go Jayhawks, nonetheless! Unless of course they face Baylor in which case I gotta pull for the homestate team!

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.

Hyperactive comments for hyperactive music. I like that. Jeff just posted that it's Ivo Papasov's Bulgarian Wedding Band. The James Brown-style break kills me every time.

A Bulgarian Wedding Band! So I was closer than I thought! Truth is funnier than fiction and I still wanna be their bass player!

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

I figured everybody needed a break after the Bulgarian wedding.

Don't we all?

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!

Your governor's best political pal is the governor of Kansas. See if you can get somebody to take them in a 2-for-1 sale. Meanwhile, give the track a few more chances. It's considerably weirder than you're giving it credit for.

Suggesting a two-for-one with my governor may get you more than you bargained for. And this could be the soundtrack to it, ifyouknowwhatimean! Meantime, I'll give it a couple more spins and concentrate on the weirdness of it all. Especially now that I know that no Marsalis was utilized in the making of this racket.

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.

All well Handeled, always good to hear Bach from you, Al.

Edited March 24, 2012 by Big Al

[BillF]

Track 10

After the barrage of hints about this one, would the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra be a fair guess?

[Spontooneous]

Track 10

After the barrage of hints about this one, would the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra be a fair guess?

Fair and accurate.

[Hardbopjazz]

Track 10

After the barrage of hints about this one, would the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra be a fair guess?

Fair and accurate.

But from what time frame?