Jump to content

BFT 99 discussion


Stefan Wood

Recommended Posts

I've got a serious vibraphone jones, so it's no surprise that I am attracted to #7. I really like this person's style. To my ears there is a little Walt Dickerson thing going on. Jason Adasiewicz plays kind of like this but internationally I have no clue. I hope someone IDs this before the end of the month. Patience is apparently not one of my virtues.

There is quite a number of tracks I like on the BFT but I'm going to reserve further comment until I have some more listens. I changed my mind on a few things last month as I heard them some more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is my kind of music! This is just the stuff I really like. I have not been able to identify anything yet, but I am listening repeatedly and will have some impressions soon.

I love the opener, it really grabs me with its energy.

I like #7 too. But then, I like every song on this BFT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Friday’s are always a goof day to let loose with some clueless BFT meanderings, so let’s get after it!

Track 1: Thought that was Blakey at first. Is that a trombone in unison with the bass? Are the amphetamines that everyone is on available as over-the-counter? I’ll have whatever the band is having!!!! Hey, the song ended before I could finish my rant! No fair!!! :D

Track 2: Sonny Rollins. Or a very reasonable facsimile! Or Josh Redman. Either way, I’m diggin’ the liberal use of space, letting notes sing out like that. Beautiful!

Track 3: Okay, whatever the guys on track 1 were on, these guys went for the weapons-grade industrial strength. Seems to me I’ve heard this before, and if the rest of the album is like this, then there’s a pretty good chance I don’t own this, but might have at one time, when I was a lot more adventurous (which ain’t sayin’ much, really)

Track 4: If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this is the Greg Waits Quartet with Jim Sangrey on tenor. If it ain’t, then let me tell those of you who’ve not had the pleasure of seeing these guys live (or, heh heh, PLAYING with them) THIS is what they sound like. And y’all are missing out!

Track 5: Starts out nice enough, but you know me & squawking soprano saxes. There’s a lotta cats who woulda kept this up for another ten minutes or so, which makes me grateful for the brevity of this track. The drummer sounds like he’s trying to tell the sax player to SHUDDUP ALREADY! :lol:

Track 6: Like ya some soprano sax, do ya? Oh, but this is SO nice! Guitar sounds like Gabor Szabo. And I do love the sound of a muted trumpet and soprano sax. THIS coulda gone on for another ten minutes and I’da been a happy man! That tag at the end sounds SO freakin’ familiar!

Track 7: Gary Burton? Elvin on drums? I MUST find out! I’d like to play this for my son’s marching band’s percussion section. They’re good, make no mistake, but I wanna give ‘em some stars to shoot for. If nothing else, maybe work this into their program!

Track 8: Nice. Sounds like Kenny Dorham and another trumpet on the head. Nope, tenor sax fooled me (big surprise). Wish it was a little longer, but it’s perfect for those of us with short attention sp....

Track 9: Oh, this has all KINDS of lovely things going on! I wanna say Tadd Dameron, but then that flute makes me think of Dolphy (go figure). Further into the solo makes me think of James Spaulding, not necessarily a good thing. Trumpet makes me think of Freddie Hubbard. A lot of this song’s nicer moments remind me of “Prophet Jennings” from HUB-TONES.

Track 10: Meh. Not bad. Not great.

Track 11: Bah! I think I’ll listen to track 10 again! Not a fan of jazz violin.

Track 12: Well..... I’m glad it was brief!

Track 13: FAT-ASS groove!!!!! Soprano is okay, not too crazy about trying to incorporate Trane over an Eddie Harris groove. RIDE that thing, dude! Dig what the drummer is annihilating back there! SETTLETHEFUCKDOWNALREADY!!!!! Now comes the trumpet and I realize this is someone’s tribute to Freddie Hubbard/Stanley Turrentine/Jack DeJohnette CTI-frenzy that I usually dig, but this sounds like they’re going for the long drawn-out live side of CTI that I usually don’t dig. In fact, the trumpet was getting on my nerves something fierce that I hadda move it to the next track.

Track 14: Now THIS is a groove I can dig, and apparently the players feel the same way!

Track 15: Um.... Well, thankfully, nobody broke into a soprano sax solo! :g

Gonna be interested in what everyone else has to say, seeing as this BFT left this boring old traditionalist in the dust, scratching my head. But fun nonetheless, and worth the trip for track 7 alone!!!

This is my kind of music! This is just the stuff I really like.

Hmmph! No wonder I'm struggling with this! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:rofl:

Nice, Big Al!

Re: Track 3 - If Greg Waits and Jim Sangrey sound like this, then I am impressed. It's not them, but they are contemporaries.

Track 7 is an awesome tune from a famous European band -- they've been around for 40+ years. I'm glad people are digging it.

Track 9 is a beautiful tune -- not mid century jazz, but much more recent.

Track 13 has that Freddie Hubbard CTI feel, which is why I put it in. The kick ass groove can go on and on, as far as I am concerned.

Track 15 is by a well regarded drummer, also very recent. Came out last year, I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, track 7, European, famous, 40+ years, vibes. That should narrow it down for somebody. I'm going to make one wild guess and go on to the rest of the BFT - Gunter Hampel on the vibes.

Also, a quick side note, from his comments here and on other BFTs, it is safe to say that Big Al's taste in music is pretty far away from mine but you have us both interested in this track. I like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, a quick side note, from his comments here and on other BFTs, it is safe to say that Big Al's taste in music is pretty far away from mine but you have us both interested in this track. I like that.

Me too. Common ground is good! :)

However, when it comes time for my BFT in a few months, I think I might make it a two-disc affair: disc one will be the usual boring traditional slop that everyone will guess on the first go-round (if not sooner) because I found most of it at Half Price Books or someplace just as cheap; disc two will be recordings of random noises from the highway, the plant I work in, my truck's engine (especially when it starts up and the belts remind me they need to be replaced, makes a squeal so nerve-racking some of the players on the present BFT would weep with joy!), the horn on the forklift at work, the beeping of the semis when they're in reverse..... oops, don't wanna give away too many answers yet. :g:lol::D

;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:rofl:

Nice, Big Al!

If I can't be right, may as well be light! :)

Track 7 is an awesome tune from a famous European band -- they've been around for 40+ years. I'm glad people are digging it.

Well, I've been around for 40+ years, and I bet they haven't heard of me, so I guess that makes us even. :lol:

Track 9 is a beautiful tune -- not mid century jazz, but much more recent.

Yeah, I kinda figured it was recent vintage, but man if they don't have that Hubbard-Spaulding sound down to a T!!!

Track 13 has that Freddie Hubbard CTI feel, which is why I put it in. The kick ass groove can go on and on, as far as I am concerned.

I hear ya, and if I thought there was a way I could get ahold of the master tapes and just dub me a copy of the rhythm section only, I'd go for that in a heartbeat. Then of course I would overdub myself playing an even more annoying guitar solo over the whole thing. And THEN of course I'd put it on my own BFT! But then I'd have to decide if I wanna put it on disc one or disc two! :g

Track 15 is by a well regarded drummer, also very recent. Came out last year, I think.

I need to listen to this again, preferably away from the dingy confines of the dungeon I call my office. I bet it would be a lot more soothing then. Plus, I wouldn't be listening in dreaded anticipation for another soprano sax solo to come screaming outta the speakers!

That's the thing I like about these BFT's that challenge my boring musical tastes: I get a LOT more animated with my comments than if it consisted of mainly mid 50's/60's jazz (ie the stuff you usually find on my BFT's).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, track 7, European, famous, 40+ years, vibes. That should narrow it down for somebody. I'm going to make one wild guess and go on to the rest of the BFT - Gunter Hampel on the vibes.

So, was the lack of comment a nice way of avoiding calling me a boob on the guess?

I am still enjoying the listen and I pretty much like every one of the first seven tracks but a couple of things have my attention.

Track #1 just has such an urgency to it. Looking forward to the ID so I can find out what they are in such a hurry to get to.

The guy on track #4 plays a lot like Julian Priester to my ears. The group as a whole sounds like they know each other well.

Track #5 has to be John Surman, no. Like the drummer also.

Trumpet on track #12 sounds familiar. But I said the same thing on a couple tracks last month and that didn't pan out. I like this one very much. Outside of #7, probably my favorite track. Today anyway.

To my ears, track #15 is a little like the Colin Walcott/Don Cherry/ Nana Vasconcelos albums. Bright, upbeat ending track. Nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, not Gunter Hampel.

Track 1 is a duo -- bass and drums. The bass player is fantastic, and a musician friend and fellow jazz nut went insane over the entire album, which is quite varied -- this is one of the more aggressive tunes on the album.

Track 4 -- yes, I can hear Priester. Not him, though. These guys have worked together for a while.

Track 5 -- nope, but it is a guy who has some albums on ECM

Track 7 -- I'll give a clue. Mal Waldron plays piano.

Track 12 -- not too familiar a name

Edited by Stefan Wood
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many distractions this month. Here's the first half.

1. It gets your attention. It's showy, but I can live without the bass playing what sounds like a "Flight of the Bumblebee" quote on the bridge.

2. The bass line is reminding me of a Charles Tolliver tune, I think it's "Impact," but obviously this isn't that tune. Is the band perhaps Fly? Pretty darned nice.

3. More than a tip of the hat to Ornette. Is that John Tchicai? I love the transition into the drum solo. Is that how the performance ends, or is this an edit?

4. Nice head. I like the geometry and determination in the alto solo, which reminds me of Roscoe Mitchell. The trombone is graceful and adventurous. I'm beginning to sense a theme to this BFT: We don't need no steenkin' piano.

5. Theme sounds Eastern European, but the repeated notes at the end remind me of Monk's "Jackie-ing." Interesting soprano work, and interesting in a good way. Sounds like a klezmer clarinetist on soprano. I ain't saying that's a bad thing.

6. Ahh, a piano. Sounds like circa 1971. Some kind of project with Jan Garbarek and Terje Rypdal in it? Can't say it goes on too long.

7. Pretty cool. If it's Walt Dickerson, NIS will have identified it already, and if it isn't, maybe it's Karl Berger. The drum responses are really nice.

8. Sounds West Coasty. Maybe Al Cohn on tenor. A fun track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many distractions this month. Here's the first half.

1. It gets your attention. It's showy, but I can live without the bass playing what sounds like a "Flight of the Bumblebee" quote on the bridge.

It is intended to be a show piece. The artist has a wide palette, but I wanted a brief and powerful piece to start off the BFT.

2. The bass line is reminding me of a Charles Tolliver tune, I think it's "Impact," but obviously this isn't that tune. Is the band perhaps Fly? Pretty darned nice.

Not Fly, but a NYC based group. The entire album reminded me of Elvin Jones' first Blue Note lp, which is a good thing.

3. More than a tip of the hat to Ornette. Is that John Tchicai? I love the transition into the drum solo. Is that how the performance ends, or is this an edit?

Not Tchicai. Think more Middle East (now that'll stump everyone!)

4. Nice head. I like the geometry and determination in the alto solo, which reminds me of Roscoe Mitchell. The trombone is graceful and adventurous. I'm beginning to sense a theme to this BFT: We don't need no steenkin' piano.

Almost -- the theme is more like getting into a groove, no matter what your bag is.

5. Theme sounds Eastern European, but the repeated notes at the end remind me of Monk's "Jackie-ing." Interesting soprano work, and interesting in a good way. Sounds like a klezmer clarinetist on soprano. I ain't saying that's a bad thing.

Without identifying the artist, you have come the closet to describing him.

6. Ahh, a piano. Sounds like circa 1971. Some kind of project with Jan Garbarek and Terje Rypdal in it? Can't say it goes on too long.

Neither one are in it.

7. Pretty cool. If it's Walt Dickerson, NIS will have identified it already, and if it isn't, maybe it's Karl Berger. The drum responses are really nice.

Not Walt Dickerson. Or Berger. But definitely European. I think all of you will be really surprised to know who this is.

8. Sounds West Coasty. Maybe Al Cohn on tenor. A fun track.

Not Cohn. Not West Coast, either. European.

Edited by Stefan Wood
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just logged in to post the remaining guesses, and noticed that the reveal was up, so I shall be publicly humiliated. Here goes anyway...

9. The flute-and-muted-trumpet combination gets overused in classical music and jazz, and here it is again. The melody doesn't stretch across the 5/4 barlines as gracefully as it could, and the ensemble playing needs polishing. Flute is probably the best soloist here, though there are probably too many notes. Trumpet is even more notey. The trombone provides some relief. Nice,

but doesn't quite do it for me.

10. I like the big tenor sound, even if the intonation is a little off at times. It's the drumming that bugs me. Two bars into the first solo and the drummer is off in his own private world, which is a very loud place. That forces the piano player to pound out basics with the left hand, just to have something to keep himself and the band oriented. The pianist relaxes a little during the tenor solo, but the drummer doesn't. I don't mind drummers taking chances, but you've got to play with the group, and this drumming is about ego, not about the group or the music.

That drummer isn't Tommy Crane, is it? I've heard him play much better than this.

11. Nice tune, but the theme chorus is slow going because the violinist is having trouble with tone and intonation. But the violinist gets it together after the piano solo, and it's almost like a different musician. An upset victory.

12. It's a trick! The trumpet and tenor are played by the same person, right? Must be Joe McPhee.

13. Heavy foot on the bass drum. But a very fine groove -- is that Jack De? Soprano solo is OK; piano solo a little better; Hubbardish trumpet, but I've never heard Freddie shout through the instrument as happens at 7:18. Accompanied drum solo (a good idea that should be used more) comes off very well. The two-horn improv after that is very exciting.

14. Maybe a CTI record? No, CTI would have used a better-sounding organ than the cheesy electronic thing on here. I'll guess it's

Europeans trying to make something that sounds like a CTI record and succeeding.

15. Tablas, thumb pianos, stringed instruments that aren't known to me. Some warm and subtle electric guitar behind the voice. Yeah!

Eagerly awaiting the reveal. I'm going to learn a few things from this! Thanks, Stefan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just logged in to post the remaining guesses, and noticed that the reveal was up, so I shall be publicly humiliated. Here goes anyway...

9. The flute-and-muted-trumpet combination gets overused in classical music and jazz, and here it is again. The melody doesn't stretch across the 5/4 barlines as gracefully as it could, and the ensemble playing needs polishing. Flute is probably the best soloist here, though there are probably too many notes. Trumpet is even more notey. The trombone provides some relief. Nice,

but doesn't quite do it for me.

Ah well, can't win 'em all!

10. I like the big tenor sound, even if the intonation is a little off at times. It's the drumming that bugs me. Two bars into the first solo and the drummer is off in his own private world, which is a very loud place. That forces the piano player to pound out basics with the left hand, just to have something to keep himself and the band oriented. The pianist relaxes a little during the tenor solo, but the drummer doesn't. I don't mind drummers taking chances, but you've got to play with the group, and this drumming is about ego, not about the group or the music.

That drummer isn't Tommy Crane, is it? I've heard him play much better than this.

Not Tommy Crane, but you may be surprised at who it is. He is the least egocentric of drummers, and has been around for a long time. The sidemen are all excellent musicians.

11. Nice tune, but the theme chorus is slow going because the violinist is having trouble with tone and intonation. But the violinist gets it together after the piano solo, and it's almost like a different musician. An upset victory.

This is another jazz fusion group that was formed in the late 60's. You'll know some of the band members.

12. It's a trick! The trumpet and tenor are played by the same person, right? Must be Joe McPhee.

Not Joe McPhee. A Clean Feed album.

13. Heavy foot on the bass drum. But a very fine groove -- is that Jack De? Soprano solo is OK; piano solo a little better; Hubbardish trumpet, but I've never heard Freddie shout through the instrument as happens at 7:18. Accompanied drum solo (a good idea that should be used more) comes off very well. The two-horn improv after that is very exciting.

Hubbardish indeed! This is a Japanese band. That should give it away.

14. Maybe a CTI record? No, CTI would have used a better-sounding organ than the cheesy electronic thing on here. I'll guess it's

Europeans trying to make something that sounds like a CTI record and succeeding.

Not Europeans, but another 70's Japanese album.

15. Tablas, thumb pianos, stringed instruments that aren't known to me. Some warm and subtle electric guitar behind the voice. Yeah!

I likes it as well. A drummer who is known for playing with a world renowned bassist.

Eagerly awaiting the reveal. I'm going to learn a few things from this! Thanks, Stefan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally got around to this today. Started hot then quickly petered out. There is a lot in this test that I think I'd like more on repeated listening, and a few that are just outside my radar, but on the whole, this was up my alley. One listen, no peakies.

1 - Ah! Francois Rabbath - Impalas from the album Bass Ball. Jonathan Blakeslee, my old bass player, hooked me up with this. Love this record!

2 - I like the drum/bass groove, but not sold on the tenor, yet. Shades of Jay Rosen on drums, but heavier. I'm not sold on the tenor. He's good, but a little... I dunno... I'll get in trouble if I say "white", but that's what I'm hearing. Nice bass work; fat. I mostly like this, but the tenor is too restrained and schooled for the groove the rhythm section is putting down.

3 - Sounds like somebody who liked a lot of Von Freeman in the formative days. I'm guessing a guy who plays multiple horns because I'm not hearing him as a tenor player, so much. Maybe Thomas Chapin? Doesn't sound full enough to be him.

4 - I love this in 4 seconds. Sounds like Hamid Drake to me on drums. That would suggest William Parker could be the bassist, but the trombone is throwing me off. Not sure of the alto, but he's not comfortable. Tone is more in the inside edge of things, but the approach makes me think Moondoc, but doesn't seem quite sure enough of himself to be Jemeel. Maybe Noah Howard? Not sure of the bone. If I was forced to guess I'd say Jeff Galindo, but I don't think it's him. That alto is really not resonating with me, which is breaking my heart because I love the rest of it.

5 - I could like this, but whatever electronics are involved in that bass are killing it for me. No idea on the soprano.

6 - Totally in love with this. No idea what it is, but I could listen to a night of this very easily. Almost has an Eddie Gale feel to it, but too technical. Nice late-70s recording. Maybe Beaver Harris on drums?

7 - This is teasing me. That vibrato has me thinking Dickerson, but it's too constrained. The band could easily be one of his bands with Eustis Guilmette. Don't know what this is, but I have to have it, immediately!!!! Crazy guess: Clifford Jarvis on drums?

8 - Hmm... something is telling me Frank Haynes on tenor, but I don't know this.

9 - Three that puts me in love. Arrangement is a little cluttered, but I'm thinking that's Billy Higgins on drums. Sounds like one of the LA guys; Billie Harris or someone like that. Definitely has that feel of the Tapscott school, though seems more inside than that. Don't know the trumpet, but he isn't quite cutting it for me. I want to say maybe John Gordon on trombone.

10 - Busy but in a sloppy scramble sort of a way. Sounds almost like Odean Pope to me, but I don't hear any circular breathing.

11 - Sounds like McBee on bass to me. Could be Michael White on violin. In fact, I'm almost sure of it. Love this.

12 - I'm in. If I didn't know better, I'd swear it was Mike Walsh on drums. But given the instrumentation, I'm going to say Trio X, though the sax playing seems more out of the school than Joe. I can't imagine who else would have that instrumentation (I'm assuming tenor and trumpet are the same; failing that, I'm dead wrong, b/c that tenor does NOT sound like McPhee).

13 - Early 80s? Seems to have a touch of that 70s Muse/Strata-east thing going on, but the band seems closer to Woody Shaw's stuff of the early 80s. I was thinking Gary Bartz, but this guys doesn't have the same facility. Sure sounds like Woody Shaw to me; wait, no. At the screaming -- I LOVE this guy! He's suddenly me with a trumpet!!!! :P I like this feel. It's got some Tolliver-isms in it, but has that ragged energy of a Rashied Ali date. This is up my alley and is going to cost me more money. The head rambles a bit, but overall, this is a keeper.

14 - Hating this bass a great deal. Holy CTI, not digging this one at all. Could this be the Breckers? I'm not digging the tenor at all, so that's a safe bet. Bob Berg? One of those guys. Hearing some Ron Carter licks in that bass solo.

15 - No idea, but I want it. Reminiscent of some of Kahlil El'Zabar's stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry I'm again so late to the party ... Let me just say that I enjoyed this compilation, but didn't recognize anybody. When listening through it all once more just now I read through Big Al's comments and found it funny that I feel just the opposite about some of the tracks, like the soprano on # 5 which I find very nice, or the violin on # 11 - I really dig the sensitivity of his tone, almost fragile, which is hard to do on steel strings.

Walt Dickerson would be my guess for the vibes player on # 7, the short-wave vibrato is his, although I never heard a live recording - taking that into account, it could show the more more energetic side if Dickerson.

That drummer on # 13 annoys me - playing so much he has almost nothing left to intensify when it's his solo turn. Well, each to his own taste.

Thank you so much for that selection - I'm really curious about the answers now!

Trombonist on # 4 plays quite a lot of phrases that Priester uses, but the tone tells it must be someone else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...