BFT 121 Answers

[Dan Gould]

Thanks to everyone who managed to listen and post; if I needed another reminder that BFTs are out of your control once you send them off, I got it. Jim R. made short work of the theme but he was right that one person can't run the table. Oh well ...

As to that theme, it came to me just before I signed up when I filled the car CD case with Black & Blue label recordings. They had a great reissue series not too long ago and I thought it would be fun to (perhaps) introduce some to this fine label. But I was concerned that such a theme wouldn't be that obvious, so I hit upon the idea of interspersing some recordings of "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black & Blue" among the tracks from the label. (In fact I went back and forth on the programming of those tracks, I considered putting just one performance of the song at the start and one at the end, like bookends, but feared it wouldn't be so obvious. Then I thought about about using all the performances of "Black & Blue" at the start, one after the other, but figured that was overkill.)

But then I realized I could also program Gene Harris, so, you know, win-win.

(Some track listings will include links to Amazon or the discogs.com site or images of the CD covers, for details of sidemen)

Track 1 – Gene Harris, "Black & Blue" (Concord)

Track 2 - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, "Choo-Choo Ch-Boogie", Plays Louis Jordan (Black & Blue)

Track 3 - Louis Jordan, "Take the A-Train", I Believe in Music (Black & Blue)

Track 4 - Billy Butler, "Don't Be That Way", Don't Be That Way (Black & Blue)

Track 5 - Gene Mighty Flea Connors, "Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me", Coming Home (Black & Blue)

Track 6 - Harry Sweets Edison - Earl Hines, "Mean to Me", Just You, Just Me (Black & Blue)

Track 7 - DOC CHEATHAM/NICHOLAS PAYTON – “What Did I Do to be so BLACK & BLUE” Doc Cheatham - Nicholas Payton (Verve)

Track 8 - LONNIE SMITH – ALVIN QUEEN – MELVIN SPARKS – BILLIE'S BOUNCE

Lennox and Seventh (Black & Blue)

Track 9 -

Groove Holmes - Willis Jackson, "Body and Soul", Live on Stage (Black & Blue)

Edited May 1, 2014 by Dan Gould

[Dan Gould]

Track 10 - Bill Doggett, There Will Never Be Another You, Mr. Honky Tonk (Black & Blue)

It's Tina Brooks big brother, Bubba Brooks on tenor, and Doggett on both organ and piano. Discographical details here;

http://www.discogs.com/Bill-Doggett-Mister-Honky-Tonk/release/3184034

Track 11 - Oliver Jackson, "Sugar", Presents Le Quartet (Black & Blue)

Percy France on tenor, disco details here:

http://www.discogs.com/Oliver-Jackson-Presents-Le-Quartet/release/3108940

Track 12 - Al Grey - Arnett Cobb, "Ain't That Funk For You", Ain't That Funk For You (Black & Blue)

Track 13 - Candy Johnson, "Until The Real Thing Comes Along", Candy's Moods (Black & Blue)

Track 14 - Eddie Chamblee, Gone, Blowing In Paris (Black & Blue)

Track 15 - Louis Armstrong, "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black & Blue" Satch Plays Fats, Columbia

Track 16 - Helen Humes, "He May Be Your Man", Let The Good Times Roll (Black & Blue)

Track 17 - Eddie Vinson/Jay McShann, "Red Top", Jumpin' The Blues (Black & Blue)

Track 18 - Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Comin' On Home, Leapin' On Lenox (Black & Blue)

Track 19 - Lou Rawls, "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black & Blue", Black & Blue, Capitol

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that while the Black & Blue CDs aren't so easy to find of late, Amazon does have quite a number available if you're willing to do the download thing. There are quite a few I never scored that I intend to get soon - Harold Ashby, Norris Turney, and Irv Stokes among others. Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/s?rh=n%3A163856011%2Ck%3Adefinitive+black+%26+Blue%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A625150011&keywords=definitive+black+%26+Blue&ie=UTF8&qid=1398911725

Don't sleep on the blues releases the label had either! They did a nice job of recording a lot of mainstream jazz and older blues acts at a time that not many US labels were paying much attention.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Ah, I've been looking for the Bill Doggett, in a lackadaisical way, for years. Ditto the Billy Butler.

I've got a lot of Black & Blue, mostly on LP; I ought to get some of those complete CD issues. Glad to hear there's a lot on DL, as I've little room for more CDs.

A damn good ride, Dan!

Thank you.

MG

[Hot Ptah]

I said that I might be embarrassed when I found out who the pianist is on #17, as I thought he was exhibiting his chops too much instead of fitting into the groove. It's Jay McShann. I am embarrassed. He is one of my favorites, and I saw him live more than 25 times, but I still did not recognize him. I am hanging my head in shame.

This is one of the all time great Blindfold Tests, Dan, certainly one of the very most enjoyable ones to listen to, of all time. I have a list of music to go get now. I love the deeply soulful saxophonists presented here. It's a wealth of deeply soulful saxophonists.

[Hardbopjazz]

Great music Dan.

[Jim R]

Gotta confess, Dan, I never listened to #15 (or #7) all the way through. Apologies for that, I guess I rushed myself based on my tastes (and my eagerness to get to the mystery tracks that were more up my alley). I wouldn't have gotten 7, but I hope you'll believe me when I say that I'm not too clueless to have recognized Louis (his voice, at the very least!).

Thanks again for your efforts. It really was fun to revisit the B&B label, and make some new discoveries. That Gene Harris track in particular was a great listen.

[Dan Gould]

HP, MG and Tom, I'm very glad you enjoyed it so much.

Jim, I definitely suspected you hit the 'next' button on the Louis track. I just didn't realize you were the kind to turn your nose up at him.

[tkeith]

I think I have the theme: How many times can you get me to guess the wrong tenor player when it's really Arnett Cobb. Am I close?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

MG

[Dan Gould]

Ding ding ding to Thom for identifying the non-intentional and heretofore unknown incidental theme.