Jump to content

BFT 173 the answers


Recommended Posts

Well, I'm amazed that this should have turned out to have been so difficult! Here we go, then.

1 The Drive – Let it be me – from LP ‘Slow drive to Soweto’ Atlas City AYL1009, 1971.

 

 

R-6705871-1425010178-6202.jpeg.jpg

 

 

 

Personnel aren’t listed but certainly include: Henry Sithole, (ldr, as), Bunny Luthuli (g), and probably also: David Sithole (tp), Stanley Sithole (ts, bars), Bheki Mseleku (kbds) (Now THERE’S a name you’ll all know!), Tony Sauli (b), Nelson Magwaza (d).

 

The band was started in 1971 and this cut comes from their first album. They played non-African kinds of music, which in itself was a protest against Apartheid; soul jazz & R&B. It came to an end when Henry and Bunny, the founders, were killed in a car crash in 1976, two weeks after recording their final album.

 

There’s a lot of background about the band and the social scene in which it existed here

 

http://electricjive.blogspot.com/2015/01/slow-drive-to-soweto-1974.html

 

 

2 Nat Simkins, Buddy Tate & Houston Person – Ain’t misbehavin’ – from CD ‘Just friends’ Muse MCD5418

 

Just Friends


Nat Simpkins, Buddy Tate, Houston Person (ts), Stan Hope (p), Major Holley (b), Grady Tate (d) RVG’s 15 Feb 1990. Produced by Houston Person.

 

This track is one I love to play to people who don’t really think much of soul jazz. It was Nat Simpkins’ first recording and he who took the cover photo – why he didn’t give the camera to Rudy, I don’t know.

 

3 Thornel Schwartz – You won’t let me go – from LP ‘Soul cookin’’ Argo LP704

 

Image result for thornel schwartz soul cookin

Thornel Schwartz (g), Bill Leslie (ts), Larry Young (listed as Lawrence Olds) (org), Jerome Thomas (d) RVG’s 4 Sep 1962. Produced by Esmond Edwards.

 

Well, some well known names here on an, apparently, unknown album. Thornel recorded with every major jazz organist except Wild Bill Davis and Shirley Scott. Except for the drummer, this is the same band that had made Larry Young’s ‘Groove Street’ LP for Prestige eight months earlier.

 

4 Red Garland – Halleloo-Y’all – from LP ‘Halleloo-Y’all’ Prestige PR7288

 

Image result for red garland halleloo y'all

Red Garland (org), Sam Jones (b), Art Taylor (d) RVG’s 15 Jul 1960. Produced by Esmond Edwards.

 

Anybody NOT know any of these guys very well indeed? Yeah, it’s not typical and Red’s organ playing does leave quite a lot to be desired. I can’t imagine Red actually volunteering to play Rudy’s organ off his own bat; Esmond probably said, ‘Hey Red, what about doing this on organ?’, to which Red’s response might have been, ‘Oh well, anything for a buck’. Or maybe not. As far as I know, he never tried it again J

 

The question that occurs to me is that, as all organists left the organ with all the stops set to off or whatever it is, would Red have been playing it like that, or would someone have set the stops for him so it made more or less an organ sound?

 

5 Hank Crawford – Makin’ whoopee – from LP ‘After hours’ Atlantic SD1455

 

 

Image result for hank crawford after hours

 

Hank Crawford (p), Charles ‘Flip’ Green (b), Milt Turner (d) New York, 17 Nov 1965. Produced by Nesuhi Ertegun & Arif Mardin.

 

Wait for it…

 

6 So wonderful – Calvin Newborn – from LP ‘From the hip’ Rooster Jazz RJ0148

 

 

Image result for calvin newborn from the hip

 

Calvin Newborn (g), Hank Crawford (p), Steve McCraven (d), Harvey Weston (b), Danny Adler (rh g) Wave Studios, London, 18 Aug 1982. Produced by Rooster Records & Calvin Newborn.

 

‘From the hip’ was recorded while Calvin and Hank were doing a European tour with David Newman. I saw them at the time at Ronnie Scott’s. If my memory serves, McCraven and Weston were in the band at Ronnie’s. Calvin tore the place up with a seemingly never-ending solo after David had played just the tune of ‘Everything must change’. David was grinning broadly, listening to Calvin wail for seven or eight minutes.

 

I’ve always liked Hank’s piano playing which sounds absolutely basic to me with no clever stuff at all.

 

I can’t remember when I first heard Calvin’s playing. It was in the mid sixties, either on Sun Ra’s ‘Secrets of the sun’ or Freddie Roach’s ‘All that’s good’. Either way, he made an immediate impression on me.

 

7 Willow weep for me – Al Casey – from the LP Jumpin’ with Al’ Black & Blue 33056

 

 

Image result for al casey jumpin with al

 

Al Casey (g), Jay McShann (p), Roland Lobligeois (b), Paul Gunther (d) Bordeaux, France, 18 Jul 1973.

 

Al Casey’s another old favourite of mine, since the days he was working in the King Curtis band. But he was around forever; Lord has noted 210 sessions on which he was present, which probably doesn’t include a lot of R&B work in the forties. He goes back to well before any of Django’s records came out in the USA; his first recording session was in May 1934, with Fats Waller.

 

8 Huracan – Cal Tjader – From ‘Huracan’ Crystal Clear CCS8003

 

Image result for cal tjader huracan

Cal Tjader (vib), Willie Bobo (timbales), Clare Fischer (el p), Rob Fisher (b), Gary Foster (as, fl), Ronald King (tp), Kurt McGettrick (bars), Victor Pantoja (bgo, cowbell), Alex Rodriguez (tp), Frank Rosolino (tbn), Pancho Sanchez (cga), Rick Zunigar (g) Filmways-Heider studios, LA, 22 or 23 Mar 1978. Produced by Ed Wodenjak.

 

This was the first album I ever got by Cal Tjader. I got it in 1982 in Kelly’s secondhand shop in Cardiff Market. It was marked at five pounds. I opened it up and it was pristine! I also noticed that it was a 45, so I took it to the owner and said he’d priced it wrong; he ought to be charging what he charge for 12 in 45s – one pound. ‘Oh yes’ he said, and gave it to me for a pound!

 

I’d never heard a direct disc record before. At home later, I put it on my turntable and WHAP!!!!! I’d never heard anything that LEAPED out of the speakers at me to match it. I think the world missed great sound in not buying these direct disc records, but they WERE expensive. And I don’t recall any other albums in which I had the very faintest interest.

 

This is a rip from my own copy. I wish I could have ripped it as a .flac but I’m not set up so that would be possible even if I had the correct gear. So you’ve got an ordinary mp3. Still, it sounds wonderful to me, even on my computer.

 

9 Way back home – Gladys McFadden and the Loving Sisters – from ‘Gospel soul’ Peacock PY59236

 

 

Image result for the loving sisters gospel soul

 

Gladys McFadden lead voc, voc arr), Anna James, Josephine Dumas, Lorraine Leeks, Barbara Hyder (bk voc), Leonard C Givens (kbds, bk voc), John Malone (d), Larry James (Anna’s son) (b), Tonya Leeks (fl), Claude Snyder (tp), Willie Basso (sax), John Minnick (string & horn arr). Produced by Gladys McFadden. Pinnacle Sound, Little Rock, Ark, 1978.

 

The Loving Sisters go way back. Gladys, Anna, Josephine and Lorraine were all daughters of Pastor Aaron Williams. Gladys (b 1934) formed the group in 1942. At that time, it included one of her sisters, as well as a friend and HER sister. The group worked around the Lonoke area (east of Little Rock) and did radio shows from there. They didn’t record until they were discovered in 1962 by one of the Pilgrim Jubilee Singers and brought to Peackock. ‘Gospel Soul’ was their last album. Gladys was still alive in 2010, when one of her tracks was included in a best selling gospel compilation.

 

You can read a bit about the group here

 

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=8207

 

I first heard the group in the mid-sixties when I started getting gospel 45s acquired by a friend of a friend, through a dealer in ex-jukebox records in Birmingham, Ala. Their sound and style was really from the forties and fifties, but the time for acapella groups had gone, so they made the records that were selling in those days.

 

10 Bitter sweet – Buddy Johnson – single Mercury 70656 (ripped from Bear Family box ‘Buddy & Ella Johnson 1953-64’ BCD15479)

 

 

Image result for buddy johnson bear family

 

Ricky Harper, Willis Nelson, Andrew Wood (tpt), Steve Pulliam, Julius Watson (tbn), Harold ‘Geezil’ Minerve (as), Johnny Burdine, Purvis Henson (ts), Teddy ‘Cherokee’ Conyers (bars), Buddy Johnson (p), Chauncey "Lord" Westbrook (g), Leon Spann (b), Emmanuel Simms (d) New York 15 Dec 1954

 

Well, I’ve put Buddy Johnson on a BFT or two before but no one guesses the band’s identity.

 

I love that band; apart from Duke Ellington, it was the only big band that survived from the thirties into the sixties. Probably due, as with Ellington, to the royalties Buddy was getting from his songs. Like Ellington, Buddy’s band was still getting plenty of touring work in the fifties, but backing up R&B package shows. I think that’s not inappropriate because Buddy WAS the main developer of the blues ballad, which became a mainstay of the R&B of the forties and fifties. And, unlike Duke, he was having hit singles until 1957, which no doubt helped with the money.

 

The alto player, Harold ‘Geezil’ Minerve, worked in the Ellington band later. Seems he didn’t need to be coached in Hodges lines J

 

11 Summertime - Julie London & the Gerald Wilson Big Band – from ‘Feeling good’ Liberty LRP3416

 

 

Image result for julie london feeling good

 

Julie London (vcl), Jack Wilson (p), Teddy Edwards (ts), John Gray (g), Jimmy Bond (b), Earl Palmer (d), Gerald Wilson (cond) + others Los Angeles, 1965

 

Well, Jim got this one bang to rights.

 

12 Mush mouth (instrumental version) (alt take) – Buddy Johnson – from Bear Family box ‘Buddy & Ella Johnson 1953-64’ BCD15479

 

 

Image result for buddy johnson bear family

 

Willie Nelson, Courtney Williams (tpt) Steve Pulliam, Julius Watson (tbn), Harold ‘Geezil’ Minerve (as), Dave Van Dyke, Purvis Henson (ts), William Crump (bars), Buddy Johnson (p), Jimmy Jackson (g), Leon Spann (b), Emmanuel Simms (d) Chicago Sep 1953

 

Yes, ANOTHER Buddy Johnson!

 

Get used to it J

 

13 Gee baby, ain’t I good to you – The Coasters – from ‘The Coasters one by one’ Atco 33-123

 

 

R-4023606-1352679569-7098.jpeg.jpg

 

Billy Guy (baritone/lead), Carl Gardner (tenor), Will "Dub" Jones (bass), Cornelius "Cornell" Gunter (tenor) with Stan Applebaum (arr/dir), Ellis Larkins (p), Sonny Forriest, Alan Hanlon (g), George Duvivier (b), Don Lamond (d), Phil Kraus (perc/vib), unknown strings New York 15 Jun 1960.

 

I TOLD you, almost everyone in this BFT was well known J

 

I think the Coasters were one of the greatest vocal groups of all time. I’m sure I have all (or damn near) their records.

 

14 Shake ‘em up – Buddy Johnson – from LP ‘Fine brown frame’ Decca single 27087 (ripped from ‘Buddy Johnson 1947-49’ Chronological Classics 1115)

 

 

Image result for buddy johnson fine brown frame

 

Frank Royal, Andrew Wood, Calvin Strickland, Willis Nelson (tp), Julius Watson, Donald Cole, Steve Pulliam (tb), Joe O'Laughlin, Harold "Geezil" Minerve (as) David Van Dyke, Purvis Henson (ts), Teddy "Cherokee" Conyers (bars), Buddy Johnson (p), Bernie MacKay (g), Leon Spann (b), Emmanuel Simms (d) New York, 27 Dec 1949

 

Will he EVER stop?

 

J

 

MG

 

Edited by The Magnificent Goldberg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aww Jeez. Gotta be a new record for BFT with albums I have - Soul Cookin', the Crawford thing, and Simpkins? I missed that record? I'm not entirely sure if that was the first of his that I bought or not but I do have all of them I know of.  I used that record on one of my earlier ones, trying to get a compare/contrast between an inventor of the style - Tate - and a dedicated student - Simpkins.

And I bet that Al Casey was released on one of the Black & Blue reissues so that's four out of 14.

JEEZ.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

Aww Jeez. Gotta be a new record for BFT with albums I have - Soul Cookin', the Crawford thing, and Simpkins? I missed that record? I'm not entirely sure if that was the first of his that I bought or not but I do have all of them I know of.  I used that record on one of my earlier ones, trying to get a compare/contrast between an inventor of the style - Tate - and a dedicated student - Simpkins.

And I bet that Al Casey was released on one of the Black & Blue reissues so that's four out of 14.

JEEZ.

Yes, the compilation has the same title as the LP but looks like this:

COVER.jpg

I'm sure others have got a fair bit of the BFT. That's why I was surprised at getting so few correct answers.

And you DON'T have any Coasters records? Disgusting!!! :g

MG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a pretty interesting set of tunes, and one can gather that your major interest is what's usually called soul jazz.  You also represent singers more than most of would (so it seems to me). 

I don't have any of these records in my collection, and little familiarity with the artists, other than Red Garland--who appears in a most uncharacteristic mode.  I'm a big fan of jazz guitar, new and old, but I don't know Al Casey.  Buddy Johnson, sounding Ellingtonian, is totally unknown to me.

So the bottom line is that I, and others, could expand the horizons. 

  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Milestones said:

That's a pretty interesting set of tunes, and one can gather that your major interest is what's usually called soul jazz.  You also represent singers more than most of would (so it seems to me). 

I don't have any of these records in my collection, and little familiarity with the artists, other than Red Garland--who appears in a most uncharacteristic mode.  I'm a big fan of jazz guitar, new and old, but I don't know Al Casey.  Buddy Johnson, sounding Ellingtonian, is totally unknown to me.

So the bottom line is that I, and others, could expand the horizons. 

  

I'm glad you found that interesting.

Buddy Johnson was one of the big name leaders of big bands that served mainly (though not exclusively) the black community in the thirties, forties and early fifties. The other big ones were Erskine Hawkins and Lucky Millinder (as leader of Mills Blue Rhythm Band and then his own band, that he bought from Bill Doggett). Lionel Hampton played both sides of the fence with equal success. Those bands were the main incubators of R&B musicians and the original R&B musical stylings.

You may not have NOTICED the name Buddy Johnson in your record collection, but if you look at the composers, you'll find his name on quite a few, I'm pretty certain.

Al Casey... You don't have any Fats Waller? Al was Fats' guitarist for years and years, until he died. Worked with Pete Brown later and loads of people. Then, in the late fifties, King Curtis.

Guys who were guitarists for famous leaders don't seem to get a lot of recognition. Thornel Schwartz was in the original Jimmy Smith Trio and had been working with Smith for a while, in the period when Smith was getting it together, before Alfred Lion found him. He's also recorded with Groove Holmes, Reuben Wilson, Jack McDuff, Johnny 'Hammond' Smith, Lonnie Smith etc etc. Only Wild Bill Davis and Shirley Scott were off his map. OK, you KNEW him, but not Al...

Anyway, there's a hell of a lot of jazz out there and none of us can know it all.

MG

PS - only three vocals out of fourteen in that one. Songs are important to the audience, because people like singing along, or in the bath or elsewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

 

You may not have NOTICED the name Buddy Johnson in your record collection, but if you look at the composers, you'll find his name on quite a few, I'm pretty certain.

 

Isn't he most famous for writing "Since I Fell for You"? I think he also did the first recording. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. And

Save your love for me

They all say I'm the greatest fool

Please Mr Johnson

I wonder where our love has gone

Baby don't you cry

You'll get them blues

Let's beat out some love

I don't care who knows (baby I'm yours)

Let's start all over again

etc etc

MG

6 minutes ago, Milestones said:

I have to say that I like that Red Garland track.  I did not know he ever played organ.  I had never investigated Red as a solo artist until a couple of years ago, other than some of the jam-type records with Trane.  This album seems rather obscure.  

Yes, I think it is. I don't think it came out on CD.

I only started focusing on him in 2006. Until then, I'd only got one album he co-led with Lou Donaldson plus the odd sideman appearance. I decided, after a bit of exploration, that he was one of the great masters of the piano trio. I've got twenty-one of his now and enjoy them a lot.

I just looked up mentions of Jimmy Smith in BFT's (phew, what a task!)

And the funny thing is - of the six times his material has been included, I was responsible three times!!!!!

But they were odd ones - one which was mainly a Marlena Shaw vocal, another which was mainly a Jimmy Smith vocal, and 'Summertime' as a duet with Lou Donaldson. So that's my excuse. The other three times have been pretty odd stuff, too.

BFT's 137, 109, 74, 73, 58 and 39.

MG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, JSngry said:

If you've bought Stanley Turrentine Blue Note records and haven't come across any Buddy Johnson tunes, keep buying Stanley Turrentine Blue Note records.

And even if you have come across any Buddy Johnson tunes, keep buying Stanley Turrentine Blue Note records.

Yeah!
MG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was right, it was Thornel Schwartz :D

Interestingly, I remember reading an old interview with George Benson who said back in the day the most illustrious guitar player was always the one who held down the guitar chair in Jimmy Smith's band. Hence Thornel Schwartz had a lot of currency among up and coming guitar players back then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to check out Buddy Johnson more extensively.

I should have guessed Harold "Geezil" Minerve. I can't remember if I told you this, but in 1978 I took a jazz history class from bassist Richard Davis, and Minerve's long time girlfriend Jeri was in the class. She sat near me in the lecture hall and a group of us often talked. She said that Minerve told her that he had been equally influenced by Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter. We went to see Dizzy Gillespie at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago and Dizzy came up to our table and told Jeri that he had Minerve's pipe, that Minerve had left it behind when they were playing chess.

Red Garland on organ!  The Coasters as a jazz standards group! This BFT is full of tricky things.

This is one of the most enjoyable BFTs for pleasure listening.

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...