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BFT 191


Milestones

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1 – I like the opening vamp, but lose interest as the cut goes on.  Very very nice bass, which is the clear highlight for me.

 

2 – I identified on Saturday as track B1 from this classic.

 

3 – Out of my range, can’t relate to it.

 

4 – Pretty but cold.

 

5 – Really enjoying this, and it’s very new to me.  Someone like Bill Frisell on guitar?  The writing and arranging are fresh and wonderful.  Suspect others will ID this, and I look forward to the reveal.  Fine trombone playing, whoever it is has really mastered the instrument.  The tuning on the guitar is pretty unusual to my ears, sort of reminds me of Mark Knopfler’s tuning (but not his playing).

 

6 – Sounds early on like samples from three different recordings playing at once.  Not to my taste, though it is “interesting” for sure, and I did stick with it for the entire 7 minutes.  It sort of grew on me as it went on and my ears adjusted, though not something I would seek out.  My favorite part was the sax player, who just suddenly appears 2/3 of the way through.  Very strange cut.  Am curious for the reveal. 

 

7 – I like this more than I would expect to.  Clarinet and trumpet players interact nicely.  Clearly recognized the clarinet player, so a little sleuthing led me to identify it as the first cut on this

 

8 -  This cut is beautifully written and arranged, with great ensemble playing.  Maria Schneider?  Probably not, as I don’t remember her using guitar or featuring trumpet as much as this cut – though there is a lot of her material I have never heard (too expensive).   If I don’t have this on the shelves, I will look to add it.

 

9 – One of those things that is probably more fun to play than to listen to.  I can tell this must be of later vintage, as it has that “new” rhythm section approach which I don’t much enjoy.  Obviously, all three of these guys can play (especially the pianist), but I’m not much interested in their work.  Jacky Terrasson?

 

10 -  I like this, and probably appreciate several of the players.  That being said, it’s a little too rhythmically static for my tastes, but it’s nice and well-played, and I would not be surprised if I have this on the shelves somewhere.  I do look forward to the reveal on this one.

 

11 – Very fun cut, though not something I would go looking for.  But a very fresh sounding listen.  Is Wendell Harrison involved in this one?  Is it his session?

 

12 – Totally lost on me.  They’re all competent musicians, but to what end?

 

13 – Yeah, I like this one.   Sounds familiar, though I’m not placing it.  Everyone acquits themselves well, especially the alto player.  Looking forward to the reveal.

 

Very interesting BFT, with some new sounds for me to experience, and really looking forward to the reveal on 5/8/10/13!

 

 

 

Edited by felser
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Some good guesses and comments.  You now have two correct:  #2 and #7.

Your response on #4 is a little odd to me--a piece can be pretty AND cold?

I can see why you sort of guess at Frisell on #5.   It reminds me of Frisell too, but it's someone else--a bit younger than Bill but with a good quarter-century in the business.

  

 

 

 

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This time I'll be one of the first rather than the last! I see there have been some responses but haven't looked at them yet. There is some GREAT stuff here, thoroughly enjoyed this! My notes as they occurred to me while listening are right here:

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Track 1 - I like the start-stop feel of the groove--very cool. Oh wow...yeah, that bass fill grabbed me, love that sound! This is really cool, I like the way everything is kind of interlocking, between the horns & rhythm. There's something Chicagoan about this. Is that a valve trombone? Great solo. Also nice how everyone drops out there except the bass. I really like this bass player. This is a 5 star track for me! Very anxious to learn who it is.

Track 2 - Nice connection between the last tune and this one, what with the double stops in the strings. Man, you had me at the clarinet player, but cello too? The feel of this tune is beautiful. This is 2 for 2 for me so far... really love this. Great communication and a deep feeling. Great players here.

Track 3 - Changing gears! Even though this isn't a style I listen to that often, I love it. Great energy and feeling here. Love that clarinet solo! That rhythm section is solid as a rock...damn, this grooves! So much joy here, it's infectious!

Track 4 - I'm of mixed mind on this one...it's definitely some beautiful piano playing, but somehow it's not totally speaking to me. And I don't find the tune itself grabbing me all that much. Still, very well done, by a clearly gifted pianist.

Track 5 - Kind of a Frisellian feel here. I like it, though that kind of western twang thing isn't always my bag. The production turns me off a little bit. But playing-wise, I like the trumpet solo a lot-- it takes more risks than I would normally expect on something like this. I can't get excited about vibrato guitar, but that's just a personal preference thing. Great sound on the trombone player! Overall an interesting track even if it's not really my thing.

Track 6 - I like the way this starts. Great textures, with the strings and that funky groove underneath. Okay now... I like this piano player a LOT. I hear "the search" in his or her playing...much like listening to an old Elmo Hope or Andrew Hill record. Wow. This is super hip. Can I just digress for a moment and say I'm already worried about how much $$ this BFT is going to cost me? :) Damn this track is cool as hell. The stuff that the strings are doing harmonically over the groove is wild. Oooo, and surprise-- tenor! I like how the solo builds and the bass player starts to come out of the darkness a bit there too. Can't wait to find out what this is!

Track 7 - A cool bit of counterpoint between the horns. I like that this is just clarinet, trumpet, and drums-- great instrumentation. Nice interplay here and I dig the feel.

Track 8 - The opening makes me think of a movie soundtrack almost...dramatic and epic-feeling. Hmmm. Do I know this? Is this Kenny Wheeler? I think this is Music for Large & Small Ensembles, right? No...scratch that. I'm not sure what this is. I like it but it's not totally my flavor.

Track 9 - I like this better once it settles into the groove about a minute in. I do like that fat bass sound. The groove actually never feels quite "there" though, to me...like, they could go deeper with it, to a place where it feels more comfortable. It feels a little stiff to me. The pianist is technically very good but not sure what he/she is saying. The bass solo starts out with that flashy riff and then sort of dissolves into I'm not sure what. I do like the sound, sort of McBee-ish, but...yeah, not reaching me.

Track 10 - Nice simple vamp. I like the percussion...nice smooth feel on this. The way the horns are layered on top is very cool too, I like that sound. The mellow vibe is nice, but I do wish the soloists would come out of the box a little bit. The trumpet solo was starting to build and then it ended...kinda wanted to hear more of the trumpet player.

Track 11 - Right out of the gate, YES! I dig the feel, the instrumentation (you had me at 2 clarinets!)...this is in the pocket from the get go. GREAT interplay and one-upsmanship between the 2 clarinets. This is excellent. Bass player & drummer are right there. That was too short, but oh so sweet!

Track 12 - This guitar sound reminds me of someone but I can't put my finger on it. It's been a while since I've listened to Scofield, but this person sounds at least influenced by him. A bit different, but there's something there. Really thought this was gonna be a solo piece, wasn't expecting the other instruments to come in. It actually seems to fall apart a bit to my ears, once the pianist starts soloing. I could have done just the guitar part and left it at that I think. Now that I've said that--a great trumpet solo. This whole tune is confusing me a little but there are elements of it that I really like. Okay...maybe this IS Scofield? It's sounding like him more and more. If that isn't him, it's someone doing a very good imitation.

Track 13 - Oh shit-- that bass player. Some Dave Hollandaisical stuff there. This things starts off-kilter and settles into a very interesting place. That is some seriously upper-register blowing. Oh wow, now we're on a different track again...this is an interesting tune. But a familiar motif coming back. That is some juicy Bari. Especially great when it starts to go outside and the edges dissolve a little. This arrangement is pretty wild, lots going on here! I would probably need a couple more listens to digest everything. This is fun though, I like it a lot.

--

Thanks Milestones! As I said, really enjoyed this BFT and I appreciate you putting it together. I look forward to hearing what some of these are, though I'm sure my wallet doesn't...

6 hours ago, felser said:

11 – Very fun cut, though not something I would go looking for.  But a very fresh sounding listen.  Is Wendell Harrison involved in this one?  Is it his session?

Funny, I wondered if it was Harrison on this too, though I didn't say so. I guess not though?

 

EDIT: Funny, I guess it combined my posts, though I posted my initial responses, then looked at Felser's, and then posted the above comment about Harrison about 5 mins later.

Edited by webbcity
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Webbcity,

I really like how you have responded--such long and deep responses, the enthusiasm over most tracks, the humor of forking over some cash for several albums! 

Some of your guesses/possibilities make sense, such as Scofield on #12.  It's not Sco, but an older guitarist; but the two have similarities in style--and in fact did one record together (not in my collection).  On one of these (I won't say which one just yet), you have virtually identified the artist.

 

 

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2 hours ago, webbcity said:

EDIT: Funny, I guess it combined my posts, though I posted my initial responses, then looked at Felser's, and then posted the above comment about Harrison about 5 mins later.

Yes, it combines your multiple posts if no one else posts in between.

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On 2/3/2020 at 6:09 PM, Milestones said:

I really like how you have responded--such long and deep responses, the enthusiasm over most tracks, the humor of forking over some cash for several albums! 

Just for the record, I've already bought the album Felser ID'd for track 2. That's one I should have picked up a long time ago! 

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12 hours ago, Milestones said:

And a rare case of Dolphy soloing on a regular clarinet.

I think that's partly what threw me off. Even after listening to this track again, a couple more times, it's not obvious to me that it's Dolphy. His sound is so different on this one track.

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9 minutes ago, Milestones said:

This has not been very active, even by our modest standards--only two attempts in a week's time.

I hear you. As you may recall, I felt similar frustration with my BFT in November too. I think we have to figure out a way to pull new people in here. I may post something to some of my social media accounts about this if nobody objects. Might be able to pull in some of my musician friends...?

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25 minutes ago, webbcity said:

I hear you. As you may recall, I felt similar frustration with my BFT in November too. I think we have to figure out a way to pull new people in here. I may post something to some of my social media accounts about this if nobody objects. Might be able to pull in some of my musician friends...?

That would be great. Adding musicians who are willing to try this and maybe become regulars would go a long way to improve the compiler experience. IMO.

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I just started. Have been too busy with work to listen. Thanks for posting the BFT.

Got #2 right away (it's from one of my favorite and oft-played albums).

Added: #6 is track B2 on  https://tinyurl.com/rwurold 

I recognized it as track 2-1 on  https://tinyurl.com/uns5mv3 , another oft-played favorite. I really like the leader's work with strings here.

Edited by T.D.
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Ok, what have we got here?

TRACK ONE - Sounds like people trying to find a little more gas in that late-60s "inside/out" bag and mostly succeeding at least well enough for now. Not a lot of heat (hot or cold), but for one cut, no worries. Alto/valve trombone front line and two basses (?), it almost sounds like a Chico Hamilton record, believe it or not...except for the drumming. HA! Don't think I'd like a whole record of this, I'd like a little more...something. But I was happy to listen to it all the way through, which is not always the case.

TRACK TWO - Well, yeah, there it is, that one. IIRC, Dolphy started on clarinet, as was the norm for any well-trained young aspiring saxophonist back then. His voice comes thorugh clearly. Hearing Carter on cello here...maybe there was a cello alongside the bassist on Track One, or maybe I was just hearing things.

TRACK THREE - CHOO CHOO!!! That sucker got a pocket! If that's not Louis, it's not for a lack of trying. Just listen to that bass and guitar hookup (and no drummer?), that's doing it. Waiting for the revel on this one,

TRACK FOUR - "Little Girl Blue" all gussied up with some nice fancy chords. I like those chords, but not really sure about what's going on top of them. If I was in one mood, I would like this a lot. Another mood, maybe not so much. But this ain't trifling in the least, so fullest props, with or without any accompanying affection. Either way, I do like that the pianist is aware of the lyrics, the full story, and is dealing with that. Never a bad idea, that, imo.

TRACK FIVE - That song sounds familiar...whether it actually is or not, that's another question. But I think it is, so why can't I think of the title? Because I'm getting old? Or maybe it's not familiar and they're just totally co-opted something to make it sound familiar and therefore easily digestible? That trumpet player has me wishing that it was Lester Bowie instead.The trombone player has me wishing it was Ray Anderson (and maybe it is, so make that a younger Ray Anderson). Ultiamtely, though, the whole thing has me wishing I could remember the name of the damn song.

TRACK SIX - Oh, that's an easy one! Andrew Hill, "Illusion". First hear it on the old LT One For One and got sucked into it for life. Guess i wasn't the only one, it's been sampled more than once (or so I'm told).. This version, though, is mixed differently than the one I imprinted on, it's brighter and rebalance the instruments a little not somehow. I'll remember what I remember how I remember it, thanks, but geez, this is just genius all over the place. All over the place. And hey - Benny Maupin.

TRACK SEVEN - VERY George Russel-y. But not him, i don't think. Sounds like something with Giuffre, definitely him. Other than that, no idea. Trumept not on that level. Drums, definitely playing the concept, and playing it well. I like it pretty well, might want to grab the record at some point sooner rather than later.

TRACK EIGHT - Hmmmm...that's another tune that sounds familiar, but not as a pop song like #5 did. I hear the voicings and harmonies, but the energy of the vibe seems a little different than the techniques of the writing, if that makes any sense. Seems like the band should have a little more....bite? Phil Woods? Or Gary Foster? That I'm torn between those two as staring points suggests to me that it's neither, and maybe that explains about the band. It's not that they're not speaking clearly, it's just that I don't really understand their intent as well as they no doubt do. This might be one of those things where a full album's worth would be beneficial.

TRACK NINE - Well hell, that's another one that sounds familiar, but I'm pretty sure it's nothing that's actually specifically familiar. Jonne Brackeen kinda played like this back in the day, maybe? That funkysloppyslappy vibe mixed in with some badass chops. But there's a little bit of arbitrariness to the phraseology that is a little off-putting, the phrases don't necessarily maintain relevance to each other. Each one is fine in itself, but they could be reassembled in any order and you'd still have the same record. If this is Brackeen, it could be from Keying In, Gomez & DeJohnette. But don't hold me to that, please.

TRACK TEN - Ok, Jazz - stop starting tunes with bass vamps. Just stop it.At least until you can get to the point where you don't know right away what the whole damn record is going to sound like after that vamp gets laid down. It was fun while it lasted (and it lasted a good while), but give it a rest for a while, ok? Nothing wrong here, but...it could be anybody of a certain set of anybodys.

TRACK ELEVEN - Not Special Edition, at least not something I remember, certainly not ECM, but, yeah, that was nice. Short, distinctive, and to the point, could have been a 78 in that regard. Yeah!

TRACK TWELVE - Almost seems that the attack was almost missing from the first note, so all it was was a vibrating wire, like hello, piano, right? But that lasted just a split-second, and now here's some guitar. Again a trumpeter who makes me wish it was Lester Bowie. I miss Lester Bowie. David Bowie too, albeit to a far lesser extent. Jim Bowie? Never knew the man, just his knife, for which I have yet to have a use. Is this a Jim Bowie record?

TRACK THIRTEEN - Liking this more than I thought i was going to judging from the intro. Muhal? A little (a lot, actually, as it turns out) thought about an overall structure (in both the piece and in the soloing), always welcome! This is a good record, organic and evolved at the same time. More of this in every area of life, please...you saved the best for last!

Well, I didn't guess for shit, but I had fun. Thanks!

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I think you did fine--some that you ID and plenty of good and interesting observations.

Track #1 has some big names...I'll just say that for now.

Track #3, no drums and yes a trumpeter under the Satchmo influence--but who wasn't for a good long time?

Track #4, correct title.  "Little Girl Blue" is a wonderful song for jazz players; lots of good/great versions.

Track #5 does sound familiar, but I believe it's an original composition.

Track #6: "Illusion" by Andrew Hill.  You won't hear jazz/strings getting much better than this.

Track #7:  Giuffre is one of the players, not the leader.

Track #9 is Brackeen/Gomez/DeJohnette, but a different album.

Track #12 features no one named Bowie!

Track #13 has some fairly big names, though mostly known for sideman work.

 

 

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1 hour ago, webbcity said:

Wow, track 6 *is* Andrew Hill! That record is definitely on my want list now. It really sounded like a more recent record to me.

I'd be interested in knowing what mastering/mix this version is. Like I said, it's pretty different from the one I've known. I even thought for the first few seconds it might have been a totally different version, maybe even a remix.

On 2/8/2020 at 7:34 PM, Milestones said:

Track #3, no drums and yes a trumpeter under the Satchmo influence--but who wasn't for a good long time?

He squeezed one note off that reminded me very much of Roy Eldridge, but I've never heard Roy sound this Louis-y. Maybe Red Allen? or Lips Page?

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