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BFT195 Link & Discussion


tkeith

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I don't usually jump in so quickly, but I did a quick scan of these just to see if I knew any of them. Coincidentally, the first two tracks are from albums I listened to recently. One of them I considered for the last BFT. 

 

[*** SPOILER ALERT!!!! ***] 

 

... 

 

Track 1 - This is the opening cut from Griot Galaxy's "Kins," a beautiful record! I love the circular feeling of this tune... the groove that Jaribu Shahid & Tani Tabbal get into is hypnotic, and I just love the way the horns bounce around it. 

Track 2 - This is Robin Kenyatta, from "The Girl From Martinique." This might be my favorite cut from the album... I think it's called "Blues For Your Mama." Kenyatta sounds so good on the head, over that rhythm section, just laying it out there. The SOUND of this cut is just so great. Organic... raw... beefy bass and crispy drums. And they're just open to whatever happens here. It's a beautiful thing. Gotta love Dauner's clav sounds too, just too cool. 

I'll have a lot more comments on the other tracks when I have more time to listen, but this BFT is sure off to a hell of a start. 

Edited by webbcity
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Been telling myself that I need to get back to the BFT forum, but I keep getting distracted. But I don't want to miss whatever Dennis thinks we should be listening to. And now, to embarrass myself:


1 Two altos, flute, bass (with some pleasant effects) and drums, and did I miss anyone? I thought of Carlos Ward and Dudu Pukwana, but that's probably wishful thinking. The interwined efforts speak well for everybody. I'm in.

2 I'll guess it's recent, maybe Jamie Saft on the keys. I like the alto, who seems to be inspired by the way Cannonball was playing about 1971.

3 Do I hear an ECM record? With Jan Garbarek? Or a remarkable simulation of one? I like the composition and the high level of interplay from left to right, top to bottom.

4 John Abercrombie? Maybe the Abercrombie and Beirach partnership.

5 Also seems like an ECM record, and feels like I should be recognizing the alto player but I'm not. Maybe that's Paul Motian washing over everything? Lovely.

6  Not sure how I feel about this one at first -- there's a Tinkertoy quality of "let's see if these pieces can fit together." But it picks up momentum, and by the end of the trombone solo I'm sold. The altoist who enters about 3:35 has Henry Threadgill's tone but not his delivery.

7 Wow. Just wow. Caught myself holding my breath because I didn't want to make a sound while this was playing. Is the second singer Jeanne Lee?  

8 Didn't see this one coming. Michael Brecker or someone who wishes he was Michael Brecker. But then the trumpet solo goes someplace else entirely -- before the arranger bangs his gavel and calls for order.

9 Again seems ECM-ish. Enrico Rava?

10 OK, this Michael Brecker out-Michael-Breckers the Michael Brecker on Track 8. But after a couple minutes I get the impression the bass player is the real star. The drumming is a pleasure.

11 The composition seems more interesting than the playing, and when the writing is this good that's just fine. I keep waiting for Pat Metheny to come in but he never does. The plucked instrument in the left channel, maybe a member of the mandolin family, is a great touch.

12  A snaky and energetic tenor with a human-voice vibrato. I like. The bass solo is superb. Wish we heard more from the trumpet -- is that you, DG?

A very enjoyable BFT, and I'll be returning to it!

 

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1)    That’ s a curious piece, with some march beats and prominent use of electric bass.  Various horns and flutes, getting a bit more complex over time.  It’s on vinyl, so it must be a real rarity.

2)      This sounds like a 70s track.  It sounds too dated for my tastes.  Sax gets into some serious screaming—not too fond of that. Drumming is pretty cool, though.

3)    This is spacy, like a lot of the stuff from the early days of fusion. Not too far off from Bitches Brew.  Might even be Herbie Hancock on piano?

4)     This definitely sounds like John Abercrombie.  I think it’s the quartet with Richie Beirach.  I don’t know this music as well as I should.  It’s a decent track, though not necessarily one of the very best from those records. Ok, I know it: “Nightlake.”

5)     The guitar sounds a bit like Ralph Towner.  The saxophonist has to be Jan Garbarek. Definitely has the ECM vibe of a certain era.  Could it be Gismonti on guitar and Haden on bass?  But I only knew this group to function as a trio without a drummer.  

6)    A real change of pace now with a big band. This begins pretty standard, but then gets creative. Nice tenor solo.  Nice trombone, growling.  In some ways it sounds like Carla Bley, but not that much.  It gets a bit noisy…and what’s this squeaky stuff?  Still, for me this is the most intriguing track so far.  

Edited by Milestones
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7)    Buddhist chanting?  Later on, it converts into low-key gospel.  I don’t know how to respond to this. Kudos at least for putting on something completely unexpected.  Sorry, but not something that grabs me.

8)    The tenor’s got a thing going on, but I’m not crazy about the background, especially the weird electric keyboards or synths.

9)     I can dig some mellow trumpet.  It sounds a bit like Kenny Wheeler, but not as distinctive as Kenny.  Nice bass solo.  It’s a pleasant track, but no idea who or what this is.

10)      That sounds quite a bit like Brecker—at least someone in a similar vein.  Rhythm is too static for me. 

11)     This sounds pretty similar to #11, though the sax is reminding me more of Garbarek.  A second appearance?

12)     A more energized track to close things out. It seems like someone I should know.  Maybe Charles Brackeen on tenor, mainly because I know he’s worked with you.

 

n Overall, this is a very tough BFT.  Not everything is to my liking, but there are some good and interesting tracks…and a lot of mystery!

 

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1. From the first moments of this track I thought maybe it was a Baby Dodds solo drum track. But when the electric bass came in I knew it wasn’t Baby Dodds. This is lovely. I don’t know who it is. Nice way to start a BFT, with this uplifting music.

2. I absolutely love this. I love the sound of the saxophone, the drumming, the groove. The piano solo explodes out of the speakers with brilliant playing. Is that an electric sax near the end? I am going to buy this. 
 

3. I don’t know who this is. It reminds me of the feel of Old and New Dreams but it is not them. Very interesting and appealing track

4. That has to be John Abercrombie. It could be Richard Beirach on piano. This is really good. I am only super familiar with Abercrombie’s earlier recordings. I don’t know which album this is 

I will comment on the other tracks later. 

Edited by Hot Ptah
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5. This must be from an ECM album. That is Charlie Haden on bass. I don’t recognize the saxophone player but like his playing. 

6. The rousing big band sound is jarring after the last track, but in a good way. I do not recognize this. I wonder if this is the most inside track on an otherwise more avant garde album. It sounds like avant garde musicians playing inside. 
 

7. That is really an unusual vocal at the beginning. The female gospel singing and the piano playing are beautiful and moving, and could reach a wide audience without the opening vocal. But I suspect that the leader of this session has no interest in reaching an audience of any significant size 

I will comment on the rest of the tracks later. 

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8. I really like this. The electric backgrounds are really interesting and add a welcome touch for me. I can't tell if they are guitar and keyboard produced sounds, or if some type of synthesizer was involved. I really like the saxophone player. I have never heard this before. It sounds like an ECM album. 

9. The trumpet player sounds classically trained. I like his lovely playing. The pianist is very lyrical. This is a beautiful track. Once again I believe it is on ECM.

10. That has to be Jan Garbarek.  I lost track of his recording career at some point. I really like this. Garbarek always has such a compelling tone. 

11. This is one of my favorite tracks on the Blindfold Test. I love how the instruments fit together and are layered to create a beautiful and interesting sound. While sounding very different in approach and results, it reminds me of Frank Zappa's arranging idea on instrumentals such as "Twenty Small Cigars" and "Toads of the Short Forest." I have no idea who this is but will buy it as soon as I find out. 

12. This is an outstanding track. The tenor saxophone player is a master. I love the drummer and the bass player. The bass player has a gorgeous tone, most evident in the solo. This is exciting and excellent. Another album I must buy. 

I listened to this Blindfold Test several times before commenting. Some of the songs developed more of an impact on me as I listened to them closely, and several times. I think that as many as seven tracks on this Blindfold Test may be taken from the ECM label. It reminds me of how I followed the label closely for the first few years of its existence, but then lost touch with many of its releases. I can tell that there are some very worthy ECM albums which I don't know about. 

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1 – doesn’t do much for me.  Feels more like an exercise than a performance.

2 – also not something I’d go listen to again, but certainly better than the first one.   Felt like a derivation of “Birdland” at the beginning, but of course went somewhere very different.

3 –  I don’t like the drumming on this cut at all, and the whole feel is very static.  The pianist is by far the most interesting piece to me.

4 – Very ECM feel to it.  Cold.  They can obviously play their instruments.  Could be something like John Abercrombie with Richie Beirach on piano.   This one I might play again some time, but not necessarily.  Yet it is clearly the pick of the litter so far.

5 – More icy ECM feel.   They can play, but I find it tedious.

6 – Again lost on me, though I think they are doing exactly what they set out to do.  But feels cliched in a lot of ways, especially the growling trombone player.

7 – huh?

8 – It’s OK, not of interest to me.

9 -  More of that ECM feel, though I like this one for what it is.  But again, not something I see myself consciously returning to, because there’s just so much music to listen to.

10  -  Continues some of my thoughts from above.  Mike Breckerish tenor, which isn’t my favorite.   ECMish synth, static rhythm.

11 – Really, really lost on me.  Some of the same comments as previous pieces, but more annoying to me.

12 – To my ears and tastes, we saved the best for last.  I like this a good bit.   My kind of rhythm section, and the tenor player knows just what to do with it.

I have been hesitant to post to the BFT for this time, as I don’t have a lot of positive comments.  My tastes are very different than what is being presented here.  But I know that when I present a BFT, I’d rather have negative comments than silence, to know that people are paying attention and care enough to listen and post.

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First ever BFT, so just putting down my initial reactions to the songs: 

1. Has that marching band quality to the drumming and horn interaction, and the bass line is funk-ish (flute seems to repeat the bass line a little behind it...). Interesting track. I would definitely want to hear more from this band. 

2. Loving this sax, bass, drum & clavinet opening. The drummer just goes off after a while but wheels it back, then the switch to the piano glues it all together. Nice track. 

3. Modern-ish dirge with those crying horns. Rhythm section sounds like they were at some point inspired by Miles' SGQ. Bass player is grooving the whole time. Piano hides in the corner and jumps out every now and then. 

4. Love when the guitar, bass and piano play in unison at the beginning here. Then they have a great conversation. Very meditative and the drummer keeps it moving. Awesome song. Love how the bass is recorded and its interaction with the electric guitar is fantastic. The piano player is super expressive. This is my favorite track so far. 

5. Acoustic guitar - super clean and beautiful. Mournful sax near the start - love the opening here. Bass comes through really well. Guitar & sax as leads are real highlights for me. 

6. I dig when the horns play together. Not a fan of the two-beat rhythm, heartbeat-esque type thing. My least favorite so far. Players all sound good but this song isn't working. I'd definitely listen to other tunes by them however. 

7. Well. I like the piano playing. Sounds like a purposeful juxtaposition of gospel and another type of religious chanting. Not my thing, but someone had a message with this one. 

8. Guitar is synthed up isn't it? Nice little bed it lays. Love the harmonies behind the lead sax.  

9. Nice reverb on that trumpet. Good song. Like the rhythm and the piano sounds great. Bass player has a great lead part and love how the piano and drums accompany. Yeah, I dig this one too. 

10. Quiet storm type intro - love it! This has that smooth jazz feel that I can dig every once in a while. The horn here keeps it really interesting and away from some of the cliche's of that genre through. Love the synth atmosphere too. Sade could sing over this and it would be excellent. 

11. Oooh..an arco bass part in the beginning. I dig that. Synth sounds 80s with some cheese in there. Horn is nice. Percussion makes this listenable though. I think I hear some faint chanting in spots too. This one is OK, but a little dated to me. 

12. Excellent. Drums & bass are grooving. Horns are tight. No piano? Great composition. Yeah, breaks down to a sax-led trio with drums and bass. Love it! They're all absolute masters at work right here. Bass & drum get down to it as well. Can't wait to find out who this is. 

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On 6/14/2020 at 1:08 AM, Hot Ptah said:

6. The rousing big band sound is jarring after the last track, but in a good way. I do not recognize this. I wonder if this is the most inside track on an otherwise more avant garde album. It sounds like avant garde musicians playing inside. 

Agree with you on this one. Sounds like this could be from an album on the Black Saint label. 

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Finally getting to this.  Egad.

Track 01 — Instant recognition.  Going to take me awhile.  I definitely have this.   Thinking Griot Galaxy.  Can’t peg the tune, though.  Yeah, this is GG (always loved this cover).   Kins is the album, but again, can’t recall the song title.  

Track 02 — Love the feel of this.  Not entirely loving the alto, but love what they’re setting up there.  On the whole, this is a win.  Yeah, now he’s digging in, I’m buying.  This MUST be good because my wife is frowning!  :D

Track 03 — The abstract stuff like this doesn’t always hit the right nerve with me, but I’m all over this.  Not 100% who this is, but that’s definitely Louis Moholo on drums.  Night music.  I mean, to my ear, this sounds like a lot of YOUR projects.  :D It isn’t, though — I’m unlikely to miss on those.  Soprano reminds me a bit of Thomas Chapin, but this sounds a shade before him to me.

Track 04 — I struggle with this type of guitar sound, as a rule, but really like this.  Can’t quite peg the feel I’m getting, but it’s similar to something in my collection, though I don’t have this.  And, we all know I can’t resist anything in three.  Love those tumbling drums.  Has that feel of the best side of ECM.  In fact, that sounds like Richie Beirach to me.  Playing this sort of thing would make me very happy (are you listening, Tim Webb!?!).  This is such a overall conversation.  Much to like here.  That bass tone is beautiful.  Even the laptop speakers can’t hide that.  Ah!  That’s the feel.  Reminds me of one of Heinz Sauer’s albums, Metal Blossoms.  No wonder I like it.  :D

Track 05 — Wow.  What’s not to love, here?  I love the almost flamenco sound of the guitar.  Even though it’s wondering and doesn’t seem to have a determined direction, I’m really enjoying the path.  Again, great bass tone (why would ANYEONE prefer electric!?).  Not a candidate for the car mix, but again… night music.

Track 06 — Almost feels like a Charlie Kohlhase project to me.  That alto seems a bit too mainstream, though.  At times I feel like I know him, and at times, he seems completely unknown.  It’s odd.  I’m at the trombone, now.  Not completely onboard, but I’m wanting to get there.  Kinda feel like I want to recast this (like, I REALLY want Craig Harris right here!).  Different alto?  Chaos!  Love it!  I like that the drums stayed with that pattern as things got chaotic — kind of held it together for me.  Weird.  I’m half here, but I’m pissed off that I can’t get anybody nailed down.  :D  

Track 07 — I know this.  Ah, yes.  Opener from this.

Track 08 — Hearing a bunch of different songs, but this is none of them.  Something almost Gato-ish about the tenor.  I could do without that 80s electronic sound, but at the same time, it works in the mix.  Just not sure how often I’d go back to this.  Kind of losing me in the effects, but that’s probably more me than anything to do with the music.  If there’s a power outage, though, this band is in trouble.

Track 09 — All in.  I want to guess Kenny Wheeler, but it’s not quite him.  But it’s that quality that I like about this.  Something about the progression in the piano feel like it’s coming from a religious/spiritual base, though the song itself doesn’t give me that.  Man, you can pick some bass for me to love.  One thing that’s really getting me about this BFT is the songs are all short-ish, and yet still feel complete.  Definitely has that European influence (ECM-ish).  There is something very honest about this.  It skirts the J-word, but it’s not that.  It’s something else, and I want more of it, in the right mood.

Track 10 — I was in love prior to the saxophone.  Horn feels a little too smooth-jazz for me.  Love the feel they set up prior to that, though.  It’s a great platform to build off of, but those trills aren’t doing it for me.  This feels like a lost opportunity.  What it sets up in the first two minutes never really gets realized, then it seems to run out of steam.  I want something ballsier to happen.  Maceo!

Track 11 — I feel like I’m judging this too harshly due to my prediliction against electronica and/or “smooth” jazz.  This feels a bit more real than the latter, but a bit to steeped in the former.  I just can’t get my ears around it.  Feels more like experimentation than a complete song.  

Track 12 — AHA!!!!!  That’s my man Charles Brackeen!  Whomever put these sessions together has a special place in my heart.  ;) Stone Blue from this.  Not a moment I *don’t* love on this album.  Frankly, I feel that way about all three of Charles’ Silkheart dates.  Malachi is SUCH a *bitch* on this!  In the words of Nathan Breedlove: Love! Love!

Thanks, Dennis!  You brought me Christmas with that last cut. 

 

Just noticing Dennis hasn't commented, I'll reach out.

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39 minutes ago, tkeith said:

Finally getting to this.  Egad.

Track 01 — Instant recognition.  Going to take me awhile.  I definitely have this.   Thinking Griot Galaxy.  Can’t peg the tune, though.  Yeah, this is GG (always loved this cover).   Kins is the album, but again, can’t recall the song title.  

Track 02 — Love the feel of this.  Not entirely loving the alto, but love what they’re setting up there.  On the whole, this is a win.  Yeah, now he’s digging in, I’m buying.  This MUST be good because my wife is frowning!  :D

Track 03 — The abstract stuff like this doesn’t always hit the right nerve with me, but I’m all over this.  Not 100% who this is, but that’s definitely Louis Moholo on drums.  Night music.  I mean, to my ear, this sounds like a lot of YOUR projects.  :D It isn’t, though — I’m unlikely to miss on those.  Soprano reminds me a bit of Thomas Chapin, but this sounds a shade before him to me.

Track 04 — I struggle with this type of guitar sound, as a rule, but really like this.  Can’t quite peg the feel I’m getting, but it’s similar to something in my collection, though I don’t have this.  And, we all know I can’t resist anything in three.  Love those tumbling drums.  Has that feel of the best side of ECM.  In fact, that sounds like Richie Beirach to me.  Playing this sort of thing would make me very happy (are you listening, Tim Webb!?!).  This is such a overall conversation.  Much to like here.  That bass tone is beautiful.  Even the laptop speakers can’t hide that.  Ah!  That’s the feel.  Reminds me of one of Heinz Sauer’s albums, Metal Blossoms.  No wonder I like it.  :D

Track 05 — Wow.  What’s not to love, here?  I love the almost flamenco sound of the guitar.  Even though it’s wondering and doesn’t seem to have a determined direction, I’m really enjoying the path.  Again, great bass tone (why would ANYEONE prefer electric!?).  Not a candidate for the car mix, but again… night music.

Track 06 — Almost feels like a Charlie Kohlhase project to me.  That alto seems a bit too mainstream, though.  At times I feel like I know him, and at times, he seems completely unknown.  It’s odd.  I’m at the trombone, now.  Not completely onboard, but I’m wanting to get there.  Kinda feel like I want to recast this (like, I REALLY want Craig Harris right here!).  Different alto?  Chaos!  Love it!  I like that the drums stayed with that pattern as things got chaotic — kind of held it together for me.  Weird.  I’m half here, but I’m pissed off that I can’t get anybody nailed down.  :D  

Track 07 — I know this.  Ah, yes.  Opener from this.

Track 08 — Hearing a bunch of different songs, but this is none of them.  Something almost Gato-ish about the tenor.  I could do without that 80s electronic sound, but at the same time, it works in the mix.  Just not sure how often I’d go back to this.  Kind of losing me in the effects, but that’s probably more me than anything to do with the music.  If there’s a power outage, though, this band is in trouble.

Track 09 — All in.  I want to guess Kenny Wheeler, but it’s not quite him.  But it’s that quality that I like about this.  Something about the progression in the piano feel like it’s coming from a religious/spiritual base, though the song itself doesn’t give me that.  Man, you can pick some bass for me to love.  One thing that’s really getting me about this BFT is the songs are all short-ish, and yet still feel complete.  Definitely has that European influence (ECM-ish).  There is something very honest about this.  It skirts the J-word, but it’s not that.  It’s something else, and I want more of it, in the right mood.

Track 10 — I was in love prior to the saxophone.  Horn feels a little too smooth-jazz for me.  Love the feel they set up prior to that, though.  It’s a great platform to build off of, but those trills aren’t doing it for me.  This feels like a lost opportunity.  What it sets up in the first two minutes never really gets realized, then it seems to run out of steam.  I want something ballsier to happen.  Maceo!

Track 11 — I feel like I’m judging this too harshly due to my prediliction against electronica and/or “smooth” jazz.  This feels a bit more real than the latter, but a bit to steeped in the former.  I just can’t get my ears around it.  Feels more like experimentation than a complete song.  

Track 12 — AHA!!!!!  That’s my man Charles Brackeen!  Whomever put these sessions together has a special place in my heart.  ;) Stone Blue from this.  Not a moment I *don’t* love on this album.  Frankly, I feel that way about all three of Charles’ Silkheart dates.  Malachi is SUCH a *bitch* on this!  In the words of Nathan Breedlove: Love! Love!

Thanks, Dennis!  You brought me Christmas with that last cut. 

 

Just noticing Dennis hasn't commented, I'll reach out.

Great write up on these tracks, and the leads on tracks 1 & 12 (and potentially 3) are much appreciated!

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When we recruited him, I didn't realize he didn't have a login (I had chatted with him on AAJ and mixed that up with here thinking he was onboard).  Getting new accounts is very controlled here because, as I understand it, Jim has concerns about spam (which I can appreciate).  Dennis has requested a login.

 

16 hours ago, Dub Modal said:

Great write up on these tracks, and the leads on tracks 1 & 12 (and potentially 3) are much appreciated!

Thanks.  Back atcha and welcome to the thread.  Good to have new blood contributing on all levels. 

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