BFT221 Reveal

[Ken Dryden]

Thanks to everyone who gave these tracks a hearing. I hope you found a few albums of interest not already in your collection.

Track 1
Tom Varner: “The Window Up Above”, by George Jones
from The Window Up Above: American Songs 1770-1998 (New World Records 80555-2)        
Tom Varner: French horn; Pete McCann: guitar; George Schuller: drums; Mark Feldman: violin; Steve Alcott: bass; Thirsty Dave Hanson: vocals

I almost didn’t include this track because of the vocal, but it seemed like such an oddball choice to include a country song that I thought it would add some fun. I’ve long been a fan of Tom Varner.

Track 2

Bob Brookmeyer & Kenny Wheeler: 
“Upstairs With Beatrice,” by Bob Brookmeyer
from Island (Artists House Music 006)  

Bob Brookmeyer: valve trombone; Kenny Wheeler: trumpet; John Hollenbeck; drums, Frank Carlberg: piano; Jeremy Allen: bass

This is probably one of the more obscure Bob Brookmeyer releases, but I think it is a bit of a hidden gem.

Track 3

Stefano Bollani & Franco D’Andrea: 
“Naima” by John Coltrane
from The Macerata Concert (Philology W 167.2)    
Stefano Bollani: piano; Franco D’Andrea: piano

I’ve long enjoyed piano duos and thought this would be a fun track to share. Two underrated Italians, though Stefano Bollani has gotten greater exposure outside of Europe.

Track 4

Martin Wind, Bill Mays, Keith Copeland: 
“Someone To Watch Over Me,” by George & Ira Gershwin
from Gone With The Wind, (September CD 5116)   
Martin Wind: bass, arranger; Bill Mays: piano; Keith Copeland: drums

I didn’t own this out of print CD (Martin’s debut as a leader) when I interviewed Martin Wind last fall, but I was able to acquire a copy a few months ago. Martin has worked a lot with Bill Mays and the CD title comes from Martin getting a speeding ticket via camera while laughing it up with the guys on the autobahn. He’s a phenomenal bassist who brings something special to any recording or live set.

Track 5

“New York Attitude,” by Kenny Barron    
from Red Record All Stars: Victor Lewis, Bobby Watson, Jerry Bergonzi: Together Again For the First Time
Victor Lewis: drums, Jerry Bergonzi: tenor saxophone, Bobby Watson: alto saxophone, Kenny Barron: piano, David Finck: bass 
(Red Record RR 123275-2)

I was surprised that no one identified the pianist and composer, since this song was the title track of a Kenny Barron Uptown CD and it has also recorded by others. I think that both Jerry Bergonzi and Bobby Watson have a pretty distinct sound.

Track 6

Zoot Sims: “The Very Thought Of You,” by Ray Noble
from Live in Yamagata Vol. 1  (Marshmallow Export MMEX-143-CD)
Zoot Sims: soprano saxophone, Bucky Pizzarelli: guitar   

Zoot Sims’ soprano saxophone playing is underrated, while Bucky Pizzarelli is in a class by himself.

Track 7

Django Reinhardt “Anouman,” by Django Reinhardt   
from The Hot Club of France Quintet: Brussels 1947, Paris 1951, 1952, 1953   (DRG 8473)
Django Reinhardt: guitar, Hubert Fol: alto saxophone, Maurice Vander: piano, Pierre Michelot: bass, Pierre Lemarchand: drums

I was unaware of this song until David Grisman and Denny Zeitlin recorded it together on Dawg Duos, it is a composition from very later in Django’s career.

 

Track 8

Bertha Hope Trio: “A Sleepin’ Bee,” by Harold Arlen   
from Between Two Kings  (Minor Music 801025)
Bertha Hope: piano, Walter Booker Jr.: bass, Jimmy Cobb: drums

Bertha Hope’s discography is a bit sporadic but she is a capable pianist, with her second husband Walter Booker on bass and the great Jimmy Cobb on drums.

Track 9

Ernie Henry Quartet: “Lover Man,” by Roger Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman & Jimmy Davis    
from Seven Standards and a Blues    (Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition/Riverside OJCCD-1722-2)
Ernie Henry: alto saxophone, Wynton Kelly: piano, Wilbur Ware: bass, Phill Joe Jones: drums

No sooner had I submitted this BFT to Thom, JSngry started a discussion thread about Ernie Henry, so I knew this would be one of the first tracks identified. Another promising player who died far too young.

Track 10

David Friesen with Clark Terry & Bud Shank: “I Hear A Rhapsody,” by George Fragos, Dick Gasparre & Jack Baker
from Three to Get Ready (ITM Pacific 970084)
David Friesen: Hemage bass; Clark Terry: trumpet; Bud Shank: alto saxophone

The Hemage bass isn’t everyone’s favorite, but David Friesen does wonders with it in small group settings, especially in his live duets with Denny Zeitlin. He couldn’t have picked better musicians for this date.

Track 11

Allyn Ferguson, featuring Paul Horn: “The Oxcart (Bydlo),” by Modest Mussorgsky, arranged by Allyn Ferguson  
soloist - Paul Horn: alto saxophone
from Pictures At An Exhibition  (Discovery DSCD-960)

When I received a review copy of this CD reissue, I was delighted, though I think the arrangement of the entire suite would have been more interesting if there had been more than one soloist. Due to the number of classical threads discussed on this board, I thought this track would be identified very quickly.

 

Track 12

Art Farmer: “D’s Dilemma,” by Mal Waldron   
from Foolish Memories   (Optimism LR CD-5006)
Art Farmer: flugelhorn; Harry Sokal: tenor saxophone; Fritz Pauer: piano; Heidi Danzig: bass; Joris Dudli: drums

Another less well known Art Farmer recording, I enjoy almost anything that he played, especially with Fritz Pauer on many of his European dates.

Svend Asmussen: “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields    
from Benny Goodman Featuring Svend Asmussen: Live in Hamburg 1981  (Stockfisch Super Audio CD 357.4085 2)
Svend Asmussen: violin; Claes Crona: piano; Philip Catherine: guitar; Mads Vinding: bass; Bjarne Rostvold: drums

This is a more recent acquisition, I was unaware of it until someone on the Hoffman Forum asked if anyone had purchased anything from Zaccardis. I was curious and found this Hybrid SACD set there. Benny Goodman sits out several numbers in this concert. Svend Asmussen was widely recorded in his lifetime but still not as well known in the U.S. since most of them were for European labels. 

Track 14

Steve Nelson: “Beautiful Love,” by Victor Young, Egbert Van Alstyne, Haven Gillespie & Wayne King   
from Full Nelson  (Sunnyside SSC 1044D)
Steve Nelson: vibraphone; Kirk Lightsey: piano; Ray Drummond: bass

Steve Nelson has been around for a long time but has recorded relatively little as a leader. He’s a strong vibraphonist whom I heard with the George Shearing Quintet years ago. Kirk Lightsey isn’t well represented in my collection, but the great Ray Drummond adds beef to any record date.

Track 15

Vanderlei Pereira And Blindfold Test: “ Corrupiao (Oriole),” by Edu Lobo
from Vision For Rhythm  (Jazzheads JH1241)
Vanderlei Pereira: drums, Jorge Continentio: flute, alto flute, pífano; Susan Pereira: voice, percussion; Deanna Witkowski: piano; Paul Meyers: guitar; Gustavo Amarante: electric bass

I figured that any board members who received CDs as a journalist or broadcaster might have heard this CD, though none of us have time to keep up with everything that arrives in the mail.

I’ve known Vanderlei Pereira and his wife Susan for a number of years. Not long after reviewing Susan’s debut CD (Tudo Azul--she is also a pianist), we exchanged emails and I remarked that my wife and I would be in NYC. They suggested a Brazilian restaurant that was excellent (and introduced us to caipirinha) and then we enjoyed an informal set by Gene Bertoncini in a small coffee/dessert place. Vanderlei lost his vision to a congenital condition before he left Brazil, but he’s a tremendous percussionist and fine guitarist when he picks up the instrument. The group gets its name because the musicians blindfold themselves when playing the more challenging charts on gigs. I also got to hear Vanderlai perform with guitarist Paul Meyers a few years later.

Recipe for the Brazilian cocktail mentioned above:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20210/caipirinha/

 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by Ken Dryden

[Milestones]

Actually, the Varner record is the only one here that's in my collection.  It's a rather fine album.  

 

[aparxa]

Great BFT! Can't believe I did not spot Zoot & Barron. I never heard about Steve Nelson, will have to check his records! Thanks!

[Ken Dryden]

28 minutes ago, aparxa said:

Great BFT! Can't believe I did not spot Zoot & Barron. I never heard about Steve Nelson, will have to check his records! Thanks!

Glad you enjoyed the BFT. It’s alway fun to hear something of interest not already in one’s collection.

[Д.Д.]

That Zoot / Pizzarelli track was the highlight of the BFT for me.  

[Quasimado]

A lot of fun - many thanks

[Ken Dryden]

16 hours ago, Quasimado said:

A lot of fun - many thanks

Glad you enjoyed giving these tracks a hearing.