Forums

Really enjoying this BFT so far, though I don't connect with a couple of things. I usually post in bits and pieces b/c I tend to mess up long posts and have them vanish into hyperspace. 🥴 I peeked at the thread, so won't drop names of things that have been ID'd. Love #2, the pianist is also a big favorite of mine. Wasn't familiar with this recording. Saxist plays more notes than I generally prefer, but the package works. Of course #5 is Santana. I never heard this tune, or maybe I did once but forgot. Always enjoy his music when I hear it, though I have to admit I no longer own any recordings. #6 has gotta be Brian Auger? At least I think so. I don't have any of his live recordings but the tune is very familiar. I may have a studio version (which I enjoy) on the shelves somewhere. Have to do some detective work. Looking forward to hearing more of the BFT.

TRACK ONE - Terry Callier, Generally not a fan. Charles Stepney helped here, but I just don't (generally) like the ooziness of his singing, such as here. Plus those lyrics are just a tad too clever for me. TRACK TWO - David Murray with the Bob Thiele Collective. For me, this record ends up as less than the sum of its parts, especially this cut. The gimmick of doing another MFT is just too clever by half. The rest of the record isn't bad, but.... TRACK THREE - Hmm...ostinato-ish. Good hands, definitely. The tune sounds familiar.,,something I might have really gotten into a few decades ago and maybe did? Even with that, still sounds ok today, maybe just not as much. But still good enough. TRACK FOUR - That's just silly. TRACK FIVE - Santana, obviously. I'll listen to this once a decade or so. It's good, but not exactly "Timeless, at least not on its own. That iteration of the band, left music better than they found it, I'll thank them for that and then move on. TRACK SIX - Yuck. What was wrong with Wes? For what demographic was this intended? Nothing here for me, I:'m afraid. It doesn't trance (if it did I would like it), it just takes up space and babbles on. TRACK SEVEN - It's sincere. But not much else, sadly. Cliches abound, and not much else. "Spiritual", I suppose, for whatever that is worth. TRACK EIGHT - Johnny Lytle doing "Little Sunflower. This tune is a drag to play because of the damn recurring samba B-section. But Johnny Lytle will ring true, always. And hey, that's Houston Person! Good cut! TRACK NINE - Sounds like Hannibal, whom I have liked a lot. I hear cello, so Diedre Murray, right? Fine band, good energy. Another horn might have been nice. His time goes a little weird when the bass drops out, but oh well. The energy hasn't particularly aged, which is hardly common with this type "all-in" type stuff. When a player has chops to match the energy, they're playing a winning game as far as that goes. I hear  his tempo getting wonky again once the band comes back in, but he gets a handle on it an pulls it back together. On the whole, a winner! TRACK TEN - Straight and to the point, maybe a bit long. Overall, though, excellent. TRACK ELEVEN - A Donny Hathaway classic. I much prefer the original, this one sounds a bit "performative", as they like to say these days, a lot of meeting expectations of pre-defined "soulfulness". But it could have been a lot worse, very happy that it's not. Still, give me Donny every day. Happy Holidays! Oh, Roger Maris as a Cardinal. Niche, Tom, niche!

Thanks as always for your participation and insights!   I don't expect you or anyone else to get the cut I called you out for, but you are the one with the best shot.  I'll explain that in clues later in the week.