BFT #83 Reveal

[king ubu]

1 - MARION BROWN: Black & Tan Fantasy (Bubber Miley & Duke Ellington) 5:36

Marion Brown (as)

Yale University, Yale, Ohio (USA) - 1982

Unreleased live recording (soundboard)

Marion Brown solo for starter's... his intonation as Mr. Sangrey noted, isn't always safe here, but no matter if that's done voluntarily or not, this slightly iconoclastic interpretation of a great early Ellington tune is terrific! How Brown thins out the theme at the end, breaking it down to its bare bones - I love it!

If you want to hear more from this recording, drop me a PM.

2 - MARY LOU WILLIAMS: Kool (Mary Lou Williams) 2:45

Kenny Dorham (t), Mary Lou Williams (p), John H. Smith, Jr. (g), Grachan Moncur (b)

New York City - 1947

Disc 5033 / taken from CD: Chronological Classics 1050 ("Mary Lou Williams 1945-1947")

No one got this, to my surprise! I love the swing-to-bop feel here, the cutely arranged feeling Mary Lou so often got in her music. KD's solo is great and he was the main reason I put this in. Drummerless groups are also most often very interesting to me... and Moncur does a good job anchoring the music.

Now about the guitar player: I know nothing about him... maybe some of you who now know who he is can add some details?

3 - TONY FRUSCELLA: Blue Lester (Lester Young) 3:42

Tony Fruscella (t), Gene DiNovi (p)

Gene DiNovi's house, Brooklyn - 1952

taken from CD: Marshmallow Classics MYCJ-30124 ("Booklyn Jam 1952")

This one wasn't so difficult to pin down... another one of my favorite trumpet players. I love the way his extremely lyrical sound is both frail and fluid (almost like a saxophone) at the very same time. Played the whole disc up and down and down and up before picking this track.

4 - LEE WILEY and BOBBY HACKETT with JOE BUSHKIN: Street of Dreams (S. Lewis & V. Young) 3:14

Lee Wiley (voc), Bobby Hackett (cor), with Joe Bushkin and his Swinging Strings: Joe Bushkin (p), Bill Goodall (b), Charlie Smith (d), Herb Baumel (vl), Gabriel Banat (vl), Dick Dickler (vla), George Koutzem (vc)

New York City - December 14, 1950

Col 39201 / CL 6169 ("Night in Manhattan") / taken from CD: Mosaic MD8-206 ("Classic Columbia Condon Mob Sessions", 8CD)

Ah well, Lee Wiley! As I said one of my favorite singers! Some may find the Bushkin backing too lush and too professional, but I just love it, and Hackett adds some of his own brand of sweet spice... to me "Night in Manhattan" is amongst her finest recordings (up there with the Gershwin sessions with Bunny Berigan).

5 - JACK TEAGARDEN: In a Little Waterfront Cafe (Willard Robison) 3:57

Jack Teagarden (tb, voc), Don Goldie (t), prob. Bernie Leighton (p), prob. Barry Galbraith (g), Art Davis (b), others unknown

Verve V6-8465 ("Think Well of Me") / taken from CD: Polygram 314 557 101-2 (Verve Elite Edition)

Jack Teagarden of course! An easy one to pin down! What personality! I love the arrangement here, no matter if the strings are somewhat generic - the harp is a nice touch for sure. And I love Willard Robison's tunes, too!

6 - BLUE NOTES: I Cover the Waterfront (Johnny Green & Edward Hayman) 9:13 (feat. Nick Moyake)

Mongezi Feza (t), Dudu Pukwana (as), Nick Moyake (ts), Chris McGregor (p), Johnny Dyani (b), Louis Moholo (d)

Durban, South Africa - first half of 1964 (prior to the Blue Note's departure to appear in Juan-les-Pins)

Ogun (E)OGCD007 ("Live in South Africa 1964") / taken from CD: Ogun OGCD024 ("Legacy - Live in South Afrika 1964", part of "The Ogun Collection", OGCD 024-028)

Nick Moyake... one of the tunes no one has gotten, it seems... he won first prize of the Johannesburg Jazz Festival in 1962 for the appearance there of his Jazz Giants, the next year he appeared with Chris McGregor's Castle Lager Big Band, then went to Europe with McGregor's Blue Notes. But he split and returned to ZA where he died in 1969.

I love how he builds his solo here, lots of force and not too much polish, straight, undisturbed by the lackluster piano playing and the annoying drums (Moholo was obviously clueless as to how to accompany a ballad), but Dyani is strong in support and Moyake doesn't bother and does his thing, slowly building up steam.

7 - ANDERS GAHNOLD: Jagad (Anders Gahnold) 10:11

Anders Gahnold (as), Johnny Dyani (b), Gilbert Matthews (d)

Jazz Club Fasching, Stockholm, Sweden - September 12, 1985 (live)

taken from CD: Ayler Records aylCD-017/018 ("Flowers for Johnny", 2CD)

Note: deleted tune announcement by Gahnold at the end

This one I love! Maybe not the strongest tune of the 2CD set, but I had to watch the clock a bit, too... Dyani again, with his lovely sound, and another South African, Gilbert Matthews, on drums. Seems Gahnold, the unknown Danish kid, just walked up to Dyani one day telling him he wanted him in his (at that time non-existing) band... and it did work out wonderfully, as the two gigs captured on "Flowers for Johnny" prove. Gahnold has this burning style, heavy dark sound - from this point on, several other heavy alto players can be heard, but that was in no way inteded as a theme... but this is how I like my alto!

8 - HARRY BECKETT: The Other Side (Graham Collier) 4:02

Harry Beckett (flh), Mike Osborne (as), John Taylor (p), Chris Lawrence (b), John Webb (d); arr. by Graham Collier

London - July 15 & 16, 1970

Philips (E)6308026 ("Flare Up") / taken from CD: Jazzprint JPVP124CD

Note: absent on this title: Alan Skidmore (ts, ss), John Surman (bari, ss), Frank Ricotti (vib, cga)

Another decidedly lyrical trumpet player, the late Harry Beckett, paired up with some burning alto from his BoB colleague Mike Osborne (another of that heavy type of alto player I love so much).

[BillF]

Very interesting Part 1 reveal! We skated all around them, but never got Mary Lou and Dorham. Ashamed to say I hadn't a clue about your two Chris McGregor tracks, even though I saw a quintet led by him in Leeds in the sixties with two diminutive African guys on trumpet and alto (you'll know their names). Sensationally intense music which brought Ornette and Cherry to mind as well as South Africa. The only other artist from your list whom I've seen is Teagarden (in 1957), but fortunately I didn't suffer the ignominy of failing to recognize him!

[king ubu]

9 - CHRIS McGREGOR's BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH: Davashe's Dream (Mackay Davashe) 7:34

Chris McGregor (p), Mongezi Feza (pocket t), Mark Charig (cor), Harry Beckett (t), Malcolm Griffiths (tb), Nick Evans (tb), Dudu Pukwana (as), Mike Osborne (as), Ronnie Beer (ts), Alan Skidmore (ts, ss), John Surman (bari, ss), Harry Miller (b), Louis Moholo (d, perc)

Soloists: Dudu Pukwana (as), Mongezi Feza (pocket t)

London - January 9, 1971

RCA (E)Neon NE2 ("Brotherhood of Breath") / taken from CD: Fledg'ling FLED 3062

So then, here's the Brotherhood of Breath... one of the finest big bands in modern jazz, and one of the most fun ones, too! Dudu Pukwana's solo goes against the rather straight arrangement and I absolutely love what he does! Feza is more playful, whimsical... and Dudu's first phrase on his re-entry is pure musical magic to my ears! Also note the wonderful trombone choir!

The composer of this piece, Makwenkwe "Mackay" Davashe (1920-1972) was part of an older generation of ZA jazzers, having been active as early as the 40s, leading the Jazz Dazzlers, playing with everyone, including Kippie Moeketsi.

For all things Blue Notes and related, let me recommend the wonderful site here:

http://www.mfowler.myzen.co.uk

10 - NORMAN HOWARD: Soul Resurrection (8:04)

Norman Howard (t), Joe Phillips (as), Walter Cliff (b), Corney Milsap (d)

Cleveland, OH - October 1968

taken from K7: Homeboy Music 2 ("Burn, Baby, Burn" - includes tracks from Homeboy Music 1, "Signals")

This one's simple but effective. One of the cuts from these sessions that didn't make it to the ESP-Disk' release, that finally appeared with decades of delay in 2007. Howard's one of these characters turning up quickly and then vanishing again... his moment of glory was his appearance on Albert Ayler's 1964 album "Witches and Devils". By 1968, he was back in Cleveland, playing with Joe Phillips, later to become Yusuf Mumin (and to record the legendary "Al-Fatihah" album with Abdul Wadud and a percussionist by name of Hasaan-Al-Hut - together they went as the Black Unity Trio - I haven't given up hope for a reissue of that album quite yet...)

Anyway, this here's a coherent, moody little piece of music, fitting in with the many brooding tracks you've heard by now. Check out you-know-where or drop me a pm if you want to hear more of this.

11 - ARTHUR JONES: B.T. (Arthur Jones) 8:06

Arthur Jones (as), Beb Guérin (b), Claude Delcloo (d)

Paris - August 1969

Actuel (F)529350 / taken from: vinyl rip

Another alto/bass/drums trio... another heavy alto player, though with a more flexible and lighter tone than Gahnold, Osborne or Dudu. The accompaniment is sort of static but it makes for a good backdrop for Jones' solo flight. From his tone alone it becomes clear that he's got his jazz skills down and knows his tradition.

He had his big hour around 1969 when he popped up on more than a dozen albums, among others by Jacques Coursil, Archie Shepp, Sunny Murray, Clifford Thornton, Frank Wright and Burton Greene, as well as co-leading another BYG album with Delcloo, "Africanasia".

12 - LUIS RUSSELL: Doctor Blues (Luis Russell & Paul Barbarin) 3:15

Luis Russell (p, dir), Henry "Red" Allen (t), Otis Johnson (t), J.C. Higginbotham (tb), Albert Nicholas (cl, as), Charlie Holmes (ss, as), Teddy Hill (ts), Will Johnson (bjo, g), George "Pops" Foster (b), Paul Barbarin (d, vib)

Soloists:

New York - December 17, 1929

Okeh 8766, Voc 3840 / taken from CD: Retrieval RTR 79023 ("The Luis Russell Story 1929-1934", 2CD)

A little change of pace, huh? But not as much as you'd initially thought, right? This is here to remind you that "freedom" is a very relative term... the chances "Red" Allen takes (he manages to squeeze in two wrong notes in his solo at the end of this track, or so the liner notes of the Retrieval set say... I can only hear one very early in) are breath-taking, and so is the infectuous, foward-looking swing set up by Pops Foster incredible bass and Barbarin's chunky drums and cymbals.

I fell in love with this band immediately, upon first hearing it a couple of years ago!

13 - ALLEN KWELA & PAT MATSHIKIZA: Poinciana (Nat Simon & Buddy Bernier) 2:28

Allen Kwela (g), Pat Matshikiza (p)

unknown location & date

taken from CD: Sheer Sound SSCD 112 ("The Best of Allen Kwela")

As far as this tune goes, I found Jim's remark the most enlightening - and most likely he's on to something there! Kwela started playing on self-made guitars and soon ended up the new sensation in Johannesburg, playing with Spokes Mashiyane, the self-declared founder of kwela music... Allen Kwela, his most important composer and contributing musician, disappeared... started playing jazz with Kippie, Barney Rachabane, Duke Makasi and all the others... did "Allen's Soul Bag" in the early 70s, disappeared again until a short and unsuccessful resurgence in the 90s (resulting in another album which I don't know yet, "Broken Strings" from 1998) before dying impoverished and forgotten in 2003. He deserves to be heard and remembered as a major voice of both South African popular music and jazz though - and that's why I wanted him on here.

Sorry if this tune isn't the best way to present him... but I urge you to check him out elsewhere. One tune from the 70s album is on the great third volume of Strut's "Next Stop... Soweto" compilations.

14 - ART HODES: Tennessee Waltz (Redd Stewart & Pee Wee King) 4:09

Art Hodes (p)

Matt Ross Studio, London - November 3 & 4, 1988

taken from CD: Candid CCD79537 ("Keepin' Out of Mischief Now")

I love this one! Hodes, the russian-born, white Chicago blues pianist doing the 1946 country/oldie - it's just weird on so many levels, but to me it turned out perfectly well!

15 - CHRIS McGREGOR's BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH: Union Special (Chris McGregor) 1:44

details same as #9

A rousing finale after the more quiet one... a good fun romp of McGregor's and his BoB.

Edited February 26, 2011 by king ubu

[king ubu]

Big thanks again to all the participators!

Not sure why (maybe because there was no theme, just stuff I love?) but this third BFT of mine was the one where I got most out of the discussion - very enjoyable experience!

[jeffcrom]

I knew that #2 was something I had heard, and probably had in my collection! Yep - on the old Folkways double album. Damn!

Lots of nice surprises here - Arthur Jones, yeah! And I never would have guessed Art Hodes on "Tennessee Waltz" - sounded like somebody from another tradition altogether.

Thanks for a really excellent and enjoyable BFT.

[Jim R]

2 - MARY LOU WILLIAMS: Kool (Mary Lou Williams) 2:45

Kenny Dorham (t), Mary Lou Williams (p), John H. Smith, Jr. (g), Grachan Moncur (b)

New York City - 1947

Disc 5033 / taken from CD: Chronological Classics 1050 ("Mary Lou Williams 1945-1947")

No one got this, to my surprise! I love the swing-to-bop feel here, the cutely arranged feeling Mary Lou so often got in her music. KD's solo is great and he was the main reason I put this in. Drummerless groups are also most often very interesting to me... and Moncur does a good job anchoring the music.

Now about the guitar player: I know nothing about him... maybe some of you who now know who he is can add some details?

Hmm... re the guitar player, you said you "knew the name", but didn't know much about him. I'm a guitar nut, and at first I thought I'd never heard of him. In fact, it looked to me almost like an alias, used for contractual purposes. "John Smith"? According to Lord, this player appeared on only this one recording. Seemed odd, given his talent. Then it dawned on me. It's Johnny Smith! John Henry Smith, Jr. is his full name. This would have been an early recording for him, and one that I've never seen in any of the selected discographies I've seen of his work.

That run that he played at the end of his solo is not the sort of thing you'd hear from some off-the-street player with one recording to his name. Now I'm off to see if I can dig up any more info about this.

[Spontooneous]

Got a serious Brotherhood of Breath family-related thing going on here! Really, I should have picked up on Harry Beckett.

The best part is finding out that I've been tricked into posting a surly remark about one of my favorites, in this case Mary Lou.

That was a great time. Thanks, Flurin!

[BillF]

I never would have guessed Art Hodes on "Tennessee Waltz" - sounded like somebody from another tradition altogether.

Yes, for me Art Hodes means a much older sounding piano style than this. I wonder if in this his later career he took something from later blues-infused pianists like fellow-Chicagoan Junior Mance?

[Jim R]

Okay, I haven't found much, but I did find evidence that somebody already knows that it was the Johnny Smith on that Williams recording.

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/articles/article.jsp?article=1

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/articles/article.jsp?article=26

[king ubu]

Okay, I haven't found much, but I did find evidence that somebody already knows that it was the Johnny Smith on that Williams recording.

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/articles/article.jsp?article=1

http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/articles/article.jsp?article=26

Wow! Thiss comes as a real surprise!

Thanks for establishing that it's THE Johnny Smith we hear here! Great to know!

[king ubu]

Got a serious Brotherhood of Breath family-related thing going on here! Really, I should have picked up on Harry Beckett.

That was unintended - but of course not purely by chance... I just do love that music!

I only realized it might appear as kind of a theme today, typing up the comments (I had the bare-bones info prepared in advance).

Another sub-theme (which I did notice) is on the alto players (Dudu, Osborne, Jones, Gahnold, Marion Brown).

I wanted to add a cut from Ric Colbeck's album (with the late Noah Howard), but it wouldn't fit in and I didn't want to exchange any of the selections I'd made.

[brownie]

2 - MARY LOU WILLIAMS: Kool (Mary Lou Williams) 2:45

Kenny Dorham (t), Mary Lou Williams (p), John H. Smith, Jr. (g), Grachan Moncur (b)

New York City - 1947

Disc 5033 / taken from CD: Chronological Classics 1050 ("Mary Lou Williams 1945-1947")

No one got this, to my surprise! I love the swing-to-bop feel here, the cutely arranged feeling Mary Lou so often got in her music. KD's solo is great and he was the main reason I put this in. Drummerless groups are also most often very interesting to me... and Moncur does a good job anchoring the music.

Now about the guitar player: I know nothing about him... maybe some of you who now know who he is can add some details?

I am humbled with this!

A big fan of KD, I have that Classics and failed to recognize this track

Not a really typical KD contribution.

Interesting to find out the identity of the guitar player!

Thus was a very interesting Blindfold Test

[JSngry]

I find the answers every bit as rewarding as the music, always a good thing.

Gracias beaucoup!

[king ubu]

2 - MARY LOU WILLIAMS: Kool (Mary Lou Williams) 2:45

Kenny Dorham (t), Mary Lou Williams (p), John H. Smith, Jr. (g), Grachan Moncur (b)

New York City - 1947

Disc 5033 / taken from CD: Chronological Classics 1050 ("Mary Lou Williams 1945-1947")

No one got this, to my surprise! I love the swing-to-bop feel here, the cutely arranged feeling Mary Lou so often got in her music. KD's solo is great and he was the main reason I put this in. Drummerless groups are also most often very interesting to me... and Moncur does a good job anchoring the music.

Now about the guitar player: I know nothing about him... maybe some of you who now know who he is can add some details?

I am humbled with this!

A big fan of KD, I have that Classics and failed to recognize this track

Not a really typical KD contribution.

Interesting to find out the identity of the guitar player!

Thus was a very interesting Blindfold Test

It happens to be best amongst us

Glad I could have you join and even happier that you enjoyed the ride!

I find the answers every bit as rewarding as the music, always a good thing.

Gracias beaucoup!

Much welcome! Your comment regarding the Kwela/Matshikiza tune was most enlightening to me - never thought of it from that angle!

[NIS]

Thanks very much for the BFT. I need to look into Mr. Howard for sure.

[Noj]

Extending my gratitude as well! A great listen, I'm filling in the track information now.

[tkeith]

Sorry I didn't get to participate in this one. Some really beautiful stuff. I actually listened 3 times, but the only time I had the chance was when I was collapsing from exhaustion, so it didn't help me out much. Tracks 6-8 are all KILLIN'!!!!

[king ubu]

Glad you all enjoyed it!

[relyles]

Thanks Flurin. Interestingly I have copies of the Gahnhold and Beckett recordings.

[king ubu]

Thanks Flurin. Interestingly I have copies of the Gahnhold and Beckett recordings.

I just ordered one of the last copies of "... and William Danced" from Ayler (via priceminister.com - not sure if they have multiple copies, probably not and I was the lucky bastard) - looking forward to hearing more Gahnold there!

[fent99]

Phew nothing I have, though I should know more about the Brotherhood stuff...

Cheers!

[Bright Moments]

great BFT!! thanks UBU!!!