BFT 94 revealed

[jeffcrom]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to listen and make comments. Here is the first half of what you've been listening to.

1. Jesper Thilo - Donna (Miles Davis), from Together (Music Mecca), October, 1995; Jesper Thilo - tenor sax; Søren Kristiansen - piano; Niels "Guffi" Pallesen - bass; Svend-Erik Nørregaard - drums

This was a somewhat personal choice for me. A couple of years ago I spent a wonderful evening in a little club in Copenhagen listening to (arguably) Denmark's finest straight-ahead jazz saxophonist. There were about five of us in the audience for the first set; the crowd swelled to eight for the second set. Thilo played as if there were 500 of us listening. He's on of those players jazz needs - accomplished and personal without being particularly original or groundbreaking. I'm glad we have the innovators, but I'm glad we have guys like Jesper Thilo. This particular album, on the Danish Music Mecca label, seems to be extremely hard to find (although I found it here), but there are plenty of albums by Thilo out there for those who are interested.

2. Eddie Miller, George Van Eps, Stan Wrightsman - Ain't Misbehavin' (Jump 78), March 21, 1946; Miller - tenor sax; Van Eps - guitar; Wrightsman - piano

I love the sessions these three guys made for the Jump lable in the 1940's. I have some of them on 78 and some on a 10" LP, but they have been reissued on a CD called Jump Presents George Van Eps. Miller is often thought of as a Bud Freeman disciple, but he plays in a white New Orleans tenor style that goes back to the 1920's. George Van Eps always knocks me out, but several of you were impressed by Wrightsman, a journeyman pianist who played with lots of west coast dixielanders and big bands.

3. Barry Wedgle/Steve Lacy - Cancoa do Amor Demais (Jobim), from The Rendezvous (Exit), January, 1994; Lacy - soprano sax; Wedgle - guitar

Steve Lacy is one of my major musical heroes, and I wanted to included him in a blindfold test. His sound is so distinctive that I wasn't sure if I could get away with it, but this unusual (for Lacy) setting fooled folks for a couple of weeks, at least. Wedgle was a Paris friend of Lacy's - he appears on Lacy's Futurities albums. Rendezvous is a really nice album, with lots of Lacy originals, a couple by Wedgle, one Monk, and this rarely-recorded Jobim tune.

4. Panorama Jazz Band - Romski Chochek (traditional gypsy), from Come Out Swingin' (PR), 2009; Ben Schenck - clarinet; Aurora Nealand - alto sax; Charlie Halloran - trombone; Walter McClements - accordion; Seva Venet - banjo; Jon Gross - tuba; Sean Clark- drums

A New Orleans band I love. They play traditional New Orleans jazz, klezmer, calypso, and Balkan music. They're really a blast to hear live, if you get the chance. This is a gypsy tune they learned from a Turkish band. I know Ben slightly, and sat in with them on my last visit to New Orleans. Come Out Swingin' is the best of their three albums (except for the inclusion of a silly song Ben wrote as a teenager), and includes two tracks by the Panorama Brass Band. The brass band version of the Panorama also has a full CD out - 17 Days. Aurora Nealand is a wonderful saxophonist who also has her own band, the Royal Roses. They also have a CD out, of course.

5. The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet - Klaxon de la Notte (Amy Denio), from Strange Flower (Spoot), June 2010; Amy Denio, Jessica Lurie, Sue Orfield, Tina Richerson - saxes; Chris Stromquist - drums

This all-female saxophone quartet was formerly known as the Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet. This through-composed piece is a little unusual for them - they usually feature plenty of improvisation - but I like it a lot. Like the Panorama Jazz Band, they often include klezmer and Balkan tunes in their repertoire. I'm not sure I made them any new fans with my choice of tune, but check them out if you like edgy jazz.

6. Big Bill Broonzy - You Do Me Any Old Way (Broonzy), from Big Bill's Blues (CBS/Portrait), January 31, 1937; Broonzy - vocal & guitar; Punch Miller - trumpet; Black Bob Call - piano; Bill Settles - bass; prob. Fred Williams - drums

I included this mostly because I love Punch Miller. Like Lee Collins (whom I included in my last BFT), Punch was one of those New Orleans trumpeters who was only a couple of steps behind Louis and Red Allen. He played a lot behind blues singers in the 1930's. This collection is a reissue of an Epic album, and is a really nice one-volume collection of Big Bill. I'm glad folks liked this one.

7. J. J. Johnson - "You've Changed," from Quintergy: Live at the Village Vanguard (Antilles), July, 1988; Johnson - trombone; Stanley Cowell - piano; Rufus Reid - bass; Victor Lewis - drums. Ralph Moore also plays tenor sax on this album.

A beautiful ballad from an excellent latter-day J. J. album. This VV run also produced a CD called Standards. Not much to say about this, except that it always gets to me.

8. Ray McKinley Orchestra - Tumblebug (Eddie Sauter), from The Most Versatile Band In the Land (Savoy double LP), July 9, 1946; McKinley - drums, leader; Mundell Lowe - guitar; Peanuts Hucko - tenor & clarinet; Sauter - arranger/composer

This was a somewhat controversial choice, but I love Eddie Sauter's writing. We was McKinley's chief arranger in the mid-to-late 1940's, when the band was recording for Majestic. His forward-looking charts were mixed in with ballads and novelty tunes. Most CD reissues emphasize the last two parts of the band's output, but this CD has lots of the Sauter arrangements.

Edited January 30, 2012 by jeffcrom

[Hardbopjazz]

You mean BFT 94.

[Hardbopjazz]

I never heard of The Tipton Saxophone Quartet. If they are ever playing in NYC I will try to catch them. Is it safe to say they are still together?

Edited January 30, 2012 by Hardbopjazz

[jeffcrom]

You mean BFT 94.

Corrected. I guess I was overly exciting about your upcoming BFT.

I never heard of The Tipton Saxophone Quartet. If they are ever playing in NYC I will try to catch them. Is it safe to say they are still together?

Yes - our own Johnny E did a west coast tour with them in December. They played Bellingham, Washington, where my wife has relatives, about a week and a half before I was out there. I may have cursed a little.

[mikeweil]

So that trombone player was J.J. - he sounded like a player of a generation older than his to me on this track.

[Hardbopjazz]

You mean BFT 94.

Corrected. I guess I was overly exciting about your upcoming BFT.

I never heard of The Tipton Saxophone Quartet. If they are ever playing in NYC I will try to catch them. Is it safe to say they are still together?

Yes - our own Johnny E did a west coast tour with them in December. They played Bellingham, Washington, where my wife has relatives, about a week and a half before I was out there. I may have cursed a little.

For a moment I thought you knew all the answers to my BFT. I thought, damn, it was that easy, we haven't even started.

Edited January 30, 2012 by Hardbopjazz

[Hardbopjazz]

Big Bill Broonzy. I didn't not get this. I listen to Mississippi Delta blues and I know him. But I must say I don't have that recording.

[jeffcrom]

Here's part two.

8. Ray Miller and His Orchestra - That's a Plenty, from Ray Miller and His Brunswick Orchestra (Timeless Historical), January 3, 1929; Ray Miller - director; Muggsy Spanier - cornet; Jim Cannon - clarinet; Al Carsella - accordion; Jules Cassard - bass; Bill Paley - drums; others

I love those hot dance bands from the 1920's - much of what they played wasn't really jazz, but they usually had a few pretty good soloists on hand. This collection of Ray Miller's 1924-29 recordings has a few good soloists - Andy Sanella, Frank Trumbauer, Volly DeFaut - but none better than Muggsy Spanier, who was in the band for a short period in 1928-29. That is, except for Bix Beiderbecke, who might be playing the cornet solo on "Cradle of Love." I love Muggsy, who brought his own voice to King Oliver's style. If you buy this CD, don't expect hard-core jazz all the way through.

9. Dick Grove Orchestra - Mosca Espanola (Grove), from Little Bird Suite (Pacific Jazz LP), 1963; Dick Hurwitz - trumpet; Joe Burnett - flugelhorn; Paul Horn, Bill Perkins - reeds; Bill Robinson - baritone sax; Ralph Pena - bass, and others

A little-known masterpiece, never reissued on CD, to my knowledge, even by the pirates. I became aware of it when I came across a short reference to it by Max Harrison, who praised it. The first five tracks constitute the Suite, which I knew would remind a lot of folks of Gil Evans. But Grove has his own thing going on. I love the sound produced by flugelhorn on top of three trombones in this movement. The last two tracks of the album are not part of the Suite, and I almost picked one of them - they're harder-swinging and, in some ways, more original. Grove went into education after this and never recorded under his name again. Coincidentally, the 1967 Gerald Wilson album I listened to last night has a Grove arrangement on it, a fact I had forgotten.

11. John Tchicai/Reggie Workman/Andrew Cyrille - Andrea Calling, from Witch's Scream (TUM), September, 2004; Tchicai - bass clarinet; Workman - bass; Cyrille - drums

A collective improvisation from a wonderful Finnish album by these three free-jazz masters. The cell phone at the end was Cyrille's daughter calling, giving the piece its name. The album has originals by all involved, Monk, some standards - and Tchicai even sings. He plays as much bass clarinet as saxophone on the CD, which is where the title comes from. He compares the bass clarinet to a witch's broom: "It can take you on great flights if you know how to handle it, but if you try to force it, it will scream like a witch."

12. Tom McDermott/Evan Christopher - Heavy Henry (McDermott), from Almost Native (Threadhead), 2011; McDermott - piano; Christopher - clarinet

Almost Native is the second duet album by two of my favorite New Orleans musicians. The excitement that Evan Christopher can produce in person has never quite been captured on a record, but this track comes close. They boys play jazz, tangos, waltzes, choros, and even zydeco on this great CD.

13. Horacee Arnold - The Actor (Arnold), from Tribe (Columbia), 1973; Joe Farrell - soprano sax; Billy Harper - tenor sax; Dave Friedman - marimba; George Mraz - bass; Horacee Arnold - drums. Ralph Towner also plays on this album.

This album is not as elusive as it was for many years - it's recently been reissued by Wounded Bird. It's perhaps not as good as the personnel would suggest (some of you picked up on that), but it's well worth hearing, in my opinion. Arnold's next album, Tales of the Exonerated Flea, was a full-fledged fusion record, with Jan Hammer and Rick Laird on board.

14. Spike Hughes - Donegal Cradle Song (Hughes), from Spike Hughes & Benny Carter (Retrieval), May 19, 1933; Coleman Hawkins - tenor sax; Red Allen - trumpet; Dicky Wells - trombone; Chu Berry - tenor sax; Benny Carter - alto sax; Sid Catlett - drums; others

British composer and critic Spike Hughes came to this side of the pond in 1933 and organized an all-star band, using Benny Carter's big band as its core, to record some of his compositions. They results were brilliant and very original, although some folks might hear a touch of Ellington's influence. But the muted trumpet passage at the beginning of "Donegal Cradle Song" is like nothing else in jazz, and Coleman Hawkins' solo lives up to the writing. If you like jazz from this period, you need this CD. Most of the stellar participants get solo space, and several of Hughes' other charts are almost as good as this one.

15. Sonny Stitt - In the Bag (Kenyatta), from Deuces Wild (Collectables, orig. Atlantic), 1967; Stitt, Robin Kenyatta - alto sax; Don Patterson (as Wilmer Mosby) - organ; Billy James - drums; Rufus Harley also plays on this album.

I love the contrast between the two saxophonists, and Patterson's organ. I don't know why he appeared under a pseudonym here. Kenyatta and Stitt appear together on two tracks, Rufus Harley plays tenor and bagpipes on one, and the rest are the usual Stitt blues and ballads.

16. The Gulf Aid Allstars - It Ain't My Fault (Preservation Hall download only), 2010; Mos Def - vocal; Lennie Kravitz - guitar & background vocal; Tim Robbins - background vocal; Trombone Shorty - trombone; Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Charlie Gabriel - clarinet; Freddie Lonzo - trombone; Clint Maedgen - tenor sax; Ben Jaffe - tuba; Joe Lastie - drums

I'm glad almost everybody liked this one. I think it's a beautiful thing, and I've listened to it many times since it was released during the Gulf oil spill crisis in 2010. The tune is Smokey Johnson's local R & B hit, "It Ain't My Fault," which all the brass bands still play down there. Mos Def's lyrics work perfectly, and when he goes into the spiritual, I get a lump in my throat every time. Trombone Shorty takes the lead in the first half of the trombone duet; Lonzo leads the second half. There are decades of history in Joe Lastie's second-line drumming here. This is the kind of genre-busting music that New Orleans musicians do so well. If you download this from iTunes, a really nice video is included - a sharply-dressed Mos Def sings through Sweet Emma's megaphone. (Preservation Hall fans will know what I'm talking about.)

Thanks again to everyone who participated. I enjoyed reading your comments.

[Big Al]

8. Ray McKinley Orchestra - Tumblebug (Eddie Sauter), from The Most Versatile Band In the Land (Savoy double LP), July 9, 1946; McKinley - drums, leader; Mundell Lowe - guitar; Peanuts Hucko - tenor & clarinet; Sauter - arranger/composer

Mundell Lowe!!!! AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!! I shoulda got that! I will simply have to pay penance by hopefully stumbling across this 2-LP set before I die!

[mikeweil]

I have the Stitt, bought it for Don Patterson, of course, who was a Prestige artist at the time, but maybe he was in negotiations - shortly after that Stitt session he recorded a few tracks as a leader for Chess that are still unissued.

No idea why I didn't recognize this track ...

[mikeweil]

I certainly will listen again to some tracks now - the Tchicai trio with Workman and Cyrille - a dream rhythm section - and the Horacee Arnold - I have the Tales CD reissue, but was a bit underwhelmed in spite of the all-star cast.

Edited January 31, 2012 by mikeweil

[Hot Ptah]

Well, it is no wonder that I could not identify any of this music. This is what I hope the Blindfold Test will do, teach me about some great music that I have never heard--and/or never even heard of!

Thanks for a most intriguing Blindfold Test!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I have the Stitt, bought it for Don Patterson, of course, who was a Prestige artist at the time, but maybe he was in negotiations - shortly after that Stitt session he recorded a few tracks as a leader for Chess that are still unissued.

I think he couldn't get away from Prestige. Bob Weinstock had this idea that he would only release artists if the costs of session and royalties etc that were outstanding (ie not covered by profits in whichever way he counted them) were paid by the next record company. Riverside got Thelonious for something like $112.73c. Jackie McLean complains like mad about this in David Rosenthal's book 'Hard bop'.

No idea why I didn't recognize this track ...

Recognising the track is only half the story. I recognised it but...

MG

[Michael Weiss]

Thanks for turning me on to this. I've since acquired the rest of the disc and am enjoying it a lot.

[jeffcrom]

Thanks for turning me on to this. I've since acquired the rest of the disc and am enjoying it a lot.

Good! And you're welcome.

[BERIGAN]

Jeff, I did want you to know I downloaded and was enjoying the music, making a list..and well, got about 2/3rdsof the way thru it, didn't save comments... and power went out and...well, lost everything I wrote...anyway, wanted to say thanks for the BFT! I think I recognized Ray McKinley...and I have a different Ray Miller Orch cd...Actually, might have the Spike Hughes cd too, but it's been years since I played it...

[jeffcrom]

Jeff, I did want you to know I downloaded and was enjoying the music, making a list..and well, got about 2/3rdsof the way thru it, didn't save comments... and power went out and...well, lost everything I wrote...anyway, wanted to say thanks for the BFT! I think I recognized Ray McKinley...and I have a different Ray Miller Orch cd...Actually, might have the Spike Hughes cd too, but it's been years since I played it...

No problem. I hate when that happens. Hope you enjoyed some of the music anyway, and hope John Tchicai's bass clarinet didn't drive you too crazy.

[JSngry]

Stereotypes and such fully stipulated to, but - I dug that it was chicks playing the sax quartet music. That thing had a rotational sensuality to the overall pulse that didn't seem particularly "masculine".

Dug the John Tchchai thing too, glad to hear that it was him and not somebody I thought I wouldn't like.

[NIS]

Listened to your BFT again this morning, knowing the IDs. I am happy that at least I recoganized "liking" one of my favorite drummers, Andrew Cyrille. I didn't pay enough attention to the Tom McDermott/Evan Christopher and Spike Hughes tracks.

Good stuff all around, thanks.