Blindfold Test #131 Reveal

[colinmce]

No surprises here. Thanks all for listening; I very much enjoyed hearing your impressions.

1. Joe McPhee - "Astral Spirits" from Oleo + A Future Retrospective (Hat Hut, 1982)

Joe McPhee (ts), Andre Jaume (bcl), Raymond Boni (g)

What can I say? My favorite jazz record of all time, about which I once wrote: A tribute to possibility, inspiration, improvisation; to Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Donald & Albert Ayler, Jimmy Guiffre, Neruda, Picasso, Casals, Clifford Thornton, Eric Dolphy. Uplifting and life-affirming music of poetic beauty. Once, I had a thought: how great would it be to play the music of Albert Ayler in the style of Jimmy Giuffre. Joe McPhee had the same idea, apparently.

2. Alexander Hawkins & Louis Moholo-Moholo - "Amaxesha Ozi (Times of Sorrow)" from Keep Your Heart Straight (Ogun, 2012)

Alexander Hawkins (p), Louis Moholo-Moholo (d)

Obviously if you don't have the album, you should. I love this version, but not much can hold a candle to the version of this song from 1978's Spirits Rejoice.

3. Clusone Trio - "El Condor Pasa" from Rara Avis (hatOLOGY, 1997)

Michael Moore (as), Ernst Reijseger (clo), Han Bennink (d)

So combustible! What can't this group do?

4. Bill Dixon - "Requiem For Booker Little (1975/76)" from Collection (Cadence, 1985)

Bill Dixon (t)

No one nailed this down for sure, but some picked out Dixon. A moving piece. FWIW the dreadful needledrop is not my doing-- that's how the Cadence CD sounds.

5. Ed Blackwell Trio - "Take the 'A' Train" from Walls-Bridges (Soul Note, 1996)

Dewey Redman (ts), Cameron Brown (b), Ed Blackwell (d)

Hard to do a bad version of this tune. Ed Blackwell literally never played a single note I wouldn't deem worth hearing.

6. Kidd Jordan - "Resolution" from Palm of Soul (Aum Fidelity, 2006)

Kidd Jordan (ts), William Parker (b), Hamid Drake (d)

Not many fans of Kidd's style around I guess. More for me to enjoy!

7. Paul Motian Trio - "Abacus" from Le Voyage (ECM, 1979)

Charles Brackeen (ts), JF Jenny-Clark (b), Paul Motian (d)

I just love this tune. A perfect example of the Motian compositional style. The version with Chris Potter & Jason Moran is a joy as well.

8. Urs Leimgruber/Joelle Leandre/Fritz Hauser - "Third" from No Try, No Fail (hatOLOGY, 1997)

Urs Leimgruber (ts), Joelle Leandre (b, vcl), Fritz Hauser (d)

Not for everyone, I know. But to echo a well-worn sentiment here: this is one of the finest examples of free improvisation I know. All-in.

9. Nate Wooley - "Shanda Lea 1" from (Put Your) Hands Together (Clean Feed, 2010)

Nate Wooley (t)

The rest of the LP, of course, is by Wooley's quintet with Josh Sinton on bass clarinet, Mat Moran on vibes, Enid Opvisk on bass, and Harris Eisenstadt on drums. But this poignant opener is just so amazing. I revel in the beautiful melody and am awed by the way he turns it up & over, in & out, up & down, and resolves back into the tune. A perfect performance.

10. Fred Anderson - "Wandering" from Black Horn Long Gone (Southport, 1993)

Fred Anderson (ts), Malachai Favors, (b), Ajaramu (d)

This is probably my favorite Fred Anderson record. Some say he sounds meandering to them, but I never feel less than locked-in when listening to Fred play. I think it's this "wandering" sensibility is what draws me most to his music.

11. Dennis Gonzalez New Dallasorleanssippi - "Hymn To Julius Hemphill" from The Desert Wind (Silkheart, 1991)

Dennis Gonzalez (t), Charles Brackeen (ts), Michael Session (as), Kim Corbet (tb), Michael Kruge (clo), Henry Franklin (b), Alvin Fielder (d)

I'm glad everyone liked this so much. What a great tune, huh? I could listen to it for hours.

12. Schlippenbach Trio - "Gold Is Where You Find It" from Gold Is Where You Find It (Intakt, 2007)

Evan Parker (ts), Alexander Von Schlippenbach (p), Paul Lovens (d)

Kind of a down note to end on. Admittedly not the most engaging performance they've done, but I really like the quiet insularity of this record and thought the title made for a fine conclusion.

[mjazzg]

Great BFT colinmce.

The two tracks that really nagged at me (coincidentally the trumpet solos). That Dixon tune as as great as the transfer is shockingly poor. I've got the Wooley album and will be doing penance for not spotting it. I also have the Gonzalez so need to listen to that more.

The Leandre, McPhee, Hawkins/Moholo-Moholo have all gone on the 'to buy' list.

Thanks for taking the time to put this together

[NIS]

Thanks very much for your efforts.

I've been playing to the Hawkins/Moholo-Moholo album several times the last week because I apparently don't listen to it enough. Terrific album.

Question; is this the Shippenbach album you would recommend? All I really know is Pakistani Pomade.

[page]

Thank you for sharing your BFT, Colin. Lots of new directions to explore for me. I think Nate Wooley is my favourite on your list.
Thanks again.
Kind regards, page

[colinmce]

Thanks very much for your efforts.

I've been playing to the Hawkins/Moholo-Moholo album several times the last week because I apparently don't listen to it enough. Terrific album.

Question; is this the Shippenbach album you would recommend? All I really know is Pakistani Pomade.

THE Schlippenbach? No. 50th Birthday Concert, Hunting The Snake, or Elf Bagatellen are probably most essential, but this is a wonderful record indeed. Their studio albums have a certain calm to them that I enjoy sometimes as a contrast to their (awesomely) pummeling live performances.

[mjazzg]

Just rectified my "Oleo" deficiency......one down, two to go on the BFT #131 hunt

[NIS]

Thanks very much for your efforts.

I've been playing to the Hawkins/Moholo-Moholo album several times the last week because I apparently don't listen to it enough. Terrific album.

Question; is this the Shippenbach album you would recommend? All I really know is Pakistani Pomade.

THE Schlippenbach? No. 50th Birthday Concert, Hunting The Snake, or Elf Bagatellen are probably most essential, but this is a wonderful record indeed. Their studio albums have a certain calm to them that I enjoy sometimes as a contrast to their (awesomely) pummeling live performances.

Thanks. Always amazed by how much I haven't heard.

[Hot Ptah]

Thanks for this Blindfold Test! This was very different from some recent tests, and shows the vibrant diversity of listening experience of the members on this board. I loved some of the tracks (especially #11) and enjoyed them all.

The Ed Blackwell track from a Soul Note album (#5) really interests me. When Black Saint and Soul Note were releasing their first burst of albums in the 1980s, I tried to purchase as many of them as I could, but that particular Ed Blackwell album is one I just did not get. It is great to hear, and I was really fooled by it. I would have never guessed those musicians were playing Take the A Train.

[Alexander Hawkins]

Thanks for the kind words about the Moholo track! I have to chip in and agree wholeheartedly that THE version of Amexesha Osizi is the one on 'Spirits Rejoice'...that may be may favourite Kenny solo anywhere, and goodness knows he recorded his share of special ones! Don't want to derail, but should anyone without the record want to check it out, I just noticed it's over on Youtube, here...

[NIS]

Thanks for the kind words about the Moholo track! I have to chip in and agree wholeheartedly that THE version of Amexesha Osizi is the one on 'Spirits Rejoice'...that may be may favourite Kenny solo anywhere, and goodness knows he recorded his share of special ones! Don't want to derail, but should anyone without the record want to check it out, I just noticed it's over on Youtube, here...

There is another one I don't have. : 0 )

[Bright Moments]

if someone could please pm me a DL link i would greatly appreciate it!!

Much thanks!

Received! Much thanks!!

Edited March 13, 2015 by Bright Moments