tkeith

Fair point, Jim.

Track 01 - No idea what this is, but I absolutely love it. Very clean recording -- you reallly hear each instrument on its own as well as the collective mix. All sorts of varied percussion, and the guitarist does not sound like a "jazz" guy to me, and I think that's helpful, here, because he doesn't fall into guitar-player-patterns. This all feels very organic. Reminds me a touch of Embryo's record with Mal Waldron. I don't feel like I've heard this before, and I like that. The feel of the band reminds me a bit of the John Handy Quintet. Track 02 - It's different, but I don't care for the "math-y" feel of the rhythm. It's not bad, just strikes me as... poppy? Inorganic, I guess is a better way to put. This the music a lot of musicians love to play because it challenges their mind, but I don't hear the gut, and that's what I'm looking for. This doesn't put me off, it just doesn't reach me. I'm at 2:16 and think a fade would be wonderful. This goes on quite long for what it is, what it's doing. I just want to hear Noel Fielding say, "What are you on about!?" I made it, but I'm not happy about it. Track 03 - Initial feel I thought Larry Young. I want it to be Joe Henderson w/Larry Young. It is not that. I think it's honest, but it's not quite Big League. Tenor play is not convincing me. It could almost be Sam Rivers on an off day, but I'm just not hearing the ferocity. Then, I did. Then I thought I heard Elvin. But none of this is right. Not Elvin, but really wants to be, but doesn't have the poly-rhythms going. Could be Sam Rivers. I thought for sure that was Woody Shaw. Weird guess -- could this be a Japanese band? I know Hino can do Woody Shaw as well as anybody, but there's something in the rhythm of the tenor, I just don't think it's someone I know. Track 04 - Mid-to-late 50s sound. Straight ahead, but I'm not getting a clear peg on anybody. Tenor is WAY hot in the mix. Could be young Knepper on trombone, but I don't think these are guys I know. Really like the pianist and the snappy drums (the breaks notwithstanding). Track 05 - Could well be the band from track 1. Pianist likes Mal Waldron (and who could blame 'em!). Thinking somebody like Hal Galper that kind bridges that cerebral feel with an abstract flavor of the blues. Track 06 - Almost sounds like Jameel Moondoc, but I'm quite able to find that *thing* he does. This is an interesting track. It's got a rawness I like (I assume it's live, or at least direct-to-disc), but it doesn't quite do what I'm thinking it will. I like it, but it's confounding at the same time. These guys are weird... in a good way. Track 07 - Has a vaguely Zappa feel. It doesn't offend me, but I've kind of lost the thread 5 minutes in. It's a good feel, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. Track 08 - Clean soprano sound, full and not squealy. Very European feel to it. If I could get that sound on the unemployment stick, I'd probably play it, too. It's not Lacy, but it's that brand of timbre. Could be John Tchicai, but there are rns that don't hit me that way. Likewise, could be Curtis Clark, but it's not quite right. I like this, but I'd hit a limit on it fairly quickly, I think. Very musical interplay, here. And crystal clear sound. Track 09 - Bass clari is such a unique sound. This just turned in an odd direction. I like it, but in an odd way. And now it's a tenor, not the bass clari. The sound is odd. The bass clari and tenor have been very upfront, not a lot of reverb. The background is very muffled, with seemingly lots of reverb. Tenor sounds a bit brutish for the environment. Hits a bit like later Illinois Jacquet, in that sort of brutish vein. Almost has moments like it's Johnny Griffin, but the sound is wrong. Right ahead of 4:30 for instance. Could be later Johnny, but seems to have a harder edge than that. Seems like Johnny Grffin slowed down. That should give me an obvious name, but it doesn't. Certainly a beast of a player, though. Track 10 - Well, that's Oliver Lake. Can't say for sure if I have this. This just works. Not John Hicks. Could be Curtis Clark. Literally nothing about this misses for me. Bassist is killin'! I've liked a lot of this test, but nothing to this level. This is damned near a perfect cut. Track 11 - What's going on, here? At first, I thought someone was vocalizing over flute. Now it sounds like a wood flute. Is that an effects pedal or something else going on? Definitely a different vibe on this. Towards that European end of things, but not in anyway that puts me off. I feel like they're being honest and I'm buying it. At times, that flute sounds like a cello or viola. Track 12 - Very odd. I like it. Ellington adjacent. Maybe Danny Bank on bari? Or could be Mr. Blount's band. Love that heavy fall of the bass. Yeah, more of this, please. Track 13 - Wow! Levels on that last cut are WAY higher. Good thing it's a trio cut! Somebody out of that Barry Harris school. Could be Billy Higgins, defitely getting that gallop vibe. I don't think it's Billy, but that gallop is there. Maybe Farnsworth. Hmmm... maybe Alan Dawson, at that. Nice cut, nice tune. It's got the history, but it's a unique song. This might be my favorite test this year. [Come on, Tim, Felser! Whatdya got!?]

Attaboy.

Well played, Jim. Do you also speak jive?

It's that time, again. I know there was some confusion about where to find last year's list, so for 2024, assuming I can edit this post continually, it'll be right here. It's first-come, first serve, but as much as possible I'd like to keep a year between hosts, please. January - Dan Gould February - Tony Jerant Tribute BFT (Part 1) March - Tony Jerant Tribute BFT (Part 2) April - randyhersom May - Mjzee June - Dub Modal July - tkeith August - Ken Dryden September - mjazzg October - WebbCity November - JSngry December - felser

Had to get this one in as things keep getting in the way and I want to be able to read the thread and make sure everybody has access. Track 01 - Off the bat had an Ellingtonian quality, then the unemployment stick came in there was a touch of Harold Vick, but that's not right, either. There's a lot of precision here, and that's just not what I think of when I think of Vick. Could be one of Toshiko's bands, but doesn't have the edge her stuff seems to have. I'm resigned that I don't know who this is, but I like it. That piano is certainly paying homage to later Duke. Hmm... some of the polish comes off the soprano in the improv section (and that's probably a good thing). Not Vick, but maybe Vick-adjacent? Almost sounds like Ricky Ford playing soprano. Arrangement sounds like a studio date more than a working band. Mayhaps a cover of a later Ellington tune? Track 02 - Could certainly be Ike Quebec, though I don't readily recognize it. Find myself enjoying this sort of thing and lamenting its absence from modern recordings all at the same time. Sing me a song. After the piano, that certainly has the phrasing of Hawk. If that's the case, there's zero chance I don't have this, and I'm ashamed I can't place it. Hmmm... not enough breath + vibrato at the end to be Hawk. Track 03 - A Day In The Life of a Standard. Busy drums, rubbery-sounding bass. Sound of bass pushes me towards Stafford James (not his style) or George Mraz. Not one of the view vibists I'm comfortable IDing. Maybe a Chico Hamilton date? Track 04 - Lots of effects and production, but I like it. Reminds me of Nat Adderley's Soul Zodiac a bit. Not sure what it is, but I want to hear more. Track 05 - I know the tune, but couldn't give you a title to save my life. Something Philly Joe about those drums -- burnin'! Dizzy? Jerome Richardson? Not Jerome. A doubler, though. Very nice. Track 06 - To be honest, I zoned through most of this while reading a geocache log. Didn't put me off at all, but didn't make an impression, either. Track 07 - Derivative as hell. I think they mean it, but it's not theirs. Affected phrasing -- it's a modern player playing the style. Loses steam in the double-time because it reeks of the practice room instead of the music. Could be Eric Alexander, but doesn't sound enough like George Coleman. Big voiced second tenor is more convincing -- wondering if this is one of those pair-the-young-lion-with-the-old-guy cuts. Really enjoying second guy. A bit of Hadley Caliman in there, a bit of Frank Foster, but a clear and unique message. I should get this guy. Given the lack of a definitie identity on the first guy, I'll guess Josh Redman. Pianist is giving me nothing... maybe a touch of gas. Newer recording because the drums lack subtlety. It's not the drummer, it's the recording. That bigger tenor is giving me a Plas Johnson vibe here on the outchorus. Track 08 - Is this the same album as Track 03? Similar feel. Sounds like Pat Martino to me, and the drums cook like hell. Not sure how I feel about the bass, but it's doing its job. This is not a vibist in the stable of those I recognize. Really enjoying the guitar solo. Overall tune loses me a bit at the end. Live, though, that earns it some respect. Track 09 - I like the looseness of this (and really feel like this is close to another tune but can't say which one). A little too much in the way of effects on the guitar. Almost sounds like one of those later Coltrane cuts done as a traditional jazz tune. A hungry tenor coming out of the post-Coltrane bag. Lovano-adjacent, but to be frank, this has what I WANT to hear in Lovano's stuff, but excepting the earlist stuff, seems missing to my ear. That could sure be Dave Holland, has that kind of approach and facility. Yeah, I like this. Seems to have too much edge to be Potter, Lovano, who-have-you. That 80s guitar sound that I've never warmed up to. The longer this goes, the more I'm appreciating what the tenor brings to the table. Without the tenor, the intensity fades. Sounds like a Gato tune, but damned if I can name it. Definitely hear a Dewey Redman influence in that tenor. Track 10 - Slight familiarity of melody, but that's it. I got nothin'. Very pleasant. Track 11 - Bloodcount. I haven't heard this tune the same since I heard Getz do it. Not a huge Getz fan, but he absolutely ended this song for me. I can't give you the player, but he doesn't have a strong upper-register. Could be later Dewey, but really doesn't seem to have the power he has (hence 'later'). The more I'm focusing on trying to make Dewey fit, the less I feel that's right. It's there, but doesn't seem nearly strong enough. I can't tell if I'm okay with this one or it misses. It has at least earned a second listen. Track 12 - This is infuriating. I'm literally singing along with this and can't place the name of the tune. #maddening AH!!!! Horace! My mind said this has the sound of those Tapscott Sessions recordings on Nimbus West, and then I realized the tune is Horace Silver's Peace. It's not Tapscott. More polite. I hear some vocalizing, but it's not that vocalizing pianist who shall not be named. Kind of stiff, almost stride-like time. European pianist if I'm hearing this correctly. Very busy and classically influenced. Not a bad thing, but it's in the same category as the one above -- I'll give it a second listen, but can't decide if I like it. I think so, but... ain't easy bein' me. Track 13 - Not a fan of the recording. Hyper-compressed drums sound fussy. I want this to be Sonny Criss from the mid-70s, but it's not that. I'm not warming to the alto. Dude can play, but I'm not feeling touched by it. Hits me the exact way Phil Woods post-1968 does. Damned near flawless, but can't make me care. Marsh disciple, but not Marsh. Had a recording of Warne with one of these guys, but can't recall his name (and no longer have the recording, but we won't get into that). Thoughtful tenor player perhaps punching a bit above his weight class. Or, could be a guy who's just a tad past prime pushing himself. The story is there, though. Piano is in the correct pocket. I assume that's a guy from an era that I know. Alto has all the lines, I just don't believe them. Tenor is there. Based on the sound of the drums, I'm gonna guess Alan Dawson. Bass is lost in the mix. I like this for the tenor/piano and overall feel. Alto seems to be the leader, but just doesn't reach me. No full IDs for me, but made for a nice morning soundtrack. Definitely a few I need to know more about. You never disappoint, Jim. Why I quit the biz. Oof! I was thinking James Carter and talked myself out of him because he didn't lose his cool. Second listen, it's obvious, but not at his best. Shame on me for missing J-Griff. The fact that I couldn't nail Woods tells you everything wrong with his playing from that era, and I stand by that.

Trying not to read the thread, here. Are we good with the online player and download? I hadn't published the edits (what I get for working tired). Also, please ignore Dan's advice about the spoiler alert -- that's just where I stash things for the presenter to check in advance of the test. Dan, you have detention.

Thanks for the heads up on TLC! As for how the session came to be, I think of the sessions Christopher Hollyday had back when he was the young gun. Also, Kenny & Buster did a LOT of one-off dates (Buck Hill (2, technically), Les Arbuckle for example) around that time.

The REAL, reveal, not Jim's homemade one! 🤪 BFT232: The Reveal track 01 - Radio Citizen Test Me (feat. Ursula Rucker) (2010) Hope And Despair Ursula Rucker - vocals My wife and I went out to dinner at a chic gastro pub in nearby Amesbury, MA, one night. We were greeted by a host in a Euro-cut suit who, while polite, still managed to be a snooty douche. After we were seated, I looked around and said to her, "We're not nearly young enough, nor pretty enough to be in here." The food was pretty epic, so we stayed. This disc was spinning and I asked what it was, because it was way more interesting than the faux chic ambience of the place. The host informed me, as though we were both super-hip enough to know the recording, that it was Radio Citizen. I wrote it down and looked it up when I got home. It's not heavy listening, but I do enjoy it when it pops up in the rotation. The gastropub is long since out of business, which, no doubt, has impacted sales at The Men's Warehouse. track 02 - Dizzy Gillespie Serenade to Sweeden (Duke Ellington) (1960) Portrait of Duke Ellington Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet; Bennie Green - trombone; Robert de Dominica - flute; Stan Webb, Paul Richie, John Murtaugh, Erenst Bright - woodwinds; Richard Berg, Ray Alonge, Joe Singer - french horns; John McAllister - tuba; George Devens - vibes; Hank Jones - piano; George Duvivier - bass; Charlie Persip - drums This one came on in the car and spoke to me enough to write it down for inclusion. Nothing superlative, just a solid cut from a master. Fun to see the bassist and drummer unwittingly make double appearances (yet no John Hicks!). track 03 - Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Sleeping Dancer Sleep On (Wayne Shorter) (1960) Like Someone In Love Lee Morgan - trumpet; Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone; Bobby Timmons - piano; Jymie Merritt - bass; Art Blakey - drums We all know Shorter's significance as a composer, but forgetting the hype, this is just a beautiful tune by a Hall of Fame band. track 04 - Blue Mitchell Heads Up! Feet Down (Jimmy Heath) (1968) Heads Up! Blue Mitchell, Burt Collins - trumpet; Jerry Dodgion - alto saxophone, flute; Junior Cook - tenor saxophone; Pepper Adams - baritone saxophone; McCoy Tyner - piano; Gene Taylor - bass; Al Foster - drums This one came on in the car, and made an instant impression as a booty shaker. Looking at the personnel, pretty easy to see why. I know there's always a bit of smirk when discussing the Liberty era of Blue Note, but never mind that -- this is a damned fun ride. track 05 - Richard Pryor Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out From the Kraft Summer Music Hall w/John Davidson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiP5rGCm9pE Richard is my all-time favorite comedian, an absolute genius. When I saw this, my head literally exploded. He's not Johnny Hartman, but he means it, just like he did with his stand-up. Guy belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of the entertainment world, and this just serves to line his image in platinum. track 06 - Arnett Cobb All I Do Is Dream Of You (Arthur Freed/Herb N. Brown) (1960) Movin' Right Along Arnett Cobb - tenor saxophone; Bobby Timmons - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Art Taylor - drums; Buck Clarke - congas I figured this for a Dan-approved cut. What's not to love? Cobb's brash, ballsy tenor smoking through a nothing tune somehow injecting it with meaning and a heavy dose of soul. Dig! track 07 - The Budd Johnson Quintet Uptown Manhattan (Budd Johnson) (1960) Let's Swing! Keg Johnson - trombone; Budd Johnson - tenor saxophone; Tommy Flanagan - piano; George Duvivier - bass; Charlie Persip - drums Budd Johnson is an underappreciated beast. He fits into his own pocket within the history of the music and pretty much stays there, but always brings a good feeling when I hear him. track 08 - Hank Mobley Avila and Tequila (Hank Mobley) (1955) Hank Mobley Quartet Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone; Horace Silver - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Art Blakey - drums Early Mobley? Yes, please. The Latin-flavor of this BFT was totally coincidental, and probably a little too heavy, but how was I going to cut a track like this? track 09 - Dizzy Gillespie Kush (Dizzy Gillespie) (1961) An Electrifying Evening with the Dizzy Gilespie Quintet Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet; Leo Wright - alto saxophone, flute; Lalo Schifrin - piano; Bob Cunningham - bass; Chuck Lampkin - drums This was one of the albums I got in my first couple of years of building my collection. Somehow, I went about 35 years without playing it and this showed up in the rotation in the car. I was a damned fool for 35 years, because this is killin'! #MissionImpressive track 10 - Count Basie Amoroso (Benny Carter) (1961) The Legend Al Aarons, Sonny Cohn, Thad Jones, Snooky Young - trumpet; Henry Coker, Quentin Jackson, Benny Powell - trombone; Benny Carter (arranger), Frank Wess - alto saxophone; Frank Foster, Budd Johnson - tenor saxophone; Charlie Fowlkes - baritone saxophone; Sam Herman - guitar; Count Basie - piano; Eddie Jones - bass; Sonny Payne - drums I've always been an Ellington-over-Basie guy, but my Dad had this on an early CD, and it's always spoken to me. To find out it was penned by Benny Carter, man, it just keeps getting better. Completely unique in the realm of what this band did, but they did it with aplomb! track 11 - Terri Lyne Carrington La Bonita (Terri Lyne Carrington) (1981) TLC and Friends George Coleman - tenor saxophone; Kenny Barron - piano; Buster Williams - bass; Terri Lyne Carrington - drums Never released stateside, I got this through the magic (and perhaps ill-gotten gains) of the web. I'd heard a few cuts when the album was released, and saw her with George, James Williams and John Lockwood on my first visit to a Jazz club back in 1982. I'd seen Art Farmer play at a local high school, and the Air Force Band, but this was the first time I got to see live Jazz in its natural setting. Terri Lyne was 16 at the time, and her Dad was talking with a group that included my Dad, and he told them that Harry Belafonté had offered $900/week to bring her on tour for the summer. Her father turned him down, saying, "It's good money, but it won't help develop her drumming." I've only seen her on TV since, but back then, she was studying with Alan Dawson, and coming straight out of Tony Williams. In her solos, she'd get this Michael Jordan thing going with her tongue hanging out, and I'm not stretching to tell you she was completely bad-ass! I think the music that night was a tick above this recording, but I'm glad to finally have this in the collection. Bob Mover sat in later that night as they played Maiden Voyage (with house manager Bob Merrill on trumpet). track 12 - Azar Lawrence Bridge Into The New Age (Azar Lawrence) (1974) Bridge Into The New Age Jean Carn - voice; Woody Shaw - trumpet; Azar Lawrence - tenor saxophone; Woody Murray - vibes; Clint Houston - bass; Billy Hart - drums; Guillerme Franco - percussion No hiding anything in this one, but I've really been on a Doug Carn kick the past 2-3 years, and Jean *kills* it on this. Not a desert island record, but this cut will always be on my playlist of this sub-genre. track 13 - Radio Citizen Mondlicht (2006) Berlin Serengeti Niko Schabel - woodwinds, keyboards, percussion; Wolfgang Schlick - woodwinds, percussion; Klaus Janek, Thomas Myland - bass; Julian Waiblinger - drums Why 2 from these guys? Well, they were short, and it shows a bit of the range of what they do. track 14 - Frank Lowe Some Do, Some Don't (Frank Lowe) (1981) Skizoke Butch Morris - cornet; Frank Lowe - tenor saxophone; Damon Choice - vibes; Larry Simon - guitar; Wilbur Morris - bass; Tim Pleasant - drums The world will never have enough Frank Lowe, and this track is everything that is good about music, to me. Bad sound, rough edges, a bit of anger -- just like life. Frank's perspective has served to open my mind about how to approach music. I think he's one of the most thoughtful players I've ever heard, and I'm always here for this kind of stuff. Thanks to all that participated and hopefully something tickled your belly!

Yeah, Dad took this privately (he's not comfortable posting here). He did note quite as well as Jim, and to my surprise, missed #10 (he's the one who introduced it to me and we've spoken about it at length). His comment was, "Ellington tune not Ellington." #AnyGivenSunday

Yep. Figured maybe I could spike the punch and see what happens.

Gotten mighty quiet in here...

Perfectly stated.

I was a little hung-up about them when I realized they were more producer-driven, but something about it just works. Fair. You are, of course, correct on 6 and 8. 11 will surprise people at the reveal. I did have a moment's pause about Hank, but decided to stick with my original choices (that was one of the first 3 tracks I chose for this year's BFT). Correct, sir! Glad to hear it. Sorry 1 & 2 missed.

It would be, but not for the reason you think. Correct ID, but you can't have my copy.

You've got 3-out-of-4 personnel, but that's not the tune. Track 2 -- 2-for-2. Track 3 -- spot on. Spot on! I am out of my league. Of course, you nailed it. Glad that this hits for you, because inclusion of this was a struggle, particularly with your reaction in mind. #score! And, now it does. Egad. You are, of course, correct. Yes, you do.

Alrighty! Traveling, so I'm going to apologize in advance if things are wonky -- I'll fix by the 4th (browsing on tiny screens is awful enough, but trying to deal with code is an absolute friggin' nightmare!). This month's test has no specific theme other than I did what several others did and chose stuff that crossed my radar or made an impression over the past year. There are some gimmes, there are some that may be very difficult. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to lay your ears upon this collection and attempt to identify what you can. What you cannot, feel free to provide your impressions. Good luck, we're all counting on you. https://thomkeith.net/index.php/blindfold-tests/

Sounds like you need to retire, bud. Tell 'em I said so.

Okay, it's neither Murray nor Carter. Sounds closer to Ehlrich than Maupin.

Okay, worth a shot, since this is really what led me to try and figure this stuff out. Most of my Ra is digital (meaning minimal information), and I'm trying to ID this song.

Found a version on Youtube (somehow more complete than mine, suggesting my copy is probably a boot, damnit) with the date. It's 11/2. Watching now, and sure enough, there's Mr. Gale.

Well, I appreciate that a great deal. I knew Eddie and didn't recognize him, so you've given me extra reason to watch again! Nice!

Hmmm. Okay, not Nov 3, then. Can verify for sure Michael Ray, Ahmed Abdullah, James Jacson, Tyrone Hill, Buster Smith and - of course - Marshall and Gilmore. Not sure of the bari player -- thinking Charles Davis (also plays tenor). Might be Jothan Callins on electric bass, but I can't tell for sure. This is the video: LIVE IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – THE FIRST & SECOND CONCERTS – 1991 CONCERT – SUN RA VOLUME 6 – TRANSPARENCY DVD TR-0175 But the sleeve is missing, so I have no info. I stand correct -- just found picture of bari/tenor, it's Ronald Wilson.

Yes, but I wasn't quite sure enough to commit. Could certainly be Killgo, though, on a re-listen.

There is not, that I can find, but judging by the setlist, likely the 3rd. Ra is definitely there (and definitely not well).