tkeith

Wow. A bit of egg on my face on this one, but I feel REALLY good about the errant Seth Meicht guess. Seth is in Charlie Kohlhase' Explorers Club. The Tchicai influence is undeniable. Very nice.

Indeed. I can't update the list, though, and don't want to bug the mods, so I'll just state it here. Jan, Oct, and Dec are taken. All else is open.

Danuary and Felcember are taken. January - Dan Gould February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - Felser

Jim stepped up to take November (again, thanks! Nobody wanted another one of my tests to fill the gap). That means we're opening up the calendar for 2027 sign-ups. I'll do my level best to accommodate everybody. I'm taking a month, but I'll fly as a wildcard to give people a chance to sign up. Go 'head and grab your favorite spot early!

Worrying about people is what I do, man.

I was hoping someone would make that not a necessity, but I appreciate you. Thanks, Jim.

With apologies to those who saw where I posted this in the wrong place... Still no test presenter for November. Again, I'm not opening 2027 sign-ups until we fill this year. Not trying to be that guy, but somebody needs to step up, here.

After the month Cayetano has had, I'm not asking anything of him. That's just not right. I mean, I can fill the void, but that doesn't seem right, either. Also, I managed to post this in the wrong place.

Still no test presenter for November. Again, I'm not opening 2027 sign-ups until we fill this year.

Condolences, man. Don't forget to breathe.

On it. Thank you!

A-HA! I WAS just listening to Teo in the car the other day, from a much later recording. Okay, I need to check him out for real. Jim, where should I begin?

Not letting this one sit -- I have to break that habit. track 01 - My brain wanted to take me to Kenny Dorham, but the more I hear that trumpet, it's more obvious than that. It's Clark Terry. Ooo! Beastly! On the head I was getting a J-Griff vibe, but that's clearly Hawk. ANIMAL! Yeah, there's Clark Terry, no doubt. Okay, who else have we got here? Was thinking Hank Jones, but at the very end of the solo, those voicings are unmistakeably Tommy Flanagan. I'm sure i have this, but can't put a name to the tune. Unsure of bass and drums, though bass could be Major Holley, but I can never be sure unless he's bowing. Drums giving off a Walter Perkins/Dave Bailey vibe -- not Rushmore, but quality guys who just kind of fit in. If I DON'T have this, I'd like it. 4/5 track 02 - Not J.R. Monterose, but that sort of neighborhood based on the articulation and sound. Gotta be Teddy Charles, doesn't it? That's Mal. Has to be. I don't know who said it, but I've oft quoted it: I'd listen to that guy set his drink down. Never an ounce of wasted energy. Maybe Charles Persip on drums? Can't hear the bass well, but Mal always had good bassists from Addison Farmer to George Duvivier. That tenor is super familiar -- like, I'm SURE I was just listening to this guy recently, but can't put my finger on it. I need this. 4.5/5 track 03 - Warm sound. Lovely. Very relaxed feel to this, but very musical. Even double-timing, it's in the pocket. Very nice. Not Don Sleet. I dunno, but I think I need this. 4/5 track 04 - Hit The Road, Cuckoo! Love the feel. Weird guess, here: Dickie Wells? Don't recognize the tenor. Probably another session pro who has missed my radar. Love this. Not breaking ground, but doing what it do very well. Alto is very familiar. Definitely a band guy, has that strong lead voice. Not Kenny Clarke on drums, but from that region. Has that march thing going underneath it. Old school trumpeter. I always seem to make an incorrect Ruby Braff guess. It's not Ruby, but we're in that neighborhood. Bouncy piano. Not Fatha Hines, but a couple of streets over. Is this a legit KC band? Almost feels like the horns are from a different era than the rest of it. The arrangement suggest the period, but maybe a reunion date? Either way, it works. 4/5 track 05 - Sing to me! Someone has listened to Marsh (and is better for it). A but to brutish in the attack to be Marsh, but his influence is all over that vibrato. Feels like a Johnny Mandel tune, but I don't recognize it. Maybe an "original" in that vein. I get the sense this is a younger player playing in that style. Throwback-ish, but I get the sense that this is his thing. Another tenor who's not nearly a sensitive to the style. Good playing, but this is definitely a modern player. I prefer the first guy, but they're both solid players. Second guy shows a bit more of the modern influence, where the first guy seems in love with Marsh. I don't think I know either player. Nice to hear a ballad STAY a ballad for a change. Oooo! Nice bass work. 3.75/5 (just coudn't quite get myself to go 4, but it's awfully close). track 06 - Ah! Took me awhile to come around on this guy, and I thank webbciity's influence for making it finally happen. It's track 3 from this. I don't always land on the same page with this guy, but this album is excellent. 5/5 track 07 - This has a very Horo sound to it. Like the guitar out front of the horns, and the horns are staying back. It's a nice vibe. I know it had to move, but I kinda didn't want it to. Not loving where bari is going. Has that bold bari sound, though. A bit like Surman, but not as polished. Definitely its own thing happening here. Not sure I'd go to it often, but this works. I like that it's moving around these two or three zones. Even if it doesn't all hit the spot, they're in it. This would be very enjoyable live. I'll throw out a bizarre guess on the tenor: Seth Meicht? Doesn't seem to quite have his bold tone, but the ideas are close. 3.75/5 (another close one) track 08 - Almost sounds like a deconstructed take on Yesterdays. It's interesting, but not entirely hitting for me. Odd. It's angular while being melodic, but it's just not hitting the sweet spot. 3/5 track 09 - Is that a koto? A bit European for my taste, but it's interesting. There's definitely a conversation happening here (and that makes ALL the difference). In the right frame of mind, I could enjoy this more, but I think the early part of the test put me on such a swinging path that I'm just not prepared to go here. In the context of an album, I might have a better reaction to this. At the moment, it's too abstract for me to appreciate. 3/5 track 10 - Waiting for Peter Gunn to enter frame. Okay, much newer, but that bass hook took me to the old TV series. Can't figure out of it's being ironic, or just having fun. It *almost* swings, but the drummer is losing the pocket. Kind of reminds me of that record Ellery Eskellin did in tribute to Jug. The heads nailed the feel, then the improvisation snow globed. Not sure if that's a choice or a style, but it clashes with the way I hear. There's clearly ability here, just not adding up for me. 2.5/5 I think you took my split test and put it on steroids! There was a lot here for me to enjoy and a lot new to me. Glad you joined the ranks, it's good to get outside one's comfort zone (before one is evicted!). Thanks for set, it was a cool way to spend Monday lunch.

I worry about being verbose, but it's been a strange year and I guess I'm a bit reflective. Thank you, sir! I shall check this out! Attaboy! Hope all is balancing out, my dude. Be well. Drum Orgy featuring Yusef!?!?! I may be having a crisis. Think I was probably 13-14 when that call came in. Thanks for asking, here's another story. Clifford allowed me to record that set I saw when I was 12, and it is stellar. My father wrote to Cadence seeking his address. They provided Norman Simmons' address and suggested starting there. Norman furnished us with a mailing address, and my Dad wrote Clifford a letter about that set. There was an hellacious snow storm and my sister called for a ride home from the law office she worked in while in high school. Conditions were terrible (for ANYTHING) and my father was pissed to have to go out in that storm (we were typically expected to walk, full stop). While he was out, the phone rings and I forget if I answered or my mother, but I ended up talking to Clifford about that tape. We was very nice on the phone and I forget if he left a number, I think he just gave an address. Dad gets home and I've got sunshine shooting out my backside. Not only did he miss the call, but the snow was too much for the wipers to handle and they stopped functioning. He was like a Tasmanian devil. My instructions were to fix the damned thing (I had been shown what to do by the service manager at VW), so I put my coat and mittens on and went out with our subpart tools and got the wipers working. When I came in he apologized for ruining the moment. It didn't, but I was cold. Anyway, we sent Clifford the tapes and he wrote back saying that the sound quality just wasn't up to par, explaining that, when you get to a certain level as a player, there are a lot of nights like that one (not sure I agree). Anyway, a copy was made for a couple of friends who attended that night. One of them, somewhere long the line, managed to either turn it into a bootleg release or provided it to someone who did, because I've seen it available online without any credit to the recording engineer (namely me), but that was pre-world-wide-web. I've included a couple of cuts over the years in BFTs. The band was Clifford, John Hicks, Jamil Nassir, and Vernell Fournier. Alan Dawson and a very young John Lockwood were in the audience that night, as was Steve Scwartz from WBUR. Good times.

Great guy, great drummer.

Thanks to all who participated and/or listened. Track 01 - Pretty For The People (Salim) | A.K. Salim | (1957) Pretty For The People Kenny Dorham - trumpet; Buster Cooper - trombone; Johnny Griffin - tenor saxophone; Pepper Adams - baritone saxophone; Wynton Kelly - piano; Paul Chambers - bass; Max Roach - drums; Chino Pozo - congas; A.K. Salim - arranger/leader My Dad has been frequenting a trading post on a road called "Antique Alley". Not sure how he learned about it, but he's gone often enough to become a pain-in-the-ass to the wife. The husband has let him wander through the uncatalogued section because he has SO much stuff. Anyway, he kept encouraging me to check them out (like I have expendable income), and doing so led me to this one. I knew nothing about it, nor Salim, but I sure as hell knew the rest of those names! It's everything you'd expect, and maybe a bit more cohesive than you'd expect. Track 02 - Vierd Blues (Davis) | Steve Grossman | (1992) I’m Confessin’ Steve Grossman, Harold Land - tenor saxophone; Fred Henke - piano; Reggie Johnson - bass; Jimmy Cobb - drums Our own webbcity turned me on to this one. I'm not a massive Grossman fan, though of all the guys of that era and sound, he's the guy I like the most. But Harold Land? That's another story. I LOVE Harold Land. This isn't a *great* record, but no time spent listening to Harold Land is wasted. Track 03 - Malice Towards None (McIntosh) | Clifford Jordan | (1962) Bearcat Clifford Jordan - tenor saxophone; Cedar Walton - piano; Teddy Smith - bass; J.C. Moses - drums If you've been around a bit, you know I LOVE Clifford Jordan. I was fortunate to see him live when I was 12, and talk to him on the phone a few months later about that recording. Absolutely underappreciated master who left us FAR too soon. This one sneaks by without a lot of recognition except for the deep divers. Any chance to get Clifford more exposure is a good thing. Track 04 - Heavy Legs (Pearson) | Johnny Coles | (1963) Little Johnny C. Johnny Coles - trumpet; Leo Wright - alto saxophone; Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone; Duke Pearson - piano; Bob Crenshaw - bass; Pete La Roca - drums Just Blue Note being Blue Note. Coles, like Blue Mitchell, is in that forgotten stable of Blue Note guys who don't make the first round of the conversation. They probably should. Nothing not to love about this. 5 stars? No. 4.5? I'd say yeah. Joe is in fine form, here, and Duke Pearson always seems to bring a little something extra to the plate. Pete Simms (I came to that slowly, only reading recently that he disliked the 'La Roca' tag) is another guy who gets nowhere near enough notoriety. Track 05 - Da Duh Dah (Curtis) | King Curtis | (1960) The New Scene Of King Curtis King Curtis - tenor saxophone; Little Brother - trumpet; Wynton Kelly - piano; Paul Chambers - bass; Oliver Jackson - drums The sum total of my knowledge of King Curtis, beyond the name, prior to age 30 was a comment by Duane Allman on live recording. "Man, whoever that guy was, I sure hope he understands what he took away from us." After reading about Curtis untimely demise, I started hunting. This one cooks like hell. He's not rewriting the way to play the horn, he's just showing you how to do it and hit you in the cut with every phrase. Another track with Mssrs. Kelly & Chambers somewhat out of context -- using a great rhythm section is probably a REALLY good idea. Track 06 - Thoink (Gonzalez) | Ataraxia Trio | (2017) Ts’iibil Chaaltun Dennis Gonzalez - trumpet, cornet/percussion, guitar; Drew Phelps - bass; Jagath Lakpriya - tabla, voice I was a Dennis Gonzalez listener for years, but became a fan after unexpectedly having dinner with him before a performance in Waterville, Maine. My buddy, Ken Eisen, who was the producer/host of the public radio show I would later take over, was promoting a series of concerts through a movie house he was involved in (still is, if I'm not mistaken, but it's been a minute). Ken convinced me to come up for a Yells At Eels show, and when I got to the theater (early) they told me he was at dinner and told me where. I showed up. Oddly, everyone was fine with that, even pleasant about the new arrival. I spoke with Dennis a bit that night, as well as his son Stephan and saxophonist Rodrigo Amado over pad Thai. Dennis and I kept in touch after that through various online avenues (including this one), and we became friends, frequently talking about all things. His passing has left a hole in my own existence, but I'm greatful for the conversations and low-key advice about how to be a human. He was a beautiful cat, and I miss him actively. Dennis hosted one BFT not long before he passed, but struggled to get into his account, so he didn't get to interact much. His sons were on tour when he took a turn for the worse, and made it home just in time to see him being removed from the home on a stretcher by EMTS. Dennis cocked one eye and stuck his tongue out at them and smiled. That's the image I hold of him. One of a kind. Track 07 - Dreams Of Pangea (O’dell) | Tim O’dell | (2007) Avant Coast Presents: The Langley/O’dell Quartet Tim O'dell - soprano sax; Matt Langley - tenor sax; Jim Lyden - bass; Luther Gray - drums Uh-oh! I smell a bootleg! Not really. This was recorded and handed to the artists afterward, all on the up-and-up. Tim (webbcity) and I tried to form an artists collective in our area with mixed results. A lot of folks wanted to play, perform, and be represented, but the willingness to do the background legwork fell to the two of us. We fought the good fight until exhaustion, ultimately laying down the swords after my back surgeries took me out of action. Avant Coast was our moniker, and we presented monthly shows at a dance studio in an old textile mill in Rollinsford, NH. I kind of miss those freaky belly-dancer ladies, they were super nice. We had an angel who financed the rental of that space, but he passed in 2012, and that started the slow, downward spiral. This band was our headliner for one of those shows, ranging from Westbrook, Maine to Boston, Mass, the members performed throughout New England and beyond, all being musical lifers. Tim O'dell moved on to NYC, Matt Langley to southern California. Luther is still active in Boston teaching and performing and remains a force behind the drums. Jim Lyden has become a good friend, and recently retired from his day job, making his OTHER full-time job, music, his primary focus. Felt like a good time to dust this one off. It rained like hell this night and Tim had a white-knuckle drive down from the Portland area after teaching all day. He was visible torqued, trying to hold it together, and it was decided this tune would let him get through it. That's what you hear, here. It's raw, frustrated, energetic, and beautifully awesome. The only thing that could increase the experience is seeing Matt's ever-present smirk as he worked through it. A great group of guys, excellent musicians, doing something special on a night that brought tension none of us could control. Music is life. Track 08 - Pharoah (El’Zabar) | The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble | (2019) Be Known: Ancient/Future Music Corey Wilkes - trumpet, percussion; Alex Harding - baritone saxophone; Ian Maksin - cello; Kahil El’Zabar - percussion, vocals It was Ken Eisen who introduced the work of Kahil El'Zabar to me. I've been fortunate enough to see him several times, now, and never been disappointed. It's also NEVER been what I was expecting. The guy is the real deal. It's not classifiable, but it's real. Alex Harding is, to me, THE guy on the big horn these days. Tim sort of bullied me into meeting him when we saw them last summer, and it happens he's a super nice guy. We talked bari gear. HE asked ME about MY setup. WHAT!?!! I already loved him, but now it's a full-on crush. If you get the chance to see this band, in any of its iterations, do so. Oh, and I'm pretty fond of the subject of the track, too. Track 09 - You, The Sun (Coffin) | Coffin/Perlson/Krauss w/Leo Genovese | (2023) Live @ The Jazz Kitchen Jeff Coffin - tenor saxophone; Jordan Perlson - drums; Viktor Krauss - bass; Leo Genovese - piano Through the phenomena of geographic determinism, Jeff Coffin became my saxophone teacher. He was the hotshot in the HS band, and as a senior, they would pair the hot shots up with kids from the middle school who were tabbed as the next hot shots. So, I websearched him after no contact for a decade and Bela Fleck kept coming up. This was last century, so searches were trickier. I finally clicked on of these to see what the issue was and learned he was a Flecktone. I bought tickets and went to see them and we reconnected. He's a bona fide good dude, and always has been. Less known, he was a terrific hockey player. His endless energy and positivity have made him one of the highly sought after teachers. He's turned a bit toward the popular side of things for my sensibilities, but when this album came out, I thought it was interesting. People seemed to like this, and my repeated apologies for not editing the end of the track -- I plum forgot. Track 10 - Great Spirit (Parker) | William Parker’s Raining On The Moon | (2007) Great Spirit Leena Conquest - vocals; Lewis “Flip” Barnes - trumpet; Rob Brown - alto saxophone; Eri Yamamoto - piano; William Parker - bass; Hamid Drake - drums There is no bad William Parker. It's all worth the time, but you have to be willing to go into it without expectations. The guy is just different. And he's real. I'd listen to him butter toast, because it would be musical. For him, music does not exist in life, music is life. He does not create music, he taps into it. That may sound ethereal and touchy-feely, but he lives it, and you feel it when you see him, which I've been fortunate to do a number of times. Raining on the Moon is probably is most Jazz-centric project, and that's probably why it's my favorite. Everything this band does manages to touch me, and I can't ask for more than that from music. It's out there, I just wish more people would find it. Track 11 - Song for the Empty Eyes (OOB) | Out Of Boundaries | (2007) Avant Coast Presents: Out Of Boundaries Live At Lotus Moon Richard Gardzina - tenor saxophone; Matt Langley - baritone & soprano saxophones; Thom Keith - baritone saxophone; Tim Webb - bass; Rob Duquette, Luther Gray - drums Lastly, another from the Avant Coast series. While Jeff was one of my early teachers, Richard is the guy who changed everything for me. He was the first guy to teach me theory and the first to push me to improvise. He guided, but never dictated. Some of those lessons were pretty extreme, but every moment sticks with me. We left rooms full of coeds looking at as strangely after we left the auditorium we borrowed for the lessons. They'd file in to this hair guy banging on the piano and this kid with an ugly horn trying to play like Frank Wright and Billy Harper. They were not ready for that. Hell, I wasn't either, but I just went where the moment took me and I'm eternally grateful to Richard for those moments. A couple of years ago, Richard had a stroke. A mutual friend was in touch for a bit and said he was trying to play to help his rehab but it was challenging. I heard he relocated to Florida, but I know nothing beyond that. The inclusion of this cut is my public thank you to him. Richard agreed to headline this show in the series, and we called the band Out Of Boundaries. Matt and Richard played together often, Richard saying Matt's playing made him open up in different ways. I snuck in on this one, but wild horses weren't going to stop me. Getting my ass handed to me by Matt Langley was a regular part of my development and another thing I'm grateful for. Tim occupies the bass chair with that thing he does as no one else can. I'm not shy about it, I love the guy. Literally my favorite bassist to play with, and top 5 to listen to. Rob is a friend of both of us who's just a good guy and a good musician. It's been a minute, but we'll make it happen again, soon. Luther rounded out the band, and he's an amazing anchor to have back there -- great touch, great sense of space. Richard is the star here, no doubt. I believe we sort of agreed on a motif that was quickly abandoned and then the rest of it just happened. Matt is the first bari solo. This series was a lot of fun to do, but I'm glad I did it then. Not sure I have the energy to play like this anymore, certainly not after schlepping a trailer full of chairs and equipment down that dank hallway to deal with the snake ladies (yes, they had a snake). Good times. Thanks again for listening and reading. I think I've officially entered the reflective phase of the game. Hope you found something to latch onto in all of this.

Okay, I don't have enough expletives in my vocabulary to express my frustration at the moment. The tech person "refreshed my domain" whatever the %$#@ that means, she made no effort to explain, and suddenly it's all working. Once a year with this GD company. DO NOT USE BLUEHOST!!!! At any rate, I will post the reveal (finally), and Cayetano, you're good to start your thread at your leisure. My account expires in 2029, at which time, I'll be walking away. We should try to figure out a better solution for all by then if the BFT is to continue past that point. Frankly, this isn't worth the aggravation any longer, but I've already paid through that date. Peace, somehow.

With apologies, I'm having issues w/my site. They are trying to force me to use AI to maintain it, and I'm fighting w/them, now. This may be the end, so be prepared. I will NOTbe forced into handing my data over to Hal. I will update you ASAP.

He is not. This drummer would, no doubt, appreciate that comparison. He IS a very gifted drummer who at one time served as Butch Warren's drummer in the DC area.

Thanks team for being on the responses. Until this moment, I've never received notification that these posts existed. 🙄 We still have November open. I know Jim is on a hiatus, but I don't mind being the one to say that my respect for his ears is unparalleled and I think we'd all benefit if he's interested.

Negative, sir. Now that right there is what we amateur sleuths refer to as a clue.

Thanks to Cayetano for stepping in for October. A quick recap of where we stand ahead of east coast stormaggedon: ID'd track 1 by Lester Mobley track 2 by Lester Mobley track 3 by cayetano track 4 by cayetano track 8 by cayetano track 9 by randyhersom track 10 by cayetano Yet to be ID'd Tracks 5, 6, 7, 11 Track 5 is a well known player accompanied by 2/3 of a VERY well known rhythm section Track 6 is a known, but perhaps lesser so player with a lesser known band in a crossover project. The player has a connection to the BFT. Track 7 is a band of fairly well known+ regional musicians, since scattered about the U.S. Track 11 is a one-night band containing two musicians who appear elsewhere in the BFT. ALL of these musicians have appeared in previous blindfold tests. Happy sleuthing!

Reminder, we still need presenters for October and November. I'm not opening up sign-ups for 2027 until 2026 is full.

I hadn't either. My pops was telling me about this store nearby he's been going to. Basically on what we call Antique Alley (a stretch lousy with antique shops). Guy buys whole collections and I was perusing some of what he had and came across this one. Can't argue with the cast! Correct, again, sir! I was hipped to this one by webbcity. Bam!

Your ears are spot on with both players. Neither is the leader. It is Vierd Blues, but I wouldn't describe either guy as "less straight ahead". Both well known players. Ding! Ding! Negative, but again, I think the player would greatly enjoy the comparison. I'd bet none of the musicians would be upset with these comparisons. This one is one of the toughest in the test. Indeed. Yeah, I screwed the pooch and didn't clip the introductions at the end. Knew they were there, just had a colossal brain fart. She's different. When she plays with this band, she's not up front, she's off to the side like another horn. Understood. There's a story with this one, and I could have shortened it, but... all will come out in the reveal.