Jump to content

tkeith

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,390

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Donations

    0.00 USD 

 Content Type 

Posts posted by tkeith

  2. LEAST FAVORITE DRUMMERS

    in Artists

    Posted

    Gadd came to mind, but then, I don't think of him as a "Jazz" drummer, and the list of non-Jazz drummers I detest would be too long.

    Buddy Rich would have to be on the short list, as would Alan Dawson. AD can actually ruin Booker Ervin for me at times.

  3. Walt Dickerson R.I.P.

    in Artists

    Posted

    Thanks Dumpy Mama and Randy. I've seen that cd at Amazon before but I didn't know it was a twofer. I just ordered it.

    Some people think the Impr. of L of A is his best album. Thoughts?

    It's great, but I think Sense of Direction is desert island material. Peace, Tell Us, This Is, TMQ are all worthy of consideration, as well. Hell, they're all great -- guy was a beautiful person and it just flowed out of him (much like William Parker).

  7. CIMP sound

    in Audio Talk

    Posted

    In a word, the sound sucks. I have medium grade equipment from an audiophile's perspective, higher end for a typical listener, though dated (family dying off has built my system). The sound of the CIMP discs is flat and ugly. I understand what they're trying to do, I'm not convinced about the execution.

  8. Walt Dickerson R.I.P.

    in Artists

    Posted

    In the late 70's my father wrote Walt a letter explaining what his (Walt's) music had meant to him (my father).

    My Dad went to a friend's house for a listening party, something he rarely ever did. While he was gone, the phone rang and I answered it:

    "Hi. Is Jo there?"

    "No, he's at his friend's house."

    My mother, "Is that Dad?"

    "No, it's Walt Dickerson."

    My mother figured we were being played by the folks at the party. She rolled her eyes and said, "Give me the phone. [taking the phone] Is this Bob?"

    "Uh, no ma'am, this is Walt Dickerson. I'm calling for Jo."

    "Knock it off, you guys, this isn't funny."

    "Uhm... ma'am? My name is Walt Dickerson, I'm a musician; Jo wrote me a letter and I just wanted to call and say thanks."

    He finally convinced her and she gave him the number of the friend's house. My father had offered to take Walt out to dinner if he were ever in our area and he was going to be playing in the basement of a church in Worcester, MA. Walt was calling to accept the offer and express his thanks for the letter.

    At the listening party -- where, in a blindfold test, my Dad identified Arne Domnérus -- the phone rang. The owner picked up the phone:

    "Hello?"

    "Hi. This is Walt Dickerson, can I speak to Jo?"

    "Uh... yeah, hang on. [phone covered] Jo, it's Walt Dickerson for you."

    "What?"

    "Yeah. [holding out the phone]"

    Made quite an impression on the attendees. They went to see Walt and took he and his wife out to dinner afterward. I've never had the conversation with him about what they talked about... perhaps I should soon.

    That's my long-winded way of saying, this one hurts.

  10. BFT #57 - Discussion Disc 2

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    I figure on getting none of these, but here goes.

    1. First impressions -- nice sound, very clean. Rhythmically, this guy bugs me. He's got lots of technique, but sounds as though he's chasing the rhythm at times.

    2. Bag's Groove (though probably called something different). Tenor player has listened to a lot of Rollins, but I don't think it's him. I'm stumped, though all but the guitarist sound familiar. I'll throw out a guess of Connie Kaye on drums.

    3. Guitarist has a very thin sound. No idea.

    4. No idea. Something about this guitarist doesn't sit with me. He's playing a ballad the way James Carter might on tenor. He's got too much attack for the song.

    5. Interesting tune. Sounds like something John Tchicai would write (the "A" section). No idea who this is, but I like it. Has the technique of the earlier tunes, but his time is spot-on.

    6. This sounds like the same guitarist as #4 to me. Similar approach. He's playing busier than the tune calls for.

    7. Crime Jazz! :D No idea on the guitarist. Sounds like a splice at the end of the guitar solo. Recognize the tenor, but can't say for certain. At times I'm thinking Billy Mitchell and times I'm thinking Ike Quebec, which suggests it's neither. Another splice at the end of the tenor solo.

    8. No clue, but has the feel of a Norman Granz date to me.

    9. Stompin' At The Savoy. Not someone I'm familiar with.

    10. This sounds like a Vince Guiraldi thing to me. No idea who the players are, though. The tune sounds like a Steve Allen tune, I think. Something like Get Me To The Church On Time, but I don't think that's it.

    11. Stumped.

    12. Sounds like Zoot to me, except the tone doesn't seem quite warm enough. That could make it Scot Hamilton, but the recording sounds older than that. No idea on the guitarist. No idea on the vibes.

    13. I want the vocals to work, but... I dunno... just didn't get me. :D Tune is Don't Blame Me, I think. Scat rarely tickles me... this is not an exception. ;)

    14. This grooves. The tempo is pushing the guitar on the improv, though. The organist sounds more modern, but the drums sound like an older recording. Got me.

    15. Interesting interplay between the horn and the guitar. No idea who the guitarist is. I'm not sure of the bari, but he may be a doubler. Weird date... sounds like a crossover of Mulligan and Tristano.

    16. I like the way the melody line is shared by the guitar and the bass. No clue who they are, though.

    17. This is nice, very relaxed, but the recording has issues -- piano sounds like he's in the next room. Could be a sound stage recording even. No clue as to who.

    18. Modern players. The organist knows his Larry Young. Drums seem... I dunno... there's something awkward... the kicks seem too busy. Sounds like maybe Ronnie Cuber or Gary Smulyan on bari. Got that post-Brignola bite to it. These players all sound more out of the University system than the bar system. That's not a criticism, just an observation to support my guess at the date. They also seem like they might be more blues oriented players -- less bebop licks and more blues licks used in the solos.

    19. Lush Life. This is a tune that really lives by it's lyrics. I mean, it's tough to play it without thinking/hearing the lyrics. On the intro, I couldn't really hear the lyrics in the way it was being played. Unsure of the players, but it's an older recording.

    20. No idea. It reminds me of Wednesday afternoons at my grandparents house when I was a kid. They always had the radio on playing something like this (which was only problematic because they had a record collection chock full of Basie, LHR, Illinois Jacquet and the like). Nice, but very back-groundish.

    As predicted, this kicked my ass. Thanks for making me listen outside of my comfort zone.

  11. BFT #57 Discussion Disc 1

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    5. Autumn In New York. Masons are at lunch, but the quiet didn't really help. I'll stick with Les Spann and throw in the towel otherwise.

    6. Getz. I'll say Jim McNeely on piano, but I'm far from certain. Maybe Al Foster on drums. No idea on the bassist (damned laptop speakers). I like the tune, but I'm not sure what it is.

    7. Well, it's not one of the three or four violinists I know, that's for sure. I know the song, but not by title. Is it I Can't Get Started? I must still be punchy from the boat, because this sounds like Jim McNeely to me, too. In spite of being on my list of songs too often played, this is a nice version.

    8. Gonsalves is one of the tenors. He's a bad man. Sounds like Paul playing off of Paul. This is fucked up... I may have to get the phones out for this one. That's Stitt, for sure -- nobody plays like that. Oh, this is gonna be fun. I've heard about this record, but I don't own it. Man... Paul acquits himself well, here. I'm going out on a limb and guessing my man Jimmy Jones on piano. That's Sam Woodyard on drums. I'm betting if I could hear the bass it'd sound a lot like Jimmy Woode.

    9. Parker's Mood. No idea of the violinist other than I don't know him (or her?). Is this the same record as the other one? The sound is a bit different, but maybe the same band. Nice bass sound. Drummer reminds me of Idris Muhammad but the genre is all wrong. It's possible that this is one of those Gene Harris dates for Concord. Just not sure.

    10. Clark Terry. Great tune! Duke Jordan, right? Bup baaah duh... yeah... shit... what's the name of this? A punk band named Bow-wow-wow stole that bridge for a tune called APHRODISIAC. Sounds like Kenny Clark on drums to me. Tenor sounds like a mix of Gonsalves and Golson... could be Scot Hamilton on a great day. Firey, though, that's for sure. [second listen] shit... I know this guy. Naw... that's not Hamilton. [third listen] Yusef? Almost seems too busy to be Yusef, but every bit as ballsy. I'll go Yusef. Those chords... that sounds like Tommy Flanagan's comping to me. This one is going to hurt my ass worse than all the stumps in this test, but I'm going to pull out Ed Shaunessey on drums. I have a Music Minus One set with him, and this sounds exACTly like that. AH!!!! No Problem!!! That's the tune. Given the flute on the outro, I'll say Yusef with confidence.

    11. Oh Jesus... clarinet... I'm only slightly worse at picking those out than flute. :D Tune sounds reminiscent of Bill Evans' Peace Piece. Or not... The Summer Knows. Strange soprano sound -- clearly a doubler. Some real struggles with intonation. I don't want to make enemies, but sounds like Stitt on his worst day, playing soprano. With that strange articulation, could be Shorter. This one just isn't reaching me. The recording sounds too modern, but the sound of the soprano reminds me a lot of a Lucky Thompson record I have. Love Lucky on tenor, but on soprano, not-so-much.

    12. Pepper! Zoot! This is from Encounter. Inanout is the tune. Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones. This is a GREAT record! It's amazing how well Zoot fits into this mix. Another bad man.

    13. Night In Tunisia. Clean recording. Not sure of the organ, but it sounds like Vernell Fournier on drums. Guitar player doesn't strike me as someone I know. Organist seems like more of a Jazz guy than a Blues guy to my ear. Drum break sounds too flashy to be Vernell. It's got that Louisiana marching sound... could be Kenny Clark.

    14. All The Things You Are. Nice job picking obscure versions of these tunes. There in the repertoire that I named "The Rusty Razor Song Book," thus getting me into a lot of trouble with a number of musicians. Nobody denies that they're great tunes, but do we *really* need musicians creating more versions of them in the 21st Century? Most of these composers have a number of great tunes - - several not covered by others. But I digress. This is older. Whomever it is, he has Newborn-esque chops. It's not Phineas, though. Not sure.

    ~note~ Evidently, masons tend to take long lunches.

  12. BFT #57 Discussion Disc 1

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Alrighty then, no peeking, just letting it rip.

    1. Eric Dolphy. Pianist has his bop down, but also has a little out in him... could be Jaki Byard. Drums are kind of snappy, but also a little tight. Could be Roy Haynes, but doesn't feel loose enough to me. I'm on a laptop and can't hear the bass that well.

    2. Oh What A Beautiful Morning. Round trumpet sound, but the keys and electronics are not doing it for me. I like Rhodes as a rule, but this isn't doing much for me. Trumpeter is going for a Miles feel, but it's missing something. I'll say Wallace Roney. Man... the synth big-band really grates... quickly.

    3. Monk's Mood. Younger, newer guys. The alto has that very "recordable" attack on his notes. Drums seem up in the mix... like maybe it's the drummer's date. I like the trumpet solo, but I'm getting the impression that the alto player is just playing changes more than playing the tune. He's older than my first guess... could be Phil Woods or Richie Cole... but still, he's playing the changes, not the tune. On the whole, I'm not sure how I feel about the arrangement or the rendition. Good choice -- this is kicking my ass.

    4. The angularity of the playing works well. It sounds like something THE BAD PLUS might do, only I think these guys are older. The drummer is really tuned in to the pianist. This is kinky -- I like it. They're covering some ground, but definitely come out of the post-bop time period. You're killing me here... lay off the ribs... throw me a frikkin' bone, here! :blink:

    5. Autumn In New York... I'm leaning Les Spann, but I have to put this down and come back to it later... masons are currently demolishing my old chimney to replace it, and some large, mechanical instrument of masonry destruction kicked in just at the start of the piano solo. :excited:

  15. Unexpected Consequences - Smoking Bans/Drunk Driving

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    My point is that if you drive a useless gas guzzler instead of a low emission vehicle just because you enjoy and can afford it (like a BMW X5 or a Hummer) YOU are damaging my health and I can't call you on it. So if the problem is only personal annoyance, I'd add cell phones conversations and lots of bad behavior, if the problem is pollution I'd add gaz guzzlers and all the behaviors that contribute to it, like plastic bags, etc. Lots of these behaviors could be changed with the very same minimum effort a smoker put in avoiding smoking in public places. That's it. Plain and simple.

    On that much we can agree. I do NOT drive a fuel efficient car, but I DO have a valid reason. I live on an unmaintained road and have an interstate commute. There are times of the year where 4WD is not an option, but a very distinct necessity. That said, when I see some tool driving around in a Suburban with a child in the last seat and the rest of it empty, it rather irritates me. Cell phones can go the way of the Edsel and I'd not shed a tear. We have more common ground than I realized -- my apologies.

  16. Unexpected Consequences - Smoking Bans/Drunk Driving

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    If you wanna kill yourself you can use your car, (even a Yaris) and a hose and you're done in 50 minutes

    Not so much. It's a pretty theory, but it's like pregnancy -- each attempt is not a guarantee. Unfortunately, I still have a brother-in-law to prove my point.

    For the very same reason I found contradictory ban marijuna and allow cigarette and alcohol.

    Have you ever been in front of a school with hundred of cars, mother or father at wheel? Do you really think that the twice a day concentration of pollution in that small area is less harmful for children then passive smoking?

    I'm not sure I follow your point. I think the situation you describe is highly unhealthy. I also am against smoking in public places where my enjoyment is affected. If a smoker is comfortable risking the life of their child, I think that's a larger problem. If s/he cannot go long enough without a butt to not slowly kill her/his child, I don't think that polluting the air I have to breath is an acceptable alternative any more than I think it's okay for parents with children to ruin my dining experience. As has been pointed out, we all make choices. If your screaming brats or cigarette smoke is a detriment to my enjoyment in a public space, my choice is to call you on it.

  18. Unexpected Consequences - Smoking Bans/Drunk Driving

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    Personally, I dig going to bars without that shit making the air unbreathable.

    And personally, I like playing in bars without that shit making the air unbreathable. And coming home smelling like somebody's ashtray (not to mention the smell of all my gear, and thus my vehicle, etc.)

    Plus one on this. Finally, gone are the days where I have to set all my equipment out in the living room and on the porch for 3 days just to get the stench out of it.

    The first is that everyone should, and does, as far as I know, decide what risks, personal and third party, they're prepared to put up with in their life. There is no such thing as risk free living. I am moderately unhappy contributing to people's passive smoking - though they also have options they can exercise, such as get the fuck out.

    Except, as pointed out in a response, when smoking was allowed in the workplace here in the states. My mother, who never smoked a day in her life, grew up in a house with smokers, then worked much of her life with them. At 60, she died of lung cancer. I believe that gives me a significant ax to grind with the way in which fellow citizens decide what risks are right for them. Bogart a whole tobacco field in your house, but in public, in traffic, at the beach, and in the workplace, I don't want to smell it.

    That said, I favor a "smoker's cafe" idea here in the states. We have Asian food restaurants, kid restaurants; why not smoker's restaurants? The answer is simple: U.S. society is too stupid to let something like that work. Somebody would sue over it. If workers were willing to sign off and customers are willing to allow it to exist, it should work.

    In the meantime, here's one thing I *haven't* seen mentioned in this thread. What is it about smokers that they think it's okay to just dump their butts out the window of the car? There is a mall about 20 minutes from here. The median parallel to the turn lane to get on the high way looks like it has a mop head on it. The mop head is made of cigarette butts. I'll never understand that. If the cigarettes are so enjoyable, it'd really help the rest of the world if you'd do two things: 1) please roll up your window so I don't have to smell it, and 2) please keep your trash, much like I will my water bottles or food wrappers, in your vehicle.

  20. Jews in Hell:

    in Offering and Looking For...

    Posted

    "This is not a Space Event."

    -Nat May, Artistic Director, the Space Gallery, Portland, Maine

    This might be the finest compliment available in Portland. I recall playing a killer set there one night for the bartender and the sound man (who was a bit of a putz). Someone taped it for us, but never got in touch with me. That sucked.

  21. BFT #56 Discussion Disc 1

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Track 17 – Nice sax arrangement. Odd, but the time seems to drag around 3:40… like the band starts to drag a bit.

    Interesting you say that....could be they just weren't used to recording tracks this long, or the arranger wasn't yet good enough for this long a song...

    Just to clarify, it almost sounded as if the media itself slowed, not so much the playing.

  22. How 'Bout Some Love For Dick Griffin?

    in Artists

    Posted

    Anybody else dig the music of Dick Griffin?

    Absotively. Had the good fortune to talk with him and Eddie Gale over dinner about a year-and-a-half ago. It was like a trip through a period I was not lucky enough to live through. Dick's playing and writing always struck me as very honest. I think NOW IS THE TIME is one of the most played records (along with Pharoah's JOURNEY TO THE ONE) I've ever owned. Dick's sort of like Mal Waldron -- no technique, just pure heart (clearly an over-simplification, as multi-phonics most definitely qualify as technique).

    I was luke-warm on his artwork until hearing him discuss it. It's very interesting what he's trying to express, and much like his music, it's very honest.

    Modern musicians should be listening to more of this sort of stuff from the 70s, IMHO. The music seems to have stagnated a great deal, and it's largely because the educational establishment has everyone looking back to the 60s and before. All that music is great, but it doesn't have a heck of a lot to do with our current way of living. I think if more musicians were exposed to the Strata-East era stuff, the music would benefit greatly.

    With that, I'll rank myself as a certified Dick Griffin *fan*.

  23. Richard Widmark, RIP

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    I loved FROGMEN. Widmark had one of those classic faces. You may not have ever heard of him, but when you saw him on screen you recognized him immediately. A few years back, Ira Glass did a segment of THIS AMERICAN LIFE called The Death of Frank Sinatra. It was about that personality, that type of guy that Richard Widmark represented.

  24. BFT #56 Discussion Disc 1

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Crap... I was trying not to read the comments and didn't realize my mistake. Ugh. Oh well, I'm dying to know the answer to Track 5, disc 2.

    *Scoopiness*

    The tenor player was sort of 'dragging' up from a note (or perhaps 3 half-steps) below the note and it just wound up sounding maudlin and sloppy to me. In the solo, it came off as more expressive; on the head... it's tough to describe... he just didn't sound serious to me. I'd play like that if I were pissed off and didn't want to play the tune. Again, I know it's just a matter of taste, but... I'd have clicked the radio to talk radio if that came on.

  25. BFT #56 Discussion Disc 1

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    I’m determined to finish these today! :D Actually, I’m putting off doing the bills. Anyway, the music…

    Track 37 – Now this is nice. I like the way the arrangement just steps along behind the lead. It’s a simple line, but it doesn’t need to be anything more – it does its job. Again, I don’t know who this is, but I would buy this. Man… wouldn’t want to be the guy sitting across from that trumpet player. LOL

    I played with a band that had a trumpet player that would do that – we sat in a semi-circle… there was another trumpeter across from him, guy was really into Art Farmer and those type of players. I thought he was going to toss his horn at the brassy guy one night. :D Good times…

    Track 38 – I like this one a lot, I kind of wanted them to stay with the opening feel, though. Again, really like the bone player.

    Track 39 – Fingers all over the piano. Pianist makes me think of the style Newborn would later develop. Very listenable, but don’t know if I’d play it a lot.

    Track 40 – Doesn’t make an impression on me. I’m finding myself unable to tune into it – doesn’t really distinguish itself from a lot of this BFT.

    Track 41 – This sounds like early Ellington to me, but I’m probably wrong. Something about the alto has me thinking Hodges. If I’m right about that, tenor could be Webster, but this is just a collection of shots in the dark.

    Track 42 – I like this. Again, the band seems to be supporting the lead – I hear a purpose. No idea who it is, though.

    Track 43 – Nice sax arrangement. Odd, but the time seems to drag around 3:40… like the band starts to drag a bit.

    Track 44 – I recognize this, but can’t say what it is. I’ve definitely heard it before. Again, the band segments work, but the improv just doesn’t do it for me. Kind of wish they hadn’t bothered with that part.

    Track 45 – Excepting the slide, I like this. It’s fun and it’s jivey, but it works.

    Track 46 – (46!?!?!??!?!) Makes me think of an old movie with all the characters going out for dinner at the Copa Cabana. I’m just waiting for Ava Gardner to do something mean to someone. ☺ I like it, though.

    Berigan, thanks for a BFT that pushed my limits and kicked my ass. I’m going to go do my bills and cry, now.

×
×
  • Create New...