Stereojack

Carl Halen Hale 'n Hearty John Hardy

Tuskegee Airmen Kay Armen John Kay

Count Floyd Sammy Maudlin Guy Caballero

Jack Benny Benny Carter Carter Jefferson

My dad, who was from Minnesota, always salted his watermelon. I've never known anyone else who does, but I can remember seeing adds for salt when I was a kid that showed watermelon, so I learned early on that it is popular - somewhere. A regional thing, I guess.

Parker Posey Daisy Fuentes Petunia Pig

Willie Nix Bern Nix Richard Nixon

The Green Manalishi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Yogi Berra

There is no 10" issue of this record. Original pressings are red. The green one is the OJC reissue. Why and when was the color changed? I don't know.

Bleeding Gums Murphy Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Rev. Julius Cheeks

Hutch Davie Davey Tough Ace Cannon

Joe Guy Herbie Mann Houston Person

Another thumbs up for a real classic session!

Royce Campbell Campbell Brown Brownie McGhee

Mike Hunt Dick Hurtz from Holden Big Chief Kamanawanalaya

BFT #39, disc 2 1. You got me from the start here, Dan – I love these all-tenor deals! The tune is reminiscent of “Blues Up and Down”. In the opening ensemble, I thought it sounded like at least three tenors, but there are only 2 soloists. A nice smooth groove on this, reminds me of something that might have been issued by Concord back in the Carl Jefferson era. I could start throwing around names, but I can’t say that I really recognise anybody here, although I liked it. 2. The trumpet might be Blue Mitchell, can’t name the tenor. Trombone is a little rough – nice drummer! A little of this goes a long way for me, I’m afraid. 3. My first thought is Joe Newman on trumpet. Might this be one of those Prestige albums by either Frank Foster or Frank Wess? 4. Tinny recording – maybe a badly mastered CD? The tune is a variation on “All the Things You Are”. I’m sure I know this tenor player, dammit! Oh, there are two tenors. Oh let’s see, maybe David “Fathead” Newman & James Clay? Despite the bad sound, a nice side. 5. On 2nd listen I got the tune, Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints”. An impassioned alto player, Bunky Green possibly? The alto kinda runs out of ideas before the tape stops rolling. Fewer choruses might’ve resulted in a more cohesive performance, imo. The little quote from “Dear Old Stockholm” at the end is a nice touch. 6. “Moanin” – certainly a familiar tune, and an interesting interpretation by this duo. I wonder if this might be a later recording by the composer Bobby Timmons. Can’t place the alto. I do recall a live recording by Timmons with Sonny Red that came out 10-15 years ago. If this is Sonny Red, it’s better playing than I usually associate with him. Thumbs up! Whoever the pianist is, he’s got some nice left hand stuff. Naw, this can’t be Sonny Red! Now I’m thinking that this recording is of more recent vintage, and that both Bobby and Sonny would have already been dead when this was recorded. 7.”Please Send Me Someone To Love” - This one puzzles me – the first guitar, under-miked, sounds like BB King. The second guitar sounds like Kenny Burrell. I wonder if this might be from one of those Newport in New York jam sessions, with Jimmy Smith. The whole thing does have an off-the-cuff feeling to it, but a treat for the audience! 8. A nice alto player, and a soulful performance. This could have gone on a little longer. 9. This sounds like one of the Buck Clayton jam session records, although it’s kinda short! The drummer is almost certainly a well-known swing veteran. The tenor might be Buddy Tate, I think Buck follows him, with maybe Dicky Wells on bone. Can’t pin down the alto – Earl Warren? Another trumpet solo – the same guy? Nice – again, I’d have liked them to have stretched out more. 10. Muted trumpet at the git-go, and then open horn, sounding lkike a cornet or fluegelhorn, maybe Ruby Braff. One of those George Wein Newport All Stars dates? 11. “Jive at Five”. Clunky ensemble. I wonder if this might one of those bands with a bunch of old timers, like the Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, or Panama Francis. Not too thrilled with any of the soloists; the rhythm section is solid, despite the amplified bass. B for effort, C for execution 12. Lounge singer, another overplayed warhorse. No thanks. Way in the background I think I hear a Hawkins-esque tenor. I’d rather hear him than her! 13. “Blues Up & Down” a nice opening and closing to a fine BFT, Dan. A somewhat pat but still enjoyable track, I would guess that this is of relatively recent vintage, maybe last 20 years. Not a clue who the players are – might Red Holloway be one of them?

BFT #39 1. The tune is “Chain of Fools”, the Aretha Franklin hit. We used to call this sort of thing “hip muzak”. 2. Vaguely familiar Motown-ish tune, more along the idea of #1, the alto player digging in a little more – no idea who it is. Possibly one of those Motown instrumental bands, like Choker Campbell? 3. “Just Because” the 1930’s country hit. A little too corny for me, again bordering on Muzak. 4. A little more substance here, some nice picking. My first thought is Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant, but I don’t know if they ever recorded together in stereo. Speedy’s usually a little wilder than this guy. 5. Pure shlock from a tenor player who probably can play. Georgie Auld mades some sides like this, might this be him? 6. This is almost certainly a line originated by Milt Jackson, probably with the MJQ. I think the vibist is Johnny Lytle. Things go along nicely until the vibist starts the locked-hands thing, which is a little trite for me. A bad splice between the vibes & piano solos! 7. Horace Silver’s “The Preacher”, a popular “soul-jazz” tune back in the day. We’ve got at least two bones here. The soloist has got more chops than taste, but I wonder if the solo might just be a just little tongue in cheek. On his second outing he plays something a little more interesting. 8. Still in the soul-jazz bag. Some decent soloists here, can’t name anybody. A routine performance overall. 9. I dunno, this just struck me as cliché-ridden from the start. NMCOT, I’m afraid. 10. “In a Mellotone” – an oft-played tune, to say the least, although it may have not been when this was recorded, which I would guess to have been probably the late 50’s. I like the tenor, but can’t place him. Charlie Ventura, maybe? 11. A nice groove here, possibly the Capp-Pierce band? Nice solos from everybody. 12. Billy Strayhorn’s “Blood Count”, a feature for a tenor player I can’t name. 13. Hank Crawford – “Angel Eyes”. Lovely & soulful. 14. “Fly Me To the Moon” – this must be a rarity, Dan, ‘cause your copy is pretty scratchy! This is very nice – haven’t a clue who’s playing it. 15. “Blue & Sentimental” – I figured at first that this must have been a later edition of Basie performing one of the band’s early hits. I would have guessed Jimmy Forrest or possibly Eric Dixon for the tenor player, but you left the announcement in, and the announcer doesn’t sound like Basie! Might this have been some kind of all star band assembled for a jazz festival? Billy Mitchell sounds good here. 16. Going for a Basie groove here, and what better tune than “One O’Clock Jump”? Pleasant, but bordering on cocktail jazz, to my ears. 17. “Almost Like Being In Love”. The reverb on the tenor is distracting – this has to be an early stereo recording. I’m sure I know the tenor, but naming him? I don’t think so. Way too short! (The tune, not the player) 18. Mr Lucky goes bossa nova! Have always liked the tune. Nice to hear some meat & potatoes jazz on a BFT!

Jefferson Davis Miles Dewey Davis Thomas E Dewey

Waldo Pepper Pepper Adams Adam Strange

This record has had many covers over the years. My first copy, which I bought back in the mid 60's, was the grey "Wonderland" cover. The third release was on Solid State, and the fourth was on UA in the "Douglas Series". Whichever, this is one of my favorite Mingus albums.

Red Auerbach Shona Auerbach Shoney's Big Boy

Polly Bergen Edgar Bergen Gertrude Berg

Art Hodes Hod O'Brien Jim Hodder

Nobody ever talks about "Right Now" (Fantasy), recorded in 1964, although not issued until 1967. I bought this one when it came out, and it just smokes! It consists of two side-long performances by Mingus' band recorded live at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. The tunes are "Meditations" and "Fables of Faubus". The band is Clifford Jordan, Jane Getz, Mingus, & Danny Richmond, and on side 2 John Handy sits in. Lots of fire on this one. And Marty, I agree with you about the Atlantic Carnegie Hall record - a barker!

Marie Wilson Wilson Pickett Gary Puckett