Big Al

Is track 3 Lee Morgan and Billy Higgins and a bass player I should know but can't place at the moment? This one is driving me crazy! Ugh!!! That's two I could've guessed correctly if I'd just gone with my gut. I know nothing about Gato except that I normally find him unlistenable mainly because of his seeming inability to hold a note still, which I heard in this track but thought, "nah, this is too subdued, it's probably someone else." UGH!!!!

Well, I was right: track 9 is indeed Sam Jones on cello but I was WAY off about the rhythm section. Would never have guessed that was Joe Zawinul. And Les Spann on flute is just delightful!

Track 1: I sure wish I knew who this was! I think I own this but I can't place any of the players. Lovely way to start a BFT! Track 2: Oscar Peterson from one of his vocal albums? His voice sounds like Nat King Cole and I have his tribute album to Nat, but this isn't one of the tracks. Then again, the playing is a lot more subdued than what I normally hear from OP. I dig this one too! Track 3: I love it that we go from two tracks where piano was heavily emphasized to a track with no piano at all! I love it! Very melodic. Is this from that Kenny Dorham Riverside album without a piano? Track 4: Wasn't sure I'd like this at first but now the absence of a rhythm section is making me dig this a lot more than I thought I would. The band as rhythm section! Love it! Track 5: Sounds like a relatively recent recording of Cubano Chant. No idea who this is but the tenor player sounds inspired by Sonny Rollins. Good stuff! Track 6: Ahhhh NOW yer talkin'! A flute with a sax player and a rhythm guitar but no piano. And that voice! WOW! Again no idea who this is but I can't wait to find out! I mean, I know it's "Desafinado" but trying to narrow it down would take me longer than just waiting for the answer! Track 7: West Indies jazz? I dig it! Track 8: Sounds like something recent. Nobody immediately jumps to mind but I dig the eerie vibe to it! Track 9: Beautiful! I dug it as soon as it started! Is that a bass guitar or a cello? I thought this might've been from that Wes Montgomery album where he played a bass guitar but it's not from that album. The piano-bass-drums sounds like Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb, they are SO in the pocket! Okay, it's definitely a cello. I'll go with Sam Jones then! I can't wait to find out who this is! Track 10: Nice piano-bass duo! Maybe one of the Bill Evans/Eddie Gomez duos? Whoever it is, these guys swing and they sound like they're having a blast! Track 11: Bass & bari! We're getting all kinds of lineups here! My knowledge of bari players is limited to Gerry Mulligan, Pepper Adams, and Cecil Payne, and this doesn't sound like any of them. It sure swings tho! Track 12: This sounds like an outtake from the sessions that produced Joe Jackson's wonderful 2015 LP Fast Forward. Which is just another way to say I have no idea who this is and I can't wait to find out! Track 13: can't say I found this one very interesting. Started nice but I spent the entirety of the track waiting for the rest of the band to come in. Track 14: The wildest version of Get Happy I've ever heard, and since my online sleuthing skills are non-existent I shall have to wait for someone else to get it! Mikeweil, you always put together a fun BFT and this was no exception! Thanks for putting this together, I'll definitely be spinning this again!

A most enjoyable BFT, Dan!

Here's hoping

I gotta say: this thread depressed me. Started off quirky and then went downhill. If you're reading this, somehow the thread is opened again. If you're not reading this, then this is a moot point. Just makes me glad the Politics page is no longer in existence here.

Blind Man, Blind Man - Herbie Hancock (My Point of View)

I received the following in an email from Scott at Mosaic today: We had an enormous run on this set and it looks like your order is part of a second batch which will be leaving in close to 2 weeks. We apologize for the delay and if I get more info for you I’ll let you know. I don't know about you guys, but I love it that there was such a phenomenal demand for this set. Has this happened previously?

NBB is my favorite Byrds album. Every song is perfect as it is and I can't imagine the playing order being any different. That said, I'm intrigued by your re-imagining. Count me as one of those who loathes "Triad" (a song that said as much about Crosby as a human as anything else he's said since) but I'm curious to see how it sounds in your context. I agree "Lady Friend" is sadly overlooked and one of Crosby's best songs (in the same way, I wish they'd included his "It Happens Each Day" on the original Younger Than Yesterday and put it in place of "Why"). It would've been a fantastic way to kick off side 2 and lead right into "Change is Now."

Mine is on its way and John's review has me even more excited to receive it!

1. No idea. I like it though. Sounds recent, but then again technology being what it is, recent could mean "within the last 30 years." Freddie Hubbard? 2. Ahhh this sounds like the kinda groove I used to go mad about around these parts back in the day. Melvin Sparks on guitar? 3. Like Someone in Love. I like this arrangement and am eager to find out who this is. 4. No idea again. I like that it sounds similar to track 3. 5. God Bless the Child, and God bless the arranger. I love this and I could swear I've heard this before. 6. The more I listen to this the less I like it. Sounds like the LCJO trying to play Monk as N'awlins gumbo gutbucket wat-doo-diddy-wat-wat etc. Somewhere Ken Burns is firing up his camera to document this. The ending of this is just embarrassing and takes way too long to finish. 7. Sounds like a tribute to the Coltrane Quartet. I particularly like this because the bassist plays like Steve Davis from that group, holding down the groove while everyone around him goes exploring. Those Atlantic Coltrane Quartet recordings are my favorite era of Trane! 8. The singer sounds like Joe Williams. Maybe it is Joe Williams. Whoever it is, I like it! 9. See answer to track 1. Except I couldn't tell you who the trumpeter is. And if it's Freddie Hubbard, I'm gonna go away for another ten years! 10. The tune is familiar but the players aren't, not to these ears anyway. Sounds like everyone's having a good time, though! 11. No idea, but I like it and it reminds me again why I love trumpet-led quartet sessions! Overall I enjoyed this BFT (aside from track 6) and am looking forward to the answers!

Gave it a quick spin to see if there was anything I could immediately identify and learned that I still don't know squat about jazz. Will give it a more concentrated listen and see if I can give any guesses, educated or otherwise.

Can I have April? It's been almost 10 years, hopefully there's something interesting in the collection worth sharing!

My copy is pre-ordered. I'm very excited about this! I love this era, the format, the jams, the players, and the excitement. Been waiting for this since the 40's box was issued.

Kinda surprised I didn't recognize Teena Marie. Not that I'm an expert, but I always thought she had a very distinctive voice.

#2 is George Benson in all his CTI glory. Track 2 here #4 is Stanley Turrentine & Deodato also in all their CTI glory on a track originally released on an otherwise vocal album that I consider the high-point of this lovely singer's oeuvre (always wanted to use that word in a sentence) Track 8 here but also a bonus track here if Ms. Gilberto is not your cuppa tea (what's wrong with you anyway?) #5 boy, he has one of the most distinctive voices in the history of recorded music. No idea the album and I'm too lazy to look it up, but I love his Christmas album with Percy Faith, you know the one, it still gets played to death on the Christmas stations every year, which is still better than 90% of the other stuff that gets played this time of year. #6 no idea but I like the groove! #8 no idea but I MUST find out!!! And I promise I'm not ignoring your PM!

I have that album and it's the best album Fleetwood Mac never released under that moniker. From 1975 on, the bulk of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs were written by her. I know 79 is a long time but still, gonna miss her.

Looks interesting. Are you able to play your music from the cloud or do you have to download the music to your device?

Prizes arrived today and what a treasure trove!!! DIZZY GILLESPIE QUINTET: Legends Live (CD) I love Diz's quintet recordings and am excited to give this a spin! THELONIOUS MONK WITH JOHN COLTRANE: The Complete Riverside Recordings (CD) Tickled to add this to the collection. I have the K2 remasters of Monk's Music and Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane, both of which are in glorious mono. It's nice to have the stereo masters to go with them! BRUCE WEBER: The Film Collection (DVD) Four films, including Let's Get Lost which I've never seen and can't wait to watch! BIRD (DVD) I've never seen this. This one I hope to watch with my dad! THE B SIDE: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song (Book) This right here is the piece de resistance for me! I didn't even know this book existed until today and I am VERY excited to read it! Thanks again Russ! Already looking forward to next season! 👍

Those last two minutes were the most exciting two minutes of any sports of recent memory. Two blocked field goals??? Yikes!

Hear hear!!!

The Bitches Brew box. Man, they really got that album right, the rest of the box is super boring, IMO. Always figured these were the outtakes Miles was referring to when he said Columbia was waiting for him to die so they could release all that stuff (paraphrasing from memory. I also understand some of those tracks found their way to albums like Big Fun and Get Up With It).

Which Steve Lacy? Apparently there are two now. Not according to the booklet. Then again, nobody I know can tell me what exactly is missing. May just be a couple of early fade-outs for all I know. Amen!

Missed ya, brother. Hope you're doing well. That makes sense. But then that leads me to wonder: Contemporary is/was a fairly prolific label back then, isn't/wasn't it? Another album I would think fits this bill is Clifford Jordan's GLASS BEAD GAMES (smaller label, spiritual jazz) but an original of that, while pricey, doesn't command near the bucks BL commands.

Could someone please explain why Woody Shaw's BLACKSTONE LEGACY is so expensive, especially compared to other jazz doubles of the same time. Can't seem to find it for less than US$250. I agree it's a fantastic album, but is it that rare? What am I missing?