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Big Al

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Posts posted by Big Al

  4. BFT 106 sign-up thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted · Edited by Big Al

    Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Festive Festivus! It's time to sign up for the latest round in the series of World's Easiest Blindfold Tests! I'll be handling all the downloads & CD shipments, so Jeff can enjoy the holidays! And since you won't have to wade through my usual clueless guesses this month, this gives YOU a break from the monotony. This, of course, assumes that I won't forget my own BFT selections and then I'll have to start ranting & shouting at myself for the horrible choices in music!!!

    I mean, there may even be squawking on here for all I know!

    Signed up so far:

    Bright Moments - DL

    felser - DL

    JSngry - DL

    The Magnificent Goldberg - DL

    Hot Ptah - CD

    jeffcrom - DL

    Hardbopjazz - DL

    Thom Keith - DL

    webbcity - DL

    Jim R - DL

    mikeweil - DL

  6. MLB Hot Stove League 2012-13

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted · Edited by Big Al

    On this signing: Well, good luck with Pujols and Hamilton in the same clubhouse, that is a terrible mix, and besides, the LA area is the last place Hamilton needs to be with his history. This has disaster written all over it. :tdown

    The same yapping idiots that wanted Hamilton gone in the first place (i.e. the local sports media) have been going on and on about this powerful Angels lineup that now features Hamilton and Pujols. Seems I recall Pujols had a disastrous year last year, pretty much singlehandedly kept the Angels outta the playoffs, if memory serves.

    These same chuckleheads claimed that Hamilton will thrive because he's going to be "surrounded by stars." Uh huh. Because that's ALWAYS a good idea. Clearly, brains are not required to work in sports media....

    I wish nothing but the best for Hamilton, because he was a HUGE part of the Rangers getting to their first and second World Series, playoff wins, etc etc etc. I realize sports is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately game, but if anyone around here has the gall to boo Hamilton when he returns, then I hope they choke on their Superdog. Not saying I wish he'd re-signed with the Rangers, but he sure as hell deserved a more graceful exit.

    Furthermore, coming home empty-handed is a helluva lot smarter than blowing money just because the sports hounds say you need to make a big splash at the winter meetings. So many times the "big splash" has come back to bite the Rangers in the ass, a lot more times than I wish to remember!

    Seriously, the way the Angels are spending money to lose, you'd think Tom Hicks & John Hart had taken over the franchise. I genuinely feel bad for Angels fans.

  9. BFT 105 Discussion Thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    5. "Look good - feel good"? I know the derivation of the Fernando's Hideaway bit on SNL but I'm going to guess Billy Crystal.

    Can you dig it, Face? I knew that you could.

    I almost guessed Billy, too.

    "Where's your messiah NOW??? Yeah... yeah... where's your Moses now, see? Let my people go NOW! Yeah... yeah.... where's your Moses... NNNNOWWW????"

  10. Dave Brubeck - RIP

    in Artists

    Posted

    I sent a link to a You-Tube video to the wife of a friend (sax-clarinet player) who is an elementry school teacher.

    She wrote back to me:

    "Did you know that my class of third graders wrote Dave Brubeck two years ago for his 90th? He replied with the most thoughtful responses to each and every student! Sent a deluxe DVD/CD set of Take Five, post cards of a photo of himself for EACH child, with his signature, answered everyone of their questions in his letter! It was so great..."

    What a great story! Thanks for sharing that!

  13. Dave Brubeck - RIP

    in Artists

    Posted

    He was the kind of you you just figured was going to live forever...seemed to be blessed like that.

    I've been up and down and back and forth with his musics, but what always comes through is that this was a good, decent man, not at all fooled or trapped by his success. If only for that,, Brubeck FTW.

    RIP, and thanks.

    Indeed. The fact that he was married for 70 years - and in the profession he was in - says an awful lot about the man.

    Amen to all of the above.

    God bless Dave Brubeck. Like Clifford said earlier, just because it's inevitable doesn't make it any easier when it happens.

    RIP

  17. BFT 104 Discussion Thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Funny thing is, I actually contemplated making my next BFT nothing but tracks from previous BFT’s just to see if anyone was paying attention.

    Al, great minds think alike - I was considering recycling all my old BFTs into a new one, while preserving the sequencing.

    BFT1 Track 1

    BFT2 Track 2

    BFT3 Track 3

    BFT4 Track 4

    Lather, rinse, repeat.

    And I was going to give the "theme" away up front: "What's Old Is New".

    If anyone figured it out, they'd come off as a BFT savant. :g

    I beg you, please do this so that I can finally bat 1000% on one of these things! :D

  20. BFT 105 Discussion Thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted · Edited by Big Al

    Track 2: Sounds like Stevie Wonder’s backing group (or, heck, could be Stevie himself playing all those instruments) with Syreeta on vocals. This sounds like something one might hear on 730 AM KKDA! May just try to run this through some of kinda audio-futzer to replicate that lovely AM sound! Ah hah! There’s the jazz connection: that’s Wayne Shorter on soprano, I’d know some of those lovely licks anywhere! You can’t fool me on THIS one!

    Uh...yes I can? :alien::ph34r::winky::g

    Have I mentioned how easily fooled I am? ;)

    ********************************************************************************************

    Track 5: Great! I love the old Vaudevillains, those old stories, and I tell ya: I never realized until now just how accurate those old cartoons were in their impersonations of the great Jolie! Plus, I like that it’s programmed right after that funktastic groove of track 4 for me to catch my breath! Thanks for sharing this, man!

    It wasn't just the old cartoons that were accurate in their impressions...

    So I'm noticing. Looking forward to hearing the story behind this one. One thing's fer shure: it was VERY entertaining! Funny thing is, at first I thought it was a Jolson impersonator, then I thought, "Nah, that's gotta be the real thing" and went with that.

    BTW, have I mentioned how easily fooled I am? :shrug[1]:

    ********************************************************************************************

    Track 6: Would you believe the first person I thought of was Johnny Mathis? I dunno, it just has that wonderful controlled vibrato nicely mellowed with age. What do I know?

    Mathis could ride a groove like this, yes. But Nat had the advantage of being a true jazz musician (back when such a phrase had a real meaning), and that shows up here, imo.

    I'm so embarrassed by this, if I had any jazz credentials left, I'd turn them in RIGHT NOW..... :rhappy:

    ********************************************************************************************

    Track 7: Rrrrrrrrrrrrright back to the groove!!!! I’m not even listening to the singer, so I’m not even gonna hazard a guess. That band! THAT FREAKIN’ BAND!!!!! I want them as MY backing band!!!

    You like that, do ya'? Glad to hear it!

    Oh my, now I'm even MORE intrigued!

    ********************************************************************************************

    Track 9: A Ray Charles-Aretha Franklin commercial for Coke? I am HIGHLY offended and will NEVER listen to another Ray Charles or Aretha Franklin record EVER!!!! This is because I am a lifelong Pepsi drinker (and I have the pictures to prove it!) and hoped they woulda had better taste than this. But, hey, I understand you gotta pay the band, so... :)

    Ray came around to Pepsi later on, so look at it like the sinner repented of his sin.

    True dat!

    Areatha, otoh..you argue with her. I ain't got the nerve. :P

    I've done some dumb things in my time, but this ain't gonna be one of them! A Coke for me, Ms. Franklin? Bless you, ma'am, I will enjoy it tremendously! :Nod:

    ********************************************************************************************

    Track 11: Fuzz-vibes!!! I love it! Jim, can you show me how they do this before next fall? Next year is my son’s senior year of high school and marching band, and I wanna go out in a blaze of glory and wire all the marimbas, vibes, & xylophones to get that desired Hendrix effect with feedback & distortion galore. Plus, I dig the Four Freshman cameo there. This sounds like something that mighta come out on Chisa or Blue Thumb back in the day. I’m not even sure that’s a guitar, but if’n it IS, then I’m gonna guess Joe Beck. Or Sonny Sharrock. Or Phil Upchurch.

    Yes, fuzz vibes! Don't know how they did it, but they probably just used pickups on the vibes (there used to be such things, pretty sure) and then just ran it through a fuzz box, just like a guitar.

    The guitarist here, btw, is a well-known player in today's jazz world. This is among his earliest recorded work.

    But that's not The Four Freshmen. You'll get a lot of things out of me on a BFT, but The Four Freshmen will never be among them!

    :rofl:

    ********************************************************************************************

    Track 13: Will do!

    Stan thanks you for being A Good Citizen!

    That was me good deed for the day! ^_^

    ********************************************************************************************

    Track 14: Now THIS sounds like Fathead, what with the reaches into the upper register like that. Nice way to end a BFT!

    Not Fathead, but in the general zone as far as core audience and long-time label affiliation.

    The truly embarrassing thing about this (among many other embarrassing things) is that this was one of the first players I heard when I first got into jazz. How quickly I forget my roots! :ph34r:

    ********************************************************************************************

    Man, this one wore me out, but in a good way!!! This one was so good, I feel sorry for the poor bastard who has to follow this BFT in January!

    Oh, CRAP!!!! :lol:

    Will there be Four Freshmen cuts? :excl:

    Who knows? Have I mentioned how easily fooled I am??? :cool::excl::P:g

    ********************************************************************************************

    Seriously, glad you enjoyed it, and much thanks for your enthusiastic participation. Appreciate it!

    Merry Christmas, baby! And thanks for the early present!

  21. BFT 105 Discussion Thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Ahhhh, a JSngry BFT! Fitting it’s in December, because without even listening to it, I know I’m in for goodies not unlike the kinds the man in the big red suit brings every year to good little boys & girls like me! See, we have a UPS driver who dresses in red every December…. :D

    Track 1: This put SUCH a big smile on my face!!! Sounds like Lambert Hendricks & Ross doing a commercial for somebody. Love it!!!

    Track 2: Sounds like Stevie Wonder’s backing group (or, heck, could be Stevie himself playing all those instruments) with Syreeta on vocals. This sounds like something one might hear on 730 AM KKDA! May just try to run this through some of kinda audio-futzer to replicate that lovely AM sound! Ah hah! There’s the jazz connection: that’s Wayne Shorter on soprano, I’d know some of those lovely licks anywhere! You can’t fool me on THIS one!

    Track 3: Crusaders!!!! Or a reasonable facsimile!!! Oh... well, don’t know they ever used any singers. BUT, same comment for track 2 applies here: I feel like I’m driving around town with 730 AM on the radio dial! Some serious SOUL goin’ on here! Ooooooooooh, I am SUCH a sucker for that 70’s-synth solo going on there. I’d like to say it’s Styx but Dennis DeYoung only dreams of being this soulful. (Heh! See what I did there? Incorporating the lyrics into my guess there? Hoo hah!)

    Track 4: Listening to this at work may have been a mistake cuz I needs to GET UP & GET DOWN!!! This puts me in mind of George Benson’s BODY TALK and sounds like it coulda been an outtake from those sessions. And DAMN if that drummer ain’t trying to pull a DeJohnette on me, which is gonna sound even sillier if it really IS DeJohnette. I think I can get away with saying it ain’t Benson simply because the fidelity sounds too recent and.... Ooooohhhhh, a bari sax! Now that’s just DIRTY!!! Trying to mix up the sound of 60’s-Columbia Benson with 70’s-CTI Benson!!! I LOVE IT!!!!! Only four minutes??? I gotta figure out a way to make this a constant uninterrupted loop of GROOOVE!!!!

    Track 5: Great! I love the old Vaudevillains, those old stories, and I tell ya: I never realized until now just how accurate those old cartoons were in their impersonations of the great Jolie! Plus, I like that it’s programmed right after that funktastic groove of track 4 for me to catch my breath! Thanks for sharing this, man!

    Track 6: Would you believe the first person I thought of was Johnny Mathis? I dunno, it just has that wonderful controlled vibrato nicely mellowed with age. What do I know?

    Track 7: Rrrrrrrrrrrrright back to the groove!!!! I’m not even listening to the singer, so I’m not even gonna hazard a guess. That band! THAT FREAKIN’ BAND!!!!! I want them as MY backing band!!!

    Track 8: Or THIS band!!! Wild guess here: Jerome Richardson on the flute! This sounds like his kinda groove. Oh... my.... gosh.... Could that really be Sam Rivers playing over a fat-ass groove like this??? Oops, false alarm. Nah, gonna go with Joe Farrell on the tenor now that it’s gotten past the initial squawk. Hmmm..... Clark Terry? Guessing Diz would be too easy, since this isn’t as flamboyant as I generally associate with Diz, and it has that nice easy riding-the-groove that I love Clark Terry for!

    Track 9: A Ray Charles-Aretha Franklin commercial for Coke? I am HIGHLY offended and will NEVER listen to another Ray Charles or Aretha Franklin record EVER!!!! This is because I am a lifelong Pepsi drinker (and I have the pictures to prove it!) and hoped they woulda had better taste than this. But, hey, I understand you gotta pay the band, so... :)

    Track 10: What is this, a standard bop tune on a Blindfold Test? Whattya think this is, a JAZZ forum or something??? Sheesh!!!! :g Okay, okay, all kidding a-snide, (I kid a lot. Ask Jim R. He’s a big kidder (not to mention a big kid!), too.) Well, that just flew by in a matter of minutes, was this another commercial? Maybe THIS was the Pepsi commercial! Maybe that’s Fathead breaking away from the band to earn some extra bread from the Pepsi people! Maybe all these years of Pepsi drinking has destroyed what few brain cells I have remaining and you all are the unfortunate sufferers! The truly SILLY thing about this is that this track ended two minutes ago and I’m still commenting on it!!!

    Track 11: Fuzz-vibes!!! I love it! Jim, can you show me how they do this before next fall? Next year is my son’s senior year of high school and marching band, and I wanna go out in a blaze of glory and wire all the marimbas, vibes, & xylophones to get that desired Hendrix effect with feedback & distortion galore. Plus, I dig the Four Freshman cameo there. This sounds like something that mighta come out on Chisa or Blue Thumb back in the day. I’m not even sure that’s a guitar, but if’n it IS, then I’m gonna guess Joe Beck. Or Sonny Sharrock. Or Phil Upchurch.

    Track 12: Nice band, annoying vocalist. Actually, I take it back: the trumpeter sounds like Wynton trying to do his faux-Tricky Sam Nanton. The only thing that keeps me from saying this is one of Wynton’s Ellington rip-off units is that guitar intro. Wynton with a guitar?

    Track 13: Will do!

    Track 14: Now THIS sounds like Fathead, what with the reaches into the upper register like that. Nice way to end a BFT!

    Man, this one wore me out, but in a good way!!! This one was so good, I feel sorry for the poor bastard who has to follow this BFT in January!

    Oh, CRAP!!!! :lol:

  25. BFT 104 Discussion Thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Speaking of not being able to identify things from your own collection, as played by your friends...

    Track 9 is the first tune here: http://www.alaturkam...m/cd_store.html

    Recommended music from the exotic shores of Kansas City. Too bad this band seems to be on hiatus.

    That is correct! I overheard this CD in Prospero's Books in Kansas City, a small, independently owned used book store, and asked the owner if I could buy his copy. He had a whole stack of them behind the counter.

    Egad!!! Don't ya just love stumbling over stuff like this? I love it when that happens!!!

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