mikeweil

Yeah, A heartily welcome! Would be nice to have a list like that for 1940-1949 as well!

For me as a percussionist, it was fascinating how Elvin integrated percussionists into his group, starting with one and ending up with a whole bunch. Maybe this is too much for a non-percussionist, but it stands out among the efforts of its kind. It is also interesting to compare these to Art Blakey's Orgy in Rhythm etc. - drummers' meetings, but with Elvin they were really part of the band. I'm glad I'll get one at last - got my order and shipping confirmation today - I didn't have the money at the time it was issued but had sold my LPs to raise some funds which then went elsewhere .....

I have to admit that I rarely find the time to go back to the BFT discs. But there are some tracks on each and every one of them that get ***** from me - perhaps I should make a compilation of them and post the tracklist here .....

Ordered Elvin today .....

Well said!

He had a very nice sound - but it seems a bit like he didn't quite know what direction to take. I had one Atlantic LP which included fashionable Reggae tunes beneath some pretty well done post-Bitches Brew track with Larry Willis and Sonelius Smith on two keyboards, but there was a sense of direction and unison missing. I wonder why I never got around to get me that ECM - should be easy to find a copy.

Well, if that's creepy to you, I understand - but I see it as part of the African concept of letting another spirit "ride" you to do something in this material world. (This is an essential part of African religious ceremonies involving what is called possesion trance, and as jazz as an African-American music encompasses many African traits, I see a connection here.) I experienced something like this recently when I gave in, kind of called the spirit of my favourite timbale player, and there he was, guiding my hands. It was great. I probably couldn't repeat this, and I doubt Wilber et al could repeat this, or Walter Davis his Monk solo piano CD, or Harry Allen his Getz tribute (I heard so many things on this track that Getz never would have done, that I couldn't call him a clone). But I hear you, Jim, and I know it's a very thin line, and we all must see who we are and when to step back. I'm at the point where I'm not afraid anymore of losing my identity - giving it up to creep inside somebody else's is an essential part of finding one's own - at least that was part of my learning experience. I think they all know they're not Hawk or Getz, that's why they come so close - and don't forget what we discussed about Quinichette, who's perhaps the prime example. Well, 'nuff said .... Thanks for promptness and sincerity - I appreciate this a lot - although Tom bet me to it and took some of the words from my mouth.

If you can't get the separate CDs at a good price - someone at amazon.de wants 39 EURO for a used copy of One Day At A Time, which is ridiculous! How much do you have to pay for Helium Tears? There are copies of it for only 4 EURO at amazon.de .... I wonder if Granelli approved.

They did compile all the tracks with Haden from both CDs: Charlie Haden / Helium Tears 1.* In The Moment 2.* Koputai 3.* I Could See Forever 4.* Julia's Child 5. One Day At A Time 6. Helium Tears 7. 23rd & Cherry Tracks marked * are from Koputai! Both CDs were recorded at these sessions Granelli organised, with shifting personnel. Jay Clayton was heard only on the Koputai CD. I like 'em both - they sum up to 100 minutes which of course is too much for one CD.

That's weird because Haden is only on three tracks - or did they assemble all the tracks with him from both albums?

I'm just listening to a beautiful Priester solo on track 3 - I bought these for him, and for Towner, whose synth I like only on other people's records It's some type of free form jam session type music with fusion leanings, but some nice written themes. They have their weak points, but also moments of great beauty and intesity. Granelli's electronic sounds are a little too loud for my taste, but that's partly due to them being probably recorded by direct input - when there's only the drum set the balance is okay. Goodhew plays a very nice Maupinish role on these sessions - an underrated player, IMO. Yes, I like it, and Koputai as well - I wouldn't sell them when I was forced to reduce my collection. The CD you asked for is titled One Day At A Time, I forgot to mention that.

I have a CD on ITM Pacific 970055, One Day At A Time, released in 1990, with the following: Jerry Granelli - drums, electronic percussion (and probably the leader of the date) Ralph Towner - synth - 1,2,3 Charlie Haden - bass - 3,4,7 Julian Priester - trombone - 3,4 Robben Ford - guitar - 3,4,6,7 Denny Goodhew - alto sax, bass clarinet - 1,2,4,5 Recorded at London Bridge Studios A, between November 21st and 25th 1988 by Rick Parashar, with Don Gilmore assistant engineering Produced by Jerry Granelli and Steve Brooks 1. Point of Departure (Granelli) 2. Life Line (Granelli) 3. One Day at a Time (Granelli / Haden) 4. Helium Tears (Goodhew) 5. Until Now (Goodhew) 6. City Life (Granelli) 7. 23rd & Cherry (Granelli) This is a German label - they released a total of two Granelli CDs from these sessions with similar personnel. The other was titled "Koputai".

# 1: The type of sound engineering I hate: Unnatural instrument balance and imaging, different types of room ambience on different parts of the group .... the drummer is lower in the mix at the end: Why did they do this? Arrghh! I don't like this type of post-modern jazz ..... Some group like EST in quintet size? Imagine this engineered like an old Blue Note record and its musical substance would shrink to proper size. # 2: That alto has chops but is a little too exuberant for my taste - I'm sure I have heard him before. Pianist is not my taste. It sounds like he was finished but the others missed his cue, so he had to add a chorus, which shows that he plays mostly over the changes, not the substance of the piece - Star Eyes, of course. Well .... this beautiful tune has yet to be played in the proper tempo. # 3: Now this is really beautiful and perhaps my favourite from both discs, that's why I am complaining so much about some details of the sound. Why are the bass, udu, brushes (bass drum is inaudible once more!), electric piano and guitar all more or less cramped together in the middle, while the vibes get an unnaturally wide stereo spread? Some engineers have crazy conceptions! A better mix would make this sound more transparent. Pity, because it is such a nice piece played competently. Tenor is appropriate but should have avoided some standard modern licks, but he is fine in this context. Is this Sardic language? I'd say folk singers. Some Italians do a very nice job recently integrating folklore and jazz! I love these voices! What are the words about? # 4: Again, a strong contrast. Like this pianist, probably from the 1940's but can't name him. Would like to hear more. # 5: It took me some time to get the idea: He adds a track with each round, thus giving insight into the process. I would have put in more variation or kept the passage a little shorter. But I wouldn't listen to that more than once or buy the record .... # 6: Hahaah! Another one that had me laughing all the way through. Are they playing like this all the time? # 7: This reminds me of a lot of things I listened to in the 1970's. I don't like that kind of pipe-like flute playing. Without the flutist it would have been nice. # 8: Some Strayhorn tune comes to mind, but this is different. I think the bass is too much up front (darn those pickups) - that aside, it's a heartfelt, very good performance. I'm curious who that tenor player is - Ernie Watts? I get the message behind the shrieks at the end, but would have liked it better without them. # 9: Off to Hammond county again! Organ with alto is too rare ..... electric bass in the band? Hmm ..... This alto is in tune, for a change .... nice hard hitting combo, but a pedal bass would have made it sound meatier. Yeah, this is still greazy enough to merit repeated playback! I'm still awaiting an all-organ BFT! # 10: Some more from the post-bop Ornette school. But hey, they sound Ornettish but play the changes, which is rather more conservative. These players sound ineresting enough to me. Yes I like this somehow - is this Higgins himself? If not he's big fan ..... no not Higgins. Yes - one of the few tracks in that vein I really enjoyed in recent times. # 11: Juggling rhythms of the type I like, although that left hand - bass unison menthod is a little worn off. As is the right hand with the tenor. I find this very good, on the whole. # 12: Now this is a little too much over the top for my taste .... # 13: That darned latter day bass pickup sound again ..... soundwise, no good match to that almost lazy tenor sound that must come from a veteran player. A little meandering. Maybe a younger player with an older sound concept? The old tenor masters didn't use these modal vamps, did they? And without a piano, the bassist must do the work! Where are the variations, the interaction? This doesn't sustain my interest too long. # 14: Now this is more to my taste - they make more out of the vamp and are in good spirits! # 15: Again a band slightly reminiscent of the Deidda brothers - there is a tradition for street band inspired jazz in Italy, it seems. Very nice, and the perfect closer. If the rest of this album is like this, I'll try and get it! Thanks again - that's the way a BFT should be! The fun you had in preparing shines clearly through! p.s. edited for a bad typo - and another one

Try using the bass controls? I know what you want to say, and hear it, but could it be a characteristic of your playback equipment that is a little pronounced on the low end?

Exactly. Jeremy's wife Judy certainly was satyrated after so much Howlin' For Judy - see the cover pic above ....

I vividly remember that discussion about Harry Allen's Getz tribute - I'm still looking for that record .... and will put this Wilber on my wish list. I liked it, I think it is too competent and heartfelt to dismiss it (which I know you didn't!) - this one is on a higher level than normal tributes and I reckon it's their natural language like Pres' was Quinichette's ..... I wonder why you have such strong feeling involved in this kind of thing Jim, and suggest you ask Harry Allen some questions when you met him, pehaps with your hands on the back in handcuffs?

Luca, this is one of the most interesting of all BFTs so far, IMHO. It is the first time I cannot identify a single track, only very few tunes, and rarely a player. Fantastic! Some of the tracks are so fascinating I plan to get the discs once the answers are revealed. Here are my comments with the usual disclaimers in place. # 1: I have been delaying my answers partly because I hoped I could identify this tune, but I gave up. I know it, I am sure it is of Cuban origin, at least in style. One rarely finds a jazz group that hits the characteristics of Cuban music that well: The drummer uses his bass drum correctly in sync with the bassist and does not play the darned samba pattern, and uses the cross stick and hihat nicely (but he could have imitated guiro or cowbell patters some more), the pianists knows his guajeos without losing his jazzy freedom and plays a nice solo, the horns phrase the theme properly ... I can't ask for more. I wonder what else they play. # 2: Now this one has me stumped all the way: Three obviously Hawk-inspired tenorists, but the recording sounds so recent there isn't any reason to assume it is any of the old masters. But some of Hawk's phrases are so firmly in place here .... when they suddenly hit the transcribed last part of Hawk's original solo I shouted out in approval. This is great. I have no idea who they are, but they know their history, and more so, they live it. My compliments! How's the other music on that CD? # 3: Some swing tune I know but cannot name - the version I have from the olden days is more to my taste. They didn't rehearse enough, guitar and tenor are not well together. Some rather average mainstream performance, to these ears. Doesn't keep my attention, although all are are competent players, but there is nothing special like in the two preceding pieces. The tempo is a little too fast to make the most out of the tune. Bass player reminds me of NHÖP. Some Pablo record? # 4: Some fast and furiously played Bird tune. For my taste, a little too wild - and I don't like the electric bass, although he has it down pretty well. The spirit here reminds me a little of the Salerno Liberty City Band - the Deidda brothers, but they play more accurately, and Dario plays bass a little more like Jaco and a little better ;-) ..... well .... still curious who this is. # 5: I would have liked the sax alone better - I dislike this style of piano playing. Violin? Why didn't they all play together, and a little more sparingly? I always suspect some of what I hear is random in these bands, and the unspoken rule to avoid conevntional beauty and harmony. It doesn't lead me anywhere. It gets more interesting when the interaction starts, but I have heard many of these "free"-style mannerism too often. And where are the violin and bass clarinet in the second part - or do they double - or is this even one player switching? # 6: Hehee - there are some very nice contrasts on this disc. This sounds to me like a native speaker of German singing in English - don't know this style well enough to make a guess, but it's a nice dance band not much worse than US bands of the time. Hey - that accordion is the icing on the cake! # 7: A big band track? Why not. Nice arrangement - like the way the trombones are scored. That a soprano plays the first solo after the bones is a good idea. The soprano player has that coy tone I like a lot with that horn. No idea who they are. Again, very nice. # 8: Again, a striking change of mood. Must be a recent recording. The violinist has listened to his bit of Stuff Smith. Pianist sounds a little stiff. Could take more musical substance for its length. # 9: Do I hear the chord changes of "I want to be happy" here? I like the way he uses his electronic sax attachment, but on the whole I find the track too long and meandering. # 10: Swing it, Sam! No idea, but this is to the point and well played, although this is not the most of innovative of tenor saxists. It delivers, yeah! (Remarkable I like the more conservative material better on this disc, so far ...) # 11: Solo rendition of "'Round Midnight" on bass clarinet. He knows his Eric Dolphy. Or is this Dolphy? Some phrases don't sound like him, though, and the rhythm section sounds too recent. I'd say not Dolphy. Interesting. There isn't enough bass clarinet in jazz! # 12: An organ combo! Too rarely heard on these BFTs, as though we all had complete collections of every Hammond player of regard. This here is nice, but the way the horns are out of tune with each other and the rest of the band annoys me. Well, they didn't play "Tune Up", but they should ;-). Nothing earth shattering. # 13: Acoustic solo guitar, and he can improvise with a classical technique! Does not sound like Charlie Byrd - the chops of this player here are much better! Who is this? Excellent choice! # 14: Definitely inspired by Ornette! I can't say much about this - emotionally, it doesn't reach me, but I find this "quartet without rhythm" interesting, in some way. # 15: This has the stark quality of some Mal Waldron pieces, but this is not Mal at the piano. Only thing I dislike here is one string player bowing along in the treble range - just those low notes anchoring the piece (with a little more presence in the mix) would have made it to a favourite on this disc. Sounds like one player plucking and bowing (partly below the bridge) at the same time. The piano could have been tuned better - could be an upright, but it is mixed up front so much to emulate the volume of a grand piano, it seems. Pianist has some Bleyish influences, too, but hits a little hard. Drummer could be more original - most snare drums sound not so good when the snares are turned off - it is hard to make a snare drum sound good and in tune with plastic heads. # 16: Another familiar tune I can't name at this moment! Phil Woods with a local European rhythm section? Sounds like some unofficial release. Nothing particularly striking, but nice. # 17: Now this had me smiling all the way. At first I thought of a defective record, but these guys actually play all those hiccups! Verrry nice idea - I have a soft spot for humorous endeavours of this type. To sum things up, some very nice stuff, and again a rather eductaional disc, as I expect a number of unfamiliar names here (to me, at least). Thanks a lot for compiling, and excuse that I'm so late, but some unforeseen appointments and the preparations involved keep me busy most of the day. Now off to the others' guesses before I get back to my pile of old paperwork I have to sort out ..... p.s. edited to paste in a half-sentence accidentally cut out.

Perhaps because it was a one shot deal, even though Haden wanted Hank Jones, and the latter readily accepted. I miss a dose of tranquility ...... Now that's one that I thought was next to perfect ...... I think the recording quality has a lot to do with it in both cases - you hear and feel the rather sterile and acoustically dampened studio atmosphere a lot. No space in the sound.

One initial thought while listening: the bass is recorded in a way that makes Haden almost sound like Ron Carter! That ain't right ....

Will have to spin this again ..... back then I wished they would have taken some pieces at a slower pace. But the pairing and the program is intriguing!

Just found this sentence on several websites:

No Eddie Henderson? And: a benefit for Priester? For what reason? I hope he's doing well ..... my favourite trombonist.

Teddy Charles' vibes break on this rivals Bird's! Charles plays the bongos, too, in the percussion feature at the end, although he is not credited for it.

I had Jeremy and the Satyrs...seems like about 40 years ago. Who was in that band, BTW?

It's easily done: just remove the cable ends from one of your speakers and readjust them the other way round - the process can be reversed at any time without damage (if you want to be careful switch off the amp before you do it, at least the speakers).