mikeweil

but bigger I bet Be careful: there are khenes up to five or even six feet high!

... but I bet he has more tubes than you had .

The basic principle of free reeds used in Melodicas, harmonicas and accordions was copied from an East Asian instrument family, the oldest of which probably is the khene from Laos. The Chinese sheng and Japanese sho were developped from this. Another khene link with sound sample.

I dig the shit out of it everytime I hear it. Then you will dig the shit of some of the Olatunji stuff I copied for ya ... I have to send it, my God --- don't blame me, gettin' older is hard work

To me the problem is that the 1. flute and vibes, 2. drum set and conga, 3. rhythm guitar, 4. piano, 5. bass all play with slightly different phrasing. The piano tinkling and guitar are simply too much for me - without them it would have been a perfect track. But I don't think anyone here overdubbed.

Before that it's basically a samba. After 2:10 it's a calypso pattern or tresillo the drummer plays, but the trumpets on top play the rhythmelodic pattern of some sacred cuban song for the Oricha Shangó, so the arranger must know his stuff or he just picked it up from some cuban record without knowing what he did. That blues melody - the main theme - sounds familiar to me, but I can't put my finger on it. That drum pattern is a very common one.

Yes, that's a very simple and practical explanation for that hose: It came together with a stand to put the melodica on so it lay on the table like a keyboard, and the hose enabled you to blow into it while playing two-handed like on a piano .... I bought me one of these ditties way back around 1970. The hose and stand was available only for the larger model Jack deJohnette so splendidly used on the DeJonette Complex: But you couldn't get no vocoder effect with this, no way! I still have it.

Some more elaborate comments are in order. # 1: DJ Big Sound meets Maynard Ferguson? This is nicely done, the percussion loops are longer and reveal much greater rhythmical knowledge than usual. I probably wouldn't buy this, but I like it. Wonder who it is. # 2: I sure can understand why Jim thought of the Ray Brown big band, but this doesn't sound like Ray, and the turn to Latin rhythm excludes this, I think. It is the often found weird mixup of Brazilian and Cuban rhythm patterns and instruments that authentic bands wouldn't do, at least not this way. But as a big band track, nicely done and full of good spirits. # 3: Crime time! The conga player turns the tumbao around after 0:45 into the track, and conga and bongo are not really together, so this probably is older stuff from the 1960's. # 4: We're probably wrong when we drop any of the familiar names. Nice alto. Trumpet dtto. (sounds familiar) and piano a little monkish, like him. Something tells me this might be quite a surprise when it is revealed. Drummer resembles some things Donald Bailey did, but I'd rather say it's not him. All are very competent players. # 5: Of course we think of Mulligan when we hear a pianoless ensemble with a pedestrian beat like this, but the bari does not sound like Mulligan to me, sounds a little too big, and solo is much too short - Gerry never would have confined himself to so short a chorus. It's not Shihab with Boland, their groove and Francy's writing were different. Again, very nice. # 6: Plas Johnson on tenor? Very big bass drum sound. Nice arrangement. Good use of lower reeds and brass. Humor and competence. Chino Valdez playing congas? Hollywood, that's for sure. # 7: More familiar sounds, late 1960's, could be I have heard this before, but no, that bari does not sound familiar. Vibist is nice, too. All are good players, good swing. Curious who this is. # 8. More film sound tracks ... Good use of the alto flute. But the rhythm section is a little too loose for my taste, not really together. # 9: Sure this is a Brazilian pandeiro player starting the track. This leaves me wanting more. A very personal saxophone conception. # 10: I have heard this before, but maybe with a different singer. Somehow I think of Jack Bruce's voice when I hear this .... yes, track 2 on this CD is the original version. # 11: More montuno for you, montuno for me. The brass cowbell sound and natural skin timbales place this in the 1960's. Another Hollywood recording, again too short. # 12: see my previous post. # 13: dtto. # 14: Accordion, but no idea, nice blend with vibes and guitar. Did Shearing ever play such a machine? # 15: Sounds like a clone half Getz, half Klemmer. Shorter's alter ego playing soprano. Phil Woods' alter ego on alto. Now will the real players please stand up? They sure are serious about their sentiments and get them across to me. Excellent choice. # 16. Another deep sea diver, electric vibes - or a keyboard with vibes settings? - again faint echos of long forgotten tangos. Very emotional. # 17: More moody string keyboard sounds, almost like a Samuel Barber piece. But soon we're taken back into the reality of a Hollywood studio. Still, a deep performance. # 18: This could be the same percussionist playing on the original Decca single of Peggy Lee's "Fever" - I always wanted to know who this is. Damn, I've hardly written this and it's over - part of a suite or more film music? # 19: Almost like a theme from the Booker Little - Eric Dolphy Five Spot sessions. But, no idea. Again, wonder who this is. # 20: Wonder who? Eddie Who!!! Great segues from one track to another. A very competent insight into the world of mood music. Well, this could be the theme, and it could be that there always is one musician on a track that has a connection to or appears on a previous track. Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for identifying that LP. I listened to it only once, many years ago.

Glad to hear we turned you on to Barney, Jim! You're right, it is a melodica. I posted the link to the original album above. Howdya like the alto cat?

I only drink Italian coffee, my breakfast most often is just two cups of capuccino, but double strength, with 50% steamed milk, sweetened with rapadura (Brazilian sugar: dried and ground sugarcane juice), I like it strong and very sweet. In the afternoon it is espresso with the same sweetener. I dig Café New York, which is available from Blue Mountain beans, or Caffée del Doge, right now it is Mambocino, because my good Italian machine is being repaired.

p.s. if your hints on the tracks I do not know are as cryptic as those I understand, then they will not be a big help ....

There is a Japanese issue out of their rare third LP that I ordered a few weeks ago. I dig that band very much, and that saxist all the more - he's severely under-recorded, IMHO.

Well, nobody knows nothing is not correct. Track # 12 is the first piece from this CD, and I know that couw identified this, too. Sorry ubu, it's not Lucky T, wonder how you could take this entirely different sound for him. (So you had your appendix removed? Good to have you back!) Track # 13 is track # 6 from this LP, available on a twofer CD that is not correctly listed on AMG; click here for a complete track listing. And I am certain the last track of the BT is by this guy, one of my all-time favourites, but I cannot identify the album. I enjoy a lot of this but still have to find the time for a track-by track commentary.

No Jimmy Smith here - Paul Griffin and Jim Hall, if my memory serves me right. This is the film I have seen the most often - that park scene in the early morning hours with the wind in the leaves is very special to me. Have to get me this DVD!

AMG lists some producer's credits that looke like there is another Michael Howell on the pop scene.

I knew you would - and this is the proof

I dunno. But I think the real high art lies in posting a lot and still have something relevant to say. If someone here visibly posted here continuously just for the post count, he or she certainly would get some feedback or be ignored.

Two threads! Wow! Please view the other thread for my thanks, I'm really moved and love y'all. Yours, Mike

This is the jazz player's version of what caused Joni Mitchell to perform a similar step last year. The list of frustrated musicians who do not have the mindset for studio gigging or quit out of frustration, at least temporarily, was never written down. Lucky Thompson is the first that comes to my mind.

All of this material was reissued on two Pacific Jazz CDs titled Far Wes and Fingerpicking. I think they are still available. They left off some tracks on which Wes played only written parts, which weren't on that twofer LP either. All of this was scattered over three or four Pacific Jazz LPs. If you want more Brothers, you have to get the Fantasy CD Groove Brothers (Two complete Fantasy LPs) or the OJC reissues of two Riverside albums, one is with George Shearing, a little latinized, the other without him is excellent. The CD Live at Jorgies contains some good live material of the Brothers band.

Quite simple: This was the Montgomery Brothers' home-based working band of local musicians.

Excellent choice! I'll be there with you!

I have that one, Allen and Patrick play nice, spirited solos over a lively percussion background. The vocals are there, I find them a trifle obtrusive on the classic Drums of passion, but not here. I guess it's pretty rare, If you can get it, go for it.

Gimme a double, please!!