Hot Ptah

OK, for once I knew some of the songs immediately. Since no one else is stepping forward, I will ID some of them. 1. Louis Armstrong--West End Blues, 1928. With Fred Robinson-trombone, Jimmy Strong--clarinet, Earl Hines-piano, Mancy Carr-banjo, Zutty Singleton--drums. 2. Billie Holiday--Miss Brown To You, 1935. With Roy Eldridge--trumpet, Benny Goodman--clarinet, Ben Webster--tenor sax, Teddy Wilson--piano, John Trueheart--guitar, John Kirby--bass, Cozy Cole--drums. 3. Minor Swing (1937) Django Reinhardt--guitar, Stephane Grappelli--violin, Joseph Reinhardt--guitar, Eugene Vees--guitar, Louis Vola--bass 4. Oh Lady Be Good (1936) by Jones-Smith Incorporated Carl Smith--trumpet, Lester Young--tenor sax, Count Basie--piano, Walter Page--bass, Jo Jones--drums. 5. St. Louis Blues (1925) Bessie Smith--vocal, Louis Armstrong--trumpet, Fred Longshaw--reed (pump) organ 6. Flying Home--Lionel Hampton, with Illinois Jacquet--tenor sax solo. 7. C Jam Blues--Duke Ellington (1942) Soloists include Ray Nance--violin, Ben Webster--tenor sax, Rex Stewart--cornet, Joe 'Tricky Sam' Nanton--trombone, Barney Bigard--clarinet 12. Weather Bird (1928) Louis Armstrong--trumpet, Earl Hines--piano (duet recording) I will let other members guess the other songs.

I agree that the dropoff from the 1970s to the 1980s was dramatic and unwelcome to me at the time.

I think the 1970s were the single best decade for jazz, with hundreds of excellent, exciting albums. Many artists of earlier generations were still active and vital.

Thanks for that advice!

Thank you for a great Blindfold Test, John. I am going to get the Carlos Garnett album as soon as possible! So much really good stuff here, right up my listening alley!

Someone I know once had Marcus Allen help them reach a magazine on a high rack, in a store. They suddenly realized who it was and said, "Marcus Allen!" in a surprised voice. He immediately walked about 25 feet away in a few seconds. Maybe this will help you feel better about it, Noj. Allen just does not like to talk to strangers, apparently.

I will ordinarily not speak to famous jazz musicians if I am sitting next to them between sets, because my conversations with them have been even more awkward and poorly received than what is reported here. I can really identify with the author's pain!

I totally recommend the new THEO album (available in download and physical CD form) by our host, Jim Alfredson. I read his posts that it is his prog rock project, that he is hoping to bring more melody into prog rock again, and that he was happy with the results. So I ordered the album. I expected it to be pretty good, but I am floored by how good it is. The instrumental sections are excellent of course. The arrangements are varied and interesting. The vocals are really enjoyable, and the lyrics are very interesting and timely. I have been playing this album repeatedly, and just loving it. Certainly anyone who liked the prog rock of the early 1970s will find a lot to enjoy here, but I think that just about anyone on this board would also really like it.

I'm in! I will send you a Private Message.

I have that LP, on Pumpkin. I have not heard it for some time. I remember it as being pleasant, but not essential.

As I listen to this BFT more times, it strikes me that there is an energy, and an extended nature, to some of these 1970s recordings that we just don't seem to get any more from newer recordings.

It is my favorite of 2014. I am glad to see that you received such positive recognition, Allen.

Thanks! As I really enjoy John Gilmore's soloing, this is good to know.

I came to that album through the same path. It came out last year on Japanese CD. Got mine for about $20 on ebay - it's much more expensive on Amazon. Darn, it is about $40 on ebay now (in CD format). But thanks for that information, that it was ever reissued on CD. I will keep a lookout for it. By the way, this is a really enjoyable BFT!

#7 is the title track from Azar Lawrence's"Bridge Into the New Age", which was in the first wave of jazz albums I ever bought. I really liked McCoy Tyner's "Enlightenment" album, on which Azar is the featured horn player, so when I saw "Bridge..." I bought it and also liked it. To my knowledge it has never been reissued on CD. Thanks for the memories!

That is Volume 8 of Dylan's Bootleg Series, and Volume 11 was released this November. So Volume 8 has been around for a while. I agree that it is quite good.

That's nice Noj. I am also in awe of those who can identify the artists on these Blindfold Tests. Actually not that many members can do it, I think. I can't do it, but I still enjoy participating. I learn so much about music and get introduced to so much music I had never heard before.

Here is my next set of comments:

That is very funny!

The All AboutJazz Forum is back up again this afternoon.

I am going to comment on groups of these songs. This was a really excellent Blindfold Test.

I might also add about that Jackie McLean/Richard Davis/Max Roach performance in Kansas City in October, 1994: as I had known Richard Davis as his jazz history student at the University of Wisconsin years before, I went up and talked to him.. He had me walk with him as we talked. Finally he said that he would have to stop our conversation because "we have to figure out what we are going to play." He went into a small room with Jackie McLean and Max Roach. They came out a few minutes later, went out onto the stage and played. There was no rehearsal, and literally two minutes of discussion. But you could not tell it from the performance, which was just great! The only other time that I ever heard the Charlie Parker white plastic alto saxophone being played was at an outdoor festival in Kansas City the next year, at 18th and Vine. Paquito D'Rivera played it in front of a big band. It sounded really good when he played it too.