Hot Ptah

"Briefly in vogue in the 1970s"?

I will send you a message and take you up on that offer for Righteous Buddha!

Glad you liked it Bill. Is #10 Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, performing Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan"?

Felser called himself Old Wooden Ears, which I take great offense to, because no one is worse at this game than me, and I resent anyone else trying to claim my crown as the most pathetic identifier of artists of all time. So here are my impressions; 1. I have no idea who the guitarist is, but I like this version of "Darn That Dream". I find it compelling. 2. The first of two flute versions of "In a Sentimental Mood", back to back. I like that idea for a BFT. This flute player sounds like he or she has saxophone as their main instrument, and doubles on flute. The tone is so thin and breathy, as if the player does not really have control of the flute. 3. This flute player has a much more full and soulful tone, which is also rather beautiful. I do not know who this is. It does not sound like the flute players I am familiar with who are excellent enough to record this--Lew Tabackin, Hubert Laws, James Newton. So I am stumped. I wonder if the flute player also plays alto sax later in the song. If so, I can't recognize the alto sax player either. This is really wonderful music, to me. 4. Giant Steps with organ and guitar. They really burn through it. At first I wondered if this was from the John McLaughlin-Joey DeFrancesco collaborations, but the more I listen, it really does not sound like McLaughlin. 5. What an odd little thing, Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler". Who would sing this in the middle of a jazz concert? I have no idea, and want to find out. 6. This is a beautiful recording of "But Beautiful". The tenor sax and piano are both really good. I have no idea who it is. 7. Another version of the same song as on #6, ;'But Beautiful". The players are different from #6 and also really good. I have no idea who they are, either. 8. This sounds like the Woody Shaw group with guest artist Bobby Hutcherson. I like this recording a great deal. This is some really hot small group jazz! 9. Monk's Mood, by solo pianist I cannot identify. At times I thought it might be Abdullah Ibrahim, but at other times it really doesn't sound like him. 10. This one is very intriguing to me, Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan". I can only think of Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus as leaders who would have those trombones in the background playing that type of muted, tough sounding part--which I have always found very appealing when they have used it. But you have already told me it is not Mingus. If it is Duke, I don't recognize it. It does not have Johnny Hodges on it, and I am not aware of any recorded versions by Duke of "Isfahan" without Johnny Hodges. Also, it does not sound to me like Harold Minerve or Norris Turney, who might have played it with Duke after Hodges passed away. So who is it? 11. I have no idea who this is, but I like it very much. It is an interesting piece which makes me want to listen repeatedly. 12. I often like the sound of the accordian or other squeeze box instruments in jazz. I have no idea who this is, but find it compelling and appealing. 13. Easy Living, with a tenor saxophonist with a big, soulful sound. Who IS that? I do not recognize the vocalist, who has more soul to her sound than many jazz singers. I like this a lot and look forward to finding out who it is. 14. Excellent guitarists, and I like the inclusion of the pop tune. This is one of my favorite Blindfold Tests in some time. Without going off into unfathomable weirdness, you have put together a set that is compelling from start to finish, and which I begin to play again in my car, as soon as I finish listening to the whole thing. Not that many albums qualify for repeated listening in my car!

Big Al, This is a great Blindfold Test! I had never heard of that Ben Webster cut, and am very glad I have been able to hear it. I have never heard of Righteous Buddha, but I want to hear more! Between your great Willie Bobo cut and the Willie Bobo cut on Jim Sangrey's recent Blindfold Test, I have to get some more Willie Bobo! Wow, is he great on these recordings! For sheer listening enjoyment, this Blindfold Test is at the top!

Sun Ra--Space is The Place (title track of album) about 21 minutes Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays--As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls (title track of album) 20:44 Art Ensemble of Chicago--Ohnedaruth (from Phase One) about 21 minutes Lester Bowie--The Great Pretender (title track of album) about 17 minutes Miles Davis--Right Off (from A Tribute to Jack Johnson) almost 27 minutes If the rule could be stretched to allow 13 minute cuts: Carla Bley--Hotel Overture (Side 1 of Escalator Over The Hill) Weather Report--Boogie Woogie Waltz (from Sweetnighter)

Charles Mingus--Sue's Changes (from Changes One) about 17 minutes Art Ensemble of Chicago--Magg Zelma (from Full Force) about 19 minutes Miles Davis--He Loved Him Madly (from Get Up With It) about 32 minutes

Well, that explains why I could not find it.

Chico Freeman--Peaceful Heart Gentle Spirit James Newton--Paseo Del Mar Abdullah Ibrahim--Ekaya

I think that #10 is Charles Mingus, and one of his compositions. I think I have this Mingus song on one of my albums. I have gone over all of my Mingus albums and cannot find this song. It is driving me mad. The Mingus recording I think I have of this song is a different version than this one, with different musicians.

They seem like harmless fun to me. I don't know why something that is fun needs to be controlled and squelched. Now if we were discussing an explosion of hate-filled threads full of irrational conflict, insutls and disrepectful behavior, I would say, let's do something about it. But since these album cover threads have no negative content to them, and there is plenty of room on the board--they are not eliminating scarce space needed for something more significant--why do anything about them?

Check this out: http://jazztimes.com...l-their-feeling "I think you're looking for Les McCann..." ROTFLMFAO!!!! Les would have been more than any of them could handle.

Big Al, This is a most enjoyable BFT. I have been playing it non-stop in my car, and loving it. You can really pick songs that have that certain magic to them, that makes me come back to music again and again. Your BFT is too difficult for me though. I have no guesses, not even of the wild variety. The one exception is that I knew the Carlos Santana "Swing of Delight" song, because I bought that album when it first came out. My favorite song on that album is the last one, "Shere Khan, The Tiger". I think that the last song on your BFT has Ben Webster playing on it, but have no idea about the song or album.

I will need a disc. Thanks, I am looking forward to it. Felser, your wooden ears are no match for mine! I absolutely have shown much less ability to identify the music than you have!

I have this LP, but could never find an online scan of it. I am glad that you did.

Big Al, please don't forget my disc! I don't want to miss out on the fun!

I can hardly wait, Big Al! Your Blindfold Tests are so good!

It's really interesting (borderline fascinating) to read everyone's reactions to this recording, which seem to vary even more than reactions to musical selections. I think some of the reactions take this a bit (or completely) too seriously and kind of (or completely) miss the intent, but as Jim pointed out in the discussion, comedy is a highly subjective thing (and dark comedy even moreso). Anyway, "disturbing" and "shocking" are not reactions that occurred to me at all during this bit (it was a historical reference to Jolson in blackface, not a 1970's attempt to revive minstrelsy), but I guess I can understand where that reaction comes from, if one is not inclined to accept the references to a different time in our history. As for the dead body element, if you're shocked by that, don't see "Weekend At Bernie's". I realize that it is a put-on and black humor. To me the minstrel references, which I understand are part of the humor, are disturbing because I would have thought that by the 1970s, an actual performer from the earlier era who used burnt cork would have commented on it by saying something like, "of course times are so different today, but back then we used to use it and no one was offended like they would be today", something like that. The fact that the comic just says it flat out as if it is nothing significant, is part of what makes the humor so effective here--and I find it disturbing humor, which I can appreciate.

What I don't like is mainstream jazz being played with no conviction or energy, and with long solos which contain no originality, inspiration, or interest. I have seen too many jazz concerts like that. The musicians seem to have the attitude that since they are playing mainstream acoustic jazz, it is "real music" and we should be grateful, no matter how dull their playing is. Otherwise, I have no problems with any instrument or style of jazz. I have heard both inspired and dull music played on literally every instrument.

2. I wondered if this was Monday, only because you have sung her praises over the years. When I did not know who it was, I thought this vocalist had a beautiful voice. 4. I have an LP of "Age of Steam" in my "play it someday" pile. I have never heard it. This motivates me to dig it out and play it. It is interesting to me that Kellaway's touch on electric piano seems so different from the way that he plays acoustic piano. 5. The more I listen to this put on of Al Jolson, the more I focus on his off hand remarks about his burnt cork blackface makeup and minstrel wig, as the really disturbing parts of this monologue. As this was presented in the 1970s, the idea that he would still be fully comfortable discussing his phony black man appearance on stage--that is as shocking as his disregard for the dead man in his arms. 6. This Nat Cole song has been going through my head for a few days now. I can't get rid of it. But I don't mind. 8. Now I know how to buy this Willie Bobo song! I want to hear more from this session. 11. So that is John Abercrombie on guitar? WIthin five years of this, he was making his classic early ECM albums. History seemed more compressed and eventful back then. 12. I really wish I knew who was playing trombone on this. I wonder if it is Quentin Jackson. It sounds very much to me like a Duke Ellington band soloist, who was adept with the plunger mute, making that Ellington "jungle band" sound. I wonder if there are any Duke Ellington experts out there who could identify this trombonist by sound. This was a most enjoyable, and unusual, Blindfold Test. I enjoy your sense of humor and whimsy in putting some of it together.