Hot Ptah

I love literally every song on this BFT. This is one of the most enjoyable and interesting BFTs of all time, to me. I am not having much luck identifying any of the musicians, except for Track #8, which I was able to identify by artist, composer and song. I am playing this BFT for pleasure in the car, repeatedly. Big Al, did you get the same music that I did? It's interesting how different listeners can have such different reactions.

Sun Ra and members of the Arkestra play on this album.

I "could not" see Spontooneous' last, "two images" either. I note that they, are "from" LP Cover Lover. I, think, that images taken "from" that site are, generally, not "visible".

I am really finding it difficult to figure out what the visual art matches are, with some of these covers. Some are obvious, some are slightly obscure, but with some, I just can't see it. Could we post what the visual match is, as well as the cover? The game is getting too frustrating to me as I strain to see a visual match, and it should just be fun. Here's mine--the art easels in each cover.

I saw Mickey Roker several times with Dizzy Gillespie, once on Dizzy's birthday at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Dizzy was to play three sets that night. He had Jon Faddis with him, and Rodney Jones, Ben Brown and Mickey Roker. The one set we purchased a ticket for, Dizzy hardly played. The audience grumbled audibly when Dizzy said that he was finished with the set, because he had to save his lip for the next set. So Dizzy said, "OK, we'll play one more then." All of the musicians got ready, and on Dizzy's cue, played one unison note and left the stage. I saw Dizzy and Mickey Roker again in May, 1978, at the Jazz Showcase, this time with Rodney Jones and Ben Brown only. That was a great performance by all. Dizzy played great--it was the only time I saw Dizzy live when he was really at a great level. Mickey played well every time I saw him live.

Funny, they show up on my screen. I will use a different source from now on. Here is my last image:

I like Mickey Roker's comments about Richard Davis: "MR: Man, let me tell you about Richard Davis. When he plays pizzicato he can be kind of avant garde like Jymie Merritt. But when he plays with the bow, hell put tears in your eyes. Its so beautiful, it sounds like he can sit in a symphony orchestra. He is very advanced musician. He is a hell of a musician but some people are trying to find something different. There ain't nothing different! What ever you do has been done a million times. Hes a hell of a bass player. In fact he was in Thad Jones' first big band with Roland Hanna."

Thanks for the previous match, Pete C--I was straining to think of a match!

There are some interesting comments by Roker about Ray Brown and Richard Davis. Also, some interesting naming of names regarding bandleaders who paid well, and did not pay well.

This possibly seems to be part of our soundbite culture, in which everything has to be reduced to a short slogan. Nuance and shades of gray take too long. So he may have wanted to be able to present a series of short soundbites about Hammond, strung together, instead of actual writing about him. Your accurate, complex portrayal of the man could not be reduced to the space of a bumper sticker, so it's too long and "weird" (by this standard) to use. To me this represents a significant decline in our culture.

Is #8 Michel Portal, from his "Dockings" album, playing Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino"?

Track 8 is Carla Bley's composition "Ida Lupino", but I can't figure out who is playing it yet.

This is a BFT that is a sheer pleasure to listen to! It reminds me that the West Coast produced a lot of enjoyable music, which has often been treated too negatively by critics with an agenda.