Hot Ptah

I have corrected the Tommy Flanagan track.

You may recall that I included "Mambo a la Tito" by Tito Puente on BFT 69, from a British compilation CD, "Carnival", which has no year of recording information or musican credits. I asked for any help identifying the song by year or album, so that I could figure out who played the notable baritone saxophone solo. I have now positively identified this song as the opening cut on Tito Puente's 1968 album on Tico Records, "20th Anniversary". I ordered the CD of "20th Anniversary" to get the musician credits. The CD packaging has no musician credits. I have viewed online scans of two different back covers of the "20th Anniversary" LP, and there are no musician credits. I have sent out inquiries about the musicians on "20th Anniversary" to noted Latin music experts. If I get an answer, I will post it.

I am in, and would like discs. The two disc version is fine with me.

So do I understand the cover designer's intent--the one black person at the party is the "soul sauce"?

Reading the list of Super Bowl halftime performers over the years, big pop or rock stars were not used as the entertainment until the later 1990s. Before that, University marching bands were often booked, or easy listening artists or even gasp, jazz artists. The following Super Bowl halftime performers may be of interest to those on this forum: Ella Fitzgerald (1972), Woody Herman (1973), Mercer Ellington and the Ellington Orchestra (1975), Pete Fountain and Al Hirt (1978--Al Hirt had also performed in 1967 and 1972), Pete Fountain and Irma Thomas (1990), Tony Bennett and Arturo Sandoval (1995). Those performers were usually part of a package of other acts. Not until the 2000s was it firmly established that a big rock or pop star would be named as the halftime performer.

I am kicking myself over Track 10, because I have that album and bought it when it first came out. I have not listened to it in a while. I need to revisit it! Interesting that I sensed an early Sun Ra influence on it, as Julian Preister played with Ra in the 1950s. So it was Roy Eldridge playing trumpet on that Billy Eckstine track! I really like that track. That was a wonderful Blindfold Test.

I love it! I am flattered that you would put in the time to create this!

Wow! What a fantastic set of posts. There is much to read and study here, and many artists to check out. You should write a book, MG. This is why I love Organissimo, the chance to learn about something new, by someone who knows so much about it and has a passion for it.

You were so quick on #14. I was looking at the CD cover to type in the names of the other musicians. Freddie Hubbard--trumpet, Roland Alexander--tenor saxophone, Ronnie Matthews-piano, Ron Carter-bass, Charlie Persip--drums. While I have the album, I did not recognize it when I played your BFT. Maybe I have way too many albums!!!

I believe that this is the album for #14.

Is #8 from this album? I shared a small apartment in college with two other jazz fans, and one of them had that album, but for some reason we never played it even once. I remember the cover art though. Is Freddie Hubbard the trumpet player on #14?

To me, there are saxophonists who are major league in imagination, vision, conceptualizing, and overall artistic genius, and then there are saxophonists who blow solos, with some talent in particular jazz styles. I think that Chico is one of the second category. When it comes together for him, he can be effective on certain solos. I do not expect from him a full blown body of work which is one of a piece on a very high artistic level. I go elsewhere for that. Having said that, sometimes the blowers of solos give pleasure. Sometimes their solos are not that interesting. In my mind, I judge the blowers of solos differently than the artistic geniuses, and it works for me. So I would never say that the faces on Jazz Tenor Saxophone Mount Rushmore would include Chico Freeman, but I like to hear some of his solos, and some of his albums.

I found a copy of this Riverside LP, in mono, with the original label, in mint condition, for $5.98 recently: This is one of the New Orleans LPs which was produced by Chris Albertson in the early 1960s.

That is truly a great find. I found that album at the Music Exchange in Kansas City in the late 1980s, for about $35. That is the only copy I have ever seen.

One point which may be of interest considering how this discussion has progressed. In April, 1982, I reviewed the Wynton Marsalis Quintet's concert for a student newspaper, and spent about 30 minutes talking to Wynton for a background interview. He commented that he had not enjoyed playing on Chico Freeman's "Destiny's Dance" LP, because "Freeman didn't know the changes to his own songs." So no less an authority than Wynton Marsalis agrees with Allen's points.

I do not think that Chico Freeman is at the level of many widely acknowledged jazz masters. However, his playing of tenor saxophone, flute, bass clarinet and soprano saxophone on just three albums, "Spirit Sensitive", "Peaceful Heart Gentle Spirit", and DeJohnette's "Tin Can Alley", are to my ears far above student musician status. I have heard other albums by him which strike me as less distinctive than those three. It is interesting to me that he was chosen for the Leaders group, which consisted of Lester Bowie, Arthur Blythe, Freeman, Kirk Lightsey, Cecil McBee and Don Moye. I was told by a musician who was considered for that group but passed over, that each musician was chosen with some care for that group, among many who wanted to join on each instrument.

From what I remember, there was not that much hype machine. India Navigation was a tiny, indie label. Chico Freeman was talked about by a relatively small circle of jazz fans as an interesting up and coming player, among other interesting up and coming players in the late 1970s. I do not recall any big label pushing his name or music out before the public. There was no press campaign or advertising campaign by anyone with money. That strikes me as a tad harsh, from what I remember of his live performances in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

I think that his playing with Jack DeJohnette was exciting. I remember a truly outstanding concert in Ann Arbor in January, 1981. A sample of Freeman with DeJohnette is found on "Tin Can Alley". I think that his "Peaceful Heart Gentle Spirit" and "Spirit Sensitive" albums were excellent. The rest of his India Navigations were quite good, in my opinion. He was promising, and energetic, and could make good albums. Then he started making albums in the 1980s which I found not as interesting. But an early 1990s concert with the Leaders found him in top form, to my ears. He made an awful smooth jazz album a few years ago, which I could not believe when I heard it.

At the bottom of the page, there is a blue strip which says in fine print, Click Here to See Filter Options (or something close to that language). You click on it. Then you adjust the drop down bar to the time frame you want, instead of the 30 days that it is usually set to, and click Go.

Glad you're enjoying the music. Although I kind of feel like I'm breaking an Organissimo BFT rule by not including any Django Reinhardt or Sun Ra , this is a Django- and Ra-free blindfold test. Interesting how on one selection, the theme from the opening cut from "Miles Ahead" is heard, and on this cut, the theme of "El Is a Sound of Joy" is at least alluded to. You are getting us into some fascinating territory.

This is a fascinating collection of music, and I am enjoying it a lot. As usual, I cannot provide any positive identification of any of the tracks. I can't wait for the Reveal, because I am definitely going to buy some of these albums. Track 10 begins with what sounds like the opening theme of Sun Ra's "El Is A Sound of Joy". I strain to hear Sun Ra in this track. It is possible but not certain. I am not able to locate a Sun Ra recording with this instrumentation, however. There are a great many Sun Ra recordings, to be sure.

Always thought it was part of the poetic charm of his music I would agree with you on many of Cherry's albums. On this one, it is different to my ears. He sounds like a student trumpeter whose lips cannot play one more note--I have been there, as a high school trumpet player years ago. I wince when I remember when it happened to me, and it sounds just like what is happening to Cherry as this 4 CD set progresses.

Oh man. Now I know why I could not identify the artists. But the BFT for me is primarily about learning about new artists and albums, and your BFT has certainly done that!

I think that Cherry lost his chops as the sets progressed. He really should have sat out the last two sets, or at least not soloed during them. His lips sound like they are just shot. It is sad to hear.