The Magnificent Goldberg

Graham Central Station Paddington Polly Perkins

You're not going to like this one, Ted. The last instrumental in the US top 10 was in 1999 - 'Auld lang syne (the millennium mix)' by Kenny G. That was the also last instrumental in the US top 30. The last instrumental at #1 on the US chart was in 1985 - 'Miami vice theme' by Jan Hammer. The last instrumental at #1 on the UK charts was in 2013 - 'Animals' by Martin Garrix. (Previous one was in 1999.) There are technical/technological reasons for the wipe out of instrumentals. These are explored in 'Sound recording: the life story of a technology' by David L Morton and 'America on record: a history of recorded sound'. They're not overly technical books and do illuminate stuff like this (without, it seemed to me, making a particular point about it). Though at bottom, people generally like vocals better, because they can sing along with them, or sing 'em in the bath (if they own one) and generally get a grip on the tune through the words. MG

Never looked at the US pop charts on my birth date before. Pleased to see it was something half decent - 'Sunday, Monday or always' by Bing Crosby. #1 on the R&B charts was 'Sentimental lady' by Duke Ellington. He was #1 the week before with patriotic song 'A slip of the lip'. Who says jazz don't get on the charts? MG

Thanks Mjzee. I'll always think of the South African Perry Como when I listen to this! MG

I think you did pretty well. Glad I didn't completely remove #22. MG

Glad you're still enjoying it. MG

It's from the Mosaic box, so there's a decent discography. Two tenor players listed, one only a probable, not a definite, and that's one on your list. So, you could be right about him; I wouldn't like to say. MG Glad that was an easy one to answer. Been sealing the new part of our garden fence, which got bowled over and bust in spring storms. Only about twelve feet, but in a hellishly awkward situation. All the time, I was thinking; "This is what old geezers have grandsons for!" Will e-mail daughter, on holiday in Spain to tell her, before I close down the router. Effin' KNACKERED tonight! MG

Well, you surprised me by what you did and didn't get, Alex! TheMG pinged me and said there was Ellingtonia in here, so I had a bit of an advantage with that hint going in. Maybe. Unclear. 1-7: No clue, no knowledge, no nothing. There be Latin things goin' on. Some of them sound pretty good, but what do I know? Maybe they're terrible! 8: "I'll String Along with You", sometime in the 40's, I suspect. I have no idea who, though. One of those ubiquitous sister groups? King Sisters, maybe? And then this would be Alvino Rey, maybe? Yes, another of the ubiquitous sister groups, but not the Kings, and not Alvino Rey. 9: Well, it's "Caravan", but this'd better not be the Ellingtonia I was called in for... It's kinda fun, though. Like an anime soundtrack. (I promise that's not just a dig at all those people calling 20's and 30's music cartoon music.) No, no one from the Ellington ambit playing here. 10: Oh, this might be what I was called for. What on earth is this? It's...well, it's not Ellington, let's get that out of the way. They sure are trying in parts, though. That trumpet is straining to sound like some bizarre mix of Cootie and Bubber and Rex and everyone. Violin, but not Nance, I think, because I refuse to believe this is Duke. As mentioned last month, though, I can't identify violins to save my life. And then there's that Armstrong-like lick (it's not Satchmo, but they're clearly imitating) at the end (or is that an attempt at Cat Anderson...?). Yeah, no idea, man. It's good, but I kinda feel like Ellington would have done it better. Is this some sort of modern homage to Ellington and Blanton or Braud? I enjoyed it. Will probably end up buying whatever this is. Wait until you see what it is!!! Well, this and 3 other cuts are from an EP which, if you can find it, you'll probably enjoy. And yes, it IS Ellingtonia. 11: This isn't Ellingtonia. This is some fun jump bluesy thing. I think this is Amos Milburn, maybe. Fun! Yeah, I like the guess of Amos. Is it him? I want this. Your getting this one right is a big surprise to me. Yes, it's Amos, who you probably know ran a territory big band in Houston before he went to LA and became a successful R&B man. This is actually early fifties, not him with his Houston band. Big tick for this one. 12: Uh-oh. Organ plus Ellingtonian horn voicings (or am I just starting to hear Ellington everywhere now?). No ideas, though. 13: More jumps bluesy things, this time with more of a boogie woogie feel. Earlier than 11, me thinks. I like that trumpet. Could that be Eldridge? This thing is really building in intensity. That drummer is driving it along fine! Oh, I like that alto (yes?), too! Yeah, it's an alto. Solo is a little repetitive, but I am enjoying it. Some nice tone there. Trombone is also nice--and that freakin' drummer just keeps on cooking! Who is that? Anyway, great stuff. Loving it. No idea. Eldridge, maybe, and some other dudes or dudettes. Christ, I'm terrible at this. I want to dance around. And...one of those weird endings where it sounds like the jukebox just exploded and spewed springs and cogs all over the place. I want this. GIMME. Some of those cuts done in December 1947, to enable labels to stockpile material they could release during the Musicians' Union strike, were done under so much pressure that odd endings didn't justify doing another take or maybe they ran out of studio time. This was the eighth and final track recorded at one of those sessions. Normally you only got four tracks but, under pressure, the label proprietor would say, "just play something guys", and they would. And the corollary was that they'd get whatever musicians were hanging around to make up a band. That's how to get real improvisation. 14: "Things Ain't What They Used to Be". Organ. I have zero clues. Once more, I hope this is not the (Mercer) Ellingtonia I was called in for. Well, you'll see that Bill and Jim eventually figured this out. They were still dithering when I sent you that message. 15: Erskine Hawkins. I listened to a whole bunch of his stuff a few weeks ago for a DJ'ing gig that fell around his birthday. Can't recall the name of this, though. Early 40's. Good stuff. Yes, it's Erskine Hawkins playing the original version of the original Black National Anthem, 'After hours'. Another tick. 16: Meh, it's not my thing. No ideas, either. Now that surprises me. 17: Pianist falls between boogie woogie and Oscar Peterson (does that make sense to anyone but me?). Sax is starting to sound like R&B to me. Is this 1950's? It's kinda fun. No clue, I'm afraid, who this is. 18: These guys sound a lot like the guys in number 17. Same era, definitely. Again, no clue, though. Yes, 18 is part 2 of 17. Two guys in this one you should be familiar with. 19: More 1950's stuff. We're almost in rock and roll territory here. Are we slowly moving forward in time? That's not Jerry Lee on the piano, but, you know, we're not that far away. Man, they're just teasing me with rock and roll stuff. At 2:13 the guitarist plays a Chuck Berry lick: it's almost the beginning of "You Never Can Tell". I don't know. Some early rock and roll guys taking it easy on an instrumental. Bloomin' 'eck, Tucker! I didn't think anyone would get this. Yes, it's Chuck Berry. Johnnie Johnson, the original leader of the band when they played jazz in St Louis, is the pianist. A VERY big tick for that one! 20: Yeaaaaaaaah! Ain't she just got the voice? Big Maybelle. "Country Man". She needs a man, people! Yup! Another tick! You're much better at this R&B/Rock stuff than I ever gave you credit for. 21: Well. Someone else apparently needs a man. Clearly modern. Barbara Morrison, maybe? I don't like it as much as 20, but it's pretty good. I like the singer more than the backing orchestra. Fade out! Sad! Jim got this one. One of my favourite singers, 19 years after Big Maybelle's recording. Yeah, not as good, but I wasn't gonna leave this out. 22: Some fun creole thing. I have no clues. I mean, it sounds island-y, but that's not much to go on. I like it, though I didn't need nine minutes of it. (And I didn't need the flute. That's one of those instruments I don't get most of the time.) Reminds me a little of some of the New Orleans creole things (though it's not). Yeah, it's island-y, not South, Central or North America. Closer than most, Alex, but this is as near impossible as can be. A lot of question marks, and I fear I let TheMG down on whatever Ellington connexion I was supposed to pick up. Really, really enjoyed this BFT, though. I will definitely end up buying some of this stuff. Glad you enjoyed it and, actually, glad I fooled you in places where I didn't expect to MG

No - I think you mean from the Georgia Sea Islands, don't you? Don't have anything from there. Maybe, however, the language I can't identify is related to that. Don't know, but not impossible. MG

There were two Johnny Beecher LPs, Jim. The other one (whichever you've got) is pretty much like the one you have got, whichever that is. This cut was on the A side of one of the tracks on one of those LPs, but was never issued on those LPs - well, of course, it just WOULDN'T fit, would it? And has, as far as I know, never come out on CD or anything. I bought mine in 1964 and it's one I've been so attached to forever, I've kept it through thick and thin, good times and bad, and still dig it out to play it. Now I've ripped it to my hard drive, I can listen to it more easily and may get tired of it. but after fifty-one years of listening... I don't think so. You're getting very warm on 'Night in Tunisia'. I think you'll get it soon, so I'm not going to say And 'Things ain't what they used to be' is dead right! Another tick for you. I wondered if anyone would get the pretty good piano player. Sent the BFT off in advance to my mate and he howled when I told him who it was (He got Plas Johnson, though, and knows the title, too, 'cos he has the 45 as well. So, how about constructing the complete personnel, Jim?) MG

Thinking about this while I was out in the back garden, having a quick cough and drag, I decided you were probably wrong about this. It's definitely supermarket own brand. I think you may agree at the end of the month MG

TRACK ONE - Perez Prado. No idea who the extreme plunger trumpet is, but by this time, Prado was using a lot of L.A. studio guys on his records, so it might be a "surprising" name! A tick for this one, Jim. Yes, it's Perez Prado. My able informant (Chuck) tells me this cut, which appears to have been recorded in 1956, isn't listed in either of the discographies which contain some Prado details, and I've failed to find anything out about it on the web, so the trumpet player will have to remain as anonymous as ever. TRACK TWO - Can't say that it failed to hold my interest, as it never really got it. Long vamp on the beginning leading into a nice but severely overplayed tune, that Black Orpheus song...it might be McCoy, but I really hope not. Really not digging that drummer, sounds like somebody totally misunderstanding (or, perhaps, misappropriating) latter-day Tony Williams. I mean, everybody's obviously a good player, and I'm sure they mean what they say, it's just that...not feeling it right now, none of it. "Strumming guitar" piano is not enough of a difference to make one. Sorry you don't like this one much. Bill got the piano player. TRACK THREE - Oh crap, I know that voice...or apparently not...but that voice and that two sax horn section, SO familiar...and again, apparently not. But it sure sounds good, I like that. Es Cubano, no? Es Cubano NOT. This is a pretty hard one. TRACK FOUR - Perez Prado again, but earlier than the first one. "Pianolo". Earlier Prado is pretty intense and inventive. Gimmicky sometimes, but in the Don Ellis way of being willing to try anything once, more than once if it feels good. This is dated as 1950, so the dissonances might ave been "gimmicky" (and perhaps inspired in part by Stan Kenton), but they were also knowing. Props to Prado in my book, if not Unconditional Love. But that earlier stuff, yeah, let me hear that! Tick #2 for Jim. Yes, it's from Prado's first LP on RCA Victor, a 10 inch - LPM21 would you believe? Found this in Paris Jazz Corner in July and HAD to put this cut in. Again, this isn't in Chuck's discographies, but Prado was a pianist and I reckon it must be him on piano. TRACK FIVE - Dude's looking to throw down! Guitar player is interesting. Sounds more "African" than "Latin" to me, not sure how that plays out in reality, though. Pretty smokin' cut, no matter what. Not, as I said African. And some of this material, as I also said, is more or less (in this case less) authentic. Hope Jeff gets into this because he'll get it. TRACK SIX - Plas Johnson? No? Hal Singer? Gator, maybe? Not sure who put the tympani in there, seems like that's relevant. Beautiful cut, phrasing is just right, tone meets rhythm in that sweet spot that only happens when it's real. Love this one. I dunno what answer you're giving here, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt - yes, it's Plas Johnson, masquerading as Johnny Beecher. That should enable you to put the rest of the band together. Tick #3. TRACK SEVEN - A Night In Nocturne. SO glad the intro was just a trick. Don't think that's Hank Crawford, almost sounds like Red Holloway playing alto...no idea, really. It's good, but I'd like to hear the rest of the record before saying how good. Everything sounds real on this one track, but...fakery abounds these days, and over the long haul gets exposed. But yeah, Red Holloway on alto? Not Hank Crawford. Not Red Holloway, either. Not even almost Red Holloway. I'd have taken a bet on you having this album, but I haven't been through your enormous collection with a fine toothcomb. But it IS someone you know well. TRACK EIGHT - Like the chromatic coda, but otherwise, would not string along with this, much less risk getting strung out on it...it's exaggerated subtlety, if that makes any sense. I think you're going to be surprised at the end of the month. TRACK NINE - Tenor violin? The only tenor violinist I can name is Harry Lookofsky. But it sounds like the organist's date. It's cheesy as hell, but in all the right ways. At 2:18, the perfect length to get lost in all the things that are happening, all of which are good. I really like the guitar, a part like that, he margin for error is incredibly high, really one one or two ways to get it right, and this is one of them. Kenny Burrell? Never heard of a tenor violin. The sleeve just sez violin. Kenny Burrell isn't the guitarist. TRACK TEN - "Rocks In My Bed" or so it begins. Cootie-ish trumpet. Piano player is crazy like Earl Hines. Oh, and here's some violin, quoting "The Champ". And now guitar, for some reason. Maybe some Ellingtonia? Maybe not? Well, let the Ellingtonia experts come to the rescue. TRACK ELEVEN - The only vocal version of this I know is Johnny Griffin's on Okeh, and this is not that. This one kinda sounds like it was recorded by RCA, so that opens up all kinds of possibilities, which is another way of saying that I have no idea. Not recorded by RCA, so close all those possibilities down. It was recorded by a well known indie label. TRACK TWELVE - Now that's an odd one! On my phone, the tenor's tone sounds like early John Gilmore.But it's a little too glib for Gilmore? No idea, really, it's an interesting combination of ingredients from all angles. Another one you'll be surprised by at the end of the month. Oh, not John Gilmore. TRACK THIRTEEN - Roy Eldridge? Not Pete Brown? Vic Dickenson? Sounds like one of those mid-40s indie things that got reissued so much on Savoy in the mid/late 70s. At some point they all sorta blend together, which is not a bad thing, really, but makes for a rough go when it comes to sleuthing, which is also not a bad thing. None of those names are correct, Jim, but yes, it's a mid-forties indie thing but not on a Savoy-owned label. TRACK FOURTEEN - Well, they never are, are they. Not sure if I understand the purpose of this record...lots of Ellington "effects", but to waht end? If it's jsut to be "entertaining", well, I guess puzzlement of purpose is its own form of entertainment...but it sounds too real to be that superficial, so, what was the object of the record? A quick one for a 45, or a side-closer of an LP? A juicy throwaway at session's end? I'm left wanting more, and in this case, it feels like more is there to be had. But isn't. So,,,not sure. Bill got part of this one. TRACK FIFTEEN - "After Hours", is there any trick to this one, or is this just straight-up the original? That thing stayed popular for years, probably still is on jukeboxes somewheres. And with good reason. I think you're guessing that this IS the original. If you are, that's another tick for you, Jim. TRACK SIXTEEN - What have we got here, one of those Prestige/Bluesville things? It's good, and I always like hearing the alto played hard like that. Is that Tiny Grimes on acoustic guitar? Yes, this is from Prestige. It's not Tiny Grimes. TRACK SEVENTEEN - Same guitarist? Jack McVea? Sounds a little insincere/calculating/whatever, to be honest, more like porn. Not really feeling the love here. Not the same guitarist. Possibly not Jack McVea. Discographies don't mention even that there was a tenor player on this, so the ID of this man must remain imperfectly fathomable. TRACK EIGHTEEN - More sproingy guitar, surely not the same guy/girl again? Be-Bop T-Bone, the only name that comes readily to mind is, again, Tiny Grimes. Although, other possibilities, no doubt. Sounds like the same band as the last one, only with echo added. this style of tenor playing devolved so far into Hack Hell, that even if this is somebody good and sincere (and geez, I hope it's not Lynn Hope...), it almost doesn't matter...especially when applied to alto...you've not been music-violated until you get some guy up on the stand armed with just a horn, a figurative (or literal) hardon, and the inability to do nothing more than swoop and slur like this and, oh yeah, they're always dressed up too much to be serious, but seriousness does not stop them, nothing does, world gone wrong, cheapness in not your friend, ever, better to be poor than cheap. Well, It's STILL not Tiny Grimes. I WILL tell you this is part 2 of track 17. TRACK NINETEEN - Same thing, only not cheap. Thank you. No IT'S STILL NOT TINY EFFIN' GRIMES!!!! TRACK TWENTY - Big Maybelle! At long last, love! I thought I loved Dakota Staton's version until I heard this one. Then I realized that there's more than one kind of love, and some of them don't involve having anything to say about it, such as this thing here. YESSSSS! My thought, precisely, about the two versions. Tick #5. TRACK TWENTY-ONE - Ok, yeah, I still love this, used to get played with hard regularity on a Sunday afternoon jazz show on KZEY-AM, Soul 69, Tyler Texas. For years, I jsut assumed the arrangement was a slackerly Thad Jones, but no, Manny Albam, didn't see that one coming. No disrespectto Dakota, there was only one Big Maybelle, appearances notwithstanding, so, what can I say? Love is strange. But I couldn't resist putting them both on, one after the other. Tick #6 TRACK TWENTY-TWO - Yeah, that is interesting, when was this recorded? Seems like the influence of "Stormy Monday" was in the air. and that's a groove you could lay down and take a nap on. Is that French? Is he talking dirty? I wish French food tasted as dirty as the sound of the language, to be honest, I'm not really into eggs and sauces and all that rolled into one light plateful, with or without mustard. And I don't really like wine, either. Yet this song holds a strange appeal for me, precisely because it is music, not food. Members, don't get weary, beginners, take heed. This one is, in fact, the most recent cut in the bunch, except for the Mabern. It was done in 1978. It's a tri- or possibly quadri-lingual song. Certainly there are choruses in French, Spanish and English, plus maybe another language or maybe not another language; maybe just a lot of words I don't understand in French or Spanish. So, wow, that was a lot of songs,especially while also working. But I got a new app on my phone for zip files, and it works. First Smartphone BFT I've ever worked with, but, still, not going to post responses via phone, only have two thums and 24 hours in a day to work with. But the music was mostly excellent, for which I am always grateful. So, thank you! Really glad you enjoyed it, Jim. MG Yes to 15 - it's Avery Parrish's 'After hours'. By whom? 10 does sound a bit like 'Rocks', but isn't. Nance is in there, but not Cootie. 2 Is indeed Harold Mabern. 14 Is indeed Wild Bill Davis. Any idea about the sidemen? 19 definitely isn't T-Bone, who was a lot better than this gent. Two ticks and two half ticks, Bill. Well done. MG Pleased to get 2 1/2, M G. Re 10, I said Rex Stewart, not Cootie, but I suppose it isn't him either. So you did! Well, you're right, it's not him, either. Gotta say, this cut needs a real Ellingtonia man - preferably English. MG

Yes to 15 - it's Avery Parrish's 'After hours'. By whom? 10 does sound a bit like 'Rocks', but isn't. Nance is in there, but not Cootie. 2 Is indeed Harold Mabern. 14 Is indeed Wild Bill Davis. Any idea about the sidemen? 19 definitely isn't T-Bone, who was a lot better than this gent. Two ticks and two half ticks, Bill. Well done. MG

Don't give up, Bill. I think you may have to let the player settle down before clicking on anything. But the playlist - or whatever the thing's called - is labelled Organissimo BFT138. It seems to come out on top of a list of less obvious titles. So if it ain't at the top, scroll up. Click once on that one and you get a bunch of tracks titled 01 BFT138, 02 BFT138 and so on, down to 22 Bonus. That's it. MG

Are you sure about that, M G? I'm listening to what's on Track 1 and to the Don Sleet track on Spotify and they're identical! Wires crossed? Further investigation needed? Got to be frank, Bill, it DOES sound like you're listening to something completely different. It's the start of term for Thom and he said his personal life goes hang at this junction, but I'm getting the same music as aparxa got - he got the title right, anyway. As Thom didn't do it, I'm now going to add a Sendspace address for downloads. MG Are you sure about that, M G? I'm listening to what's on Track 1 and to the Don Sleet track on Spotify and they're identical! Wires crossed? Further investigation needed? Several different bunches of tunes appear on Thom's Wimpy playlist. I just listened to the second one in the list, which starts with about 40 seconds of quiet drum intro, then a baritone sax solo. Are you listening to the wrong one? MG Taboooooooooooo! Correct title, young sir - many thanks for at least proving that Thom hadn't messed it all up. MG

Wow! That was quick! But it's wrong. I haven't heard of Don Sleet, either MG

Well, here ‘tis, folks; BFT138. Here’s the link, graciously provided by Thom, for which many thanks: http://www.thomkeith.com/tkbft/tkbft.html 21 tracks in the BFT, plus 1 bonus, which I decided was really too obscure, but really interesting, to be fair. But I wanted people to hear it Everything else is either easy or difficult, but not impossible. Late comers, as ever, are welcome. Enjoy greatly! MG Edited to add Sendspace link for downloads https://www.sendspace.com/file/034q4w MG

Cor blimey, that's ACE! MG

Sorry, but that makes no sense. "Dancing girls and entertainment" in whatever form are exactly what constitutes professional interest. Professional means getting paid for the gig, which means getting your target audience to give up their money. Now, if you want to talk about whose target audience is who, go right on ahead. But don't say it's musicians playing for other musicians, because musicians are loathe to pay anybody for anything, and I say that with equal parts pride and contempt, it depends on who's asking for what for whom, and why. Self-defense or self-destruction, the answers determine the questions. I've got to agree with you, here, Jim. Though I have been on the occasional gig that turns into a circle jerk for the benefit of teh musicians. I think it's equally important that the musicians are buying in to what is happening (another part of that target you're referencing), if not, it devolves very quickly. Musicians who are sensitive to what is happening will recognize and avoid this as much as possible. OK, I'm gad you chipped in to my faux pas. Thanks guys. MG

Oh yes - no gospel music in this one, either MG

Oh right, Bill, I think Thom can do that, so I'll work through him. Thanks for letting me know. MG

It’s 1973 exactly. Yes, a very JOS-influenced player, every time he played. Much more will be said on the subject of the horn soloists before this BFT is over. Well, THERE'S a misleading clue, if I ever saw one! It IS JOS! It's 'Blap' from 'Portuguese soul'. Not an album I've listened to a lot, and I had to look through all the Soul Jazz albums in my database to make me remember it. Put it on and, there it was. Flippin' 'eck, Tucker! Very JOS-influenced! MG

Well, here we go.... 1 ‘Cherokee’, I’ll be damned! Played by a very fleet guitarist. But sounding kinda late thirties/early forties. Could it be Les Paul? It’s very nice but, even after two listens, I haven’t a clue. 2 After a funny intro, this settles down into a nice swinger by a trumpet player I’m sure I know. Followed by a slightly too long drum solo, then a nice piano solo. It seems to have the same chords as ‘Cherokee’ but I don’t expect that’s true – it’s just my imagination, as the Temps sang. Not sure I really liked it. Will give it another try. Well, on second listen, the trumpet player sounds a LOT like Blue Mitchell, but he has these sudden little bits that Blue’s never done, to my knowledge. And I can’t see him on a record with an overlong drum solo, in any case, though it’s not really overlong, on second listen. Now the pianist is a guy I really can’t say I know well. But when he comes back, the trumpet player really does sound like Blue. He made some records with Louis Bellson shortly before he died; I wonder if this could be one of them. 3 An organist. A modern-ish organist with big band. A pretty interesting track. Feel sure I don’t know the organist, but think I know the tenor player. Well, sometimes the organist makes me think of Lonnie Smith but never heard of him with a big band. Gonna listen to this again. Well, this time I started thinking about Gene Ludwig and the album he made with the Bill Warfield big band. Hm, just dug that out and there’s no soprano sax playing in the credits, and it’s a live job, so another idea down the pan. But this is a not quite right on cut and isn’t really my cup of tea. It does have a bit of that Lonnie Smith stuff in there… 4 Oh a German beer-garden band! But it does swing a little bit. Seems to turn into ‘The Saints’ after a bit. Enjoyable but I really have no idea. 5 Another attention-gatherer. Not my kind of thing but I find it hard to actually dislike this. Another listen needed. Well, second time around, bits of trumpet playing reminded me of Lee Morgan, so it seems that he could be anyone. So could all those players, I’m afraid. 6 Ditto. No ideas about this one, either. Frankly, I dozed my way through it second time round. 7 Settles down, after another odd start, into a nice groovy ¾ thing. But then returns to the odd… Another to have another go at. 8 Oh, nice! I can’t usually tell one violinist from the next and this one is no exception. I think this is a good deal more modern than it’s trying to sound like. 9 Now here’s a kind of errant tune that turns me right off. And the trumpet player was doing it, too, and now the tenor player is… The guitarist’s nice and straight ahead, though. He must be ignoring the funny directions in the tune. I dunno, there are things in what they’re playing that are surely supposed to be lyrical magic but just aren’t because they seem to have been deliberately twisted into stuff that just ain’t nice. The guitar solo is still very nice though. I’d like to hear more of the guitarist. 10 Sounds like a band made up of some trumpet players with rhythm; a bit shrill, to my mind. The first one does sound like Freddie Hubbard, but I’m expecting them all to. Oh, an alto sax player! I missed him in the ensemble. Now another trumpet player… or the same man on flu? No, I think there are two, when the ensemble comes back during the Cedar Walton-type piano solo. 11 Blues piano. With guitar & humming accompaniment. I quite like this, but it’s kind of a novelty number for the guy. That is, it sounds like it’s not real for him. 12 Another violinist, this one sounding as if he’d rather be playing Ravel. I’ll chuck myself out of the window if someone tells me it’s Sugarcane Harris! I know this is a daft notion, but it sounds as if it’s not a violin sonata but the violin part from a string quartet, being played solo. Nice ending, Joe – just right to segue into Milt, Buddy and Jo’s Midnight slows vol 5. Will return to this next week. Just couldn’t get interested in much of this, I’m afraid. So much of it is too much what I think musicians take a professional interest in and not really audience-centred. Give me dancing girls and entertainment. Sorry. Well, I’m not sorry I listened; I haven’t wasted my time. Thanks. MG

Well, Bill wrote to ask if I was ready for BFT138 and I remembered I had to start a signup thread (stupid boy). So here it is, BFT138 is ready and waiting to be launched into the waves of the web. There's a sleeve, but it's not easy to see, so I'm including a big copy of it. For the first time, there are no African records included so, if you hear something you think is African, you're wrong All that's there is a bunch of Latin stuff, some swing, merging into blues, all of more or less dubious authenticity. Stuff's available as downloads. I'll send it to Thom, who's certainly better at this than me, a couple of days before the end of the month. Enjoy! MG

Bloomin' 'eck, Tucker, TWO Buddy Tate's and I missed 'em both. I must have been in a bad mood that evening, or something. MG