king ubu

All the best Bill!

My latest arrival: The Complete Helen Merrill on Mercury About halfway through it now - wonderful music!

My CD edition (bought in the US 20 years ago) has an an essay by Hiraku Aoki in English, with no Japanese notes at all. Send me a PM with your email address, and I'll see if I can scan it and send you a copy. Done - thanks a lot!

Ah, crap - that one I have of course! Not Xanadu but Prevue! I keep mixing up all these labels, sorry.

Only just took out the booket (CD-sized, or rather to be exact: jewel-case-sized, meaning it was outside cardboard box, next to the jewel case, in the CD edition - at least I assume so). There's a short essay in there - but Japanese only... was this ever published in in English anywhere? Spinning the first side of the first LP now

That's the same cover used on my Xanadu disc - was this the JARO cover? Wasn't avare of this single disc release.

The Gambit 2CD set? Or was there a single Fresh Sound disc of this one?

I have the Xanadu CD... and frankly didn't even notice it to be a needledrop... so much about me and audiophile sensitivities...

The Helen Merrill Mercury box - 4LPs in what seems to be great condition (I've not started playing it, the postman only just rang the bell) - for 40€ (plus 15€ shipping from France to here). Ain't life grand?

Yale University... don't know where exactly though. Ellington it is - and several others were able to identify the alto player as the late, great Marion Brown.

Bev, I do trust your judgment on the improved quality of commercially sold MP3s - but still... I have an ipod, I do my own MP3 (@ 320) and nowadays M4A (at even higher bitrate), but I still find the notion of paying for bits and bytes a bit weird... after all there's also the question of how long these files will be around and be readable and usable (not to speak of computer crashes). In short: if I buy something, I prefer to get a physical product of some kind, not just a file on my computer. Anyway, as I said, I might be in the market for real high quality downloads.

No, not Bill de Arango either. These are all guys that are (somewhat) well-known. Not the one heard here. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can give any hints without giving it all away... and after all, it's only February 6th and I don't have another BFT to fill up the second half of the month, alas

Thanks a lot for your replies, Jeff! 1. Well, this one confused me a little bit. I instantly thought of Marion Brown and his solo version of “Black and Tan Fantasy” from the Recollections album on Creative Works, from 1985. But this is not that version. But it’s so similar that I think this has to be Marion. I love his tortured lyricism. This is affecting music. It's him indeed, not an officially available version. Will have to look for that album you mention (a Swiss label, nevertheless - didn't no they had a Marion Brown release in their catalogue!) 2. This track drove me crazy, because it’s something I think I’ve heard, but I can’t come up with where I’ve heard it. Anyway, it’s a pretty interesting track – around 1945 or so, I’d say. It’s very much of its time – pushing toward the modern thing that was in the air at the time. I like it, even though it’s maybe a little self-consciously “weird.” Could be Dodo Marmarosa on piano and Remo Palmieri on guitar, but I don’t really know. You're pretty close with the date. The guitar player is an unknown one (the name I known, but besides, I have no idea who he was). Marmarosa is an interesting guess... but it's not him. 3. Well, you’ve puzzled me again. It’s Tony Fruscella, playing “Blue Lester,” but I don’t know this version. I love Frescella’s playing – he hardly ever ventured out of the low and middle registers, but his improvising was supremely melodic. Beautiful! I thought I had all of Fruscella’s recordings, but obviously not. Yes indeed it's Fruscella! You'll see above where this is from - it's a great disc and a most welcome addition to the small Fruscella discography. And at the same time it's my way of paying tribute to Pres, who's missing from this BFT... 4. Lee Wiley, singing “Street of Dreams” from the Night in Manhattan album, with Bobby Hackett on trumpet. Very nice, although I think I prefer Miss Wiley’s earlier recordings, from the late 30’s and early 40’s. This is excellent, though, and you can’t have too much Bobby Hackett. I even like his mood music/bachelor pad albums from the 60’s. Correct, of course! So with this additional endorsement, I seem to definitely have to add the Mosaic to my wantlist! 5. Big T – Jack Teagarden. I recognized his horn even before he started singing. I wish he had played more trombone here. I like his singing, but I think his voice and style are more suited to bluesier tunes. I usually don’t like his ballads as much. Although, hmmm – he sure does a great job with “Stars Fell on Alabama.” Maybe I don’t know what I think. Anyway, this is very nice, and I don’t know what album it’s from. I also don’t know who the trumpeter is, unless it’s Hackett again. Sure Bit T! It's from his last album... very touching to me, and I do love the songs of Willard Robison! The trumpet player isn't Hackett, but once you'll check the details above, it shall be easy to find out it's Don Goldie. 6. I don’t know who is playing this version of “I Cover the Waterfront.” I liked the saxophone playing more the more times I heard this track. A few things annoyed me at first – the somewhat raw sound, a few rhythmic mannerisms, a few odd note choices – but after a couple of hearings, those minor flaws seemed pretty unimportant. The extremely out-of-tune high notes still grate on me, though. But overall, nice playing from a very individualistic tenorist. The drumming annoys me no end – it’s stiff and insensitive. I love it... the drummer is struggling here, yes. Not the usual fare... 7. Excellent, creative freebop. I like the alto player’s odd, slightly strangled tone. His phrases flow out each other in a really nice way. I also like the bassist’s use of space in his solo, and the way the trio listens to each other. No idea who anyone is, but I’m looking forward to finding out. Yes, that flow - and the glow in his tone and the urgency! 8. More excellent music that I don’t have a clue about. Even though this piece is “inside” and lyrical, I would guess that these musicians have at least one foot in freer music – there are hints of that here and there. I could be wrong about that, and I really don’t have any idea who it is. I like it, though. Yes on the inside/outside part! 9. Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath from 1971 (their first album), playing “Davashe’s Dream,” featuring the great Dudu Pukwana. Dudu’s playing has really grown on me for the past couple of years – I love his inside/outside approach. I also like the somewhat raw sound of the band, particularly the sax section. Mongezi Feza is the excellent trumpet soloist, although I would not have known that without the liner notes. One of my favorite big bands, and wonderful Dudu. Thanks for including this. Yes, wonderful Dudu! Great band! And correct of course! Funny enough, none of those who recognized #15 were yet able to pin down this one! (Or did I over-read something?) 10. Not for the faint of heart. This sounds like an ESP-Disk session from the 1960’s. Everyone is good for this style, but I particularly like the bassist and the tortured alto playing. I suppose this sounds like chaos to some folks, but this kind of music has its own logic, its own conventions, and ultimately, its own limitations. Don’t know the artists. ESP and 60s is as close as anyone got so far! It's dark and brooding... the darkest of all the melancholy stuff on this disc (I only realized how much restrained and slow and moody stuff I had picked once it was all set). 11. Same instrumentation as #7, and somewhat similar in style. I don’t know the recording, but is it Byard Lancaster? In any case, the alto player’s phrasing is more regular and predictable than the altoist’s in #7. But there’s a lot of passion here, and a good command of the saxophone. Yes, this and #7 are indeed somewhat similar, but some time had elapsed in between. It's not Byard Lancaster. 12. Recognized this one right away – “Doctor Blues” by Luis Russell and His Orchestra, from 1929. The Russell band was incredible during this period, with its New Orleans rhythm team of Pops Foster and Paul Barbarin, its simple, swinging charts, and some of the best soloists in jazz, like Red Allen and Social Circle, Georgia’s own J. C. Higginbotham. Allen in particular was brilliant – he could match Louis Armstrong’s technique, and although his playing couldn’t match Armstrong’s in the brilliance and construction of his solos, he had a wild, avant-garde edge that Louis didn’t have. The alto solo by Charlie Holmes is good, too. Wonderful music. Yowzah! This is fantastic, isn't it?! Where's the second "mistake" in Red's solo? You might be able to tell... the notes make allusion to two notes that are outside of what's usually considered correct. Don't have the cut spinning right now, but the first one is easy to tell, it's early on in the solo - but I'm clueless where the second one might happen! (Not that it would matter much - that's the great thing about Allen's exuberance and brilliance - he even made mistakes sound good or interesting!) 13. This was maybe my least favorite track from the BFT, although I certainly don’t hate it. This “Poinciana” is a little “precious,” if that makes any sense. And the double-time comping the guitarist goes into at times drives me crazy – I do hate that part. No idea who it is. I wanted to have the guitar player on my BFT... but it seems it's the most disliked cut in general. 14. This one also didn’t knock me out. “Tennessee Waltz” is a nice enough melody, but his pianist doesn’t do enough with it to really interest me. It sounds like a New Orleans guy, so it’ll probably turn out to be someone I like, but I’m just not crazy about this version. Not New Orleans, but it all boils down to... well, you'll see... 15. The perfect ending to a perfect album – “Union Special” from the same album as #9 above. And a fun ending to a fun Blindfold Test. Thanks again for a good one.

Just imagine 3 or 4 or 5 discs of similarly wonderful music! I'm in the non-DL camp... I still can't bring myself to pay 10-15$ for some crappy MP3 without any art and information. If that changes (to FLAC plus full cover art in readable quality) I might change my mind eventually.

just popped up this one for the very first time:

I'm sure they spoilt the photo with their usual tasteless typography... but congrats, Mark! Always enjoyed your photos a lot, will check this out at the newstand! (Don't buy DB regularly)

Arsène Lupin Josef K. Ulrich

Well, I do love words... I'd like to know a whole lot more of such great English words!

Thanks Berigan! Not embarrassing at all what you write! Smart move - this one led to some rather wrong-ish guesses regarding when it's from! That's the ones I thought off... no Coltrane in there - #10 and #11 are from little-known musicians, #9 rather less so, but these aren't big and famous names (alas, in my book). Smack, dab in the middle! Red and Higgy with the great Luis Rusell band! Indeed, to me Allen fits in with the avantgarde stuff - he was *always* there to play, taking chances, but he was always very musical, no matter how exuberant his solos got... making the occasional wrong note work, even! As I stated already, I don't even know the recording date of this one! Don't think he ever played organ, but he lived for a looooooooooong time and I don't by far know all of his recordings. Glad you enjoyed the ride, Berigan! I'm aware it's quite a ride, but then I wanted it to reflect somewhat the broad range off music I enjoy! Yes, it's funny you know... the piano player is much older than the song, this recording much more recent... and an odd choice once you know who the pianist is! (My favorite version of "Tennessee Waltz" might be Sam Moore's from his "Plenty Good Lovin'", btw) #10 is quite a rarity and somewhat of an oddity, I think - but I like the sounds there! Big T generated some irritation over on another (german-language) forum I also did this BFT... (but the jazz community there is small and not too many are into pre-bop or pre-modern jazz at all there). Me, I just love him! And I adore his late stuff, where it sounds as if his denture isn't quite sticking to where it should... it's somehow desolate and sad and touching, but on the other hand it's magniloquent and grand!

Babar Frederick I. Barbarossa Dr. Richard Sorge

But would increased size lead to more sales? My reasoning is it would rather lead to less sales - that's why I'd be more in favour of a Select. Otherwise, to me, it would be "the bigger the better" - there's lots of fine music there that I've never even heard or don't properly own... and I'd be all the happier if more of that was included!

Gato's music is good of course. Apart from the few shots in Paris probably the part of the film I liked best.

Seriously: it's a great disc! ("Spirit Catcher", for those who didn't get it yet)

I'm just spinning "Leo Smith Plays for Lovers" (on Nessa Rekkids, with lots of harps)!

Why? Does Mosaic have easier access to Sony material than to anything else? Would be news to me...