Milestones

And I started that one! But the other is more about small string sections. The ones on the newer thread are generally rather large string sections.

There is some good stuff out there. The first to come to mind is "Focus" by Stan Getz. I also like "Forever Love" by Mark Whitfield, though there are quite a few solo guitar pieces interspersed with the string orchestra numbers. Tom Harrell's "Paradise" is pretty good. Clifford Brown's much earlier strings album is quite different (perhaps too close to "easy listening") but worthwhile as well. Some of the selections by Haden's Quartet West with strings added are quite good ("The Left Hand of God" is a jewel), as are some of Joe Lovano's projects with strings. And of course this is just scratching the surface. At one point I would have said, "Totally avoid strings!" These days I'm pleasantly surprised that more than a handful have turned out really well.

I like your responses overall, though I definitely disagree about #13. Good guesses, but really nothing on the money (in terms of exact identification) other than Kenny Wheeler on #3 (he is not the leader).

"Kucheza Blues"--Horace Parlan (with Booker Ervin) on Happy Frame of Mind. "Saucer Eyes"--Cecil Payne

That's a cool photo. A few years ago I saw Weston and Haynes together on the same bill, but playing separately--Randy solo and Haynes with his group. I had hoped to see them perform together, even for one number. It would also have been something to see them stand side-by-side.

Hubert Laws does not play on #5.

Eric Dolpy had a version of "Sketch of Melba" on Out There, and Booker Ervin a version of the same piece on the Roy Haynes album Cracklin.' Rodney Kendrick: "Berkshire Blues" and "Gawana in Paris." Other than "Hi-Fly" and, to a lesser extent "Little Niles," Weston's impressive oeuvre has been very under-utilized by other artists.

Yes, I put right him up there with the big names in jazz. As far as I'm concerned, he's in the pantheon.

I really don't want to hear this. Randy Weston is all-time favorite for me. I've loved all the music, seen him in concert four times, read his autobiography. Just the sound of his voice was so cool. You could listen to him talk, and listen to all the fascinating things he had to say, all day long.

The 12th track would have fooled me as well. That sounds a LOT like Newton and Hoggard. Yet it is not. The 4th track features Cecil Payne, but not as the leader.

These are some good guesses, and there are some correct ones. You've got Brecker nailed down; I figured that to be the easiest one. And Charlie Haden is indeed playing bass on #10.

I just went with the link as it was given to me. I guess technical questions should go to Thom.

I have to say that I like that Red Garland track. I did not know he ever played organ. I had never investigated Red as a solo artist until a couple of years ago, other than some of the jam-type records with Trane. This album seems rather obscure.

Welcome to Blindfold Test #174; there are 13 tracks. Here is the link: http://thomkeith.net/index.php/blindfold-tests/ It was a fun thing to do, and I can see myself creating another in the future. I am looking forward to seeing how people do at identifying pieces and artists. In looking at previous BFTs, I think mine is easier. But maybe most people who put these things together think they’re not super-difficult. More than anything, it’s a way to share some music. To be sure, I don’t include any of the true giants—no Bird or Monk or Trane or Duke. But I definitely represent some artists who are, to my taste, absolute favorites. The concentration is relatively modern, in the sense of when the albums were released. Most of the material dates from 1995 up to the present day. I wish you well.

I know Schwartz a little bit, though I am much more aware of Kenny Burrell's contributions to Jimmy Smith records; and at a certain point they essentially became full collaborators. I imagine Smith/Burrell would be too easy on a Blindfold Test.

That's a pretty interesting set of tunes, and one can gather that your major interest is what's usually called soul jazz. You also represent singers more than most of would (so it seems to me). I don't have any of these records in my collection, and little familiarity with the artists, other than Red Garland--who appears in a most uncharacteristic mode. I'm a big fan of jazz guitar, new and old, but I don't know Al Casey. Buddy Johnson, sounding Ellingtonian, is totally unknown to me. So the bottom line is that I, and others, could expand the horizons.

It's actually a pretty interesting concept, as you get such a variety of approaches and you have both singers and instrumentalists. But I wonder if anyone can listen to 20-30 versions in one sitting (or even 2 or 3 sittings).

No problem with the article here. It's often well-written, it announces its focus, it sticks to what it sets out to do--with some personal responses by Iverson as a working jazz musician. Blue Note has an "aura" in general, and while he could have written on other records by Wayne Shorter, the Blue Note discs readily come to mind and there is something close to consensus. I have tons of Wayne Shorter in my collection (from every decade), but he is most represented by his work with Miles and, yes, his Blue Note solo records.

Well, I'm done guessing.

Anybody watching reruns of this? It's on GetTV on Sunday Nights. I don't think I was ever really aware of the original, which ran when I was 10-12 years old. I was not much of a Cash fan back in the day, but did come around on him in a pretty big way. I really like some of his late albums, such as the superb Unchained. Anyway, it's a pretty cool show, and it illustrates how all music comes together--country, folk, rock, rockabilly. And you even had jazz with Satchmo making an appearance. Yes, Cash amazing music guests, such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Carl Perkins, and The Monkees (a very nice harmony piece that ought to make anyone rethink this "manufactured" pop group). And tonight I saw what may well have been the only U.S. TV appearance of Derek and the Dominos. cs

I'll go with a wild guess and say Jimmy Raney on #3.

The "reveal" will be interesting. It will also be interesting to see how my BFT in September will compare.

I think I'm not alone in regarding this as a really tough blindfold test.

It's been a long time since he's put out a record. I would like to see that happen. A mellow sounding McCoy Tyner is still worth hearing.

Some interesting covers on Jim Hall records, especially when he was with Telarc. Why not Matisse paintings? When music or musicians were presented, they were abstract. And how about the spooky eyeball gazing over geometric shapes on Farrell's Moon Germs?