Milestones

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?

I have since acquired Joe Farrell's Moon Germs. Farrell is a highly under-valued saxophonist, and I mainly know him from work with Corea and Elvin. It looks like he did some pretty impressive work on CTI, and you certainly can't fault the guys in his bands--in this this case, Hancock, Clarke, and DeJohnette. Bottom line, superb playing and composing by Joe.

I always found it interesting that Billy Cobham showed up on a lot of CTI sessions, not that I've heard a lot. I always wanted to view him as one of the great drummers, but did not hear much of his work outside of Mahavishnu.

I guess there several related labels. I believe Kudu is where Grover Washington appeared. I'd think he would get some votes.

Regarding Plan 9, it has a certain entertainment factor; and I have seen many movies that were worse. As to jazz, maybe we need a thread on guilty pleasures--stuff we're a little ashamed to admit that we enjoy. A thread I started on CTI Records is perhaps sort of in this vein.

If you name any instrument, you either don't like Classical music at all or your interest is exceptionally slight.

Maybe this has been done before, but I'm curious to see what people regard as the best works on the CTI label, which clearly has a notorious reputation for many of us on the forums. But I did just read how Felser is a rather big fan. There is very little from CTI in my collection, but there are some records I would call classics, or at least near-classics. Red Clay--Freddie Hubbard Blue Moses--Randy Weston Beyond the Blue Horizon--George Benson

Felser, are these are all records you truly enjoy? The Jackie McLean is pretty bad, and nearly always identified as such. And I had just been listening to lots of good/great McLean--and I don't care what anyone says, he is great. As they say, everyone makes a bad choice from time to time.

Randy Weston has an astonishing mind and memory.

A "compilation" album is still an album in my book. That's how I first heard Louis, Duke, Bird, Lester, etc.

Subjective for sure, and I'm personally more about the great jazz artists. The greatest ones often record one fine album after another. The list indicates that most selections come from 1955-1970. That makes sense to my ears. So many of the all-time great (as innovators, players, band leaders, etc.) were at their peaks in these years. To be sure, you need to know the earlier figures like Louis, Lester, Hawk, Duke, etc. Has there been great jazz music since 1970? Sure, a great deal. But among the absolutely greatest? That's a hard argument to make. There are central figures in jazz music that people will generally agree upon. You can't diminish Monk, Miles, Duke, Trane--no more than you can diminish Bach, Mozart, and Schubert in Classical.

The Tyner album is a pretty impressive effort.