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randyhersom

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Posts posted by randyhersom

  1. BFT 243 Discussion

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted · Edited by randyhersom

    1. Maybe Kenny Burrell.
    2. Teddy Wilson?
    3. I don't think Basie bands featured the clarinet this much.  Maybe Benny Goodman?
    4. New Orleans style is the term always favored by those in the know over the more offensive southern associated term.  Can't rule out Louis Armstrong.
    5. I'll try Sidney Bechet
    6. I wondered about Grachan Moncur.
    7. This could be actual classical, maybe Grieg or Mussorgsky, if not the influence is very strong.  But wait, an electric guitar.  I think there's a Burrell on Verve with Forms in the title that this might fit.
    8. Bass and tabla!  I  think I would know it if it were Oregon.  Nana Vasconcelos?
    9. All about the piano, and gorgeous
    10. Feels like Duke Ellington
    11. Rosemary Clooney?
    12. It's probably a later band, but this has a real Charles Mingus feel.  
    13. Charles Earland?
    14. This is so Coltrane Classic Quartet!  Maybe one of the 21st century releases like Both Directions at Once.   Well, not that one since it's live.

  9. BFT 242 - Come And Get It!

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    1. Maybe Lee Morgan, 66 or later
    2. Leaning toward Vijay Iyer over Andrew Hill
    3. Has some of Trane's lyricism without the hard edges.  Charles Lloyd?
    4. Bone led date.  Curtis Fuller?
    5. and down to the tuba.  Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy?
    6. Sounds like Bill Frisell.  Is it Moon River?
    7. initiallly sounds like Wildfire (pop country by Michael Martin Murphey) but quickly I realize it's Wichita Lineman.  I'm a big Jimmy Webb fan.  Jim Hall is my clueless guess.
    8. Live piano.  Sounds like an improvisation on Happy Birthday.  Kenny Barron?
    9. Guitar and vibes, now a tenor comes in.  Is it As Time Goes By?  Not sure.  Trying to think of a tenor that might have recorded for Criss-Cross or Steeplechase because that's the vibe I get - loving recreation.
    10. Is this James Brandon Lewis?
    11. Lionel Loueke?
    12. A New Orleans crew of some sort?  Galactic?
    13. Jim Alfredson?
    14. Wait, isn't Love Rollercoaster the name of something by Ohio Players?

  11. BFT 241 Reveal

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    1.  Jodo - Freddie Hubbard from Blue Spirits (1965): Freddie trumpet, James Spaulding alto sax, Hank Mobley tenor sax, McCoy Tyner Piano, Bob Cranshaw bass, Pete LaRoca drums

    2.  Tenors of our Time - Pete Christlieb - Warne Marsh from Apogee (1978): Pete and Warne - Tenor Sax, Lou Levy – piano, Jim Hughart – bass, Nick Ceroli – drums

    3.  Surely Goodness and Mercy - Dennis Gonzalez from Catechism - Dennis Gonzalez (1987): Bb trumpet, pocket trumpet, Elton Dean: saxello, alto sax, Keith Tippett: piano, Marcio Mattos: bass, Louis Moholo: drums, Rob Blakeslee: trumpet, fluegelhorn, Kim Corbet: trombone 

    +1 to everything Thom said about what a great guy Dennis Gonzalez was.  And, to me, always worth hearing.

    4.  Undercurrents (A Requiem) - Michael Gregory Jackson from Liberty (2013): Michael Gregory Jackson - electric & acoustic guitars; Art Ensemble Syd (Denmark): vocals & composer, Niels Praestholm, -acoustic bass, Simon Spang-Hanssen - alto & soprano saxophones, flute, Matias Wolf Andreasen - drums & percussion, Heine Steensen - violin, Thorstein Quebec Hemmet - flutes

    I freely admit to holding Santana in higher regard than JSngry, and I have been a fan of this guitarist since his late 70's debut.  He veered pop/r&b in a lot of his leader dates after the first three, but Bandcamp gave him an outlet for his more instrumental and extended side (jazzier), both sessions that could have come out in the 70s or 80s but didn't and later work such as this.  I have acquired his latest, solo electric guitar date but haven't listened yet.

    5.  Masculinity - Samora Pinderhughes from GRIEF (2022): Samora Pinderhughes - piano, vocals, wurlitzer, production, arrangements, Immanuel Wilkins - alto saxophone, Jehbreal Jackson - vocals, Nio Levon - vocals, Marcus Gilmore - drums, Boom Bishop - electric bass & sonics, Clovis Nicolas - upright bass, Brad Allen Williams - guitars, Argus Quartet (courtesy of The Metropolis Ensemble) - string quartet

    Cross-posting my pertinent Big Ears experience here:  I have decided to forego options hat have me driving home after midnight, so this will be my last set.  I was less than 100% sold on Ahleuchatistas, although I like their name, so I investigated the alternatives before hand online and streamed some Samora.  The Transformations Suite album has me sold, and I hear just a little bit of GRIEF.  When I get to the Civic Auditorium, Samora is centerstage playing a full grand piano, with five backup singers behind him on the left of the stage, and the rest of the band to the right.  His singing is quietly soulful, but his backup singers more robust.  His piano playing is excellent.  No horns on stage, but guitarist Rafiq Bhatia fills that void.  The singing and songs convince, and I've been playing GRIEF quite a bit since coming back home.

    6.  Tenderly - Robert Mazurek from Man Facing East (1994): Rob trumpet, pianist Randolph Tressler, bassist John Webber and drummer George Fludas

    JSngry eventually sleuthed this one.  His next two dates were co-led by Eric Alexander, then he started veering toward spacy, populist avant-garde.

    7.  Angels - Albert Ayler from Live In Greenwich Village (1967) – The Complete Impulse Recordings: Albert tenor sax, Call Cobbs piano

    There's really not much like this.  I did have the unusual experience of playing Albert Ayler, having my wife walk into the room, not taking it off, nor being asked to.

    8.  Fear Not - James Brandon Lewis from Eye of I (2022): James tenor sax, The Messthetics - Anthony Pirog guitar, Joe Lally bass, Brendan Canty drums

    I think the reason James won over so many doubters put off by the guitar, is that the backing band is actually good, although not necessarily on first call basis when someone needs a sub at Smalls or the Vanguard.  Bass and drums were part of Fugazi, while the guitarist has made records with Michael Formanek and Ches Smith.  I'll add his name to the small group of guitarists including Vernon Reid, later Blood Ulmer and the aforementioned Santana that have played convincingly with jazz players without that being their primary style.  To me the composition has grandeur along with its power.  This track was the highlight of the James Brandon Smith and the Messthetics set at Big Ears.

    9.  G-Man - Sonny Rollins from G-Man (1986): Sonny tenor sax, Clifton Anderson – trombone, Mark Soskin – piano, Bob Cranshaw – electric bass, Marvin "Smitty" Smith – drums

    Pure exuberance.

  13. BFT 241 Link and discussion thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    I missed crediting mjzee for providing the album containing Ayler's Angels, well done.

    Like Felser, I heard the township jazz style of South Africa in #3.  Only the drummer is actually South African, trumpeter/leader is American, and the remainder of the band British.  Abdullah Ibrahim is the best known and probably greatest player and bandleader in that style.

    I love a driving hard bop theme, and Jodo is second only to Woody Shaw's version of Larry Young's Obsequious on my list of top driving hard bop themes.  I actually got to know the tune in a much longer live version on Night of the Cookers.

  15. Wadada Leo Smith

    in New Releases

    Posted

    There are three expensive newish sets from Wadada Leo Smith that intrigue me. 

    I think the Chicago Symphonies have been out for several months.  Four CDs, all feature sax, trumpet bass and drums.  Three with Henry Threadgill, and the fourth with Jonathon Haffner.

    Emerald Duets is 5 cds with four drummers. Andrew Cyrille, Pheeroan ak Laff, Han Bennink and Jack DeJohnette.

    String Quartets 1-12 are on 7 CDs and at least 4 of the quartets feature additional musicians, including Anthony Davis and Wadada himself.

    None seem to be streamable, has anyone heard any of them?

     

  16. BFT 241 Link and discussion thread

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted · Edited by randyhersom

    Midmonth Clues:

    The album containing #5 was named a top ten jazz album of 2022 by a major publication.  Two instrumentalists studied at Julliard, with Kenny Barron and Steve Nelson.

    #6 is from the debut as leader of a brassman who has since become better known for a different style of jazz.

    Both leaders have played Big Ears in the last two years.

    #4 features an American guitarist with a European group.  The European group has an obvious name similarity to a group that played Big Ears a few years ago.

    Track not yet identified on #3.  Album and track not yet identified on #8

     

     

     

  23. Big Ears Festival

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted

    2024:
    Thursday:
    Blacktronica Workshop 5 (Regas Square)
    Very Very Circus 6:15-7:30 (Mill and Mine)
    Tyondai Braxton 8:15-9:15 (Standard)
    Charles Lloyd 9-10:45 (Tennessee)
    Fred Frith 10:45-12 (Bijou)
    FOMO highlights Mary Halvorson, Adrian Lenker, Angelic Brothers

    Friday:
    Jason Moran 1-2:30 (Civic Aud)
    maybe Brandon Ross 2:15-3:30 (Bijou)
    Zooid 3:30-4:45 (Civic Aud)
    Christian McBride 5:45-7 (Civic Aud)
    Brad Mehldau 7-8:30 (Tennessee)
    Tomeka Reid 8-9:15 (Point)
    Rhiannon Giddens 10-11:30 (Tennessee)
    FOMO highlights Christian McBride - Edgar Meyer, Laurie Anderson w Sexmob, Ringdown

    Saturday
    Film - Henry Threadgill 10:30 (Regal)
    McBride - Mehldau 1-2:15 (Tennessee)
    David Virelles 2-3:15 (Old City PAC)
    Myra Melford 4-5:15 (Bijou)
    Dave Holland 5:45 - 7  (Tennessee)
    maybe Digable Planets 6:45-8  (Civic Aud)
    McBride - Giddens 8-9:30 (leaving Tennessee early)
    Herbie Hancock 9-11
    Messthetics w James Brandon Lewis 11:30 - 12:45 (Standard)
    FOMO highlights Shabaka, Fred Frith solo, Sexmob

    Sunday
    Air 1-2:15 (Jackson Term)
    Harvest Time 2-3:30 (Civic Aud)
    Henry Threadgill Vijay Iyer 3:45-5 (Tennessee)
    Ahleuchatistas 5:15-6:30 (Jackson Term)
    Joe Henry or Laraaji 6:30
    Jon Batiste or Julian Lage
    FOMO highlights Silkroad, Jakob Bro

  25. Horace Tapscott & Pan Afrikan People Arkestra - Live at IUCC 11/2678 2CD

    in New Releases

    Posted

    Slight update from website using above link:

    2/23: Volume 11 just landed here at HQ today and Volume 8 should be here in the next day or two. We're currently preparing orders, and as soon as Vol. 8 arrives, we will begin shipping. Planning for this round to be all shipped by the end of next week.
    Thank you again to all subscribers and listeners of the series - We truly appreciate your patience during the delays. The Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra live at IUCC series is a monumental set of unheard recordings from 1978-80. Recorded live at the Immanuel United Church of Christ in south central LA, this is the Arkestra in its purest, rawest, and most adventurous form. The next 3 volumes are planned for shipment mid-March. We can't wait to share the remainder of the series in the coming weeks.

    Check back here for bi-weekly(ish) updates

    Bright Moments, NIMBUS WEST

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