randyhersom

1. Manteca. I'll go with Dizzy Gillespie. Probably Chano Pozo in the percussion section. 2. Solo piano, perhaps as far back as the 40's. Teddy Wilson? 3. Kind of a Horace Silver vibe going here. 4. Could be post-Blue Note Andrew Hill. 5. I can't get away from the feeling that this is Woody Shaw. 6. Ahmad Jamal is a possibility here. 7. It seems likely to be a bone led date, and since the music tends more toward funky than boppish, I'll go with Curtis Fuller rather than J.J. 8. Trio version of Maiden Voyage. I don;t think it's Herbie, maybe one of the newer pianists, say, David Hazeltine? 9. The soprano here plays freer than the rest of the ensemble. Maybe Steve Lacy with Mal Waldron? 10. Hubert Laws? 11. Sounds like a quintet with soprano plus alto sax, but I can't rule out two sopranos. Tyner influenced, but not Tyner. 12. Doesn't sound Brazillian enough to be Flora Purim, but I haven't a better guess at the moment. 13. Very nice. Art Farmer? 14. Luscious, sweet alto tone against luxurious band background. Hodges, Desmond and Pepper all came to mind. Although it sounds a tiny bit too modern, I'll go with Johnny Hodges. 15. This bit of playfulness reminds me of Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Michael Ray, best known to jazz audiences for his contributions to Sun Ra groups from the mid 70s on. Charles Sullivan, Dupree Bolton, Jabbo Smith ...

I'm very partial to Cockburn's Circles In The Stream live set. The version of Joy Will Find A Way with marimba is incredibly lovely.

They're still there on eMusic, and something of a bargain at per track pricing, assuming you like the style. The only jazz side I know to be missing is the Ran Blake.

Has anybody heard anything from Sumi Tonooka recently? She's a fine pianist, and I heard a stunning live set by her in the early 80's with a female vocalist. I've concluded, but not without slight doubt, that the vocalist was Rachelle Ferrell. She recorded for Candid and a couple indie labels.

Yeah, I like Witchi-Tai-To too. Sheila Jordan did it on Little Song, I think, and it took a few listens to get over my reactions to the vocals, but it happened. I've always liked Oregon's instrumental version, but it's quite a different experience with the vocals. Nice sets RDK, thanks.

1. Could go a couple of ways to go here. I pick up hints of Summertime in the melody, but it might just be hints. The bass playing is pretty audacious to attribute to a fifties or sixties session, but I'm thinking it might be just that. My guess is Gil Melle. On the other hand it might be as left field as David Seville or Serge Gainsbrough. 2. I'm thinking Lester Bowie. Not as "out" as most of his stuff, but the vocal trumpet style and reggae groove make me want to stick to my guess, even though it's clearly not Brass Fantasy from the instrumentation. 3. Clearly Gil Scott-Heron. Lady Day and John Coltrane. 4. Is this Kenny Barron and Regina Carter? 5. Not familiar with the style. New York Voices or something? 6. Nothing jumping out at me here. Erroll Garner is a possibility 7. Jarrett and Garbarek. 8. Baltimore Oriole, but not quite the same song Sheila Jordan sang. Kevin Mahogany? 9. Witchi Tai To - Not sure whether to guess Jim Pepper or Pat Metheny? Metheny wins the coin flip... wait the vocalist clearly calls out "Pepper". I'll switch back to Jim Pepper. 10. Drums heavily featured here. Either the drummer's date of the guitarist's. Chico Hamilton's the drummer I most think of leading small groups with guitar. 11. Entertaining but slightly hokey big band char introduces white or latin sounding vocalist singing I've Got Plenty of Nothing. Could this be that Swedish? import whose name is something like Nulle and Verdorkester. 12. I'm thinking this is a Jim Webb composition, possibly from the Missouri Sky Pat Metheny- Charlie Haden date. It definitely is overdubbed, if so. 13. I'm liking Sarah Vaughan here. Nice arrangement, Sarah often got too much goop from her producers. Aaah, live date. 14. It's been a while since I guessed Thad Jones- Mel Lewis Big Band. Why not now! 15. Rich, gospelly solo piano. The latest Down Beat mentioned a Red Garland solo date. Since I'm unaware of any Gene Harris solo dates, I'll go with Red. 16. Hubert Eaves, Stafford James, hmm ... Since the voice and the alto sax are never together, I'm going to venture Gary Bartz as my guess. Bonus The bonus disk stumped me time after time. I always like to take a guess because I might luck into a right answer, but I'm on very shaky gound here. 1. Recreation of Bebop era jive. "Groovy" would seem to peg it as sixties or later. I'm not sure Louis Jordan lived that long, but the song and style are both associated with him. Come to think of it the song might be pre-bebop. 2. More recreation of Bebop era jive. Open the Door, Richard. I think Jack McVea did the original. 3. Bird!! I always get Bird and Monk tunes wrong, but I'll try anyway. Chasin the Worm? Probably Miles on trumpet. 4. This seems to be halfway between Lester Young's style and Coleman Hawkins'. I think Hawk is likelier. 5. The Hucklebuck. I forget who made the original hit and forever incurred Bird's wrath. 6. More toward jump blues. Illinois Jacquet? The guitar sound is more associated with rock and roll or R&B than jazz. 7. I'se a Muggin in a jump blues style. I think the song is associated with Louis Armstrong, but its obviouly not him. Since I'm unfamiliar with much of this genre, I'll guess the names I do know a few times over. Louis Jordan? 8. Not much of a clue. Title seems to be Cadillac Boogie. Jay McShann? 9. I'll guess Les McCann with very little conviction. 10. Duke's Place, AKA C Jam Blues. In an entertaining live trio version that's not by Duke. Three Sounds? 11. Seems like boogie-woogie, but played by a quartet. Sounds like solo piano for much of the tune. Jaki Byard? 12. Similar style. Could be Oscar Peterson. 13. Jeannie and Jimmy Cheatham? 14. I kept wanting to say Duke, but I couldn't make out any piano at all. It sounded 30's-40's stylistically, but not particularly New Orleans based. 15. Moody's Mood For Love. Could be Jon Hendricks, no idea on the female singer. The song's historically associated with King Pleasure and Eddie Jefferson. On relistening I'm going with Eddie, not Jon. 16. This has the feel of Archie Shepp's standards playing. 17. Slim Gailliard's Flat Foot Floogie. Could be a cover, but I'll stick with Slim. 18. Any two of Slam Stewart, Major Holley and Milt Hinton. 19. Unknown R&B singing frog. I like it. Lee Dorsey as a wild guess. 20. T-Bone Walker did some dates with horns in this style. 21. Story song with two male vocals and excellent accompaniment. I haven't tried Cleanhead Vinson yet. 22. Could be Dexter Gordon. 23. Earl Hines is my wild guess 24. Tom Waits. The Piano Has Been Drinking. 25. If it isn't Big Jay McNeeley, then I fell for the bait.

So JackTracy, do you think the original masters exist without the organ solos edited out?

Rat Own, Rat Own, Rat Own

Michael Gregory Jackson came out with his first album in the mid-seventies, a minor classic Clarity featuring Oliver Lake, Leo Smith and David Murray. It was reissued on CD along with the ESP recordings, but it originally came out on an indie label. He made a duo album with Oliver Lake and a couple of Arista/Novus dates. He moved toward pop with the last Novus date and subsequent recordings. He also dropped the Jackson to avoid confusion with other Michael Jacksons, such as the relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies ; ) I only mentioned him because I had incorrectly guessed him earlier. He often sings in a falsetto voice along with his guitar.

Wow #6 is both incredibly obscure and incredibly experienced. Right clicking his picture and choosing properties provided the needed clues. I had already listened to some Michael Gregory and concluded that his vocal and guitar style was not nearly as dark and foreboding. 9 and especially 2 continue to taunt me.

I'm amazed how similar Stan Getz Sweet Rain and Pete LaRoca's Basra are to the track, but neither one is it. Dang, it seems familiar.

Two Milestone Joe Hendersons in 1967, The Kicker and Tetragon. Tetragon is all quartet, either Kenny Barron or Don Friedman on keys.

Michael Gregory (Jackson) should be considered for #6. I don't think he usually uses drums though.

Nah, the likely Cedar Walton sides come from 1970-72.

Cedar Walton with Clifford Jordan on 2? Cedar's certainly on the short list of "most likely to switch btween Rhodes and acoustic".

Doh. Tears for Dolphy was one of my first 20 jazz albums too!

Very enjoyable and varied set. 1. Jaco Pastorius, Donna Lee, from his self-titled Columbia album. 2. Seemingly CTI at the beginning, the sax shakes off it's smoothness and gets into some Coltrane-isms near the end. I'm thinking Joe Henderson on Milestone. 3. McCoy Tyner is a definite compositional influence, but I don't think he's the pianist. I should recognize the distinctive, nasal tone of the tenor, but no bells are going off. Not pronounced enough for Barbieri or Sanders. Aah well, I hear a bone, so I'll try Steve Turre. 4. Female voice and organ isn't all that common. The seventies vibe leads me to guess Jean and Doug Carn on the Black Jazz label 5. Is this Wayne Shorter from the Odyssey of Iska/Super Nova period? 6. Eerie female vocal. Cassandra Wilson? 7. Ornette Coleman on violin? I think he had an album called Friends and Neighbors. 8. Downtempo soprano and tenor and electric guitar. The official guess for kinda European and I don't have a clue is John Surman. 9. John Handy with Michael White ... hmmm, no, I don't think that group used a piano. I don't remember Jackie Mclean recording with violin. Dave Douglas? 10. That sounds like it could be koto. The sax sounds like Gato Barbieri, so perhaps it's a Latin American stringed instrument instead. 11. Tough one. I'm liking the exotic instrumental colors on this compilation. This could be anything from European to a Mingus Tribute band, but I definitely don't recognize the composition. Tomasz Stanko? 12. Not sure if that's all guitar or guitar synthesizier, or whether there's a keyboard. No real clue, but I'll throw Joe Morris out as a guess. 13. I definitely know this composition. I first thought Randy Weston, but no, its Monk. That narrows it down!!! Of all the people who probably covered Monk, I'm guessing Art Farmer. Is it Ruby My Dear? 14. Very distinctive and twangy tone. Probably a newer guitarist like Wayne Horvitz. 15. Did Sinatra really record with an organ combo? Sure sounds like it. Kenny who?

Horo! Sun Ra, Max Roach, George Adams, Lester Bowie ... I think a Stitt on Cobblestone made it onto a 32Jazz reissue.

The Haydn String Quartets by the Kodaly Quartet are excellent. Op 76 is a fine place to start.

It appears Alexander is the anti-couw with his definite fondness for the ivories. After several listens, I'm not very confident in most of my guesses. Very nice set. 1. Tommy Flanagan? 2. Sidney Bechet? 3. Bill Mays? I actually thought of Jack Wilson, who I'm more familiar with. 4. Earl Hines? 5. Satin Doll. Could be Ahmad Jamal. 6. Barry Harris or Oscar Peterson. Much manual dexterity, fittting the music well here. 7. Nice Lush Life on solo piano. Roland Hanna? 8. I don't really think it's John Hicks, but I'm running out of guesses. 9. I thought of Tatum earlier, but this has gotta be Art Tatum 10. Blackbird, by the Beatles. I think this might be Brad Mehldau or Marian McPartland 11. Someday my prince will come. Keith Jarrett 12. I'm also guessing The Keith Jarrett Standards trio. Hopefully one of the two will be right. 13. Herbie Hancock? I don't know any live trio dates off the top of my head. 14. John Hicks? 15. The lyricism reminds me of Jarrett, but the vocalisms aren't there and I've used up a couple of Jarrett guesses already. I'll say Bill Evans.

Really enjoying the Leo Records stuff that's landing on emusic.com. The two Cecil Taylors are wonderful, both Leroy Jenkins and Carlos Ward fit in well for my taste and edge Cecil toward lyricism. So far I'm liking Evan Parker's Needles better than 50th Birthday Concert, but much more listening to do. And the Sun Ra Disney disk is an absolute hoot.

Wild Tchopitoulas - Meet De Boys On De Battlefront

Neil Young - Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown, Like A Hurricane Bruce Springsteen - It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City, Growin' Up

I find St. Arkansas to be a very accessible and memorable Pere Ubu album. It's right up there with the compilation that's got Thirty Seconds over Tokyo for me.