JSngry

Glad to hear that all's well w/Bill. Truly a prince of a gentleman, he is.

PLEASE tell me that you got some pictures of that thing!

Now THAT'S knda tragic! They talk about Johnny Hodges playing that piece on the "classic Black, Brown And Beautiful album, when he did no such thing. He DID play it, in a different arrangement, on another fine FD album called Three Shades Of Blue that was sort of a three-way, "round robin" collaboration between Nelson, Hodges, and Leon Thomas. That's the album that RCA/Bluebird drew heavily on for their reissue compilation. When your own publisher doesn't have their facts straight... I had the privilige of playing some of Nelson's original chats in a rehearsal band back in my college days of the mid/late 1970s. These weren't "published" versions, these were photcopies of the original charts that the leader of the band had gotten from Nelson's widow. It the experience of actually playing them, of being able to sit there and hear them "from the inside", that really gave me an appreciation of just how deep a writer Nelson really was, You'd be reading a part, and you'd see a note and think "that CAN'T be right", but when you heard how it fit into the overall texture, it was! And the voicings were all spread out - 2nd tenor parts would often read like lead alto parts in terms of range. Thad Jones' writing was a lot like that, but Thad never tried to hide his, uh, "eccentricity". His lead lines were just as off-the-wall as his interior lines. Oliver, oroh, made the surface sound quite normal. But on his really good stuff (and, yeah, he did do his share of less-than-inspired, meet the deadline type work), there's things going on in the inside of the music that are quite "unusual". You hear it on Blues And The Abstract Truth, but the impact that it has when delivered by a full-size ensemble is something else entirely.

Anybody form the NJ/NY area remember them playing local clubs like "The Choo Choo Club" in Garfield NJ as "The Penguins" in the early 60s ? edit to add: I guess the early 60s is TOO early - must be the mid 60s. The Rascals used to work the same joints. ← The Beat Goes On is a very strong contender for the much-coveted Strangest and/or Most Misguided Attempt By A Regular Rock Band To Outdo Sgt. Pepper award. You really gotta hear this side to believe it. It's not so much that it's bad (although it probably is, but grandiously so), it's just that it's....WEIRD.

There's 9 compositions on the album, so only 5 to go! There's been some confusion witht the title of this album over the years as well. The original was on Flying Dutchman. But then in the 1992, RCA/Bluebird released a Nelson album of the same name that was a compilation of some of his other FD work. It's a fine collection, but it's got absolutely nothing to do with the original album. I can't help but think that, given the current state of the major labels, that the original Black, Brown And Beautiful might be all but lost in the shuffle. AMG remembers, at least: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&t...10:2j47gjqro6ip

Don't feel bad. some people thought it was overdubbed or multiple pianos. It's just two. An easy enough mistake to make either way, I think. That's a pretty hypnotic piece of music if you let it be.

It most certainly is NOT! Seriously though, could that be anybody besides Wayne? I though for sure that would be a dead giveaway for everybody! But yeah, the later (i.e. post-Jaco) WR albums definitely tend to be, uh...."inconsistent". Still, one could make up a good, solid 1 or 2 disc compilation of the highlights (ok, a disc-and-a-half, tops...), and this one would have to be on it. I think I'd call it The Hot Link Years

Oh, yeah. I thought that this was the same thread all over again and was just trying to aid the restoration effort. My bad!

Only if he brings Richie Powell with him.

Too late. You've been PEGGED!

Less activity on this one than for Disc One, and a lot of the responses seemed somewhat "perplexed", especially those which came before yesterday. I figured on some of that, but, honestly, not as much as there ended up being. Oh well, the Disc is what it is, and I got a kick out of reading the responses that tried to figure out just exactly what it is. And to think that I decided to keep it mostly "inside"! Anyway, let's take it apart and see what's inside. I suspect that a few eyebrows will be raised along the way! TRACK ONE – “The Happy People” by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet From Capitol ST-11121 The Happy People (LP) Cannonball Adderley –as, Nat Adderley – coronet (not present on this selection), George Duke – el p, David T. Walker – g (not credited for this selection, but guitar is obviously audible), Walter Booker – b, Roy McCurdy – d, Airto Moreira – vcl/perc; Mayuto, Octavio, King Errison – perc. Flora Purim – “Special Vocals” (Recorded 1972) A lot of “if I didn’t know that this was Cannonball, I’d never have guessed” responses to this one, and that’s sort of the point (that and the absolutely fabulous, non-stop Brazilian groove). If you only know Cannonball up until the early-1960s or so, you don’t know the whole Cannonball. Yeah, a lot of those later Capitol sides had a lot of commercial trappings, often suffocatingly so. And a lot of them were edited so that Cannonball’s full solos ended up as condensed fragments. Yet, in spite theimpression those records might give you, his playing continued to grow and evolve. His tone got fatter, rawer, and less ripe, he continued to stretch harmonically (sometimes extremely so), and he was not at all averse to dipping into the “free” bag when it suited him. That’s a side of Cannonball that was best experienced live, but bits and pieces of it do survive on records (more explicitly on his post-Captiol Milestone sides, but even there, the “trappings” are usually in place). Point is – Cannonball’s records might have gone commercial, but his actual playing went just the opposite route. If you’re patient enough, there’s some really juicy and spicy meat to be found in even the most commercial sides, meat of a decidedly different variety than that of the Mercury/Riverside years. And he remained an immensely popular live attraction right up until the day he died. Just goes to show you that sometimes, what you think you’re getting and what you really are getting may not be the same thing! As for this album, it’s not yet been reissued (and, as brownie noted, it’s not even listed in the Lord discography). But this tune and the Milton Nascimento tune after it (which make up Side One) are perfectly fine, full of life and inspired playing by all (Airto was on fire in those days, and brought it with him everywhere he went, it seemed). Side Two drags down a bit, and gets pretty tedious (and non-Brazilian). So, is the glass half-full or half-empty? That’s one for everybody to decide for themselves... Anyway, from The Happy People, we go to the not-so-happy people: TRACK TWO – “Aftermath” by Oliver Nelson From Flying Dutchman FDS-116 - Black, Brown And Beautiful (LP) John Klemmer & John Gross – ts, others not credited (Recorded ca.1969) More from Oliver Nelson’s other masterpiece. This time something of a decidedly different bent (Side One of this album is “classical”: in nature, while Side Two is “jazz”. This cut is the opener to Side One). Nelson had extensive conservatory training in composition, and I’m told that he left behind a fairly sizable repertoire of “classical” works that were never performed in his lifetime (and ain’t that a drag – to create a body of work that you never get to hear, not even once...). If they show the range and adventurousness of this one (and the other three), they should be examined and performed immediately, I believe. Yeah, the main theme goes a little bit into FilmScore Land, but it’s enclosed on both sides by some pretty heavy shit that conveys quite well the image that Nelson had in mind. Says he: This, too, is Fire Music. Make no mistake about that. TRACK THREE – “Try A Little Tenderness” by David Sanborn From Elektra 61759-2 – Pearls (CD) David Sanborn –as, Kenny Barron – p, Christian McBride – b, Steve Gadd – d, Johnny Mandel – arr; others not credited (Recorded ca.1994-95) Syrupy or tasty? Again, that’s a matter of personal taste. But I’ve talked about Sanborn’s gift for melodic interpretation, and, specifically, this album often enough that I thought I’d include a cut for general review, since I KNOW that ain’t nobody gonna buy a Dave Sanborn album, just because! Besides, after the gut-wrenching turmoil of the previous cut, trying a little tenderness seemed to be the only option... If you like this cut, you will like most of the album from which it comes. There’s also a stunning cameo by Jimmy Scott on “For All We Know” (which almost made this test, but for the Patty Waters version of the same song which closes Disc One). There is a little bit of genuine schlock on Pearls, but for $6.99 - the price I paid for a used copy - I’d say it’s a safe bet. TRACK FOUR – “What A Little Moonlight Can Do” by Etta Jones From Muse MR 5175 – If You Could See Me Now (LP) Etta Jones – vcl, Houston Person – ts, Sonny Phillips – p, Sam Jones – b, Idris Muhammed – d (Recorded 6-21-1978) I think that this was Etta’s “comeback” album, her debut on Muse, the first in a long, happy, and successful relationship between her, Houston Person, & Bob Porter’ various labels. They had a formula, sure, and Etta’s voice gradually declined over the years, but the vibe was always real. Her spirit wouldn’t let it be otherwise. On this album, however, everybody is still fresh and nimble, and the groove is bumped up several huge notches by the archetypical work of the incomparable Sam Jones. Jesus Christ, can you swing any harder than he does here? And live to tell about it? We also get a rare opportunity to hear Sonny Phillips on piano, and that’s a treat (Nate heard a wrong note at the end of his solo, but as Joe G noted, it’s really just a #11, a rather nifty, Powell-ish finishing touch). And Idris hooks up w/Sam hand-in-glove (how could you not? And live to tell about it?). Etta just RIIIIIIIIIIIDES the beat, letting it (and Person’s totally simpatico obbligatos) free her up to do what she will with the tune. And what she does is swing the hell out of it! Heard live, a groove like this can transport you into another realm. Heard on record, it can come pretty close to doing the same thing. But who farted? Not once, but twice? At 1:02? And again right between 3:31 & 3:32? I’ve had this album for years, and never heard ‘em until listening to the CDR master of this disc. Thought that it might be some digital “addition”, but Holy Beano, they’re on the LP! Somebody farted on-mic. Twice. Everybody lived, but nobody told about it. Rudy, what the hell? Still, this is one GAS of a cut (pun unavoidable). Makes me happy to be alive. Gotta love that! TRACK FIVE – “Without A Song” by Freddie Hubbard From MPS/BASF MB 20726 – The Hub Of Hubbard (LP) Freddie Hubbard – tpt, Eddie Daniels – ts, Roland Hanna – p, Richard Davis – b, Louis Hayes –d (Recorded 12-9-1969) Richard Davis has an agenda of his own on this cut. What the hell it is, I haven’t a clue, but if it’s to create a potential for instability that forces everybody else to dig in and play as heatedly focused as they can, he succeeds. This and Ready For Freddie are by far and away my favorite Hubbard-as-leader sides (throw in a few others for Honorable Mention, though). He’s got his chops in high gear, but his creativity is right there alongside ‘em. Eddie Daniels (when/how/why did THIS cat turn into such a dipshit of a musician? Fuckin’ clarinets & tuxedos, sheesh....) is just wack on this one, digging into a DEEP Joe Henderson bag for his phraseology, but with a tone all his own (although I do hear a little Warne, now that some of y’all mention it...). He’s obviously trying to key off of Davis for his time, but that’s a good plan gone awry. So he just throws caution to the wind, and with marvelously warped results – quizzical phrase endings, riffs that try to get the time into one place, and just a lot of “Fuck it, I’ll see y’all when I see ya’” stuff.. A truly spontaneous, in=the-moment solo, I think.Roland Hanna’s got one foot on Jaki Byard and the other hand on a beer bottle (you gotta see the inner-jacket photo to get that one...). Louis Hayes, hell, he’s having to try to make sense out of whatever the hell Richard Davis’ time is up to, and he does it against all odds. Yet the whole thing burns from start to finish, and the MPS Reverb on the end just adds to the already well-established sense of buzzdom. A splendid mess, this one is. This whole album is one big, sloppy party where everybody plays their asses off, faults and all. I like that. A lot. I think the album’s been reissued on Japanese CD. It should be reissued in America. Ask Verve. TRACK SIX – “Requiem” by Oliver Nelson From Flying Dutchman FDS-116 - Black, Brown And Beautiful (LP) Pearl Kaufman & Oliver Nelson –p (Recorded ca.1969) Lots of Jarrett-guesses on this one. I don’t hear it myself, but that doesn’t mean anything. Don’t know which pianist is which, but based on Kaufman’s other appearance on the album, I’d say it’s Nelson playing the ostinato. I’ll let Oliver Nelson give his own commentary for this one: TRACK SEVEN – “I Hope In Time A Change Will Come” by Oliver Nelson From Flying Dutchman FDS-116 - Black, Brown And Beautiful (LP) Oliver Nelson –ss, others not credited, but likely including Bobby Bryant – tpt, Roger Kellaway – p, Chuck Domanico – b, John Guerin – d (Recorded ca.1969) The title, as Nelson says in his only commentary on this piece, “is self-explanatory”. As is the music. Heartbreakingly melancholic, it is, with those abortive forays into the major key that get pulled right back into the omnipresent minor, as well as with those deep interior dissonances at climatic moments. The bright, happy chord that ends it, is that a dream of things to come? A commercial quick-fix ending? Or is it the musical equivalent of the kind of smile your wife gives you when she’s got “that look” and you ask her what’s wrong, and she says “Nothing, dear. Everything is just fine...” ? I think the answer is pretty obvious. And that soprano...that too is self-explanatory... In my opinion, the unavailability of this album, in toto, on CD, here or anywhere, ever, is a most egregious wrong that needs to be righted as soon as possible. TRACK EIGHT – “Paucartambo” by Ray Anderson From Soul Note SN 1087 – Right Down Your Alley (CD) Ray Anderson – tbn/conga, Mark Helias – b, Gerry Hemingway – dr/steel drums (Recorded 2-3-1984) Until a change does indeed come, there’s always good, healthy escapist realism, and this cut has long been one of my favorites for exactly that. The timbre of the steel drums (and their less than precise pitch, exploited at times to glorious effect by, as Mike noted, Hemmingway’s varied attacks) creates a whole ‘nother world for me. Helias’ bass reminds me, in spirit, of Dolphy’s “Music Matador”, and Anderson plays very tasty, if not particularly complicated, conga. Then the interlude, and the instrument changes. The dream gets a little more concrete, but just a little. The bass/drum hookup on this one is TIGHT! Then they switch back, and the dream dissolves. But now, dammit, I wanna DANCE! TRACK NINE – “Db Waltz” by Weather Report From Columbia FC 39147 – Domino Theory (LP) Joe Zawinul – keyboards, Wayne Shorter – ts, Victor Bailey – el b, Omar Hakim – d, Jose Rossy – perc (Recorded ca. late-1983) Almost universally loathed until a last-minute surge of semi-support yesterday, it seems. Oh well, y’all are WRONG!!!! :g :g I mean, yeah, the ingredients (intentionally cheesy synth sounds, handclaps, band vocals, processed sax sound, arena-rock false endings replete with ultra-hyper drumming, and god-knows-what-else) are all “suspect” but the results are exquisite. Kinda like a good hot-link – if you dwell on what’s REALLY in it, it’ll make you barf; but if you just go ahead and eat the damn thing, it’ll groove ya for days. And this thing does groove me. Look, the tune itself is just plain wack once you take it apart and get past the surface ingredients – all the different sections (the segues between sections seem a little bit slack, though, and that’s the only criticism I have of this piece), the totally stretched harmonies, Wayne’s deadpan-but-oh-so-off-the-wall melodic statements and solos (a quality of his that goes back to his debut on Kelly Great, so, hey, what’s new?), the obviously (and obviously deliberate) over-the-top quality of it all, it all adds up to some master musicians having a blast. You gotta be free within yourself (and have a LOT of knowledge) to have this much fun with these kind of materials, to take the extra-mundane and bend it until it almost breaks, but doesn’t. This isn’t the self-congratulatory masturbatory chop-fest of the worst of fusion, this is just plain ol’ goofy-ass, First-Herd-of-the-Electronic-Age type FUN! Oh well, different strokes. Still love y’all! TRACK TEN – “Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You” by Roy Haynes From Mainstream MAL 313 – Hip Ensemble (CD burn of LP) Marvin Peterson –tpt, George Adams – ts, Carl Schroeder – el p, Teruo Nakamura –b, Roy Haynes- d, Lawrence Killian – conga (Recorded 1971) Now THIS one was just for laffs. I opened up Disc One with a “show-biz” type opener, and this one, redolent of headbands, long hair (Afro & Euro alike), tank-tops, tie-died pants, and sweat from playing hard at an outdoor concert (preferably in a park) as it is, just reeks of another type of show-biz – a young, not-fully-formed (Hannibal does NOT make all the changes!) group of young players led by an ever-hip, modishly (and expensively) dressed older drummer bringing a young-ish, highly stoned crowd to their roused feet by just HAMMERING THE HELL out of a once gentle and suave standard. Send’em home PUMPED, by God! SHOW BIZ BABY! :g Yet, it’s not without its charms. I dig Schroeder’s intro (and the segue from Zawinul to another, younger European electric keyboardist was intentional). Dig how he quotes “Four” without rhyme or reason (except that it comes four bars before the horns’ entry...). And his solo is nice and oblique in the then-current style. Whatever happened to him, anyway? And Adams is heard here in good early form, more than a little wild, but definitely playing. I miss that cat... The Haynes Mainstream albums are not “essential” or anything, but they are of historical interest and not without some intrinsic musical merit in spots. But this cut was included strictly for grins. I swear! TRACK ELEVEN – “The Beat Goes On” by Vanilla Fudge From Atco 33-237 – The Beat Goes On (LP) Mark Stein – org, Vince Martell – g, Tim Bogart – el b, Carmine Appice –d (Recorded 1968) What? Doesn’t everybody dig Vanilla Fudge?

Probably wouldn't hurt if I listened to it, either...

Offer to drive?

Musta been one weird-ass placenta...

Agreed - that's funkiest 6 I think I've ever heard. You think it's Ousley & not Vick?

and it's the stuff that sticks, I'm still going "paa-dee-a-pa-pah!" here.- ← Are you getting that half-step on the last note of the last phrase? That's what makes it! ← what really makes it is that they do their part and drop out. No blabbering about, just those few punchy lines and bang done with. ← Yeah, but it's how they get out that makes it PLUS for me!

so, will you let us in on your planned subtitle anyhow? ← I'm keeping it anyway. You'll see it tomorrow...

You GO Bro!

Re-reading the posts I see this track has been snuffled out and I guessed the title of the tune without even googling or nuthin'. Made my day thasall! The demonchaser on the oil cans. ← Right album, wrong tune! ← sheet, never could get under the stick anyhow! JimR and mikeweil had the album. ← Don't feel bad. I picked it and damned if I know how to pronounce it...

and it's the stuff that sticks, I'm still going "paa-dee-a-pa-pah!" here.- ← Are you getting that half-step on the last note of the last phrase? That's what makes it!

hey, it was a QUEST. I take those seriously. ← Obviously! 15 hours later and you'd have missed your shot!

Re-reading the posts I see this track has been snuffled out and I guessed the title of the tune without even googling or nuthin'. Made my day thasall! The demonchaser on the oil cans. ← Right album, wrong tune!

Damn it John, you found the farts. NOW what am I going to subtitle tomorrow's Answer Thread?

Yeah, it's starting to feel like Vermont in here...

Yes it is, and thank you!