Joe

I first heard him — without realizing I was hearing him — on ASTRAL WEEKS, which changed my world. When I heard OUT TO LUNCH years later and made that connection, it changed my world all over again. RIP, and thank you for the music.

Something I learned today.

Yes, but no. In all honesty, this guitarist was not on my radar until I discovered this record recently.

Think: closer to Motown than uptown.

Thanks all! The lead on #11 is not a Western instrument, FWIW. Carlos Ward does figure in this BFT... just not on #10. The guitarist #1 is not a household name (as far as I know, anyway). But they've appeared on many classic LPs (session work). The cats are out of the bag on #8. If I am reading the credit correctly, there are two bassists on #9. #5 features a player who has posted in these forums before. Keep on enjoying!

#7 is a prominent figure; no obscurities in that combo, in fact.

Confirmation (not to give away the title or source of the tune).

https://thomkeith.net/index.php/blindfold-tests/ Enjoy! I don't really have a preamble for these 13 tracks. Let's call it a miscellany.

1 episode in. Impressed so far inasmuch as it's mostly Wayne telling Wayne's story. I am waiting for more discussion of Alan. Pleasantly surprised to see board member Jason Bivins as a featured commentator.

I can really hear the Woody Shaw influence here. Speaking of which...

The Funky Chicken Disco Duck The Bluebird of Happiness

With Jon Eardley and Bob Mover.

I hear you w/r/t Robertson the guitarist. I had a similar experience. It's probably the best part of the latter LPs, where the songwriting starts to calcify a bit. I mostly think of The Band these days as a collection of cautionary tales: about the music industry, about fame and ambition, about what it means to be part of a collective, about mythologizing... the beginnings of those stories are relatively happy, the endings almost uniformly sad.

The first 2 albums are special, IMO. But mostly because they are true group efforts. TBH, I could listen to Richard Manuel sing just about anything. (What's the expression... "the telephone book?"). But they kind of fall of a cliff after that, mostly because it became the Robbie Robertson Show, whether out of necessity, bad blood, or some mix of all that plus, you know, human nature. I find THE LAST WALTZ almost unwatchable now, but maybe I should never have read Levon's memoir.

Complicated man, complicated legacy. At his best, though, he was responsible for some pretty timeless music.

Gene Clark for sure. Also, don't sleep on that run of Mike Nesmith & The First National Band LPs on RCA.

Souled American's discography has just been restored to wide circulation via Bandcamp. I don't know if anyone has ever offered a more original take on the "country rock" sound. But they are definitely an acquired taste. https://souledamerican.bandcamp.com

The Royal Prunes: Thunder In The Throne Room

Orange Moses: Unleash The Flush!

https://www.discogs.com/release/572568-Centipede-Septober-Energy

https://samosalamon.bandcamp.com/album/dolphyology-complete-eric-dolphy-for-solo-guitar

There's a Tristano thing going on in his playing, at least to my ears. Long, long melodic lines, but, more than that, the articulation he gives each note. Maybe I'm hearing echoes of Dodo Marmarosa, another Pittsburgh pianist, instead? Certainly a slight "cool"ness to his touch.

This one is tempting. IIRC, some of these tracks are mono only [?]. The discography here does not indicate as much, but that's my recollection.