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RDK

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  1. Understood, Jim, and I agree. In a few cases, I don't have any more info than the titles and leaders, in a few other cases I was simply too lazy to find the discs/liners that have since become lost in the shuffle. I'll try to add whatever I can to the notes later tonight. I also have a list of a few recommended albums/box sets that I'll post for anyone interested in this kind of stuff...
  2. You're right of course, Jim. It is Big Jay. I gotta stop drinking so much while I'm posting!
  3. Yeah, Lon, neither girl had their best night. Much of the problem is due to song choice - a lot of mediocre material last night ("Summertime" being the exception, but it wasn't Fanntasia's best performance of it imo). I still think Fantasia is the one to beat though...
  4. Heck, I broke my own record with the last blindfold test: there were *four* tunes that I had but didn't recognize!
  5. Seriously, no apologies needed from anyone regarding any track(s). As I said in the beginning, I would have been shocked if anyone liked *all* of them. I purposely tried for a diverse mix of tunes and, to be honest, I've listened to them so much lately that I've grown sick of a few of them myself...
  6. Oh sure, now that I admit to having gotten some nookie from the track, now *everyone* loves the Pepper...
  7. Bonus Disc Answers... 1. “Hit that Jive, Jack” Slim Gaillard http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A0ev1z83aoyvj As Mike correctly realized, this is part one of the “Groove Juice Symphony” from 1946. Slim Gaillard on piano, guitar, and drums, and vocals; Bam Brown on bass and piano. My god, all that noise from only two people? Oroonie! I cut this long track up into three parts. This continues into tracks 10 and 17… 2. “Open the Door, Richard” Count Basie The Basie version of this hit, from 1947. It’s on RCA Victor, which is why it’s so damn hard to find. 3. “Now’s the Time” Charlie Parker As noted, the famous Savoy version. 4. “D-Natural Blues” Lucky Millinder Pretty much the same tune as “Now’s the Time.” That’s Harold Clarke on the tenor sax. 5. “The Hucklebuck” Roy Milton http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Ag2k0ikmhbb39 More famously, pretty much the same tune as “D-Natural Blues” and “Now’s the Time.” A famous court case at the time ruled that both “D-Natural Blues” and “Hucklebuck” could exist with separate titles, composer credits, and publishers. A lot of people say that “Hucklebuck” ripped off Bird, but “Hucklebuck” was derived from “D-Natural Blues,” which was written and first recorded way back in 1928. Go figure… 6. “Twitchy” Rene Hall’s Orchestra w/ Willie Joe and his Unitar http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Ag2k0ikmhbb39 Damn! I love that Uni-tar! I wish I knew what the hell it was. Don’t know much about Willie Joe either – he only appeared on a small handful of singles – but it’s a crime that he’s not better known… 7. “Safronia B” Calvin Boze Perhaps my favorite jump blues tune of them all. “I surrender, I surrender!” 8. “Cadillac Boogie” Jimmy Liggins If you like this stuff, you’ve gotta check out Specialty Records, my favorite non-jazz indie label of all time. Owner Art Rupe could have had the Beatles… 9. “Sonny Could Lick All Them Cats” Chuck E. Weiss http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Alkuj6j8o7180 You know that Ricki Lee Jones’ tune “Chuck E.’s in Love?” This is that cat. I used to see Chuck play in a small coffeehouse in North Hollywood each Friday night for the better part of a year. He’s a Slim Gaillard fan as well… 10. “C-Jam Blues” Slim Gaillard 11. “Oh Lady Be Good” Albert Ammons I’m kind of surprised that no one guessed Ammons. From that Radio-shaped Mercury box… 12. “Swinging the Boogie” Hadda Brooks Heck, now I can’t remember which comp I pulled this from. Some of those chicks sure could play back then! 13. “Money Blues” Camille Howard http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Ag2k0ikmhbb39 Camille Howard is featured on vocals on this track, but she’s a damn fine boogie pianist as well. Check out her “X-temporaneous Boogie.” 14. “Reckless Night on Board an Ocean Liner” Raymond Scott http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Aahw67uy070j0 What a creative mind. He’s not just Looney Tunes… 15. “I’m in the Mood for Love” King Pleasure (Aladdin Records version) If I can find where I put the box/liner notes, I’ll tell you the name of the female singer… 16. “Trouble in Mind” Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Ahy61mppd9f8o Just to shake things up a bit. But it fits right in, don’t you think? 17. “Flat Foot Floogie” Slim Gaillard 18. “Undecided” Slam Stewart & Major Holley http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Agnm1z84a8yv8 Slam, of course, was one half of Slim & Slam. I love his style, but a little of it goes a long way… 19. “Cherokee Dance” Bob Landers w/Willie Joe & his Unitar http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Ag2k0ikmhbb39 Holy Shit! ‘Nuf said! 20. “Looped” Melvin Smith Calvin Boze also did a version of this song. 21. “Insect Ball” Big Jay McNeely I love these honkers & shouters… 22. “Smooth Sailing” Lucky Thompson http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Allf1zfj1ehak Threw this in just in case you didn’t like the wilder stuff. But this is part of the same big melting pot. Lucky and Big Jay were playing across town from each other… 23. “Nuthin’ From Nuthin’” Sun Ra http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Aov2tk6hxlkrj Wasn’t expecting Sun Ra were you? This is a Pat Patrick composition from 1986. Fits right in… 24. “The Piano Has Been Drinking” Tom Waits http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Aqlf5zf0heh4k What can I say? Pretty obvious to most I’m very glad to discover… 25. “Deacon’s Hop” Big Jay McNeely http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Allf1zfj1ehak A fitting close…
  8. Thanks to everyone who took part in this BFT. I had a blast doing it. I'll post the answers to the Bonus Disc a bit later... Track 1. “St. Louis Blues” Jaki Byard (p), David Izenzon (B), Elvin Jones (d) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Axw548qzbbtx4 I’m not sure why, but I always knew that my BFT would start with this track. I’ve always dug Byard’s playing, of course, and really appreciate how his style bridges traditional and more “out” playing – as evidenced by this trad number that starts out sounding like an air raid but has a really lovely middle section. This track sets the tone for much of the kind of jazz that I love: traditional, familiar, swinging standards but with a modern edge that really makes them unique and interesting – just skirting the edges of the avant-garde. I thought this was an obscure enough piece so that even with the title so, uh, audible, not everyone would get it. At the same time, there’s no mistaking Elvin… Track 2. “Freereggaehibop” James Carter & Lester Bowie http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Ajpddyl6oxpzb Yeah, it goes on a bit long, but I really like this track, especially since it stretches the boundaries of jazz by mixing in reggae rhythms (which some liked, others hated). I wanted to include something by both Carter and Bowie, so this fit the bill. Bowie is highlighted here, and his style is so individual that most correctly guessed who it was. Track 3. “Lady Day and John Coltrane” Gil Scott-Heron http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Axaqvadzkv8w5 Jazz? I dunno – you decide. If it makes any difference, Hubert Laws is on sax and flute, Ron Carter’s on bass, and Bernard Purdie’s drums. I thought this was a good barometer to judge just how open-minded some people are on what is and isn’t “jazz.” I have to admit to being a bit disappointed in the consensus… Track 4. “Elm” Richie Beirach http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A9l548qtmbtx4 No one got this one. I’m surprised only because I think “Elm” is such a lovely tune – it should be a jazz standard. My favorite version of this is actually on Beirach’s ECM album of the same title, but I only have it on LP. The violin gives this version a more “classical” feel, but what it lacks in “swing” it makes up for in sheer beauty and lyricism. Track 5. “More Money Jungle” Rhythm & Brass http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A2s821vf1zzba This was something I discovered a while ago on emusic.com. It’s an interesting album reinterpreting (mostly) Ellington tunes, including several from “Money Jungle.” This track opens the album with a bang. I figured this would get some of the harsher responses… Track 6. “You Belong to Me” Mose Allison http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A3r0qoa8ayijx Mose is one of my very favorite jazz artists – but mostly for his singing. But his voice is so distinctive that he would hardly make a good BFT candidate. I wanted to represent him as a pianist – and I was fascinated by the various guesses this track received. I’m glad that so many liked it, though it’s probably the safest, most conservative track on this disc. Personally, I was hesitant to include this up until the very last minute. I was torn because I don’t think it’s a particularly strong track – the overall playing is merely average – but I love the tune and this is a relatively rare find on CD. I pulled it off a British comp of Mose’s work – I don’t think it’s available on any U.S. CD release. With Addison Farmer (B) and Ronnie Free (d). Track 7. “Silence” Keith Jarrett http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Avayvadzky8wj As important as Keith Jarrett has been to me over the years, I had to include something by him. This is a short track by his “American Quartet,” with Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, and Paul Motian. The tune itself was composed by Haden and is a semi-classic (and so unique), so I was really surprised that it took so long to get this one. This is one of my all-time favorite tracks. Not particular “jazzy,” perhaps – whatever *that* means – but absolutely lovely to me and almost Zen-like in its simplicity. I could listen to this (on “repeat” of course) for hours. Track 8. “Baltimore Oriole” Four Freshmen http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=At9ez97lskrrt Yep, this is from the “dreaded” Mosaic Four Freshmen set. The very first track, in fact – a demo if I remember correctly (I’m too lazy to look up the details at the moment). I must have heard this now a hundred times, but this song continues to give me chills. I will warn you – though it’s my favorite track in the entire box, the box is filled with a lot of sappy stuff that you’d more than likely hate. But this one is sublime… Track 9. “Witchi-Tai-To” Jim Pepper http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Aft98b594tsqs I have to admit to being most disappointed by the poor reception of this track. Did anyone like it? Yeah, it may skirt the edge of “world music” or “light jazz,” but it’s no more or less “fusion” to me than much of Weather Report or countless CTI albums. I find the groove irresistible and Pepper’s chanting gives the song so much color and character. This is another track that I can listen to over and over again. My wife really likes this one too and it’s gotten me a lot of nookie over the years. And what more can one ask of any song, jazz or otherwise? Track 10. “Un Poco Loco” Johnny Smith http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A3h90s38wa3vg From the Johnny Smith Mosaic box. Not a particularly strong track from Smith’s p.o.v, but I just thought it was so ballsy to perform “Un Poco Loco” mostly as a drum solo. That’s Mousey Alexander on drums, btw (who?). I do love the unconventional structure of this one. Like many of you, I don’t think it’s a particularly memorable drum solo, but it’s relatively brief and I think all BFTs need a drum solo… Track 11. “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’” F.E.S. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A7jt67uq030jg I enjoyed reading the reactions to this one! Like Byard’s version of “St. Louis Blues,” this is another modern massacre of a classic song. But it’s also the kind of thing that keeps the classics from turning moldy – and us from becoming “moldy old figs.” There’s hardly any point in performing an old chestnut like this unless you can do something new and inventive with it. I’m glad a couple of you appreciated this as a new discovery – that’s the kind of thing that makes these tests worthwhile to me. I had never heard of F.E.S. (which is short for Flat Earth Society), an avant-garde big band from Belgium, until I found this disc a few months back in the bargain bin at Amoeba. Their version of “St Louis Blues” is even more raucous and amazing, but it was too long to include and besides, Dan would have hated me for life… Track 12. “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Agnv1z87aoyv6 I was shocked, too, that this took so long to figure out. I thought this duo album by Metheny & Haden was better known than it apparently is. A few mistook Metheny for Scofield (or were confused by the overdubbing) and I’m not sure if anyone mentioned the bassist at all. A few considered this “tv music” (or close to Musak, I would imagine), but to me this is an absolutely lovely tune (yep, a Jimmy Webb composition) that cuts deep down to my heart. Track 13. “The Eagle and Me” Shirley Horn http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Anojleaw14x87 One of my favorite Shirley Horn tracks – yeah, probably because it isn’t so *sloooow.* Track 14. “Sweet Basil Blues” Abdullah Ibrahim http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Alfuw6j2771l0 I love this series of “African Recordings” by Abdullah Ibrahim. I have them on Kaz – which were probably the very first import CDs I ever bought back in the late 80s – and they forever turned me on to Ibrahim. It’s not his strongest work, but I find the sound so distinctive – the most “African” of his many recordings. This track features Blue Mitchell (t), Buster Cooper (tb), and Basil Coetzee on sax. Track 15. “Roland Kirk’s Message” Charles Mingus http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A67d3vwmta9lk Silly me, thinking I could fool you guys for long… Seriously, I really dig Mingus’ piano playing and this disc is terrific. Track 16. “Peace and Love” Gary Bartz http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A15j20rnar48z I first heard this album only a few months ago – another “discovery” from emusic – and immediately fell in love with this track. To me, this track is as passionate and personal a statement as “A Love Supreme.” A few of you didn’t care for Bartz’ voice but that’s so missing the point of this music. His sax solo at the end is so moving to me – it’s just perfect. As soon as I heard this I knew this was how I wanted to end my BFT…
  9. Sounds intriguing. I don't think I have any Shaw in my collection (at least on CD). Any recommendations on where to start... or should I wait for the inevitable "Still More Last Recordings - We Really Mean it This Time" edition?
  10. These are gonna be pricey in the future. It sounds like much less than 2000 of each box (mine were in the 1700-1800 range). Get these while you still can!
  11. I was gonna post the answers/comments this morning, but I'm pressed for time here at work so I'll post them later tonight...
  12. Well, I certainly cheated a bit with that long Slim track. Each section starts with a running joke of him drunkenly introducing his "Groove Juice Special," as if he's forgotten that he already announced the other movements with the same exact title. After I decided to split the tracks, I kept the "joke intro" to start each section - but it seemed too obvious in the context of the BFT so I edited out Slim's intro to the "C-Jam Blues" section. I prefered it that way, plus it made it not so obvious who was playing...
  13. Ah, you're the first one who caught this!
  14. That's pretty much it, Mike. I love that great big melting pot of late 1940's music, when jazz mixed with blues and R&B and swing, fucked like mad, and gave birth to that bastard child we like to call Rock and Roll.* *Yeah, I know, it sounds like I grabbed them from the back of a book jacket, but I made it up just now. Really...
  15. I've always felt that a musician's race was as relevent or irrelevent as whether he was short or tall... So how tall is Jackie anyway...?
  16. To give credit, Sidewinder suggested Mingus, but it was unclear if he was referring to track 14 or 15...
  17. Ding ding ding! Eloe Omoe, come on down! You've just won a lifetime's supply of Rice-a-Roni!
  18. I recently met a couple here - Americans of European descent - who referred to themselves as "Euro mutts." That made me laugh, but it's oh so true...
  19. Ain't that the truth! Wish BMG/RCA would release that period of his work. Otherwise we'll have no choice but to buy this... http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=A46n20r5ai489 (And no, I don't own that box, but I've been sorely tempted.)
  20. You chose Jim Pepper's second version, I think: This Luca Luca, yes, you are correct - though I must say that description in AMG is completely wrong!
  21. Most definitely pop-rock...
  22. You're very right, Brad, about me digging that artist, but "Open the Door, Richard" is not one of his tracks. There are many versions of that tune/comedy routine, but the one on the BFT comes from another band with more genuine jazz creds... Then I'd say it's this or this musician's band ... Bzzzzzt... I'm sorry, that is incorrect! Try again... B)
  23. Yes, that is Pepper's version. btw, "Creator" is one of my favorite Pharoah Sanders tracks!
  24. Well, as I said, with the board down for the weekend... Besides, I have to finish typing up my comments... How 'bout tomorrow?
  25. The Bonus Disc was mostly put together for fun, but for anyone wanting a few hints... Tracks 6 and 19 feature the same very unique musician, though the leaders are different... Tracks 7 and 20 have an indirect artist connection (i.e., the same artist had hit versions of both, though the version of 20 included here is by a different guy). Though the title of track 10 is obvious, I don't think anyone has yet guessed the piano player. Let me just say that he's represented on another track here as well... I'm betting that most of you have at least something by the leader of track 23 in your collections. He's a jazz big shot, folks, though he doesn't always sound as, uh, earthy as this...
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