Spontooneous

Get a codec here: https://xiph.org/flac/download.html You'll like it, and you'll soon find yourself using it for many things beyond BFTs.

Those are my favorite diesel engines! They were GM's F series, which were produced between, I believe, 1939 and 1960. Very art deco. They kind of epitomized the spirit of progress and motion that typified the era. The two most common models were the F3 and F7. I suspect that is an F3 though the distinctions are subtle. As a recovering rail geek, my friend, I'm forced to point out that those are E's, not F's.

DL, pls n tnx!

A lovely album it is. I'm reminded of the Booker Little Bethlehem album. Maybe the last record date for Dwayne Burno.

But what have you gathered from listening to him?

Past time to fill in the rest... 10 – "Moonglow." Thought this might be on the Zoot Sims-Bucky Pizzarelli duo album, but it isn't there. Beautiful, especially the tone of the tenor's high notes. 11 – Well, that's different. The tenor borrows some of Booker Ervin's wail. I'd like it better if the drummer didn't do so much pseudo-military stuff on the snare. But I like it anyway. Propers to the bass player, who always seems to be doing what's right. 12 – E-bow and "Please Send Me Someone to Love." It's not Frisell, is it? I appreciate the organist's enthusiasm. I'd like to hang out at the bar where this band plays. 13 – The tenor-guitar unison isn't as together as it could be, but then again, that's not the point. Love the tenor's dark, acidic sound. Do I sense Pat Martino? And an electric piano along with the organ? This is fun. 14 -- Didn't care for the vocal arrangement at first, but warmed to it after the words kicked in. The organist plays off of the arrangement beautifully. 15 – Some really beautiful blues from the tenor player. I mean really beautiful. I mean makes-my-day beautiful. Is that somebody like Grover Washington? The guitar player tries, but the tenor is the star. 16 – Sweet, but doesn't tell me as much as 15 did. Earl Bostic? I confess, I'm burned out on Fats Domino-style triplets right now. 17 – Recorded on the cheap and the piano is skeevy, but these players mean every note. Nice. Thank you, MG! These will be staying on the MP3 player for quite a while after this month.

And the Bic pen has to be green.

Well, here's about half of it... 1 – Studio psychedelia. An Emil Richards thing? Love the gongs. 2 – The James Taylor song responds well to this treatment. Wonder if the instrumentalists could make more of it, but what's here is good, and maybe that's enough. 3 – Sweet bossa, with not a note too many. I guess the vibist is the leader? 4 – A Brasiolofunkified "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," with a happy sax and a synth I don't respond well to. The guitarist almost makes something of it, but falls back into licks. It's too studio-manufactured for me. I like the groove, but I wish something else were happening on top of it. 5 – I like the mysterious, muted intro so much that I'm almost disappointed when "Afro Blue" comes in. Flute solo is pretty wonderful, though, and the alto is nice. And I wonder what happens after the fade. 6 – Tjader, I guess? Works up a pretty good lather, and has a lot of dynamics, in a fairly small dynamic range. 7 – An almost Sun Ra-sounding ensemble, with snaky, bluesy guitar. The bridge sounds like something Mingus would have written. And is that a bassoon along the bottom? Then the trumpet sounds like Charlie Shavers or somebody of that era, and the alto maybe Willie Smith. I'm confused, and I love it! 8 – Wonderful groove of its time and place, and superb horn solos. 9 – That's the original. Best studio band ever assembled, masquerading as McKinney's.

DL, please!

Absolutely yes, thanks, Jeff!

Not complete, of course. They left out the two bonus tracks from the previous CD reissue of George Adams "Jazz a Confronto."

Sticking to Disc 3 for the moment, though there are many things I could say about the others --- 1 -- Just want to say that I was present when Hot Ptah first heard this cut, and that he identified "Enilightenment" within the first 10 to 15 seconds. I like the arrangement, even the violin. Thought it might be a Michael Ray project for a minute, but probably not. 2 -- Woodwindy! Heavily arranged, but none the worse for that. Kind of exciting in its way, and well-played. I'll guess it came from the West Coast about 1957 and wait for an ID. 3 -- Ivo Perelman? Nice balance of freedom and momentum. 4 -- Is this the Junko Onishi version of "Meditations"? I swear that CD is somewhere in this house, but I can't find it. Horns were James Carter, Nick Payton and Wycliffe Gordon, IIRC. Wish the tempo change at 1:40 and 9:41 wasn't so cautious. 5 -- Two basses, though the one on the right might be better off playing a cello. Nice bow sound, iffy intonation. 6 -- Charlie Burnham on violin? Is that the real Derek Bailey or someone who wishes he was? 7 -- Like the groove. Whole thing is reminiscent of the Jarrett "American quartet." 8 -- I like this groove even better. Maybe nothing original being said, but the flow is irresistable. 9 -- Either a very interesting response to hard-bop trends of the late '50s, or a fascinating re-creation. The tenor almost sounds like John Gilmore at times, but surely it isn't. I want this record. 10 -- Shoot, I should know what this head is, shouldn't I? Alto solo is OK, tenor solo has a little too much noodling. The bassist is the star. 11 -- An acoustic response to "Bitches Brew." OK, but after a while I feel like the trumpet player is actually holding the rhythm section back. 12 -- I'm very attracted to the writing. No guess on the trumpet. Love the way the tenor solo begins. The transition from in to out and back again is rarely as successful as this. I like the drummer's every move. Yes, I probably need this record too.

Fats and George Cables blatantly obvious now. D'oh!

Download, please!

One more bite -- 13 – "Three Little Words," in a recording from maybe 1951-55. Not Teddy, but somebody who paid attention. Mel Powell? 14 – "Willow," with maybe Clark Terry on flugel, or so I thought at first, but after a while it's clear it isn't him. I like the gentle transition from duet to full band with strings. After about 32 bars, however, it's less interesting. The soloist's second bridge is pretty good, though. Soloist might be Faddis, or Till Bronner, or I'm stabbing in the dark. The Metropole Orchestra? 15 – "Someone to Watch Over Me," lots of notes in those chords but not one too many. 16 – "Sonnymoon for Two." The alto's first chorus has a delightful Benny Carter lick, but the second sounds like Art Pepper or Frank Morgan or maybe even Bud Shank. No guess on first tenor (may be too much filler in that short solo). Trumpeter has some Woody Shaw in him, could it be? Second tenor is much better than first, and here I go saying Jimmy Heath again. Nice percussive bebop piano, whoever it is. Alto and trumpet are very enjoyable again in the fours. Drumming is in a West Coast '50s groove, but this is maybe the '80s. 17 – Lead me, daddy, straight to the bar! Some good creative things going on in that right hand, while the left isn't too heavy. Thank you, Tom! Especially for the unreleased nuggets. The reveal is going to be very interesting.

Another small bite for me -- 7 – I love the tempo of this "God Bless the Child," and the lack of clutter. I wish everybody knew how to take their time like this. Is the tenor Houston Person? No guess on the organ, but I like that too. 8 – A long, bluesy intro, with the soprano player literally singing into the horn at a few moments. If there was more than one horn, I'd guess Roland Kirk. At about a minute and a half, settles into "I Wish I Knew." Maybe late-career Moody? Re-listening, I'm greatly impressed by the pianist, who's exactly where he-she needs to be all the time. 9 – The tone and delivery remind me of Jimmy Heath. 10 – No guess – I'm really not good at identifying guitar players – but I like that both players have the courage and taste and musicality not to show off on this. 11 – A Bacharach tune that I like better without the lyrics. Nice trio arrangement, some magic in the piano solo, and more magic on the long outro. Even if I'm short of guesses, I'm enjoying this part of the BFT, with a lot of music that might be unreleased. 12 – This reminds me very much of Jessica Williams.

I'm a back-to-monocoraceous guy myself.

Welcome back! Would you please tell more about his behavior, on or off the stand? Was he easy to get along with? Solitary? Prickly? Angry? Spacey? (Not too specific there, I know! Just trying to get a better picture of him.)

I like that this is the only post from "HomageToDonByas." Maybe HomageToDonByas can be persuaded to come back and share some more with us. Is that you, L.T.?

No need to apologize, Mike! Thanks for listening. I hope the new job is rewarding materially and every other possible way.

A quick stab at the first few -- 1 – "I'll Take Manhattan" on a pleasantly woody-sounding clarinet. I have no guess. Presumably not Goodman or Pee Wee. Presumably not Woody Allen. 2 – Despite the clever visual clue, not Mr. Ellington playing. Somebody very fluent, like Johnny Guarnieri. Is that an edit at the end, or does this recording continue? 3 – Should I know this song? Because I don't. Beautiful performance. Fred Hersch? 4 – "In a Sentimental Mood." The space around the notes makes me think of Jim Hall. 5 – "One Finger Snap." No guess, but I want this record. 6 – Maybe Jessye Norman? I confess, I haven't paid much attention to the albums of spirituals that the classical industry seemed to expect singers, especially the darker-skinned ones, to turn out. This performance seems a little too proper for its own good, or maybe I'm just not in the mood. Not bad, though.

I'm fascinated that even people who have seen "The Producers" many times didn't pick up on "Springtime for Hitler." I guess we're all guilty of putting certain tunes in the "jazz" category and not thinking that some other tunes may enter the category too. I know I am.