webbcity

This was great, thanks Bill! Bunch of things here I need to put on my list, including #4, which I really should know better (though I think I did guess Sun Ra correctly). Also love this:

Finally posted my guesses, a few days late... Can't wait for the reveal on this.

Ah, I almost guessed Flanagan on #14...great! Coincidentally, I came across that album elsewhere online just recently. It's on my list to buy now. And I should have got #10... used to have this album! Need to get it back.

Hi Bill, Sorry to be responding so late! November was a difficult month. But I was determined to get this in... better late than never I hope? Some really great stuff here, thanks for putting it together. I've just listened to everything today. Some notes were typed up while listening, others were done after the fact. I haven't peeked at any of the above yet, but will do so as soon as I paste my comments right here... Track 1 - Love the sound and feel of this...loose, dirty, full of joy and grit and the same time. Loving this. Hmmm...I'm also guessing this one is meant to be a trick? Is this Sun Ra? The organ sound has definitely got me thinking Sun Ra, though at first I might have guessed something in a different neighborhood. Plus I think I hear John Gilmore on there. This is terrific. Track 2 - Fantastic arrangement, definitely an epic performance. I really like the way this is structured, with the clarinet featured, followed by the vocals (which I love), and then the pause before the next section. And the solos are perfection. There's really nothing I don't like about this. Curious to know what it is, because I need more of this kind of stuff. Track 3 - This one isn't doing as much for me personally, but I don't dislike it. Just doesn't reach me like tracks 1 and 2 did. The piano player is very interesting though...by far the best part of this. He is saying something. Track 4 - Okay, here we go...right off the bat I love it. Nice feel and mood. This one is taking me to outer space...not Sun Ra again, is it? Oddly enough the piano first reminded me of Nina Simone's piano playing, as on tunes like "Sinnerman." The bass playing is great here...sinewy. Nice little epic piece with overtones of Egypt. Love it. Track 5 - Again the piano player stands out to me. Don't know if that's by design or not, but so far a lot of these piano players are hitting me in the right spot. The piano solo here is much more interesting than the trumpet solo, to me. Track 6 - I like this, but it doesn't really take off for me until the 2:20 mark, where the tenor solo starts and the drummer changes up his thing. At that point it feels like they let go of the reins a bit and start cookin. I'm a big fan of the tenor player, anxious to find out who it is. Track 7 - Another interesting arrangement. I like it when it's a surprise that there are horns... I thought it was a trio date initially. I like the piano player and the whole intro bit, but once again this really takes off about halfway through where the horns come in. Terrific solos. Man, who is the bass player? Love the bass solo. I'm sure I should know who this is, but I don't. Classic stuff. For a minute I thought it might be Cedar Walton on piano and Kenny Dorham on trumpet, but I have a feeling I'm 0 for 2 there. Track 8 - Great feel, swinging. I feel like there's a Billy Higgins influence in the drums, but it doesn't sound like Higgins. The piano player is good. The whole band swings in an effortless kind of way. Track 9 - Nice ensemble, interesting piece of music with a touch of the eastern. I like the improvised bit of this the best though, especially where things start getting edgy. I always want to say Billy Bang when I hear something like this, but I'm really not confident in that guess. That's really just based on some of the "effects" during the improv but the rest of it really doesn't sound like Bang. Track 10 - Okay, from the first notes this is very obviously Dave Holland, Barry Altschul, George Lewis and Anthony Braxton. But who is the piano player? Muhal maybe? I don't know this one, but I like it. Is this on one of the Arista albums? Holland's solo is mind-boggling as usual. And this is just a hell of an ensemble. Hang on, that's not Braxton. Hmmm...I figured there had to be a trick in here somewhere. Can't ID the tenor player, but whoever it is, this is five stars all the way. Track 11 - This pianist has an interesting approach that I really like...A nice meeting of soul, tradition and "outside" touches. Like constantly dipping in and out of different neighborhoods. This kind of approach always makes me think of Stanley Cowell, though this definitely isn't Cowell. But a similar kind of modus operandi. This is killer. Track 12 - Hmmm...this is an odd one. The intro fooled me, for one...I thought this was going to a much different place but then the tune comes in and we're somewhere else. This is a bit too "commercial" for me personally. The tenor player has chops a-plenty, but I'm not hearing a story. This just isn't my bag. Wait a minute...what the heck? Pat Metheny and his synth guitar? Now I am completely thrown. I was gonna place this in the mid to late 70s but now I don't know what's going on. This one just confuses me. Track 13 - This is cool. "Airegin," right? I always get this confused with other tunes but I think I got it right this time. Great arrangement for horns. While I like the performance overall, nothing really stands out in the solos for me. Hmm. Jury's out for me on this one. The ensemble playing is good but I don't feel like the improvising is at the same level. Track 14 - Beautiful...perfection. No guesses on the piano player, but I like this. Very emotional, deep playing. Excellent. Track 15 - I'll be honest, I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Just because of the European/Classical influence...not usually my thing. However...this is very good. It builds nicely and the ensemble works incredibly well together. Couldn't begin to guess the players, but for some reason I wonder if it's the piano player's date? In any case, very nice, and a cool way to end the BFT. A very enjoyable bunch of tunes! Thanks!!

Thank you, I will do that!!

Felser, looks like this was a HELL of a BFT...apologies again for missing it!

Apologies from here too...October was a hell of a month and I just didn't have the time. But looking at the tracklist, I am seriously bummed that I didn't participate...some fantastic stuff here! And the Max Roach is a favorite of mine too...especially that particular tune. Nice one!

Bill, I will try a download and hope I have time to participate this month! Thanks...looking forward to it!!

Forgiveness is a powerful thing.

Hang on... on that Robert Stewart track, is that Stewart playing overdubbed flute also?

Nice. This was a killer BFT. I need to investigate 10-13 immediately, and likely some of the earlier tracks as well...want to hear more of that Shelly Manne, for one. Wendell Harrison doesn't surprise me...not saying I could have guessed it, but seeing the reveal made me go ahhhh...right. I don't have that album but need to put it on the list now. Great story about Jeff Coffin too, you never told me about that! Yes you have!

I'm so psyched for the reveal on this. I listened to some of these again to see if I could figure out ANY of the players, but no dice. Luckily it's only a few more days before we find out...

Although baseball references go right over my head, I agree!!

Okay... **tenor** player on track 1...hello?

Okay, here goes everything. Thom, I gotta say, you have outdone yourself...there is some killin, killin stuff here...wooo!! I am loving this. Well done. First off, I love the photo and am tempted to make that the new profile photo for the Equal Time Facebook page. Track 1 - Love the bass player, right off the bat...terrific feel and sound. Okay...the alto player is no slouch either. That is a fiery solo. Damn, this is nice! The piano solo starts off with a bang too. I'm guessing this was recorded in the first half of the 60s so I should be able to come up with some names here but I'm failing. Sounds like a Riverside or Prestige date? Not sure, but I need to know who this is. Track 2 - The trombonist stands out right away, both in the ensemble playing at the beginning (which is perfect), and the solo. A thoughtful, musical player. Oh man...and that tenor player!! I KNOW who this is, I must...I recognize some of those licks. This is great. Definitely detecting a Rollins influence, but it's not him. I like this. Solid groove throughout too...love the drummer. Sounds Elvin. As in Elvin Jones, not like an elf. Track 3 - Groovy, baby! I'm guessing this is the guitarist's record? The tenor player is a better soloist than the guitarist though. Tight rhythm section for sure. Overall I like this. Track 4 - Okay...this is confusing. This has GOT to be Coltrane...but what the hell? This is truly bizarre. The piano player is definitely doing all sorts of Tynerisms, but it's not him...which is especially clear when it comes time for the piano solo. And I've no idea who the bass player and drummer are. This is a real mystery. Wow. Track 5 - I like this a lot. Love the way it builds just a bit after the 1:00 mark, with those rolling chords...man! And then it comes right back down again. A dynamic performance. Touches of the traditional and the modern here. I'm a fan of the composition too, interesting chord progressions. Very curious to know who this is. Beautiful. Track 6 - Damn, you are pulling out some great stuff here. LOVE this! Okay...every time you do a BFT I have to guess Mal Waldron somewhere, so...Mal Waldron? Man, this is killin. I love it all...the horn solos are perfect, and I am really down with the whole bass and drums thing, that is fantastic. Some more crazy guesses: Roy Haynes? Richard Davis? Kenny Dorham?...no, Lee Morgan? Okay...I may just be off my nut. But I love this. There is literally nothing that I don't love about this track. Track 7 - Some familiar-sounding players here but again I'm having trouble with names. Actually I am now getting a message from beyond that the tenor player could be Frank Foster, but those messages sometimes come through a little garbled so it could be way off. All standard disclaimers apply. Hmmm...the piano solo is pretty outstanding, and I am now wondering if it's the piano player's date. This is good. The drummer sounds like a slightly unstable Philly Joe (and I don't mean that as a negative, just a descriptor...). Track 8 - Nice bass solo. Honestly I am listening at the moment on really crappy speakers (another excuse, I know)...but it sounds kinda like Sam Jones. Could the fluegel player be Art Farmer? This has a nice easy feel to it, very enjoyable. Clearly recorded in the 70s or early 80s, which honestly I think was a great time for jazz despite what most say. But I know I'm preachin to the choir here. Track 9 - Hmmm...this could be the first real miss for me. I like the overall feel of it, and there are bits of the tune that I like, but I am not crazy about the singer or the lyrics. Kinda making a guess that you included this for the sax player though? That's one of the best parts of this, to me. That and the rhythm section. Track 10 - Awesome. This is a great improvisation. Oddly, the repeated motif on its own isn't all that interesting to me, but whoever is playing this is doing a hell of a job building from it. Very cool. No guesses, but I love it. Track 11 - Good grief man...just stop it, seriously. I don't know where you are pulling all of this stuff from...so much of this is my bag and you haven't shared it with me yet...what the hell dude? Well, okay, maybe you did share it with me but I forgot. Anyway...my guess on this one is Khan Jamal with Johnny Dyani. Dudu Pukwana on alto? I might be mistaken, but whatever it is, it kills and I need to hear more of it. Track 12 - Wow, okay...honestly...I give. This is too much. Who in God's name is that tenor player? Good lord...I am not trying to be funny here, but really, I am running out of superlatives. I just need this right now. Un-friggin-believable. I got so excited listening to this I almost hurt myself. Track 13 - An interesting twist here, we are now in different territory...but in some ways, we aren't really. I like this a lot. Sounds like a tune I should be familiar with, or it is just a familiar-sounding tune. Damn...this is really beautiful. Wasn't expecting the sax to come in, that only adds to the magic of this one. I swear, I am going to have a long shopping list after I find out what all of these are. Well done brotha!!

Wow, #5 was Joe McPhee!! Some interesting stuff here. I need to keep an eye out for that Perry Robinson. I'm not familiar with Irene Schweizer but I enjoyed that track. And the Tchicai/Kohlhase/Fewell is something I should already have. That track is flat-out awesome. I will mention this to Charlie actually, if Thom Keith doesn't first. Thanks for this...really enjoyed a lot of what was here and appreciate your efforts in putting together this BFT!

All very interesting. So hang on a minute...track 8 must be Charlie Kohlhase, John Tchicai and Garrison Fewell...aha! I'm kicking myself for not getting the Perry Robinson or the Sun Ra. I've heard of that Sun Ra thing before, but never actually heard the track. Will have to listen to it again. There's a lot of Sun Ra that I love, but honestly that particular track didn't do too much for me on the first listen.

Um... yes.

Okay, here we go... Track 1 - Wow...off to an interesting start! I don't know this, but I like it. Something is telling me Black Saint label here...some of those folks. And the violinist's sound reminds me of Leroy Jenkins at times, but on the other hand, it's too "inside." I love the arrangement. I must know this tenor player, at least. Love the sound when he comes in after the 4:30 mark. This is very cool...lots of soul in this performance. Track 2 - Is that a bass clarinet? I like this. Way too short though, needed to hear more! Track 3 - Okay, this is happening...this is just the kind of stuff I love, forward-thinking and backward-looking at the same time. Love the clarinet player, once again. There's a lot of familiar-sounding playing here, but I struggle to come up with names. I'm kinda thinking Cecil McBee on bass, but it's a little hard to tell from the recording. I like this a lot. Track 4 - While I did enjoy this, and definitely appreciate/respect it, overall it didn't take me anywhere special. Didn't "grab" me. Still, curious as to who it is and what is the story with the singing that comes in after the 2-minute mark...sounds like a sample from an old record. Track 5 - I Remember Clifford. Always loved this tune. This is a nice version, but I wish it was longer and went somewhere...not enough "meat" for me, but it was nice. Great sounds from both the tenor player and the bass player. Track 6 - This is not really to my taste, but the musicianship is fantastic...terrific interplay, the players are wonderfully in sync. Track 7 - Hmmm...I am a little puzzled/baffled by this one to be honest! The one thing I do want to say is that I really like the piano player and was hoping to hear more from him/her...what was there was really interesting. Track 8 - Wow, this took me to another place. And I was happy to be there. This is fantastic, just love the mood and feel of it. Beautiful playing from the alto player especially, he is really feeling it here. The tenor player is coming from a totally different place but sounds great also. Overall this is pretty stunning. Anxious to find out who it is. I feel like I should know who the alto player is, but I'm coming up blank. Track 9 - This is a fun one. Great energy, nice feel. This sounds somewhere halfway between New Orleans and South Africa. Cool stuff. Track 10 - This never totally got off the ground for me, but at the same time I'd like to hear more from these folks to really try and key in on what they're doing. This particular piece felt somewhat aimless to me. But the piano player has something to say. I'm just not sure the cellist and drummer are fully involved in the conversation. Hmmm...don't know. I am conflicted about this. Track 11 - I like it. Some terrific ensemble playing here. And they really settle into a nice groove once the "solos" start. Something about the tenor player makes me think John Tchicai, but I'm sure that's wrong. I really like the trumpet player too...he/she has a very fluid sense of phrasing and note choices. This is cool. I really like the way things start to cook from 6:45 on! The concept here sounds very European, so maybe these are European players, at least the rhythm section. Track 12 - Ack, the name of this tune is escaping me! This is a very creative take on it though...old meets new. Nicely done. I like the ending bit especially where they fall out of time and then back in at a faster tempo. Track 13 - This is really good. The first person I thought of was Mal Waldron, but I'm not sure that it's him...though it certainly sounds like someone who is influenced by him. Great performance, and the tune is hypnotic. Curious to find out who this is. Overall, some terrific stuff here! Thanks so much for the fun!

Ah, no wonder that Jarman composition sounded familiar to me! I bought that Art Ensemble album, "The Third Decade", when it first came out and played it often right after that. I did not remember the song though, when I heard it on your BFT. Among other recordings in his career, Jerome Richardson is featured as a saxophonist quite a bit on Charles Mingus' "Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" album. Thanks for the tip on the Harold Land songs on CD. You mentioned that you were not familiar with trombonist Paul McKee. He is an Organissimo board member, who goes by the handle Free For All. Wow, no kidding! Small world here. He sounds very good on the Jodie Christian CD. That Mingus album is one I should know (esp. as a bass player)...will need to correct that soon. Cool, I will investigate that one. I have Tiny Grimes on some Charlie Parker stuff and I really like his playing (and singing).

Bill, thanks for your thoughts! I'm really glad you enjoyed so much of this. On #1, the Land track...it looks like 3 of the 4 tracks from that session are available here on CD and MP3: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000C7PU5/ref=dm_dp_cdp?ie=UTF8&s=music ... not sure why they left the 4th one off. On #4, the Jarman...I am really you liked that one-- absolutely one of my favorites. There are 2 bands on that CD, as it was recorded at 2 different Vision Festivals in NYC, in 1998 and 1999. The first group is the trio here and the second is the trio plus Jessica Jones on tenor and flute (who sounds phenomenal here) and Alan Silva on bass. This tune, "New Prayer for Jimbo III" originally appeared as "Prayer for Jimbo Kwesi" on this album: http://www.amazon.com/Third-Decade-Art-Ensemble-Chicago/dp/B00002MYHH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375789729&sr=8-1&keywords=art+ensemble+third+decade Regarding Roscoe Mitchell, I have always liked him in the context of the Art Ensemble, but on some other recordings his playing is not exactly my taste (though I always respect what he's up to). On the Jodie Christian track here, I love it...I think he adds a lot. And I learned something from you about Jerome Richardson, because I think I have ever only known him as a flute player-- did not realize he was primarily a saxophonist. Thanks again for your comments!

Indeed...Charlie is awesome! Always a great show. Listening right now.

No, not at all... No worries at all Jeff! With every BFT I'm always worried that I won't be able to identify things from my own collection, but thankfully, it seems others have that problem too, so I don't feel too alone...

I do think that's generally true, though if you go back and listen to that track again knowing that it's Oscar, I guarantee that you'll recognize many of his signature licks and his style. Sounds like you already knew it on some level.

Hmmm...for some reason some of the images in the first post are not showing. Let's try these, just for completion's sake...