webbcity

And, continuing from where we left off... 8. Jodie Christian - “Chromatically Speaking” (Christian) from Rain or Shine (Delmark) 1994 Jodie Christian (piano); Roscoe Mitchell (soprano); Paul McKee (trombone); Larry Gray (bass); Ernie Adams (drums) This is a fun whirlwind of a tune. I’d seen Jodie Christian’s name around in the Jazz Record Mart newsletter and Delmark catalogs for years, and always wondered. I picked this up at JRM in Chicago last year and it’s a pretty interesting album. Very schizophrenic style-wise, but Christian plays all styles with confidence. He covers ballads, straight ahead stuff with vocals, avant-garde, post bop...and of course Roscoe Mitchell’s appearance here was of interest to me too. He’s played on a number of Christian’s albums. A lot of you liked the trombone solo. I’m not familiar with Paul McKee apart from this record. 9. Muhal Richard Abrams feat. Malachi Favors - “J.G. (Dedicated to Johnny Griffin)” (Abrams) from Sightsong (Black Saint) October 13-14, 1975 Muhal Richard Abrams (piano); Malachi Favors (bass) More from the AACM (for those keeping score, we’ve already had Jarman, Freeman, Threadgill, more Abrams, Christian, and Mitchell)...and there’s more to come on the next 2 tracks. Ronald guessed this one correctly. Everything on this album is great, but this particular tune always stood out to me...I find the head very catchy. 10. Ari Brown - “Oh What a World We’re Living In” (Brown) from Venus (Delmark) 1998 Ari Brown (tenor); Kirk Brown (piano) Yes, the one and only Ari Brown. Truly a talent deserving wider recognition if there ever was one. Saw him at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival in Chicago last year and it was one of those performances that just lifted the audience right off the ground...it was a great night. Ari is the real deal. 11. Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble - “February” (Mitchell) from Black Unstoppable (Delmark) 2007 Nicole Mitchell (flute); David Boykin (tenor, percussion); Jeff Parker (guitar); Tomeka Reid (cello); Josh Abrams (bass); Marcus Evans (drums) I’ve been getting acquainted with Mitchell’s music over the last several years and have become a big fan. Though I’ve never seen her perform live, the first recordings I’ve heard were live recordings from various venues in Chicago and they really blew me away. For some reason when I went to check out her earlier studio albums, they never quite clicked with me. The more recent stuff on Delmark has, for me anyway, better reflected her incredible talent. As a performer and composer, she’s a force to be reckoned with. 12. Ray Brown - “Bric A Brac” (Brown) from This is Ray Brown (Verve) 1958 Ray Brown (bass); Jerome Richardson (flute); Oscar Peterson (organ); Herb Ellis (guitar); Osie Johnson (drums) This is an old favorite. Ray is my man! It’s funny how these things go...some of the tunes that I never expected people to guess were guessed early on, and this was one that I thought for sure people would get quickly. Yes, it’s Oscar Peterson on organ which is the tricky part, but I really expected that someone would ID Ray. I don’t know if this album is currently in print...I have a Japanese LP reissue of it from the 80s, that I had signed by Mr. Brown himself somewhere in the 90s. He was and is a huge influence on my playing. He swings like nobody else and his solos are second to none. I don’t actually think this is one of his best albums but it sure has some great moments. 13. Kelly Shepherd - “The Beauty of Simplicity” (Eric Kennedy) from The Beauty of Simplicity (Somerset) 2003 Kelly Shepherd (alto); Eric Kennedy (vocal/drums); Richard Wyands (piano); Paul Brown (bass) I have to confess I am not 100% certain of this lineup, except that I do know it is Eric Kennedy on vocals and drums. Not totally sure about the piano and bass. That’s because I only have the download version of this from CDBaby and they give no lineup info so this is an educated guess based on something I found elsewhere online. So I don’t know a lot about these guys, but I think this tune is absolutely beautiful and I had to include it. BONUS TRACKS 1. Jack Bruce - “Sam Enchanted Dick (Medley: Sam’s Sack/Rill’s Thrills)” (Bruce/Heckstall-Smith) from Things We Like (Polydor) recorded 1968 Jack Bruce (bass); Dick Heckstall-Smith (saxophones); John McLaughlin (guitar); Jon Hiseman (drums) The weird thing here is that some releases of this album identify the first part of this tune as "Sam Sack" and credit it to Milt Jackson, but it is not the same tune...I’m fairly certain that this is taken from a Sam Jones thing, but I can’t place it at the moment. In any case, this album in my opinion is one of those rare occasions where someone who is known as a rock player can actually pull off the jazz thing well. But when one further investigates Jack Bruce one finds he is most definitely not just a "rock" musician. I absolutely love Heckstall-Smith’s playing on this album, and this track in particular. 2. Universal Jones - “Takin’ Care of Business” (Pendarvis/McDaniels) from Vol. 1 (Verve) 1972 Eugene McDaniels (lead vocal, acoustic guitar); Sister Charlotte (vocals, percussion); Maurice McKinley (drums, percussion); Bob Woos (guitars, bass); Leon Pendarvis (bass, elec. piano, vocals); Joe Dupars, Joe Gardner, Thad Jones, John Mosley (trumpets); Garnett Brown, Bob Greivell (trombones); Pepper Adams (bari); Jerry Dodgion (alto); Andy Gadsden (tenor); Billy Harper (tenor); Carol Kaye (bass); Harry Whitaker (Fender Rhodes)...also more background singers and strings incl. Milt Hinton on bass This tune is just a total blast. My path to McD was via Bobby Hutcherson’s “Now!”, then “Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse”. This one has never been reissued on CD and has been out of print for years, which frankly, sucks. But it is easily worth the $30 on Ebay. Eugene McDaniels also just happened to live in my little town of Kittery, Maine, up until his passing a couple of years ago. I spoke with him a few times and he was quite honestly one of the most genuine, warm, present, and generous people I’ve met. He's also one of my all-time favorite singers and musicians. I don’t know the exact personnel on this particular tune, there are lots of people on this album and I’ve listed many of them above. The real thing I want to know is why was there no "Vol. 2"? ...and that's all, folks! Thanks for playing!

Thanks Ronald, I thought you might know the story here. Glad to hear that he is still playing! Oh man...thank you! That is what I am looking for. Must add to the list! Funny, I have heard of this band before but didn't realize Land was involved. Coming your way momentarily...

Here it is folks...Most of these have been ID'd in one form or another, but here is the full info, personnel, etc. in one place. And there are still a few surprises to be revealed. There ended up being a few different mini-themes to this BFT-- (1) Harold Land, (2) Chicago/the AACM, and (3) Delmark Records. Here we go... 1. Harold Land - “Outlandish” (Land) from Black California (Savoy) April 25, 1949 Harold Land (tenor); William Doty (alto); Froebel Brigham (trumpet); Russell B. Campbell (trombone); Fred Jackson (piano); David Dyson (bass); Leon Pettis (drums) I have this on the 2 LP pictured above, but it has been reissued in a few different places. This is the earliest Harold Land that I know of on record...there are 4 tracks from this group and all are outstanding. Wish there was more! I got into Land's playing initially through his incredible work with Bobby Hutcherson in the 60s and 70s. Not long after that I continued exploring, trying to pick up everything I could find, and was pretty well blown away when I first heard this-- not only because it is so different from anything else in his catalog but because it is so damn killin!! 2. Harold Land - “Chocolate Mess” (Ndugu Chancler) from Damisi (Mainstream) 1972 Harold Land (tenor); Oscar Brashear (trumpet); William Henderson (elec. piano); Buster Williams (bass); Ndugu Chancler (drums) Land's Mainstream recordings are among my favorites, particularly the album "Choma (Burn)". I wanted to put on something without Hutcherson though, purely because I thought he would be a dead giveaway. Love this track though. As Thom Keith pointed out, it features another very underrated musician-- Oscar Brashear on trumpet. 3. Gerald Wilson Orchestra - “The "IT's" Where It's At” (Harold Land, arr. Wilson) from Live and Swinging (Pacific Jazz) 1967 Gerald Wilson (conductor); Al Porcino, Alex Rodriguez, Charles Tolliver, Dick Forest, Gary Barone, Larry McGuire (trumpet); Anthony Ortega, Ray Bojorquez (alto); Hadley Caliman, Harold Land (tenor); Howard Johnson (bari, tuba); Don Switzer, Lester Robertson, Mike Barone, Thurman Green (trombone); Phil Moore III (piano); Jack Wilson (organ); William "Buddy" Woodson (bass); Carl Lott (drums) The third and final cut in the "Harold Land" set, this time in the context of the great Gerald Wilson Orchestra. This is one is came across relatively recently (last year sometime) and it knocked me out. This is a Land composition I hadn't heard before...love the tune, and Land's performance on it. Also of note: Charles Tolliver!! His track "Paper Man" is on this album too. 4. Joseph Jarman - “New Prayer for Jimbo III” (Jarman) from LifeTime Visions for the Magnificent Human (Bopbuda Music) 2000 Joseph Jarman (soprano); Myra Melford (piano); Rob Garcia (drums) And here we have one of my absolute favorite releases of recent times...though not a very well-known one. This was recorded live at the Vision Festival in 1998 and 1999. Thom, you are no doubt slapping yourself in the forehead right now. It seemed like a lot of you dug this track...if so, I highly recommend seeking it out, the whole thing is fantastic. Only thing I will mention is that Jarman does some singing/chanting on a couple of the tracks which I really like, but is not everyone's bag. The first time I went to Chicago was I think shortly after the release of this CD. I heard Jarman play with Robbie Lynn Hunsinger, Tatsu Aoki, and Avreeayl Ra at the Chicago Cultural Center. They did an amazing rendition of the title track from this CD. It was one of the great musical moments in my life. 5. Chico Freeman - “Conversations” (Freeman) from Morning Prayer (Whynot) 1976 Chico Freeman (tenor); Henry Threadgill (bari); Muhal Richard Abrams (piano); Cecil McBee (bass); Ben Montgomery (drums) Douglas Ewart and Steve McCall also appear on this album, but I don’t hear them on this track. I love this whole album but this track in particular is a killer. Threadgill's solo especially is a highlight for me (not to mention his signature playing on the head of the tune). This was reissued a couple years back on Candid with their other "WhyNot" reissues, which is how I heard it-- had not come across it before that point. Highly recommended. 6. Prince Lasha Quintet feat. Sonny Simmons - “Green and Gold” (Lasha/Simmons) from The Cry (Contemporary) November 21, 1962 Prince Lasha (flute); Sonny Simmons (alto); Gary Peacock, Mark Proctor (bass); Gene Stone (drums) A lot of you got this one. This album is chock full of great tunes and playing, and I love the two basses of course. This one has gotten a little more play at my house than the better known "Firebirds" on the same label, but saying that reminds me that I should go back and check out the other one again. I like pretty much everything I've heard from this duo. Somehow Simmons on his own has never clicked with me fully, but with Lasha it's a different story. Awesome stuff. 7. Jackie McLean - “The Collective Expression” (McLean) from Rhythm of the Earth (Antilles) 1992 Jackie McLean (alto); Steve Davis (trombone); Roy Hargrove (trumpet); Steve Nelson (vibes); Alan Jay Palmer (piano); Nat Reeves (bass); Eric McPherson (drums) Aha! Kudos to Ronald for getting this one. I'll admit it made me kind of happy that it took a little while...I expected people to recognize McLean right away, but maybe to be less sure about the band here. I think this was actually the first McLean album I bought, right around the time it was released. I was still a relative newbie to jazz. A few years prior I was looking at colleges and had auditioned for McLean at the Hartt School of Music, but funnily enough, I didn't know who he was yet! Which in retrospect was a really good thing because I would have been terrified. Even though I didn't end up going to Hartt (possibly a mistake), he was really cool in the audition (and I did well too ). So there's something special about this album for me...I knew I wanted to include something from it, and there were several possible contenders. McLean is in top form, the band is cookin' and at the same time one of the things I like most about this album is the tunes-- there is some top-notch writing here. Not sure if Alan Jay Palmer is still around, but he wrote some fabulous stuff for this record, and McLean's contributions in that department are stellar also. And it sounds like a 60s Blue Note record (Van Gelder was involved in recording). Highly recommended! I will post the rest soon, but it may not be until tomorrow...stay tuned!

Yeah, I love that one too...that tune can turn around a crappy day for me. There is something so infectious about the energy on that, and the other tracks from that session...it's pretty fantastic stuff. I'll post the full reveal tonight or tomorrow, as soon as I get a chance. Thanks to all for your participation and comments!

Thanks for your comments! Glad you found some things you liked. Most of the tracks have been revealed, but I think at this point there are still 3 unknowns, to be revealed in a couple of days.

Thanks for your comments, I'm glad you found some things to enjoy here. So given your comments about the flute, I'm curious what you thought of tracks 11 and 12? The same was true for me on track 1 in that I didn't own a lot of things in that particular style...I sought it out because I was trying get my hands on as many Harold Land recordings as possible and ended up being absolutely blown away by it. I am really getting excited to reveal track 4 soon. I would say I enjoyed track 11 overall more than 12. Neither one makes me was to stick a pencil in my ear or anything. That is an awfully good bass solo on track 12. Actually, I mean't to comment that there was some pretty good bass playing throughout the BFT. I guess your avatar should have been a clue why that is. I am a little slow sometimes. Well, it's interesting you say that because I wasn't actually that focused on bass players for this BFT. Having said that, I think it would have been hard for me to put any weak bassists on here. And the bass player you mention in track 12-- he is actually a very good clue to that particular track.

Seriously! It is a scary thought... don't tell me I have to live in a world where I can't count on my monthly BFT.

That sounds good but it is about 3 hours from me so I'm not sure I'll be able to make it for that. But as long as we are on the topic of traveling for shows, I am reminded that a certain Thom Keith and myself once made the trip down to your fair city for a show by none other than Cecil Taylor, Henry Grimes, and Pheeroan Aklaff. I think this was at least 5 years ago. Where you there by any chance? Was that the show at the Artists Collective? No, I missed that one. Although I am not a huge fan of the sound in that venue, I do try to support most of the jazz events they present. It is a very important cultural location in that community. I can't remember why I did not go, but I do regret missing it. Especially since it is five minutes from my home.. Yes, that was it! I couldn't remember the name of the venue. I agree that the sound is not great there, I do remember that specifically. Musically it was a great night but it was in fact hard to hear everything very clearly. Lots of echo, as I recall...very "live" room.

Well how do you feel about the squat? I like the selections. Right now, I am listening for the fourth time. I'm definitely interested in your impressions just as much as or more than guesses...I am not a terrific blindfold test guesser myself. Am trying to practice more though.

Thanks for your comments, I'm glad you found some things to enjoy here. So given your comments about the flute, I'm curious what you thought of tracks 11 and 12? The same was true for me on track 1 in that I didn't own a lot of things in that particular style...I sought it out because I was trying get my hands on as many Harold Land recordings as possible and ended up being absolutely blown away by it. I am really getting excited to reveal track 4 soon.

That sounds good but it is about 3 hours from me so I'm not sure I'll be able to make it for that. But as long as we are on the topic of traveling for shows, I am reminded that a certain Thom Keith and myself once made the trip down to your fair city for a show by none other than Cecil Taylor, Henry Grimes, and Pheeroan Aklaff. I think this was at least 5 years ago. Where you there by any chance?

Download here please, thank you!

Jeff, I totally agree with Bill's comments above. Even though I have only been participating for a short time, it's pretty clear this is a well-oiled machine. You do an outstanding job. Of course it's totally understandable if you need to step down...I imagine it's quite a task keeping on top of all this. But thank you for all your great work!

Thanks a lot for your great comments! I'm glad you found some things to enjoy here. You've also identified a few more of the tunes which I think only leaves us with...what, I think three unidentified tracks? Hopefully something will be left for the reveal.

I was a big big fan of Colosseum, where Hiseman and Heckstall-Smith did their best work. Also liked the era of Mayall they were involved with. Meant to comment on this earlier... Colosseum I should check out a bit more. I used to have a compilation of theirs on cassette that was great. I need to keep my eye out for some more stuff. Do you have a favorite album of theirs? I thought their version of "Rope Ladder to the Moon" rivaled Bruce's original. And I remember there were some other tracks I really liked..."Elegy" and "Jumping Off The Sun" were a couple. Didn't know about the Mayall connection so I'll have to look out for that too!

Thanks for your comments! Glad you enjoyed the music!

Gotcha. Oh, there are so many hints I want to give on that one-- and some of the others-- but I am going to remain strong and try to hold off on giving too much away for as long as I can.

Thanks for the participation and the thoughtful comments! Glad you found some things to enjoy here.

Thanks for the comments brotha!! I knew you would get a lot of these, and you didn't disappoint. However, rest assured that I will fail miserably at your BFT in a couple of months.

Hey, I know Dave Ballou-- great player, great guy! Been a long time since I've been in touch with him though. Enjoy the show!

Sorry for the lack of response, guys, I've been offline for a few days due to the holiday. But I will give some fuller responses shortly. Thanks so much for the comments!

Okay...wow. Some fantastic stuff here. I now need to go back through the recordings, and my comments, again and revisit everything. I'm especially surprised to see Oscar Peterson on there...I don't know that particular album but have seen it around. This was a blast, and I expect I will now have a bunch of things to add to my ever-growing list. Thanks again for a fun BFT!

Well, well...you guys are good. Two posts in and already two of the "tricks" I thought I had up my sleeve have been discovered. I'm not nearly as clever as I thought I was. Nice ears! And I wondered if #6 would be too easy. One of my favorites though. I can't disagree with any of the guesses so far, and that's all I'll say for now. Thanks for the thoughtful comments so far!

I will see what I can do!