webbcity

Hi all, Thanks for participating in this! It's my first Blindfold Test and I'm hoping it's neither too easy nor too hard (though I seriously doubt it is the latter). But as others have said here recently, I'm more interested in your thoughts and reactions than in personnel guesses. Though I know a lot of you here are much better at that than I am. If you haven't received the link or are having any issues with it, please let me know. Other than that, hope you find something to enjoy here. Cheers! Tim

Ah, it was on Sound of Joy! That makes sense...I should have been able to ID that tune. Nice one Hot Ptah!

Hi all, This is my first BFT...I am putting the finishing touches on it this week and will have it up by the 1st of July. If all goes well I should have a streaming option as well as the download. Any takers?

Ah, of course, that makes total sense on #16! I have checked out little bits of that band but now I am long overdue for taking the plunge! Thanks!!

My comments may be shorter than usual this month because I am busy preparing my own BFT for July. There is some fantastic stuff here and I look forward to coming back to listen more, and finding out who/what these are. Track 1 - This is fantastic, but I want more! Too short. LOVE the piano player...some wonderfully soulful, gritty playing. And the overall feel from the rhythm section is perfect. Feeling a South African vibe here. Track 2 - Another winner. Nice ensemble sound. The drummer is reminding me of Billy Higgins. I am loving the groove on this. Am curious about the trumpet and tenor player especially...I feel like I should know who this is. Track 3 - This one never totally got off the ground for me. It's a good groover though, and I particularly dig the electric bass playing. But I kept wanting it to go somewhere else. The changeup around the 4 min mark seemed promising but then things sort of stayed at the same energy level. So I'm not sure about this one. Track 4 - Okay, I cheated and looked this one up...sorry. I won't say who it is, but it fit in with the era & scene I expected. Fun tune. Track 5 - Is that first solo on bass clarinet or he is just really sticking to the low register? Interesting. I like this one a lot. Love the tenor player's sound too! Track 6 - Hey, I know this tune...oh man, this is gonna kill me. I am thinking Sun Ra...if not something he wrote, maybe something he played early on? Wow, what a cool rendition of this! The version I am familiar with is much faster. You've got me very curious about this one! This is a beautiful performance. Track 7 - This sounds like something out of the Lee Konitz school to my ears, though I'm venturing into territory I'm not super-familiar with here. Whatever it is, I like it. The alto solo especially. Very smooth. And the blend of the two horns on the head is just great. Track 8 - This one didn't really reach me. Nothing wrong with it per se, it's pleasant enough but just didn't hit me at all emotionally. Nice playing from everyone though. Track 9 - What I wrote above could apply to this track too. I dig the 70s vibe, but it just feels a little too detached for me. Track 10 - This is great...diggin it. And boy, it sounds really familiar, but I can't place it. Some fantastic interplay between the Rhodes and the drums, especially towards the end of the solo. I'm a fan of the bass & drum solos too. Good grief, I know this drummer. Really anxious to find out who this is. Track 11 - I like the tune a lot. Some interesting lines from the trumpet...a very thoughtful player. I am really enjoying this. Beautiful sound too. Hmm...the tenor solo is much less interesting to me though. Even though the sound of this track overall is reminiscent of the 70s, I'm guessing that this is a much more recent recording done in 'retro' style. Track 12 - This is fantastic. Love the way it builds...when they first settle into the groove after the 2 minute mark is a great moment. And again later when things really start to take off. This is fantastic stuff. The tenor player has incredible command of his instrument. As a unit these guys are really in sync. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess Thomas Chapin? Track 13 - Love it, love it, love it. Is this the Art Ensemble? Sure sounds like them...maybe with Muhal on piano? Hmmm...well, I am not 100% sure on that, I don't think I am hearing Mitchell in there. Even if it's not, it's terrific. Love the melody, and the different textures they create in just a short amount of time. This is one of those short tunes that feels like a longer "epic" (in a good way) because of all they put into it. Very cool. Track 14 - I am loving the way this starts out, with the layers of percussion, handclaps...into the bowed bass. And I like the simplicity of the tune. Nice vibes solo, and I really like the energy in the tenor player's sound. Very curious about this one. A decidedly lo-fi sound too, which only adds to the charm. I am really enjoying this. The tune is totally infectious, from the descending bass line on up to the quirky little melody. And I must know who some of these people are, especially the tenor player...but I've got no guesses. Track 15 - That bass vamp is killer. One of those things that I could listen to forever. Trombone solo is flat-out awesome. Great track all around, love the urgency of it and the creative soloing. I could be way off base on this but am wondering if this is Steve Lacy and Roswell Rudd. Track 16 - Another killer. Wow...I am not sure what to make of this one...sounds like Miles? But it can't be. Somewhere between Miles and Freddie Hubbard? Boy, I am going to regret not being able to guess this, I just know it. This has sort of an early Weather Report feel to me too. I am very confused. What the heck is this??? I need it. God, I should know this. Track 17 - Not really my bag. Obviously well done for what it is, but it just feels too safe to me. Track 18 - Words like tight, crisp, and tasty immediately come to mind. This is a well-oiled trio. Hmmm...I didn't expect that at the 1:15 mark. Eh...I don't know, feels a little too schizophrenic to me. I'm not really sure what they're saying. This one missed the mark for me. Track 19 - In my opinion the production overshadows the playing on this one. The groove is fun and it's a nice little curiosity, but if I'm honest I didn't find the performance all that interesting. Track 20 - The organ playing and the tune itself are reminding me of Doug Carn somehow. The tenor solo is a trip! Fantastic...really enjoyed that. Yeah, this one is a keeper! Am looking forward to finding out who it is. Track 21 - There's a reason the bass player is featured out front...he's really stinkin' good. Those are some deep bass lines. This is an interesting track, I like the different chords on the blues. The tenor player is outstanding, tremendous sound and concept. This is a hell of a band. Can't wait for the ID of this one. Track 22 - Hmmm...interesting, not sure what I think of it yet...I like the sounds. The soprano solo is good but I think the flute solo is where it clicks a bit more for me. I'm a little mixed on this one, probably would have to listen to it a couple more times to make up my mind. It feels a little bit directionless. I do appreciate what they're trying to do though. Would like to hear the flute player in a different context. Track 23 - This is pretty cool. Wasn't sure where it was going to go at the beginning, I thought we were suddenly in the realm of European electronic music, which it sounds like we kind of are, but once the sax comes in it all comes together in a really interesting way. I really, really like the sax player. This is heavy stuff. Track 24 - These guys are burnin...I am on the edge of my seat. Holy crap. Hard to single any one particular thing out here because it's all good. The rhythm section is just killer. I KNOW that bass player. There are a few things the trumpet player plays that remind me of Woody Shaw. And I LOVE the way the tenor solo starts...and continues...and finishes! This is awesome on every level. Track 25 - Nice groover, love the kalimba. The people that first come to mind when I hear thumb piano are Phil Cohran, Maurice White, Stanley Cowell and Kahil El'Zabar, but this is none of those. So I'm curious to find out who it is. Great way to end the BFT! Joe, many thanks for putting this together...there is so much here that is right up my alley. In terms of my own tastes, this has been one of my favorite BFTs. Unfortunately that means by the time everything has been ID'd, I will have lots to add to my list! So my wallet will be a lot lighter. Thanks for that. But seriously...awesome stuff here, thanks for sharing!! And I just hope I haven't embarrassed myself too much with my lousy guesses.

Hey Jeff, thank you again for all of your efforts on this! Some terrific stuff here, and definitely a few folks I need to explore further.

Wow, this really shows what can happen with these Blindfold Tests. I purchased "Porto Novo" in the 1970s, but for some reason just did not warm to it. I have not heard it in many years. Then when I heard this cut #11 on this Blindfold Test, I thought, what a great cut, with an Ornette influence but not Ornette, clearly--who IS that? I really liked it immediately upon hearing it. I probably would have never played "Porto Novo" again, but now I am going to give it another chance. That kind of thing happens to me all the time. Sometimes you're just not ready for certain music; later it floors you, and you think, "What was my problem?" Same here...I seem to remember not digging Ornette's Free Jazz or Song X at all when I first listened to them. Some of my favorite albums now are albums that I really disliked at a previous point in time.

Nice!! Just went on the list. And I am looking up some Charles Earland and Budd Johnson.

Oh man...that's not Marion Brown on #11, is it? That thought had crossed my mind but I stopped short of making an actual guess before... Porto Novo? I don't have this one...if that's the album, I definitely need to get it.

Okay, here are my observations...not much in the way of guesses, but there was a lot here to enjoy and I am looking forward to finding out who some of these are. Thanks for your efforts Jeff! This was a lot of fun. 1 - There's something very familiar sounding about this tune but I can't place it. I do like the head, some interesting lines. Performance-wise it's a mixed bag for me. I do like the trumpet player and the piano player. The trumpet player has kind of a buttery, syrupy tone that I like, and I like the phrasing and choice of notes on the solo too. The guitar I don't particularly care for...sound-wise it is akin to an electric banjo and I just don't find the solo very interesting. The drummer seems a little unstable on the 4's. 2 - Okay...this is a Monk tune but I can't think of which one it is...gonna drive me crazy. This is a thoughtful and emotional reading of this tune...very well done. 3 - I am far from an expert on this kind of music, but I do feel there's a certain excitement and newness here that not many people have captured in recent years. I really like this. Some great playing and interaction...these guys are really saying something. 4 - That is one hot clarinet player. He is the highlight of this track for me...what a solo! 5 - I wish I could like this, I really do...but the klezmer thing is just not my bag. But I respect this more than I like it. 6 - Nice! Some serious grooviness. Hmmm...the horns and the guitar actually aren't blowing me away--the organist is the whole show here. Holy crap...he really knows how to build a solo. And big props to the drums & percussion for keeping the groove and the energy up...this is seriously intense. Ah..."I Get A Kick Out of You"...interesting. To be honest, LOVE the organ solo, but everything on the front and back end I could do without. Really interested in finding out who the organ player is. 7 - This is nice and pleasant but not something I would probably listen to more than once. But it's obviously done very well, just not really my thing. 8 - I like the feel on this a lot...and by that I mean both the rhythmic feel and the mood of the piece. I'm really enjoying the sax player...even more so when he/she returns for another go around at the end. Some really nice, energetic moments there. Everyone sounds great here...perfect solos from the piano and trumpet...and there is a real cohesiveness to the whole group. There's something about the whole performance and the piece that sounds Mal Waldron-esque to my ears, but I don't think the piano player is Waldron. Overall I am dying to know who this is...and then I'll slap my forehead as I'm sure these are folks I do or should know. Great stuff! 9 - "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"...this is beautiful, but it ultimately doesn't quite hit that 'sweet spot' for me. I hate to say anything bad about it because it's a flawless performance in many ways, but I am missing an emotional depth somehow. The playing is spot-on, it just doesn't move me like I want it to. I have no doubt I'll regret having said that once I find out who it is. 10 - Okay...this has everything I was missing in the last one. Fantastic. I am really loving the alto player...such an expressive tone. And the guitarist is the perfect complement, really listening, responding, and supportive. Superb. 11 - The Ornette influence is clear off the bat, but it quickly takes an interesting detour. Holy cow. This has got to be an ESP recording, no? Maybe the sound quality is throwing me off...I'm having a hard time telling whether this was recorded in the 60s or much more recently. Either way, I really dig it. The bass player certainly sounds like he could be Alan Silva. The rhythmic feel of this tune combined with the disjointed phrasing of the alto player is really compelling to me. And I'm a big fan of the bass playing too. Dying to know who this is!! 12 - This is just a barrel of fun with a killin groove underneath. Love it! This thing grooves so hard you could drive a truck through it. I have no idea what that means, but someone I know used to say that. 13 - Well, obviously it's Louis Armstrong..."Dream a Little Dream of Me." Not sure what can be said about Louis that hasn't already been said...this is perfect, classic. 14 - Hoo boy. Wow... yeah, I cannot do this one, sorry! Wait a minute...this is a joke, right? Okay...haha. If it is, it's a good one. I have done some gigs like this and they were somewhere between funny and excruciating!

Thanks for this MG! Some really cool things here. Can't believe I hadn't heard Grady Tate's singing until now...that is some great stuff!! I feel similarly embarrassed about this one. Haven't listened to Soul Fountain myself more than once though, I think.

Okay, you've sold me. I'm in for a download, thanks!!

Thanks for the heads up, that looks pretty fantastic.

No he's not It's Ron himself. Glad you enjoyed so much of that. MG Haha! I wondered that but was afraid to make a more definitive guess, Should have just gone for it.

Didn't have a whole lot of guesses here, this was a tough one for me. But a lot of great stuff here. Really enjoyed it. Thanks Allan! Track 1 - Stardust... this is superb. I can't guess who this is, but it strikes me that this must have been considered fairly avant-garde at the time of recording, considering the trumpet player's sound and style...holy cow. Lots of liberties taken with the tune here, nice phrasing and cool "effects" too, I love it. Track 2 - Fun tune...very 70s, but that's cool with me. Sounds like the trumpet player has listened to a lot of Freddie Hubbard. I feel like I should at least be able to guess the bass player on this, but I'm coming up blank. Track 3 - Oh yeah, this is killer...what a groove, totally infectious. This is rock solid, deep stuff. The organ player is just on fire (as is the rest of the band)...awesome. Very curious to know who this is. Track 4 - Nice groove on this one too! Hmm, the alto solo makes me think of Oliver Nelson. Very nice solo too, I think it's the strongest here. The rest of the tune never quite gets off the ground for me personally, but that alto solo is terrific. Track 5 - Sadly this one doesn't do a lot for me, so I'll just leave it at that. Track 6 - Very nice rendition of Misty. Beautiful tenor sax tone...whoever this is has total command of the instrument. This honestly makes me want to hear the sax player more in a different context though. What a sound! Track 7 - Okay, speaking of sound...holy moly. Some great bari playing there. Woo! The rhythm section is driving hard here too...fantastic. Track 8 - I like the groove, but apart from that there's not a lot that stands out for me on this one. Track 9 - Not sure about this one either to be honest, not crazy about the singer. Track 10 - This is a blast. Love the singer...is he also the piano player? I like the trombone player in particular here also, fantastic sound. I need more stuff like this in my collection honestly, this is a whole area I'm not terribly familiar with, but I really enjoy it. Curious to find out if I've heard of these folks. Track 11 - Love the mood here, this is a real late-night smoky kinda thang. The tenor player is right up my alley...he is smoooooth. Very compelling solos from both the organ and the tenor. The rhythm section is perfection throughout...totally supportive and sensitive. Track 12 - Now THIS is singing...wow. This is fantastic...the singer has incredible control and a great, emotional delivery. In fact everything is just about perfect here. Excellent flute playing and superb support from the rhythm section. The bass player is taking a page from the Ron Carter playbook. Track 13 - I like this a lot. Lots of soul here, these guys really know how to set a mood. Terrific sparseness in the piano solo...wonderful stuff, and that clarinet is killin. I love the little bit of interplay there between the clarinet and piano in the middle of the clarinet solo. And then those growls towards the end...yeah! I would love to know who this is. Track 14 - Oh man...I LOVE the first four bars of this, but I did not expect it to go there. The tune itself and the vocals are okay, but the sax player is unreal. I am guessing that this must be one of the jazz greats guesting with a popular vocal group. Can't ID the sax player though. Track 15 - Haha! Funny intro. I really like the singer, she is selling this big time. Very bluesy. The band is pretty hot too, great stuff. Once again, no guesses. Track 16 - Another thoroughly enjoyable track, again in an area I'm not terribly familiar with so I have no guesses. But I like it a lot. Track 17 - This one is nice & smooth. The trumpet player complements the singer perfectly. great vocals and tenor sax solo. I like the way the piano player comps too.

That is fantastic news, Hopefully it will help to fill the void left by the mighty Velvet Lounge.

I'm in for a download, thanks! And this time I will try to respond before the last two days of the month.

As usual, I am chiming in at the 11th hour... and I only have a partial list here, but I will just post what I have for now. Haven't cheated and looked back at anything in the thread yet. Thanks for putting this together Dan, some great stuff! -- Track 1 - I like the tune, and the shuffle feel, alternating with the afro-latin thing. For me, each horn solo was better than the preceding one. I felt the trumpet solo was a bit too "by the numbers," but by the time we get to the tenor solo, things are really cooking. Obviously Blakey is an influence on this performance. No guesses on this one though. Track 2 - LOVE the sound of the horns on the head...man! This may sound funny, but it actually reminds me a bit of Rahsaan playing multiple horns at once. Wow...that is one crazy tenor sound on the first solo...awesome. Nice trumpet solo too. Aha...2 tenors? I should know this, but I have no guesses. Am dying to know. Track 3 - The drummer sounds really familiar to me. Ahh...Impressions. To be honest this version doesn't do a whole lot for me. Nothing against it, I would just rather listen to Trane. Track 4 - Blues in the Closet...I have always liked this tune. Simple, but perfect. There are bits of the trumpet solo that remind me of Clark Terry, but I feel like I'm grasping at straws here. Damn, nice piano playing too. And the rhythm section is really cookin'. Track 5 - Beautiful sax playing and tone, this has got to be one of the old school guys. Too bad about the skips. No guesses on this one. Track 7 - Rockin' in Rhythm...fantastic tune. Loved the piano intro, but not totally crazy about the arrangement after that, to be honest. Just not my thing. Track 11 - Five stars on this one, and the piano player has got to be Oscar Peterson. Track 12 - I'm Beginning to See the Light...great interpretation of this tune. Nice & easy feel...these guys are in the pocket. Track 13 - Ole Devil Moon...reminded of Ahmad Jamal at first of course, just because his version is so iconic. Don't know who the piano player is here, but I want to know. Terrific solo, but wish it were longer. Track 15 - Holy crap...LOVE the tenor player. This has gotta be someone I know, but I can't guess. Love the approach and the sound though, just perfect. I was frustrated that there wasn't more solo time though. Was this a live broadcast and that's why it had to be short? In any case, I need to find out who this is.

Oh no, this is very sad news...sorry to hear this. I was a big fan of his work with Sam Rivers, and especially his work on Dave Holland's "Jumpin' In." Was also lucky enough to meet him and hear him in person when he came to the University of New Hampshire in the early 90s. A fantastic, underrated player.

Oh man, there are SO many, but the first ones that come to mind for me are: Mtume Umoja Ensemble - Alkebu-lan/Land of the Blacks: Live at the East (Strata East) Harold Land - Choma (Burn) (Mainstream) Harold Land - A New Shade of Blue (Mainstream) Stanley Cowell - Equipoise (Galaxy) Gotta point out that this is currently available on CD, and has been for some time: http://www.about-time-records.com/at-1004.html GREAT album too!

This and this And as far as more modern-day stuff, I would say check out almost anything by Ernest Dawkins.

Every month I think, no, I can't do it this month, too much going on...and then invariably I give in and am able to finish just in time for the end of the month. So why mess with success?? I'm in for a download, thanks!

#10 is a total surprise! And I guess I'm the only one who likes Sonny Fortune on flute. I found his playing really interesting actually, not difficult at all.

Wow, I am the only one who preferred the flute player on #2 to #3!

Okay, nothing like the last minute... will post this quick and then look over the thread and the answers. Thanks for all your efforts Tom! 1 - "Darn That Dream." I like this. The guitar player has a nice, classic sort of sound, but takes a few interesting twists and turns in his solo. The only thing that was weird for me is that things really start to groove...right before the tune ends. Seems like they could have gone to a different place there. This is good stuff though. 2 - "In a Semi-mental Mood" as some folks call it on the bandstand (around here anyway)... and this is a beautiful rendition. I have no good guesses as to the players, but I do like the flute player quite a bit. I suppose it couldn't be someone as obvious as Yusef Lateef? Very interesting solo, nice "breathy" tone. Cool bass solo, whoever the bass player is has a sort of European sound to my ears. Anxious to know who this is. 3 - Hmmm...obviously a more modern version than the last one. Electric bass! My personal preference is track #2 over this one. This is a little too 'sterile' for me...that may not be exactly the right word, but this just isn't getting to me emotionally like #2 did. 4 - Fun rendition of "Giant Steps," but so short! No clues on this one...it was nice, but not enough meat there for me, they didn't really have enough time to get into anything. 5 - Haha...funny stuff! I'm sure I will be amused to find out who this is. 6 - "But Beautiful." I really like the sax player on this, but the funky sound really got in the way of my fully enjoying it...there is some kind of noise gate or something that sounds really screwy here, I felt like there was no decay on the sax sound at all. I should be commenting more about the music itself, but that was really a distraction for me. I did like what the sax player was doing though. This has got to be from the 70s or early 80s, based on the sound (apart from the noise gate thing I mentioned). 7 - And another! This has got to be roughly the same vintage as the last one...the bass player has a similar, growly kind of tone. Nice buttery-smooth sounds from the sax here. I enjoyed the piano solo very much too. 8 - "Recordame"...whoa, crazy key change after the intro. This is a speedy little version. The trombone solo is great, but the vibes solo is even better. The vibes player sounds influenced by Hutcherson, if it's not him. I should know a lot of these players, they sound familiar but I can't place them. Especially the trumpet player. Nice solos all around. The tenor solo is a standout though...great ideas, and I like the Borodin quote. 9 - "Body and Soul"...nice version. Didn't totally grab me, but it was pleasant. 10 - Ahhh! I know this, but the brain cells are failing at the moment...damn. What the heck is this? I know this one is gonna be embarrassing, because I should definitely be able to ID this one. Ellington, right? Now I'm angry at myself. I will just say that it's fantastic, beautiful, perfect. I love that sax sound. Damn. I am an idiot. 11 - Interesting. I am not sure what this is, but I feel the spirit of Charlie Haden in here. Stylistically it feel close to Haden and Frisell to me, but I don't think it is. No, now that I hear the bass solo that's definitely not Haden. I like it though. Really nice tune...haunting stuff. 12 - This is not really my flavor, but it was very nicely done for what it was. 13 - "Easy Living." Nice version...I like the singer. Great mellow, laid back feel, good stuff. 14 - Is one of the guitars Jim Hall? I don't know the tune, but it's a good 'un. Wow...that was an about face... "I Think I'm Going Out of My Head"? That was interesting. Kind of an odd transition there, but this is kind of fun overall. I'm really stumped now though. Thanks again! Will now poke around to see how far off I was on the few that I was actually able to try and guess...