webbcity

Listened to some of these tunes again today...really great stuff. I am especially digging #1 and #5 right now. #5 is killing me...one, because it's flat out awesome, and two, because I feel I know it but can't place it.

LOTS to enjoy here. Here are my thoughts & guesses... 1 - Beautiful, beautiful...oh man. What a great vibe this tune has. Love the sax player. That piano solo is exquisite. Who is that?? This is an epic track...everyone is on the same planet here (and it's not necessarily earth). I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that maybe this is one of Frank Wright's groups, even though I'm not super familiar with him. Whatever this is, I love it and need it! Wow! 2 - Ah, I know this one...Jason Adasiewicz, from his new album. with Nate McBride on bass and Mike Reed on drums. I just saw these guys at the Hyde Park Jazz Fest in Chicago on Saturday. Honestly, this SHOULD be right up my alley but I personally have a hard time warming to these guys. Too much thinking and not enough soul for me. But I know lots of people are digging these guys right now so I guess it's just me. 3 - Terrific ensemble playing on this track. Not totally crazy about the tune, but the playing is pretty stellar. I like the drummer especially. No clue who this is. 4 - This sounds very familiar to me...hmmm. I feel like I've heard this somewhere but I can't place it. I like the mood of the piece a whole lot, and love the way it builds. These guys (and/or gals) clearly play together a lot. I'm hearing something reminiscent of Chris Speed, to my ears. Is that Jim Black on drums? Nice track. 5 - I should know this one too. Good stuff...one of those things that has deep roots but reaches far. I really like the feel and sound here...the plunged trumpet, clarinet, and that great, driving riff in the piano. You can hear the Mingus influence big-time. Boy, I really feel like I've heard this before. Dying to know what it is! 6 - Neat tune, cool feel. No guesses on this one though. I dig the trumpet player especially, nice sound. Is that a valve trombone? 7 - "Afro Blue" is the tune, of course. Hmmm...I WANT to like this one, but something is bothering me...the feel is really weird, like the bass player and drummer aren't really on the same page. This is meant to sound like Tyner and Hutcherson, but it can't be, can it? I am oddly stumped on this one. 8 - "Blue Monk"...now this is a different rendition, slightly drunk-sounding at the beginning (in a good way)! Very interesting. I have no idea who this is...in fact, it doesn't sound like anyone I've ever heard before. Curious now! 9 - Interesting performance. Had to give this one a second listen because I was so focused on the bass and drums the first time. At times they sound like they are channeling Richard Davis and Tony Williams on Dolphy's Out To Lunch. I like how this track is so rhythmically free...it has a great 'swirling' quality to it. I also like those growling tones that the trombone player gets. No guesses on this one though. 10 - Oh man, I know this tune...! Isn't this Roscoe Mitchell? Yes. I don't think this is the recording I'm familiar with though. Okay, this is driving me kinda nuts... Anyway, it's great! 11 - I like this but it's not 100% my bag. The coolest moment for me was where the piano and bass settled into a little groove just before the soprano came in and held that long note. But for me I think it needed more moments like that. Some nice interplay, but I wish it had a little more direction. No idea on the players. 12 - This one feels like a prayer...very deep, moving intro with some powerful trumpet playing. The piano solo is very nice, I like the way he/she takes an idea and expands on it. LOVE the trumpet player, what a sound! No guesses again, but am anxious to learn who this is. 13 - Definitely "Out Of This World"! I was sort of on the fence about the vocalist from the beginning, but I think overall I like it...very interesting performance, and the mood is right on. 14 - Okay, I think this is a Braxton tune...from New York, Fall 1974, right? Never heard this version though. I love the way this tune keeps building on itself, extending itself. This must be a real bitch to play. This was really great-- awesome selection of tunes! Thanks for putting it together. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Cirrus is on the Hutcherson Mosaic Select. Ah yes, you are correct! Forgot about that.

Thanks for this, Bill, fun stuff!

Hutcherson's Cirrus is a winner...and that one has never been on CD, AFAIK.

Wow! Now you've piqued my interest... I can already predict that I will like everything, but will be able to guess nothing.

Me likey! Sign me up for a DL please! Thanks!

Okay, here we go as I try to butcher another BFT (I am not very good at this yet)... I'll just give highlights/bits where I really liked the tunes and/or had something to say: Track 1 - Hmmm...a couple of Coltrane-ish harmonic turns in the head. Not really sure who this is, but if I had to take a stab at it I'd say someone like Mark Turner. Sounds like some stuff I've heard him do, but I'm no expert on Mark Turner so I could be way off... Track 3 - "I Can't Get Started"...beautiful! I feel like I should be able to guess this trumpet player...very nice sound. What a tune. Could have been longer, but on the other hand they say a lot in those 2 and a half minutes. I like how the trumpet player takes lots of liberties with the melody. Track 4 - Love the tenor player! Fluid yet soulful...love the bluesy stuff in there. This must be an old Prestige date or something, no? I can't guess at this one, but I feel like I should know who this is. Track 8 - Another one where I'm sure I know some of the players, but I'm not having any luck guessing at the moment. Nice tight ensemble playing on the heads and great soloing by everyone here. Agh...who is that piano player? So familiar. Love the piano solo. Track 9 - Now we're talking...wooooo!! LOVE that tenor player, what a great sound and concept. Like a study in dichotomy...urgent yet relaxed, in control yet feeling like he's about to go off the rails... Killer trumpet solo too. Dying to know what/who this is. Track 11 - I really like the tune and arrangement a lot, and once again, the tenor player is fantastic. Track 12 - Great feel at the beginning, I kind of wish they had stayed with that instead of going to the swing feel to be honest. The drummer sounds Billy Higgins-esque to me but I don't think it's him. I really like the bass player's sound, nice and fat, and he's really driving this one. This track is a killer...the two horns play so well together. Can't wait to hear about this one! Track 13 - "Strike Up the Band" of course...the drummer isn't Philly Joe, is it? Thanks for putting this together Bill, great stuff!

Oh man! Would love to see/hear that...I don't think they've updated that site in a long time though. In fact, I think I recall emailing them a while ago and they said they had no plans to add any more shows.

Oh man!! Great...more stuff to add to the list! Very interesting that the first track was Abdul-Malik, never would have guessed. I am going to have to check out some of his stuff now too. Making a note of Jazz Doctors, Billy Mitchell and Noah Howard too. Can't believe I missed Buck Hill! I've heard you talk about Bill McHenry before too...nice stuff. While I'm not real familiar with him, I should have guessed Andrew D'Angelo on that cut-- I thought he sounded familiar but couldn't place it. He was in a great group from Boston called Human Feel. Nice stuff all around!

I am late to this thread, and new to the BFTs, but Jeff, I agree that your suggestion in post #19 is a good one!

DL for me, please...thank you!

Thank you sir, I feel honored! And sorry for the late response, things have been busy around here. But when the time comes, I'll be ready.

Have I mentioned how glad I am that you're participating? I hope you'll stick around for more BFT's! +1 Thanks guys, will do!!

VERY interesting on #5...! Never heard this, may have to pick it up. And I've decided it's not fair for me to reveal #4 since I have "inside information", though that didn't help me when I was first trying to guess it...

Nope, I love it all!

I'm such a dope...#6 IS from Inward Fire, I have that album! Wow. Obviously time to pull it out again! Funny, it did sound a bit like Jordan to me but the singer threw me off as I didn't remember he had done anything like this. Very cool. This is getting interesting... I can't wait to find out what some of these others are. Surprised that it actually IS Ron on track #5...am really curious about that one now. And obviously I didn't listen very closely to #4...I think I know who the tenor player and piano player are but I'm not sure if I should give it away yet...? You know what I mean.

Boy, looks like I blew #9! Not that I'm surprised!

Awfully quiet in here...

I appreciate it Thom, but don't want to jump the queue... will defer to whatever is deemed appropriate here. Thanks though!

Wasn't the title track from "Mo' Better Blues" written by Bill Lee? If so, I would think that's gotta be the most well-known of his compositions, no? "John Coltrane" is certainly one of his best tunes though, IMHO. My personal favorite things involving Bill Lee are Clifford Jordan's Glass Bead Games and the She's Gotta Have It soundtrack...both essential!

Holy cow, had no idea about this one! Thanks for posting.

I would love to try putting one of these together, and seeing that there is a long wait I better get my request in now! Any openings in 2015??

Okay, here we go...go easy on me... Track 1 - The tune is Sonny Rollins' "Don't Stop the Carnival" but I can't identify any of the players. I'm sure I know some of them and will feel stupid when I find out, but oh well. The presence of the cello did make me think of Ahmed Abdullah's bands, and the trumpet player even sounds a bit like him, but I wouldn't bet money on that. Great performance! Love it. Track 2 - Great stuff! Of course it's "Lonely Woman". As to WHO it is, the first obvious guess would be Billy Bang on violin but what's confusing me is that the bass player sounds like Sirone to me, and then you would think Leroy Jenkins would be on violin, and that's definitely not Jenkins... ? Still does sound like Billy Bang though. Not sure on the others. Fantastic version of this tune though. Track 3 - "Dervish" by Eight Bold Souls...Ed Wilkerson Jr., Mwata Bowden, Dushun Mosley, Naomi Millender, et.al. Great album, just picked this one up recently...weird coincidence! This one is a lot harder to find than their others...their first record, I think? These guys always have a hint of Threadgill to my ears, and that's a good thing. And that's not to say they're not original, they sure as hell are! Saw Wilkerson perform in Chicago once and it was mindblowing. Mwata Bowden too, what a phenomenal musician. Track 4 - This is a "stealth" recording, isn't it? If that's the case, then my guess is "The Cookers", based on inside info I have about you. What a band! Track 5 - Hmmm...I like this tune a lot. The piano player sounds a lot like Stanley Cowell at the beginning, at least harmonically. I don't think it's him though. Bass player has a Ron Carter sound going on, but it's obviously not Ron. No idea on the drummer. Damn this is tough! This one is killing me actually...I need to know who this is. Track 6 - Oh man, this is right up my alley. The tune reminded me of Shamek Farrah at first but then the vocals came in and completely threw me off. I'm excited to find out who this is too. I'll make a wild guess that this is one of Eddie Henderson's bands or something but that's probably completely wrong. Definitely something from that period though...Norman Connors? Man, I'm dying to hear the answer to this one... Track 7 - Love this one too, but again I've got no clue on the players. Love the tenor player...damn! Who the hell is that? Aha, trumpet...thought this was a trio. And an alto player too...they keep coming out of the woodwork. The alto player especially sounds like someone I should know. Sounds like he is taking a cue from Arthur Blythe. This is a really great group. Track 8 - This has got to be Billy Harper, right? I'm still getting familiar with his playing, but from the opening notes it just sounds like one of his bands (and his compositional style too, from what I know). Love the bass solo! Another great one...where do you come up with all this stuff? Track 9 - To be honest the tune is not exactly my cup of tea, but the saxophonist is killer. I'm guessing James Carter. Track 10 - Wow, this one sounds really familiar but I can't place it. Nice tune. I'll leave it at that...am anxious to find out who this is. Track 11 - Not even going to take a guess at this one either, but I like it! Great players all, whoever they are. Love the way the sax player builds his solo, and the drum solo is killin! Track 12 - "Now is the Time" by Dick Griffin! With Clifford Jordan! 'Nuff said! As they used to say in Downbeat... Five Stars. I always beat myself up about these things, and I'm sure I'll be shocked to learn what I missed, but that aside...these are some great picks! I just enjoyed listening.

I'm in, Thom!!