paul secor

Happy birthday! Hm. - 2 jm's with the same birthday.

Hope you had a good one, JM!

Denis Charles Charles Moffett Phillip Wilson

Same deal with me. I guess that I should spend more time listening to my record collection. I bought it used about 5 or 6 years ago, and have only listened to it twice, but that's no excuse. At least I won't end up having to buy it to hear the rest of the music on the record! The same thing happened with blindfold test one (twice, on that one). This is embarrassing.

Christmas Eve: New England Christmastide The Roches: We Three Kings The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album/Christmas with John Fahey Vol. 2

Happy holidays to everyone here, and a special thank you to Jim, Randy, and Joe for providing us with a place to get together. Thanks, guys!

Just two short comments, as I'm tired: I'm surprised that I was able to pick up on Rosemary Clooney's voice. I haven't heard many of her recordings, especially those recorded since she was a regular on the pop charts, and I was a child. That might say something about my ears, but I think that it says more about the fact that she has (had) a more distinctive sound than she may be given credit for. I was thrown for a bit by the depth of the song. I hadn't associated Ms. Clooney with that type of material. I think I'll have to do some more listening on her, and it sounds like the album Jim chose this cut from may be a good place to start. The Monk cut was probably my favorite on the two test CDs. I'm amazed that two relatively unknown (hell, you might as well say totally unknown - except to perhaps Jim and their friends and families) could do something like this. I have no idea where to find this recording, but I'm going to do my best to seek it out. I don't even care what the rest of it is like, it's worth it just for this one cut.

All LP's yesterday: Monk: Brilliant Corners T. Bone Walker: T. Bone Blues Howard McGhee: The Sharp Edge (Produced by this Board's Chris A.) John Fahey: Visits Washington, D.C.

The Insect Trust The Insect Trust: Hoboken Saturday Night Bunky & Jake Bunky & Jake: L.A.M.F. Jake and the Family Jewels Jake with the Family Jewels: The Big Moose Calls His Baby Sweet Lorraine Doug Sahm & Augie Meyers: The "West Side" Sound Rolls Again I don't believe that any of these have reappeared on CD.

Bring on what you've got! I enjoy hearing new things and widening my aural experiences. Hey, the worst that can happen is that I make a dumb guess. I've done enough stupid things in my lifetime that a few more won't hurt.

1-3: Don't know why I came up with Jimmy Woods & Gerald Wilson. It's obviously a small group. That's what comes from listening in my car - the arrangement (and my lazy listening) made it seem like more horns than there are. The piano reminds me a bit of Mal Waldron. This and especially 1-1 are driving me nuts. The pianist on 1-1 sounds so familiar, but I can't pin it down. Damn!

Was J.G.W. associated with Zappa? According to a friend who has the recent reissue, that's who the producer is. Obviously, I'm not a Zappa afficianado.

If you have the Lewis/Perkins, listen again.

Here goes for disc two - mostly guesses on this one: Again, I haven't looked at any discussion, gone to AMG, etc. Did play a few things in my collection, but that didn't seem to help much. 1 - No idea who it could be. I don't listen to this type of thing, and I thought that I'd hate it when it began, but it was okay. The drummer in particular plays with a lot of imagination. 2 - Trombone/tenor/percussion. No clue. I thought maybe it was some obscure NY Art 4tet side, but I think I have just about all their stuff and I don't remember anything like this. I was happy when the percussionist got to open up a little toward the end - I always feel that it must be frustrating to play the same thing over and over and not get to break out. I'm not a musician, so maybe not. I'll be interested in finding out who this is. The "Ornette Coleman" chant threw me off, too. 3 - R&B thing - didn't interest me at lot. The rap at the beginning made me think that I'd enjoy it more than I did. No guess. 4 - Sounded like a soundtrack for a tv movie. No interest - no guess. 5 - Like this a lot, except I didn't enjoy the dixieland style theme. These guys all sounded like fine musicians. I probably have records by most or all of them in my collection, but I can't identify them. Liked the piano solo, but all solos were very good. These guys sound like they played in a somewhat later era than the style they're playing in on this tune. Maybe guys like Sweets Edison who played in the late swing era and went on to play with some of the boppers? 6 - Tristano (I'm guessing) with a big band - maybe one of the 40's all star sessions for Esquire? Loved the arrangement. Didn't dig the solos nearly as much. Listening to this and the arrangements on the previous and following tracks, I understood perhaps what Jim was trying to do when he programmed these cuts. 7 - When I first listened to this cut, I thought that the arrangement was intricate just for the sake of being intricate. On a further listening, I got caught up in the spirit of it and enjoyed it more. Didn't dig the solos that much - they were okay, but didn't grab me very much. Just a guess - perhaps a Muhal thing. 8 - Well, I'm guessing Pres, as I'm sure most will, but perhaps it's a trick. I'm assuming with the Basie band, though I'm not totally sure of that - maybe that's the trick. Anyway, Pres was wailing. I want to get this. 9 - More of Jim's thematic programming. I can hear where this tenor player came out of the honking, wailing part of Pres, rather than the smoother, floating side of Pres, like most of his followers. (Though Pres' wailing side still had a lot of subtlety to it.) The tenor cat has a world of imagination. You have to, to play with just bass and drums, and play like he does. I would have liked his playing better if I liked his tone more, but he's still a player! Just a guess - perhaps Bennie Wallace? I know he did at least one live record, though I don't have it. Hey' maybe this a real trick cut, and it's Jim Sangrey! 10 - One word into the vocal, and I knew who it was. I won't say, but he's a great songwriter/vocalist. I didn't realize that he made a record with a funk group. I wonder if this is on a recent reissue that I don't have (yet). 11 - Not my kind of thing. Okay, but nothing special - didn't seem that the soloists were doing much, though it's obviously a group thing, rather than a setting for soloists. I did enjoy the drummer - seemed to me to be the most musical musician in the band. Another guess - perhaps a Ronald Shannon Jackson group? That's it for me. I'm going to read the rest of the discussion this afternoon - it's snowing heavily here, so I'm not going anywhere. There seems to be a lot of discussion, so it may take me the entire afternoon to read it. Jim, thanks for the music. I was actually surprised - it wasn't as weird as I thought it would be (perhaps next time). There are a number of things I couldn't identify, and that I hope to add to my collection, so thanks for that, too.

Happy birthday, Jim! And thanks for all the good listening on BF Test 4. Thanks too for all of your posts that have made me think more deeply about things than I might have. Today's a special day. I'm sure that you're enjoying it.

I've listened to the first CD a couple of times and want to post my comments and guesses. I've made it a point not to look at any comments, and won't until I post my comments on the second CD. When I signed up for Jim's test, I decided that I would listen strictly for pleasure, and not make my self crazy with speculation. I've tried to do that, but without total success - I got a little frustrated hearing things and trying to guess, rather than just enjoying the music. Anyway, here goes: 1 - I really like the piano player, and like the theme played by the band. No idea who the players could be. If I had to make a wild guess - maybe a Joel Forrester group. 2 - Yeah, it is "almost good". Catchy, but lightweight - a single I'd keep in my collection if it were by someone famous. 3 - No idea - liked the alto player - possibly Jimmy Woods? A Gerald Wilson date? Also found the piano player interesting. 4 - Not my kind of thing at all. Heavy backbeat, forced bluesy solos - like a soundtrack to a mediocre late 60's, early 70's movie. I did like the bit of clarinet after the second trumpet solo. 5 - Knew who this was the second I heard it. The singer is an ex-drummer, and the band is led by a drummer. I'm used to hearing "That's My Desire" done by doo wop groups, but this singer is enough of a stylist to pull it off. Nice arrangement and band work. 6 - Don't know who this is. Sounded okay - Rosemary Clooney? It's probably someone I should know. 7 - "Little Rootie Tootie" - great version! I'll buy this when I find out who it is - hope it's still in print. Loved the way they worked into the theme - instead of theme and variations, it was variations into theme. 8 - "Secret Love" - Great stuff! I'll buy this one too. Sounds like a tenor player I should recognize, but I'm stumped. Loved the organ solo too. Everyone was whaling on this tune. 9 - Very entertaining. This cat was definitely under the influence of something, even if only hisself! 10 - First I thought Baby Dodds. Then maybe Jo Jones. I thought of Nat Hentoff's description of Jo Jones playing a long solo, starting on his drumset, and then moving on to play everything in the room. Hentoff says he would play for up to an hour, and time would stop. I had that feeling with whoever this is. It could have gone on for much longer, and I would have been entranced. Another one to buy if it's available. 11 - No idea. Sounds like something out of W's collection - he could play it for the troops. 12 - Have this one in my collection. At least three members of the band experienced having to "Get in Line!" 13 - I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to big bands, but I enjoyed this. Great sax solo. The arrangement and presence of a clarinetist made me think Woody Herman, but I'm almost competely unknowledgeable about his music. 14 - I also have this record. There was some discussion of it on the Board two or three months ago. Great, great tenor solo! I have to hear more of this man's music. 15 - Another one I'd buy. The vibes and piano were so together and in sync, that they almost sounded overdubbed. Too early for that, though. Comments on CD 2 tomorrow.

Love these two! ubu Force was the other Roach/Shepp duo recording, 2 LPs, originally on the French Unitelidis label, issued in Japan on JVC.

Once my art director called me and asked for permission to flop a picture. I went to his studio and looked at the variables. I agreed, because it fit the "dandy" design best. No one ever caught it 'cept the artist. Can anyone here tell me which record this was? Just a wild guess - Fred Anderson: The Missing Link?

I have a lot of Shepp recordings in my collection. Just want to list a few favorites that haven't been mentioned yet: Duet w. Dollar Brand (Denon) Blase (originally BYG, recently reissued - Varese?) Attica Blues Big Band (Marge CD, originally on 2 Blue Marge LPs) Shepp a Massy (Unitidelis 2 LPs - Long out of print, but Dusty Groove had a copy recently. Tenors of Yusef Lateef and Archie Shepp (YAL) - fine playing by both tenors. I like Shepp's playing with the New York Contemporary 5 - Live at Jazzhus Montmartre is probably my favorite - don't know if it's currently in print.

Hey! Happy birthday, Ghost! Hope you got some good books and some good music as presents.

Came across a couple of others: Ben Webster with Strings: The Warm Moods - I have it on a Discovery LP - originally on Reprise, I believe. Sort of a ringer: Charles Tyler: Eastern Man Alone (ESP) - Tyler accompanied by cello and two basses.

I was listening to Frank Lowe's CD, Inappropriate Choices today, and was once again struck by Phillip Wilson's playing. What a marvelous musician he was - such subtlety in his playing. It seemed that he was able to underplay (both in terms of volume and number of notes) and still accomplish everything he had to. I just finished listening to his trio sides with Lester Bowie and William Parker on the Phillip Wilson Project (Jazz Door) and was taken away by his playing. I only heard him play on recordings. If others here have heard him play in a live setting, I have a question: Was his live playing different from his playing on records? Whenever I listen to him, I try not to, but I can't help but think about his death (or at least what I've heard). There are probably no good ways to die, but his death seemed particularly terrible. If there are others here who loved Phillip Wilson's music, I'd enjoy reading your comments or memories.

Unusual trios - An early date: Joe Venuti-vln; Eddie Lang-gtr; Frank Signorelli-pno: Wild Cat (1928). More contemporary recordings: Frank Lowe-ts; Carlos Ward-flt; Phillip Wilson-dms: "Inappropriate Choices" from the CD of the same name (ITM). Fraser MacPherson-ts; Oliver Gannon-gtr; Wyatt Ruther-bs: Live at the Planetarium West End) and Someday You'll Be Sorry (DSM). Charlie Kohlhase-as; Roswell Rudd-mellophone; John Turner-bs: "Siva & Sakti" from Eventuality (Nada). Roswell Rudd-tbn; Sheila Jordan-vcl; Mike Kull-pno: "The Light" from Broad Strokes (Knitting Factory). Roswell Rudd-tbn; Greg Millar-gtr; John Bacon, Jr.-dms, vbs: The Unheard Herbie Nichols Vols. 1&2 (CIMP). Lucky Thompson-ts; Oscar Pettiford-bs; Skeeter Best-gtr: (ABC). Russel Hisashi Baba- sop sax, as; Ray Cheng-vln; Heshima Mark Williams-bs: "Country Square" & "Spirit Shere" from Russel Hisashi Baba (Ruba). Jimmy Lyons-as; Karen Borca-basoon; Paul Murphy-dms: disc 4A of the Jimmy Lyons Box Set (Ayler).

I'll second V,P's remarks - Well said! brownie, if you liked Marcello Melis' New Village On the Left, you'll probably enjoy Malicool.

He did a nice turn on an episode of Northern Exposure, playing a retired Russian spy who conned some money out of Maurice, the ex-astronaut.