Mr. Bassman

... here we are.... big break, i presume ? Nice answers to my comments... i will return later, but at first..... the missing #s: #9 again: Hmmm, i know this drummer, yes it seems .... heavy equipment, i imagine a big bassdrum .... (should i say "Puh!" ??? No, that wouldn't fit.... it's more a "gggrrrrrrr" to myself ), but no "Der Groschen ist gefallen" for me (for not-germans: it means by word "The penny droped...", the meaning is here, that someone understands something). Therefore ... i have to take my "slab-on the-forehead" #10: This tune is familiar, it is "road song" and it is known as a Wes M. tune, but this is not him, and it is not the "normal" version with strings. No idea, who this is. Heavy bass-playing, too. Are there really two guitar-players or is this a overdub? #11: What a start.... and then a nice swinging tune, familiar sound indeed. It is not that "new" i believe and here we have some "Gentlemen of Jazz" playing. The piano-player... could it be Ellington ? Well the accompany-music during the trumpet solo reminds me very strong to Ellington-style. This is all, what i can do here. #12: There is no chance for me, the tune and the recording has some age... but not in the range of young Mr. Bassman's knowledge, this is not a big band ! #13 Now, here is a more funky tune, very pleasant tune, but here i have to "drop the sails", no guess. One funny idea... there is a bit "James Brown" in this tune, this rhythm..... but only an idea... #14 Well, here we have some nice vibes & Rhodes, percussion, bass and drums. I would date this to the late 60ties or early 70ties but i can't get any guesses out of that nice tune. Remarkable bass-work here, seems to be an electric bass ? #15 Finally, here we have the last tune on this disk and i have a strong feeling, that i know the piano-player, this must be "Mr. Peanuts" (Vince G.), i presume ? I don't have this recording, so no guess on the title, it is not on my CD's. But i have heard this (or might have heard this), this is really typical for his work for the Charles M. Schulz-pictures. And it is taken from LP... Here we have a quartett, not a trio (I only have some trio work) but i think it is Eddie Duran on guitar. At least, I've done some "google-ing", and.... here we go : http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?...;cart=681552344 The last track.... a fine ending track for a fine BFT ! Well.... now waiting for the unveilment with regards Mr. Bassman

.... just in front of the deadline.... Theses are the comments on disc#2. This one leaves conflicting feelings.... because there are some pieces of music I would press the "next"-button very soon. But not during BFT! How could i write my impressions to a tune, if i don't listen to it carefully and, of course, it is the respect to the BFT-author, who wants to share his/her tunes with us, the BFT-maniacs Okay, i start.... #1 This is truely not my stuff...it has the character of film-music or music that "sound like a film". Nice saxophone, maybe i 've heard this once upon a time... but it leaves no traces... no recognizable traces of course. #2 Oh yeah, this one is more interesting, nice tune and well performed, but i am empty in this case, I don't have any idea. I will keep an eye on this. #3 Oh well, this would be a candidate for a very quick "next"button-pressing.... Beside my personal point of view, this is a nice ballad, ery nice interpretation, difficult to play those ballads ! But the singer is.... eh ... puh !, well he sings a bit better than me.... and my singing is really only for "alone-in-the bathtub". But then this "soft" trumpet (?), very familiar... ah!!! some light !!! There is a trumpet-player in Jazz-History (as far as i know...), who likes singing and even very soft.... Baker ??? Well i don't have a CD with this guy as a leader, maybe some recordings including him. But i remember there are recordings "out there", even one with a certain title "CB sings" or something like that. But this is more a guess, because i can't proove this with my "tools" behind me. #4 A nice sunday-afternoon-tune, muted trumpet played nicely in a layed-back mood and a fine band as companions. Bass-player .... hmmm, and even more this guitar.... well i think, I've heard them some times ago... but can't remember... I have a black-out so far.... #5 Another "sooftie" , i don't mean that negative, i should say a mellow tune. Very nice acoustic-guitar solo in some ways sometimes very "modern". A very relaxing tune, but i don't have a clue or a guess.... Okay, it is not that kind of music i would "fly" to , but a tune, i will look onto when unveiled. Sometimes there is a time for that music!!! And if it is played this way the performers do, even more ! #6 Puh, what is that? Probabely a waltz, that's clear. And i think not a classical work ??? Like #1 it could be film-music ?? No guess and, sorry, not a fav for me. #7 Ahhhh, this is interesting, nice mood (but why those strings ??? Aaaargh! sorry, forgive me) and fine playing saxes. very sharp "throw-ins" near the beginning, but the strings are much to loud and "unnecessary", aahhh fade out.... #8 The next tune is a moody one, the theme sounds familiar.... but listen to this relaxed mood, wow ! And this elegant fine sound of the guitar, alone this is it worth to listen to this tune. I have not the slightest idea, but this is a real little diamond. I get some "Gänsehaut" (don't know an english word for that.... it is the german word for the feeling, when your skin starts to "prickle" as a reaction to a very fine moody situation, not fear, the opposite! Excitement!.... can you follow me??? ) #9 Hmmm, this one is not that a diamond in comparison to #8 (well, for me....). It is a fine tune anyway, but not that "big" fascinating. It has an elegant appearance, but it has a bit "easy listening" ... i should give this tune a second try after a break.... There is somewhat "strange" about the drumming... maybe i know him, but not in this environment. I will think about this tune during my break.... .... I'll be back ....

Thank You Big Al for the nice comments, but i am definitely not that Bavarian DJ.... I am a native Swabian (german: Schwabe), precisely near Stuttgart. But this is a nice story, hehe. I don't have much practice using the english/american language, I lost nearly all the grammer-knowledge and sometimes it is pure dictionary-language, this is the reason for this heavy accent. But i will try to increase my level Well, it was a treat to write down my comments, and i had some time to do this. And sometimes there is a chance to tell such stories, because they realy happen. Mikeweil encouraged me to write in this direction, not only posting some name-guesses or "boring" NMCOT-comments. But you can't do this every time. This BFT had indeed some nice "catches" for a "rope of stories" so why not sharing them here a bit? Well, guessing together is really fun, and if there is a chance for that, i can recommend this at highest level ! We (mikeweil and me) might do it again, but we can't promise that for every disc or BFT. As it is late here in Germany and we just returned from a birthday-party, I am a bit tired and therefore there is only a short post this time , i will return tomorrow (hopefully) and there is still Disk #2 .... and BFT #55 arrived already! with regards Mr. Bassman

Mine arrived today, picked it out of the letter-box some minutes ago. @mikeweil no copy this time necessary, thank You !

I menioned Hayes? Not that I remember .... I am sure, that you mentioned this name. I have no other source, that i keep his name in mind. That's why i mentioned this, well i can't swear on it, but i had this clear in mind! I forgot some other names you mentioned on some of the "high numbered" tracks, some "blowers"-names, but i can remember Louis Hayes for sure. I wouldn't recognize him or got a guess in his direction. Now that i finished reading the posts in this thread - some things we recognized, others were "slab-the-forehead" ! Very interesting indeed.... I had a "fight" with myself to post the Evans-guess on #16. I kept in mind, what you said: " Hey, write it what you keep in mind", so i did. This was more "thinkwork" and struggeling in comparison to the Louis Hayes-quote! @ King Ubu What a nice pic!!! ..... disk #2 keeps spinnin' ... , but i think it will be late at night or tomorrow with the posting. Today is mother's bithday and i will soon drive to her. with regards Mr. Bassman

This is the last part for disc #1: #12 This tune is very nice indeed, quite strong impression, but i have no idea. There is a riff-oriented theme of a 12bar-structure with a fluently straight ahead rhythm changing to a moderate swinging part and then returning to this flow-style and so on. The trumpet sounds familiar, but no alarmbell-ringing. mikeweil was on the track for Louis Hayes on drums when we listened together on the journey. But, no more to say, sadly.... this might be a "slab-on-the-forehead" when unveiled. #13 This is a crowd of fine musicians, i believe. After some more listening to this one, there might be a Ray Brown in this ? When this tune starts with that elegant playing... this must be him... ??? And, for sure, there is coleman hawkins starting at 2:28 ... but sadly no more real guesses. #14 Starting with bowing on the bass and some vibes and then some bossa-typed rhythm with a fine saxophone theme. According to mikeweil, this drummer is not his fav for a latinjazz-drumming. No clue on the vibist (of course no tjader ). piano starts a little laid-back into the solo, a nice swinging "fill-in" part and again that pleasant saxophone-theme, not a very strong tune, but very pleasent (okay, the drumming is not mikeweils fav....) #15 Hmmm, no idea at all. Strong bass playing, he's gonna "whip" a bit the guys to the fluently tempo, keeping them on the pace, i like this and a great sound for me. The drummer has sometimes a great amount of "cashcashboombang". No idea for the vibraphone. The saxophone solo starts very calm and soft and then trumpet goes for a first peak, then the trombone gets it to another peak. Then back to the theme with some short drum fill-ins. Thats it. No idea #16 Ahhh, in the car this sounded very seldom, specially this "rare" bass-sound, it sounded a little bit in the direction of German Band-leader Bert Kämpferts "Knack"-bass-sound (there it was an electric-bass, this is not an electricbass...), you know the guy of "wonderland by night ? 5 weeks #1 in the charts 1961 in the USA !!! Okay , back to this tune.... I think i know this pianist, but i am not sure, but there is that evanesc impressionistic sound, listen to that left hand, wow, some nice harmonics and therefore well-known.... but i am not sure. This bass-sound ... hmmm... no clue. The fade-out is on the record or is that done manually in case of time for the CD ???? (Hmm it's 74:54, there would be some other seconds...), i think it's on the CD/LP (tape was finished during session ehhhh!). Okay, these are my comments for this BFT disk one, a really nice one! Thanks again to Big Al! I hope, i can return to disc #2 in a short time!

here is the next part.... #6 Okay, this is a point that counts not for me.... this CD "sleeps" in my stock!!! As mikeweil unveiled this recording during the car-session i can only confirm this, because i just listened to the only CD i own from this musician. And mikeweil made me this private copy of this CD too... for my special big-band-lesson, but i hadn't practiced that enough. Haha! Shame on me!!! I think, mikeweil has this one unveiled in his posting, so i will keep my mouth closed, because i didn't recognize it by myself, i could only confirm his statement. #7 Not much to say to this fine tune, a very vague guess... is this Blakey again on the drums? The drumming has "that" Blakey-touch... #8 Ha ha! Funny story!!! It is track 8 from this one, the double-feature! http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...aded&start= ... i took a quite familiar source... not the "normal" one ! Now the story to this track.... When i had my very first listening-session to this BFT-disc in the car driving home after concert, i nearly reached my home-place - i was alone then, the other guys had reached their snoring-places yet, i am the "taxi-driver" of the band ... and .... therefore the last who reaches his home - but suddenly i was full awake when this tune started.... aaahhh, i know this one, i've heard this only "minutes" ago (okay, some days ago...)... but where ??? Hmmmm... We met (mikeweil and me) for a practice session some days ago and we had the opportunity to listen to some new pieces of CDs that found their way into mikeweils stock (after practive, of course!).... I was really impressed of some tunes he played for me. He knows, that i will like this stuff, because i still had another recording with those family-members. Hehe... and mikeweil made a copy for me... and i received the copy together with the BFT-CDs ... and a big grin from mikeweil, murmuring something like: "One tune in this BFT you will know for sure.... must know for sure..." Haha, he can make jokes, i can tell you! On our second concert trip this weekend, we listened together to the BFT during the ride-on-the-road and when track#8 was playing, i said "Oh, I know this one...., but..." Mikeweil grins and said "Sure, you know this one". Great help.... Okay, now, here at home ... at this very moment, this specific CD is here beside me on my desk here at my music-place and next to the BFT-Set. This is no joke, it's true! But i think, this point will not count for me .... #9 When we talked in the car about this tune, i was guessing about this guitar-player, it could be Kenny Burrell. Mikeweil was only grinning. Now, at home, i am sure, that this is Kenny Burrell, but i can't tell the record, because i don't have this one. When checking my stock, this specific sound makes me sure, that this is KB. But no other guesses to the other personal... sorryly... mikeweil knows the record for sure. But what a pleasant tune and fine playing with this relaxed mood! I like this very much! #10 This one was a bit difficult... during the car sessions, a lot of names and so on were in the room. But when i listened this one now here at home, there is something familiar... this bass sounds ...like Ron Carter. But who are the others... hmmm. Guitar ... Russell Malone ? Mark Whitfield ? #11 That is a hole in my knowledge, i had no idea. Is there some E-Bass ?? no guess, expressive sax-solo. But Mikeweil is sure about his clue.... he owns the record and promised me to give me some lesson about that specific musician!! I think, this will be a pleasure ! Now time for another break, my wife returns from work and cooking will start soon I will return later.....

Hi Big Al, Finally i got5 the discs from mikeweil, who was the "minister of post-department" this time At first, many thanks for this compilation, i think this BFT is another step for me to dig into our favourite subject.... music ! As I am not that familiar with all kinds of stuff of jazz-music.... i will learn a lot this time. But, this one was fun too, because it was (and still is... it's spinning in the player to help for my writings...) a fine companion during the last few days on our cruise through the republic ... it was spinning in the car's CD-player, when mikeweil and I drove from concert-place to concert-place. And guessing together is a fine thing! mikeweil already had posted his first impressions here in the board, but not me. Listening in the car is sometimes necessary.... because I had no time to listen at home, in case of our gigs and Saturday "house-keeping"-duties. Now I am sitting at my music-place at home and start with the subject. As always, i didn't read the thread before posting here, so... i will have all the fun to read this, when i am finished with the virtual typewriter #1. A nice tune of cuban-influenced/inspired jazz-music, i guess in the 50ies. mikeweil alwasy says, that i know the bass-player in here. But my first guess is about the drummer.... Art Blakey ? there are some very "typical" drum-rolls and the sound of the set is quite familiar. Trumpet sounds familiar, too.... hmmmm....but I have no sure guess. Back to the bass-player, no guess #2 puh, difficult (for me). This bass-playing ... (hmmm, well as Mr. Bassman i always keep an ear on this ) very strong fingers.... but i can't "sort" my brain for a guess, but back to the tune. I t is a nice piece of music, that keeps me up with finger-snipping or body-shakeing. nice soloing and a fine rhythm section, i enjoy this strong "plunk-plunk" walking bass a lot! There where some nice moments.... i want to mention the "background-choir" during the trombone soloing, this is nice! the second sax-solo in front of that nice "orchestral break-part".... #3 Hmmm, we had some discussions during the car-ride... here i guess... it has some Ellingtonia in here, maybe ther is some Ellington himself on piano ??? It is a quite funny piece, it reminds a bit to "hit the road, Jack" or a short impression of "Pennsyvania 6 5000" (ha ha, only my impression, this tune is something different!!!). And we got an idea of Johnny Hodges playing here....? Can't say more...., but we are quite sure about the Ellington-connection! Am i on a right path ? #4 This is a big-band (indeed??), ooohh, what a trombone-solo ! Well, I'm not that invited in the big-band-thing, but this one is not from the 30ies/40ties (where i have a bit of knowledge... later more to this), this is later, 60ies ?. As i have no hint, I am shooting into the blue.... This is a "genteleman-Big-band" and they play for some nice "afternoon-in-the-pavillon"-situations, where people sit together enjoying a pleasant day and not performing at the ballroom for some hot dancing competitions.... just my impression. #5 Ahhhh, this might be from the period of big-band-music, where i have a little knowledge. I like to tell a littel story in front of the guessing.... This kind of music was my first contact to jazz music.... swing from the area of end30ies to (maybe) mid40ies plus. The sound is indeed from this time. When i was a boy, my mother has a record (she had only one record, and she still has this one, wich i have in mind...) of Glenn Miller and little mr. Bassman was always happy, when this record was played (instead of the normal german "Schlager"-dudel or operette and all this stuff...). Our neighbor in those times was a music-fan and had a collection of several stuff.... and he recognized, that little mr.bassman was interested for jazz-music and he played for me some other records out of this time, not only bigbands... there was early Louis Armstrong, then Goodman, samplers of old blues-recordings and so on. He always made some birthday and christmas presents to me, and so i still have some records of bigband-music (cheep italien samplers and other third-evaluation collections ... but what the f... this music sounded (and sometimes still sounds!) really great for little mr. bassman) in my stock and i will keep them not only in memorian to this neighbour. On some rare moments i listen from time to time to this records - maybe to get a bit of a "sentimental-remembering-the-times", when mr.bassman was young and discovered this music sitting breath- and speechless in front of the record-player and couldn't get enough of this stuff.... And I learned in those days, that "white" big-bands sound "different" in comparison to "black" big-bands... well this was the knowledge of little mr.bassman !!! Okay, this was little bassman's discovery, when he was something about 12 years old. According to little mr. bassmans discovery.... this one sounds more like a "white" big-band, not the "typical" style of Goodman or Miller, but there is something in this sound, that reminds "old" Mr. Bassman to those things. Well, I'm no specialist for this time-period (young Mr. Bassman was.... ).... and i can't recognize the tune or the band for shure,,,, but (i listened a ten times to this tune....) there is some Glenn Miller in this special sound-setup of this bigband, ... listen carefully to some phrases in the background-setup or during the "tutti"-lines and near the ending.... I never heard that tune before this BFT and if this is the Miller Band... they play more "untypical" to the normal level, but this is not a "black" big-band, as young boy mr. bassman would say.... Am I right ??? Puh... this posting took some time.... i have to make a short break.... need some coffee and cones ! but will soon return !

I'm signing too, PM sent with regards Mr. Bassman

Hi Big Al, yes, it's me and I am signing in! I am sorry, but i forgot to write and post in time for the signup-period to this BFT, so Mikeweil did it. We'll meet every week (normally) and so i can get the delivery soon. As i noticed, the discussion just started ... but i will study the threads after listening, i want all the fun and no spoiling with regards Mr.Bassman

Okay, I'm in again... just a bit of a supplement .... I started my conference now accidently with listening again to #10... funny things happend, it seems to me, that not only the listening-habbits are responsible for a fair impression, there are much more factors. I like it much better now (it is nearly 2 p.m. yesterday it was 2 a.m. and i was sleepy)! It is not recommended to listen to this tune, when the bed is calling! This tune is nice for feeling fit! It is more than a celebration-festival-orchestra, wow, there is a lot more, not only the annoying-me-at nighttime "taaataataaa", nice arrangement indeed, who is this piano-player ? #11 When i had my first run through the compilation, this was a piece that i found (and still find) really worth to listen to, it is like a landmark in the rough sea, between #10 and #12. Okay, it is a larger group and normally I am not that pleased to this kind of music, but here i have to recommend this nice (I mean really nice, not the ironic "NICE") tune. And, as i am not in the guess-who-practice, I don't have any idea, hmmm. #12 And now back to the "stormy side" This one started quite funny... a very "origin-based" rhythm-section (the low voice is not a bass... "talking" deep-drums???) accompanied with some wind (all sax???) and a saxophone-melody from another world, but this one seem to work, not tearing the musicians themselves apart. The more i listen to this one, the more i like this. I hope, the musicians had the same fun, when playing this, because this is really hard work to keep in this attitude. The ending is somewhat like switing off the knob.... they could go on and on #13 This is a fine piece of music, much listening to each other, not that much written (in the first part).... aaaahhh, i like this kind of stuff. They develop here a kind of a story or screenplay. This one has 2 different parts, maybe a suite ? Second part is more written and fixed (maybe in contrast to the first part). The strings and the percussion show a nice mood, but is this the whole thing ? I can imagine, that this is only a "takeout" of a larger work or should i say Opus? Hmmm, i have to wait until this one is unveiled... #14 At last the closing tune, again with female singer (with background-singers) and big-Band, well played and nice singing, but not the stuff i like a lot. The part, where the singer sings "unisono" together with the band is a bit toooo much "trained" during the rehearsal and the scatting part is a bit "artificial" to me (german saying "wirkt etwas aufgesetzt", hopefully my translation is understandable, maybe there is a better vocable out there, but not in my dictionary.... ). Overall, this one is quite okay, baut i will not listen to this very often.... but a nice tune for the ending! So, I'm through... and hopefully i will get some help from the other BFT-participants for the "guess-who". And, again, mikeweil, thank you for this one, because it is always good, to listen to music one is not that used to ! When we meet again for our audition-festival , please take a reservation for #3, #5, #8, #11 and #13 for sure, maybe add the #10 and #12! with regards Mr. Bassman

Well, i understand this point about the listening habits, but there is still a personal matter of taste.... i know some things, what i had to choose if i want to make you "whooopeee" or "uaaaaarrrrghhh" As i play lot of music and have to do some work here in those days, there is not much time for listening a lot. Therefore i am not well prepared.... But here we have the famous BFT-fun and i try to be as fair as i can be. You see, i take the shame on me with #5 back to #3, i still have a foggy memory, that i hav listened to this tune some time ago, but it is thick fog #5, hmmmm i should know the bass-player, indeed, but I'm somewhat "out of order" in the recognizing-business... no practice for a longer time.... we should work on this okay, here is the next part of my impressions: #6 This is another not fav-tune for me, i don't like this kind of sports They use a lot of cliché-things, this piano-vamp is heard a lot .... and not very nice .... to my ears... The percussion-orchestra works like a steam-engine hurring down the hill... breathless running and increasing the tempo. I take a deep breath, when they arrive.... no accidence during that downhill-race. #7 Uhhhh, violin with heavy vibrato ??? And the "nicest" woodwind-instrument sometimes used in the way i like this instrument most (mikeweil knows, what i mean ) ...together in a misterious mixed-up with some marching rhythm... really not my cup of tee, i dislike this one. I will keep a cape of silence and say nothing more to this tune. sorry... #8 Now, this one is more, let me say, a bit of balsam for my ears after #6 & #7 A not too difficult theme, nice performed and we have some nice solo-ing in this quite relaxed piece of music, the trumpet is very recommended and indeed the bass-solo, too (another shame-point for me... not even a guess). A nice peace of music and it is well-balanced. #9 This tune has its roots in a strong blues-typed form - 12bar - and a fine latin rhythm overlayed. Then you take some little notes for a theme...(reminds me a bit into a "nighttrain"-direction) and then the cooking starts.... wow, a wild piano solo! This tune has more of a session-typed piece and not a working band (or they could hide this very well). The percussion-playing is sometimes a bit on the "clocky"-side, just my impression. #10 Okay, I'm not used to this kind of music, it sounds a bit like a festival orchestra with some carneval-feeling. But the beginning is quite unusual for carnaval, the best part of this tune. Okay, not carnaval, this is to hard, but it is a celebration-like athmosphere, all people are happy, dancing is recommended! Not my fav-tune, but not like #7 Well, i still have no guesses to the musicians. The rest will follow tomorrow... i must have a break with regards Mr. Bassman

Okay, i listened more than one time to the compilation and here are some remarks from me. Overall, it is a bit difficult for me to be "fair", because I know mikeweil personally and we share "some business" together and on the other hand I'm not that a fan of this kind of music... But i like latin-orientated music, it is not a matter of dislike that style at all, but i am not very fond of that "bigband-toot-along"-typed music, so this is the reason, why this is very difficult for me.... So, to get always a full amount of concentration to the tunes, i will post my impressions in parts.... if i listen to the disc totally, i get a bit of annoyed after some time and this is not fair, particullarly to the last tunes...., please forgive me for that and I have to say, my very personal view indeed, there is no fav. tune in this compilation, and that makes it even more difficult for me to be "fair". Well, there might be a main theme in this...., i use a "cupboard-drawer-word" it is about latin-orientated music. And it has a nice frame... first and last tune contain a female singer (one of mikeweils favourites in music ). And i don't recognize anybody of the musicians (shame on me) ! -_- I decide i will keep the remarks on my very personal impression and i try to get the right words for the description of what i like and what i don't like and i have to search for the reason why.... #1 Aha, this tune sounds quite familiar, it reminds me of "night and day" in a kind of a mambo-orientated bigband with female-singer. Sometimes i got the impression of a little quoting of "one note samba", but i think, this is the introduction-part of "night and day". Well, the band is nice cooking and the singer does her best, but they don't "reach" me. I am not very impressed of the voice and i get no "fascination" during the audition, all is okay, but not more. The best i can say is, it is a nice opener for this compilation. I stated, that i don't like the voice, well I have to say, that I have my problems with singers,I am an instrumental-music-freak. But mikeweil has given me some lessons.... but this one doesn't reach me. The band is playing very well, well trained and so on, but it is a bit of "I have heard that kind of interpretation of latin-typed music" to often, so, for me, there is no fascination or "tension" in this interpretation, sometimes i have the personal feeling, this is a peace of music that i will listen to during cleaning the flat.... #2 This one is one of the peaces i really dislike. There is an overall noodling and doodling together with to much of "taktaktaketak" and "clickiticlack" ... The funny thing is, this is not a bigband playing.... The interpretation of this tune is quite "nervious" and i get very nervious when i listen to this tune. I really can't listen very long to this kind of music, but this is very personal indeed. The playing of the musicians is okay, they are good, no question, and it is nice performed and it has some "fire" in it, but not for me. The soloing has always this "well-trained"- impression to me, it is all wellbalanced and always on the "secure side"... i miss the fun and the risk a bit. #3 This one is much more comfortable to me, and i suspect, that i have heard this tune once upon a time... but i can't remember. It is more a ballad-typed piece of music (not a real ballad, but a bit of a ballad) and it has a bit of an easy-listening feel, but not in the "negative" way, it is an impression of feeling well, sitting in the sun, maybe some beach nearby and an overall fine day-feeling. All is relaxed and everybody enjoys this. That is my impression when listening to this interpretation. Here, i like the soloing, there a some unexpected moments, not that "I play an etude"-mood (... can you follow me ??? ) and i imagine fun in there. The band creates a very pleasant impression and they are listening to each other very carefully. I like this tune, but i don't have a clue, who they are. mikeweil you can "mark" this one, when we share our next audition #4 This is another tune, that is not that bad. At first, they start with a riff-typed theme and then they move into a nice groove. Here there are a lot of funny ideas, hopefully not all writen in notes ??? The soloists sound sometimes a bit familiar, maybe i should know one of these.... They keep this one "rolling" but it has not that relaxed character of #3, it is more "cooking". and it is not a big-band. #5 Ahhhh, the tune with the nice bass-solo, i always stopped all activities, when this solo appeared, and i have the strongly suspect, that i must know this bassplayer.... shame on me ! But back to the tune, It is a nice balladesc tune, it has some reminds of "modern-jazz-quartett-mood" until they start into the tune with that very fine strolling along. Hey and then the piano starts... well, a fine story-teller ! and there is a singing-along-the-melody ! Then we have a very pleasant part with rhythmical game-playing which turns into a very fine bass-Solo, this is one of the cutest bass-solos i heard in 2007! (i would be very proud of myself if i could play in this fine arts-style !!!! Okay... practice!!! ... but my stringholder is still broken ). On the other hand... i think, this recording is not made in 21st century ?? And, mikeweil, may i have this one in my collection and i forgot it ??? Puh..... This are the comments to the first 5 tunes, I have to make a break.... i have to start the cooking, but i will return with the following-up ! with regards Mr. Bassman

"Organissimist!" I love it! There's optimists, pessimists, realists, and now Organissimists! Sweet! Indeed, we are all Organissimists, and that was my main force to restart here, not the Sibelius-booklet, that was the last drop to take place in front of the computer ! Maybe, i will get that booklet on Friday, because i have to leep in for Mikail..... there i will get some tea... and then i go upstairs to Michael and get a cup of tasteful Espresso !!! ... and maybe some more listening to new CDs of his "bibliothek" (CD-library).

Hello Nate, I just take a short overflowing look into the discussion-thread and realised, that #2 is truely unveiled. I think, i will put that on my wishlist for Christmas . The title of the recordings seems to be "programmatic" ?? As you state some posts ago the other tunes are more freely. Now to the pain-theme: You told us in a post, that the bass-player was ill during the recording-session. But my impression of his pain was not connected to illness, but that can be a combined effect. My impression to the "pain" was not fixed on some health-problems, i had the impression of getting some problems with the left arm (if he is a right-handed player) or a little "red-skin"- problem to the plucking fingers of the right hand during this heavy playing session. I play (its is more practising...) a bit on the double-bass (sorryly not at this moment, the stringholder cracked some days ago and i have to fix it) and i could imagine the upcoming "pain" in the left arm.... and the power and force you put into your playing not to spoil it, because its getting "harder" every minute playing this tune without a break or the "snip-snap" in studio....... He seems to pluck really hard to get this "ongoing" movement and to keep this rhythmical idea. He really didn't spoil this, but i can imagine and hear his hard work during this playing. But now, with the knowledge of being sick during the session... i listened again and you can really feel his effort and action to the music. I hope, the other tunes of this recording will show this effort, too. It is even more remarkable, to know, that he was ill during the session. As I could read in some posts, that my approach to #9 was a bit similar to som other listeners, but it seems not unveiled yet. And the #4 guitar player is still "unknown"... But it is not Kropinsky . I will keep an eye on this with regards Mr. Bassman