BT 18 - answers disc 1

[mikeweil]

So here are the answers for Disc 1. The common denominator is the decade these tracks were recorded, well almost: in the 1990's. While compiling disc 1 I felt the necessity to narrow down the criteria for my choices, and since many of the tracks I had at the top of my list were from that timespan, I decided to use this as the "theme" for disc 1, similar to Nate Doward's BT, which featured only very recent material from 2000 and later.

As you have heard, my tastes are diverse - this is all music that I find fascinating, features some of my favourite musicians, makes me move and groove ...

Track 1: The Sadi Quartet - Préludin' & Egocentriques (Sadi Lallemand)

Sadi Lallemand vibraphone, Tony Bauwens piano, Bart de Nolf bass, Tony Gyselinck drums. Recorded at Crescendo Studio, Genk, Begium, February 8-13, 1994.

From the CD The Sadi Quartet Ispahan Records ISP 94101 (Belgium)

Sadi Lallemand is easily the most outstanding jazz vibist in Europe, and, IMHO, one of the best in the world. His remarkable career started with playing xylophone in a variety act at the tender age of nine, and he has been playing the vibes since 1941. He was a towering figure in the Paris jazz scene of the 1950's and may be best known to board members through his collaborations with Martial Solal and the Kenny Clarke / Francy Boland groups. I love his rhythmic drive, his very personal sound on the doorbells, with a dynamic range wider than usual, achieved by using realtively hard mallets and none of the vibrating device, and his original and humorous arrangements and compositions. I especially love the witty turns in these two pieces, which open up this excellent self-produced CD, which was a surprise find at ebay. It documents this quartet he led for many years.

More info on Sadi (who dislikes the way his last name sounds, for some reason) can be found here.

Groove and humour are very important to me in any kind of music, as you might have noticed ...

Track 2: Gegé Telesforo featuring Purefunklive - Hey, Rookie! (E. Telesforo)

Gegé Telesforo vocals & tambourine, Julian Oliver M. Rhodes piano, Dario Deidda electric bass, Giampiero Virtuoso drums, Alfonso Deidda alto sax. Recorded in Rome (Italy), March 2001

From the CD We Couldn't Be Happier GoJazz go 6054-2

JSngry once asked the question wether there were scat singers being able to improvise on the same level as good horn players - well, IMHO Gegé is one of them. One of Italy's best singers, jazz or beyond, who had his own TV show for a while, hosting several international jazz greats. Visit his website for more. His CDs feature everything from jazz and blues to funk and Latin pop, but his jazz chops are evident. This particular track bridges the gap between bebop and Latin funk, the scat/bass unison theme brings to mind Jaco Pastorius' rendition of Bird's Donna Lee, but Dario Deidda relies much less on licks than Jaco. I find it amazing how this drummer manages to keep it right in the middle pocket between jazz feel and some kind of disco samba. In case you dislike the scat: Imagine it were a saxophone, and you would think it was great ... If it is possible to wear out CDs, I will prove it with this one, which is spinning every week since I got it (his forth for GoJazz). I was amazed at the diverging reactions on this track, you either loved it or loathed it. cannoball addict loved it so much he played in one of his radio shows.

Track 3: Bernie Worrell - Blood Secrets (Bernie Worrell)

Maceo Parker alto sax, Bernie Worrell Hammond B3 organ, Tony Williams drums.

From the CD Blacktronic Science Gramavision R2 79474

Recorded at Greenpoint Studio, Brooklyn, New York, ca. 1992

If I'm correct, this is the only occasion Tony Williams recorded with an organist outside of his own Lifetime group. I wondered if any would recognize his unmistakably powerful drumming style, very loose and at the same time bashing without ends - as I have stated elsewhere on this forum I dig him very much even in his later years, daring and right in your face, always showing you how powerful these drums are. Most found them too loud in the mix, but that's how loud they are! Why scale them down - it would be unrealistic. Tony once stated most people were afraid of the drums - I think he is right! Funkmaster Worrell plays some nice jazzy organ, me thinks, and Maceo hits less hard on alto than usual, there is another track on this CD with this trio where Maceo even picks up a flute! The remainder is what you would expect from Bernie and his Funkadelica friends ... imagine my surprise when all of a sudden this trio sounded out of my speakers!

Track 4: The Juli Wood Quintet - Night Vigil (Melvin Rhyne)

Mike Plog trumpet, Juli Wood baritone saxophone, Melvin Rhyne Hammond B3 organ, Dave Bayles drums, Dumah Safir congas. Recorded at Kennedy Studios, Milwaukee, WIS. January 19, 1998.

From the CD Movin' and Groovin' Wooju WOOJU-1

This is a hard bop vehicle that would have fitted nicely on the favourite label of many forum members, trumpeter Plog in a Lee Morgan bag, and Miss Wood playing some mean baritone - I wondered if any of you would get the idea this was a jazzwoman blowing. The tune is by Rhyne, who first recorded it (as "Nite 'Vidual") on trumpeter Brian Lynch's Criss Cross CD At The Main Event, which chronologically was Rhyne first session for that label - I thought maybe someone would have that one and get the idea. Those who have been following my posts know that Rhyne is my top favourite living jazz organist. You can get this from CDBaby or Cadence, as Miss Wood had to produce that one herself - she wanted to document her band with Rhyne in time. Thanks, Miss Wood - she plays fine tenor on most of the CD and sings nicely, too. The excellent conga player is a mainstay on the Chicago etc. scene. It works so well because the drummer knows how to restrict himseld to playing cascara and clave patterns on the snare and cymbals and plays fill like a timbalero - most jazz drummers play too much on the toms and too many fills which doesn't work with a conguero in the band.

Track 5: Karl Denson - Blue-Eyed Peas (Karl Denson)

Karl Denson & Pee Wee Ellis tenor saxes, Dave Holland bass, Jack deJohnette drums. Recorded at Waterfront Studios, Hobocken, NY, January 1994.

From the CD Chunky Pecan Pie Minor Music MM 801041

We all love a tenor battle every now and then, don't we? I never thought I would come up with two tenor saxists Jim Sangrey will not guess .... Denson played in Ellis' and Maceo Parker's funk bands, among others. Thanks to Nate Dorward for analyzing the tricky head which alternates between 8/4, 7/4 and 6/4 - I love odd time signatures. Dave Holland and Jack deJohnette are a great rhythm team, especially the latter kicks ass here, reacting to every detail, that's the way I like him best, and here he shows his incomparable style. Denson did several CDs for the small German Minor Music label (as did Ellis and Parker) before his Blue Note CD, and is a typical example of a generation of musicians constantly crossing the borderline between pop and jazz - he played with Lenny Kravitz. Maybe not that individual a stylist yet, but that track is fun. His older CDs seem to be out of print, but JPC in Germany still has a few copies at bargain price. Mr. Bassman blindfolded me with this one many months ago - I recognized the deJohnette I like and ordered it immediately. Pee Wee Ellis should be better known for his jazz chops - he did a nice organ trio CD for the same label that almost made it to this BFT.

Track 6: Michel Sardaby: Lush Life (Billy Strayhorn)

Michel Sardaby, solo piano. Recorded at the Museum of Modern Art, Paris, France, March 28, 1984. From the CD Voyage, Harmonic Records H/CD 8402.

I decided to include this after hearing a version of Lush Life on a previous BT that I found disappointing - most pianists play the theme straight, and that's it, but Sardaby takes a full chorus. I find it magnificent. Sardaby was born on the island of Martinique in 1935 and is not too well known on the scene in spite of his recurring recordings with top US musicians. This was beautifully recorded on an excellent piano by a small French audiophile label - currently available as a Japanese import (at Songsearch). They still seem to be in business, but I am afraid this CD - which features four solos and four duos with Ron Carter where you can hear the bassist's real sound - and one of piano duos with Monty Alexander seem to be their only jazz recordings; they specialize on organ and choral music. They use a pair of expensive Brüel & Kjaer (now DPA) microphones in an artificial head.

Edited October 20, 2004 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

Track 7: Carla White: I's Only A Paper Moon (Arlen/Rose/Harburg)

Carla White vocals; Dean Johnson bass. Recorded at Clinton Recording Studio, New York, September 4-5, 1991. From Evidence CD ECD 22109 Listen Here (1995)

Of course I had to sneak in a piece by my favorite female jazz vocalist, Carla White. She started out in a band co-led with trumpeter Manny Duran, scatting all the way like a second horn - they made an LP for Stash that I bought after a favorable down beat review. As I am a scat fanatic, she hit home with me. She studied the bop language with both lennie Tristano and Warne Marsh, BTW. Only later she developped her interest in lyrics and the standard repertoire, parallel to training as an actress - she still maintains herself with voiceovers much of the time and orginally trained to become a jazz dancer. She made a handful of very nice albums with great sidemen, including Lew Tabackin, Peter Madsen, but usually has much trouble in getting her records out - she produces them herself and offers them to labels, but the last one on DIW took her five years to get out. I know she sits on another fine session made in September 2001 with Claudio Roditi, John Hart, Dean Johnson and Matt Wilson - she finally decided to start her own label for this, White Moon Records. The Evidence CD is the one easily available, but all of them can be obtained from her directly, visit her website, which is nicely done and offers some of her personal thoughts about jazz singing. Believe me, there is much more to her than scatting. I love the sound of life experience with all its ups and downs when she does standards - look out to one of these in my next blindfold test . New York residents have a good chance to see her perform - again check her website.

Track 8: Royce Campbell Trio: Royce's Riff (Royce Campbell)

Royce Campbell guitar; Melvin Rhyne organ; Jimmy Cobb drums. Recorded at Fox Studio, East Rutherford, New Jersey, December 12, 1993. From the CD Positive PMD 78024-2 Make Me Rainbows (1995)

I stepped over this CD while researching Melvin Rhyne's recordings, who is my favorite living Hammond B3 organist. But Campbell turned out to be a thoroughly engaging guitarist, every CD I got was a pleasant surprise - see his website for a complete discography. He must indeed be a very nice man - he responded immediately when I e-mailed him about some discographical details on his recordings with Rhyne - and has excellent rapport with other guitarists, considering his many multi-guitar projects. This particular record was a dream come true, being in Wes Montgomery's place like on the great Riverside LP Boss Guitar - he tells that he especially loved the exchanges of fours with Rhyne on this track. As I said, his delivery service is recommendable.

Track 9: Russell Gunn - Woody 1: On The New Ark (Woody Shaw)

Russell Gunn trumpet; André Heyward trombone; Bruce Williams alto sax; Gregory Tardy tenor sax; James Hurt piano; Rodney Jordan bass; Woody Williams drums; Khalil Kwame Bell percussion; DJ Apollo turntables. Recorded at Sorcerer Sound, New York, July 8-10, 1998. From Atlantic CD 83165-2 Ethnomusicology Vol. 1.

I was disappointed by most attempts at fusing jazz and hiphop, but this band works for me, for the simple reason that they avoid drum machines and use a real drummer and an acoustic bass doing the rhythm tracks live in the studio with the rest of the band - their approach is that of a hardbop band with modern rhythms. I found Jim Sangrey's remarks very fitting, that the musicians of this generation have to play these tunes to the rhythms they grew up with to get them across. Gunn's choice of tunes is pretty cool: This one Woody Shaw tune is the main reason I bought and keep the Mosaic box; the latest volume has Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit with dark demonic brooding rhythms sending freezes over your spine. I like their groove and their solos aren't worse than those of the other younger cats around - Gunn's lyrical sound and no-gimmicks approach are a pleasure to these ears. "No separation" is his basic rule - in life and in music. Check this interview

Track 10: Gégé & The Boparazzi - The Sidewinder (Lee Morgan/Jon Hendricks)

Gégé Telesforo & Jon Hendricks vocals; Renato Chicco piano; Ugonna Okegwo bass; Andy Watson drums, Cándido Caméro congas. Recorded at Skyline Studios, New York, 1992. From the CD GoJazz 2118-2 Gégé & The Boparazzi.

I'm not only a scat nut, but also one for vocalese - you get both here. I remember seeing Jon Hendricks and German scat master, the late Willi Johannes, on TV when I was 17 - that got me hooked. Gégé hosted Dizzy, Hendricks, Clark Terry and other jazz greats on his TV show, so his connections are obvious - see his website for some photos. This CD is plain fun - even pianist Chicco turns in some hilarious scat synchronized to his piano on a blues tune about Schipani's empty refrigerator. On this track, Chicco hits the groove of Barry Harris' sparing piano style so well, I could listen to this for hours. There are some excellent musicians in Italy, because, as Gégé explained to producer Ben Sidran: "You must understand, Ben, the Italians, we are the Blacks of Europe!" BTW - I have still a copy of this lying round, if anybody wants to trade it in.

Track 11: Reggie Workman Trio - Seasonal Elements (Spring - Summer - Fall - Winter) (Reggie Workman)

Geri Allen piano; Elisabeth Panzer harp; Reggie Workman bass. Recorded at Sound on Sound Studios, New York, April 27-28, 1995. From Postcards CD POST 1010 Cerebral Caverns.

Reggie Workman is my favorite bass player. That tone, his phrasing and rhythmic drive, the freedom with which he treats the rhythm without losing the groove, no matter how much "outside" the playing is, all that is marvellous. I am not that much a fan of so-called "Free Jazz", this belongs to the stylistics I listened to so often it grew stale, and most of free music makes much more sense to me when seen in performance - but Workman is someone that never fails to catch my attention. And the idea of having Geri Allen play the piano inside like a harp is very cool. Soundscape travelling.

Workman, like Sam Rivers, who plays elsewhere on this CD, is someone who never stepped back, only forward in developping his music.

Track 12: Gégé Telesforo - Small Blues (E. Telesforo)

Gégé Telesforo vocals and mouth drums; Dario Deidda bass. Recorded in Rome (Italy), March 2001. From the CD We Couldn't Be Happier GoJazz go 6054-2.

Something nice 'n' easy for closers. One more from the scat nut. The bassist BTW is the same that does that great Pastorius-style electric on track 2!

Very interesting that noone realized it was the same vocalist on three tracks! Like Jon Hendricks, Gégé started out as a drummer, and like Hendricks after seeing Roy Haynes, he was convinced he better try something else after seeing Italy's best jazz drummer Roberto Gatto. Now he sings some drums on every gig, often duelling with his drummer, as on one track of their 1998 live CD.

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Thank you so much for sitting through this very mixed bag. I knew much of this would not be to everyone's taste, and I have to admit I wanted to play a little devil's advocate here. The reward was the groovy jazz stuff on disc 2.

Edited October 20, 2004 by mikeweil

[JSngry]

I never thought I would come up with two tenor saxists Jim Sangrey will not guess ....

Even worse is that I have that cd...

[Dan Gould]

How weird-I see Mike's first batch of answers, but the rest just say "7-12" and nothing below that. Same for Disc 2. First set of answers are visible, rest aren't.

This is really annoying.

[couw]

How weird-I see Mike's first batch of answers, but the rest just say "7-12" and nothing below that. Same for Disc 2. First set of answers are visible, rest aren't.

This is really annoying.

it's because Mike hasn't typed them up yet. He just reserved the first posts in this thread for later editing.

[Dan Gould]

How weird-I see Mike's first batch of answers, but the rest just say "7-12" and nothing below that.  Same for Disc 2.  First set of answers are visible, rest aren't.

This is really annoying.

it's because Mike hasn't typed them up yet. He just reserved the first posts in this thread for later editing.

D'OH!!

In my defense, I have to tell you that it said, "page loaded, but with errors" which made me assume he had written them all up and the error, whatever it might be, was preventing me from seeing them.

[EKE BBB]

D'OH!!

What does it mean, Dan? Have you got copyright?

[mikeweil]

How weird-I see Mike's first batch of answers, but the rest just say "7-12" and nothing below that.  Same for Disc 2.  First set of answers are visible, rest aren't.

This is really annoying.

it's because Mike hasn't typed them up yet. He just reserved the first posts in this thread for later editing.

Quite rightly so! I will add one batch a day, as I do have to work some besides posting here .

[catesta]

Work?

Boooooooo!!!!!

[Dan Gould]

How weird-I see Mike's first batch of answers, but the rest just say "7-12" and nothing below that.  Same for Disc 2.  First set of answers are visible, rest aren't.

This is really annoying.

it's because Mike hasn't typed them up yet. He just reserved the first posts in this thread for later editing.

Quite rightly so! I will add one batch a day, as I do have to work some besides posting here .

May I suggest then that you consider what I did, then?

As your schedule permits, type up your comments, links, images in a piecemeal fashion, but do it using the Private Message function. Just save the PM as a "draft" until you've found the time to get it all written up. Then just copy and paste into your answers thread, an d viola, you have a complete set of answers posted at one time.

[mikeweil]

Of course I considered this, but as some posters were so anxious to learn about some tracks, I decided to give them what I had.

Why do we have to take this so serious? This is no doctoral thesis that has to be delivered in one part. Members post their guesses in batches - so what? B-)

[JSngry]

I think it would be cool to give the answers (song titles and leaders only) before sending out the discs and let the challenge be to figure out which cut is which.

But it's not so cool that I'M going to do it.

Promise.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Why do we have to take this so serious? This is no doctoral thesis that has to be delivered in one part. Members post their guesses in batches - so what? B-)

So what indeed!

It would be different if those asking Mike to go above and beyond what he thinks he should do had any valuable input into the whole BFT discussion in the first place. (let me make a disclaimer that these past few test have had me w/o much time as well or even without much knowledge but I at the very least had the respect for the compiler to put up something a bit more than DKDC, HAFC, NMCoT blah blah)

Just look at the slew of those folks who asked to be hipped to Mike's test (that he mailed from across the world) versus how many actually put up some lines.

Just shouting in from the stands above the dugout: "Do WtFYWtD".

[couw]

talking of shirking duties, where's Testa anyways?

[catesta]

haha

[Nate Dorward]

Glad to see I got one i.d. right anyway, among a whole lotta wrong'uns...

Sardaby I've heard on the radio but not enough to i.d. him, evidently. The Penguin Guide is keen on his work.

[John B]

I own two of these, the Karl Denson and the Reggie Workman, and didn't guess either correctly. Time to go back and give each a listen.

Thanks again for a great BFT!

[Big Al]

There are at least four CDs I want to check out from this wonderful BFT:

Blacktronic Science

Chunky Pecan Pie

Make Me Rainbows

Ethnomusicology Vol. 1.

Yes oh YES y'all!!!

[mikeweil]

Blacktronic Science

Be warned that the Bernie Worrell disc is all funk except for 2 tracks (15 minutes) of the Worrell/Parker/Williams organ trio and two tracks with a string quartet (conducted by Karl Berger, no less). The remainder is stone funk from the Clinton clan - George, that is.

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The Karl Denson seemingly had much wider distribution in the USA than I thought - but some didn't like it on first listen ?

Edited October 20, 2004 by mikeweil

[Peter Johnson]

Blacktronic Science

Be warned that the Bernie Worrell disc is all funk except for 2 tracks (15 minutes) of the Worrell/Parker/Williams organ trio and two tracks with a string quartet (conducted by Karl Berger, no less). The remainder is stone funk from the Clinton clan - George, that is.

SOLD! I thought that track was great. Bernie can play, man--I saw him live in Portland a few years ago with the "Woo Warriors"--they really turned out the funk and jams and jazz that night. I will definitely be picking this up. Thanks for hipping us to it, Mike!

[tooter]

I don't go on funk at all but even so there was plenty of interest for me. My guesses were very wide of the mark as usual in most cases but I do enjoy trying so don't knock the game, Mike. Great variety again which is good - gets one to listen outside the habitual range - I even found myself enjoying some of the vocals and for sure the organ on #8. Royce Campbell I thought sounded like Kenny Burrell. I found #11 interesting.

Thanks, Mike - I see your next turn is just before mine so I must apply myself with great rigour, I can see.

[mikeweil]

Thanks, Mike - I see your next turn is just before mine so I must apply myself with great rigour, I can see.

You wanna switch positions?

[couw]

I even found myself enjoying some of the vocals and for sure the organ on #8.

are you feeling okay tooter?

[mikeweil]

Just received and listened to this one:

This is the bassist of the Gégé Telesforo band, Dario Deidda from Salerno, with the same young pianist, Juan Oliver M., and drummer Stephane Huchard plus various guests (including Gégé on one track), doing an array of grooves between jazz and all types of music. Very enjoyable and recommended to everybody who liked tracks 2 & 12. This guy is equally accomplished on acoustic or electric bass - grooves on the big box like Christian McBride!

Edited October 21, 2004 by mikeweil

[fent99]

Been away and came to this late (yesterday). Had an enjoyable time listening to the two discs but since I'm behind the curve I've looked at the answers before typing anything.

Thanks for some enjoyable music! I'm continuously amazed at the diversity chosen on these things. I listen to lots of music (not all jazz) and find that other folks interests have so little overlap with my own its incredible.

I could recognise very little on these discs (exactly none) and have precisely the same amount of it in my overflowing shelves.

Don't have much to add to the comments on the other pages and though I wasn't sure of much of it I'll go back to the music with a little knowledge and give some of it another try.

I have to mention that the Michel Sardaby: Lush Life is one of the best interpretations I've heard (on a lovely sounding piano too) and I'll be looking for some of his work for sure.