BFT #19 Discussion

[couw]

Track 4 Who is this? Some Bulgarian players involved?

Brilliant deduction! Indeed, Bulgarian musicians are involved. A wonderful concert recording, imo; very obscure.

I was thinking of Nicholas Simion, but he's Rumanian

[mikeweil]

Track 4 Who is this? Some Bulgarian players involved?

Brilliant deduction! Indeed, Bulgarian musicians are involved. A wonderful concert recording, imo; very obscure.

On my vacation I heard recordings of a local band named Wickeda - that's how they write their name in English - who did similar things on top of funky beats by electric bass and drums.

As this stuff is hard to locate, I would be grateful for any hint or link or a trade .....

p.s. found some online sources for Wickeda, and their website, will have a chance to see them in Frankfurt in December!

Edited November 8, 2004 by mikeweil

[JSngry]

The usual disclaimers apply.

First of all, a nicely mellow set, Dmitry. Very tasteful, listenable, and cliche-free. MUCH enjoyed it.

Now, the dirty work...

TRACK ONE: C-Ball Heifetz above the ceiling. Nice to hear this without scratches. The thing that becomes apparent as time passes is that no matter how "contrived" the concept/material/etc on those Capitol sides, no matter how circumscibed the tunes were for broader appeal, this band, especially the rhythm section, played for keeps. Of that there can be no denying. Yeah to giving it up for and to the people.

TRACK TWO: Don't know. It's got that modern wood sound on the bass, which I like quite a bit. Gives the axe relevance to the hip-hop trip, which it certainly SHOULD have. Bottom, baby, bottom. Everybody sounds fine, no bs going on, even if the noir-ish theme and groove could precipitate some. I like how the guitarist doesn't really try to "swing" but just does it by playing his own feel. Bass and drums are definitely on the same page. Saxist is a little less substantive, but is aware enough of it to stay within himself, and maintains interest as a result. This is nice.

TRACK THREE: The thing I like about Lee is that he'll play almost any material in any context and get into it. He can do this kind of thing, or something like MOTION e/Elvin, or the Tristano stuff, or the Nonet stuff, or some free improv, whatever. Context doesn't matter to him, (I guess I should say that it doesn't seem to intimidate him) and I think that's beautiful. Maybe that's an offshoot of the whole Tristano emphasis on "content" over "style", I dunno. What I do know is that I love Lee Konitz. Didn't have a clue as to either the tune or the album, but Dmitry's thoughtful inclusion of Lee speaking at the end was all the clue I needed: http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dr...d98582jmb9e.jpg This is an obscure one, I think! Can't go wrong with Lee Konitz.

TRACK FOUR: Not even a remote clue, but I very much dig the Middle-Eastern/Jazz fusion thing. Played in a group locally for a few years that did it, and really came to appreciate the nuances of the phrasing and the rhythms. Sopranoist uses some of Liebman's techniques, but I don't hear the tone as being Liebman's. No matter, this thing dances and is full of life. Love it!

TRACK FIVE: A stone classic. One of the most perfect pairing of singer and pianist ever recorded. They're both heavyweights on their own, but this collaboration was waaaayyy beyond "perfection". Exquisite.

TRACK SIX: Walt Dickerson, from the MGM movie thing w/Ra, iirc. Have this one, haven't internalized it yet. But again, how do you not love this?

TRACK SEVEN: Trumpeter sounds familiar, but I can't call a name after several listenings. A bit of Lee, a bit of Don, and a LOT of soul. Drummer is much to my liking. Bassist has that sparse but solidly stately thing going on big time. William Parker? Nah...What a haunting tune this is. Might like to purchase this one.

TRACK EIGHT: "Stratusphunk", from this album, I guess: http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dr...f73452t3334.jpg Never cared too much for this altoist, but damned if he didn't have the best taste in writers and arrangers for his dates! Have never heard this version, so I was surprised to that hear the interval between soloists is identical, I think, to the one used on NEW YORK, NEW YORK's "Big City Blues". I'll take me some George Russell (and who else is on here, Art Farmer & Bill Evans?) any time, with or without this altoist.

TRACK NINE: Yo lo tengo! http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dr...f65643abwgi.jpg This is really tame for this pianist, but hell that groove is what matters. A "must-have" for Latin Jazz buffs, but don't stop here as far as the pianist goes. There's LOTS more, and in more ways than one.

TRACK TEN: More soul. Actually recorded in a subway tunnel? Like Paul Horn in the Taj Mahal, only the NYC version? No matter. The guy's at least a quarter-tone sharp, and it doesn;t matter one freakin' bit. That sound is his soul, and if that's what it is, that's what it is. That's what it must be. Deny this and you deny jazz, period, afaic. Very well might buy this too, assuming it's a commercial item and not something Dmitry captured w/a mini-disc recorder...

Ten tracks, one disc, not a half-stepper in the batch. If this is this dentist's version of "dentist's office music", I'd have to seriously consider commuting for cleanings and such!

Much thanks!

[edited for spelling]

Edited November 8, 2004 by JSngry

[JSngry]

10. A hint - it's a member of a well-known European avant-garde [very] small group. Another hint - it's from the soundtrack to a film that got a prize at the Cannes some years ago.

One of the Ganelin guys?

[Bright Moments]

so last night my wife and i were driving home from orlando (with the kids asleep in the back of the van) and i said, let's listen to bft#19! she says to me "honey, does anyone ever guess the songs?" i said, well, not me but there are a lot of people who do. i slipped in the disc and in 10 seconds she says to me HEY! THATS MATCHMAKER FROM FIDDLER ON THE ROOF!! i actually have this cd and have played it for her (along with kenton's west side story and some other jazz interpretations of show tunes). anyway, score one for the missus! B-)

the rest of the cd was a mystery for me but i enjoyed it entirely, thanks Dmitry for the hard work. BTW, track 2 was my favorite and i will have to buy this cd when the answers come out!

[Dan Gould]

so last night my wife and i were driving home from orlando (with the kids asleep in the back of the van) and i said, let's listen to bft#19!

Don't you find it more effective to listen when you have a chance to write notes down?

for the Mrs. though.

I'm the king of the misses, myself.

[Bright Moments]

shouldn't you be working on the A - Z or something!

[Dmitry]

10. A hint - it's a member of a well-known European avant-garde [very] small  group. Another hint - it's from the soundtrack to a film that got a prize at the Cannes some years ago.

One of the Ganelin guys?

Score one for the bearded gentleman in the produce section!

[Big Al]

I need to listen to track 8 again. And track 3.

As for track 6, I listened to that track again and.... well, I understand now why the word "Impressions" is in the album title. Very impressionistic. Which, unfortunately for me, doesn't hold my attention for very long!

[Jim R]

I need to listen to track 8 again. And track 3.

Me too... and track 1... in fact, I might pull out my own CD copy (the one that I mentioned in my post, yet ingeniously failed to consider as a possibility), which I have owned for about a year and a half.

[JSngry]

07 .......Some sage brush work. This reminds me of the music evoked by that William Parker Trio on Painter’s Spring. Substitute the trumpet for Daniel Carter’s reeds. Hell, it could be Daniel Carter on trumpet. 

7. Man, you're good. You got Parker, but it's not Daniel Carter on the pipe, but it's one of the NY crew. I'm sure you know him.

Roy Campbell?

[mikeweil]

Tough crowd.

Yeah, tough, maybe a little over-critical at times - myself included. I found myself kicking tracks I liked when heard in their album context, and vice versa. And tastes vary widely among participants. One gets heavenly bliss from a track another finds boring.

No reason to feel discouraged - looking very much forward to yours!

Edited November 9, 2004 by mikeweil

[John B]

I'll start adding my thoughts, a few tracks at a time:

1. I recognize the song, but I have no idea who any of the musicians are. This sounds like something from the early 1960's. Nice work on flute.

2. Again, no clue who this is. I like the nice, relaxed vibe this track has, but, for some reason, it never really clicks for me. I can't quite put my finger on why, but this track seems like it is less than the sum of its parts for me. I know I've heard this guitar player before...this has to be Joe Morris on guitar. There aren't too many dates with Morris in a quartet with a sax player, but none of the albums have songs with track times that match up. I'll guess this is the Whit Dickey Wobbly Rail album, but I'm really not sure.

3. Staying with the nice, relaxed vibe: Lee Konitz, but no clue which album this is off of. This is a really pretty track, in a very non-traditional sort of way, if that makes any sense

4. Very nice! I really dig the Middle Eastern / jazz fusion thing. I have no clue who this is, but I feel like I should. It sounds like, if there is a leader to this date, it would be the drummer. Is the rest of the album this good? If so, I'll have to pick up a copy.

5. getting us back to the nice, mellow vibe...Ran Blake, I'm guessing, which would make the singer Jeanne Lee. I'm not usually a fan of jazz w/ vocals, but this is a very nice recording. I should give the album a shot one of these days.

6. and the vibe continues, pun intended. I am woefully ignorant when it comes to this instrument, so I have no clue who this is. Very nice track.

7.I like this track quite a bit. Is this Roy Campbell? William Parker on bass I'm guessing. Something by his Pyramid Trio? I only have one album by them and I don't believe this tune is from that disc. Very nice mood created here. I'm looking forward to seeing who this is.

8. No clue who this is. I'm pretty certain I've never heard this track, or these musicians before. This sounds like something from the late 1950's. The alto player sounds very "cool," so I'd guess it's someone from the west coast. Nice track, but nothing I'll run out and track down.

9. No clue, again. I like the relaxed latin vibe (pun not intended at first) but can't place who this is.

10. Very interesting. Solo alto, seemingly recorded in a public space. I can picture walking down the stairs into a train station late at night and hearing the sax echoing off of the walls of the nearly empty station. I really enjoyed this track! I can't tell you who this is, but this was one of my favorite tracks on the test.

Great BFT, Dmitry! I really enjoyed listening to all of these tracks. You really programmed all of the tracks nicely.

Edited November 10, 2004 by John B

[Д.Д.]

10. A hint - it's a member of a well-known European avant-garde [very] small  group. Another hint - it's from the soundtrack to a film that got a prize at the Cannes some years ago.

One of the Ganelin guys?

Score one for the bearded gentleman in the produce section!

I am not taking part in the BFT, but I can't refrain from complimenting Dmitry for his choice - you wouldn't excpect to hear Chakasin in a BFT on Organissimo!

[Big Al]

No reason to feel discouraged - looking very much forward to yours!

Yeah, me too! Heck, I always make my comments knowing full well that when it comes to my turn, there’s gonna be at least one person who will post something like “Criminey, Al; were ya TRYING to put me to sleep?”

I listened to track three again, and I’m glad you guys identified it. At some points, to these ears, the tone of the alto suggested Bobby McFerrin trying to sound like an alto sax.

Track four must be interesting enough to quite a few folks. It’s torture to me!

Track eight, ehhhhh…. I dunno. I mean, I admire it’s complexity & all, but after a while, I get lost and forget what the heck I’m listening to and it just becomes so much of a blur.

[Jim R]

10. A hint - it's a member of a well-known European avant-garde [very] small  group. Another hint - it's from the soundtrack to a film that got a prize at the Cannes some years ago.

One of the Ganelin guys?

Score one for the bearded gentleman in the produce section!

I am not taking part in the BFT, but I can't refrain from complimenting Dmitry for his choice - you wouldn't excpect to hear Chakasin in a BFT on Organissimo!

Actually, as someone who has taken part in every BFT so far, I would say that one should really be prepared to expect the unexpected around here. We've had obscure recordings from all over the world (Eurpope has been well represented), and from just about all eras. Even my relatively straightforward BFT (#3) included a track from an Irish guitarist recording with Norwegian musicians on a Norwegian label (doing a Brazilian composition).

[mikeweil]

..... that one should really be prepared to expect the unexpected around here. We've had obscure recordings from all over the world (Eurpope has been well represented), and from just about all eras.

I find myself already working up ideas for my next BT - I have three or four possible themes, and two of them would be obscure stuff all the way! Take chances, guys!

[mikeweil]

(Eurpope has been well represented)

... my pope, your pope, our pope ...

[catesta]

Here we go.

As usual I offer nothing of substance and my guesses are weak.

D, a real nice cd you put together here. It flowed really well and the majority of it has been very enjoyable. Knowing how busy you are, I very much appreciate you taking the time to do this. BTW, 1600 lbs. is nothing for that truck, just plan ahead for stopping.

1. The tune be Matchmaker Matchmaker. I really enjoyed the arrangement.

Got to be......this.

2. I thought after a while the players would reveal themselves, but never did.

Not sure of the tune and even less sure of the musicians. Nothing real great here, but nothing mad either.

3. Not sure of the tune, but almost sure this is Lee Konitz and a newr recording to boot. I loved the piano intro and the playing throughout. Something I will look for when the answers are given.

4. When it started I was prepared to skip it, but it ended up keeping my interest.

Not clue at all, and not really something I get into, but curious to find out. The trumpet had a somewhat familair sound.

5. The song title was easy to figure out B-) , unfortunately I can not place the vocalist. I enjoyed the track very much.

6. This has got to be Walt Dickerson, and me likey. It was Dmitry himself that introduced me to Walt's wonderful sound, so I hope I am correct.

7. Hmmmm, muted trumpet sounds familiar, maybe a newer guy, I dunno.

8. Very, and I do mean very cool sound here. Desmond would be my forst guess, Art Pepper my second, but my third guess tells me I'm wrong on both counts.

The one musician I would like to say I know for sure is Bill Evans. Please tell me I am right . This could be my favorite track of this BFT. A recording I hope to find.

9. A very latin feel, might be something from Tjader.

10. Echo....,echo.....,echo. I was thinking, "oh hell, I know that tune, it's...,it's...oh hell I don't know. For sure don't know the player. I can't say this is something I would purchase, but if dude was playing in a tunnel (like this sounds), or on the street, I would definitely stop, listen, and pay for allowing me to do so.

[Big Al]

Track 2: The guitarist reminds me of Peter Leitch. In fact, were it not for the sax player, I would’ve thought it was something from Up Front, as the drummer sounds like Smitty Smith. So, that’ll be my guess—Leitch & Smith on their respective instruments—even though I have no clue as to who the sax player is.

[Dmitry]

Should I disclose the track info?

26 people signed up for this BFT, 14 took part in the discussion so far. The other 12 probably thought it sucked so bad they didn't want to upset me. B-)

[John B]

I'd suggest starting the answers / discussion. You should get going before BFT 20 starts arriving in people's mailboxes.

I usually end up posting my guesses after the answer thread has been started. I'm guessing a few of the remaining 12 people will do the same.

[brownie]

Have given BFT 20 a second hearing today. Have four (1, 5, 6 and 8) out of ten right now and still trying to get two more (track 3 is LK for sure but can't identify the album, he's recorded so many!). Will post whatever I found tomorrow morning.

This is a great BFT. That track 2 grows on me! Will purchase this one when the truth is revealed!

[sonic1]

What a cool idea. Where do we listen at?

[Dan Gould]

What a cool idea. Where do we listen at?

Please see this thread:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=7552