BFT #26 discussion thread

[Д.Д.]

#5: The general ambiance of this track suggest to me the Enrico Fazio Septet, which has released two great CDs on Leo, strongly recommended. I am not home now, and so I cannot check, but it sounds dangerously like that group (Carlo Actis Dato, Sordini, Mandarini, Aroni Vigone, Fazio and a couple of others I can't remember now). Correct again!  This is Fazio, but Sordini does not appear on the track.  The others you mention are all correct.

Great BFT, John. Thanks!

Luca

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Shit, don't tell me that I have this disc as well. I have Fazio's "Zapping" (which I didn't manage to listen till the end) on Leo. Will check it out.

[John B]

The Fazio disc I took this track from is on Splasc(h), not Leo. I have never heard either of the discs on Leo, which I will have to rectify immediately. I'll add both of them to "the list."

Would you recommend one of the discs on Leo before the other?

[Eloe Omoe]

Would you recommend one of the discs on Leo before the other?

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Well, maybe the new one, "Live in Milano".

[John B]

I'll most likely get both, but I will start with that one. Thanks!

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah I found Zapping a bit.... well, I tend to find all the more jolly "rollicking" Italian stuff a bit much, really. I have the new live Leo but haven't listened to it.

I have Negri on Bonafede's Splasc(h) disc To Include & he's a very good player.

[randyhersom]

Wonderful set, left me feeling quite clueless.

1. I'm not good with big bands. Maria Schneider?

2. This lovely muted trumpet may come from Art Farmer

3. Guessing Anthony Braxton here.

4. I heard a lot of clarinet on the new Art Ensemble of Chicago sets on Pi.

5. Of the two names that came to mind, Dave Holland has recorded with vibes, and I'm not sure Ken Vandermark has. I'll go with Dave.

6. La Banda's my guess, an opera influenced ensemble including Willem Breuker.

7. Elvin and McCoy with Pharoah?

8. No idea at all! Maybe a group featuring Michael Moore?

9. Oscar Brown Jr?

10. Later Louis Armstrong?

11. John Mclaughlin - My Goals Beyond?

[Д.Д.]

#5: The general ambiance of this track suggest to me the Enrico Fazio Septet, which has released two great CDs on Leo, strongly recommended. I am not home now, and so I cannot check, but it sounds dangerously like that group (Carlo Actis Dato, Sordini, Mandarini, Aroni Vigone, Fazio and a couple of others I can't remember now). Correct again!  This is Fazio, but Sordini does not appear on the track.  The others you mention are all correct.

Great BFT, John. Thanks!

Luca

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Shit, don't tell me that I have this disc as well. I have Fazio's "Zapping" (which I didn't manage to listen till the end) on Leo. Will check it out.

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Sordini does play on this track (found this disc in my collection of course).

[John B]

I'll have to look at the disc again. I was referencing my notes. Perhaps I missed Sordini when I was compiling personell listings.

[John B]

If I'm not mistaken, only two tracks have still not been identified as of today: #8 and 9. D.D. has identified the composer of track #9, but no one has identified the musicians yet.

[Д.Д.]

If I'm not mistaken, only two tracks have still not been identified as of today: #8 and 9. D.D. has identified the composer of track #9, but no one has identified the musicians yet.

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I will go through my collection to look for track 8 - I am pretty positive I have heard it before.

[John B]

I will go through my collection to look for track 8 - I am pretty positive I have heard it before.

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You have. I bought the cd based on your recommendation.

[Д.Д.]

If I'm not mistaken, only two tracks have still not been identified as of today: #8 and 9. D.D. has identified the composer of track #9, but no one has identified the musicians yet.

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I will go through my collection to look for track 8 - I am pretty positive I have heard it before.

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I will go through my collection to look for track 8 - I am pretty positive I have heard it before.

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You have. I bought the cd based on your recommendation.

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Meanwhile, I identified where the Shepp peice is from - but I have to say, John my friend, you selected one of the weakest tracks from this monster set (IMO).

OK, after one more listen to track 8 everything was pretty clear. I have to note that this is a very atypical track for this disc (and the only one that features second clarinet).

Now that the puzzle side is over, let's see how I did. I didn't manage to figure out who is playing on 8 tracks, and I have 5 of them in my collection. Morever, I (insistently) recommended 3 of them in the past.

Well done.

Edited June 13, 2005 by Д.Д.

[John B]

Meanwhile, I identified where the Shepp peice is from - but I have to say, John my friend, you selected one of the weakest tracks from this monster set (IMO).

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I chose this specific track for a reason, which I'll get to when I post my answers. It was hard to choose only one track from this eclectic set.

[John B]

Sordini does play on this track (found this disc in my collection of course).

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You are correct. I just checked the disc and my notes are incorrect.

[Clunky]

Just received this courtesy of Flurin/ John

upto track 7 and it's stunning consistent good music that hits my spot (as it were)

love it , I've not read any of the above posts yet in order not to prejudice my thoughts ( other than knowing that IIO is first up)

1. IIO- cant remember which album, off hand _ Litante Sibalante ?

2. Art Farmer- lovely mellow

3. daShit- got this one

4. Michael Moore/ Han Bennick ??- Dutch sounding- lovely

7. Sudori- majorly important Italian record- now 10 years old- when's the follow up?

8- No idea lovely though, chamber jazz,

10 Italian- Trovesi perhaps- madcap panorama of styles that works well. Is that Pino on muted trumpet- seems very familiar this track- perhaps I've got it already ??

Edited June 14, 2005 by Clunky

[John B]

Just received this courtesy of Flurin/ John 

upto track 7 and it's stunning consistent good music that hits my spot (as it were)

love it , I've not read any of the above posts yet in order not to prejudice my thoughts ( other than knowing that IIO is first up)

1. IIO- cant remember which album, off hand _ Litante Sibalante ? Correct!

2. Art Farmer- lovely mellow

3. daShit- got this one

4. Michael Moore/ Han Bennick ??- Dutch sounding- lovely no, not Dutch, but I can see why you would think so.

7. Sudori- majorly important Italian record- now 10 years old- when's the follow up? Correct!

8- No idea lovely though, chamber jazz,

10 Italian- Trovesi perhaps- madcap panorama of styles that works well. Is that Pino on muted trumpet- seems very familiar this track- perhaps I've got it already ?? Trovesi is correct, but that is not Pino on trumpet.

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Edited June 14, 2005 by John B

[king ubu]

Adrian, glad the disc arrived!

The follow up to "Sudori" is just out:

Haven't heard it, but if it's as good as "Sudori" I'll have to get it, sooner or later.

(blurb on the Enja website)

[Clunky]

thanks again Flurin, certainly curious re the Sudori disc...

Track 5- March like number that places it firmly in my mind as being Italian , good tenor here but no idea who. Baritone sounds like Actis Dato but it doesn't get much space. Like thsi one not as much as the Sudori or IIO numbers but pretty good

Track 6- Not Bollywood, sounds more North African, reminds me of Radio Tarifa's output. Unusaual instrumentation, accordion ( or similar) tuba, vocals, violins, percussion- despite not obviously have much improvisational content I like this but wonder if it might wear thin over an entire disc's worth.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Really out of my league here. I'll be periusing this thread for a while. Just some thoughts.

JohnB.

T-1 - WOW!... what a start up here - had the volume up on the deck too! Great entry. "Attention everybody this is some crazy sh*t here". Would those be "bru-baroque" touches before the birds start singing and the thing goes in w/ the electric bass. A suite of sorts ... separated by those little old world flourishes ... could be dutch but not funny enough. The final piano solo is quite beautiful in itself. Now some south of the border - nearly Bernstein - dances, don't know what border is north but this is quite the opening tour de farce. Very startling beginning here!!!! Nice.

T-2 - Pretty enough tune - has a bit of Mengelbergian hunting here and there. My guess, and I know i shouldn't, is that this is that Dave Douglas piece from a couple years ago.

T-3 - More circular blowing to just shear exhaustion on this one. the guy from the upper studio came in during this and was truly amazed. While I do love the feats of this technical ability I find myself never going back for much more. While I don't know my Evan Parker I can't venture a clue at all.

T-4 - Climbing the scales of "Everything Happens to Me"? More circularity and the africanesques within the percussion remind me a bit of Bobby Previte. Nicely done duet here. No slouch at all. Could it be Jane Ira Bloom, who I think we have heard before within the tests?

T-5 - More high technique of lung prowess in this tango / tarentella. Sure will be interested as to the players here. Love long little marimba break drum solo best but the flight of the bumble bee trumpet is not my cup of kool aid. A bit reminiscent of Previte's "circus" music and a bit more fully realized Kamikaze Ground Crew (always loved that name).

T-6 - Nice segue!!! Can't place this but that drive behind there is reminding me of maybe where David Byrne copped some of his new aged dance scores. Unfortunately, while this seems the real deal, this genre's imitators start to sound like Cirque de Soleil sound tracks... terrible what over popularized music does to the mind. More circular blowing on the sousa and bandoneon too.

(edit: above I'm only meaning that the track inspires much of that kind of music and the lame semantix i have used might make you think i'm talking about the whole test, which i'm not.)

T-7 - A call to arms after all that beautiful worldly stuff. Bulls loose in the china shop. Ho whoa now this breaks into some nice and easy latin bits that those who say they hate Herb Alpert really like in private. No dissing with a nice descarga aftertaste.

(Wow this disc really holds together quite well (unlike bft 7 that pooped after it got good). The whole platter really gels together for a long listen that goes by without knowing.)

Maybe something in here is by Maria Schneider who I have yet to hear.

T-8 - A bit of circular calliope now. This one lulled me down until ...

T-9 - Could do without the intro cause this piece is a real rocker. Almost has that party feel of the Lounge Lizards "Where Were You?" from ' No Pain..' when everybody just lets it all hang out with such cohesion.... damn! they got it all going and then some (did i spot a bit of 'Freddies' Dead' in the theme after the breakdown?)

T-10 - Some more party boys ... another multi faceted cut that time shifts before you know it. Crazy disc here!!!

T-11 - While I'm not much on the prepared piano I do like the eastern / afro-celeste-ial mood here. Beautiful ending. Makes me wanna segue tfrom here into that Dollar Brand song on Kaz from another BFT past.

Great great disc John! I have never heard any of this before and all are quite ear opening to me. A keeper that really flowed along as a piece to itself.

Edited June 21, 2005 by Man with the Golden Arm

[Man with the Golden Arm]

... don't know what border is north but this is quite the opening tour de farce.

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Well know I know it's Sweezerland! The King and his men have put all the pieces together again!

Dear John, no need to berate me with them nice blue corrections as they will all be just that.

(Guess I could have claimed a few DNDC, WTF, AYOOYFM? but then I would not be able to tell you haow cool the disc was.)

You guys are good (dang, hafta start reading that funnyrat thing already) and once again I'm showing my spare bit of knowledge above.

[brownie]

Excellent BFT with a lot of music I have not heard before! I have waited several days to post impressions because I wanted to avoid showing off my ignorance of most of the tracks, except for one (nr. 10). But days - and relistening sessions - have gone by and I cannot post more precise answers than these:

1- off to a blazing start with Italian overtones which make me guess that it might be the Instabile Orchestra. I never heard them before Cecil Taylor recorded an album with these people. A very well written chart which seems to go in various directions but remains in focus. Sounds very much like the Instabile people but I never heard that one!

2- sounds to me like variations on Charlie Chaplin's 'Smile'. The piano player is much more individual than the trumpet player. Pretty good!

3- did not manage to get inside that one. My ears are not tuned to this!

4- the funny rat crowd is out in force and I am still unfamiliar with so much of their music. Interesting exercise but I am not sure I will get back to this one,

5- more Italian sounds. The alto player manages to construct a solid and evocative solo. Could that be another Instabile group? The percussion part is pretty catchy...

I will relisten to the album when the results will be posted!

6- my big discovery from this BFT! Love this one. Absolutely no idea who sings and plays here but we definetely are still on Italian grounds. The singer is stupendous!

7- the tenor and drums interaction was impressive before the change of mood. Is that a flugelhorn being played on the bossanova part which was a bit of a letdown?

8- sounds like a clarinet duo. Don't think electronics are involved here. Lovely chambermusic-like duet! Excellent choice that I enjoyed more at each listening

9- once more on new grounds. The theme sounds familiar but I drew another blank on the players.

10- I had heard that one before and since we were on Italian ground I had no problem identifying the group led by Gianluigi Trovesi.

Track 12 from this album:

http://www.ejazzlines.com/products/19885/F...VESI-73159.html

Great BFT selection. I liked the salute to the funeral music that was on the very first Armstrong album I ever heard (with Cozy Cole on drums!)...

11- Lovely and intense final touch. Once more no idea who the pianist is! The drummer is outstanding!

In the end I realize that I should have searched beyond the Alps for guessing most if not all the selections in this BFT. I have listened to the full disc a number of times and enjoy it immensely by now. Will look forward to the answers!

Many thanks, John B for opening my ears to a lot of new sounds!

[John B]

brownie - correct on track #10! #1 is the Italian Instabile Orchestra, so you weren't as ignorant as you may have thought.

I'm really glad both you and MWTGA listened to the disc with open ears and found some tracks you enjoyed!

[catesta]

Sorry for the delay, John.

1. I gave this one multiple chances. On the first and second listen I said "no way, not for me", but by the third and fourth it started to click. About five or so minutes into it when the flugelhorn kicks in somehow it all seemed to come together and became more enjoyable. I've got no idea of the tune or the players, but I am interested to know.

2. This is Non Dimenticar, no? I usually play some Jerry Vale on the weekends, so the tune is fresh in my mind. This was very much to my liking.

Perhaps a newer recording. The piano sounds like it may be John Hicks or a similar player.

3. Never seemed to go anywhere.

4. Same as track 3 for me. I couldn't seem to warm up to it.

5. Kind of a tango thing going on here. I've got no clue. This is stuff I can't grab a hold of.

6. Not for me. A pleasant voice no doubt, but that's about it.

7. Holy shit!!!!!

What the hell do I know? Obviously not a damn thing. A tenor influenced by Shepp perhaps. This tune took a major direction shift and started to make me likey.

A little crowded purcussion wise though, maybe too bossa-ish towards the end.

8. Too spooky.

9. Funny stuff! Not to be taken seriously, or is it?

10. I liked this one very much. Again with the good fun, but a nice salute to the old days is included.

11. I have to pass on this for now. Maybe someday I'll get it.

Thanks for allowing me to play along.

[brownie]

Took a look at what our fellow posters thought about the BFT. Some funny rats had a field day! Was mainly searching to get an idea of where the track 6 originated. I want to check the rest of that album. Is it as interesting as that singing tune?

[Geoff]

I'm guessing the "theme" is "Italian Jazz", so I've pretty much assumed every track is somehow related to Italy.

1.

I thought this one was a little too "tight" for my liking. The drumming wasn't very inventive and the solos weren't anything special. I also thought it was a bit disjointed as a composition. The change of the "tone" of the piece after the piano solo was rather offputing and a little cheesy for me. Not something I'd listen to normally.

2.

I enjoyed this track more than the first. It was a slow burner with some nice trumpet playing. It sounded like a pretty recent recording so I'd probably guess that it was an italian trumpeter playing on the record, perhaps Paolo Fresu. Fresu has that kind of mellow tone that is in display on this track. The piano didn't do much for me, and the bass playing was boring/uninventive. The brushes by the drummer suited the piece but it just seemed a little lazy to me.

3.

This one was a lot more interesting. Technique used reminds me of Evan Parker, although I am absoutely sure that it is not Evan himself. It is most likely to be some other European Saxophonist, most probably from Italy (following the trend). I wouldn't have clue who it actually is though.

4.

Drumming kind of reminded me of Hamid Drake. The saxophonist sounds influenced by Eric Dolphy. So I thought it may have been Ehrlich or Sclavis but neither are really Italian.

5.

Some nice if not a little bumptious trumpeting. Some reasonably nice saxophone solos but I don't really think the piece holds itself together too much, and it's a little too long. Wouldn't say it was my favourite so far. I'm guessing it is Italian again.

6.

More Italian Music? How could this be. I'm pretty sure she is singing in Italian. It's a very nice track, I like the accordion. I don't have any clue who it is though.

7.

This was great, an impressive track. Although I do think it weakens at the end, when it just comes too melodic blah! It has to be Italian, or this song isn't from the BFT #26.

8.

This is one of my favourite tracks so far. Soft and serene. I still don't have any clues who it is.

9.

Embaressing vocals at the start and it is in English. Oh well there goes my "everything is italian" presumption. Unless of course they are Italians trying to sound English. It's a little "cheesy" for my tastes.

10.

Some strong Dixieland influences on this one, especially at the beginning of the track. I don't really think their attempt to sound dixie is too successful. I wasn't really impressed with this track at all.

11.

Now this is more like it. The best track on the whole mix by a great deal. At first I thought the pianist was Keith Tippett (ala the "prepared" piano), however he isn't Italian so I'm a little clueless to who this could be. Nevertheless it's a beautiful piece, utterly flawless.

Edited June 21, 2005 by Geoff