BFT #43-disc 2 Answers

[RDK]

DISC 2 ANSWERS

1. “Sister Cheryl” (Williams) Wayne Shorter (s), Wynton Marsalis (t), Herbie Hancock (p), Charlie Haden (b), Tony Williams (d) Jazz at the Opera House (Columbia, 1983)

2.”Knucklbean” (Marshall) Bobby Hutcherson (v), Freddie Hubbard (t), George Cables (p), Manny Boyd (s, fl), Hadley Caliman (s, fl), James Leary (b), Eddie Marshall (d) Knucklbean (Blue Note, 1977)

3. “One to Ten in Ohio” (Mulligan) Gerry Mulligan (bs), Tom Scott (s), Bud Shank (s), Bob Brookmeyer (tb), Harry Edison (t), Howard Roberts (g), Chuck Domanico (b), Emil Richards (d) The Age of Steam (A&M, 1971)

4. “Xocia’s Dance” (Land, Jr.) Harold Land (s), Bobby Hutcherson (v), George Cables (p), Billy Higgins (d), Oscar Brashear (t), John Heard (b), Ray Armando (perc) Xocia’s Dance (Muse, 1982)

5. “Something” (Harrison”) Gene Harris (p), John Hatton (b), Carl Burnett (d) Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (Blue Note, 1973)

6. “Take the A-Train” (Ellington) Billy Byers Orchestra (w/ Clark Terry, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Jerry Dodgion, Eric Dixon, Sol Schlinger, Patti Brown, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson, more…) Impressions of Duke Ellington (Mercury, 1961) “Perfect Presence Sound” Series – f:35d/35 mm film recording

7. “Black and Tan Fantasy” (Ellington) Lew Tabackin (s), John Heard (b), Billy Higgins (d) Black & Tan Fantasy (JAM, 1979)

8. “Shamading” (McCann) Les McCann (p, keys), Keith Loving (g), James Rowser (b), Donald Dean (d), Buck Clarke (perc) Talk to the People (Atlantic, 1972)

9. “Sex Machine” (S. Stewart) Woody Herman Band (w/Bill Chase, Sal Nistico, Phil Upchurch, John Hicks, Donny Hathaway, Gene Perla, Edward Soph Double Exposure (Chess, 1976) originally released on Heavy Exposure (Cadet, 1969?)

10. “Summer Wind” (Mercer & Mayer) Johnny Hartman (v), George Coleman (s), Herman Foster (p), Earl May (b), Roland Prince (g), Billy Higgins (d) Today (Perception, 1972)

11. “Our Home” (Henderson) Harold Land (s), Bobby Hutcherson (v), Bill Henderson (p), Harold Land, Jr. (p), Reggie Johnson (b), Woody Theus (d) Choma (Mainstream, 1971)

12. “Painter’s Blues” (Sandstrom) Nisse Sandstrom (s), Tommy Flanagan (p), Red Mitchell (b) Home Cooking (Polydor, 1981)

13. “Tonight at Noon” (Mingus) Charles Mingus (b), Shafi Hadi (s), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Wade Legge (p), Dannie Richmond (d) The Art of Charles Mingus: The Atlantic Years (Atlantic, 1973) originally recorded 1957

14. “Oh, Didn’t He Ramble” (Handy) Dave Pell (s), Jack Sheldon (t), Harry Betts (tb), Med Flory (bs), Marty Paitch/Johnny Williams (p), Lyle Ritz (b), Tommy Tedesco (g), Frankie Capp (d) The Old South Wails (Capitol, 1961)

15. “I’ve Tried” (Trad./Byrne/Blumberg) David Byrne (v) w/Pete Christlieb, Jackie Kelso, Garnett Brown, etc. Music for the Knee Plays (ECM, 1985)

[Dan Gould]

DISC 2 ANSWERS

5. “Something” (Harrison”) Gene Harris (p), John Hatton (b), Carl Burnett (d) Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (Blue Note, 1973)

I really don't know how I missed this. I do have this on CDR. I checked AMG and they don't list the tune, and I had no reason to dig out the xerox I have of the cover and notes to double check. Thanks, Ray, for bringing up what is almost certainly the single worst thing Gene Harris ever recorded, at least of that series of LPs in the 70s that I kept. The "Yesterday" part sort of approximates the soulful piano of the Sounds era. There are two or three tunes like that. This I think fits into the "Today" concept, a relatively current hit, with a weird mix of straightahead Gene and *&^&% Gene.

I guess I should be thankful you didn't select anything from the "Tomorrow" tunes, because if "Something" deserves a dozen then the rest of that album deserves a thousand.

[RDK]

That album's really a mixed bag, Dan. As you say, it does contain several really good tracks (I came so close to using "Triest" instead), a few tracks that are truly horrible, and others like "Something" that are (imo of course) at least entertaining even though somewhat dated in instrumentation and production. I really grew to like "Something," though, and wanted to include it even though I knew a few of you would hate it. One thing I gotta say is that, love it or hate it, Harris really (almost?) makes it work out of sheer talent. In lesser hands it might have been an absolute mess rather than just an arguable one. Though it sounds shockingly weird with that grungy keyboard and bass guitar sound, Harris does some really cool things with the tempo, taking sections fast and then slow, funkying (fuckin?) it up even while exploring the beautiful melody of Harrison's tune. I think the last minute or so is absolutely lovely. And that's to Harris' great credit.

[RDK]

It's also unfortunate that YT&T will likely never see a CD release, at least in part because it would require 2 discs to hold it. I think it could be edited a bit - cutting a few of the worst tracks to fit - and be a much better album, but I doubt that Cuscuna would ever consider that given how much we jazz fans complain whenever something isn't "complete." Yet here is a perfect example of an album that would probably be made stronger if it was trimmed of a few bad tracks.

[RDK]

To continue...

1. “Sister Cheryl” (Williams) Wayne Shorter (s), Wynton Marsalis (t), Herbie Hancock (p), Charlie Haden (b), Tony Williams (d) Jazz at the Opera House (Columbia, 1983)

More from the great, unreleased-on-CD "Opera House" album. Have Wayne and Wynton ever played together before or since? I was wondering what you guys thought of the trumpet-playing here, but I don't think anyone commented specifically on it. I really wanted to include a terrific 15+ minute version of "Footprints" by this same group (plus Hutcherson I believe) but it was just too long to fit.

2.”Knucklbean” (Marshall) Bobby Hutcherson (v), Freddie Hubbard (t), George Cables (p), Manny Boyd (s, fl), Hadley Caliman (s, fl), James Leary (b), Eddie Marshall (d) Knucklbean (Blue Note, 1977)

Now out on the new Bobby Hutcherson Mosaic Select. Probably my favorite of Hutch's later BN albums.

3. “One to Ten in Ohio” (Mulligan) Gerry Mulligan (bs), Tom Scott (s), Bud Shank (s), Bob Brookmeyer (tb), Harry Edison (t), Howard Roberts (g), Chuck Domanico (b), Emil Richards (d) The Age of Steam (A&M, 1971)

I am, overall, not the world's biggest Gerry Mulligan fan, but I really dig this LP. Terrific arrangements and playing all around.

4. “Xocia’s Dance” (Land, Jr.) Harold Land (s), Bobby Hutcherson (v), George Cables (p), Billy Higgins (d), Oscar Brashear (t), John Heard (b), Ray Armando (perc) Xocia’s Dance (Muse, 1982)

More from the great Hutch-Land combo. Didn't fool many - didn't think it realy would - but the LP's a bit tough to find and I thought you'd enjoy it. I like this track quite a bit, but it was chosen for inclusion mostly because it was relatively short.

5. “Something” (Harrison”) Gene Harris (p), John Hatton (b), Carl Burnett (d) Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (Blue Note, 1973)

This was included mainly to piss off Dan.

Seriously, though, this double-LP is a highly mixed bag. Some of the tracks are more conventional and really quite nice, while on others Gene runs amok on his electric keyboard - which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but it does result in a few really dated-sounding performances. There are a few truly horrible tracks on this LP - a warning Dan: "Something" doesn't even come close - while others - like "Trieste," which almost made the cut - are lovely. This one I like though, even if it is rather bizarre at times. I love how Harris moves it from a nearly acoustic, gentle ballad to an outrageous, amplified, rock-and-roll assault. And back again. And then again. Yeah, it's too long and incredibly indulgent, but it's of the time, man, of the time.

As a side note, I'm betting this one will never see the light of day on CD, which is (mostly) unfortunate. The problem is, it runs over 80 minutes and so would require a 2-CD set, making it much too expensive to market given its already questionable artistic value and commercial potential. If a few of the more dated and objectionable tracks were cut it would likely make a much better single CD, but we, as obsessive jazz fans, would so object to BN releasing an "incomplete" album that I can't imagine Cuscuna even bothering. It's a Catch-22 that will probably keep this an LP-only issue.

6. “Take the A-Train” (Ellington) Billy Byers Orchestra (w/ Clark Terry, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Jerry Dodgion, Eric Dixon, Sol Schlinger, Patti Brown, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson, more…) Impressions of Duke Ellington (Mercury, 1961) “Perfect Presence Sound” Series – f:35d/35 mm film recording

This is the kind of corny-looking LP - "Stereo Spectacular!" "Hi-Fi Percussion!" - that you usually pass over when you find them (often in mass quantities) in the thrift store record bins. But some of them are pretty damn good. I'm glad Sangry at least was wise enough to see the appeal of this one. Plus, it sounds great in stereo!

7. “Black and Tan Fantasy” (Ellington) Lew Tabackin (s), John Heard (b), Billy Higgins (d) Black & Tan Fantasy (JAM, 1979)

I couldn't not transition one Ellington cover to another. From the wacky to the sublime. And there's definitely not enough Tabackin trio recordings out there.

8. “Shamading” (McCann) Les McCann (p, keys), Keith Loving (g), James Rowser (b), Donald Dean (d), Buck Clarke (perc) Talk to the People (Atlantic, 1972)

See, this one I thought would be relatively easy, but no one got it.

Another guilty secret in how/why I compiled this LP-based collection: a couple of these albums come really close to sucking but for a great track or two. This was one of them. Now I've burned my favorite track and will never have to buy the CD.

9. “Sex Machine” (S. Stewart) Woody Herman Band (w/Bill Chase, Sal Nistico, Phil Upchurch, John Hicks, Donny Hathaway, Gene Perla, Edward Soph Double Exposure (Chess, 1976) originally released on Heavy Exposure (Cadet, 1969?)

As explained earlier: D'oh! Seriously, though, props to Woody for trying to do something contemporary. For a lot of guys it didn't work. Woody, imo, pulls it off with flying colors. Tight band!

10. “Summer Wind” (Mercer & Mayer) Johnny Hartman (v), George Coleman (s), Herman Foster (p), Earl May (b), Roland Prince (g), Billy Higgins (d) Today (Perception, 1972)

Again, the best track on an otherwise iffy album. Not as bad as some would have you believe; I really like these jazz covers of contemporary pop tunes.

11. “Our Home” (Henderson) Harold Land (s), Bobby Hutcherson (v), Bill Henderson (p), Harold Land, Jr. (p), Reggie Johnson (b), Woody Theus (d) Choma (Mainstream, 1971)

I love the Hutch-Land combo so much I had to include them twice. Are any of these Mainstream LPs out on CD? Anyone know who owns the label now?

12. “Painter’s Blues” (Sandstrom) Nisse Sandstrom (s), Tommy Flanagan (p), Red Mitchell (b) Home Cooking (Polydor, 1981)

Never heard of this guy - one of Sweden's "most fascinating" tenors, says the liner notes - outside of this import LP, purchased around 1990, probably during some Tower Records LP purge. Nice playing all around, but what really caught my attention at the time was just how well this album was recorded and how terrific it sounded on vinyl. Not sure if the excellent sound comes through on mp3, but it's a jazz demo disc to be sure.

13. “Tonight at Noon” (Mingus) Charles Mingus (b), Shafi Hadi (s), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Wade Legge (p), Dannie Richmond (d) The Art of Charles Mingus: The Atlantic Years (Atlantic, 1973) originally recorded 1957

I've always loved this story, written by Nat Hentoff in the liner notes: Tonight at Noon is an invocation of the jazz life - in its title and in its content. The title, as I remember, comes from a phrase that some musicians would use after the last set at two or three in the morning. "I'll see you later - tonight at noon."

One of Mingus' greatest early compositions imo, and stunningly ahead of its time. This, to me, is when the avant-garde truly began.

14. “Oh, Didn’t He Ramble” (Handy) Dave Pell (s), Jack Sheldon (t), Harry Betts (tb), Med Flory (bs), Marty Paitch/Johnny Williams (p), Lyle Ritz (b), Tommy Tedesco (g), Frankie Capp (d) The Old South Wails (Capitol, 1961)

Another wonderful old LP. West Coast jazz meets Southern Blues.

15. “I’ve Tried” (Trad./Byrne/Blumberg) David Byrne (v) w/Pete Christlieb, Jackie Kelso, Garnett Brown, etc. Music for the Knee Plays (ECM, 1985)

This in an album of music that David Byrne did with Robert Wilson, for Wilson's mid-80's theatrical experience, The Civil Wars. Amazing stuff, though maybe not strictly jazz, that has yet to be released on CD. This was a favorite of mine during my heady college years and thought I'd share...

[Dan Gould]

5. “Something” (Harrison”) Gene Harris (p), John Hatton (b), Carl Burnett (d) Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (Blue Note, 1973)

This was included mainly to piss off Dan.

Mission accomplished.

Seriously, though, this double-LP is a highly mixed bag. Some of the tracks are more conventional and really quite nice, while on others Gene runs amok on his electric keyboard - which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but it does result in a few really dated-sounding performances. There are a few truly horrible tracks on this LP - a warning Dan: "Something" doesn't even come close

I know full well - this tune falls in the "today" category of the title - the "tomorrow" category tracks are straight out

Edited February 25, 2007 by Dan Gould