BFT #57 - Discussion Disc 2

[birdanddizzy]

Here is the thread for the second CD. I hope you enjoyed it.

Post your guesses here !

Thanks

Steven

[tkeith]

I figure on getting none of these, but here goes.

1. First impressions -- nice sound, very clean. Rhythmically, this guy bugs me. He's got lots of technique, but sounds as though he's chasing the rhythm at times.

2. Bag's Groove (though probably called something different). Tenor player has listened to a lot of Rollins, but I don't think it's him. I'm stumped, though all but the guitarist sound familiar. I'll throw out a guess of Connie Kaye on drums.

3. Guitarist has a very thin sound. No idea.

4. No idea. Something about this guitarist doesn't sit with me. He's playing a ballad the way James Carter might on tenor. He's got too much attack for the song.

5. Interesting tune. Sounds like something John Tchicai would write (the "A" section). No idea who this is, but I like it. Has the technique of the earlier tunes, but his time is spot-on.

6. This sounds like the same guitarist as #4 to me. Similar approach. He's playing busier than the tune calls for.

7. Crime Jazz! No idea on the guitarist. Sounds like a splice at the end of the guitar solo. Recognize the tenor, but can't say for certain. At times I'm thinking Billy Mitchell and times I'm thinking Ike Quebec, which suggests it's neither. Another splice at the end of the tenor solo.

8. No clue, but has the feel of a Norman Granz date to me.

9. Stompin' At The Savoy. Not someone I'm familiar with.

10. This sounds like a Vince Guiraldi thing to me. No idea who the players are, though. The tune sounds like a Steve Allen tune, I think. Something like Get Me To The Church On Time, but I don't think that's it.

11. Stumped.

12. Sounds like Zoot to me, except the tone doesn't seem quite warm enough. That could make it Scot Hamilton, but the recording sounds older than that. No idea on the guitarist. No idea on the vibes.

13. I want the vocals to work, but... I dunno... just didn't get me. Tune is Don't Blame Me, I think. Scat rarely tickles me... this is not an exception.

14. This grooves. The tempo is pushing the guitar on the improv, though. The organist sounds more modern, but the drums sound like an older recording. Got me.

15. Interesting interplay between the horn and the guitar. No idea who the guitarist is. I'm not sure of the bari, but he may be a doubler. Weird date... sounds like a crossover of Mulligan and Tristano.

16. I like the way the melody line is shared by the guitar and the bass. No clue who they are, though.

17. This is nice, very relaxed, but the recording has issues -- piano sounds like he's in the next room. Could be a sound stage recording even. No clue as to who.

18. Modern players. The organist knows his Larry Young. Drums seem... I dunno... there's something awkward... the kicks seem too busy. Sounds like maybe Ronnie Cuber or Gary Smulyan on bari. Got that post-Brignola bite to it. These players all sound more out of the University system than the bar system. That's not a criticism, just an observation to support my guess at the date. They also seem like they might be more blues oriented players -- less bebop licks and more blues licks used in the solos.

19. Lush Life. This is a tune that really lives by it's lyrics. I mean, it's tough to play it without thinking/hearing the lyrics. On the intro, I couldn't really hear the lyrics in the way it was being played. Unsure of the players, but it's an older recording.

20. No idea. It reminds me of Wednesday afternoons at my grandparents house when I was a kid. They always had the radio on playing something like this (which was only problematic because they had a record collection chock full of Basie, LHR, Illinois Jacquet and the like). Nice, but very back-groundish.

As predicted, this kicked my ass. Thanks for making me listen outside of my comfort zone.

[Guest Bill Barton]

This was a tough one! Some of these guesses are only that - guesses. Others I feel a little more sure of…

1. This sounds to me like Sonny Greenwich on guitar although the phrasing is a little choppier and less saxophone-like than I've usually heard from him. It's probably with Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. The recording quality makes the bassist sound like he's in another room with his instrument wrapped in a blanket. The quality of the music makes up for it though. Excellent guitar playing.

2. I'd say that this is Skeeter Best on guitar with Lucky Thompson on tenor sax. Maybe Oscar Pettiford on bass. This is top-notch.

3. The guitarist is very fleet and swings like hell. Jimmy Raney? I like the piano comping and the ensembles too. Good stuff.

4. This sounds like Bireli Lagrene. It's a very emotional player with a strong Django influence. If it's not Lagrene I'd bet it's another Gypsy.

5. Jimmy Gourley?

6. Same player as #4? I don't care much for this one. Kinda sleepy. And I don't care for the drummer at all.

7. Joe Pass?

8. Tal Farlow? Hmmm… Or maybe not… A very bluesy player. I like this a lot.

9. It's okay but didn't reach me in a very direct way. No idea who it is.

10. Is this Joe Pass again? I didn't like the arrangement at all. It's way too cutesy for my taste. And another faceless flute player.

11. This is really, really nice guitar playing! I like this one a lot. No idea who it is.

12. Again, no idea, medium-nice but a really rough ending.

13. Sacha Distel? I've never heard him sing but am guessing this from reading about him. This didn’t do much for me.

14. The rhythm on this one doesn't seem to jell, it feels uneasy to me. No idea.

15. This sounds like Gerry Mulligan. Can't place the guitarist. Another bad ending.

16. I like this! Very nice! No idea.

17. No idea. Okay but that's about it. Kind of cocktailish…

18. Cal Collins maybe? The tenor and organ are good. Struck me as journeymanlike but fun.

19. This is gorgeous! "Lush Life." Beautiful chordal soloing. This is only a guess: George Barnes?

20. Isn't this a Django composition? I can't recall the name for the life of me. It's a nice tune but the arrangement and Vegas orchestra spoils it for me. Ho-hum.

[Guest Bill Barton]

I figure on getting none of these, but here goes.

1. First impressions -- nice sound, very clean. Rhythmically, this guy bugs me. He's got lots of technique, but sounds as though he's chasing the rhythm at times.

14. This grooves. The tempo is pushing the guitar on the improv, though. The organist sounds more modern, but the drums sound like an older recording. Got me.

15. Interesting interplay between the horn and the guitar. No idea who the guitarist is. I'm not sure of the bari, but he may be a doubler. Weird date... sounds like a crossover of Mulligan and Tristano.

16. I like the way the melody line is shared by the guitar and the bass. No clue who they are, though.

19. Lush Life. This is a tune that really lives by it's lyrics. I mean, it's tough to play it without thinking/hearing the lyrics. On the intro, I couldn't really hear the lyrics in the way it was being played. Unsure of the players, but it's an older recording.

20. No idea. It reminds me of Wednesday afternoons at my grandparents house when I was a kid. They always had the radio on playing something like this (which was only problematic because they had a record collection chock full of Basie, LHR, Illinois Jacquet and the like). Nice, but very back-groundish.

As predicted, this kicked my ass. Thanks for making me listen outside of my comfort zone.

This was a tough one! Some of these guesses are only that - guesses. Others I feel a little more sure of…

1. This sounds to me like Sonny Greenwich on guitar although the phrasing is a little choppier and less saxophone-like than I've usually heard from him. It's probably with Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. The recording quality makes the bassist sound like he's in another room with his instrument wrapped in a blanket. The quality of the music makes up for it though. Excellent guitar playing.

14. The rhythm on this one doesn't seem to jell, it feels uneasy to me. No idea.

15. This sounds like Gerry Mulligan. Can't place the guitarist. Another bad ending.

16. I like this! Very nice! No idea.

19. This is gorgeous! "Lush Life." Beautiful chordal soloing. This is only a guess: George Barnes?

20. Isn't this a Django composition? I can't recall the name for the life of me. It's a nice tune but the arrangement and Vegas orchestra spoils it for me. Ho-hum.

It's interesting how the very thing that attracted me on #1 is the thing that Thom found annoying. And on #14, Thom feels like it really grooves and I found it rhythmically uneasy. And on #19 - although I didn't mention it in the original post - I was thinking "hey, this guitarist knows the lyrics."

As a "newbie" to the BFT, I'm finding this experience to be a real ear-opener. Thanks for the thought-provoking collections, Steven!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Well, I’ve tried this without looking anything at all up. (Probably no worse than when I do look things up )

1 Sounds a bit like Rene Thomas to me, but it seems as if it’s not quite melodic enough. And there are Wes-zy bits coming in sometimes. Overall, this is far too Bop-oriented for my taste, though there is something of Thomas’ approach in this.

2 “Bags’ groove” I liked the guitar solo but it didn’t kind of stand up and yell at me; genteel swing. Piano solo was fairly ignorable. Tenor player is interesting; something of a Gene Ammons man, I think. Drummer showing off on hi hat in the out sequence is a bit of a turn off.

3 This is one of those Cleanhead Vinson tunes, isn’t it? I’m getting a kind of Barney Kessel feel about the guitarist, though I’ve heard little of him. OK for Bebop.

4 Oh, this is NICE! I almost recognise the tune. No idea about the guitarist, but he’s full of grace. And his own man.

5 Something perhaps based on “Dearly beloved”. I’m getting that old Kessell feeling again, despite not being able to spell his name.

6 Full of fifties atmosphere; a bit like a theme to a film noir. I give up on the guitarist.

7 “Will you still be mine”. Pretty arrangement. Solos didn’t say anything much to me, though. Another similar-sounding guitarist.

8 And another one. I quite like this guy’s solo – very nice melodies in there. I wonder if this one could be Howard Roberts – another I don’t have much of.

9 “Stompin’ at the Savoy”. Why do they all try to sound the same? Or so many of them, anyway.

10 “I’ve thrown a custard in her face” so “Get me to the church on time”. Nice. I love the way this band swings. This reminds me of some of the things Joe Pass did for PJ when he was having fun playing. Maybe it’s him. Doesn’t sound like the others.

11 Damn! It’s so annoying when you can’t remember a song title! I have this by Chris Connor, I’m sure. This player doesn’t sound quite like all the others, too, but I doubt I’ve heard him before.

12 This sounds like Kenny Burrell. I may even have this tucked away somewhere, but I think not. Nice tenor player, whom I should probably recognise. Is this “I’m beginning to see the light” in disguise?

13 “Don’t blame me” by Sasha Distel? Very nice!

14 Ah, this is Rene Thomas! But not, I think, with Lou Bennett (but I’m probably wrong there). Nice!

15 A Bebop style cut. But much more recent than the classic era. In its way, this is a pretty exciting track, full of invention, flair, elan and cheerfulness. What more could you ask? But I just don’t like it.

16 A waltz. Very rhapsodic guitar solo, which I’m enjoying very much, particularly as it moves into 6/8. Don’t recognise the tune; actually, there’s not much of interest to me in the tune itself.

17 “Too marvellous for words”. Very staid opening, then it livens up. Not much of a guitar solo in here, is there? Seemed to be over before it had really got going.

18 Boppish number featuring an organist with a very odd sound. Another guitarist who sounds the same. I like the baritone player, though. Baritones have a big advantage over all other instruments because, however they’re played, they just sound so great! But this guy is really playing his socks off! Some Larry Young in the organist. Could this be Eddie Louiss?

19 “Lush life” by a very definite guitar player. I love the way he plays the intro. The statement of the main tune isn’t quite so attention-grabbing. Compelling once again on the out. I could listen to this guy a LOT!

20 Is this a Bronislav Kaper tune? Too much orchestration that sounds like it’s intended to be for an easy listening album. But the guitarist doesn’t think so.

Well, that was pretty interesting. You’ve got a few things in there that intrigue me greatly, Michel. Thanks indeed!

MG