BFT58 main disc answers

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

KEEP THAT GROOVE GOIN’

This is inspired by “Keep that groove goin’” – none of the tracks on that album went on long enough, in my view. But the theme isn’t just long tracks, it’s keeping the groove going; I tried to get a variety of different grooves in here.

1 African elation – Dean Fraser. From “Big up” – Island Jamaica Jazz IJCD4003. Dean Fraser (sops), Jon Williams (p), Maurice Gordon (g), Wayne Batchelor (b), Idris Muhammad (d, right channel), Sly Dunbar (d, left), Larry MacDonald (perc). Jamaica and/or New York (it’s not clear to me whether some of this is overdubs), c1996.

Dean Fraser is (or was at the time) the foremost sax player in Reggae. He usually plays alto, but also tenor sax. I found it interesting that Thom thought this might have been Abdullah Ibrahim. Ubu also picked up an African influence. I think these musicians, and Abdullah, all understand that much of the music of Africa is very serene. That serenity is captured well here, I think.

2 The masquerade is over – Paul Bryant. From “Something’s happening” – Fantasy 3357. Paul Bryant (org), Jules Broussard (as), Plas Johnson (ts), Junius Simmons (g), Johnny Kirkwood (d). San Francisco, 1963.

This is from one of Paul Bryant’s two LPs for Fantasy that were never reissued on CD. I’ve taken this from my UK issued mono LP on Vocalion. Broussard and Kirkwood were the regular members of Bryant’s trio at the time; Johnson and Simmons (and on two other cuts, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown) were added for the album. I really love everything about this track, which seems to me to exemplify everything that is best in Soul Jazz.

3 Ca’ purange – Gene Ammons. From “Bad Bossa Nova”, Prestige PR7257 (OJC351). Gene Ammons (ts), Hank Jones (p), Bucky Pizzarelli (sp g), Kenny Burrell (g), Norman Edge (b), Oliver Jackson (d), Al Hayes (bongo), RVG 9 September 1962.

I suspect that Dexter Gordon’s version of this number is quite a lot better known to Org readers than this original version. “Bad Bossa Nova” was the last LP Jug made before he went inside for seven years, ending a most productive period between two prison sentences. Almost everything he did in this period is the best Jug there is, and this album is my favourite.

4 Creole love call – Junior Mance & Joe Temperley. From “The music of Duke Ellington” – Chiaroscuro 352. Joe Temperley (bass cl), Junior Mance (p), Keter Betts (b), Jackie Williams (d). SS Norway, Floating Jazz Festival, 26-29 October 1996.

I couldn’t have a “keep that groove goin’” theme without a slow, funky, blues and this just seemed to be the one. Duke was a hell of a funky player, of course, and numbers like this have a core of dirty, out in the alley, bluesiness that seems to me a little at odds with the prevailing view of Duke as an urbane, sophisticated musician. The way the guys play this, though, seems to combine both of these Ellington elements seamlessly.

5 Soul of a black man – Maceo Parker. From the album “Us” – People 6601. Personnel not given but it’s Maceo Parker (as, rap), James Brown (rap) and the usual James Brown band of the day. 1974.

I didn’t expect anyone to be fooled by this, but I thought that not many people would have come across this cut, because it doesn’t form part of the usual James Brown canon. To me, this is Maceo’s finest hour. What he does isn’t even slightly complex but he plays with such absolute conviction! And the build-up is most cleverly achieved. And what can you say about the groove!

6 Slippin’ into darkness – Rhoda Scott. From “Live at the Club Saint Germain” –Barclay 80535 & 80536 (double – this is from 80536). Rhoda Scott (org), Leo Johnson (ts), Kees Kranenburg (d). Paris 16 & 17 May 1974.

It’s always been evident that there was a LOT more to Rhoda than just another Soul Jazz organist. But, even within that context, this is a kind of outrageous version of War’s hit song from a couple of years earlier.

I didn’t expect anyone to guess this was Leo on tenor. He didn’t usually play like that and, when I first heard it, I had a hard time believing it was him. His other recorded appearances don’t prepare you for the way he plays on this album. But there ain’t no other Leo Johnsons playing tenor. He was with Jack McDuff in 1966 and appeared on three of his albums, one of them with Spoon, another with David Newman, returning to McDuff in 1972. In the meantime, he appeared on one track of Johnny “Hammond” Smith’s album “Black feeling”. After the Rhoda Scott gig, he joined Jimmy McGriff’s band and appeared on “Stump juice” and “City lights”. His most recent appearance was on one track of Irene Reid’s “Thanks to you”, recorded in 1991. This performance isn’t perfect; Leo seems to run out of ideas. But this was very risky stuff for him. There’s a kind of heroism about it. Leo was trying to expand his range of expression, but struggling. That he didn’t give up when his ideas ran low and slide into the comfortable area of Soul Jazz, which Rhoda could have supported equally well, is terrific. It’s the journey that counts, not necessarily where you end up.

This appears to be the final number from the first night’s recording. I had to cut the end of this track to omit the announcement of the band’s names, I’m afraid.

7 Zodiac song – Jimmy Smith. From “In a plain brown wrapper”, Verve 68800. Jimmy Smith (org, voc) with orchestra arranged by Larry Williams. Los Angeles, 24 February 1971.

Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? Witty words, half sung, half rapped by Jimmy and, in the middle, that blinder of a solo!

This is another I didn’t expect to fool anyone, but it’s in there because I think few people will have heard it. Jimmy’s albums from this period are seriously underrated. He was sacrificing his jazz “artistry”, trying to continue the commercial success he’d been having for a decade, but he wasn’t getting the hits any more. Worst of all possible worlds; shunned by jazz, pop & R&B fans alike. But there is still real stuff in there – and that solo is actually classic JOS!

MG

[Big Al]

It never fails: I skip a BFT and end up missing out on a doozy! KEEP THAT GROOVE GOIN' is one of my favorite albums and yes, the songs on there are NOT long enough! Especially "Go Red Go."

Can I get a download of this disc? If not, maybe one of the US participants can hook me up.

[Hot Ptah]

No wonder I could not guess any of them. The Rhoda Scott cut is a real shocker. I thought it was Pharoah Sanders, then knew it was not him, and wondered if it was Rahsaan Roland Kirk. I never would have guessed that one in a million years.