BFT #63 Answers

[RDK]

Sorry for the delay, folks, but life sorta caught up with me and I needed a break. Everything’s cool, just wasn’t able to finish this before my deadline. I appreciate your patience.

I tried doing something a bit different with this BFT, at least compared to my previous ones. Compared to those, these artists and tunes should be much more obscure, or at least lesser known – though many, obviously, are quite well-known musicians who maybe just haven’t recorded much in a while. I also made a concerted effort to feature only living artists – and I think I succeeded there with but one exception (and even his legacy lives on here in Los Angeles).

I did have a theme of sorts in mind while compiling the first disc. Not musically, per se, but geographically as the first disc features predominantly L.A.-based artists. They aren’t necessarily known as hailing from Los Angeles – many would likely still associate Phil Ranelin with Detroit – but they are musicians who now make their home here and most of whom I’ve seen in concert here recently. As a result, there are a few names duplicated in various tracks.

The second disc is comprised mostly of artists who are “newer” to me, several of whom I’ve discovered due to recommendations on this forum. A few of the artists I know almost nothing about, but simply heard (and liked!) their music via impulsive downloads from emusic or amiestreet. Over the last year or two this has been by primary means of discovering new talent. That, of course, doesn’t mean that they are by any means “new” artists, just that they’re new to me.

Disc 1

1. Charles Owens - “Cold Duck Time” from So Far So Good – Charles Owens (s), Kirk Lightsey (p), Reggie Johnson (b), Dog Sides (d) (2007) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:hcfqxzqjldae

Owens is a local treasure – one of those guys who should be much better known than he is. I see him often and he’s always a delight. This track is obviously the Eddie Harris classic and thought it’d be a nice way to open the disc.

2. Bobby Bradford - “Dirty Rag” from Lost in L.A. – Bobby Bradford (t), James Kousakis (as), Mark Dresser (b), Roberto Miranda (b), Sherman Ferguson (d) (1984) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:jvfexqlgldje

This is perhaps my favorite album from the recent Black Saint/Soul Note avalanche on emusic. I love those dueling bassists. Amazingly, you can often find Bradford playing local restaurants on Friday nights.

3. Henry “Skipper” Franklin - “If We Should Meet Again” from If We Should Meet Again - Henry Franklin (b), Azar Lawrence (ts), Theo Sanders (p), Carl Burnett (d) (2007) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:0cfpxzrjldhe

Unfortunately, this album can’t begin to capture how these guys sound in person. Azar’s another cool cat who should be much, much bigger. Saw him a couple of years back sit in with Pharaoh and pretty much blow him off the stage.

4. Build an Ark - “You’ve Gotta Have Freedom” from Peace With Every Step – hell if I’m gonna type in all those names! (2003) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:fjfyxqualdte

Wasn’t sure how this track would play on its own. The band is a life-affirming delight, filled with local talent, and the successor in some ways to Tapscott’s Pan-African People’s Arkestra.

5. Phil Ranelin - “Another Kind of Time and Place” from Living a New Day – Phil Ranelin (tb), Calvin Keys (g), David Matthews (p), Roger Glenn (vbs), Matt Montgomery (b), Donald Bailey (d) (2005) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:kvfoxztkldfe

As others have noted, the guitar adds a lot to this one. Phil’s recovered and plays often here in town.

6. Eldad Tarmu - “The Courting” from Exotic Tales – Eldad Tarmu (vbs), Cengiz Yaltkaya (p), Dustin Morgan (b), Daniel Glass (d) (2005) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:dvfpxzq5ldke

Eldad used to live down the street from me and I used to catch him playing at the local coffeehouse. He’s recorded several albums, with this being my favorite. As is too often the case, most of his albums have that slightly overproduced, modern jazz feel to them, so I much prefer the sparser production here. He’s of Israeli descent, studied in Northern Africa, and I really like the exotic flavor he brings to this tune.

7. Nels Cline - “Yokada Yokada/The Rumproller” from New Monastery – Nels Cline (g), Bobby Bradford (cornet), Ben Goldberg (cl), Andrea Parkins (accordion), Scott Amendola (d), Alex Cline (d), Devin Hoff (b) (2006) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:dvfpxzq5ldke

Was surprised more people didn’t guess this one as the album had quite a push a couple of years back. All Andrew Hill tunes, of course, and I thought the bit of “Rumproller” would give this one away. Nels and his drummer twin Alex are a major part of the local freer jazz scene (about as much as L.A. has), though Nels is now off touring with Wilco.

8. Ernie Watts - “Sweet Solitude” from Reaching Up – Ernie Watts (s), Mulgrew Miller (p), Charles Fambrough (b), Jack DeJohnette (d) (1993) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...fjfyxqygld6e~T0

I mostly know Ernie from Charlie Haden’s band. I love his sound, but to be honest I had a tough time finding a track of his to include, even from this album of straight-ahead players. The other tracks sounded overly-polished to me, losing the edge of his live playing.

9. Horace Tapscott - “Thoughts of Dar Es Salaam” from Thoughts of Dar Es Salaam – Horace Tapscott (p), Ray Drummond (b), Billy Hart (d) (1996) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:39frxq9jldde

From his last album. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it yet again: one of my great music-related regrets is not seeing Tapscott in the decade that I was living in L.A. and he was still with us.

10. Jeff Gauthier - “Refuge” from Internal Memo – Jeff Gautier (v), Alex Cline (d), Eric Von Essen (b), David Witham (p, syn) (1993) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:difixqrhldfe

Jeff now runs the Cryptogramaphone label. He was one of those guys, along with the Clines, who was mentored by Vinny Golia and is now one of the mainstays of L.A.’s modern jazz scene. I know a few of you didn’t care for the synths here, but I just found this too lovely a tune to not include.

11. Roberto Miranda - “Blue Fog” from With Groanings Too Deep for Words – Roberto Miranda (b), Charles Owens (woodwinds), Bobby Bradford (cornet), Kenny Burrell (g), Billy Childs (p), Billy Higgins (d), Don Littleton (perc) (2002)

I was very surprised that this track met with so much resistance. Oh well. The players pretty well sum up a segment of the L.A. scene.

12. Vinny Golia - “Haiku” from Spirits in Fellowship – Vinny Golia (s), John Carter (cl), Alex Cline (d), Roberto Miranda (b) (1977) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:fzfoxq8gld0e

This is one of the oldest tracks here, from Vinny’s first album in 1977. As much as I love seeing Golia in person, I find a lot of his recordings harder to listen too as he’s often too outside for my tastes – and many of the tracks I do like are much too damn long for a BFT). But this is an exception. I love how the meditative sparseness pulls you into the piece; I find this track utterly hypnotic.

Disc 2

1. Eric Watson - “Bushwacked” from Silent Hearts – Eric Watson (p), Mark Dresser (b), Ed Thigpen (d) (2001) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:gpfqxqu0ld6e

Found this CD for a buck in Amoeba’s clearance section a few years back. One of the best dollars I’ve ever spent. The rhythmic propulsiveness of this tune is simply insane.

2. Denny Zeitlin - “Signs & Wonder” from Concord Duo Series vol. 8 – Denny Zeitlin (p), David Freisen (b) (1994) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:g9fuxq9hldse

I really wanted to include the version of this tune from Zeitlin’s just-released trio concert at the Jazz Bakery – a performance I attended – but I had trouble ripping the disc for some reason. This one’s not quite a good, imo, but I love the tune.

3. Andrew Cheshire - “Afro-Blue” from Magic – Andrew Cheshire (g), Dominic Duval (b), Jay Rosen (d) (2000)http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:anfrxqykldfe

Discovered this guy on emusic. I much prefer the tracks with Duval and Rosen than the ones with the more conventional rhythm section.

4. Kenny Wheeler - “My New Hat” from It Takes Two – Kenny Wheeler (flugelhorn), John Abercrombie (g), John Parricelli (g), Anders Jormen (b) (2005) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:wzfoxqudldfe

I know Wheeler was just represented on the last BFT, but I’d already programmed it, I love this album, and Wheeler is one of those veterans I’m only just now getting around to “discovering.”

5. Avishai Cohen - “The Fast” from The Trumpet Player – Avishai Cohen (t), Joel Frahm (ts), John Carter Sullivan (b), Jeff Ballard (d) (2001) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:0pfexqrsldhe

Yes, the other Avishai Cohen – the one who doesn’t play bass. Another emusic find and perhaps the freshest trumpet album I’ve heard in years.

6. Simon Fisk - “Some Sort of Spiritual” from Trainwrecks – Simon Fisk (b), Chris Gestrin (p), Tom Foster (d) (2006) http://amiestreet.com/music/simon-fisk-trio/trainwrecks/

I’d never heard of this Canadian bassist prior to downloading his album for free on Amiestreet. Easily my best “discovery” on that site.

7. Braff/Oester/Rohrer - “Norwegian Wood” from Maximal Music – Malcolm Braff (p), Banz Oester (b), Samuel Rohrer (d) (2005) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:hjfyxz9gldde

Braff has been recommended here before by King Ubu, but his European albums are damn expensive and hard to find here. Thank goodness they turned up on emusic. He’s become my favorite pianist of the last few years.

8. Sam Keevers - “Compassion Compression” from No Conditions – Sam Keevers (p), Jamie Ohlers (ts), Bernie McGann (as), Jordan Murray (tb), Scott Tinkler (t), Stephen Magnusson (g), Simon Barker (d) (2005) http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:wvfexqedldae

Another recent recommendation from here that I later found on emusic. Don’t know much about Keevers other than he hails from Australia.

9. Arturo Sandoval - “Marianella Says Goodbye” from My Passion for the Piano – Arturo Sandoval (p!), Dennis Marks (b), Ernesto Simpson (d) (2001)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...10:abfuxqe0ldje

Had to toss in at least one “trick.” I’ve never much cared for Sandoval’s trumpet-playing, but I picked up this album as a lark (and very cheaply used) and really enjoyed it. This is far from the best track on it, but it’s lovely and I thought a pleasant way to close the disc.

Edited May 4, 2009 by RDK

[tkeith]

Guess I need to read more posts here -- hadn't realized you were based in LA. A friend of mine really turned me on to that scene. He's made a study of the LA culture, centered around Tapscott, and makes yearly pilgrimages. He went to the Montreal Jazz Fest to see Tapscott, only to have him subbed for, without warning, by Muhal Richard Abrahms (whom my friend detests). Turns out Tapscott had just been diagnosed with the brain tumor and that's why he missed the show. I should have nailed that cut, but it sailed right past my radar. Time to say f*** the nonsense of life and focus some more time on serious listening, again. Disc One had some of the best stuff I've heard in a BFT, yet. Thanks!

[mikeweil]

Could you add the year of recording to each track? Thanks!

[RDK]

Sorry Mike. Updated with dates. I used recording dates when available, but as some of these were downloads without full recording notes available, a couple are release dates - but should be off no more than a year or so)