mikeweil Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) Hi fellow jazz addicts, I sent out PM's with the download links for two discs: disc 1 - 12 tracks running 63:47 - disc 2 has 14 tracks running 56 minutes... all vocals ... Hardbopjazz informed me that track info still is displayed when he plays them - if so, please ignore them and fight your curiosity. I'm rather curious about your comments. Nothing spectacular, just a few favorites and some that I think are underrated or have been overlooked. Enjoy! Edited December 6, 2011 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 I'll be curious, too. I tried, I really did. Hopefully, reading others' comments will lead me to something I may have overlooked.... or tried to avoid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 IIRC Windows media Player couldn't identify all of the tracks - so how about commenting on those? ... and even if you couldn't control yourselves, you still could comment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lipi Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 (edited) Well, I only gave it the once-through so far, and embarrassingly enough all I know for certain so far is that tracks 6 and 7 on disc 2 are "Summertime". The one track that I know I have myself is the Lou Rawls one that showed its ID3 tags to all. Edited December 11, 2011 by alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 IIRC Windows media Player couldn't identify all of the tracks - so how about commenting on those? ... and even if you couldn't control yourselves, you still could comment? Well, I'll try. But don't you think you'll get a little tired of me saying DKDC, NMCOT, and HAFC alla time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 I'll listen on a portable, so I won't have the WMP issue, but 2 of the tracks in Part 2 show artist info in Windows explorer, and one has embedded cover art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 C'mon folks - there are two more very well known singers on this compilation besides Lou Rawls (that was the giveaway track) - and even with two trackseach! Well, I'll try. But don't you think you'll get a little tired of me saying DKDC, NMCOT, and HAFC alla time? It's not all about identifying them, but about what you think of the different singing sytles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 So far all I was able to figure out was Lou Rawls. I forgot he stared out signing jazz before going mainstream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 How about the sidemen on that Lou Rawls track? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Is the guitarist Arthur Adams? I have a Nina Simone record with Adams, and the playing here reminds me of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 No, it's not Adams. The player is one of my favorite guitar players and a very underrated, and under-recorded guy.What about the trumpet player? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) Initial reactions... Disc 1 1. Don't know the singer, but she has a rather classic sound going on… very crisp and soulful. She sounds like she's relatively young, not that this means anything. Very nice arrangement. 2. "You Don't Know What Love Is". Very modern take… which doesn't particularly work for me, but I was never to crazy about this tune to begin with. Can't say this vocalist would ever become a favorite for me either. To me she sounds like she's forcing it (feeling/soul/energy) at times. 3. I like the way the tenor harmonizes with the vocalist on portions of the melody. Singer has a nice texture to his voice. 4. Nice treatment of "The Peacocks". Don't recognize this singer either. 5. Right off the top, I like the sound of this singer's voice, but I don't much care for the song. The other musicians sound good too… maybe I would enjoy a different track from this album more than this one. 6. The execution is fine, and it's fun and loose, but there's something about 100% wordless scatting like this that leaves me wanting. I guess I would prefer at least some lyrics to latch onto before getting into all the oop-bloop-ee-doo-bees. Singer's voice is good, but I was happier when the piano, tenor and bass took over. 7. I remember this tune from somewhere… but I don't know where. Was this a pop tune from the 70's? Not particularly impressed by or fond of this singer's voice/phrasing. 8. "Caravan"… can't quite identify the singer's accent. I liked this more after it went up-tempo. The harmonic structure in the opening and closing sections weren't very appealing to me. 9. This sounds like Bill Henderson doing "Blues In The Night". I have quite a bit of BH, but I don't think I've heard this one. 10. Couldn't really get into this one. 11. Very appealing rhythmic backdrop… nice harmonic structure… but the melody doesn't really grab me. I think I'm more drawn to the pianist than the vocalist, but that has more to do with the vocalist's tone than his execution, which is quite good. 12. Same singer as on "Caravan"? This is "I'll Close My Eyes", which I'm not sure I've heard at this tempo before (people generally seem to like to play it up). Nice. Wow, I didn't necessarily think this would be easy, but I really didn't expect to recognize so few singers on this test. Now to listen to disc 2... Edited December 13, 2011 by Jim R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) Disc 1 8. "Caravan"… can't quite identify the singer's accent. I liked this more after it went up-tempo. The harmonic structure in the opening and closing sections weren't very appealing to me. ... 12. Same singer as on "Caravan"? This is "I'll Close My Eyes", which I'm not sure I've heard at this tempo before (people generally seem to like to play it up). Nice. You've got good ears - it is the same singer! 9. This sounds like Bill Henderson doing "Blues In The Night". I have quite a bit of BH, but I don't think I've heard this one. Second singer guessed ... Wow, I didn't necessarily think this would be easy, but I really didn't expect to recognize so few singers on this test. Just my thoughts ... Thanks for the interesting comments! Edited December 13, 2011 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Disc 1 8. "Caravan"… can't quite identify the singer's accent. I liked this more after it went up-tempo. The harmonic structure in the opening and closing sections weren't very appealing to me. ... 12. Same singer as on "Caravan"? This is "I'll Close My Eyes", which I'm not sure I've heard at this tempo before (people generally seem to like to play it up). Nice. You've got good ears - it is the same singer! Aha, I thought so. Still no idea who it is, though... or what country she's from. Will be fun to find out! Okay, onward... ----- Disc 2: 1. Hmm… pretty sure I've heard this, and I may own it. Going to have to come back to this one... 2. I know I've heard this before. I can't place the singer, but she's very impressive, both in terms of her natural voice and her clearly developed skill. I'm going to kick myself if I don't come up with her name. 3. So, we get one "gimme", and it has to be one of THE most distinctive vocalists of all time. The trumpet player seems to be channeling Clifford Brown. 4. Not my cup of tea… no better for me than the other version of this song on disc 1 (track 2). As with that track, I get the feeling that the singer is forcing it emotionally. Not sure if that's the best way to put it, but I just know I don't care for it. Reminds me of the clips I've seen of people trying to impress the judges on "American Idol" (just clips… I've never watched the program). Guitarist has chops, but I don't care for his/her tone. 5. Nice voice… but the song doesn't do much for me, which makes it difficult to get into. 6. Once again we have a tune with no words, which leaves us with just a lot of scatting, which is okay, but the scatting is not so impressive that it makes up for a lack of anything to really latch onto (for me, anyway). For me this track is forgettable even before it's over. 7. Although she has a decent voice, this singer sounds like she's struggling to stay awake. The pronunciation of the very simple word "and" ("schand"?) is kind of distracting, especially since she doesn't seem to have any trouble pronouncing any other words. Unfortunately, this one bored me. Maybe I'll feel differently tomorrow. 8. She takes a LOT of liberties with the melody, right out of the gate, really sloppy sounding, which is something I don't care for. For me, these liberties need to be taken much more sparingly. All in all, the mood of this is too loose, especially considering this is one of THE most recorded songs of all time. If you're going to sing this song, might as well sound like you care enough to make it interesting (to me, it doesn't). I like the rhythm section just fine, though. 9. "Sermonette". Now this guy sounds like he means it, cares, respects the song. Distinctive vocal sound, too. I like this much better. There's more taste to this scatting as well… a lot more, to my ears. Kudos to the bassist too. 10. Wow, right off the bat I like this one too. I don't speak her language, but this singer displays a lot more skill in terms of phrasing and intonation (and dynamics) than many of the singers I've heard on these discs. I don't know who this is, but I'd be very surprised if she isn't a successful veteran performer. Very swinging accompaniment, too. Nice bone solo. 11. I like the song a bit more than the voice, but the voice is not bad at all. Very tasty backing on this one. This is classy stuff. Wow, the trumpeter was really allowed to blow… and that's a very good thing! Sweet solo. 12. Ah, "frohe Feiertage", Mike. (I hope that's correct… used an online translator ). Fun, clever track. 13. Very well done. Really- this is really well done, in my opinion, which isn't that easy on a tune like this. Again, there was an effort here to be "on" with the note choices and the phrasing, as opposed to just going all loose and casual and lazy. 14. Okay, NOW you've gone off the rails! Oh wait, it is moving into a jazzier vibe… yeah, I can dig this. It's the thought that counts, and the thought is clearly there. Happy Holidays to everyone who reads this! (hmm… I wonder if anybody besides Mike will read this crap ) Now to go back and see if I can figure out those first two… Thanks Mike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2011 I sincerely hope there will be some more reading your c......omments than myself, they're a lot of fun to read! There will be some surprises, for sure. One cue: There are five(!) singers with two tracks each on these two discs .... 1-8 and 1-12 have been matched already. 1-2 and 2-10 is also the same singer, as are 1-3 and 2-6, and 2-7 and 2-12, and 2-8 and 2-11... hehe .... Oh, and the singer of 2-9 is female ... Disc 1 1. Don't know the singer, but she has a rather classic sound going on… very crisp and soulful. She sounds like she's relatively young, not that this means anything. Very nice arrangement.It was her first recording, but she was 38 at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted December 14, 2011 Report Share Posted December 14, 2011 One cue: There are five(!) singers with two tracks each on these two discs .... Interesting. Time to go back and compare! Oh, and the singer of 2-9 is female ... Interesting, I went back and listened again, and I still think it could have gone either way. Disc 1 1. Don't know the singer, but she has a rather classic sound going on… very crisp and soulful. She sounds like she's relatively young, not that this means anything. Very nice arrangement. It was her first recording, but she was 38 at the time. Well, I was definitely off there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIS Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the BFT. I found disc 1 track 10 interesting. I like the instrumentation, percussion in particular, and the overall mood of the piece. I have an old Christmas cassette by Tuck Andress. Haven't listened to it for awhile but the guitar on disc 2 track 4 reminds me of it. So, my one wild guess for this BFT is Tuck and Patti. Speaking holidays, I am a sucker for Christmas music. So, disc 2 tracks 12 and 13 work for me. Track 14 not so much. 13 could be Diana Krall, I think. Right or wrong, DK would be an example of a singer I enjoy listening to. Like I said in the sign up, vocal albums aren't my favorite listens. However, there is nothing on the BFT that is bad, just not my thing. No accounting for taste. Thanks again. Edit: Well, now that I've read the comments and know that there are multiple tracks by some artists, I will have to listen with that in mind. Edited December 15, 2011 by NIS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 (edited) I have an old Christmas cassette by Tuck Andress. Haven't listened to it for awhile but the guitar on disc 2 track 4 reminds me of it. So, my one wild guess for this BFT is Tuck and Patti. This is a singer from Italy with her band ... Speaking holidays, I am a sucker for Christmas music. So, disc 2 tracks 12 and 13 work for me. Track 14 not so much. 13 could be Diana Krall, I think. Right or wrong, DK would be an example of a singer I enjoy listening to. Congrats - it is Diana Krall - I enjoy her, too, and think she is a very competent singer. Tracks 13 and 14 on disc 2 are from the same CD, btw, an indispensable item for any jazz Christmas music nut. Edited December 15, 2011 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 I sincerely hope there will be some more reading your c......omments than myself, they're a lot of fun to read! I'm reading! J Practically any comment by Jim is a joy to read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 Thanks Al. Hey, remember Roger (aka "song scout") and Allen Holland from JCS (?) and the early years of Jazz Corner? Now those guys knew singers and singing, and would have been an interesting read on a test like this. The main reason I'm interesting is because I mistake female singers for male singers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Are we still playing?... Okay, I should have trusted my instincts regarding Disc 2, track 1. I knew it sounded like KD (the voice and the horn), but for some reason I wanted to go in another direction. I do have this of course... originally on the Debut label. Great playing on this track, and now I'm going to pull that album out again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Disc 2, track 2... I do not in fact own it, but now I know who it is. MS with CT. I really am very impressed by her voice here, and I may have to get my wallet out and remedy the fact that I don't own this album. Thanks a lot, Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Jim R clearly is the guessing champion this time, but the others are making it easy for him - how about soem royal guesses?The discussion is still open - I will post answers between Christmas and New Year's eve. C'mon folks, throw in your silliest comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 (edited) I only knew one from this batch. I am listening to disc 1 again right now.I thought vocals would be an easy one. Boy was I mistaken. Edited December 20, 2011 by Hardbopjazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted December 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 I thought vocals would be an easy one. Boy was I mistaken. I start to think y'all might need the answers before Christmas for consolation .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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