BFT 214 Reveal

[Dan Gould]

For those who "saw" this thread earlier, apologies but something went wrong and I had to delete the first post to fix.

 Thanks to all who participated.  Highlight for me was Felser's comments, for sure.

 

Track 1:

 

Straighten Up and Fly Right, from this CD:

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/7932327-Bill-Easley-Business-Mans-Bounce

 

I thought this was a perfect comp starter and personally found his spoken alliterative interjections to be great. But not all did. The other reason I programmed from this CD was that our own Ken Dryden gave it an enthusiastic review on allmusic.com, but it turned out he got nothing from that particular track then or now. Oh well. As Ken may recall the rest of the CD is highly jazz-oriented and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

 

Track 2:

 

Cliff Smalls, untitled blues

 

(Smalls, piano; Leonard Gaskin bass; Oliver Jackson drums)

 

From the Gaskin archive at the Smithsonian, this was recorded January 30 1982 in Belgium. 

 

 

 

Track 3:

 

Johnny Board, Sweet Georgia Brown

 

Track B2 from this LP:

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/3012034-Joe-Kelly-His-Four-Plus-One-Live-From-The-Chicago-Gold-Coast-Gaslight-Club

 

I was moved to search out this recording after jsngrey's comments in the Sonny Stitt discussion we had back in the summer referencing the Stitt At DJ Lounge Argo recording, and his curiosity about the second saxophone on the date.  Its too bad if Chuck really intended to record Board and it never happened as I think a well-produced date with simpatico accompaniment would have been as great or better than the Nessa recording of Eddie Johnson.  Here, the leader is more of a trad/dixieland kinda player (not terrible by any stretch, and he did get to record his group a couple of times).  Board is great thru out.

 

Track 4:

 

Benny Waters, Blue Moon

 

Track 4 from here:

 

https://www.discogs.com/master/1422776-Benny-Waters-On-The-Sunny-Side-Of-The-Street

 

 

 

"Submitted for your approval. Picture a man whose favorite BFT comments are "before my time," "my friend Dan Gould will like/hate this," "I prefer Monk playing Monk," and of course "I love this - can't wait for the reveal." There's the signpost up ahead - you've just crossed over into ... The Felser Might Possibly Like This Zone." </Serling>

 

Track 5:

 

Russell Garcia, composer/arranger

 

Track 1 from:

 

https://www.discogs.com/master/869720-Russell-Garcia-I-Lead-A-Charmed-Life

 

 

 

Track 6:

 

Hollyday Brothers, track 2 from:

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/4216569-The-Hollyday-Brothers-Oh-Brother

 

I find it interesting that according to discogs, Medeski was about 8 years from his next recording opportunity at the time this was recording, and I am going to go out on a limb and guess that the Hollyday boys came from money, or that dad was just willing to put money into his boys endeavors. Check out the label output

 

https://www.discogs.com/label/275418-Jazzbeat-Records

 

Chris went back to the family company for his last record in 2018.

 

Track 7

 

Nat Dixon, track 5 from

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/14250809-Nat-Dixon-Quartet-Harlem-All-Star

 

Check out the group, this guy got some heavyweights to record with him.  And, he had the brains to control his publishing and catalog ... all of his records are on his own label. I mentioned that he got profiled in the Times. He went from a career in the public schools to an ordained minister:

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/nyregion/preaching-the-gospel-jazz-riffs-and-all.html?searchResultPosition=1

 

Track 8

 

Clayton Brothers, track B3 from:

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/5263515-The-Clayton-Brothers-Jeff-John

 

Did it take so long to ID the Clayton Brothers from my hints because Jeff was better know for his alto than his tenor?  I was looking thru his entries on discogs and was surprised to see that he hardly played the tenor outside of this recording, which is terrific all the way thru.

 

 

 

Track 9

 

Frank Foster, unknown tune

 

Frank Foster, tenor sax, Georges Arvanitas, piano, Jacky Samson bass, Charles Saurdrais drums

 

Recorded May 10 1968 in Paris, my information called it "Simone" however when looking into the Elvin connection, I found a track on one of the BNs named "Simone" but it didn't seem to be the same.

 

Track 10

 

Mark Morganelli, A1 from:

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/3860727-Mark-Morganelli-Live-On-Broadway

 

As I mentioned, most obscure but pretty good all around.

 

Morganelli, trumpet, James Spaulding alto, Vic Juris, guitar, John Hicks, piano, Ray Drummond, bass, Billy Hart drums, Gullherme Franco, percussion.  (Walter Bishop Jr and Jo Jones Jr guest on one track).

 

< /The Felser Might Possibly Like This Zone>

 

Please note that I programmed this Monk cover at the end of the Felser Might Possibly Like This Zone, owing to my recognition that while he might like Spaulding, he might not like a Monk cover.  I could have moved the end of the Felser Zone back by one track but this was how I conceived it so this is how I will ID it.

 

(Glad you enjoyed most of these, John. It's not like I have a deep understanding of what really works for you but I did what I could with what I had.)

 

 

 

Track 11

 

Hal Singer, Track A2 from:

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/8398291-The-Hal-Singer-Jazz-Quartet-Soweto-To-Harlem

 

So curious about this I bought a cassette of it on eBay, delivered all the way from, IIRC, Belgium.

 

Never seen the LP. It was worth it.

 

 

 

Track 12

 

Gene Harris, number 8 from

 

https://www.discogs.com/master/2113561-The-Gene-Harris-Quartet-Brotherhood

 

 

 

Track 13

 

Percy France, The Man I Love,

 

France, tenor saxophone, Cliff Smalls, piano, Leonard Gaskin bass, Oliver Jackson drums.

 

Also from the same Belgium concert as track 2.  Normally the group played it as a ballad all the way thru, making this master class in tenor playing (Felser's comments notwithstanding) a unique and memorable performance.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Dan Gould

[Dub Modal]

I dig how you research and put these together; especially the inclusion of obscure artists and/or albums. Very much appreciated and enjoyed. 

[tkeith]

I have grounded myself for missing Frank Foster.  Shame on me.  Tune is definitely NOT Simone, though.

[Ken Dryden]

A BFT full of surprises. In addition to the Bill Easely CD, I've got the Benny Waters CD, the Hollyday Brothers LP and obviously, the Gene Harris Quartet CD, but none of the other issued items. 

It is a bit of a challenge to include an obscure player like Cliff Smalls on an unissued session.

Thanks for taking the time to expose me to stuff that I've never heard, or even seen...

 

[felser]

FWIW, I'm a huge Rod Serling fan. (Twilight Zone and some of the earlier teleplays, especially "Requiem for a Heavyweight" and "The Arena").  Dan, thanks for the BFT and the shout out!  Need to read that Nat Dixon article as soon as my NYT monthly freebies refresh tomorrow.  Not at all familiar with him.  Not at all surprisingly, I don't own any of the music on the BFT.  As noted, the Frank Foster tune is most definitely not "Simone", which is one of my all-time favorite compositions.  I do like Foster a lot.

[Dmitry]

Well, this makes me feel OK, I guess. I don't even know some of the names in this BFT, let alone their music.

[Dan Gould]

The Hollyday Brothers LP is free to a good home. VG++ vinyl/NM cover.

First to PM me gets it.