BFT 260 - Tom Turkey's Terrifying Tryptophan 2025 Revenge Tour!!!!!!

[JSngry]

This being October 31, please get your Trick-Or-Treating out of the way and then begin posting on November 1.

And have a comfy seat and/or sofa handy, napping is built into at least a part of this one.

https://thomkeith.net/blindfold-tests/2025-blindfold-tests/

 

Oh yeah, a very special thanks to Rod Stasick @rostasi for his assistance with "post-production", just cleaning up some (a lot of) slop to ensure that things sounded and flowed the way they should.

[felser]

1 – A cultural artyfact?  Rating: N/A

2 – Third Stream Lives! Strong shades of Stan Kenton’s early 50’s Innovations Orchestra, though this was probably a few years later.  Fairly interesting, but definitely overstaying it’s welcome with me.  Though I’ll brave it out to the end.  I’m ready for that nap you mentioned. Rating: ***

3 -  Listening to this one subconsciously through my nap.   Jan Garbarek on ECM?  #2 sort of worked for me, but this one doesn’t.  Sounds more European, where #2 sounded more American (and earlier).  Rating: *1/2

4 – The nap continues.   No frame of reference at all for this one, though I dislike it less than #3.   But is it jazz?  Is #3?  For that matter, how much of #2 is?  I know, does it matter if it is or not?  The great part is that these cuts give me a broad runway for what I can include in BFT 261 next month.  Rating: **

5 –  I actually like this, and I could (should?) see it being Kenton with one of his female singers.  June Christy rather than Anita O'Day or Ann Richards or Chris Connor (I like all four of them quite a bit).  Given some more time, I may be able to sleuth this one out  Rating: ****

6 – And now for something completely different!  Jolted me awake with the up tempo.  Good cut, I like all of the soloists.  Should be names I know.  Jimmy Raney?   Rating: ****

7 – Another good uptempo cut.  Definitely preferring the “awake” second portion of this BFT to the somnambulant first half.  These are newer guys than the ones in the previous cut, and I would guess it’s the trumpet player’s album.  Seems modeled those Columbia Woody Shaw albums, but not his earlier, more exciting Muse albums.  I may well own this one already.  Rating: ***1/2

8 – I like this, despite the static quality of the latin percussion in places.  Vinyl-sourced?  Fidelity isn’t great, but the strength of the music overcomes it.  My favorite cut on the BFT so far.  Pianist and tenor player both reached me.  Rating: ****1/2

9 – I like this, too.  We’re into the afro-cuban portion of the program with these last two cuts.  Flute player is strong, and I assume it’s his album.  The composition is good, may be a standard I’m not  recognizing.  Rating: ****

10 – There seems to be a cut like this on every BFT (except mine), an old tenor master displaying his stuff.  I tend to admire these cuts more than I enjoy them, but this one is pretty good for me, with the accompaniment being unexpected in some ways.  Rating: ***

Thanks as always for a bracing listen!

 

Edited 17 hours ago by felser

[JSngry]

 

8 hours ago, felser said:

1 – A cultural artyfact?  Rating: N/A

Like a good cigareete after a big meal? If so, right you are!!!

2 – Third Stream Lives! Strong shades of Stan Kenton’s early 50’s Innovations Orchestra, though this was probably a few years later.  Fairly interesting, but definitely overstaying it’s welcome with me.  Though I’ll brave it out to the end.  I’m ready for that nap you mentioned. Rating: ***

Many years later, and in no way Kenton-related, even tangentially.

The nap, by the way, is built-in to this first part of this test. This is practice for Thanksgiving!

3 -  Listening to this one subconsciously through my nap.   Jan Garbarek on ECM?  #2 sort of worked for me, but this one doesn’t.  Sounds more European, where #2 sounded more American (and earlier).  Rating: *1/2

It is on ECM, but really shouldn't have been. Definitely not Garbarek, and the trio is2/3 American, and pretty essentially so. But it is later then #2.

4 – The nap continues.   No frame of reference at all for this one, though I dislike it less than #3.   But is it jazz?  Is #3?  For that matter, how much of #2 is?  I know, does it matter if it is or not?  The great part is that these cuts give me a broad runway for what I can include in BFT 261 next month.  Rating: **

Not at all jazz, and no, it doesn't matter. But have you ever heard anything more deep-sleepier?

5 –  I actually like this, and I could (should?) see it being Kenton with one of his female singers.  June Christy rather than Anita O'Day or Ann Richards or Chris Connor (I like all four of them quite a bit).  Given some more time, I may be able to sleuth this one out  Rating: ****

Again, nothing to do with Kenton, or with those singers. But very likeable indeed, imo!

6 – And now for something completely different!  Jolted me awake with the up tempo.  Good cut, I like all of the soloists.  Should be names I know.  Jimmy Raney?   Rating: ****

Jimmy Raney? Nooo....afraid not. But indeed, certainly names you will know.

7 – Another good uptempo cut.  Definitely preferring the “awake” second portion of this BFT to the somnambulant first half.  These are newer guys than the ones in the previous cut, and I would guess it’s the trumpet player’s album.  Seems modeled those Columbia Woody Shaw albums, but not his earlier, more exciting Muse albums.  I may well own this one already.  Rating: ***1/2

Not the trumpeter's album, not that much newer than #6. Some very familiar names on here, but the horns are not among them.

8 – I like this, despite the static quality of the latin percussion in places.  Vinyl-sourced?  Fidelity isn’t great, but the strength of the music overcomes it.  My favorite cut on the BFT so far.  Pianist and tenor player both reached me.  Rating: ****1/2

Not vinyl. It came like that, probably captured on the gig by the leader. No tenor, btw,

9 – I like this, too.  We’re into the afro-cuban portion of the program with these last two cuts.  Flute player is strong, and I assume it’s his album.  The composition is good, may be a standard I’m not  recognizing.  Rating: ****Leader and at least one sideman are pretty well-known.

Not the flutist's album, not a standard, but indeed, a very pleasant and catchy tune. 

10 – There seems to be a cut like this on every BFT (except mine), an old tenor master displaying his stuff.  I tend to admire these cuts more than I enjoy them, but this one is pretty good for me, with the accompaniment being unexpected in some ways.  Rating: ***

Old, as in dead now, yes. But "tenor master"....not sure that anybody anywhere wold describe him like that. But he is doing what he's doing very well and has an interesting history (as doe some of the sidemen). I love the tune and the vibe here. It seems like a good way to wrap it up and either go home or say goodbye to everybody who came over for the day.

Thanks as always for a bracing listen!

 

 

Bracing!

[T.D.]

I loved #3. From the preceding discussion I can't imagine I own it, but I intend to research it out of curiosity. 

[JSngry]

22 minutes ago, T.D. said:

I loved #3. From the preceding discussion I can't imagine I own it, but I intend to research it out of curiosity. 

You will definitely know two of the three players, possibly all three.

What is it about it that you like about it! Just curious.

[T.D.]

6 minutes ago, JSngry said:

You will definitely know two of the three players, possibly all three.

What is it about it that you like about it! Just curious.

My computer sound is so bad that I thought it was a duet until the third listen 🤪...I was really taken by the piano, which vaguely reminds me of quasi-minimalist "classical" composers such as Howard Skempton (some of whose work I greatly enjoy, though I find him uneven). The saxist is pretty much in the ECM/"moody" bag, which generally doesn't engage me deeply, but this tune works well.

I hesitate to comment on the bassist because I initially couldn't perceive him, but the knee-jerk guess is Gary Peacock, of whom I'm a fan.

[JSngry]

3 minutes ago, T.D. said:

My computer sound is so bad that I thought it was a duet until the third listen 🤪...I was really taken by the piano, which vaguely reminds me of quasi-minimalist "classical" composers such as Howard Skempton (some of whose work I greatly enjoy, though I find him uneven). The saxist is pretty much in the ECM/"moody" bag, which generally doesn't engage me deeply, but this tune works well.

I hesitate to comment on the bassist because I initially couldn't perceive him, but the knee-jerk guess is Gary Peacock, of whom I'm a fan.

Not Peacock, very very interesting comments about the pianist. Thanks!

[B. Clugston]

I loved #3, too. The saxophonist sounded familiar in more of a Lennart Aberg way rather than a Jan Garbarek way and I didn't even notice the bass at first. My initial thought was Europeans, JAPO not ECM, and a whole "we once played with George Russell" vibe. JSngry's hint tells me I got the Russell connection right, but, if this is what I think it is, the more well-known pianist and bassist were a surprise to me.

[JSngry]

Played with George Russell? Not 100% sure, but I think not!

I stand corrected. Yes!

[T.D.]

I enjoy #6 and it's interesting because it reminds me of some people who aren't involved.

Dig the saxist who goes the "Texas Tenor" route in many passages, someone I ought to be able to ID but can't right now.

Piano comp is sort of in Jaki's style, not so much the solos, can't be Jaki but ditto on the ID.

Guitarist does some single-line things similar to GG but it's definitely not him. I'm not that big a guitar listener so won't attempt ID, though I suspect the reveal will cause a forehead slap.

[JSngry]

It will!