BFT 264: Discussion Thread

[clifford_thornton]

On 3/17/2026 at 6:57 AM, Joe said:

 

Not Bill Barron. More obscure (I think). I'll add that this tenor player is not primarily know for their tenor playing.

Saw Rufus with Byard Lancaster once. It was a very interesting gig.

I certainly would not have otherwise guessed it was him on this track, and he's a bit stiff so Barron & Pope are both out as possibilities. That said, and having not really spent time with his Atlantics, the choice is rather illuminating.

The piece with Woods is fun; it doesn't appear to be on a record I own so will be curious to find out more.

The overdubbed solo soprano composition is really nice; it's not Surman, but does seem to be dipping into a similar well.

 

 

[tkeith]

With apologies, made my usual commitment to get to this sooner rather than later, but here we are.  I don't think I had a full-on ID in the whole set, but there's definitely familiarity here.

track 01 - Absolutely love the sound of this recording.  First impressions were maybe Lou Donaldson, but this guy's got a bit more Bunky Green in him.  Not sure if I'm for or against that.  Neither Bunky nor Lou.  Real player, for sure.  Almost seems like he's playing a bit out of his normal circle?  It's there, it's right, but something is kind of poking me.  I wonder if I know the player from a different corner of the genre.  No matter, everything about this works.  3.5/5 (probably because I'm being stubborn on the aforementioned point; I really like this)

track 02 - Quality older recording.  This is definitely in the era (40s?), not tributary.  I don't know the player, but it's a real gutty, reedy sound, which I appreciate.  Swings beautifully.  Has the feel of Charlie Christian on the head, but that's probably just by association.  Huh.  Yeah, not Charlie.  I can enjoy this as it sits, but the really remarkable thing is to compare stuff like this to Christian, et al, and see exactly how in-another-universe THOSE guys really were.  3.5/5

track 03 - I was thinking Serenata, but then it took a turn.  Love this smoky, feel.  Feel like I'm watching a Cary Grant film where he takes the fem fetale out for a night on the town and gets stalked by the bad guys (yes, I'm talking about Charade).  Trumpet seems more modern than that, but the rest of it seems period correct.  Ooo, love the way that tenor comes in.  Tasty tenor work.  Nice bone.  This track is killin'.  4/5

track 04 - Big band track for people who love the big band sound.  Not one of the golden bands (Ellington, Basie, etc.).  Well, that's Pepper Adams.  That certainly narrows the field.  Not thinking the Jazz Orchestra, although, that very well could be Mel Lewis.  Not sure on the first, west-coastie tenor.  Second sounds like Walter Benton.  Man, there's nothing wrong with this track.  Arrangement didn't sell me immediately, but these are heavy weight guys, fors sure.  4.5/5

track 05 - Obviously Blue Bossa.  I'm worthless IDing clarinet/bass clari outside of like four players, and this is none of them.  Pet peeve -- "BLUE Bossa".  Why does everybody feel the need to play this tune too fast?  Great musicianship throughout, but the pet peeve overwhelms that.  3/5

track 06 - "A gentlemen is someone who can play the accordion, but doesn't."  -- Tom Waits
Mean, but it's one of those instruments I just can't get beyond (harmonica is another).  Seems of the period, and I'll give it that, but I can't do the timbre of that instrument.  2.5/5

track 07 - Double guitars.  Always leads me towards Jimmy Rainey, but that wouldn't be right in this case.  Sure sounds like Joe Pass in my left channel.  Guy in the right channel doesn't have a "jazz" swing.  Maybe a more commercially known player foraying into the jazz realm?  Not Les Paul, but I'm leaning towards that neighborhood.  Gotta be Joe on the other side.  3/5

track 08 - More bands.  I like this because my big band snobbery has held me back from a lot of stuff like this.  Not proud of it, but I'm learning on the fly.  Killin' tenor solo.  Great mix of skill and music.  Alto is no slouch, either.  Don't think I know either player.  Reminds of the type of guys who played in Maynard's early 60s bands.  They weren't elsewhere in my collection, but sure seemed like they should be.  3.5/5

track 09 - Touches on Booker Ervin, but isn't.  Shades of Bill Barron, but isn't.  There's a powerful intent here.  Maybe not A-list technique, but there's an underlying seriousness here that is undeniable.  Ari Brown has that, but this is earlier.  Loving this drummer.  Is the tenor perhaps a doubler?  Pianist doesn't quite maintain the intensity, but the bass, drums are working overtime.  This would be a very enjoyable setting to play in, but the underlying message is one of attitude.  I'm guess late-60s.  Maybe that Philly thing.  It's not angry, but determined.  4.5/5

track 10 - Dueling unemployment sticks?  Wait, 3?!  Gotta be overdubbed.  Yeah, that's overdubbed, same player for sure.  I guess it's okay, but isn't hitting me in the feels.  Feel like it's been done before, and I'd like it more without the overdubs.  Makes me want to go listen to the intro to Soran Bushi, B.H.   2/5

track 11 - Aaah... we've entered the unemployment stick phase of the program.  Sound reeks of ECM.  Nothing wrong here, I just don't connect with it.  It's exactly the pocket of the genre I tend to avoid.  Great tech, but I'm not getting the feels.  2.5/5

track 12 - This didn't grab me, immediately, but as I'm working with this on in the background, I found myself bouncing along with it (like happens with Very, Very Circus).  Pianist for my group would describe this as, "a real toe-tapper."  It's got that.  The tenor is feisty and aggressive, but doesn't seem to have the attitude of track 9.  I like it, but wish it was THAT tenor player.  Not sure how well the solo fits here.  Trumpet player is on it.  I don't think it's as out as the tenor took it.  Maybe these are lesser known guys feeling out this pocket.  Perhaps an international band?  It's got that somewhat sloppy (and I mean that only as a descriptor) South African feel, but I don't think this is that.  But maybe a band from another part of the world dipping their toes in that water.  It's a bop, for sure.  3/5

track 13 - This is precisely the sort of thing I enjoyed as a young listener just getting into this music.  Recording is a little reverb happy, but it works.  Feels like it's leading somewhere, but we're not there, yet (2:30).  Twangy guitar.  Please don't f*** this up, guitar guy.  Alas, he can't help himself.  We got awfully poppy all the sudden, like an angry Carol King.  Rock drummer, because I can feel myself starting to drool.  They're staying close to the feel, but it's not quite where it started.  This seems really familiar, but I'm feeling the lament of it going more poppy than it began.  Feel like I know this, but can't quite get my hand on it.  The Drooler-in-Chief is pinging hard, but... ARRRRGHHH!  3/5

I liked the vast majority of the test, and even some of what I was on the fence about is sticking with me as I walk away.  Can't ask for more than that from a BFT.  

[randyhersom]

Rufus stomps a strong field!

[randyhersom]

Actually a dead heat with Quincy, missed that.

[cayetano]

Japanese reissue of the Quincy album arrived at home.