tkeith

Ken, given the exchange above, I'm putting you down for May.

In that case, I'm going to fly you standby along with me for a bit to see what shakes out. You WILL have a 2026 BFT, that much I will guarantee. And thanks for bailing me out this year.

Oh, for the love of... got that one, too. 🙄

Okay, the clues got to me. Another listen to 3 reveals Phil Ranelin as the trombone, and I'll eat my hat if that's not Roy Brooks. That was the when the twig snapped. Check, sure enough, this is sitting in the stacks. Would not have gotten there without the hints (and I LOVE Wendell, but not so much here). It's B2 from this. No such luck on 4. Still brings me to Thomas Chapin. Only thing I know for sure, it's not Braxton, because I'm not ready to enact drastic self-harm (just can't do Braxton). Head definitely has shades of Threadgill, but this doesn't hit me in the feels the way HT does. On track 6, I still can't net the tenor. Serious chops, but... I don't really *like* it. Yes, I'm being curmudgeonly. I feel like Chico Freeman or Peter Apfelbaum could really make this work. This just doesn't really have the fire those guys would bring. I mean, there's fire, but I'm not buying. Feels very... practiced. Chops to spare, but I don't hear the story. Looking back, my ear still brings me to the guesses I initially made, which, evidently were wrong. 😕

That explains my reaction to the bass.

track 01 - Odd tune. I kind of like it, because it reminds me of a Billy Harper tune. Working agaist it, it's NOT that tune. Okay, I know this pianist. It's got a McCoy feel to it, but he doesn't seem to be going right at it the way McCoy would. Snappy brush work. Okay, I was thinking Roy Haynes or Freddie Waits, but that's Elvin, no question. And it's McCoy. Wait... egad, I have this. It's track 2 from this. track 02 - Strange strings combo. Oh, that head sounds familiar when the horns come in. Mayhaps something from the CIMP catalog? I don't think it's Bang... maybe Leroy Jenkins? This has "it" whatever "it" is. It's certainly not polished and not perfect, but it's REAL, and that's more than enough. Tune almost has the feel of a Steve Lacy tune. It's not Frank Lowe, but it's in the neighborhood. Wondering if this is someone I'm more familiar with as an alto player. I read where Gary Bartz said he tends to like alto players who started with tenor and tenor players who started with alto. That's what this sounds like to me. Now I'm not convinced that this is not an alto. I was thinking tenor, but around the 6 minute mark, no that's an alto, with a beastly mid-range. So, early on, I was thinking maybe Jimmy Lyons, but it's a way beefier tone. LOVE the bass. Acutely interested in this one. Live recording would account for the "Cadence sound." track 03 - Horrendous 70s drums sound. Very busy band, maybe soprano lead? Could be Thad/Mel, but doesn't seem to have that facility. Mayhaps an offshoot band of former members? Sounds a lot like Joe Farrell. I don't love this -- could just be the track, but something isn't hitting, here. It lacks what the last track, had. Not sure I know the tenor, unless it's a very early recording of someone I do know. That could be Randy Brecker, but seems a bit more chancy in the approach. That Rhodes is very forward in the mix. Liking the trumpet more than the tenor. Sounds familiar adjacent. I'm getting flashes of recognition, but I don't trust them. I don't think I know this. track 04 - Horrendous 70s drums replaced by horrific 80s bass and drums. "Why you do this to me, Demi... why?" It's not the Black Saint guys. My first thought was that it reminded me of a Threadgill project, but it seems neutered by comparison. Thomas Chapin? Bone reaches me more than the alto. Could be Steve Swell. Those drums combined with the pep-band head just doesn't work for me. It's serious music and the soloists being a lot to it. The "tune" is kind of rubbish. Man, I really don't think that's Threadgill, but it *could* be, if he's working with another band. Muhal? No, that's not Henry. Sound is awfully familiar. I keep coming back to Chapin. I'll commit to that guess, but I don't know this. track 05 - Sounds like a Mingus composition. Okay, it's Mingus. Booker fools no one. Oh yeah, that's Knepper. #badass If I have this, I haven't played it quite awhile. Mingus always has a degree of familiarity, but my collection is by no means exhaustive. That's not Pepper on bari, though. Mingus doesn't get covered NEARLY enough. track 06 - This sounds like an Anthony Branker project, but that's not Tim Warfield. I like most of this, but those drums lack dynamics. He's just beating the hell out of my ears. Too bad, because this is really interesting. Conservatory guy on tenor. He's damned good, but there's a little too much muscle memory happening here to reach me. It's good, but... there's just something missing. Incredibly capable tenor, I'm just not buying it. Craig Handy could sell me this, but this guy (woman?) is not making the sale. Wow... eat up space, much? More ego than fire. track 07 - Cherokee. Never a fan of the tune, but these guys are working hell out of it. I have a listening allergy to this tempo (and a SEVERE playing allergy). It DOES, however, bring to mind this tale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WScoPutUeiY They're pulling it off, but it's just not my thing. It's a bit masturbatory. LIke the bass, but feels like he's at the end of the rope at this tempo. Someone has studied Max. Weird. Seems like I probably need to know this, but don't. If that's NOT Max, I'll be shocked. track 08 - Shades of Charles Lloyd, a touch of Pharoah Sanders, a WHOLE lotta chops... maybe early Lovano? About the one minute mark, that guess feels REALLY on target. Jesus. This dude has his Coltrane DOWN. I'm not in, yet, but no denying the chops. electric bass and I don't want to throw the guy off a tower, so I'm going to guess Jamaladeen Tacuma (about the only guy who reaches me on the electric). Really nice feel. Flirts with Wise One, a bit. Those hyper-compressed drums present a problem for me. The feel is stellar, though. Yeah, that's got to be JT on bass. Coltrane/Pharoah is back. Almost a touch of Bergonzi in that tenor, but there's a sort of prettiness to the tone that tells me no. Sick range. I heard Garzone play My One And Only Love once, and he got this sort of sound, but I'm not convinced his him. This one works, though, in spite of the drums. track 09 - That sounds like Sonny Simmons right off the bat. Nope. Now it got all clean. Clearly a player with some pretty serious chops. I thought I was hearing one tune, but we've arrived at Chelsea Bridge. I thought I was hearing I Loves You Porgy. I think I would like this more if I *hadn't* recognized the tune. Just not sure you need to do this to Ellington. But, they have, and they've done it well. No idea who THEY are, though. Oh... live. Okay, that opens my acceptance level a bit. They're going for it, and I respect that. track 10 - Gonsalves. There is no substitute. Over The Rainbow. Man... I'd listen to this guy sleep. Raw soul. I detest this tune and he is absolutely slaying it. It's brutal what this guy did to himself, but MAN, could he play. No idea what the record is, but I will never find enough Paul Gonsalves to please me. track 11 - What's New. Dickerson, at his absolute best. If this album isn't in the desert island collection, that island does not exist. Friggin' travesty that this guy isn't one of the pivotal figures known by EVERYBODY. Try to find an off moment on this album -- go ahead, I'll wait. First time I heard this on CD, I heard the drums on the title cut for the *first* time. This guy was an absolute gem. track 12 - This is really nice. Not sure what it is. LOVE the bass. Ah! About 2:00 mark, we have slidy piano keys and he's taking up a LOT of the space. Sounds like Blackberry Winter, so I'm going to say Jarrett. LOVE the bass, did I mention that? I've got my issues with KJ, but no denying, the dude can play. This is most certainly among my favorite BFTs of 2025. Well done, sir! I'll be damned. Garzone. And it WAS Bang. And a whole lot of other stuff I should probably know and a bunch I DON'T know. So much to learn, so little time.

Confirming Danuary, medjuck for February, and Felsember (THERE we go!). Not confirming Jim until he says so.

These threads tend to get long relatively quickly, but it's unclear how long I have to edit the original post. Sometimes I can fill them in, sometimes I can't. So, if you claim, I'll confirm, but I'm going to hold off from making an actual "calendar" post until we have a few confirmations, at least. I know Dan wants January, so we'll start there -- January is Danuary. Please request your month in this thread (rather than staking an outright claim). I'll do my level best to make sure everybody gets one of their top two choices, but the early bird gets the worm.

Sorry for the delay -- upside: actually slept!

My inner curmudgeon (I searched images for "grumpy old man")

Apologies for taking 3-1/2 weeks to get to this. Whatever I was expecting, it was not this. track 01 - The Wedding. Abdullah Ibrahim (and further proof what absolute shit American pop music is -- this song was on the charts in South Africa). Not sure which version this is, none of them are bad, it's a great tune. 4/5 track 02 - First reaction is Bobby Shew, but seems a bit more energetic than I'm used to hearing him, so perhaps a younger player I should know better? Rhythm section has that Harold Mabern feel, but I think these guys are a generation or two younger than HM. Disciple of Woods on alto. Dude can play. I'm not in love with it, but the ability is legit. Definitely not Mabern. This is cookin', but I'm wondering how a full album would measure up. Could be I'm just in curmudgeon mode. I'm not convinced, but I'm listening. This is good. I'm being too harsh on these guys. They're in this, and it works. Got a bit of polish, but it's working. Bass solo didn't wow me, but wasn't a knock, either. Drummer has his Billy Higgins down. Maybe Farnsworth? 4/5 (upgraded from 3.5, because I felt I was being a bastard) track 03 - Getting serious Strata-East MPS vibes from this. If not for the trumpet, I'd guess this was a Dick Griffin project, meaning, I'm a very happy boy. Well, this tune could be either McCoy's Sahara, or Don Pullen's Kadji. It's neither, but it borrows from either or both. Not a bad thing. Mix in a little impressions breakdown to break it up, I'm listening. Still on the head, but alto has Jackie's sound down. Hmmm... and his Dudu. The choppy swing, that sound, is this a South African band? Mix in a little Threadgill with that sound. Now I'm wondering if this could be a Muhal project. Why do I not have this? Trumpet sounds like one of the Murray guys, so much that I'm a little cheesed of that it's not Murray on tenor. I'm going to stick with the SA line on this, but no idea who it is. Must have this. 4/5 (but SQUARELY in my wheelhouse) track 04 - Cheek to Cheek. Always makes me think of The Purple Rose of Cairo, but my favorite version is Ray Anderson (in 3!). Very capable musicians. Guessing just outside of my listening ring. Might be worth bringing back the Bobby Shew guess, as that could be Makoto Ozone. I feel like this album is definitely in Dan's stacks. 4/5 track 05 - I like the feel of this overall. Tenor feels a bit polished for this, but I guess that's par for the course. Sounds a bit like Jeff Coffin, but I'm fairly familiar with his output, and this player's sound is bit more trad Jazz than Jeff. No denying the musicianship. Not sure I want a whole album of this, though. For a single tune? Yes, please. I'd prefer he (she?) didn't go all Brecker-ish around the 3:00 mark, but overall, this still works. 4/5 track 06 - A little tango? Full disclosure, the whole song played with minimal interaction on my part. Had to replay it because the first run made zero impression. Not news that I'm not a fan of the clarinet, but this neither disturbed nor engaged me. It's good musicianship (second run through), but not in a way that makes me care. 2.5/5 track 07 - Not sure what head the trumpet started with, but then overlayed over Groovin' High. Younger generation players, but doing it well. I don't believe I know the trumpet. Don't recognize the tenor, which is what bugs me about this. Could be [fill in conservatory-trained tenor here] or any number of people, but I'm not hearing anyone unique. Guitarist sounds like someone who's listened to a lot of Martino (and realized how impossible it is to play like that). There's nothing wrong here, but this could be a well-crafted band-in-a-box track. I just don't hear the balls. 3/5 track 08 - Sounds like Kenny Barron's band. Really like this, but no idea what it is. 4/5 track 09 - Love this. No idea what it is. Bit like a David Murray head, but that voice captures that Tom Waits feel (before he trashed his voice completely). This is a bit weird, but in a good way. I'm in. Full in. No idea who it is. ROAR! ROAR!!! ROOOOOOARRRR!!!! Love it! 5/5 track 10 - I know the song, but not the version. I know it was Al Jarreau, but I know it from a guy from this area, Chris Humphrey (check out his Cadence relief, you won't be disappointed). I like her voice. Unsure who it is. I like that they stayed right with it, no BS. 4/5 track 11 - Uhm, perfect? Okay, that explains much. Assume that's Sweets, but that's DEFINITELY Jaws. Certifed Bad MF. 5/5 track 12 - Piano makes this a bit new agey, but that tenor sound is NOT that. Ah, but now it's getting a little smooth for my taste. Early on I was getting shades of Buck Hill, but the little grace note thingy is more Chad LB than Buck. It's not "bad", just a little too glossy covered for my taste (and doesn't fare well in the shadow of the previous track). Yeah, sorry, this is a full pass for me. I'm sure this guy was the envy of the practice room, but I'm full on not caring about this cut. 3/5 By and large, I really liked this set. A couple of tracks that didn't hit me in the feels, but most of it was firmly in the other (preferred) category.

Getting in here while I'm prepping for a rehearsal, so apologies if my text is a bit distracted. Track 01 - Arrangement immediately brought me to Mulligan, then bari came in and sent me in the opposite direction. I admire the growly edge, as well as the facility of the bari. No idea who it is. This may get me in trouble with Dan, but that sounds like Scott Hamilton to me. A bit more traditional than my happy zone, but I’m fine with this across the board. A solid 3/5, Leonard. (I REMEMBERED!!!) Track 02 - Gene Ammons’ Walkin’ (and I’m not sorry for referring to it as such). Alto is quite controlled. At first, it rubbed me, but as it goes on, this player is staying within themself and not trying to recreate anything we’ve heard, and that alone makes this a winner for me. None of this is wowing me, but all of it is hitting the right nerves. Drummer would grate on me after a bit, but I appreciate what I think they are going for. Trumpet is the one catching my ear the most. A bit like mid-60’s Art, but not him. A happy comparison, though. Bass is doing everything I want them to. Fire the engineer! (not a fan of that fade) Track 03 - Nope. Track 04 - Donna Lee. I know Grachan Moncur, III used this in his teaching a lot, so I’d guess one of his students. Player has chops. I’ve always found the tune a bit masturbatory, though. (let the flames begin) 3/5, though musicianship is probably higher. Track 05 - Do I detect Billie’s Bounce? This octopus can play the piano. High energy throughout. 3.5/5 Track 06 - Interesting cross of eras, but not one I’m sure I’d visit very often. 2.5/5 Track 07 - Another trio burner. Getting a Toshiko vibe from the pianist. Tumbling drums and stabby bass are kind of confusing the issue. There we go, now we’re locked in. But then, no. Then, yes. Interesting, but a bit distracting. If the lights were out and it was night, and I could dig into this, I’d be more into it. I do like it, but I’m having trouble connecting to it. 3.5/5 (could get to 4 easily with the correct setting). Track 08 - Usually the bass (or is it cello, or “piccolo bass”) used in this fashion doesn’t hit for me, but I like this. Feels very solid and in the pocket, AND the guy has intonation (you hear me, Ron!?). 4/5. Track 09 - Straight ahead swinging piano trio. What’s not to like? Only thing that would make me like this more is if it were Mal Waldron. :D I’ll take one of these for the road, please. A little arco to boot. 4/5. Track 10 - We’re back where we started. The sweet harmonies of this pocket of the genre don’t always hit for me. Today? Working just fine. Westie tenor. Might be someone I’m familiar with, but only peripherally. Three in a row! That sure sounds like a valve trombone, which is a problem for me. It’s okay, here, but I don’t want to hear it on EVERY track. 4/5 Track 11 - Piano vamp has me recalling McCoy on the intro to Autumn Serenade, so, they have an uphill climb. :D Odd rhythmic interplay between piano and bass. Not sure it works, but it’s interesting. To my ear, this wants for a drummer, but that’s just me. 3/5 Track 12 - This is the sort of thing I can appreciate live. On record, I could not wait for this to be in the past tense. 2/5 (should be higher just for the musicianship, but just not my bag) Track 13 - Crescent, done differently. I’m not loving it, but I’m wondering if this is going to be someone I know and like a lot. As I recently heard David Murray say, “Coltrane is hard, man.” 3/5 Track 14 - Is this a tune a know or approximating something I know? Certainly capable players. First player has chops, but comes off a bit polite. I could copy and paste that for player two. That said, there is not a thing wrong with this. Good feel from rhythm section. Piano sounds QUITE familiar. Almost like John Hicks, but slowed a bit (as Barry Harris to Bud Powell). I’d take another track from this band. Remind me a bit of Sabertooth. 3.5/5 Track 15 - Some Other Time, no? As a rule, I don’t care for the recent trend of redoing standards with fancy rhythmic choices, but this one works. It works very well, indeed. I mean, I’m not getting rid of my Bill Evans records, but this is respectful of the tune, but done in their own way. More of this, please. 3.5/5 Thanks, Ken! There's a few in here I'd really like to spend some more time in. I think 7 and 15 are the two I'd return to most often.

I didn't choose them -- they chose me. Seriously, that's typically how I build them. Throughout the year, I'll make a note of anything that really grabs me. It's been a good listening year.