webbcity

Dan, super late to the reveal (as well as the test itself) but I did finish up listening and really enjoyed a lot of this one. Two big takeaways for me were: 1. I must check out more Percy France! 2. I still love Buddy Tate and don't listen to him nearly enough. And did people really not like the Junior Mance cut? I thought that was a great one. Thanks for your efforts!

Will do my best! Possibly over the weekend... will try not to look at the reveal before then. 🙂

Dan, apologies, I keep wanting to do better with these and somehow keep running short of time. Been a crazy month. I always thought my time management skills would improve with age, but sadly I seem to be going in the opposite direction...😜 Anyway, here is what I was able to get to so far... as always, I've not yet read the thread, just pasted my comments below, noted as I listened... Track 1 - OK, I know this tune but am bugged that I can't think of the name. Big band stuff is tricky for me... I mean, there's Ellington, and then there's everything else. Unfortunately I'm not getting much from this one, I must admit. The rhythm section sounds uptight and the trumpet soloist isn't saying much to me... just seems like a stream of notes without much of an arc. Now the bari player is a bit of a different story-- reaching for something different there. The tenor solo is going somewhere too, and I enjoyed the little horn duel after that. Track 2 - Now this... THIS! I already love it. I can hear the story, you know? This tenor player has been places. Love the off-kilter feel and the odd sound/miking of the piano only adds to that effect. Ah yes, another tenor player! Hell yeah, this is groovin'. It just cooks and doesn't let up. Really digging the piano solo also, great feel and intensity. I suppose this should be an easy call with two tenor players of this vintage, piano, and drums but I honestly don't know who this is. Loving it though! And a classic tenor battle at the end. Scorching! And most excellent. Oh, and this is Billie's Bounce of course, forgot to mention that. Track 3 - Really enjoying the nice easy feel of this one. Not sure of the tune. Capturing a fantastic mood here. Tasty guitar work, and the guitarist has me thinking this is a more recent recording than I originally thought. I just love how they're taking their time with this-- not out to impress, but as a result-- very impressive. I like the thoughtfulness of the pianist's lines. Very nice all the way around. Track 4 - Ah, Broadway! This tune is a favorite, used to play this one a lot with a guitarist I gigged with for years. The tenor solo gets high marks right out of the gate-- great sounds! Less excited by the trumpet player, and the following tenor & piano solos. Done in an older style which sometimes I love, but here comes off as a little square, at least to me. Still I enjoy the overall energy of the track. Track 5 - Lester Leaps In, and I do enjoy a good drummerless trio. And this is one! Great sax work here, the kind of sound that just makes you go "ahhhh, everything's gonna be alright!" Very smooth. Really digging the piano solo too. Very solid playing all the way around, effortless and grooving. Fabulous bass solo! Giving me shades of Niels Pedersen, though it's not him. Excellent all the way around, really liked this one. Track 6 - Oooh I love this tune too but once again my memory is failing on the name. Again, fantastic feeling here, solid groove! They make it sound easy. Brilliant piano solo, really like the chordal stuff especially. Wow, this is a tight group. Phenomenal playing from all-- bassist and drummer are killing it! Love the bass solo. Really curious to know who this is. Track 7 - Another favorite, Django! My favorite version of this tune is the very first one recorded by the MJQ. As for this one...I like it! Also an excellent rendition.

I will definitely be participating, fear not! Hope to get to it this week. 😎

Wow. Fantastic! Some really cool and fascinating reveals here. First of all, can't believe I didn't get Roberta Flack. I used to own this record and now I'm going to buy it again!! Very intrigued by the Corea as I haven't heard much "recent" stuff of his that's sounded like this. Wishbone Ash I also should have gotten! That makes total sense now. Spirit is a band I've checked out a little bit but clearly need to investigate more. The Sam Jones record is now on my want list, and I also really dug the Mulligan/Baker and the Lakecia Benjamin. What a great BFT. Thanks for putting this one together, John!

Finally got to this! December has been a nutty month. These were my thoughts as I listened, have not yet read the thread. Have also not proofed so hopefully the below is not riddled with errors, apart from the usual... 😁 Track 1 - Hell yes to that bass sound, and the feel-- nice and rubbery. Boy, I know this singer for sure but don't know that I can ID her. Damn good! Love her delivery and the emotional impact is there. I already know I need this. The support of the trio is just perfection. Totally sympatico. Fantastic start to this BFT, really really love this track. Track 2 - I like the feeling of mystery building out of the intro. Great piano playing. So far this sounds like a more modern track but one with deep roots in the 60s. As we settle into the groove, still digging it but also feeling like the direction isn't totally clear to me. Piano coming back to the forefront though...this solo is starting cook now. I do like this pianist quite a bit. Guessing it is the pianist's date? This sounds both intense and effortless at the same time, like a slow burn. Enjoying the fluidity of the bass & drums. Ah yes, give the bass player some! There's a hint of Alex Blake here at times (clearly not him though). I love the chordal stuff and the high harmonic bits too. Very nice! Would have enjoyed being in the audience for this show for sure. The tenor player doesn't really speak to me, might be a touch too technical/mechanical for my taste, also isn't helped by the recording unfortunately. I feel overall conflicted about this track I guess...it sounds very much like something I should love, and yet I'm not sure it ultimately gets anywhere for me. Track 3 - I do like the bass intro-- giving some love to the electric too! Well this is a very different turn of events. I like this a lot, has a very Allman Brothers feel to it once the guitars and drums come in. Very cool. Nice feel and I like the twin lead. Love the droney/chordal nature of the bass feature about halfway through before going into the faster tempo. This is fun! I go back and forth between thinking it's southern rock or a Krautrock band (they do sound a bit like Agitation Free in spots), but I think more likely the former. In any case, me likey! Oh hang on, now I'm thinking British now that we've gotten to the swing/blues bit. John Mayall? Steamhammer? Am remembering some of our conversations now and wondering if it's one of those groups. Keef Hartley Band? Track 4 - OK...I know this! But what the heck is it? Ah, the aging brain. I definitely have this in my collection and I'm blanking on the name of the tune AND the artist! Arg. Anyway... really cool head, I love the angles in the melody. Definitely McCoy on piano! And I love this tenor soloist but can't grab who it is at the moment. This has gotta be from Today and Tomorrow! Haven't actually played this one in a while I don't think. But this is a damn good reminder to play it again! What a cool tune and a killer band. Elvin of course. Five stars! Track 5 - Boy I swear this one sounds familiar to me too. LOVE the groove. At first I thought it was a straight up Latin band but this is more like a UK prog thing. Boy I am gonna headslap myself over this one. I know I've heard this but can't place it. I like all the different bits, it goes through a lot of changes in a short time. Definitely sounds in the neighborhood of Colosseum and If, that kind of thing. Good stuff! The more I listen to this the more I think I've heard it before. Damn my brain! Track 6 - Big fan of the droney intro, and something familiar about this one as well. I dig the bass sound and playing a whole lot...and what is that reed instrument? A shehnai? Hmm, that should be a clue. I really like the part shortly before the groove where the bassist is strumming chords while cascades of notes shimmer down from the piano. And the groove/riff is very cool too. Okay, that sure sounds like Billy Higgins on drums, no? And this pianist, damn! That's gotta be Cedar? Sounding a bit more out than usual though, hmm. But this can't be Sam Jones, is it? Have never really heard him sound quite like this. This is friggin amazing. Definitely gotta add this one to the collection! Mind = blown. Track 7 - Wham! Love the bari. This is on fire from the start. Great drumming. Tight sounding group-- everyone is feeling this together. Have I mentioned how much I love the bari? Ah! Thought this might be a live recording. You can feel the excitement. Hearing the Hubbard influence on this trumpeter. Not getting the same dynamics though, would love to feel a bit more heat. Still some great playing though. Love how the pianist gets down inside the sound of the group at the start of their solo. Tasty! The guitar and vibes solos don't do as much for me. But let's not forget to give the bass player some. Fantastic supportive playing throughout this track-- a nimble player with great sound. Track 8 - Fun tune! No idea who it is, but it certainly sounds British-invasion-y or trying to simulate that sound. I have no doubt there's a hidden reason that this is here...likely something to do with the bass player? Hmmm. Track 9 - Nebulous, open, spiritual intro: check. Oh man, the name of this one is escaping me too! Damn. Is this a Cedar Walton tune? Is there a 2nd "Cedar" thread underneath the bass thread? Anyway, I like this, and the two saxophonists playing off each other are great. Damn...the alto player is particularly good! I should definitely know who this is. But I will look forward to the reveal... Track 10 - Back in the pop zone, and I like this one too. Great tune! Not sure what else to say about it but I do enjoy it. The actual singing is probably one of my least favorite parts but I enjoy the tune and the arrangement is really good. Track 11 - Now that's speakin my language! Gimme PG era Genesis any day of the week. Genius!! 100 stars. Some really great stuff here John, thanks so much for your efforts in bringing all of this to our collective ears. A few on here I'm definitely excited to learn much more about!

Sorry I'm late to the reveal party! So I absolutely need to check out more of that Headhunters album. Track 2 was a big winner for me too. In retrospect of course Sun Ra makes perfect sense for track 6, and I *will* have to give that one another try. Thanks so much Jim! Always interesting and informative. 😎👍

Finally got to this! An interesting listen for sure. Here are my thoughts as I listened... Track 1 - The drums! Perfection. Tasty! Hell yes... this is how you build a groove. I feel like I'm in a Masterclass. That guitar riff is killer and I love how it locks in with the bass part and the 2nd guitar. How do I not know this? God Made Me Funky? Damn. Love it. Getting shades of Larry Graham from the bass player. Sax solo unfortunately is a bit too "heady" for me though... I'm waiting for them to cut loose and it's not happening. Feels too controlled. The only thing out of place for me on what is a killer track. Oh hold the phone... wtf just happened? Is this another sax player? Or the same person with effects? I take it all back. Holy smokes... was not expecting that. Off the charts! Five stars for this. Track 2 - And now for something completely different? This is very cool. Wasn't sure what was generating the sounds initially, but is this all triggered by a trumpet? Wow. Oh man, what the hell? Hey Jude? This is nuts! In the best possible way. Hahaha! This is epic. I seriously love this. The marching band part is fantastic. Damn! How big is this band? Hold everything... is this Don Ellis?? Zoinks. I really thought this was something much more recent. Never thought I liked Don a whole lot but I really dig this. Most excellent. Can only imagine what it must have been like to be in the audience at this show. Those hits near the end are POWERFUL. Yowwww! Track 3 - Nice feel right from the beginning and I dig the horns a lot... the way they're recorded too. This is definitely "of a time" and that's a good thing. Is this another pop tune reinterpreted? Seems familiar... there are a few notes in the melody that sound suspiciously like "You've Got a Friend." Nothing earth-shattering for me on this one but it's very enjoyable. Wait, is this a Simon & Garfunkel tune? Damn, this is killing me. Track 4 - A hip hop interpretation of Romeo & Juliet is not something I thought I needed, but what the hell? I like the groove but this is just ok for me. I really just dabble in hip hop and am pretty picky about what I like. This is obviously very good but doesn't push many buttons for me. Track 5 - So this sounds like one of those DJ things where someone overlays new grooves & sounds over an older recording? I think this one will probably fall a little flat for me too. Would love to hear the original recording, I like the vocalist here a lot. But the "drums" are just annoying to me honestly. Wish I could do this but I can't. Track 6 - The beginning of this is a bit distracting for me as I'm having trouble finding the downbeat! I assume that's intentional? Sounds like there's some rhythmic trickery happening but in the end the net effect for me is that it sounds very un-swinging. Or maybe the organist and drummer are from another planet and I'm just not advanced enough to get the language. The tenor player helps things along a bit. Boy. Yeah, I am having trouble with this one for sure. Just not getting it. Maybe I need to listen again. Track 7 - Yikes, that keyboard sound. Once the tune gets going I can hear some good stuff happening here though. But wow this is dated. OK, is this 80s Sonny Rollins? I like some of that stuff quite a bit but not sure about this one so far. Feels very stilted and stiff. There are good moments here but overall this is just ok for me. Track 8 - This is kind of interesting. Lush arrangement for sure! I like the wordless vocals and the strings. This is almost Esquivel-adjacent. The trombonist-- very nice. Great sound. Guitarist sounds a bit like Burrell to me maybe? This was fun. And I dig the drum hits there right at the end on the fade-out. Track 9 - Well, it's the Godfather of Soul! 'Nuff said! Don't know this one though. What a great band. Is this Bootsy era? I like the bit of distortion on the bass, not to mention of course the actual playing which is killer. Give the bass a taste!! Yeah this is fantastic. Definitely a mixed bag for me, but an interesting listen nonetheless! And there are a couple things in here I'm definitely curious to know more about. Thanks Jim!

I enjoy the whole album, but I do think that one track stands out above the rest... That's the one I always return to. Not that the rest isn't a fun listen, but this cut in particular just kills me every time.

Hi friends, My apologies for the delay, this week has been absolutely nuts! Had wanted to write more about these, but I will have to be brief for now... 1) The Art Farmer Septet - "Mau-Mau" (Quincy Jones/Art Farmer) from The Art Farmer Septet (Prestige, 1956) https://www.discogs.com/release/3470768-The-Art-Farmer-Septet-The-Art-Farmer-Septet Love the arrangement on this, great tune, great playing. And supposedly the first recorded electric bass on a jazz track-- Monk Montgomery! 2) Sonny Red - "Love Song" (Sonny Red) from Sonny Red (Mainstream, 1971) https://www.discogs.com/release/2938300-Sonny-Red-Sonny-Red Thom said something about this sounding like someone who usually plays in a different style? That's pretty right on. And so is this track. 3) Nicole Glover - 'Inception" (McCoy Tyner) from Plays (Savant, 2024) https://www.discogs.com/release/31077650-Nicole-Glover-Plays Yep, 2nd time in a row putting in a Nicole Glover track, and there's very good reason for that. This whole album absolutely kills. 4) Art Blakey - "Child's Dance (Christian's Song)" (Ramon Morris) from Child's Dance (Prestige, 1972) https://www.discogs.com/release/2362547-Art-Blakey-And-The-Jazz-Messengers-Childs-Dance Felser kind of led me to this one whether he knows it or not, partly due to some comments about this era of Blakey from a previous BFT. This record is fantastic! 5) Muhal Richard Abrams - "Miss Richarda" (Muhal Richard Abrams) from Colors in Thirty-Third (Black Saint, 1987) https://www.discogs.com/release/2709354-Muhal-Richard-Abrams-Colors-In-Thirty-Third Muhal... always creative, always pushing the envelope while giving respect to the past. *Many places where I see this listed, including the above, think that "Richarda" is a typo and that it should be "Richards." I think not. 6) Eddie Gale - "Holiday" (Eddie Gale) from A Minute with Miles (Mapleshade, 1993) https://www.discogs.com/release/6943593-Eddie-Gale-Quintet-Featuring-Larry-Willis-A-Minute-With-Miles Eddie was the man. Just ask Thom. 7) Big Black - "Burundi Pose" (Big Black) from Elements of Now! (UNI, 1968) https://www.discogs.com/release/2692825-Big-Black-Elements-Of-Now Was pleased that I stumped people with this one. Could play this over and over again, just love the groove and the feeling. 😎 Bern Nix - "Z Jam Blues" (Bern Nix) from Alarms and Excursions (New World, 1993) https://www.discogs.com/release/3161658-The-Bern-Nix-Trio-Alarms-And-Excursions This has been a favorite of mine since it was released... Bern is always a favorite, and when you put him with Fred and Newman T-B? Hell yes! 9) Oscar Pettiford - "Oscalypso" (Oscar Pettiford) from Volume 2 (Bethlehem, 1955) https://www.discogs.com/release/1966480-Oscar-Pettiford-Volume-2 Love me some Oscar! 10) Anthony Braxton - "Blue in Green" (Bill Evans) from 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (Leo, 2003) https://www.discogs.com/release/1081654-Anthony-Braxton-23-Standards-Quartet-2003 This got very mixed responses, as expected. 11) Barbara Donald - "Love for Eric" (Irvin Lovilette) from The Past and Tomorrows (Cadence Jazz, 1983) https://www.discogs.com/release/2763495-Barbara-Donald-Unity-The-Past-And-Tomorrows As discussed in the thread, way into Barbara Donald at the moment. Truly a brilliant artist who deserved more attention. 12) Jonas Hellborg - "Saut-E Sarmad" (Jonas Hellborg) from The Word (Axiom, 1991) https://www.discogs.com/release/395866-Jonas-Hellborg-The-Word This is a long time favorite, bought not only because I'm a Jonas Hellborg fan, BUT... Tony Williams on drums! 13) Junior Parker - "Tomorrow Never Knows" (Lennon/McCartney) from The Outside Man (Capitol, 1970) https://www.discogs.com/release/1165563-Junior-Parker-The-Outside-Man Heard this cover recently and loved the hell out of it, figured it would be a nice way to end the BFT. Thanks to all who participated!

Last chance for any stragglers! Will reveal all later tomorrow. At this point if you're still going to participate, I require that you do it while wearing your Halloween costume.

Truly! I am slowly discovering more and more of her recordings and she is consistently amazing. I do have this one on vinyl. Seems kind of crazy that it's never been released on CD, but at this point I can understand it wouldn't make them any money to reissue it. To your point--they should at least do something like Bandcamp downloads for these. I think that would be successful in getting her music to reach more ears!

Actually it is Carter! Gary is also on the record but not on this tune.

Truly!! Again, shocking to me that her name is so rarely mentioned. Shameful. Wow. Love this and I love "The Inner Light" too. This is definitely going on the want list.

Nope, not Burt... <quickly Googles Burt Wilson!>

Responses below... Dan, you may also have luck with track 9... and maybe track 4? Or not?

John, was hoping a few of these would hit you right in the wheelhouse, glad that it worked out. 😁 Comments below... Was hoping to respond to more right now but I've run out of time... will catch up later today. No surprise, @JSngry, you did nail several of these!

Oh, I think any time you want... Don't think there are any rules around that. I did wonder if track 1 might be ID'd quickly! Boom! Yes! 🏆

Hey gang! I humbly present to you BFT 247, with massive thanks as always to @tkeith! https://thomkeith.net/blindfold-tests/current-tests/ Hopefully I've picked at least a few things worthy of interest & discussion. Also, hoping @JSngry will give it at least a few minutes before he IDs every track. 😉 😄

This was great fun! Everything here was new to me. Though I know a few of the names (Harriott and Parker most notably), there are many artists here I've never heard of before. Thanks for sharing some great music and opening my ears. I'll be exploring a bunch of these!

Yep, Schlippenbach was my first thought too once I saw JSngry's Evan Parker ID.

So #10 is Evan Parker, interesting! I looked it up, and the pianist here was what bothered me most about the track, but I've heard another recording of his that I really liked. Will have to re-listen and see if I missed something.

Have avoided looking at this thread so as not to taint my responses. Here are my thoughts as I listened. Some really enjoyable cuts here, thanks for putting this together! 😎 Track 1 - Starting off in a 70s vibe, which is not a bad thing. Sadly though, this rhythm section isn't doing much for me. Oh hang on...the change in feel at :40 is cool, I do like that. But yeah, the feel of this overall is pretty uptight to me. Not feeling the swing. I think the soloists are very good and like the group sound, but I really have a hard time getting past the rhythm section on this. Track 2 - Now THIS grooves. Here we have a drummer with feeling and fluidity. I like the way the pianist leads into his solo mimicking the last phrase from the head. Maybe this is the pianist's date? Fabulous solo and feeling. Bass solo and sound-- top notch. Trumpet solo is nice but the altoist takes the cake for me here, a most excellent, well-developed solo. Very curious about this one! Track 3 - Right off the bat I love this. Nice interlocking lines, great groove. And you had me at bari. Everyone is in the pocket here. Bari solo is rhythmic more than anything else... very good but was hoping for them to cut loose! Bass player here again has great feel and sound. The trumpet solo could be the highlight for me on this one. Love it. Overall a nice tight unit. Really enjoyed this, though I feel like hearing this group live would be even better. Track 4 - First impression very strong, I like the sound of this band. It wears kind of quickly though. The alto player is clearly a highly skilled musician, but I don't hear a whole lot being said, just a lot of notes. The vibraphonist is a different story altogether--an outstanding, very musical solo. Yep... most curious about who is on vibes here! Track 5 - Nice tenor sound, again a bit note-y but I'm getting more from this. I do again like the groove and the lines are interesting. This feels like a cousin to track #3. I do like it but could use a bit more in the melody department. Rhythmically it's great. For me this stays on the good side of "mathematical." I hear a few Lovano-esque things in the tenor. Nice bass playing, and I like the looseness of the drummer too. Track 6 - OK, you got me with that bass groove. Loving it. Nice fat sound and groovin! Hmm, this sounds kind of familiar. I really dig the violin too. Love the extended dissonant patch there, before getting into the weaving lines. Oh yeah, this one's a keeper. Excellent. Damn, the bassist is killing me, so good. This grooves hard with no drums. Track 7 - A fun, happy tune! Tasty, crisp drumming and I do love that electric piano sound. Yeah, this is cool. Love the trumpet player's sound and there are some nice surprises in the solo. Whoever this is took a page or two from Clark Terry's book. Really great! Oh, I like the guitar lines back there too... those are popping out more to me now. What a great feel on this one. Pianist is killing it too! Wow. The drummer is DAMN good and makes this sound effortless, with of course some superb help from the bassist. OK, this track and the previous one are so far my favorites. Track 8 - Oh yeah, another winner in the groove department and this alto player is on fire! I like that closed hi-hat thing the drummer's doing. Hello trumpet! Boy, some able playing all the way around here. Piano player is doing some really interesting stuff and that bassist is tight. This is a hell of a group. Might have to add this to my other two "favorites" as mentioned in the previous cut. Feels a bit South African but not quite. Track 9 - Well, starting with marimba and bells, I'm already intrigued. And when the keys and soprano come in, I'm suddenly getting shades of Zawinul & Shorter. This kept my interest the whole time, I love the vibe and kept waiting to hear what was gonna happen next. That's four in a row now! Track 10 - I have respect for this, as many of you know I do enjoy my share of avant-garde music, but this one isn't quite for me. A bit too intellectual. I didn't hate it though. Just not something I'd likely listen to again. All accomplished players, clearly, but I'm not sure I hear a conversation happening here. Track 11 - Keeping an open mind on this one. I can do layers of percussion, yes! Not sure I understand the relevance of the sirens, but that's ok. Ah! Now it's coming together. Nice trumpet line. And tuba, yes! It's also now hitting me that there is definitely a Capetown and/or European flavor to a number of these cuts. And that ain't a bad thing! OK, this is definitely intriguing to me. Another winner! Track 12 - Judging from this opening wash of sound I already have the feeling I'm in for something good. And there's the call of the tenor. Dig the bowed bass. Beautiful energy. Yep, I am all in on this! I couldn't possibly have too much of this in my life, in fact. Hoo boy! Those upper register notes sure do it for me, and so does the vocal. Definitely looking forward to the reveal on this one as well. Track 13 - This is an interesting turn, and I do like it. Not sure exactly what to make of it, but that's okay. It inhabits a nice space that I like being in at the moment. Reminding me of something I can't put my finger on. Maybe Shadowfax? Ohhhhhh hell yes to the bari. Wow... now that the horns are in, I REALLY love it. This is pretty damn cool. Fascinating! You got me very curious about this. Track 14 - A nice follow up to the previous track, staying in kind of a dream-like space. I like the groove and the big bass sound. Singer is great. I feel like I'd have to listen to this one a couple more times to really take it all in. The horn interludes add a lot too. The tune sounds almost like an Irish folk tune? Very interesting. I like it! Track 15 - And again a similar space on this track but this one isn't reaching me quite as much. The playing leaves me a little cold. Speaking mostly about the tenor player here. Nothing particularly wrong about this, just not really my thing. They obviously do what they do very well. EDIT: Well OK then, I definitely need some Harry Beckett in my life! Love it! 👍

Wow, some great stuff here Ken, thank you again. Of special interest to me at the moment are 1, 8, 10, and 11 (and of course 2, as mentioned in my comments). Hey, and I actually got #3 (mostly) right! Will definitely be checking out some more of these.

MANY profound apologies for my late appearance here, and in fact I feel like I should apologize to everyone here in BFT-land for disappearing for so long. Life has been a lot this year! But I've missed this. This was really fun to do again, even if I'm coming in at the tail end of the party. Here are my quick thoughts as I listened: Track 1 - Little Niles! Randy Weston. Love the way this starts out, took me a second to realize what tune it was. Really digging this alto player and the band is right there too. Damn! After that fiery alto solo the more introspective piano solo is a nice break. This is great. Yeah, I could use a whole album of this! Track 2 - Ah yes! Two Flowers On a Stem - Jon Jang. First heard this last year and it's been on my want list. Such a beautiful tune, and what a lineup on this record. If I remember right, David Murray, James Newton, Billy Hart? I forget the others. Outstanding! Track 3 - Wow, what a great and diverse bunch of tunes so far. Love the energy here, this group is right on the edge. Immediately the drummer sounds like Steve Ellington to me. And it sounds like the pianist has some avant-garde cred. Actually...huh...maybe this is Hal Galper? It's not *all* working for me but I do like the intensity of this one. Track 4 - Boy, beautiful sound out of that horn. Don't recognize the tune though I feel like I should. Trumpet solo is very tasty but I do find it maybe a bit too careful. Piano solo very nice also, but same comment could apply. Overall I enjoyed this track though. Track 5 - Well this is kind of magical. I'm in another world and I like it! Beautiful. The feel on this is perfect. Arrangement is nice too, though I'm not sure any individual players are grabbing me on this one. Very nice though. Track 6 - Oh man, I am blanking on the name of this tune but I do like this one. What a cool head. This duo is very sympatico. Great playing and a fun sense of energy here-- clearly a good time was had by all (both). And they got chops! Track 7 - I do love a bit of Sweet Georgia Brown. The pianist is impressive from a chops point of view but not at the expensive of feeling or musicality. Wait a sec. Two pianos? I like this a lot. Track 8 - Beautiful intro from the piano... and holy cow what a tenor sound. Star Eyes! This is like buttah! Yeah, this is just fantastic. REALLY digging the tenor player and looking forward to the reveal on this one. Track 9 - A newer group playing an older style, a style that's normally outside of my bag but I do like this kind of thing when done in a particular way. This one isn't really reaching me today though. Oh... well, actually... ok. I do like the tenor player! Once again. Track 10 - Scrapple! Nice solid trio, fabulous piano solo. OK, that drummer ain't bad either! Wow. Wondering now if this is the drummer's group. Very tight... nice reading of this. Track 11 - Oh wow, Stella! That interesting little piano intro threw me off--in a good way. I'm sure I know this alto player, there's something very familiar sounding here. Whatever the case, really like the sound and concept. Trumpet solo is perfection too. Boy... yeah, this pianist really IS interesting. This track is a big winner for me & I'm very curious about it. Track 12 - Very nice arrangement, lush brash... not sure if this one gets off the ground for me though. The soprano player brings the energy but the playing is not totally reaching me. Track 13 - Again, maybe just not my thing. Obviously very well done. Sounds a bit Gil Evans, maybe? Have had trouble getting into his stuff (sorry Thom ). I do like the piano solo that comes in around 2:45 though. Track 14 - Why yes, I do like a bit of jazz violin from time to time. Ah, How High the Moon. That took me a minute. I do like this, particularly when they kick into the higher tempo. No guesses, although it should be a bit easier to guess violinists than tenor players? Track 15 - Yeah, I like the feel of this one a lot. Cool tune, I like the "grand" part at the beginning as well as when it kicks in with the alto player. Maybe Desmond/Brubeck? Not an expert here but it seems like that's the neighborhood. Me like! Some great stuff here Ken, thanks for your efforts! And I see the reveal has already been posted, so I'll now head straight there to be enlightened...