BFT #44 CD-1

[Durium]

I'd suggest to start the discussion at Saturday 27th of January?

Keep swinging

Durium

Edited January 24, 2007 by Durium

[tooter]

I might be able to wait that long but...

[Durium]

I might be able to wait that long but...

Only one night from now .............

Keep swinging

Durium

[Dan Gould]

I really don't want to be the board nag but I can't help it:

Why does February's BFT have a discussion thread started with almost a week to go in January?

Why is the discussion thread started before the answers are posted in the previous BFT?

That's the process we agreed to.

[Durium]

I really don't want to be the board nag but I can't help it:

Why does February's BFT have a discussion thread started with almost a week to go in January?

Why is the discussion thread started before the answers are posted in the previous BFT?

That's the process we agreed to.

If you think BFT # 44 starts too early on the 27th I agree to start later. It's up to the list members.

Keep swinging

Durium

[tooter]

1 Strange mixture – rooty tootie start and pullen-like glissandos on the piano. No clue about anything.

2 Nearer to my usual fare but still no ideas – like it though.

3 Distinct Messengers feel but that’s partly because of the tune – E T A by Bobby Watson. I don’t recognize any of the players here but I don’t think it is the Messengers. Right up my alley though.

4 “Time After Time” – nice! Sounds a little like Chet but don’t think it is.

5 Don’t know the tune here but again I like this. No clue.

6 Ditto.

7 Not keen!

8 Is it two pianos? Sounds good, got a sort of west coast feel to the piano rhythm – Pete Jolly, someone like that? Bet I’m very wide of the mark.

9 “Rhythm-a-ning” – like it- don’t know who.

10 “Cheryl” – pianist’s style seems not at all familiar; a rather quirky but not unattractive rhythm. “East is east” quote – “sings” a bit. I will venture an opinion that the alto is Herb Geller though.

11 NDR big band? NMCOT. Don’t know the tune – vinyl from the clicks etc.

12 Mixture of “What is this thing” and “Hot House”. Good trumpet – sounds familiar in parts but can’t produce a name. Good one.

13 “Cherokee” – Konitz- like, but not I believe.

14 “I Want to be Happy” – they are by the sounds of it. Circus music?

Thanks for a great disc, Hans – fun almost all the way.

[Stereojack]

1. This starts out sounding like the Beau Hunks, the band that recreated the Little Rascals music, but once the solos begin, it appears to be something else. Don’t know what.

2. Fleet-fingered pianist. Can’t really get much of a handle on this one.

3. Reminds me of “Giant Steps” a little. Like the last track, it starts off on one plane and stays there. Clever, but ultimately not too engaging. No clues.

4. “Time After Time”, a tune I’ve always liked. I like the trumpet, nice gentle approach. The guitarist’s tone isn’t my favorite – maybe Jack Wilkins?

5. I think this might be Charlie Mariano. A few years ago he made a couple of “standards” albums, and he sounded a tad rusty, as does this guy. Actually, if this is a standard, I don’t recognize it. Nice pianist.

6. I feel like I ought to know who this is. The alto isn’t killing me.

7. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

8. I think this may be an older recording – nice bebop piano. Good drummer. For some reason, I’m thinking West Coast – Hampton Hawes, possibly, or Claude Williamson, or perhaps Lou Levy. Very nice.

9. I found this performance of “Rhythm-a-ning” a little too clever for it’s own good. Well rehearsed, but just too slick and cute.

10. A Bird tune – “Barbados”? This might be Frank Morgan on alto, and a fine pianist, maybe George Cables. Like the pianist a lot, less fond of the alto.

11. I think this may be Don Ellis – it’s in a tricky time signature, and the electronics are not unlike what I might expect from him. I enjoyed this stuff back when it was new, but don’t really find it all that interesting today.

12. “What Is This Thing Called Love”, with a snippet of its counterpart “Hot House” thrown in. Nice trumpet player – Conte Candoli? Bobby Shew?

13. Lee Konitz, I’m pretty sure. It’s funny, in recent years, Konitz can sound great, and at other times he sounds like he hasn’t picked up the horn in a while. This is one of the latter. Still, this laid-back rendition of “Cherokee” demonstrates that Lee is never on automatic pilot, is always trying to keep it fresh, and for that I applaud him. Konitz has recorded so prolifically in recent years, the pianist could be one of a number of people, but I’m gonna guess Harold Danko.

14. Spike Jones lives!

[Durium]

Thanks Tooter for making a start. It's always diffcult to be the first one, and you can be proud of yourself as you found several facts. I'm glad you like the selection.

I'll post commends to some of your remarks:

3 Distinct Messengers feel but that’s partly because of the tune – E T A by Bobby Watson. I don’t recognize any of the players here but I don’t think it is the Messengers. Right up my alley though.

Edited January 27, 2007 by Durium

[Dan Gould]

E.T.A. is an English acronym for Estimated Time of Arrival. I always took it to mean that since at this point Watson was a young guy, as were most of the guys in the Messengers then, that it was a reference to all the young guys coming, or that they were just about there.

[Durium]

Thanks Stereojack for your suggestions. I'll give you some commends to your suggestions.

1. This starts out sounding like the Beau Hunks, the band that recreated the Little Rascals music, but once the solos begin, it appears to be something else. Don’t know what.

It's not the Beau Hunks, you're right.

4. “Time After Time”, a tune I’ve always liked. I like the trumpet, nice gentle approach. The guitarist’s tone isn’t my favorite – maybe Jack Wilkins?

You're right with the title: Time After Time. I like the trumpet player too. The guitar player is not Jack Wilkins.

5. I think this might be Charlie Mariano. A few years ago he made a couple of “standards” albums, and he sounded a tad rusty, as does this guy. Actually, if this is a standard, I don’t recognize it. Nice pianist.

No, it's not Charlie Mariano nor a standard. The piano player wrote the tune.

8. I think this may be an older recording – nice bebop piano. Good drummer. For some reason, I’m thinking West Coast – Hampton Hawes, possibly, or Claude Williamson, or perhaps Lou Levy. Very nice.

You're right - it is an older recording from the 1950s, but none of the musicians you mention.

9. I found this performance of “Rhythm-a-ning” a little too clever for it’s own good. Well rehearsed, but just too slick and cute.

You're right: it is Rhythm-A-Ning.

10. A Bird tune – “Barbados”? This might be Frank Morgan on alto, and a fine pianist, maybe George Cables. Like the pianist a lot, less fond of the alto.

It's a Bird tune, but not Barbados. Tooter found it already: Cheryl. He also found the alto saxophone player Herb Geller. But who's that piano player? And when was it recorded?

11. I think this may be Don Ellis – it’s in a tricky time signature, and the electronics are not unlike what I might expect from him. I enjoyed this stuff back when it was new, but don’t really find it all that interesting today.

You're right - it is Don Ellis. Any idea about the title?

12. “What Is This Thing Called Love”, with a snippet of its counterpart “Hot House” thrown in. Nice trumpet player – Conte Candoli? Bobby Shew?

The title is indeed What Is This Thing Called Love. The trumpet player isn't Conte Candoli nor Bobby Shew.

13. Lee Konitz, I’m pretty sure. It’s funny, in recent years, Konitz can sound great, and at other times he sounds like he hasn’t picked up the horn in a while. This is one of the latter. Still, this laid-back rendition of “Cherokee” demonstrates that Lee is never on automatic pilot, is always trying to keep it fresh, and for that I applaud him. Konitz has recorded so prolifically in recent years, the pianist could be one of a number of people, but I’m gonna guess Harold Danko.

You're right - it is Lee Konitz with Cherokee. The piano player is not a dime a dozen. Nor the bass player !

Thanks Stereojack for your suggestions. you found some more pieces in this puzzle.

Keep swinging

Durium

[tooter]

Thanks Tooter for making a start. It's always diffcult to be the first one, and you can be proud of yourself as you found several facts. I'm glad you like the selection.

Not difficult to be first I find - it's good to set things going - starts can be slow. Proud? - well, not sure about that but thank you anyway, just a best shot. I will try to follow your leads but doubt I can come up with any more guesses even - negative thinking!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

BFT44 a

1 Modern big band, apparently trying to sound old-time, but with modern solos. Sounds a little like some of the George Russell I’ve heard (but I’ve not heard much). I really don’t like this.

2 Modern piano trio. Exciting piece. Too much piano (ie he’s too good for me). Another I really don’t like.

3 I know this tune I think. Modern big band, with tenor solo, saxman all over his horn. Ditto trumpet player. Then alto player, also too competent. And a piano solo that also leaves me cold.

4 “Time after time”, by guitar, bass, drums & trumpet. Very pleasant, with very friendly interactions between guitar & trumpet. I’m not keen on the sound the guitarist is getting but the piece is pretty.

5 Alto intro to ballad? I know the tune, but what is it? No, maybe I don’t know it; maybe it just sounds a bit like “How about me”. All very nicely done, but it doesn’t quite get to me.

6 Drum solo intro. Then post-boppish tune. Alto soloist fits the mood. Another one that sounds a bit too much like jazz for my taste. I’m a bit more with the pianist, though. Well, I was on his first chorus.

7 Oh, someone’s trying to be modern and funky. Tenor player sounds fairly good on the head. Hate the guitar solo.

8 Piano trio. This is OK, but nothing to pick out of a crowd.

9 “Straight no chaser” played too fast. Yes, we can hear you’ve all got chops.

10 A recognisable Bop tune (the title of which, as often happens, escapes me) by piano & alto. Yes, another jazz recording.

11 Sounds like a film theme to start off with. Then the groove gets going. Is this off an LP? I thought I heard a skip. Love the busy rhythm section. Love the trumpet solo. Oh yes, this is REALLY getting to me. Loss of tension when the intro comes back, then it picks up again for the electric piano solo. But this isn’t as effective as the trumpet solo. A tenor player would have been a better choice at that point. I’ll be interested to see who this is. Well done for a live gig.

12 What is this thing called, love? Slightly disorganised start but settles down after they’ve played the head. Trumpet led quartet; a good live performance. If you were there, it’d be very acceptable, I think.

13 “Cherokee” by piano & alto. Nice idea to take it slowly. But I don’t know that the pianist entirely agrees. Oh, in comes a bass player; is he late or was he just having a quick cough and a drag for the first 7 minutes?

14 “I want to be happy” and so does the band. Sounds like Spike Jones. Sounds like they succeeded. Sounds like the audience thought so, too.

I’m afraid there has been very little in this set that I’ve enjoyed much. In a way, this has been pretty interesting. It’s clear to me that much of this music is very good. I think of it as a jazz equivalent of l’art pour l’art movement of the back end of the 19th century and early 20th – essentially an aesthetic adventure. As such, I’m certainly not equipped to appreciate it. Sorry.

MG

[sidewinder]

Just starting to listen to the disk 1. My guess for the album/lineup on track 4 is this one (guitarist quickly recognisable - I think?):

Track 4

Edited February 1, 2007 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Recognised track 11 - yep, Don Ellis. Dug out my vinyl - side 3 track 2 (or CD2 track 2) of this gem -

Track 11

[sidewinder]

My guess for the 'ETA' is the group on this one:

Track 3

[Durium]

Thanks Magnificent Goldberg for your reply. I'll follow your commends and give some suggestions. Both Tooter (T) and Stereojack (S) posted their commends earlier - if they already found out some facts I'll notice that !

1 Modern big band, apparently trying to sound old-time, but with modern solos. Sounds a little like some of the George Russell I’ve heard (but I’ve not heard much). I really don’t like this.

I like this band very much - there is no accounting for tastes - and love to hear it in concert once. It's not George Russel.

2 Modern piano trio. Exciting piece. Too much piano (ie he’s too good for me). Another I really don’t like.

The leader is one of our leading piano players ............ famous up to Qatar !!

3 I know this tune I think. Modern big band, with tenor solo, saxman all over his horn. Ditto trumpet player. Then alto player, also too competent. And a piano solo that also leaves me cold.

E.T.A. (T) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (T).

4 “Time after time”, by guitar, bass, drums & trumpet. Very pleasant, with very friendly interactions between guitar & trumpet. I’m not keen on the sound the guitarist is getting but the piece is pretty.

Time After Time (T S)

5 Alto intro to ballad? I know the tune, but what is it? No, maybe I don’t know it; maybe it just sounds a bit like “How about me”. All very nicely done, but it doesn’t quite get to me.

It's not How About You as you say !

6 Drum solo intro. Then post-boppish tune. Alto soloist fits the mood. Another one that sounds a bit too much like jazz for my taste. I’m a bit more with the pianist, though. Well, I was on his first chorus.

7 Oh, someone’s trying to be modern and funky. Tenor player sounds fairly good on the head. Hate the guitar solo.

I guess the tenor player will like your compliment !

8 Piano trio. This is OK, but nothing to pick out of a crowd.

9 “Straight no chaser” played too fast. Yes, we can hear you’ve all got chops.

Rhythm-A-Ning (T S )

10 A recognisable Bop tune (the title of which, as often happens, escapes me) by piano & alto. Yes, another jazz recording.

Cheryl (T) with Herb Geller (T) on alto, but who's the piano player?

11 Sounds like a film theme to start off with. Then the groove gets going. Is this off an LP? I thought I heard a skip. Love the busy rhythm section. Love the trumpet solo. Oh yes, this is REALLY getting to me. Loss of tension when the intro comes back, then it picks up again for the electric piano solo. But this isn’t as effective as the trumpet solo. A tenor player would have been a better choice at that point. I’ll be interested to see who this is. Well done for a live gig.

It's vinyl ( T ), you're right.

12 What is this thing called, love? Slightly disorganised start but settles down after they’ve played the head. Trumpet led quartet; a good live performance. If you were there, it’d be very acceptable, I think.

Indeed What Is This Thing Called Love (T S ). The trumpet player is not the leader and this group actually accompanies a vocalist, not yet on stage for her second set.

13 “Cherokee” by piano & alto. Nice idea to take it slowly. But I don’t know that the pianist entirely agrees. Oh, in comes a bass player; is he late or was he just having a quick cough and a drag for the first 7 minutes?

Cherokee ( S T ) and the alto sax player is Lee Konitz ( S T ). Who are the piano player and the bass player ( who might have had a cough and a drag )

14 “I want to be happy” and so does the band. Sounds like Spike Jones. Sounds like they succeeded. Sounds like the audience thought so, too.

I Want To Be Happy ( T). Not Spike Jones

Thanks MG for your commends, although this part was not your piece of cake, as I understood. Sorry 'bout that.

Keep swinging

Durium

[Durium]

Just starting to listen to the disk 1. My guess for the album/lineup on track 4 is this one (guitarist quickly recognisable - I think?):

Track 4

Bingo !!

4. Time After Time ( Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne ) ( 3:06 )

Philip Catherine Quartet: Philip Catherine g, Philippe Aerts b, Joost van Schaik dm, Bert Joris tp flh Recorded 29 May 2002 ( Philip Catherine – Summer Night ( FDM 36637 )

Keep swinging

Durium

[Durium]

Recognised track 11 - yep, Don Ellis. Dug out my vinyl - side 3 track 2 (or CD2 track 2) of this gem -

Track 11

You're right again !!

11. Antea ( Levy) 5:53

Don Ellis Big Band. Recorded Live at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West in San Francisco 18-21 June 1970. ( Don Ellis at Fillmore )

I've told the weird story, how I came to this tunes, in my Keep swinging web log a month ago !

Keep swinging

Durium

[Durium]

My guess for the 'ETA' is the group on this one:

Track 3

This is your third hit, Sidewinder. Chapeau !!

My cover is different from yours, but it is the same session.

Keep swinging

Durium

[sidewinder]

[i've told the weird story, how I came to this tunes, in my Keep swinging web log a month ago !

Keep swinging

Durium

Yes Hans, I remembered your story and thought of it when the needle jump happened on this track. Great Don Ellis number - it got me to play the album through back to front again, something I haven't done for a while. Thanks !

[Durium]

Up to now four members have sent their commends to my BFT # 44. Their suggestions and remarks were interesting and some tracks could even be labeled correctly - some tracks gave enough clues to find out more information I guess. Great !!

Of course I'd love to give you suggestions to help you on te right trail, but then I need commends from you. This week my daily Keep swinging web log is one year online and some info might be in my contributions.

Good luck !![/b]

BTW: If you forgot to ask for a copy or link contact me.

350 x | Keep swinging

Durium

[dutchmanx]

Thank you for your time and excellent work!

Not too much guess but want to note few tracks I liked most:4, 5(!), 8

10 - is this Keith Jarreth?

Andrew

[king ubu]

Thanks a lot for your fun compilations, Hans, and thanks for sending me that reminder! I've had your BFT on the ipod for a couple of days and gave one background listen to all of it yesterday, and now did a second round while at work, typing up some impressions and comments. So far I've got #1-11 of disc one, I will not read the threads before having posted comments on all tracks of the discs!

#1 Is this one serious or not? Very groovy! Could be some of these Dutch maniacs in retro mode? The drummer builds a great swing, I love this kind of brushes playing! Bennink? First alto is a bit lazy in execution and the sound fits perfectly with that... second alto is nice, too, and the piano backing is quite nice as well - a great start for this disc!

#2 Nice one, no clue who it is...

#3 This one does sound familiar, but I can't pin it down. Ye olde hardbop, but pretty nice, especially the drummer! Playing it again... who the hell could this be? Is it less old than it sounds first? Tenor solo is pretty nice, is this from a Donald Byrd date? The Mobester? It's been quite some time since I played any Byrd... but who'd be on alto? The entry sounds like it could be Jackie Mac, but later the sound and execution gets a bit tamer... Hmm, I suppose I'm making a fool of myself with these comments...

#4 I know this tune, but once again I can't pin it down... nice combination, trumpet/guitar/bass/drums. I enjoy both the guitarist's old-fashioned sound (with that slight twang! pretty nice!) and the sound of the trumpet player. I don't know of many trumpet players who worked with this format, Tom Harrell comes to mind, but then I'm not familiar enough with his playing to tell if this is him... but could be.

#5 Nice ballad. The alto sound is rather pretty, but for my taste a bit inconsistent (changing between pretty full - which I like - and rather etheric and thin - which I don't enjoy... main reason why in 9 of 10 cases I prefer tenor...) Piano solo is nice, a bit flowery in between... all rather old-fashioned, bass and drums mostly staying out of the way, although the drummer does a few fills here and there, and nicely so.

#6 More alto, a bit beafier, I prefer this one. Jackie Mac influence? I enjoy the alto solo a lot! Good backing by the drummer! Piano is good, too, out of a Tyner bag, a bit?

#7 Ouch, this almost hurts! Quite a change of style! Not bad in itself, but it doesn't fit here, in my opinion.

#8 This one's nice! The stop-and-go feeling is nice, could be one I ought to be able to identify... Herbie Nichols? Longtime I played his BN material, but the box has recently been added to the listening pile.

#9 Rhythm-A-Ning by Monk, not easy for any pianist to cover Monk, and likely bound to fail, I think... not bad, but nowhere near Monk, sorry.

#10 One of those Bird tunes... "Blues for Alice"? One of the moaners on piano, but a nice solo, sounds at some moments like late Bud Powell. Alto makes a nice, understated entry, pretty cool sound for a hot player... nice one, but I'm clueless once more!

#11 Another abrupt stylistic change, but this is a fun track, right from the bass-lick and congas to the stacked horns. Trumpet has nice bits! Electric piano fits in well here, too. A pretty enjoyable track!

[king ubu]

#12 "What Is This Thing Called Love". A great performance, they're definitely on, whoever they are! Sounds like some old US pros, but in the end the tumpet player says thanks in German, so I don't know... the trumpet player has iron chops, but enough good taste to not just show off - I really like this, it's old-fashioned (a tune played to death, too, I think) but it's very well done!

#13 Lee Konitz circumcising "Cherokee" - clear from the first tone that this is Lee! The old man still is in pretty great shape (or at least he has been up to around 2001-2003 or so, I haven't heard much of more recent vintage, and one or two 2005 or 2006 live broadcasts I heard were a bit less exciting, I thought). Is this from the Konitz/Mehldau/Haden "Alone Together" on Blue Note? I have to play those two discs again, long time since I did! Mehldau is pretty restrained, but that suits Lee's dryness quite well, in fact his full-blast romantic side would be totally misplaced!

And of course this is another tune played to death decades ago, but if it's revisited like this, no one cares about that!

(Phew, at least one I could pin down!)

#14 And a fun closer... "I Want to Be Happy"?

[king ubu]

Just starting to listen to the disk 1. My guess for the album/lineup on track 4 is this one (guitarist quickly recognisable - I think?):

Track 4

I thought that was Joris, not "Jorvis"?

Pretty nice one!

I did royally wrong on some cuts, should have been able to guess Ellis and "Cheryl"... too bad about the Blakey cut, but I'm glad to realize at least someone from those days is leading pack, even though it's a much later recording... and then I never really was that interested in these retro things - the only thing putting this above any kind of Wynton M. schtick is that there's and oldster in it who was around back in the day (makes a big difference, but there's too much other stuff around that I find to be a lot more exciting).