BFT 55 Discussion

[Stereojack]

OK, gang, here we go. I trust that most have received their discs by now, so let the discussion begin!

Edited February 13, 2008 by Stereojack

[Dan Gould]

With pleasure!

1) Great stuff! First thought was Hank – 50s BN Hank – then I wasn't so sure on the little "wail" towards the end of the solo, which sounded like someone more directly "blue" than Hank, say Ammons or Lock. But I'll stick with that guess.

2) More good swinging fun but no names leap to mind. I think I caught a "click" though so I will say it’s a needle drop track.

3) Guess I shouldn't be that surprised that Johnny Mathis did an album of standards. I'm guessing this was included for the backing but I can't pay much attention cuz I can't really get into the vocals. Oh well.

4) Oh yeah, man preach me some of those blues! It may be simple and not so hip but it always satisfies. At least it does for me. I'm going to say Stanley T. here but I am probably wrong.

5) More good stuff but no obvious names are coming to mind.

6) What's not to love? Wild guess – could one tenor be Clifford Scott?

7) Not as great as some of the previous tracks but enjoyable nonetheless. No guesses.

8) This is a song off a BN album … without wanting to check, I think its from that Tippin The Scales Jackie Mac album that didn't come out at the time and some thought it shouldn't have (I seem to recall DEEP expressing that opinion, in his inimitable manner). If I'm wrong, well … I'm sure it’s a BN recording I have. May have to check the thread later to see if I was right.

9) A lovely ballad but no one is leaping to mind. Sounds like an older trumpeter though, maybe Buck Clayton?

10) Finally a tune that didn't really appeal much to me.

11) Back to the good stuff – but why the heck didn't he tell us who HE is?

12) Another good 'un … Trummy Young? Just throwing out names here.

13) Not enough knowledge of this category of singer to identify her.

14) No guesses …

15) No guesses again – and probably similar to track 10 in not really engaging me much but I have to give major props to Jack for coming up with one of the nicest BFT comps in the many years of this Organissimo Tradition.

Kudos, sir. And kudos again.

[Stereojack]

2) More good swinging fun but no names leap to mind. I think I caught a "click" though so I will say it’s a needle drop track.

I've had the LP a long time, but I have taken care of it! Good ears!

8) This is a song off a BN album … without wanting to check, I think its from that Tippin The Scales Jackie Mac album

You got the label right! But it's not Jackie.

[Dan Gould]

2) More good swinging fun but no names leap to mind. I think I caught a "click" though so I will say it’s a needle drop track.

I've had the LP a long time, but I have taken care of it! Good ears!

Because I clean up all my LPs before burning them and so I am more attuned to tiny clicks, sometimes more than I am to the music!

8) This is a song off a BN album … without wanting to check, I think its from that Tippin The Scales Jackie Mac album

You got the label right! But it's not Jackie.

That was my first instinct but as I listened I started thinking is that an alto? But I didn't want to start searching out the track because as we all know, when you've got 50 or more BN discs you can go around and around and never find it.

Since you didn't reply I guess I was wrong on Hank in track 1.

[Big Al]

Time for another fun BFT go-round!

Track 1: This sounded very much like a vintage Horace Silver quintet, but that tenor sax sounds like Coleman Hawkins. Trumpet definitely sounds like Blue Mitchell, and that sounds like Louis Hayes on the drums, especially with his use of the tom-tom fills. Great track!

Track 2: For some reason, I want to say this is something from the Savoy label. Don’t ask me why that popped into my head. Really digging the arrangement; I love arrangers who can take six or seven instruments and make it sound like a big band! Coming to the end, for some reason Introducing Duke Pearson’s Big Band popped into my head. Is it from that? I’ll have to check my vinyl when I get home tonight. Another good one, regardless!

Track 3: No clue when it comes to vocalists, but I do enjoy this singer, whoever he is. I’ve never heard the words to this song, so that’s cool. Alto for some reason sounds like Jackie McLean. Three good ones in a row!

Track 4: Sax is screaming too much for me, blues-shouters like this don’t do much for me. No clue, NMCOT™. Next!!!

Track 5: The stereo spread suggests some Riverside date from the early 60’s. My first thought was this was a track from Jimmy Heath’s On the Trail until that trombone entered, and now I have zero clue! I’ll stick with Heath as my guess, though. What the heck? Another nice track!

Track 6: GO RED GO!!! And Plas, too! Probably not fair that I have this album, but what the hell? Otherwise, I would’ve had no clue, but would’ve been begging for the answer throughout the discussion! I always love to tell the story of how I first heard this album, and with y’alls kind indulgence, I’m gonna quote my own BFT 21 Answer thread to explain my opinion of this track:

So I’m driving to work one day and KNTU plays this hellaciously wild track with these two tenor titans duking it out like their lives depended on it! Almost got a speeding ticket while this played! Called up KNTU to find out about this song and album, and had it ordered by the end of the day!

Having said that, the track that they played is not what I ended up putting on the BFT (that tune was “Go Red Go” and letmetellyou, trying to decide between that tune and the present one (“Keep That Groove Going”) was no easy task!).

Now I’m REALLY glad I didn’t choose “Go Red Go” for my BFT! My only tiny gripe with this song is that it isn’t twice as long!!! I hope this track spurs others to go get this album. Do they even make albums like this anymore? Buncha guys get together at Rudy’s, jam for a few hours, with magical results! Fantastic track, fantastic album, and one I need to dig out again SOON!!!

Track 7: I thought I knew this, but after initial research showed that it’s NOT from any of Mogie’s first 6 Blue Notes, it looks like I was wrong, and my streak of identifying songs that I have in my collection is over. Drattit! I know I have this somewhere, and it’s gonna bug me until I find it, and I’ll be kicking myself after I read other folks’ guesses, cuz I’m sure someone’s gonna get this one before I figure it out. DRAT!!!

Track 8: AAAAARGHH!!!! I know I have this one, too! Oh, this is KILLING me!!!

Track 9: I’m pretty sure I don’t have this version of “If You Could See Me Now,” but I wish I did! I want to say this is also Blue Mitchell. No clue on anyone else, though!

Track 10: My goodness, this one sounds familiar, too!!! Guitar sounds like Johnny Smith. Now that the full band has come in, I wanna say that’s Diz on the trumpet, but no clue on the rest of it. I wonder if this is from Dizzy’s “New Perception” LP? Since this came from vinyl, and I have that vinyl, but it’s been a while since I listened, I’ll make that my guess.

Track 11: No clue all the way around, and not sure I wanna stick around for eight minutes. Thought I might get some help from the band intro, but the guy’s barely audible. All I heard was Walter Davis on piano. Would never have guessed him. Anyway, this guy’s too squawky for me. Sorry!

Track 12: Nice little Dixieland-sounding diversion, I guess. No clue who it is, though!

Track 13: Ah crud, I should know who this singer is. There goes another honking R&B tenor shouter. I’m starting to wonder if this BFT is a showcase for what various tenors sounded like when they were paying their dues in the rollicking R&B bands before they struck out on their own. Like, f’rinstance, I think I just heard a lick that sounded like Stanley Turrentine. So, that’s my guess!

Track 14: Drat, I bet I have this, too! Man, this is getting embarrassing! Cannonball maybe? Definitely a Bird disciple. Nice groove, too!

Track 15: Pretty busy little piano solo. Hey, this sounds like Kenny Barron from his Sunset to Dawn LP. Have to check that out tonight, see if I’m right (or I could just look at the guesses of other folks, which I’m gonna do anyway)

Absolutely spectacular BFT, Jack! Like I said before, I hope this trend of tremendously enjoyable BFTs continues (yes, I’m patting my own back, thankyouberymuch)!

[Stereojack]

Track 1: tenor sax sounds like Coleman Hawkins.

You got it!

Track 6: GO RED GO!!! And Plas, too!

Right!

Track 9: “If You Could See Me Now,”

You've named the tune correctly.

Thanks for the comments.

[Big Al]

Track 1: tenor sax sounds like Coleman Hawkins.

You got it!

Holy sh.... now I'm REALLY confused!

I guess this means all my other guesses (except the other two) are incorrect. I'm actually kinda happy about that; means I don't own them and therefore shouldn't know them anyway.

I hope!

Edited February 13, 2008 by Big Al

[Nate Dorward]

OK, just got it & am spinning now. Scattershot comments for now, more detailed later on.

*

1: Hawkins obviously, maybe Thad Jones too? I see the Penguin guide lists a 1960 date with them both + Eddie Costa, that sounds right.

2: Soprano-led big band with Dexter Gordon & I think Phil Woods in the band.

3: nice male voice + vocal take on "It's All Right With Me", the arrangement holds no great surprises, but it's OK. Alto is a 1950s West Coaster, probably Pepper? & yeah, it sounds like a Paich arrangement. A peek at Straight Life indicates it's a singer I've never heard of before, Jesse Belvin.

...

7: a variant on "Woodyn' You", probably under the leadership of the tenor, surely Clifford Jordan, not sure about the other players. I like the tune & arrangement, even if it is overlong & repetitious, & CJ's playing; pity it's let down by the other players, whose solos are kinda bumpy.

8: well, this is a familiar enough track--SC's last album as a leader, with a rare non-Monk appearance by Rouse in this period. Rhythm section is familiar from Dexter Gordon & Jackie McLean's Blue Notes of the period.

9: Classy reading of this Dameron tune, probably players I should know. The pianist is fascinating & idiosyncratic, with those spare solemn chords.

[Big Al]

7: a variant on "Woodyn' You", probably under the leadership of the tenor, surely Clifford Jordan, not sure about the other players. I like the tune & arrangement, even if it is overlong & repetitious, & CJ's playing; pity it's let down by the other players, whose solos are kinda bumpy.

Are you sure it's CJ? I'm almost positive this is the leadoff track of whatever album it's from, but I'll be darned if I can figure it out!

Question: is that James Spaulding on alto there?

[Big Al]

Well, looks like I was wrong in my guesses for tracks 2, 10, & 15.

Tracks 7 & 8 are gonna bug me all night!!! This is torture!!!

Edited February 14, 2008 by Big Al

[Stereojack]

1: Hawkins obviously, maybe Thad Jones too? I see the Penguin guide lists a 1960 date with them both + Eddie Costa, that sounds right.

That's the one! Good call!

2: Soprano-led big band with Dexter Gordon & I think Phil Woods in the band.

Right on both counts!

3: nice male voice + vocal take on "It's All Right With Me", the arrangement holds no great surprises, but it's OK. Alto is a 1950s West Coaster, probably Pepper? & yeah, it sounds like a Paich arrangement. A peek at Straight Life indicates it's a singer I've never heard of before, Jesse Belvin.

Batting 1000 so far, Nate.

7: a variant on "Woodyn' You", probably under the leadership of the tenor, surely Clifford Jordan, not sure about the other players. I like the tune & arrangement, even if it is overlong & repetitious, & CJ's playing; pity it's let down by the other players, whose solos are kinda bumpy.

Yes, it is Clifford Jordan, but he's not the leader.

8: well, this is a familiar enough track--SC's last album as a leader, with a rare non-Monk appearance by Rouse in this period. Rhythm section is familiar from Dexter Gordon & Jackie McLean's Blue Notes of the period.

I expected this one to be guessed pretty quickly.

9: Classy reading of this Dameron tune, probably players I should know. The pianist is fascinating & idiosyncratic, with those spare solemn chords.

Tune has been identified - players are not so well known.

Thumbs up, Nate!!

[Stereojack]

7: a variant on "Woodyn' You", probably under the leadership of the tenor, surely Clifford Jordan, not sure about the other players. I like the tune & arrangement, even if it is overlong & repetitious, & CJ's playing; pity it's let down by the other players, whose solos are kinda bumpy.

Are you sure it's CJ? I'm almost positive this is the leadoff track of whatever album it's from, but I'll be darned if I can figure it out!

Question: is that James Spaulding on alto there?

Not the leadoff track - not Spaulding.

[Dan Gould]

I'd like to point out that the Jackie Mac album I incorrectly identified does in fact feature the same Sonny Clark that Nate identified, so I am giving myself credit on that one.

[Big Al]

8: well, this is a familiar enough track--SC's last album as a leader, with a rare non-Monk appearance by Rouse in this period. Rhythm section is familiar from Dexter Gordon & Jackie McLean's Blue Notes of the period.

I expected this one to be guessed pretty quickly.

Well, I feel a little better knowing I don't have this album, but then I feel guilty for not owning this album!

I'm tellin' ya, yesterday after I read Nate's guess, I listened to clips from this album on Rhapsody and I didn't make the connection. I don't know, maybe I accidentally skipped over this tune, but I didn't hear it last night. I did this morning, though. It's a pity this hasn't (and likely probably won't) get the RVG treatment.

[Big Al]

7: a variant on "Woodyn' You", probably under the leadership of the tenor, surely Clifford Jordan, not sure about the other players. I like the tune & arrangement, even if it is overlong & repetitious, & CJ's playing; pity it's let down by the other players, whose solos are kinda bumpy.

Are you sure it's CJ? I'm almost positive this is the leadoff track of whatever album it's from, but I'll be darned if I can figure it out!

Question: is that James Spaulding on alto there?

Not the leadoff track - not Spaulding.

I'm close to giving up here! I've searched AMG, Rhapsody, jazzdisco doesn't have a listing for Jordan, so I'm stumped. That means I'm REALLY gonna kick myself for not knowing this one!

[Big Al]

Is it Jackie Mac on the alto? Cecil Payne on the baritone? Am I even close?

[Spontooneous]

OK, time to incriminate myself...

1. Even before the head is done, you know it’s Hawk. In a standard quintet, with a drummer on the corner where swing meets bop. At first I thought this would be the record Hawk made with Clark Terry, but that definitely ain’t Clark. Sounds more like Idrees Sulieman, but it ain’t “The Hawk Flies High” either. There never was a Hawkins/Byrd collaboration, was there? Thought I had a fairly comprehensive Hawk collection, but you got me good here.

2. Big sax choir. Like the fluent soprano solo. When the tenor comes in, it dawns on me that this is the opening track here. (Shame that I recognized it from the tenor solo, not the leader’s.) Everybody oughta know about this record. And the two other issued tracks from these sessions shoulda been added to the CD. One more thing: This kind of fluency on soprano was rare at the time.

3. Sounds like Johnny Mathis, the vibrato that walks like a man. I know he recorded with charts by Gil, but this must be later, and Gil wouldn’t have written some of the cliches the ensemble is asked to play. Alto solo sounds like Art Pepper on a so-so day or Bud Shank on a good one. A Paich band maybe? Doggone it, I like this cut.

4. Decent alto blues. Second time around, I liked it even better. Not sure who it might be.

5. Love the languid treatment of the theme. Cohn? Whatever it is, I love it.

6. Sock ‘em in the gut. And keep a heavy foot on the bass drum. Can’t venture any guesses beyond the standard Jacquet, Ammons, etc., but somehow this seems beneath them.

7. Someone thinks they can write like Mingus. My, but that ensemble does go on. Three minutes! Finally a tenor solo. That’s a veritable catalog of Clifford Jordan licks and gestures right there. Out-of-tune alto, but what a deep tone -- maybe it’s a tenor? Trumpet solo doesn’t have as much character as the surroundings. After checking my Jordan LPs, it occurs to me: that’s C# on alto and it’s track 4

here.

8. Instant recognition of a favorite. Track 6 here.

9. Instant recognition of the tune, just from the first two repeated notes. I’m that big a Dameron fan. But I can’t ID the players. I’d guess Blue Mitchell and Junior Cook for the horns. I'm intrigued.

10. The 7/4 feels good. No idea who it is. Record pressed off-center, or is my limited sense of pitch having a bad day? The sax ensemble starting about 3:25 is wonderful. I’ll take it.

11. Cassette recorder under the table? It was worth the effort to capture this performance. That tenor player’s not afraid to get himself in trouble. Attention must be paid. At first I thought RRK. Later I thought Moody. And then the announcements, and that sure sounds like Moody’s voice.

12. Sweet. No corn growing here. Can’t ID the horns. The piano makes me think of Mel Powell, though I can’t tell you why.

13. Like the singer, but the tenor is what catches the ear. Sounds like Booker Ervin, or somebody from the same soil. Second time around, like the singer even more.

14. An early Brubeck/Militello quartet? The pianist comps like Brubeck, but that isn’t a stereotypical Brubeck solo. A little disagreement there as to where the alto solo ends and the piano solo begins.

15. Oh my, at least three of them, maybe four. A nice gentle groove – they aren’t pounding away. A nice walk-off. Got no guess, but curious to know.

It's been a pleasure. You must have made great mixtapes back in the day. Thank you!

(Edited to fix my bad HTML.)

Edited February 14, 2008 by Spontooneous

[Stereojack]

1. Even before the head is done, you know it’s Hawk. In a standard quintet, with a drummer on the corner where swing meets bop. At first I thought this would be the record Hawk made with Clark Terry, but that definitely ain’t Clark. Sounds more like Idrees Sulieman, but it ain’t “The Hawk Flies High” either. There never was a Hawkins/Byrd collaboration, was there? Thought I had a fairly comprehensive Hawk collection, but you got me good here.

Of course it's Hawk. Trumpet & piano have already been identified.

2. Big sax choir. Like the fluent soprano solo. When the tenor comes in, it dawns on me that this is the opening track here. (Shame that I recognized it from the tenor solo, not the leader’s.) Everybody oughta know about this record. And the two other issued tracks from these sessions shoulda been added to the CD. One more thing: This kind of fluency on soprano was rare at the time.

Nice call. Have loved this record for 40 years.

3. Sounds like Johnny Mathis, the vibrato that walks like a man. I know he recorded with charts by Gil, but this must be later, and Gil wouldn’t have written some of the cliches the ensemble is asked to play. Alto solo sounds like Art Pepper on a so-so day or Bud Shank on a good one. A Paich band maybe? Doggone it, I like this cut.

You're the second person to wrongly guess Mathis, but Nate got it.

5. Love the languid treatment of the theme. Cohn? Whatever it is, I love it.

Cohn is an interesting guess. You aren't the first person to have made that comparison. This is a much older player.

7. Someone thinks they can write like Mingus. My, but that ensemble does go on. Three minutes! Finally a tenor solo. That’s a veritable catalog of Clifford Jordan licks and gestures right there. Out-of-tune alto, but what a deep tone -- maybe it’s a tenor? Trumpet solo doesn’t have as much character as the surroundings. After checking my Jordan LPs, it occurs to me: that’s C# on alto and it’s track 4

here.

I was hoping somebody would get this. I like the way theme takes its time to unfold. The solos are somewhat anticlimactic, in my opinion.

8. Instant recognition of a favorite. Track 6 here.

Yessuh!

11. Cassette recorder under the table? It was worth the effort to capture this performance. That tenor player’s not afraid to get himself in trouble. Attention must be paid. At first I thought RRK. Later I thought Moody. And then the announcements, and that sure sounds like Moody’s voice.

It is Moody's voice, and his tenor as well, surreptitiously recorded by yours truly years ago.

It's been a pleasure. You must have made great mixtapes back in the day. Thank you!

Actually I was a jazz radio host for 18 years, so I'd like to think I know a little something about programming music. Glad you enjoyed it!

[Big Al]

7. Someone thinks they can write like Mingus. My, but that ensemble does go on. Three minutes! Finally a tenor solo. That’s a veritable catalog of Clifford Jordan licks and gestures right there. Out-of-tune alto, but what a deep tone -- maybe it’s a tenor? Trumpet solo doesn’t have as much character as the surroundings. After checking my Jordan LPs, it occurs to me: that’s C# on alto and it’s track 4

here.

NOW I know what I was thinking of: the leadoff track from this album. No wonder I was so confused: same song and leader, different players and album, separated by almost 25 years.

Damn, Jack; that was pretty sneaky!

[Stereojack]

7. Someone thinks they can write like Mingus. My, but that ensemble does go on. Three minutes! Finally a tenor solo. That’s a veritable catalog of Clifford Jordan licks and gestures right there. Out-of-tune alto, but what a deep tone -- maybe it’s a tenor? Trumpet solo doesn’t have as much character as the surroundings. After checking my Jordan LPs, it occurs to me: that’s C# on alto and it’s track 4

here.

NOW I know what I was thinking of: the leadoff track from this album. No wonder I was so confused: same song and leader, different players and album, separated by almost 25 years.

Damn, Jack; that was pretty sneaky!

I wasn't trying to be sneaky. I really like the newer version a lot!

[Big Al]

7. Someone thinks they can write like Mingus. My, but that ensemble does go on. Three minutes! Finally a tenor solo. That’s a veritable catalog of Clifford Jordan licks and gestures right there. Out-of-tune alto, but what a deep tone -- maybe it’s a tenor? Trumpet solo doesn’t have as much character as the surroundings. After checking my Jordan LPs, it occurs to me: that’s C# on alto and it’s track 4

here.

NOW I know what I was thinking of: the leadoff track from this album. No wonder I was so confused: same song and leader, different players and album, separated by almost 25 years.

Damn, Jack; that was pretty sneaky!

I wasn't trying to be sneaky. I really like the newer version a lot!

That's cool! I knew it wasn't deliberate, but it sure flustered me for the last couple of days! I, too, enjoy this version, but I'm also kicking myself for ever getting rid of the album I linked to.

[king ubu]

ok, here we go - the usual disclaimers apply - played once, not checked with my collection, not googled around to spoil the fun, just typed as I listened...

great compilation, very, very enjoyable!

#1 - Hm, sounds familiar... Hawk w/Roy? Some Granz thing from the late 50s or the 60s, I assume? Terrific groove going on! Or is this from the Opera House Verve disc? Got to dig that up again... very nice! Would make sense, as the pianist isn't likely Oscar Peterson, and on that Opera House date they have John Lewis, I think? Could well be him.

#2 - Nice! Love it when there's that soaring soprano over a band (like, for instance, Jerome Richardson flying on top of the Jones/Lewis band - but that's not them?). Hm, tenor is nice and meaty... very good one! Baritone is too soft for it being Pepper Adams, no? No clue here, but I love it! Soprano is the best of this!

#3 - Great Song! I *love* Cole Porter! No clue who's singing here, but that bass line/arrangement thing is stolen from someone else's arrangement, I think!? Pretty nice! No clue who the singer is, but I like both the singing and the arrangement here.

#4 - Good alto sax intro, vocal quality - I like that! Eddie Vinson? Bit of a thin sound (I like my alto heavier, usually), but very flexible and not too straight (I'm sometimes rather quickly bored by straight, always in-tune altos...). This more an R&B track (yeah, rhymes and beats, or what do my contemporaries think R&B is?) - might be a recent one, though... BB King's great Louis Jordan tribute album comes to mind (it's not from that of course), where Hank Crawford, Fathead and Marcus Belgrave did a marvellous job doing the horn parts.

Yeah! Some might find this awkward and quaking, but hey, it's honest, that's what counts! Great!

#5 - Under the influence of Prez... "Falling in Love with Love" done straight... wonderful song! No clue who this is, but I like it a lot! The drumming produces an upbeat forward-driving momentum. Ah, nice 'bone! Soft and vocal, great! Nice how the drummer almost goes into marching band stuff during the fours...

I have a feeling I should know both the tenor and the trombone, but I don't dare guessing here... trombone at some spots reminded me almost of Teagarden, in its smoothness, probably one of the old swing/big band guys (Al Grey? I guess not, though...). No clue about the drummer or the pianist. Good one!

#6 - Yowzah! I prefer the second tenor, that swagger thing just gets me... it's not Griff this time, though, is it? No clue about this one, but again I feel I should be able to give names to both tenors...

#7 - Creamy stuff... the arranging style sounds very familiar, John Lewis? Hmm... shit, what's that tune again? Not Lewis, I think. Very nice how it builds up and the sort of starts racing! Great ensemble performance, and very well recorded, too, with all the voices/lines audible! Hm, the basss sound during the tenor solo gives this away as a recent recording (sound quality too) - I guess this is a Dameron thing done by Lovano's Nonet? The slightly dispatched tenor could well be him - I'm not a big fan, but yes, I like him some, he does some good stuff and he's an impressive player (even though clem likes to pee on him), despite not being the most original or individual player.

#8 - Oy, this one I know, what is it again? Very nice one! Ah, it's from Sonny Clark's "Leapin' and Lopin'", isn't it? Long time since I played that disc... I love this one! That groove is so smooth, add the rocking, bitchy theme on top, with Rouse's big rough sound... great one! ("Voodoo", isn't it? There's a great cover version on the Zorn Clark Memorial album on Soul Note! They almost overdo the groove there... and Zorn gets into a wild, freaky solo).

Lovely stuff! Rouse is great, and I always cherish the ability to hear any Tommy Turrentine - now there's a truly underrated musician, in my opinion! Poison, that trumpet solo! The sound is so good! And the spareseness of the arrangement and Clark's comping makes it all the better - yeah, there goes that upward slide - great stuff! And plink plink plink goes Clark, building up those long sinewy lines only to end up doing some more of his riffing stuff (almost Mal Waldron post-stroke!) - this is truly great, an absolute classic!

#9 - Another great song... though it's an original this time, and it's by one of the greatest of them all, Tadd Dameron - "If You Could See Me Now", right? Trumpet is brassy, open, good sound. Good one, but I have no guesses at all here...

#10 - Hm, at first I didn't like this, but after the opening it gets better... or rather my ears started to adapt to it... nice how this combines the "plastic" and thin electro sound with the breathing big, natural sound from the horns. No clue what it is or who the soloist are, but the trumpet pulls out his Dizzy stuff, yet only at half of Dizzy's speed (so that's why it can't be Faddis )

The rhythm is a bit too monotone/dense for my liking

#11 - Oh Yeah! Preaching... reminds me of Mingus (Ervin's break on Better Git it... on the "Ah Um" album). Is this some boot/audience recording? Whatever it is, the sound can't put any damage to the groove, which is totally infectuous! I assume this is another tenor I should know... some of the sliding quick-fingered runs sound like they could be done after Benny Golson, but I assume this is either a younger musician, or then one of those old dinosaurs from Chicago? Hm, I can't understand a word of the announcement, alas... great performance! And out we go with another tenor solo cadenza, lovely! And impressive! That must have been a smokin' set!

#12 - Ooops, back a few decades in style (not in date of recording, though...), into Satchmo territory - Braff? More smooth trombone... very good! Not stuff I play all that often, but simply because it's an area rather new to me (I used to shrug off all of that mainstream/retro stuff for quite some time, but I got to hear some good things by now and realized there were many very good musicians honestly playing such music... took me a while to appreciate, though...)

#13 - More rhymes and beats, then so be it... very nice, though I haven't got the slightest cue... rocking tenor obbligato, and solid solo, too... doing some honking, but never overdoing it (oh hell, and what if, it's fun!) - I'd love to hear more of this (in fact I'd love to hear more of almost all the stuff included so far!)

#14 - Hm, what's that tune again? Wow! This is fast, and yet it sounds so easily pulled off, laid-back... nice thing the drummer pulls off during the opening theme! Now this alto *almost* falls into the "too straight to do much for me" category (impersonated, I guess, by Phil Woods... though he, too, did some good stuff!). No clue here... an ok performance, but one of my lesser favourites.

But still it sucks that I can't identify the tune... somehow I repeatly thought of "Mack the Knife", but of course it's not that.

#15 - The lady returned from shopping groceries right when I started playing this an hour ago... so again, playing it now... the tune sounds familiar again and I have a hunch that the answer won't be a big surprise... but I can't figure it out. It's a bit too flowery and too embellished, but it's not bad at all. Is this the grunting guy? Could well be him... Hm, I never quite understood the bashing, as he did many things I like (although I'd never think he's such a wonder as the press would make one believe he is...)

[king ubu]

Ok, embarassingly off on #7, but otherwise... I've never heard that album Hawk did with Thad, didn't even know it existed... but I'll have to look for that, even more so as I like Eddie Costa a lot as well! I hope I didn't make too much of a fool of myself...

[Dan Gould]

I'd like to say I take great comfort in the fact that I wasn't the only one to say that the first vocal track was Johnny Mathis.

[Nate Dorward]

Getting back to this (will post here rather than backdating my earlier post)--

4: hm, no idea who any of the players are. The big surprise is the over-the-top return of the alto, which initially sounds like a wailing harmonica. I like some of the pianist's moves. But on the whole, I'm not getting too excited about this.

5: I forget the name of this oddly-structured tune--"Falling in Love with Love" I think. The most familiar player is the drummer--a reined-in Roy Haynes? Can't put my finger on the other players. The tenor player isn't really my cup of tea--I guess I find his phrasing an over-stuffed mix of swing tenor & postbop.

6: Nice track that reminded me of albums like Very Saxy, though the recorded sound suggests it's fairly contemporary. Not really grabbing me, but then I'm not really plugged in to this genre of music enough to make fine distinctions between examples of it.

10: Uh, Warne Marsh in an atypical context.... ?!? Dated but enjoyable! A really interesting arrangement, especially that horn pileup at the end. A websearch suggests it could be a Clare Fischer big band disc. Pity about the poor sound.

11: Not sure I'm taken by the saxophonist's tone, but he makes purposeful use of polytonality rather than just as a rote gimmick, & the solo cadenza is commanding.

12: Lovely stuff--I guess it's got a polished nostalgic glow, but I like this style of music too & they do it justice.

13: Nice tenor, but not getting me too excited.

14: Not too up to date on my Birdophile altos--I'll guess maybe Frank Morgan just because it would (obviously) be timely. Maybe Lou Levy on piano. It's OK, but I guess it lacks that central calm & assurance that attracts me to classic bop.

15: "El Gaucho" in a multipiano version. I never understand the point of these things, sorry--sounds like a mess. I think this format only works with stride piano (where there's a very firm groove to ride) or avantgarde settings *where players can work independently)--with the more idiosyncratic rhythmic sensibilities of postbop players, the result is just a lot of clashing ideas. This is surely the Danko/Lightsey duet album--I don't know either player well but recognize Danko from his duets with Konitz.

*

Thanks for the music SJ!