BFT 54 disc two answers

[Big Al]

Many thanks to everyone who played along.

Track 1: Theme in Search of a Movie - Eddie Harris

From The Electrifying Eddie Harris (Recorded April 20, 1967)

Eddie Harris - electric tenor sax (yeah, the Varitone kind)

Jodie Christian - piano

Melvin Jackson - bass

Richard Smith - drums

Strings arranged by Arif Mardin

For my 27th birthday, I wanted this CD because it also included the album Plug Me In. My dad has that album, and it was one of the first jazz albums I ever heard. I was just getting into jazz at the time, and my folks got me this CD. Popped it in, and this was the first song that played (well duh, it's the first song on the CD, ya dummy!). Both my folks and my in-laws were over that night, and for me, the party stopped while I stood there and dug this song. Right away, I thanked my folks heartily for this CD!

I know I've told the story thousands of times, but I always love sayin' it: were it not for my dad's few jazz records (this, a couple of Blakey records, couple of Wes Montgomery Verve albums, Shorter's Schizophrenia), I might never have known what jazz was and is. As always, thanks Dad!

Also, a word about Jodie Christian: the cat is WAAAAAAAAY underrated AFAIC. His solo here is a prime example of taste, space, phrasing, you name it, he does it beautifully. I haven't heard much of him, but I love his work with Eddie!

Track 2: Togetherness - Blue Mitchell

From Heads Up (Recorded November 17, 1967)

Burt Collins, Blue Mitchell - trumpet

Julian Priester - trombone

Jerry Dodgion - alto sax

Junior Cook - tenor sax

Pepper Adams - bari sax

McCoy Tyner - piano

Gene Taylor - bass

Al Foster - drums

Jimmy Heath - arranger

I'll be honest: the Blue Mitchell Mosaic doesn't do much for me. But this song does, as does the album from which it was drawn. I guess the presence of McCoy on piano was what caused a lot of folks to think this a Trane tune. I believe it! I could listen to vamps like this for hours on end, and in fact did just that one Saturday afternoon when I had to go in to work to reconstruct a data file. Sure made the afternoon go by that much quicker!

Track 3: Fair Weather - Chet Baker

From the soundtrack to 'Round Midnight (no idea when it was recorded)

Written by Kenny Dorham

Chet Baker - trumpet, vocal

Herbie Hancock - piano

Pierre Michelot - bass

Billy Higgins - drums

There is a gap of almost fifteen years between the time I first heard this soundtrack (summer 1990) and the time I finally saw the movie (sometime in 2005, I think). I always imagined this song taking place in a dimly lit club, Baker frail and struggling to get the words and the sounds out. Imagine my disappointment when only a small part of this track was used in the movie, and only then being played from a "Milestone" label record.

I was in the church choir at the time, singing tenor. There was another man whose voice Baker's reminded me of. I once told him of my perception of the similarity, and he had no idea who I was talking about. Probably a good thing, since when it comes right down to it, neither did I: I was just getting into jazz, and knew nothing about the life and hard times of Chet Baker. Maybe I shoulda kept my mouth shut.

Oh, to be able to follow one's own advice BEFORE opening one's mouth.

Musically, AFAIC, this is about as close to a perfect performance as it gets. Chet sings this song like it's his epitaph. Herbie plays a solo so melodic, it's right up there with anything on Maiden Voyage. Billy Higgins, understated when he needs to be. These two came to be some of my favorites on their respective instruments.

But I put this on here because it captures a moment in time for me: my sister had just moved away to college, and I was about to meet the woman who would become my wife. The phrase "There'll be fair weather, together, side by side" always gave me a good feeling, like something good was about to happen, that the present sadness of my sister moving away would soon subside. It did. Here it is seventeen years later and still a happily married man!

Track 4: Mean to Me - Nat Adderley

From Work Song (recorded January 25, 1960)

Nat Adderley - cornet

Wes Montgomery - guitar

Keter Betts - bass

Louis Hayes - drums

Listening to jazz all these years, and I still don't know all the standards. As a result, I still get surprised when people name standards off a BFT like they were stating their own names!

Wes Montgomery was the first jazz guitarist I ever heard (thanks again, Dad), so I wanted to put a song with him on a BFT. But what song? His sound is as unmistakeable as it gets. Then I finally heard the classic LP from which this song is drawn, and I've got my song. First of all, this doesn't even REMOTELY sound like Wes Montgomery, and it fooled damn near everyone who didn't already have this album.

In retrospect, I wish I'd put another song from this album on the BFT. Not that this isn't a good song or anything; it's just that there are better songs on this album. Oh well, it fooled some of ya, so it's all good!

Oh, and one more thing: I'm hardly an audiophile, but the hybrid SACD of this title is unreal. Phenomenal. Makes me finally understand what all the fuss is about.

Track 5: Song for Jobim - Peter Leitch

From Colours and Dimensions (recorded July 7 & 8, 1995)

Peter Leitch - acoustic nylon-string guitar

Claudio Roditi - flugelhorn

Gary Bartz - alto sax

Jed Levy - tenor sax, alto flute

John Hicks - piano

Rufus Reid - bass

Marvin "Smitty" Smith - drums

Another RVG production.

This song was chosen simply for the feeling I got that was echoed by a lot of people: that feeling of warmth and familiarity, that everything is right with the world because a song as beautiful as this can be created. I mean, before I even heard the song, I figured with a title like "Song for Jobim," it had a 99% chance of being good. Turns out I still underestimated it!

The rest of the album lives up to its title. If you can find it, it's well worth the money.

Track 6: Valse - Antonio Carlos Jobim

From Urubu (recorded October 1975)

Antonio Carlos Jobim - Fender Rhodes piano

Ron Carter - bass

Orchestra arranged & conducted by Claus Ogerman

From a song for Jobim to a song by Jobim!

This album was a direct assault on those folks who thought Jobim was still just that "Girl from Ipanema" guy. He'd been showing some flashes of classical-inspired themes on previous albums (especially Jobim) and seemed to be moving further and further away from the samba rhythms and melodies he had perfected in the late 60's and 70's. This album was Jobim's musical FUCK THAT. The first half of the album features Jobim singing in Portugeuse only, without any samba-type rhythms, sometimes without a structure or chorus at all. Side two is like a straight classical suite. And how suite it is (har har). This track is from side two. All of the compositions from this album are wonderful (and would be settled down by the time he got to Terra Brasilis, my favorite Jobim album and his masterpiece, IMHO), but this tune sets a mood that just seems to climb and climb to the top of some proverbial mountain and hits its climax just as the sun peaks over the peak, with the ensuing quiet resembling the view from the top.

Also, major props to my favorite arranger, Claus Ogerman, who knew better than anyone how to take Jobim's sketches and turn them into masterpieces.

Track 7: Martha & Romao - Paul Desmond

From From the Hot Afternoon (recorded June and August 1969)

Paul Desmond - alto sax

Edu Lobo - guitar

Ron Carter - bass

Airto Moreira - drums, percussion

Orchestra arranged & conducted by Don Sebesky

Desmond is another one I wanted to pay tribute to, but wanted to do so in a not-so-obvious setting. A lotta people picked him out anyway, but a good many of you enjoyed the setting as well. Well, all I can say is, go get this album because the rest of it is just like this track. Plus, you get the obligatory hilarious Gene Lees liner notes (I'm serious!), and as an added bonus, some of the songs are presented in their bare form, before the orchestra was overdubbed.

And even though it has all the hallmarks of your typical CTI affair (strings, Ron Carter on bass, overdubbing, Taylor's name all over the proceedings, etc etc), this one is a notch higher than Desmond's other A&M/CTI albums because he sounds more at home in these surroundings. These musicians seem to be more sympathetic to Desmond's sensitive playing, as opposed to the all-star players that overwhelmed him on his other A&M/CTI albums.

Plus, what can I say? I dig Don Sebesky. For the most part. Not everything he did was wonderful, but when he was on, he was damn-near brilliant. And I do mean Giant Box, an album I wish I'd had room for on this BFT (what, two CDs wasn't enough to bore people with?)

Edited February 24, 2008 by Big Al

[Big Al]

Track 8: Vilia - Johnny Smith

From Moonlight in Vermont (recorded April 1952)

Zoot Sims - tenor sax

Johnny Smith - guitar

Sanford Gold - piano

Eddie Safranski - bass

Don Lamond - drums

You know how it goes: you buy a CD for one song, but find another song that you like even better than that song. Such is the case here. I love this song! From the intro to the sax solo to everything else. I also like it that I fooled just about everyone with the sax player. IIRC, nobody guessed Zoot!

So many times I've been tempted to get this Mosaic.....

And speaking of Mosaics I've actually purchased:

Track 9: Native Heart - Tony Williams

Originally from the LP of the same name, currently available on the Tony Williams Mosaic Select

(recorded September 11-13, 1989)

Wallace Roney - trumpet

Bill Pierce - tenor & soprano sax

Mulgrew Miller - piano

Ira Coleman - bass

Tony Williams - drums

Hard to believe he's been gone for almost eleven years. He still seemed like the wide-eyed thunderous kid who stormed the scene in the early 60's. I'm so glad Mosaic made these sessions available again (and an equal amount of props to Ghost of Miles and his great Night Lights, which featured this set sometime back). Williams plays with his expected thunder, but then there are the tracks like this where he shows just what a versatile player he was. My favorite part of the songs is the short two-chord vamp Mulgrew Miller plays before the tenor solo (sometime during the 7:00 mark). When I first heard this, I couldn't believe that almost ten minutes had flown by. I love songs that have that kind of effect on me!

Track 10: Road Song - Pat Martino

From Footprints (recorded March 24, 1972)

Pat Martino - lead guitar

Bobby Rose - rhythm guitar

Richard Davis - bass

Billy Higgins - drums

Wasn't really trying to fool anyone with this, and yet I was still surprised that no one identified it. I rather like the sound of this track, even the sound of Richard Davis's bass. Bobby Rose plays a fine rhythm guitar, and Billy Higgins keeps a nice rhythm that makes this feel like an actual "road song!" Unfortunately, not too many people dug this tune, so I guess I'm in the minority on this one. Ah well!

Track 11: Stompy Jones - Johnny Hodges

From Side by Side (recorded February 20, 1959)

Johnny Hodges - alto sax

Harry "Sweets" Edison - trumpet

Les Spann - guitar

Duke Ellington - piano

Al Hall - bass

Jo Jones - drums

What more needs to be said? Everyone solos nicely until Duke and Papa Jo turn up the heat during Duke's piano solo. A few people commented on how cool it sounded when Duke was reaching for both ends of the piano! And then Rabbit & Sweets come back in, fully recharged, to bring the thing to a rip-roaring conclusion. For those who may not know, this was a leftover track from a session that produced one of the best small-group albums by Ellington, Back to Back. The whole session fits nicely on one CD, and it's interesting to hear the session in the order in which it was recorded. As the session progresses, things start to get looser and more exciting. This track was the next-to-last track to be recorded, and this point, everyone was firing on all burners!

This track should've been on my last BFT, but was yanked at the last moment. Wasn't gonna make that mistake twice!

I'm going to bed. I'll try and complete this tomorrow. This was a pretty rough weekend.

Edited February 25, 2008 by Big Al

[Big Al]

I'm at work right now, so I'll post details and commentary when I get home and have the info in front of me.

Track 12: 'taint Good - Fats Waller

From LP The Complete Fats Waller, Volume 4

Gonna be a lotta detail on this one!

Track 13: My edit of "More Peas" - The J.B.'s

Sliced from the full version found on Doin' it to Death

Track 14: Dawn - Kenny Barron

From LP Sunset to Dawn

Track 15: Rain, Rain, Go Away - Vince Guaraldi

From LP Oh, Good Grief

That is Eddie Duran on the guitar there.

Sorry for the delay. An already long week was made longer by the death of one of my son's friend's dad over the weekend. Will post more details and commentary later.

Edited February 27, 2008 by Big Al

[king ubu]

oi oi oi... too many things I have and didn't get right - Nat Adderley, the Mitchell...

The Williams I have but not played it yet, and the Smith I do not yet have... I stood away from the CD reissues, figuring I'd eventually get the Mosaic... (all I have is the session with Getz, hence my misguided guess).

Thanks again, looking at the replies, I can see that most of what's on this disc should be rather more to my liking than I thought while listening...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Bloody 'ell! Another I have - the Pat Martino.

I'll get my coat.

MG

[mikeweil]

# 4: "Mean To Me" - there's something about this trumpeter I don't like - his harmonic choices, his intonation and phrasing ... not to my taste.

That's what I wrote about # 4 ..... I'm shocked that I didn't get this one, as it's one of my favorite Nat albums - and even more shocked that I didn't like his playing. But it's true, sometimes I like him, sometimes I don't.

I should have listened with more concentration, but times are rather busy at the moment.

Another great BFT disc, for sure!

[king ubu]

You're not alone on #4, Mike - I found it sweet, but I had no clue either, and it was the first and is (with "Branching Out") still the favourite of Nat's albums in my collection!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Tracks 12 thru 15

(Sung to the tune of "O come all ye faithful")

Why are we waiting?

Why-y are we waiting?

MG

[king ubu]

oh why-y, oh why-y-y, oh why-y-y?

[Big Al]

Coooome, and have paaaatience,

had a busy weeeeeek

Okay, I'll post the answers

Okay, I'll post the answers

Okay, I'll post the answers. Haaaaa-ppy now?

:g

(I can take a joke!)

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

No sweat.

MG

[king ubu]

hey there, Big Al! sorry for not following up earlier, but I did enjoy our collective chanting here

[Big Al]

hey there, Big Al! sorry for not following up earlier, but I did enjoy our collective chanting here

Me too!