BFT 161

[randyhersom]

ThomKeith.net has enabled downloads and online listening for Blindfold Test 161 today or tomorrow, and I thank him profusely for his assistance.  This is the link:

http://thomkeith.net/index.php/blindfold-tests/

In the spirit of full disclosure 6 tracks of the 17 would not be found in the jazz section of a mythical full service record store.  Thanks to JSngry for kicking down the door so I didn't have to worry about sticking my toe in it.

If 17 tracks is too much feel free to get off the trolley at whatever stop you like.

Most of all, Enjoy!

 

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by randyhersom

[JSngry]

ALL MY LIFE

!!!!!

People can debate the "truth" of that from now until whenever, but this was a truth for Abbey Lincoln, and if it was going to be otherwise, it would have been.

It wasn't.

 

[randyhersom]

There are pleasures to be found following the train as far as it goes!

 

[tkeith]

Track 1 - Definitely Edward Kennedy's voice.  Moon Maiden, I know it from this.

Track 2 - Reminds me of the first stuff I heard from Michael Hedges, but I'd say this seems more focused (and would hold up better, longer).  Ry Cooder seems to be the guy that does this stuff about as well as anybody, but this is not him.  I know purist cringe at all that string noise, but that just makes it real to me.  As it gets more frenetic as it approaches the three minute mark, I'm going to guess Larry Coryell.  

Track 3 - First impressions:  Not in love with the unemployment stick, but I'm very much digging the drummer.  Has a nice, Michael Carvin kind of snap to his kit.  This kind of loses me the longer it goes on.  I want to like it more than I do.  Something very familiar about the guitarist.  

Track 4 - South African feel -- I'm in.  I fell into a bunch of this stuff in my collection, and this is not any of it.  I love it.  Get some strange looks cruising around NH in a Jeep blaring this, though.  

Track 5 - As the groove develops, I'm half expecting Richie Havens to start singing.  I know that melody.  A lot to like here.  Forgettable bass solo (reminding me of a gig from hell with a sub).  Closer to three minutes, it gets more interesting.  Loving that drum groove.  Alto seems a little clean for what's being set up, but I'm still digging it.  I guess what I mean is, I'm not sure this is from the period it sounds like or in tribute to it.  Surely sounds like Tyner's piano.  I was discussing this with my father recently.  McCoy's strength in the Coltrane band was his patience.  He would just work a motif and work it... and work it.  Later, he got too notesy, almost like he thought he *had* to.  Right at six minutes, they build that groove right back in, and that's where this should be rooted.  It's a killin' groove - just let it develop for what it is.  I'm probably nuts, but I swear I know this melody.  

Track 6 - Carolina Moon.  I knew it was Monk off the bat, but the and was so loose when they come in I wondered if it was actually Ra.  I'd talked myself into that until I heard the unmistakeable tone of Lucky!  It's from this. 

Track 7 - No idea.  While I find stuff like this interesting at first, it rarely holds my interest.  I will say, though, I went down to clean my car (I have mid-life crisis issues) and brought this BFT with me, and while much of the pop-ish stuff would not be my first choice, it was the perfect companion for the job!  

Track 8 - My first thought was Michael Urbaniak.  Then as it went on, I wondered if it could be later John Handy.  I finally arrived at the conclusion that I have no idea what it is.

Track 9 - Wondered if I'd accidentally shuffled the play list beyond the BFT when this came on.  I've heard this (I swear), but have no idea what it is.  I'm luke warm on it.  If I were on the beach, or in a beach bar, and heard it, I'd be pumped.  For sitting and listening, not so much.

Track 10 - Definitely owes a nod to Bill Evans, but no idea what it is.

Track 11 - No clue.  It's rather... abstract?  Random?  There's something that doesn't really "flow" to me.  Given that, maybe Evan Parker?

Track 12 - I believe that would be Charlie, from Kansas City.  Later, by the sounds.  Rather melancholy.  Soulful to the point of sadness.  My first impulse was to say Moody, but it's definitely the man himself.  Had to surf the collection for the song title.  Meandering.

Track 13 - I remember this song, but can't tell you who or what it is.  But I remember it from my youth.  I would not have put these two back-to-back.

Track 14 - That voice is mighty familiar, but I can't place it.  He's in that Andy Bey range.  I keep wanting some soulful, Temptations style falsetto to come in there.  I like this, though -- I could get a lot accomplished while this is playing.  What happened to this sort of musical statement?  Listen to the shit that we have now-a-days and you understand, perhaps, how we've arrived where we are.  #sad

Track 15 - No way.  Terence Trent D'Arby!  I always thought he owed a lot to a lot of people, but I have to admit, he's completely recognizable to me now.  He had a song just before the really popular tune he had, it was a bit more uptempo, and it was barking/soulful like this, and I can't recall the name of it.  This dude definitely had something.

Track 16 - This one was completely lost on me.  Can't explain why, but seemed to last three times longer than it actually was.

Track 17 - I was nearly done with the car when I heard that first noise, faintly, and wondered it I was imagining it.  I was there immediately.  ABBEY!  Sadly, Liebs never hit this point again, to my ear.  Maybe close with Bob Moses... Dad introduced this to me after a trip to Boston for some vinyl.  He said, "This is what the quartet was like.  It's not the same, but they got there.  A different plane, but they reached it.  Now ramp it up by a factor of 100 and your getting close."  I'm convinced there are two types of people in this world:  Those who are touched by this music, and those who are dead.  The out-chorus is one of the most exciting things I've ever heard.  Once I learned the story behind the recording, it got better.  It may be from the liners, I forget... Abbey was on tour in Japan and bumped into Miles.  She was't happy with her Japanese drummer and was frustrated that she had an upcoming recording date.  Miles suggested she borrow Al Foster and she took him up on it.  Al brought David Liebman along for kicks and this happened.  Awesome!  I don't know how much post-production there was on this, but in that out-chorus, Abbey is most CERTAINLY inspired by what is going on (AAAAAALLL my LIFE!!!!).  Great choice!

And I feel vindicated in my reactions to Abbey after reading Jim's comment.  #greatears

[felser]

#5 is  indeed McCoy Tyner - "Goin' Home" from 'Asante'.  And the mysterious Andrew White as an added bonus.

#14 is the "The Shadow" by Joe Lee Wilson, from the album of the same name.  And the mysteriouos Harry Whitaker as an added bonus, and stunning work by Jimmy Ponder.  And liner notes by our own Ken Dryden.

Edited August 2, 2017 by felser

[Ken Dryden]

1 hour ago, felser said:

#5 is  indeed McCoy Tyner - "Goin' Home" from 'Asante'.  And the mysterious Andrew White as an added bonus.

#14 is the "The Shadow" by Joe Lee Wilson, from the album of the same name.  And the mysteriouos Harry Whitaker as an added bonus, and stunning work by Jimmy Ponder.  And liner notes by our own Ken Dryden.

I'm glad somebody bought that obscure Joe Lee Wilson album. It was a nice surprise among a package deal of liner notes for 6 CDs, though I wasn't too crazy about the Jorge Dalto reissues.

[randyhersom]

7 hours ago, tkeith said:

Track 1 - Definitely Edward Kennedy's voice.  Moon Maiden, I know it from this.

Yes!

Track 2 - Reminds me of the first stuff I heard from Michael Hedges, but I'd say this seems more focused (and would hold up better, longer).  Ry Cooder seems to be the guy that does this stuff about as well as anybody, but this is not him.  I know purist cringe at all that string noise, but that just makes it real to me.  As it gets more frenetic as it approaches the three minute mark, I'm going to guess Larry Coryell.  

Not Larry

Track 3 - First impressions:  Not in love with the unemployment stick, but I'm very much digging the drummer.  Has a nice, Michael Carvin kind of snap to his kit.  This kind of loses me the longer it goes on.  I want to like it more than I do.  Something very familiar about the guitarist.  

Track 4 - South African feel -- I'm in.  I fell into a bunch of this stuff in my collection, and this is not any of it.  I love it.  Get some strange looks cruising around NH in a Jeep blaring this, though.  

Track 5 - As the groove develops, I'm half expecting Richie Havens to start singing.  I know that melody.  A lot to like here.  Forgettable bass solo (reminding me of a gig from hell with a sub).  Closer to three minutes, it gets more interesting.  Loving that drum groove.  Alto seems a little clean for what's being set up, but I'm still digging it.  I guess what I mean is, I'm not sure this is from the period it sounds like or in tribute to it.  Surely sounds like Tyner's piano.  I was discussing this with my father recently.  McCoy's strength in the Coltrane band was his patience.  He would just work a motif and work it... and work it.  Later, he got too notesy, almost like he thought he *had* to.  Right at six minutes, they build that groove right back in, and that's where this should be rooted.  It's a killin' groove - just let it develop for what it is.  I'm probably nuts, but I swear I know this melody.  

Yes, it's Tyner, as Felser described in detail.

Track 6 - Carolina Moon.  I knew it was Monk off the bat, but the and was so loose when they come in I wondered if it was actually Ra.  I'd talked myself into that until I heard the unmistakeable tone of Lucky!  It's from this. 

Right on the money

Track 7 - No idea.  While I find stuff like this interesting at first, it rarely holds my interest.  I will say, though, I went down to clean my car (I have mid-life crisis issues) and brought this BFT with me, and while much of the pop-ish stuff would not be my first choice, it was the perfect companion for the job!

Track 8 - My first thought was Michael Urbaniak.  Then as it went on, I wondered if it could be later John Handy.  I finally arrived at the conclusion that I have no idea what it is.

None of the above.

Track 9 - Wondered if I'd accidentally shuffled the play list beyond the BFT when this came on.  I've heard this (I swear), but have no idea what it is.  I'm luke warm on it.  If I were on the beach, or in a beach bar, and heard it, I'd be pumped.  For sitting and listening, not so much.

Track 10 - Definitely owes a nod to Bill Evans, but no idea what it is.

Track 11 - No clue.  It's rather... abstract?  Random?  There's something that doesn't really "flow" to me.  Given that, maybe Evan Parker?

Correct ID.  Evan always flows for me, but often in more of a trance groove than a jazz groove.

Track 12 - I believe that would be Charlie, from Kansas City.  Later, by the sounds.  Rather melancholy.  Soulful to the point of sadness.  My first impulse was to say Moody, but it's definitely the man himself.  Had to surf the collection for the song title.  Meandering.

Right again.  Major props to anyone identifying Diz on piano without looking.

Track 13 - I remember this song, but can't tell you who or what it is.  But I remember it from my youth.  I would not have put these two back-to-back.

Track 14 - That voice is mighty familiar, but I can't place it.  He's in that Andy Bey range.  I keep wanting some soulful, Temptations style falsetto to come in there.  I like this, though -- I could get a lot accomplished while this is playing.  What happened to this sort of musical statement?  Listen to the shit that we have now-a-days and you understand, perhaps, how we've arrived where we are.  #sad

Not Andy, but Joe Lee Wilson as Felser called.

Track 15 - No way.  Terence Trent D'Arby!  I always thought he owed a lot to a lot of people, but I have to admit, he's completely recognizable to me now.  He had a song just before the really popular tune he had, it was a bit more uptempo, and it was barking/soulful like this, and I can't recall the name of it.  This dude definitely had something.

You have the artist correct.  You are probably thinking of Wishing Well, his first single which I did not love right away.  Sign Your Name was indeed popular and worthy of it.

Track 16 - This one was completely lost on me.  Can't explain why, but seemed to last three times longer than it actually was.

Track 17 - I was nearly done with the car when I heard that first noise, faintly, and wondered it I was imagining it.  I was there immediately.  ABBEY!  Sadly, Liebs never hit this point again, to my ear.  Maybe close with Bob Moses... Dad introduced this to me after a trip to Boston for some vinyl.  He said, "This is what the quartet was like.  It's not the same, but they got there.  A different plane, but they reached it.  Now ramp it up by a factor of 100 and your getting close."  I'm convinced there are two types of people in this world:  Those who are touched by this music, and those who are dead.  The out-chorus is one of the most exciting things I've ever heard.  Once I learned the story behind the recording, it got better.  It may be from the liners, I forget... Abbey was on tour in Japan and bumped into Miles.  She was't happy with her Japanese drummer and was frustrated that she had an upcoming recording date.  Miles suggested she borrow Al Foster and she took him up on it.  Al brought David Liebman along for kicks and this happened.  Awesome!  I don't know how much post-production there was on this, but in that out-chorus, Abbey is most CERTAINLY inspired by what is going on (AAAAAALLL my LIFE!!!!).  Great choice!

And I feel vindicated in my reactions to Abbey after reading Jim's comment.  #greatears

Had a lot of fun reading your comments.  Thanks for listening.

Edited August 2, 2017 by randyhersom

[JSngry]

[tkeith]

On 8/2/2017 at 0:38 PM, felser said:

#5 is  indeed McCoy Tyner - "Goin' Home" from 'Asante'.  And the mysterious Andrew White as an added bonus.

#14 is the "The Shadow" by Joe Lee Wilson, from the album of the same name.  And the mysteriouos Harry Whitaker as an added bonus, and stunning work by Jimmy Ponder.  And liner notes by our own Ken Dryden.

I was thinking Joe Lee, but I didn't think he had enough edge on the voice.  I found another version of the tune on a Charles Greenlee record (with Joe Lee), but even then I wasn't hearing it as him.  #foolmetwice

On 8/2/2017 at 4:23 PM, randyhersom said:

You have the artist correct.  You are probably thinking of Wishing Well, his first single which I did not love right away.  Sign Your Name was indeed popular and worthy of it.

 

Nope, not Wishing Well.  Was a bit before that.  I never cared for Wishing Well.  The tune I have in mind was closer to this, but with that hard edge (that was missing from Wishing Well).  I had high hopes, then Wishing Well happened and I kind of forgot about him.

[randyhersom]

Wikipedia says:

D'Arby's debut solo album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, released in July 1987, is his best-known commercial work.^[6] The album produced hits including "If You Let Me Stay", "Wishing Well", "Dance Little Sister", and "Sign Your Name".

[Spontooneous]

Track 7 is a chunk of the Shostakovich Eighth String Quartet.

I'm very curious about 8.

No. 16 is the scherzo from Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, repeats and all.

Edited August 6, 2017 by Spontooneous

[randyhersom]

Correct sir.  On 8 I will mention that the string lead voice plays a larger fiddle than the guesses offered by tkeith, penciling in Michael White as the non -bass string player most closely associated with John Handy.

Edited August 6, 2017 by randyhersom

[Hot Ptah]

1. Duke Ellington's "Moon Maiden" from The Intimate Ellington album. I bought that album when it was first released on Pablo in 1977, at Discount Records on State Street in Madison, Wisconsin. That Discount Records store had an extensive jazz selection and carried a lot of Pablo albums. Chuck Nessa was the manager of that Discount Records store earlier in the 1970s.

2. I do not know the album but I clearly recognize Michael Gregory Jackson as the guitarist. He was prominent in the indie label avant garde jazz scene in the mid to late 1970s. My friends and I listened to him often.

An anecdote which shows how prominent he was in those circles:  At the 1979 Ann Arbor Jazz Festival, a duet concert by Joseph Jarman and Don Moye was presented on Saturday afternoon in a small auditorium. After the concert, a member of the student volunteer organization, Eclipse Jazz, came out and spoke. He said that Eclipse would be presenting a series of avant garde jazz concerts on campus in small venues. He said that Eclipse would be asking for written suggestions for artists to be presented, so that they could compile the written results and get an idea of who might draw a good audience.

While he had stressed that these suggestions would be written, immediately members of the audience shouted out suggestions. From around the room people shouted "Braxton!" "Muhal!" "Sam Rivers!" "Cecil!" "Michael Gregory Jackson! Michael Gregory Jackson!"

At that moment, my friend, who had driven over from Wisconsin to Ann Arbor for the festival, screamed "Al Hirt! Al Hirt! Al Hirt solo trumpet! Al Hirt!"

A strikingly beautiful woman near us laughed so hard that she literally doubled over. I can still picture her very pretty face.

3.  I have no idea who this is, but I like it. I like the elements of it and the performance. I want to learn who it is!

4. This is African music which I am not familiar with. I find it very appealing.

5. This is from McCoy Tyner's Asante album on Blue Note.

I have always wondered at the difference between Tyner's Blue Note output and his Milestone output starting a few years later. To me, the Blue Note recordings sound more cerebral. The Milestones are more direct, elemental, powerful. Tyner's Milestone albums really hit me in my first period of loving jazz. I wonder if Tyner deliberately took a different path as the 1970s progressed because he felt that way about music, if he wanted to explore a different area of music, or if the Milestone producers and engineering had a lot to do with the difference from his earlier Blue Notes.

6. This is Thelonious Monk, "Carolina Moon." I first heard it on the Blue Note album with the red cover, Genius of Modern Music Vol. 2.

I hung out often at the great record stores Discount Records and Record World in the 600 block of State Street in Madison, Wisconsin, in the 1970s and early 1980s. The stores were one block from campus and easy for me to just slip over to. One day in the late 1970s, a rather noisy group of punk rockers were gathered in Discount Records, talking loudly about which punk groups they loved. The staff put this Thelonious Monk album on the store's sound system. By the third or fourth song, the punkers were all silent. They were listening.

7.  This is Shostakovich. I generally recognize the sound of his music from a memory device I used to pass the classical music appreciation class I took at the University of Wisconsin in the mid-1970s. I do not know the work or the performers. This is compelling music to me.

8.  I have no idea who this is, but I like it a lot. That sounds like a cello, which should narrow the possibilities for me but really does not. I am looking forward to the Reveal on this one.

9.  I have no idea who this soulful vocalist is. Good stuff.

10. Beautiful piano music. I like it. I have no idea who it is.

11. I bought a lot of Evan Parker from a seller on ebay about ten years ago. I think it is Evan Parker, although I cannot place the album.

12.

 

I bought this 2 LP set when it was released in 1976, during my first wave of jazz love. This album had the lead review spot in Rolling Stone magazine (which was somewhat more credible then, compared to what it became). I just about wore the grooves off of these two records. This is "Meandering."

 

13.  Very appealing soul vocal. I like the song, the singer, the arrangement. I would buy this. I am looking forward to the Reveal on this.

14.  I can't quite place this vocalist. I have heard him before. I am drawing a blank.

15. That is Terence Trent D'Arby. I like this. I am struck by how much his singing sounds like early Rod Stewart, on Rod's musically credible Mercury albums. The phrasing is often very similar, down to the little "ha" that both Rod and Trent would use at the end of a line sometimes.

16. A compelling classical piece which I like and cannot identify at all.

17. Abbey Lincoln. Her voice is so unique. I was fortunate to see her live, She was very compelling as a performer. This is a great track.

 

Thank you for a most enjoyable Blindfold Test!

 

 

[randyhersom]

Masterfully done.  All of your artist IDs were correct and all of your track IDs were correct.  I thank you for saying something about each track and am pleased with the reactions.

[tkeith]

On 8/5/2017 at 6:35 PM, randyhersom said:

Wikipedia says:

D'Arby's debut solo album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, released in July 1987, is his best-known commercial work.^[6] The album produced hits including "If You Let Me Stay", "Wishing Well", "Dance Little Sister", and "Sign Your Name".

If You Let Me Stay!  That was it!

[Hot Ptah]

I listened to this Blindfold Test some more. It is really enjoyable.

Track 8 is very intriguing. Whoever this is, i want to hear more. This is really satisfying music!

[randyhersom]

Since things have quieted down I'll throw out some direct and indirect clues for the stumpers so far.

3.  Guitarist's name likely reflects Japanese heritage.  Band name does not feature any member's name.  Indirect Erykah Badu connection.

4. Collaboration between two Afropop leaders well known in their homeland.

8.  One member of the quartet, not the leader,  played with Sun Ra.

9.  If you could only be sure

10. Pianist is not the composer.  Composer played on Ascension

13.  Rikki.

[Hot Ptah]

On ‎8‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 4:21 PM, randyhersom said:

Since things have quieted down I'll throw out some direct and indirect clues for the stumpers so far.

3.  Guitarist's name likely reflects Japanese heritage.  Band name does not feature any member's name.  Indirect Erykah Badu connection.

4. Collaboration between two Afropop leaders well known in their homeland.

8.  One member of the quartet, not the leader,  played with Sun Ra.

9.  If you could only be sure

10. Pianist is not the composer.  Composer played on Ascension

13.  Rikki.

Thanks for the hints. As for #8, I am trying now to think of who played with Sun Ra and recorded with other artists, and would have played this kind of material. I will let you know if I think of something.