BFT 215 link and discussion

[mikeweil]

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

Hello all, this is my first in quite a few years, due to lack of time. Now that I am more or less retired, I have time again for such things.

This compilation has a theme - although I'd be surprised if someone gets it. There are only three well known musicians among the people playing, so it's not about guessing, anyway.

I'm really interested how you think about this music and the way they all play together.But be aware that it takes dedicated listening, there is little background music here. Do not be fooled by the opening track.

Enjoy, and thanks for your time, and special thanks to thomkeith for his great job.

Edited January 31, 2022 by mikeweil

[Dub Modal]

I definitely don't have any guesses on artists, and guessing the theme will take another listen. Overall, good tunes & mix (great bass playing pretty much all the way through). Most were long-ish and took their time to develop. The first one really set the tone as I would guess it takes patience and good control over the clarinet to channel that type of expression. The only misses for me were the fourth track with the voices and the guitar tone on track 8. Thanks for putting this together. 

[Dub Modal]

Well, I'm wondering if you stumped everyone...

[Dan Gould]

This is a major challenge, and quite a bit different from regular BFTs. I mean, I knew that some of my choices were off the beaten track, but we did have more than a few well-known artists - just in most cases obscure recordings.

I cannot recall a compiler telling people

"There are only three well known musicians among the people playing, so it's not about guessing, anyway."

I thought BFTs were actually all about guessing, as well some engagement with the music, at the depth that the individual participant feels comfortable or motivated for.

Personally I listened thru, found few songs that I actively disliked, and few songs that I actively liked either.  So I don't have much to post. Good luck Mike. I hope you get the participation you are hoping for.

[mikeweil]

I was expecting something like that. But as someone posted, it is not all about guessing. Still, there is one tenor saxist on two of the tracks that should be recognized.

If there is nobody for next month's BFT, I'll make good by compiling one that is all about guessing.

[Dub Modal]

Is John Surman the sax player you mention? I'm also wondering if that's him on bass clarinet on track 7? That's an interesting song btw. Kind of an off-kilter boogaloo track with the drummer providing some cool interplay. 

The guitar on 8 is so out of place to my ears in terms of style, sound and how the track is mixed. I keep thinking it would be better as just a trio with bass, drums and sax. Is it Charles Lloyd on sax? 

[Dmitry]

1. Someone influenced by Ken Peplowski?

2. A musical joke. European?

3. Nice, if a bit too academic for me, no surprises.

4. South American group? Brazil?

5. One of the big contemporary tenors. Just guessing - Lovano?

6.  I think Ornette Coleman influenced the rhythm section bigly. I like this cut the best so far.

Will get to the rest later.

Edited February 3, 2022 by Dmitry

[sidewinder]

Interesting selection, with a bit of a European focus I think.

1. European clarinet player - Rolf Kuhn?

2. ‘Air Mail Special’ - would that be Mischa Mengelberg with Han Bennink?

3. Impressionistic alto/piano duet. The alto sounds like Greg Osby.

4. Is that Simin Tander on vocals? At first I thought it was Sidsel Endressen but the Eastern influences come through. Terje Rypdal on guitar?

5. Wolfgang Dauner Trio with Eberhard Weber?

6. One of Manfred Schoof’s groups?

7. Bass clarinet - John Surman? Possibly one of those ECMs with Jack de Johnette?

8. Joe Lovano with Bill Frissel?

9. This sounds a bit Lovano-ish as well and sort of familiar but can’t place it.

10. Is that George Mraz on bass?  At first I thought maybe Friedrich Gulda with all those pianistic flourishes but perhaps Paul Kuhn?

A mystery all round.... Thanks !

[mikeweil]

5 hours ago, Dub Modal said:

Is John Surman the sax player you mention? I'm also wondering if that's him on bass clarinet on track 7? That's an interesting song btw. Kind of an off-kilter boogaloo track with the drummer providing some cool interplay. Not Surman. I like that groove and drummer, too.

The guitar on 8 is so out of place to my ears in terms of style, sound and how the track is mixed. I keep thinking it would be better as just a trio with bass, drums and sax. Is it Charles Lloyd on sax? Sorry you don't like the guitar. Usually I dislike those Scofield-derived sounds, but here I liked it. The guitarist wrote the tune, so he wants to be heard. Not Lloyd.

 

5 hours ago, Dmitry said:

1. Someone influenced by Ken Peplowski? No idea whether he knows Peplowski, but why not. We could ask him ...

2. A musical joke. European? Yes to both.

3. Nice, if a bit too academic for me, no surprises.

4. South American group? Brazil? No. they're Swiss!

5. One of the big contemporary tenors. Just guessing - Lovano? Yes, and no, not Lovano.

6.  I think Ornette Coleman influenced the rhythm section bigly. I like this cut the best so far.

Will get to the rest later.

 

3 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Interesting selection, with a bit of a European focus I think. This is getting closer to the theme ....

1. European clarinet player - Rolf Kuhn? Yes, but not Kühn.

2. ‘Air Mail Special’ - would that be Mischa Mengelberg with Han Bennink? The tune is their original, but with a definitive reference to Air Mail Special. Not the guys you said.

3. Impressionistic alto/piano duet. The alto sounds like Greg Osby. Wow! Congrats! The first of four US players in this BFT has been guessed. But who else plays with him?

4. Is that Simin Tander on vocals? At first I thought it was Sidsel Endressen but the Eastern influences come through. Terje Rypdal on guitar? None of the names you dropped. I hear that Eastern folkoric tinge, too. 

5. Wolfgang Dauner Trio with Eberhard Weber? No. Dmitry is closer to the truth.

6. One of Manfred Schoof’s groups? No. But it certainly sounds like something from that corner.

7. Bass clarinet - John Surman? Possibly one of those ECMs with Jack de Johnette? Neither. But the clarnettist probably would take that as a compliment.

8. Joe Lovano with Bill Frissel? No.

9. This sounds a bit Lovano-ish as well and sort of familiar but can’t place it. Not Lovano. It is the same group as on Track 5.

10. Is that George Mraz on bass?  At first I thought maybe Friedrich Gulda with all those pianistic flourishes but perhaps Paul Kuhn? Again, sorry, no.

A mystery all round.... Thanks !

Thanks for putting up with this stuff! 

Now who is gonna guess the tenor on tracks 5 & 9?

Edited February 3, 2022 by mikeweil

[Dmitry]

7. Something from a European Conservatory? This is not your Klezmer wedding tune.

8.  I didn't enjoy the guitarist's comping, but then he soloed, and it came together nicely. I should know these musicians. Metheny in disguise? An American group?

9. ? I should know the tenor.

10. ? Again, I should know the pianist. African-American?

 

[mjazzg]

Track 1. Just beautiful. I could listen to it all day. Not Sclavis, not Mirabassi, not Portal, not Trovesi.  Sounds like something released on ACT

Track 2. Bit too tricksy for me but I'd be interested to hear the album. Is that Lillinger on drums? Certainly busy enough to be him

Track 3. bit too pretty for my liking and I like Osby generally. Is it with Vein? Goes on far too long

Track 4. really interesting. I don't recognise anyone but will take a wild guess at Uschi Bruning who I only know from her FMP recordings with Petrowsky but I know she's done many more

Track 5. this could almost be a Charles Lloyd ECM album but it isn't Lloyd and that's not Stenson I don't think. Whoever it is, it's very nice indeed, especially the piano trio.

Track 6. Terrific. I definitely want to know who this is. Is that a Bauer at the end?

Track 7. really like this too. I'm struggling to think of contemporary (it sounds a recent recording to me) European bass clarinet players except Joachim Badenhorst

Track 8. Not for me, can't get on with that guitar. Other players sound good though

Track.9 Sounds like something David Murray might have done but it's not him, is it? Outstays its welcome a bit at 10'

Track 10. Just too much going on for my liking. Sounds like they're all getting in each other's way

 

This is a great BFT. I really enjoyed the listen and liked all the tracks apart from Track 8 and Track 10. It mostly sounded European to me and I wonder if the theme is a label. Strong drummers definitely a theme too. As for guessing, why not. I know mine are way off beam but it's fun

[randyhersom]

1. ECM on the licorice stick?  Anat Cohen?
2. Stride aware composition and playing from more modern players.  Jaki Byard?
3. Despite thinking it was an alto for the first few minutes, I'm going with Stan Getz.  Piano sounded a bit like Ran Blake at the beginning, but by the end I couldn't rule out Kenny Barron.
4. Sounds experimental at the beginning and South American in the second half.  Luciana Sousa?
5. Jarrett without the vocal sounds meets a milder variant of Dewey.  Definitely not those two, so maybe Frank Kimbrough?
6. Modern piece with a humorous ending.  Too much piano to be Gil Evans.  More tightly arranged than I would expect of LCJO.  Barry Guy?
7. Bass Clarinet.  Guessing James Carter, without much certainty.
8. I like guitar players with a rock edge in jazz bands so this is right up my alley.  I thought of Phalanx with Blood Ulmer and George Adams, but the sax does not ever play the agitated flurry of notes that Adams probably would.  Is this the Hudson Project with John Abercrombie?
9. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a lesser known Monk composition.  I suspect, but am not sure that there is a latin percussionist and a drummer too.  The restless groove adds to the interest of what's going on up top.  very close to no clue - my thoughts were Kenny Barron or one of the Gonzalez brothers, Andy or Jerry.
10. Maybe Mulgrew Miller with Christian McBride, or vice versa?

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by randyhersom

[mikeweil]

8 hours ago, Dmitry said:

7. Something from a European Conservatory? This is not your Klezmer wedding tune. 

8.  I didn't enjoy the guitarist's comping, but then he soloed, and it came together nicely. I should know these musicians. Metheny in disguise? An American group? All Europeans on this track.

9. ? I should know the tenor. You all know that tenor!

10. ? Again, I should know the pianist. African-American? Another European.

 

 

[mikeweil]

8 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Track 1. Just beautiful. I could listen to it all day. Not Sclavis, not Mirabassi, not Portal, not Trovesi.  Sounds like something released on ACT None of the people you mentioned, and not ACT.

Track 2. Bit too tricksy for me but I'd be interested to hear the album. Is that Lillinger on drums? Certainly busy enough to be him Not Lilinger

Track 3. bit too pretty for my liking and I like Osby generally. Is it with Vein? Goes on far too long Osby has already been guessed, and I accept Vein, although they did not yet call themselves that way at the time of the performance.

Track 4. really interesting. I don't recognise anyone but will take a wild guess at Uschi Bruning who I only know from her FMP recordings with Petrowsky but I know she's done many more These are two singers, and neither of the two

Track 5. this could almost be a Charles Lloyd ECM album but it isn't Lloyd and that's not Stenson I don't think. Whoever it is, it's very nice indeed, especially the piano trio. Neither Lloyd nor Stenson

Track 6. Terrific. I definitely want to know who this is. Is that a Bauer at the end? The trombonist is another of the four US guys in this BFT

Track 7. really like this too. I'm struggling to think of contemporary (it sounds a recent recording to me) European bass clarinet players except Joachim Badenhorst  A European band for sure

Track 8. Not for me, can't get on with that guitar. Other players sound good though So far nobody seems to like that guitar player ....

Track.9 Sounds like something David Murray might have done but it's not him, is it? Outstays its welcome a bit at 10' As I said, you all know that tenor player.

Track 10. Just too much going on for my liking. Sounds like they're all getting in each other's way They're more arranged than you might think

 

This is a great BFT. I really enjoyed the listen and liked all the tracks apart from Track 8 and Track 10. It mostly sounded European to me and I wonder if the theme is a label. Strong drummers definitely a theme too. As for guessing, why not. I know mine are way off beam but it's fun You're definitely on the right track! 

 

7 hours ago, randyhersom said:

1. ECM on the licorice stick?  Anat Cohen?
2. Stride aware composition and playing from more modern players.  Jaki Byard?
3. Despite thinking it was an alto for the first few minutes, I'm going with Stan Getz.  Piano sounded a bit like Ran Blake at the beginning, but by the end I couldn't rule out Kenny Barron.
4. Sounds experimental at the beginning and South American in the second half.  Luciana Sousa?
5. Jarrett without the vocal sounds meets a milder variant of Dewey.  Definitely not those two, so maybe Frank Kimbrough?
6. Modern piece with a humorous ending.  Too much piano to be Gil Evans.  More tightly arranged than I would expect of LCJO.  Barry Guy?
7. Bass Clarinet.  Guessing James Carter, without much certainty.
8. I like guitar players with a rock edge in jazz bands so this is right up my alley.  I thought of Phalanx with Blood Ulmer and George Adams, but the sax does not ever play the agitated flurry of notes that Adams probably would.  Is this the Hudson Project with John Abercrombie?
9. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a lesser known Monk composition.  I suspect, but am not sure that there is a latin percussionist and a drummer too.  The restless groove adds to the interest of what's going on up top.  very close to no clue - my thoughts were Kenny Barron or one of the Gonzalez brothers, Andy or Jerry.
10. Maybe Mulgrew Miller with Christian McBride, or vice versa?

 

Great comments! But no hits. At last someone who likes that guitar player on track 8.

Track 9 is a straight quartet - tenor-piano-bass-drums.

Edited February 5, 2022 by mikeweil

[randyhersom]

Garbarek on 5 and 9?

[mikeweil]

4 hours ago, randyhersom said:

Garbarek on 5 and 9?

Not Garbarek - that tenor player is from the USA.

[Dub Modal]

So I'm thinking the Osby track 3 is the last track on this album. 

And I'm guessing the theme is albums recorded and/or released in Germany? 

[T.D.]

Could be a Swiss connection in light of earlier post.

I'm enjoying listening to the music, but generally enjoy guessing on BFTs and doubt being able to muster up any guesses on this one.

[mikeweil]

46 minutes ago, Dub Modal said:

So I'm thinking the Osby track 3 is the last track on this album. Correct!

And I'm guessing the theme is albums recorded and/or released in Germany? Even closer than your last guess, but not a bull's eye

 

22 minutes ago, T.D. said:

Could be a Swiss connection in light of earlier post. Not bad

I'm enjoying listening to the music, but generally enjoy guessing on BFTs and doubt being able to muster up any guesses on this one. Try to indentify the tenor saxist on 5 & 9

 

[JSngry]

Ice melting, grid held, ok!

TRACK ONE - It's not Paul Desmond playing clarinet, but if it was, then it would be. I'd like it more if it developed some, but as far as "chamber jazz" goes, it ain't too bad. It has a pulse, meaning it's got blood, so, ok.

TRACK TWO - If this ain't Dutch, then fuck it. And I don't think it's Dutch. I ain't got time for this, thank you.

TRACK THREE - Greg Osby already ID'ed. Like it a lot less when the rhythm section comes in and it gets Bill Evans-y.

TRACK FOUR - Hermeto? Sounds like some of his more whack excursions, like the music he made from a soccer announcer. I am by no means familiar with the totality of his output, but there's no doubt in my miond that hecould/would do something like this if he wanted to. Oh, wiat, phasy guitar, just lost my interest. Too bad, they were holding it pretty goo!

TRACK FIVE - Pianist has a Paul Bley vibe, very good. Tenor sounds familiar, but not particularly exciting, at least not here. The tone is a little Billy Harper-ish, but the language is not. That tune sounds familiar, what with the "Fernando's Hideaway" tag, but that's not it. And now it sounds less Bley-ish, after the tenor. Hell, is that Herbie? with Brecker? No. Not Billy Harper with Randy Weston, pretty sure not. So...no idea right now.

TRACK SIX - Is this the Dave Holland group with Wheeler & Eubanks, and, who was it, Osby? But that's not an alto. The head is clever, and I don't always (seldom) like clever. But the solos are for real, and there's a piano, who is flirting with clever, dammit.

TRACK SEVEN  - Do I like this? Please, tell me, because I am not sure. I mean, it means well, but there's some kind of a degree of some kind of separation, maybe? It's one of those things that I could dance to if I wanted to, but I don't really want to. Onus is on the band for that.

TRACK EIGHT - Oh my...please don't do that.

TRACK NINE - Something derived from "Take The Coltrane".  Same tenor player as on #5? Seems like it could be Dewey? But I have most of Dewey's records and don't immediately recognize this one, but hell, that means nothing these days. There's that Herbie-ish right had tremolo thing again, like Herbie. So who can that be. I should be getting this...A bit McCoy-ish also in that regard, but the fingers aren't quite that nimble.

TRACK TEN - No idea. Very nice when it's not being clever.

An interesting and certainly non-cliched presentation. Thanks!

 

[mikeweil]

10 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Ice melting, grid held, ok!

TRACK ONE - It's not Paul Desmond playing clarinet, but if it was, then it would be. I'd like it more if it developed some, but as far as "chamber jazz" goes, it ain't too bad. It has a pulse, meaning it's got blood, so, ok. 

TRACK TWO - If this ain't Dutch, then fuck it. And I don't think it's Dutch. I ain't got time for this, thank you. Not Dutch, sorry ...

TRACK THREE - Greg Osby already ID'ed. Like it a lot less when the rhythm section comes in and it gets  Bill Evans-y. Bill Evans-y? Hmmm ....

TRACK FOUR - Hermeto? Sounds like some of his more whack excursions, like the music he made from a soccer announcer. I am by no means familiar with the totality of his output, but there's no doubt in my miond that hecould/would do something like this if he wanted to. Oh, wiat, phasy guitar, just lost my interest. Too bad, they were holding it pretty goo! Not quite his climate zone

TRACK FIVE - Pianist has a Paul Bley vibe, very good. Tenor sounds familiar, but not particularly exciting, at least not here. The tone is a little Billy Harper-ish, but the language is not. That tune sounds familiar, what with the "Fernando's Hideaway" tag, but that's not it. And now it sounds less Bley-ish, after the tenor. Hell, is that Herbie? with Brecker? No. Not Billy Harper with Randy Weston, pretty sure not. So...no idea right now. C'mon Jim, you know that tenor!

TRACK SIX - Is this the Dave Holland group with Wheeler & Eubanks, and, who was it, Osby? But that's not an alto. The head is clever, and I don't always (seldom) like clever. But the solos are for real, and there's a piano, who is flirting with clever, dammit. 

TRACK SEVEN  - Do I like this? Please, tell me, because I am not sure. I mean, it means well, but there's some kind of a degree of some kind of separation, maybe? It's one of those things that I could dance to if I wanted to, but I don't really want to. Onus is on the band for that. You should have danced to it

TRACK EIGHT - Oh my...please don't do that. But of course!

TRACK NINE - Something derived from "Take The Coltrane".  Same tenor player as on #5? Seems like it could be Dewey? But I have most of Dewey's records and don't immediately recognize this one, but hell, that means nothing these days. There's that Herbie-ish right had tremolo thing again, like Herbie. So who can that be. I should be getting this...A bit McCoy-ish also in that regard, but the fingers aren't quite that nimble. Finally someone heard the connection to "Take The Coltrane"! Yes, I, too hear a Herbie vibe in this pianist. But I thought you would get that tenor saxist right away.

TRACK TEN - No idea. Very nice when it's not being clever.This band is all about clever, and that's what I love about them!

An interesting and certainly non-cliched presentation. Thanks! I take that as a compliment!

 

 

[JSngry]

Indeed, a compliment!

[JSngry]

George Coleman?

[mikeweil]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

George Coleman?

Far off ....nothing of what i hear as typical Coleman phrases.

[JSngry]

Me either. It just sound like some body of advancing years.