BLINDFOLD TEST #8 - ANSWERS

[mikeweil]

Disc One - Track Eleven

Teri Thornton - I'll Be Easy To Find (Verve Records 547755) 1999

- Nature Boy (Ahbez)

Teri Thornton - Vocals, Piano; Lonnie Plaxico - Bass; J.T. Lewis - Drums; Jerome Richardson - Flute; Howard Johnson - Cornet, Horn Arrangement; Dave Bargeron - Trombone

This is a special one for me. I was at the recording sessions for this record back in 1997. It was about 1 in the morning when Teri started this take. Lonnie Plaxico had been running all night on only an hour of sleep. He just started laying down this deep bass groove. Everything else just fell into place. I wish I still had a copy of the undubbed take. It was just the piano, bass and drums laid to tape. Then, Howard Johnson wrote a quick arrangement in about 30 minutes. Jerome Richardson had already left the studio a couple hours earlier for his home in Seacacus, NJ, but the producer called and begged him to come back and lay down some snakey flute lines. Jerome, the nice guy that he was, got back in his car and drove back into the city at about 3 in the morning to complete the take.

What you hear here is not the final mix released Verve CD. This is from the first rough mixes. That's probably why it may sound a bit unbalanced.

Thank you so much for sharing this priceless story!!! You got a rough mix copy there at the session or afterwards? I love this arrangement!

[randyhersom]

I very much enjoyed the Howard Johnson. The similarity with McCoy Tyner's groups was inescapable - I would have guessed McCoy if he didn't show up again later.

[couw]

damn, I need to catch up! been a busy day, first to bed though... -_-

[Big Al]

Thanks Jim! This BFT was one of the more enjoyable ones I've had the pleasure of listening to!

And HEAP big thanks to Vint for directing me to another sale thread here to help me score a copy of the Jack Wilson disc!

[Nate Dorward]

Ha! My biggest screwup on one of these yet in misidentifying the AEOC track as William Parker, Roy Campbell et al. Oh well, it happens.

[Big Al]

Well, once again I want to thank Jim for this BFT, mainly because I'm listening to Something Personal, and I am loving every second of it. And I haven't even gotten to the BFT track yet!

Also agree about the Howard Johnson track. What a swingin' tune!

[EKE BBB]

Disc One - Track Four

Jordi Sabates - Ocells Del Mes Enlla (PDI Records Spain)

- Ocells Del Mes Enlla (Sabates)

...EKE BBB really surprised me when he nailed this track! In hindsight, it was recorded in Spain, so I guess it's not too much of a surprise. ...

Jim:

I don´t have this CD and actually I don´t like it A friend of mine, who likes this guy very much, played it for me a few months ago. When I listened to your BFT, this track reminded me of that kinda groove (more than RTF) and a little AMG research did the rest. B)

[Adam]

This is a bit forward, but although I didn't ask for this before, the descriptions make a lot of this seems right up my taste alley (I have the Tapscott, for example). Could I please ask if someone would make me a dub of these discs, and I'll recompense. Maybe a fellow Angeleno? You can PM me.

Thank you!

Adam

[brownie]

I was late joining in for this BFT. I was very late receiving the discs which arrived while I was away from Paris for a couple of weeks. Found them when I returned last week. Now I am terribly late answering the forum.

Gave disc 1 a quick hearing after opening the package and have had a good hearing this weekend. Discovering some new music which is always fine with me.

I will have to be believed on blind faith but I managed to stay away from the BFT 8 forums and thought it would be more fun not to peek in at the answers.

OK, here goes:

There are two tracks I'm familiar with:

- Track 10 that's Howard Johnson's take on Pharoah Sanders 'Lower Egypt'. Pharoah's version on his initial Impulse album was a huge favorite of mine. 'Nubia' was my second Howard Johnson purchase (after 'Gravity'). I love Howard Johnson sound on the baritone but I love him even better on the tuba. Very nice tribute to Sanders in any case,

- Track 12 that was the easiest: McCoy Tyner's Fly With the Wind' Big Band CD on Birdology (was this distributed in the USA?) That was probably the last Tyner album I bought. Thought the original version on the 'Fly With the Wind' album on Milestone was the one best tune from an excellent album but the big band track made me want to give the full CD a rerun.

I am pretty sure about Larry Young on track 3 but have not figured yet which session it comes for. Same goes for track 7 which sounds a bit like one of good old Yusef Lateef's dates. Will check further.

Tracks 1 and 2 sound good but I will have to relisten to get clues on who's there,

Tracks 4, I don't care that much about. No idea on that one,

I'm in the dark also about track 5 but I love that one! This is totally new music to me, very exciting and will definitively add the album on my Want list when I find out what it is.

Track 6, 8 and 9 did not ring any bells here but I like what I am hearing.

Not really moved by track 11. I have heard better 'Nature Boy'.

In any case an excellent mix. Many thanks, Jim.

I'm planning to post fuller impressions (and hopefully more firm answers) before Jim's baby celebrates its first month!

[Alexander]

I realize that I did not post any guesses, but that's mainly because I knew that I was wrong on every single track (and I was)! That said, I really enjoyed the music on this BFT and have listened to it several times (both discs). Thanks so much for making this disc, Jim. Great job! Now I have some more music to look for...

[brownie]

So I gave further listens to BFT 8 this week. And since I was so late on this one, I could not resist any further and looked at the answers.

My final impressions:

1- I was into unkown territory (or almost). Figured the Dolphy connection but could not trace the original line. Very interesting introduction to Ehrlich,

2- liked that one very much. Almost recognised Chick Corea, not Farrell, a;usician I tend to overlook and shouldn't. The man impressed me once more. This is an album to look for,

3- well, so much for guessing Larry Young. Excellent choice for a blindfold test, indeed! Very exciting track, by all means. More interesting musicians to discover!,

4- did not care for that Sabates track,

5- that one had me raving about and I keep loving it. I was barely familiar with Carlo Actis Dato's name thru his participation to the Instabile Orchestra but never bothered to listen to his albums. Big mistake! This one goes next on my 'to have' albums list,

6- could not figure that one either. Nice group, nice tune,

7- no big problem guessing that Lateef track. I have enjoyed that album for quite long,

8- should have guessed that one. Failed. Exciting quartet with Bobby Watson, a saxophonist I should listen to more often,

9- shame on me for not figuring that one. My only excuse is that my LP copy of this Jack Wilson date has problems and I have not played it for years. Will have to get the CD reissue,

10- loved that Howard Johnson album. Very nice homage to Pharoah Sanders,

11- Teri Thornton? I missed that album when it was released but must admit that I am not really a fan,

12- The McCoy Tyner big band track was the easiest of the BFT as far as I was concerned.

Many thanks to Jim Dye for assembling this. Many tracks widened my musical horizon. I was also impressed by the excellent mastering!

[RDK]

I still can't believe I missed "Something Personal." I have the disc and like it quite a bit. I've gotta start thinking "outside the box." B)

[mikeweil]

Now that I've got the Jerome Harris disc I know why I did kind of like the electic bass sound on this: He uses a special model with a pickup and a mic inside the body. Great!

[rockefeller center]

Now that I've got the Jerome Harris disc I know why I did kind of like the electic bass sound on this: He uses a special model with a pickup and a mic inside the body. Great!

Which bass is being played here? A hollow body? Piezos? Honestly, I didn't notice anything special about the sound, thought it's Reggie Washington with a 4 string Fender Jazz.

[.:.impossible]

I was listening to this again today. Is any of that Jack Wilson Roy Ayers stuff available on CD? I have a Roy Ayers disc that I'm not all that fond of. Stone Soul Picnic. The musicianship is great, but the music is dated.

I like the soft mallets that he is using here.

[mikeweil]

I know there is a Fresh Sound CD of the Vault LP Ramblin'.

There was a Discovery LP reissue of the Atlantic LP under a different title, but I'm not sure about any CD reissue. I will have a look.

These were the LPs of the Ayers/Wilson team:

Atlantic SD 1406 Jack Wilson – The Jack Wilson Quartet feat. Roy Ayers

(LP reissue: Discovery DS-872 - Jack Wilson - Corcovado)

Atlantic SD 1488 Roy Ayers – Virgo Vibes

(CD reissue: Atlantic 81227 3585-2)

Vault 9001 Jack Wilson – Brazilian Mancini

Vault 9002 Jack Wilson – Ramblin‘

(LP & CD reissue on Fresh Sound)

Blue Note BST 84251 Jack Wilson – Something Personal

(CD reissue: Blue Note Connoisseur 52436)

There also is a Vault 108 listed in discographies, but I have no idea what format that is.

Edited March 18, 2005 by mikeweil