BFT 247

[felser]

20 minutes ago, JSngry said:

WHOA!!!

Time to revisit those two records. It's been too long...

I've never heard them, see that they're only on vinyl.  I guess this is case where youtube is my friend.  Also a case where I would pay for downloads, which I'm normally loathe to do.  I think I have all of her recordings with Sonny Simmons in one form or another.  She was something, and quite overlooked.

[webbcity]

On 10/5/2024 at 8:00 PM, felser said:

I've never heard them, see that they're only on vinyl.  I guess this is case where youtube is my friend.  Also a case where I would pay for downloads, which I'm normally loathe to do.  I think I have all of her recordings with Sonny Simmons in one form or another.  She was something, and quite overlooked.

Truly! I am slowly discovering more and more of her recordings and she is consistently amazing. I do have this one on vinyl. Seems kind of crazy that it's never been released on CD, but at this point I can understand it wouldn't make them any money to reissue it. To your point--they should at least do something like Bandcamp downloads for these. I think that would be successful in getting her music to reach more ears!

[webbcity]

Last chance for any stragglers! Will reveal all later tomorrow. At this point if you're still going to participate, I require that you do it while wearing your Halloween costume. 

[tkeith]

Track 01 - Yes, please.  Definitely has a Ra feel to it.  Cornet?  Seems beefier than a trumpet, so much that when I first heard it I was thinking Clark Terry, which is clearly NOT the case.  Now it sounds distinctly trumpety.  Ooo!  Sax... a clue.  I don't know it, but I don't care, I want it.

Track 02 - Getting a Cecil/Joe Bonner vibe.  First thougth was Bobbi Humphrey on flute, but that's wrong.  Tenor owes a bit of love to Pharoah, but doesn't quite have his energy.  Like the Coltrane-y thing, but not sure I'd do a whole night of that.  Not Joe.  Almost sounds like Tootie Heath on drums, feel-wise, but the kit sound is different.  Safe to say this is not this guy's typical style?  Vamp is full Bonner, but the solo was defintiely not.  I think you're fooling me here.  Is this a genre-bending cut?  Two for two, large father.

Track 03 - That strange, Mel Lewis sounding cymbal.  The tone is beefy like Ari Brown, but I'm not sure it's him (could be early Ari).  Not Ari. More practice, but I'm digging it, for the most part.  Definitely been some time put in.  That raises the question, who's the Elvin clone?  Seems like a sound I should know, but don't.  It's certainly unique.  I love me some drums, but this cat is almost wearing me out.  Loses some steam towards the end of the tenor solo.  Nice bass solo.  Parts where I want to say Ronnie Boykins, and parts that sound like our own Zac Francis (time-wise).  I'm curious as hell.  Three for three, and I've gotten nothing.  Something weird about the rhythm of the bass.  Really sounds like NOT a "jazz" player.  Is this another genre-bender?  (I may keep typing that on each tune just to see how closely people are reading.  ).  Alright, which Chicagoan is this that I need to know more about?

Track 04 - Oh, that vamp is familiar from the get go.  Beefy bass.  Drums are weird.  Almost that clunky Han Bennink feel, but seems a bit more locked in.  Maybe Smiley Winters.  That sure sounds like Woody.  Rhodes suggests 70s, so that opens up many possibilities.  Behind the trumpet, really sounds like Max, but more like someone playing like Max.  You're gonna hate me... is that Stanley Clarke?  I withdraw the question -- that IS Stanley Clarke.  Not Chick.  Tenor is digging in.  At first, I was unsure.  Reminds me a bit of Carlos Garnett, but with more fire.  Not Max.  Not precise enough.  Precision be damned, this guy is hitting it.  What happened to Stanley, there?  Was worried we were going down Trane/Elvin path.  Glad it didn't.  Four for four, MF!  And now the press roll sounds like Blakey.  Don't know the flute, other than it's once again NOT Bobbi Humphrey.  I'll take Woody, Stanley, and a cup of disappointment from there.

Track 05 - THAT is some low end.  Somebody loves Dolphy (not a bad thing).  This has a heavy Chicago feel to me.  Maybe Muhal.  I may have it, but don't immediately recognize it.  At first, I wasn't sold on the feel, but by the halfway point, I'm in.  Gotta be him, doesn't it?  Bass is monstrous.  I'm fishing, but assuming i'm right on Muhal, could that be Fred?  That would explain the BIGness.  Yeah, I'll take this one, too.

Track 06 - Gee, thought this was Equal Time playing The Rain, at first.  Oh... wait.  Clearly that's Eddie.  Narrows it considerably.  It's not us, and it's not the late 60s blue note.  Tenor is in tune, so it's not the other record Eddie gave me.  Process of elimination, it's got to be A Minute With Miles (the one I'm least familiar with), but not that track.  Oh, man... no mistaking Eddie.  Such a bad MF.  I WANT this to be me -- he gives such an energy to feed off of.  Just remembered who the pianist is on this -- talk about an Illusion of Grandeur!  Love the exploratory nature of the tenor.  Reaching without getting in the way.  Very Mal Waldron-y ending. ❤️

Track 07 - Pizzicato cello?  Not digging it.  I mean, I appreciate the unique feel, but I'm not really connecting with it.  Drums, in particular, seems very disconnected.  Maybe George Lewis on 'bone?  Unique alto, but not a voice I'm familiar with.  Works here, but seems different from the rest of it (like the home address is closer to main street).  Odd instrumentation to say the least.  Halfway in and still struggling to find the groove, though.  Not without merit, but it's missing that spot in the gut that makes me full on happy.  

Track 08 - Sure sounds like Dave Holland. That angular style that in the wrong setting rubs me, but it works here.  Wait, that's not him.  About the 2 minute mark there's a tell in the low-end -- that's Fred Hopkins.  Just shy of 3:00, there's that plucky thing -- that's Fred, no doubt.  Not sold on the guitarist.  I don't think a Chicago guy on drums.  Not a heavy enough feel to be Reggie Nicholson, but that's as close as I got.

Track 09 - Horace?  Man, this is killin'.  Doesn't quite have Horace's bite on the comping, but it certainly COULD be his tune.  Tight arrangement -- like the way they wove in the improv.  Delightful.  More of that, please.  

Track 10 - Blue in Green.  Terrible sound.  Couldn't distinguish whether lead instrument was alto, clarinet or flute for about a minute.  Kudos for doing it differently, but I'm not sure I'm on board.  Not feeling any connection to the tune.  Based on that and the fact that I REALLY don't care for the alto sound, is this Braxton?  Feels like a lot of noodling without much direction.  And for that reason, I'm out.  90 seconds to go and not sure I'm going to make it.  Gotta be Braxton -- very few people cause this visceral reaction.  At least he's consistent.  Toward the end, bass finally stops noodling and it's almost tolerable (if you could turn down the alto).  Nope.

Track 11 - Ah, there ya go.  I know this, I swear I do. We've definitely listened to this and gushed over it, but damned if I can put my finger on it.  AGGRESSIVE sax.  Leaning towards Carlos Garnett.  Man, THAT is a bitch of a trumpet solo.  LIterally singing along (yeah, you don't want to hear that).  I definitely know this, but not able to put names to it, which is probably a huge clue.  Got that McCoy left hand down.  Line about 4:15 is a bucket list line.  Billy Harper played that last time I saw him with The Cookers and I've been oozing for it since.  Damnit.  I know that head, too.  I'm glad it's the end of the month, because I KNOW this and should be able to spit it right out.  Damn it!

Track 12 - Almost a Zappa feel here (though, I dare say a higher degree of inspiration).  Has that business in the drums, though.  Maybe Pheroan AkLaff?  Don't care for the hyper-compression of the recording, but they got the feel right.  

Track 13 - Tomorrow Never Knows.  Not sure if I'm onboard, yet, but it IS better than the Phil Collins version.  Reminds me of an O.C. Smith record I had as a kid, but the voice doesn't seem quite raspy enough to be him.  

Definitely a better fit for the first half of the test, but what was in my alley was IN my alley.  Apologies for taking four full weeks to get to it.