/blindfold/

1. This one I recognize as My Favorite Things. The saxophonist sounds a kind of like Coltrane himself but the rest of the group doesn’t really sound like anybody who would have played with Coltrane. Most of the solos were ok but the piano solo was just weird. 2.5 stars.

2. I guess it’s My Favorite Things again but much more classical sounding. Possibly with bassoon or something like that. I don’t have much to say about this one because if the song wasn’t My Favorite Things I probably would just call this classical music. 3 stars.

3. This sounds like a much older style and makes me think of somebody like Lester Young. This was pretty good but it was so long that I actually lost interest part of the way through. 2 stars.

4. This one was a lot better and more interesting. It was kind of a different sound for a piano trio and then I liked when it went to just solo piano for a while in the middle too. It could be Robert Glasper. It reminds me of some of his things I’ve heard. 3.5 stars.

5. I recognize this one. It’s a song that Coltrane plays. So maybe the the them has something to do with him. This one was kind of weird overall but I liked it. 3 stars.

>>69005780
6. It’s the same song but now with more of a Jamaican reggae sound. I actually thought it was kind of good with the way the sax was playing. Plus the trombone playing part was kind of cool. 3 stars.

7. This sounds like some kind of 80’s big band. It’s pretty nice though. The solos are very enjoyable, especially the sax solo. 4 stars.

8. Nice relaxed vibes from the electric piano. I get nervous when solos start out with bass solos but this was decent. This one was pretty good all around and I’d listen to more of this. 3.5 stars.

9. Take the A Train is one of the tunes I can recognize but this is a very weird fusion version. it reminds me a little bit of Return to Forever but even more cheesy. I didn’t really enjoy it too much. 2 stars.

10. And now a violin and piano duet version of Take the A Train. This one was much better. It’s nice how it sounds as a very slow ballad and the violin is good for that. This one was pretty good. 3.5 stars.

>Track 1
The tune is obviously My Favorite Things. Pretty poor recording quality and also I have no idea what the bass is doing. Really the group just sounds kind of sloppy in general, though I guess in another context I think I’d like the saxophonist. The trumpet player also clearly has some good ideas but I don’t know what the rhythm section is doing. The piano solo is just a mess. Sounds almost like a student band or something. The horn players sound like they might be good and maybe the drummer too but just nobody was really on the same page here. The bass and piano were really pretty mystifying to me. I’d guess it’s somebody like Pharaoh Sanders or Archie Sheep maybe.

>Track 2
So another version of My Favorite Things. Sounds like a woodwind quintet or something. Or all oboes. There’s kind of an odd dance feel to it once the drums come in. I like the arrangement quite a bit, but there were some short bits that sounded like they might have been improvised solos and they weren’t too good. Bad swing feel and pretty square stuff whether it was improvised or written. But the arranged bits were all pretty nice. Then there’s an odd bit of talking at the end with what sounds like some kind of African language.

>Track 3
I’m not sure of the tune but I’m fairly sure it’s Coleman Hawkins. It sounds like the tune is It Might as Well Be Spring. So maybe a theme of show tunes? Oh but there’s another saxophonist too… Somebody a little lot more hip. And an alto player it sounds like. Some alto player listening to a lot of Coltrane obviously, some of those whole tone licks sound like Coltrane. This one was very long. I liked both saxophonists, and I liked the juxtaposition of the two but I’m not sure that what they did justified the length of the tune.

>>69006994
>Track 4
This is the Joey Alexander version of the same tune. I like this one. It’s a nice idea to do the 7/8 thing and the rhythm section is good. I always have to wonder how much of what he does is really improvised though because I really think a lot of it is probably very worked out all in advance. Still very nice.

>Track 5
This is Naima. Reminds me a bit of the kind of thing Jonny Dyani would do. That sort of honky sax tone isn’t really my favorite. I like the trumpet player much better. The bass playing is solid too. Other than that… not too much to say about this one.

>Track 6
Ha, a reggae version is a funny idea. It’s a bit gimmicky but still kind of fun.

>Track 7
This is pretty cool. Reminds me a bit of the David Murray octet, but also a bit of some of Dave Holland’s groups with the vibes in there. This sax solo is definitely one of my favorites of the week. The piano solo behind the sax solo is also great. Man that sounds a lot like Woody Shaw on trumpet. Could be like George Gruntz or something along those lines.

>Track 8
So clearly it’s the same tune, but I don’t know it. Nice bass solo and I like the electric piano playing. Good sax solo too and then the rhythm section sounds really great in the piano solo. The ending was kind of lame but other than that this was one of my favorites this week. Still not sure of the tune but I liked it.

>Track 9
Obviously the tune is A Train. I can’t say I really care for this version. The instrumentation sounds so dated and synths and the bass vamp really sounds quite a bit like Super Mario. I guess the only real jazz harmonica players I know are Toots Thieleman and a guy named Henrik Meurkens. This is probably Toots though.

>Track 10
And now a violin version. Stephane Grappelli maybe. I know Ellington made a record featuring violin players… I guess this could be from that. Anyway I didn’t really like the violin playing. It was a bit too saccharine and overly dramatic.

>>69005780
1. No love for that piano solo today then? I quite like it...
2. Yep, it's bassoon.

>>69005800
6. Glad someone else liked this version - I thought people might find it too gimmicky, but I agree that the sax is a great fit for it.
8. I really like this too - it's something I never would have discovered without looking for a version of this track but I'm going to check out the rest of the album as soon as I have chance.
10. I like the ballad feel too - Take the A Train is boring when it's played straight, but this is really nice.

>>69006994
1. Definitely not a student band - the sax and piano had been together for years at this point.
2. It's Portuguese.
3. Not Hawkins, but I agree that the alto has a lot of Coltrane in him.

>>69007014
>Joey Alexander
I hoped no one would spot this but I guess it's inevitable given the publicity he's had.
>>69007032
>same tune, but I don’t know it
Surprised you don't at least recognise it actually.
>Ellington made a record featuring violin players… I guess this could be from that.
Not Ellington, but the leader here is someone associated with him

>>69010067
>1. Definitely not a student band - the sax and piano had been together for years at this point.
Any chance the pianist was inebriated? I found very little enjoyable about his solo

>2. It's Portuguese.
Hm. I guess I very seldom hear Portuguese spoken. Only sung or rapped.

>>69010199
>I hoped no one would spot this but I guess it's inevitable given the publicity he's had.
I've been listening to him quite a bit lately. I had thought of putting him on some playlists I've been putting together because he's definitely one who I think people will be biased against if they know who is playing before hand.

>Surprised you don't at least recognise it actually.
It was sounding familiar. Especally the second version.

>Not Ellington, but the leader here is someone associated with him
Maybe Ray Nance is the violinist?

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1: A very off kilter take on My Favorite things. Reminds me of 70's small indie label spiritual jazz and such.

Sax player sounds influenced by Coltrane who popularized this tune.

I think Sun Ra has recorded a version - I could see this well being him. I don't think this one quite got there, even though it had an odd charm to it.

2: A third streamy chamber jazz version of My Favorite Things. Are those bassoon and oboes or something?

Kind of fun, but I don't think I'd want to listen to too much of this. Speaking in Portuguese in the end?

3: First that piano run sounded like the one that opens the Coltrane/Hartman Lush Life, then the melody started like it could be Happy Birthday to You before settling onto it's sax ballad ways.

Coleman Hawkins or Ben Webster maybe? On this US election week it would be appropriate to have The Prez Lester Young make an appearance, but sounds like this is after his heyday a bit?

Oh there is an alto too. Interesting contrast, sounds like a more modern style than the tenor.

Pretty lengthy for a ballad track, but enjoyable.

4: A more modern, very rhythmic take. Sound quality is so good, I'd say this is from this century.

Very joyful feeling to this - like a modern day Vince Guaraldi.

Pretty entertaining.

>>69011081
>I had thought of putting him on some playlists I've been putting together because he's definitely one who I think people will be biased against if they know who is playing before hand.
Yeah that's exactly why I thought it'd be fun to have a track by him.

5: This is Naima - maybe there's some Coltrane theme linking the pairs?

I think the trumpet is my favorite thing (lul) in this one. Could be Wadada Leo Smith. Or Lester Bowie - did the Art Ensemble play it this straight at some point?

With those bells and the general feel of it, I'm guessing 70's for this one.

6: Reggae-Naima

The sax tone works surprisingly well here - like a Gato Barbieri sound, I don't really see Gato doing reggae, though.

I guess this type of sax tone is relatively common in ska. Last weekend I had a chance to see The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra (of Madness fame) at the festival I went to as the late night club act, but opted to drive home as they started past midnight - I could see them doing something like this as a slower tune.

Pretty successful for what it set out to do.

1. Choosing this piece is one of the most hazardous decisions a sax soloist can make. The sax is solid, but the trumpet solo is my favourite part of this.
2. My Favorite Things again, as woodwind ensemble piece. I would have hoped their arrangement had been a bit more daring, becaue I don't get the sense that this is a collective of virtuosos. The drummer shouldn't be there at all.
4. Latin-tinged in a good way - right off the bat it has some heat, momentum, and a groove you can move to. I wasn't so enthused when he stated to solo - good but no Bobby Timmons - or Peruchin. The drummer picks up from there and is really good at what he's doing. One of my favourites from this session.
5. Down but not desolate, this has the feel of a jam session at 4am, just before they pack their cases for the night. The looseness of this performance feels almost slack, but it's charm is that it's so comfortable that I feel I can relax around these guys.
6. A reggae-inflected version of "x" - I know it but I can't recall the name or who did it. I'm going to guess this was recorded in the early 90's. Saxman's tone when he's blowing is a pleasure to listen to. this track isn't set up to show off his range, though it achieves its (modest) aims.
7.Not much to say - not really my kind of thing.
8. The sax player has some talent, but this style really isn't speaking to me.
9. Take the A Train. With production like this, I'm trying to imagine which sitcom credits music this was pulled from. As a harmonica showpiece this is a good one. I was reminded of Stevie Wonder when he solos - a good sign. I wish the background wasn't so static relative to the soloist - be a bit rougher on him!
10. Take the A-Train. I really enjoy the mood this version evokes. I think violin is my favourite instrument, but it's hard to find examples where it's used well outside classical music. This is one of them. Feels old-school in its sensibilities, though it's probably recent.

7: I'm sure I know this tune, but can't think of the name. There's some smaller ensemble version of this I've heard many times.

I'd say 70's or early 80's for the timeframe. I think at times the band sounds like Zappa's Waka/Jawaka or Grand Wazoo bands even.

Trumpet could be Woody Shaw.

I was thinking Maynard Ferguson, but I guess he often had a more smooth/easy listening vibe.

It really bugs me that I can't name the tune, maybe the other part of the pair will help.

This was very good, I thought

8: Well, I figured out what the tune is - it's Woody Shaw's Moontrane that I know from Larry Young's Unity. There was some other version of it on a /blindfold/ earlier, too - the one on Eternal Triangle with Shaw and Hubbard on trumpets, I think.

So I guess there's some loose Coltrane thread running through the pairs.

This one sounds relatively recent to me.

I preferred the previous one, but this was OK.

9: Kind of an odd 80's soft funk+harmonica version of Take the A Train. (train/trane theme overall then...)

The harmonica actually sounds like Stevie Wonder to me. He plays some jazz standards, I think so this is him. The rhythm section could fit to that.

The more conventional for jazz and likely to be correct guess would have to be Toots Thielemans.

The 80's band sound doesn't do this one any favors.

10: A slow ballady violin version of A Train.

I think the violinist's phrasing is very gypsy-jazz like so could be Stephane Grappelli, but I guess much of jazz violin is that way. Maybe Stuff Smith or Ray Nance would be other likely candidates.

Danish violinist Svend Asmussen who is still alive at 100 years of age worked with Ellington, but it doesn't quite sound like his recordings I've heard to me - I don't think he does slides and pretty wide vibratos nearly as much as the player here.

Pretty good version - worked out fine as a slower ballad.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxxDzHK7rS0

Somewhat thematically connected bump from local band Dalindèo who I had earlier on my Euro 2016 /blindfold/

Their previous album was dedicated to the bohemian/hipster Helsinki neighborhood of Kallio and Ota linja 8! - Take the line 8! is the album's 'theme song', the name is a reference to Take the A train, like A train went to Harlem in New York, tram line 8 runs through Kallio in Helsinki.

early Jan Garbarek *trane bump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xlnbCQ_KjU

US morning bump

>>69014796
Oh damn. Can't believe I didn't realize it was The Moontrane

>>69017373
I remember last time I couldn't think of the name, but you did :)

>>69018006
But that was maybe the actual Larry Young version?

I'm interested to see if it's Shaw on this first version. It did sound a lot like him.

>>69018317
Hmh. I think I would have recognized that. There was something from the Eternal Triangle that I thought was a larger ensemble due to the dual-trumpets.

Certainly interested to learn whether it was Shaw himself on trumpet there. Sounds like something I'd listen to the whole album of in any case.

Seeked out what 3 is to verify the Trane/train theme and that is actually Coltrane on alto on that track - I didn't really think about him, so well identified.

>>69018879
We've definitely had the first Woody Shaw version of Moontrane on a blindfold test before (think Ambassador Satch posted it) as that's the first time I heard it. I think we've had the Eternal Triangle version too.

>>69019351
Also shall I do the answers soon?

>>69019351
oh yeah, we had this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgjTnRcxOJA

Probably another track off of Eternal Triangle, then

bump for reveals or announcements of participation

>>69020001
Reveals it is:

As you've all gathered, the theme was Coltrane.

1st Pair - a piece associated with Trane
2nd Pair - a piece featuring Trane
3rd Pair - a piece by Trane
4th Pair - a piece dedicated to Trane
5th Pair - a piece with "train" in the title

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>>69020525
>Track 1
Sun Ra - My Favorite Things
from New Steps (1978)

Sun Ra - keyboards
John Gilmore - tenor sax
Michael Ray - trumpet
Luqman Ali - drums

I actually started this playlist a while back, and one of the reasons I chose this track is because we hardly ever have Ra in the Blindfold test, but then last week jtg put him in. Anyway, this is a rare chance to hear him in a small group setting. The album is credited to the Sun Ra quartet, so my best bet is that the weird bass noodling is dubbed over by Ra himself.

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>>69020541
>Track 2
Osesp Bassoons - My Favorite Things
from YouTube (2012)

Alexandre Silvério - (lead) bassoon
Francisco Formiga - bassoon
Romeu Rabelo - bassoon
José Arion Liñarez - bassoon
Armando Yamada - drums

OSESP is the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and this group is made up of players from it's bassoon section. Alexandre Silvério has released a couple of jazz albums in his own name, and this group straddles the line between jazz and classical (they also do arrangements of Naima and Donna Lee, amongst others). I thought this was a nice arrangement, and most other versions of My Favorite Things that I could find were either riding the Coltrane bandwagon or were fairly straight ahead vocal versions.

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>>69020567
>Track 3
Gene Ammons - It Might As Well Be Spring
from Groove Blues (1958)

Gene Ammons - tenor sax
John Coltrane - alto sax
Mal Waldron - piano
George Joyner - bass
Art Taylor - drums

This Prestige all-star blowing session is mostly notable as one of the only opportunities to hear Trane on alto. A track like this where Ammons is paired with someone more modern would perhaps have been an attempt to remind people of his association with Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt.

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>>69020593
>Track 4
Joey Alexander - It Might As Well Be Spring
from My Favorite Things (2015)

Joey Alexander - piano
Larry Grenadier/Russell Hall - bass
Sammy Miller/Ulysses Owens - drums
(I'm not sure which drummer or bassist plays on this track)

Joey Alexander, who was 11 years old at the time this album was recorded, was a YouTube sensation whose professional breakthrough came when he was spotted by Wynton Marsalis. I thought it'd be especially interesting to have this on a blindfold test as it's sometimes hard to critically listen to child stars like this without being influenced (either positively or negatively) by the surprise factor.

>>69020541
Yeah - I knew this one existed because one of the local jazz shows played it years ago, didn't really remember it though. There's indeed no credited bass player so all that weirdness appears to be keyboards.

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>>69020606
>Track 5
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Naima
from Dreaming of the Masters Suite (1991)

Lester Bowie - trumpet/flugelhorn
Joseph Jarman - saxophones, percussion
Roscoe Mitchell - saxophones, percussion
Malachi Favors Maghostut - bass, percussion
Don Moye - Sun percussion

No introduction needed for these guys...

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>>69020624
>Track 6
New York Ska Jazz Ensemble - Naima
from Low Blow (1996)

Rick Faulkner - trombone
"Rock-Steady" Freddie Reiter - tenor sax
Devon James - guitar
Cary Brown - piano
Victor Rice - bass
Johnnathan McCain - drums
Mike Quarles - percussion

There are so many different versions of Naima out there, even outside the jazz world. I did toy with the idea of including one of the EDM versions I found, but this one has more jazz credentials. It's an interesting contrast to the Art Ensemble's version which still highlights the beauty in the original tune.

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>>69020644
>Track 7
Dexter Gordon - The Moontrane
from Sophisticated Giant (1977)

Dexter Gordon — tenor sax
Frank Wess — flute/piccolo
Woody Shaw — trumpet (soloist)
Benny Bailey — trumpet/fluegelhorn
Slide Hampton — trombone
Wayne Andre — trombone
Howard Johnson — tuba
Bobby Hutcherson — vibes
George Cables — piano
Rufus Reid — bass
Victor Lewis — drums

There are a surprising number of studio recordings of this tune featuring its composer (Woody Shaw), and this is one of the best I've heard, thanks in part to Slide Hampton's tasteful yet faithful arrangement and Dexter Gordon's great introduction and solo.

>>69020624
I've listened to a lot of the Art Ensemble, but not this one - glad to see I was on the right track. Bowie's playing was really good here.

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>>69020663
>Track 8
Ben Williams - The Moontrane
from State of Art (2011)

Ben Williams - bass
Marcus Strickland - tenor sax
Matthew Stevens - guitar
Gerald Clayton - Fender Rhodes
Jamire Williams - drums
Etienne Charles - percussion

As I said earlier in the thread, I'd never heard of Ben Williams before I looked up versions of this tune. As /blindfold/ has been partial to some nicely done bass solos before I figured it would be remiss of me not to include it.

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>>69020676
>Track 9
Toots Thielemans - Take the "A" Train
from Apple Dimple (1985)

Toots Thielemans - harmonica
Tsunehide Matsuki - guitar
Masahiko Satoh - synth
Akira Okazawa - bass
Yuichi Togashiki - drums
Tadaomi Anai - percussion

So obviously this is terrible, but I thought an "unconventional instruments" mini-theme for these two tracks might be interesting. The way the harmonica plays the main melody really reminds me of an old-timey cowboy ranch, which makes the 80's funk sound even more inappropriate than it already was. People have mentioned Return to Forever, Super Mario, sitcom credits and Stevie Wonder, but I think the rhythm section sounds more like a backing track on a Casio keyboard.

>>69020663
one of the things I've come to understand from /blindfold/s is that there are many very cool albums that retain traces of 60's styles from the late 70's that are fairly poorly known, Woody Shaw being an artist that I now think is really underrated in general

Just started listening to this one.

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>>69020691
>Track 10
Ray Nance - Take the "A" Train
from Body and Soul (1970)

Ray Nance - violin
Roland Hanna - piano

Apparently this arrangement is what Ray Nance played at Billy Strayhorn's memorial service. I never would have believed this tune could be played so emotionally, as it often comes out sounding dull, but they manage it here.

I can't find out who was responsible for the album cover, which is a shame, as a work of art like this doesn't deserve to go uncredited.

>>69020676
I had a chance to see Strickland with his Twi-Life band live this Monday, but turned it down due to having been at a festival all weekend because his new album didn't seem all that promising - I was close to mentioning him here as this pushed some of the same buttons while definitely being not as contemporary r&b oriented

>>69020713
I've not actually listened to any of these albums except New Steps - how is this one? I realy like the music on Moontrane but there's something about the way it's recorded that puts me off.

>>69020614
Allmusic puts it best; "it could be Ra, but he'd need three hands".

So either there's overdubbing going on - which given how strange it sounds seems likely - or there was someone uncredited there.

>>69020752

just on the first track - it has that late-70's-early-80's large ensemble sound that's a little bit of a turn-off. Sounds pretty good to me - doesn't go too deep into that period's more unfortunate quirks like for example Maynard Ferguson who I mentioned would, for example.

>>69020725
so that was Nance - I was thinking it was more likely that it would be someone with more of a gypsy jazz background because the playing was so heavy on the expressive slides and vibratos

>>69020777
hmh. looks like it's on Spotify, so I'll give it some listening. Since it says "Featuring John Gilmore" it could well be a quintet date.

>>69020864
and foot pedals are always a thing - that bass work was so odd that someone not coming from a strong Hammond background playing bass with his feet could explain a lot :)

>>69020805
Well I'll give it a go at some point - my backlog is getting beyond a joke now though.

>>69020676
I remember hearing good things about this album when it came out. I'll have to check it out.

Also the Dexter Gordon version of the time was cool. I didn't know he had done anything like that.

>>69020952
I know! I have a backlog of like 5-6 albums that I've already bought physical copies of but haven't had time to really listen to.

Most of the way through that Dexter Gordon album - feels like the Moontrane was the definite highlight so far.

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One pretty cool 'new' release that might be interesting to /blindfold/ regulars is a 10 inch vinyl EP release of formerly unreleased recordings from Estonian pianist Tonu Naissoo who was on the recent "foreign jazz" -list from 1967-1968 when he was just 16 - released as a limited edition of 500 copies by a Norwegian-born guy I know who know lives here in Finland.

Certainly an interesting bit of history for anyone interested in jazz behind the iron curtain.

https://soundcloud.com/jazzaggression/sets/tonu-naissoo

>>69020624
I still haven't gotten around to discovering a way into AAC's discography. all advice welcome.
>>69020691
here's another song that to me always evoked a cowboy ranch while being drenched in strange production:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LAwBvm1Igs
>>69020725
he meant it

>>69021999

What you're most likely to enjoy in AAC depends a little on how you like your avant-garde, I think

I'd say check out:
A Jackson in Your House
Les Stances a Sophie
Bap-Tizum
Urban Bushmen

then dig deeper wherever seems cool

>>69022099
as a random note, I bought a vinyl copy of Bap-Tizum in a record store in Portland, OR last year that had taped to it a contemporary review of the gig where the album was recorded - I think it's definitely among the coolest jazz LP's in my collection

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>>69022181
OK - I exaggerated, just a contemporary review of the album and not the gig now that I dug it out. Still always cool to find some traces of history with your vinyl purchases!

Here's a pic.

bump for additional post-reveal discussion

come on jazz folks - final bump for hope