1. This one sounds kind of modern but someone trying to do more of an old school sound. Or maybe it could be a more modern recording that Oscar Peterson did because it sounds like there is loads of technique in there. I kept noticing the drumming so I think the drummer is pretty good but sometimes it sounded like the bass couldn’t really keep up. This one gets 3 stars.

2. Here the recording quality sounds older, maybe more like the 40’s. It’s very beboppy, so I’m guessing it’s Bud Powell since he is my favorite bebop pianist. It’s pretty unbelievable how relentless he is and how he just keeps the lines flowing. I also like all the accents that the drummer is adding in. I’ll guess it’s Max Roach. This is a great example of the energy and motion that I love about bebop. 5 stars.

3. This recording sounds a little bit more modern too, but I recognize the tune as ‘Round Midnight by Monk. I don’t think it’s Monk on piano but it sounds like somebody trying to imitate him like Wynton Kelly or somebody like that. The pianist had some pretty cool moments and I liked his Monk imitation but the whole thing sounded kind of impromptu, but not really in a good way. 3.5 stars.

>>61320468
4. Very relaxed and gentle. It sounds like Bill Evans. I really enjoy this kind of thing even though there’s nothing really exciting happening in terms of dynamics or anything like that. It’s something that you can listen to closely with headphones and follow the chords and melody or just put on as background music while you’re doing something else and it works just as well for both things. Maybe some people would say that’s a bad thing but I don’t think it is. 4 stars.

5. I recognize this as a Duke Ellington tune but I can’t remember what it’s called. Come to think of it, this could be Duke playing it. It has that nice, gentle touch and sort of sounds like it was approached by somebody who has a good idea about arranging and orchestration and stuff. I liked this one but it actually felt a little short. I thought it could have gone on for longer. 4 stars.

6. This one sort of has the same relaxing quality as the Bill Evans one where it could work well as background music too. But then it has a lot more use of changing dynamics at some points. I like it when they go back to that minor section. And then there’s one section where the piano player does like a really heavy swing that was cool. This one was fun to listen to. 4 stars.

>>61320481
7. This one sounds like it might be Monk. He has to be on here somewhere right?? Those chord clusters and short little melodies sound pretty Monkish. It’s pretty cool and the longer it goes on the more I think this is Monk playing something that he wrote. It’s not his best but it was fairly solid. I don’t really have much to say about it other than that. 3.5 stars.

8. Hey I know this one! It’s Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson. It sounds like a more modern arrangement. I don’t really know too many modern pianists though who play in a more traditional style like this. It is kind of nice to hear this style with good quality recording and I like the deep, rich chords in the arrangement that he does. It sounds like he figured out all the horn parts from the original recording and used that for his voicings. This one was cool. 4 stars.

9. This reminds me of Bobby Timmons or somebody like that where it sounds very old-fashioned bluesy. It was pretty good at the beginning but by the end it seemed like it was getting a little bit repetitive. There were some good blues licks in there and the trio had a nice swing the whole time that was fun to listen to. 3 stars.

10. This one almost sounds classically influenced, like its based on Bach or something like that. But besides Brubeck I don’t know many other pianists who did that sort of thing. I’d probably guess it was Bud Powell if I wasn’t pretty sure that track 2 was Powell. Anyway the pianist had some great technique and seemed very comfortable with playing bebop. This one seemed to stretch on kind of long though and by the time it got to the end I was very ready for it to be over. 3.5 stars.

> Track 1

Nice excitement in this one. I was listening to some Hampton Hawes earlier and this kind of reminds me of some of his uptempo stuff, but it's probably someone else. Late 50's?

The cymbal sound is really peculiar, I'm sure that would give some clues to what this is, but I don't recall anything else that sounds like this. Fun track in any case - I like it.

> Track 2

Based on the sound quality this has to be some pretty early stuff. Late 40's even maybe?

Pretty fast tempo - someone not scared to play it quick. First I thought of Bud Powell, but even the early Bud Powell stuff like the Amazing Bud Powell recordings from 1949 don't sound this old, so maybe it's not him - although this is a live recording apparently so sound quality may be a deceiving factor.

Could also be Art Tatum maybe? He had a trio with no drums in the 40's, though. Not sure how much he ever recorded with a trio with drums.

> Track 3

So this is 'Round Midnight, but doesn't sound like Monk himself at all. Kind of interesting contrast with that tinkly keyboard sound with very deliberate and strong playing by the pianist. I'm thinking that this could be an 80's or 90's recording?

I don't know what to make of this - I don't think this heavyhanded style fits 'Round Midnight very well. Not a big fan of this interpretation.

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>>61320468
>>61320481
>>61320501
Some good guesses around here!
Sorry I couldn't participate in the previous tests, but now that the first uni semester is over, I hope I'll get the chance to choose lectures that don't end when the thread is already archived.
Otherwise, I'd be glad to make another one for next week (besides a second volume on piano trios I was thinking about doing one on gipsy jazz), but it would probably be better if the compiler changed each week to avoid redundance of styles and tastes

Since I'm at a family dinner right now, I might not be posting in the thread again, so I hope everyone will have fun and that you kept the answers file I sent you with the anonymized tracks!

>>61320753
Thanks for making a tracklist this week. It was pretty good.

> Track 4

Some smooth and sweet balladery - could be Bill Evans maybe. It doesn't sound like an Evans recording all that much, but he has some albums that sound very different than others and this is another live recording, so who knows.

I always think of Bill Evans when I hear music like this for some reason. Nice and relaxing - a soft armchair, some whiskey and this in the background would be a nice evening.

> Track 5

So here I was thinking first that this sounds a bit like Monk at the start, but as it goes on I don't think it's Monk. Then I started thinking about what the tune is - couldn't place it at first, but then I figured out that this is In a Sentimental Mood, so I guess this is most likely Duke Ellington himself - at least that's my best guess.

Short and sweet - nice little track, although I could use a little more substance.

> Track 6

Another live recording, sounds fairly modern to me. I wish the drums were more in the background and the piano way up in front.

The pianist is playing some pretty cool stuff, but I can't really get over how up front the drums are for no good reason.

No idea who any of these people are - not a very memorable track for me.

> Track 7

These /blindfold/s appear to be all about recognizing Monk-influences (there hasn't been a Caravan in weeks!) and there is certainly some here. I'm not surprised if this turns out to be Monk, but I feel like it's more likely someone influenced by him - it feels a little off to be Monk himself somehow.

I'm not terribly impressed by this track - it sounds like it might be a pretty recognizable melody, but not really digging this take of it all that much.

> Track 8

Tune is Oliver Nelson's Stolen Moments, best known from The Blues and the Abstract Truth. Really nice piano trio version of it - I like the sound of this recording - has to be a fairly modern one.

I have no good guesses for who the pianist is (or other players), but there's a lot to like here. Really good take on a good song. One of my favorites this week.

> Track 9

This has a somewhat similar late 50's, early 60's feel like Track 1, but a more traditional approach by the pianist.

This made me think of Sonny Clark for some reason, although it doesn't really sound like any Clark record I can recall.

I like the modern feel of the bass solo. This one has a nice contrast of more traditional bluesy piano with that modern bass and pretty bold drums.

> Track 10

Well, right on cue here's Sonny Clark himself then.

This is the tune Bebop from The Sonny Clark Trio album. I like the song and I like this take on it in general, although it's too long for it's own good - if this was a really tight 3 minute track it would be just great, but I'll listen to all 10 minutes of it and not complain too much.

I've not managed to do the last three yet, but I should get to them soon-ish...

>Track 1
Sounds more modern than I'm used to recording-wise but otherwise pretty standard. Very bluesy. Boppy once the solo starts. Pretty solid soloing - all the ideas are clear and fit together well. Drummer keeps up well with the couple of tempo changes too. Enjoyable tune and with plenty of relentless energy, but nothing particularly impressive in there. Sort of feels like it's over almost before it's started, but not in a bad way.

>Track 2
This sounds almost identical to the version of Cherokee I have by Bud Powell, so I'm gonna assume it's a live recording of that. That run down from the second longer note in the melody gives it away. Sound quality leaves a lot to be desired. Powell's Cherokee was the first I ever really listened to so any variation from his phrasing really throws me - he seems to put a bit more swing in there than the original and that gives it way more life. I'm guessing this is Max Roach on drums? At least I assume those are drums - the recording quality makes it sound like tin pans and cardboard boxes. Actually theres a bit more work on the toms than I'd normally associate with Roach - did Art Blakey ever play in Powell's trio?

>Track 3
Very classical sounding intro. I sort of recognise the chords too but maybe they're just common. Drummer is following the pianist really closely in the intro, sort of stunts the pace a bit. I like how the bass and piano are daring each other to move on - gives the whole thing a swagger. Still feels like it's waiting to get started though. Maybe in the context of a set this would sound better to me. I would still be interested to know who it is, because they work very well together. I'm warming to some of the stuff the drummer is doing now - he does a lot with a little.

>>61321506
>Track 4
Smooth. Is this Bill Evans? Has that lightness and the sort of harmony I associate with him. It's nice, but I'm not smart enough to understand it.

>Track 5
Another classical piano intro there. Think I know the chords to this one too... Really blue... Like how the solo keeps coming back to the introductory run. B section kind of loses me though, not really sure what was going on there. And then it comes to an abrupt end. A shame really, there were some nice ideas but nothing really done with them.

>Track 6
Ahmad Jamal? No, I don't think so - but sparse, anyway. I like this one, some nice playing with dynamics that the three of them get on board with easily, but still manages to be subdued through the whole thing.

>Track 7
Oh, it's the old James Bond chromatic bassline. This sounds like it could be a tribute to Monk, or at least someone heavily influenced by his rhythm. Same approach to constructing a phrase too - starting with one or two notes like it's a false start or something. Drum solo was a bit confused, but at least they let him have his turn...

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Not really an avid jazz listener as you may notice so I can't participate in the blindfold test, but I can bump with some discussion.

What did you think of this album? As an outsider of sorts it's my understanding that this was sort of The Epic of 2013 but I want to know what you actually think about the music regardless of the popularity of it. I've heard a bunch of criticism pertaining to the vocals but personally I really enjoy them, the chanting on the first half of Part One is amazing and the solo singing on the second half builds atmosphere perfectly.

>>61321905
You don't have to be an avid listener to participate

>>61322003
What I meant to say was I know jack shit about jazz so for me to sit here and analyze jazz music would be a waste of time

>>61322105
Practice makes perfect.

>>61321525
>Track 8
Oh so we're on to longer ones now... This is Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson. Interesting to hear it boiled down from Nelson's big arrangement to this. I like this pianist, he's got class. And a big bag full of blues licks. I like how playful his fingers sound - lots of light dance-y parts but not afraid to go for it either. Some cool licks towards the end of the bass solo too. There's so much variety in this, I'm really impressed. Really liked this, and not just because of the source material.

>Track 9
I like this one but I started reading something when it started and haven't paid much attention. The pianist's comping behind the bass solo is great. Solo is good too. For a straight blues this is a pretty interesting piece. It feels like a proper ensemble rather than just three soloists, more so than most of the others we've heard this week.

>Track 10
Is this Tempus Fugit? If not it's some other bop classic. Maybe even something by Bird? Some of his licks in there anyway. In contrast to the last one, this "trio" is just a vehicle for the pianist. That's fine and all, but it sounds like it's flying away and I'm not sure I could cope with the full ten minutes. Yeah I'm really getting bored now, don't think I'll be listening to the end of this one...

1. Wow the time is rough on this track. The group can barely keep it together. Bits of the pianists phrases remind me of Oscar Peterson but I’ve never heard Peterson play anything so sloppy. His phrasing is also very tiring to listen to. He’s using a lot of very similar bebop licks over and over again. Towards the middle the time settled in a little bit and the pianist is doing more interesting stuff with doubling the lines with his left hand in the low register. This could have been ok if it wasn’t so sloppy and the pianist had used more variety in his approach and phrasing. To me it sounded like he was playing very mechanical bebop licks to fill the space in between where he had something interesting to say. I don’t know who the pianist is.
2. This is Cherokee. This is more like it. These are pure bebop lines but the phrasing is consistently interesting. And the time is incredible. It’s got to be Bud Powell. Maybe the recording from Jazz Giant. I wonder what year this is from. There are a few times where he’s doing some obvious tritone subs that are pretty great. The bass player walks fantastically while the drummer adds just enough rhythmic stabs to keep Powell stimulated. Probably Roach. It sounds like a very nice drum solo too. This is a fantastic recording.

>>61322312
3. And there’s Round Midnight. I don’t think this is Monk though. They are obviously going for that “Monk” sound though I think it comes off just sounding more like they are drunk. God that snare drum sounds awful. I just wish he’d stop hitting it. After about a minute or two the bass player and the piano player settle in and play some good stuff. They sound less drunk. But the drummer sounds bad throughout. This would have been much better on brushes. Oh and then they go into 30 seconds of bossa nova. Kind of strange. Overall the pianist had some good ideas but seemed to think that a Monk tune is an excuse to play sloppy, the bass player was fine, and the drummer was bad. They would have been better off with no drummer. No guesses as to who this could be, I didn’t like it very much.
4. Well right from the very first chord you know it’s Bill Evans just from those beautiful voicings and the attention to touch he has. The tune is My Foolish Heart. I’m partial to the Village Vanguard version of this tune, but this version is nice too. Actually you can hear worked-out bits of the VV version that have stayed in the arrangement. After the B section there’s a chordal run leading back into the A section that’s straight from that other recording. I’m trying to remember what record this one is from. It sounds like Motian on drums and maybe Chuck Israels on bass. This bass player isn’t as melodically interactive with Evans as LaFaro tended to be, but he’s doing a very good job anticipating and supporting Evans rhythmically. If this is Paul Motian he sounds a bit more interactive with the improvisation than usual. Oh wow and that was live too. Very tight.

I only got about halfway though the playlist so imma just finish listening to this week's stuff and I'll post track reviews later in the thread.

If nobody else offers, I also have most of a wildcard list picked out and I should be able to get that done but it'll be much later unless I focus on doing that first.

>>61321905
>this was sort of The Epic of 2013
In the sense that it appealed to quite a large audience non-jazz listeners aswell, I suppose it was.
I'm quite fond of Fire! and thought the orchestra stuff was pretty great too and I don't remember /jazz/ actually saying much against it at the time. I wrote a very positive review of this and Enter when they both came out and nobody in /jazz/ responded saying they outright hated it but people didn't exactly see them as the saviors of the modern jazz scene either. Which is fair. They're doing some great work but they aren't the best band in the world or anything.
Keep in mind though, the people who post in Kamasi Washington generals are not the same people who post here and in /jazz/ for the most part.

>>61322270
Well I really enjoyed this week - looking forward to finding out a few of them.

Looking over other responses it's nice to see my guesses were similar. And looks like we all really liked that version of Stolen Moments - cool.

5. The tune is In a Sentimental Mood. I like this arrangement, it’s simple and true to the original tune but there’s some cool stuff going on in the left hand. Based on that I’d guess it’s maybe Hank Jones. The improvisation doesn’t really sound like Jones though. Also it’s a very short recording. Those fast runs were very interesting. I feel like I should know who this is but I’m not sure. Could just be Duke himself I guess. Maybe I’ll come back and listen to this one again.
6. Well this tune is Autumn in New York and a very minimalist version of it. Up until a very dramatic change around 2 minutes. The drama and change of dynamics makes this very listenable. I really like the juxtaposition of it all. It’s a very cool arrangement. That minimalism makes me think it could be Ahmad Jamal, but maybe a later recording. The pianists timing is perfect here and the bass player and drummer do exactly what they need to do to make the song effective. A nice recording, Ahmad Jamal is my only guess though I have a feeling that’s not right.
7. Well I’m not sure of the name of this tune but I think I’ve heard it before. That chord progression is distinctive and they keep really hitting it on the head. That minor chord with the 5th that just walks up. It almost sounds like Monk on piano but not quite. There are a few runs that I’ve never heard Monk do anything quite like before. I have no good guess for who it could be though. Anyway it was a pretty good tune overall.

>>61322393
8. This tune is Stolen Moments. It sounds like a more modern recording, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it before. It reminds me of the Ahmad Jamal version but it’s different. The bass solo was fine, but then when the piano comes back in it was very cool. I’d like to figure out what that “lick” was. The trading is nice with the piano providing a lot of very nice ideas.
9. Well this is a blues but I’m not sure the name of it. For listening in headphones I don’t really care for the way the bass and drums are panned to separate ears. The piano solo started out fairly uninteresting and stays fairly uninteresting. For the most part this seems to be constructed of blues clichés. The form is always painfully obvious, they’re always pounding out the form, in that way it reminds me of how pianists play when they’re first learning the blues form. There are a few cooler rhythmic patterns he does that a beginner pianist probably wouldn’t attempt but even then they’re always squarely within the blues form. This one was fairly boring and also too long.
10. Hmm, I know this tune. It’s not coming to me what it is though. The pianist has excellent bebop chops. I’d guess it’s maybe Tommy Flanagan or Sonny Clark. I like the way it keeps coming back to that pedal tone on the piano in between his phrases. So much so that even when he stops playing it you can still hear it in your head. Actually I liked it at the beginning but by about 5 minutes in the pedal starts to get kind of old. They could have left it off at that point. This tune could have been good if they kept it short or just made more dynamic/textural contrast. For what it is it just stays static for too long. The pianists playing is very good, but after a while it all just runs together.

>>61321905
It was good but not great. Interesting but not really especially exciting to me. I listened to it maybe twice the year it came out but then never really felt the urge to listen to it again after that. I put off listening to their next album for a while too.

>>61321905

I liked it well enough, didn't know it was some memejazz phenomenon, though.

There are a lot of Scandinavian musicians in Fire! Orchestra that I'm familiar with and semi-actively follow - I can certainly see American jazz aficionados not enjoying it too much, though.

The Rune Grammofon label has put out a lot of albums I enjoy and they have other bands that have a pretty similar style than Fire!, so if you're looking for similar music you could do worse than check out their catalog.

On a semi-related note I saw free jazz trio Dog Life that features Anna Högberg of Fire! Orchestra on saxes live this summer and thought they were really impressive in the Brötzmann-Gustafsson violently aggressive free tradition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20O0IhjvB90

>>61322336
If we could do your wildcard tracklist this week that would be great.

>>61322971
Kk, I'll put off finishing/posting my reviews unless the thread is completely dead.

tfw missed last week's thread
pleb onions coming through:
1. The piano sounds energic in here, maybe a bit chaotic, idk. It's a bit demanding actually.
2. Judging from the sound quality this is old and/or live. Very much enjoy the fast playing on the piano and the drummer's accompaniment even though the drums don't sound too well. Good soloing too, and this is definitely live.
3. Reminds me of round midnight I think, but the guy on the piano surely isn't Monk. Sounds alright with some bright moments here and there.
4. Slow and mellow. Towards the end I get a bit tired of it. Not bad as background music but rarely the kind of stuff I want to listen to, even though the music is fine.
5. Delightful, but also too short, they probably could have done more with that.
6. Slow for the most part, but halfway through the pianist plays some really nice stuff, not sure how to put it into words but it's what I liked the most in this track.
7. I heard something that sonds like Monk on here, but probably not him as well. It doesn't particulary sound modern to me either.
8. Had a hard time remembering what this was without the horns, but pretty sure it's stolen moments. Haven't heard it for a while but I think I prefer the piano playing here which is wonderful.
9. Sounds good, but there's not a lot of variety for me to enjoy the whole nine minutes.
10. This is Be-bop by Sonny Clark, I like his style but this is too long for me as well.

Haven't finished these but I'll post what I have done so far. They're a bit rushed too so soz if there's a lot of drivel.
Got the tracks picked out for next week. Just gotta take off info and sequence them.
>Track 1
It felt like the rhythm section had a hard time keeping up with the pianist in this. They had a difficult job in fairness, his playing was pretty wild. I did really enjoy it though. His playing was really fucking dense but had some really cool ideas and he moved through them really effortlessly, as if he knew where the solo was going before hand and had a few runs at it. He was setting up all those syncopated chords as his bass in the left hand but then all of a sudden around 1:10 he started playing the melody lines in unison with both hands. It felt like he was cutting and pasting a bunch of great solos together and I'm impressed by how consistently creative he was and at a really fast pace too. He's a very practiced pianist for sure.

>Track 2
My guess for this one is Bud Powell. That style of doing really fast runs that almost supersede chordal playing in the solos is very like him. I wish I could hear what he was doing a little better though. There's some really pretty melodies in his solo but the recording quality muffles what's going on to an extent. This is probably some older live performance. I'm thinking drums could be Max Roach with the way he's playing around with the tom and kick drum. Might just be because of the age of the recording that I'm jumping to him though.
The solo was very like him too. Very unusual pacing to it. I'd say it was deadly to hear live. There is a constant beat being kept up but it's hard to hear at times because the rest of his playing is much louder than it. So to an extent it suffers because of the recording but I can still dig it.

>>61323533
>Track 3
Not a /blindfold/ without a bit of Monk. Though tbf, this isn't a very Monk way to play Round Midnight. The piano is damn smooth. The drummer is damn tight too, the way he can change the phrasing of what he's doing so fluidly. It sounds odd and almost out of time in parts but I think the effect is intentional. At least it feels that way. Maybe he's just hammered or stoned. This is a really laid back take on the standard and a really pleasant listen with enough idiosyncrasy to do Monk justice without copying his style too hard.

>Track 4
I'm not sure I know this particular recording but this is My Foolish heart by someone who is either Bill Evans or a very good imitator. I'm guessing this is some lessor known live recording with Paul and Scot? That certainly sounds like Scot on bass.
I'm such a big fan of this style of bass playing. It's so wonderfully melodic and adds an extra dimension to the music that brings the instrument in as less of a rhythmic device and almost has it as a second soloing instrument that's part of the musical conversation. Bill always had such lovely chord voicings too so it's not as if much was lost in his trios when the bass played less of a role in making sure the harmonic structure was obvious.

>>61323634
>Track 5 (my fav of the bunch)
I'm already a big fan of the melody and chord progression of In a Sentimental Mood so there's really not much work the piano player has to do here to make me like it but he does a great job in his solos too. I would be surprised if this wasn't Duke. It's very much in his style of playing. I don't recall ever hearing him do this one is a trio setting but with the sheer size of his output, it's wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. There's always some wonderful recording of his I haven't heard and that's one of the reasons he's one of my favourite artists, his discog is basically an infinitely deep well of awesome music.
Often he is revered more as a composer but some of my favourite recordings of him really showcase him as a pianist and this sort of trio setting does suit him very well, even if it's not the big band setting he's so well known for.

>Track 6
A club setting by the sounds of it. You can hear glasses clinking in the background and some murmuring of conversation. This was really pleasant but I wasn't blown away by it. The bass player was very good at keeping the sound together through the more minimal parts of the piano solo. At times I thought it could have been Ahmad Jamal because of how light the touch was. The louder sections made me doubt that but I feel it's a reasonable guess. No reason to think he oughtn't play around with dynamics a bit.

Gonna finish up this weeks now. Some pretty solid pics here so far. Wouldn't be surprised if someone impresses me more than the Duke piece.


>>61323402
Sending you on an email with the tracks.

>Track 7
I swear I've heard this before. The head melody and chord progession is really familiar (to the point where I could actually hum along to it) but I can't place it. Sounds like
>Thelonious Monk
on piano. I think it may actually be the main man himself on this. He's causing a suitible amount of hassel rhythmically and melodically for the compers who are doing an admirable job keeping the groove going and don't even flinch once.
I like how much he references the melody in this too. He actually keeps his eyes on the progression really nicely too, there's those characteristic dissonant chords with lots of attack but the flow of the piece and feel of the chords is kept up really well though the playing.
He's very kind to calm down a bit for the bass solo. I wish he could have gotten longer to develop the solo properly but for the time he had it was nice.

>Track 8 (my fave of the bunch [sorry Duke])
Oh wow, that head melody is just lovely. The interplay with the bass is really cool too but I'm more interested in how pretty that melody is.
The bit around 1:40 when the pianist really strongly accents the bass notes over those rolling chords in the right hand is dead cool, contrasts really nicely with the sections around it. The solo is so damn bluesy too and has the lyricism and soul to make it all really interesting too. I haven't a clue who this guy is but he is fire on this track.
The way the bass player bends notes in his solo is a lot like some of the stuff I like to try doing in solos when I'm feeling adventurous(drunk). I'm far less tasteful about it though and this guy is a lot more emotional in how he solos too.
I expected 4:25 to turn into a drum solo and was surprised when he went on, same with the bit around 4:45. I like how they're breaking up the little fills they're giving the drummer but I feel he's being limited a bit by his brushes. I'd have liked him to go further but it was still enjoyable, if not a real showcase of the drummer's chops.

>>61324677
>Track 9
Very swinging and bluesy. There's some fun licks in the pianist's solo but it went on too long for what he was willing to do. His playing was consistently enjoyable but there wasn't much exposition or adventurous ideas.
The bass solo, in contrast was a lot more interesting and I preferred the pianist as a comper. He did a good job of keeping his playing interesting without standing on the bassist's toes. There's very good fluidity to the solo and more of a sense that it's going somewhere in a consistent direction than the pianist who more felt like he was presenting a collection of ideas.
I'm a bit torn on all the octaves the bass player uses in his playing. I like to do that too on occasion but he overuses it.
My feelings about the second half and the pianist's soloing is about the same as his first solo. The feel of the song is right but I wish it evolved more and went beyond the straightforward blues playing. Unless you're doing something really exceptional with your playing, you really shouldn't spend 9 mins on a blues.

>Track 10
Gosh I do really love bebop as a composition. One of my favourite heads on a piece ever. It's so fiery and I don't think I've heard a version of it that hasn't yielded some nice soloing. This was a bit exhausting to listen to though. I did like it but for it's length and how dense and quick the pianist's solo is, it's the sort of track I'd like more time with. I gave it a decent listen where I just tried to follow along as closely as I could without thinking about what I was gonna say and there were some melodic ideas I really loved and some really cool parts in the piano and bass solos where that God tier opening melody is played around with. The drums interact very nicely with the piano at parts too.
There's too much here for me to really sink my teeth into properly but I will pick up this and a few others from this week too. I do wish I'd come to this earlier in the week, I'd have had a lot to say about it.

bump. how was your christmas geese?

I don't know all that much about jazz but I think we can all agree that it's Thelonious Monk on every track right?

>>61325605
Pretty good. Mostly went for books this year but got a nice microphone and a Louis Armstrong comp of some of his recordings with Luis Russel which I am loving.
>>61325895
I love all of the versions of Caravan he does.

>>61325895
He's playing every instrument on every track.

While y'all are here, what's everyone's (jazz) AOTY? I was strongly on the Chris Potter train but I'm really taken with some of the records that were on jtg's blindfold.
Particularly that Zhenya Strigalev one. Only person I knew on that set was Eric Harland but everyone is just fantastic on it and it's so fresh sounding.

>>61326108
I love the /blindfold/ memes. These are the only threads I think I've ever laughed at on /mu/.

>>61320329
I'll be doing this when I get home
I can make a playlist next week for big band stuff

>>61326859
We've already got one from Ambassador Satch for next week but if you want to make a big band one we can do it for next week. You can email the tracks to me at [email protected]

>>61326908
Fantastic! I didn't look over the thread for fear of spoiling anything, so pardon that oversight

>>61327023
Oh I didn't post it yet anyway

>>61326299
I'm still sticking with Bird Calls for this year.

More importantly at this point, what's coming out next year to look forward to?

I've got my eye on this.
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0195R4NTW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451346151&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=Michael+formanek&dpPl=1&dpID=51JKKIfYoCL&ref=plSrch

The lineup has some really great and some underrated players who I've been following for a while- Loren Stillman, Oscar Noriega, Tim Berne, Dave Ballou, Kirk Knuffke, Ben Gerstein, Jacob Garchick, Mary Halvorson, Mike Formanek. I hope it's good stuff.

>>61327202
>recorded December 2014
Plus the review on Amazon is already out? Why the delay in it being released?
Does look exciting though. I love the revival large ensemble stuff has gotten in recent years. This sort of thing is easy to fuck up but ECM releases are usually quite tasteful and well composed so this ought to be good.

New Fire! studio album to be released next year which I'm pretty excited about.

1. I don’t know if I like this fast piano playing. It is done very well though and the percussion is really good. Good recording quality too, the piano sounds phenomenal.
2. Lesser recording quality than the first song, piano is quite unclear. The percussion is mixed a bit too high for my liking. I don’t really like this one, I’d probably like it better if the recording was better, but I think the piano isn’t really interesting, although I do quite like the bass. The solo percussion near the end is really nice though, this is also the first time I’ve noticed this was live (due to the applause), could explain the recording quality?
3. Good recording quality again. I’m liking this more than the first two tracks, although it isn’t all that interesting, it’s really easy listening. Featuring more chords while the first two tracks featured more single notes on the piano, giving it a heavier aesthetic. The bass being more prevalent contributes to this.
4. The piano is a lot more mellow from the start than the previous tracks and I think that’s a good think (though if performed badly it could’ve given off a faux-emotional vibe). The bass and the percussion are very tentative at first to give room for the mellow piano which highlights it in a great way. The bass and percussion start picking up the slightest amount with the piano following suit. The piano then suddenly becomes a little louder and quite playful after that, with a jumpy bass to match. It ends in a slightly less tentative way than it started, giving it more of an outro vibe, picking up a bit at the actual end again, ending with a drumroll and a pianoroll (is that what it’s called?). Ah, applause, very good recording quality for a live show, so probably this isn’t that old?
5. I like this a lot. Very good recording quality. The way the pianist plays is hypnotisignly good, it feels as if he fingers the piano.

Mum's calling for dinner so I have to stop, will try to start earlier next week!

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Bumping for the last few posters. I presume
>>61325605
>>61326859
>>61327693
Will wind up coming along and posting at some point.

Alright, starting off

1. Excellent recording and good performance. Pianist has a hard touch, with contrasts well with the relatively more gentle drums and the expansive walking line
I do notice the drummer occasionally playing ahead of the beat, resulting in a somewhat pleasing stilted groove

Definitely pleasant

>>61330106
*which contrasts well


2. Fuzzier recording, certainly a much older recording. If I had to place a period I'd say late 40s
Not much playing outside the harmony here, and the dynamics seem relatively confined. Did not enjoy as much as the first track, but this one still has its relative merits

3. This one has a fantastic recording, with the piano sounding very bell-like and resonant and the bass sounding quite full. This is most likely later era, given the lack of complexity within the solos, slower tempo, and the simpler chord progression
Reminds me somewhat of a more intense Bill Evans Trio, and the bass player is really going for it on this track

4. Brilliant performance by all members on this one; the dynamics and the warmth of the piece as a whole are sublime.
This one is obviously newer, given the clarity of the recording and the overall styling.

5. The melodies in the intro feel more blues and baroque-inflected than the previous tracks, and the playing by the pianist has a very Fats Waller-esque. almost jovial feel to it. After the intro, the track lapses back into the standard piano trio fare, but it quickly brought back with a call to the initial melodies. Overall, I enjoyed this one for its simplicity more than anything

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God damn this family is exhausting. I can't take anymore these five hours long meals from 12/24 to 12/30, at the end you just get drunk and don't even enjoy the food, and driving back home after that is a pain in the ass.
anyway I had plenty of time to think about what to put in volume 2 and I'll compile it over the week, so hit me up whenever you want it, BlindfoldTest
Just waiting for Abelian to finish and posting the answers right after, then going to bed (unless the two other guys that didn't finish before pop up, or if someone else wants to do it). Good night, /blindfold/

6. Live recording, and given the recording quality, I would say that means this is a newer piece. Pianist has a delicate style, and the bass seems to direct this track more than the pianist does (although the right hand runs do a lot to enhance the piece). Again, simple, but ultimately effective

Also, I swear I know this standard

7. I agree with the sentiment that this is most likely Monk, and he feels dominating throughout most of the track. Still, the bassist and drummer hold their own relatively well, and the ensemble seem to be suitably responding to each other's improvisations. The bass solo is somewhat overpowered at points by Monk, but overall the track is still enjoyable

8. Head melody is excellent, as with #5. The inflections and variations on the progression by the pianist make for a relatively interesting solo, and the bassist does an excellent job in anchoring the pianist's myriad of rolls and fills throughout the track. Drummer slightly falls into backdrop (most likely because of the brushes), but his fills also serve in propelling the track forth

This is my favorite so far, along with 4

>>61330521
Good picks by the way man! Look forward to the next one.

9. Notably less adventurous than the rest of the tracks, and the bassist really isn't all that imaginative as a comper (with pretty standard walking bass propelling most of the arguably uninteresting solo). The bass solo also has some good ideas but didn't draw my interest as much as it should have. That being said, the pianist was tasteful in his comping, and the drummer held his own with some swinging grooves

10. Some brilliant bebop to end off the set. Of the bunch, this is definitely my favorite.
The unison rhythms into the start breaking into the solo are just delightful, and the pianist works with a great sense of dynamics and harmony all throughout his solo (not to mention the drummer and bassist doing some lovely comping in the meantime).
The bass solo also has some very satisfying timbre and variations on the head melody, and the temporary dropping out of the piano here also helps to highlight the precision and touch of the bassist
Drum solo serves as a wonderful bridge to the outro solo, and the rhythms all throughout this track are simply infectious


Well, what a great set! I know Monk showed up a few times (as did Evans and maybe Jamal or Newborn), but I'd love to see the list!

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>>61330759
Thanks! There were also some good guesse from everyone, but sorry for those who wanted him badly... NO MONK IN HERE (not that I don't like him, of course, but ten tracks is not a lot so I had to do a selection. maybe next time?). Having listened to it again, I also get the feeling that I could definiteley have done more justice to #9's talent, but you can't always get what you're worth

1. Phineas Newborn jr., piano / Ray Brown, bass / Elvin Jones, drums - Cookin' at the Continental (from Harlem blues, 1969)

2. Bud Powell, piano / Charles Mingus, bass / Max Roach, drums - Cherokee (from Jazz at Massey Hall, 1953)

3. Walter Davis jr., piano / Pierre Michelot, bass / Kenny Clark, drums - 'round midnight (from Live au Dreher, 1981)

4. Bill Evans, piano / Chuck Israel, bass / Arnold Wise, drums - My foolish heart (from Bill Evans at Town Hall, 1966)

5. Duke Ellington, piano / Wendell Marshall, bass / Butch Ballard, drums - In a sentimental mood (from Piano reflections, 1953)

6. Ahmad Jamal, piano / Israel Crosby, bass / Vernell Fournier, drums - Autumn in New York (from Ahmad's blues, 1958)

7. Herbie Nichols, piano / Al McKibbon, bass / Max Roach, drums - The lady sings the blues (from Herbie Nichols trio, 1956)

8. Eddie Higgins, piano / Ray Drummond, bass / Ben Riley, drums - Stolen moments / Israel (from Haunted hearts, 1997)

9. Earl Hines, piano / Richard Davis, bass / Elvin Jones, drums - The Stanley Steamer (from Here comes Earl Fatha Hines, 1966)

10. Sonny Clark, piano / Paul Chambers, bass / Philly Joe Jones, drums - Be-bop (from Sonny Clark trio, 1957)


Everyone wins a crown, a scepter and a happy Satchmo! See you all next week!

>>61331099
HA! I knew Newborn showed up at some point
Also, how did I not recognize some of these? My musical memory must be off today.

>>61331099
(by next week I of course meant next YEAR)

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Sorry I haven't been able to post much this week. Weird stuff keeps coming up today.

Anyway here are the tracks for this coming week. It's a wildcard week (no theme), chosen by Ambassador Satch. I didn't have time to upload to mega this week but nobody has a problem with zippy right?

http://www18.zippyshare.com/v/R2lGzeBU/file.html

Anyway it looks like it was a pretty successful thread this week and it's good to see some new posters. I hope to see you all back next week and spread the word so we can get even more people here participating.

One last bump

I've been getting into Ethiopian jazz recently, I could probably write up a ethio-jazz playlist for a blindfold test in the next month. also an instrumental hip-hop playlist if none would object to that being sacrilegious or whatnot.

>>61337291
I can help you with that playlist, since I've also been getting into that genre