Welcome to the weekly Sup Forums jazz Blindfold Test thread. Every Friday and Saturday.
If you're new, the point of these threads is to have fun and encourage critical listening, discussion, and general enjoyment of jazz. All critical music listeners are welcome. The more participation we have, the more fun and successful these threads will be. In the interest of keeping the thread alive and bumped, any general jazz discussion is welcomed here as well.
For more information about how the threads work and listening suggestions, please refer to the pastebin: pastebin.com/UiCCG28N
THIS WEEK'S THEME: Live at the Village Vanguard COMPILED BY: JTG
NEXT WEEK: ??? COMPILED BY: ???
If you missed last week's thread, DON'T WORRY. It's not too late. Here are the links for the mystery tracklist. Download the tracks, record your thoughts/guesses/evaluations for each one, and then come back and post them in the thread. Remember, people will be posting guesses and thoughts in this thread so don't read the thread until you have listened to the music and collected your thoughts in order to avoid spoilers. Track info for this week's tracks will be posted on Saturday, so if you see the thread is close to dying before then, give it a bump.
1. This is probably Bill Evans but it’s obviously not the famous recording of him at the village vanguard. This bass player is pretty good. And Bill Evans sounds good too. The bass solo is nice, one of the best I’ve heard for a while probably. 3.5 stars.
2. This is kind of cool with the guitar and sax doing two different things. It sounds like it could be Chris Potter. He has some stuff that reminds me of this kind of playing. The guitar player didn’t really get to solo but this was still pretty good anyway. 3 stars.
3. I think I recognize this song. It’s a nice ballad but it moves a little slowly maybe. It kind of reminds me of Bill Evans style. There were some nice parts in the middle that almost seemed more classical and I liked that mix in there. But the bass and drums could have had a bigger role. 3 stars.
4. Sounds like some classic post bop. I’ll guess it’s Woody Shaw. There’s some nice interplay from the pianist behind the solos so that’s good. The trading between them is pretty cool but it goes on almost too long. The piano solo was awesome. 3.5 stars.
5. Another piano trio. It sounds like they have practiced this arrangement a lot. I like the drumming but the piano solo isn’t really doing that much for me. 2.5 stars for this one.
Aiden Ramirez
Hey thread, greetings from Tampere Jazz Happening - seeing Finnish Jazz Federation's 50th anniversary all-star band, Steve Lehman's octet and Marius Neset tonight, but I'll try to get some listening done and be in the thread later
Hunter Miller
6. A more Latin one. The piano player is pretty awesome. I like it when he suddenly gets loud and does all the banging in between things. The super fast run that he did was nice too. This was pretty cool all around but maybe a little bit long. 3.5 stars.
7. It sounds like a much older recording than most of these. I think I recognize the song. It could be Coltrane maybe. Pretty nice piano solo. I like the thing he did with keeping repeating that same note. Great drumming too. The saxophone solo is nice but I like what the rhythm section is doing best. The bass solo was nice but kind of long. 4 stars.
8. This one sounds kind of familiar to me too. I like the sound of the bass clarinet with the electric piano. This one was pleasant overall but nothing about it really made it stand out or anything. 3 stars.
9. These synthesizers sound very 80’s. I didn’t really understand what was going on in this one and I don’t think I really liked it very much. The synths sounded bad but it also just sounded like a mish mash. 2 stars.
10. I’m pretty sure this one is Coltrane. I know the song is Impressions. Everything about this one is great. The drumming and piano playing and then the sax solos too are awesome. 4.5 stars.
Jackson Rivera
bump. I'll be in the thread more in a little bit.
Christian Murphy
>Tampere Jazz Happening
funny name
Robert Moore
>1. probably Bill Evans nice
>2. could be Chris Potter Not him but Chris played with this leader
>3. I think I recognize this song It's not a jazz tune originally
>4. I'll guess it's Woody Shaw. Nice guess.
Matthew Gray
Hooray, I was just on the same elevator with Charles Lloyd and his wife.
I have time for a few tracks now, more later.
>Track 1 I guess this is the obligatory Bill Evans -track. Very pleasant as Evans often is. A little bit wistful, but not too sappy. Very nice.
>Track 2 Something more contemporary - nice loose feel to it. I like how loose both the guitarist and sax are playing.
Also a nice contrast with at places very even free jazzy screechy sax with the more restrained backing.
No particular guesses for who these were.
John Stewart
One more >Track 3
Well, the composition is The Beatles' For No One. I've always liked the original for how it has a waltzy feel even though it's in 4/4.
This version looses that cool bit and was maybe a bit too nostalgic for me.
I'd have to guess Brad Mehldau or Fred Hersch for the pianist.
Back for more after Lehman's set...
Luke Bennett
It's nice to actually guess some right
Grayson Davis
>Well, the composition is The Beatles' For No One. Oh so that's why I knew that one.
Nathan Lee
I remember jtg asking for my impression of Steve Lehman's octet live on some earlier week so, a quick set review first.
An hour long set, they played almost all of the tunes on Mise en Abime - I was kind of surprised at how similar they were to the album, I was expecting a group like that to stretch out more in a live setting - now some tunes felt cut short even, but I guess that happens when you try to do your material in the one hour the festival gives you.
The ensemble sound was really great live and Lehman played some great solos - he was by far the most interesting soloist, though, although Mark Shin on tenor sax had his moments. I also loved the rhythmic intensity - they have that quality where even when they play odd meters you can still get into the rhythm and even tap your foot along.
I first thought that they were going to tune down the microtonal elements with Chris Dingman playing a regular vibraphone for most of the set, but when Lehman introduced the band he sneakily retuned the vibes by changing the bars to the microtonal tuning he also uses on some tracks of the album.
Spectralism sounds like it should be 100% bullshit for method-obsessed eccentrics, but I think the octet sounds fantastic with that microtonal gamelan-like flavour from the vibes.
Juan Ross
>Track 4 Nice high energy playing here. Very strong trumpet.
Late 70's or 80's?
I'd listen to more of this.
>Track 5 I thought we we're going back to Bill Evans-y ballads, but then it suddenly picked up more speed.
This feels like these guys are trying to relive some past decades glory here, like Dave Brubeck playing in the 80's or something.
>Track 6 Some latin tinge here, I like that the pianist has a lot of character. It really makes a big difference here.
This went on for way too long, though. Also a pretty surreal moment when he just goes full Summertime suddenly. Yeah, I don't think I'd like to listen to too many tracks of this.
Going to check out Marius Neset now, be back later.
Charles Edwards
>I was kind of surprised at how similar they were to the album Interesting... that's one of the things I was wondering. One of the things with that type of album is that it's sometimes hard to tell how much of it is really arranged and "scripted."
>Mark Shin on tenor sax had his moments Shim is pretty underrated and one player I've been really into lately. I forgot he was in that group though. I think he brings an interesting dimension to it though... his playing is very far from being "academic".
>Spectralism sounds like it should be 100% bullshit for method-obsessed eccentrics As with most technical concepts like that being mixed into jazz... I think it's all about the execution.
Anthony Gomez
how many times do you guys listen to an album before reviewing it? also, has anyone checked this yet? incredible avant-garde work.
Thomas Murphy
I thought it was pretty interesting how Shin was often playing kind of similar things that Lehman, but with a grittier tenor tone - not too familiar with his playing in other context, but seemed like he was adapting to this groups sound very well.
Cameron Young
It really just depends. Mostly on how good the album is. Usually the better an album is the more times I feel like I need to listen to it to write a review.
Bentley Myers
Jazz and jazz music.
Jordan Parker
I was just thinking this would be a neat idea for a theme
Lucas Johnson
>Track 7 Hmm. I first thought from the sound quality that this would be early 50's or something, but then playing-wise it started to sound like the 60's and like it could be Coltrane - you have to expect 'Trane to make an appearance and I don't see how I could guess this to be anyone else.
That said, I don't have a clue what release this is from - the sound quality is such a mess, that one imagines this to be some posthumous "look what got caught on tape" -type thing.
I don't think there's any jazz musician who I'd really want to listen to all possible live recordings and alternate takes of - I go as far as even purposefully skipping any CD bonus tracks on albums on first listen.
Maybe this recording is interesting in some context, but without context I didn't find it too remarkable.
>Track 8 While I don't think this is Chick, that part where at the end of the intro the electric piano slows things down made me think of some of Corea's Rhodes playing.
I first thought the horn was a soprano sax, but seems to be a clarinet instead. I think Anat Cohen has an album recorded at Village Vanguard, but I don't think a guitar was involved.
I hear some traces of klezmer in the phrasing.
This appeals to me quite a bit for some reason that I find difficult to justify. Feels like there wasn't that much going on, but I liked it quite a bit. As regulars may remember, I've certainly listened to more than my fair share of John Zorn -related things and I guess this rings some of those bells.
I found this really nice and will check out more of this. Also a very beautiful ending, I think.
Jaxon Butler
>Track 9
Going pretty deep on synth sounds here.
Since I have Zorn on my mind, this is not unlike something young Wayne Horvitz couldn't be involved in, but I have a feeling it's a little more recent than the late-80's-early-90's thing that would have to be.
Alrighty, when the vocal part comes in I'm reminded that there is a Sun Ra album recorded at the Village Vanguard - has to be strongly Sun Ra related and most likely the man himself.
>Track 10 Dammit, the obvious Coltrane is here, so 7 is something else.
I'm a really big fan of the studio recording of this tune Impressions that I believe was only posthumously released. It ranks very highly on my list of greatest Coltrane tracks ever and I think all live versions pale in comparison.
So I guess that's Dolphy on the other sax - he's a little overpowering in the mix in the head.
Even if I prefer the studio version, this is still great - really enjoying 'Trane's soloing.
I don't know if this is a controversial opinion, but I've never been too impressed with Dolphy when he's playing with 'Trane whereas he is great in many other contexts. Here his solo is not bad by any means, but somehow I don't think it fits well with what Coltrane was doing.
What's up with no Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band on a Village Vanguard list? I was fairly confident that something from Live at the Village Vanguard would be here.
>What's up with no Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band on a Village Vanguard list? I thought about it but I thought that would just be so obvious. But then again I included Impressions which was also pretty obvious so I don't know...
Justin Lewis
bump
Carter Adams
>Maybe this recording is interesting in some context, but without context I didn't find it too remarkable. The recording quality is so bad that I almost didn't include this, but I think the context is interesting enough that it's justified.
Gavin Williams
bump
Evan Lewis
so is this supposed to replace /jazz/
Camden Hughes
Not really since this is only once a week, but I think it's fine to use this as a jazz general since we need the bumps anyway.
Landon Sanders
bump
Michael Bailey
bump
John Richardson
bump
Daniel Gomez
Jazz is degenerate nigger music
Tyler Lee
Morning bump
Jeremiah Bell
bump
Cameron Taylor
>Track 1. I'd say this is Bill Evans, but not from the famous 1961 sessions with Lafaro. Maybe one of the later releases that don't even say Vanguard in the name, like California Here I Come or Since We Met. Bass solo is spectacular, probably Eddie Gomez?
>Track 2. This is an exciting track. I love how the sax and guitar trade off like that replacing the bass and piano, and when the sax really takes off. Kind of disappointed there was no drum solo. This is the sort of thing I really enjoy seeing live.
>Track 3. this is from Fred Hersch trio's recent released Sunday Night at the Village Vanguard. A cover of the Beatles classic. Reminds me of Brad Mehldau, not stylistically but in that it's a cover of a pop song, in a trio recorded at the Village Vanguard, and I somewhat expected a track from one of the 3 of those releases to end up here. I downloaded Hersch's previous Vanguard albums recordings along with some others after checking this out but I haven't got around to finishing them. I felt that playing throughout the album was great, definitely worth a listen.
Levi Jenkins
>Track 1 So this is like an exercise in different ways to play that three note motif? Pretty cool. Sounds a bit like Bill Evans but more modern - like there's some funky rhythms and dissonance that I wouldn't expect from him. The bass solo is neat and I like the way he plays the high notes in his solo - nice tone. And the drummer's really in sync with the piano, which makes the whole thing feel very organic. 3.5 stars.
>Track 2 Not heard anything like this before. Really like the guitar, he's got a great swing feel. Sax is really soulful too, even through his freer solo starting at around 3:20. 4.5 stars
>Track 3 This was pleasant, and held my interest. Maybe more of a background thing but I still like it. 3 stars.
>Track 4 This sounds like it could be Woody Shaw, or someone from around that era. The piano has a really distinct sound, sort of hollow like it's a cheap electric one, but also I don't think he's filling out his chords much. It's a cool sound for a track like this anyway. All this trading would have been a pretty cool peak, but it does mean you don't get much of a feel for either soloist. Sounded fun though. Piano solo is more interesting - and the drummer's using some nice fills during it. The way it all comes to a crescendo before the drum solo was great. Drum solo started off a bit messy but after the pianist threw those chords in it seemed more coherent. 3.5 stars.
Joshua Reed
>Track 5 I know this tune but don't think I've heard it by a piano trio before. Based on the singing I can just about hear, is it Keith Jarrett? I've actually never heard any of his trio dates, just some of his sideman work on ECM, but on those he tends to use a wide variety of techniques and constrast them against each other - which is what's happening here too. I really liked this - best piano trio so far this week. Another great drummer too. 4 stars.
>Track 6 Well this is neat. Pianist has some really groovy phrases in there despite the free-ish structure. I noticed he was singing along too, but I'm much less inclined to believe this is Keith. At about 4:30 he starts playing Summertime - has it been that all along? 3.5 stars.
>Track 7 Is this like a bootleg recording? It doesn't sound old enough for this recording quality. Some Monk influence in the piano, but a lot more fluid and longer phrases. Still a lot of disjointed ideas and chromatics though. All of that plus the chaotic drums behind it made that whole solo sound pretty much exactly how I imagined avant-garde jazz before I started listening to it. Now the sax has started everything sounds a lot more playful and electric. The bit around 7 minutes in with the piano building up tension behind the long sax notes was awesome. This must've been fucking intense to see back then. 4 stars.
Luke Morgan
>Track 8 This is a really nice tune. Played with a lot of subtlety too. 3.5 stars.
>Track 9 So the first couple of bars sounded like they were gonna jump into the Beverley Hills Cop theme, but then they really didn't. Sounds like I'm listening to two different pieces at once. One of which has been chopped up and played backwards. Maybe this isn't for me. 1 star.
>Track 10 So this is Trane. This and Bill Evans are my first thoughts when I think Live at the Vanguard. Oh yeah, and here comes Dolphy - so it's definitely from that famous set. I do like Dolphy but I also kind of feel like when you've heard one of his solos you've heard them all. Some of the fast runs in this one are neat though. Anyway this was obviously cool - 4 stars.
Logan Roberts
>Track 4. Another rousing selection to bookend a quiet track. I think the piano was a bit much on this one, didn't give the soloists enough space, and didn't care for it's tone. But the sax and trumpet played well off each other. Didn't think much of the drummer's turn either.
>Track 5. This song was on Miles Davis Birth of the Cool, I forget the name. At first I thought the piano was Keith Jarrett, from the vocalizations and I know of two Village Vanguard albums, but those were both quartets, and the style is different than Jarrett. I think the drummer really kept up with the piano but the bass was practically invisible. This also reminded me how much I love Birth of the Cool, especially the compositions
>Track 6. Really dig the piano here. He's all over the place, constantly switching up the pace, and he doesn't seem to be tied to a structure. The mostly steady latin percussion adds to it too. I think I heard summertime, half way in?
Owen Garcia
>Track 7. Kind of turned off by this track, probably from the piss poor recording, and a little from the length. There's nothing wrong with the playing itself though, the piano is very nice. I think I hear humming? That'd be Third track in a row with the pianist vocalizing. Is there some weird high pitched noise? The sax is great too, especially with the drums support. There's nothing wrong with the bass solo, but it adds to the length without really adding to the quality of the song.
>Track 9. The synths start out sounding like a Moroder movie soundtrack, but it really went in another direction. The bass and drums cover a very basic progression, while there's crazy stuff going on a piano and synth. The horns hardly get anytime, after that basic march, then the sax gets a few bars. The space lyrics remind me of Sun Ra, that would certainly fit. Impressive for something played live, but not what I'd listen to again.
>Track 10. And this would be John Coltrane's Impressions. A different version than found on the album of the same name, an alternate from the Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings maybe. And what can I say about it? Everyone here is beyond fantastic. Particularly enjoyed when Tyner stopped and let Dolphy do his thing.
Juan Roberts
Track 8 was left out when copy & pasting for some reason. >Track 8. the clarinet kind of took me by surprise, was expecting a keyboard trio or even solo. The arrangement is a bit drawn out, but its still very enjoyable and a bit familiar. There seems to be some exotic influence here, like indian or klezmer. The ensemble is pretty strange too, keyboard-guitar-clarinet isn't very orthodox.
Thanks for joining in this week. You've got some good thoughts on these.
Oliver Allen
What's the plan for next week? I've got a mystery pairs playlist ready to go (that is, pairs of tracks, with a tenuous mystery theme connecting them).
Jackson Myers
Nice. Let's go with that one.
Oliver Flores
Emailing it to you asap.
Jason Thompson
>Track 1 >like California Here I Come or Since We Met. Much later than that actually. California Here I Come is one of my favorite Evans recordings but I've put several tracks from that on previous blindfold tests.
>Track 2 >Kind of disappointed there was no drum solo Interesting as the drummer is the leader here.
>Track 3 >downloaded Hersch's previous Vanguard albums I originally had a track from his previous trio vanguard release on here but I've put a few tracks from that on previous playlists, plus I thought it would be nice to have something from 2016 on there too.
Overall I think "Alive at the Vanguard" is a little stronger than this release.
>Track 5 >This song was on Miles Davis Birth of the Cool I was curious to see if anybody would recognize the tune
>Track 7 >Kind of turned off by this track, probably from the piss poor recording Yeah it's really too bad that the recording isn't better, but I think people will see why I included it after the reveal.
Gavin Lee
>Track 1 >Sounds a bit like Bill Evans but more modern Definitely
>Track 4 >This sounds like it could be Woody Shaw, or someone from around that era Good guess. I'm glad people are starting to get familiar with Shaw.
>Track 5 >best piano trio so far this week Kind of surprising. I didn't think this one would be too popular.
>Track 7 >Is this like a bootleg recording? Yep. Definitely players that everybody here is familiar with.
>Track 9 >sounded like they were gonna jump into the Beverley Hills Cop theme I think I'd like to hear a jazz version of the Beverley Hills Cop theme
>Track 10 >I do like Dolphy but I also kind of feel like when you've heard one of his solos you've heard them all. That's something I don't think I've heard before. I do think he has a distinctive style that's very recognizable but his solos themselves are very unpredictable to me.
>Track 1 Bill Evans- Tiffany from Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings (Nonesuch, 1996) Recorded in 1980
Piano- Bill Evans Bass- Marc Johnson Drums- Joe LaBarbera
Rather than include a track from one of Evans’ more famous Vanguard sessions I thought I’d go with this one from Evans’ four night residency of the Vanguard in 1980 just months before his death. Evans’ style is pretty different from his earlier recordings, but the interplay with bassist Marc Johnson is still the focus of the music.
Carson Stewart
>Track 2 Paul Motian- Circle Dance from At the Village Vanguard (JMT, 1995) Recorded in 1995
Tenor Sax- Joe Lovano Guitar- Bill Frisell Drums- Paul Motian
Paul Motian played drums on the celebrated original Village Vanguard recordings of the Bill Evans Trio, but this live recording captures Motian’s very different trio in a live setting. Motian recorded several studio albums with this trio beginning in 1989 and continued to record with the trio into the 2000’s.
Julian Watson
>Track 3 Fred Hersch- For No One from Sunday Night at the Vanguard (Palmetto, 2016) Recorded in 2016
Piano- Fred Hersch Bass- John Hebert Drums- Eric McPherson
Fred Hersch has had several very successful releases of his performances at the Village Vanguard, but I wanted to include a track from this one because it was just released this year. There are a number of interesting cover tunes on the album, but this version of The Beatles’ “For No One” was one of my favorites because it has always been one of my favorite Beatles’ songs and I think Hirsch’s treatment of it adds something new, while retaining the melody and spirit of the original song.
Henry Foster
>Track 4 Woody Shaw- Stepping Stone from Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard (Columbia, 1978) Recorded in 1978
Cornet- Woody Shaw Tenor Sax- Carter Jefferson Piano- Onaje Allan Gumbs Bass- Clint Houston Drums- Victor Lewis
I’ve found that Shaw’s studio albums can sometimes be a little bit lacking in “energy” and I’ve always thought this live recording of his quintet was a good example of what the group was capable of in a live setting. I especially like this tune because I think this kind of playing is still very influential to a lot of my favorite players today.
Elijah Kelly
>Track 5 Bill Charlap- Rocker from Live at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 2007) Recorded in 2003
Piano- Bill Charlap Bass- Peter Washington Drums- Kenny Washington
Bill Charlap has never really been an innovative player, but he is definitely a player who has absorbed and mastered the traditional styles of jazz piano. This record is a good example of the typical “straight-ahead” piano trio that is still pretty popular at the Vanguard. This album was even nominated for a Grammy in 2007.
Jaxson Morales
>Track 6 Chucho Valdes- Son XXI (Para Pia) from Live at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 2000) Recorded in 1999
Piano- Chucho Valdes Bass- Francisco Rubio Pampin Drumset- Raul Pineda Roque Percussion- Roberto Vizcaíno Guillot
I thought a Latin track would stand out in an interesting way on this playlist. Chucho Valdes is one of the more interesting Latin pianists who really blends the styles of Latin and jazz together. This track leans more to the Latin side, but there are still plenty of adventurous moments (and a quote of Summertime that a lot of you caught) in his solo. This album actually won the Grammy in 2001 for the Latin jazz category.
Christian Lewis
>Track 7 Wayne Shorter- Oriental Folk Song Bootleg recording Recorded in 1964 or 1965
Tenor sax- Wayne Shorter Piano- Herbie Hancock Bass- ? Gary Peacock ? Drums- Tony Williams
This track comes from a somewhat mysterious bootleg recording of “The Wayne Shorter Quartet” that is usually said to have been recorded in August 1965, just as these players were beginning their journey as part of the Miles Davis quintet. There has been a lot of speculation and argument about who the bass player is, which has led to further argument about the date of the recording, and even whether they were made at the Village Vanguard or another club. The recording quality is very rough, but the idea of a live Vanguard recording of Shorter, Hancock, Williams, plus a mystery bass player made this one interesting enough that I thought I’d include it here.
>Track 8 Chris Potter- Zea from Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard (Sunnyside Records, 2007) Recorded in 2007
Bass Clarinet- Chris Potter Guitar- Adam Rogers Fender Rhodes- Craig Taborn Drums- Nate Smith
This comes from a 2007 recording of Chris Potter’s “Underground” group. I thought the more calm and composed feel of this track was something different for the group and would make be something a little different on this playlist. Plus it’s the only track from the record that’s under 12 minutes.
Grayson Jackson
>Track 9 Sun Ra- Theme of the Stargazers from At the Village Vanguard (Jazz Door, 1999) Recorded in 1991
Tenor Sax- John Gilmore Synthesizer- Sun Ra Piano- Chris Anderson Bass- John Ore Drums- Buster Smith
With this one I just wanted to throw something completely unexpected in there. Though Sun Ra seems to be pretty popular on Sup Forums I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody mention this album and I wondered if people even knew it existed.
Grayson Moore
>Track 10 John Coltrane- Impressions from The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (Impulse!, 1997) Recorded in 1961
Alto Sax- Eric Dolphy Tenor Sax- John Coltrane Piano- McCoy Tyner Bass- Jimmy Garrison Drums- Elvin Jones
Even though most of you are probably familiar with Coltrane’s Vanguard recordings I wanted to include something from these sessions and Impressions has always been one of my favorites from Dolphy’s time with the group. This is one of four versions of “Impressions” that this group recorded during their residency at the Vanguard in 1961.
