Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Blindfold Test

Rahsaan Roland Kirk takes Leonard Feather's "Blindfold Test." Down Beat split it over two issues (July 25 & August 8, 1968) so there is plenty of room for Kirk's thoughts. As I prepared this post last month, Kirk's 1964 all-flute outing I Talk with the Spirits had a few spins and I followed that up with Domino last week. Along with The Inflated Tear and Charles Mingus' Oh Yeah, I Talk with the Spirits is some of my favorite Kirk. If you haven't checked out his playing, those three albums would make good starting places.
Click on the image to view PDF of part 1 & 2. More vintage magazine articles are available here.

Miles Davis Blindfold Test

Down Beat split the Miles Davis "Blindfold Test" over two issues (June 13 &27, 1968) giving Miles plenty of room to share his opinions with Leonard Feather . Click on the image to view PDF of part 1 and part 2. More vintage magazine articles are available here.

Cannonball Adderley: Two Blindfold Tests from 1965

Cannonball Adderley takes Leonard Feather's Blindfold Test for Down Beat magazine. This one was split over two issues (December 16 & 23, 1965) with tracks from Lucky Thompson, Paul Desmond, Marshall Allen, Wayne Shorter, Johnny Hodges, Sonny Rollins and more. Click on the image to view PDF of both articles. View more vintage magazine articles here.

Sonny Rollins Blindfold Tests 1962

I haven't posted a Blindfold Test for a while and as today is Sonny Rollins' birthday (September 7, 1930) these articles, from August 2 and 16, 1962, seem like the appropriate choice. My introduction to Sonny came by the way of his classic recordings from the 50s, starting with Saxophone Colossus, then Way Out West... Newk's Time, Freedom Suite, Monk's Brilliant Corners, Dizzy's Sonny Side Up, and one that got a lot of airtime - A Night at the Village Vanguard. These days I find myself checking out his work from the 60s,  The Bridge and Sonny Meets Hawk were introduced to me back when I was at music school, but until more recently I never really gave this era a decent listen. There's plenty up on YouTube - today I spent some time watching a few videos from the late 60s with Alan Dawson and NHOP, and a couple of earlier clips featuring groups with Jim Hall and Don Cherry. Whereas Coltrane used composition to develop his music, Rollins developed his by delving deeper into the standard repertoire. Eventually I will get around to listening to more of the live recordings from this era - they're well worth a listen!
Open the images in a new window to view the full size articles. More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

Mingus Ah Um - Down Beat Review 1959

I discovered Mingus Ah Um around 40 years after it was recorded (May 5 and 12, 1959). I remember buying it with a stack of coins from busking (I picked up Mingus Dynasty a month or so later...I think they had just been reissued). For a time back then I was listening to a lot of Mingus. I still occasionally return to Ah Um and Dynasty (it's been nice listening to it today as I got the post ready and earlier I there year I was working a little on "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"), these days my go to Mingus albums are Oh Yeah and Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus. Below is Leonard Feather's review from the November 26, 1959 issue of Down Beat.
Click on image to view full review as PDF. More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

Charles Mingus: Blindfold Tests 1960

Here are two Blindfold Tests from the April 28, 1960 and May 12, 1960 issues of Down Beat Magazine. Charles Mingus shares his thoughts on recordings by, among others, Clifford Brown, Manny Albam, George Shearing, Johnny Hodges, Sonny Stitt and Mahalia Jackson. I'll have to hunt down the earlier test mentioned in the introduction. Click on the image to view PDF of both Blindfold Tests. Here's a list of links to previous vintage articles.

Gerry Mulligan: Blindfold Test Down Beat 1960

Leonard Feather tests Gerry Mulligan (b. April 6, 1927) with tracks from Cannonball Adderley, Thelonious Monk, Mercer Ellington, Gil Evans and Gene Krupa's band playing one of Mulligan's arrangements. I have a couple of other articles on Mulligan so stay tuned.
Click on image to view PDF of full article. More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

Ben Webster Blindfold Test - Down Beat 1958

Another Blindfold Test - this time Leonard Feather tests Ben Webster (b. March 27, 1909) with records featuring Harold Land, Bud Freeman, Georgie Auld, Paul Gonsalves, Chu Berry, Sonny Rollins, Bud Shank and Bob Cooper. More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

Quincy Jones Blindfold Test - Down Beat 1959

For this Blindfold Test Leonard Feather had Quincy Jones (b. March 14, 1933) focus on big bands including Benny Goodman, Frank Ortego - Sy Oliver, Harry James, Machito, and Thelonious Monk. He's a tough critic but does give praise to altoist Willie Smith for his distinct sound.
More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

Sonny Stitt & Stan Getz in Down Beat

I thought a double-header was appropriate on the birthday of these two saxophonists - Sonny Stitt (b.1924) and Stan Getz (b.1927). The Stitt feature (Down Beat, May 14, 1959) covers the influence of Bird, his favourite saxophonists, rock'n'roll, European audiences and touring as single. In the Blindfold Test (Down Beat, February 27, 1964) Getz listens to John Coltrane, Tubby Hays, Sal Nistico, Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Yound and Al & Zoot.
(Click on the picture to view full article as pdf). More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

Benny Golson: Blindfold Test June 1959

For the June 11, 1959 issue of Down Beat, Leonard Feather blindfolds Benny Golson (b.January 25, 1929). The focus here was on composer/arrangers including Randy Weston, Thelonious Monk, Gil Evans and George Russell (Click image to view as PDF).
Here are more links to more vintage magazine articles.

 

Jimmy Giuffre Blindfold Test from August 1960

Here is Leonard Feather's "Blindfold Test" from the August 18, 1960 issue of Down Beat. Feather tests Jimmy Giuffre with recordings by Pete Brown, The Four Brothers, John Coltrane, Al and Zoot and Harry Lookofsky.

Ornette Coleman "Blindfold Test" and "Caught In The Act" Five Spot Review

Here are a few pages from the January 7, 1960 issue of Down Beat Magazine. First up, Ornette Coleman is the subject of Leonard Feather's "Blindfold Test." He comments on the likes of George Russell, Charles Mingus, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis and Yusef Lateef. Then his quartet (with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins) is "Caught In The Act" at the Five Spot Cafe by George Hoefer. Enjoy.

Cannonball looks at Ornette Coleman

I was browsing through a few old magazines the other day at came across this article from the May 26, 1960 issue of Down Beat.