SUMMER BEGINS TO SWELTER with NEW DISCS from

THE CLAUDIA QUINTET, LOL COXHILL/STEVE MILLER REISSUE 2 CD-SET+, SUN RA'S 'STRANGE STRINGS', ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO With DON PULLEN, PRAXIS LIVE 2004, 11 NEW DISCS from LEO: 2 from BRAXTON & 2 from SAINKO, HERB ROBERTSON TRIO & THE OLES BROS,

THE FONDA/STEVENS TRIO, KAMIKAZE GROUND CREW 2 CD SET + GINA LEISHMAN SOLO, LAST WEEK'S TRIUMPHANT AMBIANCES MAGNETIQUES FEST at the STONE BROUGHT US A HALF DOZEN GREAT NEW DISCS,

NICOLAS HUMBERT & FRED FRITH'S 'WOLFSGRUB' DVD, BARNEY WILEN with THREE SYNTH PLAYERS, AZAR LAWRENCE QUARTET, JOHN CAGE, PHILIP GLASS, ANNEA LOCKWOOD, HENRY FLYNT, RICHARD THOMPSON,

5 MORE BLUE NOTE REISSUES: ANDREW HILL, JIMMY SMITH, FRANK FOSTER, STANLEY TURRENTINE & KENNY COX, NGUYEN LE DUOS, JERRY BERGONZI QT, DAMON & NAOMI, TIM HARDIN, JAMES CHANCE & THE CONTORTIONS, KLAUS SCHULZE, OSIBISA & A BOX OF SEALED VINYL from the LYRICHORD LABEL!




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TWO NEW CUNEIFORMS:

THE CLAUDIA QUINTET - For (Cuneiform 247; USA) Since their founding in the late 1990s, The Claudia Quintet has walked a unique path in contemporary jazz. Unlike most jazz ensembles where the particular musicians may come and go, drummer, composer and leader John Hollenbeck always wanted Claudia to be a 'band' with a sound not only determined by the compositions and the instrumentation, but with the actual players who perform the music. This conception is why Claudia has had an immediately identifiable sound since its inception and why I am taking the time to name the other musicians in the group who are able to both play the intricate compositions that John hands them but to also improvise within and around these compositions and give them life. Drew Gress-acoustic bass, Matt Moran-vibes, Ted Reichman-accordion and Chris Speed-clarinet and tenor sax all make Claudia the fantastic band that it is. The Claudia Quintet's visibility could not be higher: The band tour the USA and Europe frequently, place very high on CMJ's listings of most played jazz albums with each release and a major, 4-page article on John Hollenbeck that focused strongly on Claudia just appeared in the March issue of Downbeat. This album and band has wide appeal beyond just 'jazz' fans.

CD $15

STEVE MILLER / LOL COXHILL - Coxhill/Miller Miller/Coxhill [2 CD Set] (Cuneiform 253/254; USA) Featuring special guests Robert Wyatt, Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair, Pip Pyle & others. Out-of print on vinyl for over 25 years, this is the first CD release of the two album collaborations (Coxhill/Miller Miller/Coxhill and "The Story So Far..." "Oh Really?") between saxist Lol Coxhill and pianist Steve Miller, who first worked together in Delivery and continued their partnership for several years afterwards. These albums are quite fondly remembered by those luckily enough to own them for their unique personality and low-key approach to improvisation and composition. Produced, re-mastered and with liner notes by Michael King, the material is presented in the absolute best possible sonics. We've also included the last known interview with Steve to help shed light on his career and found some great, rare photos to include in the huge, 20 page booklet. In addition to the albums there is almost an hour of previously unreleased and unheard material. There is 20' of material by the proto-Hatfield and the North lineup of Delivery: Steve Miller, Lol Coxhill, Phil Miller, Pip Pyle, Richard Sinclair and Roy Babbington, as well as four short, terrific solo tracks by Steve and a 25' live improvisation by Steve, Lol, Richard Sinclair and Laurie Allan from December, 1974!
2 CD Set for $21


SUN RA & HIS ASTRO-INFINITY ARKESTRA - Strange Strings (Atavistic 263; USA) This is one of the most legendary and rarest of the entire Sun Ra Saturn catalogue, the one gem that many of us Sun Ra freaks have been waiting for, for many years. Original vinyl copies are super-rare and sell for hundreds of dollars on e-bay, if you can actually find one. This disc includes an unreleased 10 1/2 minute bonus track from the same era (circa 1967). Hal Rammel's six pages of liner notes are most illuminating and necessary in deciphering the myths of this music. The music itself is beyond bizarre and must be heard to be believed. Although this is a studio recording, there are moments of distortion here and there that have been cleaned up as best as could be possible. - BLG
"A deluxe reissue in a new O-card pack from the Unheard Music Series -- released in conjunction with El Saturn Records. '...all this considered, Strange Strings, the culmination of all Sun Ra's string studies, is without doubt one of Sun Ra's master works. 'Strange Strings', standing squarely alongside Sun Ra's other epics of the mid-1960s, 'Atlantis' and 'Magic City', absolutely shines as his most painterly of expositions in its surface richness and play with deep space and coloration. He has offered no world more strange than this in his entire output as a composer and orchestrator. These explorations are only hinted at in scattered moments on other recordings from this period. The full exercise of his very original and very imaginative powers as musical adventurer and visionary bursts forth in the masterful cosmic clattering of 'Strange Strings'." -- Hal Rammel, 2006
CD $15


ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO With DON PULLEN - Fundamental Destiny: Live At The Frankfurt Germany Jazz Festival, June 1st 1991 (Katalyst; USA)
NEVER BEFORE RELEASED IN ANY FORM! Featuring Lester Bowie trumpet, Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell winds and percussion, Malachi Favors bass, Don Moye percussion, and Don Pullen piano.
CD $15


PRAXIS [BUCKETHEAD/BILL LASWELL/BERNIE WORRELL/BRAIN] - Tennessee 2004 (ROIR 8301; USA) [single CD abridgement of their four hour/two-set performance at midnight of June 11 2004] Recorded at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee in 2004, comes this smokin' live set from the funk 'n' roll supergroup Praxis. Featuring Bill Laswell on bass, Buckethead on guitar, Bernie Worrell on keyboards, and Brain on drums, these veterans rip through 11 mind-altering jams with plenty of funkified, rip-snortin' emotion and finesse. Funny thing is, most folks probably won't be prepared for the musical fireworks contained on this CD, as the group fuses funk, heavy metal, psychedelia, fusion, hip-hop, and avant-garde experimentalism, into one sonic brew.
Many are surely familiar with guitarist Buckethead from his solo albums and stint with Guns 'n Roses, but man are they in for a shock when they hear his wild and lethal antics here. This guy can flat out play, as he literally smokes with plenty of husky riffs and Hendrix-inspired leads over the sizzling synths from Worrell and the slippery grooves from Laswell and Brain. Buckethead scorches on the solo spot "Guitar Virus", which leads into the cover of the Hendrix classic "Machine Gun", where his sinewy, wah-wah drenched leads do battle with Laswell's meaty bass runs and Worrell's raging organ. Waves of psychedelic fusion blast through the speakers on "Vertebrae" and "Spun", sort of like a funked-up Ozric Tentacles on steroids. "Broken/Fractal" gives Brain a chance to solo, and anyone familiar with his work in Primus will love his nimble stick work here. The atmospheric "Bent Light" has somewhat of a proggy Pink Floyd feel to it, thanks to Worrell's spacey organ tones, until Buckethead unleashes a soaring, feedback drenched solo just ripping with emotion. Fusion fans will love Laswell's solo spot "Chopper", a jazzy number with his distorted, wah-wah licks over tricky drum patterns from Brain. The 11-minute "Magus" is a lengthy jam featuring smoking organ from Worrell and Buckethead's effects laden guitar explorations.
It must have been an amazing experience to be one of the 90,000 fans in attendance during this scorching set, in the pouring rain from the info given. It's a shame they didn't release the full two-set show from that night [which included Lili Hadyn on violin] as a 4 CD set [although it was available that way fro a short time as a paid download from the Bonnaroo site years ago], as I'm sure there was more magic played that night. If you want to hear some mind-boggling instrumental music, definitely check this out. And turn on the lava lamp while you are at it. - Pete Pardo, Sea Of Tranquility
CD $15


NICOLAS HUMBERT, dir//FRED FRITH score - Wolfsgrub: Portrait Of My Mother [DVD] (W&W 915005; Germany) In the film Wolfsgrub, Nicolas Humbert is on the trail of his own history. Wolfsgrub is the name of the house where Humbert's mother lives, and through she is getting on in years, she becomes young again as she answers her son's questions. Nicolas Humbert allows his mother the space and time to tell her story, portraying her everyday life through the use of concentrated images. From the bits and pieces of these narrative fragments, a stunning portrait of a freethinking woman emerges.
DVD $29


SPIRITWORLD [OLUYEMI THOMAS/WILLIAM PARKER/JOE McPHEE/LISA SOKOLOV]//JEFF SCHLANGER// ROBERT O'HAIRE, dir. - Spiritworld Live At The Cue Art Foundation//Jeff Schlanger musicWitness: Genesis & Testimony [DVD] (Witnissimo; USA) NEW OFFICIAL 2007 GLASS MASTERED DVD EDITION WITH BOOKLET! Two wonderful films - a 75 minute concert by Spiritworld AND a 30 minute documentary on painter/sculptor Jeff Schlanger - and directed by Robert O'Haire!
SPIRITWORLD: If you don't know West Coast mystery man, Oluyemi Thomas, well, you really should. Oluyemi plays bass clarinet, C-melody sax, flutes & musette and is one the most spirited horn players to emerge from the Bay Area scene. He has a wonderful duo/trio/quartet with his wife and extended vocalist Ijeoma called Positive Knowledge. This superb DVD captures a special 75 minute performance - within an installation of paintings and sculptures by Jeff Schlanger - with bassist & ethnic multi-instrumentalist, William Parker, multi-reedsman & trumpeter, Joe McPhee on soprano sax, the great out/jazz singer Lisa Sokolov and Mr. Thomas.
MUSICWITNESS - GENESIS & TESTIMONY: Artist Jeff Schlanger is known throughout the jazz world - and if he's not known to you, look at the CDs in your collection - his incredible live-performance paintings have graced the covers of so many albums:
Julius Hemphill Trio: " Live at the New Music Cafe"; Kidd Jordan - Joel Futterman-Alvin Fielder Trio: Live at the Tampere Jazz Happening 2000; Bill Cole Untempered Ensemble - "Seasoning the Greens"; Bobby Few Solo: "Continental Jazz Express"; Kidd Jordan-Alan Silva-William Parker: "Emancipation Suite #1"; Julius Hemphill & Warren Smith : "Chile New York"; William Parker Solo: "Lifting the Sanctions"; Dominic Duval String Ensemble: Live In Concert; William Parker Quartet: "Compassion"; Charles Gayle: "More Live"; Marty Ehrlich & Anthony Cox: "Falling Man"; William Parker Solo: "Testimony"; Billy Bang Sextet: "Live at Carlos 1"; William Parker Sextet: "In Order To Survive"; Borah Bergman & Hamid Drake: "The Stone House"; Borah Bergman & Evan Parker: "The Fire Tale"; Julius Hemphill Sextet: "Five Chord Stud"; Muhal Richard Abrams & Roscoe Mitchell: "Duets & Solos"; Charles Gayle: "Consecration"; Julius Hemphill Sextet: "Fat man & The Hard Blues"; World Saxophone Quartet: "Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music"...to name just a few! WHEW!
Jeff Schlanger is a familiar sight to anyone attending free improvisation concerts in New York City. In the front row at such venues as The Stone, Tonic and during 11 annual Vision Festivals, with brushes and pens in both hands, he creates vibrant, colorful depictions of what has been called 'ecstatic jazz,' finishing his portraits of groups of musicians inside their music as the last notes are ringing in the air.
As he says in the Genesis & Testimony documentary on SPIRITWORLD, his approach is to work "as if attempting to embody the whole experience of being in a dynamically-created musical event."
DVD $18


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ELEVEN NEW 'LEO' RELEASES!!!!!!!!!!!

ANTHONY BRAXTON - Solo (Pisa) 1982 (Leo GY 028; UK) Sensational find! Anthony Braxton performs seven pieces of his own and four standards finishing with John Coltrane's "Giant Steps". After that something extraordinary happens with the audience. As Steve Day writes in his notes, "They literally become the music, setting up a seven minutes coda of appreciative stomping, whistling, howling harmony vocals, improvised rhythms tracks, and general mayhem; shaking down the melody and the intervals, creating an additional bonus track". Absolute must for music fans of any style or genre.
CD $18

ANTHONY BRAXTON TRIO - Trio (Gasgow) 2005: Composition 323a / Composition 323b [2 CD set] (Leo 487/488; UK) A double CD recorded at the Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Art four days after the series of performances at Phonomanie VIII in Ulrichsberg, Austria (Leo Records CD LR 468/471). On the inside photo one can see Anthony Braxton playing bass saxophone. However, very unusually, Anthony only payed alto saxophone in Glasgow. His rare f-alto was stolen from the luggage on the trip from USA to Austria, and his baggage with his sopranino and soprano was lost on the way from Austria to Glasgow. It was delivered only after the performance. Such events could devastate any musician, but not Braxton. The members of his trio are Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, flugelhorn and trumpbone, and Tom Crean on guitar.
2 CD Set $28

SIMON NABATOV/FRANK GRATKOWSKI/HERB ROBERTSON/DIETER MANDERSCHEID - Celebrations (Leo 485; UK) These four played for the first time together on that wintry evening in Cologne, incidentally the birthday of Simon Nabatov. But the musical interconnections inside of this ensemble are manifold: Frank Gratkowski and Dieter Manderscheid's collaboration in Frank's quartet, Gratkowski's fabulous participation in Nabatov's quartet and octet, Herb Robertson's unique contribution in Frank's double quartet and Simon's quintet. With all this in place, they celebrate their first meeting in four musical discourses, often subtle, at times fiery, and always fascinating to follow.
CD $17

SAINKHO NAMCHYLAK [NAMTCHYLAK] - Nomad (Leo 482; UK) The release of this CD marks the 50th anniversary of Sainkho Namchylak, the extraordinary and totally unique artist from Tuva. Nomad is a compilation consisting of 14 songs presenting Sainkho in different contexts from solo to big-band and in different styles of singing accompanied by different sets of musicians. Almost half of the songs have never been released in the West before. Prepare yourself for the most beautiful melodies followed by the most extraordinary sounds which can be produced by the only singer on this planet - Sainkho Namchylak.
CD $17

SAINKHO NAMCHYLAK [NAMTCHYLAK]/ROY CARROLL - Tuva-Irish Live Music Project (Leo 480; UK) For two years, in 2005 and 2006, Sainkho lived in Ireland. She was struck by similarities between these two countries and especially by stone sculptures from Boa Island and Tuva. She was also struck by mysteries of Ireland where old traditions blend with modern computer technology. Tuva-Irish Live Music Project has been developing for two years. Roy Carroll plays the computer and both musicians programme electronics in such a way that compositions sound in an entirely new way each time they are performed live.
CD $17

EVELYN PETROVA/ALEXANDER BALANESCU - Upside Down (Leo 489; UK) The first solo CD by Evelyn Petrova on Leo Records (CD LR 395 - Year's Cycle) in 2004 created quite a stir. As soon as the CD was released she received numerous invitations to perform at big and small festivals all over Europe and Canada. For her second CD she wrote the music and invited one of the best violin players worldwide Alexander Balanescu to record it in St. Petersburg. The sound of accordion and violin provide a perfect blend for her music that fluctuates from beautiful sadness to flights of breakneck virtuosity. Both musicians add their voices on several occasions. An amazing duo is born. "I caught Ms. Petrova play a solo set on her accordion at the Guelph Fest last year and was knocked out by her enchanting playing, singing and quirky presentation. She reminded me of Iva Bittova a bit. Both her last solo disc on Leo and this one are superb gems that you too should find quite captivating." - BLG
CD $17

UNDERGROUND JAZZ TRIO [MARK O'LEARY/JOHN HERNDON/MATT LUX] - Radio Free Europa (Leo 490; UK) The seventh CD on Leo Records by the hugely talented guitarist Mark O'Leary. Recorded in Chicago in April 2006, Radio Free Europa is a coming together of Mark O'Leary (who rubbed shoulders with Paul Bley, Matt Maneri, Matthew Shipp, Tomasz Stanko, Uri Caine, Steve Swallow, Tom Rainey, to name just a few), John Herndon (drummer with Tortoise) and Matt Lux (Isotope 217). It is underground music with a subtle Orwellian tinge to the dialogue. Chicago indie jazz meets European chamber improv.
CD $17

DIETRICH EICHMANN ENSEMBLE - The Hot Days (Leo 486; UK) Three years after German composer and pianist Dietrich Eichmann's first release on Leo (duets with Jeff Arnal CD LR 390) he finally presents a new project of improvised music. The result is astonishingly detailed architectural complexity of relentless, yet beautiful and humorous soundscapes, certainly due to his very distinct choice of musicians for this ensemble. The highly innovative use of the hearing aid as a musical instrument by singer Gunnar Brandt-Sigurdsson appears to be the perfect counterpart to Michael Griener's precise drumming and Chris Heenan's strange and noisy, reed-produced beauties. Two other members of the ensemble are bass players Alexander Frangenheim and Christian Weber.
CD $17

JOACHIM GIES/LAUREN NEWTON - Tenderness Of Stones (Leo 481; UK) Joachim Gies - saxophones and electronics, Lauren Newton - voice. Stuart Broomer writes in his notes: "Tendersness of Stones is the rarest of works, a piece that bridges preconceived large structures and spontaneous detail; that blurs lines between creation, translation and interpretation; that seems first to displace the notion of form (of word, sound, line) only to ultimately extend it. It is also a rare work of genuine partnership between two musicians whose interests extend far into the word and the possibilities of composition and improvisation.
CD $17

LEO RECORDS 25th ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL - At The Loft, Koln Germany [Ltd Ed; 2 CD Set] (Leo 483/484; UK) In November 2004, Leo Records marked 25th anniversary of the label with a 3-day festival at The Loft in Koln, Germany. The highlights of the festival have been documented on this double CD. The musicians taking part were: Joachim Gies / Denis Stilke duo, The Clarinet Trio ( Gebhard Ullmann / Jurgen Kupke / Michael Thieke ), Xu Fengxia / Frank Gratkowski duo, Aki Takase / Rudi Mahal duo, Simon Nabatov / Frank Gratkowski / Paul Lovens trio, Lauren Newton solo, Lauren Newton / Simon Nabatov / Frank Gratkowski / Paul Lovens quartet. Limited edition of 750 copies.
2 CD Set $28

RAMON LOPEZ - Swinging With Doors: Drums Solo II (Leo 491; UK) It's been nine years since the release of the first solo CD by Ramon Lopez (Eleven Drums Songs). For his second solo CD he came up with an utterly original concept. To realise the concept he needed the help of Teppo Hauta-Aho (the bass player in the Cecil Taylor European Quartet) who literally plays the squeaking doors in his house and sauna. Ramon improvises around these sound using brushes, metallophone, soft plastic mallets, drumsticks, ocarina, fingers, darbouka, ratatar, balafon, metal chimes, bamboo chimes, cajon, tabla, cowbells, castanets, and some other instruments one has never heard of. His drums were recorded live without any overdubs.
CD $17


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RICHARD THOMPSON - Sweet Warrior (Sony/Shout Factory; USA) Literate rocker Richard Thompson's new album, Sweet Warrior, is a return to his classic electric sound, his first plugged-in album since 2003's The Old Kit Bag. Filled with 14 songs of stories of loss and betrayal, the album also contains one of Thompson's most overtly political songs to date, "Dad's Gonna Kill Me," told from the perspective of a nervous young soldier stationed in Baghdad (abbreviated as "Dad" in the song). Richard Thompson is a consummate singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career stretches back to the late '60s, when he was a founding member of the British folk-rock Fairport Convention. In the late '70s, with his then-wife, Linda, he recorded Shoot Out the Lights, which regularly makes critics' lists of the best records of all time. In the '90s, he experienced another career renaissance with the album Rumor & Sigh and he remains an elder-statesman of alternative rock.
CD $17


HERB ROBERTSON TRIO + OLES BROS - Live At Alchemia (Not Two 785; EEC) Featuring Herb Robertson on trumpets, mutes & compositions, Frank Gratkowski on alto sax & clarinets, Julien Petit on tenor & bari saxes, Marcin Oles on double bass and Bartlomiej Brat Oles on drums. It is always great to hear the ever-inspired Oles brothers playing with the cream of improvisers like David Murray, Ken Vandermark, Chris Speed and Erik Friedlander. Here they are with two other giants, the unstoppable Herb Robertson and the ubiquitous Frank Gratkowski, plus a fine tenor & bari players named Julien Petit. They begin quietly and cautiously on "Nebula", which features Herb on trumpet, Frank on bass clarinet & Julian on bari sax all darting magically around one another, building in intensity as they go. Considering that I hadn't heard of Mr. Petit before this, he sounds pretty great. "Fluttering" begins with some suspenseful mallet work from Brat with distant, floating horns soon entering. "2 Phone Addicts" erupts freely the quintet in a powerful flurry of activity that is focused and free simultaneously. "It Doesn't Work Like That!" simmers with more spacious, free activity that features some strong fluttering horns. Throughout this disc the consisting amazing Herb Robertson spins and twists his trumpets inside-out, always pushing those around him to reach deeper within and higher to the heavens and beyond. "Discombobulating" has a trumpet-led trio section that is just astonishing. Marcin's contrabass sounds haunting as he leads the piece, "A Precarious Situation", which also features some inspired bass clarinet from Frank. Here we can yet another gem from Herb Robertson, the Brothers Oles and their international crew. - BLG
CD $17

THE FONDA/STEVENS GROUP - Trio (Not Two 781; EEC) Featuring Michael Jefry Stevens on piano, Joe Fonda on contrabass and Harvey Sorgen on drums. This is the tenth disc from the great Fonda/Stevens Group, but it is the first one to feature them as a trio. This disc was recorded live at The Alchemia in Krakow, Poland in April of 2006. I was intrigued to see that this is a rare trio date for these three musicians who have been playing together for some 20+ years, but rarely as a trio. There is no leader in the trio, as each member is integral to their sound and explorations. "Soon to Know" (by Mr. Fonda) seems to feature the amazing Joe Fonda, whose bass is central to the way this trio expands and contracts and moves. There is a constant throb going on, with the piano and drums slowly swirling around him majestically. Mr. Stevens' "The Search" has a delightful theme that is difficult to forget, with Michaels' piano playing dreamy, elegant waves that fade into the distance. Joe begins "Andrea" by plucking his strings in a unique way, making way for Michael's exquisite piano - the piece is quite lovely and sublime. "From The Source" features Michael's piano playing flurries of notes as Joe holds down the center until the trio starts swirling quickly together, the tempo speeding up and slowing down together. Throughout this disc, one gets the feeling that this trio has been together for a long time since they consistently flow together as one formidable force. Joe Fonda's bass continues to blow me away as he reaches for the impossible and achieves what he strives to do. - BLG
CD $17




NEW ALBUMS FROM KAMIKAZE GROUND CREW...AND GINA LEISHMAN!

KAMIKAZE GROUND CREW - Postcards From The Highwire [2 CD Set] (Busmeat 03; USA) Featuring Peter Apfelbaum, Art Baron, Steven Bernstein, Gina Leishman, Marcus Rojas, Doug Wieselman and Kenny Wollesen! One of downtown's finest ensembles returns with a double disc of their wonderful music. Review next week.
2 CD Set $16

GINA LEISHMAN With CHARLIE BURNHAM/MATT MUNISTERI/GREG COHEN - In My Skin (GCQ; USA) with Gina Leishman vocals, baritone ukulele, piano, glass; Charlie Burnham violin; Greg Cohen bass; Matt Munisteri guitar; and guests Marc Ribot guitar; Todd Sickafoose bass; Kenny Wollesen percussion
CD $14

...and, STILL AVAILABLE..

GINA LEISHMAN With MARC RIBOT/STEVE BERNSTEIN/TREVOR DUNN/GREG COHEN/ROB BURGER/JENNY SCHEINMAN/ANTHONY COLEMAN - Bed Time (GCQ; USA) Featuring Gina on vocals, piano, ukelele & songs, Steve Bernstein & Peck Allmond on trumpets, Marc Ribot & Doug Weiselman on guitars, Rob Burger on accordion, Anthony Coleman on piano, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Greg Cohen & Trevor Dunn on bass and Roberto Rodriguez & Kenny Wollesen on drums & percussion. Gina Leishman has co-led east cost/west coast downtown all-star instrumental ensemble Kamikaze Ground Crew (KGC) with Doug Weiselman for a decade or so now. 'Bed Time' is her first solo effort as a singer, with 5 songs using the words of William Shakespeare. Much different from the quirky classical/jazz/world music influences of KGC, 'Bed Time' is more a reflective excursion into melancholy jazzy/bluesy ballads and other endearing songs. Often stripped down and spacious, these songs hover like ghosts and drift in eerie, suspended shadows. Both Greg Cohen's or Trevor Dunn's basses hum at the center of many of these tunes, while Ribot's guitar, Rob's accordion, Anthony's piano and Doug's clarinet, carefully add their minimal spice in just the right places. Perfect late night listening, melancholy, moody, elegant and rather enchanting, as well. - BLG
CD $14

KAMIKAZE GROUND CREW [GINA LEISHMAN/DOUG WEISELMAN/STEVEN BERNSTEIN] - Madam Marie's Temple Of Knowledge (New World 80438; USA) 3rd album with Gina Leishman-alto sax, bass clarinet, piccolo, accordion, piano, toy piano, vocals; Doug Wieselman-soprano, tenor & baritone sax, clarinet, E-flat clarinet, castanets; Steven Bernstein-trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn; Ralph Carney-alto & tenor sax, clarinet, harmonica, toy piano; Jeff Cressman-trombone; Danny Frankel-percussion, whistle; Bob Lipton-tuba
In Madam Marie's Temple of Knowledge, the members of the Kamikaze Ground Crew have succeeded in forging a musical language that is at the same time rife with familiar references and bristling with novel ideas and innovative constructions. In the ten years since they first came together as the horns-and-percussion pit band for the Flying Karamazov Brothers (often referred to as "six horns and a drummer."), they have expanded dramatically the original nouveau vaudeville vision of musical and theatrical collaboration. What has emerged is an extraordinarily eclectic ensemble that draws from a diverse array of sources for a variety of special projects, including concert performances, theater productions and recordings, including this, their fourth as the Kamikaze Ground Crew and their second on New World Records.
CD $15

KAMIKAZE GROUND CREW [GINA LEISHMAN/DOUG WEISELMAN/STEVEN BERNSTEIN] - The Scenic Route (New World 80400; USA) 2nd album with Gina Leishman-alto sax, bass clarinet, accordion, piano, ukelele, keyboards, vocals; Doug Wieselman-soprano, alto, tenor & baritone sax, clarinet, electric guitar, mandolin, ukelele, penny whistle; Steven Bernstein-trumpet, piccolo trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, tuba; Jeff Cressman-trombone, baritone horn, slide whistle; Danny Frankel-percussion; Bob Lipton-tuba. The Kamikaze Ground Crew is often referred to as 'six horns and a drummer.' The wide-ranging influences that the players bring to the group include jazz, European circus and street music, world folk, brass band, chamber music, and rock-and-roll. Among them, the members of Kamikaze Ground Crew play nearly forty instruments, and in their collective careers they have played with such musicians as Don Cherry, Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, Urban Verbs, Joseph Jarman, Carla Bley, Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz, and others.
CD $15


WALDEN WIMBERLEY & HIS MUSICAL FRIENDS OCTET With DANIEL CARTER/RAS MOSHE/HILLIARD GREENE - What The Pyramids Told Me... (self-released; USA) Featuring Walden Wimberley on piano & direction, Daniel Carter & Ras Moshe on reeds & trumpet, Hill Greene & Chris Sullivan on basses and Michael Thompson & Larry Boddie on drums & percussion. This fine disc was recorded live at Langston Hughes Public Library in Corona, Queens in May of 2005. I don't know much about the pianist, Walden Wimberley, except that he did play in Roy Campbell's Tribute to Trane project. Right from the opening number, "What the Pyramids Told Me - Part One", we know we are in for something special as the septet gets into that powerful McCoy Tyner-like thing with both saxes (soprano & tenor) spinning strongly over that great modal groove, the basses burning below as Walden adds his colors to the piano. This piece fades out for some reason and then re-enters into the same "Part Two" with some superb piano from Walden. Coltrane's spirit obviously inspires this music as does Trane's use of two basses, two drummers and two saxes. "Thoughts of Daniel" has both Ras and Daniel spinning their tenors together and eventually screaming like Trane and Pharoah in their heyday. A few of these pieces simmer nicely with the basses bubbling below as the piano and saxes float on top righteously. It never ceases to amaze me how much under-recognized talent there is around here. - BLG
CD $15

WALDEN WIMBERLEY QUARTET With SABIR MATEEN/HILLIARD GREENE /MIKE THOMPSON - Oceans Inside The Sun: Live At The Knitting Factory (self released; USA)
CD $15
(Pre-order / In stock as soon as Walden drops them off)


BARNEY WILEN & DIESE 440 - Live in Paris / 8th Janvier 1983 (Impro/Futura 07; France) Featuring the legendary French reeds great, Barney Willen, on tenor sax, Michel Bertier on prepared mellotron, Guillaume Loizillon on synths & tapes and Claude Mitchell on synths & sequencers. Although Barney Wilen is (well?) known for playing and recording with Miles Davis in the late fifties, he has remained an outsider and a risk-taker throughout his long career. After hearing Wilen's obscure classic album 'Moshi', which was recorded during and after a cross-country African tour in 1970-'71, with future members of Magma and Gong in his band, I was intrigued and have continued to search for some of the long out-of-print albums that recorded. When I saw this one listed on a recent new release sheet, I took a chance and lo & behold, another stunning and completely unique classic. Mr. Wilen caught this odd synthesizer trio and decided to collaborate with them and thus the results could've been questionable. But no, this is not the case. The trio set up a series of hypnotic synth grooves in layers with Barney's tenor playing slyly and eerily melodic over the top. Guillaume seems to select a choice word or sound ("ah" & "noise") and repeat them like some great spice to the mix. Roger Powell, future synth player for Utopia, once made an early synth solo record called, "Cosmic Furnace" which sounds quite a bit like the synth players on this disc. Earlier this week, every time we placed this unknown gem, someone would ask for a copy. We soon sold out and have stopped playing it. We have 15 copies coming in this Friday (6/1/07) and they will not last very long, so grab this soon or be destined to wait until the next slow-boat from France comes to our fair shores. - BLG
CD $18


SCOTT DUBOIS QUINTET - Tempest (Soul Note 121419; Italy) Featuring Scott Dubois on electric & acoustic guitars & compositions, Dave Liebman, Loren Stillman & Jason Rigby on reeds, Thomas Morgan on bass and Mark Ferber on drums. This modern jazz guitar sextet treasure came out last month, but I haven't had time to review it until now. This is Scott's second superb disc for Soul Note and again he triumphs with his spirited playing, diverse writing and arranging. "Memories of the Blue Streaks" opens with a robust and memorable theme. Scott takes the first of a number of furious solos and ends the tune with some powerful, quick strumming. "Wander" is a haunting piece for acoustic guitar, wooden flute (by Liebman) and hushed percussion, eventually getting into a sly groove. "Alone" is a spacious piece for mallets, volume swirl guitar and a strong tenor solo from Jason Rigby and a fine, laid back solo from Scott. What I really dig about this tune is the way the drums navigate the currents just right, locking in with Thomas' ever-throbbing bass and subtly matching wits with each soloist. Scott excels at writing themes that have a rich, nervous energy which keep the rhythm team focused as they spin together with the tempo in flux as they speed up or slow down midstream. I also dig the way some of these songs simmer with a fine subdued, yet mysterious aura. This long disc is consistently inspired and well-crafted throughout. Scott Dubois will be playing with another fine quartet this Sunday (6/3/07) at Jimmy's at 7pm (see below). - BLG
CD $16


AZAR LAWRENCE & EDWIN BAYARD QUARTET - Legacy and Music of John Coltrane (Clarions Jazz 80704; USA) Former saxist for McCoy Tyner in the 70's returns with a heartfelt tribute to John Coltrane.
CD $15


JOHN BACON/PAUL BLEY - Boxing Day (Jazz Dimensions 03; USA)
CD-R $13


JERRY BERGONZI With JOHN ABERCROMBIE/DAVE SANTORO/ADAM NUSSBAUM - Tenorist (Savant; USA) "His bold penetrating tone and furiously paced streams of notes make for a commanding voice indeed. His passionate improvisations are marked by a consistency of strength in every register and a penchant for harmonic development." - Bill Milkowski
Among his peers, Jerry Bergonzi is one of jazz' most respected musicians. No matter how difficult the piece or quick the tempo, Bergonzi can tear through it. On this, his second outing on Savant, Bergonzi's efforts impress and sometimes amaze, as his abilities are overwhelming. With a guitar instead of the usual piano, Bergonzi's sound and fertile imagination are well to the fore. Michael Brecker was asked how he felt to be the king of the tenor players, and he said: "I don't know. You'll have to ask Jerry Bergonzi."
CD $15


NEW BLOOD [BEN CARR/ADAM SIMMONS/JOE TALIA] - Live At Plama (Sound Vault 0576; Australia) Featuring Ben Carr on tenor sax, Adam Simmons on bari & tenor sax and Joe Talia on drums. This is the second disc from Bucketrider's saxman, Adam Simmons, and his trio New Blood, recorded live at Klub Plama in Gdansk, Poland in November of 2000. Commencing with "Low Pigs", which has a great, sort of funky, doubled sax-line theme. As the baritone plays that riff, the tenor player solos intensely over the fat groove. Adam wrote six of the ten tunes, with three by Ben and each one has a theme worth savoring. What I dig about this is that it is great to hear music that is funky without a bass player and joyous with some fabulous fat solos as well. - BLG
CD-R $14


NGUYEN LE DUOS - Homescape (Act 9444; Germany) Featuring Nguyen Le on acoustic, fretless, synth, e-bow & Vietnamese guitars & electronics, Paolo Fresu on trumpets & electronics and Dhafer Youssef on oud, vocal & electronics. Even in the adventurous territory of jazz, this French-Vietnamese musician stands out as a unique explorer of sound. His new CD will surprise even those who believe themselves familiar with the diversity of his musical output. 'Homescape' is based upon improvised duos with either Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu or oud player & vocalist Dhafer Youssef. L�'s postproduction then crafts these performances into a piquant series of moving and thrilling world-jazz tracks. "Nguy�n L� is a masterful, inventive player who has cultivated a wholly unique voice on the instrument. He ranks right up there with Bill Frisell, John Scofield, and Allan Holdsworth in the post-Hendrix world of jazz guitar." - JazzFM.com (UK)
CD $16


MISHA FEIGEN/HELMUT BIELER-WENDT/JOHNANNES FRISCH - Moscow by Heart (MusiCircus 040614; USA/Germany) Featuring Misha Feigin on guitar & voice, Helmut Bieler-Wendt on violin and Johannes Frisch on double bass. Misha Feigen is a Russian-born, Kentucky-based string improviser/singer/poet/writer and world-traveling musician. He has a couple of discs out on Leo Lab with Dr. Chadbourne, Elliott Sharp & Davey Williams, as well as a more recent duo disc with LaDonna Williams. Misha just played a fine solo set here at DMG to just a handful of serious listeners on Memorial Day and left with his new trio CD.
'Moscow by Heart' features a superb new string trio of acoustic guitar, violin and contrabass. I had not heard of Helmut or Johannes before this, but Misha has again picked some strong players to collaborate with. Misha has a stunning and precious tone on his acoustic guitar that works well with Helmut's prickly violin, often bending his strings in a variety of ways. I dig the way Johannes seems to just use his bass for selective punctuation, bowing here and there, plucking or erupting in just the right places. The bass is often the glue that holds this trio together as Misha's guitar and Helmut's violin swirl mysterious around that central throb. The violin seems to add the much of the alien, bent-note quality to this music, keeping things a bit off-balance at times. All three musicians get a chance to solo or at least push the trio into unexpected areas. Hard to believe that this is a first time meeting of this trio since they work so well together. 70-minutes long and never a dull moment! - BLG
CD-R $12


ANNEA LOCKWOOD - Thousand Year Dreaming/Floating World (Pogus 21045; USA)
This is a reissue of the What Next label CD, coupled with an additional previously unreleased piece, Floating World.
Thousand Year Dreaming (1990) was commissioned by Essential Music and was written with the musicians on this recording, their particular strengths and inclinations, very much in mind. It grew out of an improvisatory piece, Nautilus, which Art Baron, Scott Robinson and Lockwood realized in 1989. They found that the sound of conch shell trumpets, didjeridu and frame drums really flowered in the resonant spaces they were using for the piece. Lockwood started imagining the sonorities possible with four didjeridus, gongs, conches and trombones and frame drums, all shaped by the penetrating and sensuous edge of oboes and clarinets. Four sections emerged to which she gave the subtitles: breathing and dreaming; the Chi stirs; floating in mid-air; in full bloom. While most of the work is fully scored, it contains two improvisations: a duet for John Snyder (didjeridu) and Scott Robinson (frame drum), and a section for all four didjeridus. In performance, at this point the four players wander amongst the audience, exploring the space's acoustics, playing into a listener's shoulder here, a foot there - sonic massage.
CD $12


JOHN CAGE - Solo For 'Cello (Wergo 6693; Germany) "The works for violoncello solo recorded and compiled on this CD by Friedrich Gauwerky are reference works for John Cage's unusual way of composing. Apart from the tones, Cage also helped to put the varied forms of silence on the musical map. '59 1/2 Seconds,' one of his time-length pieces, ranks among Cage's most radical 'graphic' compositions. Stars become notes or noises in 'Atlas Eclipticalis' -- again without a score. 'Variations I,' written for any number of people using any sort and number of sound-producing means, Cage's composition reached the outmost limit on the way to absolute indetermination. But, if one hears 'Etudes Boreales' for cello solo, however, one experiences that it is a piece whose status can only be compared with J.S. Bach's cello compositions."
CD $22


PHILIP GLASS - Theater Music Archive Volume I (Orange Mountain 44; USA) "From the Philip Glass Archive -- Theater Music Archive Volume I represents the first release in a series of 10 discs to be released on Orange Mountain Music from the vast archive of recordings made in the last 40 years of Philip Glass' incredible recording career. These recordings span the entire range of Philip Glass' compositional activities and will include music for film, theater, dance, and concert hall in a wide variety of scores including chamber music, solo instruments and orchestral works. Theater Music Archive Volume 1 features two ravishingly beautiful works from the world of theater: the instrumental suite from Glass' 2003 chamber opera 'The Sound of a Voice' features Eastern and Western instruments in one of Glass' most creative scores. 'In the Summer House' is the original music composed for the Jane Bowles' 1953 play. This release contains an incredibly rare chance to hear premiere recordings of works by one of the most successful composer of our times in the most intimate context. Orange Mountain Music seeks to bring many of these works to the public for the first time in the continuing effort to expand and document the Philip Glass recording legacy."
CD $19


LUIGI DALLAPICCOLA - Orchestral Works (Stradivarius 33698; Italy) Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello/RAI Symphony Orchestra/Pascal Rophe, conductor
DALLAPICCOLA: Due Pezzi (1947); Variazioni (1954); Dialoghi for cello & orchestra (1960); Three questions with two answers (1963). One might define this particular discographic edition as 'American,' since it combines the most important symphonic works of Dallapiccola's mature years, all fruit of the vast and extremely intense relationship the composer enjoyed with the U.S. from the 1950s until his death in 1975. As a pioneer of dodecaphony, Dallapiccola had suffered mockery and incomprehension in Italy from the mid-1930s onward, but he found acceptance and admiration in America. Although he used the 12-tone system, Dallapiccola insisted on infusing his music with a deep humanism and spirituality.
CD $15


FO A RM - #5: Autonomy [Magazine & CD] (Sedimental FOARM 005; USA) "Mysterious improvised electro-acoustic ensemble recorded in one take at the Movements Dance Studio in Austin. There was another Tonalamotl record that came out a few years ago on Bobby J but it sounds nothing like this surprise genius. Three long extended explorations using percussion, electronics, home made gadgets, etc. Certainly this has roots in the likes of Morphogenesis, AMM and even Polwechsel but this is American music, from Texas no less, so check your pale complexions and copies of Les Particules Elementaires at the door."
MAGAZINE + CD for $17


LASSE MARHAUG/NILS HENRIK ASHEIM - Grand Mutation (Touch TONE 30; UK) Lasse Marhaug and Nils Henrik Asheim started their collaboration in 2004 at the All Ears festival in Oslo, Norway. This turned out to be a fruitful meeting between two musicians of very different backgrounds. Marhaug's feedback and Asheim's organ sounds in the Oslo concert started to reflect how the work was to develop. Asheim works here with half-stops and subtle playing techniques that create multiple layers of sound with a vibrating or fluctuating character, as well as with the power of the full organ. Marhaug's tools belong to the world of sine wave oscillators and noise generators. The aim was to set a sonic frame into which they could both gradually tune. The two musicians met again in June 2006 just before Oslo Cathedral (which contains Asheim's favorite instrument) closed down for a few years of renovation work. One day of soundcheck and musical work and one night of recording produced an improvised flow of one hour, afterwards structured into five tracks. The recording was made in a live setup on the organ loft. Nils Henrik Asheim was sitting at the organ console and Lasse Marhaug right behind, playing his electronics through a loudspeaker system in order to make the electronics and the acoustic organ sound blend as close to each other as possible. Sound engineer Thomas Hukkelberg used two custom-built condenser mics for the organ, two Shure KSM 44 for the electronics and two Neumann U87 by the altar for the ambience. He used a Millennia Media HV-3 preamp and an Apogee AD-16X converter. The recordings were made at night to avoid unwanted ambient city sounds. The final mix was made by Marhaug in January 2007. Lasse Marhaug (electronics), Nils Henrik Asheim (organ).
CD $15


EXIAS-J - Live Document 2003-2005 [DVD] (PSF DV03; Japan) "Third release on PSF by Exias-J (Experimental Improvisor's Association of Japan), Japan's most conceptually-determined improvising collective and their first DVD. Containing three performances from Tokyo and New York, this is a challenging clash of methodologies and sonorities, hugely exciting in its electric power and formal heft. 142 minutes, region free, NTSC format, 4:3."
DVD $24


DAMON & NAOMI [DAMON KRUKOWSKI/NAOMI YANG] With MICHIO KURIHARA - The Earth is Blue ('20/20/20' 01; USA) "A year in the making, The Earth Is Blue is Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang's most intimate and accomplished record to date. Delicate harmonies and intricate melodic lines dominate the album's ten tracks, all of which were recorded in the duo's home studio. Michio Kurihara flew in from Japan, where he provides the guitar playing for the genius psych-folk of Ghost, and added another layer of inspiration to the songs. Also contributing are trumpeter Greg Kelley and soprano saxophonist Bhob Rainey of Boston's nmperign. Along with eight original songs, the group beautifully interprets 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' by George Harrison and 'Araca Azul' by Caetano Veloso. The Earth Is Blue marks the first release on Damon & Naomi's record label, 20/20/20."
CD $12


CHRIS CONNELLY - The Episodes (Jnana 1984; Canada) "Durtro Jnana are pleased to announce the release of the new CD by Chris Connelly -- The Episodes. A native Scotsman, former member of Ministry and The Revolting Cocks and founding member of Fini Tribe, Connelly has collaborated with Cabaret Voltaire, Killing Joke, Robert Fripp and Jah Wobble, among many others. After fronting some of the era's most popular and influential industrial acts, he embarked on a very unique solo career in the early '90s. His music, drawing on orch-pop, glam, and classic singer-songwriter influences, has been compared to the likes of David Bowie, Scott Walker, and Robert Wyatt. The Episodes, Connelly's eighth full-length solo work, was produced by Joan of Arc's Tim Kinsella and Town & Country's Ben Vida. The album is timeless and unique with radical arrangements and a crack band culled from Califone, Joan of Arc, Town & Country, US Maple and other Chicago jazz and improv luminaries."
CD $16




NEW BLUE NOTE REISSUES [In Stock Monday]

ANDREW HILL With SAM RIVERS/WALTER BOOKER/J C MOSES - Change (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2007 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. Originally released as one of two unissued album sessions on the double Sam Rivers LP Involution , and NEVER BEFORE ON CD!! The protean pianist/composer Andrew Hill has enjoyed a renaissance of late. His challenging compositions and unique style have garnered a late-blooming acknowledgement of his genius. Change, featuring saxophonist Sam Rivers, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer J.C. Moses, combines six tracks which first appeared on Rivers' 1979 Involution disc and two tracks which have only appeared on a large Mosaic set. At the time of recording the Change session was given a catalog number, edited and sequenced but never released. The entire 1966 session appears here in its complete form for the first time.
CD $16

STANLEY TURRENTINE - A Bluish Bag (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2007 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. Tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine's tenure with Blue Note produced an eye-popping variety of sessions, from big band to organ trio and mined a wide variety of musical styles. His work with pianist/arranger Duke Pearson was particularly fertile ground for both artists. Featuring two different 10-piece bands, the first seven tracks were released on two long-out-of-print LPs in the late-'70s, and the last five tracks are gems from the second session issued here for the first time
CD $16

FRANK FOSTER - Manhattan Fever (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2007 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. Tenor saxophonist Frank Foster was one of the stalwarts of the Basie band from 1953-64, and led it after the Count's death. Stepping out of the shadow of Basie, Foster proved himself a talented leader. Tracks 1-6 were released in 1968 and feature the saxophonist in a swinging sextet. The second session, a nonet augmented by a second reed player, has been in the vaults since it was recorded in early 1969, and offers a fresh look at one of jazz's most versatile tenor players.
CD $16

JIMMY SMITH TRIO - Straight Life (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2007 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. Sometimes the vaults of Blue Note are like Ali Baba's cave. The treasures on this disc have been sitting in the vaults since they were recorded on June 22, 1961 and are released here for the first time. Smith's trio became one of the most popular groups in jazz in the late '50s/early-'60s, with Smith virtually inventing the modern organ sound. With guitarist Quentin Warren and drummer Donald Bailey, Smith burns through a series of standards and originals in a session which was recorded just before Smith exploded as a national star on the pop and R&B charts.
CD $16

KENNY COX & THE CONTEMPORARY JAZZ QUINTET - Introducing Kenny Cox (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2007 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. This CD features one of the least typical jazz ensembles in the Blue Note catalog and one of its most critically popular. Kenny Cox is a pianist from Detroit who built his chops on the local scene, backing up visiting touring artists and hitting the road for three years with Etta Jones. Blue Note A&R head and pianist Duke Pearson heard about Kenny and The Contemporary Jazz Quintet via a Detroit disc jockey. He flew there in late 1968 and recorded their first session, tracks 1-6 on this newly-remastered CD. The last tracks on the CD appeared as the group's second LP, Multidirection, recorded in Detroit in November of 1969.
CD $16




HISTORIC & ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS & RESTOCKED DISCS OF NOTE:


IF YOU ENJOYED THE 'NO FUN FEST' RECENTLY, YOU'D CERTAINLY BE INTERESTED IN THISÉA LAST RESTOCK OFÉ

L.A.F.M.S. [LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY] - The Lowest Form Of Music [10 CD Box set] (RRR 17; USA) The Los Angeles Free Music Society was a complete screwball fringe music collective that peaked in the true heart of darkness -- America in the mid 70s. They self-released LPs, 7"s and cassettes in the dawn before real independent distribution and the myth that surrounds those sacred pressings has in recent years become feverish. Mixing pure sonic weirdness, musique concrete, free improv blare, fringe-noise-nonsense and much moret. This unbelievable box of 10 CDs, which took a number of years to finally assemble, features music by Le Forte Four, The Doo Dooettes, Airway, Tom Recchion, Rick Potts, Dennis Duck, Fredrik Nilsen, Joe Potts, Chip Chapman, Monique et Aviv, John Duncan and CV Massage, and more. Comes with a stunning 36 page booklet of full color photographs, 60 page book of extensive notes by the many contributors; all encased in a sturdy, letter-pressed chipboard box.
10 CD set for $100


HENRY FLYNT - Raga Electric (Locust 06; USA) In the early '60s, fresh from his clean behind the ears years at Harvard, Henry was undergoing rapid ideological shifts: cavorting with Maciunas and the whole Fluxus bit, doing performances at Yoko Ono's loft and recording with La Monte Young; having it out with his Stalinist cohorts over the relative merits of a good blues run and searching for a new musical language outside of the various generic artistic restrictions before him at the time. What he arrived at was an expressive practice he dubbed audact (auditory acognitive cultural activity) and that is what you will hear on this collection. Collecting key material from 1963 to 1971, Raga Electric is a 7 piece distillation of some of Henry's most adventurous, audactatious, outsider musical endeavors. The record begins with, of all things, a hybrid, off the wall treatment of the traditional supranationalist anthem The Marine's Hymn sung in a thick tongued, fully untudored Hindustani vocalese to brilliantly sun drenched, lightly strummed acoustic guitar accompaniment. The title cut, 'Raga Electric', is a twisted, howling fake Hindustani rag with staccato untuned guitar and bleating screams recorded at his home just a few short hours after catching Pandit Pran Nath at a downtown morning concert. The howling orgasmic yodel of a visionary's self-possession and certain surrender on this 1966 cut puts Henry somewhere at the epicenter of the folk isolationist world of Jandek and the ethno-dislocation of the Sun City Girls, to name but a few. The side long closer, 'Free Alto', is a monstrous exploration of the ins and outs of the tenor saxophone which, upon hearing it, Terry Riley referred to as 'a very articulated musical program'. Though it remains Henry's single meeting with the instrument, over the course of some 13 odd minutes, he finds out everything he needs to know about the horn and gets into some pretty hairy free squelch and squeal territory in the process. 'I was just pulling sounds out of a hat and just stringing them together,' he recently told me. As hats go, this one should fit the heads of today's listeners just fine." -- Dawson Prater
CD $14


KLAUS SCHULZE - Blackdance (Inside Out/Revisited; Germany) This is Klaus' fourth wonderful solo album, originally issued by Brain in 1974. All instruments played by Schulze: synthesizer, organ, piano, percussion, phase-trumpet, 12-string-Sccudzic-guitar, orchestra. Includes his first use of real synthesizers and vocals. This edition includes two bonus cuts for an additional 25 minutes of listening!
CD $16


JAMES CHANCE [JAMES WHITE] & THE CONTORTIONS - Soul Exorcism Redux: Rotterdam 1980...plus (ROIR 8300; USA) "Soul Exorcism Redux" is a re-release of an exhilarating night in Rotterdam from 1980. If you shut your eyes you might actually feel his breath, his sweat come flying at you from the stage or more likely from the floor when he's dancing alone to the "Twitch". James Chance is a dangerous and irrepressible man. He makes you think of one of those wild horses that man was not meant to tame. Now with three Bonus tracks from a 4-Track session recorded in 1987. Beautiful 6 Panel Digi-pak.
CD $15


OSIBISA - Osibisa (Aim 1045; Australia) Osibisa's self-titled album opened up their unique blend of African and Western styled music to a wider audience, charting in both the U.S. and Europe. Produced by Tony Visconti, Osibisa's extraordinary merger of African drum beats, colorful rhythms, and rock-inspired keyboard and horn parts give it an expansive sound that infuses countless musical influences. Even the melodies take bits of rhythm & blues and modern rock and affix them to the accompanying percussion beats to come up with a contemporary feel with an avant-garde atmosphere. Tracks such as "Dawn," "Phallus C," and "Oranges" incorporate fragments of traditional jazz and jazz fusion mainly because of the flute and saxophone into their core, but then fashions the result to resemble the band's true heritage. Each song conjures up a certain African mysticism with its stressed rhythms and semi-primordial tempos. The most impressive track, "Music for Gong Gong," became a minor hit in the U.K. thanks to the well- balanced vocal charge and the beauty that's felt in the shingled layers of guitar, organ, and drum work. In both "Ayiko Bia" and "Akwaaba," Osibisa's Ghanian and Nigerian roots come alive through the use of the flute, flugelhorn, and trumpet -- not exactly the traditional instruments of West Africa, but they are transformed and molded to take on the band's fundamental sound. What may be the most predominant aspect about Osibisa is that the vast blend of instruments and the playful lyrics inject just enough of a modern element into the album that it's properly kept from being labeled as world music or as new age. ~ Mike DeGagne, AMG
CD $15

OSIBISA - Heads (Aim 1047; Australia) Osibisa, the West African high-life band from Ghana, waxed their first album in 1971 and continues to spit them out. Their longevity can be attributed to a vibrant sound and the ability to inject humor into music. They don't allow themselves to become mired in social issues as did the short-lived but often brilliant Cymande, whose LPs were essentially political statements; they also reached a height of fame that eluded Assagai, another early '70s Afrorock group that boasted members of The Blue Notes. Osibisa's only agenda is making good music, and if it happens to strike a political or social nerve, fine, but it's not what they're totally about. "Wango Wango" starts slow but evolves into a wicked jam that's heavy as P-Funk. Pleasant flute and trumpet riffs accent the lovely "So So MI La So." The bands' tribute to America, the floating "Sweet America," teases and tantalizes. Percussion heads will appreciate "Ye Tie Wo" and "Che Che Kule." The deepest slabs of social commentary are the thought-provoking "Sweet Sounds" and "Did You Know." All tracks were written by all or various members of Osibisa, who share production credit with John Punter. ~ Andrew Hamilton, AMG
CD $15

OSIBISA - Woyaya (Aim 1046; Australia) Half this album has three jazzier, more improvisatonal cuts, the other a good sampling of the band's Afro-funk groove. ~ J. Poet, AMG
CD $15


TIM HARDIN - Through The Years: Rare & Unreleased Studio Recordings (Lilith 126; Russia) "Tim Hardin's work has been already revisited with Lilith's reissue of Tim Hardin 2, and 3: Live In Concert, to provide an interesting overview of this talented author who passed away too soon to become a superstar of folk music -- and not only! This album proposes a collection of material never before released on vinyl, selected from the Verve years between 1964 and 1966."
CD $20

Éalso still availableÉ

TIM HARDIN - Tim Hardin 2 (Lilith 107; Russia) Russian reissue of the 2nd Hardin album, originally released 1967. "Considered Hardin's best album. 'Lady Came From Baltimore,' 'Red Balloon,' and especially 'If I Were a Carpenter' rank among his finest and most famous songs. Original artwork. Digipak."
CD $20

TIM HARDIN - Tim Hardin 3: Live In Concert (Lilith 118; Russia) "Tim Hardin and band are captured here in a fiery performance recorded live in NYC at the Town Hall on April 8, 1968. Although Hardin never achieved mainstream success, his unique voice made him one of the most talented & influential singer-songwriters of the period." Includes three previously-unreleased tracks.
CD $20

JIMMY SMITH - Bluesmith (Lilith 120; Russia) "Jazz organist Jimmy Smith popularized the use of Hammond organ in jazz music and is credited with having invented the soul jazz style. Many of his albums are classics and his influence is omnipresent in the jazz world. For this stellar 1972 release on Verve, the Organ Grinder accompanied by Leroy Vinnegar, Teddy Edwards, Ray Crawford, Donald Dean and Victor Pantoja comes home to where it all began: the blues. These high spirited and relaxed sessions give each musician the chance to stretch out over a tantalizingly funky blues that features five Smith originals along with Harvey Siders' 'Mournin' Wes,' a tribute to friend and fellow musician Wes Montgomery."
CD $20

JIMMY SMITH - Hoochie Cooche Man (Lilith 125; Russia) "Jazz organist Jimmy Smith popularized the use of Hammond organ in jazz music and is credited with having invented the soul jazz style. Many of his albums are classics and his influence is omnipresent in the jazz world. For this 1966 release on Verve, Smith once again revisits classic blues tunes with his magic 'Organ Grinder' touch, giving us memorable versions of 'Hoochie Cooche Man,' 'Boom Boom,' 'One Mint Julep,' and Tommy Tucker's 1964 R&B anthem 'Hi-Heel Sneakers' as a bonus track."
CD $20


STOMU YAMASHTA [YAMASH'TA] With KLAUS SCHULZE/STEVE WINWOOD /AL DIMEOLA/MICHAEL SHRIEVE - The Complete Go Sessions: Go/Go: Live From Paris/Go Too (2) [2 CD set] (Raven; Australia) In the 1970's, famed Japanese Percussionist/Composer Stomu Yamashta recorded a series of legendary (and long out-of-print) albums with his Go Ensemble that have been a Holy Grail among aficionados of Jazz Fusion/Space Rock. Raven has combined all three Go albums in their entirety for "The Complete Go Sessions": "go" (1976), the double album "go: Live from Paris" (1976) and "go Too" (1s77) featuring Steve Winwood, Al Dimeola, Michael Shrieve, Klaus Schulze, Paul Buckmaster, Pat Thrall, and Soul diva Linda Lewis. [Consumer note/Caveat Emptor: Some people who have heard this edition are NOT ecstatic about the transfers that Raven, to our knowledge a legitimate Australian licensee, has put onto these discs. Also, the only indexing is for complete sides of the original albums [treating each side like a suite]. However, they are quite listenable, and furthermore, constitute the only known release that 2 of the 3 albums found here have ever had on CD!]
CD $38




LAST WEEKEND, FROM MAY 25th- 27th, SEVEN MUSICIANS FROM THE AMBIANCES MAGNETIQUES LABELS PERFORMED IN A RARE FESTIVAL AT THE STONE IN NYC. THE THREE NIGHTS & SIX SETS FEATURED: JEAN DEROME (alto sax, flute, birds calls, etc.), JOAN HETU (alto sax & vocals), LORI FREEDMAN (bass & regular clarinet), CHARITY CHAN (piano insides), NICOLAS CALOIA (double bass), DANIELLE PALARDY ROGER (drums & percussion) and Isaiah Ceccarelli (drums & percussion).
I ATTENDED ALL SIX SETS & WAS KNOCKED OUT BY EACH & EVERY ONE! Watching and listening to some of Quebec's finest musicians was indeed a wonderful experience that happens here all too rarely. We have long supported and carried the vast Ambiances Magnetiques group of labels. Here is a partial list of their treasures new and old:

NEW ON AMBIANCES MAGNETIQUES Éand some restocks!

SPECIAL DEAL!!! - Anyone who orders 3 or more of the Ambiances Magnetiques discs listed below will get a sampler CD included free of charge (until we run out of these samplers).


FIRST SOME NEW DISCS FROM THE GREAT AMBIANCES MAGNETIQUES GROUP OF LABELS:

FANFARE POURPOUR & LARS HOLLMER - Karusell Musik (Krax 16/AM/Monsieur Fanteux 16; Canada) Recorded live in the studio, Karusell Musik delivers 17 compositions by and with Swedish accordionist Lars Hollmer formerly of Samla Mammas Mann/Von Zamla], orchestrated by Jean Derome for the Fanfare Pourpour. The Fanfare - an authentic large dance ensemble like they don't make 'em anymore, with a brass section, saxes, clarinets, guitars, banjo, accordions, violins, and percussion - invites you to discover or rediscover the songs and tunes of Lars Hollmer
CD $14

ISAIAH CECCARELLI With JEAN DEROME et al - Lieux-dits (AM 159; Canada) Featuring Isaiah Ceccarelli on drums, percussion & compositions, Jean Derome on alto sax & flutes, Francisco Lozano on saxes, bass clarinet & alto flute, Steve Raegele on electric guitar & effects and Clinton Ryder on contrabass. These compositions were inspired by numerous voyages in the French Alps and the Pyrenees. Certain rhythmic and harmonic concepts were inspired by the study of Technique de mon langage musical by Olivier Messiaen
"This is the young and creative drummer, Isaiah Ceccarelli's first disc and it is an extraordinary one. It is not a completely improvised affair, as it sounds as if Isaiah spent a good deal of time writing and focusing the talents of his inspired quintet. Although we know of the great Jean Derome from the dozens of great discs he has on this same label, as well as great sets at Victo throughout the years, I am not familiar with the other three players here. Isaiah's writing has a rich chamber-jazz sound on many of the pieces here. Some of these pieces sound like lower case improv, while others blend rich arrangements with colorful textures. Isaiah often uses the contrabass and drums to provide a thick, haunting bottom while the both reeds and guitar play his exquisite and often gripping harmonies. I am most impressed with the way that Isaiah gets the quintet to shift dynamics and blend sounds somewhere between charted and freer territories. This is a most impressive debut from a most promising young composer and drummer." - BLG
CD $14

ANTOINE BERTHIAUME/MARYCLARE BRZYTWA - Bebe Donkey (AM 163; Canada) "Each time Montreal based guitar wiz Antoine Berthiaume unleashes a disc, he re-invents himself and challenges both himself and us, the listeners, at the same time. Here, Berthiaume and Brzytwa blend layers of electronic and sampled sounds producing sonic sculptures. Very odd and completely enchanting! " - Bruce Lee Gallanter, from the outside notes on this disc
Featuring Antoine Berthiaume on guitar & effects and MaryClare Brzytwa on flute, laptop and electronics. This is Montreal-based guitarist, Antoine Berthiaume's third disc for the AM label and each one has been great and completely different. His first was a duos disc with Fred Frith and Derek Bailey, which showed him to be a strong improviser to match wits with two older and legendary figures and guitar icons. His next was a trio with Quentin SirJacq on piano and Norman Teale on electronics and again it showed another side of intense improv. For his third AM CD, he employed a jazz guitar trio, which showed how well Antoine could play modern jazz guitar. 'Bebe Donkey' is once more, another departure, as it features a fine duo with MaryClare Brzytwa on flute and electronics. The title track begins with the samples of scratchy records and some eerie, floating drones. In a blindfold test, one would be hard-pressed to figure out who is playing which instrument as most of the sounds are electronic sounding, static-like and filled with glitches and other odd sound effects. There is a great attention to detail here which reminds me of discs on the Erstwhile label, quieter, electronic based improv carefully created. The twelve song titles really make up just a few sentences of text and I get the feeling that this duo is creating a series of short stories that unfold one section at a time, yet somehow feel linked by an underlying thread or subtext. A marvelous collection of sonic manipulations. - BLG
CD $14

GIANNI LENOCI - Sextant (AM JZ 154; Canada) Sextant - the second release by Gianni Lenoci on Ambiances Magnetiques - was born out of the new teaching methodologies' workshops given by the Italian pianist at Nino Rota Conservatory in Monopoli. Lenoci's experiments cover a large musical territory in which jazz draws inspiration from contemporary music. Acoustic and electronic instruments meet in harmony to form a highly dynamic whole. Here is how the artist explains his approach: "For years now, my main focus has been to try to create music that is not 'contaminated' but rather 'informed' and intelligent. Multiple and multifaceted music, yet coherent music nonetheless. Organic music made with gestures shedding light on the unclassifiable areas of language."
CD $14

QUATUOR BOZZINI//STEVE REICH - Steve Reich: Different Trains (AM/CQB 502; Canada) Different Trains by Steve Reich performed by Quatuor Bozzini. A major opus in Reich's body of work, Different Trains pioneered in 1968 a new form of composition developed from his earlier tape pieces It's Gonna Rain (1965) and Come Out (1966). The work consists of a prerecorded tape assembled from the voices of various people reminiscing about the Holocaust, sounds of American and European trains from the '30s and '40s, and three different string quartets. In addition to the tape is a fourth string quartet part for a live quartet. Quatuor Bozzini decided to offer a new reading of the work, including its very own recording of the three taped string quartets, a first ever since the premiere 1988 recording of the work, by the Kronos Quartet. Quatuor Bozzini embarked on this new reading after being advised to do so by Steve Reich himself. Quatuor Bozzini's Different Trains turns a new page in the history of contemporary music. It provides a new landmark. A new must-have for you to discover.
CD $14

ENSEMBLE SuperMusique - Canevas "+" / Excerpts (AM 124; Canada) Collective personnel: Jean Derome (alto sax, etc.), Martin Tetreault (turntables), Lori Freedman (clarinets), Joan Hetu (alto sax & voice), Diane Labrosse (sampler), Danielle Palardy Roger (percussion), Samuel Vero (trumpets) Pierre Cartier (bass), Pierre Tanguay (drums) & many others. The first set Friday (5/25/07) and last set on Sunday (5/27/07) featured a Quebec-based all-star group known as Ensemble SuperMusique. It consisted game pieces and directed improv and was as amazing as any other successful (directed) improv I've heard from anywhere else on this planet. This disc features many of the same musicians who played at The Stone, as well as another dozen fine players from Quebec. This disc complies tracks by Ensemble SuperMusique, the personnel changing from track to track, much of it recorded live from 2000 - 2006. The personnel and ideas behind each piece is/are listed in the liner notes in French and in English. What I dig about this disc is that although many of the pieces are "free", each one has a purpose or direction and each is fascinating is its own way. The liner notes do help one to understand the underlying thread of each piece. Another treasure from our good friends up north. - BLG
CD $14

AND NOW FOR SOME OF THE GREAT BACK CATALOGUE FROM A.M.:

PIERRE CARTIER ENSEMBLE With JEAN DEROME - Chansons de la Belle Esperance (AM JZ 153; Canada) Inspired by jazz standards, Pierre Cartier tackles the theme of love. With all the lyricism such a quest deserves, he combines the voice of Quebec's poets with the energy of new jazz. Featuring Pierre Cartier on electric bass, voice & compositions, Jean Derome on alto sax & flutes, Jean Rene on viola, Tom Walsh on trombone, Bernard Falaise on guitar and Pierre Tanguay on drums. I caught Pierre Cartier's ensemble performing this music on two occasions, once at Guelph and more recently at the Victo Fest. I liked it the first time, but found it even better the second time around. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Mr. Cartier singing on all of these pieces, something I didn't know he did, after hearing him play some great electric jazz bass with Jean Derome in the past. For this disc, he has put together a truly fine Canadian sextet, all either leaders or at least great veteran players on their own. It is a unique frontline with alto sax or flute, trombone, viola and electric guitar with Cartier's charming voice at the center. There is something quite lovely, melancholy and touching about the sound of Cartier's voice, as well as the music surrounding his voice. Although I only know a small amount of French, there is still a universal feeling that reverberates at the center of these songs. What stands out is the various solos from Jean Derome (alto sax), Tom Walsh (trombone), Jean Rene (viola) and Bernard Falaise (guitar), that are an extension of the feeling generated within each song. It is the most lyrical playing I've heard these men, who are often associated with more "progressive" types of music. At times, the arrangements are quite crafty and rather progressive in more subtle ways. No doubt that some folks will complain of having to listen to Cartier's most affective and often forlorn voice, yet I find that it often rings true and touches something quite human in all of us who can still be moved by the sound of the human voice reaching inside and touching our hearts. Whenever I get close to cringing at the occasional corniness, one of those cats takes a solo that makes me smile and feel good to be alive. - BLG
CD $14

LORI FREEDMAN With JEAN DEROME/RENE LUSSIER - 3 (Trios) (AM 157; Canada) Featuring clarinets sorceress Lori Friedman in three trios with some of Quebec's best players: Rene Lussier (guitars) & Martin Tetreault (turntables), Jean Derome (saxes, etc.) & Rainer Wiens and Nicolas Caloia (contrabass) & Danielle Palardy Roger (percussion). This disc was recorded live over three nights and later reworked in a studio. I've caught Lori Freedman some half dozen times of the past few years, playing solo, in duos and doing improv, at Victo, Guelph and also at the Vision Fest. She is an excellent musician, her solo set at Guelph in 2005 was one of the best sets that year. For this fine release, Lori works with three different trios of Quebec's finest players, each trio quite different in sound. The first trio features our friend Rene Lussier on guitars and Martin Tetreault on turntables, often without records. There is an odd balance between Rene's diverse and ever-changing guitar approaches and Martin's electronic-sounding turntables manipulations. Lori is in the middle, twisting her clarinets into a variety of odd shapes and sounds. At times I am reminded of Zorn's cartoon music, always changing and using that sly humor behind the unexpected twists and turns. The trio with Jean Derome on sax & objects and Rainer Wiens on prepared guitar is also a strange one. As Rainer plays Frith-like quiet guitar soundscapes, Jean plays his charming, fractured early Zorn-like mouthpiece manipulations. Lori is a good match, also bending her notes a similar way and blending perfectly with her two gifted partners. The third trio features Nicolas Caloia on double bass & Danielle Roger on percussion. I am unfamiliar with Nicolas but I do know Danielle from different disc on AM, as well as seeing her in a duo with Frith last year in Montreal. This trio is the most minimal, slowly weaving their sounds cautiously around one another. Some of these pieces were reworked in the studio, here we find Lori's snake-like clarinet panning around in the mix, often closely mic'd with careful attention to each sound. This is quite a strong batch of trio improvisations that work together well as a whole connected work. - BLG
CD $14

LORI FREEDMAN - A Un Moment Donne (AM 103; Canada) On this disc soloist Lori Freedman presents thirteen new improvised pieces for soprano and bass clarinets that were recorded at Radio-Canada's Studio 12 in the spring of 2002.
Imposing an unbridled rhythm on her clarinets, this alchemist-musician invites us into a surprising world in which the music is allowed to develop on its own, vibrant and captivating. Propelling, in the fervor of the moment - a very exact moment - music that abounds in textures both complex and refined, she constructs a non-linear sound universe that is very close to the bizarre revelations traveled in dreams, furiously original, studded with frenzied, fleeting flashes.
CD $14

LORI FREEDMAN - Huskless! Live In Concert (Artifact 20; Canada) This is Queen Mab's clarinet(s) sorceress, Lori Freedman's debut disc on the difficult to find Artifact label. The half dozen times I've caught her live (Victo, Guelph & Vision Fests), as well as this past weekend, she amazes me with her extraordinary bass clarinet playing! This is where it began and I can't wait to dig in as well. - BLG
CD $15

TIM BRADY - GO: Guitar Obsession (AM 156; Canada) While Brady's three previous Ambiances Magnetiques releases were all focused more on his work as a composer, GO [Guitar Obsession] brings the guitar back to centre stage, making it clear why Guitar Player Magazine has named the Montreal-based composer and musician "one of the 30 most important guitarists for the future of the instrument". The goal of the CD was to create a recording focused primarily on Brady's guitar playing and composing, rather than on complex studio technology. Overdubbing, looping and computer processing were part of the production process, but they always take a back seat to the sound and texture of a solo guitar performance.
CD $14

TIM BRADY//MICHAEL DONOVAN & BRADYWORKS - Three Cities In The Life Of Dr. Norman Bethune (AM 139; Canada) This chamber opera for voice, electric guitar, piano, percussion, saxophones, string quartet and tape has been performed in Montreal (2003) and Toronto (2005). It tells the life of the Canadian doctor and humanitarian Norman Bethune (1890-1939). Interweaving extracts from Bethune's own letters with poetry of the 1930s, Three Cities in the Life of Dr. Norman Bethune explores the psychological and social elements that propelled Bethune to leave his comfortable life in Montreal to fight with the Republican International Brigade in Spain in 1936, and finally to join the Chinese Army in early 1938. The work follows Bethune through three cities over the course of 5 years in one of the most turbulent eras of 20th century history as he seeks to make sense of the world, to fight for what he believes in, and to confront his own mortality.
CD $14

DEREK BAILEY/FRED FRITH/ANTOINE BERTHIAUME - Soshin (AM 113; Canada) Three wonderful improvising guitar masters from three generations, each distinctive in their approach and sound. Actually, these are six duos, three with Derek & Antoine, and three with Fred & Antoine. Mostly, this is on one the quieter side, spacious, well recorded in a studio and quite a magical in the way the sounds drift, filled with suspense and subtle surprises.
CD $14

FRED FRITH/JEAN DEROME/PIERRE TANGUAY/MYLES BOISEN - All is bright, but it is not day (AM 106; Canada) The three musicians involved in this trio have known each other for a long time, but this CD is the result of a very new collaborative project. Recorded in a California studio, this CD is also the singular result of spontaneous, real-time sound processing. Only a listen will demonstrate the breadth of this sturdy musical exchange between three excellent musicians, virtuosic with listening and improvisation, and a rogue recording engineer.
Fred Frith has invented his own way to improvise. Since his first solo guitar recording in 1974, he has been perceived like a radical innovator of great talent. On the course of 30 years, he has been working around the world with famous artists who are equally interested in similar creative processes. Composer and saxophone player Jean Derome, and percussionist Pierre Tanguay, are two of these artists. Derome and Tanguay have played together in a myriad of projects since 1980. Based upon intuitive communication, the result of a long friendship, Jean Derome and Pierre Tanguay continually establish a joyous ambience, blooming with precision and freedom. As for the recording and mixing engineer, Myles Boisen, he shows himself to be both sensitive and audacious. The meeting of Frith, Derome and Tanguay, three highly experienced musicians, with Boisen produces nothing less than explosive psychedelic music. Real-time processing is a fundamental asset here, as the new sound matter it brings forward have a radical effect on the perception of music.
CD $14

FRED FRITH GUITAR QUARTET With NICK DIDKOVSKY/RENE LUSSIER /MARK STEWART - Ayaya Moses (AM 051; Canada) Featuring Nick Didkovsky, Fred Frith , Rene Lussier , Mark Stewart What more can be said of Fred Frith? As with all musicians and composers of his caliber, he is a relentless inventor. His quartet, formed in 1990, highlights one of the quintessential instruments of 'musique actuelle', the electric guitar. Its first CD on Ambiances Magnetiques, Ayaya Moses features works by Claude Vivier and Olivia Bignardi, as well as original compositions by each member, scored for the quartet. Ten journeys through contrasting topographies, whether rigorously scored or spontaneously dreamed up, exploiting the resources of the electric guitar to the fullest imaginable degree, and featuring the kind of ensemble precision and dynamics usually associated with string quartets and chamber ensembles - but with unrelenting rock energy!
CD $14 (Now out-of-print, but we have a few left)

MARTIN TETREAULT/OTOMO YOSHIHIDE - Studio/Analogique/Numerique [3 x 3" CD Box] (AM 111; Canada) Following the electro-mechanical exploration of "21 situations," (AM 069 CD), Martin Tetreault and Otomo Yoshihide now focus on phonograms and the devices that transform them. An initial, intensely dynamic "Studio" encounter, recorded live and with no reprocessing, makes up CD1. Then both artists went to work with their respective equipment to reprocess raw material not used on CD1. Tetreault used obsolete tape recorders to create a flowing analogue remix: "Analogique" CD2. Yoshihide used an ultramodern computer to generate a vigorous, staccato digital reconstruction: "Numerique" CD3. Each produced his remix without consulting the other - these are two distinctive personal journeys, each taken with the aid of widely different equipment that marked the way the sounds were produced and reproduced throughout. The first listening was a surprise for them - there are three surprises in store for you!
CD $20 (Out of print, but we have it!)

MARTIN TETREAULT/OTOMO YOSHIHIDE - Grrr/Tok/Ahhh/Hmmm [4 CD set] (AM 902; Canada) "Finally, a 4CD boxset from Martin Tetreault and Otomo Yoshihide is available. This series of discs (1.Grrr, 2.Tok, 3.Ahhh + 4.Hmmm) come from Martin Tetreault and Otomo Yoshihide's tour of Europe 2003: you can recreate the six improv concerts. Nice spectrum of noise. Limited edition. Martin Tetreault: turntable, objects; Otomo Yoshihide: turntable, objects."
4 CD set for $40

JEAN DEROME ET LES DANGEREUX ZHOMS - 1994-96: Carnets de voyage /Navre/Torticolis [3 CD set] (AM 901; Canada) Pierre Cartier, Jean Derome, Guillaume Dostaler , Rene Lussier , Pierre Tanguay , Tom Walsh A first for Ambiances Magnetiques: a specially priced box set bringing together all three CDs from Jean Derome and his band, Les Dangereux Zhoms: Carnets de voyage, Navre and Torticolis. For fans of progressive music, this is a treasure well-worth owning.
CD $34

JEAN DEROME/CANOT CAMPING - Expedition 4 (AM 100; Canada) Jean Derome, Nicolas Caloia Guillaume Dostaler, Normand Guilbeault, Joane Hetu, Diane Labrosse, Jean Rene, Pierre Tanguay, Martin Tetreault, Tom Walsh, Rainer Wiens. Canot-camping is a vast territory filled with "things to know" and "things to do," animals, birds, lakes and rivers, explored here by 11 skilled canoe-improvisers from the lively Montreal musique actuelle scene. This recording constitutes our fourth expedition. It was a pleasant trip since we did not suffer too much because of portages, insects, rain or wind and we visited deep, calm lakes under a sometimes partially cloudy sky.
CD $14

JEAN DEROME ET LES DANGEREUX ZHOMS - Torticolis (AM 061; Canada) Pierre Cartier, Jean Derome , Guillaume Dostaler , Rene Lussier , Pierre Tanguay , Tom Walsh . The third album from Jean Derome et les Dangereux Zhoms, "Torticolis" was also born from Jean Derome's travel diary, a personal journal made of musical feelings taken on table corners during his many tours.
This repertoire-territory is investigated by 6 well seasoned Dangereux Zhoms, who are not afraid of getting lost or found because they are relentless inventors and masters of time: resourceful, crazy, subversive, these water diviners, hunters, researchers and finders and most of all wonderful musicians comprise an outstanding band that we can't seem to get enough of.
"Jean Derome is a wonderful saxist/flutist and composer from Montreal who I have long admired. From the first time I heard his grand quirky duo with guitarist Rene Lussier - Les Granueles at my first Victo fest over a decade ago, through his work with Fred Frith's Keep the Dog, his excellent Monk tribute and many other projects often with Rene, I knew that both of these players were special. Now that both Jean & Rene have about ten releases a piece on their Ambiances Magnetiques label, my Victo buddies & me look forward to each new project with much anticipation. This is the third release by Jean's band -DZ and is also part of a three cd set. This is an all-star Canadian ensemble that includes Rene on daxophone & el. guitar (he is also found in Frith's Guitar Qt.), Tom Walsh on trombone, Guillaume Dostaler on keyboard (a new name to me), Pierre Cartier on el. bass & Pierre Tanguay (from many projects) on drums. Both Walsh & Cartier have had their own units play at Victo in the past. Both Jean Derome's playing & composing are always on a high level. The music here is a fine blend of progressive/jazz/rock, both stimulating compositions & improvised sections. I hear bits of the best of Frith in there at times. So nice to hear the rarely utilized daxophone from Rene, with its twisted vocal-like presence. This music has a most uplifting, positive quality to it, never the darker side of prog. His sly sense of humor never hurts, either. Check out Quebec's finest." - BLG
CD $14

JEAN DEROME - 3 musiques pour UBU [2 CD set] (AM 030; Canada) Jean Derome, Stephane Jalbert , Ivanhoe Jolicoeur , Allan Laforest , Jean-Denis Levasseur , Rene Lussier , Allyson Lyne , Pierre Olivier , Shannon Peet , Chantal Remillard , Jean Sabourin , Pierre Tanguay , Alain Trudel 3 musiques pour UBU compiles the near-complete compositions by Jean Derome (1990-92) for Denis Marleau's Theatre UBU
2 CD Set $22

THELONIOUS MONK/EVIDENCE [PIERRE CARTIER/JEAN DEROME/PIERRE TANGUAY] - Live la Casa: Musique de Thelonious Monk (AM JZ 082; Canada) Live in la Casa" is the second record of vidence a Montreal based trio devoted since 1985 of the music of Thelonious Monk one of the greatest composers in the history of jazz "Evidence is a jewel of a little band that Montrealers in the know are extremely proud of. It consists of Jean Derome, heard here on alto, Pierre Cartier, electric bass and Pierre Tanguay, drums - individually, musicians at home in many musical genres. If you add the eight compositions on this CD to the 10 contained on the earlier vidence - Musique de Thelonious Monk [AM 028] you have about a quarter of Monk's compositional legacy." - Len Dobbin
CD $14

TRIO DEROME GUIBEAULT TANGUAY [JEAN DEROME/NORMAND GUILBEAULT/PIERRE TANGUAY] - The Feeling Of Jazz (AM JZ 145; Canada) Featuring Jean Derome on alto & bari saxes, flute & voice, Normand Guilbeault on contrabass and Pierre Tanguay on drums. Jean Derome is one the most gifted, diverse and distinctive saxists that Canada has produced. Jean has about two dozen superb discs out on the Ambiances Magnetiques label, which cover a wealth of influences and genres: jazz, progressive, rock, folk and a good amount of humor. He has a great trio called Evidence that only cover Thelonius Monk with an electric bassist. Their set at Guelph this year was super
Trio Derome is Jean's other jazz trio with two other longtime cohorts, contrabassist Normand Guilbeault and drummer, Pierre Tanguay, both masters in their own right. This is Trio Derome's second disc and this is mainly jazz standards. They cover the likes of Ellington, Sonny Clark, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Fats Waller as well as more contemporary tunes by Misha Mengelberg and Lee Konitz. Check out their inspired version of Duke's "Jump for Joy". Here done on baritone sax, wow, it does swing hard! There is something truly joyous about this trio, they sound like they love this music, these tunes and are having a wonderful timing doing it! Jean's tone on alto sax is just so soulful and warm that I find it quite touching, stirring and directly from his heart to us. Oh yeah! I really dig their version of Sonny Clark's "Sonny's Crib", with Jean squeezing off those quick boppin' lines effortlessly and both Normand and Pierre trading lines with joyful delight. Even Jean's sly singing on "Five O'Clock Whistle" has an infectious quality to it. Jean Derome plays one incredible solo after another, while the rhythm team plays inventively throughout, also tossing off a number of superb solos as well. I never knew there were lyrics to Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz", thanks Jean for clueing us in and also for that fabulous flute solo. A complete joyride from beginning to the very end, especially if you dig many of these old songs. - BLG
CD $14

TRIO DEROME GUIBEAULT TANGUAY [JEAN DEROME/NORMAND GUILBEAULT/PIERRE TANGUAY] - 10 compositions (AM JZ 121; Canada) A cult Montreal jazz band, Trio Derome Guilbeault Tanguay is loved for its irresistible swing, audacity, sophisticated group playing, highly original repertoire and authentic style. All these elements are the result of a vast comprehension of the history of jazz, not to mention a vigorous proposition as to its reinvention. With this first album, the Trio delivers ten new compositions by Jean Derome
CD $14

NORMAND GUILBEAULT ENSEMBLE//CHARLES MINGUS - Mingus Erectus (AM JZ 134; Canada) This extraordinary live tribute to Charles Mingus is the fifth superb offering from the great Montreal based contrabassist Normand Guilbeault for the Ambiances Magnetiques label. His marvelous ensembles features Jean Derome on saxes & flute, Ivanhoe Joliceur on trumpet & bugle, Mathieu Belanger on clarinets, Mr. Guilbeault on bass & voice and Claude Lavergne on drums. All tunes but one by Mingus, all arrangements by Guilbeault and one original tribute tune by Jean Derome. The majority of small group recording by Mingus usually feature quintets or sextets, so it is appropriate the Guilbeault also use an inspired quintet. The only difference is that Normand uses no pianist, a rarity for Mingus himself, but the fifth player is a clarinetist. Normand has selected a number of Mingus' finest pieces and they are done with passion, fire and that inventive spirit. Like Mingus, Normand also leads the band with his bass at the center of the action. Besides Guilbeault, the only player I am most familiar with is that wonderful alto saxist, Jean Derome. Still all three horns play magnificently throughout. On "Pithecanthropus Erectus", the alto sax, bass clarinet and trumpet swirl around that feisty rhythm team, sailing together and held together just right. That great Mingus spirit is kept alive with some truly inspired playing. Very nice to hear that bass clarinet and regular clarinet, reminding us those great days when Eric Dolphy was in the Mingus band. Another great thing about Mingus was the way his bands drew from the long history of jazz. Here also we get those righteous blues spirits, those Ellington-like earthy note-bending vivacious horns, as well as Latin, dixieland and a wealth of other influences or styles. One of many highlights here is their great version of "Fables of (George Dubya) Faubus", updated with some most appropriate and hilarious lyrics about our evil president and his cronies. Jean Derome's "MDMD" is another gem in the Mingus spirit with superb, bluesy solos from each horn. If you are as knocked out by this excellent disc as I am, I recommend you check out Jean Derome's swell Monk-tribute trio efforts on this same label, as well as any of the other fine CDs from the grand Normand Guilbeault. - BLG
CD $14

NOUS PERCONS LES OREILLES [JEAN DEROME/JOANE HETU] - La Vie, Ciest Simple (AM 099; Canada) Duet composed of Jean Derome and Joane Hetu, Nous percons les oreilles is two saxophones, two voices, two gargoyles, two satyrs; two mighty figures agitating, whistling, squeaking, scraping, blowing, biting and transforming music into incantation and a banquet of sound. "This album basis of our work is songs and improvisation. Our songs speaks of our life. They are ordinary (like us) but not easy going (like her). We really love to improvise together. It is not easy to describe accuretaly what we do while improvising. It is very close to the human beast that we are." - Jean Derome
CD $14

LES POULES [JOAN HETU/DIANE LABROSSE/DANIELLE PALARDY ROGER] - Prarie Orange (AM 105; Canada) After last year's much awaited repeat of Les contes de l'amere loi, Les Poules, formed with Joane Hetu, Diane Labrosse and Danielle Palardy Roger, are back again with 9 new works: Prairie Orange is a moody CD. Quickly, a haunting atmosphere takes the stage, but with a twist, bitten by Les Poules. The 9 pieces were created in studio and carefully crafted by the 3 musicians. Improvised music with the regular line-up: sampler, percussions, alto saxophone and vocals. The artists are picking up where Les contes de l'amere loi left us, but 15 years later with all the new knowledge and artistry acquired by the musicians. The 3 ladies show their mutual pleasure of performing together, a thing not witnessed since the group Justine.
CD $14

LES POULES [JOAN HETU/DIANE LABROSSE/DANIELLE PALARDY ROGER] - Les Contes De L'amere Loi (AM 009; Canada) Reissued from a LP out of print since 1990. Concept album around the themes of man & machine, programming & intuition. Synthetic, imaginary and free!
CD $14

JOELLE LEANDRE/DANIELLE PALARDY ROGER - Tricotage (AM 078; Canada) The meeting of two sound-worlds, the drums and a double bass; loud behemoths that can assume a lace-like delicacy. Improvisational writing that just manages to keep intensity and fragility separated.
CD $14

JOANE HETU/DIANE LABROSSE/ZEENA PARKINS/DANIELLE PALARDY ROGER/TENKO - La legende de la pluie (AM 026; Canada) La legende de la pluie is a large-scale musical work which was created for and presented at the Montreal Musiques Actuelles/New Music America festival in 1990. La legende de la pluie was created collectively by five musicians/composers: Joane Hetu, Diane Labrosse, Danielle Palardy Roger (all three known for their work with Wondeur Brass and Justine), along with Zeena Parkins and Tenko (who have played with Elliot Sharp, Fred Frith and John Zorn, among others). Each brings in a personal language and a strong sense of individuality, and collectively they invented an inspired musical melodrama which belongs to the world of musique actuelle.
La Legende de la pluie is a baroque collage of nebulous atmospheres. Composed for synthesizers, electric harp, tabletop guitar, accordion, alto saxophone, acoustic and electronic percussion and voices. It is a strange and contemporary legend, where improvisation, orchestration, synthetic chaos, melodious and onomatopoeic vocals take place in a whimsical world.
CD $14

RENE LUSSIER - Solos de guitare electrique (AM 075; Canada) Fourteen improvisations on electric guitar as they were recorded, without any sort of montage or overdubbing.
CD $14

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL THE AMBIANCES MAGNETIQUES DISCS THAT WE CARRY, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE


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OUT-OF-PRINT LYRICHORD VINLY...RARE SEALED LPs FOUND!!!
Only 3 copies of each, so hurry!!!

AFRICA, NEW YORK [V.A.] - Drum Masterpieces/Ladji Camara (Lyrichord 7345; USA)
LP $10

ARGENTINA [V.A.] - The Guitar Of The Pampas (Lyrichord 7353; USA)
LP $10

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC [V.A.] - Merengues (Lyrichord 7351; USA)
LP $10

FANTASIE ARABE [V.A.] - Oud And Harp Music Of The Near East (Lyrichord 7318; USA)
LP $10

FOLK MUSIC OF INDIA [V.A.] - Orissa (Lyrichord 7183; USA)
LP $10

GAMELAN MUSIC OF BALI [V.A.] - Gamelan (Lyrichord 7179; USA)
LP $10

TRAN QUANG HAI & HOANG MONG THUY - Music Of Vietnem (Lyrichord 7337; USA)
LP $10

THE INCA HARP [V.A.] - Laments And Dances Of The Tawantinsuyu The Inca Empire (Lyrichord 7359; USA)
LP $10

INDIAN BAMBOO FLUTE [V.A.] - Sunset Raga/The Deep Night Raga (Lyrichord 7387; USA)
LP $10

INDIAN MUSIC FOR SITAR AND SURBAHAR [V.A.] - The Meditation And Love (Lyrichord 7376; USA)
LP $10

THE INDIANS OF COLOMBIA [V.A.] - Indians Of Colombia (Lyrichord 7365; USA)
LP $10

JAPANESE MASTERPIECES FOR THE SHAKUHACHI [V.A.] - Shakuhachi (Lyrichord 7176; USA)
LP $10

THE KYOTO NOHGAKU KAI - Japanese Noh Music (Lyrichord 7137; USA)
LP $10

RILEY KELLY LEE & RALPH SAMUELSON - Music Of Vietnem (Lyrichord 7386; USA)
LP $10

ESTRELLA MORENA - Flamenco Revolution (Lyrichord 7404; USA)
LP $10

MUSIC OF BALI [V.A.] - Gamelan Gender Wayang (Lyrichord 7360; USA)
LP $10

MUSIC OF SOUTH INDIA [V.A.] - In Kerala And Tamil Nadu (Lyrichord 7358; USA)
LP $10

MUSIC OF THE NILE VALLEY [V.A.] - Nile Valley (Lyrichord 7355; USA)
LP $10

PERU [V.A.] - Music From The Land of Macchu Picchu (Lyrichord 7294; USA)
LP $10

SCINTILLATING SOUNDS OF BALI [V.A.] - Java: Music of Mystical Enchantment (Lyrichord 7305; USA)
LP $10

SHENG MUSIC FROM CHINA [V.A.] - The Song Of The Phoenix (Lyrichord 7369; USA)
LP $10

SOUNDS OF THE DESERT [V.A.] - Music From The Desert (Lyrichord 7377; USA)
LP $10

STREET MUSIC OF CENTRAL JAVA [V.A.] - Street Music (Lyrichord 7310; USA)
LP $10

L SUBRAMANIAM - The Virtuoso Violin Of South India (Lyrichord 7390; USA)
LP $10

TIBETAN FOLK SONGS [V.A.] - From Lhasa And Amdo (Lyrichord 7286; USA)
LP $10

TIBETAN MYSTIC SONG [V.A.] - Mystic Song (Lyrichord 7290; USA)
LP $10

TIBETAN RITUAL MUSIC [V.A.] - Chanted & Played by Lamas & Monks (Lyrichord 7181; USA)
LP $10

TIBETAN SONGS OF GODS AND DEMONS [V.A.] - Ritual And Theatrical Music Of Tibet (Lyrichord 7921; USA)
LP $10

VIRACOCHA [V.A.] - Legendary Music Of The Andes (Lyrichord 7264; USA)
LP $10

PUKAJ WAYRA - Music From Boliva (Lyrichord 7361; USA)
LP $10

YUGOSLAV FOLK MUSIC [V.A.] - Yugoslav Folk Music (Lyrichord 7189; USA)
LP $10

ZULU SONGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA [V.A.] - Zulu Songs (Lyrichord 7401; USA)
LP $10





************RECOMMENDED NYC GIGS************



THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY 'FREE IN-STORE MUSIC' CONTINUES:


Sunday June 3rd at 6pm:
AMANDA MONACO & MATANA ROBERTS!
Rare set from this amazing guitar & alto sax duo!


Sunday June 10th at 5:30 (Note early starting time) FORWARD ENERGY TRIO featuring:
JIM RYAN - alto sax & flute!
LISLE ELLIS - double bass!
BRUCE EISENBEIL - guitar!


Sunday June 17th at 6pm:
BRUCE LEE GALLANTER'S PRE-BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!!
LOUIE BELOGENIS & LISLE ELLIS - SOLOS & DUO!
Tenor & Soprano saxist/contrabassist - two of the best!


Sunday June 24th - No Gig!
GO TO THE VISION FEST!


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THE STONE is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & 2nd St.

June, 2007 is curated by Christopher McIntyre


Tuesday's and Thursday's (plus Friday June 1 & 29)
Trombonophilia
A month-long festival featuring New York's unusually creative group of local trombonists, all of whom compose and lead their own projects. Visit the festival site for more info at www.cmcintyre.com/trombonophilia.htm

6/1 Friday
8 pm - Trombonophilia: Chris McIntyre's SoHo SoLo
Chris McIntyre (trombone & laptop); A new solo set of compositions from a 70's SoHo perspective (Niblock, Glass, Zummo, Rzewski) as well as McIntyre's evolving stuplimity no.3 for trombone and ISE.
10 pm - Trombonophilia: 7X7 Trombone Band w/ Joe Fiedler, Ben Gerstein, Curtis Hasselbring, Richard Marriott, Chris McInytre, Steve Swell, Peter Zummo (trombone); Formed to play McIntyre's music with choreographer Yoshiko Chuma, 7X7 has performed at the River To River and Fall For Dance Festivals and Issue Project Room. Tonight features McIntyre's stuplimity series pieces for multiple trombones and Fredric Rzewski's Last Judgement (subtitled "for solo trombone or any number of echoing trombones not quite in unison")


6/2 Saturday
8 and 10pm - John Zorn Improv Night-a Stone Benefit
John Zorn (sax) Christopher McIntyre (trombone) Steve Drury (piano) Mike Lowenstern (clarinets) Shanir Blumenkranz (bass) and many special guests Come and support The Stone! TWENTY DOLLARS

6/3 Sunday
8 and 10 pm
Anthony Coleman & Friends - w/ Anthony Coleman (piano) Ashley Paul (alto sax) Eli Keszler (drums); We've spent this year together - mostly in Boston. Here are (some of) the results...

6/5 Tuesday
8 pm - Trombonophilia: Richard Marriott w/ Richard Marriott (trombone, compositions) Doug Lima (piano) Bella Marriott (vocals) David Teague (filmmaker) Chris McIntyre (trombone) Members of Gamelan Dharma Swara
10 pm - Trombonophilia: R*TIME, 2nd generation (Reut Regev)
Reut Regev (Bones) Igal Foni (Skins); After breaking the ground for the extended and well spaced out series R*STONE*TIME in August of 2006, Reut Regev and her band R*TIME are back for a second round of applause! This time, like the other time with Reut Regev on Trombones and other stuff and Igal Foni on drums and other stuff. However, this concert may also include additional monstrous musicians, to be announced. If you missed our concert last summer - don't make the same mistake again. We nice. Why not?

6/6 Wednesday
8 pm - Ensemble Helacious w/ J D Parran (saxophone, clarinet, flute) Kevin Norton (vibraphone, drum set) Peter Zummo (trombone, electronics)
eHelacious, fresh from its premiere performance as a group in March at the second annual Rhythm in the Kitchen festival, NYC
10 pm - Kevin Norton's "Breakfast of Champignons" Ensemble w/ Angelica Sanchez (piano) Esther Noh (violin) JD Parran (reeds, flutes) Kevin Norton (vibraphone, drums, maybe marimba)

6/7 Thursday
8 pm - Trombonophilia: The Jacob Garchik Trio w/ Jacob Garchik (trombone, compositions) Jacob Sacks (piano) Dan Weiss (drums); Elegant compositions for a bass-less ensemble with plenty of space to explore creative imaginations.
10 pm - Trombonophilia: Water Surgeons w/ Josh Roseman (trombone, bass, electronics) Curtis "CURHA" Hasselbring (trombone, guitar, FX) Jacob Garchik (trombone, accordion, possibly tuba) Tyshawn Sorey (trombone, percussion) with guest Barney McAll (sheep dip, samples, televisions, music boxesÉ)

6/8 Friday
8 pm - GOLD SPARKLE TRIO w/ Andrew Barker (drums) Adam Roberts (bass) Charles Waters (reeds, piano)
10 pm - Gold Sparkle Trio + Friends w/ Andrew Barker (drums) Adam Roberts (bass) Charles Waters (reeds, piano) and guests.
Tonight GOLD SPARKLE celebrates 13 years of work together and the release of a new recording, and for the second set, a roof-blower from the fry-daddy...

6/9 Saturday
8 pm - James Fei Alto Quartet w/ James Fei, Jeff Hudgins, Jackson Moore, Aaron Ali Shaikh (alto saxophones) Fei's first show in New York since leaving to teach at Mills College.
10 pm - James Fei & Kato Hideki w/ James Fei (analog electronics) Kato Hideki (electric bass, electronics) Visceral electro-magnetic manipulations.

Sunday's June 10th, 17th & 24th - Ne(x)tworks 2007
The creative music group Ne(x)tworks inhabits The Stone over three Sundays, expanding their repertoire and collective energies with different programs of new material each set. Please visit

6/10 Sunday
8 pm - Ne(x)tworks Composers: Miguel Frasconi & Yves Dharamraj; w/ Joan La Barbara (voice) Stephen Gosling (piano) Cornelius Dufallo, Ariana Kim (violin) Kenji Bunch (viola) Yves Dharamraj (cello) Shelley Burgon (harp, elec.) Miguel Frasconi (glass instr., elec.) Chris McIntyre (trombone)
10 pm - Ne(x)tworks Composers: Shelley Burgon & Ariana Kim; w/ Joan La Barbara (voice) Stephen Gosling (piano) Cornelius Dufallo, Ariana Kim (violin) Kenji Bunch (viola) Yves Dharamraj (cello) Shelley Burgon (harp, elec.) Miguel Frasconi (glass instr., elec.) Chris McIntyre (trombone); The creative music group Ne(x)tworks continues its tradition of presenting all first-performance concerts of works from composers within the band.

Performances take place at 8 & 10 PM from Tuesday - Sunday nights,
There are no advance tickets, first come, first served, there is no phone
There is no food or beverage served, just a serious listening environment
Admission for each set is $10, unless otherwise indicated
Check out the website for The Stone at thestonenyc.com


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Dee Pop presents:
THE Freestyle MUSIC SERIES
"All types of creative music"
Every Sunday @ Jimmy's Restaurant
43 East 7th Street * NYC * 212-982-3006

June 3rd -
7pm Scott Dubois Quartet with Tony Malaby, Eivind Opsvik, Ted Poor
9pm Jon DeLucia Quartet with Nir Felder, Matt Brewer, Frank Locrasto, Tommy Crane

June 10
7pm Jim Ryan Qunitet with Dave Sewelson, Bruce Eisenbil, Dee Pop
9pm Elliot Sharp's Limbic Trio w/ Kevin Ray & Don McKenzie

June 17
7pm Fulminate Trio: Michael Evans, Anders Nilsson, Ken Filiano
9pm Fay Victor Ensemble with Michael T.A. Thompson, Ken Filiano, Anders Nilsson


Special Saturday Show: June 23 8pm - Midnight
The Medicine Music Show * Hosted by Radio I-Ching: Andy Haas, Don Fiorino & Dee Pop
Featuring special guests: Clifton Hyde, Buru Style, Faith

June 24
7pm Duology: Ted Daniel & Michael Marcus
8:30 Gaida: Music from the Arab World w/ Gaida: Vocal, Amir ElSaffar: (Arabic trumpet, santoor), Rufus Cappadocia: (5-String-Cello), Dimitri Mikelis: (oud), Arturo Martinez: (flamenco guitar)


*****************


Friday & Saturday, June 1st & June 2nd at 8pm:

LEMUR: League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots presents
Robosonic Eclectic: Live Music by Robots and Humans at

3-Legged Dog Art and Technology Center
80 Greenwich Street, NYC

Performing Live:
George Lewis: Robots + trombone
Morton Subotnick: Robots + live percussion
They Might Be Giants: Robots + John and John
JG Thirlwell (Foetus): Robots + string quartet
Plus Solo Robot Works by R. Luke DuBois and J. Brendan Adamson


*****************************


Neues Kabarett music series presents

Louie Belogenis World Premiere, Brecht Forum Commission
With Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums

at The Brecht Forum - 451 West Street between Bank and Bethune
www.brechtforum.org - 212-242-4201


******************


This is from my good friend & wonderful Austrian reeds wiz & composer MAX NAGL:

Friday June 8, 2007
Austrian Cultural Forum
7:00 pm: Big Four featuring:

Max Nagl: saxophone
Steve Bernstein: trumpet
Noel Akchote: guitar
Brad Jones: bass

June 10, 2007
Big 4 - Max Nagl, Steven Bernstein, Noel Akchote, Brad Jones
Issue Project Room, Brooklyn, NY

June 11 2007
Big 4 - Max Nagl, Steven Bernstein, Noel Akchote, Brad Jones
Philadelphia, PA
Rose Recital Hall

June 12 - free!
7:00 pm: Wumm Zack with:
Max Nagl: alto sax
Clemens Salesny: alto sax
Alex Meissl: bass
Herbert Pirker: drums

At The Austrian Cultural Forum
11 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022

phone: (212) 319 5300 / fax: (212) 644 8660
e-mail: desk@acfny.org / www.acfny.org

Admission to all ACF exhibitions, concerts, and other events is free.

Due to limited seating capacity in the auditorium, tickets or reservations might be required for events (except the exhibitions). Please check the reservation line at (212) 319 5300 ext. 222 for further information.


*********************


Saturday, June 2nd
8:00 PM at The Bushwick Starr in Brooklyn

Featuring:
Adam Kendall, Richard Garret & Charles Cohen, Dafna Naphtali, Alex Waterman & Darius Jones, Yoni Niv, Dan Blake & Hans Blix, Hans Tammen, Andrea Parkins & David Watson

THE BUSHWICK STARR
207 Starr Street. #4
Brooklyn NY 11237 (Brooklyn: Bed-Stuy/Crown Hts/Bushwick)
L-Train Jefferson
Admission: free, refreshments are for sale

about Naphtali/Waterman/Jones:
Using live computer-based electronics and some quirky audio processing, on live instruments and her voice, Dafna Naphtali has created a unique and interactive sound instrument. Together with Alexander Waterman (cello) and Darius Jones (saxophone) are both extremely flexible and sound-oriented improvisors performing together for the first time. The trio will playfully undermine the overlap of their technical and aesthetic practices, in improvisations for interactive processed sound/noise, voice, vocal sounds and the sophisticated acoustic soundworlds of the cello and saxophone as wielded by Alex Waterman and Darius Jones.


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