If your mind could really see
You'd know your color the same as me
Pardon me, brother, as you stand in your glory
I know you won't mind if I tell the whole story
Get yourself together, learn to know your side
Shall we commit our own genocide
Before you check out your mind?
I know we've all got problems
That's why I'm here to say
Keep peace with me and I with you
Let me love in my own way
Now I know we have great respect
For the sister and mother it's even better yet
But there's the joker in the street
Loving one brother and killing the other
When the time comes and we are really free
There'll be no brothers left you see
We people who are darker than blue
Don't let us hang around this town
And let what others say come true
We're just good for nothing they all figure
A boyish, grown up, shiftless jigger
Now we can't hardly stand for that
Or is that really where it's at?
Pardon me, brother, while you stand in your glory
I know you won't mind if I tell the whole story
Pardon me, brother, I know we've come a long, long way
But let us not be so satisfied for tomorrow can be an
An even brighter day
I can remember quite clearly the first time a world event happened that seemed to affect everyone around me and around the world. It was in November of 1963 and I was not quite 10 years old. It was the shocking assassination of President John F Kennedy and they sent us home early from grammar school that day. I saw some of the mothers of my fellow students openly crying on the streets and in public. The world seemed shattered. For me, this seemed to be the beginning of what would become a dark, turbulent and often violent time in the USA. I often listened to AM radio as a child, mostly to the top 40 hits of the day as well as the news which mostly broadcast the reality of the world we lived in. I also remember the assassinations of Martin Luther King (April 4th, 1968) and Robert Kennedy (June 6, 1968), just 2 months later. I found all three of these murders to be devastating, making my/our world into a more dangerous and unjust place.
I’ve often found that the lyrics to many songs (popular or not), reflected the feelings that many of us had at the time and still remind us of the way we deal with these feelings. This Monday, January 15th, is Martin Luther King Day, a holiday celebrating this most important civil rights leader, who has inspired so many for so long. There is a statue of Martin Luther King which is across the street from the train station that I pass by every day I take the train (in Rahway, New Jersey). There is a yearly ceremony there on this day with someone reading from one of Dr. King’s inspiring speeches. I always stop by the ceremony to think about Dr. King’s legacy and our collective loss. I picked the above song by Curtis Mayfield since it deals with justice of Civil Rights. It is now more than a half century since this great injustice has occurred. How much longer we will have to wait to have Dr. King’s dream fulfilled? This is a question we must all deal with as we think about the future of our American Democracy. It is a time to think, a time to consider, a time to sing, a time to rejoice, a time to dance and a time to cry. Peace and Love Always, Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
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THE DMG 33rd ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE FREE MUSIC SERIES Continues with:
Saturday January 13th, 2024: GauciMusic Series Continues:
6pm: ADAM CAINE / CHRISTIAN CALE - Two Guitars
7pm: STEPHEN GAUCI - Tenor Sax / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Drums
8pm: GIAN PEREZ - Guitar / CAROLINE MORTON - Bass / MARC EDWARDS - Drums
Tuesday, January 16th:
6:30: DAFNA NAPHTALI - Electronics & Voice / CHUCK BETTIS - Electronics / RAS MOSHE BURNETT - Tenor Sax
7:30: KENNY WARREN - Trumpet / NATHANIEL MORGAN - Sax / ARYEH KABRINSKI - Bass / CARLO COSTA - Percussion!
8:30: LAURIE AMAT- Electronics & Voice / FEDERICO BALDUCCI - Guitar / JONATHAN FRANCO - Electronics
Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024:
6:30: SYLVAIN LEROUX - Fula Flute
7:30: TOADAL PACKAGE: COSMO GALLARO - Guitar / BRENNA REY - Bass / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Drums
8:30: ANTONIN FAJT / KYLE MOTL / CARLO COSTA
Tuesday, January 30th:
6:30: VIV CORRINGHAM - Voice / AL MARGOLIS - Violin, Contact Mic & Objects / SANDY GORDON - Percussion
7:30: JAMES McKAIN / ALINA JACOBS - Two Tenor Saxes
8:30: GIAN PEREZ - Guitar / DIEGO HEDEZ - Trumpet / PATRICK GOLDEN - Drums
DMG stands for Downtown Music Gallery and we are located at 13 Monroe St, between Catherine & Market Sts. You can take the F train to East Broadway or the M15 bus to Madison & Catherine Sts. We are in a basement space below an art gallery & beauty salon. We are on the east side of Chinatown, not far from East Broadway & the end of the Bowery. Admission for all concerts is free and donations are always welcome. We have concerts here every Tuesday starting at 6:30 plus Steve Gauci curates his own series here on the 2nd or 1st Saturday of each month. You can check out the weekly schedule here: https://www.downtownmusicgallery.com/shows.php. I post 1 minute segments from these sets almost every day on our InstaGram feed (if you don’t do InstaGram, you can still view these 1 minute clips on the DMG homepage, (a recently added feature), so please check them out and come down to visit when you can. - BLG/DMG
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THIS WEEK’S DYNAMITE DISCS BEGIN WITH THIS ONE:
GORDON BEFFERMAN / MICHAEL EVANS / MICHAEL FOSTER / SHELLEY HIRSCH - GLOW (Tripticks Tapes 029; USA) Featuring Gordon Beeferman on piano, Hammond organ & Fender Rhodes, Michael Foster on tenor & soprano saxes, Shelley Hirsch on voice and Michael Evans on drums & percussion. Recorded at Conveyor Studio in Brooklyn in June of 2021. As I see it, the Downtown Scene started around 1979 and was an outgrowth of the Loft Scene, which existed in the mid-to-late 1970’s taking taking place in the East Village, Soho and nearby southern Manhattan. Over the past 45 years, the Downtown Scene has evolved with more than a hundred musicians, some moving away or passing on while others have continued grow and help the Scene to evolve through a variety of waves. I am often intrigued when groups from from disparate parts of the scene or network, crossing generations, cultures and genres. Hence I smiled when I saw this disc at a festival late last year since all four members of this quartet do come from much varied backgrounds and/or generations. I’ve known and always dug vocalist Shelley Hirsch since the early 1980’s when I caught her in the Public Servants. Her distinctive, wacky sense of humor has long helped lighten up her performances and recordings. I’ve known percussionist & instrument inventor, Michael Evans, since the late 1980’s when he was a member of God is My Co-Pilot and EasSidePercussion. He was always a gifted percussionist who worked with assorted cast of players: Karen Mantler, LaDonna Smith and Yoni Kretzmer. The sad thing is that Michael Evans passed away suddenly just two months after this recording was made in August of 2021, shocking many of us that knew him for many years. Keyboardist Gordon Beeferman is also has a variety of projects that he works on, including a fine trio & quartet with James Ilgenfritz and Michael Evans. Experimental saxist Michael Foster never ceases to amaze me with his quirky, extended use of the sax with a a variety of objects like tubes placed between the mouthpiece and sax itself.
There are some eleven tracks here of varying lengths. Ms. Hirsch’s sexy, quirky, New York-accented voice starts things off with hushed and haunting sounds surrounding her: skeletal piano, mouthpiece-like wind & popped sounds and minimal percussion. Mr. Hirsch is a gifted improviser who consistently dips into her own inner dialogue, balancing between describing her observations of life in spoken words, stretching out words in song-like ways, as well as emoting like an actress playing different parts. The other three musicians (keyboards, sax & percussion) provide a kaleidoscope of ever-changing swirling inside/outside sounds. There are quite a bit of odd surprising moments when some unexpected, unique, fratured yet focused improv takes place. I like that most of this disc is on the quieter side, making it much easier to enjoy instead endless, loud, free/music weirdness. I find this session to be mostly enchanting. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
JEFF PLATZ / MICHAEL ATTIAS / MEINRAD KNEER / MICHAEL GRIENER - Live at Sowieso, Berlin, Germany 2022 (Modern Sounds Music MSM 55491 29491; USA) Featuring Jeff Platz on guitar, Michael Attias on alto sax, Meinrad Kneer on bass and Michael Griener on drums. Recorded live at Sowieso in Berlin in 2022. Every year or two, Boston-based out/jazz guitarist, Jeff Platz, sends us a new CD with a handful of CD’s with an ever-growing group of Boston-area or NY-based musicians: Jim Hobbs, Daniel Carter, Damon Smith and Stephen Haynes. In more recent times, Mr. Platz has also worked some European players: Jorg Fischer, Geor Wolf and Dirk Marwedel. For this disc, Mr. Platz works with Downtown saxist Michael Attias and two Europeans: Meinrad Kneer (German bassist who runs the Evil Rabbit label) and Michael Griener (German drummer who has worked with many greats: Ellery Eskelin, Rudi Mahall and Aki Takase). NYC-based saxist Michael Attias, is one of Downtown’s best players and composers, rarely getting much attention yet turning up on a number of discs with different personnel on each, every year.
This disc was recorded at the Sowieso, an artist run club in Berlin. There are four long tracks here, all between 11 and 25 minutes. “Tethering” is first and the quartet begins spaciously, slowly picking up the tempo as they sail and then soar into some of the outer regions. Mr. Platz sounds great playing tightly with the free-flowing rhythm team while Mr. Attias burns on top. Things wind down midsection all members play quietly and eerily, the sax and guitar carefully bending their notes in similar ways. One of the things I like about Attias is he seems to come from a cooler, laid back sound, similar to Lee Konitz at times, yet playing more freely. Both Mr. Platz and Mr. Attias are strong partners, trading ideas and lines in tight sprints and swirls. Mr. Kneer bows his bass on “Obliquity” softly while the rest of the quartet play floats around him, creating a dream-like sound. One of the things I noticed here is that although this music is “free”, it is really what many listeners refer to as free/jazz since there is not much of that Spirit/Fire that we find in the Spiritual Jazz of Coltrane or Pharoah Sanders. The freeness is more thoughtful, focused and restrained yet it is still creative and cerebral. Even when the tempo picks up, the quartet play tightly together as they soar into that infectious spirit/stream. Overall, this is strong, spirited and inventive date with all four members of this quartet at their best. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
VOSTOK with FIE SCHOUTEN / VINCENT COURTOIS / GUUS JANSSEN - Remote Islands (Relative Pitch Records 1179; USA) Vostok is Fie Schouten on bass clarinet, A clarinet & basset-horn, Vincent Courtois on cello and Guus Janssen on piano, organ, harmonium & harpsichord plus guest Giuseppe Doronzo on baritone sax on four tracks. This disc was recorded in Orgelpark in Amsterdam in March of 2023. Vostok is a unique trio consisting two musicians from the Netherlands with French cellist Vincent Courtois. I certainly know of Mr. Courtois from his many sessions with Louis Sclavis, Rabih Abou-Khalil and John Greaves. I’ve known of Dutch keyboardist & composer, Guus Janssen, for many years, as he has worked with the ICP Orchestra, the Ab Baars and Clusone Trios. I hadn’t heard of Fie Schouten or Giuseppe Doronzo before now.
According to the liner notes, this session was inspired by a book by Judith Schalansky which is called, “Altas of Remote Islands…”. Each of the 12 pieces is named after a different obscure island. The sound here is clean, clear and warm. Although this musis is improvised it sound closer to modern chamber music that avant jazz. The combination of clarinet, cello and harmonium is especially enchanting. Much of this music is lovely, haunting, enchanting and exquisite. “Raoul Island” features some spirited clarinet with distant drones from the cello and similar-toned keyboard drones as well. Although I can usually tell each instrument apart, all three are similar in tone when they stretch out their notes. Clarinetist Fie Schouten sounds marvelous throughout no matter which clarinet he is playing. I’ve heard Vincent Courtois play on more than a dozen records, often more adventurous or out than this session. His playing here is modest yet most enchanting, warm, charming. It is rare to hear a harpsichord (a medieval instrument) in an improvised setting yet I like when it is used here most selectively. Overall this disc creates its own endearing sonic world which feels much better than the usual Fake New/BS/Interference that we often have to deal with surrounding us. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
.OMARI. with MARTA WARELIS / ONNO GOVAERT / WILBERT DE JOODE - waive (Relative Pitch Records RPR 1180; USA) .omari is Marta Warelis on piano, Onno Govaert on drums and Wlbert De Joode on contrabass. Recorded live at Zaal100 in Amsterdam in October of 2012. Marta Warelis is a Polish avant/jazz pianist who plays in several bands like Hupata!, Strings5 and Xavier Pamplona Septet, as well as working with Carlos Zingaro, Frank Rosaly and John Dikeman and she has a great solo paino disc on Relative Pitch released in 2022. Dutch contrabassist Wilber De Joode has worked with the Ab Baars Trio, Bik Bent Braam, Corkestra and many other Dutch bands. Dutch drummer, Onno Govaert, has been busy over the past few years working with Bram Stadhouders, John Dikeman, Luis Vicente and Ada Rave. I recall reviewing an earlier Marta Warelis solo piano CD on Relative Pitch from last year (2022) and thinking how great it was.
Things begin very quietly, spaciously, with every sound carefully placed. Ms. Warelis is muting certain strings inside the piano giving thing a more percussive sound. As the pace picks up, these three musicians work closely together, connecting in layers, tightly improvising together. There is quite a bit of magic here casting its spell. No matter how delicately or sparsely that Ms. Warelis plays, the trio play with equal restraint and subtle clarity. The music evolves most organically, the trio as one force of nature. On “Till a Becomes the”, the trio erupt, the intensity increases to a simmer. While Mr. de Joode bows, the trio starts to ascend, the tempo increasing to boiling point. There seems to be two lines flowing together or around one another, the bass & drums playing their rhythmic lines together while the piano connects in certain places while moving in and out of the internal flow. De Joode’s bowed bass kicks off “dark little narratives”, the trio slowly rustling together in a most cerebral fashion. This trio has its own sound, its own sonic world. Once you adjust, you too will become part of their unique spacescape. Blessed be, New Music for you an me. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
BILL CASALE QUARTET with ROB BROWN / BOB MAGNUSSON / LOU GRASSI - Parable (Self-Produced; 95269 25842; USA) Featuring Rob Brown on alto sax, Bob Magnusson on tenor sax, Bill Casale on contrabass and Lou Grassi on drums. Almost every day I work at DMG, a promo or two will show up at the store, every recording comes from a different place and each one tells a different story about its creator(s). Earlier this week, we received two discs from drum wiz, Lou Grassi, both strong discs from very different personnel and places. This disc by the Bill Casale Quartet was recorded in Mr. Grassi’s apartment in 2002, more than twenty years ago. Mr. Casale had rediscovered the a recording on this session, had the sound cleaned up and decided to release it. Bassist Bill Casale I know from only a couple of rare discs from Harris Eisenstadt, Vinny Golia and the Go: Organic Orchestra. Rob Brown, no doubt most of you know since he is one of the best of the Downtown Free/Jazz alto sax giants, going all the way back to the late 1980’s. Tenor saxist Bob Magnusson is someone whose name I don’t know very well although he did have some seven releases on the CIMP & Cadence Jazz labels. Lou Grassi remains a favorite drummer of many of listeners and has worked with many of the Downtown greats: Steve Swell, the NuBand, Mark Whitecage and Marilyn Lerner.
“Silva Lining” is dedicated to avant/jazz bass great Alan Silva who is often known for his bowed bass work. It begins with a quick, intense drum intro with Mr. Casale on bowed bass and soon the entire quartet erupts freely. Both saxes sound great together blowing up a storm of Free/Jazz insanity. Mr. Grassi’s drumming erupts several times in between those full throttle quartet sections. “Myth” is another intense excursion of free/jazz with a fine, inventive unaccompanied bass solo midway which leads to a great charted section for the rest of the quartet with Mr. Casale continuing to solo (bowing once more) throughout. The title track, “Parable” has a memorable theme for both saxes to play together when it begins, both Rob Brown (on alto( and Bob Magnuson (on tenor) take strong, spirited solos here. “Time Beings” slows things down with an arco bass drone and both saxes playing quirky subdued written harmonies. The bowed bass in at the center and gives things a somewhat dark sound. Mr. Casale kicks off “Insectarium” with some powerful, churning bowed bass which eventually leads to an incredible, crafty, explosive bass solo. Mr. Casale’s writing for both saxes is what stands out on “Loupus Rhythmatosus”, playing the twisted theme tightly together before each sax again solos powerful on top. Nothing like a long lost session unearthed, cleaned up and finally released to fall to hear! Can we get a witness?!? - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
GUSH with STEN SANDELL / RAYMOND STRID / MATS GUSTAFSSON - Afro Blue (Trost 251CD; Austria) Gush is the trio project of Sten Sandell, Raymond Strid and Mats Gustafsson, founded in May 1988 -- now reactivated and again touring. Free improvisation has always been the focus of the group after the initial drone experiments - drone-based structures, with clear harmonic centers. In 2024, the members celebrate 36 years together as a group and present this live recording 25 years after it was made.
CD $18
JEREMY UDDEN with BEN MONDER / JORGE ROEDER / ZIV RAVITZ - Wishing Flower (Sunnyside SSC 1712; USA) Featuring Jeremy Udden on alto sax & Lyricon wind synthesizer, Ben Monder on guitar, Jorge Roeder on contrabass and Ziv Ravitz on drums. This is Jeremy Udden’s 5th disc for the Sunnyside label, starting out around 2011. Udden is also co-leads a quartet called Hush Point with four discs of their own. Mr. Udden composed all but one song here with one cover by Mazzy Star (founded by David Roback).
Mr. Udden has organized a fine new quartet for this date with Udden on alto sax & Lyricon wind synth (a relatively rare electronic wind instrument often dismissed by jazz snobs), longtime Downtown guitar wizard, Ben Monder, the amazing New Masada Quartet bassist Jorge Roeder and Israeli drummer Ziv Ravitz (worked with Max Johnson, Avishai Cohen & Oded Tzur). “Flower” opens with somber, laid back theme/vibe, both Udden on alto and Monder on guitar play these exquisite dreamy lines speciously together. Anyone who has heard Jorge Roeder play with the New Masada Quartet (especially live) knows that Mr. Roeder is one of the best acoustic bassists on the current scene. “1971” has an early 1970’s country/rock like melody which is most infectious. Udden takes a sly, sleek solo on his Lyricon, an instrument rarely heard on jazz discs but delightful nonetheless here. Downtown guitar master, Ben Monder, takes a particularly strong, feisty, sustained-tone guitar solo, the Lyricon and guitar sound superb together. “Lullaby” is a lovely, solemn ballad of sorts with Mr. Udden playing in a lush, old school style. Mr. Udden’s tone on his alto sax on “Pendulum” is especially lush and dreamy with Monder’s distinctive, rich prog-rock like sustained tone guitar making this disc even more magical. On each of the 7 original pieces, Mr. Udden has written a lovely melody which should make even some of us occasional sourpusses smile. The final song is a cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You”. Mazzy Star are/were an L.A. based Paisley Underground sorta psych band led by David Roback (from Rain Parade) and Hope Sandoval. Although, I find their music to be somewhat depressing, they remain a popular, cult band. Mr. Udden’s version captures their solemn, eerie, hypnotic vibe just right. The guitar and Lyricon again sound like perfect companions with Monder’s solo being one of the highlights of this fine disc. . This disc does a fine job of casting a dream-like spell over all who listen. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
ETHAN PHILION QUARTET with GREG WARD / RUSS JOHNSON / DANA HALL - Gnosis (Sunnyside SSC 1706; USA) Featuring Ethan Philion on bass & compositions, Greg ward on alto sax, Russ Johnson on trumpet and Dana Hall on drums. This is Ethan Philion’s second disc for Sunnyside, his first one was a great debut called, ‘Meditations on Mingus’, an inventive and heartfelt tribute to one of Jazz’s most profound composers, bassists and bandleaders, Charles Mingus. Mr. Philion has picked a strong quartet for this session with ace Chicago saxist Greg Ward, former Downtown trumpeter Russ Johnson (who has worked with Michael Bates, Jenny Scheinman and Tim Daisy) and drummer Dana Hall (worked with Malachi Thompson, Mankwe Ndosi & Ben Goldberg). The first song is called “The Boot” and it does indeed kicks thing opens with wide and intensely with a strong, spirited front line of powerful alto sax and trumpet wailing tightly together. Russ Johnson takes the first solo and it is a clarion call, fire-breathing and inspired. Saxist Greg ward follows him and also does a fine job of digging deep and letting it out. What also stands out here is the way the bass and drums play together: super-tight, passionate, inventive and most impressive energy-wise. The only cover here is Mingus’ “What Love”, a long suite-like song which recorded in 1961 for a quartet with the same instrumentation as this one. After the opening theme, the piece moves through different sections, giving the trumpet, alto sax & bass a chance to stretch out and solo at length. Similar to the Mingus recording, the bass it at the center of this work, playing up a storm, navigating a series of difficult twists and turns and showing that Mr. Philion is a colossal bassist who leads the band from his bass. On the original studio date with Mingus, the band includes Eric Dolphy on alto sax and Ted Curson on trumpet. Those are some difficult shoes to fill yet but Mr. Ward and Mr. Johnson do a marvelous job of playing their parts with an endless stream of inventiveness. “Sheep Shank” keeps drummer Dana Hall at the center of the storm, playing those complex changes as he solos in between the written passages. Bassist Philion pumps hard, leading the quartet with resourceful strength. Mr. Philion is featured on “Nostalgia”, tapping his bass most elegantly, the quartet laying back, the lovely, solemn playing most enchanting. Most sublime with the bass pulsating quietly at the center. Mr. Philion’s writing for both horns is consistently inventive with some strong harmonies utilized by the entire quartet. Considering that this is a new quartet and they haven’t played together very much, they sound like they’ve been working together for many years. The title track is last and this is what Mr. Phillion says about the title: “The title Gnosis refers to intangible knowledge, the things we learn from the qualities of an experience rather than explicit teaching, in religious settings the term often means a knowledge of a spiritual presence.” I love the way Philion keeps the horns together playing their parts with the essence of restraint while the rhythm team speeds up and slows down in waves underneath. This is a superb CD on all counts, do check it out. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
MUKDAD ROTHENBERG LANKOW - Just Leave It All Behind (Clermont Music CLE 067CD; USA) After being tortured for the fourth time, Wassim Mukdad realized that he had to leave his country, Syria. Arrested ten years ago on the occasion of a protest against the government of Bashar Al-Assad, together with thirty other protesters, Mukdad, who has been living in Germany for four years where he resumed his activity in music, has become, with the support of the European Center for Constitutional Rights. In Berlin, after a residency in Istanbul, Mukdad began a career that spans studies in musicology and commitment through music to support Palestinian and Syrian children who are victims of war. He is currently involved in a variety of musical and theatrical projects. For once, instead of the music, let's start from the musicians' story, without fear of ending up off topic, because the human and social events in which Mukdad was involved find precise confirmation in the construction and emotions that his music, like that contained in this CD manages to evoke. Here the oud player is in good company. David Rothenberg is an American naturalist clarinetist, who manages to establish meaningful dialogues with both humans and animals, as demonstrated by the previous experience of the trio in question in the work "Nightingales in Berlin," played live with birds singing in a Berlin park. Volker Lankow is a percussionist and tabla player, a role that combines with that of project manager of Doctors Without Borders, constantly engaged in areas affected by war situations such as the Syrian one. The music often has trance-like accents, trembling on the strings of the oud and on the heads of the tablas, with Rothenberg's clarinet underlining the pathos, delving into feelings that are almost too painful to talk about, or supporting the most intimate moments or moments aimed towards the hope. Among the eleven tracks is the meeting between Middle Eastern musical idioms and a Western vision, where the processional rhythms and the hypnosis of the oud riffs are combined with echoes of blues, with a recognizable melodic style, to the freedom of jazz improvisation. An hour of great music, far beyond the great symbolic value of the testimony.
CD $15
SAVAGE REPUBLIC - Meteora (Gusstaff Records Gram 2114CD; Poland) Hailing from the Los Angeles underground of the 1980s, Savage Republic forged an astonishing reputation for themselves as art-punk and industrial pioneers with their legendary performances. Their brand of ritualistically tribal exhibitions blurred the boundaries of post-punk and industrial music. Their music incorporates minimalist bass rumbles, exotic and/or militaristic drumming, Arabic melodies, alternate tunings, primal chants and even a bit of surf guitar. Savage Republic released four full length albums in the 1980s, plus several live records and compilation tracks. In 1989 everything went quiet as the Republic scattered to pursue other interests and their labels and distributors folded. After reuniting in 2002 for a brief U.S. tour supporting the boxed-set reissue of their five studio albums by Mobilization Records, several of the members began sharing ideas for new songs, reviving the band officially in 2005. In 2006/2007 Savage Republic added drum professor Alan Waddington (the Unforgiven) to the line-up and released 1938 on Neurot Recordings, the band's first studio recording in 18 years. The limited edition Siam EP was also released on Neurot Recordings featuring alternate mixes of some of the 1938 material. With their first full-length album in seven years, Savage Republic returns with some of their best work yet! Self-recorded in a secret cavernous location, their mix of tribal textures, political anthems and Morricone-esque surf instrumentals once again transport the listener to faraway lands at turns both sinister and beautiful. One of many highlights of Meteora is the pandemic inspired piece "Unprecedented," written by Wire's Graham Lewis that is sure to become a staple in their set list. This longest-lasting lineup of Thom Fuhrmann, Ethan Port, Alan Waddington and Kerry Dowling have infused all the power of their legendary live performances into a cinematic sonic dreamscape.
CD $15
SAVAGE REPUBLIC - Live In Wroclaw January 7, 2023 (Gusstaff Records Gram 2314CD; Poland) Hailing from the Los Angeles underground of the 1980s, Savage Republic forged an astonishing reputation for themselves as art-punk and industrial pioneers with their legendary performances. Their brand of ritualistically tribal exhibitions blurred the boundaries of post-punk and industrial music. Their music incorporates minimalist bass rumbles, exotic and/or militaristic drumming, Arabic melodies, alternate tunings, primal chants and even a bit of surf guitar. In 2021 Savage Republic released the album Meteora on Gusstaff Records and during the tour promoting this album in January 2023, the band also played a concert in Wroclaw, Poland. It became not only a document of this route, but also a kind of summary of their entire history. The album is released in CD format (the entire concert), as a black LP (over half of the concert) and as a limited red vinyl with an eight-inch vinyl record (lathe-cut) added with a few remaining songs from the concert. Both LP versions were pressed on thick 200g vinyl. Vinyl versions include download codes with the entire concert.
CD $15
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All TZADIK RELEASES OF 2023:
If you are a John Zorn or Tzadik fan-addict like many who read this newsletter, then you might want to check out this list of all the Tzadik releases from last year, 2023, listed below. We’ve also recently taken over distributing the Tzadik Limited Edition releases, which are also listed here. We are currently selling around 20-25 Masada boxes every week so please be patient as it might take from 1-3 weeks to get all of our mail-orders items mailed out.
JOHN ZORN // ASMODEUS with MARC RIBOT - TREVOR DUNN - KENNY GROHOWSKY / JULIAN LAGE & GYAN RILEY / JIM BLACK QUARTET with JONATHAN GOLDBERGER - KEISUKE MATSUNO - SIMON JERMYN / CLERIC with MATT HOLLENBERG - Bagatelles Box 3 / Volumes 9 - 12 (Tzadik 5231-34; USA) 4 CD Box set - January 6th
4 CD Deluxe Box Set $80
JOHN ZORN // EUGENE CHADBOURNE- John Zorn's Olympiad - Vol. 3 Pops Plays Pops - Eugene Chadbourne Plays The Book Of Heads (Tzadik 8395; USA) CD - January 13th
CD $16
JOHN ZORN with JULIAN LAGE / JORGE ROEDER / KENNY WOLLESEN - New Masada Quartet, Volume Two (Tzadik 8396; USA) CD - January 27
CD $16
JOHN ZORN // BRIAN MARSELLA / JORGE ROEDER / CHES SMITH - The Fourth Way (Tzadik 8397; USA) - March 10th
CD $16
JOHN ZORN // SIMULACRUM with JOHN MEDESKI / BRIAN MARSELLA / MATT HOLLENBERG / KENNY GROHOWSKI - 444 (Tzadik 8398; USA) - March 24th
CD $16
JOHN ZORN // JULIAN LAGE / BRAIN MARSELLA / JORGE ROEDER / CHES SMITH - Multiplicities II: A Repository Of Nonexistent Objects (Tzadik 8399; USA) - April 14th
CD $16
JOHN ZORN / BILL LASWELL - Memoria (Tzadik 4042; USA) - May 19th
CD $16
JOHN ZORN // JULIAN LAGE / GYAN RILEY - Quatrain (Tzadik 9302; USA) - June 16th
CD $16
JOHN ZORN // CHRIS SPEED/JON IRABAGON QUARTET with CHRISTIAN McBRIDE / CHES SMITH // PETER EVANS // BEN GOLDBERG 4 with CRAIG TABORN / JORGE ROEDER / THOMAS MORGAN // SAM EASTMOND with CHARLOTTE KEEFFE / CHRIS WILLIAMS / ASHA PARKINSON / et al - Bagatelles Box Four - Volumes 13 - 16 (Tzadik 5240; USA) - July 14th, 2023
4 CD Deluxe Box Set $80
JOHN ZORN // JULIAN LAGE / BRIAN MARSELLA / JORGE ROEDER / CHES SMITH - Full Fathom Five (Tzadik 9301; USA) - August 11th, 2023
CD $16
JOHN ZORN // MASADA with DAVE DOUGLAS / GREG COHEN / JOEY BARON - with DAVE DOUGLAS / GREG COHEN / JOEY BARON - 30th Anniversary Edition: The Complete Studio Master Takes (Tzadik 0100; USA) - 10 CD Set Booklet - rel October 27th, 2023
10 CD Box Set $175
10 CD Box Set Signed by John Zorn = $250
ANNA WEBBER / MATT MITCHELL - Capacious Aeration (Tzadik 4043; USA) - rel October 27th, 2023
CD $16
JOHN ZORN // BILL FRISELL / JULIAN LAGE / GYAN RILEY - Nothing Is As Real As Nothing (Tzadik 9304; USA) - Rel November 10th, 2023
CD $16
JOHN ZORN // CHAOS MAGICK with JOHN MEDESKI / BRIAN MARSELLA / MATT HOLLENBERG / KENNY GROHOWSKI - Parrhesiastes (Tzadik 9305; USA) - Rel December 1st, 2023
CD $16
TERTON with LOUIE BELOGENIS / TREVOR DUNN / RYAN SAWYER - Outer, Inner, Secret (Tzadik 4044; USA) - rel December 22nd, 2023
CD $14
Plus This one:
JOHN ZORN // BARBARA HANNIGAN / MATHIEU AMALRIC / THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM: MARTHA CLUVER / LISA BIELAWA / KATHRYN MULVEHILL / ABIGAIL FISCHER / KIRSTEN SOLLE - Song Of Songs (Tzadik TZ 5050; USA) This very special CD BOOK presents John Zorn’s evocative musical setting of the Biblical love poem The Song of Songs, with singer/conductor Barbara Hannigan and film director/actor Mathieu Amalric narrating. Featuring extensive notes, the full text of Jeremy Fogel’s passionate new translation (commissioned expressly for this project) and 35 illustrations by Zorn himself, this limited edition one-of-a-kind The CD/BOOK is an absolute treasure.
Deluxe Book and CD $77
A BENEFIT FOR TZADIK RECORDS
Limited Run, the online distributor for Tzadik’s direct-to-consumer mail order projects has declared bankruptcy owing the label $70,000. To help rebalance this loss these kind musicians have generously offered to make these three concerts benefits for Tzadik.
Please come, donate, and help Tzadik continue its mission to support and document new music in the 21st century.
A three-night run bringing together master improvisers to perform in multiple configurations and combinations, organized by and featuring John Zorn with Ikue Mori, Wendy Eisenberg, Dave Douglas, Sean Ono Lennon, Peter Evans, Kalia Vandever, Miles Okazaki, and many others.
Derek Bailey was a dear friend and mentor, whose passion for pure improvisation inspired generations of musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds. For these three nights we return to the Improv Night tradition that began as benefits for The Stone, and that have been, in many ways, inspired by Derek Bailey’s legendary Company Weeks.
Each evening will present a rotating kaleidoscope of master improvisers, who will then divide into smaller improvisational units—each concert promising a unique and exciting experience.
Please join us in this heartfelt tribute to the art of improvisation, to the ever-thriving, ever-expanding Downtown Scene, and to the spirit of Derek Bailey and Company. —John Zorn
Here’s the schedule for the three day fest:
THURSDAY JAN 25
John Zorn sax
Ned Rothenberg sax
Jim Staley trombone
Michael Nicolas cello
Miles Okazaki guitar
Simon Hanes guitar, bass
Selendis Sebastian Alexander Johnson vibes
Arturo O’Farrill piano
Anna Abondolo bass
Nava Dunkelman percussion
Kenny Wollesen drums
FRIDAY JAN 26
John Zorn sax
Jon Irabagon sax
Peter Evans trumpet
Dave Taylor bass trombone
Erik Friedlander cello
Wendy Eisenberg guitar
Sae Hashimoto vibes, percussion
Brian Marsella piano
Jorge Roeder bass
Henry Fraser bass
David Weinstein electronics
SATURDAY JAN 27
John Zorn alto sax
Kalia Vandever trombone
Dave Douglas trumpet
Micah Thomas piano
Sean Ono Lennon guitar
Josh Modney violin
Jay Campbell cello
Luke Stewart bass
Ikue Mori electronics
Billy Martin percussion
Brian Chase drums
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ATTENTION ALL CREATIVE MUSICIANS OUT THERE, Around the world.
If you have a link for some music that you are working on and want to share it with the folks who read the DMG Newsletter, please send the link to DMG at DMG@Downtownmusicgallery.com
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THE STONE RESIDENCIES / DAVID MIRARCHI / JAN 10–13
1/10 Wednesday
8:30 pm PAPER ATTIC: David Mirarchi (alto sax, bass clarinet) Maya Keren (piano) Emmanuel Michael (guitar) Mathias Højgaard Jensen (bass) Eliza Salem (drums)
1/11 Thursday
8:30 pm: QUINTET - David Mirarchi (alto sax, flute) Yvonne Rogers (piano) Gian Perez (guitar, banjo) Kevin Eichenberger (bass) Angus Mason (drums)
1/12 Friday
8:30 pm - SEPTET - David Mirarchi (alto, soprano saxes) Davy Lazar (trumpet, electronics) Vittorio Mura (tenor sax) Yuma Uesaka (tenor sax, contrabass clarinet) Elias Stemeseder (piano, synths) Keenan Ruffin (guitar) Jon Starks (drums, sensory percussion)
1/13 Saturday
8:30 pm - TRIO - David Mirarchi (alto sax) Gregg Belisle-Chi (guitar) Addie Vogt (drums)
THE STONE is located in
The New School at the Glass Box Theatre
55 West 13th Street - near 6th ave
LIVE MUSIC
wed-sat
music at 8:30pm
ADMISSION
$20 per set
unless otherwise noted
cash only payment
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gaucimusic presents:
Improvised Music @ the Main Drag
Wednesday January 17th, 2024
7:00pm Ryan Honaker - violin
Alex Syner - guitar
Finn Fine - guitar
Greg Albert - upright bass
8:00pm The Main Drag Conduction Orchestra
*Curated by Colin Hinton* *Conduction by Yuma Uesaka*
9:00pm Stephen Gauci - t. saxophone
Adam Lane - bass
Colin Hinton - drums
10:00pm Titus Abbot - bass clarinet
Harris Eisenstadt - drums
Sean Conly - bass
11:00pm Jonathan Haffner - alto saxophone
Yvonne Rogers- keys
Kevin Eichenberger - bass
Matt Bent - Drums
Wednesday January 24th, 2024
7:00pm Willis Edmundson - drums
Andre Sacalxot - saxophone
Charlie Lincoln - bass
8:00pm Bonnie Kane - saxophone/flute/electronics
John Loggia - drums
Shayna Dulberger - bass
9:00pm Stephen Gauci - t. saxophone
Adam Lane - bass
Colin Hinton - drums
10:00pm Santiago Leibson - keys
Noa Fort - voice
Kenny Warren - trumpet
Carlo Costa - drums
11:00pm Ryan Siegel ensemble
Wednesday January 31st, 2024
7:00pm Ken Kobayashi - drums
Jonathan Reisin - tenor/soprano saxophone
Jeff Miles - guitar
Charley Sabatino - bass
8:00pm Yoni Kretzmer & Juan Pablo Carletti's BIGGISH
9:00pm Stephen Gauci - t. saxophone
Adam Lane - bass
Kevin Shea - drums
10:00pm Anders Nilsson - guitar
Nick Lyons - alto saxophone
Ken Filiano - bass
11:00pm Takuma Kanaiwa - bass
Paul r Harding - poetry
Daniel Carter - woodwinds
Jonathan Wilson - drums
**$15 GENERAL ADMISSION**
**$10 STUDENTS (w/ID)**
***PARTICIPATING MUSICIANS (PAST/PRESENT/FUTURE MAIN DRAG PERFORMERS) ATTEND FOR FREE***
(yes, the best things in life are indeed free).
@ The Main Drag
50 South 1st Street
Between Kent ave and Wythe Ave
(718) 388-6365
gaucimusic.com
*****
January 29 thru February 4, 2024
THE OUT MUSIC FESTIVAL
At THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY, NYC
Arts for Art proudly presents the OUT MUSIC FESTIVAL - The Future is Pissed! The world is divided against itself. The earth is in jeopardy. These diverse artists are doing their best with too little support. Their voices have been marginalized. As people of conscience and as creative people, we come together to support each other as we live, create, and work for a world with peace, compassion, justice, and the arts.
As an added attraction, the festival's first night will feature a selection of fiery historic Out Music recordings, presented in partnership with Crossing Tones, an organization which rescues and shares recordings from the music's past. The opening night will feature never heard recordings that underscore the deep roots of music.
Here’s the link: https://www.artsforart.org/out-festival.html
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William Hooker - “ Music and Poetry"
At The Bowery Poetry Club, NYC
Wednesday, 7 February 2024 at 8:00 PM
featuring
Bob Holman,John Pietaro, David Soldier, Yuko Otomo, Kevin Ramsey, Patrick Brennan,
Jair Rohm Wells, Dave Sewelson, Paul Geluso, Ras Moshe and Laura Feathers
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery, Village, NYC
bowerypoetry.com
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Article by GARY LUCAS:
This is an honest explanation/understanding of what is currently going on in Israel, please read and think about before you come to any quick conclusions.
“JEWS DO COUNT”
at CultureCatch.com
https://culturecatch.com/node/4237
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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnWxohqx4tY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj8-LKNXKuE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy9PwsO5umk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFQ7nvA68pA
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CHRIS CUTLER
Formerly of HENRY COW, THE ART BEARS, NEWS FOR BABEL & RECOMMENDED RECORDS (ReR) has been creating an ongoing series of podcasts called the Probes series. I am often fascinated at listening to each of these as Mr. Cutler does an incredible job of showing a deep history of Creative Music in the 20th century & beyond. I usually listen to these on the train to NYC that I take to get to work each day. The most recent Probes (#36) was released a few weeks ago, here is the links:
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-36
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-362-auxiliaries
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ATTENTION TO ALL DMG CUSTOMERS: NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: downtownmusicgalleryofficial@gmail.com
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