Happy Halloween, So Have some Fun!
Listen to Some Special Sounds when your work is Done
Ghosts and Spirits, Wizards and Demons
Get Together, Dance and do some Screaming!
Read the News, Don’t get the blues,
It’s time to choose Some Great Music by:
King Crimson On & Off the Road 19 Disc Box Set! Mary Halvorson Octet: Irabagon/Laubrock/Finlayson/Garchik/Alcorn/Lightcap/Fujiwara! Taylor Ho Bynum Plus Tet: Wooley/Hobbs/Laubrock/Swell/Lowe/Hoggard! John Escreet/Evan Parker/John Hebert/Tyshawn Sorey! The Core Trio + Matthew Shipp! Anna Webber Trio: Matt Mitchell & John Hollenbeck!
Oren Ambarchi! Warren Smith & Edith Lettner! Jason Stein/Paul Giallorenzo/Frank Rosaly! John Dikeman/William Parker/Hamid Drake LP! Magda Mayas/Damon Smith/Tony Buck! Isabelle Duthoit & Georg Graewe! Lydia Lunch & Weasel Walter! Donny MaCaslin Quartet/Quintet! Enrico Pieranunzi QT! John Gibson!
Plus Historic Discs from: Annette Peacock & Paul Bley! Conrad Schnitzler! Embryo Returns! Thurston Moore & Tom Surgal! Joan Baez! Glencoe! The Ramones! Amir Ziv/Marc Ribot/Cyro Baptista/Shizad Isnmaily! Hasil Adkins and Much More!!!
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The DMG FREE Weekly In-Store Concert Series Continues With:
Just Added This Sunday, October 31st:
6pm: VORTKIP Trio: NICOLAS LETMAN / ELIJAH SHIFFER / BRITT CIAMPA - New Bass / Alto Sax /Drums Trio!
Sunday, November 6th:
6pm: LISA MEZZACAPPA & KEN FILIANO Bass Duo
7pm: JACK WRIGHT - Solo Saxophone
Sunday, November 13th:
6pm: DAVID AARON / DAVE GOULD - Sax & Drums Duo
Sunday, November 20th:
6pm: DANIEL LEVIN / HENRY FRASER - Cello & Acoustic Bass Duo!
Sunday, December 4th:
6pm: LOUISE D.E. JENSEN & ADAM CAINE
7pm: LOUISE DE JENSEN SAX QUARTET
Sunday, December 18th Double-Header:
6pm: VIV CORRINGHAM / MIA ZABELKA - Vocals / Violin
7pm: JEFF PLATZ / DMITRY ISHENKO / DALIUS NAUJOKAITIS - Guitar / Bass / Drums
DMG is located at 13 Monroe St. (between Catherine & Market Sts) in a basement below a former Buddhist temple & beauty salon. Take the F train to East Broadway or the 6 train to Canal or the B or D to Grand, or the M-15 bus to Madison & Catherine. Come on Down, the Sunday Music Series is Always Free & the Vibes are Cosy
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Could This be the Last KING CRIMSON Big Box Set?!?! Only Mr. Fripp knows for sure...
KING CRIMSON: ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/BILL BRUFORD - On (And Off) The Road 1981-1984 [19 CD Set: CD’s/DVD’s/Blu-Rays](DGM ; UK) “On (and off) The Road presents a complete overview of this enduringly popular line-up. All three studio albums are presented in remixed stereo editions on CD (Discipline in its 2011 mix), as are the final concerts from each year of touring. Two further CDs present newly edited & extended takes from the ‘Champaign-Urbana’ sessions for the band’s proposed third album & a ‘making of’ CD which provides a fascinating audio insight into the studio recordings. New Stereo, 5.1 Surround, original stereo editions & videos appear on the DVD-A discs. The Blu-Ray discs bring full 24/96 stereo & 5.1 Surround sound plus extended video/concert footage including the Frejus concert, the Alabamahalle concert (unseen since its 1982 broadcast) an array of previously unreleased additional concert footage from the band’s 1984 Japanese concerts, along with audio only options for some of the footage. Two bonus CDs present the band’s first gig as Discipline, from an audio restored bootleg at Moles Club Bath & the unreleased live album that was prepared from the Frejus tapes, with the additional recordings from that concert also included, complete the audio & visual features.
With a wealth of previously unheard audio and/or upgraded audio – from the band’s first to final performances, newly issued stereo & 5.1 editions of two of the band’s studio albums – Beat & TOAPP, the classic Discipline album in stereo & 5.1, audio and video recordings of some of the best live shows the line-up played plus substantial new concert footage, all presented to the high standards that have been a staple of King Crimson boxed sets of recent years, this is an essential edition for the many fans of this era of King Crimson.” Inside the box: • 9 CDs:
• 3CDs feature Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp new stereo mixes of Discipline (2011), Beat (2016) & Three of a Perfect Pair (2016)
• 4CDs feature the final concert from each of the band’s tours: Japan 1981 – new to CD, Germany 1982 – new mixes for this edition, Canada [Absent Lovers] 1984 – remastered for this edition
• 2CDs feature additional studio recordings: a CD newly edited & expanded from sessions for the ‘abandoned’ third album & a “making of…” CD featuring studio snippets & outtakes from across the studio recordings
• 3 DVD-A discs (hybrid discs compatible with all dvd players & rom-drives, region free, ntsc) feature the three original studio albums in high-resolution stereo (new & original mixes), 5.1 Surround Sound mixes with additional audio & videos on all three discs
• 3 Blu-Ray discs containing material as on DVD-A discs plus extensive additional video material including: Frejus live (Discipline), Alabama-Halle (Beat) – footage unseen since original 1982 broadcast), Japan 1984 (Three of a Perfect Pair) & additional hi-res audio options
• TOAPP blu-ray also features previously unseen footage from the final run of 1984 Japanese concerts + 2 sets of “single camera footage” recordings with shots focusing on each of the individual musicians
• Absent Lovers concert is also included in a new Surround Sound mix on TOAPP BD.
• 12” box with booklet, memorabilia, new sleevenotes & eyewitness accounts of KC live.
19 CD/DVD/Blu-Ray Box Set $135
If you can’t afford or choose not to spring for the entire box set, you can also choose the current versions of the three King Crimson CD/DVD’s which are the essence of this box set minus the many live sets…
KING CRIMSON: ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/BILL BRUFORD - Discipline (40th Anniversary Edition/CD+DVD-A)(DGM; UK) This is the tenth release in King Crimson's superlative 40th Anniversary series. It features the 2016 stereo and 5.1 surround mixes (by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp), Sid Smith sleeve notes and extra tracks, this is a definitive edition of King Crimson's classic 1980 studio release.
CD+DVD $23
KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN] - Beat (40th Anniversary Edition/CD+DVD-A)(DGM 674009; USA) This is the eleventh release in King Crimson's superlative 40th Anniversary series. It features the 2016 stereo and 5.1 surround mixes (by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp), Sid Smith sleeve notes and extra tracks, this is a definitive edition of King Crimson's classic 1982 studio release.
CD+DVD $23
KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN] - Three of a Perfect Pair (40th Anniversary Edition/CD+DVD-A)(DGM 6740010; USA) This is the twelfth release in King Crimson's superlative 40th Anniversary series. Featuring 2016 stereo and 5.1 surround mixes (by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp), Sid Smith sleeve notes and extra tracks, this is a definitive edition of King Crimson's frequently surprising 1984 studio release.
CD+DVD $23
MARY HALVORSON OCTET With JON IRABAGON/INGRID LAUBROCK/JONATHAN FINLAYSON/JACOB GARCHIK/SUSAN ALCORN/CHRIS LIGHTCAP/TOMAS FUJIWARA - Away with You (Firehouse 12; USA) I was fortunate enough to have checked this band at the Jazz Gallery earlier this year and thought their set was marvelous. With each of the half dozen previous releases on the Firehouse 12 label, Ms. Halvorson’s bands have evolved and enlarged from solo, trio, quintet, sextet and septet to now her octet. This long awaited disc was first mentioned many months ago but due to the loss of regular distribution by Firehouse 12, we’ve to receive a promo. A box of these discs should be here any minute along with a promo. I can’t wait to start listening to it over and over. Ms. Halvorson remains the most exciting New Music/Avant Jazz guitarist to watch as well as consistently maturing as a composer and bandleader. - BLG
CD $14
TAYLOR HO BYNUM With NATE WOOLEY/JIM HOBBS/INGRID LAUBROCK/MATT BAUDER/BILL LOWE/STEVE SWELL/VINCENT CHANCEY/MARY HALVORSON/JSAON HWANG/TOMEKA REID/STEPHANIE RICHARDS/JAY HOGGARD/KEN FILIANO/TOMAS FUJIWARA - Enter the PlusTet (Firehouse 12; USA) I caught this large 14 piece ensemble at the New School not long ago, opening for Wadada Leo Smith, and was knocked out by their performance. Multi-brass wizard, Taylor Ho Bynum, keeps growing in leaps and bounds as a composer, bandleader and conductor. Best solo of that night was of course, Jim Hobbs, on alto sax, one of the best kept secrets of the Boston scene. Review soon. - BLG
CD $14
JOHN ESCREET With EVAN PARKER / JOHN HEBERT / TYSHAWN SOREY - The Unknown (Sunnyside 1473; USA) Featuring John Escreet on piano, Evan Parker on tenor sax, John Hebert on double bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums, cymbals & vibes. This is the second disc from UK-born, New York-based pianist John Escreet and his mighty quartet. The first one was a studio recording but this one was recorded live at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. The Bimhuis is a lovely, spacious room with great sound, overlooking the harbor in Amsterdam. This disc is very long (76+ minutes), so it takes its time to get to where it is going. It begins with some immensely haunting piano, eerie bowed bass and sizzling cymbals with Mr. Parker’s probing tenor slowly unfurling, riding on the waves below. I dig the way the tenor and piano seem to shadow one another, nearly completing each others lines. There is a section for mysterious bowed bass and clanging cymbals which reverberates in a ghost-like way. Eventually the quartet erupts with some powerful, intense piano and tenor sax interplay. There are also some more sublime, spacious sections where Mr. Escreet plays piano in more harp-like way, creating dreamy-like distant thunder. Evan Parker gets a chance to pull off one of his great circular solo sax excursions which is short yet fits well and soon morphs into a elegant ballad-like segment. If you have the time, this disc will bring you through a variety of moods, like a series of short stories or a journey with evolving scenery. Superb. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
THE CORE TRIO [SETH PAYNTER/THOMAS HELTON/JOE HERTENSTEIN] + MATTHEW SHIPP - Live Featuring Matt Shipp (Evil Rabbit 23; Netherlands) Featuring Seth Paynter on tenor sax, Matt Shipp on piano, Thomas Helton on bass and Joe Hertenstein on drums. A couple of times a year, Texas bassist Thomas Helton plays here at DMG, at times with varying personnel, last Sunday (10/23/16) with Tony Malaby and Joe Hertenstein. This is the third release from the Core Trio which includes saxist Seth Paynter (from Houston) and drummer Joe Hertenstein (currently in NY). This is the second disc to feature Downtown piano great Matt Shipp as a special guest. It was recorded live at a club in Houston called Ovations. Whoever did the recording here (a Ryan Edwards), the sound is excellent. The discs starts off with a turbulent piano trio, before the sax finally comes in and the energy starts to build. The quartet builds and erupts at times sounds like the David S. Ware Quartet, which Matt Shipp did play with with for many years. Mr. Paynter has a strong, deep tone on tenor but rarely blows too hard always staying well-balanced and nuanced. The main difference here is that this quartet never stays in one place for very long, often ending up in more restrained areas before things erupt for short periods. What I like most about this quartet is that they sound like they have a group mind, no one leading or pushing them into any unnatural areas. It sounds as if this group has been playing When things do quiet down, Mr. Shipp plucks the strings inside the piano to create some suspense. Rather than erupting over and over, there is a more organic and restrained side to this which works well since it feels right without any screaming. Matt Shipp is an integral part of this quartet yet rarely pushes the other members anywhere. There is a sense of calm at the center of much of this as if no one is trying to push the intensity into the red zone. Parts of this are majestic sounding like some direction 0r plan we conceived ahead of time. A winner for the free form sweepstakes competition. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
ANNA WEBBER’S SIMPLE TRIO With MATT MITCHELL / JOHN HOLLENBECK - Binary (Skirl 33; USA) Featuring Anna Webber on tenor sax, flute & compositions, Matt Mitchell on piano and John Hollenbeck and drums. This is the second disc from Anna Webber’s trio with the same personnel on the same label. In between the two trio CD’s, Ms. Webber also has a superb septet release on the Pirouret label which shows off her impressive composing skills. Ms. Webber has chosen two of Downtown’s best to work with, both of whom strong players, composers, bandleaders and collaborators.
Ms. Webber names several of her songs “Rectangles” with a number and/or letter. Each piece seems to involve a different pattern or theme which is repeated then altered. Varying combinations of instruments and lines criss-cross and evolve. Even with three instruments, you might think that the combinations would be limited but this is not the case. Songs speed up, slow down while certain notes are accentuated in unexpected ways. Ms. Webber occasionally uses that laid back, dreamy tone that label-head Chris Speed favors, yet we never know when these songs will be turned inside out. Matt Mitchell, who seems to be one of the most in-demand pianists in town (with Tim Berne, Dave Douglas, Claudia Quintet & Zorn’s Bagatelles), is in especially fine form here adding his own unique touch to these absorbing pieces. One must pay close attention since some of these pieces have the several lines split between different inter-connected patterns. On certain pieces, Mr. Mitchell’s right hand will play one part which is tightly matched by the drums while the left hand will play a complex counterpoint with the sax. The music often has an odd mechanical quality, yet still sounds as if Monk had programmed some of the bent rhythm quirkiness. Im currently on my third listening session with this disc and am still marveling at Ms. Webber’s ingenious and unpredictable puzzle-like pieces. Ms. Webber also plays flute on a few of these songs and is equally crafty flutist as well. ‘Binary’ is a splendid second effort by one of Downtown’s best kept secret ensembles. - Bruce Lee Gallanter
CD $14
WARREN SMITH & EDITH LETTNER* - Dialogues Live @ ShapeShifter Lab Brooklyn (Artdialogue 005; EEC/USA) Featuring Warren Smith on vibes, drums & percussion and Edith Lettner on alto & soprano saxes & duduk (ancient double-reed flute often made in Armenia). I am a longtime fan of drummer/percussionist Warren Smith who has consistently shown up in unusual situations from the mid-sixties onwards: Pearls Before Swine, Charles Mingus, Gill Evans, Eugene Chadbourne, David S. Ware, classical gigs and percussion ensembles. I didn’t know Austrian saxist Edith Lettner before she dropped three discs with us this past Summer. Each one of those three disc are very different, from working with African bands to the Stefan Wagner Group. This disc was recorded live at Shapeshifter Lab in Brooklyn.
What I have always dug about Warren Smith is that he thinks and plays orchestrally. Mr. Smith seems to have an array of percussion at his disposal since that he is always exploring different instruments (vibes, glockenspiel, cymbals, etc.). Each of the 8 pieces here are called “Dialogue” and hence this is an ongoing dialogue. Ms. Lettner has a warm yet expressive tone on alto sax, taking her take to play with laid-back craftiness, a perfect match for Mr. Smith’s diverse skills. Warren Smith is a master of the mallets and sounds especially enchanting here. Ms. Lettner sounds a bit like a chattering bird on soprano sax, bending and twisting notes thoughtfully, the duo blending their lines into a magical tapestry. There is a strong sense of calm at the center of the disc as if the duo are in no hurry to get anywhere other than a hushed and haunting, spell-casting reserve. There are some stunning sounds here, gems that pop up from time to time, when the cream rises to the top and we find that tasty spice placed carefully on the top. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
Edith Lettner will be playing in the African & Caribbean Project on Saturday, November 5th at the Farafina Cafe in Harlem - 1815 Amsterdam Ave at 150th Street at 8:30 & 10:30pm
HEARTS & MINDS [JASON STEIN / PAUL GIALLORENZO / FRANK ROSALY] - Hearts & Minds [LTD Edition CD or LP] (Astral Spirits 026; USA) Featuring Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Paul Giallorenzo on synthesizer & electric pianist and Frank Rosaly on drums & electronics. Stranger than fiction is this bit of great luck: Chicago bass clarinetist Jason Stein has been touring and opening his step-sister, the famous comedian Amy Schumer and playing a short set of his own avant/jazz at stadiums across the country. Jason Stein’s longtime trio, Locksmith Isidore, includes Downtown drummer Mike Pride and has three fine discs out on Clean Feed. Mr. Stein also has an odd album with pop vocalist Sharon Van Etten on the 482-Music label. Recently Jaaon Stein put together a new trio with two other fine musicians: Paul Giallorenzo on synth & pianet and Frank Rosaly on drums & electronics.
“When the Chicago trio of Jason Stein, Paul Giallorenzo, and Frank Rosaly, known as Hearts & Minds, plays music Sun Ra smiles from somewhere interplanetary. Not that the mighty Ra favored small groups, he mostly worked with his large Arkestra, rather, it's that the wellspring for this 21st century music are his concepts and instrumentation. Sun Ra's saxophonist John Gilmore, then later Robert Cummings, employed a bass clarinet as Jason Stein does here. Drummer Frank Rosaly juggles varied and complex rhythms, plus applies electronics. Keyboardist Paul Giallorenzo does as well, playing synthesizer and the vintage E-pianet, an electro-mechanical piano.
Chicago is a prime location for Hearts & Minds. From the 1940s through 1960, Ra's concepts on futurism and music bloomed on the South Side as he resolved that space was the place. The mayhem of the opening track "Stocky" clangs overblown bass clarinet against fevered and frenetic drumming and the electric jabs and blips of keyboard sorcery. The trio, having caught your attention, dives deeper, mixing composed passages with sometime barely repressible passages. The trawling "Rocked And Eroded" stakes itself to the memory of Eric Dolphy's sound on Out To Lunch! (Blue Note, 1964), with Stein marching notes to the odd meter of Rosaly's gallop.
We have, though, come a ways since the days of Dolphy. The trio turns to the pinwheeling of electronics with "An Unfortunate Lack Of Role;" Giallorenzo's e-pianet forcing glints and flashes of current as re-entry sounds over Rosaly's swarming sounds on every percussive surface at hand. The trio is fond of starting a piece like "Streaming" with a solid melody and groove, breaking into concise Stein and Giallorenzo solos. Other times, as on "Nick Masonry," they work from just a sketch only to pick up steam and melody. Mostly they are fans of a glorious degeneration, you might call improvisation, but we'll call interstellar entropy.” - Mark Corroto. All About Jazz
CD $15
LP $18
JOHN DIKEMAN / WILLIAM PARKER / HAMID DRAKE - Live at Resistenza (LR 001; Netherlands) “The subtitle to Charles Mingus' composition "Gunslinging Bird" is "If Charlie Parker was a gunslinger, there'd be a whole lot of dead copycats," refers to the great alto saxophonist's ability to dominate a bandstand and quiet any and all comers. Parker, who died in 1955, might not have known about automatic weapons, nor the free jazz revolution which was to come in the following decade, but he certainly would appreciate a machine gunner like saxophonist John Dikeman .
For many Live At La Resistenza with bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake will be be a coming out party for the saxophonist. If that is so, you've missed his fine performances in the bands Cactus Truck and Universal Indians. The latter outfit recently released Skullduggery (Clean Feed, 2015) with Joe McPhee. Dikeman, an American living in Amsterdam, formed Cactus Truck with Jasper Stadhouders and Onno Govaert to create a kind of free jazz hardcore music not heard since John Zorn's collaboration with Japanese musicians in the 1990s.
This session, recorded in Ghent in May 2014, is bookended by a London performance at Cafe Oto (available as a digital download from Otoruku) the same month. His choice of Parker and Drake suggests a philosophical connection to Peter Brötzmann, who the pair have recorded with in trio and large ensemble. Plus, they've also collaborated in trio with Kidd Jordan, Fred Anderson, Jemeel Moondoc, and Daniel Carter.
Dikeman is in good hands here, although he certainly needs no handlers. He opens the set with a bluesy drunkenness, aiming his saxophone toward the energy center of Parker's bass. He plays with the energy of Brotzmann, but is more tuneful. The four pieces here melt into each other with plenty of space for each player to be heard. Parker and Drake are so familiar with each other's sound that they naturally fall into a rhythm. Drake's patterns constantly shift time and tempo, forcing the pace on "Invocation," then backing off. Dikeman takes the shifts without panic; guided by his partners he slices off chunks of explosive sound that often resolve into a gentleman's agreement of sound.” - Mark Corroto, All About Jazz
LP $20 [LTD Edition/we have a half dozen copies]
Two new Titles from Nuscope:
MAGDA MAYAS / DAMON SMITH / TONY BUCK - Spill Plus (Nuscope 1028; USA) “Just below the surface of silence things are moving, yet what these things are remains a mystery, because what you hear is almost the movement itself, you feel the dynamics, the precise intent, the elegance and the sophistication of the changes, the interaction of color and form ... and even the clarity of the tones, and the physical intimacy of the acoustics are here to touch you, to envelop you, insubstantial yet profound, like the precursors of emotions sending out hazy signals, undefinable but real, enigmatic and present. And moving, in the sense of objects and in the sense of emotions, yet the question remains which objects and which emotions, because only the movement itself appears to exist.
A piano trio, with Magda Mayas on piano, Damon Smith on double bass, and Tony Buck on percussion, like you've never heard before. Beyond the surface beauty lies hidden, now revealed in sonic shards, sharp as steel, or dark particles, sonorous and rich, sprinkling traces of calm in the nervously vibrating silence.” - Stef at FreeJazzBlog
CD $13
ISABELLE DUTHOIT / GEORG GRAEWE - Parlance (Nuscope 1030; USA) Featuring Isabelle Duthoit on clarinet & voice and Georg Graewe on Bosendorfer piano. On a few previous occasions, I have had the opportunity to hear & see French clarinet/vocalist Isabelle Duthoit and was knocked out by her stunning performance. Two times Ms. Duthoit was in a duo with Franz Hautzinger on trumpet and once in a quartet Dieb 13, Martin Tetreault & Hautzinger again. Here Ms. Duthoit collaborates with the great German pianist Georg Graewe who has quintet records on FMP, as well as working with Gerry Hemingway, Frank Gratkowski and Evan Parker.
Beginning quietly, tentatively, both musicians suspended in calm currents, playful, thoughtful, a natural flow, building incrementally. There times when Ms. Duthoit will focus on one note and create a hushed feedback-like drone which is quietly disorienting. The tempo and intensity increase or evolve throughout, fragile lines, criss-crossing, linking, assembling fragments, hovering around a busy nest. At times, Ms. Duthoit plays mysterious breath-like sounds, similar to what the lower-case players in Austria were doing a few years back. The good thing is she isn’t stuck at just doing that limited timbral exploration. What is amazing here is how well the duo work together creating a trans-dimensional shift midway and taking us on a hypnotic journey within and eventually without, further out but too much. Extra-ordinary! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
LYDIA LUNCH and WEASEL WALTER - Brutal Measures [LTD Edition CD-EP] (Widowspeak 28; USA) Legendary no wave sorceress for Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, 13.13 and Beirut Stomp, Lydia Lunch is back: playing live, recording and making trouble. Ms. Lunch’s current band, Retrovirus, features Weasel Walter on guitar (instead of drums), Tim Dahl on bass and Bob Bert (Sonic Youth & Pussy Galore) on drums. Choosing to collaborate with powerhouse drummer Weasel Walter makes perfect sense since Weasel is a longtime expert/scholar of the no wave scene. This disc was recorded live in the studio in July of this year (2016). Opening with a cascade of powerful drums and eerie synth spice setting the scene just right. Lydia Lunch’s spoken words are sly, thought-provoking, disturbing, vulgar yet consistently riveting/revealing. Mr. Walter creates suspense filled soundscape, always giving Ms. Lunch a chance to speak her observations, calmly, so that we have time to consider all of her words. Ms. Lunch is considered a self-empowerment speaker, her words often well-chosen and brutally honest. It is not so easy to walk the fine line between too little and too much, the dream and the nightmare, but Lydia Lunch remains the voice of our collective guilty conscious. Should we be afraid of the truth?!? Things to consider, part three. - BLG/DMG
CD-EP $10
DONNY McCASLIN With JASON LINDNER/TIM LEFEBYRE/MARK GUILIANA + DAVID BINNEY - Beyond Now (Motema 211; USA) “David Bowie’s final album Blackstar featured impressive jazz music provided by the quartet of Donny McCaslin, Jason Linder, Mark Guiliana and Tim Lefebvre. Now, McCaslin’s quartet have recorded ‘Beyond Now’, which has just been released on Motema. Donny was influenced deeply by his experience collaborating with Bowie, and the album is dedicated to his memory.
“Shake Loose” begins the album, opening with a thumping funky rhythm over which Donny McCaslin’s saxophone flies. And flies is no exaggeration. The sax playing is impressive and deeply emotive. At one point, he trips up the scales in a continuum which is mind boggling. Crystal clear notation and effective tempo changes, supported by stalwart percussion, make this a beautiful piece to listen to. The middle section with the bass and echoey effects of the keys adds a surreal effect completely in tune with the atmosphere of the piece.
“A Small Plot of Land,” written by David Bowie and Brian Eno for Bowie’s Outside album, is reverently revisited — albeit without the intricate piano introduction of the original track. Instead, the prelude is provided by drums and bass lines, which work well. Vocals are provided by Jeff Taylor and all the evocative familiar intonations are here, along with some great guitar and percussion. Always a strong song, Donny McCaslin quartet give it reverence yet introduce elements and changes which make it their own vehicle. The bass is slightly more to the fore than in the original, and there is a sax intercession over ethereal keys along with a change of tempo and vocal register which expand the original arrangement yet still leave the backbone of the song in its entirety. This is an imaginative cover of a great tune.
The title track for Beyond Now opens with a bass line, over which the theme is introduced. This theme is worked, re-worked and improvised around right through the number and is a gentle, lilting song which leads into a story told in musical pictures. It rises and falls with passion and emotive playing. It builds and rises, introducing a Bowie-esque feeling in the middle section with tremulous, reedy keys under which the bass and percussion roll before the sax adds another layer and takes control, rising to a crescendo of emotive stylistic playing before dropping back down, rising once more and gently laying the piece out in sections. Perhaps the final section is a tad repetitive but overall, this is a stupendous track.
“Coelocanth 1,” a track from the progressive-house performer and producer Deadmau5, starts with atmospheric intonations reminiscent of an other-worldly landscape, waves of sound roll in and the sax joins in with ripples of sound which add a harshness over the sonorous backdrop. There is a heaviness to this track which makes it different from the rest of Beyond Now, neither good or bad, it depends on the mood. It leads into “Bright Abyss,” which has structure from the start; the arrangements are finessed and mature. Light and fluffy at first, Donny McCaslin’s sax adds texture and tones over the supportive bass, keys and percussion and what starts as an almost easy-listening number develops a life of its own as it grows, the instruments mingle and merge and the end result is almost nine minutes of changes, diversity and delight. McCaslin demonstrates his diversity as a player and “Bright Abyss” serves as a vehicle for his mastery of the sax as he crosses the registers, drops little foibles and quirky sounds in here and there. A pleasurable interlude of just keys and deliciously thumpy percussion creates a light middle section, before a change of key and tempo announces a shift of style. The track ends with the full band in harmony — lovely.” - Sammy Stein, Something Else!
CD $16
ENRICO PIERANUNZI QUARTET With DONNY McCASLIN / SCOTT COLLEY / CLARENCE PENN - New Spring - Live at the Village Vanguard (Cam Jazz 5056; USA) A live performance took place at the Vanguard in New York one night in April 2015: Enrico Pieranunzi played in quartet with Donny McCaslin on sax, Scott Colley on double bass and Clarence Penn on drums. In the sold-out club, the lights were dimmed, the audience stopped talking and, that night in New York, jazz started to flow out from the only Italian artist who has played as a leader three times on that legendary stage.
The music Pieranunzi and his quartet deliver here is all portrayed in the CD title, New Spring : renewal, vital energy, promises that come true, in the city that has always been the cradle, school and springboard for, but also and again the point of arrival of jazz, the city whose breath is perceived, between tracks, in the clapping hands of the audience at the Vanguard.
This is a modern, internationally-oriented jazz, entirely featuring original tracks, except for the standard I Hear A Rhapsody , and resulting from the interplay among four real jazz giants, who skillfully blend their forceful personalities into excellent music. The Vanguard is the shrine of American jazz and here, in the amazing harmonies and unexpected melodies of Pieranunzi s superb, creative piano, you can feel it throbbing. You can almost see Scott Colley filling that small historic stage with his double bass, grinding out rhythm and weaving passionate, moving melodies. You can picture the audience captivated by the scratchy voice of Donny McCaslin s saxophone that soars with soft phrases and mingles with Clarence Penn s rich, full drumming, while Lorraine Gordon, the legendary owner of the Vanguard, seated in a corner of her reign, attentively listens to each note.
‘New Spring’ is ever-evolving music with an immediate impact on the listeners emotions. It is a small great journey through New York, Italian, American and European jazz: a picture, a photograph, a moment, a film clip, a night to be enjoyed and breathed wherever you like that then makes you really want to pick up and go to the place where jazz is, maybe precisely in spring, hoping for another beguiling April in New York.”
CD $15
MARC RIBOT/THE YOUNG PHILADELPHIANS With MARY HALVORSON/JAMAALADEEN TACUMA/G. CALVIN WESTON - Live in Tokyo (Yellowbird 7760; Germany) Featuring Marc Ribot on guitar & vocals, Mary Halvorson on guitar, Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass and G. Calvin Weston on drums plus a string trio for a few songs. I originally had my doubts about this endeavor since it is a tribute to Philly soul from the 1970’s as well as a tribute to Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time (electric/harmolodic/funk) band, with whom both rhythm team men (Tacuma & Weston) were members of. Plus why choose the great, young Downtown guitarist, Mary Halvorson, to play on this funk marathon?!? Strangely enough, there is something immensely infectious about this disc: funky, grooving, slamming with loads of great guitar playing/solos. Over the past year, I’ve caught the trio of John Medeski/Dave Fiuczynski/Calvin Weston play John Zorn’s Bagatelles. That trio rules and is powered by the great drumming of Mr. Weston, one of the finest drummers alive! Things mellow down for a cover of Teddy Pendergrass’ “Love TKO”, which still sounds super fine and includes a righteous, stinging guitar solo from Mr. Ribot as well as some impressive, quick-spinning bass by Mr. Tacuma. This past summer, I have been taking a seniors exercise class at my local Y. I really dig dancing to funky music from the past. This disc captures that spirit, the essence of funk and groove just right and includes some blistering solos from guitarists, bass and drums. Much better than I would’ve imagined, Rarely has party music sounded so good! - BLG/DMG
CD $17
ANNETTE PEACOCK & PAUL BLEY + HAN BENNINK / MARIO PAVONE / LAURENCE COOK - Dual Unity (Bamboo 7018; UK) Bamboo present a reissue of the debut album by Annette Peacock & Paul Bley, Dual Unity, originally released in 1972. Annette Peacock's legacy may only just be courting recognition proper with the recent retrospective release of her solo debut I'm The One (1972). Hailed as a pioneer and artistic genius by many, her debut album and predecessor to I'm The One captures Peacock in her element alongside husband; Canadian jazz genius Paul Bley. Dual Unity is a landscape of aural vision captured on tape in 1970 during their first European tour. For 33 minutes and 21 seconds, the listener is absorbed by other spirits. Using Robert Moog's earliest synthesizers, Bley and Peacock apply the strategic use of silence to indicate its reflective nature with captivating results. Originally released in 1971, it is a statement of immensity through synthetic minimalism and a milestone in the avant-garde, free jazz movement. Personnel (in addition to Peacock and Bley performing on all tracks): Han Bennink - Drums on "M.J." and "Gargantuan Encounter"; Mario Pavone - Bass and Laurence Cook - Drums on "Richter Scale" and "Dual Unity". Professionally re-mastered original sound recording with expansive liners, interviews and rare archival photos.
CD $17
JON GIBSON With JOSEPH KUBERA/DAVID VAN TIEGHEM - Relative Calm (New World 80783; USA) Featuring: Jon Gibson, saxophone, soprano saxophones (overlaid), winds, keyboards, autoharp, ambient recording; Joseph Kubera, keyboards; David Van Tieghem, percussion. “Gibson stakes out a small but verdant territory more satisfying than the concrete landscapes of many more ambitious minimalist oeuvres.” - Kyle Gann
In Relative Calm, I am very much involved with texture and collage, and it is mainly intuitive. I don’t want to be compulsive about the concepts that may inspire a piece. An idea may look wonderful on paper, and may feature an exciting and innovative formula, but the music must sound. Some composers care only about the idea … but I care only about the actual sound of the music. — Jon Gibson
Some of the harmonies in Gibson’s music—its ringing organ tones rising, smearing, melting, tumbling above the piano’s hammered rhythms—make me think of fine old hymn tunes, now iced by repetition into components of an intergalactic anthem. — Deborah Jowitt, Village Voice (1981)
[Jon] uncovered some multitracks of four pieces he recorded in 1980 and 1981 and I am honored to be mixing them now. These tapes are like a time capsule of the late 1970s New York Minimalist movement: dense, claustrophobic and yet so open. Sculptural in composition and texture, they reveal an entirely different way of seeing music, and are possibly more effective today in their stark contrast than they would have been had they been released 34 years ago. - Chuck Zwicky
Jon Gibson (b. 1940) is one of the less frequently mentioned pioneering composers of minimal music and is probably best known as a founding member of the Philip Glass Ensemble. Gibson also holds the unique distinction of having performed with Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and La Monte Young (as a member of the Theatre of Eternal Music), in addition to Glass, the four composers widely regarded as the founding fathers of minimal music. Gibson also has a track record of composing for modern and post-modern dance and Relative Calm (1981) is the fruit of one of his numerous collaborations with well known choreographers, in this case Lucinda Childs, who commissioned the work. The rediscovery of Relative Calm, one of Gibson’s major works, is cause for rejoicing among aficionados of minimalist music.
CD $15
OREN AMBARCHI - Hubris (Editions Mego 227; Austria) "Hubris continues the exploration of relentless, driving rhythms heard on Oren Ambarchi's Sagittarian Domain (EMEGO 144CD/LP, 2012) and Quixotism (EMEGO 202CD/LP, 2014). Where those records looked to krautrock and techno for their starting points, the side-long opening track on Hubris begins from the perhaps unlikely inspirations of disco and new wave, drawing particularly from Ambarchi's love of Wang Chung's soundtrack to William Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). Leaving behind the song-forms of these reference points, Ambarchi weaves a sustained and pulsating web of layered palm-muted guitars from which individual voices rise up and recede, eventually setting the stage for some lush guitar synth from Jim O'Rourke. Arnold Dreyblatt collaborator Konrad Sprenger contributes overtone-rich motorized guitar, pushing the piece into a satisfying intersection of shimmering minimalism and rhythmic drive that smoothly builds up until the entrance of Mark Fell's electronic percussion in its final section. After a short second part, in which Ambarchi, O'Rourke and Crys Cole pay tribute to the skewed harmonic sense of Albert Marcoeur with a track built from layered bass guitar figures and abstracted speech, the long final piece pushes the concept of the first side into darker and denser areas. Joined by electronic rhythms from Ricardo Villalobos and the twin drums of Joe Talia and Will Guthrie, the layered guitars of the first piece are transformed into a raw and tumbling fusion-funk groove that calls to mind early Weather Report or even the first Golden Palominos LP (1983). As this stellar rhythm section rides a single repeated chord change into oblivion, a series of spectacular events emerge in the foreground: first, aleatoric synthesizer burbles from Keith Fullerton Whitman, then slashing skronk guitar from Arto Lindsay, until finally Ambarchi's own fuzzed-out guitar harmonics take center stage as the piece builds to an ecstatic frenzy. Few artists could hope to include such an incredible variety of collaborators on one record and still hope for it to have a unique identity, but Ambarchi manages to do just that, crafting three pieces that emerge directly out of his previous work while also pushing ahead into new dimensions." -- Francis Plagne. Mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at D&M, Berlin, April 2016. Photography by Estelle Hanania. Sculptures by Daniel Druet. Design by Stephen O'Malley.
CD $15 or
LP $21
FRANCISCO LOPEZ - Anima Ardens (Sub Rosa 425; Belgium) Anima Ardens is a new soundtrack creation by Francisco López. Eleven men, eleven dancers in constant nudity, throw themselves, body and soul into Anima Ardens or "Burning Breath", highlighting the diversity of their bodies and origins. Trance rituals or being in shamanic trance, takes anyone to the source of their emotions. All surrounded by the organic sound environments of Francisco López. Comes in a digipack sleeve.
CD $17
CONRAD SCHNITZLER - Filmmusik 1 (Bureau B 244; Germany) Bureau B present Filmmusik 1, a selection from Conrad Schnitzler's archive. In Conrad Schnitzler's sprawling archive, there are two tapes marked Filmmusik 1975 A and Filmmusik 1980 B. It is hard to say which videos this music belongs to, particularly as the pieces have been left untitled. Perhaps there isn't really any film material at all. The dates are of no great help either, since the tapes feature the same tracks, albeit in varying degrees of quality. Filmmusik 1 presents an initial selection of these finds, presented to Bureau B by Schnitzler's musical partner for many years and guardian of the archive, Wolfgang Seidel (Populäre Mechanik, Ton Steine Scherben). The tracks reveal much about how Schnitzler worked. He recorded individual tracks on cassettes and then combined them, also using them live in his so-called cassette concerts. Thus, there are recognizable recurring "melodies", sometimes fragmented, in different places. Some tracks have the same bass loop and rhythm, only the sounds and effects have changed. The music on the Filmmusik tapes is extraordinarily accessible for Schnitzler: hypnotic bass lines, stoic drum rhythms, dark drones, crystalline shards of melody. Wolfgang Seidel talks more about Schnitzler's life and work in the liner notes.
CD $17
EMBRYO - It Do (Trikont 479; Germany) 100 years of dada and a half-century of Embryo - Two good reasons for Embryo to celebrate and a perfectly good reason for a new record. "Do It", one of the slogans of the beatniks and hippies of the sixties, has been and still is a statement enormously important to Embryo. Inspired by dada, the group has changed the slogan to "It Do" and has named their new album accordingly. The Embyro collective has been active for almost fifty years, always led by their musical leader and visionary Christian Burchard. That Burchard energy has doubled now, as his daughter Marja, who stood on stage with the group the first time when she was only 11 years old, has now stepped into the spotlight. The multi-instrumentalist lives and breathes the "Do It" concept with the same conviction as her father Christian. On It Do the group for the first time has recorded songs composed by her. Embryo played right after Jimi Hendrix at his last live show at the Fehmarn Open Air in 1970. They founded the first artist-run independent label in Germany, Schneeball. They played with international musical legends such as Charlie Mariano and Mal Waldron. Embyro were one of the first European bands to combine jazz and rock music. Later they became pioneers of the then still un-named world music genre, with countless travels through Africa and Asia where they were joined by local musicians. Always on the move, always incorporating new players, the band has been a force in the music scene for almost 50 years now. "Embryo - real krautrock based in Germany, connected worldwide." -- John Peel. "Embryo is not so much a musical style, but an attitude. It's about the serious study of traditional music. And it's the wish to bring the world together via music." -- Nick McCarthy, Franz Ferdinand (with Embryo from 1999-2002). "Embryo - they are these crazy creative musicians playing really weird stuff." - Miles Davis.
CD $17
ROSARIO GIULIANI/LUCIANO BIONDINI/ENZO PIETROPAOLI/MICHELE RABBIA - Cinema Italia (Via Veneto Jazz 110; Italy) What would film be without music? Music conveys all that which images cannot. The importance of a soundtrack can sometimes even transcend that of images and stories, and great directors often build the entire structure of their masterpiece around a score - the themes in Cinema Italia are evidence of this. There have been numerous masterpieces in Italian cinema that have influenced filmmakers around the world and film composers continue to distinguish themselves in this art. Cinema Italia is a tribute to the great Italian cinema which has contributed to raising global awareness of the country and has maintained a tradition of excellence. Equally distinct is the cast of musicians on this album: Rosario Giuliani on sax, Luciano Biondini on the accordion, Enzo Pietropaoli on the double bass and Michele Rabbia on acoustic and electronic drums. The contemporary music point of view on Cinema Italia never betrays the melodies of these unforgettable themes and presents them with a new force and vitality, demonstrating their immortality and constantly surprising the listener with the fresh innovativeness of the proposed versions. Unforgettable themes from unforgettable movies, such as 8 ½ (1962), Once Upon A Time In America (1984) and Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988), by the iconic composers Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone. On top of these themes, two original tracks by Rosario Giuliani and Luciano Biondini, from Bianco E Nero (2008) and What Is There What Is Not (2011), confirm the narrative force of these two incredible musicians and composers.
CD $17
THURSTON MOORE With TOM SURGAL - Not Me (Fourth Dimension 096; UK) Reissue of Thurston Moore and Tom Surgal's long out-of-print 1996 Not Me (originally released as both CD and 10" on Fourth Dimension). Two pieces of improvisational electronics, guitar, and drums, 11 minutes each. Includes 2016 liner notes by Moore. Packaged in gatefold CD sleeve. Limited edition of 500.
CD $13
JAPANESE TRADITIONAL MUSIC - Songs of People at Work and Play - Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai 1941 (World Arbiter 2019; USA) The fifth and final volume of World Arbiter's Japanese Traditional Music marks the completion of the label's excavation and restoration of 60 10" 78RPM discs of Japanese traditional music, bringing a great body of lost music to light and offering in full a legacy that has been almost entirely unavailable until now, even in Japan. The original set was manufactured in 1941 by a company now called the Japan Foundation, and was intended to be presented exclusively to libraries (though the Japan Foundation now has no record of having produced it). There are only two known sets of these discs, both missing the same final 10". World Arbiter acquired one original set of 59 from Beate Sirota Gordon (daughter of pianist Leo Sirota) in the 1990s, and, after a ten-year search, finally located a test pressing of the 60th disc in a theater museum in Japan. Upon first hearing these recordings, World Arbiter's Allan Evans was shocked to hear that the discs contained every species of traditional music, from the court's origins in shamanic rites, Buddhist chant, Noh plays, kabuki, and blind biwa players' haunting songs of chilling epics, to the recordings presented here: a final volume full of folk songs that captures rice planters, weavers, tuna and herring fishers, and children, all funkier than one could imagine and with the presence of eternity in their every sound and breath. The sounds and intensity of Volume Five's folk music surpass anything heard in the classical music of Japan. With Japan's ongoing modernization and loss of its traditional music, World Arbiter's audio restoration removes artifacts from chronological chains to resonate in the eternal flow of sound that defies time and space, remaining vital and always in the present. Includes 24 tracks of performances by anonymous Japanese singers.
CD $13
COLOGNE CURIOSITIES - The Unknown Krautrock Underground 1972-1976 (Mental Experience 005; Spain) The Nuggets (1972) of krautrock, Cologne Curiosities collects for the first time on vinyl, all the otherwise unpublished/un-reissued material that originally appeared on the three Unknown Deutschland - The Krautrock Archive CDs released on Virgin in 1996. These CD only releases were originally compiled by Trevor Manwaring (Paratactile, Impetus, Virgin, Harmonia Mundi) from tapes supplied to him by Toby Robinson. Toby, aka The Mad Twiddler, aka Genius P. Orridge, is well-known to krautrock collectors as one of a number of engineers working at Stockhausen's WDR and Dierks Studio in Cologne in the mid-1970s, where he assisted on recordings by many famous kraut bands such as Can, Birth Control, Mythos and Dzyan. The recordings included here were made between 1972 and 1976 using studios in and around Cologne, produced by Toby Robinson for his own amusement. Bands would come in for practice sessions, to record demos, and during slack periods, impromptu jams would happen. Most of these sessions were recorded by Toby, and they feature Toby himself plus a revolving cast of friends and musicians (some of them apparently big kraut names under pseudonym). Including lost-in-time bands/studio projects like Astral Army, Fuerrote, Spirulina and Baal among others, the music here ranges from killer proto-new wave kraut psych to wild space rock, proto-ambient electronic, dark psychedelia and raw kosmische sounds with lots of analog synths/Moog. It was during that time in Cologne, that Toby, along with Fluxus artist Robin Page, gave birth to the mysterious and controversial Pyramid label, for which these tracks were originally made for. 24-bit domain remaster from the original master tapes. Insert with detailed liner notes by Alan Freeman (Ultima Thule, The Crack In The Cosmic Egg (2007)). Also features: Chronos, Neil Andersen and Ten To Zen. RIYL: Pink Floyd, Gila, Cluster, Hawkwind, Ash Ra Tempel, Amon Düül II, Popol Vuh, Cosmic Jokers.
CD $17
SVEN GRUNBERG - Hingus (Bureau B 241; Germany) Bureau B presents a reissue of Sven Grünberg's Hingus, originally released in 1981. Sven Grünberg is a famous musician for film and theatre in Estonia - an old hand in the field of electronic ambient music. In 1974, whilst still a music student, he and Härmo Härm founded Mess, a progressive rock band. Grünberg was the first musician in Estonia to use a synthesizer. The ambient electronica of Hingus (Breath), recorded between 1978 and 1980, was spiced up with prog rock and a nod to the space age - not to mention a pronounced Asian influence on the title track. Grünberg had been interested in Asian music and instruments, particularly Tibetan music, since his youth, as can be heard in his work from that time. The 23 minute title track invites us into a fascinating, futuristic world of sound, laced with far eastern tonality, embellished with a church organ, extremely rare synthesizers and extraordinary percussion effects. Organs from the church in Rapla and the cathedral in Tallinn can be heard on "Hingus I" to "Hingus IV". The religious tones are interspersed with synthesizer sounds and orchestral percussion or effects, ascending fleetingly into ecstasy. Tubular bells, cymbals (piatti), a ratchet (raganella), tambourine, gongs (an east Asian tam-tam, for example), glockenspiel and castanets are all featured. Grünberg also used various electronic instruments: the HH Synthesizer, HH Percussion Synth and a KS Synthesizer. Not surprisingly, little information can be found on these machines as they were created by Härmo Härm and Koit Saarmäe themselves, the only two people building synths in Estonia in those days. The exotic assemblage also included a Selmer Clavioline from France, an ARP Omni and a Logan String Melody. The other two tracks, no less superb, are more in the stylistic tradition of the Berliner Schule/Berlin School (Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream). Hingus merits a special place in the history of ambient electronica thanks to its remarkable combination of church organs, synthesizers, orchestral percussion and echoes of Asian instrumentation. An underrated classic of the genre, there are moments when its extraterrestrial beauty transports the listener into the higher realms of psychedelia.
CD $17
PAUL MARCANO & LIGHTDREAMS - 10,001 Dreams (Got Kinda Lost 006; Spain) A thematic sequel of sorts to the sci-fi psych odyssey exploring cosmic ideology that was the British Columbians 1981 debut, LightDreams's Islands in Space (GKL 005CD/LP 2015), 10,001 Dreams from 1982 finds its leader, Paul Marcano, edging closer lyrically to the utopian outer space colonization he'd previously conjured while under the sway of physicist/space activist/author Gerard K. O'Neill. The ever-present percussive acoustic layers from Islands in Space remain, while the new age-like keyboard washes are nearly totally supplanted by mellow, wickedly fuzzed, floating layers of dreamy, treated, atmospheric electric guitar. As scribe Jack D. Fleischer says, at the time of the recording the group had reached, "a certain kind of psychedelic revelation that had become completely frontal," and that is emphasized by this increased use of soaring electric coloring. Originally issued solely on cassette, Marcano and LightDreams's home-recorded (yet hi-fi) lysergic creations give nod to the original British psychedelic and progressive eras, while maintaining a firm foot in hook-based, melodic folk'n'pop and are a guaranteed treasure for those searching for unheard and otherworldly joys. First time reissue with remastered sound. In-depth liner notes from collector Jack D. Fleischer and rare photos. Includes download coupon of the 90-minute unexpurgated 1982 cassette release. RIYL: Dreamies, Simones, late '60s Donovan, Robert Lester Folsom's more psych-leaning moments, McDonald & Giles, Rick Saucedo, Bobb Trimble, Tyrannosaurus Rex. "10,001 Dreams is a perfect distillation of Paul Marcano's musical essence: thoughtful, psychedelic, pop-oriented music but with a deeply progressive ear for song structure and the intuitive glow of a well-crafted lyrical refrain." - Jack D. Fleischer, from the liner notes of 10,001 Dreams.
CD $17
JOAN BAEZ - Live In '75 (Air Cuts 8054; UK) Joan Baez, live from the S.N.A.C.K. Benefit at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, on March 23rd, 1975. 1975 would herald Joan Baez's greatest commercial success, with the April release of her Diamonds & Rust album. By that time she was firmly established as one of America's leading folk singers, and one of its most conscientious campaigners. On March 23rd, she joined a bill including Bob Dylan, Neil Young and The Band at a benefit for the S.N.A.C.K. charity ("Students Need Activities, Culture and Kicks") in San Francisco. Presented here is her entire set, originally broadcasted on K101-FM. Professionally re-mastered with background notes and images.
CD $17
DUSTIN E PRESENTS - Cornflake Zoo: Episode Four (Particles 4070; UK) From the minds behind Piccadilly Sunshine, Mixed Up Minds, Electric Asylum, Upside Down, Curiosity Shop and Electric Sound Show, Particles present the fourth volume in the Cornflake Zoo series. An esteemed selection of the most delightful, juvenile absurdity to reach the auditory senses in a captivating collection. Twenty songs, all recorded between 1966-1973. Replete with archival rare color photographs, comprehensive liner notes and a loving touch of restoration. Features: Annaabee Nox, Names And Faces, The Coopers, The Bintangs, Los Brincos, Mashiya, Los Walkers, Blues Section & Jim Pembroke, Serpentine, Zen, Los Shakers, Popera, The Lords, Short 66, Slam Creepers, Beautiful Garden, Chosen Few, Standells and The Sauterelles.
CD $17
GLENCOE - Glencoe (Prog Temple 8061; UK) Presenting a reissue of Glencoe's self-titled debut album, originally released in 1972. Formed in 1972, this funky British prog band featured John Turnbull (guitar, vocals), Graham Maitland (keyboards, vocals), Norman Watt-Roy (bass, vocals) and Stewart Francis (drums, vocals). Between them they played in Skip Bifferty, Greatest Show On Earth, Forever More and several other well-regarded acts. Their pedigree shines through on this classic debut. Originally issued in December 1972, it makes its long-overdue return to CD here. Includes background notes and images.
CD $17
THE RAMONES - My Father's Place, NY, 20 July 1982 (Rox Vox 2063; UK) The Ramones, live at My Father's Place, New York on July 20th, 1982. The Ramones did not release an album in 1982, but continued to gig prolifically, despite problems within their ranks. Joey and Marky were battling alcoholism, while Dee Dee was in the grip of cocaine addiction, meaning that Johnny was taking more musical control. They were still a formidable live force, as this superb performance attests. This double CD presents the full original WLIR 92.7 FM broadcast. Includes background notes and images.
2 CD Set $24
LE TOUT-PUISSANT ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO - Madjafalao (Because Music 5156646; France) With half a century of existence, Beninese band Poly-Rythmo can easily be considered a legend of African music, alongside Fela Kuti and Tinariwen. Drawing their name from the extensive mix of influences that forged their sound (American soul and funk, Nigerian Afro-beat, French chanson, Congolese rumba, etc.), they have been impressively productive, releasing hundreds of EPs and dozens of albums from 1969 to 1980 alone. In 2014, orchestra conductor Florent Mazzoleni visited the band and decided to produce Madjafalao, recorded in the legendary African studio Satel. With its warm tone and mastery of rhythm variations, Madjafalao ("Watch Out") will instantly become a classic of Afro-beat and Poly-Rythmo will share their warm joie de vivre with thousands of people. CD version comes in a digipack with a 12 page poster booklet.
CD $15
Back in stock After Many years:
AMIR ZIV/KOYKOT With MARC RIBOT / CYRO BAPTISTA / SHAHZAD ISMAILY - Alive at Tonic (System Dialing 006; USA) Featuring Amir Ziv on drums, Marc Ribot on guitar, Cyro Baptista on percussion & vocals and Shahzad Ismaily on bass. This amazing quartet was recorded live at Tonic in November of 2003 and May of 2004. Israeli powerhouse drummer, Amir Ziv, used to live in LA, studied with Kenwood Denard, has a crazy drum n' bass band called Droid and was a member of Cyro Baptista's Beat the Donkey. Amir was knocked by Marc Ribot's guitar playing on a Lounge Lizards disc that he heard and decided he had to work with Mr. Ribot. It took nearly a decade for the Amir & Marc to play together with Beat the Donkey. Percussion wizard Cyro Baptista continues to blow minds playing with everyone from John Zorn to Derek Bailey to Cassandra Wilson. Bassist & multi-instrumental hero, Shahzad Ismaily also is in demand and seemingly everywhere playing Ribot's colossal power trio Ceramic Dog as well as with Carla Kihlstedt in Two Foot Yard and Doveman. Starting with "Let's Surf-We're in Hell," the band erupts right from the gitgo. It sounds like surf/metal with its tongue firmly in cheek. Too much and that's just the first track! I dig the way that Marc and Shahzad play a series of tight lines against/with one another. Amir does a great job of settting up different grooves or structures for each piece. "Won't U Be My Porcupine" has a twisted reggae/funk groove with subtle jazz/punk wah-wah guitar from Ribot, Shahzad's dub bass and both Cyro & Amir's swirling percussion with selective effects used like echo or delay. Cyro is a master of various percussion & vocal sounds and effects. I caught Cyro playing in three sets with John Zorn at the Guelph Jazz Fest last week (9/708) and he never ceases to amaze any who hear & see him life. Cyro is all over this disc adding his magic to each piece without playing constantly since Amir is a great drummer on his own and is often the center of the rhythmic cyclone. On "My Dentist in Hawaii", the quartet jams, yet remains focused, creating dark, twisted moods with some astonishing guitar work from Ribot. What is extraordinary about this quartet is that each member is an integral part of their sound and direction. At first, I thought that 74+ minutes might be a bit too long, but there is nothing superfluous about this disc, it is consistently engaging throughout. And they cover a great deal of ground: rock, jazz, jamband, space-music, noise, dub, ethnic sounds, etc. Last April of this year (2008) was the anniversary of the closing of Tonic, our favorite for nearly a decade and the center of the downtown scene in many ways. This disc seems to capture the spirit of a set at Tonic in all of its glory. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
LP Section:
BILL ORCUTT/CHRIS CORSANO - Live At Various / Various Live (Palolalia 044; USA) "That guitarist Bill Orcutt & drummer Chris Corsano would play as a duo should come as a surprise to no one. As artists, both of them have bent sonic boundaries to the breaking point, especially as regards rock-based music, and they have long flowed through the same international sub-underground arteries. It was only a matter of time. The first fruit of their union was a brain melting LP called The Raw & The Cooked (2013), recorded on tour in 2012. Live at Various / Various Live is made up of the two Palilalia cassettes that followed it. The tracks were recorded between a couple of tours, one in 2013 and one the following year, in Northampton, Mexico City, Brooklyn, Montreal, Cleveland and Rochester. And they demonstrate the ferocity of Orcutt's return to the electric guitar. Twinned-up with Corsano, Bill goes for the most distorted and bleeding tones available, whether pouring out frenzied clusters, or slow-bending blue-notes in the tradition of Loren Connors, the raunch of the proceedings is a physical presence. And Corsano goes deep into rolls and splashes with an almost perverted intensity. There ain't much space here for sweetness or subtlety. The music is driven home with mallets, achieving a near-Beefheartian density in spots. Heard as a whole, this album provides a gush of relentless thug-beauty of a sort that has never been in long supply. Grasp it now or hold your sad peace for now and ever." -- Byron Coley. Double LP with gatefold cover. Recorded by Chris Corsano and Bill Orcutt on tour in 2013 and 2014. Reissue of two cassettes originally released on Palilalia as Live At Various and Various Live. Edition of 500.
2 LP Set $27
HASIL ADKINS - Chicken Walk (Jambalaya 13011; Italy) Jambalaya present 14 tracks from the American outsider and legend, Hasil Adkins, titled Chicken Walk. Hasil Adkins was a true American original. Raised in Boone County, West Virginia, the son of a coal miner, Adkins grew up in poverty in a tarpaper shack on coal company property, where he taught himself to play after hearing Hank Williams on the radio. The legend goes that he didn't realize Hank had a band backing him up, and that's why Hasil learned to play guitar and drums at the same time. Adkins wrote tons of amazing original material beginning in the 1950s, which "explored an affinity for chicken, sexual intercourse and decapitation.” - Wikipedia. A great collection of those original recordings is presented here.
LP $21
*******
Bruce Lee Gallanter’s Recommended Gig List for October & November of 2016:
THE STONE is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & East 2nd Sts.
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - AVA MENDOZA - OCT 25–30
10/28 Friday
8 pm - Bran(…)pos + Mendoza Duo - Bran(…)pos (vox, electronics) Ava Mendoza (vox, guitar)
10 pm - Quartet - Ava Mendoza (guitar) Matt Nelson (sax) Jamaaladeen Tacuma (bass) Ryan Sawyer (drums)
10/29 Saturday
8 pm - Unnatural Ways + Levy Lorenzo - Ava Mendoza (guitar, sing) Tim Dahl (bass) Sam Ospovat (drums) Levy Lorenzo (electronics, percussion)
10 pm - Unnatural Ways - Ava Mendoza (guitar, sing) Tim Dahl (bass) Sam Ospovat (drums)
10/30 Sunday
8 pm - Quartet - Matt Nelson (sax, electronics) Ava Mendoza (guitar) Max Johnson (contrabass) Weasel Walter (drums)
10 pm - Chaser - Dominika Michalowska (vokills) Ava Mendoza (guitar) Shayna Dulberger (bass) Oran Canfield (drums)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - SUSIE IBARRA - NOV 1–6
11/1 Tuesday
8 pm - Mephista - Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Ikue Mori (laptop electronics) Susie Ibarra (drumset, percussion)
10 pm - Mephista with a special guest - Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Ikue Mori (laptop electronics) Susie Ibarra (drumset, percussion) and a special guest
11/2 Wednesday
8 pm - Polyrhythms - DreamTime Ensemble: Jennifer Choi (violin) Jake Landau (piano, guitar, perc) Jean-Luc Sinclair (electronics) Susie Ibarra (perc)
10 pm - Fables - DreamTime Ensemble: Jennifer Choi (violin) Jake Landau (piano, guitar, percussion) Jean-Luc Sinclair (electronics) Susie Ibarra
11/3 Thursday
8 pm - We Float—Mirah and Susie Ibarra Mirah (vocals) Susie Ibarra (drums)
10 pm - Brian Chase & Susie Ibarra - Brian Chase (drumset, electronics) Susie Ibarra (drumset, percussion)
11/4 Friday
8 pm - Yuka C. Honda & Susie Ibarra - Yuka C. Honda (synthesizer, electronics) Susie Ibarra (drumset, percussion)
10 pm - Yuka Honda & Susie Ibarra and a special guest - Yuka Honda (synthesizer, electronics) Susie Ibarra (drumset, percussion) and a guest
11/5 Saturday
8 pm - Sonnets and Kulintang - Paolo Javier (poetry) Susie Ibarra (Kulintang)
10 pm - Music for Percussion: Mirrors and Water, These Trees That Speak, Mimesis Susie Ibarra (percussion)
There are no refreshments or merchandise at The Stone.
Only music. All ages are welcome.
Cash Only at the door. There is no phone.
There is no food or beverage served or allowed
just a serious listening environment.
The Stone is booked purely on a curatorial basis
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The CORNELIA STREET CAFE - 212-989-9319
29 Cornelia St in the heart of the West Greenwich Village, NYC
Friday
Oct 28
9:00PM & 10:30PM GEORGE GARZONE QUARTET - George Garzone, tenor sax; Leo Genovese, piano; Peter Slavov, bass; Francisco Mela, drums
Saturday Oct 29
6:00PM DUO - Jed Distler, piano; Edith Lettner, alto & soprano saxes, duduk
9:00PM & 10:30PM JACOB SACKS QUINTET - Jacob Sacks, piano; Ellery Eskelin, tenor sax; Tony Malaby, tenor sax; Michael Formanek, bass; Dan Weiss, drums
Sunday Oct 30
6:00PM WILLIAM HOOKER TRIO - Adam Lane , bass; Andrew Lamb, saxophone; William Hooker, drums
Mon Oct 31st:
9:00PM TAUBENHOUSE/MINAIE DUO
Yaniv Taubenhouse, piano; Sam Minaie, bass
Tues Nov 1st:
8:00PM VOXECSTATIC: KAYLÉ BRECHER - THIS IS LIFE CD RELEASE - Kaylé Brecher, voice; Frank Butrey, guitar; Benjamin Sutin, violin; David Dzubinski, piano; Ratzo Harris, bass; Grant Calvin Weston, drums
9:30PM VOXECSTATIC: SONG YI JEON QUINTET - Song Yi Jeon, voice, composition; Vitor Goncalves, piano; Kenji Herbert, guitar; Yoni Marianer, bass; Cory Cox, drums
Wednesday Nov 02
8:00PM CAROLINE DAVIS & CALI O'DOHERTY QUARTET - Caroline Davis, alto sax; Cali O'Doherty, piano; Cory Cox, drums
9:30PM MARKO CHURNCHETZ TRIO - Marko Churnchetz, piano; Ricky Rodriguez, bass; Justin Brown, drums
Thursday Nov 03
8:01PM ANTHONY SMITH QUARTET - Anthony Smith, vibes, piano; Syberen Van Munster, guitar; Marcos Varela, bass; Jay Sawyer, drums; Laura Angyal vocals
Friday Nov 04
9:00PM & 10:30PM BEN MONDER, THEO BLECKMAN DUO - Ben Monder, guitar; Theo Bleckman, voice
Saturday Nov 05
9:00PM & 10:30PM BEN MONDER, THEO BLECKMAN DUO - Ben Monder, guitar; Theo Bleckman, voice
Sunday Nov 06
6:00PM ENTERTAINING SCIENCE: COLD WAR, WARM CLIMATE - Lucy Jane Bledsoe, novelist; Hugh Ducklow, scientist- Roald Hoffman, Dave Soldier, hosts - Entertaining Science: Cold War, Warm Climate
8:35PM DJANGO AT CORNELIA STREET, ANOUMAN - Peter Sparacino, saxophones; Koran Agan, guitar; Josh Kaye, guitar; Eduardo Belo, bass
*****
I-Beam Presents:
Saturday, November 5th 8:00 PM
Nate Wooley + Joe Morris
Zack Clarke Trio,
Dre Hocevar Surface of Inscription
1st set: Nate Wooley — Joe Morris
2nd set: Zack Clarke Trio
3rd set: Dre Hocevar Surface of Inscription
Michael Foster, saxophones
Weston Olencki, trombone
Charmaine Lee, voice
Dre Hocevar, drums
Elias Stemeseder, piano
Bernardo Barros, electronics
Wednesday, November 9th 8:30 PM
Lena Bloch’s FEATHERY
Lena Bloch (saxophone, composition)
Russ Lossing (piano, composition)
Cameron Brown (bass)
Billy Mintz (percussion, drums)
I-Beam is located at 168 7th Street in Brooklyn, NY 11215 - Directions: SUBWAY: Take the F or R trains to 4th Ave & 9th Street. Walk down 4th ave to 7th street. Make a left on 7th and walk past 3rd ave. We are located on the ground floor, the grey doors to the right of the stairs of #168.
******
Shapeshifter October/November Schedule:
Oct 28
8:15p - The Christian Artmann Quartet
Christian Artmann - flute, alto flute
Laszlo Gardony - piano
Chris van Voorst van Beest - bass
Jeff Hirshfield - drums
Oct 30
7pm: Mary Halvorson's Octet double with Brandon Seabrook
Oct 31 -
ShapeShifter Lab Halloween party!
Nov 1
7pm - Drama Section
Nate Mendelsohn - Alto Sax/Electronics
Stephen Becker - Guitar
Cory Todd - Bass
Duncan Standish - Drums
8pm - Dan Pugach Big Band Feat. Sam Blakeslee
Brass: Sam Hoyt, David Smith, Justin Mullens, Jon Crowley - trumpets
Sam Blakeslee, Mike Fahie, Darius Jones- trombones
Jen Hinkle - bass trombone
Reeds: Andrew Gould, Alejandro Aviles - alto saxophones
Jeremy Powell, Lucas Pino - tenor saxophones
Andrew Gutauskas - baritone sax
Rhythm: Yotam Silberstein - guitar
Jorn Swart - piano / Tamir Shmerling - bass / Dan Pugach - drums / voice - Zuraitis
Nov 2
ShapeShifter+ Presents: The Delegation Double Bill
The Delegation (ESP record release party) // Malaby/Gerstein/Mintz
8:15pm - The Delegation
Gabriel Zucker - piano, compositions
Adam O'Farrill - trumpet
Eric Trudel - saxophone
Anna Webber - saxophone
Artemisz Polonyi - voice
Bam Bam Rodriguez - bass
Gabriel Globus-Hoenich - drums
9:30pm - Malaby/Gerstein/Mintz
Tony Malaby - saxophone
Ben Gerstein - trombone
Billy Mintz - drums
Nov 3
8:15p - Jermyn / Miller / Sabbagh Trio
9:30: Foreign Hues
Nov 4
7p - 9p - Kenji Herbert - The Way The Light Falls
Kenji Herbert - Guitar / Maeve Gilchrist - Harp
Alex Hargreaves - violin + Surprise special guests
Nov 5
8pm: charlesblenzig & fmlytre orkistra
Rapper/Singer -Le’Asha Julius
Rapper/Singer - Caleb Eberhardt
Drums - Zack Berns / Bass - Dom “the Pimp” Missana
Keys - Charles Blenzig - founder / conductor Keys - Juno Arreglado
Guitar - Andrew LaRoche & Stu Pender
Trumpet - Kenney Warren & Keefe Martin
Bone - Natty Ranson / Alto/Soprano - Mike Troy Tenor/Soprano - Jaedon Alvira
Bass Clarinet / Ben Chapoteau-Katkz
Guest Musicians; Stacey Dillard / soprano Nicole Davis / Trumpet
Rich Boomzer / Tenor / flute and other surprise guests
Nov 6
6pm: ShapeShifter+ and Eric Quinn Present the music of Steve Grover Double Bill
Nov 10th:
8pm: Jeff Cosgrove - Matthew Shipp - Mat Maneri (one set only)
Shapeshifter is located at
18 Whitwell Place in Brooklyn, NY
R train to Union stop
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Sound It Out series @ Greenwich House
Concerts, Sept-Dec 2016
Thursday, November 3, 8:00 p.m. – Hot New Trio! Anna Webber’s Simple Trio - Anna Webber, saxophones; Matt Mitchell, piano; John Hollenbeck, drums
Friday, November 4, 8:00 p.m. – Beautiful New Ensemble!
Oded Lev-Ari Group: Oded Lev-Ari, conductor; full band lineup, TBA
Saturday, November 12, 8:00 p.m. – In Praise of Ornette! - Fay Victor’s In Praise of Ornette: Fay Victor, voice, arrangements, text; Darius Jones, alto saxophone; Kenny Wessel, electric guitar; Sean Conly, double-bass
Wednesday, November 30, 7:30 p.m. – Guitar Double-Bill!
Mike Baggetta Trio + Anders Nilsson Trio: Mike Baggetta, guitar; Jerome Harris, bass; Billy Mintz, drums; Anders Nilsson, guitar; Michaël Attias, alto saxophone; Ken Filiano, double-bass
Friday, December 2, 8:00 p.m. – Great Quintet!
Dave Scott Quintet: Dave Scott, trumpet; Rich Perry, tenor saxophone; Gary Versace, piano; John Hébert, double-bass; Satoshi Takeishi, drums
Thursday, December 15, 8:00 p.m. – Powerhouse Double-Bill!
Mara Rosenbloom Trio + Sean Conly’s Re: Action+1
Mara Rosenbloom, piano; Sean Conly, double-bass; Chad Taylor, drums
Sean Conly, double-bass; Michaël Attias & Tony Malaby, saxes; Kris Davis, piano; Gerald Cleaver, drums
Greenwich House Music School:
46 Barrow Street, just west of 7th Avenue South in New York City’s West Village; / www.greenwichhouse.org, 212-242-4770
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Spectrum Presents:
Friday 28 October
7 PM - Iktus Percussion - Performing works by composers Paul Pinto, Rick Burkhardt and Paula Matthusen, Iktus Percussion will showcase an evening of cleverly outrageous and adventurous theatrical music. There will be no holding back this evening. Be prepared for spirited performances and unexpected surprises!
8:30 PM - Quiet City - is a collective of composers/performers whose work often blurs the line between improvisation and determinate music. The ensemble will perform compositions by electric guitarists and will feature Vasudevan Panicker (piano), Pat Muchmore (cello), Tiffany Chang (percussion), and Glenn Branca Ensemble guitarists Luke Schwartz, Greg McMullen and Arad Evans, highlighting works by Schwartz, McMullen and Evans.
Saturday 29 October
5 PM - Kirk Knuffke, Cornet; Frank Kimbrough, piano
8 PM - Josh Modney, violin
Sunday 30 October
3 PM - Eliot Cardinaux - who will be visiting from the New England Conservatory in Boston, will be presenting two distinct and distinctive programs involving both through-composed and improvised music, one on 23 October, and one on 30 October.
7 PM - Logan Strohsal Band: King Arthur Suite
Spectrum NYC
121 Ludlow #2
New York, NY 10002
******
This from Vocalist ANAIS MAVIEL:
SAT, OCT 29, 9pm
Henry Winston Unity Hall 235 west 23rd Street, NY
12 Houses' Dumb Trumb: Matt Lavelle - trumpet, conducting, Ras Moshe - tenor sax, flute, Anaïs Maviel - voice, Lee Odom - clarinet, soprano saxophone, Mary Cherney - flutes, piccolo, Jack DeSalvo - banjo, Anders Nillson - guitar, Francois Grillot - bass, Reggie Sylvester: Drums, John Pietaro: Perc
SUN, OCT 30, 7:30pm
LPR presents @ Manhattan Inn 632 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn
Pavo Pavo + Serge Gainsbourg's Melody Nelson reimagined by Jeremy Gustin & guests
MON, OCT 31, 10pm
Trees Brewing, 333 Douglas Street, Brooklyn
Red Metal + Double Double score The Shining: Patrick Breiner, tenor sax - Lester St.Louis, cello - Emilie Lesbros, Anaïs Maviel - voice, Sana Nagano - violin
SAT, NOV 5, 10pm
Knockdown Center 52-19 Flushing Ave, Queens
Anaïs Maviel solo vox, surdo, n'goni
THUR & FRI, NOV 10 & 11, 7:30pm
BRIC House Artist Studio, 647 Fulton Street (Enter on Rockwell Place) Brooklyn, NY - The Commons Choir BROOKLYN REZOUND work-in-progress with Martita Abril, Sylvestre Akakpo, Ilona Bito, Yoon Sun Choi, Lydia Chrisman, Daria Faïn, Bob Holman, Shantelle C. Jackson, Darius Jones, Robert Kocik, Judah Levenson, Anaïs Maviel, Shelley Nicole, Jean Carla Rodea, Eli Tamondong, David Thomson, Julia Uleha, and Saul Ulerio
MON, NOV 14, 9PM
65 Fenimore Street, Brooklyn
Mehdi Darvishi - solo percussion
Anaïs Maviel & Leonid Galaganov - percussion, strings, winds, voice
SUN, NOV 20, (time TBA)
Panoply Performance Laboratory, 104 Meserole Street, Brooklyn
"Play Time Practice" - Choregraphy - Ilona Bito, Music - Anaïs Maviel
Dancers - Kirsten Schnittker, Jeremy Pfeiffer, Adi Eytan, Ilona Bito