DMG Newsletter for Friday, August 17th, 2018

Music is Magic, Music is Magic, Music IS Magic!
It Continues to Transform, Transport, Inspire and Touch All of
Those to Listen Closely to the Many Different Ways it Reaches Out
It Connects Us with our own Humanity and the Flickering Flame/Spirit Within
I heard an Ancient Song from the 1960’s While eating Breakfast at the Grey Dog
It Brought me back to Another Time, Fifty Years Ago when I first Heard and dug that song
Listening to Vinyl at the Store this week from Doc Watson, Big Bill Broonzy,
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Fairort Convention, Pentangle, Traffic and The Gun Club…
Each LP taking me/us on Another Journey within and without and back again
Followed by Amazing Live sets this past week from Tomas Fujiwara’s Triple Double,
Ben Goldberg & Kirk Knuffke plus Juan Trujillo & Hery Paz…!
Last night was the Best of all: An Incredible duo of Mary Halvorson & Julian Lage!
I Dwell Inside a Magical/Music World, a Solace from the Stress of Everyday Life
It is the Music, the Soundtrack for our many lives that Keeps Us All Sane…

This Week’s Menu for New Music Releases Features:

Soft Machine 2018! Peter Blegvad Bandbox 6 CD set! Gunter ‘Baby’ Sommer & Till Bronner! Jon Irabagon Quartet : Tim Hagans / Luis Perdomo / Rudy Royston..! Thomas Heberer / Yoni Kretzmer / Christian Weber! Eli Wallace Two Trios! Rez Abbasi / Vijay Iyer / Rudresh Mahanthappa..! George Crumb / Margaret Lang Ten! The Residents! Roy Montgomery!

Plus Archival Discs & LP’s from the Mighty Diamonds! Bernard Parmegiani 2 LP Set! Aaron Novik! Lee Perry vs. Bunny “Striker” Lee! Howlin’ Wolf! Sonny Boy Williamson! Bukka White!
And a Swell Tzadik CD Non-Zorn Title CD sale!

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THE DMG 28TH ANNIVERSARY SERIES OF SONIC CELEBRATIONS Continue with Part 2:

This Monday, August 20th at 8pm at the Zurcher Gallery - 33 Bleecker Street in NYC!

NATE WOOLEY and CHRIS PITSIOKOS - Trumpet and Alto Sax!

After a year of serious planning, DMG will host another historic event at the great Zurcher Gallery (33 Bleecker St, just east of Lafayette)! I attend a great deal of concerts throughout the year, mostly in Manhattan and in Brooklyn and often 2-4 times a week! Live and recorded Creative Music keeps me nourished, inspired and sane so I continue to check out as much creative music as is possible! The weekly free music series at DMG have been better attended this Summer and the music has often been Glorious! DMG sponsored shows at other locations take time and consideration so we only do them a few times per year.Thomas

This coming Monday, Aug 20th will be one such historic event! Two of my favorite Downtown Creative Musicians will be joining forces to invent some New Sounds: NATE WOOLEY on Trumpet and CHRIS PITSIOKOS on Alto Sax! Both are multiple bandleaders, crafty composers and seasoned improvisers. Mr. Pitsiokos recently got a scholarship to Wesleyan University, so he will not be performing in town as much as the past. Congratulations to Chris! I find that Creative Improvised Music captures a certain democratic, free spirit not found readily anywhere else. Something special, something magical will occur that night so please come down and help us celebrate: Downtown Music Gallery 28 Years and still going strong! Thanks to Gwenolee Zurcher for being such a gracious host! Check out the artwork at Zurcher as well. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

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Upcoming Sets at Downtown Music Gallery - FREE, every Sunday at 6pm

Sunday, August 19th
6pm: ROBERT DICK and LESZEK “HEFI” WISNIOSKI - International Flute Duo
7pm: ALEX LOUDOUDIS and RAS MOSHE - Drums and Tenor Sax

Sunday, August 26th
6pm: AARON RUBINSTEIN and NATE WOOLEY!
7pm: XANDER NAYLOR / RICK PARKER - Guitar / Trombone and Electronics!

Sunday, September 2nd:
6pm: CHARMAINE LEE!
7pm: KYOKO KITAMURA / LEONID GALAGANOV - Vocals / Percussion & Shakuhachi!
8pm: CARLOS QUEBRADA / NICOLAS DEL AQUILA from Nicotina y Primavera!

DMG is located at 13 Monroe St. (between Catherine & Market Sts) in a basement below a small gallery. 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 Always Cosy

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This Week’s New Music Menu begins with a Legendary Band, 50 Years Young!

SOFT MACHINE LEGACY is Now Called SOFT MACHINE, Their New Studio Disc Rules!

It has been a Half Century Since their first Album in 1968 and they are touring soon!

SOFT MACHINE [JOHN ETHERIDGE / THEO TRAVIS / ROY BABBINGTON / JOHN MARSHALL] - Hidden Details (MoonJune 093; USA) Soft Machine 2018 features: John Etheridge on electric & acoustic guitars, Theo Travis on tenor & soprano saxes, flute & Fender Rhodes piano, Roy Babbington on bass guitar and John Marshall on drums. Hard to believe but this year is the 50th anniversary of the very first album by Soft Machine, ‘Volume 1’, released in 1968. That version of Soft Machine featured Mike Ratledge on fuzz organ, Kevin Ayers on bass & vocals and Robert Wyatt on drums & vocals. Soft Machine Mark 1 toured that year, opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience in the US and in Europe. Between 1967 and 1975, there were 11 albums released under the Soft Machine name. On every release the personnel and sound/spirit evolved. Hence, most Soft Machine fan-addicts savor each of their 2 dozen or so live recordings as well. When Soft Machine split up around 1980, the only original member was keyboard wiz, Mike Ratledge. Several former members (Elton Dean & Hugh Hopper), regrouped in different combinations (Soft Head & Soft Ware), and then in 2002 a reunited quartet (Allan Holdsworth, Dean, Hopper & John Marshall), toured and recorded under the Soft Works moniker. When Mr. Holdsworth left in 2004, he was replaced by the same guitarist who replaced him in Soft Machine in 1975: John Etheridge. This version were known as Soft Machine Legacy, have continued ever since with the MoonJune label releasing a half dozen CD’s so far. Sadly, both Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper have passed away since the birth of Soft Machine Legacy. To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Soft Machine\s first album, the word Legacy has been dropped, so now we have the latest installment of Soft Machine which features three original members: John Etheridge, Roy Babbington (who again replaced Hugh Hopper o Softs’ ‘Seven’) and John Marshall. Plus the addition of saxist, Theo Travis, who joined Legacy when Elton Dean was still a member and who has worked with Robert Fripp and Gong. Which brings us to 2018…
‘Hidden Details’ is the fourth studio effort from Soft Machine (Legacy) and like the previous discs, the songs were written by by different members of the band as well as a couple of old Softs pieces: “Out Bloody Rageous” (from ‘Third’) and “The Man Who Waved at Trains” (from ‘Bundles’). The title track kicks things off with a swell, brooding, cerebral, hypnotic riff and spirited tenor sax from Theo Travis. Shades of Hugh Hopper, is that fuzz bass I hear in the mix?!? Yes it is! Plus a rather Holdsworth-like (re’: “Hazard Profile”), quick, liquid guitar solo from the might John Etheridge! On “The Man who Waved at Trains”, Mr. Travis plays some sly, spacey electric piano and flute (superb solo!), adding some echoplex seasoning to make things even more dreamy. Mr. Etheridge shines on a laid back sort of balled called, “Broken Hill”, his slow burning guitar showing a tender side. Soft Machine ‘Third’ was and still is the favorite of many a Soft Machine fan, each side of a double album contained just one long song. “Out Bloody Rageous” was the piece that closed the album as side 4. A short version of the midsection appeared on some prog/jazz/rock compilations and turned many (of the rock audience) onto Soft Machine for the first time. The beginning and ending of this piece featured two wonderful tape looped sections. Not being able to do those loops live very easily, made it difficult to do play this piece live. This disc features both the looped intro, played on flute and main body of the piece. The version here is stunning, with an excellent soprano sax solo from Mr. Travis. So nice to hear the song again, after more than 40 years. Soft Machine always had a darker, more haunting side which is well handled here with a piece called, “Life on Bridges”. John Marshall, one of the greatest of all British jazz/rock drummers,is in fine form and the central force here, churning up a storm-force or power, while the other three members swirl intensely around with equally turbulent fuzzed bass and guitar united together. The final piece, “Breathe” features a great bass riff, holding things down with some superb flute from Mr. Travis. For those of you still appreciate jazz/rock/fusion music at it’s best, this disc shows that this type of music is till valid, inspired, crafty and well-worth checking out fifty years after it all began. This year, 2018, Soft Machine will tour once again playing here in the US as well as in Europe. The last time they played here was in 1974 (Academy of Music & My Father’s Place in NY)! You don’t want to miss them this time around, it may be your last opportunity to do so. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

* Local SOFT MACHINE freaks, the Softs will be playing at the Iridium in Manhattan on October 12th-14th, 2018! Tour schedule: www.songkick.com/artists/68873-soft-machine


PETER BLEGVAD with JOHN GREAVES / CHRIS CUTLER / B.J. COLE / SYD STRAW / LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III / BOB DRAKE / et al - Bandbox (ReR Megacorp PBBB1; UK) "ReR released the first Peter Blegvad Trio LP in 1988 and since then there's been a new one along about every 10 years, the latest adding Karen Mantler and Bob Drake, so it's a quintet now. In between, the trio toured Europe, America and Japan, did various projects and mounted a music-theatre performance. 30 years in, it seemed timely to collect everything together, add unreleased materials from concert recordings and out-takes, and write a fat illustrated book to tell the story so far. This box does that. In addition to the original releases, now re-mastered by Bob Drake and comprehensively repackaged, there are two full CDs of unreleased materials - and the book. That's 72 pages of documentation, recollections, reactions, insights and testimony - alongside priceless drawings and photographs, and all presented in a beautiful sturdy box. Peter's songs have been covered (amongst others) by The Fall and Loudon Wainwright III - and have featured in movies. With additional help from B. J. Cole, Adam Philips, Eddie Reader, Loudon Wainwright III, Syd Straw, Phil Shaw, Geraint Watkins, Stoffer Blegvad and Jakko Jakszyk."
6 CD Set $75


GUNTER BABY SOMMER with TILL BRONNER - Baby’s Party (Intakt 303; Switzerland) Gunter ‘Baby’ Sommer reigns supreme as one of the greatest of all early FMP drummers, having worked with Peter Kowald, Wadada Leo Smith, Manfred Schoof, Peter Brotzmann and Connie Bauer. I didn’t know about trumpeter & flugelhornist, Till Bronner, until this disc showed up but he is indeed something special. It turns out that Bronner also appears on a disc with jazz vocalist Mark Murphy. This disc is superbly recorded, the duo sounds most enchanting in a clean. warm sounding studio. Mr. Sommer is often playing just cymbals or small percussive objects, creating his own specious magic while Mr. Bronner plays with elegance and often tender restraint. There a couple of select covers here, “Danny Boy” and “Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood”. |Danny Boy” is handled nicely with an incredible, elegant solo from Mr. Bronner. Mr. Sommer switches to just brushes on a piece called, “Flinke Besen”, and sounds like Han Bennink when he is just playing lone snare drum. Mr. Sommer has down several duo (with Wadada Leo Smith & Ulrich Gumpert) and trio dates, each one wonderful in its own way. Mr. Sommer also plays jaw-harp on one piece and again knows how to coax magical, rhythmic accompaniment for this righteous duo. I had this disc on the other day at the store and a couple came up and asked what this enchanting music was..? They know that something special was going on here and you will as well. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $18


JON IRABAGON QUARTET With TIM HAGANS / LUIS PERDOMO / YASUSHU NAKAMURA / RUDY ROYSTON - Dr. Quixotic’s Traveling Exotics (Irabbagast 010; USA) Featuring Jon Irabagon on tenor sax, Tim Hagans on trumpet, Luis Perdomo on piano, Ysushi Nakamura on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. NYC-based saxist & Monk award winner, Jon Irabagon, switches between alto, tenor & soprano saxes, leads several bands and is a founding member of Mostly Other People do the Killing. Although most of Irabagon’s half dozen plus CDs, feature different personnel, the rhythm team here (Perdomo, Nakamura & Royston, worked with Irbagaon for an earlier disc from 2015, which fettered another trumpeter: Tom Harrell. Right from the opening song, “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”, this quintet sounds impressive: tight, inspired, burning and swinging hard. Bassist, Yasushi Nakamura, is in particularly fine form here, and he is the one member that I wasn’t familiar with. The other members are veterans of many sessions: Mr. Hagans (Bob Belden & Maria Schneider bands), Mr. Perdomo (Ravi Coltrane & Henry Threadgill) and Mr. Royston (Bill Frisell & Dave Douglas). Another great thing about this disc and band is Mr. Irabagon’s writing. Even with swinging furiously, these tunes are challenging, turning on dime and switching currents often midstream. Each of these pieces are pretty long and often move through different sections, giving member multiple chances to stretch out and take long, inspired solos. Like Mr. Irabagon’s other band, MOPDTK, this band seems to cover or evoke the history of modern jazz. “You Own Your Own” reminds me of one of those churning, Wayne Shorter songs from his mid-sixties Blue Note albums. Trumpeter, Tim Hagans, who is a guest here, is the perfect foil for Mr. Irabgaon’s often slow burning tenor flights. Midway through this piece, the tempo increases to boiling point, with Mr. Perdomo taking an incredible solo to match the powerful currents flowing through. Earlier this week, I listened to several Blue Note records (Andrew Hill & Eric Dolphy) on vinyl and was blown away by the the music and the way they sounded on record. This often CD sounds like one of those long lost Blue Note sessions that us collectors savor when we find them. No small feat! This quintet sounds like it has been together for decades, they are that tight, spirited and inventive. At some 72 minutes long, there is way too much great music here to comment on. I did listen to this entire CD and was blown away from the beginning to the end! I hope to get a chance to hear this band live so I write to Mr. Irabagon to find out if and when they are playing. This is without a doubt, one of the best jazz albums of the year! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14


THOMAS HEBERER / YONI KRETZMER / CHRISTIAN WEBER - BIG (OutNow Recordings 031; USA) Featuring Thomas Heberer on trumpet, Yonu Kretzmer on tenor sax and Christian Weber on contrabass. Since moving to New York a few years back, ICP trumpeter, Thomas Heberer, has kept busy playing in several different bands: Nu Band, Yoni Kretzmer 5 and a trio with Achim Kaufmann & Ken Filiano. Israeli saxist, Yoni Kretzmer, also keeps pretty busy leading several bands at the same time and releasing disc on this, his own label, OutNow. One of his more recent bands, the YK Five, are one the best Downtown bands on the current scene and have a great disc which came out in 2016. Swiss bassist Christian Weber has been working with Ellery Eskelin, Nate Wooley and has a great disc out on Hatology as a leader. This disc is an improvised studio date, recorded in Brooklyn in February of 2016. The music is highly concentrated and has a chamber-like quality. The balance between all three members of the trio is very focused and always shifting between different soorites and textures. While Mr. Weber bows quietly on “The Munchhausen Trilemma”, both the trumpet and tenor play simmering drones, expanding, contracting and breathing slowly as the notes hover in the air. I like the way trio seem be shifting harmonies as they slowly change or bend notes in unexpected directions. There is a great section where the tempo increases and tenor and trumpet start exchanging lines, faster and faster, the intensity also increasing. What I like about this is that things evolve slowly yet carefully, moving between more restrained and more agitated streams. Much of this date is on the subtle and somber side of things, so one must calm down to a more subtle level of interaction to appreciate it. The final tenor solo from Mr. Kretzmer comes straight out of Albert Ayler, it is rather sad, solemn and kinda quaint. Mr. Heberer answers him with equally haunting, prayer-like grace. It sounds like a lament for sad times we are all dealing with today. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14


ELI WALLACE With AARON QUINN / BRANDON LOPEZ / JASON NAZARY / DEVIN GRAY - Slideshow Junky (Iluso 13; Earth) Featuring Eli Wallace on piano, keyboards, compositions & concepts, Aaron Quinn on guitar & Jason Nazary on drums or Brandon Lopez on bass & Devin Gray on drums. ’Slideshow Junky’ is an ongoing project organized by Brooklyn-based keyboardist Eli Wallace, based on 30 one-page tunes. Mr. Wallace began working here at DMG recently and played on a event Sunday in-store with Daniel Carter & Ben Cohen. This is his first disc as a leader and I am quite impressed. Mr. Wallace in inspired by the cut-up techniques, once used by William Burroughs. There are basically two different trios featured here, most of the participants you should recognize from their varied resumes. Each piece is oddly structured so it take a bit of time to figure out how they work and fit together. “Ursula” is part Beefheartian bent structure rhythmics which lurch forward in explosive outbursts yet remain tightly strung together. Certain pieces, like “B is for…” sound free in part yet still seem connected as the tempo increases and decreases. On “Bullets II”, things start to get more interesting since Mr. Wallace sets up these Morse Code rhythmic lines, which overlap pulse-wise at certain points. There are moments that sound sloppy or exuberant yet this is not what is going since it seems as if there is more preparation or thought going on than meets the eye or ear. On “Bullets III”, its sounds as if the electric piano and guitar are playing two separate lines kind of off kilter yet they are connected in ways not so readily apparent. Each piece is based on a different structural challenge, some subtle, some explosive yet that are all connected somehow. On “Quickdraw”, what appears to be ectoplasmic-like free turmoil ends up morphing into solid written section before the whirlwind free spirits erupt once again. There are a good deal of surprises in store here as several pieces are transformed as they unfold. There are a few pieces which seem tightly wound us if held together by rubber bands before they erupt into something else. It seems obvious that Eli Wallace has some sort of agenda in mind which will take some time to fully absorb. Each listening involves another set of surprises. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12


REZ ABBASI With VIJAY IYER / RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA / ELIZABETH MIKHAEL / JOHANNES WEIDENMUELLER / DAN WEISS - Unfiltered Universe (Whirlwind 713; USA) “Rez Abbasi was born in Karachi, Pakistan but at the age of four his family moved to Los Angeles and at eleven he started learning guitar. Whilst there are undoubtedly some South Asian influences in his compositions, these are generally incidental or to be found "under the radar" as Abbasi himself puts it. In any case the music surely transcends geographical boundaries. With a brace of ten albums to his name, this is Abbasi's follow-up to 2016's Behind The Vibration but is also the third in a trilogy he started to record with his group Invocation in 2008.
The opener "Propensity" does admittedly display some passing South Asian influences in its opening statement, and hot on the heels of Rudresh Mahanthappa's frenetic alto solo, Abassi solos with breathtaking glissando runs. The title track, augmented by Elizabeth Mikhael on cello, is perhaps the nearest this album gets to the generally perceived notion of chamber jazz, but even here it defies that generic description. The album was actually commissioned by Chamber Music America and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Suffice it to say both organizations got their money's worth and more besides.
The short "Thoughts" constitutes a solo pyrotechnic display from Abbasi, his guitar notably enhanced by synth-like electronic effects. "Thin-King" has a mesmeric off-kilter rhythm which propels the piece along and a keen pizzicato bass solo from Johannes Weidenmueller. "Turn Of Events" the longest track on the album at nearly twelve minutes, subtly builds the tension, embellished by legato cello notes, achieving a release with a cascade of notes, only to die down to its pastoral opening and finally resolving in a short ensemble coda. The frenetic paced "Disagree To Agree" benefits from a fine staccato piano solo from Vijay Iyer and Mahanthappa and Abbasi compete in the coruscating stakes, making it compulsive listening as the guitarist takes his instrument to new places ripe for exploration.
The closer, "Dance Number" begins with a vaguely Eastern head but rapidly transmutes into a groove-laden piece dominated by Abbasi's strident and fluid guitar and subsequently by Mahanthappa's florid alto and Iyer's lustrous piano. An imaginative composer and guitarist of considerable virtuosity, plus an ensemble of immense talent, are all factors that make this high calibre album, imbued with unfettered vigor and intrigue, a most satisfying affair.” - Roger Farbey, AAJ
CD $15 [In stock next week]


LUZIA VON WYL ENSEMBLE - Throwing Coins (Hatology 753; Switzerland) This is the second disc from the Swiss pianist/composer Luzia von Wyl’s Ensemble. Her first disc for the Hatology label, Frost’, made it way into several year-end best of lists, although so few had heard of Ms. von Wyl before it was released. For this disc, Ms. von Wyl has organized a ten piece ensemble with four reeds (2 clarinets, flute & bassoon), three strings, piano, bass, marimba and drums. The only musician here with whom I was previously familiar is drummer Lionel Friedl, although bass clarinet player, Lukas Roos, did play with another Hatology leader named Marco von Orelli (2 discs on Hatology). Commencing with “Chromatika”, there appears to several lines moving together simultaneously. The reeds and string parts are tightly written and well-played, an undertow of cross rhythms provided by the piano & marimba led rhythm team. In several ways, this disc is similar to the music of flutist/composer Jamie Baum: it combines varied cultural references: Latin, Middle Eastern and eastern European with complex yet seamlessly layered themes. Zappa-like (love those marimba parts) ingenuity without the silliness factor. What stands out are the handful of inspired solos from the bass clarinet (Lukas Roos) or bassoon (Maurus Conte). Another Zappa-like tendency is the way several different lines/structures criss-cross and switch midstream. Flutist, Amin Mokdad, is often features or at least at the center of many of these pieces. On two pieces, another flutist is added named Andrea Loetscher. There is a great flute duet at the center of “Solfati”, one of this discs many highlights. “Antumbra” has a hypnotic, middle-eastern theme that would fit perfectly on a disc from Amir ElSaffar, all we need is a belly dancer or a snake charmer to go along with. What I like most about this disc is the way it brakes us on a journey through various cultures in our minds without have to get our of our seats. An outstanding effort on several fromts that should be ignored but well-embraced by you the demanding listener. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $18


CHRISTOPHER FOX With JOHN BUTCHER / THOMAS LEHN / AXEL DORNER / PAUL LOVENS - Topophony (Hat Now 211; Switzerland) “Back to Tectonics, and to one of the most beautiful new orchestral scores i’ve encountered in recent times. Christopher Fox‘s Topophony, for orchestra and up to three optional soloists (but not a concerto), operates in such a way that the conductor ensures that every beat is a different length. Beats are not of over-arching sonic importance, though, as the music speaks through slow, meditative swatches of instrumental color, comprising textures of protracted, shifting pitches with a variety of surface articulations. These are often fascinating, conjuring up motors, the noise of something caught in bicycle spokes, the bell of an alarm clock: unpitched occasional worryings that become a delicate counterpoint to the rest of the orchestra which, apart from some moments when deep throbs threaten to overwhelm, comes across by contrast as rather distant (in both senses of the word). The atmosphere, simple but rich, is strange and magical, with Fox gently marshaling things at the end toward a resolution of sorts, made up of not-quite octave unisons, turning the music from something solid into vapor. Gorgeous. - 5against4.com
CD $18


STEFAN AEBY TRIO With ANDRE POUSAZ / MICHI STULZ - The London Concert (Intakt 315; Switzerland) “The concert of the Stefan Aeby Trio at the Intakt Festival at Vortex Jazz Club in London 2017 was a highlight of live music in the capital that year. It made an emphatic statement on how improvisation transcends borders and underlined the strength of a new generation of players. 
 London journalist Kevin Le Genre writes: "Aeby, drummer Michi Stulz and double bassist André Pousaz make for an inherently contemporary proposition insofar as they are by no means restricted to the standard tropes of the piano trio. This is a group comprising three instruments and three open minds. Hence the performance sees the players organically shift the ensemble towards many stylistic areas, whether it is a suggestion of wistful ambient soundscapes, breezy, percussive African folk, or modern pop that retains the blues to varying degrees. The music is multi-faceted.
 Throughout the concert there is a palpable sense of breathing space as well as controlled intensity. A quiet fire. The lasting impression of this concert is precisely the cohesion and dynamics of the trio, with its skillful straddling of natural and digital tones, and its deft negotiation of sounds past, present and future."
CD $18 (In stock next week)

New from MODE Records:

GEORGE CRUMB // MARGARET LANG TEN - Metamorphoses (Book I) (2015–17)(Mode 303; USA) “This important release couples George Crumb’s (b. 1929) earliest work for piano, the Five Pieces for Piano (1962) with his most recent piano cycle, Metamorphoses (Book I) (2017). Margaret Leng Tan has long been a champion of Crumb’s music, and he composed Metamorphoses (Book I) for her. This recording is of the German premiere at the legendary Donaueschingen Festival in 2017.
Crumb’s Metamorphoses is a natural descendent of his monumental Makrokosmos I & II piano cycle of the early 1970s. With a nod to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, each movement of the Metamorphoses is inspired by a famous painting. And, like the Makrokosmos, it requires the pianist to be a virtuoso not only at the keyboard but playing inside the piano and vocalizing as well. Ms. Tan is regarded as the “Diva of the Toy Piano,” and Crumb has also incorporated the toy piano and toy percussion instruments into some movements.
Crumb says: “I have always been most fortunate to have had outstanding pianists who were willing to tackle the formidable technical and musical innovations in my scores. And among the very finest of these is Margaret Leng Tan for whom I wrote Metamorphoses (Book l). Margaret’s technical prowess and superb artistic sensitivity is a combination that must warm the heart of any composer!”
The CD also includes the early Five Pieces for Piano. All the components of Crumb’s mature compositional language are already evident: a broad palette of coloristic effects along with an extraordinarily sensitive command of nuance, his unmistakable musical gestures, an inherent sense of drama coupled with a magical suspenseful atmosphere and a battery of interior piano effects demanding that the pianist be somewhat of a harpist and percussionist as well. This newly remastered recording is taken from Ms. Tan’s Sonic Encounters recital on Mode (mode 15, from 1988).”
CD $15


THE RESIDENTS - I Am A Resident! (Two-Disc Special Edition)(Cherry Red 727; UK/Cryptic Corporation’ USA) Two-disc special edition. "The Residents, long known as the world's most mysterious and reclusive band, are pleased to announce a new chapter in their lengthy and legendary career. Teaming up with PledgeMusic, the group is releasing not just a new album but a completely new concept: I Am A Resident! After inviting their fans to create original versions of the band's songs, The Residents were blown away by the submission of 197 amazing pieces of music. Stimulated by this outpouring of creativity, the group molded this material into the ultimate mashup: editing, looping, over dubbing and regurgitating, The Residents reinterpreted their fans' interpretations, resulting in layer on top of layer on top of layer. Hauntingly familiar and achingly wrong at the same time, I Am A Resident! is both original and completely unexpected. It also only fits into one singular category -- a Residents' album."
1 CD Version $16
2 CD Set $19


ROY MONTGOMERY - Suffuse (Grapefruit 001; USA) "Despite praise and acclaim throughout his career, Roy Montgomery hates his singing. From his point of view, it's done out of necessity, when he doesn't have anyone else around to substitute. Roughly one quarter of Montgomery's epic multi-album 2016 release R M H Q had his singing, and those are his least favorite tracks. Grapefruit has done the best they can to argue that his basso undertones are the center of his appeal throughout his entire body of work, from the first The Pin Group single on Flying Nun in 1981, through his work in Dadamah, Dissolve and on to his legendary '90s solo releases. However, is it a surprise he jumped at the idea of composing an album for other vocalists. This began as a series of alternate takes of the material on Tropic Of Anodyne, the tracks with vocals off his last release. That concept morphed into assembling vocalists to sing on new songs, and he conceived instrumental material that would fit each singer. Half of the songs came together, resulting in Suffuse. The album charts a slow progression from those who share similarities with Montgomery's rumbling vocal technique to those who come at singing differently, with minute contrasts throughout. Haley Fohr (Circuit des Yeux) and Jessica Larrabee (She Keeps Bees) bring the first two tracks, with Katie Von Schleicher following with a raw expression of emotional loss, and the sisters Clementine and Valentine Nixon (Purple Pilgrims) expressing emptiness by stripping away words, weaving their voices together through Montgomery's elastic webbing. Julianna Barwick adds drive and nuance to the foamy sonic waves of 'Sigma Octantis,' as 'Landfall' crashes in slow motion chaos over Liz Harris's (Grouper) multi-tracked layers. These compositions generously embrace their guest leaders, and for the first time in his career, Roy Montgomery has made a cogent artistic argument as to why he shouldn't be singing these songs himself."
CD $12


VINNY GOLIA / HENRY KAISER / DAMON SMITH / RAKALAM BOB MOSES / WEASEL WALTER - Astral Plane Crash (BPA Spa 018; USA) Featuring Vinny Golia on assorted reeds, Henry Kaiser on guitar, Damon Smith on amplified acoustic bass and Rakalam Bob Moses & Weasel Walter on drums & percussion. Amongst the two dozen or so releases that Bay Area guitarist Henry Kaiser has been involved in over the past few years, the Plane Crash Trio, ranks near the top of the great heap. Their two previous releases, ‘Plane Crash’ (on ugExplode) and ‘Plane Crash Two’ (New Atlantis), showed them to be one of the best free/jazz/rock power trios of the past decade! Originally this trio was based in the Bay Area, but since then bassist Damon Smith moved to Texas and now lives in Boston. Drum wizard, Weasel Walter, now lives in Brooklyn and works with a number of NY’s finest: from Lydia Lunch to Peter Evans.
A few months ago, in the Spring of 2018, the Plane Crash Trio reunited in Boston to play one gig and record in the studio. They decided to add two other special musicians: Vinny Golia (on reeds: bari sax, sopranino, saxello, clarinet & piccolo) from L.A. and Rakalam Bob Moses (drums & percussion). Both of these players are veteran musicians with long, diverse & creative resumes. And both push the level of focused interaction higher and higher. Weasel Walter came to visit us at DMG last month to drop off his duo CD with Peter Evans. He talked about this session and mentioned that working (& hanging out with) with legendary drummer Rakalam Bob Moses was a wonderful experience. Both drummers here come from varied backgrounds yet they work together incredibly well, the interplay is often extraordinary. Mr. Golia also brings something special here, switching between bari sax, sopranino & flutes, taking his time to solo at length with each axe, his solos changing the direction of whatever is unfolding around him.
Like most CD’s the Henry Kaiser is involved with, this disc is very long, clocking in at nearly 80 minutes. This disc starts off with a splendid duo between Mr. Golia on bari sax and Mr. Moses playing his drums in his own organic way. Eventual the Plane Crash Trio members enter, casting their own special of creative free improvisations. What makes this session special is that there is an enchanting sense of calm at the center, with each member taking their time to add their own seasoning and soloing. There is so much amazing music here that I will take a great deal of time to fully absorb everything in store. This is improvised music at its best! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15


MIGHTY DIAMONDS - Leaders Of Black Countries (Kingston Sounds 026; UK) The Mighty Diamonds are one of the most famous vocal groups to come out of the Jamaican reggae scene. Their perfect harmonies ride over the wholesome and Garveyite influenced lyrics to such great effect that they will always evoke memories of that time and place, but also like all great music, it never seems to date. The Mighty Diamonds consist of Donald 'Tappy' Shaw (lead vocals), Fitzroy 'Bunny' Simpson, and Lloyd 'Judge' Ferguson providing those fantastic harmonies. They began their recording career working with producers Stranger Cole and Rupie Edwards but found their breakthrough success with producer Joseph 'Joe Joe' Hookim at the legendary Channel One Studios recording "Hey Girl" and covering two foreign tunes, namely "Country Living" by The Stylistics and "Stoned Out Of Mind" by The Chi-lites, which suited their vocal styles perfectly. The vocal group also cut tracks with other famous producers of the time Joe Gibbs, Gussie Clarke, and Tappa Zukie of which are a focus on this release on. These tunes work perfectly with harmonies, weaving together and lifting the songs to another level. The group also leave some room for a history lesson in the shape of "Morgan The Pirate" and the thought provoking "Do You Want To Spend Your Time Wasting Time". Waste no more and enjoy this set by one of Jamaica's finest vocal groups. "Pirates (DJ Version)" features Tullo T. CD version includes three bonus tracks.
CD $15

Last copies:

BASKET FULL OF DRAGONS With GLENN JONES / BUCK CURRAN / HENRY KAISER / STEFFEN BASHO-JUNGHAMS / et al - A Tribute to Robbie Basho Vol II (Obsolete Recordings 001; USA) “Robbie Basho's guitar playing was first brought to light in 1965, when John Fahey released Basho's debut The Seal of the Blue Lotus (1965) on his own Takoma Records. Basho was armed with a unique and powerful singing voice, his 6 & 12 string guitar and a collection of special guitar tunings that he created (even originating the "Esoteric Doctrine of Color and Mood'' - a chart denoting a color and mood for each of his special tunings). After three decades of recordings and touring and a prodigious output, Basho went largely unnoticed. In 1986, his voice was forever silenced by a tragic accident. Basho's music displays an intense passion for different cultures from around the world - heavily influenced by the Japanese (his self-chosen last name inspired by the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho), Persian, Classical Indian, and a culture much closer to home: Native Americans. Basket Full of Dragons is a collection of both original compositions and new interpretations of Basho's songs, and is the second volume to pay tribute to Basho, following We Are All One, In The Sun (IMPREC 295CD, 2010). Both volumes are curated and produced by musician Buck Curran and feature an international lineup of artists. As with the first tribute, this volume includes a contribution by German guitarist Steffen Basho Junghans. Junghans maintains the Robbie Basho online archives, a vital resource for all things Basho. California-based guitarist Richard Osborn (a former student of Robbie Basho) contributes a gorgeous original composition. Rich has dedicated his life to exploring and composing raga based guitar music and evokes the pure spirit of his teacher. Glenn Jones is featured, a leading proponent in the world today of the American primitive tradition. Basket Full of Dragons also features: guitarist Chuck Johnson, Buck Curran joined by Italian singer Adele H, Syrian oud player Tammam Saeed and percussionist April Centrone, Italian guitarist Paolo Laboule Novellino, a duet by Henry Kaiser and Michael Gulezian, Israeli composer Yair Yona, Twelve Hides with Ben Tweddell, Mike Tamburo, the collaboration of Mariano Rodriguez, Karina Vismara and Jonah Schwartz and singer Eva Sheppard joined by her father Jesse Sheppard on 12-string guitar.”
CD $14  [last few sealed copies]

TZADIK CD Sale:

The following 11 Tzadiik CD’s are on sale for the next two weeks, August 17th - August 31st.
Take 1 or 2 of the below and pay $13 each
Take 3 or more and pay $12.50 each

CONNIE CONVERSE // LAURIE ANDERSON/MIKE PATTON/MARY HALVORSON & JESSICA PAVONE/PETRA HADEN/EYVIND KANG/MARTHA WAINWRIGHT/ELYSIAN FIELDS/JEFF TWEEDY/SAM AMIDON/ et al - Vanity Of Vanities - A Tribute To Connie Converse (Tzadik 4019; USA) "Connie Converse was a remarkable composer who worked in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1974, depressed over her lack of recognition and success, she packed up her belongings and drove off never to be heard of again. Little known in her lifetime, she is now viewed as a pioneer of the modern singer/songwriter genre. This exciting compilation collects fifteen of her most unique and soulful songs performed by an all-star group of contemporary singer/songwriters. Featuring an informative essay by musician and Converse scholar David Garland, Vanity of Vanities is a heartfelt tribute to one of the unsung heroes of contemporary songwriting."
CD $12.50

KRAMER With BILL FRISELL - The Brill Building, Book Two Featuring Bill Frisell (Tzadik 4020; USA)
CD $12.50

SHARDIK [MATT HOLLENBERG / NICK SHELLENBERGER / MATT BUCKLEY] - Shardik (Tzadik 7816; USA) This new instrumental trio project from the burning guitarist of Cleric and Simulacrum blends avant-garde classical, free jazz, dissonant math metal, ambient and world music into a powerful new mix. Originally from Philly and now living in Brooklyn, Matt Hollenberg has spent over a year composing these complex and exciting pieces and has chosen two of his oldest musical cohorts to perform them. This bold new take on the power trio will fry your mind!
CD $12.50

IKUE MORI With SYLVIE COURVOISIER / OKKYUNG LEE / JIM BLACK - Obelisk (Tzadik 4018; USA)
CD $12.50

BURNING GHOSTS [With DANIEL ROSENBOOM / JAKE VOSSLER / RICHARD GIDDENS / AARON McLENDON] - Reclamation (Tzadik 7815; USA) A politically motivated quartet at the forefront of the jazz-metal underground featuring four of the most acclaimed musicians in the LA experimental music scene. Playing scorching instrumentals that touch on heavy metal and jazz, the music is uncompromising and intense, filled with precise rhythmic complexity and textural power. Their first release on Tzadik is an incendiary blockbuster and is destined to become an instant classic!
CD $12.50

CRAIG TABORN and IKUE MORI - Highsmith (Tzadik 4017; USA)
CD $12.50

GARTH KNOX and THE SALTARELLO TRIO With AGNES VESTERMAN/SYLVAIN LEMETRE/JULIA ROBERT // JOHN ZORN - Leonard: The Book of Angels Volume 30 (Tzadik 8350; USA) ”Drawing on his vast experience as viola player of the Arditti Quartet, Ensemble InterContemporain and his close collaboration with many of the today’s leading composers, Garth Knox has become a master of many styles. Presenting a completely new interpretation of the Book of Angels, the beautiful medieval-tinged arrangements produced by Garth Knox and his group capture the folk song quality of Zorn’s compositions with a lovely and intimate ensemble of strings and percussion. Playing viola and viola d’amore, Garth presents these enigmatic compositions in a new and refreshing light. This penultimate installment of the Book of Angels is also one of the most charmingly beautiful.”
CD $12.50

SHANE PARISH - Undertaker Please Drive Slow (Tzadik 4016; USA) A long time resident of the Appalachian town of Asheville, North Carolina, Shane Parish is the mastermind behind the cutting edge rock band Ahleuchatistas. Here he steps out with a remarkable and soulful acoustic solo project that digs deep into Appalachian roots. Taking classic old times folk songs, Shane has abstracted them in utterly fascinating ways evoking the haunting and brooding world of the American South. At times reminiscent of John Fahey and Robbie Basho, at times of John Cage and Morton Feldman, Shane uses these beautiful songs as launching pads for his creative flights of fancy, boiling them down to their very essence.
CD $12.50

UNNATURAL WAYS [AVA MENDOZA / TIM DAHL / SAM OSPOVAT] - We Aliens (Tzadik 7814; USA) A lynchpin of the Oakland rock/improv scene and now based in Brooklyn, Ava Mendoza has been taking Downtown NY by storm, performing with many of the best musicians around and leading her own dynamite bands. Her cutting edge guitar playing is front and center here in nine hard-edged and steely blues-tinged rock instrumentals. With a twisted sensibility and plenty of shredding, psychedelic effects and surprises, the music features Tim Dahl (Child Abuse, Lydia Lunch Retrovirus, Pulverize the Sound) on bass and Sam Ospovat (Enablers, Beep, Naytronix) on drums. Unnatural Ways is a tight, exciting new band out the burgeoning Brooklyn scene!
CD $12.50

ROBERT DICK - Our Cells Know (Tzadik 4016; USA) A true revolutionary, composer/performer/improviser Robert Dick has literally redefined the flute for our age. He has worked with a wide range of musicians from classical, jazz and improvised music backgrounds including Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, George Lewis and many others. Here he focuses in on the elusive contrabass flute, and uses a wide range of extended techniques including multiphonics, percussive effects, circular breathing and more! A unique and heartfelt CD of modern flute music unlike anything you have heard before!
CD $12.50

LARRY OCHS With NATE WOOLEY / KEN FILIANO / PASCAL NIGGENKEMPER / HARRIS EISENSTADT - Fictive Five (Tzadik 4012; USA) Founding member of the Rova Sax Quartet, Larry Ochs has worked with many of the greatest musicians in Creative Music-Steve Lacy, Fred Frith, Wadada Leo Smith, Terry Riley, George Lewis, John Zorn, Derek Bailey and countless others. His newest ensemble is an update on the classic New York Contemporary Five and features Larry's Shepp-tinged tenor sax along with some of the best young players out of New York's Downtown scene. Ochs is particularly excited by both the ensemble sound and the music here, a set of pieces he considers to be among his strongest and most successful blendings of composition and improvisation. Fabulous and soulful, The Fictive Five is a tremendous achievement by this West Coast master of surprise! Spectrum series
CD $12.50


LP Section:

BERNARD PARMEGIANI - Les Soleils De L'ile De Paques / La Brulure De Mille Soleils (Wrwtfww Records 008-9; Switzerland) Double LP version. 140 gram vinyl. Gatefold sleeve. Includes liner notes (French and English). WRWTFWW Records announce the release of two never-released-before soundtracks by French award-winning composer, audio experimenter, electroacoustic, and musique concrète magician, and all-around sound visionary Bernard Parmegiani, sourced from the original reels, and with English and French liner notes. Les Soleils De l'Île De Pâques (1972), by French director Pierre Kast, is a sci-fi feature which secured itself a well-deserved place in the pantheon of mysterious cult films thanks to hallucinatory (and superb) cinematography, exploration of supernatural phenomenon and occult symbolism, and one hell of a trippy atmosphere. La Brûlure De Mille Soleils (1965) also comes from Pierre Kast, but this time with the help of none other than writer, photographer, multimedia artist, homme à tout faire Chris Marker -- notably known for films La Jetée (1962), A Grin Without a Cat (1977), and Sans Soleil (1983) -- who edited this bizarre short to brain-melting results that live up to the promises of its synopsis: A depressed millionaire poet, accompanied by his cat Marcel and a sign language robot, travels in time to shake a persistent feeling of ennui and falls hopelessly in love with a woman from another planet. 'Nuff said! A renowned member of the prestigious GRM (Groupe De Recherches Musicales, the French equivalent of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop) and frequent collaborator of Pierre Schaeffer, Iannis Xenakis, and Pierre Henry, among others, Bernard Parmegiani does what he does best with these two rare soundtracks: create moods with electroacoustic experimentation, elevating the weird and hypnotic with soundscapes from other dimensions, and cementing his status as a true innovator.
2 LP Set $38


AARON NOVIK With LIZA MEZZACAPPA / CARLA KIHLSTEDT / et al - Floating World Vol 1 (Porto Franco 21; USA) "In 'Floating World', the San Francisco-based composer and clarinetist Aaron Novik sets to music the writings of local "outsider" poets. Poignant, witty and unique perspectives from the city's homeless, developmentally disabled, mentally ill and genius savant comprise this collection of dramatic short sketches and longer pieces that seamlessly marry pop music with art song. Featuring vocalists Carla Kihlstedt (Tin Hat Trio, Charming Hostess, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) and Katy Stephan alongside a band of Novik's regular collaborators Floating World paints a lush and kaleidoscopically beautiful portrait of the diversity of the Mission District of San Francisco. The 12" edition contains longer pieces from the CD. The jackets are printed by hand on a letter press by bay area artist Reb Peters. Each record in the limited edition of 500 is numbered. Limited Edition. This vinyl record is available only in limited quantities.
LP $15


LEE PERRY VS BUNNY "STRIKER" LEE - Dub Soundclash (Jamaican Recordings 069; USA) What two great producers other than Lee Perry and Bunny Lee would be best suited for a Dub Soundclash? Both producers were integral at the birth of dub music and would share many rhythms and sessions -- their musical paths would cross all through their careers. It was in fact Bunny Lee's rhythm that provided the back drop to Lee Perry's "Shocks Of Mighty" cut. Jobs were passed from one to the other, Bunny Lee taking over Lee Perry's position at WIRL Records. Yes, two producers whose paths always seemed to cross as it does with this release. Jamaican Recordings have selected some of Lee Perry's rhythms, the first half of this set, against some Bunny Lee rhythm on the second half. You can hear the distinctive sound of Lee Perry's Black Ark studio with his echoplex giving his trademark whirling sound against Bunny Lee's rhythms cut at many different studios. The winner of the Soundclash? That is up to you the listener... But in this dub session there is no loser...
LP $19


HOWLIN' WOLF - Moanin' In The Moonlight (Macomba Records 1434; UK) "Howlin' Wolf's voice, once heard, can never be forgotten -- coarse, rasping, his almost violent growl and eerie falsetto ruled the blues. A larger than life, almost mythic figure whose significance and influence still echoes through American music, Wolf's canny synthesis of Mississippi tradition, aggressive creativity and expressive power elevated him to the pinnacle of blues demonology. Equally at ease conjuring full throated rampage and lowdown contemplation, Howlin' Wolf's mixture of raw dynamism and subtle emotion was unrivaled. When soon the singer walked out of the Arkansas cotton fields and into a Memphis studio in 1951, the blues were never the same again, and when Chess released 1959's Moanin' in the Moonlight, the first ever Wolf LP, everything changed. Packed with unforgettable classics, the album showcases Wolf's full, powerhouse blues spectrum, and it's an electrifying experience from start to finish."
LP $16

HOWLIN' WOLF - Howlin' Wolf (Macomba 1469; UK) "Howlin' Wolf's intense, soulful brand of blues was unrivaled. Larger than life, brilliantly expressive, Wolf's mix of raw emotion and far reaching, almost mystical songs grab ahold of the listener and refuse to let go. His supercharged shout still resonates across the decades, both as an unforgettable, profoundly influential voice and as a maverick artist who completely redefined the blues. Wolf's powerful fusion of Delta tradition and his own highly personalized style is never less than electrifying, a hot, sweet, rampaging bellow unlike anything that came before or after. As Sam Phillips famously said, Howlin' Wolf 'had such a soulful sound that when it came out, it was as if everything just stopped, everything that was going on. Time stopped. Everything stopped. And you heard the Wolf.'
LP $16

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON - Down And Out Blues (Macomba 1437; UK) "One of the blues all-time finest practitioners, singer-harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson's earthy yet elegant approach was as distinctive as it is irresistible. And this bonus-track loaded edition of his 1959 debut album -- enhanced by 11 classic bonus tracks -- is a perfect showcase for the famed musician. A sensation since his 1941 start broadcasting on the famed King Biscuit Time radio show, Williamson's dynamism and soulful execution were second to none. Captured here at the height of his formidable powers, Williamson's swinging, evocative style is given ideal support by such famed accompanists as Muddy Waters, pianist Otis Spann and bassist-composer Willie Dixon -- a stellar summit of blues talent whose combined impact and authority qualify these tracks as some of the genres very finest."
LP $16


BUKKA WHITE - Early Recordings 1930-1940 (JSP 11004; UK) "This set of recordings was one of the artistic peaks of the pre-war country blues recording boom. Intense and passionate, these songs are filled with social comment, harsh observations of the life he was subjected to and all performed with an intensity and brilliant hard rhythm. Essential!"
LP $22


AHMED AG KAEDY - Orion Congregation (SCHNEEball 078; Germany) Orion Congregation is a live recording that perfectly captures the palpable raw excitement of a particularly memorable evening, the concluding date of a series of packed concerts which took place in various venues around Berlin in June 2017. Led by Ahmed Ag Kaedy's entrancing guitar licks, which seamlessly merge blues and rock with the traditional "Assouf"-style of his homeland, the pace soon quickens as the band pick up the gauntlet. The double-drummer, double-keyboard line-up produces a genuine Sensurround sound, enhanced by depth charge levels of bass action, blasts of saxophone fury, and storm clouds of electronic whooshes, sending the listener on a sonic rollercoaster with the controls set to the furthest constellation, with the volcanic drumming of Mahalmadane Traoré acting as rocket fuel. The audience hollers and whistles that crop up from time to time are an accurate reflection of the electric atmosphere that pervaded at every gig. Ahmed Ag Kaedy, who is featured in the documentary film Mali Blues (2016), founded the band Amanar de Kidal in 2005 (two records on Sahel Sounds) and worked with Fatoumata Diawara and Samba Touré. Kidal is a small town in North-East Mali which despite its size and relative isolation, has been the focal point for uprisings of Kel Tamasheq rebels against the Malian government for several decades. Ahmed Ag Kaedy's conscious lyrics stress the importance of education and development in a country plunged in deep turmoil. When the extremists took over his hometown, the suppression of music was one of the main points in their agenda. After being threatened with having his fingers cut off if he ever dared to play the guitar again, Ahmed Ag Kaedy decided to move to Bamako, where he still lives. Orion Congregation (or in Tamasheq, "Amanar Assafou", as it stands on the cover in the Tifinagh script) features a floating line-up revolving around Ahmed Ag Kaedy and drummer Mahalmadane Traoré from Amanar, and key members of two bands representing two generations and contrasting approaches to trans-continental fusion. Keyboard and duff player Michael Wehmeyer has been a member of the legendary German band Embryo since 1977, and the remaining musicians, saxophonist, flutist, and synthesizer player Johannes Schleiermacher, and keyboard player Jörg Hochapfel (both members of Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra), drummer Bernd Oezsevim (who, along with Schleiermacher, plays in Gunter Hampel's Trio), and bassist Kalle Enkelmann (Julia Kadel Trio). Recorded live at BLO-Ateliers, Berlin, June 28, 2017.
LP $25


DAVEY WOODWARD AND THE WINTER ORPHANS - Davey Woodward And The Winter Orphans (TAPETE 412LP; Germany) LP version. Includes CD. Davey Woodward has been a prolific songwriter with his bands The Brilliant Corners and The Experimental Pop Band. An indie pop legend to some, obscure outsider to most. He approaches his fourth decade making alternative music with the same enthusiasm and single mindedness as he did in the first. Having recently finished recording with Karen, Davey had an idea that he wanted to record an album of songs quickly with people he had never worked with before. Davey knew the songs had to sound effortless, in many ways go back to a time when artists like Bowie would go into the studio without finished songs or someone like Dylan would work the song out while the tape was rolling. He did not want the songs to sound labored. The Winter Orphans were born. Julian (guitar) had not been in a studio for over a decade. Steve (drums) was playing in a million other bands but found time. Steve knew Mark who was a guitarist. Davey said well he can play bass and piano then! Davey played them the songs -- the lyrics were unfinished and the chords changed many times over the five rehearsals they had prior to the recording, which took place over a long weekend in July 2017. The band said they liked the songs. They told Davey the songs sounded very personal, were they? They said it reminded them of English folk, Courtney Barnett, the Velvets, The Band and Johnny Cash. With those kinds of references, it's no surprise that this record takes you back to a time when albums were a collection of songs that transported you to another place. Where you would be lost in someone else's world for half an hour. The words and music swirling around in your head for days on end. Feeling a connection with the artist. That's a special moment that is increasingly difficult to capture in the fast-forward world we now live in. A culture where actually listening to an album of songs in one go is a rare thing. So you need to make time, sit down, relax, and listen to this debut album. It won't disappoint. Davey Woodward And The Winter Orphans enjoyed recording this album so much that they plan to record another one.
LP $24

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Bruce Lee Gallanter’s Recommended Gig List for August of 2018:

THE STONE RESIDENCIES - JULIAN LAGE - AUG 14–18

8/17 Friday
8:30 pm - QUARTET with Julian Lage (guitar), Jorge Roeder (bass), John Zorn (sax) & Dave King (drums) Improvisations and a few Masada tunes!

8/18 Saturday
8:30 pm - Trio with Kris Davis and Dave King
Julian Lage (guitar) Kris Davis (piano) Dave King (drums)

THE STONE RESIDENCIES - BILL FRISELL - AUG 21–25

8/21 Tuesday
8:30 pm - Duet with Gerald Cleaver
Bill Frisell (guitar) Gerald Cleaver (drums)

8/22 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Duet with Kenny Wollesen
Bill Frisell (guitar) Kenny Wollesen (drums)

8/23 Thursday
8:30 pm - Duet with Andrew Cyrille
Bill Frisell (guitar) Andrew Cyrille (drums)

8/24 Friday
8:30 pm - Duet with Johnathan Blake
Bill Frisell (guitar) Johnathan Blake (drums)

8/25 Saturday (RK)
8:30 - Duet with Mark Guiliana
Bill Frisell (guitar) Mark Guiliana (drums)

THE (NEW) STONE is located in The New School’s Glass Box Theatre
55 West 13th street - near 6th ave
All Sets at The New Stone start at 8:30pm Tickets: $20
There are no refreshments or merchandise at The Stone.
Only music. All ages are welcome. Cash Only at the door.
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 Aug 17
6:00PM NICK BRUST QUINTET - Nick Brust, sax; Katya Dreyer-Oren, vocals; Julian Shore, piano; Josh Allen, bass; Jay Sawyer, drums
8:35PM PERCUSSION FESTIVAL: JAMEY HADDAD - Billy Drewes, sax, flute; Biodun Kuti, guitar, voice; Bakithi Kumalo, bass; Jamey Haddad, percussion

Saturday Aug 18
6:00PM MUSIC OF MEMPHIS PROJECT - Bill Mobley, trumpet; Scott Reeves, trombone; Tim Armacost, sax; Roberta Piket, piano; Todd Coolman, bass; Eric Reeves, drums
8:35PM PERCUSSION FESTIVAL: GLEN VELEZ & HANDANCE - Glen Velez, percussion; Shane Shanahan, percussion; John Hadfield, percussion; Loire Cotler, vocal

Sunday Aug 19
6:00PM QUEENS WITHOUT BOUNDARIES: A RECITAL - John Tibbetts, baritone; Allison Gish, mezzo-soprano; Felix Jarrar, piano/composition

Monday, Aug 20th:
8:30PM AMRAM & CO - David Amram, piano, french horn, flutes, composition; Kevin Twigg, drums, glockenspiel; Rene Hart, bass; Elliot Peper, bongos

Tues, Aug 21st:
6:00PM JULIA CHEN QUARTET - Julia Chen, piano; David Bertrand, flutes; Daniel Stein, bass; Peter Manheim, drums
9:30PM MINJI KIM QUARTET - Minji Kim, piano; Hwansu Kang, bass; Jongkuk Kim, drums; Alex Sipiagin, trumpet

Wednesday Aug 22
6:00PM MIKIYA ITO QUARTET - Mikiya Ito, drums; David Yee, sax; Joshua Torvi, guitar; Luke McCrosson, bass
8:01PM MICHAEL BLANCO QUARTET - John Ellis, tenor sax; Mike Moreno, guitar; Michael Blanco, bass; Clarence Penn, drums

Thursday Aug 23
6:00PM DAVID BERTRAND QUARTET - 'ALWAYS THE SAME SONG' - David Bertrand, flutes; Chris Bacas, soprano sax; Julia Chen, piano; Richard Mikel, double bass; Carter Bales , drums
8:00PM BRAZIL FESTIVAL: JANET GRICE BRAZILIAN JAZZ BASSOON - Janet Grice, bassoon; Lee Tomboulian, piano; Itaiguara Brandão, bass; Daniel Silva, drums
9:30PM BRAZIL FESTIVAL: JIM NOLET AND ARCOMUNDO - Jim Nolet, viola; Marcia Lopes, voice; Q Morrow, violao; tba, percussion

Friday Aug 24
6:00PM RYAN SLATKO TRIO FEATURING ARI HOENIG - Ryan Slatko, piano; Ari Hoenig, drums; Alon Near, bass
8:30PM BRAZIL FESTIVAL: VITOR GONÇALVES TRIO - Vitor Gonçalves , accordion; Brazil Festival: Vitor Gonçalves Trio image
10:00PM BRAZIL FESTIVAL: ZÉ LUIS QT - Zé Luis, tenor sax, flutes; Richard Padron, guitar; 

Saturday Aug 25
6:00PM SPARKLING SOUNDS - Dailza Ribeiro, vocals, comp; Elizabeth Clark, visual, conceptual artist; Christopher Encarnacion, poet; Glauco Lima, piano
8:35PM BRAZIL FESTIVAL: HELIO ALVES QUARTET - Helio Alves, piano; Vic Juris, guitar; Edward Perez, bass; Alex Kautz, drums

Sunday- Aug 26
8:30PM ECLECTIC VOCALS FESTIVAL: JUDI SILVANO & THE ZEPHYR BAND: CD RELEASE SHOW - Judi Silvano, vocals, songs, lyrics; Kenny Wessel, guitar; Bruce Arnold, processed guitar; Adam Kolker, bass clarinet & soprano/tenor sax; Ratzo B. Harris, bass; Matt Wilson, drums

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I-Beam Presents:

Friday, August 17th 8:30 PM
The Out Louds
Tomas Fujiwara – Drums
Ben Goldberg – Clarinet
Mary Halvorson – Guitar

Saturday, August 18th 9:00 PM
Novoa / Noriega / Gress / Rainey
Oscar Noriega, alto saxophone
Eva Novoa, piano
Drew Gress, bass
Tom Rainey, drums

Friday, August 24th 8:00 PM
Innocent When You Dream & Weird Turn Pro
8:00 pm - Innocent When You Dream
Aaron Shragge – dragon mouth trumpet/shakuhachi
Ryan Anselmi -tenor sax
Nico Soffiato -guitar
Alexi David -bass
Deric Dickens -drums
9:30pm - Weird Turn Pro
Chris Klaxton – trumpet
Matt Langley – bass clarinet
Chris Gagne – trombone
Mike Effenberger- piano
Rob Gerry – bass
Mike Walsh – percussion

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.

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The Bushwick Improvised Music Series

Monday August 20th
7pm Matt Lavelle - trumpet
, Daniel Carter - woodwinds, 
Jack DeSalvo - guitar
Reggie Sylvester - drums

8pm Stephen Gauci - tenor sax, 
Sandy Ewen - guitar/electronics, 
Adam Lane - bass
 & Kevin Shea - drums

9pm Jeremy Carlstedt Quartet

9:45pm Bill Carrion Jr. - bass
, Roberta Piket - piano, 
Jonathan Peretz - drums

10:45pm Jeff Davis - drums, 
Jonathan Goldberger - guitar/electronics, 
Jason Rigby - tenor saxophone
11:30pm  Rodrigo Recabarren - drums
 & Justin Wert - guitar

Downstairs @ Bushwick Public House
1288 Myrtle Avenue , Bushwick
(Across the street from M train Central Ave stop)
bushwickpublichouse.com/ gaucimusic.com

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THE SUN RA ARKESTRA INTERGALACTIC TOUR CONTINUES ON EARTH HERE:

Saturday, September 8, 2018 - Pennovation Center, 3401 Grays Ferry Ave., Philadelphia, PA - Free show 6:00 pm

Tuesday, October 16, 2018 - Music Box, 1148 Main Ave., Cleveland, OH - Doors 5:30 pm & Show 7:30 pm

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 - El Club, 4114 Vernor Hwy, Detroit, MI - Show 8:00 pm

Thursday, October 25, 2018 - Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN - Showtime TBA

Wednesday, October 31, 2018 - Philadelphia, PA - Venue & Showtime TBA

The Sun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall Allen has four CD recordings. Two are El Ra Records releases "A Song for the Sun" and "Music for the 21st Century" and the other two are In Out Record label releases "Live at the Paradox" and "Babylon Live".

For additional information about Sun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall Allen performances, including venue weblinks, please click on the "Tourdates" tab of the Sun Ra Arkestra website. Booking information for the Sun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall Allen is available by clicking on the "Info" tab of the Sun Ra Arkestra website, which is located at: www.sunraarkestra.com

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HIGH ZERO Festival (New York edition)
https://highzero.org
at Roulette
509 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11217 / roulette.org/calendar/

8pm - $18 for each night
Thurday, September 19th
Set 1
Tom Boram (synthesizer, computer, harpsichord)
Ikue Mori (electronics)
C Spencer Yeh (voice, violin)
Set 2
Owen Gardner (guitar, cello)
Shelly Purdy (percussion)
Margaret Schedel (violoncello, electronics)
Set 3
Andrew Bernstein (saxophone)
Jeff Carey (computer, lights)
Jamal Moore (reeds)
Ras Moshe (sax)
JD Parran (woodwinds)
Set 4
Lea Bertucci (bass clarinet, alto sax, electronics)
Samuel Burt (daxophone, bass clarinet
Michael Evans (percussion, theremin)

Friday, September 20th
Set 1
Bonnie Jones (electronics)
Laura Ortman (amplified violin)
Set 2
Rose Hammer Burt (reeds)
Sandy Ewen (guitar)
M.C. Schmidt (electronics, balloon)
Set 3
CK Barlow (electronics, sampling)
John Berndt (reeds, computer, invented instruments)
Tom Hamilton (electronics)
Amirtha Kidambi (voice)
Set 4
Chuck Bettis (electronics, vocals)
Jaimie Branch (trumpet)
Stewart Mostofsky (electronics)

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Michael Musillami Trio 2
Michael Musillami, guitar,composer
Joe Fonda, bass
George Schuller, drums
Kirk Knuffke, cornet
Jason Robinson, saxophones, flutes
 
Friday, September 14, 2018 - Sets at 8:30 PM  10:00 PM
Firehouse 12
45 Crown Street
New Haven Ct. - 203 785 0468
www.firehouse12.com

Saturday, September 15, 2018
Sets at 8:00 & 9:15
The Bing Arts Center
716 Sumner Avenue
Springfield, MA - 413 731 9730
www.bingartscenter.org


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Fridman Gallery 5th Anniversary Festival
at Fridayman Gallery
287 Spring St., NY, NY 10013
September 17-25, 2018 - 8pm doors
$20 each night
Co-curated with Daniel Neumann

The Program:
Each night: Victoria Keddie, new videos.
Mon Sep 17
Red Desert play Lucier, Oliveros, Wolff
Ikue Mori
Charmaine Lee, Ben Bennett
Tue Sep 18
Hiro Kone
Drew McDowall
Valise
Wed Sep 19
Hiro Kone
Drew McDowall
Emil Bognar-Nasdor
Thu Sep 20
Ka Baird
Tamar Ettun, Miya Masaoka
Younes Baba-Ali
Fri Sep 21
John Driscoll, Cecilia Lopez
Lea Bertucci, Seth Cluett, Phil Edelstein
Sat Sep 22
MV Carbon, Maria Chavez, Lesley Flanigan
Michael Schumacher
Nino Cais, Carla Chaim
Sun Sep 23
Phill Niblock
Yvette Janine Jackson, Abigail Levine
Carver Audain
Mon Sep 24
Octophonic performances:: Ed Bear, Chuck Bettis, Richard Garet, Daniel Neumann
Tue Sep 25
HAT
Valentina Kvasova
Vitche-Boul Ra