DMG Newsletter for August 23rd, 2019

“Woodstock”
Written & Performed by Joni Mitchell, on ‘Ladies of the Canyon’
Covered by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for ‘Deja Vu’ album

I came upon a child of god
he was walking along the road
and i asked him, where are you going
and this he told me
i'm going on down to Yasgur's farm
i'm going to join in a rock 'n' roll band
i'm going to camp out on the land
i'm going to try an' get my soul free
we are stardust
we are golden
and we've got to get ourselves
back to the garden
Then can i walk beside you
i have come here to lose the smog
and i feel to be a cog in something turning
well maybe it is just the time of year
or maybe it's the time of man
i don't know who l am
but you know life is for learning
we are stardust
we are golden
and we've got to get ourselves
back to the garden
By the time we got to Woodstock
we were half a million strong
and everywhere there was song and celebration
and I dreamed I saw the bombers
riding shotgun in the sky
and they were turning into butterflies
above our nation
we are stardust
billion year old carbon
we are golden
caught in the devil's bargain
and we've got to get ourselves
back to the garden

The Woodstock Music & Arts Festival took place 50 years ago last weekend and there has been an immense amount of remembrances and celebrations taking place for the past month. Ms. Mitchell didn’t attend or play this fest, being talked out of it by her manager. Her close friends, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young did, and she instead wrote this song which captures the spirit of what Woodstock was about. I was 15 at the time and in Boy Scout camp, so I thought hitching there in my BS uniform wouldn’t be such a good idea. Anyway, earlier that month I did attend the Atlantic City Rock Festival, which was better run and had many less attendees.
I am currently reading an excellent biography about Joni Mitchell by David Yaffee which I highly recommend. I have been a longtime fan of Ms. Mitchell, ever since hearing Judy Collins’ & Fairport Convention’s versions of “Chelsea Morning” (1967). I am reading this book slowly, one chapter at a time and then listening to each album once or twice and considering what I learned about Ms. Mitchell in the book. I have seen & heard Ms. Mitchell live on several occasions, especially digging the ’Shadows & Light’ show at Forest Hills Stadium. I just listened to ‘Court & Spark’ the other night and will check out ‘The Hissing of Summer Lawns’ later tonight. Looking forward to finishing this book and checking out her other records. My personal favorite is called, ‘Hejira’. - BLG/DMG

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

The Downtown Music Gallery 28th Anniversary Celebrations began on May 1st & Continues! Every In-store This Summer Helps Celebrate the Spirit of Creative Music Performed Live.

Sunday, August 25h:
6pm: AARON RUBINSTEIN / WILLIAM PARKER / KEVIN MURRAY - Guitar / Bass / Drums!
7pm: CAMILLA NEBBIA / JOANNA MATTREY / VIOLETA GARCIA / DIANA ARIAS - Tenor Sax / Viola / Cello / Double Bass!

Sunday, September 1st:
6pm: SAM WEINBERG / WEASEL WALTER / HENRY FRASER - Tenor Sax / Drums / Contrabass!
7pm: DARREN JOHNSTON / MICHAEL ATTIAS - Trumpet and Alto Sax

Sunday, September 8th:
6pm: KYLE MOTL / KEIR GoGWILT - Contrabass / Violin
7pm: FEDERICO UGHI / DANIEL CARTER / PATRICK HOLMES / MATTHEW PUTMAN /
HILLIARD GREENE - Drums / Reeds Trumpet / Clarinet / Keyboard / Bass

Sunday, September 22nd:
6pm: REMEMBERING BERN NIX - Two Sets for Bern Nix!
BEYOND GROUP with: CHERYL PYLE / MICHAEL EATON / REGGIE SYLVESTER
7pm: RETROGRADE: MATT LAVELLE / REGGIE SYLVESTER

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. You can check the weekly in-store sets through our Instagram feed

*********

DMG/BLG Recommended Gigs of the Week:

JOHN ZORN'S STONE COMMISSIONING SERIES PRESENTS:

FRED FRITH AND HEIKE LISS: Drawing Sound
Next Wednesday, August 28th at 7pm (Doors at 6pm)

This month’s concert features legendary English improviser, multi-instrumentalist, and composer FRED FRITH. In Drawing Sound, Frith and visual artist HEIKE LISS, who have collaborated over two decades on video installations, interventions, and performances, present a series of dazzling improvised audiovisual creations. 
Ms. Liss has long been developing and refining digital tools that allow her to digitally paint and draw over projected videos. Her live visual improvisations are joined by Frith’s otherworldly sonic experiments as he continues his career-long exploration of the essential parameters and limits of the musical “instrument”. The result is a vivid and unpredictable encounter between sound and image.

***********

ERIC STERN’S HOUSE OF IMPROV SERIES Continues with:

INGRID LAUBROCK / ELI WALLACE / DREW WESLEY
Thursday, August 28th at 8pm
At 244 Rehearsal Studios

KEN VANDERMARK & MARS WILLIAMS Sax Duo
STEVE MARQUETTE - Solo Guitarist from Marker
Friday, August 30th at 8pm
At 244 Rehearsal Studios

244 Rehearsal Studios is located at 244 West 54th Street, 10th Floor, NY, New York 10019

*******

This week’s Newsletter Begins with Two New Discs from the TZADIK Label:

JOHN ZORN // STEPHEN GOSLING / CHRIS OTTO - Encomia (Tzadik 8366; USA) “Featuring the fabulous virtuoso pianist Stephen Gosling, Encomia is a collection of tributes to many of Zorn’s musical heroes.The first Book of Preludes consists of three impressionistic pieces in the tradition of Debussy and Ravel that pay tribute to the legendary ballet dancer Nijinsky, the author Novalis creator of the prose poem, and the Hellenistic 3rd century poet Nossis. Encomia is a suite of tributes to five of Zorn’s musical heroes that run the gamut of styles from minimalism to maximalism. Violinist Chris Otto joins Stephen Gosling for the final piece, a new composition for violin and piano inspired by the writings of Sigmund Freud. A remarkable program of some of the most beautiful music Zorn has ever written.”
Longtime fans of John Zorn have realized by now just how much work Mr. Zorn puts into each and every release of his own for the Tzadik label. The covers and booklets for the last two Zorn releases, ‘Tractatus Musico - Philosophicus’ and ‘Encomia’ are extraordinary to gaze upon and reading. Zorn has outdone himself once again, hence his releases with their deluxe covers do cost more and are well worth it. - BLG
CD $17


ZION80 with JON MADOF / YOSHI FRUCHTER / FRANK LONDON / GREG WALL / JESSICA LURIS / ZACH MAYER / BRIAN MARSELLA / SHANIR BLUMENKRANZ / YUVAL LION / MARVIN SOBOL JOHN ZORN - The Book Beri'ah - Vol 8 - Hod (Tzadik 5108; USA) The brainchild of guitarist Jon Madof, Zion80 is a dynamic 10-piece ensemble that explores the Jewish tradition through the lenses of afro-beat, funk, rock and jazz. Drums and percussion drive this tight band of horns and guitars into a polyrhythmic intensity as driving grooves blend with the madness of the Downtown scene. Spiritual, grooving and endlessly exciting, this is essential Jewish music for the 21st century. With Zorn guesting on one intense track, Hod is a dynamic highpoint to the Beri’ah series! Masada meets Afro-Beat.
This is the fourth disc by the incredible Zion80, sort of Afro-Beat, Electric Klez/Jammin’, jazz/rock unit. They rock hard at times, they jam on an infectious Electric Klez/Jazz/Funk/Rock groove! This music makes me feel good and want to get down and dance! - BLG
CD $16


STEVE LEHMAN TRIO CRAIG TABORN with MATT BREWER / DAMION REID - The People I Love (Pi Records 82; USA) Featuring Steve Lehman on alto sax, compositions & production, Craig Taborn on piano, Matt Brewer on bass and Damion Reid on drums. It has been three years since we saw a new disc from saxist/composer/teacher Steve Lehman, although he has recorded with Vijay Iyer (for ECM) and for Jonathan Finlayson (on Pi). When I caught the Vijay Iyer Sextet at Victo early this year, the best solos came from Mr. Lehman. Mr. Lehman started out with a trio, then a quintet and finally an octet. He is now back to a trio, whose earlier disc was released in 2014 and which also includes the mighty Craig Taborn on piano, one of Downtown’s best and most in-demand keyboard players.
Mr. Lehman wrote 7 out of the 10 pieces here with a few choice covers by Autechre, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Kenny Kirkland, certainly an odd combination. Starting off slowly, quietly with a somber song called “Prelude”, the quartet soon erupt into a powerful M-Base like piece with a couple of spinning, interlocking orbits, with Mr. Lehman burning furiously on top while Mr. Taborn interjects another feisty, morse-code like line underneath, over & over & over, before launching off into fire-breathing piano solo. Even when the quartet slow down the tempo for “Curse Fraction”, Mr. Lehman still launches into to furious, slow-burning solo, trading lines with Mr. Taborn’s cautious yet inventive repeating phrases. The rhythm team here is something else, speeding up & slowing down yet consistently super tight, joined at the hip. Even when Lehman slows things down for “Interlude”, he bends each note carefully, keeping the music slightly off-kilter. There is a good balance here between the uptempo and somewhat slowed down pieces, with Mr. Lehman’s alto always on the verge of or just taking off and soaring into the heavens. The title of this disc, ‘The People I Love’, has to do with the idea that it is not just music that inspires and connects us, it is the people we do love that helps us connect the spirit and soul. Thanks to Steve Lehman and his quartet for sharing the love. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15


THE JAMIE SAFT QUARTET With DAVE LIEBMAN / BRAD JONES / HAMID DRAKE - Hidden Corners (Rare Noise 109; Earth) Featuring Jamie Saft on piano & compositions, Dave Liebman on tenor & soprano saxes & flute, Brad Jones on acoustic bass and Hamid Drake on drums. Even after moving up to the Woodstock area with his family in the previous decade, Jamie Saft has kept busy leading several bands and collaborating with dozens of like-minded musicians: Bobby Previte, Roswell Rudd, Bill McHenry and Steve Swallow. After a dozen records on his own Veal label, Mr. Saft has had even more discs released on the Rare Noise label, each one with varying personnel. Mr. Saft always selects his collaborators with great care. Prior to this disc, Mr. Saft once recorded with Hamid Drake for a trio CD headed by Kirk Knuffke. Downtown bassist Brad Jones has worked with Mr. Saft in Dave Douglas’ Keystone, as well as Saft’s New Zion Trio. Longtime New York reeds wizard, Dave Liebman, is one of avant jazz’s most well-respected elders, having worked with Miles Davis and Elvin Jones in the early seventies and recording dozens (hundreds?) of his own records as a leader and busy collaborator ever since.
The one thing I noticed about this music when I first heard it is the spiritual quality at the center which seems to radiate throughout. What is it about John Coltrane’s searching sound, Jamie Saft’s Jewish mystical approach and the the organic rhythm team that brings this quartet so closely together? There is a spiritual vibe at the center of the music throughout. The quartet start off slowly, with some austere simmering going on underneath. Mr. Saft’s piano and Mr. Liebman’s tenor sound perfect together as they take soar together with some strong, spirited rhythm team support going on underneath. “Yesternight” features some sweeping McCoy-ish piano from Mr. Saft, a tasty, touching solo that will tickle your heart. What this disc reminds me most of are those Impulse! titles by Pharaoh Sanders from the late sixties where the music washes over us like warm waves of the ocean. This disc is consistently enchanting throughout, calming down those inner demons we all have to deal with whenever we stare at our phones too much. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17


Legendary Free Form saxist JACK WRIGHT played a area trio set here at DMG last Sunday, (8/18/19) and it is was just incredible, one of the most intense sets of FREE music I’ve heard in a long while. The rest of the trio was Evan Lipson on contrabass and Michael Evans on drums. Mr. Wright left us with three newer discs, some older titles and copies of his great book on improv, all listed below. Here is the set recorded at DMG earlier this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekNkPGXHtqI

BEN BENNETT / ZACH DARRUP / JACK WRIGHT - Never (Palliative Records; USA) Featuring Ben Bennett on percussion, Zach Darrup on guitar and Jack Wright on alto & soprano saxes. Not sure where this disc was recorded but it was releases this year (2019). Both percussionist Ben Bennett and guitarist Zach Darrup have collaborated with legendary saxist Jack Wright before and both have played here at DMG both with Mr. Wright and without. Mr. Bennett has collaborated with Charmaine Lee as well as with David Grollman & Michael Foster. Right from the gitgo, I recognize the sound of Mr. Wright’s note-bending sounds and unique tone. What us different is his two accomplices here. Mr. Darrup has that sort-of Fred Frith-like twisted sound, hard to tell he is playing an electric guitar at times. Mr. Bennett is also a most inventive percussionist, constantly shifting currents as the music unfolds. Mr. Wright occasionally sounds like John Zorn, another master improviser whose career goes back to the mid-seventies, when Mr. Wright was starting out,and would soon work with Italian percussionist Andrea Centazzo around the same time as Zorn. Similar to the set in-store last Sunday (8/18/19) by another Jack Wright Trio, the trio here is intense, often throttling. Not sure if this is a studio or live recording but the results are mesmerizing, close mic’d no doubt. What I like most about this is this: it is completely focused, one force connecting everything, free improv at its very best, with all three members of the trio integral to that solid group sound. If you are not accustomed to this sort of free/form weirdness, that it might take a bit to hear the way things are connected. There is some special, magical spirit/glue which does hold this together so do take some time to fully absorb it. You will be glad you did. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

JACK WRIGHT / DYLAN VAN DER SCHYFF - … two in the bush (WhirrbooM! ##1; USA) Featuring Jack Wright on alto & soprano saxes and Dylan van der Schyff on percussion. Recorded at the China Cloud gallery in Vancouver in February of 2018. World-traveling master improvising saxist, Jack Wright, certainly does get around. Although Mr. Wright is Philly-based, he is always searching for more improvisers to collaborate with. The list is vast and filled with many lesser-known and more well-known creative musicians. Vancouver-based drummer, Dylan van der Schyff, has a long & diverse career, working with many of Vancouver’s finest: Peggy Lee (his wife), Francois Houle & Tony Wilson, as well as a number of international collaborators: Rob Mazurek, Achim Kaufmann and Dave Douglas.
This disc consists of one long (30 minute) live set. Jack Wright has often worked with drummers in duos and trio situations and chooses them selectively. Although Mr. Wright’s sounds has evolved over his 40 plus year career, he does have a recognizable sound. When this disc begins, Mr. Wright sounds as if he is playing a tenor sax, his sound warm, free and careful. I know is is his trusty alto sax but he is playing on the lower side, tone-wise, taking his time, matching wits in slow motion. Mr. Wright has a unique way of bending notes, double-tonguing is his own way as well, sometimes playing quietly, other times sputtering intensely, the balance of the extremes well done. We just three different newer discs from Mr. Wright, so let’s see about those other discs as well. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

BEN BENNETT / JACK WRIGHT - Tangle (Public Eyesore 130; USA) Featuring Ben Bennett on drums & percussion and Jack Wright on alto & soprano saxes. This disc was recorded in July of 2013. In the last few years, we’ve had percussionist Ben Bennett play on a couple of occasions: a duo with Charmaine Lee and a trio with David Grollman and Michael Foster. It seems that Mr. Bennett has been working with Jack Wright for a while, as they have two other discs listed in the DMG database. The focus her is on slow moving, suspense-filled sounds: rubbed surfaces, odd percussion sounds, restrained bent note sax sounds, hisses, more spacious than the more current Jack Wright discs that I’ve recently reviewed. The recording is clear, clean, warm, the duo play slowly, concentrating on each sound. Mr. Wright often sounds like a chattering bird or animal speaking its own language. At times, there are sounds which could be either instrument, very hard to tell. Everything sounds very organic, yet rather strange at the same time. One of the best examples of free form/improv sat its best, most relaxed and thoughtful. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

Back in stock, other Discs and a great Book from Jack Wright:

JACK WRIGHT - The Free Musics (Spring Garden Music Editions; USA) Free music saxist, Jack Wright, has been on a long journey for nearly forty years, playing free music with a long list of fellow travelers from around the globe: Andrea Centazzo, Michel Doneda, Tatsuya Naktani, Joe McPhee and dozens of lesser known musicians. A year ago this month, (January of 2017), Mr. Wright wrote and published a book called, ‘The Free Musics’. If, like myself and many others, you are fascinated by the wide world(s) of improvised or free music, then I highly recommend this book. Obviously, Mr. Wright has thought long and in depth about the history, practice and understanding of free music from around the world. Mr. Wright does an extraordinary job of explaining the history of ‘Free Jazz’ in the US and the way free music has evolved here, in the UK, Europe and Japan, for the past fifty years. Since Mr. Wright has been an active participant in this music, playing concerts here, in Europe and Japan, for nearly forty years, he has seen the way this music has evolved through many periods or currents. I am about a third of the way through this wonderful book and often put it down to reflect on the many interesting points that Mr. Wright makes in each chapter. Last Sunday (1/28/18), Mr. Wright played a duo set here with drummer Michael Vatcher. It was a glorious set, thoughtful, focused and mature, one of the best I’ve seen here at DMG in recent memory. An excerpt can be found on our Instagram site. If you purchase this book through DMG, you will also receive a rare CD of solo sax from Mr. Wright, as well as improv from collaborators: Evan Lipson and Zach Darrup. If you are foolish/lazy enough to order this book from Amazon, you will not get the free CD so… - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
Book with CD $16 [306 pages]

JACK WRIGHT - Places to Go (Spring Garden Music 003; USA) “Originally Colorado based multi-reedman and consummate improviser Jack Wright rendered these "freely improvised" solo sax performances on the road, while also recording some of these works in his kitchen. No doubt, Wright is an active road warrior and generally aligns his wares with fellow like-minded improvisers. Throughout these 11 works, the artist utilizes alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones for a program consisting of understated lyricism, fragmented themes, and multi-directional flows. Whether he explores the innards of his saxes via split tones, pops, wails, or throaty whispers, Wright's often-fascinating excursions provide a venerable source of amazement. Part of the excitement resides within his intimations or clues, as he generally touches upon spurious notions amid some sort of evolutionary process. It's as though the saxophonist is sharing his innermost thoughts with his audience. Naturally, none of this is intended for casual listening. However, Wright's warm and unaffected approach is augmented by a distinct sense of duality, as he seems to be conversing with his psyche and reacting to his environment in dynamic fashion.” - Glenn Astarita, AllAboutJazz
CD $12

JACK WRIGHT & BOB MARSH - Birds in the Hand (Public Eyesore 69; USA) “Nothing more, nothing less: "Birds in the hand" is a stern - but at the same time pretty humorous - example of absolute freedom in improvising; through saxes, clarinet, cello, violin and processed vocals, the two friends always find a way to entertain and going for the listener's throat, all the while keeping a wry smile on their face. They don't care about being all the rage, Marsh and Wright just take out their instruments and ride you around, looking for that spot in your stomach that will be promptly occupied by their funny lines, raucous dissonances, crazy dialogues. Jack and Bob mop the floor with a lot of so-called "names" but they keep you unaware of that, their only apparent goal having a lot of fun with themselves and the world. Nevertheless, the music is damn difficult - and quite amazing.” - Massimo Ricci
CD $12

JACK WRIGHT / MICHAEL ZERANG / BOB MARSH / JOHN BERNDT - That Nothing is Known - Quartet Improvisations (Recorded 002; USA) “A crucial record of contemporary free improvisation, with Michael Zerang, Jack Wright, Bob Marsh and John Berndt. Beautifully recorded from a live radio concert, the first meeting of this quartet--very intense and deeply enigmatic, this CD got great reviews when it was released. "Self-generating logics within an eerie environment of mutable sounds and virtuoso extended techniques, like the world-mirage peeling away to reveal the hollow earth beneath." "...during the final sections, the quartet's performances evolve into something truly special. Berndt and Marsh are at their most flamboyant and attentive during section six. The final fifty minutes illuminate the limitless expressive scope of the acoustic-amplified music interface." - David Lewis, Cadence
CD $12


Three More Discs from LEAP OF FAITH and Their Offshoot Ensembles:

LEAP OF FAITH ORCHESTRA with PEK / GLYNIS LOMON / YURI ZBITNOV / BOB MOORES / FORBES GRAHAM / DUANE REED / REV. GRANT BEALE / ERIC ZINMAN / ERIC ROSENTHAL / SYDNEY SMART / et al - Performs The Photon Epoch by PEK (Evil Clown 9213; USA) Featuring PEK on clarinets, saxes, tarogato, percussion, Glynis Lomon on cello, Yuri Zbitnov on drums & percussion, Bob Moores, Eric Dahlman & Forbes Graham on trumpets, Zach Martholonmuoi & Jim Warshauer on reeds. There is no simple or easy way to run an Avant/Jazz or New Music orchestra, if you want to be ongoing and successful. A couple of times a year PEK (Dave Peck) organizes a large scale orchestra made from a half dozen smaller offshoot projects (like Metal Chaos Ensemble of Turbulence) plus selective musicians from the Boston-area music underground. Rather than have massive rehearsals, PEK has conceptualized and composed a Frame Notation Score, which directs his large scale orchestras. This work is called, “The Photon Epoch” and the is version of the Leap of Faith Orchestra consists of 19 musicians. You should recognize the names of the regular LoF members like PEK, Glynis Lomon & Yuri Zbitnov, as well as some of the guests: Bob Moores, Eric Zinman & Sydney Smart.
The 24 page booklet explains how the piece was written and laid out, as well as showing the time charts that the musicians are directed by. Both are fascinating to consider as we listen to the music. The results are extraordinary! The orchestra consists of 4 strings, 3 reeds, 5 brass, 2 guitars, 2 synths, piano and 2 drummers. The music unfolds slowly and is very restrained in the first section, building in density and intensity as it goes. Although music sounds free, it is rarely too chaotic, there is something holding it together and directing the currents or flow. I have listened to quite a bit of large ensemble music and must admit that this one is one the best. The balance between the free and the directed flow is seamless, organic sounding and even magical at times. To me, this is what real freedom or democracy sounds like, it is real musicians having an intelligent conversation between them. If you listen closely and submerge yourself, you will also be swept away. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

METAL CHAOS ENSEMBLE with PEK / ERIC WOODS / MIKE GRUEN / YURI ZBITNOV / JOEL SIMCHES - Proteus IV (Evil Clown 9222; USA) PEK on clarinets, saxes, moog, etc, Eric Woods on analog synth, Mike Gruen on electric bass & processing, Yuri Zbitnov on drums, percussion and Joel Simches on recording & real-time processing. The Metal Chaos Ensemble is perhaps the most prolific of all the several Leap of faith offshoot units, with some 20 or so titles under their name. This unit ranges from just the duo with longtime LoF founders: PEK and Yuri Zbitnov on up to quintets many of which include Eric Woods on analog synth.
This disc features a quintet version and was recorded at Evil Clown Headquarters on July 11 of 2019, just over a month ago. Whereas early versions of the MCE (metal Chaos Ensemble) featured several members all playing different percussion, this version finds only PEK and Mr. Zbitnov playing percussion. The other three members play electronics and signal processing. Featured on this disc is a somewhat disturbing recitation by drummer, Yuri Zbitnov or PEK himself. As with most discs by LoF or their offshoots, this disc starts off slowly and builds from there, adding instruments one or two at a time. The core of this group, is reeds, el. bass and drums, which soon gets their stride by getting into a fine funky, spaced-out groove in the first section with swirling electronics and/or effects swirling around the central groove. Mr. Zbitnov’s superb, uplifting drumming is at the center of the great groove, eventually turning into more spaced out weirdness. And there back to another great space/funk groove with some swell blasting sax from our man PEK! In some ways, this disc sounds like in was inspired in part from Gong and Hawkwind. The recitation has an interesting science fiction sort of vibe as well. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

LEAP OF FAITH with PEK / GLYNIS LOMON / YURI ZBITNOV / MIMI RAPSON - Charge-Transfer Complex (Evil Clown 9211; USA) Featuring PEK on clarinets, saxes, sheng, melodica…, Glynis Lomon on cello, acquasonic & voice, Mimi Rabson on violin, exotic percussion and Yuri Zbitnov on drums & percussion. This disc was recorded at Evil Clown Headquarters in March of 2019. This is one of the smaller versions of Leap of Faith, just a quartet with the three core members: PEK, Glynis Lomon & Yuri Zbitnov plus Mimi Rapson on violin & percussion. Ms. Rapson appears on just a couple of the more than 100 Leap of Faith projects. All four members of this quartet play percussion or acquasonic (waterphone), besides their regular axe(s). The music starts out quietly with restrained but mysterious sounds. This is the most laid back of the Evil Clown catalogue. It sounds quite casual, like a few old friends getting together for a shared meal and conversation. There are some great moments, weird string duets that occur midway, never over-playing but creating a hypnotic trance of sorts. When the synth finally enters, it does so very slowly, making it impossible to tell what that sound actually is. Rather magical in its own quaint way. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12


THE PROPER ORNAMENTS - 6 Lenins (Tapete Records 432; Germany) “6 Lenins, the third album release from The Proper Ornaments, sees the band master their seemingly effortless but finely-wrought sound as their songwriting prowess refuses to plateau. Fresh from an US tour in autumn 2018, the London jangle pop group led by James Hoare (also of Ultimate Painting/Veronica Falls) and Max Claps (Toy) went into James' home studio in Finsbury Park, London and made their finest recordings to date on a newly-installed 16 track Studer machine -- joined by Danny Nellis (Charles Howl) on bass and Bobby Syme (Wesley Gonzalez) on drums. Having escaped deep, twisting tunnels of illness, divorce and drug abuse to release their second record in January 2017, it's unsurprising they sound sunnier this time around. What their supremely melodic work suggests is a nonchalance or naivety but is in fact an expensively-bought slice of coherence and clarity within a constantly shifting backdrop to their lives and landscapes. The band exists as an unassuming and resilient organism in a fiercely competitive, trashed environmental niche. Throughout their years of hard-edged music industry Darwinism, they've shown longevity and growth scuttling from the wreckage of their previous guitar bands to become one united organism. "We started writing new songs in the summer. I was in bed recovering from hepatitis and very broken and tired so couldn't do anything else apart from playing guitar," says Max, "and the songs slowly started to appear. In August we realized we had five new songs each and free time, so we decided to record them. The actual recording only took two weeks and it was considerably easier than our previous recordings." The speed with which 6 Lenins was made suggests the two songwriters managed to keep a keen focus on what they wanted to achieve, further finessing the balance of conflict and collaboration that lends their sweet, succinct tunes their nervous energy; this is well-crafted songwriting and controlled sonics despite a zealous analog sensibility. The opener "Apologies", sets out stridently and the mood and momentum, even as one weaves through some more somber moments, never dips before soaring with the Velvets-y propeller riff of live favorite "In the Garden" to end the record.”
CD $17 / LP $22

NURSE WITH WOUND - Soliloquy For Lilith (United Dirter 666; UK)”Originally recorded and released in 1988, Nurse With Wound's ambient opus was years ahead of its time, a ground-breaking set of atmospheric sound patterns designed for ritual ceremonies. Hailed as a masterpiece on release, it soon became a firm favorite of NWW fans and topped the world ambient chart for over three months. Originally a limited-edition, three-album set housed in a handsome 12-inch gold and black foil embossed box, this new edition, a CD facsimile of the original vinyl set, contains the entire album, plus 40 minutes of superb quality, previously unreleased music from the original sessions that did not appear on the vinyl. A green foil blocked cover and new parchment insert makes this one of Dirter Promotion's most elegant and desirable releases to date.”
3 CD Set $27

TZADIK SUMMER SALE - 2019:

Here are 10 More Gems from the Amazing Tzadik label, which passed the 800 total recently!

$12.50 each for 1 or 2, $12.00 for 3 or more, sale runs until August 31st.
Please include the price at the end of the review. Thanks.

STEVEN BERNSTEIN With THE SAM RIVERS TRIO - Diaspora Blues (Tzadik 7164; USA) Steven Bernstein, one of the energy centers of the downtown scene here joins legendary reedman Sam Rivers and his trio for an inspiring program of cantorial melodies associated with the great chazzan Moshe Koussevitzky, perhaps the greatest cantor of all time. Moving ballads, hypnotic grooves and free jazz to soothe your soul and stimulate your libido from the man who brought you Diaspora Soul, one of the most popular CDs in the Tzadik catalog. Steven Bernstein: trumpet, slid trumpet with the Sam Rivers Trio Sam Rivers: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute Doug Mathews: acoustic bass, bass clarinet Anthony Cole: drums, tenor saxophone. TZADIK RADICAL JEWISH CULTURE SERIES
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


[ANTHONY COLEMAN] SEPHARDIC TINGE With BEN STREET/MICHAEL SARIN - Our Beautiful Garden is Open (Tzadik 7159; USA) "This is Sephardic Tinge's third and possibly final cd, as Anthony continues to evolve and organize different projects - Los Professionales, the rhythm section from Marc Ribot's Los Cubanos being the latest. 'Our Beautiful Garden' features about half originals from Anthony, half traditional Sephardic tunes and a Kurt Weill cover. Sephardic Tinge is Anthony on piano, Ben Street on double bass and Michael Sarin on drums, the same personnel as their previous cd. "Detritus" is the opening tune and Anthony continues to write difficult, quirky Monk-like tunes which start one way and then zig-zag another, sort of boppish like "Salt Peanuts" and sounds like it was a lot of fun to play. Another original is "Like Trees, Like Leaves" which is the rhythm section stays busy while the piano outlines the sly, fragmented melody. "El Sueno de la Hija Del Rey" is a traditional hushed and minimal piece for floating piano, mallets and bass. "Et Dodim" is also traditional and has a lovely gently rocking middle-eastern theme which is enchanting. The title track is another fine original tune - it unfolds slowly and filled with suspense and cautiousness between the notes - drifting by like clouds rolling across the sky almost imperceptible in their movement. Anthony has a unique way writing tunes that seem to lurch forward in connected fragments in which it takes some imagination to hear the thread lining underneath the structure. "There is Nothing to be Done" seems to be connected on almost invisible strands which rise and fall as the tune moves in waves. "Nani Nani" is another Sephardic tune which has an ancient and mystical melody, delicate and haunting. Kurt Weill's "Youkali" sounds like a sultry show tune, which could have been sung by Lotte Lenya and comes from a time when jazz musicians used to mine Broadway showtunes to improvise on their melodies. "Scalerica De Oro" erupts from the first note as the trio hurls their rambunctious spirit skywards - the theme is played with an intense force from entire trio. This release ends with another drifting traditional song called "Adon Haslichot" - in which the bass and mallets add more subtle and somber support to the elegant piano reflections. Perfect music for the ups and downs of romance and reconciliation from the Sephardic Tinge." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


SYLVIE COURVOISIER - Signs and Epigrams (Tzadik 8033; USA) Swiss born composer/ improviser Sylvie Courvoisier is one of the most creative and imaginative pianists in new music. A frequent collaborator of Mark Feldman, Ikue Mori and Fred Frith, she is a member of Mephista and the leader of her own quintet and the trio Abaton. Here she is featured solo, focusing her unique language of extended techniques into a remarkable new classical chamber music. Mystical, moody and beautiful. TZADIK COMPOSER SERIES
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


DEATH AMBIENT [HIDEKI KATO/IKUE MORI/FRED FRITH] JIM PUGLIESE - Drunken Forest (Tzadik 7264; USA)'Drunken Forest' was "composed' or "directed" by Kato Hideki and this disc is also quite astonishing. Kato used to play monster electric bass with the original Ground Zero, and has since moved here and plays a wide variety of instruments. On this disc he plays analogue synth, banjo, mandolin, violin, lap steel, recorders and a glass of water. It really doesn't matter what he is playing since it is the results that are so fascinating to hear. Each part of this 11 section work creates another alien world which fits perfectly together. What we hear and feel is quite mysterious, ominous, cosmic, disturbing, provocative and utterly magical. It is like walking slowly inside someone's dream or nightmare, we are not sure where we are or what will happen next, but we know we are in for some surprises. I like the way Kato has spun a few melodic themes for the mandolin, violin, banjo or guitar, that add some refreshing charm (or escape) to the otherwise darker shadows that hover over us. This should make many best-of lists this year, no doubt." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


MARTY EHRLICH'S DARK WOODS ENSEMBLE With ERIK FRIEDLANDER / MARK HELIAS MARC RIBOT - Sojourn (Tzadik 7136; USA) "Marty is one of the most well rounded of all the downtown reed players and hence, one of the busiest. From the legendary Human Arts Ensemble in '73, through gigs with Anthony Braxton and (still with) Muhal Richards Abrams. He plays a variety of saxes, flutes and clarinets, and is a fine player, composer, reader and leads a number of superb ensembles. His Dark Woods Ensemble features classical instrumentation with Erik Friedlander on cello, Mark Helias on contrabass, Marty on clarinet & soprano sax only and here special guest Marc Ribot on guitar. This is the DWE's fourth great release. 'Sojourn' explores Marty's Jewish roots, he composed all but two of these pieces. The covers include a somber & beautiful version of Bob Dylan's "Blind Willie McTell" and the traditional Hebrew song "The Modzitzer Nigun." All of these pieces shows this quartet to be exploring luscious, haunting melodies, with warm, resonant results. Ribot plays with nimble and soulful taste, especially on the Dylan tune. The trio selections are a perfect combination of dark wooden spirits - clarinet, cello and acoustic bass cover the same range of timbres with delightful results. Each member of this wonderful ensemble seem to be reaching into their hearts and souls to come up with this work of ancient and modern beauty." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


ERIK FRIEDLANDER'S CHIMERA With CHRIS SPEED/ANDREW D'ANGELO/DREW GRESS - The Watchman (Tzadik 7107; USA) “Active for over a decade, New York cellist Erik Friedlander is finally receiving due recognition, not just as a musician, but as a composer of note. These works display his unique take on Radical Jewish Culture - sweeping melodic lines (reminiscent of cantorial singing) in instrumental arrangements that are both adventurous and traditional. Friedlander's first album, Chimera, was released on Avant in 1995. He has performed and recorded with Framework, Joe Lovano, Myra Melford, Dave Douglas, Fred Hersch, Guy Klucevsek, Scott Johnson and Marty Ehrlich, among many others. Chimera: Erik Friedlander: cello Chris Speed: clarinet Andrew D'Angelo: bass clarinet Drew Gress: bass. TZADIK RADICAL JEWISH CULTURE SERIES
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


ROBIN HOLCOMB With EYVIND KANG/STEVE MOORE/DAVE CARTER/KOEHNE QUARTET - John Brown's Body (Tzadik 7716; USA) Robin Holcomb is a rare talent, with a foot in the pop world of singer/songwriter through several acclaimed releases on major labels, and roots in the downtown avant-garde that reach back to the first generation of Studio Henry mavericks. For her first, long awaited Tzadik CD, she has put together a program as eclectic and varied as her own career. From fragile solo piano pieces and a powerful new string quartet to several songs featuring her own heartfelt vocals, John Brown's Body is the best place to sample the full range of this remarkable artist's musical world. An essential new addition to the TZADIK ORACLES SERIES
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


HENRY KAISER - Requia And Other Improvisations For Guitar Solo (Tzadik 7645; USA) Scuba Diver, underwater photographer, world traveler, film producer and guitarist extraordinaire, Henry Kaiser has been a central figure in the Bay Area music scene since the late 1970s. A member of the first generation of American free improvisers, his style is completely unique and touches on Rock, Blues, World Music, Folk, Jazz, Classical and so much more. Here he steps out on his own for a solo guitar album that pays tribute to a handful of heroes - with a cover inspired by John Fahey's own Requia album - who have tragically died in the past few years. A heartfelt and touching program of 'requia' for solo guitar by this always surprising American Maverick.TZADIK KEY SERIES
‘Requia’ Part 2 will be released later this year. - BLG/DMG
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


FRANK LONDON With THOMAS CHAPIN/MATT DARIAU/DAVID FIUCZYNSKI/MARK FELDMAN/DAVID LICHT/JAMIE SAFT/JOHN ZORN - Scientist At Work [Redux](Tzadik 7167; USA) Originally released in 1999 in a privately pressed limited edition, this is much more than a re-release. Alchemically transformed by John Zorn through radical remixing, editing and overdubs by downtown superstars Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, Cyro Baptista, Jamie Saft (and Zorn himself on sax), Scientist at Work is a dynamic collaboration in the Miles Davis/Teo Macero tradition. Featuring standout work by the late Thomas Chapin on saxophones and bass flute, as well as the lyrical trumpet of bandleader/composer Frank London, this music touches on Jewish prayer, Afro-funk, Jazz fusion, Middle Eastern Taqsim and more. Frank London Thomas Chapin Matt Darriau Danny Blume David Fiuczynski Rufus Cappadocia Pablo Aslan Hearn Gadbois Danny Sadownick David Licht Paul Parkins Newman . Players added on this new edition: Cyro Baptista Jennifer Charles Mark Feldman Erik Friedlander Jamie Saft John Zorn . TZADIK RADICAL JEWISH CULTURE SERIES
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


GARY LUCAS With MISAKO KANO/JOHN ZORN/GREG COHEN/JONATHAN KANE/ et al - Busy Being Born (Tzadik 7121; USA) Guitarist extraordinary, Grammy nominated songwriter, tv and film soundtrack composer Gary Lucas has played with Captain Beefheart, Leonard Bernstein, Jeff Buckley, Joan Osborne and many others besides releasing four acclaimed solo albums in his own right. Here he offers his latest and what he considers his greatest project to date, an album for kids of all ages based on Jewish themes. Combining madcap original classics (Sunrise, Sandman) with soulful renditions of traditional classics (Sunrise Sunset, Adon Olom) and left field hits like a medley of Popeye and Betty Boop themes played on National steel guitar (Fleiscerei), Busy Being Born is brimming with whimsical ideas and treasures old and new: 17 Jewish gems from the fertile mind of Gary Lucas.
CD $12.50 for 1 or 2 / $12.00 for 3 (thru 8/31/19)


LP Section:

CREAM with ERIC CLAPTON / JACK BRUCE / GINGER BAKER - Wheels of Fire (Golden Jacket)(Vinyl Lovers 900199; Italy) “Wheels of Fire is the third album by the British rock band Cream. It was released in August 1968 as a two-disc vinyl LP, with one disc recorded in the studio and the other recorded live. It reached number three in the United Kingdom and number one in the United States, becoming the world's first platinum-selling double-album. The band's drummer Ginger Baker co-wrote three songs for the album with pianist Mike Taylor. Bassist Jack Bruce co-wrote four songs with poet Pete Brown. Guitarist Eric Clapton contributed to the album by choosing two older blues songs, For the second disc, Felix Pappalardi chose "Traintime" because it featured Jack Bruce performing a harmonica solo, and "Toad" because it features Ginger Baker's drumming while "Spoonful" and "Crossroads" were used to showcase Eric Clapton's guitar playing. Gold sleeve; 180 gram vinyl.
2 LP Set $34

MARVIN GAYE - Let's Get It On (Vinyl Lovers 900310; Italy) “Two 180-gram LPs with 15 bonus tracks from the deluxe CD edition. Despite his huge success with his 1971 political concept album What's Going On, Marvin Gaye left social concerns behind for those of a more intimate nature with this 1973 album. Let's Get It On album broke new ground, gaining its place in history as one of the most sexual albums ever recorded, laying the basis for every slow jam ever after, and making Gaye both socially concerned and sexy -- a potent commercial combination.”
2 LP Set $34

FUTURE PILOT AKA with ROBERT WYATT / MULATU ASTATKE / RON SEXSMITH / MARTIN BOYCE / et al - Orkestra Digitalis (Glass Modern 015; UK) Much anticipated and final studio album by Future Pilot AKA, the brainchild of Indo-Caledonian bassist/bandleader Sushil K Dade. Nine years in the making this album was not originally intended to be released via the conventional format of an album release. Initially the individual recordings were hidden in the elements by the artist (shorelines, hills, wind farms, islands, and lochs) as part of a #soniktreasurehunt sound/research project across Scotland. After all the hidden tracks were discovered by music fans via clues/co-ordinates shared on social media by the artist, Dade decided to "curate" a one-off edition of these recordings in the format of a picnic hamper as a conclusion to the #soniktreasurehunt. This was discovered at a bus-stop near Faslane Nuclear base. After several years since the discovery of the "one-off edition" Glass Modern bring together these tracks and finally present these in the classic format of "the album". Future Pilot AKA music is highly collaborative and Dade's previous recordings have featured contributions from a range of artists including Philip Glass, Damo Suzuki, Mikey Dread, The Pastels, The Go-Betweens. Featured on Orkestra Digitalis are contributions from Soft Machine legend Robert Wyatt (he posted Dade a cassette of his vocals lines), Ethiopian jazz master Mulatu Astatke (making his vocal debut on a tribute to Charles Mingus), Brian Eno collaborator Leo Abrahams, Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith, Scottish artists Emma Pollock (Delgados), RM Hubbert, Craig Armstrong, and Turner Prize Award Winning Artist Martin Boyce, who meditates on a quote from an Orange Juice classic.
LP $26

INSTITUTE OF SONOLOGY - 1959-1969 (Sub Rosa 164; Belgium) “Early electronic music from 1959 to 1969 produced by the Institute of Sonology/Instituut voor sonologie, in Utrecht, Holland. Works composed by Dick Raaijmakers, Frits Weiland, Ton Bruynel, Konrad Boehmer, Gottfried Michael Koenig, and Rainer Riehn. Raw material -- a real revolution: music produced by machines designed to construct a new era. Officially founded on September 1, 1960, at the instigation of several people representing cultural institutions, the Institute for Sonology had already taken initiatives in the field of electroacoustic music since 1954. A large complex of studios (initially under the name STEM = STudio voor Electronische Muziek) was set up under the patronage of Utrecht University in an old house on Plompetorengracht in Utrecht. Instruments, machines, and tapes (among them, that of Varèse's "Electronic Poem") coming from Philips laboratories. Double-LP includes insert.
Notes on the five radical composers featured here. Ton Bruyneel: The realization of "Reflexen" took place at the Institute for Sonology and in the composer's private studio. Brunèl has written numerous works for tape and for tape and live instrumentalist. Gottfried Michael Koenig: He studied church music in Braunschweig and composition in Detmold. From 1954 to 1963 he worked at the famous studio for electronic music of the West German Radio (WDR) in Cologne. From 1964-1984, he was the artistic director of the Institute for Sonology. Koenig is one of the pioneering composers of electronic and computer music of the first generation of post-WW2 composers. Dick Raaijmakers: Born in Maastricht, he studied piano at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. From 1957-1960 he joined the Studio for electronic music at Philips in Eindhoven. Rainer Riehn: Born in Danzig, in 1960 he studied composition under Johannes Aschenbrenner and then (until 1963) at the Robert-Schumann Conservatory in Dusseldorf. Until 1966 he studied music in Mainz, Zurich and Berlin. In 1965-66, he participated in courses on electronic music in Utrecht under the direction of G.M. Koenig. Frits Weiland: He enjoyed a technical as well as a musical education. After working for the Dutch Radio and television broadcasting system, he worked from 1961 to 1990 for the Institute for Sonology. Konrad Boehmer (1941-2014): Born in Berlin, from 1959 to 1961 he studied composition under Godfried Michael Koenig. From 1961 to 1963, he worked in the electronic studio of the Cologne Radio (WDR) where one of his creations was "Position" for tape, voice, and orchestra.”
2 LP Set $24

TODD ANDERSON-KUNERT - Conjectures (Room40 4110; Australia) “Australian electronic composer Todd Anderson-Kunert creates a deeply reductive electronic drone work for Moog System 55. Every recording project explores a gap that exists between uncertainty and realization. It can be a treacherous zone of investigation, one that can frustrate as easily as it can reward. In this expanse of possibility, artists and musicians traverse a particular set of variables within which the potentials for their chosen work are realized. When Australia artist Todd Anderson-Kunert, commenced work on his debut edition for Room40, Conjectures, he was intent on approaching this zone of entanglement with equal doses of curiosity and strategy. Undertaking a residency at Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio, which is run by Room40 comrade Robin Fox and artist Byron Scullin, Anderson-Kunert began trawling through the vast array of synthesizers within the facility. After some time, he began to realize the answer to the creation of Conjectures did not lie in some survey of modern electronics, but rather an interrogation of one machine. With this strategy in grasp, he sat at their Moog System 55 Synthesizer, one of only a few existing in the world and set about creating a delicate but richly timbral album of reductive electronics.
From Todd: "I feel I don't know much, it's not that I feel stupid, but often I feel like I'm trying to engage with the world while simultaneously trying to understand it. It's a gap in some form of knowledge I've learnt to appreciate, a contemplation of details and how they relate, but where many are still unknown. When trying to translate this feeling into linear form, the word 'Conjecture' feels appropriate, mainly due to a complimentary duality of meaning. There is the 'formation of conclusions based on incomplete evidence', and so there is a form of understanding and comprehension without knowing. However there was also what was referred to as an 'obsolete' use, which was the interpretation of occult signs. And so here there is a similar type of guesswork happening, however the material that is being considered could be described as ephemeral, experiential, or maybe at times non-tangible . . . Sonically it uses only electronic sounds in order to interrogate frequency, dynamics, and timbre, being influenced by genres of noise, modern classical, ambient and varieties of electronic experimentation. Recordings that were close to me during this period include works by Eliane Radigue, Sarah Davachi, Pan Sonic, Stephen O'Malley, and The Haters..."
LP $24

GOKCEN KAYNATAN - Cehennem (Cacophonic 025; UK) Cehennem is the first-ever collection of the highly sought after and largely previously unheard EMS Synthi AKS recordings of Gökçen Kaynatan, one of Turkish pop and rock's best kept secrets. A key figure during the birth of Turkish rock and roll, a founding father of Anatolian rock and the studio brains behind the first Turkish electronic pop records, Kaynatan's influence runs like the lifeblood through Turkish pop and rock. Having shunned the recording industry early in his career, he remained a driving force behind the scenes and on TV screens, spearheading the explosion of synth technology in Turkish music with his pioneering use of the EMS Synthi AKS, the fruits of which would only be shared on stage, never to be repeated television broadcasts, and in archival recordings that haven't seen the light of day until now. Having chanced upon the newly released EMS Synthi AKS in 1972 during a sabbatical in Cologne, Gökçen undertook six months of tuition in order to fully explore every intricacy of the highly versatile portable modular analog synthesizer. As the beating heart of his now self-sufficient custom-built studio it would propel Gökçen's forward-thinking aural ambitions to a new plane. Making his first entirely synthesizer-based public performances in Germany in 1974, he then returned to his homeland to soundtrack the dawn of the Turkish television age as in-house composer and one-man house band for Turkey's first TV channel TRT, signaling the arrival of a new era in Turkish pop and rock. Increasingly dogged by ill health, Gökçen privately harnessed the Synthi to channel his suffering caused by what would later be diagnosed as a brain tumor, dutifully recording and archiving his studio experiments, which would remain in the proverbial can for over 40 years. With unparalleled access to Gökçen's closely guarded private vault, Finders Keepers Records presents another first with this previously unheard collection of EMS Synthi AKS recordings that represent a vital yet hitherto missing thread in the development of modern Turkish music. Recorded between 1973-75, this modest compendium comprises two of Gökçen's earliest synthesizer compositions and an updated recording made whilst recovering from brain surgery -- arguably some the earliest Turkish synthesizer music committed to magnetic tape, further cementing Gökçen's indelible legacy within Turkish popular culture. Cehennem was mastered from the original quarter inch studio tapes with full cooperation from the man himself.
LP $27

NAOSUKE MIYAMOTO SEXTET - Step! (Le Tres Jazz Club LTJC 007; France) “Le Très Jazz Club present the first reissue Naosuke Miyamoto Sextet's Step!, originally released in 1973. A fantastic modal jazz LP, led by Naosuke Myamoto on bass, with Masayoshi Yoneda on the piano and Takashi Goto on saxophone. On "One For Trane", the group delivers a strong and amazing moment of spiritual jazz. Also features Kunji Shigi (trumpet), Takashi Furuya, and Shoji Nakayama (drums). Produced by Takeshi Jujii. Recorded on August 25, 1973. Le Très Jazz Club keeps on exploring the Three Blind Mice catalog with this reissue, marking their seventh release.”
LP $32

TATIANA DORDZHIEVA AND MARIA BELTSYKOVA - Kalmykian Archaic And Soviet Folk (Sub Rosa 482; Belgium) “Kalmyks (Oirats) are part of the Western Mongolian ethnos, living on the territory of modern Russia. Tatiana Dordzhieva and Maria Beltsykova were deported to Siberia. The two energetic and charismatic grand mammas present here traditional Kalmyks songs (songs about the deportation of Kalmyks in 1943-1944) and Soviet Folklore. This is the first collaboration between Ored Recordings and Sub Rosa.
"In early November 2014 we went to Kalmykia. Our goal was the local 'Dzhangar' epic. The epic genre, as one of the most archaic, can be called a basis for Kalmyk music culture. We met up with Maria Beltsikova and Tatiana Dordzhieva in this village. On the day of our meeting we were able to record more than twenty songs. In the repertoire of Maria and Tatiana there have been religious Buddhist songs, droning laments, ceremonial wedding songs, heroic ballads about Kalmyks in the Patriotic War 1812, and, of course, Soviet folklore. The songs of the 'red' period was presented with a variety of songs: praising the Communist Party and workers of the collective farms and songs about the deportation of Kalmyks in 1943-1944." --Bulat Khalilov (Ored Recordings)
LCDM / ethographic series: Since the beginning of its foundation, Sub Rosa has been interested in ethnographic recordings -- among the milestones: the Inuit anthology, the Bhutan recordings by John Levy . . . more recently, the works of David Toop (Yamomami shamanism) and Ragnar Johnson (Yemen, Ethiopia, recorded in the early 1970s). The time in which the recording is done, it matters a lot because it also captures the air of that Time. On the other hand, the label can only feel it from where they are. It is in this state of mind that they start again a cycle of recordings where the ancient past connects current times.”
LP $16

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

Bruce Lee Gallanter’s Recommended Gig List for August of 2019:

THE NEW STONE
Is Located at the New School’s Glass Box Theatre
55 West 13th street - just east of 6th ave

THE STONE RESIDENCIES / MATANA ROBERTS / AUG 20–24

8/23 Friday
8:30 pm - Schema V and VI - Liberty Ellman (guitar) Matana Roberts (sax)

8/24 Saturday
8:30 pm - Schema VII and VIII - Vijay Iyer (piano) Matana Roberts (sax)

The Stone at The New School will be closed from August 25th until September

THE (NEW) STONE is located in The New School’s Glass Box Theatre  
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

The Stone Series at HappyLucky No.1 - Curated by John Zorn
Friday & Saturday, August 23 & 24, 2019 - 8:00 PM 9:00 PM
JULIAN LAGE with Eric Doob (drums)
HappyLuckyNo.1 is located at
734 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216
Phone: 646 623 0414
by subway: Take 2, 4, or 5 trains to Franklin
Take 3 train to Nostrand Ave.
Take A or C to Nostrand Ave.

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

THE JAZZ GALLERY Presents:

Thursday, September 5th:
ANNA WEBBER SEPTET
Anna Webber – tenor saxophone, flute
Jeremy Viner – tenor saxophone, clarinet
Jacob Garchik – trombone
Christopher Hoffman – cello
Matt Mitchell – piano
Chris Tordini – bass
Kate Gentile – drums
Sets at 7:30pm & 9:30 pm

Monday, September 9th:
FONT FESTIVAL OF THE NEW TRUMPET
Opening Band
Samantha Boshnack’s Seismic Belt
Samantha Boshnack –trumpet/flugelhorn
Chris Credit -tenor/baritone saxophone
Jessica Pavone -violin/viola
Sarah Bernstein -violin
Kai Ono -piano
Marlon Martinez -upright bass
Jacob Shandling -drums

John Raymond’s Real Feels
John Raymond -trumpet/flugelhorn
Matthew Stevens -guitar
Julian Shore –piano/synthesizer
Chris Morrissey -bass
Jason Burger -drums
sets at 7.30pm 9.30pm

The Jazz Gallery is located at:
1160 Broadway, 5th fl
between 27th 28th streets
New York, NY 10001
info@jazzgallery.org

***********

Bushwick Improvised Music Series Continues:

Monday September 23rd

7pm Karl Ronneburg - drums/electronics
Scott Fish - guitar
Kaelen Ghandhi - tenor saxophone

8pm Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Sandy Ewen - guitar
Adam Lane - bass
Kevin Shea - drums

9pm Simon Jermyn - bass guitar
Jordan Glenn - drums
Joe Malone - keyboard/electronics

9:45pm Colin Avery Hinton - drums
Lotte Anker - tenor saxophone
Todd Neufeld - guitar/electronics
Eivind Opsvik - bass

10:45pm Hampus Öhman-Frölund - drums
Robbie Lee - woodwinds
Joanna Mattrey - violin

11:30pm Chris McCarthy - keyboard
JK Kim - drums  

Monday September 30th

7pm Alec Goldfarb - guitar
Yuma Uesaka - Tenor Sax, Clarinets
Caitlin Cawley - Percussion
Joanna Mattrey - Viola

8pm Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Adam Lane - bass
Kevin Shea - drums

9pm Marco Cappelli - guitar
Matteo Liberatore - guitar
Ken Filiano - bass
Carlo Costa - drums

9:45pm Daniel Carter - woodwinds
Stelios Mihas - guitar
Kenneth Jimenez - bass
Matteo Liberatore - guitar
Aquiles Navarro - trumpet
Matt Mottel - keyboard
Kevin Shea - drums
Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone

10:45pm Daniel Rorke - tenor saxophone
Simon Jermyn - bass guitar
Jeff Davis - drums

11:30pm Matt Bent ensemble

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