DMG Newsletter for Friday, January 10th, 2020

“Rehearsals for Retirement” by Phil Ochs
Title song from album released on A & M, released 1969

The days grow longer for smaller prizes

I feel a stranger to all surprises

You can have them, I don't want them

I wear a different kind of garment

In my rehearsals for retirement



The lights are cold again, they dance below me

I turn to old friends, they do not know me

All but the beggar, he remembers
I put a penny down for payment

In my rehearsals for retirement



If I'd have known the end would end in laughter

I'd tell my daughter it doesn't matter


The stage is tainted with empty voices

The ladies painted, they have no choices

I take my colors from the stable

They lie in tatters by the tournament

In my rehearsals for retirement



Where are the armies who killed a country

And turned a strong man into a baby?

Now comes the rabble, they are welcome

I wait in anger and amusement

In my rehearsals for retirement
If I'd have known the end would end in laughter
Still I'd tell my daughter that it doesn't matter

Farewell, my own true love, farewell, my fancy
Are you still owin' me love, though you failed me?
But one last gesture for your pleasure
I'll paint your memory on the monument
In my rehearsals for retirement

Similar to Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs was a protest/singer/songwriter folkie who was loved by many for his forthright lyrics and songs. Also like Dylan, he moved beyond folk and into folk/rock or pop, still writing honest, insightful and often caustic lyrics. The above song is the title track for Ochs’ sixth album, released in 1969. “Recorded in the aftermath of Ochs's presence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago (where Ochs claimed to have witnessed the symbolic "death of America") it is often considered to be the darkest of Ochs's albums, exemplified not just by the lyrical matter but also by its cover: a tombstone sardonically proclaiming that Ochs had died in Chicago in 1968.” - Wiki. Dr. Chadbourne covered this song on a recent disc listed below. I have been thinking a lot about the words to this song and the line, “rehearsals for retirement”. Folks often ask me when I am going to retire. The thing is that I truly love this job: listening seriously to music, discussing it at length with fellow listeners and promoting creative music. It is what I do every day, all day long. I do not intend to retire anytime soon. Only my health and financial realities would make me consider this. To life and the savoring & sharing of Creative Music Forever. - BLG at DMG

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The Downtown Music Gallery 29th Anniversary Celebrations will begin in 2020 & Will Continue throughout the year! May 1st is our Anniversary! Every In-store throughout the Year Helps Celebrate the Spirit of Creative Music Performed Live.

Sunday, January 12th:
6pm: JUAN P CARLETTI - Solo Drums!
7pm: ARON NAMEMWIRTH - Guitar / DAVE SEWELSON - Bari Sax / COLIN HINTON - Drums!
8pm: CHRIS PITSIOKOS / JAVIER A V / KEVIN MURRAY - Alto Sax / Guitar / Drums!

Sunday, January 19th:
6pm: RAGNHILD MAY - Solo!
7pm: CECILIA LOPEZ / JOE MOFFETT - Synth and Trumpet!
8pm: MICHAEL EATON / SETH DAVIS / DORIAN WALLACE CHERYL PYLE!

Sunday, January 26th:
6pm: JEREMIAH CYMERMAN - Solo Clarinet!
7pm: SAM NEWSOME - Solo Soprano Sax!
8pm: NICK DUNSTON - Solo ContraBass!

Sunday, February 2nd:
6pm: JUDI SILVANO and BRUCE ARNOLD - Voice and Electric Guitar!
7pm: T.J.BORDEN / JAMES McKAIN / J GUY LAUGHLIN - Cello / Tenor Sax / Drums!

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

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DMG Recommended Gig of the Week:

WILLIAM PARKER - Trail of Tears Continuum 1492–2020
Friday & Saturday, January 10 & 11th, 2020 at 8:00 pm

Featuring: William Parker: composition, lyrics, bass
Hamid Drake: drums
Rob Brown: alto sax
Steve Swell: trombone
Dave Sewelson: baritone sax
Mara Rosenbloom: piano
Tracie Morris: poetry
AnnMarie Sandy: mezzo soprano
Raina Sokolov Gonzalez: voice
Andrea Wolper: voice
Noa Fort: voice
Patricia Nicholson: choreography
Miriam Parker: dance
Jason Jordan: dance
Michael Lucio Sternbach: film
Universal Tonality String quartet 
Melanie Dyer: viola
Jason Kao Hwang: violin
Gwen laster: violin
Dara Bloom: cello

At Roulette
509 Atlantic Avenue
Entrance on the Corner of Third Avenue;
Accessible Entrance on Atlantic Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Main Telephone: (917) 267-0363 / roulette@roulette.org
SUBWAY - Train lines 2, 3, 4, 5, D, M, N, R, B & Q and the LIRR arrive at Atlantic Avenue-Barclay’s Center; G train to Fulton Street. A, C, Trains to Hoyt-Schermehorn

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This Weeks Dynamite Discs Begin with this One:

FRED FRITH & NICOLAS HUMBERT - Cut Up the Border (Rogue Art 0098; France) One hour of music and sounds out of 33 hours of the film. Featuring: Fred Frith - Nicolas Humbert - Marc Parisotto - "Cut up the Border" - Fred Frith (guitar, bass guitar, organ, piano), Nicolas Humbert & Marc Parisotto (composition).
“One hundred tapes. Recorded by Jean Vapeur on the now legendary Nagra IV S tape recorder. A box full of the original sound recordings for Step Across the Border, the film Werner Penzel and I travelled around the world to make in 1988-1989 with musician Fred Frith. Just before the collapse of Socialism and the digital take-over of the world. Twenty minutes on every tape. That is, thirty-three hours of sound material. In the end, only ninety minutes of it are in the film. The rest of the recordings have been slumbering away in an old crate, and trailed along on our every studio move, surviving icy winters and even a flood in our archive vault.
Now and again I need to clean the tape debris off the Nagra with a brush. Little piles of magnetic dust. But the sounds are still there! Wear debris, a symbol of elapsed time.
All the material that reappears again. Moments, life stories, drifting tracks. Wonderful Tom Cora with his cello. Died way too young, just a few years after Step Across the Border appeared. But the unmistakable sound of his cello remains. The voice of Jonas Mekas, free spirit and clown of independent cinema. And the voice of Robert Frank, the great American photographer and chronicler of the Beat Generation, who invented the cut-up montage that is the basis of our sound composition. Our subway ride with him to visit his son Pablo at a psychiatric clinic in the Bronx. Now Jonas Mekas and Robert Frank are no longer alive. Both died in the half-year after the Berlin premiere of Cut Up The Border.
So many life stories, sounds, music, voices reappear in this material. Trails of noise, recordings: of New York streets at night, game arcades in Shibuya, cicada fields in Provence, seagull cries in Yorkshire. Tapes depicting time itself, like geological strata.
French sound artist Marc Parisotto and I opened the box again and re-composed the raw material together with Fred Frith into an imaginative journey through meandering soundscapes and echoes of the past. - Nicolas Humbert, October 2019
CD $16


JAIMIE BRANCH FLY or DIE with LESTER ST. LOUIS / JASON AJEMIAN / CHAD TAYLOR / et al - II: Bird Dogs of Paradise (International Anthem 027; USA) “The US trumpeter – and now vocalist – lets out a furious, chaotic shriek in response to Trump’s America’s Taking flight - Jaimie Branch. At its peak, Jaimie Branch’s trumpet playing has the feeling of a prelingual shriek, a cry out into the distance that intuits no response. It’s a dark, deeply felt tone, which perfectly fits her second solo album, Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise.
Written in the midst of the Trump presidency and amid continuing police violence towards minorities, it is at turns furious and impassioned, dejected and chaotic – Branch’s bursts of searing trumpet the unifying narrative force. Where her first Fly or Die record, from 2017, was an upbeat mix of New Orleans shuffle and sprightly freeform rhythm, here things fall apart: the drums clattering towards a funeral dirge on album centrepiece Prayer for Amerikkka; synths undulating beneath cellist Lester St Louis’s percussive bowing on Twenty-Three N Me, Jupiter Redux; and Branch’s brass shrill and buffeting on Nuevo Roquero Estéreo.
Branch supplements the wordless entreaties of her horn with her own vocals for the first time on this album. She narrates the desperate tale of a detained and abused Central American girl on “Prayer for Amerikkka”, and punkishly declares that “we got a bunch of wide-eyed racists” in power, while on Love Song she takes a softer, Tom Waits-esque tone, labeling it a “love song for assholes and clowns”.
Her vocals are unexpected but a welcome surprise, characteristic of the fluid improvisatory interplay of Branch’s work (the album was largely recorded live at London venues Total Refreshment Centre and Cafe Oto). It isn’t an optimistic record but nor is it apathetic – it is a communal action; an effort to express that to which words cannot always do justice. The mix of styles also reflects the communal writing ethos of her four-piece band, often composing on the fly in the studio.” - Ammar Kalia, The Guardian
CD $14 / LP $21


Three New Discs from Our Good Pal, DR. EUGENE CHADBOURNE A Restock!

EUGENE CHADBOURNE - Chad is the Champion (Chadula; USA) Doc Chadbourne tours Europe and the US as often as is possible, bringing his unique perspective, prowess and humor to those willing to listen closely and laugh when it tickles our fancies. This disc was recorded in August of 2019, at the beginning of a European tour in Pied Nu Studios, as well as a couple of songs from Dr. Chad’s home studio archives. These are all cover songs and show that Doc Chad has immensely eclectic tastes which vary from Joni Mitchell to Jimi Hendrix to Music Machine to John Coltrane. Doc Chad starts off with Joni Mitchell’s rather poignant song, “River”, sad, stripped down and most touching. This is a studio recording and the sound is warm and clean. A particularly good choice is Hendrix’s “1983” from ‘Electric Ladyland’, perhaps Mr. Hendrix’s best album. A marvelous spacey song with rather poetic words about the mess our planet was (and still is) in. This songs fades right into another Hendrix gem, “If 6 was 9”, which also has insightful lyrics painting some of the hippie ethos just right. Considering that Jimi Hendrix was one of the greatest and most influential rock guitarists of his time, Dr. Chad plays an amazing, long (10 minutes), free-flowing, quietly psychedelic solo on his trusty banjo. Considering that there are a handful of great banjo players out there (like Tony Trischka) who mostly play bluegrass or some jazz, Mr. Chadbourne seems to the only banjo virtuoso who continues to explore the furthest out regions of avant/jazz, often reaching for the stars and other worlds along the way. The good doc also stretches out on a couple of John Coltrane pieces, “Peace (on Earth)” and “Venus”. Both are late period Trance pieces, from ‘Live in Japan’ and ‘Interstellar Space’, in which Trane (and Pharaoh Sanders on the live version), really push themselves and reach for the stars on their respective saxes. Both Trane and Mr. Chadbourne start out with a sense of calm at the beginning of these pieces and then slowly build to a frenzy of ecstatic energy. “Talk Talk” by the Music Machine (from L.A., late 1966) was an early garage/punk gem which had some humorous lyrics, “My social life’s a dud, my name is really mud”… Doc Chad’s version is hilarious, especially the way he sings in that hilarious helium-like voice, capturing that psych/punk snarl just right. Mr. Chadbourne lays with laid back grace on “Rijeka”, spacious, dreamlike, taking his time and spinning out a hypnotic tapestry with several layers of lines which evolve around one another and take us on a good trip. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

EUGENE CHADBOURNE with STEVEN DeBRUYN / JAIR-ROHM PARKER WELLS - Eugene’s Treat Trio / Live Ratsche 2018 (Chadula; USA) Featuring Eugene Chadbourne on guitar, banjo & voice, Steven De Bruyn on harmonicas, electronics & voice and Jair Rohm Parker Wells on bass, & electronics. If the name Jair-Rohm Parker Wells sounds familiar, it should those of you Downtown Music fan-addicts or historians. Mr. Parker Wells was the bassist for local legends, Machine Gun, whose members included Bob Musso & Thomas Chapin. Machine Gun were inspired by Last Exit and were one of the most intense brutal improv units to emerge from the New Jersey Creative Music Scene. They broke up in the nineties after Thomas Chapin passed away and Jair-Ohm moved to Scandinavia. Mr. Parker Wells has recorded in frequently since then playing in Decision Dream with Tony Bianco, as well as a few Machine Gun Reunions. He is currently back in NJ so we hope to get him down to DMG to play. Not sure where Dr. Chad & Jair Rohm hooked up but they work well together.
This disc starts off with a great garage/punk version of “Summertime Blues”, featuring some burning distorto guitar, pumping el bass and harmonica seasoning. The first version of this song that I heard was a hit by Blue Cheer, a sludge/rock epic and this version seems most apt. Dr. Chadbourne always selects cover tunes from his vast history: rock, psych, country, folk, jazz, ancient & modern. Doc Chad’s plays some swell wah-wah, sustained guitar on a fine version of Jimi Hendrix’s “May This Be Love”. Other great covers include “Everyone’s Been Burned” by the Byrds and “Cloud Nine” by the Temptations (great laid-back version with dynamite Isaac Hayes-like wah-wah). To keep things eclectic, Doc Chad does a song in German, written & sung by his bandmate, Steven DeBruyn. Since there is no drummer here, it is Jair-Rohm’s percolating electric bass that holds down the groove for many of these songs. Only Doc Chad would cover a rap tune by DMX called, “One More Road to Cross”, and do a good job of making it his own (with words taken from his own life), complete with cuss words included. Doc Chadbourne does a mighty fine job of illustrating the dark side of the life that we are all dealing with by choosing songs that show things the way they really are. “Running Kind” by Merle Haggard seems like another inspired choice since it deals with never feeling at home while we are at home. Other highlights include great versions of jazz songs, “Monks Dream” by Thelonious and “Enlightenment” by Sun Ra. All of these songs seem to connected by the view that we are no living in a positive dreamland but something much more precarious. I hear you, Doc, loud and clear! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

EUGENE CHADBOURNE with STEVEN DeBRUYN / THILO KUHN - Whats Been Baking (Chadula; USA) Featuring Dr. Chad on banjo, various acoustic 6 & 12 string guitars and dobro, Steven De Bruyn on harmonica (for 2 songs) and multi-tracked harmonicas and Thilo Kuhn on electronics for “Rehearsal for Retirement” (Tim Hardin). This set of mostly original songs was begun in the fall of 2018 and continued during several visits to Metabolismus analog studios in Degenfeld, Germany with Thilo Kuhn engineering. The music here sounds live with a bit of reverb on Eugene’s voice. Sounds like Dr. Chad is playing a 12-string acoustic on the opener, “While You’re on Your Way”, with tasty amplified bluesharp (harmonica) added as some sly seasoning. Not sure why Doc Chad is singing about a Shreeves candy on “Don’t be Shreevish”, but his acoustic guitar playing is still consistently engaging. “Eventually” is slow and dreamy and rather Tim Buckley-like but more stripped down word-wise. These songs seem to be more about setting and exploring a mood, the sound of the 12-string acoustic is most effective and rather dreamlike. Dr. Chad sounds as if he drawing from the vast catalogue of traditional jazz and folk songs, even he has written his own songs. “When I’m Gone” sounds so familiar and even features some quirky chromatic harmonica an as embellishment. The one cover here is Phil Ochs’ classic “Rehearsal for Retirement”, feels just right for this disc: sad, poignant, resolute, honest, apocalyptic… Mr. Chadbourne looks like he a ghost on the cover of this disc, his expressionless face floating on a sea of crayon colors. Why? The vibe sounds like a lament for our darker times. Is there a reason to frown? No doubt. Are there reasons to smile? Certainly, but we have to swim above the quicksand or else… we will drown. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

Back in Stock:

EUGENE CHADBOURNE / HENRY KAISER // WADADA LEO SMITH - Wind Crystals - Guitar Duets by Wadada Leo Smith (Relative Pitch 1083; USA) Featuring Eugene Chadbourne on acoustic guitar & banjo and Henry Kaiser on acoustic guitar. Guitarists Eugene Chadbourne (originally from Colorado, via Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and Henry Kaiser (from the Bay Area for most of his life) met in Worcester, MA in 1976. Mr. Chadbourne moved to NYC in 1977 and became an early member of the soon-to-erupt Downtown Scene. Mr. Kaiser often came to NY in the early eighties to work with Fred Frith (English guitarist from Henry Cow who moved here in 1980), John Zorn, Dr. Chadbourne, etc. Longtime friends, Chadbourne and Kaiser worked together on occasion but rarely recorded. Just a guitar trio from the late seventies, a guitar duo from the nineties and a handful of early John Zorn sessions. For this disc, the great-grandads of avant guitar play the music of Wadada Leo Smith, an inspiration to both and an ongoing series of collaborations with Wadada and Kaiser. This disc begins and ends with two long (around 15 minutes) versions of Mr. Smith’s “Wind Crystals”. The first version was recorded in 1977 (more than 40 years ago) and redone in 2017. Although both of these players often play mostly electric guitar, for this disc they use only acoustic guitar & banjo (Dr. Chad). The early version of the title piece, has that ancient, insect music (which refers to British avant/jazz improv of the sixties & seventies), sort of sound. Sparse squeaks, focused fragments, the stings & body of the guitar rubbed, notes bent and carefully placed. There are occasional melodic fragments that shine through the sparse carefully crafted space. There sections of lovely, bluesy, quaint, melancholy, spacious, stunning, bent notes slowly placed on a blank canvas. Time is slowed down, the pace is deliberate. Things explode on a piece called “Pacifica”, the intensity level near breaking point, the balance between Dr. Chad’s banjo and Kaiser’s guitar just right. The second version of “Wind Crystals” from more than 40 years later, sounds similar yet is better recorded and even more focused. All of those extraneous sounds, bent notes, slide guitar fragments sound even better now as both men have matured, evolved and expanded their own vocabulary. This version is a tour-de-force and a perfect way to bring this colossal effort to great close. It sounds as if both men are giving us clues, references to the many styles that have absorbed over the many years. Most impressed on so many levels. “In Memory of Mike Panico” it says here and no doubt he would be proud of what we have left to inspire us. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14 [Released in April of 2019 & just restocked)


SONAR with DAVID TORN - Tranceportation (Volume 1)(Rare Noise 113; EEC) “The music created by SONAR harnesses elements of rock, jazz and contemporary classical minimalism and fuses them to create a distinctive musical language. Their partnership with David Torn began with their 2018 release, Vortex. Initially brought in as producer, such was Torn's enthusiasm for the quartet's music he couldn't help but add his flowing brand of effusive, vivid soloing and textural layering across the breadth of the record. While that was a spontaneous, off-the-cuff reaction to music that had been composed for a quartet, for Tranceportation the music has been specifically composed with Torn in mind from the very beginning. Bringing a renowned and adventurous musicality to everything he does, Torn's reputation as a 'wild card' instrumentalist has seen him work with an impressively wide array of diverse artists that includes David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Bill Bruford, David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Jeff Beck and Jan Garbarek among others. With parts written and arranged for a new quintet formation of Sonar there's a greater integration of space for improvisation and deeper sonic exploration built into the music.”
CD $17


MAKAYA McCRAVEN with BRANDEE YOUNGER / JOEL ROSS / TOMEKA REID / DEZRON DOUGLAS SHABAKA HUTCHINGS / JUNIUS PAUL / JEFF PARKER / et al - Universal Beings (International Anthem 0022; USA) Now, after 4 years of refining his approach, Makaya McCraven puts forth an ambitious new work – Universal Beings – a culmination of concepts conceived by In The Moment, and his most elegant & articulated work yet.
Spurred by a desire to connect with old friends & new collaborators in places where similar spirits & diasporic jazz innovations are thriving, Makaya worked with International Anthem across late 2017 & early 2018 to setup intimate live sessions in New York & Chicago, and pop-up “studio” sessions in London & Los Angeles. Though the contexts and logistics were D.I.Y. (as they almost always are with IARC), the friends & friends-of-friends that Makaya was able to enlist are top tier players across the board. Some might call them super groups of “new” jazz musicians from their respective cities, with Makaya as a common denominator. But more importantly, collectively they make an inspiring display of the organic global inter-connectedness of the Black American music tradition in 2018.
Physically spanning national & international borders to create an album that musically spans deep spiritual jazz meditations, pulsing post-bop grooves & straight-ahead boom-bap, Makaya McCraven defies the simplifications of revisionism & regionalism while celebrating the sounds, settings & stories that define the provenance of his work. Universal Beings projects an all-encompassing message of unity, peace & power by embracing transcendence in all its expressions.
2 CD Set $16 or 2 LP Set $28


MATT LAVELLE QUARTET with LEWIS PORTER / HILLIARD GREENE / TOM CABRERA - Hope (Unseen Rain 9924; USA) Featuring Matt Lavelle on trumpet, flugelhorn alto & bass clarinets & compositions, Lewis Porter on piano, Hilliard Greene on double bass and Tom Cabrera on drums. Longtime Downtown brass & reeds player, Matt Lavelle, is generally known for his more out playing with collaborators like Ras Moshe, Daniel Carter, Sabir Mateen and William Parker. Mr. Lavelle has decided to do something different this time around and put together a more straight quartet: Coltrane scholar Lewis Porter on piano, in demand bassist Hill Greene (Roy Campbell, Jemeel Moondoc & Steve Swell) and Tom Cabrera (house drummer for the Unseen Rain label). I know of Lewis Porter more as a writer, his book on John Coltrane is a classic. It turns out that he also a fine pianist and he sounds superfine throughout this disc, his playing often fleshing out the songs with exquisite waves. The title piece, “Hope”, starts off with a superb long bass solo by Hill Greene. When the full band comes in, they sound swell since Lavelle has written a magical, uplifting theme with his buoyant alto clarinet sailing on those somber waves. Mr. Lavelle takes an effervescent trumpet solo on “Blues for Micio”, which also has a most infectious, slow burning groove. I get the feeling that Mr. lavelle has been biding his time and holding on to these songs, which are more modest or mainstream that what he has done in the past. Even when the tunes are stripped down somewhat, it gives the horns and piano chances to stretch out, adding some inspired solos with increasing waves moving around the soloists. This disc seems to be inspired by current events like the piece titled, “Trayvon Martin” who was an unfairly murdered black man who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Without any words of vocals, Mr. Lavelle is trying to paint a picture and give us something to think about without pointing fingers. He names the last song, “Love”, a word which all of humans can relate to since we are either in or out of love, something we need in order to survive a hostile world. I found this disc to be consistently stirring throughout, to think about the things which effect us so deeply and what we can do to make this world a better place. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10


EARTH TONGUES with JOE MOFFETT* / DAN PECK / CARLO COSTA - Atem (Neither Nor Records 013; USA) Earth Tongues features Joe Moffett on trumpet & objects, Dan Peck on tuba & cassette player and Carlo Costa on percussion. This is the second disc from Earth Tongues, a unique trio of two brass players and a percussionist who often don’t sound like what you might expect from their instrumentation. Take Dave Peck, who plays heavy metal tuba in his trio The Gate, as well as playing more carefully/microtonally with Anthony Braxton or Harris Eisenstadt. Trumpeter Joe Moffett is also hard to pin down, whether collaborating with his own quintet: Ad Faunum or working with Cecelia Lopez or for Ben Stapp (another great tuba player). Percussionist, Carlo Costa, also runs this, the NeitherNor label, and plays with an odd cast of characters: Yukari, Frantz Loriot, Myk Freedman and Gordon Beeferman.
I haven’t listened to any Lower Case (minimalist) music in a while since it seems to have passed as a discipline or fad or style. I always dug it when it worked. This is what we seem to have here: rubbed surfaces, carefully stretched sounds, soft metallic glis or hiss. The floor tom sounds more like a timpani, the slow repeating thud most hypnotic or perhaps ritualistic. Are we submerged beneath the water? Is life moving in slow motion? Are we all waiting for the apocalypse to arrive? Might as well bathe in the sounds that will transport us to another world. It’s just a dream away. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

* JOE MOFFETT will be playing here at DMG on Sunday, January 17th at 7pm in duo with Cecilia Lopez. This should be pretty amazing so try to be there.


Five More Classic Gems from the Fine Folks at Astral Spirits:

ROB MAZUREK with KRIS DAVIS / INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN / CHAD TAYLOR - Desert Encrypts Vol. 1 (Astral Spirits 115; USA) Featuring Rob Mazurek on piccolo trumpet, modular synth & composing, Kris Davis on piano & prepared piano, Ingrebrigt Haker Flaten on bass and Chad Taylor on drums. Along with Ken Vandermark, trumpet wiz Rob Mazurek, keeps busy leading several bands in Chicago, Sao Paolo and elsewhere, with around half dozen releases popping up per year on several labels. Although Mr. Mazurek has worked with Chad Taylor in the Chicago Underground for some dozen discs, this appears to be his first time working with Kris Davis and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten. This disc was recorded live in at the Crowley Theatre in Marfa, Texas (the state where Mr. Haker Flaten now lives). This is indeed a formidable band, considering they are hadn’t played together before this tour or date. Over the past few years, former Canadian pianist, Kris Davis, has had her profile increasing in popularity with each passing year. The first piece, “Encrypt II Spiral”, features some exquisite piano and a splendid unaccompanied trumpet solo from Mr. Mazurek about half. Drum ace, Chad Taylor, who lives here part time, is in fine form throughout, his playing at the center of each song. Ms. Davis, who is one of the best pianists on the Downtown scene, is inserting former here. Her playing on ”Encrypt IV Bird” is exquisite, the piano & trumpet sound perfect together, playing those elegant, melodic, haunting lines together. There is a superb piece which features the sublime spoken words by Lynn Xu, calm, mysterious and most hypnotic. “Encrypt 37” features some spaced out echoplex trumpet from Mr. Mazurek with more strong, elegant playing, the music is warm and most inviting. Out of the more than two dozen discs by Mr. Mazurek, this one doesn’t sound like anything he has done previously. It shows a more melodic, yet thoughtfully composed side to his vast palette of more experimental projects. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

RODRIGO AMADO / CHRIS CORSANO - No Place to Fall (Astral Spirits 103/MF 207; USA) Featuring Rodrigo Amado on tenor sax and Chris Corsano on drums. This was recorded at Namouche Studios in Lisbon, Portugal in July of 2014. Portuguese saxist, Rodrigo Amado, has remained a singular, strong voice for free/jazz tenor sax for the past decade. He has played with a long list of European and American musicians: Luis Lopes, Carlos Zingaro, Dennis Gonzalez and his sons, Aaron & Stefan, as well as leading a number of strong trios and quartets. Drum wizard, Chris Corsano, has shines at being one of the best, most creative & distinctive drummers to emerge from ever-growing Downtown network. Check out any of Corsano’s work, especially with Steve Baczkowski, Paul Flaherty, Rangda (w/ Sir Richard Bishop & Ben Chassny) or Joe McPhee. From the gitgo, this duo is burning, on fire, soaring higher and higher. Super tight, explosive, intense, spirited, always connected, always moving together. This is free/jazz at its best! Tapping into that driving force which allows us to be free of the usual restraints of the daily blues/news. Things calm down for a righteous bluesy ballad called “No Place to Fail”, so tasty, so touching, superb Trane-like tone and impressive mallet-work, then a long, inspired unaccompanied tenor sax solo and final mind-blowing ‘Interstellar Space’ like conclusion. A wonderful, consistently spirited duo delight! We haven’t had the luxury of having Rodrigo Amado playing in NY in quite a long while, not since his days with Clean Feed. We do get to hear Chris Corsano more often since he moved upstate. I recently caught him with Mars Williams’ Ayler/Xmas Band at the Dimenna Center and that was extraordinary! Check this disc out and help yourself become more inspired. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

KUZU With DAVE REMPIS / TASHI DORJI / TYLER DAMON - Hiljaisuus (Astral Spirits; USA) “In yesterday’s interview, Tom Burris highlighted drummer Tyler Damon and rightfully praised him as one of the most promising musicians at the moment. His collaborations with guitarist Tashi Dorji are especially examples of outstanding resourcefulness. As a duo they’ve been playing together since 2015, both coming from a punk subculture background (hardcore for Dorji, skateboarding and punk rock for Damon). That’s why it’s no wonder that loudness, a certain DIY attitude, furiousness and intensity are key elements of their music. Their previous works, Leave No Trace: Live in St. Louis and Both Will Escape, which both received 5-star-reviews on this site, are perfect examples of this. With Danish saxophonist Mette Rasmussen, the two have already expanded the duo format before and the results were an equally excellent self-titled album as well as the wonderful To the Animal Kingdom.
When Damon moved to Chicago, teaming up with local saxophone wizard Dave Rempis seemed to be a logical move, and it turned out to be the proverbial match made in heaven. On Kuzu’s debut LP, which was recorded in 2017 at Elastic Arts in Chicago, Rempis fits perfectly in Dorji’s and Damon’s vortex-like dynamic.
The music on Hiljaisuus is a game of recurring structures. Harmonic islands consisting of staccato and repetitive patterns are used as springboards and fixed points for further improvisation. “Fontanelles 1“, for example, starts with bowed cymbals and arpeggiated guitar chords before Rempis creeps into this structure with mournful lines reminding me of a wounded to death Peter Brötzmann playing John Coltrane’s “Alabama“. Dorji breaks up this structure and after seven minutes the trio reaches a first peak of intensity, with Damon playing dark, almost cymbal-free rolls. Soon Dorji and Rempis agree on one of these aforementioned repetitive unison patterns, they cling to it and open it up as soon as it seems useful. Dorji’s cold, metallic, and percussive tone is often foiled by Rempis’ and Damon’s extreme emotionality - contrast and imitation being further creative tools the trio makes use of. This way, Rempis, Dorji, and Damon invent an enormously tight pallet of sounds, energy being another compositional constituent. In “Gash“, the last of three tracks, the trio generates a constant ebb and flow, starting from coarse chopping that builds a massive, compact wave of sound creating an atmosphere that is tense to the breaking point. Finally, the piece returns to the beginning of “Fontanelle 1“, where everything started.
‘Hiljaisuus’ is the Finnish word for silence, but the music on this album is the most eloquent silence you’ve ever heard. In yesterday’s interview Tyler Damon said that Kuzu was planned as a one-off. Let’s hope that the album sells well so that there might be further tours and recordings. It’s one of my favourite albums this year and not only for fans of Last Exit and The Thing feat. Thurston Moore I’d say it’s a definite must have.” - Martin Schray, free jazzblog.org
CD $12

CHARLES RUMBACK With JIM BAKER / JAMES SINGLETON / GREG WARD - Cadillac Turns (Astral Spirits; USA) Featuring Jim Baker on piano, Greg Ward on alto sax, James Singleton on bass and Charles Rumback on drums & songs. I’ve only started to notice drummer Charles over the past decade, working with Colorlist & Stirrup, as well as with Fred Lonberg-Holm, Caroline Davis and Ron Miles. Keyboardist, Jim Baker, is another diverse player whose name keeps coming up with the cream of the Chicago underground - Fred Anderson, Dave Rempis & Ken Vandermark. Bassist James Singleton is someone I don’t know very well although he has worked with the Astral Project and for Rob Wagner. Saxist, Greg Ward, is another Chicago all-star who has worked with Mike Reed, Jason Roebke, Jason Stein, as well as leading his own bands, with several strong discs under his leadership.
This disc was recorded live at the Instigation Festival at Constellation in Chicago in September of 2017. This disc consists of four long pieces, beginning with “Dragons in Denver”, a sprawling work which starts with a moderately paced alto sax solo before it settles into a more calm space. Mr. Ward has a warm, luxurious tone on alto, playing with a strong sense of restraint as this piece slowly unfolds. Pianist, Jim Baker, plays long, rolling lines as his solo slowly unfolds. Each piece flows in an organic way, the melodies often sound somewhat familiar like they were based on on old standard. The results here are often somber yet haunting, calm and thoughtfully constructed. Never free or overdone in any way. Modest, warm and somewhat soothing. So nice. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

TURBULENCE with PEK / BOB MOORES / ELLWOOD EPPS / MIKE CAGLIANONE / JIM WARSHAUER - Upheavel (Evil Clown 9234; USA) This version of Turbulence features PEK on clarinets, saxes, taragato, tram boon & melodica; Ellwood Epps & Bob Moores on trumpets; Jim Warshauer on tenor sax, flutes & shenai and Mike Caglianone on soprano, alto & tenor saxes. This was recorded at the Suddenfest Improvisation/Experimental Festival in Dorchester, Mass in November of 2019, just two months ago. Recent news from the monthly Evil Clown Newsletter is that longtime Leap of Faith drummer, Yuri Zbitnov, is retiring from the ongoing, ever-evolving sea of related ensembles. Bad news for us fans since his playing was often the central, rhythmic navigator. Although Mr. Zbitnov appears on only half of the 10 Turbulence discs, his presence in the future will be greatly missed.
Hence this version of Turbulence is mainly a reeds and brass quintet. I admit that I am partial to all woodwind ensembles since they are rare in improvised settings. The quintet ranges from modern classical careful, subtle sounds to the occasional explosive moments. There is a strong balance of space & music here, from duos or trios to four or all five members, no one overplays, everyone listens closely. This music is so focused and well-played that it sounds like some of that more challenging written modern chamber music. Superb! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

TURBULENCE [COSMOCENTRIC EDITION] with PEK / MIKE CAGLIANONE / YURI ZBITNOV - Eddy Flux (Evil Clown 9230: USA) Featuring PEK on tenor & bass saxes, clarinets, Mussette, flutes, game calls, assorted ethnic & ancient percussion; Mike Caglianone on soprano, alto & tenor saxes, sheng, game call & assorted percussion and Yuri Zbitnov on drums & varied percussion. Recorded at the Evil Clown Headquarters in on 10/3/2019. This is a rare trio version of Turbulence, an ongoing Leap of faith offshoot project. This version featured founding LoF founding members PEK and occasional Turbulence member Yuri Zbitnov on drums.
Word is that after many years and perhaps 100 discs, LoF drummer, Yuri Zbitnov is finally retiring from all Leap of Faith projects. This trio also features the newest member of the Leap of Faith, Mike Caglianone, mostly on reeds & percussion.
This disc starts off with just a spacious layer of percussion, cymbals, drums, gongs, bells, tapped, rubbed or even bowed with selective reverb used to enhance the sound. There is immense suspense being evoked, slowly one reed instrument enters at a time, mostly low-end terrain, the eerie vibe slowly building. Both PEK and Mr. Caglianone mostly concentrate on one instrument at a time. The drumming by Mr. Zbitnov is often at the center here as he navigates the flow or stream which connects the other members. Sometimes whipping up a strong storm force, sometimes quietly balancing the rhythmic flow in between periods of space. Zbitnov is a master drummer and his presence will certainly be missed in the future for Leap of Faith and their offshoot clan. No matter who is soloing, Mr. Zbitnov knows how to accompany and push them higher, to whatever the next level is. This trio is a more modest, less turbulent one most of the time. Consistently impressive throughout and they take their sweet time to get there. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10


KALI Z. FASTEAU Complete Flying Note CD Sale!

Zusaan Kali Fasteau has been exploring the connection between free/jazz and various ethnic musics since the late 1960’s. Ms. Fasteau was married to Donald Rafael Garrett, an amazing bassist & multi-instrumentalist and one of the unsung free/jazz heroes of the sixties. He was a founding member of the AACM, played on four of Coltrane's heaviest late period albums, as well as collaborating with dozens of other jazz greats. He formed the Sea Ensemble with kindred spirit Zusaan Kali Fasteau in 1971, traveled the world playing their own cosmic music and recorded a beautiful album for ESP, which was released in 1974 (and it is currently out of print). Mr Garrett passed in 1989.
Zusaan is also an outstanding multi-instrumentalist & vocalist and has continued to evolve throughout the many years, keeping the spirit of freedom and creativity alive. Kali Z., as she is called nowadays, started her own Flying Note label more than a decade ago. Kali has released 14 discs on this label and each one is a gem of cosmic, free creative spirits. All are still in print and we should have them all back in stock in the next week or so. Aside the album on ESP by The Sea Ensemble, the only other disc that features Ms. Fasteau in a trio with Noah Howard and Bobby Few, released on the CIMP label. That disc and the CIMP label are no longer available. Check out any or all of the below discs. - BLG/DMG

KALI Z. FASTEAU With KIDD JORDAN & L. MIXASHAWN ROZIE - Intuit (Flying Note 9017; USA) Featuring Kali Z. Fasteau on nai, flute, cello, mizmar, drums & aquasonic, Kidd Jordan on tenor sax and L. Mixashawn Rozie on tenor sax, flute & djembe. For more than forty years, Ms. Kali Z. Fasteau, has been on a long journey of blending free/jazz, spiritual and world music, which began with an album called ‘We Move Together’ by the Sea Ensemble on ESP (released in 1975). At the time, Ms. Fasteau was married to Donald Rafael Garrett, who once worked with John Coltrane for several records made around 1965. Ms. Fasteau has traveled around the world and studied and plays many different instruments. She has worked with many of the elders of free music like Kidd Jordan (4 records), William Parker and Rashied Ali. She has also worked with Lee Mixashawn Rozie on another previous recording, a well -regarded native American musician and educator. For this session, Ms. Fasteau switches between drums, Nai flute (or pan flute), viola, mizmar (Arabic double reed) and aquasonic (a/k/a waterphone). Both Kidd Jordan and Mixashawn Rozie plays tenor sax, with Rozie also doubling on flute and djembe (West African goblet shaped drum). The music here was recorded at several live and studio sessions in 2012 & 2013. Each of the eleven pieces are duos with Ms. Fasteau and Kidd Jordan or Mixashawn Rozie. There is a warm, somber dialogue going on when this discs begins, free yet thoughtful. Kali plays nai (ney or panpipe) flute on “Subiminal Song” adding bits or eerie echoes to give the piece a dream-like haze. The overall sound of each piece changes on each piece since it was recorded in different live and studio situations, yet the inner vibe of spirit music remains throughout. Both Kidd Jordan and Mixashawn Rozie are powerful free tenor saxists and Ms. Fasteau does a fine job of matching their intensity and creativity no matter which instrument she picks up. There is a piece that stands out (“Lineage”) where Kali plays cello and Kidd plays tenor, it is hard to tell them apart since they both play similar lines, softly bending and blending their notes into one solid force. Mr. Jordan’s tone is warm, tasteful and touching. Each piece evokes a different spirit or vibe, transcending the ordinary and taking us away. We enter the dream-world and meet up with old friends like Sun Ra or Don Cherry, helping us to feel better while the music flows around us providing a spiritual salve. The is a most tasty medicine. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU With KIDD JORDAN / J D PARRAN / MIXSHAWN ROZIE / RON McBEE - Piano Rapture: New Works On Piano (Flying Note 9016; USA) Featuring Kali Z. Fasteau on piano, electric piano & organ, Kidd Jordan on tenor sax, L. Mixashawn Rozie on soprano & tenor sax, flute & djembe, J.D. Parran on alto flute & alto clarinet and Ron McBee on percussion. Although Ms. Fasteau is a wonderful multi-instrumentalist, she concentrates here on piano and organ only fir the first time for an entire CD. She chose three great reeds players, each from a different geographical and historical background, as well as a fine percussionist. It turns out that Ms. Fasteau is as good on piano as she is on any other instrument she picks up. Her opening piano solo is something else: layers of quick waves all over the keyboard. Each piece but one is a duo or a solo piece. Each of the reeds players she has chosen sound great playing with her. Ms. Fasteau will play a repeating theme while the reeds play along and then solo in their own spirited way. Each and every sax, flute or piano solo sounds great, inspired , transcendent. There are two pieces which are dedicated to recently departed musicians and collaborators: John Tchicai and Roy Campbell. Both are stunning and heartfelt tributes. No matter what Kali Z. Fasteau does, she never fails to deeply touch those who give her a serious listen. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU With WILLIAM PARKER / CINDY BLACKMAN - An Alternate Universe (Flying Note 9015; USA) Featuring Kali Z. Fasteau on soprano sax, cello & electric piano, William Parker on contrabass and Cindy Blackman on drums. I knew before I even put this disc in my player, that this is a heavy trio. Multi-instrumentalist and world traveler, Kali Z. Fasteau, has been spiritual & free/jazz for more than forty years and has been a longtime leader amongst those who have helped to create and advance this special music. For this dynamic trio she has chosen two other great musicians to work with: another multi-instrumental hero and acoustic bassist supreme William Parker and the amazing Cindy Blackman on drums. Ms. Blackman is one the most powerful and creative drummers on the planet and some say heir to the throne left by Tony Williams, her main inspiration. A few of these pieces are duos like the opening piece "Vitesse" with Kali on cello and William on contrabass. Both strings sound great together with Kali bowing up a storm and William bouncing his bow rhythmically on & between his bass strings. Kali switches to soprano sax for "Fervor" and gets that great Trane-like tone while the rhythm teams plays that hypnotic throb underneath. "Ardor" is a an epic-length duo for cello and acoustic bass and it is something else with both Kali and William bowing in an intense and spirited frenzy. Not so sure who is who here but I was blown away nonetheless. Building and burning and ascending throughout! When Kali plays electric piano on "Liquid Geometry", she has that cerebral, Sun Ra-like sound which is most mesmerizing. Although there are eight separate pieces recorded on two dates a few days apart (Dec '91 & Jan '92), the spiritual vibe is continuous flowing from one piece to the next. "Bonobos" closes the proceeding with one of those Trane-like hypnotic grooves sort of like "India", combining Eastern and Western streams seamlessly. Kali Fasteau's soprano playing here is transcendent as is superb rhythm team interaction below. A stone groove fest for spirit folks like you and me. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU With LOUIS MOHOLO/BOBBY FEW et al - Animal Grace: Live In Harlem/Live In The Alps (Flying Note 9014; USA) Live in Harlem was recorded at Big Apple Jazzspace on a warm Sunday, June 17, 2007. The synchronicity of Kali's duets with the great South African drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo is amazing. The last time they had played together was in the 70s with Don Rafael Garrett and others in Amsterdam. This spontaneous music shines with abundant energy and momentum flowing freely from these 2 Piscean musicians. Louis' smooth and inventive play with time perfectly complements Kali's contouring sleek waves of sound. Here Kali Z. plays mizmar, piano harp & keys, nai flute, voice, violin and soprano sax. Live in the Alps was recorded at the Uncool Festival of Jazz, Improvised Planetary and Cosmo Music at La Prese, Switzerland in a lovely outdoor setting by a mountain lake, on May 6, 2005. This splendid concert displays the excellent talents of Kali's longtime collaborator, pianist Bobby Few, plus spirited drummer Steve McCraven and bassist Wayne Dockery, both mainstays of Archie Shepp's Europe-based bands. Here Kali. Z. plays soprano sax, nai flute, voice, & drum set. "This magical, mystical disc features music from two different sets featuring the wonderful Kali Z. Fasteau on mizmar, piano, soprano sax, nai flute, violin, sanza, voice & drums. The first half is a duo with South African legendary drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo recorded live in Harlem. The second half was recorded at the Uncool Festival in the Swiss Alps with another legend - Bobby Few on piano, Wayne Dockery on bass and Steve McCraven on drum set. Drum master Louis Moholo finally returned to South Africa after more than forty years to reunite with family and friends, hence his double name since taking over his family. He comes to the US on rare occasion, just a few times over the past decade. Ms. Fasteau was able to get Mr. Moholo for one night in June of 2007 the same week he played at the Vision Fest. The mizmar is an Egyptian double reed instrument and the opening duo features mizmar & drums. The vibe & sound is exotic and compelling with Kali bending those notes inside-out and Louis outlining the rhythms in his own unique way. Although the sound is a bit ragged, the spirit is deep and immensely moving. Each duo piece features Kali on a different instrument and each one is special in its own way. I am reminded of those great loft gigs from the mid-seventies when almost anything could and did happen, the spirit that takes us along for a ride was always there. Kali plays nai, a wooden flute with some echoplex employed while Louis plays with brushes. The dialogue is stunning, as the notes swirl around one another in an endless cosmic stream. Kali's strange vocals and cerebral violin add an otherworldly charm the is most hypnotic piece, while she saves the best for last by playing her soprano sax in the final piece with Louis. Louis Moholo-Moholo is in incredible form throughout this set, just listening to his distinctive drumming is a treasure hearing again & again. The quartet with Bobby Few, Wayne Dockery & Steve McCraven is equally magical, spiritual and even better recorded. Kali and Bobby work together so well with waves of notes flowing one over the other. The quartet has that later Coltrane quartet-like sound, freely flowing together in warm spirals. Whereas I remember Wayne Dockery's name from dates he did on the seventies with Art Blakey & Hal Galper, Steve McCraven's name sounds somewhat more obscure. Still all four members play as if they've been working together for a long time. Kali plays some superb nai flute on "Airstreams" and sublime sanza (thumb piano) on "Melting Ice". The double drums & bowed bass on "Jumping on the Drums" is especially strong while the final piece with Kali again on soprano is a righteous way to bring this devastating event to a dramatic close. Completely cosmic from start to finish!" - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU/EDWARD 'KIDD' JORDAN With NEWMAN TAYLOR BAKER - Live At The Kerava Jazz Festival Finland (Flying Note 9012 ,USA) Featuring Kali Z. Fasteau on soprano sax, piano, flute, mizmar, nai, cello, synth, violin, drums & voice, "Kidd" Jordan on tenor sax and Newman Taylor Baker on drum set & talking drum. You just got to love the unstoppable, spiritual sorceress, Kali Fasteau, as she continues to ride those cosmic waves. This is Kali's 15th disc as a leader and she and her trusty trio with the hard-blowing Kidd Jordan (New Orleans' finest) and one of downtown's best drummers, Newman T. Baker. Kali plays a mizmar, some sort of strange double reed thing, on the first piece, which sounds perfect along with Kidd's burning tenor and Newman's free-flowing drums. Kali scrapes her piano-harp on "Trancendance," giving this piece a more eerie sound as Kidd plays with more restraint and suspense. When Zali begins playing the piano keyboard, she sounds like McCoy Tyner with Kidd playing in more Trane-like tone. Most spiritually uplifting and ending in a sea of calm waters. Kali plays some fine echoed nai flute on "Reed Trance Plant" in a strong duo with Newman on talking drums. Kali plays some strong out cello on "Received Wisdom" which works perfectly with Kidd Jordan's more laid-back tenor, their warm, wooden tones overlapping in a most sympathetic way. Kali's synth playing is stunning on "Sibelius Suite" which again sounds so fine with Kidd's sublime, touching tone and Newman's splendid mallet work. What is so wonderful about this disc is that it is just a trio that approaches each piece with care, craft and a spiritual vibe at the center. I do find this music to be completely transcendent. - BLG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU/EDWARD 'KIDD' JORDAN With MICHAEL T A THOMPSON - People Of The Ninth: New Orleans And The Hurricane 2005 (Flying Note 9011; USA) Subtitled: "New Orleans and the Hurricane 2005". Featuring Kali Z. Fasteau on piano, cello, soprano sax, nai flute & aquasonic, Kidd Jordan on tenor sax and Michael Thompson on drums & balafon. This dynamic trio features elder statesman saxist and professor, Kidd Jordan from New Orleans and was recorded on September 25th, 2005, soon after the disastrous Hurricane Katrina. Kidd Jordan's family lived in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans for many years and this recording is an attempt to capture the sounds and emotions Kidd experienced during this extreme situation. "Levees, Lies & Lives" opens with the spiritual swirl of tenor, piano and drums, rising and falling in massive waves. On"Rising Winds" Kali's cello and Kidd's tenor are bathed in cosmic echoes, like ghosts embracing each other and chanting together. Kali's saxes and cello and Kidd's tenor are perfectly balanced throughout, blending together as one voice or one spirit. Michael Thompson's drums also provide the perfect counter-balance between the two wind instruments. "What Once Was" is a sublime duo for (nai) flute and balafon (African marimba), with Kali's haunting flute dancing on top of the great balafon groove. Kali plays aquasonic or waterphone on "Whale's Advice", which evokes the cries of the whale most righteously. "Rescue Denied" has Kidd's sax crying out in the distance as Kali scrapes the inside of the piano to great effect.. Each piece seems to evoke another spirit, setting the scene for the the natural forces, as Mother Nature puts us to the test. This disc is one of the heaviest and most dynamic of all. Each sound, each voice, reaches out to touch us and does an immensely wonderful job. You can not do anything while this music/story unfolds. You can only be transfixed and swept away. Hallelujah is all one can answer. - BLG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU With EDWARD 'KIDD' JORDAN/BOBBY FEW/SIRONE [NORRIS JONES] - Making Waves (Flying Note 9010; USA) Featuring Kidd Jordan on tenor sax, Bobby Few on piano, Sirone on bass and Kali Z. on soprano sax, synth, cello, voice, mizmar and drums. Making Waves consists of a series of mostly duets and a couple of quartets with our favorite cosmic queen of space-age, spiritual improv. Kali Z. has been around the world many times since her career in the sixties began, playing with some of the heaviest avant-jazz musicians known. She was once married to and explored the further realms with the legendary Coltrane collaborator Donald Rafael Garrett, so that wonderful free-flowing spirit consistently burns through her powerful playing, no matter which instrument she uses. On Making Waves she matches wits with three other strong musicians: Kidd Jordan on tenor sax, Bobby Few on piano and Sirone on bass. The quartet pieces are especially amazing, a little less synth might make this gem a bit more incredible for the synth snobs amongst us. Still, this is pretty cosmic music for times that could really use this spirit of exploration. BLG

KALI Z. FASTEAU With LEE MIXASHAWN ROZIE / OKKYUNG LEE / NEWMAN TAYLOR BAKER / et al - Oneness (Flying Note 9009; USA) This is legendary multi-instrumental improviser and world traveler Kali Z(usaan formerly) Fasteau's 2003 release for the Flying Note label. Here Kali focuses on piano, soprano & alto saxes, nai reed flutes, mizmars, drums and voice and is joined by Lee Mixashawn Rozie on tenor sax, flute & djembe; Okkyung Lee on cello and Newman Baker, Marvin Smith & Ron McBee on drums, percussion & djembes as well. Since co-leading the Sea Ensemble (an ESP record) with her late partner Donald Rafael Garrett in the early seventies, Zusaan has continued to explore ethnic instruments from everywhere and improvise magic music with other gifted musicians from diverse backgrounds. On 'Oneness', Kali continues to work with Native American sax legend Mixashawn Rozie, three fine percussionists and our good friend & local cello wizard, Okkyung Lee. 'Oneness' was recorded live at four concerts in 2001 and captures Kali's consistently magical improv spirits. Each of the sixteen tracks range from duos to quartet segments. Kali switches between some six instruments and is convincing on each, from playing the Cecil-like free-flowing piano on "Beyond Words" to the other-world sonics pulled from inside the piano on "Grand Kanun". From the riveting double reed of the mizmar on "Elephants' Dance" to the lovely nai flutes on various pieces here. The spirited drumming of all four percussionists (Kali included) is splendid throughout and gives much of this a ritualistic and organic vibe of being in a (global) village somewhere on mother earth. Nice to hear the wonderful Okkyung Lee add her special spice added to the longest track here. Soothing and spiritual music for troubled times. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU & DONALD RAFAEL GARRETT [SEA ENSEMBLE] - Memoirs Of A Dream: Streaming Love/Come From Deep [2 CD set] (Flying Note 9008; USA) "Now that Vision Festival is over and that free/jazz love vibe (60's style) is still with us, it is a perfect time to review this wonderful cosmic gift of the gods. Donald Rafael Garrett was an amazing bassist & multi-instrumentalist and one of the unsung free/jazz heroes of the sixties. A founding member of the AACM, he played on four of Coltrane's heaviest late period lps, as well as collaborating with dozens of other jazz greats. He formed the Sea Ensemble with kindred spirit Zusaan Kali Fasteau in 1971, traveled the world playing their own cosmic music and recorded a beautiful lp for ESP. He passed in 1989. Zusaan is also an outstanding multi-instrumentalist & vocalist. I love her voice on that fabulous Noah Howard 'Patterns' reissue that Eremite released last year and her sax (flutes & piano) playing consistently blows minds on each and every release that still come our way to this day. 'Memoirs of a Dream' is a deeply moving double cd from Zusaan & Donald recorded at two concerts in Holland in May of '75 and in Ankara, Turkey in March of '77. Both Zusaan & Donald play many instruments from various flutes, balafon, clarinet, cello, sanza, zurna, contrabass, to percussion and vocals. "Streaming Love" is from the Holland gig and it sound like it is from another world where peace and harmony rule. Donald's contrabass is thick, effervescent and completely uplifting as Zusaan adds her magic on thumb piano, cello, piano (inside & out), vocal and percussion. These are two very special spirits coming together as one cosmic force, it is all connected and beautifully recorded. This music unfolds slowly and quite naturally like a flower reaching up toward the sun for nourishment, we also reach for music like this to nourish our spirits. The flutes caress each other like birds making love in flight, droning long warm tones for inner peace. Gracious, pure and lovely to behold. "Come From Deep" is the Turkish gig and although many of the pieces are shorter, it is no less cosmic -we are once again taken on a mystical journey through calm and fascinating worlds of sound. For those of you searching for the inner light, both of these CDs will help you on your way" - BLG
2 CD Set $20

KALI Z. FASTEAU With SABIR MATEEN / JOE McPHEE / WILLIAM PARKER / HAMID DRAKE / RON McBEE - Vivid (Flying Note 9007; USA) Kali Z. Fasteau - composer, Soprano Saxophone, Voice, Nai & Kaval Flutes,Mizmar, Drum Set, Moursin & Sanza.HAMID DRAKE: Drum Set, Bindir & Voice, SABIR MATEEN: Alto & Tenor Saxophones, & Bamboo Side Flute, JOE McPHEE: Soprano Saxophone & Pocket Trumpet and RON McBEE: Djembe & African Percussion "Kali Fasteau presents 15 live recordings named for the aural suggestion of each work and its counterpart in the visual spectrum on Vivid, and the result is an excellent display of creativity and imagination that transcends boundaries and takes her listeners to another level of music aesthetics. The multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger plays a set filled with exciting techniques, including her simultaneous playing of the drums, soprano sax, and voice! Joined by such expressive masters as William Parker on contrabass; Joe McPhee on soprano sax and pocket trumpet; Hamid Drake on drum set, bindir, and voice; Sabir Mateen on alto sax, tenor sax, and bamboo side flute; and Ron McBee on djembe and African percussion, the sextet exudes music's energies and colors -- whether seen, heard, or felt, within the mind's eye, ear, or touch associations. This concept, also explored and appreciated by such great artists as Avishai Cohen on Colors and the great musical educator Arnold Schoenberg, will definitely open your musical senses with its brightly colored synaesthesia. "Chartreuse," recorded live at Canada's Guelph Jazz Festival, is a six-minute piece designed with soprano sax, whirling tube, djembe, and percussion, and presents Fasteau's ambitious composition in a light that embraces this spectrum of tonalities by using intuitive approximation and subjective objectivization. Other colors explored and realized are a 12-minute version of "Sun Yellow," with Joe McPhee burning on pocket trumpet and soprano sax, and the mystical "Tamil Blue," on which Fasteau plays the nai and kaval flutes. This CD is a brilliant achievement, and for those interested in a creative display utilizing color associations with certain sounds or tonalities, Vivid is the perfect choice." - Paula Edelstein, AMG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU With NOAH HOWARD/JOE McPHEE/BOBBY FEW / et al - Comraderie (Flying Note 9006; USA) Featuring: KALI FASTEAU: Composer, Soprano Sax, Voice, Nai & Kaval Flutes, Cello & Sheng;BOBBY FEW: Piano;NOAH HOWARD: Alto Sax;JOE McPHEE: Tenor Sax;SONELIUS SMITH: Piano;WARREN SMITH: Drums;MIKE WIMBERLY: Djembe, Talking Drum & Percussion. "Multi-instrumentalist and composer Kali Fasteau plays an exotic array of free jazz and world rhythms for trio and quintet on Comraderie. Accompanied by such world-class players as Joe McPhee and drummer Warren Smith, She matches her male counterparts note-for-note on this exciting palette of musical experiences. A product of extensive world travels and excellent musical training, Kali Fasteau composed all 14 songs, which were recorded in a studio session and live in concert in 1997. Her trio session with Bobby Few on piano and Michael Wimberly on percussion feature her playing soprano saxophone, nai (a Moroccan end-blown reed flute) and Kaval flutes, sheng (a Chinese mouth organ), and cello. The quintet date with Noah Howard on alto sax, Joe McPhee on tenor sax, Sonelius Smith, on piano and Warren Smith on drums unite Kali Fasteau with highly evolved improvisations that approach her artistic freedom with wide open sounds and impressive ranges. The use of her voice as an additional instrument on "Whispersong" provides an unusual layer of aural energy to her sax and sheng spontaneity while providing an uncommon perspective of this concept. "Ethiopia" shimmers with spirituality, nuance, and African rhythms, as if the music is playing her. Fasteau reaches an ambitious pinnacle on Comraderie and displays great chops throughout this set." - Paula Edelstein, AMG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU With WILLIAM PARKER/DANIEL CARTER/BOBBY FEW / et al - Sensual Hearing (Flying Note 9005; USA) Featuring KALI FASTEAU: Composer, Soprano Sax, Piano, Voice, Cello, Nai & Shakuhachi Flutes, Drums & Tambura;WILLIAM PARKER: Contrabass;SOMALIA RICHARDS: Violin;RON McBEE: Djembe, Berimbau & Cuica;DANIEL CARTER: Tenor Sax;MALICK SOW: Djembe;JIN HI KIM: Komungo;GOKSEL BAKTAGIR: Kanun; FERRUH YARKIN: Bindir & Davul;BOBBY FEW: Piano. Recorded for her own Flying Note Records, Sensual Hearing depicts different aspects of the multi-instrumentalist's journeys around the world. She's working with her regular band (including longtime friend, bassist William Parker), but Fasteau's range with shakuhachi, tambura, and other percussion -- not to mention her voice -- makes this album almost as diverse as music scattered all over the planet. - John Bush, AMG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU With WILLIAM PARKER / BADAL ROY et al - Prophecy: The Whale And The Elephant Trade Notes On The State of The World (Flying Note 9003; USA) Featuring: KALI FASTEAU: Composer, Soprano Sax, Cello, Piano, Ney, Kaval & Shakuhachi Flutes,Voice, Sheng, Moursin, Mizmar, Sanza, Synthesizer, Drums, Tympani & Gong;WILLIAM PARKER: Contrabass & Balafon; SOMALIA RICHARDS: Violin; RON McBEE: African Percussion, Djembe & Berimbau; NEWMAN TAYLOR BAKER & RONNIE BURRAGE: Drums; OSCAR BROWN III: Contrabass; BADAL ROY: Tabla. "Zusaan Kali Fasteau on this CD not only plays soprano sax, cello and tympani but such exotic instruments as a sheng, ney, mizmar, kaval, moursin, sanza and a shakuhachi flute. Assisted by the great bassist William Parker and various drummers and percussionists (in addition to violinist Sheila Somalia Richard), Fasteau engages in a wide variety of colorful sound explorations. She swings hard on several of the pieces (all 15 compositions are her originals) but also utilizes vamps and drones quite effectively and adds her haunting voice. Unlike most of the world music that appears on Billboard's charts, these creative performances are truly music of the world." - Scott Yanow, AMG
CD $14

KALI Z. FASTEAU With RASHIED ALI / et al - Worlds Beyond Worlds (Flying Note 9001 ,USA) Featuring KALI FASTEAU: Composer, Soprano Sax, Piano, Nai & Shakuhachi Flutes, Voice, Mizmar, Sanza, Berimbau & Dolek Drum; RASHIED ALI: Drums; BOB CUNNINGHAM: Contrabass; ELIZABETH PANZER: Harp; JAMES JAMISON: Guitar; DAVID CORNICK: Percussion and PAUL LEAKE: Tabla.
CD $14

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LP Section:

SONNY CLARK MEMORIAL QUARTET with WAYNE HORVITZ / JOHN ZORN / BILL DRUMMOND / BOBBY PREVITE - Voodoo (BSR 109) Black Saint present a reissue of Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet's Voodoo, originally released in 1986. Voodoo shows the Sonny Clarke soulful hard bop conception as seen through the oblique perspective of a NY Downtown all-star quartet featuring John Zorn (alto sax), Wayne Horvitz (piano), Bobby Previte (drums), and legendary bassman Bill Drummond. This unique and iconic album stands as one of Zorn's first declared tributes to the art of an influential musician and composer. All compositions are by Sonny Clark including such hits as "Cool Struttin'" and "Something Special" both from his classic late '50s/early '60s Blue Note sessions. A full catalog of opened up hard bop structures and advanced jazz modes. "Quartet masterminds Zorn and Wayne Horvitz spit fire, never allowing this heartfelt tribute to get too reverential... Here Zorn sounds like he's having serious fun" - Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
LP $22

GEORGE RUSSELL SEXTET - Live Rarities 1960 (Naked Lunch 005; Italy) The George Russell Sextet caught in a rare live recording from a concert held at Music Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts on September 1, 1960. George Russell's kaleidoscopic sound conception takes shape through the collective interplay of a brilliant tight band featuring George Russell himself on piano, Al Kiger (trumpet), Dave Baker (trombone), Dave Young (tenor sax), Chuck Israels (bass), and Joe Hunt (drums). A great example of challenging modern and yet swinging jazz, including highlights such as Russell's original "Stratusphunk" and an early Carla Bley's tune called "Dance Class".
LP $18

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA with TOMAZ STANKO / MICHAL URBANIAK / et al - Jazz Jamboree 63 (Naked Lunch 002; Italy) “This is the legendary Krzystof Komeda Quintet caught live at the Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw in 1963. A marvelous combo featuring some of the greatest Polish jazz musicians, such as Tomasz Stanko (trumpet), Michal Urbaniak (tenor sax), Maciej Suzin (bass), and Czeslaw Bartowski (drums). Komeda, Stanko, and Urbaniak were sort of pioneers who effectively opened up a way for jazz in Poland. Komeda's fluent modern jazz conception was a perfect synthesis between the American influence and a certain Slavic lyricism. The album includes an astonishing version of "Ballad From Knife In Water" from Komeda's soundtrack for the 1962 Roman Polanski movie. A major statement in the East-European music history.”
LP $18

DANNY OXENBERG BEAR GALVIN FRIENDS (PILLOW MT. CONSPIRACY) - Early Abstractions, Vol. 1 (Feeding Tube Records 454; USA) "Three:four Records (Switzerland) and Feeding Tube Records (USA) are pleased to announce the release of Early Abstractions, Vol. 1 by Danny Oxenberg (Supreme Dicks), Bear Galvin, and Friends (Pillow Mt. Conspiracy). Early Abstractions, Vol. 1 is the follow-up their 2016 release Late Superimpositions (three:four records), and contains recordings made in New York, Western Massachusetts, and Los Angeles -- some old, some older, some relatively new, some borrowed, some blue . . . Around the world in 90 days, it feels like, this album has taken many forms. Originally it was going to be a double album of all older music that I recorded mainly at 76 Charles Street in NY in the '90s, and since then this has evolved to include other stuff from the 2000s. So originally this was going to be titled Early Abstractions (a nod to Harry Smith) and now it is kind of still half that, and other stuff. Still I would like to thank all of the friends who have played on this and helped record it. Like Julian Koster who played the Banjo, did some vocals, and recorded the track here called 'Banjo-Coke' (I 'played' the Coke) at his Grandmother's house, I believe in Long Island. I would also like to thank Shannon Ketch and Adam Langellotti who both played on and helped to record, 'Crackers'. And also thanks to Jenna and Les and Beverly and of course Mark Hanson for playing with us over the years. And I would also like to give a big thanks I guess to Steve Shavel, who we are all missing a lot and hope he reappears, but he played the majestic lap steel slide guitar here on 'Waves', and also did the background talking vocals. Mark Hanson played drums on that track. And maybe someday we will release an album of the Blinded Sphinx music we recorded back then. Also, I would be remiss not to thank Jane F. King and Tim Wilson for playing on 'Star Spangled to Death'." --Danny Oxenberg, NYC, March 2019. Original art by Hippolyte Hentgen and design/layout by Darryl Norsen. Produced by Maxime Guitton. Edition of 300.
LP $24

JOSEPH ALLRED - Traveler (Feeding Tube Records 491; USA) "Welcome to the second album we've done with string maestro, Joseph Allred. Unlike O Meadowlark (FTR 451LP), this one features a smattering of Joseph's vocals, although his main thrust is still glistening instrumentals. The title song is a goddamn sad one, sung with reedy elegance, dealing with a kidnapped dog that serves as a stand-in for all earthly beings, full of both frailty and resilience. Another vocal track, 'The Crown' (which inspired the cover art), stems from a long conversation Joseph had with Max Ochs. It squeezes the inherently surreal aspects of dream-walking into semi-conventional blues tautology, and the fit is just right. The third and last vocal, 'O Columbia,' is a particular favorite, based as it is upon the some of the same melodies Fahey swiped for 'In Christ There Is No East or West,' although Allred takes things in all new directions. I had been a tad leery when I heard Joseph would be singing on this new session -- being so enamored of his unadorned instrumental technique -- but these tunes won me over in the course of a few plays. Maybe there'll be more verbal-content in his future? We would not say, 'no.' But the meat of this album remains Joseph's splendid inventions for guitar and banjo. His piece for Glenn Jones, 'The Giant Who Shrank Himself,' is a beautiful suite, worthy of its concept (that Jones is a behemoth who has to shrink himself in order to deal with us normals). It flows like the sweetest stream of wine you, I or anyone might imagine. 'Single Me a Stranger' is another literal killer, with sliding chords evoking the 1872 lynching and curse-fulfillment of an unlucky newcomer in the small Tennessee town where Allred grew up. It's spell-binding. As is 'Mark's Overture,' a banjo piece inspired by a homeless music critic in Cambridge, Mass. Another top-notch album by this great player. If you don't know Allred already, you will soon." --Byron Coley, 2019
LP $24

CAEDMON - Caedmon (Guerssen Records Guess 156; Spain) Guerssen Records present a reissue of Caedmon's legendary debut from 1978, originally released as a private pressing. One of the most sought-after progressive folk-rock albums from the UK. Caedmon -- a five-piece student band in the '70s -- recorded this album to mark their farewell concert in early 1978, before they went their separate ways after university. They had literally no idea of the myths, rumors, and tales that would embellish (and sometimes distort) the musical arc traced by this album in the decades to come. The album contains twelve songs. Ten were written by the band. One was based on an ancient text by seventh century poet Caedmon. And the final track was a traditional gospel song. Angela Naylor's lead vocals are supported by close harmony male vocals throughout. Acoustic guitars, mandolin, and cello jostle with electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, and bass. The resultant blend can only be described as eclectic, conjuring a slightly bizarre mix of folk ballad, bossa-nova, and psychedelic jazz and funk. Little did they know that this would be described as acid-folk in years to come. Unusual time signatures, tight arrangements, improbable instrumentation, oblique and poetic stories tackling spirituality, distorted fuzz guitar, and the odd recorder solo. 1978 was the era of punk. Caedmon adopted a self-produced approach and recorded their farewell to fans in Barclay Towers Studio in Edinburgh, an attic flat, patronized by the Rezillos, among others. Essentially each song was recorded "live" in two or three takes on a four-track tape machine, with occasional overdubs. During the pressing, a call from the pressing plant informed the band that they had too much music recorded to fit on a 33rpm 12" vinyl. A quick decision resulted in two tracks being moved across to a 45rpm 7" single. The band was unsigned, boasted a small fan-base (mostly in Scotland), only occasionally played south of the border (notably at a disastrous gig at the Greenbelt Festival in 1977), enjoyed some success at the Edinburgh Fringe. Their niche fame came twenty years later. Both a re-release of the original album on CD by Kissing Spell Records, and a burgeoning world-wide vinyl collectors market made possible by the internet led to feverish demand for copies of the original vinyl of 1978. First licensed reissue of the 1978 album since the Kissing Spell CD. 24-bit remastering from the original master tapes; Four-page color insert with lyrics, rare photos, and liner notes; Original artwork.
LP $30

SILVER APPLES - Silver Apples (Rotorelief 055; France) “Rotorelief present a reissue of Silver Apples' self-titled debut, originally released in 1968. First album of the '60s NY duo Silver Apples, remastered and boosted with the texture and feeling of 1968 original. Simeon sailing heavily treated oscillator sounds over drummer Danny Taylor's unrelenting beats. homemade synthesizer consisting of 12 oscillators (and an assortment of sound filters, telegraph keys, radio parts, lab gear and a variety of second-hand electronic junk), Silver Apples quickly gained a reputation as New York's leading underground musical expression. Their pulsating rhythmic beats with the use of electronics laid the groundwork for what would become "Krautrock" silver.
"By 1967, the Overland Stage Electric Band was teetering on its last legs. The New York City five-piece had found some success playing covers of straight-ahead rock 'n' roll at gigs in the East Village, but tensions within the group were steadily tearing them apart. The lead singer, Simeon Coxe III, had gotten his hands on a vintage '40s audio oscillator and was insisting that it become a part of the show. The rest of the band was understandably upset - this was more than a decade before electronic music would become an accepted practice. Before long, the band was down to two members, Simeon, and drummer Danny Taylor. Now with full control, the two members re-christened themselves the Silver Apples and set about releasing one of history's great forgotten albums, their self-titled debut. Silver Apples is a record that reached far ahead of its time. It's not surprising then, in a year when the airwaves were still dominated by Motown and the Beatles (whose experimentation was tame by comparison), that it failed to garner much of an audience. Even now, nearly 40 years later, the record sounds fresh and unconventional - in 1968 there simply wasn't anything else like it." --Adam Bunch, Crawdaddy! (2007)
LP $21

SILVER APPLES - Contact (Rotorelief 055; France) Rotorelief present a reissue of Silver Apples' second album Contact, originally released in 1969. Contact is the second album of the '60s NY duo Silver Apples, remastered and boosted with the texture and feeling of 1969 original. "Aside from Simeon's use of a banjo on a couple of tracks, the music on Contact does not differ from that of their debut. One aspect improved upon was the lyrics; many possess the same 'cosmic' element found on Silver Apples, but others are full of bitterness, pain, paranoia, and confusion. In turn, the lead oscillator is used to greater effect, reflecting this newfound intensity. Simeon, who composed the text for five of Contact's ten songs (he framed one song on Silver Apples, 'Dancing Gods'), was largely responsible for this change." --Bart Bealmear, AllMusic
LP $21

JAC BERROCAL - 1973-1976-1979 (Rotorelief 071-073; France) This luxurious pink Cadillac color box set, 1973-1976-1979, brings together the first three albums of Jac Berrocal -- Musiq Musik (1973), Paralleles (1976), and Catalogue (1979) -- in which countless personalities of the crossover music of the hexagon participate. Musiq Musik (1973): Berrocal's first album, recorded in 1973 with the excessive reverberations of the crypt of the church Saint-Savinien in Sens, is a real notebook of sound travels, of instruments reported by Jac Berrocal and Roger Ferlet during their numerous journeys: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, India, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, including various instruments such as bells, muezzins, conches, shenaïs, cymbals, and gongs embellished with urban and incongruous sounds: horns, whistles, chickens, harmonium, and washing machine. The idea? Make music together, Jac Berrocal, Roger Ferlet, Dominique Coster. Paralleles (1976): Vince Taylor, the Black Archangel of rock n' roll, agrees to come and record "Rock n' Roll Station", a piece of futuristic clinking of a bicycle wheel. Other sessions contrary to custom, a pigsty with microphones mired in the middle of unruly pigs, towels shaken by Pierre Bastien in the middle of this is a noisy piece "Bric-à-Brac" made in homage to Luigi Russolo's repertoire reorganized by bonuses and unpublished from the same period. Catalogue (1979): Jac Berrocal and his "Marquises of Disorder" make the guitars rattle in primrose-sprayed vomit, patchwork of uncontrollable slows, furious accordion (Claude Parle) and martial rocks. Kind of "Micro-cinemas put end-to-end", a maelstrom of cries and saturation which, paradoxically, an album that is worth the respect of the punks and the contempt of jazz purists. Berrocal is certainly the only French cousin of New York's no wave. Deluxe, rigid box set with three metallic covers and an impressive booklet of photos and unpublished documents; 200 gram vinyl.
3 LP Set $105

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Bruce Lee Gallanter’s Recommended Gig List for January, 2020

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 - MARIA GRAND - JAN 7–11

1/10 Friday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Kanoa Mendenhall (bass) Jeremy Dutton (drums) María Grand (saxophone)

1/11 Saturday
8:30 pm - QUINTET - Aaron Parks (piano) Jeremy Dutton (drums) Kanoa Mendenhall (bass) Kalia Vandever (trombone) María Grand (saxophone)

THE STONE RESIDENCIES - CHES SMITH - JAN 14–18

1/14 Tuesday
8:30 pm - Ches Smith, Craig Taborn and Mat Maneri with very special guest
Ches Smith (drums, percussion) Craig Taborn (piano) Mat Maneri (viola) special guest (guitar)

1/15 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Good for Cows Nels Cline and Kris Davis
Nels Cline (guitar) Kris Davis (piano) Devin Hoff (bass) Ches Smith (drums)

1/16 Thursday
8:30 pm - Drums and Songs - Sirene Dantor Rene (vocals) Daniel Brevil, Markus Schwartz, Fanfan Jean Guy Rene (Haitian tanbou, vocals) Nick Dunston (bass) Ches Smith (drums, percussion, vocals)

1/17 Friday
8 pm - Trio - Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) Stephan Crump (bass) Ches Smith (drums)

1/18 Saturday
8:30 pm - Laugh Ash - Jennifer Choi (violin) Anna Webber (flutes) Nate Wooley (trumpet) Oscar Noriega (clarinets) Cory Smythe (piano) Ches Smith (drums, vibraphone, electronics)

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:

Friday, January 10, 2020 - 8:00 PM 9:00 PM
ARUAN ORTIZ (presenting Firm Roots) with Darius Jones and Ches Smith
Firm Roots featuring Darius Jones (sax) and Ches Smith (drums)

Saturday, January 11, 2020 - 8:00 PM 9:00 PM
ARUAN ORTIZ (presenting Hidden Voices) with Brad Jones and Gerald Cleaver
Hidden Voices featuring Brad Jones (bass) and Gerald Cleaver (drums)

HappyLucky No. 1 is located at
734 Nostrand Ave, near Sterling
easy access from the A/C/2/3/4 trains

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The Weekly Bushwick Improvised Music Series:

Monday January 13th

7pm Elinor Speirs - violin
Dan O'Brien - clarinet
Rob Patrick - trumpet
Ben Stapp - tuba
Raf Vertessen - drums

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

9pm GAUCIMUSIC CD RELEASE (TBD)

9:45pm Francesco Marcocci - bass
Daniel Carter - woodwinds
Dan Blake - saxophones
Francisco Mela - drums

10:45pm Josh Sinton - bs. clarinet/bari saxophone
Daniel Carter - woodwinds
Dave Sewelson - baritone saxophone

11:30pm Kevin Eichenberger - bass
Will Bollinger - banjo
James Gibian - drums

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

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Shapeshifter Presents:

Jan 12 at 8pm:
New Zealand Jazz comes to New York; New Zealand’s premier big band lead by jazz-big band, trombone legend RODGER FOX. For the band’s performance at the ShapeShifter Lab the band will perform a completely New Zealand composed program. The Rodger Fox big band has won 6 Tui awards for the best New Zealand jazz recording.

Jan 13
7 & 8pm: Sebastian Rios Julliard All Stars Double bill; The New Jazz Underground: Anthony Hervey, Trumpet. Zoe Obadia, Sax. Sebastian Rios, Bass. Kyle Benford, Drums.

Jan 15
7 & 8:15pm: TOC
ShapeShifter Plus Presents: Take Off Collective Residency
Ole Mathisen (sax),
Matthew Garrison (bass)
Marko Djordjevic (drums)

Shapeshifter is located at
18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Take the R train stop to Union

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FRIDMAN GALLERY - New Ear Festival 2020
Monday, January 6 – Sunday, January 12

Friday, January 10th
SUSIE IBARRA and DREAMTIME ENSEMBLE - 10pm
with JENNIFER CHOI / YUKA HONDA / YVES DHARAMRAJ / JAKE LANDAU / CLAUDIA ACUNA!
ALLARD van HOORN - 9pm
THE DREAM MAPPING PROJECT - 8pm

Saturday, JANUARY 11th:
WILLIAM HOOKER QUARTET - Symphonie of Flowers Excerpts - 9pm
JOANNA MATTREY - veiled (album release on Relative Pitch) - 10pm
SOPHIE PETRIDES - Breathing with the Room - 8pm

Check out the full schedule here: https://www.fridmangallery.com/new-ear-festival-2020
FRIDMAN GALLERY - 169 Bowery (between Delancey & Broome), NY, NY
917 262 0612 / info@fridmangallery.com

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​Saturday, January 25 at 7 p.m.
Megumi Yonezawa / Masa Kamaguchi / Ken Kobayashi
Rockwood 3, 185 Orchard St., LES

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I-Beam Presents:

TOMAS FUJIWARA SOLO ARCTURUS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 - 8:00 PM 9:30 PM

Tomas Fujiwara Solo
Pieces for acoustic drum set

Arcturus
Ben Stowers - Tenor Saxophone / Bass Clarinet
Lucas Saur - Cello
Odin Scherer - Guitar
Nick Augusta - Piano
Finn Carroll - Bass
Henry Mermer - Drums