“Moon in June†from Soft Machine ‘Third’ [1970]
Written and Sung by Robert Wyatt
On a dilemma between what I need and what I just want
Between your thighs I feel a sensation
How long can I resist the temptation ?
I've got my bird, you've got your man
So who else do we need, really ?
Now I'm here, I may as well put my other hand in yours
While we decide how far to go and if we've got time to do it now
And if it's half as good for you as it is for me
Then you won't mind if we lie down for a while, just for a while
Till all the thing I want is need
Till all the thing I want is need
I want you more than ever now
We're on the floor, and you want more, and I feel almost sure
That cause now we've agreed, that we got what we need
Then all the thing us needs is wanting
I realized when I saw you last
We've been together now and then
From time to time - just here and there
Now I know how it feels from my hair to my heels
To have you on the horns of my dilemma
- Oh ! Wait a minute ! -
Over - Up - Over - Up - ... Down
Down - Over - Up - Over - ... Up
Living can be lovely, here in New York State
Ah, but I wish that I were home
And I wish I were home again - back home again, home again
There are places and people that I'm so glad to have seen
Ah, but I miss the trees, and I wish that I were home again
Back home again
The sun shines here all summer
Its nice cause you can get quite brown
Ah, but I miss the rain - ticky tacky ticky
And I wish that I were home again - home again, home again...
Living is easy here in New York State
Ah, but I wish that I were home again
Just before we go on to the next part of our song
Let's all make sure we've got the time
Music-making still performs the normal functions -
Background noise for people scheming, seducing, revolting and teaching
That's all right by me, don't think that I'm complaining
After all, it's only leisure time, isn't it ?
Now I love your eyes - see how the time flies
She's learning to hate, but it's just too late for me
It was the same with her love
It just wasn't enough for me
But before this feeling dies
Remember how distance can tell lies !
You can almost see her eyes, is it me she despises or you ?
You're awfully nice to me and I'm sure you can see what her game is
She sees you in her place, just as if it's a race
And you're winning, and you're winning
She just can't understand that for me everything's just beginning
Until I get more homesick
So before this feeling dies, remember how distance tells us lies
Singing a song in the morning
Singing it again at night
Don't really know what I'm singing about
But it makes me feel all right
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ROBERT WYATT!
Last Tuesday, May 28th, was the 75th birthday of Robert Wyatt. Robert Wyatt was a founding member of Soft Machine, playing drums and singing lead on Volumes ‘1’ through ‘Four’. He was also the leader of Matching Mole (2 studio efforts), but it is his long solo career (1970-2014) that defines his wide ranging influence as a songwriter, composer, vocalist, recording artist and thought-provoking conversationalist/philosopher. Ever since acquiring the first album by Soft Machine in 1968, I have been a life-long fan-addict. Soft Machine were the quintessential Canterbury band whose music blended rock, psych, jazz, progressive elements and pataphysical philosophy.
The above song, “Moon in Juneâ€Â, holds a unique position is Mr. Wyatt’s career/history. It first appeared in fragments on the early illegit demo album, ‘Jet Propelled Photograph’ and was then recorded/produced by Mr. Wyatt’s friend & tour-mate Jimi Hendrix for Wyatt’s first (then unreleased) solo album, the sessions abandoned and lost when Wyatt went back to England to reform Soft Machine Volume Two. The long-forgotten original acetate was rediscovered some 45 years later, cleaned up by the late Mike King and released on Cuneiform as ’1968’ in 2013. The studio version was recorded and released for Soft Machine ‘Third’ in 1970, as an album length piece and is considered by many (myself included) as Mr. Wyatt’s first masterpiece. The piece was performed live on rare occasion but I have never heard a live version on any of their dozens live recordings. Until now. Thanks to my friend & experimental photographer Meghan Desmond, I discovered a live version (Aug 22, 1969) on YouTube found here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=soQN0sMU0Ck. I checked this out the other night on Robert Wyatt’s birthday at the end of the day on my train-ride back home. It completely blew my mind! As it will yours, you the open-minded music listener. Mr. Wyatt retired from his music career in 2014 and gave an onstage interview with the author of the biography about him, ‘Different Every Time’, Marcus O’Dair. I attended that affair with my two good friends Mike Panico and Eric Stern, both now sadly gone. It was also the week of the Henry Cow Reunion/Lindsay Cooper Memorial concert, also at the Barbicon. A special toast and birthday greetings to Robert Wyatt! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG - 1/29/20
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The Downtown Music Gallery 29th Anniversary Celebrations will begin in 2020 & Will Continue throughout the year! May 1st is our Actual Anniversary! Every In-store throughout the Year Helps Celebrate the Spirit of Creative Music Performed Live.
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!
Sunday, February 9th:
6pm: GUILLERMO GREGORIO - Clarinet / IVAN BARENBOIM - Contralto Clarinet /
NICK JOZWIAK - Cello!
7pm: JESSE DULMAN QUARTET with RAS MOSHE / DAVE SEWELSON / LEONID GALAGANOV!
Sunday, February 16th:
6pm: NICK FRASER / TONY MALABY / BRANDON LOPEZ - Drums / Tenor Sax / ContraBass!
7pm: CHERYL PYLE / ROBERT DICK - Flute Duo!
8pm: ERIN ROGERS - Solo Sax - New CD on Relative Pitch Records!
Sunday, February 23rd:
6pm: LAURENT DAVID Solo Electric Bass
7pm: JOE McPHEE & RAF VERTESSEN - Reeds & Brass / Drums
8pm: LELE DAI - Solo Sewing Machine
Sunday, March 1st 2020:
6pm: LUCIANO PAGLIARINI and MICHEL EDELIN - International Sax & Flute Duo!
7pm: JUAN PARRA CANCINO / JONATHAN IMPETT - Rare Appearance by Belgian Duo!
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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This Week’s Menu of Dynamite Discs begins with this Unreleased Treasure:
BILL COLE & UNTEMPERED ENSEMBLE with JULIUS HEMPHILL / JOSEPH DALEY / OLU DARA / ABDUL WADUD / GERALD VEASLEY / HAFIZ SHABAZZ / WARREN SMITH - Music for Yoruba Proverbs (Self-produced; USA) Featuring Bill Cole on sona (Chinese), hook (Korea), wooden flute & compositions, Julius Hemphill of alto & soprano saxes, flute & arrangements, Joe Daley on euphonium, Olu Dara on cornet, Abdul Wadud on cello, Gerald Veasley on bass guitar, Hafiz Shabazz on hand drums and warren Smith on drums & balaphon. This is a live date recorded at Symphony Space (uptown NYC) on September 26th, 1986. I have long loved the spiritual side of modern jazz, it still resonates and speaks directly to our hearts, minds and souls. I admire double-reeds specialist Bill Cole, who has continued to breathe life into the cosmic blend of avant-jazz, ethnic influences with spiritual concerns. His sets at the Vision Fest are often highlights. In the late seventies, Mr. Cole was given 500 proverbs from the Yorubas of Nigeria and spent time studying them. For this concert, Mr. Cole took seven of those proverbs and put them to music, organizing an incredible all-star octet to perform them. It is incredible rare to finally get a chance to hear a previously unreleased recording which features these loft/avant-jazz giants: Julius Hemphill (R.I.P.), Abdul Wadud, Olu Dara, Joe Daley and Warren Smith, the first three are no longer involved with music.
Commencing with “He Who Beats a Drum for a Mad Man…â€Â, there is a joyous groove going on here. There are several layers of rhythms at the bottom provided by euphonium, cello, bass and two percussionists, with the two reeds and cornet dancing on top. The eight musicians do a splendid job of weaving their lines together in a jubilant, uplifting fashion throughout. The vibe soften sounds like were are at party in an African village with all of the participants dancing together in joyous rapture. The euphonium, which is like a smaller version of the tuba, is often the central voice here with Mr. Cole’s sona or hojok (double reeds) and/or Mr. Hemphill’s saxes or flute interweaving on top. “A Man Sees a Snake, a Woman Kills It†reminds me of “Sitting on Top of the Worldâ€Â, a great blues song that seems to speak to everyone who listens. The late, great Julius Hemphill takes a heart-wrenching alto sax solo the really made me smile, boy I sure do miss that man! Everyone in the marvelous band gets a chance to stretch out with solos and spirited interaction. This is got to be the CD of the month and long lost buried treasure that many of us have been waiting for! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $18
BILL COLE & GERALD VEASLEY - Still Breathing (Bill Cole BC 05; USA) Featuring Bill Cole on didgeridoo and Gerald Veasley on bass guitar. Watching the video of Eric Garner and NYC Police was a touchpoint in inflamed racial relations that effected many folks around the world. Mr. Garner was selling cigarettes on the street when the police arrested, put him in a chokehold and soon choked him to death, his last words were, “I can’t breatheâ€Â, repeated several times. He had obviously been murdered but the Grand Jury of Staten Island, acquitted the police of any wrong doing. Similar incidents have been happening over and over and over, so many of us are outraged. Mr. Cole created this work to remind us that other African-Americans are still breathing.
This disc was recorded live at Brooklyn Commons in October of 2016. The didgeridoo is an ancient instrument, created by the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. It was originally played to accompany ceremonial dancing and singing, a way of bringing together humans and spirit beings. Whether ancient or modern, I have long been fascinated by the playing/sound of the didgeridoo. You should recognize the name of electric bassist, Gerald Veasley from his work with Odean Pope and Cornell Rochester. Although the didgeridoo is a sort-of drone instrument, the sound of it is more complex, churning slowly, similar to the sound of someone breathing in and out, in and out. Mr. Veasley is a master bassist and is the featured soloist here. There are several layers or textures which are in motion when the didgeridoo is played. Certain notes or sounds shimmer in their own unique way. Mr. Cole also adds occasional vocal sounds within the long tones of the didgeridoo, his voice like an ancient spirit being set free. Mr. Veasley plays his electric bass like a harp, strumming it, creating magical, other-worldly sounds. He solos throughout this 40 plus monte disc, telling a long story with his superb playing as he goes. The balance between the spirit of calm and a certain sense of injustice or agitation is what makes this disc worth experiencing time and again. This is transcendent music for our difficult times. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
BILL COLE & ALEX BLAKE - Still Breathing 2 (Bill Cole BC 07; USA) Featuring Bill Cole on didgeridoo and Alex Blake on contrabass. I have only caught contrabassist Alex Blake on a couple of occasions. One was with a Pharaoh Sanders Quintet at the Knitting Factory, with Mr. Blake’s playing one of the highlights of the set. Each disc that multi reeds player & composer Bill Cole releases has a concept behind it. This disc is part of Mr. Cole’s ’Still Breathing’ series, the first part was dedicated to Eric Garner, an African American street peddler who was choked to death by the police in July of 2014 and then the police were acquitted of any wrong doing in a Staten Island court. Mr. Garner’s last words were, “I can’t breatheâ€Â. This disc is dedicated to Mr. Cole’s grandfather, George Cole, the first African American detective in the Pittsburgh police force. Detective Cole made over 200 arrests & convictions and never pulled his gun out or murdered anyone.
This disc was recorded live at the Zurcher Gallery in NYC in January of 2017. Mr. Cole plays a didgeridoo, an ancient instrument, created by the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. It was originally played to accompany ceremonial dancing and singing, a way of bringing together humans and spirit beings. Mr. Cole is joined by contrabassist Alex Blake, who I once heard with Pharaoh Sanders and who played some of the best acoustic bass that’s I’ve ever saw & heard live, often strumming the strings like a guitar or harp. The first sound we hear is the didgeridoo, resonating in & out, breathing like air in our lungs or like blood in sour veins. Folks often misunderstand or dismiss the sound of the diggeridoo as just one thing, one sound, but as we listen, there is so much more going on. There are several layers of textures resonating together. Mr. Cole is soon joined by Alex Blake’s dynamic contrabass, bouncing on the strings with his fingers and his bow, these two men are united as one force. There is a common pulse going on through out combining the pumping power of the didgeridoo and the rhythmic groove of hitting and caressing the strings of the bass. This music is ritualistic in sound, like a ceremony for natives no matter what tribe we are from. I took a yoga class earlier today, which always helps me feel better. This music has a similar effect, it is engaging, stimulating, invigorating and making me want to dance or just groove to. Are you tired of the stress filled times we are currently living in??? Then put on this disc for yourself, your friends and your family and dance the night away. We are still breathing and we need to embrace some positive, unifying vibes for a change. This is our medicine, this is our reward. Dig in now! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
SIX NEW RELEASES FROM THE FABULOUS NO BUSINESS LABEL:
SAM RIVERS QUINTET with JOE DALEY / DAVE HOLLAND / BARRY ALTSCHUL / CHARLIE PERSIP - Zenith (NoBusiness 124; Lithuania) Concertgoers must have been forced back in their seats by the intensity of Sam Rivers opening foray at the 1977 Berlin Jazztage Festival. After an annunciatory tenor saxophone burst, he goes for the jugular with fierce vocalized overblowing atop a churning four piece rhythm section. But if that sounds forbidding, then like the audience, listeners to this historic recording, released as the second installment of NoBusiness Records' estimable Sam Rivers Archive Project, following Emanation (2019), should be enthralled by the freewheeling grooves and moods which enliven the fifty-three minute set.
By this point in his career Rivers had become a master storyteller, able to sustain interest throughout the long form improvisations he increasingly specialized in live. He does that in part by switching between his four main instruments: soprano and tenor saxophones, flute and piano. Another important factor is the quality of his sidemen. This quintet included his most celebrated accompanists, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Barry Altschul, augmented by tubaist Joe Daley and second drummer Charlie Persip. Happily the production renders all that bottom end crystal clear, and even separates the drummers into different channels (although it doesn't identify which is which).
On tenor, probably the most potent axe in his arsenal, Rivers spews out lines at a prodigious pace, with a wiry tough sound which makes judicious use of expressive distortion. After that powerful start, comes an inevitable lull where he extemporizes melodic figures to help launch a series of further snarling peaks and cooling troughs. His arc is similarly compelling on flute, although with his control of light and shade more limited, he makes greater use of vocal cries and yells. He spends some thirty-six minutes of the performance on these two instruments, with much shorter sections for soprano saxophone as well as piano, where he recalls the energy and striking accents of his onetime employer Cecil Taylor.
Holland is elegantly poised between counterpoint and pulse, inserting lyrical phrases when the opportunity presents. Daley frequently acts as a second horn, offering a liquid moaning in the tuba's upper reaches which shadows the leader's contours. There's a lovely almost chamber passage when Holland on cello matches Rivers' leaps on flute, grounded by a tuba undertow. In fact the more airy feel promoted by the flute gifts the ensemble space to shine, with the flute just one among equals. On piano, Rivers pulls back to allow Daley space for a harmonious tuba solo. A brief drum duet heralds Rivers' final change to soprano saxophone for the last seven minutes, where he embarks on a convoluted boppish course.
Even if this line up seems to have been a one off, it convinces as a totally integrated unit. The album is more than a match for those issued during this period, and comes highly recommended to anyone curious about Rivers' legacy.†- John Sharpe, AAJ
CD $16
EVAN PARKER / BARRY GUY / PAUL LYTTON - Concert in Vilnius (NoBusiness 123; Lithuania) Parker, Guy, and Lytton are no strangers to one another. According to a quick and dirty count, this is their 17th release as a trio since 1983. And even with nearly four decades of collaboration, they still have new statements to make as a group. Recorded in October 2017 at the Vilnius Jazz Festival, the aptly titled Concert in Vilnius is about 55 minutes in length and spans four tracks. Parker plays the tenor and soprano sax, Guy the double bass, and Lytton drums and percussion. (But that instrumentation probably goes without saying, right?)
In short, this set is prime European free improvisation. The trio crafts a dense and information-rich offering, one in which the intensity ebbs and flows though the activity remains lively. Guy and Lytton, in particular, play artfully off one another with the latter moving in and out of structured forms and the former giving every inch of his instrument a workout. The theme, if any, is to do the unexpected – whether that means playing at the edge of hearing or making loud, abstract declarations. Parker provides his rolling solos, simultaneously melodic and angular, which often jolt his companions into even fiercer endeavors.
To these ears, this trio hits high points when they play all out, barely giving the listener a chance to catch up. These extreme passages sandwich quieter sections, which only makes them stand out even more. Ultimately, Concert in Vilnius shows that, at an age at which most of us have slowed down, Parker, Guy, and Lytton are still exploring rigorous new paths of outside jazz.†- Mike at Avant Music News
CD $16
LP $22
STEVE SWELL / ROBERT BOSTON / MICHAEL VATCHER - Brain in a Dish (NoBusiness 121; Lithuania) “It is hard to think of a more complete trombone player on the scene than Steve Swell. While a go-to sideman for the likes of William Parker, Ken Vandermark, Jason Kao Hwang and Tim Daisy, he has also amassed a significant body of work over the years in his own right. Although his output has featured compositions of increasing sophistication, Swell remains a committed and accomplished improviser, and that is the turf he stakes out on the eleven extemporized studio selections on Brain In A Dish, with the help of pianist/organist Robert Boston and drummer Michael Vatcher.
Swell calls on the entire range of his instrument from whinnying heights to the gruffest bottom end. He blusters, whispers, protests and entreats, sometimes all in the same supple and expressive figures. In Boston and Vatcher, Swell has chosen partners who skew the improvisations towards the free jazz vernacular, but can go anywhere. Vatcher in particular brings a rhythmic sensibility to even the most adventurous moments, making it seem a natural fit. Boston supplies chops informed by contemporary classical practice and adds impressionistic textures, all the more so when behind the organ. While they operate in perfect but taut balance, you never know which direction they are going to take, as unlikely gambits surface, prosper or dissipate.
Among the highlights, the title track gets proceedings off to an explosive start. Here as throughout, Swell strikes up an especially noteworthy rapport with Vatcher, as they trade blistering attacks, while Boston's jabs tease and prickle. As the cut progresses, they journey stage by stage from fierce to reflective in a series of self-contained phases. On "Tastier Than Oranges," Swell's punchy staccato launches a spare jumpy exchange, haunted by Boston's spectral shimmer on the piano interior, while on the following "No Heavy Perfumes," more choppy interplay builds to a fiery crescendo and an abrupt stop. In contrast, the glacial chords of "Trepanation Trepidation" vie with the deepest trombone tones and a spare shuffle, in a satisfyingly measured dialogue.
Also worth a mention is the great in-your-face recording by Jim Clouse at Brooklyn's Park West Studios, which allows full appreciation of the nuances of Swell's playing, and forms the icing on an already tasty cake. “ - John Sharpe, AAJ
CD $16
MASAHIKO SATOH / SABU TOYOZUMI - The Aiki (NoBusiness 120; Lithuania) Both of these men are elders of the Japanese free/jazz scene and have worked with many giants. Satoh has played with Joelle Leandre, Albert Mangelsdorff, Masahiko Togashi and Peter Brotzmann, as well as leading his own ensembles. Drum legend Toyozumi has worked with Kaoru Abe, Kenny Millions, Toshinori Kondo and Wadada Leo Smith.
This is a dynamic duo and this is a live recording from March of 1997. These two musicians have a long history and sound great together and it sounds like they bound together. The playing here is organ sounding and superbly recorded. The common grounds appears to be the way Sabu plays his drums melodically and the way Masahiko plays the piano percussively. This sounds like a rich conversation between two old friends with a great deal of back and forth interaction, the cosmic flow continues through the entire set. Consistently OUT-standing! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
JUAN VINUESA JAZZ QUARTET with JOSH BERMAN / JASON ROEBKE / MIKEL PATRICK AVERY - Blue Shots from Chicago (NoBusiness 120; Lithuania) “Spanish tenor saxophonist Juan F. G. Vinuesa leads his quartet with himself on tenor sax & songs, Josh Berman on cornet, Jason Roebke on bass and Mikel Patrick Avery on drums and percussion. I hadn’t heard of either Mr. Vinuesa or Mr. Avery before now. I do know well both Chicago players here: Josh Berman and Jason Roebke, both of whom work with many members of ever-growing Chicago scene. The is a studio date recorded in Chicago and the sound is warm and clear. The first song, Ghost Town Studioâ€Â, has a righteous, bluesy laid back sound, with strong, simmering solos from the tenor, cornet and bass. Some of the music here reminds me of old school blues, vibes-wise. It sounds as if Mr. Vinuesa and the rest of the quartet have absorbed that older Chicago souhthisde blues sound. Mr. Vinuesa’s tone on tenor sax has an older, deeper rich tone, certainly more mature sounding than is young (looking) age. Both Mr. Berman on cornet and Mr. Vinuesa on tenor take a number of strong, inspired high-flying solos throughout this disc. This session is more modest, more inside than many of the more out disc that I often review. I found it refreshing since it makes me listen closer to the way the quartet still works their more subtle creative ideas into mix here. No doubt that this disc would be a hit on more inside jazz stations like WBGO, so let’s hope that stations like this given them a chance to be heard. Quite a marvel of understatement. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
BOBBY BRADFORD / FRODE GJERSTAD / KENT CARTER / JOHN STEVENS - Blue Cat (NoBusiness LP 130; Lithuania) “Following on from Day Two (2019), the Lithuanian NoBusiness imprint issues another archive tape by Detail, the collective founded by Norwegian reedman Frode Gjerstad and English drummer John Stevens. By 1991 when this live set was captured, original bassist Johnny Dyani had died and had been replaced by expatriate American Kent Carter. Also on the album and deserving top billing was special guest cornetist Bobby Bradford, a onetime sideman to Ornette Coleman, who had toured and recorded with the previous version of Detail back in 1986.
With his fanfares, blues inflections and boppish idioms, Bradford links the freewheeling organic exchanges back to an older tradition, and together with Stevens' affection for a regular pulse, creates a lyrical swinging avant-garde. His interplay with Gjerstad's alto saxophone is one of the pleasures of this 45-minute limited edition LP. There was a discernible Coleman influence on Gjerstad too, much more so than now, manifest in some of his phrasing, although subject to more extreme twists and compressions in sonority. It's left to Carter on bass, to anchor proceedings with solemn figures.
Indeed the Coleman connection is invoked further on "Part II," where Bradford sounds as if he is channeling Ornette's classic "Lonely Woman," while Stevens mallets a rolling groove and Gjerstad circles in the background. When he steps forward the saxophonist alternates his recurring tremolo with contrasting mournful cries to good effect before a whickering discourse with the cornetist. Such conversational episodes are the lifeblood of the group, with Stevens also in on the discussion, using one part of his kit to maintain time and another to dialogue with the soloist, first punchy snare accents, and later bass drum kicks with Bradford on "Part I."
The disc ends with Bradford outlining a lilting lullaby, with Gjerstad murmuring softly in accompaniment, to wish the chattering audience a gentle goodnight. “ - John Sharpe, AAJ
LP Only $22 [NO CD]
PAUL DUNMALL NONET with NEIL METCALFE / PHILIP GIBBS / HANNAH MARSHALL / TREVOR TAYLOR / et al - Interpretations of Beauty (FMR 562; UK) The Nonet features Paul Dunmall on soprano & alto saxes, clarinet & flute, Neil Metcalfe on flute, Philip Gibbs on guitar, Hannah Marshall on cello, Sarah Farmer, Theo May & Alison Blunt on violins & viola, John Edwards on double bass and Trevor Taylor marimba, vibes & percussion. Although British sax colossus has been involved in some large ensembles in the past, as a leader he rarely gets a chance to assemble ensembles larger than a quartet. Hence, I was eager to hear Dunmall with a nonet like the one here. I know all of the musicians here from previous Dunmall sessions outside two of the string players: Sarah Farmer and Theo May. It turns out that Theo May is a prodigy who studies and work with Keith & Julie Tippetts.
One of the unique aspects of this disc is finding Mr. Dunmall, who is mainly known for playing fierce tenor sax, is playing other reeds on this disc like soprano & alto saxes & clarinet. Another interesting thing is that I can’t recall Dunmall ever working with a string quartet, making this session even more unique. On the first piece, “Whatever it was Joy Arrivedâ€Â, the strings erupt intensely in the first section with John Edwards contrabass and Phil Gibbs’ acoustic guitar tightly woven in the frenzy. Soon Dunmall’s clarinet, Metcalfe’s flute and Taylor’s marimba also move in. The music often sounds like partially composed modern chamber music with various spurts injected by different members of the nonet. This piece, “Awakening†sounds unlike anything we’ve heard from Mr. Dunmall and it is quite mesmerizing with different waves or currents moving around one another. At times two or three musicians solo simultaneously, with tight strands emerging within the moving mass. Mr. Dunmall solos on penny whistle, a folk instrument rarely used in most creative music sessions, yet it shines here with the various strings buzzing like bees around it. I am not sure how much of this is written or improvised but I found all of the music here to be consistently fascinating, challenging and focused. After many year and hundreds of releases of mostly all improvised sessions, Mr. Dunmall appears to have moved into a new phase of written or at least directed music. Starting with last years’ gem, ’Soultime’, also on FMR, Mr. Dunmall has continued to evolve, expand and come up with amazing results. One of this years best releases. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
THOLLEM McDONAS / WILLIAM PARKER / NELS CLINE - Gowanus Sessions II (ESP-Disk 5038; USA) Gowanus Session II was seven years in the planning. Thollem McDonas, Nels Cline, and William Parker convened at Peter Karl Studios in Brooklyn on January 3rd, 2012 and recorded two complete albums. The first was Gowanus Session I, released by Porter Records in April of 2012. GS II was put aside to eventually complete the five-album palindromic cycle of trio albums Nels and Thollem ambitiously set out to realize. The albums in between include Radical Empathy with Michael Wimberly (Relative Pitch, 2015), Molecular Affinity with Pauline Oliveros (ROAR 042LP, 2016), and Reality and Other Imaginary Places, with Michael Wimberly (ESPDISK 5035CD/LP, 2019). William Parker debuted on ESP-Disk' in the mid-70s on Frank Lowe's classic album Black Beings (ESPDISK 3013CD) and has returned to the label this decade on the Black Beings sequel, The Loweski (ESPDISK 4066CD) and with Mat Walerian's group Toxic (ESPDISK 5011CD, 2017) and in a quartet with Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, and Bobby Kapp (ESPDISK 5036CD, 2019), while being highly prolific as a leader, notably with a series of brilliant albums on AUM Fidelity. Nels Cline has spent decades changing people's ideas about the role of the electric guitar in multiple contexts, ranging from Wilco to Anthony Braxton (think about that!) as well as many projects as a leader, earning a spot on Rolling Stone's Top 100 Guitarists list. Thollem is a perpetually traveling pianist, keyboardist, composer, improviser, singer-songwriter, activist, author, and teacher. He's spent most of his adult life living on the road throughout North America and Europe. His work is ever-changing, evolving and responding to the times and his experiences, both as a soloist and in collaboration with hundreds of artists across idioms and disciplines. Thollem is known internationally as an acoustic piano player in the free jazz and post-classical worlds, as the lead vocalist for the Italian agit-punk band Tsigoti, and as an electronic keyboardist through a multitude of projects. Personnel: William Parker - bass; Nels Cline - electric guitar/effects; Thollem McDonas - piano. All compositions by Thollem McDonas, William Parker, Nels Cline.
CD $12
CP UNIT with CHRIS PITSIOKOS* / SAM LISABETH / HENRY FRASER / JASON NAZARY - One Foot on the Ground Smoking Mirror Shakedown (Ramp Local 48; USA) Featuring Chris Pitsiokos on alto sax, electronics & compositions, Sam Lisabeth on electric guitar, Henry Fraser on electric bass and Jason Nazary on drums & electronics. This is the fourth discs from Chris Pitsiokos’ extraordinary CP Unit. Over the past six years, I’ve watched young Downtown saxist & composer evolve, expand and grow stronger with each release and live performance. I’ve had the good fortune to work with Chris here at DMG for some of that time, giving him the chance to play here at DMG as often as possible and bonding with as fellow music explorers and friends. The CP Unit is Mr. Pitsiokos’ main band and one of the most challenging of all Downtown quartets whose roots reach back to No Wave, which exploded in the late seventies. The pieces here are longer than in the past, just four pieces.
“One Foot on the Groundâ€Â, begins with stark, haunting, electric guitar (with some selective, sly wah wah) intro, slowly building up with until the rest of the quartet enters. Unlike their earlier discs, the CP Unit has slowed down from their usual frenzied pace, giving them try to stretch out and deal with spaciousness. This piece almost sounds like a blues as time is slowed down to a somber, somewhat forlorn vibe. Pitsiokos’ pinched tone is cautious yet still rings true, caressing or bending each note just right. Mr. Lisabeth uses some of those Hendrix-like wah wah sounds without dealing with Jimi’s extreme intensity. On “Oreliusâ€Â, the sax and guitar play those difficult harmolodic licks in tight unison before the trade in counterpoint with the tight/spastic rhythm team, and then breaking down some intergalactic boogie duos. Eventually the quartet break into to complex written parts before the piece quickly fades out. The quartet uses a strong sense of suspense for “Sibylantâ€Â, again slowing things down so the sax and guitar can trade lines in a most dramatic way, speeding up and slowing down and interweaving as they go. “Tar Pit†starts with a superb unaccompanied electric bass intro with the sax & guitar soon playing this tight unison lines together. Daredevil hi-jinx and totally cool. Mr. Pitsiokos saves his best solo for last, taking an extraordinary solo in the second half. Somewhere between Ornette C & John Zorn, Chris takes off soaring, whipping out a number of jagged, lightning-like lines, trading licks with the guitar in an exciting whiplash fashion. Too much! If you get a chance do not miss the CP Unit when they play live, they rule! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
* CHRIS PITSIOKOS Double Ensemble will be premiering a new piece at Roulette on February 27th at 8pm!
JIM BLACK TRIO With ELIAS STEMESEDER / THOMAS MORGAN - Reckon (Intakt 334; Switzerland) “The Chicago Reader describes the Jim Black Trio with Thomas Morgan (contrabass) and Elias Stemeseder (piano) "one of the best bands in Jim Black's busy career". In the HardStudios Winterthur the trio recorded this new album over two days. It is their fourth CD as a trio and their second release on Intakt Records.
Drummer Jim Black has one of the most immediately recognizable styles in Jazz -– his wonderful unhinged playing bears the mark of the rock backbeat, but he adds a clanking disruptive quality that forces his collaborators to sharpen their reflexes. "They find their own space", writes Kevin Whitehead in the liner notes.
"Stemeseder is an original. It's not that he never backstops a right-hand melody with left-hand chords – he just does it less than most jazz pianists. He can feather the pedals or get stabby-percussive, but never over-plays. The space he leaves around the piano's sound is an invitation: he creates room. Like Stemeseder, Thomas Morgan has the confidence to do nothing where another accompanist might fill all the holes. His bass tone is ringing and clear, his attack has propulsive bite, and his lines sing. He provides a through-line when the other guys fracture."
CD $18
LEE KONITZ NONET with OHAD TALMOR / CAROLINE DAVIS / JUDITH INSELL / MARIEL ROBERTS / CHRIS TORDINI / GEORGE SCHULLER / et al - Old Songs New (Sunnyside 1572; USA) “Nonagenarian saxophonist Lee Konitz has been a featured soloist for many decades and has become a legend for his intriguing contributions to many well-known jazz dates with a wide variety of ensembles. Woodwind player, composer and arranger Ohad Talmor has been an important part of Konitz’s musical sphere for the past three decades, providing the elder statesman numerous opportunities to contribute his celebrated alto sound.â€Â
Alto saxist, Lee Konitz, is one of the jazz musicians/heroes who is still alive and playing well in his nineties! For this project Ohad Talmor organized a nonet to play eight standards that Mr. Konitz had never or rarely recorded before now. Mr. Konitz’ job was to improvise and solo to the special arrangements that Mr. Talmor had created. This is a marvelous ensemble with some great newer musicians that deserve some recognition: Caroline Davis & Christof Knoche (reeds), Mariel Roberts & Judith Insell (strings) and Chris Tordini & George Schuller (rhythm team). The first time I listened to this disc, the thing that stood out were the superb arrangements: sublime, haunting, warm, thoughtful, dreamy… Gordon Jenkins’ “Goodbye†is first and the sound of the lilting reeds and strings would sound perfect in a noir film. The strings and reeds do a fine job on “Foolin’ Myselfâ€Â, with tight waves surrounding Mr. Konitz’ lush yet tart tone. These songs were inspired by the ‘Birth of the Cool’ sessions (from 1949), as well as some of the music that Mr. Konitz was involved with in the 1950’s. Mr. Konitz does a fine job of being in several places at the same time, once foot in the past and another in the present. It will take some time to absorb some of the more subtle, somber side of the music here, with Mr. Konitz own playing often floating within the dream stream. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
JAY CLAYTON / JERRY GRANELLI - Alone Together (Sunnyside 1562; USA) Featuring Jay Clayton on vocals and Jerry Granelli on drums. I recall avant/jazz vocalist from the early days of my jazz listening when she worked with Marc Levin, Perry Robinson & Mark Whitecage and then went on to record John Cage’s music for the Tomato Records label. It turns out that Ms. Clayton has more than a dozen records out as a leader going back to 1981 including a are album with a great title, “Tito’s Acid Trip’ (ITM, 1992). I caught her a couple of years back in a quartet with Sheila Jordan & Cameron Brown. I was knocked out!
Elder statesman, jazz drummer, Jerry Granelli is also someone I’ve long admired, have caught him at the Victo & Guelph Jazz Festivals with his own bands, as well as at The Stone more recently. Mr. Granelli has a series of records on the Songlines, Intuition & W&W labels, each of which is a gem. This is the second duo effort that Ms. Clayton and Mr. Granelli have recorded although they were also part of a fine quartet with Julian Priester & Gary Peacock that had a great disc out on New Albion.
For this disc the duo have covered a couple of standards, plus adapting the poetry of Anne Waldman and e. e. cummings. Mr. Granelli does not merely play drums here, he plays some tuned percussion, cowbells or assorted pieces of metal. Granelli creates a sublime groove for “Because It’s Springâ€Â, while Ms. Clayton slyly speaks the words of e e cummings, what a marvelous duo. Beat poet, Anne Waldman, is another wordsmith I’ve long dug. Choosing her feisty poem, “Fast Speaking Woman†is a great choice as it describes the many great qualities that strong women possess. Another superb choice is Ornette Coleman’s classic, “Lonely Womanâ€Â, an ancient (early 1960’s), haunting song that still touches hearts and minds, more than a half century later. Mr. Granelli plays orchestrally throughout this disc. a perfect partner for Ms. Clayton warm, soulful, thoughtful voice. The duo cover an old standard known as “Wild is the Windâ€Â, which is most poignant, stripping it down while keeping its essence in hushed resonance. Another well selected poem is called, “Birds and Artists†by Brenda Bufalino. Mr. Granelli bows and rubs cymbals to get some organic, bird-like sounds, creating an eerie aura around Ms. Clayton’s solemn voice. I found this entire disc to be most enchanting, rich in tasty details, thoughtfully composed and superbly performed. Even with fragments of songs or melodies, the magic still shines through. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
CLAUDIA SOLAL & BENOIT DELBECQ - Hopetown (Rogue Art 094; France) "A matchless voice, an outstanding pianist, singular lyrics and music, a unique duo! Claudia Solal - Benoît Delbecq Hopetown - Claudia Solal (vocals), Benoît Delebcq (piano)." Like any modern artists aware of their predecessors Solal and Delbecq are provocative echoes of the past. Rather than comparing their work to that of masterly duos it might be more interesting to see them as a link in a chain of imaginary encounters. Think Abbey Lincoln and Myra Melford, or Sidsel Endresen and Mal Waldron, or Laurie Anderson and Anthony Davis. All the aforementioned were driven by no-compromise creativity and sense of purpose. Solal and Delbecq have found their own seats in this virtual pantheon. Yet Hopetown remains as real a space as one may dare to enter. Kevin Le Gendre, excerts from the liner notes
CD $16
LEAP OF FAITH with PEK / GLYNIS LOMON / KAT DOBBINS / BOB MOORES / YURI ZBITNOV - Sense and Understanding (Evil Clown 9237; USA) Personnel: PEK - clarinets, saxes, taragato, English horn, flute, melodica & percussion; Glynis Lomon (2nd piece only) on cello, aquasonic & voice; Kat Dobbins on trombone, stomping & clapping; Bob Moores on trumpet, game calls & wood flute and Yuri Zbitnov on drums & percussion. Although the core members remain the same: Pek, Ms. Lomon & Mr. Zbitnov, this version includes Bob Moores, whose been around for a bit and newest member Kat Dobbins. This session was recorded at Outpost 186 in Cambridge, MA in December of 2019 and consists of two pieces, 19 & 51 minutes. As is often the case, things start off slowly with just a couple of instruments at a time: melodica, percussion and trombone. While Zbitnov plays a slow, skeletal groove, the trombone, trumpet and low-end clarinet circle slowly above. Each member gets a chance to stretch out and slowly add to the ongoing organic improv flow. Yuri Zbitnov, who will be retiring from Leap of Faith shortly is in strong form here, whipping up a storm but not overdoing it too much. “Understanding†is the longer piece here with Ms. Lomon joining the entourage. As is often the case, the quintet rise from the ashes of silence adding their voices one or tow at a time and building, combining forces as they go. While Mr. Zbitnov again starts escalating the rhythmic from below, the brass and reeds ascend slowly with him, buzzing, simmering and building to the next level. Again, it is Mr. Zbitnov’s ever-enging drumming that sets the pace here while both brass, reeds and cello interweave around him, rising and falling in organic waves. An outstanding effort from a series of ensembles that now passed the 100 mark for released discs! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10
TURBULENCE with PEK / MICHAEL CAGLIANONE / YURI ZBITNOV - The Conception of Sense (Evil Clown 9225; USA) Turbulence features PEK on clarinets, four saxes, tarogato, contrabassoon, flute, sheng, melodica, game calls & percussion; Michael Caglianone on soprano, alto & tenor saxes, sheng & game calls and Yuri Zbitnov on drums and assorted percussion. Turbulence is just one of a half dozen Leap of Faith offshoot projects, with now around a dozen discs under that name. This version of Turbulence is just a trio with the two core members: PEK and Yuri Zbitnov (who is just about to retire from LoF). Being a trio with mostly two reeds and drums, makes it easier to figure out who is doing what. This disc starts with just cymbals or gongs and melodica, which sound like the soundtrack to a haunted house film. Slowly, both saxes and drums start to build from a modest intro. Both reedsmen take their time and play one thing one thing at a time, tenor & bass saxes, clarinets, game calls, all utilized just right as this disc unfolds. Instead of pushing too hard and steering the rhythmic flow, Mr. Zbitnov, holds back a bit to set both reeds shine, interweaving their lines, creating a fascinating, ongoing dialogue. As Mr. Zbitnov slowly ascends, he starts fanning the flames of both reeds players, they start spinning out several layers of lines. There is a strong sense of spaciousness and calm at the center of this long disc. A most impressive yet somewhat modest gem. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10
SAM GILL’S COURSED WATERS - Many Altered Returns (Earshift Music 027; Australia) Featuring Sam Gill on alto sax and compositions, Novak Manojlovic on piano, Jacques Emery on double bass and James McLean on drums. “Sam Gill is an alto saxophonist from Sydney, Australia who on this release with his quartet, Coursed Waters, plows a similar musical furrow as Tim Berne. His group plays an interesting blend of involved written-music and free improvisation with an elastic sense of volume and tempo.
The CD's opening track, "Nodap," starts with a climbing, angular melody that alternates between lively and mournful moods and turns into a cauldron of potent improvised rumbling that spotlights the cohesiveness between Gill's howling alto, Novak Manojlovic's nervous piano, Jacques Emery's jittery bass and James MacLean's rustling drums. A similarly angular feel underlies "Fortean Days." Here alto and drums stumble together in a woozy dance, the piano stabs well-placed chords and Emery's bass provides a solid rhythmic center, holding this jangling mass together as the tempo picks up and Gill and Manjlovic go on separate frenzied rides.
The group's talents with both melodic playing and improvisation are best illustrated by "Fortean Nights." It begins with Manojlovic dramatically tumbling alone, then with the bass and drums. The pace quickens as Gill buzzes in and the quartet dives into abstract smears and ripples which change into a more unified, slippery sound with giddy alto bouncing off piano chords. Then after a brief pause, the quartet starts to play together with an insistent, blues-tinged edge. The alto and piano frantically wail and surge together as the rhythm section keeps a rocky beat behind them.
"The Turn" and "Staring Straight" are more subdued works. "Turn" is a ballad form where Gill's warbling lines wander alongside halting piano and softly supportive rhythm. On "Staring" the quartet creates a trance-like atmosphere out of small musical fragments. Then Gill blows a repeated snatch of melody while the drums pop like firecrackers. This gradually builds to a jagged but tuneful quartet climax.
This is a stimulating slab of prickly composition and guided improvisation. Gill and his partners have a great feel for each other and know how to get through their unwieldy musical mazes without getting lost. As hair-raising as their individual playing can get, together they always manage to guide their music home to a satisfying conclusion.†- Jerome Wilson, AllAboutJazz
CD $12
TED MILTON - The Odes (Klanggalerie 303; Austria) "Ted Milton is an English poet and musician, best known for leading Blurt, an experimental art rock jazz group. Milton grew up in Africa, Canada and Great Britain. He published some early poems in magazines like Paris Review and Brian Patten's Underdog. In the mid-sixties he began performing as a puppeteer, participating in numerous international festivals and appearing on So It Goes, the TV show hosted by Tony Wilson. He contributed a short scene for Terry Gilliam's film Jabberwocky. In the late seventies he began to play alto-saxophone and founded the group Blurt. The first single 'My Mother Was a Friend of an Enemy of the People' was soon followed by the live album In Berlin. Since then Blurt have released more than 20 records. While living in Brussels in the mid-1990s, Milton started making book-objects with found materials. These were shown at several exhibitions and have been taken up in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris as well as in the British Library. In 1984, Ted Milton released his first solo single, 'Love is like a Violence', recorded with Steve Beresford, followed by 'Ode: O to be Seen through Your Eyes' one year later. Ever since, Ted has released material outside of Blurt, with various musical partners and in various styles and constellations. Klanggalerie are now happy to present the first CD collection of these songs under the title The Odes."
CD $18
MASSIMO TONIUTTI - Variation Seculaire Geomagnetique (Klanggalerie 298; Austria) "Massimo Toniutti is an Italian sound designer and experimental musician. He is the brother of Giancarlo Toniutti who is best known for his dark ambient masterpiece La Mutazione which was originally released on the Broken Flag label in the UK and later reissued by Klanggalerie. Massimo started working with sound when he was a teenager, collecting and playing recordings of all kinds. In th 1980s he released four cassettes on his own label, all heavily influenced by the experimental musis scene of that time. He soon developped a strong relation to electroacoustic structures, space/environment and silence. In the 1990s, he began investigating radio, creating his own sound archive and producing unusual broadcasts. He released an album entitled Il Museum Selvatico, which was reissued in Australia in 2018 on Oren Ambarchi's label Black Truffle. A documentation of his radio work can be heard on the CD Le Gabbiette Di Faraday, collecting radio pieces from 1996 to 1998. After a twenty year break, the cassette Antidocument/Groundwork was released in 2016 in a tiny edition of only 100 copies. Klanggalerie asked Massimo Toniutti to reissue this composition on CD to which he agreed. When work was started, Massimo decided to extend it to a much longer piece which became Variation Séculaire Géomagnétique. if you are into Musique Concrete, Dark Ambient or simply beautifully crafted atmospheric music, then this release is for you."
CD $18
Historical & Archival Recordings, Restocks & Reissued Items:
HELDON - Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale (Bureau B 329; Germany) Bureau B present a reissue of Heldon's Un Rêve Sans Conséquence Spéciale, originally released in 1976. Heldon's Richard Pinhas has never been shy of pinpointing his influences while, at the same time, making music that is noticeably distinct from any of his designated sources. He has, for instance, made it clear that a significant font of inspiration was Robert Fripp's guitar style and melding of rock music with cutting-edge electronics (especially in collaboration with Brian Eno). Indeed, Heldon's fifth album, Un Rêve Sans Conséquence Spéciale, was named after a live bootleg of a King Crimson concert. Pinhas first met Fripp in 1974, and the pair became friends and have remained in contact ever since. Pinhas was even offered a deal with E.G. Records, the company that oversaw King Crimson alongside other successful groups like Roxy Music and ELP. "That was a dream," says Pinhas. "But when you are 22, you are in a hurry. They asked me to wait one or two years before joining the team. I couldn't wait two years!" Instead, Pinhas launched his own label, Disjuncta, which he later sold to purchase the Moog synthesizer that would make a huge difference to Heldon's sound. Heldon's output also drew from radical science fiction (Philip K. Dick, Norman Spinrad, etc.) as well as philosophy: the sleeve features a quote from Pierre Klossowski's Nietzsche and the Vicious Circle (1969). Heldon never represented a mere facsimile of Pinhas's musical touchstones: King Crimson, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, or Frank Zappa. Heldon was always its own beast and by 1976 it was thriving and roaring like never before. More work was being completed in a proper studio, the Moog helped strengthen the sound and direction, and Pinhas's rotating cast of collaborators was solidifying into something resembling a regular lineup, with François Auger on drums and Patrick Gauthier on synthesizers. The result was a darker, heavier, and more intense sound. The LP opens with the prog-gone-skronk onslaught of "Marie Virginie C", sounding rather like Robert Fripp being sliced into bloody chunks in Thurston Moore's basement. Auger is the star of "Elephanta", in all its Moog-assisted polyrhythmic glory. On side two, "MVC II" offers six minutes of sinister dystopian squelch rock. It's followed by "Toward The Red Line", an epic piece conceivably serving to connect the dots between Hawkwind's most freeform passages and the Detroit techno innovations of the coming decade.â€Â
CD $17
HELDON - 6 - Interface (Bureau B 330; Germany) “Bureau B present a reissue of Heldon's 6 - Interface, originally released in 1977. A brilliant moment occurs right at the end of Heldon's sixth album, Interface. The album's final song, its side-long title track, builds up slowly into a roaring tornado of fiercely mutating drum patterns, effervescent synth work, and guitar licks that wail into the atmosphere like an abandoned astronaut. Then, after nearly 19 minutes of highly futuristic avant-garde space rock, this ultramodern music fades out and is replaced by a concluding few seconds of traditional blues-rock guitar. "We were finishing the track, the tape was rolling, and I started to play a normal boogie or whatever," remembers Heldon leader Richard Pinhas. "I think it was a good idea to keep it. It just came naturally, at the end." This event acts as a reminder of just how far rock n' roll had been transformed since its earliest incarnations. This blueprint had been jolted and nudged down all kinds of unexpected avenues after players like Chuck Berry and Bill Haley first found fame. The genre had branched out into every manner of mutated form. It had given rise to misshapen clones and had shifted into unrecognizable shapes, like a beautiful alien creature from one of the science fiction tales that were fondly admired by so many experimental rock musicians, Pinhas included. Heldon, surely, represented one of rock n' roll's most distant relatives; an innovative fusion of avant-garde rock sounds and synthesizer pulsations. At the same time, Interface's unexpected ending also tells us that such music, however improvisatory or fused with electronic elements, will forever have its roots in those early rock n' roll records that are responsible for so many varieties of aural exploration. Thanks to the increased presence of drummer François Auger and synth/Moog man Patrick Gauthier, Pinhas's project had solidified into a harder and heavier unit. Around the time of the album's release, the musician and composer Jean-Philippe Goude told Pinhas that because of its merging of synthesizer sounds with "real" instrumentation. Despite its often warm and near-funky feel, Interface has been cited as an influence on key industrial and noise musicians including Wolf Eyes and Merzbow.
CD $17
HELDON - Stand By (Bureau B 331; Germany) Bureau B present a reissue of Heldon's seventh and final album of the 1970s Stand By, originally released in 1979. After the release of Stand By, Richard Pinhas focused on solo LPs before quitting music for around a decade. "It was the end of the tale," he explains. "We decided to split for many reasons. The main one was that one or two of the other musicians wanted to stop. They were session musicians, mainly. At one point they said they didn't have so much time to give. And it was a time when a lot of bands who had become reluctantly successful decided to split . . . Split at the top, not waiting to go down." Heldon certainly went out on a high. Stand By's mood remains urgent and gripping throughout, fashioned via immense synthesizer sounds, a plethora of interweaving drum patterns, spiraling guitar chops, and lurching riffs. It's been likened to krautrock, yet Pinhas never paid attention to the German scene. There are other similarities to parallel innovations that John Carpenter was making in the field of sci-fi/horror soundtracks. The hazmat-suit-wearing figure on Stand By's cover could have starred in such a movie. The album's unearthly vocals were provided by Klaus Blasquiz of Magma. Some progressive musicians of the '70s felt threatened by the rise of punk -- Not Pinhas. As producer, he worked with French punk acts like Asphalt Jungle. No, Pinhas was more troubled by wider world developments. These miseries played their own part in Heldon's demise. "We recorded Stand By in '78, going into '79. Politics had all shifted to the right with your Maggie Thatcher and, in America, that very bad actor. They started the bullshit of neoliberalism that we have to live with now, everywhere. We're going to be in a very fascistic world within twenty years. Not even that long. The initiation of this change came with Reagan and Maggie. It started in the '80s." Stand By was recorded at Studio Davout, the Parisian home to recordings by everyone from Karlheinz Stockhausen to Johnny Hallyday. That, too, has fallen victim to brutal economics. It was demolished in 2018. "They destroyed the main historical studio in France to put up a supermarket!" says Pinhas. "It was a place where a lot of things happened. Musicians were working all night long. It could've been a museum for music."
CD $17
GIGI GRYCE with SAHIB SARBIB / HORACE SILVER / HANK JONES / ART FARMER / RICHARD WILLIAMS / DONALD BYRD / THELONIOUS MONK / TOMMY FLANAGAN / CECIL PAYNE / OSCAR PETTIFORD / ART TAYLOR / ART BLAKEY - The Classic Albums 1955-1960 (Enlightenment 9176; EEC) Born George General Grice Jr. in Florida on November 28, 1925, jazz saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger and educator, Gigi Gryce - the name by which he would be known in jazz circles - was never a top drawer but has remained an inspiration to players and composers from the same genre ever since his heyday. This 4 CD collection features the best albums made by Gryce as leader or co-leader - which includes his entire recorded output with Jazz lab - between 1955 and 1960. Each of these eight records displays amply the great man's huge musical, arranging and compositional abilities which in most cases leave his contemporaries short, and while Gryce has never been a household name, one listen to the music presented herein will leave most jazz fans wondering why.
4 CD Set $18
QUINCY JONES with OLIVER NELSON / FRANK WESS / THAD JONES / CLARK TERRY / ART FARMER / LEE MORGAN / FRANK WESS / PHIL WOODS / ZOOT SIMS / JEROME RICHARDSON / JIMMY CLEVELAND / KENNY BURRELL / MILT HINTON / OSIE JOHNSON- The Classic Albums 1956 - 1963 (Enlightenment 9177; EEC) First and foremost, Quincy Jones is a musician, composer and arranger of some of the finest music of the 20th Century, and this 4 CD Set houses his very finest work. Eight original albums released by Jones on Mercury and other labels between 1960 and 1963, on which he was leader or co-leader, remain, certainly for jazz fans, the great man's finest hour. This set includes these integral albums in their entirety and in pristine re-mastered form, complete with full musician lists and release details, to make for perhaps the best collection yet of Quincy Jones's jazz recordings which pre-date almost everything this giant of a man remains most famous for.
4 CD Set $18
MISSISSIPPI HILLBILLIES - Various Artists (JSP 77215; UK) From the golden age of field recordings of early country and old timey from the early 1920s to mid 1930s, these fabulously rare recordings from the Chris King collection stand out as some of the most important. This collection focuses on the Mississippi region and features performances by true folk musicians - Carter Brothers, Leake County Revelers, Nations Brothers, Mississippi 'Possum Hunters, Freeny Harmonizers and many more.
4 CD Set $27
JACKSON C. FRANK - American Troubadour (Mooncrest 101; UK) "This album is an overview of the work of Jackson C. Frank, friend and peer of the likes of Paul Simon, Bert Jansch and (his girlfriend for a while), Sandy Denny. It just about spans his entire career, from his first 1965 single to three tracks recorded in 1994. It also includes five tracks never before released, which he performed when presenting the 'My Kind Of Folk' radio show in 1968. His most well-known song 'Blues Run The Game' (included here in the rare single version, along with the non-album b-side) has been covered by Simon and Garfunkel, Counting Crows, Bert Jansch and Eddi Reader, and Nick Drake recorded four of his songs. In recent years, Jackson's work has come to be recognized much more widely, and his music (particularly 'Blues Run The Game') has been included in many TV programs and films, with 'My Name Is Carnival' featuring in 2019's huge hit Joker. Sessions include 'My Kind Of Folk' Nov 13, 1968 'Shotwell Sessions,' recorded June 5, 1972 'Rude Sessions,' recorded May 9, 1974 'Mekeel Sessions,' recorded in May, 1975 'The Anderson Sessions,' recorded in September, 1994 Extensive sleeve notes detailing the tragic life of this folk artist."
CD $17
BACK IN STOCK:
KEN VANDERMARK With JOHN BUTCHER / JOE McPHEE / NATE WOOLEY / JOHN TILBURY / IKUE MORI / KENT KESSLER / HAMID DRAKE / et al - Unexpected Alchemy (Not Two MW 993; Poland) Massive 7 CD set of unreleased recordings featuring: Ken Vandermark, John Butcher, Joe McPhee & Mette Rasmussen on reeds & brass, Nate Wooley on trumpet, John Tilbury on piano, Ikue Mori on laptop, Kent Kessler on contrabass and Hamid Drake, Eddie Prevost & Steve Noble on drums & percussion.
7 CD Set $80
TOUCH AND GO SEXTET [VIJAY ANDERSON/AARON BENNETT/SHELDON BROWN/BEN GOLDBERG /DARREN JOHNSTON/LISA MEZZACAPPA] - Live At The Novara Jazz Festival (Nine Winds 314; USA) The Touch and Go Sextet features Vijay Anderson on drums & compositions, Ben Goldberg on clarinet, Aaron Bennett on tenor & bari saxes, Sheldon Brown on alto sax & bass clarinet, Darren Johnston on trumpet and Lisa Mezzacappa on bass. Earlier this week (2/25/14), I caught the trio of Ben Goldberg/Sheldon Brown/Vijay Anderson at The Stone for the opening night of Mr. Goldberg's week-long residency. Although this set was completely improvised, it was astonishing how well these three musicians played together. This trio plays often on the West Coast and it showed as they sound like they have some strategic magic or glue that connects them. I've become familiar with drummer/composer Vijay Anderson over the past few years from his work with the trio of Adam Lane & Vinny Golia, as well as with his playing with bassist Lisa Mezzacappa. No doubt you know all about Ben Goldberg who is one of the finest clarinetists of his generation, well-recorded and worthy of his acclaim. I hadn't heard much from the other two reeds players, Sheldon Brown & Aaron Bennett, although Mr. Brown has collaborated with Mr. Goldberg on several previous projects. Trumpeter Darren Johnston is yet another strong musician and bandleader with four fine discs of his own as well as collaborating with Fred Frith, Larry Ochs and Steve Lugener. The Touch and Go Sextet has worked with three saxist/composers: Avram Fefer, Vinny Golia and Marco Eneidi. Through the encouragement of Roscoe Mitchell, with whom Mr. Anderson has studied at Mills College, plus the help of getting a couple of grants, the Touch and Go Sextet played and were recorded at the Novara Jazz Festival in Italy in May of 2013. Hence, this fine disc. With an impressive four horn frontline (trumpet, bari & alto sax & clarinet), Mr. Anderson has put a great deal of thought into this. There are several interlocking lines going on simultaneously up front as well as with the ever-shifting rhythm team. We have to work a bit to hear the way the various reeds and brass move between their connected layers. Althought the sextet is in a state of flux, they remain tightly wound as they move. On "Horripilation" Mr. Bennett takes an explosive bari solo while the rest of the horns play nifty harmonies underneath, the rhythm team rising and dropping out for certain sections. Sometimes this group reminds me of the way Dixieland bands work with simultaneous lines swirling together, especially when Mr. Goldberg's trusty clarinet leads. Like many great clarinet players, his sounds as if he has one foot in the past and one in the present. "Swift Horse" starts off with a splendid, melodic drum solo which evolves right into a great, hard swinging tune with an smokin' alto sax from Sheldon Brown, as well as a fine unaccompanied clarinet solo. This long piece ends with an odd Nate Wooley-like trumpet solo made from radiator-hiss and assorted breath-like sounds. The final piece is a three-part work which moves through a number of interesting sections, all different yet somehow connected. Vijay Anderson obviously has a strong vision and his writing and playing continues to mature with each disc. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $12
LP ONLY SECTION:
MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS - Celestial Birds (Karl Records 070; Germany) “The compilation Celestial Birds reveals and focuses on the widely unknown electronic compositions of the Association for the Advancement Of Creative Musicians (AACM) founder and jazz pianist, Muhal Richard Abrams. The fifth release in KarlRecords' Perihel Series, curated by zeitkratzer director, Reinhold Friedl. Anybody interested in jazz knows that Chicago has always been an impressive hot spot for new talents -- and still is. One essential landmark in the history and development of jazz was the founding of the AACM in May 1965. This non-profit organization was a melting pot (and starting point) for artists like Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, George Lewis, or Lester Bowie and his Art Ensemble of Chicago but one of its actual founding members is known only to the deep connoisseurs: Muhal Richard Abrams (1930-2017). The autodidact pianist and composer left music school and university, deciding to learn music by himself. From 1961 on, the Experimental Band was his first ensemble, but it soon turned out that Abrams's interests went beyond jazz and that he was open to the avant-garde and new music and most of all: electronic music. Which led to a double problem: On the one hand, black musicians had almost no access to the rare electronic music studios located in and funded by universities or broadcasting corporations. On the other hand, there were strong reservations regarding electronic music in the black music community. In his important book A Power Stranger Than Itself: The A.A.C.M. and American Experimental Music, (2007) George Lewis wrote that "the use of electronics . . . proved controversial and widely misunderstood in a world of jazz in which acoustic instruments became conflated with musical, and eventually, cultural and even racial authenticity." Abrams's response was to actually "hide" his electronic pieces on the B-sides of his albums, and this compilation focuses on some of his best electronic experiments: the 22-minute long epic "The Bird Song" from 1968 in its original version incl. the reverb that was removed on the later CD reissue on Delmark, the synthesizer compositions "Conversations With The Three Of Me" (1989) and "Think All, Focus One" (1995) plus "Spihumonesty" (1980) with a second synthesizer played by George Lewis and Yousef Yancey on theremin. Celestial Birds casts a new light on the underrated experimenter Muhal Richard Abrams, his innovative approach to composition and pieces that lay dormant for way too long. 180 gram vinyl; includes download code.
LP $21
PASCAL COMELADE - Les Memoires d'un Ventriloque (Chansons 1981-2018)(Staubgold 153; Germany) Les Mémoires d'un Ventriloque ("memories of a ventriloquist") is the long-awaited anthology of Pascal Comelade's collaborations with singers, recorded between 1981 and 2018, and featuring Robert Wyatt, PJ Harvey, and Jac Berrocal, among many others. Almost all tracks are rare, have only been released on CDs or compilations, have been re-worked by Pascal Comelade for this release, or have never been released before. French-Catalan musician Pascal Comelade, born June 30, 1955 in Montpellier, began making strange cover songs of rock and easy listening standards with such instruments as singing saw, toy piano, etc. He later developed an unmistakable style, co-operated with artists like Robert Wyatt or Faust, and has even inspired a follower band in Japan, the Pascals. Also features Sissi, Jean-Hervé Péron, Faust, Sergi Lopez, Alex Barbier, Enric Casasses, Roy Paci, Accidents Polipoètics, Les Vierges, Miossec, Marc Hurtado, Mark C., Pau Riba, and Albert Pla. Edition of 500; hand-numbered and signed by Pascal Comelade himself.
2 10†LP Set $24
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Bruce Lee Gallanter’s Recommended Gig List for January & February, 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 - KRIS DAVIS' 40th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION! - JAN 28–FEB 1
1/31 Friday
8:30 pm - Kris Davis Trio
Kris Davis (piano) Charlie Lincoln (bass) Tom Rainey (drums)
2/1 Saturday
8:30 pm - Kris Davis (piano) & Ingrid Laubrock (sax)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - SYLVIE COURVOISIER - FEB 4–8
2/4 Tuesday
8:30 pm - TRIO
John Zorn (sax) Jorge Roeder (bass) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano)
2/5 Wednesday
8:30 pm
QUARTET - Ned Rothenberg (clarinets, shakuhachi) Mark Feldman (violin) Mat Maneri (viola) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano)
2/6 Thursday
8:30 pm
DUO - Mary Halvorson (guitar) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano)
2/7 Friday
8:30 pm - Sylvie Courvoisier Trio
Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Thomas Morgan (bass) Kenny Wollesen (drums)
2/8 Saturday
8:30 pm - Trio - Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Kenny Wollesen
THE (NEW) STONE is located in The New School’s Glass Box Theatre ÂÂ
All Sets at The New Stone start at 8:30pm Tickets: $20
There are no refreshments or merchandise at The Stone.ÂÂ
Only music. All ages are welcome. Cash Only at the door.ÂÂ
A serious listening environment.
The Stone is booked purely on a curatorial basis
The Stone Series at HappyLucky No. 1:
Friday, January 31 & Saturday, February 1st:
8:00 PM 9:00 PM
LAURIE ANDERSON with Martha Mooke
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 February 3rd
7pm Patrick Golden - drums
Daniel Carter - woodwinds
Dustin Carlson - bass
8pm Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Adam Lane - bass
Kevin Shea - drums
9pm Luke Schwartz - guitar
Greg McMullen - guitar/steel
Jeff Hudgins - saxophone
9:45pm Aaron Quinn - guitar
Nolan Tsang - trumpet
Deric Dickens - drums
10:45pm Jonathon Goldberger - guitar/electronics
Shoko Nagai - moog synth
Satoshi Takeishi - drums
11:30pm Florian Herzog - bass
Keisuke Matsuno - guitar
Tal Yahalom - guitar
Lesley Mok - 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:
Thursday, February 6th
7pm, 8pm, 9pm & 9:45pm
M Shanghai
Babe the Blue OX
I-VT
Thee Reps
Friday, February 7th
6-10pm - Haiti Cultural Exchange presents Pa Bliye | Toto Bissainthe, a multi-media exhibition and concert, in partnership with Fondation Haiti Jazz.
A multi-media exhibition and concert honoring Haitian songstress Toto Bissainthe. Performances by Talie, Nathalie Joachim & Riva Precil.ÂÂ
Haitian Cultural Exchange
Saturday, February 8th
3pm - City Stomp
City Stomp winter series is here! Come have a great time with us! Drinks for the grown-ups and a fun show for the kids. What more can you ask for?
Shapeshifter is located at
18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Take the R train stop to Union
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I-Beam Presents:
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020 - 8:30 PM 10:00 PM
COLLISION UNITÂÂ
Jason Gibbs - guitar
Luke Bergman - bassÂÂ
Andrew McInnis - drums
Spontaneous Composition drawing from  certain notions from Joe Morris’s Perpetual Frontier: The Properties of Free Music, Harmolodics, and Metal.ÂÂ
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2020 - 8:00 PM 9:00 PM
CHOI / SACKS DUO
Yooni Choi - Voice
Jacob Sacks - Piano
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MARTY EHRLICH CONCERTS Upcoming:
music new and made new
Friday, February 7, 8PM one set
Trio Exaltation
Michael Formanek - bass
Tomas Fujiwara - drums
Marty Ehrlich -woodwinds
Saturday,February 8, 8PM one set
Duiloquy
Kris Davis - piano
Marty Ehrlich - woodwinds
The Stone Series - Happy Lucky No. 1 ($20 donation )
734 Nostrand Avenue, Bro klyn | happyluckyno1.com
Tuesday, March 3, 8PM one set
for altos
Oscar Noriega, Ned Rothenberg,
Andy Laster , Marty Ehrlich - Alto Saxes
Seeds Brooklyn Performance Space ($15 donation )
617 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn | seedsbrooklyn .org