DMG Newsletter for August 28th, 2020: Happy Record Store Day to Downtown Music Gallery!

WELCOME TO DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY, WHERE EVERY DAY IS RECORD STORE DAY!

This Saturday, August 29th is Record Store Day across the USA. Originally, I did like the idea of Record Store Day, since any holiday which celebrates records stores is worth supporting and celebrating. This so-called holiday was created by the Record Industry as a way of spotlighting records stores, ancient outlets which have long promoted the music that their owners still care about. I have been going to small record stores since around 1966 when I was just 12, first buying 7” singles and then albums when I grew up and was Bar Mitzvah’d in 1967. I always asked alot of questions to record store owners & employees and was often considered to be a pain-in-the-tush. But since Creative Music has long been my main inspiration, I kept going back, learning on my own and buying more records to help enrich myself. I have worked in several record stores after college like Peppermint Platters (Woodbridge, NJ), the Record Hunter (42nd & 5th in NYC), Vinyl Mania (Carmine St. in the West Village) and Lunch For Yor Ears (Prince St., near the Old Knit). I also worked for Rainbow Distributors & JEM Import Distribution, both in NJ. I started Downtown Music Gallery in May of 1991 at 211 East Fifth St (in the East Village) and next year we will celebrate out 30th anniversary - Holy Sh*t!!! I am so glad that Downtown Music Gallery (DMG) is still around, we have been through so much. Over 30 employees have worked here throughout our history, thanks to them all! There were allegedly 100 record stores in Manhattan when we opened in’91 and now there are just a handful left!?! Strange days, indeed!

   Record Store Day has become more commercialized since it started and there are way too many rules & regulations as to what we can get & sell and for how much. For me, this is totally jive! There are hundreds of Record Store Days items that many stores have to fight over in order to get. The problem for us is that we have long specialized in a diverse array of Creative Musics: 60’s rock, psychedelic, folk, blues, country, jazz - mainstream, progressive & free, progressive rock, good fusion, Canterbury, modern classical, electronic, Downtown, Creative Punk & Metal, Klezmer, ethnic music, noise, lower case and anything else which tickles our fancies and inspires us. I have gotten past the point of caring how many copies any record has sold, it doesn’t really matter, just to those who care more about making money than creating art. Hence, most of the items that are promoted for Record Store Day are of no or little interest to us. Sorry to anyone looking for more commercial items. The good news is this, DMG is still alive and we are still not jive! Please come visit us at the store from Tuesdays through Fridays, noon til 6pm or you can read our weekly e-mail newsletter (on-line) which goes out to 7,000 serious listeners worldwide or check out our website which lists many records not found anywhere else. Some are still in stock, some are not, we do our best to find those elusive items that most folks can’t find anywhere else.
 
   We will be open this Saturday for Record Store Day from noon til 6pm but we can only let a few folks in at a time. There will be some surprises in store as well. So please do come on down and say hello! You know who still loves you all, we do! Bruce Lee, Frank M, John M and Charmaine L.          
 
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“Birmingham Sunday” written by Richard Farina
Recorded by Joan Baez for her fifth album, released in 1964

Come round by my side and I'll sing you a song.
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong.
On Birmingham Sunday the blood ran like wine,
And the choirs kept singing of Freedom.

That cold autumn morning no eyes saw the sun,
And Addie Mae Collins, her number was one.
At an old Baptist church there was no need to run.
And the choirs kept singing of Freedom,

The clouds they were grey and the autumn winds blew,
And Denise McNair brought the number to two.
The falcon of death was a creature they knew,
And the choirs kept singing of Freedom,

The church it was crowded, but no one could see
That Cynthia Wesley's dark number was three.
Her prayers and her feelings would shame you and me.
And the choirs kept singing of Freedom.

Young Carol Robertson entered the door
And the number her killers had given was four.
She asked for a blessing but asked for no more,
And the choirs kept singing of Freedom.

On Birmingham Sunday a noise shook the ground.
And people all over the earth turned around.
For no one recalled a more cowardly sound.
And the choirs kept singing of Freedom.

The men in the forest they once asked of me,
How many black berries grew in the Blue Sea.
And I asked them right with a tear in my eye.
How many dark ships in the forest?

The Sunday has come and the Sunday has gone.
And I can't do much more than to sing you a song.
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong.
And the choirs keep singing of Freedom.

“Birmingham Sunday” was written by Richard Farina and recorded by Joan Baez for her fifth album, released in 1964. “The above song relays the tragic 1963 bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama. Four African American girls were killed in the bombing and countless others injured. The church had previously been the host of many rallies and movements in support of civil rights in Birmingham, rendering it a focal point for white hostility in the city’s racial conflict. This event occurred during the American Civil Rights Movement and FBI reports declare the act was carried out by four members of the Ku Klux Klan – a white, Christian Supremacist group.” - Wikipedia

   Ever since hearing cover versions of several Richard Farina songs like “Bold Marauder” (by Kendra Smith) and “Reno Navada” (by Fairport Convention), I have been a big fan of Richard & Mimi Farina. This duo recorded three albums for Vanguard in 1965 and 1968, none of which I had heard until the mid 1990’s. For me, all three are masterpieces of folk/rock with some psychedelic influences swirling within. Considering that Bob Dylan is my longtime favorite songwriter & lyricist, I have read many books about him to help gain some insight into his lyrics. This is how I found out about Richard & Mimi. Mimi Farina was the younger sister of Joan Baez and a singer as well. When Ms. Baez was involved with Mr. Dylan in the early sixties, both couples were friends and Mr. Farina had some influence over Dylan’s musical journey. Richard Farina was also a gifted author, whose only novel, “Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me” was published in 1966. On April 30th, two days after the book was published, Mr. Farina attended a book signing ceremony in Carmel, CA. Later that day, while attending a birthday party for his wife Mimi, Mr. Fariña took off on a motorcycle ride with a friend and ended up getting in an accident in which he instantly killed. Very, very sad. Mimi Fariña never fully recovered from that tragic loss. I keep going back to those three Richard & Mimi Fariña albums and they still captivate me. I recently found out that Mr. Farina had an earlier record with Eric Von Schmidt, released on Folkways in 1963. I’ve never seen that record but you know I have to find a copy. The journey continues. A toast to the amazing Richard Fariña! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
 
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This Week’s Sonic Treasures Begin with a Long Elusive Free Jazz Classic:

ARTHUR DOYLE TRIO with CHARLES STEPHENS / RASHIED SINAN - Nature Boy (Homeboy Music; UK) Featuring Arthur Doyle on tenor sax, bass clarinet & flute, Charles Stephens on trombone and Rashied Sinan on drums, recorded live at Studio Rivbea, NYC in August of 1972. Cosmic reeds wizard, Arthur Doyle (1944-2014), remains a near mythic figure amongst the gods of Free Music. One of the most intense, over-the-top and often considered crazed of all the Free Jazz Giants, Mr. Doyle’s recorded around two dozen discs as a leader or collaborator, practically none of which are in print. Mr. Doyle did work with other legends like Sunny Murray, Milford Graves, Noah Howard and Rudolph Grey (in the Blue Humans). The only thing currently in print is Milford Graves’ ‘Bäbi’ CD on CorbettvsDempsey. I was fortunate enough to have heard Mr. Doyle twice, once with the Blue Humans and once at Tonic with the Q-Bico Allstars.
   The music on this disc is one 30 minute version of the standard, “Nature Boy”, which is twisted into all sorts of strange yet compelling ways. The trio features Mr. Doyle on tenor sax, bass clarinet & flute, Charles Stephens (from Sam Rivers, Sun Ra & Archie Shepp bands) on trombone and Rashied Sinan (from Ahmed Abdullah & Frank Lowe sessions) on drums. I have played this disc over and over and over again. This is fire-breathing, Free Jazz, Spirit Music at its very best! - BLG/DMG    
CD $25  [Very Limited Edition / we just got 10 in which took 3 years to pull off,  since I first talked to the head of the label. We hope to get more in the future but who knows if or when it will happen.  First 10 regular DMG customers will get dibs]


JEAN-MARC FOUSSAT / DAUNIK LAZRO / EVAN PARKER - Cafe Oto, Wed 22 Jan (Fou Records 38/39; France) Featuring Jean-Marc Foussat on AKS synth & voice, Daunik Lazro on tenor & baritone saxes and Evan Parker on soprano sax. Jean-Marc Foussat is renown as an in-demand sound engineer and producer for many improv sessions in & around France. He has also evolved playing his own electronic music, sampling sounds and using his voice as a part of various small group sessions. The first disc here is a rare solo set by Mr. Foussat recorded live at Cafe Oto in London in January of 2020. Ever since the pandemic forced me (and everyone else) inside, I have been actively listening to quite a bit of diverse Creative Musics. I went through a period of checking out a good deal of electronic music, from musique concrete through current experimentation. The first disc consist of one long 32 minute piece/set. There are layers of electronic (synth-like) sounds with strange disembodied voice(s) floating in and out, getting loud and brutal at times, then winding down to some less disturbing moments. Even when the music gets quiet, Mr. Foussat is very careful at manipulating several sonic fragments, some from vocal sounds and other from my electronic swirls/static/etc. The balance between the organic (vocal) and synthetic (electronic) sounds is especially well-integrated.
   The second set that night features Mr. Foussat on synth & voice, Daunik Lazro on tenor & bari saxes and Evan Parker on soprano sax. There are a number of older French musicians who have collaborated with a large number of gifted improvisers from different age groups, backgrounds and genres. This group includes Michel Doneda, Jerome Bourdellon, Joelle Leandre and Daunik Lazro. I know Mr. Lazro from his work with Joe McPhee, Siegfried Kessler and Claude Tchamitchian. Legendary UK saxist, Evan Parker, certainly needs no intro here as a favored member of the International Improvisers Alliance. The trio set here is something else, quite extraordinary. The recording is extremely well done, we can hear each member of the trio just right. The bari and soprano saxes are well-defined and in separate places while the electronics & occasional voice are cautiously woven in. Mr. Parker soprano emerges as he begins his circular (breathing stream) in the central distance while Mr. Lazro adds a layer of baritone fragments and the electronics get more dense and intense. Mr. Foussat also does a splendid job of using selective echo devices on his voice, expanding & contracting certain portions, using it like other instrumental sonic fragments. Later on in the piece the saxes get more boisterous as the layers of electronics and vocal sounds also intense. I was reminded of when I was going home yesterday (8/25/20) and got caught in a short thunder & lightning storm. The power of Mother Nature was indeed breathtaking and I took shelter underneath an awning. This music sounds like that storm felt - awe-inspiring! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG    2 CD Set $24

JUBILEUM QUARTET with JOELLE LEANDRE / EVAN PARKER / AGUSTI FERNANDEZ / ZLATKO KAUCIC - A Uis? (Not Two MW 1005; Poland) Featuring Joelle Leandre on contrabass, Evan Parker on tenor sax, Agusti Fernandez on piano and Zlatko Kaucic on drums. This disc was recorded live at the Cerkno Jazz Festival in Poland in May of 2018. This disc is a celebration for Slovenian drummer, Zlatko Kaucic, whose long career stretches back some 40 years. Although Mr. Kaucic is currently 67, I’ve only noticed his playing since the turn of the millennium.                                          
   He has worked with a long line of European’s best: Steve Lacy, Peter Brotzmann, Barry Guy and many more. He has organized a great European all-star quartet. This is a marvelous quartet, all four members at the top of their abilities. The music is tight, focused, well-integrated and consistently reinventing itself. This sounds like a group effort with no one person leading, all members integral to the group sound. There is some incredible interaction going on here, often one or two instruments will start a line or string of notes which will soon be connected to another line and completed by a second or third instrument. Extraordinary! There is quite a bit of magical, spiritual, consistently interconnected playing that will keep you at the edge of your seat throughout! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG  
CD $17

STEVE SWELL with ANDREW CYRILLE / JASON KAO HWANG / FRED LONBERG-HOLM / ROBERT BOSTON / ARIEL BART - The Center Will Hold (Not Two MW 1006; Poland) Featuring Steve Swell on trombone & compositions, Jason Hwang on violin, viola & electronics, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello & electronics, Ariel Bart on harmonica, Robert Boston on piano & organ and Andrew Cyrille on drums & percussion. Aside from being one of the best, most crafty of all Creative Music trombonists, Steve Swell, has been evolving as a strong, diverse composer and band-leader over the past decade plus of his long career. After an amazing big band disc & DVD (recorded in 2008), Not Two released a fabulous 2 CD set called ‘Kanreki’ (2015) which featured more than a dozen great improvisers from around the world. Since then Mr. Swell organized a couple of ongoing quintets & sextets, each release inspired by a different composer (Bartok & Messiaen) or structural strategy. Mr. Swell’s current sextet features a few holdovers from his previous sextets: Jason Hwang & Robert Boston plus occasional improv pal: Fred Lonberg-Holm. The two newest members include the legendary drummer Andrew Cyrille and Ariel Bart on harmonica, who is a new name for me. I grew up around the corner from a great blues harp (harmonica player) named Rob Paparozzi in Linden, NJ and have long loved great harmonica musicians (Howard Levy, Paul Butterfield & a million of those blues legends).
   “Celestial Navigation” kicks things off with a solid trombone, violin & harp frontline, certainly a unique combination. The rhythm team of cello, piano/organ & drums provides a tight, explosive undertow. The title track has a tasty theme that is played tightly by the violin & harmonica with some shrewd back & forth action from the boisterous trombone. This piece also features a fine solo drum section and explosive violin solo from the ever-amazing Jason Hwang! “Mikrokosmos II” might be inspired by the Bels Bartok piece of the same name and features more harmonica & string(s) interaction. “Laugh So You Don’t Cry”, starts with some spirited violin & piano interplay before the trombone takes off soaring with the cello and drums glued tightly together underneath. I love the way the harmonica and trombone sound together on “Robo Call”, the harmonic blend is splendid. The trombone solo by Mr. Swell & harp solo by Mr. Bart is like icing on the cake, tasty as hell! The cherry on top is the final string solo by Mr. Hwang who adds some wah wah and makes things even more special indeed. Steve Swell has organized a righteous sextet as well as all engaging and uplifting music to bring things to a great conclusion. This disc does make me smile. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG          
CD $17

DANIEL CARTER / MATTHEW SHIPP - Dark Matrix (Not Two MW 997; Poland) Featuring Daniel Carter on alto, tenor & soprano saxes, clarinet & trumpet and Matt Shipp on piano. Every few years Downtown pianist, Matt Shipp, claims he is retiring from recording new discs, within a year there appears another ten or so discs as a leader, co-leader or collaborator. The boy who cried wolf syndrome? Perhaps. I never take these statements too seriously and I am glad that Mr. Shipp continues to record and release so many discs. On the other hand, multi woodwinds master, Daniel Carter, also records many discs and plays live as much as is possible with as many musicians, known & unknown, as he possibly can. Another unique thing about Mr. Carter is that he is a truly democratic free spirit/player, he refuses to be the leader of any ensemble, preferring to take part in any group of musicians he chooses to work with. Mr. Carter and Mr. Shipp have worked together previously but on only a handful of occasions, this being their first duo effort.
   This is a studio effort, recorded at Park West Studios in October of 2019. I’ve caught Mr. Carter play live on perhaps hundreds of sessions throughout the years and one of the main things I dig about him is his ability to listen and work well, adapting to every situation just right. The long title track is first and the duo play slowly, carefully, crafting each note or phrase one at a time, slowly building, working their way through their own mysterious dreamworld. This piece is quite lovely, most haunting and unlike anything I’ve heard from either of these cats. There is quite a bit of thoughtful interaction going on here, an ongoing conversation between two old friends which changes as it goes, speeding up and slowing down organically, criss-crossing lines weaving a superb tapestry. Parts of this remind me of the more restrained, reflective  side of chamber-jazz. There are few times when things get somewhat darker with Mr. Shipp holding down the sustain pedal but they don’t last very long and soon move into less turgid waters. Overall, mostly enchanting. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG          
CD $17


FIVE MORE GEMS FROM OUR FRIENDS AT FMR:

CHRISTIAN BUCHER / RICK COUNTRYMAN / SIMON TAN - Blue Spontaneity (FMR 579; UK) Featuring Christian Bucher on drums, Simon Tan on acoustic bass and Rick Countryman on alto sax. This session was recorded at Strawberry Jams Studio in the Philippines in July of 2019. Over the past year or so, I’ve learned to appreciate the playing of alto saxist Rick Countryman, American-born and currently living in the Philippines. Over a half dozen discs, Mr. Countryman has been working in trios or quartets with a revolving crew of five musicians, mostly Japanese. This is the sixth disc in less than a year and I have really dug each and every previous one. Both Mr. Countryman and bassist Simon Tan are on several of the previous CD’s but the drummer here, Christian Bucher, is on just one previous disc. There is something beautiful going on here, organic, free-flowing, warm, thoughtful, enticing, tight, well-recorded, modest and not overly intense. Bassist, Simon Tan, sounds especially strong on bowed bass on “Reflections of the Tourist”. What makes this date special is the somber, simmering, slow-burning energy that flows through this session. There are sections where the sax lays out and the bass & drums take off sailing together, the interaction of the rhythm is consistently engaging. The organic flow and ongoing connecting spirit between all three players is often awe-inspiring. While listening to this disc, I was gazing outside my kitchen window and looking up at the skies. I noticed a flock of birds sailing by and was marveling at their V formation. I realized that this music has a similar organized flow since the trio seems to sail tightly yet freely together like a flock of birds. More Free Music at its best! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG    
CD $14

METALKYMIST with STEVE HUBBACK - Metal Moves (FMR 582; UK) Welsh drummer/percussionist, Steve Hubback, has jazz with British legends: Keith Tippett, Evan Parker & Alan Skidmore, as well as playing in rock bands and dancers. In 1990, Mr. Hubback started making his own gongs and cymbals, eventually turning them into unique structures for him to play. Mr. Hubback has worked long on creating these unique percussion structures which must be seen to be believed. Check them out here: https://www.stevehubback.nl/cymbals-and-gongs. Aside from numerous solo offerings, Mr. Hubback has recorded with Andrea Centazzo, Frode Gjerstad and Dietmar Diesner. Every few years, Hubback records under the name of Metal Moves with three previous CD’s on the FMR label. This appears to be a solo effort released under the Metal Moves name with Mr. Hubback playing drums, cymbals and gongs. These instruments are immensely dynamic and superbly well-recorded. The music often sounds like Mr. Hubback is telling a story or taking us on a journey. It sounds as if Mr. Hubback is using a bow or some sort of reverb device to enhance his unique metal instruments, adding an aura of mystery or dream-like resonance. The music also has a ritualistic sounding vibe as well. I don’t think I’ve heard percussion music quite as diverse and compelling as this. Certainly Metal Moves are/is in a world of their own creation. Consistently marvelous! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, BMG    
CD $14

TRIO FOLIO - Ordinary Evidence (FMR 577; UK) Trio Folio is Chris Cundy on bass clarinet & most compositions, Paul K. Scott on contrabass and Saul Scott on drums. Although I hadn’t heard of either of the rhythm team members (brothers perhaps?) here, I do recognize Chris Cundy from three previous discs on the Discus, Slam and FMR labels, two of which are reed trios (actually 2 reeds & a guitar). Mr. Cundy wrote all but two of these pieces and those two are group improvs. Bass clarinet led trios are relatively rare and this one is something special. “Maple List”, the opening piece, has a quaint hummable theme before the trio breaks into some somewhat freer sections with the contrabass as the centering voice. Bassist, Paul K. Scott, sounds great throughout this disc, taking the occasional inspired solo or providing the heartbeat throb for this superb trio. Mr. Cundy writes songs that sound folkish melody-wise, sumptuous, haunting and quietly quirky as well. Even though this is just an acoustic trio, their sound is solid, consistently enchanting. Excellent on all counts. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG          
CD $14

MARILZA GOUVEA / MARCIO MATTOS / ADRIAN NORTHOVER - Cajula (FMR 578; UK) Featuring Marilza Gouvea on vocals, Marcio Mattos on cello & electronics and Adrian Northover on alto & soprano saxes. There are those amongst us who often have a problem while dealing with vocalists, be they jazz, prog or more experimental. I generally give singers the benefit of doubt since there are a number of those who still touch me with their voices. All three members of this trio are part of the London Underground Creative Music Scene. I hadn’t heard of Ms. Marilza Gouvea before this disc arrived. Bassist/cellist Marcio Mattos I’ve known for quite a long time since he has worked with Evan Parker, Elton Dean and SME. More recently, I’ve come to appreciate saxist Adrian Northover, who has worked with the Remote Viewers, the Runcible Quintet and several other FMR outfits.
   This disc is half studio and half live at Iklectik in London. I love the way this trio sounds and plays together. The title piece is long and the trio take their time to stretch out with several circular lines revolving around one another, quietly, cautiously at first. I love that Ms. Gouvea shows some restraint while still exploring odd sounds with her voice, kind of like Kyoko Kitamura singing for a classroom of gifted children. She never dominates the trio as all three members are integral to the focused trio sound. Mr. Mattos also plays some more subtle electronic sounds, adding some odd spice in selective places while Mr. Northover weaves soft streams of notes with and around the voice & electronics. Eventually, the intensity increases slowly with the sax, voice and electronics all swirling together higher and higher. There is fa ascinating, mesmerizing vibe going on here, albeit on the more subtle side at times. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG      
CD $14

ENTANGLEMENT with SHIRLEY SMART / JAMES ARBEN - 9 Improvised Dialogues (FMR 586; UK) Featuring Shirley Smart on cello and James Arben on tenor sax, baritone sax, bass clarinet & flute. I hadn’t heard of either of these musicians before but it turns out that they met while Ethiopian vibesman Mulatu Asatke. This disc was recorded at Vestry Hall at the University of West London in June of 2019. I recall a concert at the Old Knitting Factory featuring a night of  sax & cello duos which featured Louie Belogenis & Michelle Kinney and Thomas Chapin & Jane Scarpantoni. It was a great night as I recall. This disc begins with a duo of cello & tenor sax, and it sounds great with both players working well together, taking their time and exchanging ideas organically. Ms. Smart switches between plucking and bowing her strings, providing a perfect foil for Mr. Arben’s somber, haunting playing. Most of this is relatively melodic and not too very far out, the duo do a fine job of listening and responding like a spirited conversation between two old friends. Even when they do start to push things more outside, they always go back to some melodic fragments which are at the heart of most of these pieces.  Whether playing tenor or bari saxes, bass clarinet or flute, these two musicians are well-matched and work in similar timbral areas. Overall this is a most modest yet still enchanting effort on several levels. Tasty but not too much unnecessary spice. - BLG/DMG      
CD $14


JASPER ISABELLA AND SIMON FISHER TURNER - Savage Songs of Brutality and Food. By the Extreme Angels of Parody (Soleilmoon Recordings 190; USA) "... It's the first thirteen years or so of our children's lives made into cute and cruel songs of experimentation and, yes, chaos again. So, from the first heartbeat (not included here) to just under two years ago, I randomly and sometimes secretly recorded them singing or talking, often encouraged of course by me. That's what parents do. I recorded for 13 years. It's rather wonderful to have sound documents as opposed to pictures. Luckily I have both and I'm still rediscovering forgotten sounds even now. This is a music/sound diary (perhaps) of the frankly mad, cute, annoying, moving, innocent, loud, loving, embarrassing, noises of their lives up to now, as recorded and messed up by me, as in messed-up-and-I-don't-care, but do I care. I try to edit with clarity where needed, but otherwise the vocals and ideas are pretty raw and unaltered for the sweeter market of pop . . . I was a dad with slithers time on my hands and a Mac I could barely understand. I made tracks/songs, whatever you want to call them between cooking, cleaning, bathing, shopping, driving, and sleeping ad infinitum. It's the three of us mainly, with The Elysian Quartet thrown together for The Mighty Dinosaur song, but I'm the leader, the captain of the ship. You always need a Captain and they were my sonic crewmates, even though they were often press-ganged into service reluctantly. There will be no Volume Two. They've eventually got really fed up with me doing this, and I can't blame them one bit, but when faced with all these bits of songs or, fragments of stuff, what do you do? Throw them in the bin, give them to them on their wedding day and really make them cringe? No. The best thing to do is to compile them like a mix tape and keep your fingers crossed that someday, someone might be interested in releasing a compilation of this madness. Charles Powne from Soleilmoon Recordings came to the rescue, in that he mentioned somehow whether I'd heard of an LP of children's songs. I hadn't in fact, but I told him about these recordings I'd been making over the years. Isabella and Jasper I think are now probably incredibly pissed off with me, but you know, that's tough. Full stop. Now at 17 and 15 their childhoods are over. The illusions shattered. There is no pretense. They can watch the news, Snapchat at speed, and lurk on the net who knows where. Innocence has gone, battered out of them by schools and the more serious and dull adults that surround them. They were the funniest and most amusing two smaller people imaginable, but now, they're Teenagers... Aaahhhhh. They've opinions, they're brighter than me, better looking, funnier, nicer clothes, better humour and taste, and they've more friends than me too. The job is done. 'm sadly responsible for the musical settings they happen to find themselves in, although, quite often all the music or at least some of it is made up from their noises too. We like a noise here and there and we love to dance on a Friday night. One of the beauties of this sort of music is that there are no rules. We could all do with this sort of freedom, in not just music, but film, cooking, and storytelling. A child's imagination is the finest open canvas ever..." Simon Fisher Turner, London, June 25, 2020
CD $14


THE HELIOCENTRICS - Telemetric Sounds (Madlib Invazion 039; USA) "The Heliocentrics' albums are all confounding pieces of work. Drawing equally from the funk universe of James Brown, the disorienting asymmetry of Sun Ra, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, the sublime fusion of David Axelrod, Pierre Henry's turned-on musique concrète, and Can's beat-heavy Krautrock, they have -- regardless of the label on which they've released their music -- pointed the way towards a brand new kind of psychedelia, one that could only come from a band of accomplished musicians who were also obsessive music fans. Drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson are the Heliocentrics' masterminds and producers, and they are obsessive weirdos in today's musical climate, searching, progressive humans who are often out-of-time with current trends. They have been playing together for nearly two decades and their collective drive is to find an individual voice. The Heliocentrics search for it in an alternate galaxy where the orbits of funk, jazz, psychedelic, electronic, avant-garde and 'ethnic' music all revolve around 'The One.' With Madilb's label Madlib Invazion for Telemetric Sounds, the Heliocentrics have returned to develop their epic vision of psychedelic funk, while exploring the possibilities created by their myriad influences -- Latin, African, and more."
CD $17


AYALEW MESFIN - Good Aderegechegn (Blindsided By Love)(Now-Again 5191; USA) "Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia. Mesfin's music is some of the funkiest to arise from this unconquerable East African nation. Mesfin's recording career, captured in nearly two dozen 7" singles and numerous reel-to-reel tapes, shows the strata of the most fertile decade in Ethiopia's 20th century recording industry, when records were pressed constantly by both independent upstarts and corporate behemoths, even if they were only distributed within the confines of this East African nation. Though Mesfin was forced underground by the Derg regime that took control of Ethiopia in 1974, he has returned almost 50 years later with this triumphant set albums -- the first time that his music has been presented in this form. These albums give us a chance to discover a rare and beautiful moment in music history, in anthologies built from Mesfin's uber-rare 7" single releases and from previously unreleased recordings taken from master tapes. Good Aderegechegn gives us a chance to discover a rare & beautiful moment in music history, in an anthology built from his uber-rare 7" single releases."
CD $17


SHARHABIL AHMED - The King Of Sudanese Jazz (Habibi Jazz 013; Germany) "We're super happy to announce our 13th release by Sharhabil Ahmed, the actual King of Sudanese Jazz (he actually won that title in a competition in the early 1970s). Sonically it sounds very different from what Jazz is understood to sound like outside of Sudan. It's an incredible unique mix of rock'n'roll, funk, surf, traditional Sudanese music and influences from Congolese sounds. Original copies of Sharhabil recordings are often hard to find, so we're happy they will now be widely available. 'Argos Farfish' which was featured on our last comp amassed close to 400,000 plays already. Sharhabil was born in 1935 and he is the founding father of the Sudanese Jazz scene. His aim was to modernize Sudanese music by bringing it together with western influences and instrumentation like he summarized it himself in a 2004 interview for 'Al Ahram Weekly': '[...]Haqiba music, you know, was traditional vocal music with little accompaniment beyond a tambourine. When our generation came in the 1960s, we came with a new style. It was a time of worldwide revolution in music. In Europe, the rhythms of swing and tango were being replaced by jazz, samba, rock- and-roll. We were influenced by this rejuvenation in Sudan, too. I started out by learning to play the oud and traditional Sudanese music, and got a diploma from the music institute of Khartoum University. But my ambition was to develop something new. For this, the guitar seemed like the best instrument. Western instruments can approximate the scales of Sudanese music very well. After all, a lot of Western music is originally from Africa. I have absorbed different influences, from traditional Sudanese rhythms to calypso and jazz, and I hold them together in my music with no difficulty.' Referring to its sonic appearance, Sudanese jazz hasn't too much in common with the western idea of jazz. Sharhabil's sound feels more like a unique combination of surf, rock n roll, funk, Congolese music and East African harmonies a.o. So, it kind of made sense to me, while visiting him in Sudan, to see the records he kept over the years: 2 of his own and 2 by Mulatu Astatke signed to him, further proving the influence of Ethiopian and other neighboring countries. In fact, Sharhabil was not just one of many Sudanese Jazz artist. He is the king of Jazz, literally, since he won a competition over other artists for that title."
CD $17

BACK IN STOCK:

DEREK BAILEY / HAN BENNINK / EVAN PARKER - 28 Rue Dunois Juillet 1982 (Fou Records 34/35/36/37; France) Featuring Derek Bailey on guitar, Evan Parker on tenor & soprano saxes and Han Bennink on drums & other instruments. This particular trio of European free/improv giants recorded just one studio album in June of 1970 which was called ’Topography of the Lungs’. It was released on the Incus label soon thereafter, a label co-founded by Derek Bailey, Evan Parker and another financial friend. The musical relationship between Mr. Bailey & Mr. Parker eventually soured and ‘Topography of the Lungs’ went out of print. It wasn’t until 2005 when Mr. Bailey passed away that Mr. Parker was reissued that gem oh his own label, Psi. These three musicians did collaborate with each other only on a few large group recordings: Manfred Schoof (‘European Echoes’), Misha Mengelberg (‘Groupcomposing’ - now on CvsD) and Globe Unity (1970). Eleven years after this trio recorded ’Topography of the Lungs’, they played at the Theatre Dunois in France for a long evening on April 3rd of 1981. This impressive 4 CD Set captures that night with two set long trios, five duos and two solos from Evan Parker. Jean-Marc Foussat’s recording is superb, al the music is well-captured, warm, clean and well-balanced. It is wonderful to hear this trio in all of their splendor. Besides drums, Mr. Bennink sounds like he is playing scissors and assorted odd objects. The first trio set works its way through trio and duo sections, from quiet sections to more explosive chatter. Much of the duo segments with Mr. Parker on soprano and Mr. Bennink on drums are just incredible. There is way too much great music here to comment on here and I have two more discs to get through. Thanks to Mr. Foussat and the Fou Records label for a great opportunity to hear the trio, duos and solos at length. Truly an historic moment! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
4 CD Set $38 [Last 4 copies left/Limited Edition/now out-of-print!]

SOPHIE AGNEL / DAUNIK LAZRO - Marguerite d'Or Pâle (Fou Records 21; France) French pianist Sophie Agnel and sax player Daunik Lazro can create a whole sonic universe every time they touch their instruments. Weird and intriguing universes that refuse to conform to any familiar musical convention yet offer profound and arresting poetic sensibility and inventive game-like plays. These two master improvisers began to collaborate a decade ago in Lazro short-lived quartet Qwat Neum Sixx (that has released only one album, Live at festival NPAI 2007, Amor Fati, 2009), but continued to perform as together in other formats, often with double bass player Paul Rogers or guitarist Olivier Benoit. These shared experiences enriched Agnel and Lazro vocabularies and perfected their immediate interplay. ‘Marguerite d'Or Pâle’ captures the duo of Agnel and Lazro performing live at the Dom club in Moscow on June 2016. The title of the album, as well as the titles of the improvisations, draw their inspiration from the classic novel of Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov ‘The Master and Margarita’. These improvisations sound as consciously corresponding with the amused, mysterious and often subversive spirit of Bulgakov imaginative plots. The six improvisations enable both Agnel and Lazro to employ their highly personal approaches in ways that suggest haunting, kaleidoscopic atmospheres. Agnel sets the outlines for the ethereal, adventurous structures of these improvisations, wisely charging these pieces with restrained dramatic tension, while Lazro balances her playful juggling with forms with intensive flow and occasional eruptions of colorful ideas. Lazro, who focuses here on his tenor sax more than his baritone sax, demonstrates his impressive breathing techniques, whispers and speaks unintelligible words through the mouthpiece. Agnel adds extensive preparations to the piano strings, transforming the keyboard into an instrument that produces abstract, sensual and sometimes even beautiful-disturbing sounds.”
CD $17

JEAN-MARC FOUSSAT / SYLVAIN GUERINEAU / JOE McPHEE - QUOD (Fou Records 05; France) Featuring Sylvain Guerineau on tenor sax, Joe McPhee on soprano sax and Jean-Marc Foussat on synth & samples. This disc was recorded at Studio Pyjama in France in March of 2010. There is a large underground of creative musicians in France, often in & around Paris, but also in other lesser known cities in France like Lille. Paris-based, Jean-Marc Foussat is an engineer & producer & longtime documenter of the French Creative Music Scene, as well as play synth, electronics and his sonic experimental sounds. Mr. Foussat’s own label, Fou Records, has some 20 releases, found a great job of capturing many great live and studio performances. Since around 2007, I have been checking out the playing of tenor saxist, Sylvain Guerineau, from his work with Paul Rogers, Benjamin Duboc, Kent Carter & Itaru Oki. Mr. Foussat and Mr. Guerineau have two previous duo records on the Leo and Nashazphone labels. New York-based multi-instrumentalist, Joe McPhee, might just be the most prolific improvising musician and world traveler, as far as recordings and concerts go. He seems to be everywhere in the US and in Europe playing with just about every great player from the ever-evolving international scene. So, you may ask, what does two saxes, electronics and voice sound like..? The tenor sax and synth sound particularly good together, often sharing a note, the sounds blend together as one. The music is spacious, somewhat dark & filled with suspense. When Mr. McPhee enters on soprano sax, he seems to be at the other end of the spectrum, the tenor sounding more like a baritone at times. The trio take their time, moving cautiously around one another. Mr. Foussat sounds like he is playing an old analog synth and often uses it sparingly. While both saxes buzz around one another sending notes back and forth, creating a conversation, Foussat adds selective electronic shades and colors which enhance the sound of the saxes. Sometimes Mr. Fousset will take either sax and add synth effects, never pushing things too far out, which is often a problem with modern synth, sampler of computer players. In one section we hear a dog barking (sample?) in the background, adding an odd yet somewhat familiar ghost in the distance. One the second long piece, “The Forgiven”, both saxes calm down to a more lyrical sense of calm with occasional electronic shades or sprinkles. Eventually both saxes & synth increase in tempo, with repeating phrases. It reminds me of an album I listened to last night (3/24/20) by Urban Sax, a great French prog/jazz/experimental ensemble which usually features up to a hundred saxists playing in odd costumes in odd settings. Mr. Guerineau plays a old, haunting traditional sounding melody in one of the later sections, which gives this a charming change for a short bit. Things then expand as the saxes bend their notes slowly around one another while the synth creates some quietly disorienting sci-fi sounds. An at times austere yet mysterious soundtrack for the strange times we are currently living in. At the same time, evoking a fifties (sci-fi soundtrack) or seventies (Barney Wilen w/ 3 synth players), sort of sound. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17

JEAN-MARC FOUSSAT / JEAN-LUC PETIT - D'Ou Vient La Lumiere! (Fou Records 13; France) “Today, another invigorating aural outing from Fou Records (FR-CD13), namely Jean-Marc Foussat & Jean-Luc Petit in the epic album . . . D'Ou Vient La Lumiere! It is a sprawling, almost orchestral set with Foussat's live electro-acoustics and Petit's contrabass clarinet, soprano and alto saxes combining for a new-music oriented, free-jazz improvised extravaganza. What strikes one on first hearing is the nicely realized combination of reeds and electronics, how they work in synchrony and evolve organically with vivid sound panoramas that retain a poetic quality and unfold with a linear thrust. The multi-layered Foussat electro-acoustics form ever-varying dramatic platforms against which Petit's limber and aurally sophisticated reed sonics comment and complement the proceedings creatively and with vivid character. Each of the four mostly long pieces forms an acoustically advanced poetic whole that has a concerted flow and a conversational agility, a cosmic sound depth, an environmental thrust, a marked periodicity. It reminds us that Jean-Marc Foussat is one of the significant leaders and innovators in electro-acoustic improvisational new music today, but also that Jean-luc Petit is a wind-master with a full sound-color pallet and a fertile improvisational imagination. Get this one for a full-blown journey into the outer realms. There is a consistent realization of long-formed outness that retains your interest and satisfies your craving for the new and futuristic sounds of today! Very recommended.” - Grego Applegate Edwards
CD $17


LP SECTION:

DUDU PUKWANA AND THE SPEARS with RICHARD THOMPSON / JOE MOGOTSI / et al - Dudu Pukwana and the Spears (Matsuli Music 115; UK) "Dudu Pukwana and the Spears recorded in London, but were only ever released in South Africa. The story behind this extraordinary music and the famous names involved are documented in this extended edition of Dudu Pukwana's debut album. In 1964 the Blue Notes left South Africa to play at the Antibes Jazz Festival in France, and more or less stayed away forever after. In January 1969 alto saxophonist Dudu Pukwana went home briefly along with producer Joe Boyd who persuaded Johannesburg record company Trutone to license the recordings for release in South Africa. Matsuli Music's discovery of a second unpublished London recording session, following Dudu's South Africa visit, reveals hitherto unknown music, and history. In addition to Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention) and Joe Mogotsi (Manhattan Brothers) putting their own spin on mbaqanga hits like Sibuyile, the Blue Notes' fabled Church Mouse and an early version of Andromeda can also be heard. With Pukwana's explosive style and energy evident throughout, this album fills in an exciting and important lost piece of the Blue Notes' and South Africa's exile jazz story."
2 LP Set $36

BUSI MHLONGO - Urban Zulu (Matsuli Music 117; UK) "Urban Zulu changed South Africa's music forever, rewiring Zulu migrant roots music for the 21st Century. Busi Mhlongo's powerful voice and challenging lyrics soar over driving bass lines and glittering guitars of an all-star South African maskanda line-up, backed by a multi-national cast including Lokua Kanza, Brice Wassy, Jacques Djeyim and Will Mowatt. With this album Busi Mhlongo subverted and then claimed Maskanda music's previously patriarchal space, voicing a new social blues narrative. Her songs cut to the essence of simple joys, unrequited love, abuse in the name of love, and month-end money blues. Topping charts in Europe and South Africa, Urban Zulu struck critical and commercial success. Yehlisan'umoya Ma-Afrika 'creates a sensation of being inevitable because the riffs are so organic, it feels like it would be a crime against nature if they fell together any other way' (AllMusic). 'We Baba Omncane' became the sound track for a global Adidas campaign, while a later re-mix became a smash hit for Black Coffee." "Unlike many African music albums produced at the time, Urban Zulu is tight, with every inch of the vocals worked over to powerful, husky perfection. Rarely pretty but exquisitely detailed, Urban Zulu is intense, angry, and bewitching." --Jean Barker
LP $31

ELLEN FULLMAN & THERESA WONG - Harbors (Room40 4123; Australia) “Harbors is a collaboration of composers Ellen Fullman (Long String Instrument) and Theresa Wong (cello), which draws inspiration from the soundscapes, stories, and atmospheres that manifest around bodies of water that propagate exchange. Structured around the extended harmonics of the open strings of the cello, Wong and Fullman utilize subsets of these tonal areas to create distinct sonic environments within the piece. Fullman's Long String Instrument, a stunning installation of over forty strings spanning seventy feet in length, places the performers and audience inside the actual resonating body, transforming the architecture itself into the musical instrument. Wong has developed techniques that take the cello beyond tradition into a vocabulary more closely rooted in the sounds of the natural world. She captures material electronically, layering textures amplified throughout the space which form an immersive field where figure and ground are in constant flux. The piece reveals an orchestration of shifting drones, aberrant melodies and glistening atmospheres. Harbors has reverberated many spaces around the world, including: Click Festival, Helsingør, Denmark; Transformer Station, Cleveland; MONA FOMA, Tasmania; Centennial Hall, Sydney Festival; The Lab, San Francisco; and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. An iconic American figure in experimental music, Ellen Fullman is the creator of the long string instrument, in which rosin-coated fingers brush across dozens of metallic strings, spanning fifty to over a hundred feet in length. Her work has encompassed the study of Just Intonation tuning theory, developing a tablature graphic notation system, experiments with various wire alloys and gauges, and wooden resonator design and fabrication. In 2020 she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. Theresa Wong is a composer, cellist and vocalist active at the intersection of music, experimentation, improvisation, and the synergy of multiple disciplines. Her works include The Unlearning (Tzadik, 2011), 21 songs for violin, cello and 2 voices inspired by Goya's Disasters of War etchings, O Sleep, an improvised opera for an eight-member ensemble exploring the conundrum of sleep and dream life and Venice Is A Fish (2014), a collection of solo songs. She currently works and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
LP $24

ANTHONY BRAXTON with LEO SMITH / LEROY JENKINS / STEVE McCALL - B-Xo/NOI47A (BYG 315; Earth) 15th volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "The first one of Braxton's two albums originally released in the BYG/Actuel series... this one was recorded at the Studio Saravah in Paris on September 10th, 1969 with the help of Leo Smith (trumpet), Leroy Jenkins (violin) and Steve McCall (drums)." From the Jazz Actuel boxset's liner notes: "Anthony Braxton's approach to music is a fantastic, almost alchemical fusion of elements, involving academic schemata, chess master logic, and a firm belief in humanist cosmogony... the magic of deep, intuitive jazz improvisation led Mr. Braxton into serious intercourse with the alto saxophone... he was conversant with the concepts and constructs of John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen a.o., yet the music's roots were equally evident as coming from an avant-jazz background... the blend was genuinely revolutionary..." - Thurston Moore & Byron Coley.
LP $16

DON CHERRY with ED BLACKWELL - 'Mu' Second Part (BYG Records 331; Earth) 31st volume in the BYG Actuel series; gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl. "An album recorded at Studio Saravah in Paris on August 22, 1969 by Don Cherry (pocket trumpet, piano, Indian flute, bamboo flute, voice, bells, percussions) with Ed Blackwell (drums, percussions, bell)." "His duets with Ed Blackwell, a drummer whose playing Cherry was very conversant with through a shared history in the Coleman group, were the first recordings released in the Actuel series." - Thurston Moore and Byron Coley.
LP $16

ALAN SILVA AND HIS CELESTRIAL COMMUNICATION ORCHESTRA with ARCHIE SHEPP / ARCHIE SHEPP / DAVE BURRELL / LEROY JENKINS / MALACHI FAVORS/ et al - Luna Surface (BYG Records 312; Earth) 12th volume in the BYG Actuel series; 180 gram vinyl. "Super-session recorded in Paris on August 17, 1969. Alan Silva collected here many of the top free jazz players of the time, an incredible 11-piece ensemble featuring, among others, Grachan Moncur III, Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton, Dave Burrell, Leroy Jenkins, and Malachi Favors. As a result, this is a very free record and a historical document of Pan-African high art music. Two tracks."
LP $16

GRACHAN MONCUR III - Aco Dei De Nadrugada (BYG Records 333; Earth) Originally issued in the historic BYG Actuel series, around 1970. Title translated: "One Morning I Waked Up Very Early." "One of the first trombonists to explore free jazz, Grachan Moncur III recorded this album at the Studio Saravah in Paris on September 10th and November 4th, 1969. Featuring Fernando Martins (piano), Beb Guerin (bass) and Nelson Serra De Castro (drums). 4 tracks."
LP $16

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ATTENTION ALL CREATIVE MUSICIANS OUT THERE, Around the world.

If you have a link, for some music that you are working on and want to share it with the folks who read the DMG Newsletter, please send the link to DMG at DMG@Downtownmusicgallery.com. Many of us are going stir crazy staying at home so if you want to inspire us and help us get through these difficult times, please show us what you got. I listed some these last week but have also a few more.

MORE THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU ARE WAITING AROUND FOR THE WORLD TO END OR GET BETTER:
STILL STIR CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!

This is the section where I usually recommend upcoming concerts in the NYC area. As far as I can tell there are no upcoming shows anywhere around here, except perhaps on-line. All places I usually frequent are now closed for the foreseeable future. And everyone is worried about the near future, their health and their sanity for their friends and family. I am trying to come up with something inspirational to put out there but I am also very worried about myself, the store, all of the creative musicians that we need and support, as well as everyone else who has lost their jobs.  

   Over the past month a number of musicians have been putting up some music on-line for anyone to check out. I know that many of us are going a bit stir crazy so it is time to do some soul searching and serious listening. Here is a list of some music links to check out, updated weekly:

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THIS IS FROM MY GOOD FRIEND JESSICA HALLOCK,

This is from Jessica Hallock, please do check it out, there is so much to explore here and I know some of you are bored and need some inspiration/distraction:

Livestreams are obviously no replacement for live shows, but they're all the community we have right now––so experimental music calendar NYC-Noise.com now provides links to livestreams (with artist / curator donation info); a roundup of local musicians' releases; COVID-19-related resources, including links to grants, petitions, & a local venue donation list; & an Instagram account (@NYC_Noise) promoting artists and releases. Please let me know about your livestreams &/or new records at www.nyc-noise.com/submit.

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This is from Saxist & Composer CHRIS PITSIOKOS:

The show begins at 7:30pm on Friday August 28th

7:30pm: Nebadon, featuring Tim Dahl (electronics), Dominika Michalowska (voice) and Kevin Shea (percussion)

8:15pm: Wendy Eisenberg, guitar solo

The artist Genevieve H-K will be providing projections throughout the night.

The show is right near the Ferry in Red Hook, in the parking lot at the intersection of Pioneer street and Conover street.

Also, I wanted to give a big shoutout to Portside, New York who has done so much to facilitate these events. Portside's ship MARY A. WHALEN and their charming Pandemic PopUp minipark is right next to where this event is happening and they have been completely indispensable--the events would not be possible without them. It would be great to show them some love on Venmo at @PortSideNY or www.portsidenewyork.org/donate.

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Zürcher Gallery invites you to
a live outdoor concert in Washington Square Park...

FIDOqrtet
Maryanne de Prophetis, voice
Shoko Nagai, accordian/processor
Ron Horton, trumpet/flugelhorn
Satoshi Takeishi, drums/percussion

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
7:00 PM
at Washington Square Park
Southeast Corner
Limited seating will be available
Suggested donation: $10

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This comes from Guitarist ARON NAMENWIRTH:

Tomorrow- FRIDAY 7.30 with Claire de Brunner, Tomchess, Randy
Ironside, Adam Lane, John Loggia (same spot) in front of my house on
the hardtop.

Sunday- (Time to be announced) 6 or 7.30 - Daniel Carter, Luisa Muhr,
Ayumi Ishito, Rodney Chapman, Eric Plaks, and Yutaka Takahashi me

If you are unable to make it please sundays show will be streamed live
as part of freeworld music festival from Luisa's phone.
https://freeworldfest.com
Please consider a small donation Venmo: @Aron-Namenwirth funds will
be divided among artists 10% to NAACP LDF

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THIS IS FROM GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf54D0YdLtA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN9Dc4qA-6A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVF63Md51-A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VNQwGWWrc8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyijtFN02xw

once in a while they are historical old thangs from my video archive and I will be doing more collaborations with other improvisors. I plan to keep this up until there are live gigs again so there will likely be a lot more of these best,  Henry

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The Steve Dalachinsky Circuit by Yuko Otomo & Matt Mottel:

Anthology Film Archives with Andrew Lampert

This is the final installment in the tribute series created by Matt Mottel and Yuko Otomo, with readings by Steve Dalachinsky, webhosted by the Issue Project Room.

Tonight (8/27), 8pm.

https://issueprojectroom.org/event/steve-circuit-yuko-otomo-matt-mottel-downtown-music-gallery-loren-connors-suzanne-langille

https://issueprojectroom.org/event/steve-circuit-yuko-otomo-matt-mottel-anthology-film-archives-andrew-lampert

This Summer, 2020, ISSUE and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council present The Steve Circuit, an episodic series of videos and digital artwork dedicated to the late beloved poet Steve Dalachinsky developed by his wife, painter and poet Yuko Otomo, and interdisciplinary artist Matt Mottel. Born in Brooklyn in 1946, Dalachinsky was an unforgettable fixture within particular strains of experimental music, poetry, and art—and at cultural happenings and gatherings of all kinds in Lower Manhattan and beyond. Dalachinsky was an important figure to many. He passed away September 16th, 2019.

Steve’s art was created in tandem with the public life he lived. The places he inhabited—arts venues, community gardens, the New York Public Library neighborhood branch, his Spring Street sidewalk store—were all part of his daily routine. He was influenced by the culture he witnessed. He created his art both in public and at home. Late at night, in his apartment, after returning from film screenings, art openings, and multiple concerts, he returned to his collage artwork and to type up the poems he had written by hand during the day out in the world.

Over the course of six events throughout the Summer, 2020, these historical sites will be revealed in a weekly online presentation. Each week, videos made by Otomo & Mottel will be streamed pairing Dalachinsky text, recordings, and artwork, with additional artistic collaborators who were part of the Dalachinsky orbit. The online cultural map and presentation will provide a “virtual polaroid snapshot” of Downtown New York’s cultural history.

In addition to Otomo and Mottel, the series will feature contributions from Vito Ricci & Lise Vachon, Andrew Lampert, Jean Carla Rodea & Gerald Cleaver, Tom Surgal & Lin Culbertson, William Parker & Matthew Shipp, Lee Ranaldo & Leah Singer, and Loren Connors & Suzanne Langille.

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ARTS FOR ARTS Presents:

FREEJAZZ WORKS IN A TIME OF CRISIS

https://www.artsforart.org/onlinesalon.html

Upcoming On_Line Salons

Thursday August 27
WeFreeStrings
Melanie Dyer - viola
Gwen Laster - violin
Charles Burnham - violin
Ken Filiano - bass

Because of You
We surpassed our $50,000 Goal
Your Donation Made the Difference
What an amazing community! Your continuing support in the face of all of the challenges that are facing us is really impressive. Together, we raised over $60,000, including over $30,000 in small donations.

We continue to post weekly Artist Diaries (https://www.artsforart.org/artistdiaries.html) and special archival footage on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtsforArt?sub_confirmation=1&utm_source=Audience&utm_campaign=987d803b9c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_08_18_04_51&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3be2db18a2-987d803b9c-85161517. So there will be plenty of amazing music and art to see and inspire.

On September 7th and September 12th, Arts for Art will present Live Outdoor Events at La Plaza in The Clemente. They will be carefully presented, socially distanced, inspiring FreeJazz performances. Look forward to more information coming soon.

Wishing You Strength and Justice with Compassion.

Patricia Nicholson Parker
Founder, Arts for Arts

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From INGRID LAUBROCK & TOM RAINEY:

Every Week for the entirety of this pandemic/lockdown INGRID LAUBROCK & TOM RAINEY have been posting a new duo offering. I have listened to every one of these as they were sent out and am much impressed by the way this duo continues to evolve and work their way through many ideas. You can check out each one here:

https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-23-steve-lacy
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-22
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-21
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-20
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-19
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-18
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-17
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-16
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-15
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-14
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-13

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THOMAS SAYERS ELLIS is the leader of the great Poetry/Music/Confrontation Band HEROES ARE GANG LEADERS a/k/a HAGL.

HAGL has a website that you should check out at:  www.heroesaregangleaders.com
for the latest intersection of music-minded words and word-minded music and while you are there also check out The Lokotown Reverb where classic overlooked Oral Literature, Studio Recordings and Live Performances are given a fresh look!

GIANTHOLOGY is a forum for writing not whining, aesthetics not agenda, ideas not issues, vision not victimhood, GIANTHOLOGY is edited by the members of Heroes Are Gang Leaders.
Send 2 to 4 unpublished works to HeroesAreGangLeaders@gmail.com.  

Thomas Sayers Ellis

Fri, Aug 7, 7:28 PM (6 days ago)

to Alberto, Lisa, Steve, press, Steven, william, Bruce, geoffrey, Piotr, Philip, fastspeakingmusic, Alexandra, Randall, Bonita, Bob, Zev, Guy, siddhartha, Tim, Bill, Ben, Justin, justin, Matteo, Matthew, Cait, XAVIER, CA, Connor, Hamid, Nick, Tristan, Gio, Alexandre, Pierre, Jennifer, Jeffrey, Michael, quincy, Marc, Marcello, Michael, Ron, George, Cisco, Nick, Mike, Donald, Dieter
Italian Poet Nazim Comunale has three poems on GIANTHOLOGY! Translations by Fulvio Giglio.

https://heroesaregangleaders.com/2020/08/07/gianthology-nazim-camunale/

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ROULETTE AT HOME:

Roulette TV: Nick Dunston

In early 2019, Roulette TV sat down with bassist and composer Nick Dunston ahead of the first concert of his year-long Van Lier Fellowship. In addition to the interview, this episode features live performance footage of Dunston's quintet Atlantic Extraction and the world premiere of The Floor is Lava! written for five double basses. Dunston also premiered La Operación—a multi-movement composition written for soprano voice, two alto saxophones, two double basses, and two percussionists—as part of his fellowship in the same year. Check out:
https://vimeo.com/342125717?utm_source=Roulette Master List&utm_campaign=34384bb216-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_15_09_07_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c36db137d7-34384bb216-302668229

Playlist: Excerpts from the Black Avant-Garde - Tracks by Tomeka Reid, Reggie Workman, Diedre Murray, Anthony Davis, Amiri Baraka, Henry Threadgill, William Parker, Matana Roberts from the Roulette concert archive. - https://soundcloud.com/roulette_intermedium/sets/blackavantgarde?utm_source=Roulette Master List&utm_campaign=34384bb216-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_15_09_07_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c36db137d7-34384bb216-302668229

Ridgewood Radio
The weekly stream on WFMU features concert recordings by Roscoe Mitchell & Francesco Filidei, John Oswald/Miguel Frasconi/Marvin Green, and Wadada Leo Smith’s Nyabinghi Arkeztra from 1991 at Roulette. Tune in: 1. https://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/93933?utm_source=Roulette Master List&utm_campaign=34384bb216-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_15_09_07_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c36db137d7-34384bb216-302668229
2. https://roulette.org/event/wadada-selasie-leo-smith-2/?utm_source=Roulette Master List&utm_campaign=34384bb216-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_15_09_07_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c36db137d7-34384bb216-302668229

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My good friend & guitar master GARY LUCAS is playing half hour sets at his apartment in the West village every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday at 3pm EST on Facebook. Different songs on each episode. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/gary.lucas.5836

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This comes from Daniel Riegler, member of Studio Dan:

We from Studio Dan, are going to play Music ranging from Christian F. Schiller to Scelsi and Stockhausen to improv and other free forms in public spaces in Vienna AND we are streaming all those more-than-50 performances live via Facebook.

You check out the programm (8/26 - 9/4) here:
https://studiodan.at/en/termine/

The stream is going to be scheduled here:
https://www.facebook.com/studiodanvienna

We are going to link the stream to our website, too:
https://studiodan.at/en/news/

We are playing our music in public spaces of one of the historically poor districts and communities in Vienna (Wien-Brigittenau). This is a huge experiment, we are exited if not nervous - to be honest. We would love to "welcome" you and your community here in Vienna, sharing our music and supporting us with your dedication to music and its healing forces.