DMG Newsletter for Friday, November 27th, 2020: HAPPY THANKSGIVING to ALL!

“BENEDICTUS” by The STRAWBS

From ‘Grave New World’ (from 1972)

The wanderer has far to go
Humble must he constant be
Where the paths of wisdom
Distant is the shadow of the setting sun
Bless the daytime, bless the night
Bless the sun which gives us light
Bless the thunder, bless the rain
Bless all those who cause us pain
Yellow stars may lead the way
All diversions lead astray
While his resolution holds
Fortune and good will will surely follow him
Bless the free man, bless the slave
Bless the hero in his grave
Bless the soldier, bless the saint
Bless all those whose hearts grow faint

One of the two young men I work with recently asked me if I was an Anglophile, music-wise. No doubt. Ever since witnessing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan TV show in February of 1964 (at age 10), I was mesmerized and hooked for good. For me and many others, it was those British bands from across the great pond that really captured the magic of music that had erupted out of our televisions. First it was the Beatles, then the Rolling Stones (my longtime faves), the Animals, the Kinks, the Who… Don’t get me wrong, I also love American rock & soul bands: The Mothers of Invention, the Byrds, Love, the Rascals, the Dead and the Airplane and tons of Motown & Stax bands as well. From 1964 onwards rock music exploded worldwide. Rock music had some sort of power and was repressed by many fascist governments around the globe since it sparked thoughts of freedom, free expression and questioned everything we were told to believe. For me, the golden age of amazing British/UK rock music was 1966 to 1969. This is the period that I hold so dear. Every new band captured something unique and recording studios became places of experimentation. From the Summer of 1967 onwards, I would go to the local record shops or chain-stores and get 1-2 records every week, sometimes more as I discovered cheap cut-outs & promos copies ($1.99 each!). During this period, I would discover another new band every week. The UK bands that really got me during this period were: Traffic, Family, Soft Machine, Caravan, Fairport Convention, Cream, Jethro Tull, Pretty Things, Procol Harum, the Move, the Strawbs and many others. The Strawbs started out as a bluegrass/folk/acoustic band and included the great singer Sandy Denny for a short while before she joined Fairport Convention. The Strawbs evolved into a full fledged rock band and included keyboard wiz, Rick Wakeman, before he joined Yes. I recently went back and listened to the first five Strawbs records and they are all wonderful. The fifth album is called ‘Grave New World’ and it remains my favorite of theirs, as they were evolving from folk/rock to art/rock. The lyrics have a religious sort of fervor and they still speak to me. “Bless all those who cause us pain.” Something to think about.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE WHO READS The DMG Weekly Newsletter and your loved ones.

I know it has been a difficult year for practically all people who live on this planet. I have been thinking about the more positive aspects of humanity. Let’s all give thanks to those who make our lives better: our families and friends, frontline and backline workers everywhere and especially the many artists who create something that inspires and uplifts our spirits, giving us something to sing and dance to and think about during times of darkness & frustration. During the ongoing pandemic/lock-down, I have had a chance to listen more, think more, read more (books, not on-line), exercise more, watch the sunset, talk with old long lost friends and family members, cook for myself & local friends and breathe & calm down before getting back the survival mode/routine again. This is the first Thanksgiving in many years that I am not with my family or my friends. I am still gonna cook, celebrate and give thanks to all who need some appreciation. We all need some love. Peace and Love to You All, Brother Bruce  

NEW DOCUMENTARY ABOUT FRANK ZAPPA COMING OUT NEXT MONTH!

Check our the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4F0rT0F6OQ&feature=emb_title          

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

This Week’s Thanksgiving Goodies Begin with This Dynamic Disc:

ADAM RUDOLPH with STEPHANIE GRIFFIN / SARA SCHOENBECK / NED ROTHENBERG / MICHEL GENTILE / KAORU WATANABE / SUMIE KANEKO / GAMIN / IVAN BARENBOIM - Focus and Field (Meta 025; USA) Personnel: Sumie Kaneko on koto, shamisen & voice, Kaoru Watanabe on noh kan, shinobue, taiko & percussion, Stephanie Griffin on viola, Sara Schoenbeck on bassoon, Ned Rothenberg on shakuhachi & bass clarinet, gamin on piri & saenghwang, Ivan Barenboim on b-flat & contra-alto clarinets, Michel Gentile on flutes and Adam Rudolph on handrumset. Since moving here from California nearly a decade ago, percussionist, composer & conductor Adam Rudolph has been leading several ensembles as well as working with a number of great elders like Yusef Lateef (now deceased), Wadada Leo Smith, Dave Liebman and others. His largest ensemble is the Go Organic Orchestra which has upwards of 40 plus members. Mr. Rudolph occasionally works with subsections of Go Organic and for this disc he organized a nine piece version which features a number of Eastern instruments like koto, shamisen, taiko, piri, shakuhachi and bamboo flutes.
   This disc was recorded live at Roulette in Brooklyn in March of this year (2020), just as the pandemic was kicking in. What’s interesting about this is that the ensemble/music does have an eastern sound yet it still carefully improvised and directed. The music is splendidly recorded and breathes like life itself. Ms. Kaneko’s voice is used minimally and carefully and is integral to the Eastern sound/flavor. When I played this disc at the store, I couldn’t really hear what was going on plus I was distracted by getting things done. Now that I am at home, I can hear the way the music cautiously unfolds and the nuances of all the enchanting sounds. I like the blend of the instruments here, all acoustic, all organic, often sublime with fluttering moments of increased activity/intensity. I am not sure how much is directed or even written (if at all), but the overall sound is somewhere in between (eastern) ethnic and modern chamber music. I can hear quite a bit of organic magic at the center here which is the glue that holds this together and inspires those who listen closely and patiently. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG        
CD $14

NATSUKI TAMURA / SATOKO FUJII / RAMON LOPEZ - Mantle (Not Two MW 1003; Poland) Featuring Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Satoko Fujii on piano and Ramon Lopez on drums. Although Ms. Fujii does have an earlier duo disc out with Spanish drummer Raymon Lopez, this is the first recorded disc by this particular trio. You should recognize the name of Raymon Lopez from a variety of more recent collaborations with: Mark Feldman, Guillermo Gregorio and Barry Guy. This session was recorded in September of 2019 in Japan and has some of the best sound I’ve heard on disc. All three musicians contribute three pieces each. “Nine Steps to the Ground” has an intro that reminds me of some of the more dramatic progressive music that I’ve heard for so many years but soon explores various other avenues: free, focused and explosive altogether. Each piece deals with a different approach, strategy, feeling or vibe. “Encounter” starts off with just drums, expressive, colorful and rhythmically engaging, soon the piano adds another layer, both instruments well connected, the high notes of the trumpet also entering on top. All three musicians soar together, their music way intense and erupting in waves. Each piece is like a story or setting unfolding, it is more about teamwork and the united force is one of great beauty and depth of spirit. This is a dynamic disc in more ways than one. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG      
CD $16

DAVE REMPIS / JEFF PARKER / INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN / JEREMY CUNNINGHAM - Stringers and Struts (Aerophonic 029; USA) Featuring Dave Rempis on alto, tenor & bari saxes, Jeff Parker on guitar, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass and Jeremy Cunningham on drums. Chicago saxist, Dave Rempis, has been organizing several bands, some one-time and some ongoing, both to record (for his Aerophonic label) as well as tour. For this quartet, he put together four strong players from different places: guitarist Jeff Parker (currently living in L.A.), Scandinavian bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (living in Texas) and drummer Jeremy Cunningham (Chicago based?). Mr. Cunningham is the only one here with whom I know very little about although he has worked & recorded with Nick Mazzarella. This disc was recorded at Elastic Arts in Chicago in August of 2019. This disc begins with an epic-length piece called “Cutwater” which starts with a strong guitar & tenor duo, both players trading tight lines, bending their notes together and around one another. When the bass and drums come in, the quartet ascend together into some intense, spirited free energy music. When things calm down, there is a solemn, haunting section which feels like we are taking a slow walk in the desert at night or perhaps whistling past the graveyard. Each member of the quartet navigates the rapids as well as pushing the direction through solos or just strong interaction. At times it sounds as if the quartet is about to break into a certain song when either the guitar, sax or bass starts to move into some melodic fragments. When Mr. Rempis switches to alto on “Harmany”, he has a somewhat Ornette-like tones and burns while the rest of the quartet play their own version of harmelodic funk. The quartet again slow down for some spooky, suspense-filled space, the sax & guitar building and trading short pungent phrases while the rhythm team (with a coke bottle?) taps out a somber groove. I love the vibe here, it is both laid back and quietly festive at the same time. One of things I dig most about this disc is that it never hits boiling boiling point, it simmers nicely throughout while occasionally rising and falling in organic waves. Is that the calm in the eye of the hurricane that is winking at us?!?! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG    
CD $14

JAH WOBBLE & INVADERS OF THE HEART - Ocean Blue Waves (Jah Wobble Records 007; UK) Featuring Martin Chung on guitar, George King on keyboards, Jah Wobble on bass & vocals and Marc Layton-Bennett on drums plus Tien-Chi on Chinese percussion. Considering that John Wobble started his career more than 30 years ago (late seventies) playing thunderous electric dub bass with Public Image, he has continued to push the envelope, working in a variety of styles, with musicians from very different scenes and ethnicities. I’ve had the good fortune to hear/feel Mr. Wobble in concert on several occasions with Public Image at Roseland and with guests Evan Parker & Bill Laswell at the 2nd Knitting Factory. His playing is a type of cosmic dub that is often astonishing and beyond intense. Aside from his rare touring, Mr. Wobble is immensely prolific as a leader or collaborator. His back catalogue is vast, some 45 or so discs, many on his former (30Hz) and current (Jah Wobble Records) labels. Since starting his own label in 2016, Wobble has had practically no US distribution just directly from his own label. There is only one ongoing band that Mr. Wobble has worked with since 1990 and that is Invaders of the Heart. Although the personnel has changed slowly over time with Wobble as the only constant, their overall sound is still somehow similar to when they began 30 years ago.
   This is the current version of the band (Mr.’s Chung, King & Layton-Bennett) plus they have a guest Tien-Chi on percussion. The opening piece, “Fly Away”, is a most uplifting pop/ethnic/funk groove song with Jah Wobble’s enchanting voice leading the way. He repeats the phrase, “Fly Away”, and that is what we should feel like doing. It turns out that Invaders of the Heart are a strong, spirited, tight rock/funk quartet, fresh, unique but with a recognizable sound. Mr. Wobble’s throbbing bass is always at the center, with the guitarist and keyboard (synth) wiz both playing swirling, enticing lines around one another, the drummer has one of those great, drum’n’bass groove that should keep us dancing on their toes. While Wobble holds down that great groove, the guitar and keyboard player both stretch out in short bursts always adding selective spacey spirits to keep our journey going, flowing into other dimensions. For those who care, Wobble sings on just three songs, however I think his voice is perfect for these most enchanting songs. I haven’t heard a great creative pop/dance/rock since the heydays of Talking Heads. Imagine my surprise! Can’t wait to play this at our next funk fest party at DMG! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG        
CD $17 [Limited Edition and we have 5 for now]

RICH HALLEY / MATTHEW SHIPP / MICHAEL BISIO / NEWMAN TAYLOR BAKER - The Shape of Things (Pine Eagle 013; USA) Featuring Rich Halley on tenor sax, Matt Shipp on piano, Michael Bisio on contrabass and Newman Taylor Baker on drums. Longtime Pacific Northwest saxist, Rich Halley, has been recording with mostly west coast players from his own area. Mr. Halley decided to try something different so he recorded with one of Downtown’s most formidable free/jazz piano trios which is led by Matt Shipp and which has been playing together for upwards of a decade or so. This is the second disc with the same personnel and that just gets together to record just once a year. While Mr. Shipp’s trio has evolved over time, recording many discs and touring when they can, the quartet evolves in a different way. The opening piece, “Tetrahedron” starts off with one short twisted sax phrase which Mr. Halley repeats a few times before the rest of the quartet jumps in. Halley is soloing from the gitgo, casting out lines, bending and twisting his lines as the trio weaves their own currents around him. Mr. Shipp soon takes over soloing in a similar way to Halley’s ever-spinning lines. You can tell that the trio has been playing together for a while since they always sound connected on several levels like a school of fish or a flock of birds moving together. “Vector” sounds like a standard of sorts when it begins, balancing between swinging for a bit and then moving freely and then back to that finger-snapping groove. What makes this disc even better is the strong, spirited, warm, righteous, probing tone that Mr. Halley has gotten over a long period of time on his trusty tenor sax. Mr. Shipp is also in fine form here, since he isn’t the leader, he has to find a way to interact and engage Halley and his rhythm mates without many of his usual licks. Mr. Shipp never ceases to amaze and amuse me, there are a number of shifts in direction, brilliant solos and surprising lines which erupt when you least expect them to. So listen close and you will be surprised. Things slow down to a crawl on “Spaces Between”, in which each note is carefully caressed or played just right. Things break into a near Trane-like quartet explosion on “Oblique Angles”, but only for a short bit. The quartet really takes off for “The Curved Horizon”, pushing each other higher and higher. It sounds like Mr. Shipp is trying to bend the floorboards so that we lose balance, dancing slowly while gravity tries to hold us down. This piece has several sections, duos, trios, role-switching and some truly inspired playing by all four giants. When the intensity hits that all-time high, you don’t want it to end. Keep soaring guys, we need to go for the ride! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG    
CD $12

JUN NUMATA / MARTIN ESCALANTE / YUJI ISHIHARA - Knuttel House (Sploosh Records 20; Earth) Featuring Jun Numata on guitar & electronics, Martin Escalante on sax and Yuji Ishihara on drums. Jun Numata runs the great Doubt label, a favorite of many past DMG employees as well as myself. Numata is also a great noise/improv guitarist who records infrequently and appear on just two of the 50 discs on Doubt. Numata teams up here with Mexican extreme improv saxist Martin Escalante and drummer Yuji Ishihara (a new name for me). From that first note, we are off in uncharted waters, sinking like anchors in quicksand. If I didn’t know what the instrumentation was already, I wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. I can hear the drums but other than that, what the ….?!?! Screaming through the sax perhaps and some rip-roaring noise being torn to shreds. Is this post-punk? NO Wave? hardcore improv? Scary noise? All of the above or something else entirely. Slowly certainly recognizable elements pop through the mass/mess. Exhilarating or just too much!?! Kind of Borbetomagus-like. Extreme yet very effective, like having the wind knocked out of you and gasping for air. Escalante sounds like he is biting down hard on that reed and twisting those notes inside out. From the drawing or mutated picture on the cover it looks like Numata has a table-top of electronic gizmos. I really dig this disc most because of the brutal, intense, sprawling sound. It takes some work to hear through some of the dense passages. Yowsah! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG    
CD $12

HISTORIC, ARCHIVAL & REISSUED DISCS:

LOL COXHILL & FRED FRITH - French Gigs (Klanggalerie 353; Germany) “George Lowen Coxhill, generally known as Lol Coxhill, was an English free improvising saxophonist and raconteur. He played the soprano or sopranino saxophone. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was a member of Canterbury scene bands Carol Grimes and Delivery and then Kevin Ayers and the Whole World. He became known for his solo playing and for work in duets with pianist Steve Miller and guitarist G. F. Fitzgerald. Coxhill collaborated with other musicians including Mike Oldfield, Morgan Fisher, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath and its musical descendant The Dedication Orchestra, Django Bates, The Damned, Derek Bailey and many others. Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improvisor. Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. He was also a member of the groups Art Bears, Massacre, and Skeleton Crew. He has collaborated with a number of prominent musicians, including Robert Wyatt, Derek Bailey, The Residents, John Zorn, Brian Eno, Mike Patton, Lars Hollmer, Bill Laswell, Iva Bittová and Jad Fair. The duets between Coxhill and Frith were recorded from the late 70's to the early 90's. They were originally released on AAA in 1983 on LP and on Ayaa Records in France in 1991 on CD. This re-issue was re-mastered by Myles Boison and features previously unreleased music recorded in 1999, the last time Coxhill and Frith performed together.”
CD $18

BILL LASWELL / IGGY POP / WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS / OPENING PERFORMANCE ORCHESTRA - The Acid Lands (Sub Rosa 500; Belgium) “The Acid Lands, created by the Prague-based Opening Performance Orchestra, was first heard in public in 2014 at the Movement-Sound-Space festival in Ostrava, to mark the centenary of William S. Burroughs's birth. The piece was performed live by the Opening Performance Orchestra and their guests, the theremin player Martina Potucková, and the poet, musician, and performer Pavel Z as the narrator. The studio version of The Acid Lands was made in late 2019/early 2020 in collaboration with Bill Laswell and Iggy Pop, who undertook the role of the narrator. The piece, which pays tribute to William S. Burroughs, features fragments from the novels The Western Lands (1987) and Junkie (1953). In addition to the title composition, The Acid Lands, the record contains Bill Laswell's instrumental remix, as well as the collective piece "Naming Seven Souls", featuring samples of William S. Burroughs reading his own work.”
CD $15

THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET with PAUL DESMOND / EUGENE WRIGHT / JOE MORELLO - Time Outtakes Brubeck Editions 20200901; USA) Time OutTakes features 7 tracks that have never been heard before. These newly discovered recordings feature wonderful performances that are every bit as compelling as those on the original Time Out. We discovered that during the original 1959 sessions the Quartet also recorded "I'm In a Dancing Mood" and an unlisted trio jam with a major drum solo that included snatches of the melody from "Watusi Drums." Two tracks from Time Out, "Pick Up Sticks" and "Everybody's Jumpin," were achieved in one take so no alternates exist to include here. These 7 new performances (and bonus track) are fascinating finds.
   We've all heard Dave Brubeck's Time Out - but never quite like this. You'll hear Dave Brubeck's signature pieces afresh and anew. Listening to this album will make you rediscover why you fell in love with The Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring Paul Desmond, Joe Morello and Eugene Wright. This is mesmerizing music.
Kabir Sehgal, Grammy Award Winning Producer
   Once the Dave Brubeck Quartet released Time Out in 1959, the world of jazz was never the same. Every note of the seven original compositions soared with wild originality and trained musical genius. "Take Five" became the best-selling jazz single of the twentieth century. I've often wondered how this work of genius came to fruition in the studio? How did Brubeck develop such chemistry with alto-saxophonist Paul Desmond? Now the mysteries are solved with the historic release of Time OutTakes (alternative takes to the masterpiece that blew the hinges off the doors of jazz). What a high privilege it is to be able to be in the studio with the quartet as they innovate using 9/8, 5/4 and 2 bars of 3/4 alternating with 2 bars of 4/4 on such classics as "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Three to Get Ready." All listeners of Time OutTakes will experience the Cold War era jazz revolution as it unfolded. What joyous music for the ages! - Douglas Brinkley, CNN historian and Grammy-winning jazz producer.
CD $16

JIMMY GIUFFRE with JIM HALL / BUDDY COLLETTE / AL COHN / SHORTY ROGERS / ART FARMER / JOE WILDER / WENDELL MARSHALL / JIMMY ROWLES / RALPH PENA / STAN LEVEY / SHELLY MANNE / et al - The Atlantic and Verve Collection (Enlightenment 9191; EEC) American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger Jimmy Giuiffre remains most notable for his development of forms of jazz which allowed for free interplay between the musicians, anticipating forms of free improvisation. Born in Dallas, Texas, in 1921, the son of Joseph Francis Giuffre (an Italian immigrant from Palermo Province, Sicily) and Everet McDaniel Giuffre, young Jimmy was a graduate of Dallas Technical High School and North Texas State Teachers College (University of North Texas College of Music). He first became known as an arranger for Woody Herman's big band, for which he wrote 'Four Brothers' (1947). He would continue to write creative, unusual arrangements throughout his career. This collection features the earlier records of Jimmy Giuffre which were the forerunners of his later more radical and avant-garde work. Containing eight complete albums originally released between 1956 and 1960, this extraordinary collection works as both a fine introduction to this most underrated of jazz masters, and a welcome reminder of how Giuffre's music moves like perhaps nobody else's from the same period.
4 CD Set $18

KAREN DALTON - Recording is the Trip - The Karen Dalton Archives (Megaphone Megauk 030; UK) “Last copies of this now deleted edition. Recording is the Trip - The Karen Dalton Archives is a three-LP, three-CD box set, including a download card and a shirt. Three LPs: Includes for the first-time ever on clear vinyl, limited edition the 1962 double live album Cotton Eyed Joe remastered, the 1963 home recordings album Green Rocky Road remastered. The three CDs are the same albums as the LPs. Includes one download card of 13 unreleased home recordings including a mesmerizing take on "God Bless The Child". 56-page book with scans of Karen Dalton Personal Archives photographs, music sheets, lyrics, memos, all disclosed here for the first time. Includes a Karen Dalton recycled fabric t-shirt (featuring her own guitar tabs), press about Cotton Eyed Joe (1962/2007) and Green Rocky Road (1963/2008), Box set size: 12.4x12.4x1.5.
   "All the informality of someone thinking aloud, which suits her signature vocals perfectly. In overdubbing, she seems to consider tempos and time signatures almost as restricting as a real studio. A particularly personal statement, a career marker" --Pitchfork (8/10)
   "Like a lost book of the Old Testament. Less like a folk record and more like a warp in the space-time continuum. The most beautiful and harrowing album you'll hear this year. The results are startling. Her rendering of 'Katie Cruel' on In My Own Time has been hailed as definitive but she improves it here. Bewitching." --UNCUT (4/5)
3 LP / 3 CD Deluxe Box Set $160

DIVINE HORSEMEN - Live 1985-1987 (Feeding Tube Records 579; USA) "Divine Horsemen were a band formed & led by Chris D between the years 1983 and 1988, while he was on hiatus from the Flesh Eaters. Divine Horsemen (taking their name from one of the Flesh Eaters' most powerful stompers) emerged as a byproduct of Chris' gorgeous solo album, Time Stands Still. He met singer Julie Christensen a few months before the recording, and the mix of their voices was such a perfect pairing of honey and gravel, they knew they had to keep working together. Taking a more measured rock tone (as compared to the raging word-zonk of the Flesh Eaters), Divine Horsemen recorded three great LPs and one EP for SST. They were also an amazingly solid live band, combining Chris' gonzo pulp imagery with those incredible twinned vocals, massive guitar riffs and a truly locked-in rhythm section. The two shows from which this album is harvested were recorded just before the Devil's River album came out in '85, and close on the heels of '87's Middle of the Night. It seems wild to me, listening to this disk for the umpteenth time, how together these songs are as rock-qua-rock monsters. I realize I'm biased and all, but I'd say half of the tunes are nothing less than goddamn classics. I somewhat prefer the later version of the band with Peter Andrus on guitar (he replaced Wayne James, Cam King and Marshall Rohner), but that's just picking nits. The core of the line-up was stable -- Julie and Chris singing, the late Robyn Jameson (the sole holdover from the Flesh Eaters) on bass, Rex Roberts on drums -- and they always sounded real damn good. Sadly, the band didn't last as long as hoped. Chris and Julie got married, but that was a collaboration that burned too hot to last. The band split when the couple did, which ended a truly ecstatic vocal pair-up. Julie went on to work for almost a decade as Leonard Cohen's angelic foil, but I was more excited to hear she was guesting on 2019's boss Flesh Eaters' album, I Used to be Pretty. And her vocal spots at a few of their live shows were spine-tingling. But there's nothing quite like the sound of Divine Horsemen. From the hot rod thuggery of 'Mother's Worry' to the sweet massage of 'Middle of the Night,' their music will take you where you want to go. So, lay back and dig this disk, while you wait for their new studio LP, Hot Rise of an Ice Cream Phoenix, on In the Red. There is also talk of a live tour, which would be fan-f*cking-tastic. More than that I cannot say. Selah." --Byron Coley, 2020
CD $14

CHRIS ABRAHAMS - Thrown (15th Anniversary Edition)(Room40 409; Australia) Room40 release at 15th anniversary edition of Chris Abrahams's Thrown, originally released in 2005. A note from Lawrence English: "I've written quite often about my first experience listening to Thrown at Chris's place in Sydney. On that initial listening I was equal parts terrified and awestruck. The sensation of sitting there, in low light after midnight, listening with Chris and our mutual friend Clayton after an evening out at a NowNow event, is something I can recall vividly. Thrown is a record that, from the very outset, has roused me in a very direct, particular and profound, sense of affect. Recorded using Dx-7, piano and a positive organ, the album exists in some kind of parallel acoustic dimension where these divergent musical timbres are somehow brought together into a unifying (albeit unsettling) whole. It was the first recording Chris had made like it, and in my opinion, it set a benchmark which has guided his numerous releases for Room40. Now 15 years on from its original release, it seemed like a suitable moment to seed this edition back into the sonic consciousness. Time has cast little shadow on this edition - it still sounds absolutely outside of time. It creates its own microcosm upon each listening and remains one of the records from the Room40 catalogue that deeply resonates for me."
CD $17

CHRIS ABRAHAMS - Appearance (Room40 4132; Australia) “Australia's Chris Abrahams, widely known for his work with legendary trio The Necks, has amassed an impressive solo discography over the past three decades. With four electro-acoustic editions already published by Room40, the label announces Chris's first piano solo for the label. Appearance is two longform pieces for piano that weave and mesh to create a sense of flow and subtle shifting which unfolds into eternal variation.
   A note from Lawrence English: "I first met Chris Abrahams sometime in the early part of the '00s. In 2003, I had the pleasure of spending a very late night glued to his sofa, lights diminished, being introduced to his solo work. That listening experience became known as Thrown, a record that to this day haunts me with its electronic timbral shifts and wheezing positive organ textures. Since that release, Chris's work has resided at the very heart of Room40. His music captured across his five solo editions is, I believe, both utterly personal and compellingly diverse. It is music that has been a source of respite, provocation and, most of all, inspiration for me (and many of you I am sure). Over the years, I have gently encouraged Chris to consider making a solo piano recording to compliment the series of electro-acoustic works he has made for us. Appearance is the manifestation of this encouragement. Appearance typifies a very particular approach to piano that Chris has cultivated across three decades. He creates a pairing of rippling cascades of tonality with a macro-minimalist compositional form that invites a sense of perpetual release. Notes cycle and gently coalesce to create weaving melodic patterns that accumulate into a slow unfolding of form, across time. Chris Abrahams' pieces, in many respects, defy an easy categorization. He creates music that is unto itself, but profoundly open to the situations in which is it encountered. It's this porous quality that makes his work so intoxicating. It is a music of moments, cycling in memory and accumulating across time in a way that is without compare. I can't recommend Appearance to you strongly enough."
CD $17  

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

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 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.

**********

THIS ONE COMES from PAUL DUNMALL, British Saxophone Colossus!!!

Dear All

I haven't done any gigs since March but I have a done a couple of recordings so if your interested there's a video of one below which goes on line 7.45pm November 26th it was organised by TDE promotions/Fizzle may you all stay well. - Paul

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/GjbY7tTeH7k

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

THIS COMES from KEVIN REILLY AT RELATIVE PITCH RECORDS:

MATTHEW WRIGHT // EVAN PARKER / MARK NAUSEEF / TOMA GOUBAND - Matthew Wright’s Locked Hybrids (Relative Pitch; USA) “I’m sending a head's up for tomorrow's release of  Matthew Wright's Locked Hybrids. It's the first digital-only release for the label. It was assembled in Wright's studio during the lockdown and made entirely from samples of Evan Parker, Toma Gouband and Mark Nauseef collected during a 2018 recording at Arco Barco in Ramsgate, UK. Using a mixture of software editing and Wright's own brand of improvised mixing with turntables and laptops, the resultant music is a blend of experimental hip hop, sonic art, improvisation and digital composition. The release will coincide with a new Locked Hybrids commission for hcmf// that will stream from the festival website (https://hcmf.co.uk/) on the weekend of 20th-22nd November. Excerpts from the RP release will also feature on the UKs BBC Radio 3 New Music Show during that weekend.
Download Only Release at https://relativepitchrecords.bandcamp.com/album/locked-hybrids

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

THIS IS FROM MY GOOD FRIEND & EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHER MEGHAN DESMOND:

I hope everyone is doing well despite all the madness?! I just wanted to share a music video I made recently with guitarist, Drew Wesely. It was my first time doing a project like this and I couldn't have been more proud and excited to work with Drew. I felt a deep connection to the music, so it was an extremely rewarding experience. I hope to continue to collaborate with more musicians in the future and with the unfortunate decline of live performances and live streaming leaving much to be desired, maybe the timing is right for this sort of thing? Lots of love and big hugs to you all! - Meghan

https://vimeo.com/480564073

I have watched this video a couple of times and find it fascinating both visually and sonically. Do check it out. - BLG at DMG

**********

JazzFest Berlin presented in partnership with ROULETTE:

Exclusive Rebroadcast on ESS’s The Quarantine Concerts
November 27 28, 2020. 6–11PM ET

Roulette and JazzFest Berlin is excited to partner with Experimental Sound Studio on an exclusive rebroadcast of the festival performances from earlier this month. Join us in the spirit of intercontinental cooperation in spite of the pandemic for this two-day concert marathon between the cutting edge scenes of Berlin and New York. 

Friday, November 27 - https://ess.org/esscalendar/tqc-jazzfest-berlin-1
Lakecia Benjamin (NYC) // Lina Allemano’s Ohrenschmaus (Berlin)
Anna Webber Septet (NYC) // TRAINING featuring John Dieterich and Işıl Karataş (Berlin)
Craig Taborn’s New Trio (NYC) // Y-Otis (Berlin)

Saturday, November 28 - https://ess.org/esscalendar/tqc-jazzfest-berlin-2
Joel Ross’s Good Vibes (NYC) // MEOW! (Berlin)
Ingrid Laubrock & Kris Davis (NYC) // Jim Black Trio (Berlin)
Tomas Fujiwara’s Triple Double (NYC) // Potsa Lotsa XL (Berlin)

***********

HERE IS A RECENT SOLO SET FROM FORMER DMG All-Star Saxist CHRIS PITSIOKOS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lfuayZtge8&feature=youtu.be

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

JOE FONDA & THOMAS HEBERER DUO
LIVE Stream this Friday, November 13th at 8pm EST

www.bopshop.com/live

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

THIS IS FROM GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhCkfjtl59k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPVCuBh_Fb8
https://www.youtube.com/c/CuneiformRecords/videos

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

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

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-34
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-33
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-32
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-31
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-30
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-29
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-28
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-27
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-26
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/track/stir-crazy-episode-25

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

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

https://garylucas.com/www/dracula/dracula.shtml

https://www.nporadio2.nl/soulenjazz/podcasts/co-live

https://podcast.npo.nl/feed/co-live.xml

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

This One from FLUTIST Extraordinare BOB DOWNES:

As the saying goes: "If you can't beat them, join them"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU9hZHH5UkE

ps - someone made a scathing comment concerning a vid of Robert Dick.
So... sent BEEHIVE BLUES to that person
Her comment inspired me to spontaneously put this vid together.

This is Robert’s vid where I pasted it: MACHINE GUN 8Jimi Hendricks
Misty Uren (URINE?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knqyh7IG6Zk