DMG Newsletter for August 6th, 2021

DMG 30th Anniversary Celebration Continues with These Performances:

This Saturday August 7th at Oliver Coffee at 2 - 5pm
JOSH SINTON / DANIEL CARTER / SAM NEWSOME
SAMANTHA RIOTT
LAURA COCKS

Next Saturday August 14th - DMG In-Store - 6:30 - 9pm - Two Sets
6:30pm: Adam Lane - bass / Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
CD RELEASE PERFORMANCE for "Adam Lane / Stephen Gauci, Pandemic Duets"
8pm: Stephen Gauci - tenor sax / Adam Lane - bass / Joe Morris - drums
IN CELEBRATION OF OUR RELEASE "Morris/Gauci/Lane, Studio Sessions Vol. 3

DMG asks that you do wear your MASKS whenever you come to visit us indoors, thanks!
Customers & concert goers, both.

****

To all of The DMG Customers & Friends Out there:

We have been selling quite a bit of Used LP’s, CD’s and even cassettes on Discogs and through the store over the past year & a half. Special thanks to anyone who has donated these items to us, we do appreciate it! We are starting to run low on Used vinyl so if you or someone you know wants to part with some or all of their LP collection, PLEASE have them contact us so we can make a fair offer. Call us (212-473-0043) or write to us via snail or email (dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com). thanks to all of you for your help.

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

This Week’s Sonic Gems Begin with This Great One:

HANK ROBERTS SEXTET with MIKE McGINNIS / BRIAN DRYE / DANA LYN / JACOB SACKS / VINNIE SPERRAZZA - Science of Love (Sunnyside 1625; USA) Featuring Hank Roberts on cello & compositions, Mike McGinnis on clarinet & soprano sax, Brian Drye on trombone, Dana Lyn on violin, Jacob Sacks on piano and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums. Between 1988 & 1993, Downtown cellist recorded a half dozen discs for the JMT label as a leader or co-leader. Each of those records were great and in a variety of different ways. Besides being a great cellist, Mr. Roberts was a fine, diverse composer and multi-bandleader. Being a consummate Downtown musician meant blurring boundaries, hence blending inside & outside strategies, electric & acoustic jazz with some rock elements or progressive composing and adding his own charming voice or the feisty singing of DK Dyson, made each of these discs a gem. Word is that Mr. Robert moved up to northern New York State to raise a family in the mid-nineties. Mr. Roberts' recording output slowed down a bit but still dropped some gems of solo cello, a duo with Tim Berne and eventually leading him back to the Winter & Winter label (formerly JMT) for two more fine discs with old friends Jim Black, Bill Frisell, Jerome Harris & Kenny Wollesen. Mr. Roberts finally moved back to the NYC area in the past decade and has begun recording/collaborating again. More recently HR has been recording with Ivo Perelman, Marilyn Crispell and Filippo Vignato. I’ve caught Mr. Roberts improvising on occasion with other old friends at the Cornelia Street Cafe.
Over the past few years, Mr. Roberts' a new sextet with a number of Downtown’s best players and I’ve heard them live on two occasions, both were superb. When I heard that Sunnyside was releasing the CD by the Hank Roberts Sextet, I was elated. It was released last Friday (7/30/21) and I just picked up copies yesterday. Rejoice! I know all of the musicians here except Ms. Dana Lyn, from a large number of previous collaborations. Things start out quietly with “Sat/Sun Pa Tu X”, and slowly build, the mighty Jacob Sacks taking a long, expressive piano solo with the rest of the sextet coming in, mixing that Dixieland/Free counterpoint before it ends with some spirited Third Stream themes. The majority of this disc is a long (45 minute) 14-part suite called “G”. The band/music has a chamber/jazz like quality with compelling ensemble writing for all the members. In between the ensemble sections are short improvised segments for 2 or 3 players at a time. Some sections feature one musician soloing while the others weave their parts around the soloist. There are some truly extraordinary moments here where Mr. Roberts has the sextet playing several layers of quirky, kaleidoscopic harmonies which are constantly evolving and shifting. The “G” suite reminds me of taking a journey on a boat with both solemn moments and occasionally turbulent moments, all connected to keep a central theme glowing throughout. There are several stellar sections as well: Mike McGinnis taking a long, feisty soprano sax solo on “17” is one. What I like the most is the way Mr. Roberts writes for this unique instrumentation: high reeds & trombone up front, two strings, piano and drums but no bass. This is without a doubt, the best disc of the week. Take some time with it and you will agree, most likely. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

MATS GUSTAFSSON OTOMO YOSHIHIDE DUO - Timing (Doubt Music dmf-172; Japan) Featuring Mats Gustafsson on Baritone sax, flutephone & electronics and Otomo Yoshihide on turntables, guitar & banjo. Recorded at GOK Sound in June of 2018, a studio in front ofa small audience. After a long period of serious activity recording for various labels like Tzadik, Erstwhile and Doubt, Otomo Yoshihide as slowed down a bit and recorded a handful of duo CD’s with Roger Turner, Paal Nilssen-Love, Chris Pitsiokos and Martin Excalante. Otomo’s most recent duo is with Mats Gustafsson, formerly of The Thing and currently with Fire! Orchestra, no doubt as prolific as Otomo is. As far as the title of this disc goes, “Timing”, Mr. Gusafsson explains in the booklet notes that “timing” is most important in his three favorite pastimes: making music, record hunting and cooking. I couldn’t agree more. Both of these musicians come from very varied backgrounds so they draw from a wealth of influences, ideas or genres. I haven’t heard many turntable players in recent years so I was glad to hear Otomo playing turntables here. The bari sax squawks & squeaks work well with Otomo’s twisted turntable sounds. On every track, the duo switch between three instruments. The second track features el. guitar & electronics and it has a dark, mysterious sound. Otomo did his own editing for this disc, hence the sound is consistently focused and engaging. A flutephone is a flute with a sax mouthpiece I believe, which Mats plays with Otomo on banjo, more acoustic weirdness. No matter which instrument either Otomo or Mats play, their combined sound is extraordinary and hard to pin down to who is doing what. Both the live electronics and turntables give these duos an unpredictable sound and they used selectively. The bari sax is the only instrument which is easy to recognize and if often at the center of the varied storms. A truly strong date/duo for two old masters of sonic manipulation. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, BMG
CD $18

KAZUKHISA UCHIHASHI / RICHARD SCOTT - Awesome Entities (Doubt Music dmf-168; Japan) Featuring Uchihashi Kazuhisa on guitar and Richard Scott on electronics. Japanese guitarist Kazuhisa Uchihashi, has long been a favorite of mine,having played with Altered States & Ground Zero, as well as working with a diverse array of international musicians: Shelley Hirsch, Tatsuya Yoshida, Mani Neumeier and Senyawa. When Mr. Uchihashi released a dozen discs all around 2015, I wasn’t too surprised that each one was different and well-worth hearing. Richard Scott is a British composer & electronics improviser who has worked with Evan Parker, Grutronic, Phil Minton, for dance performances and with DJ’s. This disc was recorded in Berlin in August of 2015. These two master improvisers work together extremely well, their sounds are always changing into something else. In the middle of the first piece, Uchihashi get a rather hypnotic Fripp-like sustained tone while Scott keeps the electronics swirling and changing. Mr. Scoot’s electronics are often warm and very too extreme, the way many current electronic noise-makers are. This keeps Uchihashi on the more subtle side. Uchihashi often sounds like he has studied quite a bit of different music, drawing from rock, prog, fusion and free musics, hence he often inserts refreshing melodic fragments or songlike ideas which make this easier to enjoy than some more noise-oriented players. At times, it sounds as if Mr. Scott is playing a church organ or synth which is never too far out. The overall vibe is often solemn or dream-like, with synth sounds from an earlier (more friendly sounding) era. I know that Mr. Uchihashi plays a daxophone (a rare bowed wood instrument) which was made by Hans Reichel, a former collaborator of his. I hear what sounds like a dax at times with its eerie, near-vocal or somewhat animalistic like sound. The fact that much of this is more restrained, more organic gives this duo/disc a distinctive and most mesmerizing sound. The music here sounds like it could be from a soundtrack of an enchanting science fiction or animated film. Most charming, indeed. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $18

YOON-JI LEE // ENSEMBLE MISE-EN / JACK & MIVOS STRING QUARTETS / ANGELA KIM - Padong (zOaR ZCD 089; USA) Korean composer Yoon-Ji Lee once studies with Elliott Sharp and currently teaches at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Mr. Sharp has chosen to release Ms. Lee’s debut disc, which features 5 compositions, each with different personnel: from a mixed chamber group to two string quartets and solo piano, piri, taepyungso and saenghwang (last three all Korean pipe-like instruments, all played by Ms. gamin). “Lyric Montage” is first and is performed by the Ensemble Mise-En. Instrumentation: clarinet, viola, cello & piano. It is la ive recording (from Firehouse12 in CT and the sound is superb. The music is bristling with eerie resonance, intense, focused and powerful. The somewhat bent-sounding strings are Penderecki-like, seesawing back & forth, time & again. “Angels Broken” is for string quartet, piri, taepyungo & electronics. The story is about Korean “comfort women”, who were forced in sexual slavery during WW2. The music is both bleak sounding yet powerful. The double reed is completely awe-striking in its own distinctive way. Even more intense is “Untitled” for solo saenghwang, another double reed instrument which is sheng-like. “Untitled” was inspired by a poem by a poet named Myung Soon Kim. The piece is a virtuosic tour-de-force and shows how expressive this instrument can be. “About Free” is for soprano voice & two string quartets, both the Jack and the Mivos quartets. The vocals are at first call & response with members of the string quartets. The lead vocal and both quartets seem to have their own agenda or perhaps sound. “Night Sketches” is for solo piano and there is quite a bit more going on here than meets the eye or one’s expectations for mere solo piano. Each note or chord seems to evoke a different vibe, scene or feeling. It was inspired by sights seen way above us: “Meteor Shower”, “Dancing Stars” and “Moon Bloom”. The silence between the notes or chords is equally important to the way things unfold and the careful shape of each sound. This is the best of a handful of modern chamber discs I’ve been listening to over the recent past. A grand debut that should not be ignored. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

RODNEY CHAPMAN with AQUILES NAVARRO / ERIC PLAKS / WILLIAM PARKER / RONNIE BURRAGE - Gnosis (Darkfyre Records 001; USA) Featuring Rodney Chapman on tenor sax, Aquiles Navarro on trumpet, Eric Plaks on piano, William Parker on bass and Ronnie Burrage on drums. I hadn’t heard of saxist Rodney Chapman before Eric Plaks gave me this disc a couple of weeks ago. I do know trumpeter Aquiles Navaro from his work with Irreversible Entanglements & Leonid Galaganov. Pianist Eric Plaks has played here at DMG with Blaise Siwula and has an old disc out on the Cadence Jazz label. Bassist William Parker certainly needs no intro here, while the in-demand drummer, Ronnie Burrage, has worked with many: Hamiet Bluiett, George Adams, Sonny Fortune and the World Sax Qt.
This disc begins with a solo sax piece which is a strong intro, Mr. Chapman’s tone is warm & delightful like butterscotch, slow, refined and most enchanting. Chapman sounds like he is playing baritone sax, his tone deep, luscious, building through some Trane-like swirls. “Prelude” kicks things off at a quick tempo with some strong interplay between all the members of this mighty fine quintet. The sax, trumpet and piano are all spinning together furiously, weaving their lines tightly together while the rhythm team swings hard and push them higher and higher. On “America”, things calm down to a simmer with Mr. Chapman playing with his most laid-back Trane-like tone. The quintet erupt powerfully on “The Reality of Nothing”, spinning quicker and quicker as the interplay between the trumpet, bass & drums soars higher, when Mr. Chapman enters on tenor, he pushes the quintet to boiling point. The final solo by drummer Burrage is quite a tour-de-force with pianist Plaks adding some sharp interjections underneath. Considering that the leader here, Rodney Chapman, is a relative unknown, this is still a most impressive debut! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

KEVIN MURRAY / KAZUTO SATO / TOM WEEKS - Soldiers (Wolfsblood WB11; USA) Featuring Tom Weeks on alto sax, Kazuto Sato on bass & little instruments and Kevin Murray on drums. This session was recorded at the Creek in Oakland, CA in July of 2019. This is the second disc from this particular Oakland-based trio, although drummer Kevin Murray currently lives here. Saxist Tom Weeks is also a member of another trio called Toned, whose first effort was released by Shhpuma, the Clean Feed offshoot label. Similar to a long lost ESP date/LP from the mid-sixties, this trio delivers the goods right from the opening salvo. The opening title track (by Weeks) is nearly 20 minutes long and it is a powerful, free/jazz tour-de-force. After the opening explosion, the trio calms down to some more restrained free interplay, which is equally engaging. Mr. Weeks has a strong, spirited, intense tone on his alto sax. Midway through this long piece, bassist Sato takes a superb, blistering yet short solo. It’s funny, I had this disc playing the other day (8/3/21) at the store and a customer asked which free/jazz giants these were? Trane? Ayler? Sonny Simmons? Nope, all wrong! Three young men from the Bay Area whipping out their own powerful fire music. How can these lads be unknown when their music is so strong and spirited??? A rhetorical question, indeed. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

TONED with TOM WEEKS / NATHAN CORDER / LEO SUAREZ - tricky (1039 Records 003; USA) Featuring Tom Weeks on winds, Nathan Corder on guitar & electronics and Leo Suarez on drums & percussion. This is the second disc that we’ve gotten in from this impressive Bay Area trio. The only musician here whom I was previously familiar with is their saxist, Tom Weeks, who is in another trio with Kazuto Sato & Kevin Murray (now based here). This disc starts off quiet yet free with some playful, twisted percussion. When the guitar comes in, the sax and guitar both play with similar bent-toned sounds, stretching and twisting their notes together with the drums holding down or just navigating the rapids. Tom Weeks is a powerful, inventive saxist and sounds strong, engaged and intense this entire disc. Since Mr. Corder is using some devices for his guitar, it is hard to tell what he is doing at times. Is that a guitar or electronics? Hard to tell. I like when the trio calms down to some quieter free sections, stretching our space & time somewhat. Weeks sounds like he is playing just his mouthpiece at times, carefully bending notes in an early Zorn birdcall-like way. It does sound like this trio has been playing together for a while since their playing is often so tight-knit, well balanced and thoughtfully concise. Since Mr. Weeks has such a strong, inventive sound, the other members do a splendid job of adding just the right amount of spice or interplay to make this even better. Another gem from another under-recognized trio! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

PATRICK BRENNAN - Ways and Sounds - inquiries, interconnections, contours (Arteidolia Press; USA) “What we have here is a rumination on the construction of music, what it is, what it means, how it’s made, how one interacts with it either from the perspective of a listener, musician, or composer. Brennan clearly and precisely articulates his thoughts on the topic. Be warned, these are not breezy aphorisms, Brennan has thought deeply about the topics, has done his research, deftly quotes what prominent voices have said in the past, and explains his thinking behind what music is and means. There is a lot to take in and think about, from the personal meaning of music to the invisible dynamics of what drives attitudes to music.” — Paul Acquaro, The Free Jazz Collective
“What transforms sounds into music? What does it mean to compose from the inside out or the outside in? Do recordings reshape our conceptions? In this series of essays, New York composer & musician Patrick Brennan probes a more inclusive, non-centricized, relational framework for understanding various ecologies of composing — and most compellingly, how can we, as listeners, listen? Patrick Brennan has been actively engaging the challenges of original music as composer, bandleader and saxophonist since he formed his ensemble s0nic 0penings in 1979. He's pursued a contrarian and independent musical path toward evolving a distinct musical language in relation with the Blues Continuum. Mr. Brennan has performed and recorded his own music in settings from solo to large formats and has collaborated with the Moroccan Gnawa as well as with electro-acoustic improvisers.”
BOOK $12

OREGON - 1974 (Moosicus 1218-2; EEC) Oregon, formed in 1970, comprised Ralph Towner (classical and 12-string guitars), Paul McCandless (oboe and English horn), Glen Moore (double bass) and Collin Walcott (sitar and tabla). The band's music has always been almost totally acoustic. “Acoustic instruments sound more expressive to me”, Towner explained to Jazzwise magazine (UK) in September 1997. He further explained his guitar style: ''With classical guitar [you're] using all the fingers of your right hand to pluck which means you can be sounding anything from two to five notes in exact unison, rather than a strum.'' As well as their core instruments, Towner has played trumpet, synths and piano with the band, McCandless bass clarinet and flute, Moore flute and violin and Walcott clarinet and dulcimer. To name but some. "At one time we were carrying eighty instruments on the road!" McCandless has said.
The combining of instruments from disparate musical traditions and the musicians' range of influences meant that 'jazz' was always an inadequate label for the band. ''Live In Bremen 1974'' documents Oregon at their mesmerizing best. The interplay between the four players is stunning and on each piece mood and texture are ever-changing, yet always following an aesthetic logic that seems irrefutable. ''Live In Bremen 1974'', however, is a reminder of a band that made music that had never been heard before, that had never been imagined before. One track is titled ''Brujo'', Spanish for ''sorcerer.'' Truly, Towner, McCandless, Moore and Walcott were musical sorcerers whose playing retains its power to enchant not only the band's original fans but even, surely, anyone lucky enough to be hearing the band for the very first time.”
2 CD Set $22

AL COHN with BILL PERKINS / RICHIE KAMUCA / ZOOT SIMS / PEANUTS HUCKO / ROMEO PENQUE / PHIL BODNER / GENE QUILL / SERGE CHALOFF / NICK TRAVIS / JOE WILDER / BARRY GALBRAITH / HANK JONES / FREDDIE GREENE / OSIE JOHNSON / DON LAMOND / et al - The Classic 1950’s Sessions (Enlightenment 9199; EEC) This 4CD set of 8 original albums collates some of Al Cohn's finest work on which he led or co-led, altogether making for a stunning compilation of the great man's work. Certain to be a welcome addition to the collections of existing fans of the saxophonist, or to those discovering his talents for the first time, this exciting and dynamic compilation highlights the creative genius of Al Cohn, presented here in the finest quality.
4 CD Set $18

THIRD EAR BAND - Mosaics: the Albums 1969-1972 (Esoteric 32771; UK) THIRD EAR BAND was one of the earliest signings to EMI's Progressive imprint, Harvest Records. The band was formed in 1968 around a nucleus of GLEN SWEENEY (percussion), PAUL MINNS (Oboe), RICHARD COFF (Violin, Viola) and MEL DAVIS (cello). Third Ear Band were unique in their exploration of exotic baroque music fused with experimental rock. Signing to Blackhill Enterprises in 1969, the quartet opened for many of the legendary Hyde Park free concerts by Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Blind Faith. Their debut album, "Alchemy", released in July 1969, was championed by legendary DJ John Peel and is regarded as one of the most striking and original works of the era with its unique gothic improvisational music. The band's self-titled second album was released in June 1970 and saw URSULA SMITH replace MEL DAVIS on Cello. THIRD EAR BAND gained good reviews in the underground music press, but the group was always fluid with their line-ups and Ursula Smith and Richard Coff departed the band in September 1970 to be replaced by Ben Cartland and Paul Buckmaster. Cartland soon departed and DENIM BRIDGES was recruited on Electric Guitar along with former High Tide member SIMON HOUSE on Violin and VCS 3 synthesizer. This line-up of the group were approached by film director Roman Polanski to write and record the soundtrack to his gritty film adaption of Shakespeare's "Macbeth". The darkly evocative and eerie music of Third Ear Band fitted perfectly with Roman Polanski's cinematic vision of the acclaimed Shakespearian drama which starred Jon Finch, Francesca Annis and Martin Shaw. In March 1972 the soundtrack album MUSIC FROM MACBETH was released on HARVEST, but it would be the band's final album. MOSAICS - THE ALBUMS 1969-1972 gathers together the three THIRD EAR BAND albums released by HARVEST in a clamshell box and is the ideal introduction to the band and their uniquely haunting and evocative music.”
3 CD Set $32

HELP YOURSELF - Passing Through: The Complete Studio Recordings (Esoteric 62766; UK) This box set gathers together all of the albums plus the unreleased album '5', all of the band's non-album singles and Malcolm Morley's unreleased album 'Lost And Found' along with a previously unreleased BBC session and a studio demo. The set is newly re-mastered from the original master tapes and features an illustrated booklet with rare photographs and a new essay with interviews and a poster.
6 CD Set $50

LP Section:

MASSACRE with FRED FRITH / BILL LASWELL / FRED MAHER - Killing Time (Spittle Records 067; Italy) Spittle Records present an expanded reissue of Massacre's Killing Time, originally released in 1981. Following the breakup of Cambridge's avant-rock legends, Henry Cow, guitarist Fred Frith moved to NYC in 1979, and soon found himself deep in the heart of the city's robust post-punk and free-jazz scenes. He performed with Bill Laswell and Fred Maher, from the group Material, as a power trio of sorts under the moniker of Massacre. The group quickly garnered a reputation around town, and around the world for that matter, as a heavy and heady band that experimented greatly with rhythm, time signatures, and tone. As Frith himself put it, "the group was a direct response to New York. It was a very aggressive group, kind of my reaction to the whole New York rock club scene." Massacre released one album, Killing Time, before disbanding for nearly 20 years. Their first wave as a group crashed fast and furiously and this one album, recorded in part live in Paris, and in part at Brooklyn's OAO Studio, is a perfect encapsulation of early '80s NYC. In addition to the original album, first released on Celluloid in 1981, this deluxe three-sided double LP includes eight bonus tracks recorded live between '80 and '81 at The Stone in San Francisco, and Inroads and CBGB in NYC. Avant-jazz-post-punk-noise of the highest order from several legends and one of the most important projects Frith and Laswell were ever involved in. The back cover states: "In contrast to previous CD and LP versions, the Killing Time LP cuts are heard here as originally intended, at the correct speed and pitch and without added reverb."
2 LP Set $34

WAYNE HORVITZ with ELLIOTT SHARP / DOUG WEISELMAN / CHRIS BROWN - Dinner At Eight (Abstrakce Records 021; Spain) Reissue of this amazing 1986 album where drum machines meet improv jazz. Wayne Horvitz gathers together his drum machine and synths along with his talented friends -- Elliot Sharp included -- for this really original record that is both composed and improvised. An obscure gem by one of the most spirited musicians to populate NY '80s avant-garde, a golden era for vanguard attitudes and sounds. Horvitz, keyboard player at Naked City (along with John Zorn, Bill Frisell, and Fred Frith) had classical musical education and an ulterior demise of the discipline; radical jazz sensibilities, and rock n' roll vitality. That made up for a very unique, highly distinctive, breed of cutting-edge music. The boundaries of contemporary composition are expanded, breathing from improvisatory strategies and awareness of both the pop world and the most experimental milieu's discoveries. Large is the importance of his long-time collaborator Butch Morris' Conduction method, a system of structured free improvisation. Dinner At Eight offers new turns on the development of these mixed approaches by being both composed and improvised but also neither fully electronic nor fully acoustic. Written mostly in the loneliness of a San Francisco apartment, the project is less collaborative than others by Wayne, and its sound palette becomes more electronic and rhythm-based. Nevertheless, the helping hand of the most stellar musicians in New York becomes crucial as it rounds the timbral and structural magic of the project. The rhythmic and sound design experiments of tracks such as "Dinner At Eight" or "Conjunction For C" go hand in hand with the machine funk of "This New Generation" (where angular bass and guitar are provided by Elliot Sharp). You can find a robust synthetic marimba and bass jazz in "Extra Extra" or insistent dry percussions on "Second Line" that wouldn't be far from Marc Barreca's investigations. "True" and "These Hard Times" are also harmonizing with these mechanic sounds. Joyous, exotic, and whimsical songs that prove how an ear for experimentation is an open ear to all sounds, including the most melodic and overtly fun. Brilliant fresh sensibilities and musical interests collide in Dinner At Eight to form a very special milestone of NYC avant-garde music, offering an even richer vision of that amazing fertile scene.”
LP $30

MOONDOG - Snaketime Series (Moondig Records 001; USA) Restock. Exact rpro of the very rare original Moondog label version of one of the earliest Moondog LPs (soon after reissued on Prestige as the self-titled Moondog LP; both versions were released in 1956). Same music as the commonly available Prestige edition, but this has the original half-moon line-art cover that will enhance your mantleplace so much more. Originally recorded in New York City, 1956. From the Prestige liner notes: "Sometimes Moondog the enigma defeats an unprejudiced view of his music. But, if we ignore the cloak of seeming inscrutability and concentrate on the music, the experience can be astonishing. Moondog possesses an admirable virtue; he perceives music everywhere in life. The collection of vignettes contained in this album are fully realized attempts to integrate music and sound. Music and life's sounds are inseparable to Moondog. Thus, the complete 'Lullaby' contains the cry of the baby; a string duo appears comfortably at home in a 'Frog Bog' setting; a New York 'Street Scene' includes (American-Indian inspired) drum solos, the wisdom of a Far-Eastern philosopher, and the strident blowing of a police whistle commencing the flow of traffic. A vast amount of the world's music is part of Moondog's working vocabulary. This reservoir of material serves his eclectic approach to composition. Moondog chooses deftly amongst all of music to elicit his surprising couplings. A pair of violins bowing a Bach-influenced counterpoint might be heard over a rhythmic pattern of Cuban drumming. The ability to find unexpectedly complementary areas of music is an essential ingredient in these miniature portraits of life's many parts. The countless hours spent by Moondog on the streets of New York provides a constant stream of material for this great silent observer. Moondog's music is what he has found in the world in which he lives. Through him we can view the world in a more perfect form." --Robert S. Altshuler.
LP $16

********

GAZELL AUGUST, 2021 CD SALE, many prices reduced. Listings w/ reviews further on down.

BOB BROOKMEYER With THAD JONES / JIMMY ROWLES / GEORGE MRAZ / MEL LEWIS - Back Again (Gazell 1015; USA)
CD Sale $6

DAVE BURRELL - Jelly Roll Joys (Gazell 4003; USA)
CD Sale $6

DAVE BURRELL & DAVID MURRAY - Brother To Brother (Gazell 4006; USA)
CD Sale $6

DAVE BURRELL & DAVID MURRAY - Daybreak (Gazell 4002 US; USA)
CD Sale $20

FRANK CHRISTIAN With JEFF BERMAN / BILLY 'KID JAVA' FERNS - Where Were You Last Night (Gazell 2009; USA)
CD Sale $6

VIC DICKENSON With JOE NEWMAN/FRANK WESS/MILT HINTON et al//BESSIE SMITH - Trombone Cholly: Plays Bessie Smith (Gazell 1011 US ,USA)
CD Sale $6

ROCKING DOPSIE And HIS CAJUN TWISTERS - Zy-De-Co-In' (Zydecoin') (Gazell 3003; USA)
CD -Sale $20

THE FUGS with ED SANDERS / TULI KUPFERBERG / et al] - Songs From A Portable Forest (Gazell 2003; USA)
CD Sale $20

STAN GETZ QUARTET With JIM McNEELY/GEORGE MRAZ/VICTOR LEWIS - The Stockholm Concert (Gazell 1013; USA)
CD Sale $20

ELLIKA HANSEN TRIO With ULLA VRETHAMMAR/HECTORBINGERT//EMI DICKINSON - Reverie: Sings Emily Dickinson (Gazell 1087)
CD Sale $20

NANCY HARROW With BOB BROOKMEYER/JIM McNEELY/JOHN BASILE/STEVE LaSPINA - Street Of Dreams (Gazell 2005)
CD Sale $15

SCOTT JOPLIN//ANN CHARTERS - The Genius Of Scott Joplin: The First Recordings including Selections From 'Treemonisha' Opera (Gazell 6002/03; USA)
2 CD Set $6

OLIVER LAKE QUARTET With ANTHONY MICHAEL PETERSON / SANTI DEBRIANO/PHEEROAN AkLAFF - Virtual Reality (Total Escapism) (Gazell 4004; USA)
CD Sale $20

LOUISIANA DANCE PARTY [V.A. With CLIFTON CHENIER/ROCKING DOPSIE/QUEEN IDA/AUSTIN PITRE/WAYNE TOUPS/DEWEY BALFA/ARDOIN BROTHERS] - Lou'siana Dance Party! (Gazell 3004 US ,USA)
CD Sale $15

PARIS REUNION BAND with WOODY SHAW / DIZZY REECE / SLIDE HAMPTON / JOHNNY GRIFFIN /NATHAN DAVIS / KENNY DREW / JIMMY WOODE - French Cooking (Gazell 1002; USA)
CD 6.00 SALE

PARIS REUNION BAND with WOODY SHAW / JOE HENDERSON / NAT ADDERLEY / NATHAN DAVIS / GRACHAN MONCUR III / KENNY DREW / JIMMY WOODE / IDRIS MUHAMMAD - For Klook (Gazell 1009 US ,USA)
CD $20 SALE

ANTHONY MICHAEL PETERSON With MARK PETERSON / WILLIAM McCLELLAN - The Book Of Days (Gazell 4007; USA)
CD $6 SALE

ERIC VON SCHMIDT With CHANCE BROWN / SAMUEL CHARTERS / PAUL GEREMIA / et al - Baby, Let Me Lay It On You (Gazell 2013; USA)
CD $15 SALE

STEVE TAYLOR With MARILYN CRISPELL/BILLY ATWELL/SCOTT PETITO ED SANDERS/ALLEN GINSBERG/ZEENA PARKINS/RALPH CARNEY/KRAMER / et al - Who Pays The Piper? (Gazell 2014; USA)
CD $6 SALE

UPTOWN [GINNY CARL EHRHARDT/ROBERT McBRIDE/AMY BRADY et al] - Uptown (Gazell 2010; USA)
CD $15 SALE

DAVE VAN RONK - Going Back To Brooklyn (Gazell 2006; USA)
CD $15 SALE

DAVE VAN RONK - A Chrestomathy: Vol 1 & 2 (Gazell 2007/08; USA)
2 CD Set Sale $20

JOE VENUTI With DICK HYMAN/BUCKY PIZZARRELLI/MAJOR HOLLEY/CLIFF LEEMAN - Sliding By (Gazell 1014 US ,USA)
CD Sale $6

GAZELL SALE CD’S with REVIEWS:

BOB BROOKMEYER With THAD JONES / JIMMY ROWLES / GEORGE MRAZ / MEL LEWIS - Back Again (Gazell 1015; USA) This session was valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer's first jazz date in 13 years after a period writing for the studios and then away from music altogether. Brookmeyer, who is featured in a quintet with cornetist Thad Jones, pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist George Mraz and drummer Mel Lewis, proves to still be in prime form playing in an unchanged style. Other than the leader's uptempo blues "In a Rotten Mood" and a Latin piece ("Carib"), the quintet sticks to veteran standards. Highlights include "Sweet and Lovely," "Caravan" and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To." - Scott Yanow
CD Sale $6

DAVE BURRELL - Jelly Roll Joys (Gazell 4003; USA) "One of the great under-recognized pianists in jazz, Dave Burrell was an integral member of several important bands, including those led by Archie Shepp and David Murray. He has always been at home with the entire history of the music, from ragtime to free improvisation. Here, playing solo, he pays homage to the seminal composer Jelly Roll Morton in a recital that includes a couple of Burrell's own pieces, a few by Coltrane and Parker, as well as several of Morton's lesser-known works. His selection of rags is very perceptive, including a couple of utterly gorgeous compositions containing what their author referred to as "the Spanish tinge," a rarely discussed influence on early jazz. Even on the two Coltrane pieces, "Giant Steps" and "Moment's Notice," he manages to subtly infuse them with raglike aspects and rhythms while miraculously maintaining their boppish integrity. Burrell's own songs are no less delightful and go far in buttressing his reputation as an imaginative composer as well as a rich and deeply melodic pianist. The Jelly Roll Joys is highly recommended both as a wonderful recital and as one of the most rewarding albums by a musician deserving far greater renown." - Brian Olewnick, AMG
CD Sale $6

DAVE BURRELL & DAVID MURRAY - Brother To Brother (Gazell 4006; USA) This duet set by pianist Dave Burrell and David Murray (heard on tenor and bass clarinet) is mostly quite relaxed, surprisingly melodic in spots, and explorative but in subtle ways. Burrell's style both looks backward toward stride (and on "New Orleans Blues" to Jelly Roll Morton) and toward the future in its freedom. Murray is mostly fairly mellow, avoiding the extreme upper register much of the time and focusing on his warm tone. There is a fair amount of variety in tempos even while the mutually respectful mood prevails. An excellent effort! - Scott Yanow
CD Sale $6

DAVE BURRELL & DAVID MURRAY - Daybreak (Gazell 4002 US; USA) This duo has a strong bond. Besides at least four great duo records (2 on Gazell, 1 on Victo & 1 on Black Saint), Dave Burrell has played & recorded in both David Murray's quartet and octet sessions on some dozen recordings. 'Daybreak' is from 1989 and it is the earliest of the four discs. For this session, the duo recorded in a studio in Philly so the sound is superb. Each of the four long (8 to nearly 14 minutes) songs are originals and the duo stretch out nicely. There is an organic flow to all of these pieces, an excellent give and take between two powerful players. David Murray plays bass clarinet on one track and sounds just as inventive as he does on his ever-spirited tenor sax. - BLG
CD Sale $20

FRANK CHRISTIAN With JEFF BERMAN / BILLY 'KID JAVA' FERNS - Where Were You Last Night (Gazell 2009; USA) Originally released very regionally (Greenwich Village only) in 1982 on Jack Hardy's Great Divide label, Where Were You Last Night is evidence that Frank Christian was an immense and fully formed talent long before the release of his fantastic (and first widely available) 1995 CD, From My Hands. For fans of the type of literate, bluesy folk made popular by Bob Dylan, Steve Gillette, Tim Hardin, Arlo Guthrie and Donovan, Where Were You Last Night is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. The songs here are chock full of delicately and carefully painted pictures of humanity's quieter moments. Dave Van Ronk's liner notes refer to Christian as an "urban romantic," and it's a good description. His songs are at once tough and exquisitely gentle, while his voice, though not particularly powerful, is always emotionally direct. The real treat here, though, is Christian's masterful guitar playing. As wonderful a songwriter as he is, his sensitive and complex, yet subtle acoustic guitar chops outshine everything else on the record. Whether weaving beautiful, jazzy, spider-like patterns in and out of the vocals on the title track, or playing a gorgeous and finger-twisting neoclassical composition like "Rondo: Rumor for a Roscian Romace," Christian should inspire most other folkies go back home and take some guitar lessons!
CD Sale $6

VIC DICKENSON With JOE NEWMAN/FRANK WESS/MILT HINTON et al//BESSIE SMITH - Trombone Cholly: Plays Bessie Smith (Gazell 1011; USA) Originally released very regionally (Greenwich Village only) in 1982 on Jack Hardy's Great Divide label, Where Were You Last Night is evidence that Frank Christian was an immense and fully formed talent long before the release of his fantastic (and first widely available) 1995 CD, From My Hands. For fans of the type of literate, bluesy folk made popular by Bob Dylan, Steve Gillette, Tim Hardin, Arlo Guthrie and Donovan, Where Were You Last Night is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. The songs here are chock full of delicately and carefully painted pictures of humanity's quieter moments. Dave Van Ronk's liner notes refer to Christian as an "urban romantic," and it's a good description. His songs are at once tough and exquisitely gentle, while his voice, though not particularly powerful, is always emotionally direct. The real treat here, though, is Christian's masterful guitar playing. As wonderful a songwriter as he is, his sensitive and complex, yet subtle acoustic guitar chops outshine everything else on the record. Whether weaving beautiful, jazzy, spider-like patterns in and out of the vocals on the title track, or playing a gorgeous and finger-twisting neoclassical composition like "Rondo: Rumor for a Roscian Romace," Christian should inspire most other folkies go back home and take some guitar lessons!
CD Sale $6

ROCKING DOPSIE And HIS CAJUN TWISTERS - Zy-De-Co-In' (Zydecoin') (Gazell 3003; USA) Rocking Dopsie accordion and vocals; August 'Fred' Charles tenor sax; Joseph Andrews drums; Chester Zeno rubboard; Manuel Harris or Major Handy guitar. Rocking Dopsie (pronounced Doopsie) was called the crowned prince of zydeco. Sam Charters produced his first album for the Sonet label in Sweden in 1976 and Sonet went to release five more before Dopsie's death in 1993. This disc was released in 1989 and was recorded at two studios in Louisiana. Most of the other discs were recorded live so this one sounds even better being recorded in a studio. The instrumentation features Rocking Dopsie on accordion & vocals plus tenor sax, guitar, bass, washboard and drums. The vibe and the groove are instantly infectious. This music blends r&b, blues, funk, rock and New Orleans gumbo flavors. It is succulent down to the last drop. - BLG
CD -Sale $20

THE FUGS with ED SANDERS / TULI KUPFERBERG / et al] - Songs From A Portable Forest (Gazell 2003; USA) This compilation is a 'best of' highlighting recordings from the '80s reincarnation of the Fugs. Along for the ride are founding members Tuli Kupferberg and Ed Saunders. Although this disc doesn't contain any previously unissued material, there are a few tracks from Star Peace -- which is currently out-of-print on CD. Songs From A Portable Forrest also gathers key tracks from Refuse To Be Burnt-Out -- Live In The 1960s and No More Slavery. The '80s Fugs remained an amalgam of Dadaist beat poetry and reckless abandon garage rock with a message promoting all that is sensually pleasurable. Perhaps due to the sheer volume of new compositions Saunders added to the '80s cannon, Songs From A Portable Forrest is a bit heavier on his, rather than Kupferberg's contributions. That said however, two of Tuli's finest are included here. "If You Want To Be President" from Refuse To Be Burnt-Out as well as an adaptation of "Dover Beach from No More Slavery -- which was actually written by 19th Century Oxford poet Matthew Arnold. Kupferberg's bold touch can be heard in the unique arrangement that couples the poem with a traditional Jewish melody. Chief among Saunders compositions are works incorporating pivotal motifs during the initial revival of the Fugs name and spirit. "Keeping The Issues Alive" and "Refuse To Be Burnt-Out" -- the latter of which is an apt cenotaph to "those guys in the Fugs who have since died," according to Saunders. Speaking of the past, only a revamped "Nova Slum Goddess" is offered on this collection from the '60s Fugs repertoire. While Songs From A Portable Forrest is a good launch pad, enthusiasts keen on hearing more should also be aware of the 1995 live release The Real Woodstock Festival -- which also features guest appearances by "Country" Joe McDonald and Allen Ginsberg.
CD Sale $20

STAN GETZ QUARTET With JIM McNEELY/GEORGE MRAZ/VICTOR LEWIS - The Stockholm Concert (Gazell 1013; USA) Stan Getz and his 1983 quartet (which included pianist Jim McNeely, bassist George Mraz and drummer Victor Lewis) are in good form during this performance in Stockholm. With the exception of Alec Wilder's "The Baggage Room Blues" and Jobim's "O Grande Amor," the repertoire is typical for this period in Getz's career but the veteran tenor was able to come up fresh statements for such standards as "How Long Has This Been Going On'" "We'll Be Together Again," "I'll Remember April" and Billy Strayhorn's heartbreaking "Blood Count." If anything, Getz's tone became even more luscious through the years yet he never seemed to lose his fire. - Scott Yanow
CD Sale $20

ELLIKA HANSEN TRIO With ULLA VRETHAMMAR / HECTORBINGERT // EMI DICKINSON - Reverie: Sings Emily Dickinson (Gazell 1087; USA) Featuring Ellika Hanssen on vocals & piano, Ulla Vrethammar on cello and Hector Bingert on flute. Swedish vocalist and pianist Ellika Hansen was long inspired by the poetry of the great American poet Emily Dickinson, a reclusive figure who lived more than a hundred years ago. This project was an obvious labor of love and a rarity of putting Ms. Dickinson's words to music. Ms. Hansen has a lovely, delicate and expressive voice that I find to be completely enchanting. She reminds me at times of Laura Nyro or Rickie Lee Jones yet she is still distinctive in her own way. I hadn't read the poetry of Emily Dickinson since my college days (1972-76), but because of hearing this I want to go back and check it out again. The words and music seem to fit perfectly here. - BLG
CD Sale $20

NANCY HARROW With BOB BROOKMEYER/JIM McNEELY/JOHN BASILE/STEVE LaSPINA - Street Of Dreams (Gazell 2005; USA) Ms. Harrow is not your average jazz singer, besides a half dozen standards she chooses songs from Tom Waits, the Beatles, the Eagles, Bob Dylan and Jimmy Cliff. The ever forward-thinking Bob Brookmeyer helped with the arrangements as well as playing valve trombone and synthesizers. Ms. Harrow does have a jazz sensibility even when she sings songs from more rock-oriented songwriters while Brookmeyer adds bits of quirkiness with his synths. This album was produced by former Artist House label head John Snyder, who hasn one of the best set of ears for creative jazz music.
CD Sale $15

SCOTT JOPLIN//ANN CHARTERS - The Genius Of Scott Joplin: The First Recordings including Selections From 'Treemonisha' Opera (Gazell 6002/03; USA) Musician and author Ann Charters [she wrote the first biography of Jack Kerouac with his cooperation, among dozens of other books on many subjects] was the first pianist to record the classic ragtime of Scott Joplin in the style indicated by his printed scores, and in the years of research it took to gather and prepare the music for recording there was a determined effort to gather as much ragtime as possible.. "This classic 2 disc set features the historic first recordings Scott Joplin's music performed in the classic Ragtime style by Ann Charters in 1958, 1973 & 1974 and the first recordings of Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha performed by Ted Puffer with the Utah State University Concert Chorale recorded in 1965. This most impressive collection compiles an important selection of late 19th/early 20th century composer Scott Joplin's music taken from four recording sessions made over two decades but held together by Ann Charters' serious study of Joplins' music. With some 38 songs, it will take some time to fully absorb all of the gems found in this collection but it well worth the time since Scott Joplin is most deserving of our investigation." - Bruce Lee Gallanter "Ann Charters recorded, beginning in 1958, what are the first recordings of Scott Joplin rags played in the style and tempo the composer intended, making Charters (for lack of a better description) the John Eliot Gardiner of ragtime piano. Her interpretations are the real deal, they breathe and swing and you hear the heart inside the playing. These recordings are spectacular in a very straightforward and quiet way. Ann brings to her interpretations the same authority she brings to her writing. This is wonderful, definitive playing. Get it, put it on you will seduce many ears, and including your own!" - Keith McCarthy
2 CD Set $6

OLIVER LAKE QUARTET With ANTHONY MICHAEL PETERSON / SANTI DEBRIANO/PHEEROAN AkLAFF - Virtual Reality (Total Escapism) (Gazell 4004; USA) Altoist Oliver Lake does some of his finest playing on this lesser-known quartet date. Lake displays his roots in Eric Dolphy on some selections (particularly "Fables for Faubus" and "The Prophet"), more in his tone than in the interval jumps. Other selections find him improvising in a more conservative chordal-based setting than usual but with his usual fire, unpredictability, and fearlessness. Guitarist Anthony Peterson is a perfect foil for Lake in this inside/outside music while bassist Santi Debriano and drummer Pheeroan akLaff provide stimulating support. Oliver Lake is heard throughout at the top of his game, making this both an easily recommended set for his fans and a perfect introduction to his dynamic music. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
CD Sale $20

LOUISIANA DANCE PARTY [V.A. With CLIFTON CHENIER/ROCKING DOPSIE/QUEEN IDA/AUSTIN PITRE/WAYNE TOUPS/DEWEY BALFA/ARDOIN BROTHERS] - Lou'siana Dance Party! (Gazell 3004; USA) Wow! This is a dynamite compilation of Cajun dance classics from a half dozen of N'Orleans best! I am currently playing this in my kitchen, cooking up some crawfish & gumbo and dancing around like the foolish middle-aged man that I am. And it sure feels good! - BLG
CD Sale $15

PARIS REUNION BAND with WOODY SHAW / DIZZY REECE / SLIDE HAMPTON / JOHNNY GRIFFIN /NATHAN DAVIS / KENNY DREW / JIMMY WOODE - French Cooking (Gazell 1002; USA) Jazz journalist Mike Hennessey was responsible for putting together the Paris Reunion Band, a group of jazz all-stars who spent at least part of their careers based in Paris.Though the personnel changed somewhat after this initial recording, the Paris Reunion Band would continue to work off and on until 1989. Their debut album, French Cooking, was a studio date recorded in the summer of 1985, around the time of their first European tour. The band includes saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Nathan Davis, trumpeters Woody Shaw and Dizzy Reece, trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Jimmy Woode, and drummer Billy Brooks. Most of the musicians made names for themselves while living in their U.S. homeland (except for Reece, a Jamaica native). Nathan Davis is probably the least familiar name in the front line, because he spent a long period in Paris (1962-1969) following his discharge from the U.S. Army, and eventually returned to his homeland to become a jazz educator. He is a triple threat on tenor and soprano saxes as well as flute. Each member of the brass and reed sections contributed a cooking original to the date, while the solos and ensemble work are consistently inspired. "The idea was to revisit the excitement and atmosphere of the '60s Jazz scene in Paris, and instead this band of veterans, ex-pats and budding Europeans recreated that scene in the moment, with all the heat and grandeur you'd wish for. Honest, you can't make this stuff up -- Johnny Griffin, Woody Shaw, Slide Hampton and Kenny Drew show the young 'uns how it's done." - Keith McCarthy
CD 6.00 SALE

PARIS REUNION BAND with WOODY SHAW / JOE HENDERSON / NAT ADDERLEY / NATHAN DAVIS / GRACHAN MONCUR III / KENNY DREW / JIMMY WOODE / IDRIS MUHAMMAD - For Klook (Gazell 1009 US ,USA) This is the second disc from the this all-star American octet recorded at Sonet Studios in Stockholm, Sweden in October of 1986. Only one year later than their other disc for Sonet/Gazell and the personnel has changed. This time the Paris Reunion Band features Woody Shaw & Nat Adderley on trumpets, Joe Henderson & Nathan davis on saxes, Grachan Moncur III on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass and Idris Muhammad on drums. Four of the eight members contributed one song each with one song by their former trombonist Slide Hampton. Starting with the ever-popular "Work Song" by Nat Adderley, which has been covered time and again. Rather a live cutting session, this disc shows that these cats can still play inventive prowess. All the horns and piano take strong solos and thrue spirit of the music is well captured. - BLG
CD $20 SALE

ANTHONY MICHAEL PETERSON With MARK PETERSON / WILLIAM McCLELLAN - The Book Of Days (Gazell 4007; USA) Featuring Anthony Michael Peterson on electric & acoustic guitars, (Anthony's brother) Mark Peterson on bass and William McClellan on drums. This disc was released in 1993 and it is the debut disc from guitarist Anthony Michael Peterson who had moved to New York a few years earlier. Anthony had played with Ronald Shannon Jackson and Branford Marsalis and was then a member of Oliver Lake's current quartet. Considering that we haven't heard much about Mr. Peterson since his debut, it is an even more impressive endeavor. I just reviewed the Oliver Lake Quartet CD on Gazell ('Virtual Reality') which was released a year earlier and was blown away by this amazing under-recognized guitarist. The first track is actually titled "Oliver Lake" so I guess we know who inspired it. Mr. Peterson sounds a bit like Blood Ulmer playing those quick harmelodic lines on this piece. The title track is lazily laid back with a most impressive slow-burning solo from Peterson's guitar. "Goin' to the Festival" has a "St. Thomas"-like island groove and a festive spirit. Peterson is an astonishing guitarist on electric and acoustic guitar. Considering that he hasn't much else as a leader this disc remains an unclaimed treasure for those of you who can appreciate jazz guitar at it best. - BLG
CD $6 SALE

ERIC VON SCHMIDT With CHANCE BROWN / SAMUEL CHARTERS / PAUL GEREMIA / et al - Baby, Let Me Lay It On You (Gazell 2013; USA) Eric Von Schmidt, guitar and vocals with Chance Browne, guitar; Samuel Charters, tambourine and jug; and Paul Geremia, slide guitar. Moving to Cambridge, Mass in 1957, he was at the center of the 'coffee house scene' both as painter and performer. Von Schmidt shared his large repertory of traditional music, passing them along to new performers who were developing a more modern version of folk music. He influenced Tom Rush, with whom he revived and arranged the traditional song "Wasn't That a Mighty Storm?" about the 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston, Texas. When he met Dylan, the two traded harmonica licks, drank red wine and played croquet. Dylan eagerly absorbed von Schmidt's voluminous knowledge of music, including folk, country and the blues. "I sang [Dylan] a bunch of songs, and, with that spongelike mind of his, he remembered almost all of them when he got back to New York," von Schmidt said in The Boston Globe. This 1995 album is the last record he ever recorded, and the only one he made in the last thirty years of his life, focusing instead on his career as a painter from 1977 onwards. An extraordinary last stand - it must be heard! "To me, this sounds like the real thing. Von Schmidt was part of the Cambridge folk scene way back when and still sounds wonderful on this disc from 1995. Schmidt wrote most of the songs on this disc except for a few by Rev. Gary Davis, Dave Van Ronk and Leadbelly. Eric is backed by a small band of outlaws with harmony vocals, harmonica, cello, slide guitar and hand percussion. I dig Eric's liner notes which tell stories about each song. But most of all I dig all sixteen songs that he has chosen to do. An epic folk record anf they don't get much better than this." - BLG
CD $15 SALE

STEVE TAYLOR With MARILYN CRISPELL/BILLY ATWELL/SCOTT PETITO ED SANDERS/ALLEN GINSBERG/ZEENA PARKINS/RALPH CARNEY/KRAMER / et al - Who Pays The Piper? (Gazell 2014; USA) A folksy singer-songwriter album from the person who was a member of The Fugs at one time, using some stellar, and unlikely support. [NOT to confused with the Christian musician, or the musical-comedy composer - two OTHER Steve Taylors!] "Steve Taylor started out as an assistant Harry Smith, a longtime member of the Fugs as well as Allen Ginsberg's guitarist for many years. This is Mr. Taylor's one & only record as a leader and he has gathered a strange crew of collaborators. Who else has Marilyn Crispell, Ralph Carney, Zeena Parkins, Kramer, Ed Sanders and Stephan Ielpi (of the False Prophets) on this same disc?!? Strangely enough this disc is more of a laid back singer-songwriter sort of affair. Although Taylor has a more melodic voice he writes and chooses lyrics that make us consider the injustices of modern life. Taylor selectively utilizes the poetry of William Blake, John Keats, Allen Ginsberg and Tuli Kupferberg. At first I wasn't so sure about this but I must admit that is has been growing on me like a tasty fungus." - BLG
CD $6 SALE

UPTOWN [GINNY CARL EHRHARDT/ROBERT McBRIDE/AMY BRADY et al] - Uptown (Gazell 2010; USA) “Jazz vocal trio with band backing. Once, maybe twice in a person's time on this earth, fate sticks out its foot and causes you to stumble upon the find of a lifetime. For some, it may be monetary wealth. For others, it may be true romantic bliss with a star-crossed lover. For me, it was discovering Uptown's 1992 self-titled CD. From the ambitious cry of mimicry of "Exactly Like You" to the hopeful lament "We'll Be Together Again," this album delivers. The bold trio is fearless, dealing with subject matter that most early 90's vocal/jazz groups avoid at all costs -- demonic lunar phases ("Old Devil Moon"), daily struggles of the midwestern working class ("The Drycleaner from Des Moines"), and of course, natural sweetners ("Sugar"). And what's more? They make it FUN!!! Light-hearted, care-free, hands-in-the-air-as-you're-barrelling-down-a-roller-coaster-about-to-lose-your-lunch-but-loving-every-minute-of-it-anyway FUN! The true gem on this album, however, is track #7, "My Attorney Bernie." Aside from providing the listener with an infectious tune and lofty vocals, Uptown also provides priceless insight into the many benefits of investing in a high-priced lawyer. However, as the song indicates, you have to put all of your trust into your attorney -- sue when he says to sue, sign when he says to sign. Where do I sign? Right on the dotted line that says "Uptown is the greatest undiscovered talent of the twentieth century." So do the "King Porter Stomp" all the way to the check-out and buy this album. You'll not be disappointed. I LOVE vocal jazz, and this is album is just boatload fun. Plus, they cover a song co-written by the great Frankie Laine, who I also highly recommend you check out -- part cowboy, part crooner. Great great stuff.”
CD $15 SALE

DAVE VAN RONK - Going Back To Brooklyn (Gazell 2006; USA) "The role of singer/songwriter has never much appealed to me," writes Dave Van Ronk in the liner notes to this album, and it may seem like an odd remark for a performer who had a lot to do with promoting the careers of such singer/songwriters as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. But what Van Ronk means is that he has never been much interested in taking on the role of singer/songwriter for himself. Although he is usually mentioned in sentences that include the names of Dylan, Mitchell, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, and other Greenwich Village folksingers of the 1960s, Van Ronk is primarily an interpretive singer with a repertoire of traditional folk-blues songs along with covers of the songs of his peers. Still, he has penned the odd song on occasion, and Going Back to Brooklyn is the first album he's made that is devoted entirely to his own compositions. (As it turned out, he would never make another one.) As might be expected, he did not sit down and pen a whole new batch of material; many of these songs are ones he wrote years and even decades previously, and some of them he has recorded before. (For example, "Zen Koans Gonna Rise Again" first appeared on No Dirty Names in 1966, and "Last Call" was on Songs for Aging Children in 1973.) And in several cases, these are not so much full-fledged songs as little novelty ditties (the a cappella "Tantric Mantra" and "The Whores of San Pedro" clock in at little over half a minute each, and the similarly unaccompanied antiwar harangue "Luang Prabang" runs 1:36) or guitar instrumentals ("Antelope Rag," "Left Bank Blues"). These are the kinds of pieces an itinerant musician might come up with while waiting for a gig to start, and Van Ronk indicates that that's just what happened in some cases. Even when he writes a well-developed original, he basically adapts one of his favorite folk-blues fingerpicking patterns to accompany a lyric idea, the most outlandish of which must be "Garden State Stomp," which is nothing more or less than a recitation of unusual town names in New Jersey. To the extent that his original lyrics are personally revealing, they speak of drinking and folksinging, sometimes in a touching way, notably "Gaslight Rag," a tribute to a Greenwich Village bar and its folksinging patrons, and "Last Call." Van Ronk uses his raspy, expressive voice, which contrasts with the sweetness of his guitar playing, to get across harsh, bitter feelings in such songs as the self-lacerating "Losers" and "Luang Prabang," but only at the end, in the heartbreaking "Another Time and Place," to expose love and regret. Going Back to Brooklyn is unique among Dave Van Ronk albums for the portrait it provides of the artist, even if on the surface it sounds like many of this other records. - William Ruhlmann
CD $15 SALE

DAVE VAN RONK - A Chrestomathy: Vol 1 & 2 (Gazell 2007/08; USA) Chrestomathy: noun; a collection of selected literary passages, often by one author and especially from a foreign language. "A selection of thirty songs from thirty years of Dave's recordings, with The Red Onion Jazz Band, The Hudson Dusters, The Ragtime Jug Stompers, Keith Ingham and quintet, Frankie Armstrong, and Christine Lavin, covering 1960-1991. This is indeed an excellent selection of songs, traditional, covers and a few originals. The covers include tasty versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Scott Joplin and Brecht & Weill. What this disc made me realize is that Dave Van Ronk has reinvented himself time and again. Although he has a voice which some folks can't warm up to, his informed, diverse song selection and constantly changing accompaniment always adds certain surprise to what you might expect." - BLG
2 CD Set Sale $20

JOE VENUTI With DICK HYMAN/BUCKY PIZZARRELLI/MAJOR HOLLEY/CLIFF LEEMAN - Sliding By (Gazell 1014; USA) Violinist Joe Venuti, 73 at the time of this recording and only a little more than a year away from his death, was in typically swinging form for this quintet set with Dick Hyman (who doubles on piano and organ), guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Major Holley and drummer Cliff Leeman. In addition to the six standards, there are four lesser-known Venuti compositions performed by this fine group. The music alternates between romantic ballads and stomps such as "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Clarinet Marmalade."
CD Sale $6

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

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.

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

********

Roulette Radio

Ridgewood Radio: The Korean Curve
Tune in: Wednesday, June 16 5–7pm EDT on WFMU.org and archived for future listening.
David Weinstein's Ridgewood Radio program on WFMU.org's Drummer stream this week: The Korean Curve, ancient instruments and techniques had a big impact on the downtown music scene. A radio sampler from Roulette concerts by CK Noyes and Sang-Won Park (1985), Steve Beresford with Okkyung Lee and Peter Evans (2008), Tori Ensemble with Ned Rothenberg, Nate Wooley, Ikue Mori (2011), and some reference materials.

Roulette Physical Address:
509 Atlantic Ave,
Brooklyn, NY 11217

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

This one is from CHRIS CUTLER, original member of Henry Cow, Art Bears, News from Babel, respected author and founder of Recommended Records. This is Chris’ wonderful podcast and I urge you all to give it a listen…
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-30

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

Guitarist and DMG-pal HENRY KAISER had a Weekly Video Solo Series on Cuneiform’s Youtube page for the past year:

https://www.youtube.com/c/CuneiformRecords/videos
he recently changed it to a monthly solo series - here is the new July show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3ouWlSXPzc

past favorites of HK’s from the past year’s weekly shows are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2kVX6ig-E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afG82qVOEmg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SAncJamgw0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP-nPk5IeL4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyijtFN02xw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FY7bgJaxPs


***********

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 & improvisations on each episode.
Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/gary.lucas.5836/
https://garylucas.com/www/streams/streams.shtml

********

Zürcher Gallery is pleased to invite you to a
LIVE indoor concert with

BRANDON LOPEZ
MAT MANERI
TYSHAWN SOREY

Thursday, August 26
Doors open at 7:30 PM
Concert begins at 8:00 PM

Admission: $20 / Students: $15
All proceeds go to the musicians. 
Mailing / actual address is:
Zurcher Gallery
33 Bleecker St
New York, NY 10012-2432

**********
Bushwick Improvised Music Series
downstairs @ The Bushwick Public House
1288 Myrtle Avenue (across the street from Central Ave M train)
https://www.bushwickpublichouse.com/
$15 at the door gets you in all night (5 sets of music)

Monday August 9th
7pm Patrick Golden - drums
Daniel Carter - woodwinds
Jim Clouse - bass
8pm Daniel Carter - woodwinds
Aron Namenwirth - guitar
Charely Sabatino - bass
Eric Plaks - keyboard
Colin Hinton- drums
Stephen Gauci - woodwinds
9pm Bushwick Series House Band
w/ Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Adam Lane - bass
Colin Hinton - drums
10pm Adam Caine - guitar
Bob Lanzetti - guitar
Roberta Piket - keyboard
Adam Lane - bass
Billy Mintz - drums
11pm Henry Mermer - drums
Henry Fraser - bass

Monday August 16th
7pm Jared Radichel - bass
James Mckain - tenor saxophone
Leo Suarez - drums
Joey Sullivan - drums
8pm Santiago Leibson - piano
Ken Filiano - bass
Juan Pablo Carletti - drums
9pm Bushwick Series House Band
w/ Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Adam Lane - bass
Colin Hinton - drums
10pm Igor Lumpert ensemble
11pm Joey Sullivan - drums
Kevin Eichenberger - bass
Cosmo Gallaro - guitar

Monday August 23rd
7pm James Paul Nadien - drums,
Cosmo Gallaro - guitar/bass
Brendan Rey - bass/synth
8pm Alex Weiss - saxophones
Dan Blake - saxophones
Dmitry Ishenko - bass
Yana Davydova - guitar
Vijay Anderson - drums
9pm Bushwick Series House Band
w/ Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Adam Lane - bass
Colin Hinton - drums
10pm George McMullen - trombone
Ken Filiano - bass
Billy Mintz - drums
11pm Kaelen Ghandhi ensemble

Monday August 30th
7pm Juan Pablo Carletti's "Biggish"
Juan Pablo Carletti - drums
Yoni Kretzmer - tenor saxophone
Christof Knocke - clarinets
Rick Parker - trombone
Kenneth Jimenez - bass
8pm Nebula the Velvet Queen -theremin
Maria Nazarova - bass
Ayumi Ishito - saxophone
Damien Olsen - keyboard
9pm Bushwick Series House Band
w/ Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Sandy Ewen - guitar
Adam Lane - bass
Colin Hinton - drums
10pm Cheryl Pyle -c flute /alto flute Michael Eaton -soprano sax
Roberta Piket -piano
Billy Mintz -drums,
Judi Silvano - vocals
11pm Aaron Quinn - guitar
Alex Koi - vocals/electronics
David Leon - woodwinds
Lesley Mok: Drums

Gaucimusic Presents:
Live at Scholes Street Studio, Friday August 27th
Brandon Lopez - bass
Ingrid Laubrock - tenor/soprano saxophones
Tom Rainey - drums

Two sets at 8 & 9:30pm
$15 at the door
Live audience/Live recording!
Scholes Street Studio
375 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11206 (718) 964-8763