DMG Newsletter for Friday August 13th, 2021

DMG 30th Anniversary Celebration Continues with These Performances:
This 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.

****

This Week’s Sonic Saucers Begin with some Cosmic Music from:

TISZIJI MUNOZ with JOHN MEDESKI / DON PATE / TONY FALCO - Creating Silence - Live at The Stone, NYC (Anami Music 059; USA) Featuring Tisziji Munoz on guitar & compositions, Lam Sobo John Medeski on piano, Yaka Don Pate on contrabass and Sadhu Bhav Tony Falco on drums. This set was recorded live at The Old Stone in February of 2014 during a week curated by John Medeski, widely known for his organ playing with Medeski, Martin & Wood. I was in attendance at this gig and remember it well considering that I’ve attended & volunteered at hundreds of sets at the Old and New Stone’s. The reason I recall it is that there are only a few gigs where the vibe of cosmic transcendence is in the air and those in attendance know that something special is going on. For every release & performance, Mr. Munoz uses personnel aside from longtime bassist Don Pate. Often Munoz will have a special guest sit in like saxists (Pharoah Sanders or Dave Liebman), or a second keyboard player (Paul Shaffer or Bernie Senensky), a second bassist (John Lockwood or David Finck) or a second drummer (Rakalam Bob Moses or Rashied Ali). Since this gig was curated by John Medeski, we get a stripped down quartet with no extra guests. Hence the band sounds focused on their own version of Cosmic Music plus we can hear each member extreme well.
Although John Medeski is better known as a great organist, it turns out that he is equally impressive on piano. This disc begins with some sterling, lush piano by Medeski, slowly building. Soon Munoz comes in with the rest of the quartet, together they start sailing together, sparkling, harp-like flourishes spinning around one another, the piano & guitar interweaving their breathtaking cosmic lines, building, building, ascending higher and higher. Munoz takes his time, unleashing those circular lines one stream at a time. When Medeski starts to solo midway, he continues with the same quick, spinning, circular lines, again pushing the energy higher as they quartet soars together. Master bassist, Don Pate, and young drummer, Tony Falco, are perfect foils for Munoz & Medeski, providing a cosmic cushion underneath. The final solo by Tisziji is most enchanting, poignant actually and ends with a sublime, lyrical outro from Medeski’s tinkling ivories. One of the things that Munoz rarely gets credit for is the songs/melodies he composes to play. “Motherhood” has one of those touching melodies that will soothe your heart & soul if you listen closely and let it sweep you away. When Munoz slows down, you start to hear his dynamic, heartwarming lyricism on display. He caresses those notes, the same way we caress someone we truly love. Hugging them closely, both beings as one spirit/force. When the tempo picks up, this is where the transcendence takes over. Munoz’s long solo reaches for the stars and beyond, all of us levitating at the same time. “On The Edge” is a laid back ballad and features a lovely intro by Medeski, as well as some endearing playing from Munoz, who again, takes his time as he ascends with those restrained lightning-like licks. Today (8/12/21), the temperature is supposed to reach 99 degrees and it is brutally hot outside. I just have a small fan in my kitchen/listening & writing space. That alarming heat outdoors is well-matched by the heat/energy of this disc. Listen to the way Munoz zeroes in on those special singular notes, letting certain notes ring out and then unleashing the torrents, streams of notes in a most Trane-like way. If any music can inspire us, uplift us and/or send us higher into the heavens or whatever else is up there above us, this is THAT Music. That’s all there is to say. Peace. - Brother Bruce at DMG
CD $14

CERAMIC DOG with MARC RIBOT / SHAZAD ISMAILY / CHES SMITH - Hope (Northern Spy 139; USA) When these recording sessions began in the last week of May 2020, I hadn’t left my house to go anywhere other than the grocery store in over two months. I hadn’t taken a cab or subway. I’d lost several friends to COVID-19, and was afraid I’d also lose more thanks to the non-response of our would-be dictator/“president”, whose deliberate embrace of untruth fed tens of thousands of lives to the pandemic, and also reduced what little hope was left for avoiding global warming catastrophe.
I hadn’t seen my partner since February (our plans to fly to each other’s countries shut down) and it would be July before we finally got together. Our difficulties were nothing compared with others. When me and fellow Ceramic Dogs Ches and Shahzad figured out a way to record, we entered the studio separately, sat in separate, isolated rooms from which we couldn’t see each other, communicating through mics and headphones. We were careful to wash our hands: one of us has respiratory issues, so fuck-ups could’ve been bad. We wound up with two record’s worth of material, some released on Bandcamp in October on the EP What I Did on My Long Vacation, and the majority of the music here on this full CD-length recording.
If/when people look back on these times, maybe they’ll seem unreal… foreign, alien: the way I, as a child in the 1960’s, looked at the faded footage of the 1930’s as impossibly ancient, even though the family members who had survived those newsreels sat next to me at breakfast. In fact, my 9 year old self was closer to the burning of the Reichstag than we are now to the release of Nevermind.
Anyway, when we went into the studio, I thought we’d come up with something that spoke to our times… a message in a bottle to our equally shipwrecked (imaginary) listeners. But once we started, it was so much fun to jam that we forgot the disasters outside. So instead, we “spoke” to each other. And to other times that we couldn’t yet see: like the day, 5 months later, when people all over Brooklyn would dance in the streets for joy.
It’s almost December now. Things are shutting down again, and I’m quarantined in Europe writing liner notes for a record that will be released in the new year–once more, speaking to another time… perhaps a future?” - Marc Ribot, Nov, 2020
CD $14 / LP $17

STEPH RICHARDS with JASON MORAN / STOMU TAKEISHI / KENNY WOLLESEN - Supersense (Northern Spy 130; USA) “As one of the most exciting artists working in jazz’s avant-garde Steph Richards is no stranger to challenging listeners’ expectations, helping them hear things they might not have previously imagined with experiments that range from playing underwater to incorporating a carousel into one of her compositions. But the trumpeter, composer and bandleader is pushing in a still more unusual direction on her upcoming release SUPERSENSE. Along with a trio of fellow all-star improvisers — Jason Moran, Stomu Takeishi and Kenny Wolleson — Richards tapped acclaimed multimedia artist Sean Raspet to create singular, abstract scents to both inform and accompany the recording.
“I was thinking about how much information you get from a live performance that you just can’t get by listening to something digitally,” says Richards, alluding to how that rich experience gets literally and figuratively compressed by contemporary distribution — not just its soundwaves, but the feel, look and in the case of SUPERSENSE, smell of where it’s being performed. “What if I could create an experience where listeners felt even closer to the music by involving their other senses?”
Having worked with both pioneering experimentalists like Butch Morris, Anthony Braxton and Henry Threadgill and more pop-oriented innovators like St. Vincent and Yoko Ono, Richards has pursued abstract, visceral expression via a variety of musical modes — but scent offered a new pathway to intuitive immediacy, a way to prompt herself and her collaborators that avoided language and representation completely. So with Raspet’s help, she crafted the album’s scents and compositions simultaneously, writing his concoctions into her score: As they played, the musicians would be directed to open numbered boxes containing scents that they would then respond to with improvisation.
“They’re not necessarily beautiful,” Richards explains — one of her own favorite scents, for example, was of cricket exoskeletons. “They’re weird, complex things you can’t put your finger on — some of them make you feel a little uneasy, some make you feel clean, some make you feel dirty.” Fittingly, the ensemble explores a wide range of unorthodox sounds and textures. Moran offers some piano preparations, Wolleson brought a vanful of homemade percussion to the session, and Richards altered her already dynamic sound with a range of mutes and even playing underwater. Raspet then listened to the record, and tweaked the scents to better accompany the music. His creations, presented on a scratch and sniff card, will accompany physical copies of the record so that listeners can get the full experience, taking in the smells as they hear each track.
Though Richards had hoped to present the album’s full multi-sensory experience via live performance, its mission — to bring some of the tactile feeling of concert-going to the at-home listener — has rarely been more relevant than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when intimate shows seem all but impossible. She hopes that by playing to more than one sense, listeners will be drawn into the music more fully. “It’s really mean to live in abstract wordless space,” she concludes. “One where we’re not exactly able to define where we’re traveling and what we’re feeling, but where we can just be swept away by sensation.”
CD $14

SUSS - Promise (Northern Spy 134; USA) “The second mistake you could make about SUSS and Promise would be to describe these songs as “Morricone-esque.” Invoking the acclaimed Italian composer, best known for his soundtracks for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and other “spaghetti westerns,” is often music critic shorthand for music that sounds desert‑y. But while Promise certainly contains Morricone-isms, and is quite cinematic à la fellow desert-bound artists like Scenic and Lanterna, don’t listen to the album expecting to see gunfights on the dusty streets of dilapidated frontier towns leap to your imagination.
Instead, Promise more accurately conjures up the the journeys between said frontier towns, i.e., meandering, directionless journeys that take you through wide-open spaces and blasted vistas bleached by the ever-present sun. Ragged electric guitar notes occasionally cut through the haze and swarm around the listener (e.g., the ominous and harrowing “No Man’s Land”), but Promise’s sounds are primarily contemplative and even wistful at times — the perfect soundtrack for observing and considering the passing landscape whilst traveling at the speed of an ambling horse.
SUSS rely heavily on the sort of instrumentation that you’d expect for such “desert” music (e.g., ebowed and reverbed guitars, violin, harmonica, and of course, lots and lots of pedal steel). But they also use swirling synthesizers and other electronics to enhance the mood, which imbues the music with a subtly psychedelic edge. It’s not overt by any means, but it does tickle the ears the way that heatstroke might tickle the brain, playing with your perception of the songs and your surroundings. (Indeed, SUSS call their music “pastoral psychedelicism,” which is plenty accurate.)
Not surprisingly, the four members of SUSS wrote, recorded, and produced Promise during the pandemic quarantine. And though their stated goal was “to come to grips with concepts such as ‘promise’ and ‘hope’ and what they could still mean in this day and age,” my reaction to Promise has been less heady and philosophical. Rather, I see it more as “escapist” music, which I don’t mean as any sort of slight.
Now that so many of us are working and schooling from home, unable to socialize with friends and loved ones as much as we’d like, we all know the feeling of being trapped, cooped up, and unable to go anywhere. Which is where an album like Promise, its songs full of wide-open spaces untainted by pandemic, can serve as a welcome release and respite. Pull it up on your phone, put in your earbuds, go for a walk in your neighborhood, and just see if you don’t find yourself feeling a little freer than you did before.” - OpusZine
CD $14

SCOTT DuBOIS - Summer Water (Sunnyside 4116; USA) Featuring Scott DuBois on solo guitar and compositions. I got this disc in the mail several months ago, long before the releases date and have listening to it over and over, to savor it each time. I’ve always dug Scott DuBois’ guitar playing as well as his composing for his wonderful quartet who have ben around for 15 years. DuBois’s last few releases were inspired by the seasons: ‘Autumn Wind’ and ‘Winter Light’. This disc was inspired by Mr. DuBois’ view of Lake Michigan, where he was living during the ultra-freezing Chicago winter of 2019. There is no use of overdubs, loops or layering going on so Mr. DuBois had to work with his guitar and his vision/inspiration. On “Into River Fog”, the first piece, DuBois spins some calm, harp-like lines in a most dreamy way. Although this disc was recorded during a brutally cold winter, Mr. DuBois is trying to evoke warmth and sunlight of the summer. “River Otters” is even more ethereal, the somber spinning notes bathed in seductive, yet subtle reverb. There is a deep aura of suspense going on here, especially on “River Driftwood”, which sounds like an intro so an evocative folk/rock song. DuBois likes to let his swirls drift and slowly shift as they sail. He also like to tap on the strings to give them a more dense, orchestral sound. At first, I thought there was a sameness of many of the pieces here yet, after listening several times, I started to hear the way Mr. DuBois would pick a certain phrase, repeat it and then alter it by playing it faster or slower, more quiet or louder, more calm or more abrupt. On “Summer Light on Rushing River”, DuBois pulls off a most dynamic effort by strumming quickly, more intensely and capturing the sound of storm erupting. I am reminded of that solo guitar piece from John McLaughlin’s first album, ‘Extrapolation’, a tour-de-force of astonishing heights. Once we calm our pulses (and anxious expectations) down a bit, more will be revealed here. DuBois again pushes the level of intensity up all the way on “Storm Where the River Meets the Sea”, reminding me a large slab of ice breaking off from vast glacier and dropping into the sea, an absolutely breathtaking event. Scott DuBois does a great job of capturing both the placidness and violence of a large body of water with all the other organic vibes flowing, similar to the way Mother Nature performs, nurtures and inspires us every if we take the time to notice. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

DENNY ZEITLIN & GEORGE MARSH - Telepathy (Sunnyside SSC1620; US) The ‘last’ of a trilogy of recordings that goes back to 2015 (buttressed by a mutual association that actually began in the late 60s), Telepathy's electroacoustic tonal blend is artfully rendered by two well-known sonic raconteurs whose exploratory ventures both in and outside jazz could fill volumes. Zeitlin’s pedigree is uncontested, well-earned, and still increases exponentially; Marsh’s resumé includes stints with Terry Riley, John Abercrombie, Pauline Oliveros, Jerry Garcia, and others who similarly straddle the genre divide. Together, these two navigate a plethora of sounds across uncharted waters, a meeting ground where Marsh’s thorough, craftsmanlike touch provides the anchors for his partner’s flights of fancy, be they of acoustic or electronic means. And make no mistake, Zeitlin’s more than adept at both; his 70s and 80s piano/ensemble work for Columbia and Concord is pretty legendary, and his wading into the joys of analog synthesis was made with the same pioneering spirit and dash of brinkmanship he demonstrated on his straighter outings. Both worlds converge superbly here. On “Quicksilver”, Marsh’s flailing rhythms, teetering to and fro about his kit ala Jon Christensen, underpins Zeitlin while he gets his inner Zawinul on, shifting his weight and tone between the piano’s saintly trill and his synth’s spiraling, weathered report. “On the Move” finds Zeitlin apparently running well more than two hands over his keys, setting up tremolo, authoring mercurial basslines, and dispatching strange electronic warbles aloft into the ether, as Marsh whips about his space of cymbals with all the grace and passion of a ballet dancer. Zeitlin makes clear in the album liners that this work benefits from its spontaneity, its improvisational nature key to the duo’s modus operandi, which was to simply begin playing and allow the music, and their respective muses, to carry them along. Unlike the dryer end of acoustic-based improv, this music positively sings, full of a grand melodicism and tenor that could only be further enriched by repeated exposure. There’s more going on here than meets the ear, so sit back, dim the lights, and allow Zeitlin and Marsh to jointly run rampant across your neural pathways; your cochlea can thank them later. - Darren Bergstein, DMG
CD $15

JOHN ELLIS / ADAM LEVY / GLENN PATSCHA with CHRIS MORRISSEY / DAN REISER STEFAN BAUER / ERIN DONAVON - Say it Quiet (Sunnyside 1633; USA) Decades of friendship and the crossing of paths in the music industry does not necessarily guarantee opportunities for intimate, meaningful collaboration. Professional musicians know that the balance between making a living and pursuing dream projects usually tilts toward whatever keeps a roof over one’s head. But every so often, the chance to get a project together that is musically and emotionally rewarding comes about. Such opportunities must be grabbed. // The collaborative recording, Say It Quiet, by longtime friends John Ellis, Adam Levy, and Glenn Patscha is the result of taking advantage of such an opportunity. These three brilliant, busy musicians take the time to put together a gorgeously crafted collection of songs chosen to showcase their sympathetic personalities and musical approaches.”
CD $15

TWO MORE GREAT DISCS FROM THE GAUCI-MUSIC LABEL! DMG30 In-Store Celebration this Saturday (8/14/21) at 6:30!

WENDY EISENBERG / STEPHEN GAUCI - Pandemic Duets (GauciMusic 04257; USA) Featuring Wendy Eisenberg on guitar and Stephen Gauci on tenor sax, recorded at Scholes Street Studio in July of 2020. I am not so sure when you moved to town but I’ve caught guitarist Wendy Eisenberg around a half dozen times working with different musicians: a trio with Trevor Dunn & Ches Smith (release on Tzadik), a trio with Jessica Pavone & Devin Gray and in a version of John Zorn’s Cobra piece. Ms. Eisenberg also has a couple of solo efforts on the Feeding Tube and Ba Da Bing! labels. Tenor saxist, teacher & concert promoter/curator, Stephen Gauci keeps quite busy juggling many responsibilities at the same time. He has also started his own label, GauciMusic, to document his own performances and other gigs he has curated.
If you think you’ve heard every great electric guitarist, then you are in for a surprise. A duo of tenor sax and electric guitar is certainly odd, but this one seems to work very well. Both players here a long resumes and bags of tricks or ideas. They keep juggling history, styles and genres. A ballad one moment morphs into some free back & forth excursions, the changes in direction and dynamics are often astonishing as they keep pushing each other into different detours. What I dig about this disc is that these two sound like they are having a heated dialogue, Q&A’s, matching and extending each other’s lines, fractured or not. Ms. Eisenberg sounds extremely inventive as she switches tones and approaches to her guitar playing, adding select effects here & there, matching her own sustained tones with Gauci’s ever-twisting series of sounds. She seems to push Gauci outside of his jazz history comfort zone and into so un expected areas of exploration. There are a few short solo guitar sections here which really stand out and sound great and often push Gauci into another unexpected place. At one point it sounds like the duo are playing some sort of ballad, which is slowly bent into some surprising shapes.
CD $12

ADAM LANE / STEPHEN GAUCI - Pandemic Duets (GauciMusic 04253; USA) Featuring Adam Lane on contrabass and Stephen Gauci on tenor sax, recorded at Scholes Street Studio in Brooklyn in August of 2020. Ever since Adam Lane came to DMG in the mid-nineties and boasted about his playing and writing, I’ve been a big fan. Mr. Lane has several of his own projects, from small groups to his own Full Throttle Orchestra, as well as working with many others: Burton Greene, Vinny Golia, John Tchicai and Reut Regev. Aside from being one of the best tenor saxists in NYC, with one foot in the outcamp and another in the more mainstream (tone-wise) camp, Steve Gauci has been running several lives series of gigs, as well as running his own GauciMusic label.
Both of these musicians are obvious masters and you can here that power, communication and fire right from the first notes. Mr. Lane is bowing up a storm in the section section of this continuous disc, eventually slowing down while Mr. Gauci carefully bends his notes and then blasts righteously at times. Midway trough this 45 minute, one piece disc, the duo calm down while exchanging lines back and forth and together. It sounds like these two have been playing together for a long while which is true whether in a trio or quartet that has often played at Gauci’s ongoing series. The flow of energy, the give & take and interweaving of lines, is often astonishing, often leaving us at the edge of our seats. There is an amazing balancing act going on throughout, while Gauci concentrates on his tone and the way he stretches out notes, Lane also keeps shifting between fast/slow plucked and bowed lines, the shade or color of each note or sound finding its sympathetic brethren in sound. This is a most extraordinary duo effort and this duo will be playing here at DMG this Saturday (8/14/21) at 6:30. Come on down if you can, you will be knocked out. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

THREE FABULOUS NEWER RELEASES From MODE RECORDS:

BERNARD PARMEGIANI // BROECKAERT / BERWECK / LORENZ - Stries (Mode 328; USA) Bernard Parmegiani (1927–2013), the grand old man of French electro-acoustic music, did not write much music for tape with live performers. Among them is “Stries” for the unusual combination of three live synthesizer players and tape. Until recently, “Stries” had not been played live for some 30 years. This is the first complete recording, only part of it had been previously released on LP on the INA/GRM label.
“Stries” was written for the three synthesizer players of the Paris-based electro-acoustic trio TM , Yann Geslin, Laurent Cuniot and Denis Dufour, founded at the INA/GRM. Over the span of the ensemble’s lifetime, TM used a range of different instruments — analog synthesizers in the late 1970s and early digital synthesizers in the mid-1980s — and amassed a repertoire of about 40 compositions written especially for them.
Fortunately, Yann Geslin, of the INA/GRM, archived the original score by Parmegiani, as well as the parts for the instrumentalists. Also in GRM’s archives was the original analog reel-to-reel tape for the piece, as well as the analog 8-track recordings from the recording session.
Armed with this material, the electronic music trio of Colette Broeckaert, Martin Lorenz and Sebastian Berweck, together with Yann Geslin, recreated the piece with the aim of bringing it back to the stage as well as producing generic scores that could help get the piece into the repertoire of many instrumentalists. Their work is realized on this release.
“Stries” (1980) is a work in three parts based on the tapes of Parmegiani’s “Violostries” for violin & tape from 1963. The tape part is derived completely from recordings of the violin which Parmegiani masterfully alters to create an at times extremely dense, at other times pointillist piece of music.
The first part, “Strilento,” is a piece for tape solo and can as such be played alone, while the second and third movements — “Strio” and the eponymous “Stries” — make direct usage of the old tapes and the analog synthesizers of the players. Sebastian Berweck’s liner notes detail the reconstruction of “Stries” for both performance and this recording.
CD $15

JOHN CAGE / MORTON FELDMAN - The Works for Piano II / Cheap Imitation (Mode 327; USA) CAGE – SATIE – FELDMAN – TAKAHASHI sums up the focus of this album. All of these works by Cage are influenced by Satie. Cage’s friend and colleague Morton Feldman made an arrangement of Cage’s solo piano “Cheap Imitation” for a trio of piano, flutes/piccolo and glockenspiel. Feldman’s admiration for the pianist Aki Takahashi caused him to gift this arrangement to her. And, full circle, we have the repertoire of this album.
The major discovery is Feldman’s arrangement of Cheap Imitation for this very Feldmanesque instrumental ensemble. It is unknown why Feldman made this arrangement in 1980. Knowing of Takahashi’s reputation as a pianist specializing in new music, Feldman had invited her to be an artist in residence at the university where he taught. When she was leaving, Feldman gave a musical score to Takahashi as a gift. It was a copy of John Cage’s solo piano piece Cheap Imitation with annotations by Feldman. He told her that this was an instrumental version of this piece: flute, piano, and glockenspiel. He signed the title page, just under the original title: INSTRUMENTAL VERSION (Fl, Pf, Glock), Morton Feldman, Buffalo, N.Y. Winter 1980. Dedicated to Aki Takahashi
Cage was to create a two-piano transcription of Erik Satie’s Socrate for a Merce Cunningham choreography, but he was unable to get permission from the publisher. Even worse, he could not even get performance rights to use the published piano-vocal score of Socrate. Cage’s creative solution was to make a piano piece that maintained the exact metrical and phrase structure of Socrate, but with different notes to avoid copyright issues. He called this piece Cheap Imitation. Cunningham responded by calling his dance Second Hand.
The recital is completed by three short works under Satie’s influence. Perpetual Tango is derived from the “Tango” movement of Satie’s Sports et divertissements. Cage’s method was to take the rhythm of the original tango and erase parts of it. He does not specify pitches, but instead gives the pitch ranges of the original piece. The pianist chooses which pitches to play in the rhythm given. In 1989 he applied the same procedure on another piece from Sports et divertissements, “The swing;” he titled the result Swinging.
All sides of the small stone… is a composition with a completely unknown history, derived from Satie’s Gymnopédies. All we have is a page of musical manuscript written in the back of a score of a work by American composer James Tenney with the signature “John” and the date “7/78.” The manuscript was discovered when Tenney’s papers were being organized after his death. It has been attributed to Cage, but the handwriting doesn’t look like his. Neither Cage nor Tenney — nor anyone else, for that matter — said a word about this piece, so its definitive composer will remain a mystery. Aki Takahashi gives the first recording of this unpublished work.
CD $15

ROGER REYNOLDS // JACK QUARTET - At 85, Vol. 1: String Quartets - FLiGHT nor forgotten (Mode 326; USA) This release documents Roger Reynolds’ most recent string quartets in composer supervised first recordings by the acclaimed JACK Quartet. “Flight”, commissioned by Jack Quartet, arose from a collaborative process lasting almost five years. Its four movements reflect upon the stages of humanity’s aspirations for flight. Of “not forgotten” Reynolds writes: “As the years pass, one notices that certain elements in one’s days have unusual persistence in the mind. Such elements may involve individuals encountered, sometimes places experienced, or momentary intersections that are unexpectedly luminous. The point is that they not only don’t go away, they play roles as one’s own life evolves. … Three composers with whom I had extensive and formative interactions were Elliott Carter, Toru Takemitsu and Iannis Xenakis. Geographic parallels include Ryoanji in Kyoto, Monet’s sumptuous Giverny gardens, and the glitteringly patterned surface of the Aegean.” These experiences form the movements to “not forgotten.” The outer movements, “Giverny” and “Now,” are fixed, while the inner movements may be played in whatever order the quartet chooses. Each movement begins with a solo by one of the quartet’s members. The unique liner notes take the form of a communication between the composer and members of the JACK Quartet. This is the first of a projected two volume set celebrating Reynolds’ 85th birthday and his recent music, to be released on Mode.
CD $15

BACK IN STOCK:

WAYNE PEET TRIO with NELS CLINE / RUSSELL BIZZETT - What The? (pfMENTUM 127; USA) Featuring Wayne Peet on B3 organ, clavinet, theremin & effects, Nels Cline on guitar & effetcs and Russell Bizzett on drums. This disc was recorded in 2006, mixed & mastered in 2008 and probably released soon thereafter. This is the first time that I’ve even seen this disc (10/20), thanks to Nels Cline’s recent donation to the store. I’ve known of LA keyboard wiz, Wayne Peet, for many years, considering his many collaborations with Vinny Golia, Alex & Nels Cline and Michael Vlatkovich. I don’t know much about drummer Russell Bizzett although he is a few previous releases with Mr. Peet & Bill Barrett. This disc was recorded live in the studio and does has a strong, live in-the-moment sound. Although I don’t think that guitar ace, Nels Cline, has played in very many organ-led trios, this disc shows that this trio is fierce, intense, exciting and spirited in many ways. “Capable Faith”. The opening piece sounds kinda like the Tony Williams Lifetime, in all their early glory. There are several pieces here titled “Improv”, numbers 1-4. Each one features a spirited, organic, trio jam, often with that B3 organ creating the vibe, from simmering, to haunting to some jazz/rock jamming. Guitar god, Nels Cline, changes his tone and/or approach one every piece, adding some fresh, crafty licks and the occasional head-spinning solo throughout. Although all or most of the pieces here were or sound like they were improvised in the studio, they also all work and sound great together, moving from one mood to the next from the somber valleys to the explosive mountains. Checking out this trio live would provide an evening of strong, spirit-fueled, jazz/rock at it best. Consistently inspired! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12 [We listed this disc more than a year ago when we got copies from Nels, they sold out quickly & Nels moved out of town so we had to get them direct & it took a long while so grab these before they disappear again]


ANOTHER GROOVY CD SALE: The same list with reviews added can be found further down

JOEY BARON with ADAM LEVY / STEVE CARDENAS / TONY SCHERR - Killer Joey (Goo-Head Music; USA)
CD Sale $10

JAIMIE BRANCH With TOMEKA REID / JASON ARJEMIAN / CHAD TAYLOR / JOSH BERMAN / BEN LAMAR GAY - Fly or Die (International Anthem 0011; USA)
CD Sale $12

ANDREA CENTAZZO / MARCO CAPPELLI / KATO HIDEKI - Los Angeles Tape (Ictus 144; Italy)
CD Sale $12

FRANCESCO DIODATI'S NEKO With FRANCESCO BIGONI/FRANCESCO PONTICELLI/ERMANNO BARON - Purple Bra (Auand 9021; Italy)
CD Sale $10

AGUSTI FERNANDEZ - El Laberint de la Memoria (Mbari Musica 04; EEC)
CD Sale $12

SHELLEY HIRSCH - States (Tellus C003; USA)
CD Sale $10

GUIDO MAZZON SEXTET with PAUL RUTHERFORD / UMBERTO PETRIN / TIZIANO TONONI / et al - Flights of fancy (Ictus 145; Italy)
CD Sale $12

MANUEL MENGIS GRUPPE 6 - Dulcet Crush (Hatology 684; Switzerland)
CD Sale $12

UWE OBERG / MICHAEL GRIENER - Lacy Pool (Hatology 677; Switzerland)
CD Sale $12

MATTHEW SHIPP / GUILLERMO E. BROWN - Telephone Popcorn (Nubop Records CD 04; Italy)
CD Sale $10

GIANCARLO TOSSANI'S SYNAPSER RALPH ALESSI - Newswok (Auand 9042; Italy)
CD Sale $10

WEEKLY SALE CD’S with reviews or blurbs added:

JOEY BARON with ADAM LEVY / STEVE CARDENAS / TONY SCHERR - Killer Joey (Goo-Head Music; USA) Featuring Steve Cardenas & Adam Levy on guitars, Tony Scherr on basses and Killer Joey Baron on drums & compositions. Masada's master drummer Joey Baron loves to smile when he plays and it is an infectious grin that makes us fans feel good as he propels his jazz quartet into magical realms; calling his current quartet Killer Joey makes us giggle with glee. KJ has been around for about a year, playing at Tonic many a night, refining their thing. I believe that this cd was recorded at Tony Scherr's house. Both guitarists come from the bay area and word is that Adam Levy has recently moved back to be replaced by Brad Shepik. Like Joey's other Down Home quartet, KJ is packed with catchy tunes heavy on the groove side. Although I am not sure who's who, generally one of the guitars provides the funky riffs while the other solos on top. On "Wide Load" KJ play a slow fat funk thang, the rhythm teams just wiggles in the tight groove while one guitar stings them nasty notes. "Broken Time" is more of an older style, moderately paced jazz tune with tasty guitar soloing throughout. Joey shaves his head, so he is "Bald" and the tune by that name is another somber, elegant piece with both guitars quietly caressing each other with blissful results. Them James Brown-like funk licks are echoed and infect "Bricks" like jumping beans while the lead guitar stings on top. Put on them dancin' shoes and get down! The last piece is "Bit O' Water" and it is also found on Baron/Blythe Frisell 'Down Home' cd, it is another sly groove catchy romp. It will certainly leave you smiling and wanting more. This funky little wonder is only sold at Killer Joey gigs and here at DMG! It comes in a thin cardboard [no shrinkwrap] case with a groovy photo of the blissed out 'Killer' on the cover. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10

JAIMIE BRANCH With TOMEKA REID / JASON ARJEMIAN / CHAD TAYLOR MATT SCHNEIDER / JOSH BERMAN / BEN LAMAR GAY - Fly or Die (International Anthem 0011; USA) Fly or Die features Jaimie Branch on trumpet & compositions, Tomeka Reid on cello, Jason Ajemian on bass and Chad Taylor on drums plus guests: Matt Schneider on guitar and Josh Berman & Ben Lamar Gay on cornets. A few years ago, former Chicago-based trumpeter Jaimie Branch moved here and has become of the most closely watched young musicians to brighten up the Downtown Scene with her creative playing, composing and band-leading. I have been fortunate enough to hear her several times, once during the FONT Fest here at DMG and once in a fine duo with Guillermo Gregorio. This is Mr. Branch’s debut as a leader and it is a grand effort with a strong cast. Her quartet featuring all-star cast of Chicago transplants: Tomeka Reid, Jason Ajemian and Chad Taylor, each of whom keep busy with several different projects. The three guests are also some of Chicago’s best players: Josh Berman, Ben Lamar Gay and Matt Schneider. Right from the opening riff of “Jump Off”, there is something jubilant, infectious about this that feels just right, eventually calming down to some sublime acoustic guitar. This music is a suite and moves seamlessly through connected sections. Ubiquitous cellist, Tomeka Reid, has been popping up all over in recent times including a new disc by Nicole Mitchell which was reviewed today (5/5/17) as well. I dig the way Ms. Branch uses the two cornets as a chorus of alternating colors while she sails on top, ranging from radiator-like hissing to short, inspired, organic solos. Ms. Reid is also well-utilized, creating an ocean of swirls with some echo devices enhancing her playing. There is a section called “Waltzer”, where Ms. Reid’s soft, plucked cello (or contrabass) provides a soft simmering cushion while Ms. Branch takes a superb, Don Cherry-like solo which ends up unaccompanied until the rest of group joins her with another righteous groove. Another occasionally overlooked master musician is drummer, Chad Taylor, who is splendid here, consistently supportive. His short bursts on the next to the last song is another delight. The final piece features more expressive acoustic guitar from Matt Schneider, another new name to be on the lookout for. A perfect release on several levels at once. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $12

ANDREA CENTAZZO / MARCO CAPPELLI / KATO HIDEKI - Los Angeles Tape: Suite in 6 Movements (Ictus 144; Italy) Housed in a DVD style case. This disc was recorded live at the Cafe Metropol in LA in July of 2006 and featuring Marco Cappelli on acoustic guitar, Kato Hideki on double bass and Andrea Centazzo on percussion, keyboards & Kat Mallet synth. We know Italian guitarist Marco Cappelli from that fine disc, "Extreme Guitar Project" that came out on Mode a couple of years back. Bassist & multi-instrumentalist, Kato Hideki, was an original member of Ground Zero and leads the great Death Ambient trio with Fred Frith and Ikue Mori. Both Marco and Kato currently live in NYC and can be heard in a variety of situations, improvised and otherwise. This superb disc is a suite in six movements and was composed/directed by Andrea Centazzo. "Movement 1" is a suspense-filled dream-world with sublime written parts for the acoustic guitar, subtle electronic percussion (electric vibes), spacey synth and walking bass. "Movement II" features some quick, free acoustic guitar, acoustic percussion and bowed bass. Centazzo has an orchestral approach to his percussion, electric vibes and synth playing, often minimal and selecting each note/sound with care. Cappelli is a virtuoso on that acoustic guitar, yet he rarely overplays or shows off. Kato Hideki, who is one the best electric bassists around, has chosen to play a variety of other instruments (banjo, synth) over the past decade. He sounds fine on acoustic bass here, most often playing a most supportive position and soloing on rare occasion. This music sounds cinematic, with Andrea directing his small orchestra in ways that make this and any of the dozens of discs we've gotten from Ictus consistently successful and fascinating to hear. - BLG
CD Sale $12

FRANCESCO DIODATI'S NEKO With FRANCESCO BIGONI/FRANCESCO PONTICELLI/ERMANNO BARON - Purple Bra (Auand 9021; Italy) Francesco Bigoni on tenor sax & compositions, Francesco Diodati on electric & acoustic guitar, Francesco Ponticello on double bass and Ermanno Baron on drums. Three guys named Francesco in the same quartet? Only in Italy! During the Auand Fest here in NYC last week (early November of 2011), Mr. Bigoni and Mr. Diodato played a fine duo here at DMG. Which was great since I had heard of either of these talented men before this. Mr. Diodati writes songs in the post-bop vein and is a most gifted guitarist. Mr.Bigoni has a strong, warm and spirited tone on his tenor and sounds inspired throughout this disc. Both of these cats take great solos throughout. The title track starts as a feisty jazz/rocker yet moves through some more laid back sections. Although Diodati often has a jazz tone, he also uses some selective devices to twist his solos into alien detours when you least expect it and often at a low volume. Diodati also plays some sublime acoustic guitar on a couple of these songs showing that he a master of subtle elegance as well. What is interesting is that even though Mr. Diodati writes those memorable melodies, he also writes some complex interactive parts for the rest of the quartet. Many of these songs have more going on beneath the sunny surface that you might imagine at first. I look forward to see what Diodati and his crew come up with next time around. A most impressive debut from a new generation of young masters. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD Sale $10

AGUSTI FERNANDEZ - El Laberint de la Memoria (Mbari Musica 04; EEC) Featuring Agusti Fernandez on solo piano, inspired by Spanish classical music of the 20th century. Over the past decade, Agusti Fernandez has become more visible as a serious pianist who turns up in a wide variety of demanding situations. Besides a half dozen superb duos with Derek Bailey, Mats Gustafsson, Peter Kowald, Evan Parker and Joe Morris, Mr. Fernandez is also a member of two important groups: Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble and an excellent trio with Barry Guy & Raymon Lopez. A number of us were witness to an extraordinary set by this trio at the Jazz Standard a few years back which is now available on CD (Maya 1001). A solo offering is always a challenge for any musician, improvising or otherwise. This particular disc is the result of two years of study and exploration into the music of a number of modern day Spanish composers, many of whom Agusti studied way back when he was growing up in the 1960's. The title of this disc is in Catalan and translates into "the labyrinth of memory", which refers to way the certain music stirs different memories in each of us. I found this music to be sad, lovely, sublime, solemn in places and filled with suspense as well as a number of surprising detours. I love the way Agusti takes certain melodic phrases or fragments and then twists them into odd shapes. The spaciousness of this music often gives it a chance to breathe and for us the consider each musical island or idea which occurs. There are a number of pieces that are more intense or uptempo yet just as well crafted, each note or phrase is a part of an underlying theme which evolves with distinct certainty. In a sense, this disc reminds me of a great novel or collection of short stories which fit together perfectly. Each piece creates and then develops a certain mood, feeling or scene. The older I get, so I appreciate the more subtle side of music endeavors. Just as long as I have the time to listen closely. Spend some time with this gem and you will be greatly rewarded. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery "Catalan pianist Agusti Fernandez put out his first solo back in 1987 but odds are pretty good that he didn't hit most listeners' radar until the release of recordings of his momentous meetings with Derek Bailey and Peter Kowald on the Hopscotch label and his trio with Barry Guy & Ramon Lopez on Maya. Those releases revealed a player informed by the dense, flurried clusters of free jazz and the sense of texture and structure of Iannis Xenakis who he studied with in the late '80s. Since then, Fernandez has been working with musicians like Evan Parker as part of his Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, Mats Gustafsson, John Edwards, Tom Chant, and Joe Morris (their duo is captured on a stellar recent release on Morris' Riti label.) Though the pianist has recorded 7 previous solos on small Spanish imprints, they're impossible to dig up. So this solo outing is particularly welcome. The back story here is an interesting one. In the summer of 2008, Mbari label-owner Joao Santos contacted Fernandez and asked him to record a solo piano release based on 20th century Spanish classical piano music. While the pianist was familiar with this work from his early student days, it didn't resonate with him right away. But Santos persevered, sending him a compilation of over 40 pieces, drawing on Spanish regional themes which Fernandez describes as 'brief and austere fragments, rather nostalgic and ascetic, in minor keys and slow rhythms'. Further correspondence revealed that Santos wasn't looking for traditional readings of the pieces, but rather for Fernandez' take on the compositional forms from the perspective of a free improviser. The resulting recording is revelatory, starting out with the abstract impressionism of Joan I Joana, full of lush voicings and ruminative lyricism, with carefully placed notes and hanging resonance which progress with an open, unhurried sense of pacing. From there, the session proceeds with 13 compact pieces, clocking in at between 2 and 5 minutes each. But there is nothing rushed or clipped about the music as the pieces unfold in contrasting studies of densities and dynamic attack and sustain. These come across as intentfully-constructed sound drawings; each one delving in to a particular approach to the keyboard, from cascading rumbles to percussive preparations of the piano to plucked and scrubbed string and soundboard manipulations. One can hear elements of the regional Iberian themes come out, but they are used more as motivic underpinnings to the improvisations than as literal interpretations. There is also a flow to the recording. Listen to the way the hammered preparations of Pluja Sorda lead in to the rolling lyricism of Porta De Mar which then flows in to the pointillistic clusters of Flamarades followed by the roiling waves of Catedral makes it evident that the pianist thought a lot about how this all hangs together. The pianist talks of these pieces as 'fields of action, vibrating and open.' This is an auspicious example both of Fernandez's solo playing as well as his concept of solo piano music and is well worth grabbing. - Michael Rosenstein, Downtown Music Gallery
CD Sale $12

SHELLEY HIRSCH with DAVID WEINSTEIN - States (Tellus C003; USA) Rare and long out-of-print!
CD Sale $10

GUIDO MAZZON SEXTET with PAUL RUTHERFORD / UMBERTO PETRIN / TIZIANO TONONI / et al - Flights of Fancy (Ictus 145; Italy) Housed in a DVD style case. Recorded in Noci, Italy in June of 1993 and featuring Guido Mazzon on trumpet & conduction, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Renato Geremia on saxes, Rudy Migliardi on tuba, Umberto Petrin on piano and Tiziano Tononi on drums. An extraordinary, spacious, partially free and often brilliant disc. With no bass, the tuba and trombone (recently departed British trombone great who this disc is dedicated to and who plays superbly here, Paul Rutherford) help fill up the low-end. You can never get enough of Rutherford and the rest of this sextet is equally crafty and inspired. Guido Mazzon's writing and/or direction helps focus everyone in this ensemble just right. Although Guido Mazzon has been an important part of the Italian avant-jazz scene for more than 35 years, I only know of his playing from the Italian Instabile Orchestra. I am familiar with pianist, Umberto Petrin, from his discs on Splasch, Soul Note & ECM. Drum master, Tiziano Tononi, has led a number of fine ensembles, most of which have done tributes to Ornette, Coltrane and Don Cherry. "Flights of Fancy" consists of five numbered movements. "Movement # 1" features some phenomenal, tight layers on horns (trumpet, trombone and tenor sax) while the rhythm team spins slyly underneath. In a way, the production and sound of the horns reminds me of the magic (slightly echoed) sound of the horns on Keith Tippett's epic work, 'Dedicated to You But You Weren't Listening'. Pianist, Umberto Petrin's solo at the end of the first movement is quite really breathtaking. The second movement has a lovely, somber prayer-like vibe with some fine tuba playing by Rudy Migliardi and great tenor from Renata Geremia. Each of these movements is filled with surprising twists and turns due to the strong writing and fabulous playing. I thought they were going to break into "St. Thomas" at one point, but that was just another surprise that ended somewhere else. Paul Rutherford starts off the third movement with an amazing trombone solo, the sound of which is perfectly produced. If anyone out there need any convincing that these Italian musicians are as great as any other creative/jazz musicians on this planet, then I ask you to give this treasure some consideration. If it doesn't change your life, that at least it should change your point of view. - BLG
CD Sale $12

MANUEL MENGIS GRUPPE 6 - Dulcet Crush (Hatology 684; Switzerland) “Is three the magic number? For many jazz musicians it's an important one. Every record is of course significant, but the third is often more closely scrutinised. In this sense, it's both a great opportunity and a niggling pressure: the chance to really begin cementing a good name, with a little weight of added expectation. Manuel Mengis, however, did not feel any of this. He even identifies a more relaxed approach than his two previous releases, partially due to shifting priorities in life. An atmosphere of light, easy contentment shines through the music - Mengis and the Gruppe 6 are really enjoying themselves, free of any kind of external strain. And the pleasure is contagious. - Frederick Bernas Manuel Mengis -trumpet; Reto Suhner -alto saxophone & alto clarinet; Roland von Flue - tenor saxophone & bass clarinet; Flo Stoffner -electric quitar; Marcel Stalder -electric bass; Lionel Friedli -drums
CD Sale $12

UWE OBERG / MICHAEL GRIENER - Lacy Pool (Hatology 677; Switzerland) At every step, Lacy Pool finds new expressive possibilities in Lacy's innate, albeit curiously tailored, logic. Their personalities replace Lacy's and change the way we hear this music, which is as it should be. The song may have inspired the players, but the players have become the song. - Art Lange
CD Sale $12

MATTHEW SHIPP / GUILLERMO E. BROWN - Telephone Popcorn (Nubop Records CD 04; Italy) Featuring Matt Shipp on piano and Guillermo E. Brown on Zendrum, electronics and laptop. Matt Shipp and Guillermo Brown have worked together in the David S. Ware Quartet for the past decade, until that group broke up last year. They have also worked together on a few projects on the Thirsty Ear label, some organized by Matt. This is their first duo disc and what is interesting is that Guillermo plays no regular drums, as he has done for years with David S. Ware. This combination of piano and electronics is quite different from anything we've heard from either musician, as well as being quite unique in its own way. Commencing with "Between Here and Everywhere," Matt plays some stark, quaint piano while Guillermo adds layers of strange alien sounds. Guillermo takes his time and is careful to slowly manipulate those electronic sounds, creating calm yet alien landscapes. The title track is somewhat dark, while Guillermo adds layers of slightly mutated drum samples, Matt repeats a phrase and slowly alters his dense low-end chords. The overall vibe is one of rather scary yet somehow hypnotic dream-like images. On "Escape from Tomorrowland" Matt plays some lovely, melancholy chords while Guillermo adds some more twisted beats or percussion samples to the brew. For "The Everlasting Sun," Guillermo takes Matt's piano and manipulates its sound in a variety of weird ways, bending notes inside-out and often sounding like a jewelry box melody breaking down. This piece is somewhat disturbing at times, yet most effective at creating a new alien world were Sun Ra would feel at home. "Until We Meet Again" consists of Matt playing a series of somber, haunting sounds while Guillermo quietly manipulates those sounds and adds some subtle grooves. "Melt to Dream" brings things to grand conclusion by adding a layer of sly static to Matt's hypnotic repeating lines. Quite a strong combination of talents for something called "Telephone Popcorn". - BLG
CD Sale $10

GIANCARLO TOSSANI'S SYNAPSER RALPH ALESSI - Newswok (Auand 9042; Italy) Wonders never cease. When Newswok first arrived in the mail, my first question was not "What the hell does 'Newswok' mean?" It was "Who is Giancarlo Tossani, and why is Ralph Alessi playing with him?" I was also alarmed that I had never heard of the record label, Auand Records, before. This despite the fact that the Auand catalog lists approximately 50 releases featuring dates led (or co- led) by the likes of Bill Frisell, Cuong Vu, David Binney, Steve Swallow, and Bobby Previte, plus a gaggle led by top Italian jazz artists. How could I have been so remiss? Most jazz fans are familiar with Alessi, whose recent album Baida (ECM Records, 2013) made a bunch of "Best Of..." lists. He's also been a featured sideman with Steve Coleman, Don Byron and Ravi Coltrane. Musically, Ralph Alessi is about as heavy as they come. The credits on Newswok reveal that Tossani keeps fairly heavy company, himself. Saxophonist Achille Succi is a member of Fabio Delvo RASTPLATZ's excellent quartet, and drummer Christiano Calcagnile (who also plays something called the "drumtableguitar" on this album) is one of Europe's most in-demand percussionists. As it turns out, Tossani is a really inventive and virtuosic pianist. His rather coy on-line bio suggests that he majored in philosophy in college, and studied jazz piano privately with Franco DAndrea, Mal Waldron, and John Taylor. Apparently, Tossani chose to concentrate on teaching and did not pursue a career in music performance at all until later in life. His first recordings, also with Synapser (very cool group name, by the way), appeared a decade or so ago, and Newswok is his fourth as a leader. As a pianist, he doesn't seem to take any stylistic cues from the usual suspects; Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner or Chick Corea. If anything, he's an iconoclast and free-thinker in the mold of Don Friedman, Ran Blake and Paul Bley, though he really doesn't sound like them either. His compositions bring together all sorts of unlikely sounds and influences, yet they are emphatically part of the jazz continuum. The music on Newswok is complex and multi-sectioned without being too episodic. The contrasting sections of his pieces flow logically and seamlessly. As wild as some of his writing is, Tossani leaves a lot of room for solos which, in the hands of Succi, Alessi, and Tossani himself, are consistently great. A lot of demands are placed on the rhythm section, in terms of color, pacing and tempo. Calcagnile, who can swing like a madman or create clouds of sound tension like a Bertoia sculpture in a windstorm, and bassist Tito Mangialajo Rantzer handle all of it with relaxed, off-the-cuff ease. There's also quite a bit of collective improv scattered throughout, with some truly unexpected sounds coming from Calcagnile's drumtableguitar. - Dave Wayne, AAJ
CD Sale $10

LP SECTION:

ORCHID SPANGIAFORA GLANDS OF EXTERNAL SECRETION - Couscous Bizarre (Feeding Tube Records 594; USA) "Absolute collage hell from the bowels of several known earths. We have worked with the horrible Orchid Spangiafora (aka Rod Carew) before. Back in 2013 we were tricked into doing an expanded 2LP reissue of Rod's 1979 Twin/Tone album, Flee Past's Ape Elf. A mistake we swore we'd never make again. Glands are a different story, being a two-headed beast comprised of Allie Caulfied (of Just Bananas magazine) and Bobbi Manring (former leader of both Poop World and The Giant Scissors). Them we never worked with before. Things became confusing when we hosted a live show with one of Caulfield's other units, Pant Sniff & Dodo, who we thought were actually pretty cool. We suggested to Allie that maybe we should 'do something' together, and he eventually sent us this album, with a note that read, 'Done all by me! How is it?' Well, we were kinda confused by it, but rather than admit that, we told him it was 'cool, man.' He just giggled. Then we got the art, and the credits, and realized we'd been hoodwinked by the goon. Or goons, rather. But posing as a single goon, if you get my drift. So here we are, stuck again with a record we cannot make heads or tails of. Will we never learn? Apparently not. Hard for us to tell (and none of them will 'fess up) as to who did what. So I paid for a guy to go to Carew's house, ring the bell, hypnotize him with a lucky rock and ask him a few vague questions. He was not able to get any answers, so he ended up peeking through windows and snooping. From overheard conversations, he picked up the notion that the pieces were put together by the active participation of both Carew and Caulfield. Manring mostly played some guitar that was sucked up into the compositions as source material. Thus, she is the real hero of the project. She made actual music, while the other two jalopsters merely diddled with 'found sounds' and 'lifted tracks.' That they actually managed to turn these threads of unease into anything is quite remarkable. But clearly it was Bobbi's input that gave them a sort of starting point. Without her cunning strums, this would be just another 'Dime Operation' (slang for a cheap haircut). Anyway, when you listen to this record, remember -- we're as stumped as you are! The rhythms of the loops makes Ted want to dance, but they just make me hungry. So I'm gonna go get a box of donut holes. You want anything?" - Byron Coley, 2021
LP $24

FOOTINGS - Annihilation (Feeding Tube Recordings 604; USA) "Footings is the long-running/rocking outgrowth of Peterborough NH's great ruralist duo, Redwing Blackbird. Initially formed as a trio in 2012 by Eric Gagne on guitar and vocals, Footings' sound embraces a sort of inner light derived from folk music, but surrounds it with a variety of rockist tropes. This rock action can take many forms, especially on this new album, which features their most expanded/expansive line-up yet. Original trio member Elisabeth Fuchsia (frequent Pile collaborator) is on viola and long-time collusionist Candace Clement provides guitar, synth and vocals. Jordan Holtz (from Rick Rude) supplies vocals. Ben Rogers (Eric's bandmate from Death to Tyrants) adds drums where needed. Will Killingsworth (Ampere/Bucket Full of Teeth) adds pedals and tambourine as required. The latter pair were also responsible for engineering the album, but their musical additions are sonically notable. Gagne's songs and deep vocals, often the core of the band's operation, combine the literary qualities of a heavy reader with the observational data of a poet. In this, Footings might occasionally be mistaken for one of Will Oldham's multifarious projects. But the band has a distinct way of scrambling their eggs, and that was never clearer than it is here. Full songs are interspersed with fragmentary shards in a way that reminds me of how Michael Hurley faded out 'Rat Face' after its intro, on Hi Fi Snock Uptown. I mean, 'Sleeping' sounds tantalizingly close to a Neil Young penned out-take from Deja Vu for the 35 seconds it runs. But that's all there is! This outré editing process works quite well. By allowing themselves to create slivers of textural similarity to Sonic Youth ('Ordinary Night'), Crazy Horse ('Sleeping'), and even Heldon ('Wouldn't It Be Something'), Footings display wide possibilities while maintaining their primary focus on creating a kind of avant-garde American roots music with the brash complexity of Yo La Tengo and the stately depth of Wilco. Annihilation is the best Footings record to hit the planet yet. And that is saying something." --Byron Coley, 2021
LP $24

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

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!

********

IMPROV-FEST CANADA - A 24-Hour Celebration of Improvised Arts!
August 13th & 14th, 2021:

More than 100 musicians will play in different combinations the coming weekend. Here’s just a short list of those names I know:

Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura, Lotte Anker, Aram Bajakian and Julia Ulehla, Carla Kihlstedt, Charlotte Hug, Darius Jones, Douglas R. Ewart, Iva Bittová with Ensembles Musiques Nouvelles, Joe McPhee, Joshua Abrams, Lê Quan Ninh, Matthew Shipp and William Parker, Nicole Mitchell, Paul Plimley, Peggy Lee and many more.

Here’s the complete info: https://improvfest.ca/if-2021-artists/

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

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 latest show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3ouWlSXPzc

***********

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