This Saturday September 11th, 2021 AT DMG - 13 Monroe St in Chinatown, NYC
6:30pm CD Release Performance for "Pandemic Duetsâ€Â: DAVID LEON / STEPHEN GAUCI:
DAVID LEON - alto sax/flutes
STEPHEN GAUCI - tenor sax/clarinet/flute
8:00pm CD Release Performance for "Studio Sessions Vol. 11:
HANS TAMMEN / JEREMY CARLSTEDT / STEPHEN GAUCI
Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Hans Tammen - buchla
Jeremy Carlstedt - drums
Saturday, September 18th: DMG In-Store Concert: 13 Monroe St in a Chinatown basement space:
6:30 - CAROLINE DAVIS & JOANNA MATTREY!
7:45 - JESSICA PAVONE STRING ENSEMBLE ft. AIMEE NIEMANN ABBY SWIDLER
September 25th at Oliver Coffee from 2pm - 5pm
2pm: CLEBS (Jason Nazary Emilie Weibel)
3pm: ASCEND! (Dave Miller, Daniel Carter, Robert Boston, Tom Kotik)
4pm: CECILIA LOPEZ GABBY FLUKE-MOGUL
Saturday, September 25th:
DMG In-Store Concert: 13 Monroe St in a Chinatown basement space
6:30: DEVIN GRAY / WENDY EISENBERG / FRANK MEADOWS - Drums / Guitar / Contrabass!
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This Week’s Sonic Delights Begin with an Old Solo Gem from MARC RIBOT!
MARC RIBOT // FRANTZ CASSEUS - Solo Guitar Works of Frantz Casseus (Knockwurst Records; Earth) “Long before Marc Ribot made a name for himself as a pioneering force in NYC's downtown music scene, and as guitarist for luminaries like Tom Waits, Wilson Pickett and The Lounge Lizards, he began his guitar studies as a teenager with close family friend, the Father of Haitian classical guitar, Frantz Casséus. In 1946, Frantz came to NYC from his native Port-au-Prince, Haiti with the ambition to compose a distinctly Haitian classical guitar music, to fuse the European classical tradition with Haitian folk elements as Heitor Villa-Lobos had done with his native Brazil’s and as Béla Bartók had done with Hungarian folk songs. His three recordings, Haitian Folks Songs (1953), Haitian Dances (1954) and Haitiana (1969) were released on Folkways Recordings (and since reissued by Smithsonian Folkways) and his compositions have been covered by artists worldwide including the song “Merci bon dieu†by Harry Belafonte.ÂÂ
In effort to preserve Frantz’s musical legacy, Marc edited a collection of Casseus' solo guitar compositions, and performed those same pieces on his 1993 album "Marc Ribot Plays Solo Guitar Works of Frantz Casseus". This remastered and expanded edition, with three additional bonus tracks recorded in 2020, marks the first time Marc's interpretations of this work is available on vinyl.â€Â
CD $15
2 LP Set $28
ROSCOE MITCHELL - Dots / Pieces For Percussion And Woodwinds (Wide Hive 0359; USA) Recorded at home during the pandemic Roscoe Mitchell creates beautiful music that is simply at peace with itself. On 19 newly recorded compositions Roscoe plays his own percussion array with articulate precision and creates hauntingly interesting atmospheres. He overdubbed saxophone on seven pieces thereafter. A wonderful release perfect to combat the tension of our times.â€Â
CD $15
DANIEL CARTER / RA KALAM BOB MOSES - Off World Meditations (Ra Kalam 026; USA) Featuring Daniel Carter on trumpet, flute, clarinet, tenor, alto & soprano saxes and Ra Kalam Bob Moses on drums, djembe, kalimba, talking drum, acoustic bass & assorted percussion. The marvelous duo session was recorded in November of 2011, almost a decade ago, but not released until now. Over the past few months we’ve been having some outdoor concerts (at Oliver Coffee), as well as some indoor concerts here at DMG. The one musician who has played both at the outdoor and indoor concerts the most is the unstoppable Daniel Carter. Reeds & brass wiz, Daniel Carter, obviously loves to collaborate with as many different musicians from all walks of life, hence his name keeps popping up for dozens of gigs both locally and at other boroughs. Master percussionist, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, also loves to work with other musicians from different places and backgrounds. His own Ra Kalam Records label has released 25 discs, each one with different personnel, each one wonderful in its own way. It turns out that Daniel Carter and Ra Kalam have been recording/working together since Moses’ first album, ‘Bittersuite in the Ozone’ was released in 1973!
Daniel Carter plays solemn, sumptuous muted trumpet while Moses provides a wash of dreamy cymbals and slow moving percussion. Ra Kalam switches to a gong for “Scent of Compassionâ€Â, a soft, lush drone reverberates while Mr. Carter plays some subtle clarinet, hushed and dream-like. Much of this is double tracked so that Daniel Carter is playing flute & trumpet at the same time, interacting with himself. Ra Kalam also overdubs himself with several layers of kalimba (thumb piano), cymbals, gongs, drumset and hand drums, all swirling together. This session was recorded just right, the sound warm, organic and quietly mysterious. “Night Forest Ritual†is solo drumset, floating, ethereal, hypnotic with time slowing down to a more organic pulse. Moses plays contrabass, drums and congas on “Floating Meditationâ€Â, which does have a spiritual vibe permeating throughout. DC plays muted trumpet and tenor sax, gently interweaving with the simmering layer of percussive spirits. One of the things that I’ve long admired about Mr. Moses is this: his playing always has several things going on simultaneously, it both percussive & melodic, supportive and sounds complete even when he solos. It breathes just like we all do when we are still alive. Absolutely mesmerizing! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
PAUL BERNER & MICHAEL MOORE - Amulet (Ramboy #39; Netherlands) Featuring Michael Moore on clarinet and Paul Berner on contrabass. I have a longtime friend & fan of California-bred/Amsterdam based reeds wiz, Michael Moore, for more than three decades. Mr. Moore has long been a featured part/soloist for Dutch legends, the ICP Orchestra. No matter how far out or how much humor is emanating from the ICP, Moore’s focused/oft lyrical/thoughtful playing is at the center of the storm. Since moving to Amsterdam, Mr. Moore has had a number of his own projects, all spirited, inventive, inspired and diverse. Moore own Ramboy label is closing in on 40 releases, which document many of his projects. Most of these releases are varied group projects, although he did have that leaderless Bob Dylan tribute trio (a/k/a Jewels & Binoculars) and more recently 3 duo CD’s with pianist Achim Kaufmann and another duo with keyboardist Alex Maguire. Although Mr. Moore is well-known for his distinctive alto sax playing, I find his clarinet playing to consistently superb.
For this ambitious 2 CD set, Mr. Moore has decided to concentrate on playing clarinet only with a contrabassist, Paul Berner, who is also a member of Moore’s current quintet. There are some 21 songs here which cover a wide stylistic area: many well-selected standards (from the Gershwins, Rogers & Hammerstein & Irving Berlin), cover songs by Joni Mitchell, Bobby Troup, Charlie Parker and a few originals as well. Each of the two discs has its own title: ‘Amulet’ and ‘The Gift’. ‘Amulet’ begins with a standard called, “I Never Knewâ€Â, it is tender, warm, thoughtful, sublime, every note precisely placed, that ancient melody rich, touching. Mr. Berner whispers along while playing his solo which adds to its heartwarming gracefulness. Considering that there only two instruments here and no drummer involved, the music is stripped own yet still balanced just right. Although many of the standards are ancient (50-70 years ago), Moore & Berner play them so that they retain their heartwarming, lyric beauty and occasional sadness. I find it telling that Moore would choose the song, “Night Ride Home†by Joni Mitchell, which is the title tack from handful of albums that even diehard Joni Mitchell fans don’t really care for. The song sounds fine here no matter and fits perfectly with the other more familiar standards and three originals. There are way too many gems here to discuss here but I will say this: last night, I was sipping on some dry wine, watching candle burn slowly and listening to these discs. Everything fit perfectly and I still smiling thinking about it now. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $18
SLAVA GANELIN / ALEXEY KRUGLOV / OLEG YUDANOV - Access Point (Losen Records 2582; EEC) Our trio was formed in 2012, when we performed with the great success at the first Leo Records Festival in Moscow. It`s a big honor for me to be the organizer of the festival. Since then and to this day, every new meeting with the legendary Slava Ganelin, who was at the forefront of the new music in the USSR in 60-70s, the founder of the incredible "The Ganelin Trio", and the great Oleg Yudanov, a member of the amazing "Jazz-Group Arkhangelsk", is a special event for me. The programs of our trio are based on the principles of free improvisation where large scale structures of the compositions are built during the same moment, and their ideological content acquires a philosophical aspect. This album, recorded at a concert in the sensational Moscow venue Dom, represents these ideas very well. «Access Point» is a metaphor, a new world, a reality, where freedom of creativity reigns, a friendly attitude towards each other, a space to which every artist aspires, a place where an artist feels a real creative freedom.†- Alexey Kruglov
CD $15
GERHARD GSCHLOBL / ALBERTO CAVENATI / SUNK POSCHL - “Un Altro Bitte!†(Trouble in the East 020; Germany) Featuring Gerhard Gschlobl on trombone & sousaphone (tuba-like), Alberto Cavenati on electric & acoustic guitars and Sunk Poschl on drums & percussion. In 2018, we received a box of CD’s in the mail from a Berlin-based guitarist named Alberto Cavenati. The first disc on this label is also the same trio we find here. Although I had heard about Mr. Cavenati via an early CD on Unit with guest, Ralph Alessi, I hadn’t heard of the drummer, Sunk Poschl, before that first disc appeared. I had heard of trombonist, Gerhard Gschlobl, before then as he could be found on at least four discs from the JazzWerkStaat label, working with Axel Dorner, Alex von Schlippenbach and Gebhard Ullmann. This is the fifth disc we’ve gotten from Mr. Cavenati, each one a gem so far. The opening piece, “A Harvest of Friends†has a laid-back dream-like sound with soft, swirling guitar in a tight dialogue with the trombone and skeletal drums. On “Mi pequeno ciclon†Cavenati whips out some strong, mind-bending distortion at the beginning, not too loud yet still intense, each note bristles. The sousaphone slowly answers with calm yet dark drones. It soon becomes a trio with some spirited drums, sounding like a great post-punk power trio as the tempo slowly picks up and finally turns into a furious frenzy. The trombone (or sousaphone) and guitar have much different sonic palette to deal with, yet they make each piece work as they listen closely and interact. Fragments of melodies with freer weirdness flowing around one another keeps them and us on the edge of our seats. The title of this disc, “Un Altro Bitte!†refers to a bollard, which is singular barrier which is used for boats to be tied to. Perhaps they mean “another barrier!†Strong medicine either way. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
LEAP OF FAITH with PEK / GLYNIS LOMON / BOB MOORES - Imaginary Perspectives (Evil Clown 9273; USA) Featuring PEK on clarinets, saxes, flute, oboe, gongs, bells and assorted percussion; Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice and Bob Moores on trumpets, guitarron, Prophet synth and assorted percussion. It’s been a year since the ever-prolific Evil Clown label has released a new disc from their main band Leap of Faith. Due to the pandemic/close-down era, Dave PEK worked on and released nearly two dozen solo PEK projects/discs. I am glad they are back since Leap of Faith are the best and most enduring of the half dozen other projects that PEK is involved with. For this disc, the version of Leap of Faith is just a trio with two founding members, PEK and Glynis Lomon (most cello) plus a newer member, Bob Moores (mostly trumpets), who is already an established member of the Evil Clown empire and is found on some two dozen discs.
One of the things I like most about Leap of faith is that their music often sounds cinematic, three dimensional, like walking in an African or South American jungle with animal, insects and natural sounds floating around us. All three members of Leap of Faith play some sort of percussion instrument or at least an aquasonic (bowed or plucked vase), hence there is often a layer or two of percussive sounds: drums, gongs, cymbals, bells, chimes, crotales, xylophone, glockenspiel and much more. This disc starts with some solemn ritualistic percussion. PEK has also become a great producer, the balance, warmth,and organic diversity is quite special. The trumpet and cello eventually enter and take their time to express themselves. Even when Leap of Faith strip things down, their music is still evocative, fascinating. At one point, Mr. Moores takes a soft, solemn, lonely sounding trumpet solo, rather like a candle burning in the dark providing the only light. Haunting, with Ms. Lomon’s somber, plucked or bowed cello rumbling underneath. Following the trumpet, PEK comes on on clarinet, again taking his time with a long, slowly unfolding solo with rustling cello and shaken bells underneath. Much of the percussion is recorded close mic’s so that it sounds like the musicians are right next to us in the same space. Throughout this long 70 minute disc, the sound is most haunting, hypnotic and engaging. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10
CIAO CIAO CELLO - Quiero ver a ese monstruo (zOaR 087; USA) Ciao Ciao Cello features Jack Adler-McKean on tuba, Lorena Izquierdo Aparico on voice / poetry and Beat Keller on feedback guitar & acoustic guitar. Recorded in Berlin in December of 2020 and released on Elliott Sharp’s own zOaR label. Aside from composing, playing and releasing various CDs on his own label, Elliott Sharp has also been production, engineering and mixing for other musicians from different places. The only name here I vaguely recognize is guitarist Beat Keller who was/is part of another trio with Werner Puntigram & Georg Wilbertz, whose disc was also released on zOaR late last year (2020). The title seems to translates as “I want to see that monsterâ€Â, hmmmm. If you do some research on Beat Kller, you see that he has designed his electric guitar, a sort of Gibson SG with a speaker & assorted devices built in. This is what he calls a “feedback guitar’. I just reviewed another trio with tuba (sousaphone) and el guitar earlier today (9/8/21), plus both are based in Berlin. I guess this instrumentation is not so rare.
This trio is much further out with some truly strange vocal sounds by Ms. Aparicio, careful fractured notes from the el guitar and suspense-filled long tones from the tuba. I love the way Aparicio takes her time to stretch out certain vocal sounds, overdubbing several vocal parts, some more scary than the rest. At times Ms. Aparicio will scream, bending certain notes or sounds, each time she does this, it sounds (or feels) different. She is also playful at times and obviously has a sense of humor as well. The trio is often sparse with unexpected twists and turns and sly interplay. Since Ms. Aparicio consistently alters her voice, both the tuba and guitar have a good deal to work with, from the subtle to the extreme, from the more melodic fragments to some strange intersections. This is weird yet most fascinating excursion which keeps shapeshifting through varied expectations and sonic adventures. For those who care, there is not much poetry being used here as Ms. Aparicio uses her voice in a variety of ways without many words involved. Most impressive if you are brave enough to indulge. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
BACK IN STOCK & NOW ON SALE: $1 off of regular price, $2 off if you but both together!
SATOKO FUJII - Piano Music (Libra 201-067; Japan) Featuring Satoko Fujii on solo piano recorded at home in Kobe City in March 0f 2021. Considering that the ever-prolific pianist, Satoko Fujii, has some 90 discs out in her 30 year career, her solo piano offerings are only occasional, perhaps 8 or 9 in three decades. Each one captures where she’s evolved since the last, releasing a variety of duos, trios, quartets and larger ensembles in between. This disc contains just two long pieces, one at 19 minutes and one at 27 minutes. The first sounds the appear here are some sort of organ-like drone with Satoko fanning some strings inside the piano, the overall sound is most enchanting. Hard to believe that this is just one piano. In the notes it says that Satoko is using an ebow or two to coax the drone(s) from her piano. Her work inside the piano just keeps getting better, more fascinating and she hasn’t even touched the keyboard yet. Stunning! The sound of rubbed strings is like several ghost voices emanating from the depths, reaching into our hearts and souls and trying to help escape the prisons of our our bodies. Eventually Ms. Fujii begins scraping something inside the piano while muting certain strings with her hand, the overall effect is most mesmerizing. In the liner notes, it mentions that Ms. Fujii and her longtime partner, Natsuki Tamura, are world-travelers who collaborate with many musicians from around the world: the USA, Berlin, Australia & Japan. During the year long pandemic, the couple had to stay home and not travel thus working on their alone & as a couple with little or no gigs. This music sounds to me Ms. Fujii is trying to exorcise her inner demons, universal loneliness and frustration, rising above all the things which are holding us down, keeping us inside and testing our faith in man & womankind. This music evokes quite a bit of inner turmoil yet somehow I can almost hear the hope that still bonds us all together. All that Ms. Fujii is playing alone in her home, we are her audience, her listening family from around the world. In many ways this doesn’t sound like a mere solo piano project, it sounds like so much more. It is your turn to be her audience, she is speaking to us all. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
NATSUKI TAMURA - Koki Solo (Libra 101-066; Japan) Featuring Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, piano, wok & voice. Recorded at home in November of 2020 during the pandemic. Japanese trumpeter, Natsuki Tamura, has been recording for some 30 years, often with his partner Satoko Fujii, in duos, trios, quartets and several orchestras. Mr. rarely records solo efforts, this being only his fourth in 30 years. His playing has long evolved, perhaps even more quirky, humorous and unpredictable over time. In the more than two dozen times I’ve caught Tamura live, I am more impressed with adventurous spirit and madcap behavior. In the liner notes, Natsuki tells us about his decision to become a musician some fifty years ago and the many odd things he’s done, including playing piano when he was younger and having to play drums in one band for their last set in the early days. Since this disc was recorded during the pandemic, Natsuki recorded it at home in a small soundproof room with no room for a drum set. Instead he played a wok with kitchen utensils, even going back to the piano, his original instrument from many years ago. From the gitgo, Mr. Tamura plays these quick spinning lines, showing his diversity, leaping from one idea to the next, fragments of melodies from somewhat familiar songs, bending certain notes and occasionally singing softly through his trumpet to create harmonies with appropriate notes. Even when Natsuki switches to cooking percussion on the second track, he sounds quite musical, carefully exploring those unique acoustic, metallic sounds, as well as singing in a few silly cartoon-like voice. On each piece, Mr. Tamura explores a variety of sounds on his trusty trumpet, never at a loss to come up with something fantastic or at least captivating, from quaint to explosive and everywhere in between. This is my favorite solo trumpet effort at the present since it sounds like a real human being expressing himself fully. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
RAY CAMPBELL / JOHN DIKEMAN / RAOUL VAN DER WEIDE / PETER JACQUEMYN / KLAUS KUGEL - When the Time is Right (577 Records 5834; USA) Featuring Roy Campbell - trumpets & flute, John Dikeman on tenor sax, Raoul van der Weide on cello & percussion, Peter Jacquemyn on contrabass and Klaus Kugel on drums. Recorded at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam at the dOeK Festival in May of 2013. Legendary NY trumpeter, Roy Campbell, was one of the most diverse and loved of the many Downtown musicians I’ve known. I caught him many times with great bands like Other Dimensions in Music, the Nu Band plus as a member of several large ensembles led by William Parker, Jemeel Moondoc & Steve Swell. Mr. Campbell loved to sit in and worked with many other kindred spirits throughout his long career. This one-time quintet features both Amsterdam based players: John Dikeman (American-born) & Raoul van der Weide (worked with Burton Greene, Juus Jansenn & Blue Lines Sextet) plus two German musicians: Peter Jacquemyn (worked with Peter Kowald, Phil Minton) and Klaus Kugel (Ganelin New Trio & Steve Swell).
The set here is powerful fire music, burning, intense, full-throttle when it begins. Both Mr. Dikeman (tenor sax) and Roy Campbell (trumpet) take long, mind-blowing solos. Even when not soloing, all members are engaged, spinning their intoxicating free spirits together as the inner fire continues to burn higher and higher. What I like most about this disc is that is spontaneous combustion, free-flowing and joyous to behold. Towards the end, the quintet slows down for a sublime, solemn conclusion which feels just right. All five members working together in a tight, spirited, most creative way. A cosmic love-fest supreme! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
PAULINE OLIVEROS / STUART DEMPSTER / PANAIOTIS - Deep Listening (Important Records 473; USA) "Deep Listening still sounds revolutionary. While drone, minimalism and ambient music have proliferated in the intervening decades, few albums in those fields are as rich texturally and harmonically or have such a clarity of vision. The salience of Deep Listening resides in its contrast to mainstream culture's riptide trajectory towards distraction and saturation, towards soloed media and political environments." --Pitchfork (9.2 Best New Reissue/#8 on "Top 50 ambient albums of all time")
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Deep Listening, Important Records offer you a definitive edition of the album combining the classic, complete original 1989 release with selected tracks from the Deep Listening Band's 1991 album The Readymade Boomerang. Recorded in a cistern, Deep Listening reverberates with brilliant sonic clarity and masterfully improvised performances combining live electronics, vocals, trombone and accordion. Deep Listening is a classic in the fields of improvisation, minimalism, ambient/drone and modern classical. Listen with attentiveness, listen while lying down, listen with headphones -- as recording engineer Al Swanson entices the listener to become a virtual performer in selecting the many different ways to perceive these phenomenal tracks. Whatever you do, listen deeply.â€Â
CD $16
LAWRENCE ENGLISH - A Mirror Holds The Sky (Room40 4140; Australia) From Lawrence English: "In late months of 2008, I had the great fortune to spend some weeks in the Amazon. The visit, facilitated through Francisco Lopez's Mamori Artlab residency, remains one of the most deeply affecting experiences I have had . . . Living in Australia, tropical rainforests are not foreign to me. I would even say I am rather at home in them. My family, who lived and worked on the land of the Ngajanji people, had an admiration for, or in the very least a respect of, the rainforest. What makes time spent in the jungles of the Amazon different however is the scale and sheer volume (metaphoric and literal) of the life that inhabits it. Hundreds of thousands of narratives are in play moment to moment, their interactions flow together forming a perpetual cascade of arrival and departure, fertility and decay -- these fundamental states are intrinsically linked and constantly informing one another . . . To listen in the jungle is to listen in close relief -- in every square meter, thousands of insects cry out, their voices reducing the horizon of listening to a matter of centimeters at certain times of the day (and night) . . . The abundance of birds, mammals, beetles, flies, ants and so many other creatures are a source of constant and evolving fascination. In the lakes and rivers too, the hydro-sonic environments are perpetual and effortlessly deep . . . A Mirror Holds The Sky is in some ways an act of acoustic and temporal compression. It is a rendering down of the lived-in moments and environments that became points of intense listenership. If I am to be honest, it has taken me the better part of a decade to know how to approach this archive of materials. I owe a debt of gratitude to Chico Dub at Festival Novas Frequências, who very gently encouraged me to realize a piece for diffusion as part of his program in 2019. That invitation retuned my ears and in the process unlocked a way of approaching the mammoth 50 hours of recordings I had gathered during my time there. I also owe a special debt of gratitude to my wife Rebecca, who was instrumental in gathering some of these recordings. Her ears reflected an entirely other set of interests than my own and without that, this piece would be substantially less than what it is." 48-page perfect bound book featuring photographs by English, taken on location in the Amazon.
CD / BOOK $25
DAVID TOOP / AKIO SUZUKI / LAWRENCE ENGLISH - Breathing Spirit Forms (ROOM 40 4171; AUSTRALIA) In August 2013, David Toop and Akio Suzuki visited Australia. During a residency on Tamborine Mountain (an anglicized version of the Yugambeh word Jambreen), the pair were joined by Lawrence English for a series of site specific, environment-led improvisations created around the fringes of the Tamborine plateau. Embedded in place, these recordings flow from and merge into the land on which they were created. Aural emissions answering back to the frenetic songforms of Lyre birds, the murmuring waterfalls and the hushed ambiences of night insects amongst the foliage. Includes 24-page book with text by David Toop, drawings by Akio Suzuki and photography by Lawrence English.
From Lawrence English: "I am ceaselessly fascinated by how memory operates and, I'm regularly struck by how individually subjective a collective experience can be when recalled by its participants. Lynch's Lost Highway comes to mind here, specifically Bill Pullman's character Fred Madison who says 'I like to remember things my own way. How I remembered them, not necessarily the way they happened.' Like Madison, I can't help but sense that memory takes shape through an accumulative process that reflects how each of us have lived (and maybe even wanted to live) up to that point in time. Going back to listen again to these recordings of which I was a part with David and Akio, I was surprised by what elements had stayed with me and what others had slipped into the eternal greying of my mind. I have vivid recollections of listening to a Lyre bird before recording the pieces together at Witches Falls. I remember both Akio and David finding musicality in decaying palm fronds. I remember Akio's voice, amplified through his Analpos, bouncing off the stones and trees. I remember David's flute, so quiet in the pitch black of the night forest as to appear like a hushed tone of wind or a distant animal calling. I also remember trying to match my modest hand-held electronics with the pulsing and pitching of the insects around me . . . Breathing Spirit Forms represents a distinctive exchange between friends and collaborators. Tamborine commands a special presence and encourages a deep patience from those who are willing to give time to its varied environments. For the three of us, we were fortunate to share these moments together, fleeting in our lives as they might be, to sense the mountain's unique qualities, to respond to them through our exchanges and to form memories (as disparate as they might be) we carry forward with us in time."
CD / BOOK $25
JEAN CLAUDE JONES / RAYMOND BONI - Visions of Sound (Kadima 49; Israel) Twelve studio improvisations between Kadima-label leader JC Jones playing on a lap-steel plugged in Spanish guitar and French guitarist & improviser Raymond Boni, also performing on harmonica and electronics, where Jones, leveraging his history of work as a double bassist, often takes on the role of percussive/rhythmic foundation against Boni's incredible explorations.â€Â
CD $12
MEGAN ALICE CLUNE - If You Do (Room40 4157; Australia) “Megan Alice Clune's If You Do is a work of restrained ecstasy. Drawing on her interests in extended minimalist traditions, especially explorations into variable tunings featured in the works orbiting those involved in the Theatre Of Eternal Music, Clune devises a record of constant deepening. Each piece unfolds into the next, and whilst existing individually, they also operate as a collected mass of sound. If You Do is a constant, almost stream of consciousness, flow of voice, drones, keyboards and electronics.
From Megan Alice Clune; "On the 9th of August 2020 I had a dream I wrote an opera. I had been unable to write much music since February, when I returned from three-months in Tokyo where this album was initially conceived. It was possibly the longest creative break I have undergone in the last five years. But suddenly, the small melodies I had been singing closely into my microphone late at night, quietly so my neighbors wouldn't hear, took on a larger scale, and one that seemed to echo the scale engendered by 2020. The confinement to the home, the epic events going on outside. My small, timid voice filtered through a myriad of technologies as I talked to friends, taught online; amplified, distorted, compressed, equalized. Sped up, slowed down as my Wi-Fi drops in and out. If You Do became an album for solo voice and an ensemble of technologies. An album about contorting the body (voice) through time (rhythm, pulse), repetition and form. The work is nostalgic for past futures: wishing for the technological optimism of the late '70s and early '80s, of Timothy Leary believing the computer would offer a liberation to the masses. A time before Big Tech, Big Data. It's a record made alone, dreaming of unmediated interaction with an audience that may never arrive . . . Back in Tokyo, I noticed how physical and digital spaces were being dislocated. I was wondering how we got here, thinking about where that leaves my music in light of this. I began collecting each of the track names from my surroundings -- things read or overheard or gathered both in Japan (the title If You Do came from a necklace found at Ohi Racecourse Flea Market) and, later, at home, online. As such, the album occupies an amorphous space. Within the genre of ambient music but only just. It creates a space that is still heavily mediated, but hopes to locate and communicate directly. Then, at my computer, stuck in a glitching, echoing loop, I was looking for signs to keep writing. I listened to Laurie Anderson's Big Science or David Bowie's Subterraneans or Underworld's Born Slippy..."
CD $18
ARCHIVAL / HISTORIC / REISSUES:
PATTO - Patto - Give It All Away: The Albums 1970-1973 (Esoteric Eclec 42762; UK) “Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of Give it All Away - The Albums 1970 -1973, a re-mastered four-disc clamshell box set of the four albums recorded by the legendary band PATTO between 1970 and 1973; Patto, Hold Your Fire, Roll 'Em, Smoke 'Em, Put Another Line Out and Monkey's Bum. One of the truly great bands of the early 1970s, PATTO featured a line-up comprising Mike Patto (vocals), Ollie Halsall (guitar, vibes, keyboards, vocals), Clive Griffiths (bass) and John Halsey (drums). The band arose from the ashes of the group Timebox and were graced by the presence of the stunning guitar playing of Ollie Halsall and a highly original and unique musical style that set them aside from their Progressive Rock contemporaries of the era. This, the band's self-titled debut album, was released in 1970 under a licensing agreement with Vertigo Records and featured classic tracks such as 'The Man', 'San Antone' and 'Government Man'. Their 1971 follow up, Hold Your Fire was perhaps their most fully realised and acclaimed work thanks to outstanding compositions such as 'You, You Point Your Finger', 'Hold Your Fire' and 'Air Raid Shelter'. Departing Vertigo in 1972, PATTO recorded the album Roll 'Em, Smoke 'Em, Put Another Line Out. Alas, despite receiving critical acclaim for their live appearances and recorded work, the release failed to make any sales impact. The band entered the studio in the spring of 1973 to record their final work, Monkey's Bum. Sadly, the album failed to gain an official release upon completion and was consigned to the vaults. A rough mix of the album was bootlegged several times over the ensuing years before Monkey's Bum finally received an official release in 2017.â€Â
4 CD Set $36
ECLECTION with TREVOR LUCAS / KERRILEE MALE or DORRIS HENDERSON / POLI PALMER / GEORG KAJANUS / GERRY CONWAY - Eclection: Remastered & Expanded Edition (Esoteric 2552; UK) Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a re-mastered and expanded edition of the classic 1968 self-titled album by the legendary folk / progressive rock band Eclection. This expanded edition of "Eclection" has been newly re-mastered from the original Elektra master tapes, features three bonus tracks originally released as singles in 1968 (including the re-make of "Please (MKII) featuring Dorris Henderson on vocals following the departure of Kerrilee Male from the band). The release includes a lavish booklet with rare & previously unseen photographs and liner notes featuring exclusive interviews with Georg Kajanus and Gerry Conway.
CD $17
LP Section:
TOMCHESS / RAVI PADMANABHA - Permanence of The Uninterrupted Continuity (Good Karma Bad Karma Records 018/Foot Jumbo Records 001; USA) Featuring TomChess on oud, ney, morsing & compositions and Ravi Padmanabha on tabla, sarangi, bells & percussion. I’ve been checking out the oudist/multi-instrumentalist, TomChess, playing in a variety of contexts for nearly two decades. I even asked TC to sit in with Marty Ehrlich/Thomas Heberer/Jason Hwang/Michael Vaycher for at Steve Dalachinsky memorial concert at DMG in November of 2019 and it worked out well. I am a big fan of the oud (middle-eastern lute of sorts) and am often glad to have someone play it here at DMG. TC has played here more than any other oudists, although he also plays ney (end-blown flute) and morsing (jawharp). I know of tabla player, Ravi Padmanabha, much less although I recall a trio session he did once with Robert Dick and Steve Baczkowski. Besides tabla, Padmanabha also plays sarangi (Indian bowed instrument with 3 or 4 main strings & 35 sympathetic strings)
The first thing I noticed about this music is that it is superbly recorded: warm, clean and pressed on thick hi-quality vinyl. The title piece is first and epic length at 13 plus minutes. Initially I was going to say that the piece is raga-like but it evolves in a different way than a usual raga. There is more tight interplay going here and not the same linear development. Padmanabha plays tablas and other assorted hand percussion, his playing is often subtle, mystical and somewhat melodic. It sounds as if these two musicians are having an ongoing conversation, with some strong back & forth ideas flowing. When TC switches to morsing, he is mouthing the words as he plays that jawharp-like instrument. His repeating vocal sounds are rather chant like and have a most hypnotic effect (recalling a Native American chant/song like “Witchie Tai-Toâ€Â). When TC switch to the ney, he sounds more playful, like a fairy/spirit dancing in small flames. The combination of the oud and sarangi on “Time, Night and the Seaâ€Â, is especially compelling. The bowed sarangi sounds like a hurdy-gurdy with slightly bent strings which embrace the sound of the oud in a unique, enchanting way. The sarangi has a drone-like quality which slowly shifts tonalities as it is played. The ney also has a haunting, breathlike tone, which also works well with the subtle percussive tablas. There quite a bit of ancient/modern magic going on throughout this album. Grab your quickly before they disappear like an extinguished flame. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
LP $20 [LTD Edition of 100, numbered]
HENRI POUSSEUR - Early Experimental Electronic Music 1954-1961 (Fantome Phonographique 1012; Italy) “Henri Pousseur was a Belgian composer, teacher, and music theorist active from the 1950s on, influenced by Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Luciano Berio. Pousseur may be lesser known than those contemporaries but his composition and technique is regarded by many as equaling, if not surpassing much of the work of those more famous names. Realized in the same Cologne radio studio as much of Stockhausen's most famous work, this collection brings together some of Pousseur's greatest work, early tape and electronic masterpieces that deserve the recognition afforded many of his more famous contemporaries.â€Â
LP $16
ANESTIS LOGOTHETIS - Hor!-Spiel / Nekrologlog 1961 / Fantasmata 1960 (Fantome Phonographique 1011 LP; Italy) Last copies. The Greek avant-garde composer Anestis Logothetis was noted for his pioneering tape techniques as well as developing his own notation system for composition that incorporated visual symbols meant to be interpreted by the performers. "Hör!-spiel" / Nekrologlog 1961 / Fantasmata 1960 collects three of his most famous works, realized in Vienna where he spent much of the 1940s-1960s. After completing studies at the music academy there, in the 1950s Logothetis became enamored of 20th century composers like John Cage and Earle Brown, and moved away from traditional composition for orchestras and performers in favor of fully electronic composition in the late '50s. A groundbreaking composer and electronic musician, Logothetis has long been under-appreciated by the world of avant-garde and electronic musicians but Fantôme Phonographique seeks to rectify that issue with this brilliant release.â€Â
LP $16
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LARGE OWL JAZZ LABEL SALE! All Single CD’s $10, 1 DVD, 2-2 CD Sets & a DVD! 100 titles!
Here’s the deal for this list.
Buy any 5 items & a get any other $10 CD for free!
The free item can’t be a 2 CD set, a DVD or the box set.
All items are currently available although certain ones are down to the last 2 or 3.
Some of these titles might be the Sunnyside (domestic) versions rather than the Owl (French) versions. Not sure but the music in the same.
Most of these items are nearly or completely out-of-print so he or she who snoozes, loses.
There are a few reviews down below if you need some advise…
AMADOU & MARIAM - Sou Ni Tile (Owl 3039; France)
CD Sale $10
[MICKEY BAKER a/k/a] McHOUSTON BAKER with STEFAN GROSSMAN - Mississippi Delta Blues (Owl 3051; France)
CD Sale $10
KENNY BARRON - Canta Brasil (Owl 3005; France)
CD Sale $10
KENNY BARRON QUINTET With STEFON HARRIS / ANNE DRUMMOND / KIYOSHI KITAGAWA / KIM THOMPSON - Images (Owl 3021; France)
CD Sale $10
KENNY BARRON - Live at Bradley’s (Owl 3002; France)
CD Sale $10
KENNY BARRON - Perfect Set: Live at Bradley’s 2 (Owl 3031; France)
CD Sale $10
RAN BLAKE - Wende (Owl 3516; France) 1976 solo studio recording!
CD Sale $10
PAUL BLEY & GARY PEACOCK - Partners (Owl 3503; France)
CD Sale $10
PAUL BLEY / JIMMY GIUFFRE / STEVE SWALLOW - The Life Of A Trio: Saturday (Owl 3514; France)
CD Sale $10
PAUL BLEY / JIMMY GIUFFRE / STEVE SWALLOW - The Life Of A Trio: Sunday (Owl 3515; France)
CD Sale $10
LUIS BONFA - Le Roi de la Bossa Nova / The King of Bossa Nova (Owl 3037; France)
CD Sale $10
CLARENCE GATEMOUTH BROWN - Down South in the Bayou Country (Owl 3046; France)
CD Sale $10
CLARENCE GATEMOUTH BROWN - Gate’s on the Heat (Owl 3052; France)
CD Sale $10
CLARENCE GATEMOUTH BROWN - Boogaloosa Boogie Man (Owl 3060; France)
CD Sale $10
DENNIS CHAMBERS / BIRELI LAGRENE / DOMINIC DI PIAZZA - Front Page (Owl 3019; France)
CD Sale $10
JACQUES COURSIL With MINO CINELU / ALEX BERNARD / et al - Clameurs (Owl 3073; France)
CD Sale $10
JACQUES COURSIL With MARK WHITECAGE / PERRY ROBINSON / BOBBY FEW / ALAN SILVA / SUNNY MURRAY / et al - Trail of Tears (Owl 3085; France)
CD Sale $10
MICHEL MISJA FITZGERALD With DREW GRESS / JOCHEN RUECKERT RAVI COLTRANE - Encounter (Owl 3040; France)
CD Sale $10
SERGE GAINSBOURG - Aux Armes et Caetera (Owl 3601; France)
2 CD Set Sale $14
SERGE GAINSBOURG - Mauvaises Nouvelles des Etoiles (Owl 3602; France)
CD Sale $10
STAN GETZ / KENNY BARRON - People Time: The Complete Recordings (Owl 3084; France)
7 CD Box Set Sale $50
JIMMY GIUFFRE / PAUL BLEY / STEVE SWALLOW - Fly Away Little Bird (Owl 3504; France)
CD Sale $10
STEPHANE GRAPPELLI & MARTIAL SOLAL - Happy Reunion (Owl 3513; France)
CD $10
TIGRAN HAMASYAN with BEN WENDEL / XAVIER PHILLIPS / SAM MINAE / CHRIS TORDINI / NATE WOOD / et al - Shadow Theatre (Owl 3099; France)
CD Sale $10
DAVE HOLLAND BIG BAND With CHRIS POTTER / ROBIN EUBANKS / JOSH ROSEMAN / TAYLOR HASKINS / et al - Overtime (Dare2/Owl 3028; France)
CD Sale $10
DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET with CHRIS POTTER / STEVE NELSON / NATE SMITH - Critical Mass (Owl 3058; France)
CD Sale $10
LEE KONITZ / KENNY WERNER - Unleemited (Owl 3511; France)
CD Sale $10
STEVE KUHN - Oceans in the Sky (Owl 3508; France)
CD Sale $10
STEVE KUHN / STEVE SWALLOW - Two by 2 (Owl 3526; France)
CD Sale $10
STEVE LACY With GEORGE E LEWIS / IRENE AEBI / JEAN-JACQUES AVENEL / JOHN BETSCH - Beat Suite (Owl 3012; France)
CD Sale $10
JEANNE LEE With LEO SMITH / GUNTER HAMPEL / DAVE HOLLAND / JEROME HARRIS / MARK WHITECAGE et al - Natural Affinities (Owl 3509; France)
CD Sale $10
LES PROMITIFS DU FUTUR - World Musette (Owl 3043; France)
CD Sale $10
FURRY LEWIS - Fourth & Beale (Owl 3050; France)
CD Sale $10
JOE LOVANO / ALDO ROMANO - Ten Tales (Owl 3507; France)
CD Sale $10
JOHN McLAUGHLIN / ZAKIR HUSSAIN - Remember Shakti: Way of Beauty (Owl 3076; France)
DVD $15
HELEN MERRILL / GORDON BECK - No Tears No Goodbyes (Owl 3506; France)
CD $10
CHARLES MINGUS With CHARLES McPHERSON / BOBBY JONES / EDDIE PRESTON / JAKI BYARD / DANNIE RICHMOND - In Paris Complete America Session (Owl 3065; France)
2 CD Sale Set $14
MINGUS BIG BAND with SEAMUS BLAKE / ABRAHAM BURTON / ALEX FOSTER / CRAIG HANDY / JEREMY PELT / JACK WALRATH / RANDY BRECKER / et al - I am Three (Owl 3029; France)
CD Sale $10
BOB MINTZER & GIL GOLDSTEIN - Longing (Owl 3517; France)
CD Sale $10
RED MITCHELL with BOB STENSON / RUNE CARLSSON - One Long String (Owl 3063; France)
CD Sale $10
MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Michel Petrucciani (Owl 3510; France)
CD Sale $10
MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Oracle’s Destiny (Owl 3519; France)
CD Sale $10
MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Cold Blues (Owl 3520; France)
CD Sale $10
MICHEL PETRUCCIANI With LEE KONITZ / RON McCLURE / JEAN-FRANCOIS JENNY-CLARK / ALDO ROMANO - Days Of Wine And Roses: The Owl Years 1981-1985 [2 CD set] (Owl/Sunnyside 3001 ,USA)
2 CD Set $12
EDITH PIAF - Vie En Rose 1935-1951 (Owl 3081; France)
CD Sale $10
MICHEL PORTAL With TONY MALABY / JEF LEE JOHNSON / TONY HYMAS / FRANCOIS MOUTIN / et al - Birdwatcher (Owl 3064; France)
CD Sale $10
CHRIS POTTER with KEVIN HAYES / SCOTT COLLEY / BILL STEWART - Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard (Owl 3022; France)
CD Sale $10
CHRIS POTTER UNDERGROUND With WAYNE KRANTZ / CRAIG TABORN / NATE SMITH - Underground (Owl 3034; France)
CD Sale $10
CHRIS POTTER 10 With MARK FELDMAN / MICHAEL RABBINOWITZ / STEVE CARDENAS / et al - Songs for Anyone (Owl 3074; France)
CD Sale $10
CHRIS POTTER UNDERGROUND With ADAM ROGERS / CRAIG TABORN / NATE SMITH - Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard (Owl 3075; France)
CD Sale $10
BADEN POWELL - O Universo Musical de Baden Powell (Owl 3016; France)
CD Sale $10
BADEN POWELL - Canta Vinicius de Moraes e Paolo Cesra Pinheiro (Owl 3038; France)
CD Sale $10
BADEN POWELL - Le Monde Musical de Baden Powell (Owl 3056; France)
CD Sale $10
PROFESSOR LONGHAIR - Rock N’ Roll Gumbo (Owl 3029; France)
CD Sale $10
ROSWELL RUDD / TOUMANI DIABATE - Malicool (Owl 3008; France)
CD Sale $10
LINDA SHARROCK / ERIC WATSON - Listen to the Night (Owl 3525; France)
CD Sale $10
MEMPHIS SLIM with MICKEY BAKER / ROOSEVELT SYKES / WILLIE DIXON / CANNED HEAT / HENRI TISCHITZ / et al - Paris Mississippi Blues (Owl 3025; France)
2 CD Set Sale $14
MEMPHIS SLIM - Blue Memphis Suite (Owl 3045; France)
CD Sale $10
MEMPHIS SLIM & CANNED HEAT - Memphis Slim (Owl 3047; France)
CD Sale $10
MEMPHIS SLIM & BUDDY GUY - Southside Reunion (Owl 3053; France)
CD Sale $10
MEMPHIS SLIM & ROOSEVELT SYKES - Double-Barreled Boogie (Owl 3070; France)
CD Sale $10
MEMPHIS SLIM - Boogie Woogie (Owl 3071; France)
CD Sale $10
JACKY TERRASSON - Gouache (Owl 3092; France)
CD Sale $10
T-BONE WALKER - Good Feeling (Owl 3044; France)
CD Sale $10
RANDY WESTON & THE GNAWA MASTER MUSICIANS OF MOROCCO - Spirit, The Power of Music (Owl 3015; France)
CD Sale $10
RANDY WESTON / BILLY HARPER - Roots of the Blues (Owl 3097; France)
CD Sale $10
WILD MAGNOLIAS - They Call Us Wild (Owl 3068; France)
CD Sale $10
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AMADOU & MARIAM - Sou Ni Tile (Owl 3039; France) “Mali's Amadou & Mariam sing in three African languages and French but more importantly are fluent in a musical language that often transcends ordinary speech. Polyrhythmic percussion, complex vocal harmonies, and fluid guitar, violin, and horn lines -- as well as the occasional harmonica -- are combined to create earthy songs that are more given the breath of life than performed. Each of the album's 15 songs beats with its own human, living pulse. "A Radio Mogo" hints at Caribbean reggae, while "Mon Amour, Ma Cherie" allows Amadou to stretch out a bit on guitar, over a rolling, throbbing beat. While not as blues-oriented as the more internationally known Malian guitarists, Ali Farka Toure and Boubacar Traore, Amadou plays guitar in an accomplished, heartfelt style that's accessible in any language. In Sou Ni Tile, Amadou & Mariam and their band have created mature, intelligent pop music that's accessible exactly because the musicians have chosen not to trade exuberance or passion for their maturity and intelligence.†- Brian Beatty, AMG
CD Sale $10
[MICKEY BAKER a/k/a] McHOUSTON BAKER with STEFAN GROSSMAN - Mississippi Delta Blues (Owl 3051; France) “Mississippi Delta Dues is a complete departure from Mickey Baker's landmark 1950s electric guitar work for Ray Charles and others. With acoustic bottleneck specialist Stefan Grossman at his side and surprisingly backed by the London Strings Orchestra, the talented guitarist covers a variety of tunes by long-dead bluesmen. Excluding the bonus tracks, this was previously released as House of the Blues, Vol. 5 on the Blue Star label.†- Mark Allan, AMG
CD Sale $10
PAUL BLEY & GARY PEACOCK - Partners (Owl 3503; France) Fifteen solos and duos from this longtime partnership that have been playing together since the fifties. Paul Bley plays piano and Gary Peacock plays contrabass. This was first released in 1990 and has been a hard-to-find release ever since. All originals, except for Ornette's "Latin Genetics".
CD Sale $10
LUIS BONFA - Le Roi de la Bossa Nova / The King of Bossa Nova (Owl 3037; France) While it's true that Luiz Bonfá is a forgotten name among many bossa nova lovers -- past and present -- a forgotten name rarely associated with his younger peers he influenced (Jobim, Gilberto, de Moraes) who took the music to international popularity. Bonfá is a ghost whose shadow looms large over the music, whether he is well known or not. He composed both main themes for Black Orpheus, which ended up on the hit soundtrack. Here Bonfá does what he does best: play an amazing guitar, arrange a series of uncredited session players, sing, and dig deep into the roots of bossa nova as it comes out of samba, but then return it changed but folded into the tradition. Tracks like "Samba de Duas Notas" ("Two Note Samba"), with its beautiful guitar/flute front line slipping around and through one another in the bridge, are typical of this man's artistry and innovative. The gorgeous ballad "Lila" offers a portrait of Bonfá the balladeer. His deep, fluid fingerpicking style colors each melodic phrase, shades the changes, and offers a harmonic and technical invention that guitarists like Tal Farlow would kill for. "Sudade Vem Correndo" comes off like a jazz tune with a horn section upfront and Bonfá leading the rhythm section, which includes a piano. He may get lost a little in the mix, which is ancient, but he's there setting the deep groove in the tune. His comping behind the pianist's solo actually gives him a wider palette to improvise upon. Ultimately, this is a beautiful set, one that singularly displays many but not all of Bonfá's gifts. It is deep bossa, but its airiness, light, and song-like qualities equal its technical excellence, and make it accessible to anyone interested in the music. [A Sunnyside reissue of the album added a four-cut EP called En Direct du Bresil ("Direct from Brazil"), recorded and issued the same year as the LP program, 1963.]†- Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
CD Sale $10
MICHEL MISJA FITZGERALD With DREW GRESS / JOCHEN RUECKERT RAVI COLTRANE - Encounter (Owl 3040; France) Featuring Misja FitzGerald Michel on electric & acoustic guitars, Drew Gress on double bass, Jochen Rueckert on drums plus Ravi Coltrane on tenor sax (2 tracks only). Considering that I hadn't heard of this French guitarist before this, he is a most impressive musician. This is Misja's fourth disc and he does have an impressive resume, playing with Gary Thomas, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Rich Perry, Seamus Blake, Robin Eubanks, Mark Helias & Billy Hart. You all should know of downtown bassist Drew Gress from various projects, but I hadn't heard of this drummer before this date either. Half of the tunes here were written by Misja, the other half well selected gems by Ornette Coleman (two), John Coltrane (two) and one by Wayne Shorter and the other by B(illy?) Stewart. Ornette's "Chopin" opens this disc with a strong performance by the quartet with Ravi Coltrane's strong tenor up front and interweaving with Misja's furious, swinging guitar. The drummer takes a long and spirited solo, continuing the flow just right. A few of these pieces feature solo acoustic guitar and are pretty incredible displays of impressive dexterity and chops. I dig his own piece, "Mirage" which reminds of Ralph Towner or early John McLaughlin playing with a sympathetic rhythm team. One of the highlights is Misja's solo acoustic 12-string version of Ornette's classic "Lonely Woman", which is ever so enchanting, fleeting and poignant. I like the way Misja switches back and forth between complex chords and quick flashes of notes on "Think Before You Think", the drummer navigating the changes so intricately. Coltrane's "Countdown" is taken at an amazingly pace and done entirely on solo acoustic guitar. Quite a tour-de-force. "The Gathering" features a strong, complex theme that keeps Ravi and Misja on their toes playing around one another, as well as some intense and busy rhythm-team work. Misja has a knack for choosing pieces that shift tempos and dynamics, putting the trio through some difficult hoops on "Wayne Shorter's " Limbo". All three players spin intricately around one another on this extremely challenging piece. They bring things to a somber close on Trane's "Central Park West", which is done exquisitely with a superb, dreamy guitar solo. 'Encounter' is without a doubt, one of the finest jazz guitar discs to come out in a long while. - BLG
CD Sale $10
SERGE GAINSBOURG - Aux Armes et Caetera (Owl 3601; France) “Released in 1979, this first reggae album by Serge Gainsbourg was reissued in 2003 with a bonus disc containing dub and DJ versions of the original songs.â€Â
2 CD Set Sale $14
SERGE GAINSBOURG - Mauvaises Nouvelles des Etoiles (Owl 3602; France) “Released in 1981, this second reggae album by Serge Gainsbourg was reissued in 2003 with a bonus disc containing dub and DJ versions of the original songs.â€Â
CD Sale $10
STAN GETZ / KENNY BARRON - People Time: The Complete Recordings (Owl 3084; France) "In March 1991, Stan and Kenny played four nights at Cafe Montmartre in Copenhaguen. The performances were miraculous. They include some of the most candidly impassioned music ever recorded and represent a pinnacle in the art and lives of the musicians. In the candid, poignant liner notes he wrote for the original release, Kenny recalled: "Stan played exceptionally well, giving every solo his all. But I noticed after each solo that he was literally out of breath." On the last night, they played one of the finest sets of the engagement a parting gift of luminous inspiration. "IF you are a Getz fan and you have the 2 CD set edition of People Time, think again. This 7 CD set is beyond words, but I'll say a few. The sound is better than the 2 CD set and so clear, that you can hear when Stan is out of breath.The music is touching, not just because Stan would die 3 months later, but his playing is flawless!"
7 CD Box Set Sale $50
TIGRAN HAMASYAN with BEN WENDEL / XAVIER PHILLIPS / SAM MINAE / CHRIS TORDINI / NATE WOOD / et al - Shadow Theatre (Owl 3099; France)â€ÂTigran Hamasyan’s new record, Shadow Theater, is an example of a work by an artist creating in a world of cultural and ideological multiplicity. The music is by turns melodic, complex, meditative, lamentful, kinetic, culturally particular, boundless, very old, and very new. More than aesthetically pleasing, Hamasyan’s music provokes listeners to consider new horizons of possibility. I will show this stylistically-inclusive approach to music making, especially with a focus on musical improvisation, as an example of music which can refigure the reality of those who listen. In the interest of exploring this capability, I will consider Hans-Georg Gadamer’s description of “play†as related to aesthetic works and David Borgo’s characterization of improvising music as platform for change and celebration of difference. By situating Hamasyan’s music in these theoretical frameworks we can gain insight about how musical works change us, and why this is important.†- AJ Kluth - rest of the review found here: ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu/content/consideration-worlding-power-music-tigran-hamasyan’s-shadow-theater
CD Sale $10
LES PROMITIFS DU FUTUR - World Musette (Owl 3043; France) “Best known as cartoonist Robert Crumb's other gig, Les Primitifs du Futur do their schtick perfectly, re-creating the French musette sound of the 1930s. Full credit goes to founder, guitarist, and singer Dominique Cravic, whose compositions are perfect in both note and mood, whether on the opening "Fox Musette" or "Le Blues de Dix-Neuf Heures Trente." The core of the band is filled out by a large number of guests who are brilliantly utilized. Even the theremin doesn't sound out of place; used sparingly, it is a modern touch that simply adds to the atmosphere. The notion here is to add world music elements to the basic idea, as a reminder that France was a multicultural society before the term even existed. So you have musette with blues, musette with Cuban music, and even a hint of Asian influences. It all works seamlessly, played with fabulous dexterity and assurance, and more than a touch of glee. “ - Chris Nickson, AMG
CD Sale $10
FURRY LEWIS - Fourth & Beale (Owl 3050; France) Recorded in Memphis on March 5, 1969, with Furry Lewis in bed -- essentially an impromptu concert for the microphone and whoever happened to be there -- these nine tracks show Lewis to fairly good advantage. They're more laid-back than his work at the other end of the decade for Prestige/Bluesville, with Lewis playing more slowly and singing more roughly than those earlier sessions. However, his slide work is still stingingly effective, his voice is still highly expressive, and he knows how to put over a song even at this late date, playing with an almost hypnotic intensity. The songs include new renditions of "John Henry" and "Casey Jones," as well as "When the Saints Go Marching In" and W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues." - Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
CD Sale $10
MEMPHIS SLIM & CANNED HEAT - Memphis Slim (Owl 3047; France) “Memphis Heat documents Chicago blues piano legend Memphis Slim's studio collaborations with the rock group Canned Heat in France on September 18, 1970, and July 11, 1973. The results are tasty indeed. Slim's voice and piano are well matched by Henry Vestine's electric guitar, Canned Heat's rockin' rhythm section, and (on six out of 13 tracks) the Memphis Horns, a solid wind quintet of trumpet, trombone, two tenors, and a baritone sax. Memphis Slim tried on a lot of different styles and instrumental combinations during the 1970s. His Canned Heat sessions have been both praised and panned over the years, a state of affairs that often revealed more about the reviewers than the music itself. A fair assessment should take into account the blues and rock scene of the early '70s, the pianist's artistic intentions as he capped a long and eventful career, and perhaps most importantly the positive effect that this music is likely to have upon any listener who loves a good jumpin' electric blues band.†- All Music Guide
CD Sale $10
MICHEL PORTAL With TONY MALABY / JEF LEE JOHNSON / TONY HYMAS / FRANCOIS MOUTIN / et al - Birdwatcher (Owl 3064; France) Featuring Michel Portal on clarinets, alto & soprano saxes, Tony Malaby on tenor sax, Tony Hymas on keyboards, Jef Lee Johnson on electric guitar, Erik Fratzke & Sonny Thompson on electric basses, Francois Moutin on double bass, Airto Moriera on percussion and Michael Bland on drums. Michel Portal is an amazing French clarinetist and composer with a long recording career, yet has so few discs in print. Each of his recordings has different personnel and each is rich and varied in approach. Michel has worked with John Surman, Barre Phillips, Richard Galliano, Daniel Humair & Pierre Favre. 'Birdwatcher' employs some ten musicians from different backgrounds and cultures, yet it is Michel's direction that holds it all together. "Nada Mas" has a quick spinning theme with superb solos from Michel on bass clarinet and Tony Malaby on tenor. It is the smokin' rhythm team of Tony Hymas on piano, two basses of Sonny Thompson & Erik Fratzke and two percussionists, Airto & JT Bates, that is really most inspired and infectious. "Lanterne Helvete" features a haunting "Bitches Brew"-like groove with some haunting bass clarinet, eerie electric keyboards and atmospheric guitar by Jef Lee Johnson. Michel's writing is consistently effective at creating a series of hypnotic moods. Michel's clarinets and saxes become a different character on each piece and often shine at the center of each song. Solos by the other members are often kept to a minimum, yet it is the way Michel uses each instrument that often makes each piece so special. The musicians remain constantly creative within the framework of each piece. Jef Lee Johnson does a few chances to stretch out here and there for those who need to know. Another unexpected contender for one this year's best. - BLG
CD Sale $10
CHRIS POTTER UNDERGROUND With ADAM ROGERS / CRAIG TABORN / NATE SMITH - Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard (Owl 3075; France) In a rare move, saxophonist Chris Potter has released two CDs on the same day, and on the same label-Song For Anyone, his first album for a large ensemble; and Follow the Red Line: Live at the Village Vanguard, featuring the Underground band that's been touring for the past couple of years. Risky, perhaps, but Potter's significance-the clear torch-carrier for the recently departed Michael Brecker-continues to grow, and is one of a limited number of artists who can actually pull it off. Potter's discography has been getting better with each passing year, but Underground (Sunnyside, 2006) was a true watershed, where conception, composition and performance came together for the most distinctive and fully realized album of his career. Follow the Red Line is even better, featuring the same group but with guitarist Adam Rogers in place of Wayne Krantz, whose sharp attack and oblique lines were amongst Underground's defining points. Those only familiar with Rogers' largely acoustic Criss Cross discs, including 2005's Apparitions, may be surprised to hear him kick such serious butt here, but those who've heard his mid-1990s work with Lost Tribe know that he's undeniably capable of this kind of electrified, rock- and funk-edged music. The gentle opening fanfare of "Train" starts the set on a lyrical and subdued note, but it's not long before drummer Nate Smith kicks in with a visceral funk groove, bolstered by Craig Taborn's uncannily dichotomous Fender Rhodes. Potter takes the first solo, building from ground zero to the stratosphere and demonstrating the kind of paradoxical blend of restraint and reckless abandon that makes his extended solos not just consistently captivating, but exhilarating. The same goes for Rogers, whose solo begins in melodic simplicity, but quickly takes off with a raucous energy and linear invention that's the main reason why he, along with Ben Monder, are two of New York's most in-demand guitarists across a wide swatch of styles. His tone is dense and sustaining, with a punchy attack and, like Potter, has an ability to milk the simplest of vamps for all it's worth. Taborn gets to do the same thing during the unrelenting, single-chord vamp that's at the core of "Arjuna," with Rogers soul-drenched single-line anchoring hand-in-glove with Smith's loose and unyieldingly responsive groove. "Pop Tune #1" offers a brief respite; a countrified ballad where Roger's rich, sustaining chords support Potter's singable melody before taking a blues-drenched lead. Rogers builds dramatically, only to suddenly dissolve as Potter morphs the tune into another lengthy and funk-laden vamp where everyone raises the temperature during his blistering and idea-filled solo. It's an exercise in futility to find a name for the music of Follow the Red Line. But as Potter blurs the lines between jazz, rock, funk and even a little afro-beat in ways that are finally being accepted again two decades after The New York Times declared the "pestilence known as fusion is dead," the best word to describe this recording is, quite simply, great. - John Kelman, AAJ
CD Sale $10
BADEN POWELL - O Universo Musical de Baden Powell (Owl 3016; France) In the early '60s when many Brazilian musicians brought bossa nova to the United States, classically trained guitarist Baden Powell took his guitar to France. Hence, the rest is history, as this Brazilian artist infused his hybrid jazz/classical/bossa nova articulations into the European scene. This program chronicles the work he did for the Barclay (CD one) and Festival (CD two) record companies, spanning the mid-'60s through the late '70s. Throughout these multifarious works, featuring Powell performing solo guitar and with various ensembles, the listener is provided with a radiant glimpse of his virtuosity and depth. On various works, Powell melds a distinct sense of classicism with buoyancy and sophistication. Sure, bossa nova and samba-based rhythms are firmly rooted within his palate. Yet, Powell's insightful ability to step out of preconceived boundaries becomes apparent from the opening moments of disc one. His delicate plucking and strumming are augmented by his penchant for injecting a driving force into many of these compositions, featuring the inherent rhythmic elements of Brazilian music. He performs with horns and strings on certain tracks, amid endeavors with standard rhythm sections and percussionists. Regardless, Powell's artisanship is partly founded upon the jubilance and festive-like environs of a Brazilian carnival. He molds the tried and true into a deeply personalized methodology, witnessed by his rhythmically complex renditions of Monk's "'Round About Midnight" and other works. Sadly, Powell's severe alcoholism took its toll, resulting in his death in 2000.†- Glenn Astarita, All Music Guide
CD Sale $10
ROSWELL RUDD / TOUMANI DIABATE - Malicool (Owl 3008; France) Featuring the legendary Roswell Rudd on trombone, Toumani Diabate on kora, Lassana Diabate on balophone, Basseko Kouyate on ngone, Sayon Sissoko on guitar, Henry Schroy on bass and Mamadou Kouyate & Dala Diabate on vocals. An immensely inspired collaboration of various cultures with jazz and African roots, organized by our old friend Verna Gillis, who used to run the great Soundscape loft-space on the west end of 52nd St. during the late seventies. Both Roswell and Toumani have written wonderful tunes that blend these cultures into a sublime stream, plus superb covers of Monk ("Jackie-ing") and various on Gershwin's "Summertime", Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" and a traditional Welsh song. My favorite track, "For Toumani", features some intense and powerful electric bass pumping hard with swirling percussion. A thoroughly charming acoustic recording which captures this spirited and enchanting octet perfectly. Recommended!
CD Sale $10
RANDY WESTON / BILLY HARPER - Roots of the Blues (Owl 3097; France) Essential to understanding Randy Weston's artistry is the significance of the role played by Duke Ellington. Besides Duke's obvious cultural imprint which shaped so many musicians of Weston's generation, Ellington's piano style is at the root of Randy's technique. The enduring brilliance of Weston's playing is testimony to Duke's gift... The partnership of Randy Weston and saxophonist Billy Harper dates back to the summer of '74. This musical collaboration is based as much on their mutual love of the darker hues of their respective instruments as it is their blues simpatico. Weston and Harper bonded instantly after playing together in Tangier. "I heard that sound I like," recalls Weston, "When Billy plays the tenor it's like an orchestra - the call & response is always there, I always hear the black church in his playing, he's constantly singing through his horn. As far as why we work well together.. it's the magic ofThe Roots of the Blues that big, black sound he gets. Billy is a great blues player ! According to Randy.. "Another reason this partnership succeeds is Billy's sound. It comes comes straight out of Africa. He's a Texas-born-tenor-man of Semali ancestral lineage, but it's a universal sound; that cry he gets reaches into your soul. He plays a modern saxophone but it's very poetic. You listen to his solos and it's a complete composition. you hear the whole history of the tenor." In myriad ways The Roots of the Blues, recorded early in this very year 2013, marks a new hallmark in Randy Weston's distinguished 87-year odyssey on the planet, as a fervent seeker of African Rhythms.
CD Sale $10
WILD MAGNOLIAS - They Call Us Wild (Owl 3068; France) “New Orleans legends the Wild Magnolias released their second album, THEY CALL US WILD, in Europe in 1975, but it didn't come out in the States until the '90s, when the band finally went national. Today they're thought of as an old-school Mardis Gras party band, but these early recordings reveal a greasier, murkier sound that owes something to the swamp-funk shadings of late-'60s/early-'70s Dr. John, as well as the slightly jazzy West Coast funkateers in War. “ - All Music Guide
CD Sale $10
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ATTENTION ALL CREATIVE MUSICIANS OUT THERE, Around the world.
If you have a link for some music that you are working on and want to share it with the folks who read the DMG Newsletter, please send the link to DMG at DMG@Downtownmusicgallery.com. Many of us are going stir crazy staying at home so if you want to inspire us and help us get through these difficult times, please show us what you got.
MORE THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU ARE WAITING AROUND FOR THE WORLD TO END OR GET BETTER: STILL STIR CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!
This Thursday:
Cheryl Pyle - jazz flutist
Solo flute improvisations in the
Merchant 's House Garden on
Thursday Sept 9 at 6:00 pm.
music is free with museum admission.
$15 general admission.
$10 for students and seniors
29 East 4th Street, NY, NY
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Saturday, September 11th:
GARY LUCAS 40th ANNIVERSARY SHOW
Featuring:
GARY LUCAS / JERRY HARRISON / JASON CANDLER / ERNIE BROOKS / RICHARD DWORKIN!
Plus Special Guests: THURSTON MOORE (Sonic Youth), TRIXIE WHITLEY / RICHARD BARONE/ EMILY DUFF / FELICE ROSSER!
At Le Poisson Rouge in The Village, NYC
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
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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
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Guitarist and DMG-pal HENRY KAISER has a monthly Video Solo Series on Cuneiform’s Youtube page:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CuneiformRecords/videos
he recently changed it to a monthly solo series - Here are the three previous shows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGc9OI16hcE - this is the new one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOlGSUbBnJ8
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Live at Scholes Street Studio
Saturday September 18th
Stephen Gauci/Santiago Leibson/
Luke Stewart/Tyshawn Sorey
In Concert
8pm & 9:30pm sets
Live audience/Live recording - $15
375 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn
718-964-8763
gaucimusic.com
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the WHATEVER GUITAR FESTIVAL
Sat, September 11, 2021, 6:00 PM
Green Lung Studio (117 9th St #122, Brooklyn, NY 11215)
feat:
Naeemah Maddox
Sandy Ewen
Teddy Kumpel
Ava Mendoza
Sun, September 12, 2021, 4:00 PM
Barbès (376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215)
feat:
Miriam Elhajli
Harvey Valdes
Wendy Eisenberg
Brandon Seabrook
Free admission w/RSVP
Please visit the Green Lung (https://www.greenlungstudio.com/) and Barbès (https://www.barbesbrooklyn.com/) websites for further details.
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BOB DOWNES is a Legendary British flutist & multi-reeds wizard with a long history of Creative Music making. He currently lives in the Black Forest in Germany and sends us his occasional solo flute vids. Here is his most recent one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezE8JFWSM_s