DMG Newsletter for September 17th, 2021

YOM KIPPUR

At sunrise tonight, the holy holiday of Yom Kippur begins. It the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar and it is said that God opens his big book and checks out all of the sins that each of us (Jews) have committed over the past year. It is the day when we all go to temple for the entire day and pray for hours on end. Sitting and standing, praying, chanting and singing together. The reason we do this is to ask for forgiveness for anything we’ve done to hurt others. When I was younger I felt it was important to attend services on each and every Yom Kippur holiday, get together with my fellow/female Jews and pray together for better days ahead. Sadly, my old temple (Mekor Chayim) in Linden, NJ closed many years ago and I never joined another one since then. Oh well. Tomorrow I will get up early, drink a small cup of coffee and then fast for the rest of the day until sunset. I will pray, read, think and consider all I’ve done over the past year, good and bad. I will watch the sun set from the train platform a block away from where I live, listen to the birds singing, the insects chirping and meditate quietly. No reviews, no phone, no distractions, just be. When the sun sets, I will savor the taste of one fresh orange just like Joel Fleishman did in my favorite episode of Northern Exposure. See you on the other side of the sunset. Peace. Amen. - BLG / DMG

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The DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY 30th Anniversary Continues with:

This Saturday, September 18th: DMG In-Store Concert: 13 Monroe St:
7pm - CAROLINE DAVIS and JOANNA MATTREY!
8pm - JESSICA PAVONE STRING ENSEMBLE ft. AIMEE NIEMANN ABBY SWIDLER

September 25th at Oliver Coffee from 2pm - 5pm
2:00: CLEBS (Jason Nazary Emilie Weibel)
2:45: DEVIN GRAY / WENDY EISENBERG / FRANK MEADOWS
3:30: CECILIA LOPEZ GABBY FLUKE-MOGUL
4:15: ASCEND! (Dave Miller, Daniel Carter, Robert Boston, Tom Kotik)

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New Discs for This Week Begin with:

JOHN ZORN // BRIAN MARSELLA / TREVOR DUNN / KENNY WOLLESEN - Meditations On The Tarot (Tzadik 8383; USA) Brian Marsella’s dynamic trio steps out for another exciting outing performing a new collection of Zorn compositions inspired by the mysterious and occult cards of the Tarot. This beautiful and varied followup to the popular and critically acclaimed 2019 CD The Hierophant features the remaining thirteen Tarot cards in tight arrangements, highlighting the incredible versatility and virtuosity of this powerhouse all-star jazz trio. A classic reading of occult jazz from our favorite Downtown alchemist!”
CD $16

VIOLETA GARCIA / CHRIS PITSIOKOS - Uanmortaim (Relative Pitch Records 1129; USA) Featuring Chris Pitsiokos on alto sax & electronics and Violeta Garcia on cello. Over the past five years I’ve reviewed two discs from an Argentinian progressive band called Nicotina es Primavera. Both were extraordinary so I’ve remained friendly with members of the band. The cellist in that band is Violeta Garcia, who once played here at DMG in a quartet with Joanna Mattrey. I recall former DMGer saxist, Chris Pitsiokos, telling me about a tour he did in South America and playing with a number of great improvisers from various South American counties. One of which was/is cellist Violeta Garcia. If you think that sax/cello duets are relatively relatively rare you would be right. I do recall a sax/cello fest at the old Knitting Factory with several duets: Louie Belogenis & Michelle Kinney, Thomas Chapin & Jane Scarpantoni and Gary Windo & Ann Sheldon.
The music on this disc is quite intense, brutal yet focused, tight-knit, sharp shocks, a great match for extended multiphonics and strong string manipulation. This is not all fireworks either, at times the duo bear down to a more restrained yet spirited reflective section. When Pitsiokos focuses on smaller fractured sounds, Ms. Garcia sounds like she is playing her cello with some utensils and not a bow. It sounds like Ms Garcia is playing slightly amplified cello which is often similar in tone to Mr/ Pitsiokos’ equally bent-note sax explorations. At times this sounds like a high speed chase where those crazed cartoon characters weave furiously in and out of each other’s stream. I find this to be a most exciting duo effort since we can hear both musicians reacting quickly, having a spirited dialogue and uniting as one organic, combined force. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

ERIN ROGERS - 2000 Miles (Relative Pitch Records SS005; USA) Featuring Erin Rogers on solo saxes. This disc was recorded in several locations over the past pandemic year in December of 2020 and January of 2021. Some tracks were recorded in the basement of Ms. Rogers’ childhood home near Blackfoot in Alberta, Canada. Ms. Rogers has evolved quite a bit since her first solo effort was released by Relative Pitch in December of 2019. Ms. Rogers is also a member of (at least) three ensembles who’ve had recordings released in the past year: Hypercube, Patchwork and Popebama. Mr. Rogers also played a solo set here at DMG closer to the thing that her solo CD was released which I recall thinking was one of the best solo sax concerts I’ve heard in a long while. As a sax fanatic myself, I have heard most of the great saxists play either live (if possible) or on record, I especially enjoy solo sax efforts because it takes time, study and practice to become one of the reeds wizards that I enamored with.
Beginning with “Waxing (Home 1)”, Ms. Rogers plays the keys faster that the note long, stretched out notes she is playing on the sax. It is as if she playing a quick rhythmic dance on the keypads while also playing those slowly shapeshifting sounds on the sax. When Rogers speeds up those notes she is moving closer to the free/jazz sound that most free saxists play although the way she mutes or controls those sounds give her a unique voice or sound. Those muted notes sound like they are being played by a ghost since they are only partially heard. On “North Star” she again takes her time to play sound which shift their tonality as they move. Ms. Rogers has obviously worked hard on controlling her varied multiphonic sounds, hence I often hear several carefully bent notes moving together in separate orbits. It is true that I’ve heard Roscoe Mitchell, Evan Parker, John Zorn and Chris Pitsiokos all do tricks (no easy feat) like this, however Mr. Rogers does sound quiet distinctive when she does this in her own way. There are a number of sounds that she makes which are rather difficult to describe with words so I advise you to check them out for yourself. I found this entire disc to be consistently captivating as well as challenging to listen to. I believe that Ms. Rogers has entered a new area of exploration which gives us a glimpse of the future. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

STUDIO DAN // FRED FRITH / DANIEL RIEGLER / MICHEL DONEDA / CHRISTIAN F. SCHILLER - Rocket Science / Fanfare III / Hohnor (Records & Other Stuff ROS 1, 2 & 3; EEC) A couple of years ago, an Austrian trombone player named Matthias Muche played here at DMG with Gerald Cleaver and Chris Pitsiokos for a most memorable night. Mr. Muche is a member of Studio Dan, a contemporary classical ensemble who have worked with Elliott Sharp (CD on JazzWerkStaat), Vinko Globokar and George Lewis (CD on Hat Ezz-thetics). I caught Studio Dan that same week and enjoyed their set as well. I’ve been in touch with their leader, Daniel Riegler, ever since. More recently, Mr. Reigler sent us an ambitious 3 CD set, each disc features a different composer: Fred Frith, Christian F. Schiller and Mr. Riegler plus two of the discs feature different soloists: Michel Doneda, Viola Farb and Doris Nicoletti. I had to listen to all of these discs several times to hear all of the great music that is found within.
The Ros 3 disc features a piece Fred Frith called “Rocket Science” in three parts. Oddly enough, the piece is only 9 minutes long so I played it on repeat several times in a row: It got better with each listen. Mr. Frith also created the cover art which fits the music rather well. This version of Studio Dan consists of a 10 piece unit. It begins with a repeating pattern which soon breaks into different sections, some criss-crossing their different layers of lines. I love the way Frith has several lines moving around another at the same time, all somehow connected with different patterns. The second part “Rocket Science #5”, is even more impressive with ever-shifting layers moving around one another and creating rich harmonies throughout. The third part (“RS #8”) is short yet still have some interesting lines going on. At 9 minutes, I did want this to keep going so perhaps Mr. Frith will expand upon it in the not too far distant future.
ROS 1 is called, “Fanfare III” and is/was composed & conducted by Daniel Riegler with soprano saxist Michel Doneda as the featured soloist. This version of Studio Dan features 15 musicians (an expanded version) including an electronics player named Leo Riegler plus a sound spatialisation specialist. The musicians are scattered around the performance space, with the other musicians amplifying and altering Mr. Doneda’s solo improvisations. “Fanefar III” is nearly 40 minutes long and it is most extraordinary. The piece begins quietly with Mr. Doneda’s breathy soprano at the helm, the other musicians playing similar sounding lines along with him. I do recognize a few of the names here (Clemens Salesny & Philip Yaeger) from a handful of CD’s led by Austrian saxist/composer Max Nagl. Michel Doneda has been playing improvised music on mostly soprano sax for many years and has a distinctive sound/approach. What is interesting is that Mr. Reigler has taken Doneda’s sound/playing and expanded it by having other musicians play similar sounding parts. There also sections where things are stripped down so the main sound is Doneda’s carefully stretched out and breath-like sounds, creating a sense of suspense. I like the way that Mr. Riegler also adds a a variety of spunky written sections which help the balance of the other (improvised?) outbursts. Some of the written parts have an eerie, angular, oddly dreamlike presence which creates its own strange world.
ROS 2 features “Hohnor” by Christian F. Schiller. This is for a smaller, 8 piece version of Studio Dan which includes two harmonica players, who are also the soloists. No doubt most of us are familiar with blues-harp or other harmonica players who appear on pop songs (like Stevie Wonder). On this piece both harmonica players create a thick drone with several lines resonating at the same time. The varied lines sound somewhat microtonal as they bend their notes together into a shifting blur. There is also slide trumpet, trombone, violin, cello and drums (unheard in the first half) all pulsating together. The shifting sonorities recalls the work of Lois V Vierk. Those shifting sonorities have a way of keeping us off balance, a rather disorienting feeling, not unlike slowly being swallowed in quicksand. Those shifting sounds remind me of Mother nature warning us about an impending disaster or scenario. I actually felt better when buzzing calmed down to a more restrained section. This piece is most effective, perhaps influenced by othrt minimalist composers. This is an excellent, diverse and challenging 3 CD set show the many wonders of Studio Dan. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG i
3 CD Set $25

GANELIN / KRUGLOV / YUDANOV - Access Point (Losen Records LOS 258-2; Norway) Featuring Slava Ganelin on piano, keyboards, electronics & percussion, Alexey Kruglov on alto & soprano saxes & recorder and Oleg Yudanov on drums & percussion. I have long been fascinated by “Free Music”, Creative and Progressive music which was made before the Iron Curtain was torn down. The idea that anything could be completely “free” of whatever of expectation, manipulation (from the outside) is the antithesis of what most governments want, especially as the world moves closer to more fascistic influences. In Russia (the heart of the beast), “free music” exploration was mostly forbidden, a completely underground/hidden endeavor. One of the first bright lights of “free/jazz” was the Ganelin Trio who existed from the late sixties until the mid-nineties with a reunion record released in 2003 (on Leo). Mainly pianist/synth player Vyacheslav “Slava” Ganelin eventually moved to Israel and organized the Ganelin Trio Priority (5 discs from 2005-2015) with two other musicians. Mr. Ganelin continues to work with other Russian musicians, hence his newer trio with saxist Alexey Kruglov and percussionist Oleg Yudanov. Both Kruglov and Yudanov can be heard on more than a dozen previous discs from the great Leo Records label, which is run by a Russian expat who has lived in England for many years.
This disc was recorded live at Dom in Moscow, in November of 2017. All of the pieces are titled “Access Point - Parts 1-5” plus an encore. From the gitgo, the trio takes off on a sort of post-bebop/modal swinging groove. Flying high & wide, tight, soaring higher and higher as they go. It sounds like there is bassist in the center hewre but there is no bassist listed?!? Hmmmm. Some sort of keyboard bass perhaps? Both Ganelin’s piano and Kruglov’s alto sax work well together at a furious pace pushing each other higher. In the next section, Ganelin plays some eerie synth for a bit as the tempo winds down to a more calm, spacious pace, the alto sax and piano interweave nicely with bits of synth added hear and there. I like the way the sax and keyboards move into a more cerebral space but varied bursts of free eruptions. One one point, saxist Kruglov plays 2 saxes at once while the trio ascends building to a powerful swirling conclusion then back down to earth for a soft landing. A powerful set! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15


THREE MORE CHALLENGING DISCS from The FINE FOLK(S) at EVIL CLOWN:

SIMULACRUM - Hyperreality (Evil Clown 9277; USA) Unsure if pandemic isolationism’s been creatively kinetic to Evil Clown honcho Dave PEK, or the ‘unshackling’ from it this year’s been explosively inspiring, but damn if this release doesn’t tear the roof off the sucka. Gonna splay it right up front: this stuff absolutely kills. It will blow your mind, alter your perceptions, derange your senses, and upset all your categorical applecarts. Which is another way of saying that the good Mr. PEK and his illustrious cohorts have done it again. In addition to PEK’s gigantic array of sound-designers and noise-facilitators, Simulacrum the group consists of Bob Moores on a whole host of electronic gadgetry, guitars, distorto-pedals, handheld objects, and aural demystifiers, Eric Woods banging gongs and twiddlin’ knobs, William Middlemiss Jr also striking guitars and synthees, and the Reverend Grant Beale separating glitch from (solid) state, warping circuitry, drones, and feedback with secular gusto. This hour-plus extravaganza comes roaring right out of the gate and across its illustrious timespan simply takes no prisoners. The collective invent, morph, and travel the spaceways in an expansive, intergalactic trawl through a myriad of folded dimensions that manage to channel the most outré moments hard-won from King Crimson, Gong, and Merzbow, to the likes of Acid Mothers Temple, Nurse With Wound, AMM, and some archaic, hauntological INA-GRM burn-out who took one lysergic lapdance too many. In any event, this slab's a hive-mind of wild, vivid propulsion, where sounds intersect, congeal, and blossom with a vast, molten power that appears to regenerate by the minute. Guitars the blush of Frippian crimson conjure memories of the man’s “Fracture”-ed landscapes. Electronics, birthed by synth, modules, and various other mysterious paraphernalia, twit, twirl, and entwine themselves in the guzz and girth like malevolent insects hastily building labyrinthine nests. All throughout, PEK’s charging horns, bells, and various elegant machineries bleat and blurt like bubbling lava breaking through the surface. What is astonishing on all levels is the fact that none of this, despite near-constant variations in complexion, volume, hue, and cry ever degenerates into atonal cacophony but somehow maintains an awesome, fearless power throughout, never the same yet somehow thrillingly cohesive. Give yourself in totality to this quintet of quan as they unleash their protoplasmic artform in all its gutbucket, earthshaking, cerebellum-crushing magnificence. - Darren Bergstein, DMG
CD $10

EXPANSE with PEK / MICHAEL CAGLIANONE / MICHAEL KNOBLACH - Vacuum Energy (Evil Clown 9272; USA) Another slow-burner from the Evil Clown camp, not the first by any stretch, but surely one of the best. Dave PEK’s clutch of 2021 releases thus far has found him in the company of like-minded colleagues, and the merging of their collective muses is birthing some hugely inspired, invigorating, and engaging music. The trio didn’t choose their name lightly: members Dave PEK, Michael Caglianone, and Michael Knoblach cover a wide range of subtly shifting territory. All three equip themselves splendidly on the usual dizzying assortment of woodwinds, hand-helds, and metals. The names of the noisemakers they employ themselves suggest aural textures heretofore unheard and unbreached: hedgehog chime box, horses-ass-a-phone, lp udder, vibratones, abacus, almglocken, etc. These instruments are ceremoniously plucked, rubbed, struck, shaken, disturbed, tossed, and blown through, and their placement within the soundstage is critically chosen and enhanced for maximum effect. In many ways, the threesome have concocted what can best be described as an archaeologically-rescued ‘world’ music, one which navigates throughout a whole host of multi-ethnic and indigenous sonic warrens in the most exploratory fashion imaginable. At roughly forty minutes in, for example, the listener will find themselves lost in a vibrant forest of bent, rusted metallica, awash in a miasma of foghorn callbacks engineered through the performer’s extended techniques and elusive detours, an environment that feels at once questing and probing, where one’s ears have neither lost nor found these exquisite motifs but rather embraces them in unquestioned surrender. Call it cerebral ether music, extracted from the air with great forethought and heightened awareness, equally mighty and majestic. - Darren Bergstein, DMG
CD $10

AXIOMS with PEK / GLYNIS LOMON / JANE SPOKEN WORD (BALGOCHIAN) / STEVE NIEMITZ / ALBEY (BALGOCHIAN) ONBASS - Hypothesis (Evil Clown 9279; USA) Personnel: Pek - clarinets, saxes, flute, double reeds & assorted percussion, Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice, Jane SW - spoken word / poetry, Albey (Balgochian) - electric contrabass and Steve Niemitz - drums & assorted percussion. When the pandemic closed everything down and forced us inside, the ever-prolific Evil Clown label also paired down to just solo discs from their founder Dave PEK. As things slowly return to the new normal, PEK has reformed a number of his different bands/projects: Leap of Faith, Metal Chaos, Turbulence and Axioms. This is the second disc from the Axioms ensemble (as far as I can tell), whose personnel includes the great contrabassist Albey Balgochian (once a member of the later period Cecil Taylor Trio) and his wife Jane. Both Albey and Jane have chosen to not use their last names for this unit. Not sure why but I didn’t find it that hard to figure this out.
Considering that there are over 100 discs on Evil Clown, very few have any spoken word segments. I recall perhaps two discs with PEK or Yuri Zbitnov doing some sci-fi-like narration which just added to the weirdness factor. The addition of a bassist is a good thing here as practically none of the other Evil Clown releases have one. Albey’s bass adds a central guiding force to the quintet, speeding up, slowing down, keeping the rhythm flow with the drummer ongoing. Ms. Jane’s poetry describes life in NYC, sometimes treacherous or disturbing, sometimes funny, sometimes just the normal everyday whatnot. The music is often stripped down to just the occasional spoken words with minimal accompaniment. “The revolution will not be digitized!” This disc is unlike anything else on Evil Clown in that it is more relaxed, more sparse with time to consider the words that Jane are speaking. She makes a number of interesting observations about modern life. This disc is more of an Albey and Jane session than anything else, hence showing a completely different side to the Leap of Faith endeavors of the past and present. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

EUNHYE JEONG - Nolda (ESP-Disk 5068; USA) “Korean pianist Eunhye Jeong is a game-changer. She's jazz from a different perspective. She's a pianist who doesn't sound like anyone else on the scene. In her liner notes for the release, Jeong writes, "I made my first solo piano recording under the name Chi-Da. Chi-Da and Nolda can both be translated as 'play.' While Chi-Da refers to physical motions that produce sounds by crashing together two objects, Nolda is more associated with playful activities. One may interpret this word as a fun, free-flowing action on the piano. That is partly true, but I dare ask: who can have fun and experience true freedom without 'knowing thyself'? Nolda means transcending the physical reality without abandoning it at all, which is made of body, mind, and the world. We music creators are artists who work with invisible and intangible energy forms as ingredients to create. Nolda, in this sense, is the magic of music-making." Credits: Eunhye Jeong - piano.”
CD $12

DET KATTERSKA FORBUND - Lidaverken Del I: Att i Vadeld Forgas (Cold Spring Records 265CD; UK) Cold Spring Records presents two Swedish titans -- Nordvargr (MZ.412) and Trepaneringsritualen -- teaming up for a bludgeoning dose of death industrial majesty. Det Kätterska Förbund, consisting of the two giants dominating the death industrial world -- Thomas Ekelund (Trepaneringsritualen, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words) Henrik Nordvargr Björkk (MZ.412, Pouppée Fabrikk, Folkstorm, etc.) -- has been slowly and methodically working for almost five years to finish the first album of this double-headed abomination. Patience richly rewarded. You can instantly feel the presence of lurking unease as the album slowly opens up a distorted world of familiar sounds and voices, but there is something special about these recordings; the menacing aura that has been created adds new elements to the otherwise rigid tropes of the genre. Punishingly heavy rhythmic tracks, with savage incantations from both Thomas and Nordvargr, gratifyingly familiar to fans of the artists' main projects, are flanked by these death-scarred lamentations.”
CD $16

HABIBI FUNK - An Eclectic Selection From The Arab World (Part 2)(Habibi Funk HAB 015CD; Germany) "This compilation of songs is not meant as a historic reflection of popular music of the 'Arab world.' It is a very personal selection of songs we grew to like at Habibi Funk. It is music that historically never existed as a unified musical genre. We think it's important to make this distinction and to have the listener understand that the majority of the music on this compilation does not come from the highly famous names of the musical spectrum of North Africa and the Middle East. Instead, the final body compiled for this record consists of some -- at least for us -- niche-y pearls and often overlooked artists; resulting in a diverse range of styles from Egyptian organ funk, disco sounds from Morocco, an example of the lively reggae scene of Libya, political songs from Lebanon, soundtrack music from Algeria, a musical union between Kenya and Oman, and much more. The photo we chose for this cover somehow could be seen as an allegory of the sounds we feature on the label. It depicts Algerian composer Ahmed Malek at an ice cream bar during his stay in Japan for the World Expo in Osaka, 1970. He later said that his visit to Japan and especially the manga culture left a distinctive mark on the way he created his own compositions. With this in mind, it feels as a suiting visual representation for the music on this compilation. Accordingly, the compilation you are holding in your hands offers a much wider range of music than just funk influenced sounds. Sure, it brings back Fadoul, who we have already dedicated a full-length album to. He was the mystical Moroccan singer who -- influenced by the sounds of James Brown -- created his own musical vision full of energy but also still very intimate. Another artist we have featured before is Ahmed Malek, the grand Algerian soundtrack composer, whose music is largely connected by a distinct feeling of melancholic beauty or Hamid Al Shaeri, the Egyptian hit producer whose track 'Ayonha' was probably the most widely appreciated track off our first compilation. But we have also learned that this format of a compilation can serve as a medium to introduce artists to our audience, who we are planning to dedicate full length releases to in the near future, such as Ibrahim Hesnawi. Hesnawi is the father of reggae music in Libya -- a genre still widely popular in Libya -- and whose presence in the country is commonly connected to the rhythmic similarities of reggae with some form of Libyan folkloric music. Nahib Alhoush is another Libyan artist, whose musical output we will spotlight in the near future. In the 1970s, he was the co-founder of Free Music, one of the first Libyan bands introducing western influences into their music. After the band stopped performing together he started an at least equally successful solo career under his own name. When I got into Arabic music around five or six years ago, I knew pretty much nothing about it. Realistically, I still know very, very little about it and I'm by no means an expert. I just had the opportunity to visit the region frequently, trying to learn about music I might like. Most of the bands, I happen to enjoy, were fairly obscure and therefore a lot of the music on this compilation seems to be largely forgotten. After sharing many of the old records and tapes online through mixes, I have realized that there is a huge disparity between the interest in the music on the one hand and its availability on the other. All tracks on this compilation are fully licensed, most directly from the artist or in the case of artists, who are deceased licensed from the artist's family. There are two exceptions: Hamid Al Shaeri's track was licensed from SLAM! as the label is still active under the name Sonar. Zohra's 'Badala Zamana' from the great Belgian label MTMU, who has reissued this track under license from the producer on 7" format before."
CD $17

SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME - Unreleased Masters & Demos From The British Blues Years 1963-1976 (Wienerworld 5114CD; UK) "Something Inside Of Me brings to the surface ninety-six unreleased recordings from fifteen artists who were all at the forefront of the burgeoning British blues scene of the early 1960s to mid-1970s. There is a varied range of performers with diverse styles that represented the spirit and soul of this music. Soloists, duos, trios, jug band acts and fully-fledged blues and rhythm and blues bands. A 150-page book accompanies the set. It is fully illustrated with most of the images having never before been published, and contains chapters especially written by the artists themselves who are included in this release. Full session-ography details and posters from the period are included, many reproduced here for the first time. Something Inside Of Me is a unique collection of music, words and pictures from this underground world of music that spearheaded the giant UK blues scene that was to follow. The title of this anthology, taken from one of Danny Kirwan's The Boilerhouse tracks, perhaps quite appropriately sums up a feeling that British blues performers had about the blues. At the time these players eagerly adopted, even for their own compositions, self-styled versions of Black American imagery and lyrics. So, mojos working, hellhounds, hoochie coochie men, gypsy women and mannish boys were creatively reinterpreted. When the US blues legends toured these shores to perform, sometimes accompanied by British players, it added to a wider understanding and appreciation of the hard lives of their mentors. As older players, some were of similar age to their parents, although considerably more hip! As Texas blues player Curtis Jones called out to the Dynaflow Blues Band just before they accompanied him at Bath University, 'Let's jive!'"
Featuring: Danny Kirwan’s Boilerhouse, Dave Kelly, Duster Bennett, Shakey Vick’s Big City Blues band, Brett Marvin & the Thunderbolts…
4 CD Set $60


ESSENTIAL NEWLY REISSUED FREE JAZZ CLASSIC GEMS from the Hat Ezz-Thetics Label:

ALBERT AYLER TRIO with GARY PEACOCK / SUNNY MURRAY - 1964 Prophecy Revisited (Hat Ezz-thetics 1104; Switzerland) With the essential sidemen to express his unique voice and approach to free jazz, saxophonist Albert Ayler, double bassist Gary Peacock, and drummer Sunny Murray, recorded these sessions in 1964 for the ESP label as "Prophecy", this excellent reissue & remaster also adding the live "Albert Smiles with Sunny" (inRespect) from the same concert; essential.
CD $17

ALBERT AYLER QUINTET with DONALD AYLER / MICHAEL SAMSON / WILLIAM FOLWELL / BEAVER HARRIS - Berlin, Paris & Stockholm, Revisited (Hat Ezz-thetics 1117; Switzerland) “Tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler's 1966 quintet brought a unique orchestration to his music, heard in these live performances in Berlin, Lörrach, Paris & Stockholm in November of 1966, four concerts presented chronologically as performed with the exemplary playing of brother Donald Ayler on trumpet, Michel Samson on violin, William Folwell on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums.”
2 CD Set $20

ALBERT AYLER QUARTET with DON CHERRY - European Recordings Autumn 1964 (Hat Ezz-thetics 2-1107; Switzerland) Essential radio and live recordings from saxophonist Albert Ayler's European tour in 1964 with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on double bass and Sunny Murray on drums, a quintessential grouping for Ayler's compositions, here in outstanding renditions of classic works including "Spirits", "Ghosts", "Vibrations", "Mothers", "Childrens", plus Don Cherry's "Infant Happiness".
2 CD Set $20

PAUL BLEY TRIO - Touching & Blood, Revisited (Hat Ezz-thetics 1108; Switzerland) Reissuing two essential and innovative piano trio albums: Paul Bley Trio's 1965 album Touching with Bley on piano, Kent Carter on double bass and Barry Altschul on drums, plus the title track from the 1967 Bley album In Haarlem - Blood with Altschul and Mark Levinson taking the double bass roll, performing compositions by Paul Bley, Carla Bley and Annette Peacock.
CD $17

MARION BROWN with ALAN SHORTER / BENNIE MAUPUN, REGGIE JOHNSON / DAVE BURRELL / GRACHAN MONCUR III / et al - Capricorn Moon to Juba Lee (Hat Ezz-thetics 1102; Switzerland) Merging and remastering two essential albums from free jazz saxophonist Marion Brown: his 1966 ESP album "Marion Brown Quartet" with trumpeter Alan Shorter, bassist Reggie Johnson and percussionist Rashied Ali; and his 1967 Fontana album "Juba-Lee" in a septet with Reggie Johnson, drummer Beaver Harris, pianist Dave Burrell, trombonist Grachan Moncur III & saxophonist Bennie Maupin.
CD $17

JOHN COLTRANE - Newport, New York & Alabama, 1963 (Hat Ezz-thetics 1114; Switzerland) Two quartets performing two live concerts from 1963 led by John Coltrane on tenor & soprano saxophones, the first at the Newport Jazz Festival with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on double bass and Roy Haynes on drums, the second at Birdland with Elvin Jones on the drums, plus 2 studio recordings with that quartet at Van Gelder Studio in the same year.
CD $17

JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET with McCOY TYNER / JIMMY GARRISON / ELVIN JONES - Impressions Graz 1962 (Hat Ezz-thetics 1019; Switzerland) Taking his quartet on a European tour in the fall of 1962, Coltrane's band with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on double bass, and Elvin Jones on drums performed in Graz, Austria at Stefaniensaal, the concert beautifully recorded by ORF Steiermark and here released as the first of two volumes, showing both Coltrane's lyrical origins and expanding free inclinations.
CD $17

MORTON FELDMAN // JUDITH WEGMANN - Triadic Memories (Hat Ezz-thetics 2-1025; Switzerland) “The second of four connected solo piano works by Morton Feldman, Triadic Memories is about that reality, the acoustic space created by the piano's strings and soundboard, as Feldman attempted to expand the temporal frame of his music, heard here in Judith Wegmann's 2019 recording, where thThe second of four connected solo piano works by Morton Feldman, Triadic Memories is about the acoustic space created by the piano's strings and soundboard, as Feldman worked to expand the temporal frame of his music, heard her in Judith Wegmann's 2019 studio recording where that space is revealed by a magnificent Bosendorfer 280VC piano.at space is revealed by a magnificent Bosendorfer 280VC piano.”
2 CD Set $20

JIMMY GIUFFRE TRIO with PAUL BLEY / STEVE SWALLOW - Free Fall Clarinet 1962 (Hat Ezz-thetics 1119; Switzerland) Reissuing clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre's 1963 Columbia album Free Fall, presenting trio performances with bassist Steve Swallow and pianist Paul Bley recorded after their 1961 European tour, along with duos between Giuffre and Swallow and several solo tracks from the clarinetist himself, propelling himself and his band into his sophisticated, risk-taking chamber jazz compositions.
CD $17

JIMMY GIUFFRE TRIO with PAUL BLEY / STEVE SWALLOW - Graz Live 1961 (Hat Ezz-thetics 1001; Switzerland) After introducing his new trio with pianist Paul Bley and double bassist Steve Swallow in two 1961 albums on Verve, clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre embarked on a tour of Europe, this recently discovered, well-recorded concert in Graf, Austria the perfect example of his unique concepts yielding intensely focused, harmonically challenging, rhythmically abstract, and exquisite chamber jazz.
CD $17

JOE HARRIOTT QUINTET with SHAKE KEANE / PAT SMYTHE / COLERIDGE GOODE / PHIL SEAMEN - Free Form & Abstract Revisited (Hat Ezz-thetics 2-1121; Switzerland) Two essential early 60s release from famed UK saxophonist Joe Harriott, an innovator bringing free jazz concepts to the British audience with his quintet of Shake Keane on trumpet & flugelhorn, Pat Smythe on piano, Coleridge Goode on double bass and Phil Seaman on drums, referencing the new forms of jazz from US artists like Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman.
2 CD Set $20

NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE with ARCHIE SHEPP / JOHN TCHICAI / DON CHERRY / et al - Consequences Revisited (Hat Ezz-thetics 1105; Switzerland) Though short-lived, the New York Contemporary Five brought together NY free players Don Moore on bass, J.C. Moses on drums, Archie Shepp on tenor saxophone, and Don Cherry on trumpet with Danish alto saxophonist John Tchicai, in a remastered edition of their 1966 album "Consequences", expanded with Shepp's revisiting of the material in a sextet with Sunny Murray and Ted Curson.”
CD $17

CHARLIE PARKER - Be Bop Live (Hat Ezz-thetics 2-1113; Switzerland) Remarkably remastered recordings of Charlie Parker's quintets from 1945-49, performing live at Carnegie Hall, Royal Roost, & Town Hall with configurations of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Dorham, Red Rodney, Don Byas, Al Haig, Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Kenny Clarke, Tommy Potter & Curley Russell, allowing us to re-live the consistent brilliance of the leader and his sidemen.
2 CD Set $20

ARCHIE SHEPP with JEANNE LEE / LESTER BOWIE / ROSCOE MITCHELL / DAVE BURRELL / SUNNY MURRAY et al - Blase and Yasmina Revisited (Hat Ezz-thetics 1115; Switzerland) Revisiting two of Archie Shepp's 1969 recordings released on the BYG label as Blasé, and title track to Yasmina, three tracks featuring the vocals of Jeanne Lee, with four band configurations including Dave Burrell, Malachi Favors, Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Sunny Murray, Philly Joe Jones, &c., beautifully remastered to bring to light Shepp's pan-stylistic impulses.”
CD $17


MORE ARCHIVAL, HISTORIC & REISSUED DISCS:

THE ROLLING STONES - On Tour '64 (Rhythm and Blues 073; UK) 1964 was the year when the Rolling Stones broke through on the international stage and by this time, they were an outstanding live band. Their sets contained an appetizing selection of R&B covers and their gigs were increasingly frenzied affairs. All the tracks were recorded live (except for the Stones advert for Rice Krispies) and in front of audiences everywhere from the sedate BBC radio studios to a full-blown riot in the Netherlands. Included are their groundbreaking live US TV appearances and the complete NME Pollwinners Wembley show with sleeve notes by Ruby Tuesday and full credits.
CD $15

MINOR THREAT - Complete Discography (Dischord 040CD; USA) "All of these songs have been previously released on the following Minor Threat vinyl releases: First 7 Inch EP, In My Eyes single, Flex Your Head LP, Out Of Step EP, Two Old Seven Inches EP and Salad Days single."
Minor Threat were/are one of my favorite hardcore punks bands, which is saying alot since I checked out more than 100 of these bands during my older/punk-rocker days of the mid-1980’s. I once caught them on the same bill with the Bad Brains at Irving Plaza and both bands were amazing/brutal/way intense! It was also the first time I saw folks slamming, stage diving & crowd surfing which was rather scary when one is up front and the bodies start flying by. I pull out my copy of this disc from time to time when I am in the mood to let out some anger or anxiety at the ridiculous world situation. If like me you haven’t completely grown up and kept your inner rage buried somewhere, then you need to let it out right now or soon as you play this disc on you home stereo and not earbuds. Kick out the Jams, MFers! - BLG at DMG
CD $14

MORGEN - Morgen (Now Again 5222; USA) "Morgen's self-titled 1969 album is the sole release by the NYC band led by songwriter/vocalist Steve Morgen. Now-Again's Reserve edition of the release pairs the album with previously-unreleased songs, alternate takes and instrumentals for a de¬finitive triple CD reissue. That casual listeners have never heard of this late 60s masterpiece is by any measure a musical injustice. Morgen offers a portal to a dream space where the expansive, artful touches never prevent the band members from pummeling their instruments like their lives depended on it. Paul Major, perhaps the first Morgen evangelist, likens the album's immediacy to that of Hendrix, stating 'Morgen was one of the records that came closest to giving me that same kind of thrill on that level. It blew my mind!' Geoffrey Weiss, Now-Again's nomination for World's Greatest Record Collector, states '...unlike 95% of the rare psychedelic records that people celebrate it sounds like they were good musicians who were well rehearsed and had worked out this sound very intentionally. Morgen has a kind of power -- you really can't compare it to anything.' The band, and Morgen's arc were -- cribbing Kurt Vonnegut -- unstuck in time. It took 50 years for Steve Morgen's belief, for instance, that an alternate, superior version of his stellar 'Purple' was recorded in 1968. It sees release here, alongside other takes of songs from the album, including a version of 'Beggin' Your Pardon (Ms. Joan)' on which Morgen's fiery guitarist Murray Shiffrin sings lead and songs the band recorded as possibilities for the album, before settling on their dense, hazy vision and etching an indelible entry into the psychedelic canon."
3 CD Set $23

LOREN CONNORS - Wildweeds (Recital 087BK; USA) ‘Wildweeds’ is the first art book by musician Loren Connors. Following a series of LPs on Recital showcasing Loren's haunting guitar playing, Recital present a proper collection of his Wildweed drawings. Connors' visual art has occasionally been included as little prints and pamphlets inside his LPs and CDs; though, always explored in a shade, an appendage to his music. Combusted bulbs of purple and yellow flower heads over wild grey stems, as fragile and beautiful as his music. As Loren explains the Wildweeds; "The way they move and say something, they're all separate and they're all the same." Foreword by Sean McCann and an essay by Jay Sanders. 9"x12" perfect soft bound; 120 pages; first edition of 150; hand-numbered.”
BOOK $46

LP SECTION:

TUBBY HAYES QUARTET - Grits, Beans And Greens (The Lost Fontana Studio Session 1969)(Fontana Jazz/Decca Records 1969; Netherlands) "... Grits, Beans and Greens’ was made in 1969 just before Hayes' health declined, long-lost and now finally mastered and released on vinyl and CD captures his astonishing fluency as a tenor-sax improviser, and canny craftsmanship as a composer. Rugged modal themes unfold over hurtling bass-walks (from the excellent Ron Mathewson) that suggest Coltrane's Impressions or Giant Steps but with chirpy Latin-ballroom countermelodies. There are fast blues, and smoky ballads." --John Fordham, The Guardian
LP $32

RUNE LINDBLAD - Death Of The Moon & Other Early Works (Fantome Phongraphique OME 1016; Italy) Reduced price, last copies. Rune Lindblad was born in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1923 and began composing music in 1953. This was a time when composers in Germany and France were feuding over the merits of electronic music made by pure wave oscillators versus Musique concrète, which used the tape recorder as its main instrument. Lindblad, however did not see these genres as mutually exclusive. In fact, Lindblad extended his work to incorporate other mediums along with his approach to music. Deeply involved with woodcuts and painting, Lindblad was already experimenting with using damaged 16mm film in his Optica 1 as early as 1959. Not surprisingly, since Lindblad represented no institutionalized school of thought, his experiments went unnoticed for many years with the exception of his demonstration of Musique concrète in a concert at Folkets Hus in 1957 where the audience demanded their money back and the critics called his concert "pure torture". Until a retrospective published by Radium in 1989 there were only two recordings of Rune Lindblad's compositions; one was the single side of a 7" record released in 1957, the other a full length album published in 1975. Both of these recordings were poorly distributed and remain fairly unknown. Lindblad taught at Gothenburg University; among his students were Rolf Enstrom, Ake Parmerud, and Ulf Billing. The music on Death Of The Moon & Other Early Works has lain dormant for almost 35 years. It was recorded at a time when Lindblad was forced to borrow equipment from the University in Gothenburg in the evening and have it returned by sunrise the next morning. These compositions are essentially tape music, where individual performances are fed back and forth between tape recorders in a style represented by the technical limitations during this time period.”
LP $16

KARKHANA with SAM SHALABI / MAURICE LOUCA / MICHAEL ZERANG / UMUT CAGLAR / et - Al Azraqayn (KarlRecords 086; Germany) The furious double LP Al Azraqayn documents Karkhana (with members of Konstrukt, The Dwarfs Of East Agouza, Land Of Kush, Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, "A" Trio) at their very best and intense: live on stage. Consisting of seven of the most adventurous and innovative artists from the Middle Eastern experimental scene (and a veteran jazz percussionist from Chicago), Karkhana are surely among the most unique and interesting ensembles around. When Maurice Louca (The Dwarfs Of East Agouza), Sam Shalabi (Land Of Kush, The Dwarfs Of East Agouza), Umut Çağlar (Konstrukt), Mazen Kerbaj ("A" Trio, Johnny Kafta Antivegetarian Orchestra), Michael Zerang (Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet), Sharif Sehnaoui ("A" Trio, Orchestra Omar) and Tony Elieh (Orchestra Omar, Johnny Kafta Anti-Vegetarian Orchestra ) come together to perform and/or record, the result is as diverse as their individual musical backgrounds. The septet's sound is neither retro nor avantgarde, not folklore nor jazz or rock -- it's an astonishing blend of all these different styles and elements where seductive oriental melodies can intensify and turn into a psychedelic freakout, fueled by reeds, guitars and electronics, only to re-start again from quiet sounds till the ensemble seeks catharsis in a collective improv outburst. Defying simple categorization, and in lack of proper terms for the intense experience of Karkhana's music (as well as the member's other projects mentioned before), someone labelled it "free Middle Eastern music". And it's not surprising that these skilled musicians are at their best live on stage -- as documented on this live recording from a furious, highly energetic concert at Bimhuis/Amsterdam.”
2 LP Set $34

RHYTON - Pharaonic Crosstalk (Feeding Tube Records 535; USA) "The sixth LP by NYC trio, Rhyton, is as heavy as an Egyptian space-funeral. The vibe of this masterful album is fully embodied by its gorgeous Robert Beatty cover art, which looks like a Mati Klarwein reinterpretation of Tony Scott's '68 Verve LP, Music for Yoga Meditation. Rhyton was formed in 2011 by Dave Shuford and fellow travelers, with a notion to balance the songwriterly stance of D. Charles Speer with something more improvisation based. As Shuford says, 'Originally we took certain international rock icons, mainly European and Japanese touchstones, to be points of departure. In general, and as the drummer changed, some of the influences stateside came more to the fore. Improvisation, though still prevalent, began to take a secondary role in the creative method. The studio has continually increased its position as a focused tool for the group, dating back to the Kykeon album and expanding again on this latest batch. Studio -- structure -- rupture -- living asunder.' Pharaonic Crosstalk was recorded at Gary's Electric studio in Greenpoint in bits and pieces, when it wasn't being used otherwise. The process was begun about four years ago, and really only got finished when the Plague shut things down. The sound this time has evolved as Shuford suggests. Drummer Rob Smith shows some of the lessons he must have learned while studying with Bernard Purdie, lending even the zoniest sections a groove-oid bottom that won't stop. And this does not infer boogie tendencies, so much as a solid new approach to fundamentals. Shuford's multivalent string aktion, combined with Jimmy SeiTang's wonderful bass/keyboard dualism and Smith's provocative percolation make this an album of crazy hybridized stoned space-funk-psych-fusion while still manifesting experimental highlights. It is a heady goddamn brew. And never more so than when Al Carlson (who engineered the session) is guesting on sax or the great Tennessee roots pianist, Hans Chew, shows up on clavinet (who knew)! Pharaonic Crosstalk is one of the sweetest bubbles of expressed space-time we've heard in a good long while. Super hard to pin down (like so many truly great records), its contours are a glorious mind-fuck for listeners of all ages." --Byron Coley, 2021 Edition of 400.”
LP $24

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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 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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There is going to a KEITH TIPPETT MEMORIAL CELEBRATION in Bristol, UK on October 1st $ 2nd. DMG writer Darren Bergstein and myself will be attending and boy, are we looking forward to it.

Here is a notice from Janinka Diverio, who is working with Keith Tippett’s family:

“Hello from England

We hope you are well. We are writing regarding our friend Keith Tippett who sadly passed away last year. We are holding a celebration weekend of his music in his hometown with 10 concerts and 38 musicians from his life performing tributes and his music!!

Included in our line up are Matthew Bourne, David Le Page and Philip Sheppard from the Linuckea recording, Theo May, Julie Tippetts and Maggie Nichols plus a premiere of the very first ever Double Dreamtime and a Big Band playing Keith’s music and arrangements.
https://www.keithtippett.co.uk/celebration-event

We are hoping to livestream the Saturday event direct from Bristol all around the world on the 2nd October but we need help raising the final few hundred dollars needed to make this viable. Therefore can we appeal to you to spread the word to your networks, twitter and social channels and forward this email to journalists? We would appreciate it so much.

https://www.keithtippett.co.uk/gofundme

The venues and organizers are all doing this for free as are most musicians with the exception of a handful of expenses so please join us in this celebration of one of the pioneers of British jazz and ALL monies raised will be gifted to the Tippett family.

Thank you for letting me intrude and we sincerely hope you will join us in this celebration to our musical friend and genius.

Kind regards,
Janinka Diverio / www.keithtippet.co.uk

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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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Flip City
David Henry Aaron-saxophone
David Thomas Gould-drums & toys
Nick Panoutsos-bass

Mon. Sept. 20th, 11pm
Bushwick Improvised Music Series
Bushwick Public House (downstairs)
1288 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn
(M to Central, L to Myrtle/Wyckoff, J to Kosciuszko)
https://gaucimusic.com/bushwick-series-schedule / no cover charge

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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