DMG Newsletter for January 28th, 2022

“Hold Your Fire”
Title track from the second album by PATTO, released in 1971

Hold your fire
Don't shoot me
I'm in need of a friend
And I'm cold and seeking shelter from the storm
Put aside your rifle
Help me steer around the bend
Help me find my way back to the road for home

You see I'd grown my hair, I got my head all straight
Went after the American dream
But I always ended up outside looking in on someone's scene
I was raised on hope and plastic carrot strung out right before my face
I chased every pretty woman looking my way twice but they all disappeared without trace

I've been shoved around from town to town it came so naturally
I've been stopped and searched maybe fourteen times on my way from A to B
I've been pointed at by children while I was sleeping in the park
And I was heading home rejected when I scared you in the dark

Hold your fire
Don't shoot me
I'm in need of a friend
And I'm cold and seeking shelter from the storm
Put aside your rifle

You could see me there at every happening with my album by the Byrds
I was shown how to question the great "I Ching" but I couldn't dig some of the words
I've smoked a ton of marijuana, I sat crossed legged till my legs went numb
I made peace signs at the farmers when they called me a no good bum

I've read pornographic literature and I've studied the underground press
I had given my all to Krishna who I was told would not take less
I spent three weeks making necklaces from oriental beads
They were stolen by my guru while I was high on glory seeds

Hold your fire
Don't shoot me
I'm in need of a friend
And I'm cold and seeking shelter from the storm
Put aside your rifle

See I'd taken to wearing sandals and I'd given up watching T.V
I was rolling up grass in the American flag and I was sick from snorting "C"
I blew my mind out on a trip one night and I ran all the way back to town
But the minute I saw the lights in their faces I freaked and turned right around

Well my skin turned yellow and my eyes sunk back from my diet of boiled brown rice
I would shuffle past bright warm houses to my groove pad cold as ice
I've been beaten down and busted and I've wound up on my own
And there's nothing left that buzzes me so I'm returning home

Hold your fire
Don't shoot me
I'm in need of a friend
And I'm cold and seeking shelter from the storm
Put aside your rifle

As I recall, sometime in 1970 or 1971, I found the first self-titled album by Patto in a cut-out bin for around 50 cents. Records on labels like Mercury, Polygram, Ampex or Vertigo often got dumped in 5 & Dime stores like Woolworth, Grant’s or Bradlees and sold for next to nothing since these label released way too records in hopes of finding another million-selling record, signing up hundreds of bands, some worthy of recording and some pretty terrible. I’m pretty sure I bought this record due to the cool/strange cover art since I don’t recall reading anything about this band at the time or soon thereafter. The first Patto album completely blew my mind due to several factors: the strong singing voice and incisive lyrics by Mike Patto, the brilliant lightning-like licks by rock/jazz guitar god Ollie Halsall and their incredible jazz/rock rhythm section of Clive Griffiths & John Halsey. That record remains of my favorite debut albums of all and I still play “Money Bag” for fusion freaks since it features one of the most dazzling guitar solos ever! In 1971, the second Patto album was released and called, “Hold Your Fire”. For me & other serious progressive listeners, it is just as great musically and has even better lyrics, many of which elaborate on the end of the Hippie Dream which happened when the sixties came to an end. The above song is the title track for that record and a good example of Patto’s disillusions of the positive spirits that the sixties were suppose to embody. Patto went on to make a third album in 1972 but due to their lack of recognition, they seemed to deal more with their warped sense of humor then playing their usual inspired rock/jazz/prog music. The band soon broke up with Mr. Patto & Mr. Halsall ending up in Boxer, who were not nearly as good and the rhythm team ended up in the Ruttles, a comedy band that poked fun at the Beatles & included Neil Innes from the Bonzo Dog Band. Both Halsall & Patto also worked with Keith Tippett for his large Centipede band and Halsall started doing a bit of session work, working with Kevin Ayers, Mike D’Albuquerque, Jon Hiseman’s Tempest and Steve York’s Camelo Pardalis. There was even a fourth Patto record called, ‘Monkey’s Bum’, which was released many years later in 1995 for the Akarma label. Over the last few years, all four Patto albums have been reissued with bonus tracks for the Esoteric label, as well as a few rare live Cd’s released as well. I picked the above song because I felt that “hippies” or “liberals” often get a bad rap from knuckleheads, bullies, liars & Fake News fascists world-wide. I was very much attracted to those hippie ideals when I was a teenager in the sixties but I also realized that some of those ideals still ring true today while other do not. I believe that I am still a “free thinker” and that we should base our judgements not on terms that other folks use to define us. Check any or all of the four Patto albums if you still want to have your mind blown. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

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THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY 31st ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE MUSIC FEST CONTINUES with:

Tuesday, February 1st, 2022:
6:30: CHET DOXAS and MICAH FRANK - Tenor Sax & Modular Synth
7:30: VINNIE SPERRAZZA and KEN FILIANO - Drums & Contrabass

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This Week’s Groovy Discs Begin with Two Downtown Greats:

CHRISTIAN MARCLAY / ELLIOTT SHARP - 97 is 97 (zOaR ZCD 097; USA) Featuring Christian Marclay on turntables & electronics and Elliott Sharp (E#) on 8-string guitarbass, bass clarinet & electronics. Recorded at the Old Knitting Factory in December of 1997. The 1980’s through the 1990’s were the Golden Years of the ever-evolving Downtown Scene and the original Knitting Factory was one of the main places where many of the performances took place. It was my favorite place to experience/ listen closely to many Downtown’s best Creative Musicians plus I met a number of folks who became close friends, bonding from all the great music we heard together. Both Christian Marclay are & were prominent members of this scene, leading bands, composing, directing and improvising with a wide variety of other Creative Musicians. I recall when both of these gifted musicians bursts on the scene in the early eighties, a particularly strong time for immensely experimentation with many of the Downtown Musicians reinventing the way they played their instruments and the way they led and/or composed for their different bands or projects. While many other turntablists dealt with beats (sampling & looping), Mr. Marclay somehow invented a way for playing records that became a part of overall improvisations as well as providing sounds for other composers (like John Zorn or Butch Morris). Elliott Sharp is also a restless and ever-inventive composer/improviser/multi-bandleader. By this time Mr. Sharp had already led or worked with several bands: ISM, Carbon, the Semantics and was soon the lead a great blues band called Terraplane (which still exists today in 2022). This same duo has one other recording on the Intakt label which was released in 2000.
Mr. Marclay usually used several old school turntables at the same time as well as mixing board. This way he could layer several sounds at the same time or carefully layer them in select ways. What I find most interesting is that it is often hard to tell who is doing what at any given time. Since Mr. Sharp uses varies devices to manipulate his guitar and both men use electronics, again it is hard to tell them apart at times. While some folks like to complain, I love the sound of “scratches” of records which gives them an ancient sound. Mr. Marclay plays sped up classical piano at one point, while several other layers of electronic or manipulated sounds are also woven through. Backwards (sounding) electric guitar fragments, records sped up, slowed down, scratched and sampled in part provide a kaleidoscopic sounds which reminds me of what Downtown Music used to sound like way back when. I find that the sounds found on records give the music a certain older quality based on which sounds are used. As some of you may know, my good friend Matt Vernon is slowly working his way through my vast live cassette (3,000) & DAT tape (700 ) collection, downloading each gig one at time and sending them back to me (nearly 500 so far) so that eventually we hope to have our own streaming website for my archives. I listen to some of these downloads as he send them, amazed at how much incredible music I listened to & captured in my long life. I find this disc to be consistently fascinating, reminding me of the Golden Days or Years, when we used to check out gigs from 3 to 6 days a week. Sadly, the Great Pandemic has slowed us all down as far as live performances go. At least we do have time to listen to the many discs we’ve all accumulated over time. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

A PRIDE OF LIONS with JOE McPHEE / DAUNIK LAZRO / JOSHUA ABRAMS / GUILLAUME SEGURON / CHAD TAYLOR - No Questions No Answers (Rogue Art 0117; France) Featuring Joe McPhee on alto & soprano saxes & pocket trumpet, Daunik Lazro on tenor & bari saxes, Joshua Abrams on contrabass & guembri, Guillaume Seguron on contrabass and Chad Taylor on drums & mbira (thumb piano). Joe McPhee has long been once of my favorite musicians, an International Ambassador of Good Will and Creative Music. Joe McPhee lives to create music with other Free Spirit Musicians from around the world, developing ongoing relationships with Peter Brotzmann, members of The Thing, Ken Vandermark, Trio X, Evan Parker, the Flow Trio, Konstrukt (from Turkey), Hamid Drake and many more. Early on (in the seventies), Mr. McPhee has started working with French musicians, some of whom he continues to work with today. One of these musicians is reeds wiz Daunik Lazro, who has worked with McPhee on & off over many years. Former Chicago-based rhythm team greats, Joshua Abrams & Chad Taylor have also worked together over many years with Matana Roberts & David Boykin. Over the past decade, bassist Joshua Abrams organized the incredible Natural Information Society, one of the greatest current bands which combines avant-jazz, ethnic influences and ghost trance music into their own world. Since moving to NY, Chad taylor has become of the most in-demand drummers around, working with many others: Marc Ribot, James Brandon Lewis, Darius Jones, Rob Brown, Jaimie Branch, Chicago Underground and many more. More recently, Mr. Taylor’s mbira (African thumb piano) can be heard on many records, bringing something special to each session. I can’t tell you much about French bassist Guillaume Seguron aside from the fact that he played an obscure CD listed in the DMG database. There are quite a bit more connections going on between all these musicians which are well articulated in the liner notes written by the great French poet Alexandre Pierrepont.
This set was recorded live at International Jazz Festival in Saalfelden in August of 2018. Starting out quietly, there is an organic flow going on right from the first note. All five members of this righteous quintet are reaching out together, several spinning worlds are orbiting around the same inner flame/dance. I can hear a connection between both reeds players, Mr. McPhee and Mr. Lazro, sounding like old friends having a warm, thoughtful conversation. When both saxists finally drop out, both bassists start interweaving their bowed bass lines while the drummer also sprinkles percussive sounds around the edges. Mr. Lazro’s warm-toned tenor enters and plays with some somber tenderness until McPhee’s pocket trumpet takes over. Eventually, Mr. Abrams’ gimbri (a Northern African 4 string hand-made instrument) takes over and starts with a great groove line. Chad Taylor’s plays a great sort-of second line beat underneath while the bari sax starts quietly blasting below. The most moves through sections quiet calm to agitated intensity. Chad Taylor has to balance the flow between both bassists and both reeds, and is in fine from throughout. This is magic music at it best with some truly fine infectious spirits flying around the room. An extraordinary set/CD in all its grand glory! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

ROB MAZUREK QUARTET with KRIS DAVIS / INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN / CHAD TAYLOR - Father’s Wing (Rogue Art ROG-0115; France) Multi-instrumentalist Mazurek is practically an elder statesman of the avant-garde by now, and sui generis to be sure. A true iconoclast, he’s a stalwart figure on both the Chicago and international jazz/improv scenes, has performed and recorded with virtually anyone of note over the course of the last few decades, and is equally at home in quasi-’traditionalist’ settings as he is trying his hand at various experimental outings. His latest quartet comprises colleagues Kris Davis on piano, well-regarded bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, and drummer Chad Taylor. Mazurek does his usual doubling-up throughout, playing piccolo trumpet and bells, and liberally dousing the studio in his space-age electronics. Dedicated to his late father, Father’s Wing indeed eclipses a variety of moods, modes, and movements, brimming with an emotional vigor and vibrant energy that is both a celebration of life and a virtual encapsulation of Mazurek’s many areas of discipline. The opening twelve minutes of "Crimson Wing” embodies the man’s aural polyglotism with such effective force it’s a literal statement of intent: his sputtering trumpet lines mirror his lunar module bleeps while decorative bell patterns are scattered about, anchored by Davis’s bottom-end keyboard skronk and Flaten’s serpentine lines, while Taylor sits astride a percussive motif that simultaneously bridges structure and chaos. “Sun Ohm 3” finds the quartet doing some deep exploration into the psyche, Flaten’s probing bass setting the tone as Davis plays the kind of mournful melody that’ll have you reaching for your hanky. The lustrous title track, programmed towards the end of the disc, finds Mazurek’s trumpet capitulating to the inevitability of humanity's hard-won truths, a beautifully wrought slice of contemporary post-bop that echoes some of the early Chicago Underground Trio material in its searching nature, percussion and piano merging in a erupting cascade of notes that soothe as they gently seethe. The closing “Ice Castles of Saturn” is a fitting epilogue that in an alternate universe might well suggest a meeting of Mazurek and Mr. Sonny Blount (aka Le Sun Ra), Mazurek positing whole new worlds to inhabit as his trumpet smears and subtle electronic tone-painting opens the possibility of other intelligent life inhabiting the cosmos. Doing this spiritually paternal dance, the quartet surely travel the spaceways - Darren Bergstein, DMG
CD $16

ROB MAZUREK - All Distances Inform (Rogue Art ROG-0116; France) Featuring Rob Mazurek on piccolo trumpet. Former Chicago-based trumpeter, Rob Mazurek, is nearly impossible to pin down since he has so many different projects (Chicago Underground, Exploding Star Orchestra, São Paulo Underground & many others) plus he switches between acoustic trumpets and electronic devices more often than not. This disc was recorded at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas in August of 2018. Mr. Mazurek has released several solo efforts throughout the years, sometimes playing synthesizers, tubular bells, computer or other electronic devices. In the liner notes, Tim Johnson mentions that “breath” as in breathing is important when someone reads a poem, the placement of words & space are of equal importance. Mr. Mazurek plays solo acoustic piccolo trumpet here, carefully selecting each not, the placement of where in the room the trumpeter is, is important to the way the trumpet sounds. Mazurek sounds as if he is in a spacious room with his trumpet resonating into a blur due to size of the space he is recording in. Every note shimmers, the very shape of the note and how long is resonates has an effect on those of us who are listening. Each of the first seven pieces was recorded in a different room in the same building, hence to overall sound changes from piece to piece. Since much of Mazurek’s playing is bathed in echoes, he often sounds as if he is playing with himself, adding a layer or two other a trumpet chorus with his singular brass voice on top. Mr. Mazurek often takes his time, carefully placing & bending each sound, letting the echoes answer and add to the central voice. It takes time and attention to notice how the trumpet sounds slightly different in each room, hence patience and deep listening is required to hear the richness of all the sounds of music found here. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

JOEL FUTTERMAN - Hear and Now (Silkheart SHCS-165; EEC) Featuring Joel Futterman on solo piano, recorded at Paradise studio in Virginia. Former-Chicago pianist, Joel Futterman, has been recording since 1979 and has more than twenty discs out of solo piano and improvisations with Jimmy Lyons, Raphe Malik, Kidd Jordan, Alvin Fielder and many others. Mr. Futterman has self-released a number of solo piano efforts throughout the years, culminating in a great 5 CD set released by NoBusiness last year (2021). Considering that Mr. Futterman has been playing free/jazz piano for more than 40 years, he has built up a strong body of work, ideas & influences to draw from. “Part One” starts with one note at a time, slowly building and expanding, as currents and/or waves flow. Things begin with a shimmering chorus of chords, later Futterman starts to throw in several criss-crossing waves, the tempo/flow erupting increasing to more furious waves. As the pace of notes gets even more furious, Futterman throws these lightning-like note fragments in, expanding and contracting, his left hand pounding out dark chords while the right hand plays these bent-note lightning fractures. Futterman seems to have several themes or lines that he works his way through, reaching higher & higher as he whips up a series of storms before slowing back down to some suspense-filled sections. On “Part Two”, Futterman begins by scraping the strings inside the piano, slowing things down to a more spacious, elegant flow, sounding like he is starting to play an exquisite ballad, before he again launches into those furious fragments and then expanding things by resonating waves when he holds down the pedal on the piano, the whirlwinds increasing in tempo and intensity. There are times when thing arrive at that storm-force breakneck speed which is astonishing to witness. Thus making this entire disc well worth the journey up and down the keyboard. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

ANDREA CENTAZZO / ROBERTO OTTAVIANO - The Gates live in concert (Ictus Records 200; Italy/USA) Featuring Andrea Centazzo on percussion, Mallet Kat & sampling and Roberto Ottaviano on soprano sax. the very first two albums to be released to feature the early Downtown pioneers like John Zorn, Eugene Chadbourne, Plly Bradfield & Tom Cora, were the Frank Lowe Orchestra’s ‘Lowe and Behold’ (rec & released in 1977) and Andrea Centazzo’s ‘U.S.A. Concerts’ (rec Nov 1978). After inviting Eugene Chadbourne to tour in Italy with him a couple years earlier, Mr. Centazzo (studied modern classical & progressive jazz percussion/drumming) came to NY in November of 1978 to play live & record with the early aforementioned Downtowner plus Toshinori Kondo (wild man trumpeter). Centazzo rented a van and made his way to Birminham, AL to play with LaDonna Smith & Davey Williams and then traveling cross-country to the west coast to play with Alex Cline, John Carter, Vinny Golia, the Rova Sax Quartet, Henry Kaiser & Greg Goodman. Several records & CD’s have been released on Centazzo’s old label Ictus Records.
Andrea Centazzo has since then worked with many of the finest Creative Musicians in Italy, Europe, England and elsewhere. From 1976 until now (2022), Ictus has released 175 albums, many with Centazzo as a member of a group or as a soloist. Soprano saxist, Roberto Ottaviano, is a longtime collaborator with Centazzo, playing in his Metteleuropa Orchestra, as well as with Ray Anderson, Mal Waldron and Alexander Hawkins. I finally got a chance to hear Mr. Ottaviano live when Centazzo curated at The Stone for two weeks in April of 2012, for his label. This is their second duo recording from what I can tell and it was recorded live in Flambro, Italy in July of 2021. Six of the 9 pieces are covers of songs by composers that Centazzo worked with or was inspired by: 3 by Steve Lacy, 1 each by Mal Waldron, Erik Satie and Thelonious Monk. Mr. Centazzo did work with Steve Lacy on several occasions, hence the opening song is Lacy’s “Esteem”. Centazzo plays Mallet Kat (an electronic vibes-like instrument) and/or gongs while Mr. Ottaviano plays some of his most enchanting soprano sax. A most sublime, superb opening. Mal Waldron’s “What It Is” features Centazzo on spacious bass drums (or tympanies?), with Ottaviano playing some exquisite, playful soprano. Centazzo’s own “Nowhere” features Andrea on what sounds like electronic samples & vibes like sounds with somber swirling eerie sounds supporting Ottaviano’s ever-enchanting soprano sax. One of the things I’ve dug about Mr. Centazzo is that he seems to care as much about the sound of his percussion, vibes or electronics as much as his rhythmic support. Mr. Centazzo has many duo records (Henry Kaiser, Eugene Chadbourne & Derek Bailey) and he works well in all duo situations as he changes his sound on each piece. Erik Satie’s “Gnossienne N.1” might seem like an unlikely choice but the duo do a fine job at stretching it into a more lush, suspense-filled ballad of sorts. On “Bali Improvisation”, Centazzo plays/samples gamelan-like sounds or patterns which blends perfectrly with Ottaviano’s fine soprano, the overall effect most enchanting. Thanks to Andrea Centazzo’s ever-expanding sound palette and Roberto Ottaviano’s superb soprano playing, this disc sounds more well-realized then someone might expect. Steve Lacy’s playful “Bone” is last and sounds like a perfect piece to end this excellent disc. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

TATSUYA YOSHIDA & DAIRO SUGA - ROOT (Doubt Music 173; Japan) Featuring Tatsuya Yoshida on drums & voice and Dairo Suga on piano. Sometime in 2010, we received a CD in the mail unexpectedly from the Suga Dairo Trio, a trio whose personnel I hadn’t heard of before. The CD was reviewed by former DMG manager Chuck Bettis and he praised its quirkiness in his review, which can still be found in the DMG database. I don’t think that I had seen or heard any other releases from Dairo Suga before or since although he seems to have some 16 releases listed on Discogs from 2008 to 2018. Founding member & drum dynamo, Tatsuya Yoshida, is one of the music prolific Japanese musicians that I know of, aside from dozens of discs by his band Ruins, he leads other bands like Koenjihyakkei & Korekyojinn, as well as working with Acid Mothers Temple & AM Gong, Keiji Haino, Derek Bailey, Satoko Fujii and Samla…
What I find most interesting is that Mr. Yoshida rarely works with piano players outside of a few duo & quartet discs with Satoko Fujii. Each of the eleven pieces is named after a different flower plus cover is also a scene from the woods with trees, earth and vegetation. Since Mr. Yoshida is more of a prog drummer than anything else, there is an intense, powerful eruption going on here. Even as a duo, these players have mostly symphonic sound, waves upon waves, tightly wound bursts of energy. Similar in ways to the Coltrane/Rashied Ali Interstellar Space duo, this duo also blasts off into similar outer terrain. This terrain is beyond intense, beyond the normal borders of any restraint. Non stop, extreme, with several dialogues or connected lines exploding at the same time. It is commonly known that Mr. Yoshida’s main influence is Magma, hence when he gets a chance to sing on occasion, he sounds like he has studied Kobayan, the alleged Franco/Germanic language that Magma sings in, his voice like those in the Magma chorus. He sings at the beginning of “Gardenia”, which starts the song with a touching, tasty prelude before the later steamrolling powerful sound takes over, both drums and piano in hyperdrive. This duo does capture that cosmic, almost overblown, Magma-like spirit in wave upon wave. At times the duo rocks out in hard, tight, strides like on “Hawthorn”. The only thing missing here would be someone like Jannink Top (former Magma el. bass giant). I’m kidding, these two don’t really need anyone else, they are almost too much by themselves. The adrenalin is pumping hard throughout this entire 75 minute CD! There are times when the duo slow down and work in a few familiar riffs, but nothing lasts for too long. Things finally slow down to near sparseness on a track called, “Linden”, which is the name of my hometown as well as kind of tea (or herb) which is good for anti-anxiety vibes. Hmmmm. It feels better when they do slow down to a more relaxed flow. Even this song builds to an intense, hard-rocking conclusion, kinda like a horse (a car) race to the end. Is it all too much like George Harrison once sang or is it just enough for us excitement junkies?!?! - BLG, DMG
CD $16

BACK IN STOCK! After nearly three months we finally got this disc back:

AMIR ElSAFFAR’ RIVERS OF SOUND with MILES OKAZAKI / JOHN ESCREET / OLE MATHISON / NASHEET WAITS / et al - The Other Shore (Outnote Records 640; Earth) Iraqi-American trumpeter, santur player, vocalist, and composer Amir ElSaffar is a visionary and a pioneer of cross-cultural musical exploration. His six-piece Two Rivers Ensemble, formed in 2006, was among the first projects to combine jazz with Iraqi Maqams. In 2015, ElSaffar expanded the group to form the 17 member Rivers of Sound. The orchestra’s 2017 release Not Two (New Amsterdam) was described by the New York Times as ‘an arresting debut album... full of momentum, but not in the way of a single moving thing. Instead, it seems to flow and spill across bounds’ and Pitchfork Magazine called it ‘... a towering statement of purpose—wise to many traditions, even while it remains accessible to anyone.’ With The Other Shore, Rivers of Sound’s second release, ElSaffar expands the group’s musical palette, exploring new territories, with complex rhythmic cells and microtonal melodies melding together in lush, improvised textures created by the unique timbres of instruments and chemistry between the all-star musicians that make up this orchestra. Featured musicians include Fabrizio Cassol (alto saxophone), Nasheet Waits (drums), Miles Okazaki (guitar), Zafer Tawil (oud, percussion), Tareq Abboushi (buzuq), John Escreet (piano), and Ole Mathisen (tenor sax). I’ve been a big fan of Iraqi-American trumpeter/composer since hearing his first album as a leader of the Two Rivers Ensemble, whose first album was released in 2017. His vision/sound has evolved over his half dozen discs some of which feature his Two Rivers Ensemble. Mr. ElSaffar has expanded his ensemble to 17 members and is now calling it the Rivers of Sound Orchestra. This large ensemble features musicians varied backgrounds and cultures. Some of the bigger names include: Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, John Escreet on piano, Miles Okazaki on guitar, JD Parran on bass sax & clarinet and Nasheet Waits on drums. The exotic instrumentation includes: oud, buzuq, santur, dumbek, ney and mridangam. The music combines several cultures and is ever expanding in the way it unfolds. Called the ensemble, the Rivers of Sound Orchestra seems most appropriate since the music does flow like an ongoing river. The music also consists in a series of cycles with several repeating patterns which slowly metamorphose into another cycle. I like the way the varied layers flow with different lines moving together and around one another, expanding, contracting, buzzing and droning. Although there are some occasional solos (for flute, trumpet, sax or oud), the music is more about the way certain instruments enter and leave, combine forces and interact that make this so compelling. In some ways this music reminds me of early Terry Riley like his classic, “In C” but broken into smaller sections. Although the overall repeating patterns seem simple in sound, it is that way they evolve with different musicians jumping into the flow, solo or just add their part of the thread which keeps things interesting. This is very long at 79 minutes and I’ve listened to it several times. Each time I listen I surf in my mind on the groove or inner rhythmic flow, marvelous at the way a certain instrument will rise to the top, expand, erupt and then blend back into the (cosmic) flow. The more I listen, the more my mind is blown away. I do hope I get a chance to hear this epic work performed live, until then this masterful CD will do the trick. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $18

JAPANESE TRADITIONAL MUSIC - Gagaku, Buddhist Chant... (World Arbiter 2009CD; USA) ...Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai,1941. First in a series of 78 restorations, this one focuses on gagaku & Buddhist chant. Beautiful, lost-in-time recordings -- produced to perfection from one of the world's greats. An extensive anthology of traditional Japanese music was recorded around 1941-1942 by Kokusai Bunka Shinkô-kai: International Organization for the Promotion of Culture. KBS was established under the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs in 1934 for cultural exchange between Japan and foreign countries. In 1972 it became the Japan Foundation, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. KBS activities ranged from lectures, concerts, artistic and academic exchange, publishing books, photos, to producing films and records, establishing libraries and related cultural facilities abroad, among them this record set of traditional Japanese music. Gagaku ("elegant music") is the oldest surviving musical tradition, with a history of more than 1,300 years. It has been developed and passed down, strongly associated with imperial court cultures. Gagaku in current practice may be divided into three categories, by origin and style; 1) indigenous vocal and dance repertoires, primarily performed in the Shinto ceremonies accompanied by several Japanese indigenous and foreign instruments; 2) foreign instrumental music and dances, tôgaku (music of Chinese origin) and komagaku (music of Korean origin) used in various court, Buddhist, and Shinto ceremonies, which consist of various instruments brought from the Asian continent; and 3) vocalized Japanese or Chinese poetry, saibara and rôei established in 9th century Japan, mainly enjoyed by high-ranking noblemen in rather informal court ceremonies. In the words of World Arbiter's Allan Evans: "Current gagaku sounds brittle, easily cracked, very delicate. And in 1941 they used fewer performers but have a solidity, a weight. They were carrying on a tradition that was part of an immortal empire, a vision of permanence. Four years later it was over." In 1942, a set of sixty 78 rpm discs documenting the most authentic traditions in Japanese music was privately issued. Due to the war and neglect, few copies survive. This disc marks the beginning of its restoration.”
CD $15

JAPANESE TRADITIONAL MUSIC - Noh, Biwa, Shakuhachi (World Arbiter 2010CD; USA) Subtitled: Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai, 1941. This second volume of the 1941 Kokusai Bunka Shinkô-kai (KBS) recordings features Noh theater masters, many of whom had been trained by artists active before the Meiji (1868) period. An essay and texts in both English and Japanese with translation are included in the CD. Noh, a masked play, was established by the actor Kan'ami Kiyotsugu (1333-1384) and his son Zeami Motokiyo (1363-1443) in medieval times. Based on various earlier forms such as sangaku (acrobat and juggling), dengaku (dance and play derived from rice festivals), and kusemai (dance), the noh created a far more highly artistic form of theater than ever before. Japanese biwa music is characterized by a narrative with biwa accompaniment. The instrument, born in ancient Persia and introduced into Japan around the 8th century as a component of the royal court's gagaku ensemble, is a four stringed lute plucked with a large plectrum. In the late 12th century, blind Buddhist priests developed a unique narrative style, using this instrument as an accompaniment. The shakuhachi is a vertical bamboo flute sharply edged in its flue. Its standard length is about 54 cm., but there are shorter or longer types than this standard. Shakuhachi was traditionally played by komusô, Fuke-shû priests (a Zen Buddhist sect). The blowing of a shakuhachi (sui-Zen, literally "blowing Zen") was a komusô's religious act equivalent to chanting a sutra.”
CD $15

ARCHIVAL & HISTORIC DISCS, REISSUES & RESTOCKED ITEMS:

ALBERT AYLER with FRANK WRIGHT / DONALD AYLER / MICHAEL SAMSON / CLYDE SHY / RONALD SHANNON JACKSON - La Cave Live, Cleveland 1966 Revisited (Hat ezz-thetics 2-1123; Switzerland) Never-before released recordings of tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler's 1966 band recording in his home town of Cleveland at club La Cave, recorded over two nights in a superb sextet with brother Donald on trumpet, Frank Wright on tenor sax, Michel Samson on violin, Clyde Shy on double bass and Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums, performing Ayler's compositions and Don Cherry's "D.C.".
2 CD Set $20 [In stock early next week]

BOOKER LITTLE with ERIC DOLPHY / GEORGE COLEMAN / JULIAN PRIESTER / WYNTON KELLY / TOMMY FLANAGAN / DON FRIEDMAN / SCOTT LaFARO / REGGIE WORKMAN ART DAVIS / RON CARTER / ROY HAYNES / PETE LaROCA / MAX ROACH - The Complete Albums Collection (Enlightenment 9204; EEC) American jazz trumpeter and composer Booker Little Jr. (April 2, 1938 - October 5, 1961), appeared on numerous recordings during his tragically short career, both as a sideman and as a leader. Little performed with Max Roach, John Coltrane, and Eric Dolphy and was strongly influenced by Sonny Rollins and Clifford Brown. He died aged just 23. This stunning new collection houses all Booker Little's albums on which he performed as leader during his tragically short career, plus the two live albums he made with Eric Dolphy recorded at the Five Spot. Celebrating and compiling the finest music this hugely underrated jazz master produced, this collection goes a long way in providing the ultimate collection of the great man's quite extraordinary work.”
4 CD Set $18

ALICE CLARK - Alice Clark (WeWantSounds 025; UK) “Wewantsounds present a CD reissue of Alice Clark's highly sought-after soul jazz classic produced by Mainstream Records' Bob Shad in 1972. Featuring original artwork, remastered sound, Alice Clark is one of the best soul albums ever recorded and is now regarded as an ultimate classic. When it comes to legendary albums, very few can match the cult status achieved on the international jazz and funk scene, by Alice Clark's eponymous album, recorded for Mainstream Records in 1972. The record which went unnoticed when it first came out has become one of the most sought-after albums ever since it became cult on the London jazz and funk scene in the late '80s. It is now being acknowledged as one of the best soul albums of all-times. Recorded live over two days at the Record Plant studios in New York City, the album was produced by Bob Shad and arranged by jazz veteran Ernie Wilkins with a big band setting. The music is a superb mix of jazz and soul blessed by Clark's superb singing and including two all-time favorites, "Don't You Care" and "Never Did I Stop Loving You" plus a selection of heart-wrenching songs beautifully sung by Clark. Hailed as a soul masterpiece alongside Aretha Franklin or Roberta Flack's best albums, Alice Clark's LP took almost fifty years to achieve classic status and Alice Clark is now finally getting the recognition she deserves.”
CD $17

HORACE TAPSCOTT / NIMBUS WEST CD & LP RESTOCKS:

It has been several years since we had any of the below Horace Tapscott CD’s from the NimbusWest label in stock. Horace Tapscott (4/6/1934-2/27/1999) was L.A’s answer to Sun Ra, an incredible pianist, composer, multi-bandleader, teacher and community organizer. The NimbusWest label was set up by Mr. Tapscott and his record producer colleague, Tom Albach. NimbusWest released 11 solo piano records (7 on LP, all now out-of-print) and 4 on CD. Aside from the solo records, NW released 2 trio efforts, one sextet CD and three by the amazing Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. There were also a handful of records which featured Tapscott as a leader or collaborator on labels like Flying Dutchman, Arabesque & Dragon, all of which are long out-of-print. Over the past few years a French label called Dark Tree (the title of an old Tapscott release) has put out a few unreleased sessions of Tapscott’s as a leader and as a sideman for bassist Roberto Miranda. As a longtime Horace Tapscott fan-addict, I felt that everything he had recorded is well-worth owning and hearing many times over. I still marvel at his playing, composing and bandleading skills. Tapscott was a one of a kind in everything he did. Not sure how long these discs will be around so please don’t hesitate if you want any or all of these.

HORACE TAPSCOTT & PAN-AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA - Live at I.U.C.C. [2 CD set] (NimbusWest 357; USA)
2 CD Set $24

HORACE TAPSCOTT & PAN-AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA - The Call (NimbusWest 246; USA)
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT & PAN-AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA with JESSE SHARPS / RED CALLENDER / et al - Flight 17 (NimbusWest 135; USA)
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT TRIO With FRED HOPKINS / BEN RILEY - Dissent or Descent (NimbusWest 509; USA)
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT With ROBERTO MIRANDA / WOODY 'SONSHIP' THEUS - Live at Lobero Vol. I: Expanded Edition (NimbusWest 2370; USA)
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT SEXTET With SABIR MATEEN / REGGIE BOWEN / GARY BIAS / ROBERTO MIRANDA / EVERETT BROWN Jr. - Dial "B" for Barbra (NimbusWest 1147; USA)
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 8: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 2258; USA)
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 9: The Tapscott Sessions Volume (NimbusWest 2369; USA)
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 10: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 2370; USA)
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 11: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 2581; USA)
CD $15

OTHER HORACE TAPSCOTT CD’S STILL AVAILABLE:

HORACE TAPSCOTT and The PAN AFRIKAN’S PEOPLES ARKESTRA with ADELE SEBASTIAN / JESSE SHARPS / GARY BIAS / RED CALLENDER / LINDA HILL / et al - Ancestral Echoes: The Covina Sessions, 1976 (Dark Tree 13; France)
CD $16

ROBERTO MIRANDA’S HOME MUSIC ENSEMBLE with HORACE TAPSCOTT / JOHN CARTER / BOBBY BRADFORD / JAMES NEWTON / et al - Live At Bing Theatre: Los Angeles, 1985 (Dark Tree 14; France)
CD $16

HORACE TAPSCOTT VINYL STILL AVAILABLE, All in small quantities:

Over more than 25 years, I became friendly with Tom Albach who founded the Nimbus West label and produced each of their releases. I’ve tried to keep all their releases on LP & CD in stock for as long as DMG has remained open. Tom Albach passed away in 2020 and the label is now run by his wife and a young colleague.
The below solo piano albums from Nimbus West are now completely out-of-print. We were able to get their very last copies last year and what we have is all that is left. Vol. 1 is completely sold out and we have from 2 - 10 copies of the 6 LP’s. The Honest Jon’s label in the UK has reissued a few of Tapscott’s older titles on LP only over the past decade. None of those are currently in stock at our distributor but we do get them in from time to time.

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 2: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 1692; USA)
LP $25

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 3: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 1703; USA)
LP $25

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 4: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 1814; USA)
LP $25

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 5: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 1925; USA)
LP $25

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 6: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 2036; USA)
LP $25

HORACE TAPSCOTT - Vol. 7: The Tapscott Sessions (NimbusWest 2147; USA)
LP $25

HORACE TAPSCOTT with the PAN AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA / GREAT VOICE OF UGMAA With PHIL RANELIN / MICHAEL SESSION / DWIGHT TRIBBLE / et al - Why Don't You Listen? - Live at LACMA, 1998 (Dark Tree 11LP; France)
LP $26

Here is a handful of Horace Tapscott releases with reviews or blurbs included:

HORACE TAPSCOTT & PAN-AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA - Live at I.U.C.C. [2 CD set] (NimbusWest 357; USA) Live At I.U.C.C. sees the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra at their most together, stretching out on home turf in 1979, with the legendary Horace Tapscott at the helm. Tapscott is one of the unsung giants of jazz; a gifted composer and arranger, a boldly original pianist, and above all a visionary bandleader, Tapscott's recorded footprint is small, but his legacy continues to vibrate through the Los Angeles music underground. From Freestyle Fellowship to Build An Ark, Kamasi Washington, and Dwight Trible, it all traces back to Tapscott. The pianist was an organizer, and instead of chasing a successful recording career, he wanted to build a community band that would act as 'a cultural safe house for the music.' 'I wanted to say, "This is your music. This is black music, and I want to present a panorama of the whole thing right here"' said Tapscott in the late 1990s. As a culturally radical, communal big band with a visionary approach to American Black music, Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra is second only to the other famous Arkestra, that of Sun Ra. Tapscott founded the group in 1961 as the Underground Musicians Association (UGMA). It changed its name to the Pan African Peoples Arkestra in 1971, and through the seventies the players lived, played, and worked together. Community work and political consciousness were at the heart of the project; for two decades they played in streets, parks, and coffee houses. From 1973 to 1981 their main rehearsal and concert space was the Immanuel United Church of Christ (I.U.C.C.); the Arkestra played every second Sunday, developing their sound and hipping new audiences to their vision. Live At I.U.C.C., recorded in early 1979, was the only live recording the band released. In full flow, and at the height of their powers, the group features original UGMA members Linda Hill, David Bryant, and Alan Hines, alongside a new generation including Jesse Sharps, Sabir Mateen, and Adele Sebastian. Showcasing spiritualized classics from the Arkestra's songbook, including the heavy modal groovers "Desert Fairy Princess" and "Macrame." Live At I.U.C.C. is a rare chance to hear one of the most important, foundational bands in the music. With Tapscott at the piano, this is the rarely-captured sound of the mothership in full flight!
2 CD Set $24

HORACE TAPSCOTT & PAN-AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA with JESSE SHARPS / RED CALLENDER / et al - Flight 17 (NimbusWest 135; USA) "Horace Tapscott's classic large ensemble album from 1978! The collective personnel includes Mr. Tapscott on piano & conduction, Jesse Sharps, James Andrews & Herb Callies on reeds, Red Callender on tuba, plus two trombones, two basses, cello and two drummers. Horace Tapscott was the West Coast equivalent of Sun Ra. He was a great pianist & composer, multi-bandleader, community activist and philosopher. 'Flight 17' was a studio session first released in 1978 but the sound was never balanced right. Nimbus West founder & producer, Tom Albach, got back the master tapes and cleaned them up considerably. For fans of the Sun Ra Arkestra and/or any other adventurous big band ensembles, this is an essential reissue. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG "The Arkestra would allow the creativity in the community to come together, would allow people to recognize each other as one people. Horace Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra (P.A.P.A.) was one of the most transformative, forward-thinking and straight-up heavy big bands to have played jazz in the 1960s and 1970s. If P.A.P.A. doesn't have the interstellar rep of that other famous Arkestra, and if the name Tapscott doesn't ring bells like Monk or Tyner, there's a reason why: in an industry dominated by record labels, a band that doesn't record doesn't count. And the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra didn't record for nearly twenty years. But recording success was never their concern -- they weren't about that. First formed as the Underground Musicians Association in the early 1960s, Tapscott always wanted his group to be a community project. From their base in Watts, UGMA got down at the grassroots. The group was renamed the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra in 1971, and soon after they established a monthly residency at the Immanuel United Church of Christ which ran for over a decade, while still playing all over LA and beyond. But they never released a note of music. It was the intervention of fan Tom Albach that finally got them on wax. Determined that their work should be documented, Albach founded Nimbus Records specifically to release the music of Tapscott, the Arkestra, and the individuals that comprised it. The first recording sessions in early 1978 yielded enough material for two albums, and the first release was Flight 17. From the surging avant-gardism of Herbie Baker's title track to the laidback summertime groove of Kamonta Lawrence Polk's "Maui", or Roberto Miranda's up-tempo Latin jam "Horacio", Flight 17 showcased the radical voices of the Arkestra's members. Led out by Tapscott's hard-swinging piano, this is the first flight on wax of the West Coasts' foundational community big band -- energized, hip, and together. Contains two tracks previously only available on the 1997 CD edition: "Coltrane Medley" and "Village Dance", recorded live at the Immanuel United Church of Christ. "
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT & PAN-AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA - The Call (NimbusWest 246; USA) “2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension in Los Angeles by the late pianist and composer, Horace Tapscott. Like Chicago's AACM, the Watts-based collective was created to promote local musicians; but UGMAA's mandate also included dancers, actors and visual artists. Through UGMAA, Tapscott also taught music to hundreds of young musicians outside of a commercial context. Many of these musicians matriculated into Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, which he also initiated in '61. Even though Tapscott could have easily followed the lead of friends like Don Cherry and Eric Dolphy, and built a high-profile career for himself through touring or moving to New York, Tapscott remained in Los Angeles and worked with the Arkestra and UGMAA's education program. His efforts gained little recognition until the 1965 Watts riots, when he put the Arkestra onto flatbed trucks and, like a fire brigade, played throughout the community to help extinguish the violence. Subsequently, UGMAA received enough state and Federal funding to present regular Arkestra concerts at churches and schools, and stabilize its education program. Concurrently, Tapscott's own stock as a pianist, composer and arranger rose, resulting in two important late-'60s recording dates. The first was Sonny Criss' Sonny's Dream (Birth Of The New Cool), recorded for Prestige in '68, which featured Tapscott's compositions and arrangements (Tommy Flanagan, however, was the tentet's pianist). The second was his 1969 debut as a leader, The Giant Is Awakened, a two-bass quintet date for Flying Dutchman which also introduced alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe. These recordings revealed Tapscott to be a distinctive pianist, whose affection for waltzes leavened the angularity in his playing that is always linked to Monk. The albums also proved that Tapscott's compositional style was not as strident as the avant-garde label affixed to him suggests. Despite the merits of these albums, the Arkestra went unrecorded until 1978. Enter Tom Albach, a hard core jazz fan disgusted with what the major labels were serving up. A professional gambler, Albach approached Tapscott about releasing his music on a label Albach would create specifically for this purpose. Tapscott agreed, and the Nimbus label was soon inaugurated with the Arkestra's The Call.”
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT SEXTET With SABIR MATEEN / REGGIE BOWEN / GARY BIAS / ROBERTO MIRANDA / EVERETT BROWN Jr. - Dial "B" for Barbra (NimbusWest 1147; USA) Featuring Horace Tapscott on piano, Reggie Bullen on trumpet, Gary Bias on alto & soprano saxes, Sabir Mateen on tenor sax, Roberto Miranda on acoustic bass and Everett Brown, Jr. on drums & percussion. This reissue was recorded in Los Angeles in 1983. As each of Horace Tapscott's dozen vinyl releases go out of print, Nimbus slowly reissues them on CD. Horace Tapscott was a legendary bandleader, pianist, composer and organizer of a Society for the Preservation of Black Music or UGMAA. Tapscott's great records on Nimbus include ten volumes of solo piano, a couple of trio discs, his sextet and a couple of big band discs. 'Dial 'B' for Barbra' consists of three long pieces. Starting with "Lately's Solo", which swings hard from the very first note, the sextet plays Tapscott's charts with power and authority. Gary Bias takes the first smokin' solo on alto sax with Sabir on tenor and Reggie on trumpet soon joining him for impressive solos underneath. The great Everett Brown takes a fine unaccompanied drum solo with Horace's powerful McCoy-like piano soon to follow. This piece sounds a great deal a Miles Davis piece from the early sixties. The title track is a fine buoyant song with sparkling piano that moves in unexpected directions as Horace solos. Reggie Bullen takes a fine muted trumpet solo on this piece. Linda Hill wrote an epic piece here called "Dem' Folks", which repeats a certain twisted line yet has rich layers of horn harmonies. This piece reminds me of one of those dynamic McCoy-like pieces from the seventies that we hold so dear. The sextet often sounds more like a small big band and all three horn players take excellent solos. The rhythm team of Roberto Miranda and Everett Brown are also consistently powerful and creative throughout, with Tapscott's piano keeping things focused a and helping everyone else to navigate the strong currents. This nearly 20-minute work is a true tour-de-force and is a colossal and provocative journey. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT TRIO With FRED HOPKINS / BEN RILEY - Dissent or Descent (NimbusWest 509; USA) “This 1984 trio date offers a rare early chance to hear the Los Angeles-based pianist playing with New York City peers. Dissent or Descent offers food for thought on where Tapscott falls in the jazz style spectrum by teaming him with Ben Riley, a drummer linked to Thelonious Monk, and AACM-associated bassist Fred Hopkins. "As a Child" opens with nice melodic touches -- the piano may be mixed a little low but it's not a crucial drawback since Tapscott is forceful enough and the rhythm section sensitive enough to overcome it. The prominent role Tapscott's left hand plays in his melodic conception makes Randy Weston comparisons come to life both here and on "Sandy and Niles." "To the Great House" is a high spot, insistently pushing and jabbing, with Hopkins switching from anchor to doubling the melody to playing countermelodies during the theme. Tapscott doesn't strew notes around, his solo is built off melodic impulses over gorgeous chordal ripples, unfolding organically with sensitive cymbal support from Riley, who reserves drums for his solos. Clifford Jordan's "Spell Bound" finds Tapscott romping around the buoyant tempo and Hopkins at his best ranging through the middle. "Ballad for Samuel" pays homage to Tapscott's mentor Samuel L. Browne, the famous music teacher at Los Angeles' Jefferson High in the '30s and '40s. Two extra solo pieces boast a much crisper piano sound and a more expansive Tapscott. "Ruby, My Dear" starts gorgeously with rolling chords smoothing out the Monk quirks before Tapscott elaborates to show why he may rank as one of the most intrinsically fascinating solo pianists ever. The original "Chico's Back in Town" is another prime example because you never know where he's going -- the music unfolds as it happens (exactly as it should), with a fragmented start leading to pounding flourishes, forceful pedal work and a racehorse finale. Actually, Tapscott's playing with the trio is fairly muted, with more emphasis put on his formidable melodic gifts than any virtuoso turns. Dissent or Descent may not be the best music any of these musicians created but it's a good example of solid, tasteful professionalism.” - Zen Archer
CD $15

HORACE TAPSCOTT and The PAN AFRIKAN’S PEOPLES ARKESTRA with ADELE SEBASTIAN / JESSE SHARPS / GARY BIAS / RED CALLENDER / LINDA HILL / et al - Ancestral Echoes: The Covina Sessions, 1976 (Dark Tree 13; France) Previously unissued studio sessions from 1976 with the Arkestra. A major addition to Horace Tapscott's catalog. Horace Tapscott with the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra "Ancestral Echoes - The Covina Sessions, 1976" Featuring: Horace Tapscott - conductor, pianist, Jesse Sharps - soprano saxophone, Gary Bias & Michael Session - alto saxes, Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, James Andrews - tenor sax, Charles Chandler - tenor sax, Amos Delone - baritone sax, Aubrey Hart & Adele Sebastian - flutes, Steven Smith - trumpet, Lester Robertson- trombone, Wendell C. Williams, French horn, Red Callender, tuba, Linda Hill - piano, David Bryant & Marcus McLaurine - basses and Ricky Simmons, Ishmael Balaka & Moises Obligacion - drums & congas and Kamau Daaood - poet. Plus other participants, possibly, 22-25 musicians collectively. In the post World War II era, dozens of young African Americans in South Central Los Angeles found their way to careers in music. In a community facing challenging social conditions and with little to no outside support, they would become artists, supported by the best that their community and culture had to offer, from neighborhood and family to schools and churches, private teachers, formal and informal spaces and institutions, and more than a few unsung heroes. The “Eternal Egypt Suite” is 27 & 1/2 minutes long and it covers a good deal of ground. Large ensemble spiritual jazz to a long section of some chilling solo piano into double themes Sun Ra-esque, an incredible, long & inventive trumpet solo (Steven Smith), smokin’ sax solos! This reminds me in parts of Brotherhood of Breath, South Africa/British Large Ensemble from early seventies. The is as good as it gets for large ensemble music. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

ROBERTO MIRANDA’S HOME MUSIC ENSEMBLE with HORACE TAPSCOTT / JOHN CARTER / BOBBY BRADFORD / JAMES NEWTON / et al - Live At Bing Theatre: Los Angeles, 1985 (Dark Tree 14; France) The Home Music Ensemble is an 11-piece unit from L.A. which was led by contrabassist/composer Roberto Miranda and includes Horace Tapscott on piano, John Carter on clarinet, Bobby Bradford on cornet & trumpet, James Newton on flute, Thom David Mason on alto & tenor sax & bass clarinet, David Bottenbley on guitar & el plus 4 percussionists. I know of L.A. bassist Roberto Miranda from him work with Vinny Golia, Horace Tapscott, John Carter and Bobby Bradford. Mr. Miranda’s records as a leader are pretty rare although he does have two early ones on the Nimbus West label, which I have never seen and are long out of print. Mr. Miranda got a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in September of 1984 so he was able to organize a strong ensemble with an all-star frontline. Right from the opening of “Platform for Freedom”, piano legend, Horace Tapscott, is soloing like a man possessed, taking the first of a number of colossal solos with a strong, pumping, propulsive bass& multi-drum rhythm team. As Mr. Tapscott takes his long solo, the four-strong horns spin wildly on top. Since there are two drummers here & three percussionists, I am not sure who is playing what, this piece ends with a spirited drums/percussion solo. “Faith” features some majestic writing for the entire ensemble, like the dawn of a day with the sun coming up over the horizon. One at a time, we hear some extraordinary solos from James Newton (on flute)and John Carter (clarinet). On “Agony in the Garden”, Miranda has all of the percussionists playing together with dense interlocking parts with James Newton’s flute and the other horns dance like dervishes on top. The Latin-jazz groove at the center is most infectious. “Prayer #1” is the longest and deepest piece here, with a soft, throbbing pulse at the center and dazzling interplay between Mr. Tapscott’s piano with Newton’s soaring flute, Bradford’s dazzling trumpet and swirling reeds connecting the various waves. “Deborah Tasmin” is a lush, sort of blues with sublime tenor sax by Thom David Mason (a fine musician with whom I hadn’t heard of). Aside from the impressive percussion section, the one player here who is at the center of each piece and in great form is the leader, contrabassist supreme, Robert Miranda, someone who rarely seems to get the recognition he righteously deserves. Mr. Miranda does take a fine bass solo on the next to the last piece, another gem amongst the various treasures found on this fabulous disc. The final piece, “Dance of Blessing, Happiness & Peace”, features some tasty chanting vocals over another a fine, enchanting gospel-like groove. A perfect ending for a wonderful concert. So glad that this long, lost gem is finally released. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

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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.

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GARY LUCAS & FEIFEI YANG - The Edge of Heaven Live!

This Tuesday, February 1st at Joe’s Pub at 7pm (doors at 6)

Joe’s Pub is located on the left side of
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street at Astor Place
New York, NY 10003

Legendary guitarist Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart & Jeff Buckley) and award-winning Chinese vocalist and erhu virtuoso Feifei Yang ring in the Year of the Tiger with an evening of 30's Shanghai pop - a fusion of lush Eastern and Western jazz and traditional Chinese influences - as well as performing Mandarin versions of well-known Western classics by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and others, surrounded by dreamy images of old Shanghai, "the Paris of the East," courtesy lighting designer Kris Anton.

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E#3  = Elliott Sharp Trio w/ Dave Hofstra - bass, Don McKenzie - drums

Featuring instrumental renditions of tunes by Howlin' Wolf, Wes Montgomery, Bob Dylan, Freddie King, Thelonious Monk, Robert Johnson, William Penn & Spooner Oldham, Roy Acuff, Sonny Rollins, Herb Remington, Charles Mingus, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Earl Hooker 

Thursday Feb 17th - Doors: 8:30 
STAGE 3
Set time: 9 - 10pm 
21 and up 
TICKET PRICE: $20 
Ticket Link: https://seetickets.us/ElliotSharp3Feb1722

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Live Performance at The Zürcher Gallery, NYC
Saturday, February 5th at 8:00 PM
 
Robert Dick & Dan Blake
 
Celebrating the release of their CD
Laugh and Lie Down

At Zürcher Gallery, NY
33 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012

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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-312-auxiliaries

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Guitarist and DMG-pal HENRY KAISER has a monthly Video Solo Series on Cuneiform’s Youtube page:

1990 video from WETLANDS in here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfs5OuBfNxs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yeOIVqGLKY
https://www.youtube.com/c/CuneiformRecords/videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGc9OI16hcE

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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 clip just arrived in my email from British Sax Colossus PAUL DUNMALL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CpvCjR8tvs (YouTube)

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THE GAUCI-MUSIC SERIES CONTINUES WITH:

Monday March 7th
7pm Vinnie Sperrazza- drums
Caleb Curtis- alto sax
Noah Garabedian- bass
8pm Dafna Naphtali - vocals/synth
Ras Moshe - saxophones/flute - TBD
9pm Bushwick Series House Band
w/ Stephen Gauci - tenor sax
Adam Lane - bass
Kevin Shea - drums
10pm Santiago Leibson - keyboard
Michael Attias - alto saxophone
Tom Rainey - drums
11pm Patrick Golden - drums
Dave Sewelson - bari saxophone
Aron Namenwirth - guitar
https://www.facebook.com/events/971231257137469

gaucimusic presents:
Live at the Downtown Music Gallery

Saturday March 12th, 2022
6:30pm CD Release Performance for "Pandemic Duets, Eli Wallace/Stephen Gauci"
Eli Wallace - synth / Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
7:15pm CD Release Performance for "Pandemic Duets, Kevin Shea/Stephen Gauci"
Kevin Shea - drums / Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
8pm CD Release Performance for "Stephen Gauci/Eli Wallace/Kevin Shea, Live at the Bushwick Series"
Stephen Gauci - tenor sax / Eli Wallace - synth / Kevin Shea - drums
At the Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe St, New York, NY 
212-474-0043
Free concert!

gaucimusic presents:
Live at Scholes Street Studio
Saturday March 19th, 8pm & 9:15pm sets
Live recording/Live audience!
featuring:
Noa Fort - vocals
Sam Newsome - soprano saxophone
Sean Conly  - bass
$15 at the door, cash/venmo
https://www.facebook.com/events/1324484507977108
@Scholes Street Studio - 718-964-8763
375 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY (near Lorimer J/M, Montrose L)