DMG Newsletter for Friday May the 20th, 2022

I spoke with my old friend Michel Levasseur who founded and still runs the fest and is a most charming, down-to-earth MC. I just an email from Japanese vocalist Makigami Koichi who was a late edition to FIMAV, can’t wait to see/hear him do his thing and hang out late at night at the Victorin Bar. While you read this, I will be sitting through some 18 or so sets of mostly challenging music, eating some good food and hanging with some old friends. I decided to not put an appropriate song lyric at the top of this newsletter so if you think of a song you like, whose lyrics really touch you in some way, either listen to it or sing it to yourselves as a source of inspiration. I didn’t have the time to do as many reviews as I usually do but there is still some great discs listed in this newsletter. John Mori and Kevin Murray will be running DMG while I’m gone so be nice as there are quite a bit of responsibilities involved in keeping the USS DMG afloat. Peace and Love to You, DMG Subscribes & Friends, Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG - 5/17/22

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Tuesday, May 24th: No In-store! Bruce at Victo Fest!

RARE Saturday, May 28th EVENT:
6:30: KRESTON MICHAEL OGSGOOD / HERB ROBERTSON / MARCUS ROJAS - Drums / Trumpet / Tuba!

Tuesday, May 31st:
6:30: JESSICA ACKERLEY / ERIN ROGERS / HENRY MERMER - Guitar / Saxes / Drums!
7:30: DARREN JOHNSTON / CHES SMITH - Trumpet / Percussion!

Tuesday, June 7th:
6:30: THOMAS HEBERER / TOMAS ULRICH / PHIL HAYNES - Trumpet / Cello / Drums!
7:30: MAX KUTNER / MICHAEL EATON / KEVIN SHEA - Guitar / Tenor Sax / Drums!

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THIS WEEK’S DMG NEWSLETTER BEGINS with Two New CD’s from Guitarist/Composer/Multi-bandleader - MARY HALVORSON:

MARY HALVORSON with JACOB GARCHIK / ADAM O’FARRILL / PATRICIA BRENNAN / NICK DUNSTON / TOMAS FUJIWARA - Amaryllis (Nonesuch 670960; USA) The tenaciously inventive Massachusetts-born guitarist Mary Halvorson swapped classical violin for an electric guitar when she heard Jimi Hendrix at 11, and a biology degree for a life in music when she met avant-jazz composing, sax-improvising legend Anthony Braxton at a college jazz workshop. Halvorson has since forged a 20-year career embracing multiple DownBeat magazine best guitar awards, dozens of albums as a guest or leader, a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” and much else.
Halvorson’s current double release, Amaryllis and Belladonna, shows how far this singleminded original has come, and affords a glimpse of how far she may go. Amaryllis was mostly conceived for a six-piece improv band; Belladonna for New York’s contemporary-classical Mivos string quartet – but both sessions confirm how years of jaggedly lyrical solo and ensemble improvising and a quirkily subversive affection for mainstream music (a fondness shared with Braxton) have now nurtured a composer of unpredictable but warmly expressive character.
‘Amaryllis’ exposes avant-funk, fast bass-walking jazz, jubilant brass choruses and slow-sighing rumination to eloquent improvising from young vibraphone original Patricia Brennan, trumpet star Adam O’Farrill, the tersely punchy Jacob Garchik (trombone) and Nick Dunston (bass), mercurial drummer Tomas Fujiwara, and Halvorson herself.”
CD $15

MARY HALVORSON with THE MIVOS QUARTET - Belladonna (Nonesuch 681063; USA) ”The tenaciously inventive Massachusetts-born guitarist Mary Halvorson swapped classical violin for an electric guitar when she heard Jimi Hendrix at 11, and a biology degree for a life in music when she met avant-jazz composing, sax-improvising legend Anthony Braxton at a college jazz workshop. Halvorson has since forged a 20-year career embracing multiple DownBeat magazine best guitar awards, dozens of albums as a guest or leader, a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” and much else.
Halvorson’s current double release, Amaryllis and Belladonna, shows how far this singleminded original has come, and affords a glimpse of how far she may go. Amaryllis was mostly conceived for a six-piece improv band; Belladonna for New York’s contemporary-classical Mivos string quartet – but both sessions confirm how years of jaggedly lyrical solo and ensemble improvising and a quirkily subversive affection for mainstream music (a fondness shared with Braxton) have now nurtured a composer of unpredictable but warmly expressive character.
Belladonna is quieter, but it still buzzes with contrasts: graceful sways of string harmony against Halvorson’s guitar-chord throb and chattery ascents (Nodding Yellow), slurred whale-song sounds over drifting background hums (Moonburn), squealing note-bends within almost Django Reinhardt-like runs (Flying Song), rollercoaster melody full of hard-accented turns and fast-strummed resolutions (Belladonna). These are new landmarks in Halvorson’s already inimitable discography.” - The Guardian, UK
CD $15

MARY HALVORSON with JACOB GARCHIK / ADAM O’FARRILL / PATRICIA BRENNAN / NICK DUNSTON / TOMAS FUJIWARA // THE MIVOS QUARTET - Amaryllis & Belladonna (Nonesuch 681066; USA) Brooklyn-based Mary Halvorson is a premier guitarist and composer whose innovative and creative work has been lauded by the public and critics alike. She makes her Nonesuch debut, not with one, but with two interrelated albums: Amaryllis, a six-song suite featuring a newly established sextet of old cohorts plus the Mivos Quartet on half of the tracks; and Belladonna, a set of modern chamber compositions written for guitar and the above mentioned string quartet. All compositions were written in 2020, when the world entered lockdown.
The object of this review is Amaryllis, whose kinetic opening track, “Night Shift”, channels effortless swagger, mastering a rhythmic development in 10/8 that combines indie rock, new music and modern jazz concepts with tasteful effects and triumphant solos from Adam O’Farrill on trumpet and Patricia Brennan on vibraphone. “Anesthesia” arrives next to explore with a calmer temperament; it’s deliberately cerebral and intriguingly percussive at times. On the contrary, the tricky-metered “Amaryllis” starts off with an expeditious bass figure laid down by Nick Dunston, but the relaxed way O’Farrill and trombonist Jacob Garchik blow their horns creates a polyrhythmic feel that is extremely gratifying. After a stunning trumpet solo, drummer Tomas Fujiwara also finds the space to deepen his rhythmic chops.
The three last selections feature the allurement of strings, with the Mivos quartet enlarging the group to a tentet. They forge a nice chamber setting where modern classical and avant-garde elements merge seamlessly. That’s what happens on “Side Effect”, which keeps an exuberant sense of wonder while skillfully warping our rhythmic perception of things. The last couple of tracks, “Hoodwink” and “892 Teeth”, are more immediate, seeking out a more symmetric geometry while putting on view Halvorson’s visionary methods and openness to other genres. The former tune, carrying a march-like propulsion that recalls Bill Frisell’s ECM album Rambler, features the bandleader’s beautiful fingerpicking and warped improvised verses. On the other hand, the latter piece feels intimate and emotional, oozing a somber tone that never reaches a deep level of despair.
Nothing here feels like a stretch. That’s what you get when you have the gift for structured composition and the back of a stupendous cast of players who trust one another implicitly.” - JazzTrail.net
2 LP Set $30

CHARMING HOSTESS with JEWLIA EISENBERG / MARIKA HUGHES / DAN CANTRELL / DARREN JOHNSTON / NILS FRYKDAHL / et al - The Ginzburg Geography (Tzadik 4039; USA) “‘The Ginzburg Geography’ is an examination of the lives and work of Natalia and Leone Ginzburg during World War II. As with her other Charming Hostess endeavors, Jewlia Eisenberg plunged deeply into research and created songs inspired by their life, love and writings as well as including songs of protest and cultural significance from the time. Jewlia laid down vocals and oversaw the recording of the majority of band tracks but was not able to finish. Since her passing, her longtime collaborator Marika Hughes has completed the album consistent with Jewlia’s vision based on her notes and past performances. Tzadik is deeply honored to present this historic and heartfelt final project by the endlessly creative force that was Jewlia Eisenberg.”
I got to meet and talk with Jewlia Eisenberg on a couple of occasions, way back when, and was most impressed with her quick wit, shrewd and immensely well-informed ideas. I really dug the two previous discs by Charming Hostess, as well as her solo effort and Red Pocket project, all from the Tzadik label. We hadn’t been in touch in many years and didn’t know about this, her last project before her untimely passing in March of 2021. This disc is based on the live and writing of Natalia Ginzberg, an Italian authoress, atheist, former Jewess and defender of Catholicism and longtime antifascist. I am listening to this disc for the second time now and am most impressed by all of the thought and work that Ms. Eisenberg brought to this project. It will take me a while to fully absorb what is found here but well worth the time. - BLG at DMG
CD $14

DARIUS JONES - Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation)(Northern Spy 141; USA) “Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation) harnesses the gamut of raw, unadulterated emotions — suppressed feelings that we’ve all been allowed to “feel” again in the wake of a global pandemic. Born out of a live performance in fall 2019, during the last stop of his tour in Portland, OR, saxophonist Darius Jones renders a solo effort that evokes sadness, rage, and confusion, all the while still holding for glimmers of hope for the future.
With four of its five tracks on Alchemy, Jones selects compositions from artists who are not just unapologetically Black but also notably ones that he regards as “world builders.” From Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, and Roscoe Mitchell right up through the present with Georgia Anne Muldrow, Alchemy draws immeasurable strength from each of these artists who dared to envision and create an entire universe unto themselves, on their terms.
“I want to capture a moment in time, to crystallize the beginning of something at the end of something else,” says Jones. Separated and now divorced from his partner of 10 years, Alchemy balances the emotional heft of closure with the simple act of standing alone. Each track unearths a deep and profound vulnerability in every solo performance that isn’t just personal but also delves into the macro-level divisiveness of our current political climate.
With “Figure No. 2,” Jones offers us a modern-day version of the blues. Courtesy of Muldrow, her refrain encapsulates the vast breadth of the Black experience in America, transforming our deep-seated pain into our beauty and armor of resilience. Jones also proudly rests on the shoulders of Coleman and Mitchell, two of this music’s known improvisers who often stood alone in this music’s ever-changing landscape. He pays homage to Mitchell with “Nonaah,” which in the late 1970s was initially met with jeers from an audience, that is, until his 21 minute long version overtook them.
Alchemy uncovers a duality of what it means to be alone, especially resonant in today’s climate of social distancing. In one turn, we were all forced to put life as we knew it on hold — to simply be still and deal with our emotional realities unencumbered by the distractions of life. But at another turn, Jones taps into an unknown power of his lone voice, finding a newfound strength and enthusiasm that will carry him — and its listeners — beyond the uncertainty and doubt of not knowing.
CD $14

FOUR GREAT NEW DISCS from THE NoBUSINESS LABEL:

HOWARD RILEY / KEITH TIPPETT - Journal Four (NoBusiness NBCD 152; Lithuania) Featuring Keith Tippett and Howard Riley on pianos. Recorded at The Steinway Two-Piano Festival at The PizzaExpress Jazz Club in Soho, London in March of 2016. Both Keith Tippett and Howard Riley are amongst the top British Avant/Jazz pianists, their long careers stretching back to the late 1960’s. Both have performed and recorded in solos, duos, trios, small & large ensemble situations. Piano duos were and are still rather rare, especially when one finds out that this is the fourth recording from this particular duo. Keith Tippett, who passed away in June of 2020, has played in a couple of piano duos with Stan Tracey (another UK legend) and more recently with Matthew Bourne, as well as in a piano trio with John Tilbury and Howard Riley.
This disc, which was recorded live in 2016, features two long solos by each pianist plus a near 47 minute piano duo epic. Keith Tippett’s “Sea Walk” is up first. Mr. Tippett occasionally employs a small block of wood (or similar objects) to mute certain strings inside the piano, which gives his playing a distinctive sound. He does this here, shifting between muted and unmuted strings/sounds. Mr. Tippett’s solo concerts/recording are amongst the bestI’ve heard and he does a great job of exploring the art of solo piano here. Quite extraordinary! For the Howard Riley solo, Mr. Riley takes two Monk songs, “Mysterioso” and “‘Round Midnight” and references them, moving through them in a continuous stream. The duo with Mr. Tippett and Mr. Riley is something else entirely, I can hear the they are familiar with each other’s playing and are building/extending on what they’ve done in the past. I really enjoyed the piano duo with Tippett & Matt Bourne from recent vintage but this duo is even more incredible. There is quite a bit of rambunctious playing and interplay by both piano masters. If you are a piano freak like yours truly, then I urge to hear this disc, it rules! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

SAM RIVERS TRIO with ANTHONY COLE / DOUG MATHEWS - Volume 6: Caldera (NoBusiness NBCD 155; Lithuania) Featuring Sam Rivers on tenor & soprano saxes, flute, piano & voice, Doug Mathews on acoustic & electric basses and bass clarinet and Anthony Cole on drums, tenor sax and piano. Recorded live in March of 2002 at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. This is the six in a series of unreleased archive recordings by the legendary saxist Sam Rivers, of one the originators of the freer region of jazz, starting in the mid-1960’s. The very first free jazz trio that I caught live was the Sam Rivers Trio (with Dave Holland & Barry Altschul) in the summer of 1973 at Ornette’s Artist House space. Although I didn’t quite understand this music yet, I felt there was something compelling going on that was both exciting and confusing. I’ve caught Mr. Rivers dozens of times through many years and recall many great nights at his loft space, Studio Rivbea, in the late seventies. Mr. Rivers eventually moved down to Florida where he taught and organized a new trio as well as another big band. I caught this trio 2 or 3 times whenever they toured around the time that this disc was recorded (in 2002). This trio had only three releases, one on cassette and two on CD, all are long out-of-print. It turns out that this trio existed from 1993 to 2006, longer than any other ensemble that Rivers worked with.
CD $16

ROB BROWN / JUAN PABLO CARLETTI - Fertile Garden (NoBusiness NBCD 154; Lithuania) Featuring Rob Brown on alto sax and Juan Pablo Carletti on drums & cymbals. Earlier this month, I caught an incredible trio concert with John Blum, Rob Brown & Lou Grassi at Machiko Studios. It was the most intense/brutal free/jazz concerts that I’ve witnessed in years! Also earlier this month (May of 2022), I reviewed a disc by the Whit Dickey Quartet with Rob Brown, Mat Maneri & Brandon Lopez. This disc is also extraordinary. Rob Brown plays live on rare occasion nowadays and records even less. Hence, every he does is special and well-planned. Over the past decade Mr. Brown has recorded a number of fine duo discs with Daniel Levin and Matt Shipp. This session was recorded at Park West Studios in Brooklyn in August of 2020.
What has always impressed me about Rob Brown is that his playing is very methodical. His tone is somewhere between Ornette Coleman and Jimmy Lyons, but his playing has a distinctive way of unfolding. South America drummer, Juan Pablo Carletti, is a good choice since he also developed an organic way of playing, shifting his dynamics to match Mr. Brown cascading, jagged lines. There is a wonderful balance going on here, as both musicians move in waves together, either swimming with or surfing on the currents as one force. Another thing I like about the duo/date, is that is rarely frenzied or over the top. The duo take their time and sail or coast together nicely. There are actually some lovely, laid back moments which I really dig. There is a great section midway where Mr. Brown plays a series Ornette-like lines which both somewhat lyrical and slightly bent at the same time. Absolutely marvelous! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

DAUNIK LAZRO / JOUK MINOR / THIERRY MADIOT / DAVIS CHIESA / LOUIS-MICHEL MARION - Sonoris Causa (NoBusiness NBCD 153; Lithuania) Featuring Daunik Lazro on bari sax, Jouk Minor on contrabass sarrusophone, Thierry Madiot on bass trombone & telescopic tubes and David Chiesa (left channel) & Louis-Michel Marion (right channel) on 5-string contrabasses. This set was recorded live the Festival Musique Action in Vandoeuvre, France in May of 2003. There is only one member of this French quintet that I know of previously, Daunik Lazro. Mr. Lazro can be found on some 50 previous records with Evan Parker, Joe McPhee and Michel Doneda. The other four musicians are much less visible although they have recorded with Alan Silva, Francois Tusques, Raymon Lopez and other musicians equally obscure.
This is certainly bass-heavy quintet with unique instrumentation: bari sax, sarrusophone (originally a double reed, similar to an oboe), bass trombone & 2 5-string contrabasses. There are three long mostly improvised piece here. The overall sound consists of eerie growls, groans, drones and Mark Dresser-like bowed & plucked bass extensions. The overall sound is often intense and riveting, always shifting through varied densities and melodic or noisy fragments. What often happens is this: while one of the three horns solos or leads, the other two will create appropriate drones underneath, the bassists often work in tandem, playing both low-end bowed bass drones and percussive sounds due to tapping on the bass strings with a bow or with their hands. Some of those low-end sounds are most haunting, stirring up the tides of the deep waters around them. Strong medicine, indeed. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

STEPHEN GAUCI / JOE HERTENSTEIN / ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH / JAN RODER - Soundlift Berlin-New York (GauciMusic 04530; USA) Featuring Steve Gauci on tenor sax, Alexander Von Schlippenbach on piano, Jan Roder on bass and Joe Hertenstein on drums. In October of 2021, Downtown saxist, event-promoter & labelhead, Steve Gauci, headed over to Berlin to play with several German musicians both live and in the studio. Drum wiz, Joe Hertenstein, who splits his time between Berlin, New York and Texas, help put together an incredible quartet with legendary free/jazz master pianist Alex Von Schlippenbach, ever in-demand bassist Jan Roder and Mr. Gauci on tenor sax. Mr. Schlippenbach is a founding member of the Globe Unity Orchestra, an incredible free/jazz big band that have been around since 1966 as well as the great Evan Parker/Paul Lovens/Schlippenbach Trio. Bassist Jan Roder, who recently played at the JazzWerkStatt Fest at Roulette also plays on a recent duo CD with Anna Kaluza (on Relative Pitch). Joe Hertenstein also played at the recent JazzWerkStatt Fest as well as here at DMG with Thomas Heberer & Joe Fonda.
This session was recorded at Keller4 Studio in Berlin. Right from the gitgo, we can tell that something special is going on here. Things go from a quiet state of calm to explosive within a few minutes, as the powerful exchange keeps getting more intense, rising and falling in waves, not unlike taking a great roller coaster ride. Mr. Schlippenbach, who recently turned 84, is in fine form here, thoughtfully balancing the many elements of freedom and connected spirits. The quartet work their way through both occasionally mellow to intense, eruptive sections, always staying connected to the same wavelength. I like there doesn’t sound or seem to be a leader here, just a formidable quartet with all four members working together as one spirited, inventive unit. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

STEPHEN GAUCI / WENDY EISENBERG / FRANCISCO MELA - Live at Scholes Street Studio (GauciMusic 04534; USA) Featuring Steve Gauci on tenor sax, Wendy Eisenberg on guitar and Francisco Mela on drums. Over the past 6 months, saxist & promoter, Steve Gauci, has curated a monthly series here at DMG, one Saturday a month. Mostly, the schedule has consisted of 3 sets with Mr. Gauci playing in two different duos and then in a trio with all three musicians. Since the personnel/instrumentation changes monthly, it remains a challenge play and listen to all three sets. For the past 5 years, Mr. Gauci has run a weekly series in Bushwick with 5 or 6 bands a week. The Bushwick series in temporarily in limbo while Mr. Gauci finds a new home for this series. Starting last week, Mr. Gauci’s series here at DMG will feature three bands with Gauci as a member of one. Mr. Gauci has also been running another series at Scholes Street Studio, which he records as well for another series of discs released on the GauciMusic label. Mr Gauci laso has an ongoing trio or quartet that also plays in the weekly Monday series often with Adam Lane, Kevin Shea and sometimes with Sandy Ewen added. For the Scoles Street Studio series, Mr. Gauci bring in different bands and works with other musicians.
This disc captures a one-time trio with Gauci, Wendy Eisenberg on guitar and Francisco Mela on drums. Both of these two musicians keep busy playing with a variety of other Downtown musicians, all from different scenes or backgrounds. Over the past few years, Ms. Eisenberg has recorded several solo efforts as well as leading a number of different bands, each one very different. Cuban drummer Francisco Mela also leads several band and has worked with Matt Shipp, William Parker, Zoh Amba and Joe Lovano. Ms. Eisenberg remains one of the most diverse and unpredictable of all current Downtown guitarists, so we enever know which music stream/genre she will draw from. When this disc begins she is switching between jazz, rock and other assorted styles. The trio plays quietly and sparsely at times, taking their time to build up into some more frenzied fragments. Mr. Gauci is a strong team player hence this trio works well together. Ms. Eisenberg really cuts loose midway as she bends & twists notes, playing quickly and more intensely as the trio evolve. Mr. Mela is an equally diverse and supportive drummer who also knows when to dig in and lay out. Mr. Gauci does much less note-bending or screaming here since this not what this trio needs, often letting Ms. Eisenberg lead the way, often inserting lots of odd twists and turns to the proceedings. On the over of this disc all three members are smiling and I can clearly see why. A great time is guaranteed for all. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

ELLIOTT SHARP / TIM DAHL / WEASEL WALTER - Kompromat (ug EXPLODE 85; USA) Recently discovered in the vaults, this 2011 studio recording of the power trio featuring Downtown NYC legend Elliott Sharp on guitar, new school bass terrorizer Tim Dahl, and Flying Luttenbachers drummer Weasel Walter is an exercise in spontaneous free music with a muscular, no-holds-barred edge. An hour of heavyweight, loud free improvisation that rocks while not being "rock". "Kompromat" features some of the most blatantly scorching string mangling E# has done on record in recent memory and the notorious rhythm section goads him with aplomb and a variety of contexts. Loose, playful, raw, and energetic stuff, perfect for those who need a fix of wire-brush no wave outrageousness and racket.”
CD $12

THE FLYING LUTTENBACHERS - ‘Terror Iridescence’ (ugEXPLODE 86; USA) "“Terror Iridescence” is the 4th full length release by the latter-day, New York City based reincarnation of the seminal Punk Jazz/No Wave/Brutal Prog unit The Flying Luttenbachers, and the 17th album since 1992. After all of this, longtime fans tend to expect notable creative twists to be pulled by the band with each release, and this one will not disappoint. This time around, our heroes have issued forth a boldly abstract haunted-house salvo of dizzying surrealism, loaded with exceptionally bizarre sonic tangents. After 2021’s blistering and compositionally dense “Negative Infinity”, FLs leader Weasel Walter decided to take another tack altogether: Instead of making another rehearsal intensive album of tightly scripted action, “Terror Iridescence” was improvised completely on the spot at Colin Marston’s Menegroth studio in Queens, New York on one day in October 2021. The individual instruments were mic’d up and then, with very little discussion, the ominous 20 –minute long “Meredyth Herold” (named after the obscure actress whose utterly jawdropping and singular performance in the 1990 perverto-noir flick “Singapore Sling” mirrors the morbid chaos of the piece) began to unfold. The main concept was to perform in reference to a click track heard only in the headphones, while Mr. Walter molded the structure in real time, cuing each player in or out and giving pointed suggestions. Once it came down to the mixing phase, it was apparent that this click track was actually an integral part of the composition and had to be included in the final mix, whereas the original idea was to mute it completely. As such, this water torture presence is a major element of continuity -an infinitely rising and falling pulse which sometimes dominates, sometimes recedes, but always reminds us of the inevitable. Beginning with a fuzz-laden bass guitar drone by Tim Dahl, the orchestration strategically morphs and deliberately ebbs and flows in a series of dramatic peaks as various elements are cued in and out. It should be noted that the drum kit and saxophone (played by Sam Ospovat and Matt Nelson, respectively) were both processed live with electronic effects in real-time by the players. What you hear on the record is often a blend of their acoustic sounds and electronic manglings, resulting in a wider, more layered density and tonal palette. It definitely sounds like there’s more than five people playing on this thing, as a result. We assure there isn’t. The guitars on the album were performed by both Weasel Walter and Katie Battistoni, reprising the caustic double-headed skronk assault heard previously on “Negative Infinity”. Is this the Luttenbachers’ DOOM album? Maybe. “Terror Iridescence” is shocking, spacious, linear, dark, sensual and unhurried, all the while maintaining the band’s signature intensity and devotion to stark modernism. Come to think of it, this thing just might evoke the overt deconstruction of 1997’s “Gods of Chaos” (released on Skin Graft) to some fans – this sure ain’t no “rock” record--It’s a cryptic transmission from another dimension. Track two of two, another 20 minute whopper named in tribute to the recently and tragically departed iconoclast, peer, supporter, and close friend of the band, “Tom Smith” begins in a ritualistic, percolating, insectoid sonic jungle landscape punctuated by varied sonic events and aural wraiths. At one point, an onslaught of shattering glass disturbs any possible hypnosis achieved during the introduction. The entire piece is more episodic overall than the preceding track and contains many sections that contrast distinctively with each other. ‘Round about 6 minutes in, a rowdy tutti fanfare of held asymmetrical tone row blasts (alluded to at the very end of “Meredyth Herold”, but blown fully wide open on “Tom Smith”) kicks everything up into a noxious assault cloud, bolstered by volcanic free drumming by Weasel Walter. After several repetitions of this dramatic series of ordered pitches (the closest this record ever gets to a traditional chord progression), a long series of jump cut sequences takes place, allowing the musicians to show off their distinctive and diverse skill sets in various groupings. There are fright-inducing guitar and saxophone solos, pounding drums, macabre electronics, and more. A very deliberate and extreme tension is maintained, but not in a clichéd “free jazz” idiom. The angular, disruptive forms created spontaneously here are brand new, yet obviously belched forth from the good ship Flying Luttenbacher. By the end, the “Terror Iridescence” tone row reappears in different forms and orders, reiterating the material for the sake of subliminal coherence. Often in The Flying Luttenbachers music, the listener may not see the exact logic in what happens, but trust us – it’s there. One might feel it more than comprehend it, and that’s okay. It is guaranteed that the next phase of the band will be something altogether different, but for now, let this bloodcurdling puzzle piece raise the hairs on your neck and make you want to pull the covers over your head. This here record is a good, old-fashioned horror movie in sound. They’re coming to get you, Baaaa-barahhhhhh!!!!"
CD $12

JOHN BUTCHER / ANGHARAD DAVIES / MATT DAVIS / DOMINIC LASH / DIMITRA LAZARIDOU-CHATZIGOGA - nodosus (Empty Birdcage Records 007; UK) Featuring John Butcher on tenor & soprano saxes, Angharad Davies on violin, Matt Davis on trumpet, Dominic Lash on contrabass and Dimitra Lazaridou-Chatzigoga on zither. The British Underground Free Music Scene continues to thrive with all sorts of different combinations of players. We all should know of UK saxist John Butcher, as one of the guiding lights of free form sax for more than thirty years. Both Matt Davis and Angharad Davies have worked with many of the same players for the past decade or so: Rhodri Davies (Angharad’s brother), Broken Consort and The Seen. Bassist Dominic Lash also keeps pretty busy of the Convergence Quartet, Alex ward & Tony Bevan. Perhaps a bit less visible is zither player, Ms. Lazaridou-Chatzigoga, who has also played with Eddie Prevost as well as with The Seen.
This session was recorded at Cafe Oto in London in December of 2017 and it features two long pieces. Since some/all of these musicians have played in some lower-case situations, the music here often carefully unfolds. There are a series of drones or long-tones which expand and contract, humming or buzzing together, at times I am unsure of who is doing which sound. This music unfolds slowly and develops over time, the effect is like traveling on a slow moving ship of some sort (sea or space ship). It feels as if time is slowing down to a calm crawl. This disc also includes a long poe,prose work by Helen Frosi which gives us some some words/images to ponder while we listen. I haven’t listened to much lower-case music in a long while so it took some time to get used to what is going on here. If you are patient, there is some fascinating music found within. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15 [Limited of 200 / numbered]

YARN/WIRE - Images of Duration (Northern Spy 103; USA) Written between 2015 and 2018 for the acclaimed New York percussion and piano quartet, Yarn/Wire, Alex Mincek’s Images of Duration (In homage to Ellsworth Kelly) is a monumental work by any measure. With a runtime close to one hour, it is not only Mincek’s longest work to date, but also one of his most intriguing. It is scored for two pianos tuned 1/4 tone apart (441 and 428 Hz, respectively) and a vast array of percussion including tuned gongs, air canisters, waterphone, baby monitor, and white-noise machine alongside more traditional instruments like drums, vibraphone, marimba, and chimes. This instrumentation, while wildly varied, creates an ever-changing landscape that is brutal, disorienting, beautiful, meditative, and jarring – often at the same time.
Mincek is interested in how perception changes over time, and the sheer scale of Images of Duration allows for listeners to discover different modes of listening for themselves. The individual movements can function as sonically flat landscapes (like Kelly’s work), but upon deeper listening, the many multiple layers can be teased out and followed, creating an arc across the whole piece. The music traverses movements that range from Oblique’s piano rumble and ebow drones through the sparkling detuned piano passages of Vermillion to violent piano glissandi of Diagonal, all punctuated by massive percussion hits throughout.
Images of Duration (In homage to Ellsworth Kelly) exemplifies Yarn/Wire’s commitment to the most dynamic and forward-looking chamber music made today.
CD $14

BACK In STOCK From The NoBUSINESS & NORTHERN SPY LABELS:

DEREK BAILEY / MOTOTERU TAKAGI - Live at Farout, Atsugi 1987 (NoBusiness 132; Lithuania) “Album bringing together guitarist Derek Bailey and saxophonist Mototeru Takagi , here on soprano sax and available on CD and LP. In 1987, Derek Bailey was at the top of his game. During various stays in Japan, he regularly meets a series of Japanese musicians who had participated in his LP " Duo & Trio Improvisation(Kitty Records April 1978): trumpeter Toshinori Kondo, percussionist Tsuchi Tsuchitori, double bassist Motoharu Yoshizawa, and saxophonists Kaoru Abe and Mototeru Takagi. He also met drummer Sabu Toyozumi, a close companion of this now decimated sibling of improvisers, the extraordinary trumpeter Toshinori Kondo having passed away last month. Among all these pioneers of Japanese free-music, Mototeru Takagi has not acquired the legendary status of Abe, Takyanagi, Toyozumi, Kondo, Sakata whose recordings flourish to the point that No Business publishes an uninterrupted series of albums in collaboration with the Chap-Chap labelby Takeo Suetomi, himself a legendary concert organizer. He saw fit to offer this distant memory of a concert in Atsugi, where Brötzmann and Bennink engraved their most sought-after album by collectors, by hitting hard! No matter who he plays with, Derek Bailey cultivates an extraordinary art to take creative advantage of a confrontation - dialogue by revealing even more the (unlimited) richness of his playing. If Mototeru Takagi is undoubtedly not a comparable soprano saxophonist to giants like Steve Lacy, Evan Parker or Lol Coxhill, he follows his path without blinking, extending his language boldly showing a strong will. His approach is oriented towards a form of detached lyricism, poetic, subtle by its alterations on the tones and extreme sound points. Duo I spans 28:11. The sauce gets even better in the second improvisation (Duo II 17:39) where Derek Bailey plays solo acoustically to begin with, sometimes evoking the sound of a Japanese koto zither. Obviously, this inspires Takagi who applies himself to dialogue with a beautiful logic. Duet III 8:09: the dialogue reaches fullness, the timbre of the sax acquires an intense glow, a serene warmth. He continues on his way and discovers a winding path while his companion is silent, facing a questioning silence streaked by trebles. We continue on the Duo IV. Derek Bailey has resumed his electric guitar and exploits the harmonics with the volume pedal. Takagi's playing evokes Lacy's polytonal ritornellas and cascades. The duo then beats at full speed with the dry staccatos to the stringing harmonics of the guitarist without the saxophonist escaping from his pensive, even reserved attitude. The guitar comes alive, the guitarist's swings in the distended intervals progressively evolve in impenetrable cadences and like a duck in front of a sunny pond, the sopranist cackles and noses to finally stretch saturated highs in response to the cleavers of manic clusters. While the concert therefore reaches a climax where everyone leaves their usual procedures in complete metamorphosis by stretching the sounds, we have the feeling that DB would certainly have selected this last part in an imaginary Company Made in Japan album.” - Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg - Orynx Improv and Sounds Blog
CD $16

MASAYUKI JOJO TAKAYANAGI / NOBUYOSHI INO / MASABUMI PUU KIKUCHI - Live at Jazz Inn - Lovely 190 (NoBusiness 135; Lithuania) Featuring Masayuki Jojo Takayanagi on guitar, Nobuyoshi Ino on bass and Masabumi Puu Kikuchi on piano. This is a live recording from the Jazz Inn Lovely in Nagoya, Japan in October of 1990. Legendary Japanese jazz guitarist, Masayuki Takanayagi, had a long career (from late 1950’s until 1990), beginning with playing straight ahead jazz in the sixties, stretching into free/jazz in the seventies and eighties and later to Keith Rowe-like guitars on table in 1990. This set and disc is also from 1990, just a year before Taknayagi’s passing in 1991. The bassist here, Nobuyoshi Ino, was a member of Takanayagi’s New Direction Unit as well as working with Itaru Oki, Alex Von Schlippenbach and Aki Takase. Masabumi Kikuchi was one of the finest jazz pianists to emerge from Japan, working with Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Charlie Mariano and Paul Motian. Kikuchi eventually moved to New York and had a longtime trio called Tethered Moon with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian. This disc consists of three trio tracks and two duo (guitar & bass) tracks. The first track, “Trio III”, drifts by slowly with sparse guitar and piano interwoven and solemn, sublime contrabass at the center. I like how the trio take their time, stretching out and giving much space, make each note or small group of notes count. On “Duo I”, Takayanagi and Ino speed up and exchange lines, often taking their time yet they always sound closely connected, completing each other’s lines both brittle and assured. There is a section where the trio takes things further out, freer and into outer space, sparse yet spooky. At one point, Takanayagi starts using a device to alter his guitar tone making it sound very different from his regular jazz guitar tone. The tempo increases as he and Mr. Ino trade ideas at a quicker pace, the results of which are quite extraordinary, free music at its best! The two long duos are something else entirely. Bassist Nobuyoshi Ino is equally important to this entire disc as his playing is often phenomenal, pushing Takayanagi even higher, bowing up a storm and matching wits with Jojo time and again. Although Masayuki Takanayagi had some 20 recordings released between 193 and 1990, just a few are still available at present. The Blank Forms label did release 2 of Takayanagi’s essential reissues from his New Direction Unit last year, ‘Axis / Another Revolvable Thing’ and ‘April Is The Cruelest Month’. Both are well worth checking out as examples of Japanese Free/Jazz at its most intense and unfettered. Grab these gems before they disappear once again. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

TOTAL MUSIC ASSOCIATION - Walpurgisnacht (NoBusiness 145; Lithuania) This disc features two sessions, a seven piece German avant/jazz ensemble recorded in July of 1971 and three of the members recorded 16 years later in July of 1988. The personnel includes Hans-Jorg Hussong on bari & soprano saxes & compositions, Wilfried Eichorn on bass clarinet & tenor sax, Andreas Boje on trombone, Erich Schroder on viola, Helmut Zimmer on piano, Matthias Boje on double bass and Rudi Theilmann on drums. The wonderful FMP label (Free Musik Productions) did a great job of documenting the German Free Music Scene from the early 1970’s onwards. No doubt we all know the bigger names like Peter Brotzmann, Alex von Schlippenbach, Peter Kowald, Fred Van Hove, Hans Reichel, as well as other musicians from neighboring countries, the UK & the US, if they were collaborating with their German brethren. Aside from those bigger names, there were also a large number of lesser recognized players who are/were worthy of larger recognition: Rudiger Carl, Gunter Christmann, Ulrich Gumpert, Sven-Ake Johansson and many others. Occasional a session will be released of a musician or group with whom I know little of nothing about previously. Like this one. The septet session here, which makes up 2/3rds of this disc features some relatively obscure musicians. The only name here that the DMG listed previously is trombonist Andreas Boje, who is a member of the Berlin Jazz Workshop Orchestra and can be found on three early disc from FMP. The name Total Music Association refers to a series of avant-garde art exhibitions and music happenings which took place in Heidelberg, Germany in the early 1970’s. Hans-Jorg Hussong wrote all the music for the septet session here and also plays in the trio some 16 years later for an improvised session. The septet session is a studio effort and was released as an obscure private release way back when. “Walpurgisnacht” opens this disc with a powerful, focused yet free-sounding, superbly recorded happening, Euro-Free/Jazz at its best. The writing here is consistently fascinating. Several layers are often criss-crossing, with tight-knit interaction going on simultaneously. As one person solos, another layer (horns, strings & piano) will erupt with fragments interspersed amongst different segments of the septet. The production is also well-balanced throughout, recalling some of the better sounding Euro/Free Music dates from the same era (like Keith Tippett’s ‘Dedicated to You But You weren’t Listening’ or any of the Brotherhood of Breath studio dates). Considering that most of us know so little about any of the members of the septet, I must admit that this is a masterwork of progressive jazz! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

JASON STEIN'S LOCKSMITH ISADORE with JASON ROEBKE / MIKE PRIDE - After Caroline (Northern Spy 099; USA) Locksmith Isidore features Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Jason Roebke on acoustic bass and Mike Pride on drums. This appears to be the fifth release from Chicago bass clarinetist Jason Stein’s Locksmith Isidore. Mr. Stein runs several bands but this trio is his most consistent as far as personnel and focused playing. Mr. Stein wrote but two of the pieces here with one group improv and a cover of John Coltrane’s “26-2”. This disc was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago in July of 2017. An obviously avant-garde outfit, this trio made history by doing a tour of large arenas opening for the famous comedian, Amy Schumer, who is Mr. Stein’s half or step sister. Although it has become a bit more common in recent years, Mr. Stein plays bass clarinet only. The legendary figure, Eric Dolphy, was the initial influence for Mr. Stein, something we can still hear in his playing. The opening piece, “As Many Chances as You Need”, kicks off with a sort-of funky, Thomas Chapin-like groove with Mr. Stein burring it up on his bass clarinet. The trio has a playful quality even while playing some of those difficult charts, shifting tightly through different tempos with quick trusts & turns to be navigated. The trio do a nice job of covering one of the more obscure Coltrane pieces, “26-2”, swinging it hard, the groove pumping just right. The well worn rhythm team are/is consistently strong, focused and inspired and the trio has a strong, tight, focused group sound. Something that impresses me here is that if you listen closely, you often here several layers moving at the same time. There is an elastic, buoyant rhythmic center which expands & contracts, swings quickly and then moves back to a more relaxed pace at times. Certain pieces sound free from the outside yet reveal intricate woven patterns emerging from time to time. Diverse Downtown drummer, Mike Pride, is in particularly fine form here, pushing hard and keeping the trio consistently balance no matter how hard they soar at times. This entire disc is a winner! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

ARCHIVAL & HISTORIC RECORDINGS, REISSUES & RESTOCKED Discs:

HARDIN & YORK - Can't Keep A Good Man Down: The Hardin & York Anthology (Grapefruit Box 089; EEC) After independently leaving The Spencer Davis Group in late 1968, organist and singer Eddie Hardin and drummer Pete York got back together a few months later to work as that most intriguing of late Sixties rock music concepts: the power duo. Self-described as "the world's smallest big band", Hardin & York's two-man brand of rock, blues, jazz and soul - not a million miles away from the likes of Traffic or Procol Harum - was hugely popular on the Continent. Indeed, they had such a following in Germany that one show was surreptitiously taped, becoming one of the earliest European vinyl bootlegs when it was sneaked out in 1970. Naturally enough, that live set is included on our definitive 6-CD anthology, together with further live performances (including a 1972 show for the BBC now gaining its first-ever commercial release), their trio of 1969-71 albums, various studio out-takes and even a non-UK 1974 reunion LP that was recorded with former Taste bassist Charlie McCracken.”
6 CD Set $42

SPENCER DAVIS GROUP - Taking Out Time: Complete Recordings 1967-1969 (RPM BX533; UK) Disc One features their 1967 singles recorded with Winwood replacements Phil Sawyer and Eddie Hardin, including the pop sike classics 'Time Seller' and 'Mr Second Class'. Also their recordings used in the film soundtrack "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush". The second half of Disc One comprises their 1968 single and album recorded with Sawyer's replacement Ray Fenwick, who brought with him the excellent 'After Tea' (co-written with Dutch Tee Set pop master Hans Van Eijck). Album With Their New Face On is a mix of jazzy R&B and pop psychedelia. The standout R&B track is 'Don't Want You No More', which was later covered by The Allman Brothers. Disc Two boasts their rare, Germany-only single, and the US only LP Funky recorded in 1969 by Fenwick and Davis plus Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray (just before they joined Elton John). Also included is the theme to the TV show Magpie, originally recorded in 1968, and the groovy, heavy psych single 'Short Change'. RPM is pleased to finally be able to serve up previously unreleased BBC Sessions, recorded through 1968 around the promotion of With Their New Face On. These are coupled on Disc Three with live tracks and other rarities for which tapes have been archived, plus interesting alternative versions discovered down the years.”
3 CD Set $35

IAIN MATTHEWS - Orphans And Outcasts (Cherry Red CD Box 72; UK) For over 50 years, singer-songwriter and musician IAIN MATTHEWS has carved his own niche, fusing his own mix of well-crafted songs drawing on folk-rock, Americana, soft rock and other influences. ORPHANS AND OUTCASTS reviews three volumes of his long-deleted rarities series, adding a newly-curated fourth CD of previously unissued rarities from more recent times, bringing the project up-to-date. The box set covers Iain's entire career, from mid-60s rarities with Pyramid and recordings from around the time of his breakthrough with Matthews Southern Comfort to a handful of rarities by folk-rock favourites Plainsong and a plethora of solo material.”
4 CD Set $40

LP SECTION:

HEARTS AND FLOWERS - Of Horses, Kids, And Forgotten Women (4 Men with Beards 199; USA) "Originally released in 1968, Hearts And Flowers' second and final album, Of Horses, Kids and Forgotten Women, is mentioned mostly in passing as the major recording debut of future Eagle, Bernie Leadon. This is totally unfair as the album is a classic slice of late '60s West Coast psychedelic country-rock that is as good as or better than their amazing debut." On 180 gram vinyl.
LP $17

SOLA - Un Muneco De Madera (Be With Records 069; UK) “Limited restock. Be With Records present a reissue of Sola's Un Muñeco De Madera, originally released in 1971. Originally released on RCA in Mexico, it's kaleidoscopic Acapulcan-funk. The album's endless grooves are propelled by softly rocking, quasi-library funk breaks. Vocally, Sola is in step with the '60s French pop-chanteuse style, but of course her lyrics are delivered in sensuous Spanish. Her voice is beautiful. Pillowy soft and tender, it can suddenly explode in mystical anger. These are ten tracks of moody, mysterious vibes that stir the spirit and sooth the soul. The LP was written, arranged, and directed by prolific Spanish composer Manuel Alejandro, the man behind an incredible number of now classic Latin love songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. As for Sola herself, next to nothing is known about the Mexican singer except the occasional whisper heard in only the darkest corners of the annals of music history. It's said that upon growing disillusioned with the music industry she ended up in a convent of Carmelite Sisters. Fitting perhaps, given that Un Muñeco De Madera is a spiritual wonder of a record. Much-loved single and title-track "Un Muñeco De Madera" opens the album. It introduces us to Sola's sparkling Latin-funk, bursting with swaggering grooves sewn by tight drums, sweeping strings and lush keys. It's followed by the serene but melancholic bossa groove of "Oye Mamá, Oye Papá" and the strings and guitar of "He Bajado Al Infierno" that hold up vocals reaching for an eternal truth. With full-on soundtrack-y feels, the rolling keys underpinning the Morricone-esque soundscape of "En Ellos Creo" will give you goosebumps. The gorgeous "Soy Rebelde" ("I'm Rebellious"), sets its gentle, piano-led delivery in delicate contrast to the lyrical sentiment. Perhaps Sola's most well-known track, the exotic bossa of "Tabu, Tabu", is a formidable groove. Elegant bongos, prominent bass, delicate acoustics, and a persistent flute blend with Sola's unique voice; sinuous, sassy, and forceful at the same time. The stunning "La Última Palabra", while not literally the album's last word, is nevertheless a stirring statement of strutting Latin soul, with more musical ideas packed into this one song than the entirety of most long-players. If you hadn't decided already, the final two tracks that are the funk-fueled "Bada-Bada-Ba" and the horn-heavy percussive masterclass "Únete A Mi" will leave you in no doubt that this is one very special record. Mastered by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman. Remastered from the original tapes.
LP $30

CLARA MONDSHINE - Visions Of Audio (Survival Research 049; Italy) Survival Research present a reissue of Clara Mondshine's Visions Of Audio, originally released in 1987. The final instalment of the electronic fusion projects that Walter Bachauer concocted for Klaus Schulze's Innovative Communication label, Visions Of Audio delves further into minimalist musique concrete, extending themes developed on Memorymetropolis (1983) in drawing on non-European vocal chants, here applied in dissociative layers. The diverse, complex arrangements include the symphonic synths of "Promised Land" and the war-mode Sensurround of "1922 In Baku", as well as the obtuse loops of "The Final Ritual", the work inspiring future hitmaker Pilooski. Mondshine fans, Berlin School freaks, and abstract electronica lovers should bag it.
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.

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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-322-auxiliaries

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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/watch?v=T430EzDqtP8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGv_5p0dvQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBncHowndMo

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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 10:30pm Tues, Thurs and Sat 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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Here’s a list of upcoming gigs from local promoter:

Chase Elodia - May 21 - Rockwood Music Hall - Stage 3 - 9:30pm
Chase Elodia, drums & compositions
Claire Dickson, vocals
Theo Walentiny, piano
Tyrone Allen, double bass

Yu Nishiyama Big Band - 
May 21 - Culture Lab LIC - 7pm

Jewlia Eisenberg - The Ginzburg Geography Listening Party & Posthumous CD Release
May 22 - Barbès - 4:00 pm
Blake Eskin
Marika Hughes
Jeremiah Lockwood
Jill Slater

Tyshawn Sorey Quartet -
May 24 - Smalls - Two sets 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm
Tyshawn Sorey, drums & compositions
Greg Osby, alto saxophone
Aaron Diehl, piano
Matt Brewer, double bass

Jacob Garchik's Assembly - 
May 25 - CD Release Show - Barbès - 8:00 pm
Jacob Garchik - trombone
Sam Newsome - soprano saxophone
Jacob Sacks - piano
Thomas Morgan - bass
Dan Weiss - drums

Will Bernard - 
June 1 - Pond Life Release Party #1 - Nublu - 7:00 pm 
June 5 - Pond Life Release Party #2 - Barbès - 9:00 pm
Will Bernard - guitar
Chris Lightcap - bass
Ches Smith - drums
Tim Berne - alto saxophone

Billy Mohler - 
June 15 - Bar Lunatico - two sets 9:00 pm and 10:30pm
June 16 - Nublu - 7:00 pm
Billy Mohler, double bass, compositions
Chris Speed, tenor saxophone
Shane Endsley, trumpet
Nate Wood, drums

Whit Dickey - 
June 22 - Vision Festival 2022 - Roulette - 8pm
Astral Longform: Staircase in Space
Whit Dickey – drums
Rob Brown – alto saxophone
Mat Maneri – viola
Brandon Lopez – bass

Stephen Harvey - 
June 23 - Jazz Gallery - Jazz Composers' Showcase - 7:30pm and 9:30pm
Composers:
Stephen Philip Harvey
Courtney Wright
Rafael Piccolotto de Lima
Personnel: Ben Kono, Ethan Helm, Quinsin Nachoff, Jasper Dutz, Courtney Wright - reeds; Roger Garcia, Jonathan Challoner, David Adawumi, Andrew Wagner - trumpets; Nick Grinder, Nick Vayenas, Evan Amoroso, Jennifer Wharton - trombones; Olli Hirvonen -guitar, Martha Kato -piano, Evan Gregor -bass, Jared Schonig -drums

Sonic Liberation Front w/ Oliver Lake  - 
June 26 - Vision Festival 2022 - La Plaza at The Clemente - 6pm
Oliver Lake’s JUSTICE with Sonic Liberation Front
Oliver Lake - composer, arranger, conduction, spoken word
Elliot Levin - tenor sax
Veronica Jurkiewicz - violin
Matt Engle - acoustic bass
Kevin Diehl - drum kit, synth drums
Jameka Gordon - flute
Chaela Harris – voice (alto)
Ravi Seenerine – voice (tenor)
Shanon Chua – voice (soprano)

Vadim Neselovskyi: Odesa—A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City
June 29 - The Stone - 8:30
Vadim Neselovskyi - piano