DMG Newsletter for Friday July 1st, 2022

Well, when I was a young girl, I learned not to care
Off whiskey, and frolick I often did swear.
My mother and father said, Whiskey's a curse.
But the fate of their baby was many times worse,
And it's reel, and it's reel, one more time.

Stay away from the cities; stay away from the town,
Stay away from the man pushin' codeine around,
Stay away from the stores where the remedy is fine,
For better your pain than be caught on cod'ine,
And it's reel, and it's reel, one more time.

You'll forget you're a woman, you'll forget about men,
Try it just once, and you'll try it again.
You'll forget about life, you'll forget about time,
And you'll live off your days as a slave to cod'ine,
And it's reel, and it's reel, one more time.

But, if I die tomorrow, still one thing I've done,
I've heeded the warning that I got when I was young.
My one satisfaction, it comes when I think
That I'm livin' my life without bendin' to drink,
And it's real, and it's real, one more time.

And my belly is a-cravin'; I got a shakin' in my head,
I feel like I'm dying, and I wish I was dead.
If I live 'til tomorrow, that'll be a long time,
But I'll reel and I'll fall and I'll die on cod'ine,
And it's real, and it's real, one more time.

I am currently reading a book called, ‘Buffy Sainte-Marie’, which is an authorized biography by Andrea Warner. I bought the book earlier this week at a place called Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books, at 34 Carmine St. in the west Village. I used to work at a store called Vinylmania on Carmine St. a few doors down in the mid-1980’s, before I worked with Manny Maris at Lunch For Yor Ears. This store has long been my favorite book store since they specialize in books on sixties icons like Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Dead, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, John Cage plus books of poetry, philosophy and a selective section of novels. For many years, they had more books on Bob Dylan than anywhere else and they were playing Dylan’s songs on their sound system every time I was there. I’ve become friends with the owner, Jim Drougas, over the years, a truly decent fellow, good-natured and an astute, informative person. Last Sunday (6/26/22) was their last day, after three decades, due to a ridiculous rent increase. Mr. Drougas told me that they are looking for another place to move, so stay tuned.

“Cod’ine” was the first song that I heard by Buffy Sainte-Marie, a Native Canadian/American singer/songwriter and social activist. This song has been covered by many sixties rock, psych and garage bands. The first version I recall was by Quicksilver Messenger Service and later by the Barracudas. My favorite version is by an obscure band called the Wizards from Kansas, so check out that version if you can find it. “Cod’ine” i similar to “Signed DC” by Love, since it is a powerful indictment of drug abuse/addiction. It describes the terrible pain of withdrawal from codeine, a popular drug at the time this song appeared on Ms. Sainte-Marie’s debut album in 1964. Many folks wondered, myself included, if Ms. Sainte-Marie did have a drug problem or knew someone close to her who did. It turned out she was prescribed this drug by a doctor when she was ill. When she stopped taking the drug, she got very sick and went through a painful withdrawal. She figured out that this doctor was trying to get certain young women addicted so he could take advantage of them. Very sad indeed. For me, those opening lines are quite powerful: “My belly is a-cravin', I got a shakin' in my head, I feel like I'm dying, and I wish I was dead.” The book about Buffy Saint-Marie is fascinating as she has always followed her muse, teaching herself to sing, play guitar and write songs in her own distinctive way. I only own a couple of her albums and I am on a mission to hear the others. She even recorded an album in which she worked with electronic musicians called, ‘Illuminations’ from 1969, way before most musicians worked with electronics and synthesizers. The more I read about her, the more I am fascinated by her life, her activism and her songs.

A raise a toast to two folks who have inspired me, Jim Drougas from the Bargain Books store and the great Buffy Saint-Marie, who is still with us today! - BLG at DMG

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ATTENTION TO ALL DMG CUSTOMERS: NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: downtownmusicgalleryofficial@gmail.com

THE DMG 31st ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE PERFORMANCE CELEBRATION CONTINUES with:

Tuesday, July 5, 2022:
6:30: HERY PAZ / NATE WOOLEY / TOM RAINEY
7:30: HENRY FRASER / CLEEK SCHREY
8:30: TONED with LEO SUAREZ / NATHAN CORDER / TOM WEEKS

Saturday, July 9th - The GAUCI-MUSIC SERIES Continues with:
6pm Nick Saia - guitar / Ledah Finck - violin / Nora Stanley - alto sax
7pm Stephen Gauci - tenor sax / Adam Lane - bass / Kevin Shea - drums
8pm Yuma Uesaka - sax/clarinet/Weston Olencki - trombone/electronics / Laura Cocks - flute

Tuesday, July 12th:
6:30: WILL BERNARD - Guitar
7:30: PATRICK GOLDEN / JIM CLOUSE / JEFF PEARING / ADAM LANE - Drums / 2 Saxes /Contrabass!

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SHIPPING PRICES OUTSIDE THE US HAVE RECENTLY GONE UP!

Up to 8 ounces = $20 (1 jewel case CD or 2 slim case CD’s)
9 ounces to 32 ounces or 2 lbs = $30 [2 jewel case CDs to 5 or 6 CD’s]
33 ounces (more than 2 lbs) to 48 ounces = $45
49 ounces (more than 4 lbs) = $58

Please remember that if you order just one CD (or 2 slim case CD’s) and the box is under 8 ounces, the cost of shipping will be around $20. From two til five or six CD’s, the shipping rate is around $30, as long as it under 2 pounds or 32 ounces. Hence it is cheapest per CD to order 3-6 CD’s as long as it under the minimum.

Within the US, the cost of shipping & handling 1 or 2 CD’s is $6 - $6.50, which is media mail.
You should get tracking for all discs shipped from us.

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FIRST OF TWO NEW JOHN ZORN CD’S TO BE RELEASED in JULY OF 2022:

JOHN ZORN // BRIAN MARSELLA / JORGE ROEDER / CHES SMITH - Suite for Piano (Tzadik 8389; USA) Inspired in part by the Goldberg Variations and Schoenberg’s solo piano music, Suite For Piano is Zorn’s very personal take on some of the oldest traditional classical forms. It is performed here by one of the most dedicated, virtuosic, and passionate interpreters in the Zorn universe, Brian Marsella, whose educational experience (too “jazz” for the classical world and too “classical” for the jazz world) makes him the perfect interpreter of Zorn’s cross-pollinating musical poetics. Accompanied by the telepathic rhythm section of Jorge Roeder and Ches Smith (Heaven and Earth Magick) this is a beautiful and soulful program of music for the classic instrumentation of piano, bass and drums.
CD $16

Another new Tzadik CD by John Zorn, an early session with two trios: Eugene Chadbourne, Duck Baker & Randy Hutton plus Zorn, Chadbourne & Polly Bradfield is due to be released on July 22nd. Just in case you want to wait to ship 2 discs instead of one. - BLG

FINALLY BACK IN STOCK:

DIE LIKE A DOG with PETER BROTZMANN / TOSHINORI KONDO / WILLIAM PARKER / HAMID DRAKE - The FMP Recordings: Fragments of Music Life and Death of Albert Ayler / Little Birds Have Fast Hearts: No 1 & 2 / Aoyama Crows (JazzWerkStatt 60; Germany) Reissue contains FMP CDs 64, 97, 101 and 118, which are now out-of-print. Featuring Peter Brotzmann - tenor sax, soprano sax; Toshinori Kondo - trumpet; William Parker - double bass; Hamid Drake drums, frame-drum, percussion. Four outstanding discs of international free/jazz at its best with an all-star crew. You would have to spend twice as money if you bought these discs individually on FMP and now that they are all out-of-print, what better reason to grab this great little box.
4 CD Set $50 [we just got in 5 of these & will try to get more]

DANIEL CARTER / MATT SHIPP / WILLIAM PARKER / GERALD CLEAVER - Welcome Adventure! Vol. 2 (577 Records 5837; USA) "How do you welcome adventure? Longtime comrades, legendary Daniel Carter, Matthew Shipp, William Parker and Gerald Cleaver investigated this in their first album, Welcome Adventure, Vol. 1, resulting in 577 Records' best-selling release in the 20 years we've been operating.
Now, the group is trying the question again with their second astonishing volume, taken from the same historical recording session. Daniel Carter (Saxophone, Clarinet) has been collaborating with William Parker (Bass) since the early 70s and with Matthew Shipp (Piano) beginning in the mid 80s. This trio had previously played together on other occasions but sought to add a percussive element to their sound, adding stellar Gerald Cleaver (Drums) to their mix. From the warm opening song, "Sunverified" to the richly layered closer, "Da Rest Is Story," the all-star, 5-track project is an exploratory delight." - 577 Records
CD $14

KIRK KNUFFKE TRIO with MICHAEL BISIO / MATTHEW SHIPP - Gravity Without Airs (Tao Forms 10; USA) Featuring Kirk Knuffke on cornet, Matt Shipp on piano and Michael Bisio on contrabass. I caught cornetist Kirk Knuffke at the Vision Fest last week (6/23/22), playing with James Brandon Lewis’ Red Lily quartet and they set was phenomenal! I must admit that I am a longtime fan & friend of Mr. Knuffke’s playing, especially since he has so many different projects, each one a unique challenge. Mr. Knuffke has some 10 discs out on the Steeplechase label as a leader of collaborator (w/ Pierre Dorge), as well as three spirited trio discs on the Sunnyside, Royal Potato Family & ESP-Disk labels from recent times. None of the above aforementioned discs can prepare us for this new trio effort with Downtown Free/Music giants Matt Shipp and Michael Bisio. Both Mr. Shipp and Mr. Bisio have been collaborating in duos, trios and an occasional quartet and have developed a strong bond in their playing.
Instead of of being a completely improvised effort, Mr. Knuffke composed six of the fourteen pieces on this ambitious two CD set. The title track is first and it is a most cerebral, spacious piece, the piano and bass floating together in a dream-like haze with Knuffke’s lush cornet simmering on top. As the piece evolves, the tempo increases to near boiling point with an impressive cornet solo and feisty interplay with the bass and piano. What really stands out here is Mr. Knuffke’s joyous, crafty playing. His tone warm and often haunting, similar at times to the late, great Don Cherry. Since there is no drummer here, the trio does have a chamber-like sound with a strong, throbbing bottom end provided by both Mr. Bisio’s and Mr. Shipp’s probing, rhythmic playing. Mr. Bisio continues to evolve and has been getting better as one of the best contrabassists in town. He gets several chances to stretch out here ands always sounds inspired and inventive. “Between Today and May” was written by Knuffke and it has a most exquisite theme. Knuffke’s solo on this one is most sublime, rather prayer-like. Even the pieces here that are freely improvised, do not sound this way, as one player will start off with a phrase and then is joined by the rest as the enhance the theme, adding odd harmonies, increasing and decreasing the tempo organically, often with an expressive solo like icing on a cake. On “Birds of Passage”, the trio launch into deeper waters, with dark chords from Mr. Shipp until things finally lighten up and allow the sun to shine through the ominous clouds. One the main things that makes these discs so great is the way each piece unfolds organically, the cosmic flow of energy continues throughout. Another good thing about this disc is the informative liner notes by jazz-scribe Francis Davis, one of the best jazz writers we have. A true gem on many levels! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $18

EUGENE CHADBOURNE with JIMMY CARL BLACK / DANIEL MASIEL / SCOTT HENDERSON / TOLAN McNEIL / GARTH JOHNSON - Taxi Receipt - Journey Back (Chadula; USA) Featuring Eugene Chadbourne on guitar, banjo & vocals, Jimmy Carl Black on vocals & trash can (3 songs), Daniel Masiel on electric guitar & tamboura (3 songs), Tolan McNeil on lap steel, Scott Henderson on bass and Garth Johnson on drums. I am not so sure when this was recorded although Jimmy Carl Black did work with Eugene Chadbourne from 1995 through 2008, the same year that JC Black passed away. I don’t recognize the names of the other musicians here although Daniel Masiel is on at least on one other disc by Dr. Chadbourne. I don’t recognize a number of the cover songs here. The disc opens with a great version of Captain Beefheart’s “Dust Blows Forward and the Dust Blows Back”, a laid back bluegrass version with Jimmy Carl Black on subtle percussion & back-up vocals. Doc Chad also includes some appropo talking a British DJ in between some pieces. Each piece seems to come from a different source, concert or studio dates. There is a short, over-the-top psychedelic version of Pink Floyd’s “Take Up My Stethoscope and Walk”. Most of these songs/pieces go right from one right into another, chopped up yet it all works since there is a thread of quirkiness which runs through it all. “One More Road to Cross” features a duo with banjo and guitar and it is a sort of talking blues which I’ve heard Doc Chad play in the past. One of the things that Doc Chadbourne does better than most is take an old rock, jazz, country or folk standard and redo it in his own way, often on just a banjo and voice. I am a longtime Kinks fan and always like “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”, an early song. Doc Chad’s version is slowed down and played on banjo, not a rock really a rockin’ version. Yet is still has that same sentiment about feeling different from everyone else. Chad does a great song called, “Waterfalls”, complete with a wild psychedelic wah wah guitar solo. The Doc Chad/Jimmy Carl Black duo also cover a rare (unrecorded?) song by Frank Zappa called, “Harder than You Husband”, with JC Black singing lead. And I thought I knew every Frank Zappa song. Turns out that this was released by Zappa as a single in 1981. Doc Chad even covers George Jones, “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, which includes some tamboura (an Indian drone instrument). The editing here between the songs is a bit slap-dash at times, yet Dr. Chadbourne has learned how to make everything fit together somehow. Sometimes Chad will use noise, tapes, samples or other weirdness to bridge the songs, which seems to make many of the transitions seamless. Chad covers Nick Drake’s “Time of No Reply”, a rather sad song that is rarely covered. This a live version which includes some audience chatter in the background which seems only appropriate. Another great cover is Zappa’s classic, “Willie the Pimp”, which is sung by former Mothers on Invention drummer/vocalist, Jimmy Carl Black. This entire disc is nearly 75 minutes long and I must admit that I enjoyed it all. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

EUGENE CHADBOURNE - At Toff In Town, 18th January, 2000 (Chadula; USA) Featuring Eugene Chadbourne on banjo, electric guitar, the Plunger and the Rake. This set was recorded at The Toff in Town in Melbourne, Australia in January of 2000, more than twenty years ago. Ever since Shockabilly broke up in the early 1990’s, Eugene Chadbourne has persued a long solo career, as well as working with old friends/collaborators like Jimmy Carl Black, Paul Lovens, Rene Lussier and Henry Kaiser. Aside from a large number of historic recordings with early Downtowners like John Zorn, Polly Bradford, Steve Beresford or Toshinori Kondo, Dr. Chadbourne tours quite a bit, working alone or with assorted musicians from the different places he tours in.
This is a solo, mostly banjo & guitar & vocals from 2000, while Doc Chad was touring in Australia. His sets range from the odd original song to diverse covers from rock, folk, country and jazz worlds. I have also dug the Chadbourne originals since that are often politically charged, poking fun at the disasters caused by Right Wing extremists worldwide. Who else would write a song about Condaleeza Rice, George Bush’s Secretary of State. I do have a soft spot for Chad’s old chestnut, “The Old Piano”, a more solemn charmer than might be expected. Another swell cover is “Voodoo Vengeance”, which goes back to the Eddie Chatterbox Double Trio album from 1988. The select covers includes “Super Freak” (by Rick James), “Stardust” (jazz standard covered by Willie Nelson) and “Are You Experienced?” (Jimi Hendrix). One thing you will have to adjust to is this: Doc Chadbourne seems to record all of gigs as well as lots of sessions in his own studio. Some of the live recordings don’t have great sound, yet they still capture the essence of what Chadbourne does best: sing with his own helium-voiced sound and twist his covers into all sorts of unexpected shapes. This disc ends with a noise fest featuring two instruments which Mr. Chadbourne invented, the Plunger and the Rake. This disc pretty long at almost 80 minutes. I found it pretty engaging throughout although I am one of biggest Eugene Chadbourne fans of all so… I do find that Doc Chadbourne sense of humor is well-needed in times like the ones we are living in presently. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

DAN CLUCAS / KYLE MOTL / NATHAN HUBBARD - Daydream and Halting (FMR CD 634; UK) Featuring Dan Clucas on cornet, violin & moxeno (bamboo flute-like instrument from Argentina), Kyle Motl on contrabass and Nathan Hubbard on drums & percussion. There seems to an ongoing collaboration/connection between musicians in L.A. and San Diego, both Southern California creative centers, just a few hours from one another. I do know of L.A-based cornetist Dan Clucas from his work with Vinny Golia, Universal Congress Of, Brassum and Michael Vlatkovich. Contrabassist Kyle Motl moved here with the past few years from San Diego. I’ve heard Mr. Motl working with Abbey Rader, Peter Kuhn, as well as couple of time here at DMG in recent times. Percussionist, bandleader and composer, Nathan Hubbard, used to play with the great San Diego band, Cosmologic as well as with Peter Kuhn, Vinny Golia and his own bands. Mr. Hubbard runs a large ensemble called the Skeleton Key Orchestra, whose 2 CD set on Orenda Records (from 2016) is one those amazing undiscovered gems that you must hear.
“bridges arrayed discant” opens with an intense, free-flowing, swirling, storm, the trio burning tightly together. All three members of the trio, cornet, contrabass & drums, are blurring the lines between free and charted music by keeping that inner flow moving forward throughout. For the title piece, “daydream and halting”, the trio slow down to spacious, eerie scene. It is hard to tell who is doing what,since each member is providing a different drone or simmer, the bowed bass and haunting moxeno (bamboo flute) sound similar texture-wise while Mr. Hubbard plays softly with mallets. “before long after” features some oddly bent violin from Mr. Clucas, which sounds closer to a Chinese erhu than anything else recognizable. “arboreal incandescent” pushes the trio further out, soaring freely together with some extraordinary cornet playing (gloriously muted at times) sailing along with the quick, churning rhythm team. It eventually breaks down into just restless free bass tapping and clattering percussion, rather ritualistic sounding overall. Although most of this music is free sounding, there is some magical glue holding things together. The trio often sound as if they are one force of nature, vibrating together. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

RAYMOND MacDONALD / ROBERT BURKE / PAUL GRABOWSKY / NICK HAYWOOD / ANTONY FLOYD - Dangerous Decision (FMR CD 631; UK) Featuring Raymond MacDonald on alto sax, most compositions & cover painting, Robert Burke on tenor sax, Paul Grabowsky on piano, Nick Haywood on double bass and Antony Floyd on drums. It appears that Scottish saxist Raymond MacDonald made is way to Melbourne, Australia to work with members of the Monash Ensemble (Robert Burke & Paul Grabowsky) for this live session from 2021. The Monash Ensemble has a disc out on FMR and have collaborated with Dave Douglas for a disc on Douglas’ own Greenleaf label. They are based at Monash University, which is in Melbourne. A Scottish duo with drummer Raymond MacDonald and guitarist George Burt played here at DMG several years ago and I noted that seemed to have developed their own style of improvising. Both MacDonald and Burt are also members of the Glasgow Improvising Orchestra and they have a large number of disc out on the FMR and their own own Textile labels, both are supposed to be here again next month in July of 2022.
Mr. MacDonald wrote all but two pieces here with one by Robert Burke and a cover of Albert Ayler’s “Ghosts”. The opening piece, “Cosy Street”, erupts opens at a furious, free tempo and soon slows down to an awesome written theme. The theme is somewhat fractured rhythmically which keeps the frontline (alto & tenor saxes & piano) focused and engaged. Pianist Paul Grabowsky is in fine form throughout, taking a number of inspired solos throughout as well drawing from a large of stylistic streams. It turns out that Mr. Grabowsky recorded with Boston-based trombonist Marty Cook. Free/jazz tenor sax legend & composer, Albert Ayler’s “Ghosts” starts off like a solemn ballad and features a thoughtful piano solo from Mr. Grabowsky. The main “Ghosts” melody doesn’t appear until later on in this long piece and it taken at a slower, more reflective yet no less free tempo, which again builds into a more throttling conclusion. The theme to “Ghosts” itself rings true like the original version, an ancient melody which still stirs us festive folks. On “Merchandized Blues”, both saxes play another memorable gospel-like melody together before each take sprawling, blues/gospel-like solos. This feel good music and it does make me feel like having a drink and complaining about life today. Robert Burke’s “Schtinkst” is a freer piece which starts off sparsely with a long piano solo which moves through different sections with assorted interplay which keeps changing as the pieces evolves. I like the way the tenor and alto saxists play different yet connected parts throughout. What is most interesting about this disc is this: although most of written themes come from a sort of blues/gospel/ancient sound, each piece evolves in unexpected ways, from free through charted territory, never knowing where we will end up. Another surprising gem from the FMG treasure chest. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

TERN with PHILIPP WACHSMANN / MARTIN HACKETT / EMIL KARLSEN - In Air (FMR CD 626/Bead Records 16; UK) Wonderful set of probing electroacoustic improv on the little-known Bead Records imprint, distributed by the fine folks at FMR. A tern is a bird whose migration literally spans the length of the earth, flying from the Arctic to the Antarctic despite the extremes of the surrounding climate. This recording travels similar breadths of scope and vision. Violinist and electronicist Philipp Wachsmann is a veteran of the improv scene, appearing on dozens of releases across the catalogs of FMR, Leo, Emanem, and others, and often finds himself in the company of legendary performers such as Paul Rutherford, Barry Guy (his compatriots in the indomitable Iskra 1903), Evan Parker, FMR honcho Trevor Taylor, and many others. Martin Hackett, though not as well-represented on record, has nevertheless carved out a smart little niche for himself as an expert manipulator of the Korg MS10 synth. Drummer Emil Karlsen has worked with keyboardist Matthew Bourne and Phil Durrant, and spent time as a member of the London Improvisers Orchestra. Credentials aside, this is the first meeting of the three, and as these performances demonstrate (culled from both live and studio incarnations), we’re in the presence of a genuinely exciting music being birthed before our eyes. The trio’s conversations are not only simpatico but constantly erect launchpads for the others to take flight. Wachsmann’s verdant strings set something of a neo-classical mood at times, veering from pathos to piquancy on a dime, allowing his companions to freely associate on their respective instruments. Hackett’s synth spits out a dizzying array of kaleidoscopic squirts, blurts, spasms, and chortles, decorating the soundstage in a mold not too far from the similarly elastic freakouts of fellow splatterist Thomas Lehn. Karlsen’s drums and percussive fillips are the ideal foil, exposing a constantly shifting landscape of delicately struck cymbals and sharp snare cracks when necessary; conversely, he often holds back and manipulates empty space, allowing his colleagues to work their respective mojos when such bubbles emerge. The founding of these occasional ‘down-spots’ allow the music to evolve and breathe, the trio careful to ward off anything like outright cacophony. When all is said and done, it’s intriguing to compare how Tern fares in either its live or studio-bound aggregations. In front of an audience, they can be more aloof even when appearing restrained, engaging with the room’s latent energy. In the colder confines of the studio, they seem to romp and fret about like a group of playful dinosaurs, living in the enjoyment of the moments augured, even as they sculpt their sounds like artisans working their craft. Whether it’s Hackett’s technological spackle bubbling along mischievously, Wachsmann’s violin rippling through the firmament, or Karlsen’s firefly-like percussion igniting the air, Tern’s instrumental emancipation looks to raise the bar for subsequent 21st-century improvisation going forward. - Darren Bergstein, DMG
CD $14

PHIL HAYNES NO FAST FOOD with DAVID LIEBMAN / DREW GRESS - In Concert (CornerStoreJazz 0107-0108; USA) Featuring David Liebman on tenor & soprano sax & wood flute, Drew Gress on contrabass and Phil Haynes on drums. This marvelous 2 CD set features two live concerts: The Bop Shop in Rochester, NY (9/16/2012) and Elk Creek Cafe in Milheim, PA (9/8/2012). Drummer Phil Haynes’ first recordings were with Joint Venture (w/ Ellery Eskelin, Paul Smoker & Drew Gress), starting in 1987. Ever since then, Mr. Haynes has collaborating with a number of other horns or reed players: Gebhard Ullmann, Herb Robertson and Dave Liebman. Contrabass great, Drew Gress, has worked with Mr. Haynes a number of times over the years, from Joint Venture to Free Country (2000-2016). Mr. Haynes has also been working with the legendary New York saxist Dave Liebman over the past decade.
This two CD set features two concerts from September of 2012, when this trio did a little tour. Mr. Haynes wrote all of the pieces for both sets. Drew Gress’ probing bass is the first thing you hear on Disc 1. Soon the skeletal (hands on) drums and Trane-like soprano sax enter with a playful quality similar to Trane’s classic “My Favorite Things’ tone/playing. Legendary local producer, John Rosenberg, recorded, edited, mixed and mastered these discs and has done a splendid job. Dave Liebman kicks off “West Virginian Blues” with a fine solo tenor intro before the rhythm team starts swinging at a moderate pace. Midway we get the first of several superb bass solos from Drew Gress. This piece ends with a powerful trio section, which pumps hard with Mr. Liebman’s soprano sailing on top. Mr. Haynes has worked hard at composing each piece to provide different challenges for the trio as each piece shifts in different directions. “The Code” has several sections and breaks down to both solos and charted trio segments. There is a section where the sax sounds like it is playing some Morse Code-like lines so perhaps that is where the title is taken from. This disc ends with “Ballad du jour”, which is a ballad and comes directly from the heart. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $16

PHIL HAYNES & FREE COUNTRY with HANK ROBERTS / JIM YANDA / DREW GRESS - 60/69 My Favorite Things (CornerStoreJazz 0117-0118; USA) Featuring Hank Roberts on cello & vocals, Jim Yanda on guitar, Drew Gress on bass and Phil Haynes on drums & arrangements. Jazz drummer, Phil Haynes, runs several band and has recorded with avant/jazz icons like Paul Smoker, Dave Liebman and Herb Robertson. Starting in 2000, Mr. Haynes a new quartet called Free Country who cover rock, pop and soul songs mostly from the 1960’s. Free Country have done three discs so far including a live one where they cover mostly Beatles songs. For this lengthy two CD set, Free Country cover some 27 mostly hits from the sixties, plus a couple of unexpected choices like: the original “Star Trek” theme and Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”. Considering that I grew up during this era, I know all of these songs pretty well. Things begins with Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” which features both Hank Roberts vocals and cello up front, both are splendid. Hearing “Little Wing” on an acoustic cello rather than electric guitar, show much the melody itself is most enchanting. Mr. Roberts also plays the lead on Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, which is another unexpected delight. Guitarist Jim Yanda is another under-recognized yet spirited, inventive player. He uses minimal devices on his guitar, letting the melodies sing for themselves. I know that some folks have problems with vocals on jazz records but not me. Plus I have always liked the way that Hank Roberts sings: rich, warm, tender at times, never screaming or reaching for notes he can’t hit. Some folks might question why this band would cover “Do You Know the way to San Jose” (Dionne Warwick, Bacharach cover) or “Surfer Girl” (Beach Boys). Too corny to cover? I think not. Free Country have a way of bringing out the more sophisticated elements of these songs and adding their own tasty seasoning. Mr. Roberts sings on about a third of these songs, his voice just right for each one, modest yet charming. There a handful of unexpected delights here, light the intro to “California Dreaming” which features some incandescent, spacious slide guitar or that cool version of the “Star Trek” theme. I was worried about this disc when I first looked at the songs but I must admit that there is no cheesy or cheapness to be found. The true essence of these songs still rings true. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $16

gabby fluke-mogol - Love Songs (Relative Pitch Records 1141; USA) Featuring gabby fluke-mogol on solo violin. This is gabby fluke-mogol’s second disc for the Relative Pitch label. Her first solo disc was released in January of 2021 and I gave it a good review since Ms. fluke-mogol does have her own sound or approach to the violin. The title of this disc is ‘Love Songs’, which does sound like an odd name for a disc released on the ever-challenging Relative Pitch label. Each of the 17 pieces here is named “Love Song” with a number attached, most of the pieces relatively short. Starting with the odd bent notes which fluke-mogol matches at times with her voice. Her playing is often very carefully playing, concentrating on notes that are in between the usual established scales, microtonal in their own unique way. There are a number of moments when gabby really twists her notes into odd shapes, playing two or more notes at the same time and the effect is extreme at times, especially if you have a hard time with microtonal music. But not me, I do like when someone pushing the envelope and tries to come up with new sounds and/or strategies for their music. Please note that Mat Maneri has made a career out of playing viola and violin in his own (microtonal) way. In recent times, a number of newer musicians have come along to experiment with unique ways of the playing their instruments, hence we have to adapt to new ways of listening. Still not really sure why this is called ‘Love Songs’ but I do enjoy the way gabby fluke-mogol plays. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

MARTA WARELIS - a grain of Earth (Relative Pitch Records SS014; USA) Featuring Marta Warelis on solo piano. I hadn’t heard of Polish-born, Amsterdam-based pianist, Marta Warelis, before our friends at Relative Pitch send us this CD. It turns out that Ms. Warelis can be found on a few group sessions for the Creatives Sources, Jacc and Tractata labels, starting with a piano trio session (w/ Eve Risser & Magda Mayas). This disc was recorded in Amsterdam in October of 2021. Although things start off sparsely, soon Ms. Warelis is muting certain strings while tapping out quirky lines on the keyboard, eventually rubbing the strings with a utensil of some sort, creating some strange, eerie sounds which do sound like they are coming from a piano, something much stranger in sound. With each piece, Warelis expands and explores the piano keyboard and innards. For “(Into) body in pieces”, starts to whip up some lightning-like lines, similar to Keith Tippett does when he plays solo sets. Very intense and somewhat scary at times. Each piece seems to feature a line or note fragments which are then explored by playing them in different directions or twisting them into odd shapes. “Minute creatures” is mainly just coaxing odd sounds from inside the piano, banging on certain strings and creating bizarre sounds. This works since Ms. Warelis is able to make effective music/sonic sounds which evoke a variety of disorienting sensations. There are also a few more restrained pieces here in which Warelis slowly alters the way we think the direction will go by adding some surprising twists. Over the past decade we’ve heard from a variety of pianists who are exploring sounds by working inside the piano: Sylvie Courvoisier, Benoit Delbeq & Eli Wallace, to name a few. Marta Warelis can now be placed amongst those sonic explorers, not to bad for her solo piano debut. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

FRANCK VIGROUX - Atotal (Aesthetical 004CD; Germany) “New full-length album of Franck Vigroux's uncompromising signature sound of colossal electronic music. ‘Atotal’ gathers material from Franck's latest live A/V of the same name. Working with his longtime visual partner Antoine Schmitt, Atotal is an audiovisual performance aiming to reconstruct in order to better deconstruct the processes of imposition of will by repetition and absolute synchronism, to propose a breach to a potentially life-saving de-coincidence. The total work of art, when pushed to its paroxysm of absolute coincidence of the perceptions of a captive spectator, is similar to the techniques of mental manipulation of totalitarian regimes, proceeding by annihilation of the critical mind, repetitive semantic pounding, subliminal messages. The ideal of a deterministic universe of Newton in which everything rationally stems from its causes, in which everything is predictable like a totality for Laplace's daemon, where everything can be considered already written, has been undermined in the infinitely small of the uncertainties of Heisenberg which tell us that it is impossible to know everything about a particle, in the quantum mechanics of Schrödinger which reveals to us that the looker affects the looked-at, and in the infinitely abstract of Gödel's incompleteness which explains to us that certain things are literally unexplainable. The show Atotal slips into these flaws and, like a clinamen of Lucretia, deviates the visual and audio atoms from their destiny. Mastering by Denis Blackham. Artwork by Mostafa Khaled.”
CD $15

JEFFREY ALEXANDER - Flutterings (Feeding Tube Records 695CD; USA) "Jeffrey Alexander is one of those guys whose brain and hands are constantly in motion whether working with bands, doing solo stuff, installations, paintings, label shit... whatever. Anyway, he's always a pleasure to work with, and we have done so on many occasions. That said, I sorta feel as though this new CD might be closer to taking a walk through Jeffrey's head than anything else I've heard. Flutterings was done using guitars, keys, percussion, electronics and gimcracks of all descriptions. The pieces were created specifically to be used inside the Tactile Dome at San Francisco's Exploratorium, which is one of the more delightful places yet invented by humans. The Dome itself is almost like a sensory deprivation maze, pitch black, through which you feel your way before being popped back out into the light. This music was broadcast inside the darkness, so that folks would have a way to orient themselves via sound. Cool idea, and cooler music. Although they don't really share any common construction details, this music puts me in mind of Ned Lagin's Seastones project (IMPREC 479LP), maybe with a little Hooteroll stirred in. What they all share is a sense of occupying middle ground between 'serious' music and purely stoned improvisation. Even though you understand on some level this shit is being done with compositional intent, there's a looseness to the details that makes it a very fine album to just space out to. Melodies aren't the point so much as harmonics and a general flow that will not be stanched. It is a very fine soundtrack for losing your ego, if you know what I mean. The material on Flutterings was recorded in the mid-Teens, but only really got assembled for release during the Lockdown. Proof again, that lots of good things have been happening in the background, no matter how dire the foreground can appear. A lesson worth remembering." --Byron Coley, 2022
CD $15

KLAUS SCHULZE - Big In Japan: Live In Tokyo 2010 (Made in Germany 412; Germany) "The Big In Japan album by Klaus Schulze was originally released on April 19, 2011 on the Made in Germany label. German synth master Klaus Schulze arguably peaked in the mid-70s with albums like Timewind, Cyborg, and Moondawn, but he's still got a sizable cult audience, he passed away on April 26, 2022. Big In Japan was recorded in Japan in 2010, it clearly shows that while generally speaking, he's who he always was, his music has evolved over time. Indeed, this performance is notable for featuring Schulze on electric guitar (on 'Sequencers Are Beautiful') as well as more percussion than usual on 'La Joyeuse Apocalypse'. Big In Japan CD music is a three-disc set with five songs."
3 CD Set $22

K. LEIMER - The Starting Errors (Palace of Lights 002-2022CD; USA) "K. Leimer's The Starting Errors serves as a handy index of catastrophes. The album documents the way in which the repetition of unexamined cultural behaviors spread as established -- even acceptable -- practice in the service of the few, no matter how damaging and destructive those practices prove. Music of conscience and consequence set within a general theme of things-gone-wrong, the album is built around a set of errors carefully indexed by the title track: a text-centric piece read by Tallula Bentley, exhibiting an ideological kinship with the work of Henry Cow, here set in an orchestral pastiche. Vocal works are rare for Leimer, but using spoken words in addition to instrumental voices was the most direct path to making his views explicit. Throughout the album techniques surface from jazz-inflected improvisation to classic tape manipulation to granular processing and chamber ensemble airiness. The results catalog most of Leimer's long history of sonic preoccupations, embracing broken song structures, dark ambience, noise, calamitous repetition, and modular constructs. He describes it this way: 'The goal was to use a wide range of approaches, techniques and voicing to best express the subject matter of each piece. And, despite the thematic unity, the pieces evolved in many directions.'"
$16

HYACINTH / THE CENTRAL OFFICE OF INFORMATION - Passing Cars In The Rain (Subexotic 066CD; UK) “A gripping new split soundtrack album from two live wires of the underground electronic music scene. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, and Sidcup, Kent respectively, Hyacinth kicks off proceedings with a succession of his trademark Dada-esque breaks and beats. Compelling, beguiling, restless, and transitory, this is Hyacinth at his superb peak. The Central Office of Information picks up the rainswept transport theme, carving out a suspense-laden electronic soundtrack to create a stunning album counterpoint. Some bonus Hyacinth works close proceedings with such a flourish, it's hard not to be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of artistry on show. Passing Cars In The Rain documents two fascinating electronic producers at their finest. A certain treat for the curious explorer.”
CD $17

GUIDED BY VOICES - Tremblers And Goggles By Rank (GBVI 115CD; USA) "Tremblers And Goggles By Rank marks a new phase in Robert Pollard's songwriting evolution. His songs have always included non-traditional approaches to form and song structure, but with this album, he has pushed it further than ever. While the familiar Guided By Voices pop-craft and melodic virtuosity always occupies center stage, the first-time listener will never be able to predict what's coming next in a song. 'Alex Bell' and 'Focus On The Flock' are the two anchors, each one expansive and filled with rock grandeur, and both exemplifying the complex wordplay, melodies, and structures that are hallmarks of the album. GBV's latest batch of brilliant songs ride on colorful psychedelic flourishes and brash post-punk textures that make this ten-song album a one-of-a-kind head trip. While there are hooks and earworms aplenty within, this album is a complex and kaleidoscopic journey, representing a new echelon in the Guided By Voices universe. It represents another level of songwriting and performance from the group. It plays out like an intricate and powerful collage, in a very multicolored and multi-faceted fashion; a work grand in scale and undertaking. There are triumphant and glorious choruses, deep and dark wormholes, sinewy twists and turns, bold and theatrical bravados, massive cliffs, plateaus, peaks, and valleys -- these emotional landscapes reach new and unexpected heights along the way."
CD $17

RANDY HOLDEN - Population III (Riding Easy 140CD; USA) "How does one follow up one of the most legendary, yet rarest albums said to signal the birth of doom metal? If you're Randy Holden, you give everyone about fifty years to catch up, then casually drop a tastefully modernized reinterpretation of that sound. Population III picks up where Holden's 1969 solo debut left off, updated with several decades worth of technological advances and personal hindsight. Following his tenure in proto-metal pioneers Blue Cheer in 1969, the guitarist aimed for more control over his next project. Thus, Randy Holden -- Population II was born, the duo naming itself after the astronomical term for a particular star cluster with heavy metals present. Along with drummer/keyboardist Chris Lockheed, Holden created what many say is one of the earliest forms of doom metal. Their six-song debut album Population II delves into leaden sludge, lumbering doom and epic soaring riffs that sound free from all constraints of the era. However, troubles with the album's original 1970 release bankrupted Holden, who subsequently left music for over two decades. For good reason, it's widely hailed as a masterpiece, and until finally getting a proper formal release in 2020 on Riding Easy Records, was a longtime Holy Grail for record collectors. Flash forward forty years to 2010, one finds the guitarist/vocalist quietly coaxed into recording a follow-up album by Holden superfan and Cactus member Randy Pratt. Joined by drummer Bobby Rondinelli (who has played with Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Rainbow), the trio cut the six-song collection of leaden future blues, Population III. 'Randy Pratt had written the basic song structures, he understood my music and where I come from quite well,' Holden says. 'He nailed it.' But the recording was ultimately shelved for over a decade. Throughout Population III, Holden effortlessly dishes out squealing, soaring leads and skull-thwacking riffs with his signature low end grit and penchant for Middle Eastern scales. Coupled with Pratt's pocket-locked bass, the slight flanging effect on Rondinelli's drums and his pugilistic beats, the album occasionally brings to mind Presence-era Led Zeppelin. At times, Holden sounds reminiscent of Neil Young leading Crazy Horse's ruptured grunge as his lilting falsetto vocals push and pull his guitar's siren's call. Population III is the real deal -- a powerful continuation of a sound forged fifty years ago, that almost didn't happen. Somehow, Randy Holden's music always finds a way to stand the tests of time."
CD $16

EXECUTIONER'S MASK - Winterlong Profound Lore 274CD; Canada) "Winterlong, the psychedelic new album from Executioner's Mask is set for release on Profound Lore Records. An epic bouquet of swelling synths, hypnotic melodies, and noisy guitars marry post-punk and shoegaze in ten songs exploring themes of liberation and self-destruction in these end-times. In the studio, the core group of Gambit, Mickle and Wilson added Christian Molenaar into the fold on synths, adding an ethereal edge to the band's hard-driving melancholy. Additional touches were added by Kennedy Ashlyn (SRSQ) and Jake Superchi (Uada, Ceremonial Castings), their distinct sonic fingerprints sending the compositions further into territories unexplored. Featuring production from Jeff Zeigler (The War On Drugs) and Ryan Schwabe (Oneohtrix Point Never), Winterlong is the type of sublime and immersive album that inspires the same visions often conjured by masters like The National, Alcest and Deerhunter. On stage, Gambit, Mickle, and Molenaar are joined by Anthony Charletta on bass, Melissa Lochambon on drums, and Daniel Gaona on guitar to create an explosive force of sound that come together with the potency of Children Of God-era Swans. Expanding on the kaleidoscope of ambition, expect to see re-mixes of the album released in a series of their own by an ensemble cast that features members of Deafheaven, Full Of Hell, No Joy, Xiu Xiu, and The Armed amongst an army of others. The first of these Winterlong re-mix albums will be released as a bonus disc that will come with the CD release, mastered by Angel Marcloid (aka Fire-Toolz)."
2 CD Set $17

JACQUES BISCEGLIA - Jazz Photographs 1940 - 2013, Visions of Feeling (Rogue Art Book; France) If you are a Jazz Music fanatic, not just Free Jazz but the history behind it, the you should check out this book. Jacques Bisceglia was one of the founders of the BYG label, producing many jazz sessions for BYG and other labels plus he was the main photographer for for many of these sessions. He was also a jazz musician earlier and went on to befriend and support many of the icons of avant/jazz: Sun Ra, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sunny Murray… This relatively slim book (50 pages) features many great pictures: Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra, Frank Zappa and others. Considering that Mr. Bisceglia was friends with many of these musicians, a number of the pics are intimate and friendly. I am not sure if this book will be available in the US or not. We did get just 4 copies from our friends at Rogue Art who were in town for the Vision Festival. - BLG
50 Page Book $15 [4 copies only]

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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 is from DAVE MILLER:

Thursday July 7 at 7:30pm.  FREE
@ Mama Tried - 787 - 3rd Ave, Brooklyn
Grassy Sounds
Nick Millevoi (guitar)
Ron Stabinsky (keyboards)
Middle Blue:
Dave Sewelson (bari sax)
Brad Farberman (guitar)
Nick Millevoi (Guitar)
Danny Tamberelli (bass)
Dave Miller (drums)

Friday July 22nd @ 8pm:
Record Shop Redhook - 360 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn
First: Ezra Feinberg (guitar)
Second: Zachary Cale (guitar)
Third:  ASCEND!  (Robert Boston/Daniel Carter/Tom Kotik/Dave Miller)

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This comes from Will Glass at the Jazz Foundation:

This Saturday, July 9, 2pm-8pm
New Agora
Socrates Sculpture Park
32-01 Vernon Blvd, Queens, NY 11106

3pm Rudy Walker Ensemble
Rudy Walker - Drums, Joe Ford - Saxophone, Greg Murphy - Piano, Belden Bullock - Bass
A veteran in creative jazz, drummer Rudy Walker has worked with major figures like Sir Roland Hanna, Sonny Fortune, Randy Weston  and Pharoah Sanders, and held a decades-long run with the legendary poet / spoken word artist Amiri Baraka. His ensemble today includes tenor sax great Joe Ford and pianist Greg Murphy, known for his work with Rashied Ali.

4pm Cooper-Moore Solo
Cooper-Moore is an American jazz pianist, composer and instrument builder / designer. Celebrated for his improvisational vigor in numerous groups alongside William Parker, David S. Ware, Alan Braufman and many more, he is equally noted for the inventiveness of his original instrument designs. He has said, "If you put me somewhere, and I had to play and didn't have an instrument, I'd get everything I needed and make an instrument within a few hours." (Davis, Barry, Jerusalem Post April 26, 2007)

5pm Ununu 
Melanie Dyer - Viola, Kurt Ralske - Reeds, Todd Capp - Drums
A new, dynamic, cooperative improvising trio assembled by violist Melanie Dyer (known for her work with William Parker, Salim Washington, and Heroes are Gang Leaders), with the mulit-faceted artist Kurt Ralske on saxophones and flutes, and the free jazz stalwart Todd Capp on drums.     

6pm Elliott Sharp Solo
A central figure in the avant-garde and experimental music scene in New York City for over 30 years, Elliott Sharp has released over eighty-five recordings ranging from orchestral music to blues, jazz, noise, no wave rock, and techno music. Today he presents Monkulations--interpretations of Thelonious Monk on acoustic guitar.

7pm Duology 
Michael Marcus - Reeds, Ted Daniel - Trumpet, Lonnie Plaxico - bass, Darrell Green - drums
The multi-instrumentalist composer Michael Marcus has put forth an impressive body of work across the jazz spectrum, helming or co-leading dozens of recordings, including with greats like Sonny Simmons and Jaki Byard, while trumpeter Ted Daniel has been a formidable voice in creative music ever since his appearance on the 1969 classic, Sonny Sharrock's Black Woman. Together, as Duology, they have worked as a duo and also alongside noteworthy collaborators like Henry Grimes and Andrew Cyrille. Here, Duology features a special multi-generational rhythm section. 

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THERE IS A RECENT INTERVIEW with FRED FRITH by Rick Rees that is found here: https://rickrees.substack.com/p/fred-frith-interview . Rick Rees has been working on a website/blog/book/whatever about the great producer/manager/instigator/raconteur Georgio Gomelsky. Gomelsky is someone I’ve long admired and Rees is doing a good job of documenting/interviewing numerous Gomelsky associates. The Fred Frith interview is great and if you are a Frith fan, you should want to know about a number of upcoming projects, tours, etc. This interview showed up in my email during the last hour of my birthday last Sunday and it made me smile. Fred Frith are old friends and he is someone whose music and attitude I really admire. - BLG

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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=Ne82zmzvOm4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T430EzDqtP8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGv_5p0dvQ

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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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This comes from local keyboard wiz ELI WALLACE:

June 25th:
The Inflatable Leviathan album release show presented by Tripticks Tapes, Anchor House of Artists, Northampton, MA 7pm with Cecilia Lopez, Michael Foster, & Sean Ali

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gaucimusic presents:
Live at Scholes Street Studio
Sunday August 28th
Live recording/Live audience!

8pm Rick Parker - trombone
Michael Attias - alto saxophone
Simon Jermyn - guitar
Kate Gentile - drums
9pm Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone
Shinya Lin - piano
Adam Lane - bass
Kevin Shea - drums
10pm Tony Malaby - saxophones
Caleb Duval - bass
James Paul Nadien - drums

Live recording/Live audience!
$20 at the door (entire evening), cash/venmo
August 28, 2022
@ Scholes Street Studio
375 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn
718-964-8763
gaucimusic.com

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ATTENTION TO ALL DMG CUSTOMERS: NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: downtownmusicgalleryofficial@gmail.com

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