DMG Newsletter for September 9th, 2022:

Boys and girls,
Earth people around the circle,
Mixtures of man alive.
Big eyed beans from Venus,
Don't let anything get in between us.
Beam in on me baby,
And we'll beam together
I know we always been together,
But there's more.

Mister Zoot Horn Rollo,
hit that long lunar note,
And let it float.

Men let your wallets flop out,
And women open your purses,
Cause a man or a woman without a big eyed bean from Venus
Is suffering with the worstest of curses
Yeah, you're suffering, with the worstest of curses.

Put 'em out in the sun, and when the night come
You don't have to go out and get 'em
They'll glow with you
They'll go with you
They'll show with you
Ain't no losers
Cause they're on the right track
Cause they're on the right track
You can be on the right track, woman,
Of course, of course

Ain't no SNAFU, no fol-de-rol
Check these out, Big eyed beans from Venus
Oh, let a few out, let 'em pass in between us
Distant cousins, there's a limited supply.
And we're down to the dozens, and this is why...
Don't let anything get in between us!
Big eyed beans from Venus
Big eyed beans from Venus

I recall hearing “Electricity” from Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band (from the ’Safe as Milk’ album) on FM radio in 1967 and thinking, “Whoa!”, what a strange voice that man has.
I had heard that Capt. Beefheart (a/k/a Don Van Vliet) was a high school friend of Frank Zappa and that they had collaborated on occasion in the early days. That’s Capt. Beefheart singing “Willie the Pimp” on Frank Zappa’s ‘Hot Rats’ album, his vocals integral to the warped power of the song. I’ve been a Capt. Beefheart fan-addict ever since and have dug each of his ten classic albums that were released between 1967 & 1981 (except for the two duds on Mercury when he was managed by mobsters). Besides have one of the strangest, most distinctive voices of the rock era, Capt. Beefheart was also a brilliant/bizarre lyricist. I remember spending a Saturday at college (Glassboro State, 1972-1976) transcribing the words to “The Old Fart at Play’ (from Trout Mask Replica’) and then going over each line with my roommates until we had an idea what the Captain was getting at. The above song, “Big Eyed Beans from Venus” is the next to last song on the ‘Clear Spot’ album and closed many Beefheart concerts for several years. The opening lines still makes me smile whenever I hear it, “Distant cousins, there's a limited supply. And we're down to the dozens, and this is why: Big Eyed Beans from Venus! Oh my, oh my.” I believe that the “distant cousins” that the Captain is referring to are the other folks on the planet besides us, since we are all part of the same human family. What are those “Big Eyed Beans from Venus”? Hmmmmmmmm. We are still trying to figure that one out. - MC BruceLee, DMG

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This Saturday September 10th: The Monthly GauciMusic Series Continues with:
6pm Max Johnson - bass / Erin Rogers - sax
7pm Stephen Gauci - sax / James Paul Nadien - drums
8pm Spirit Clarinet Orchestra featuring:
Paul Austerlitz / Charles Waters / Michael Moss / Randolph Murphy / Zizl Slepovitch

Tuesday, September 13th:
6:30: JOSH SINTON / SIMON KANZLER - baritone sax / laptop
7:30: DAVE MILLER / MARCO CAPPELLI / DANIEL CARTER

Tuesday, September 20th:
6:30: BEYOND GROUP REMEMBERS BERN NIX
7:30: DEVIN GREY / SIMON KANZLER / JOHNNA WU - Drums / Electronics / Violin
8:30: EVENT HORIZON - Post-Vaporwave with Double EWI’s and Sensory Percussion

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THIS WEEK’S WONDERFULLY WEIRD DISCS BEGINS WITH an ANCIENT FOLK/PSYCH/AVANT CLASSIC:

PETER WHITEHEAD - Now This (Out of Round Records CD003; USA) Featuring Peter Whitehead on songs, lyres, cello, percussion, bass, bamboo jaw harp, rebab, kalimba, spike fiddle, long neck lute, zithers, canjo, toy piano, spoonharp, mandolins, fipple flute and ski tamboura. As I work on my best of pop/vocal list for 2001, I realize that this has to be the worst year for pop/rock cds ever!?! I must rejoice since this wonderful cd from British born, [relocated to] Bay Area based singer/songwriter/instrument maker Peter Whitehead - just might be my favorite vocal gem of the year. I just can't stop playing it! That most enchanting voice, shimmering folk/psych acoustic home-made instrumentation and 60's mesmerizing production make this an unknown treasure waiting to grabbed by you (old hippies at heart). Fans of the Incredible String Band, Pearls before Swine and Tim Buckley would no doubt love this! I recently heard a compilation from the Out of Round label and was blown away by just about everything on this incredible label! Introspection, humor, rich soundscapes, memorable melodies, inventive arrangements, well crafty lyrics and original instruments, from a British-born singer /composer/ instrument builder. - reviewed in 2001
Hard to believe that I wrote that review more than 20 years ago. From time to time, an inquisitive customer or new employee will come into the store, someone who can appreciate what music journalists and assorted hipsters would call folk/psych and I put on this record and watch their reaction. They always smile and say, “who is this guy and why haven’t I heard of hime before now?” Since my lifelong job/journey has been to discover as many obscure bands and musicians as I can, I keep searching for more. Thanks to an old friend, Tim Sternberg, for giving me a copy of this disc and discovering there are still some true musical wizards left. I am playing this disc now, amazed at how it can still cast a spell and that Peter Whitehead remains relatively under-recognized. Mr. Whitehead is more known for his large number of invented instruments which have been used in a variety of theatre productions. Mr. Whitehead recorded a half dozen solo efforts since this release as well as a handful of collaborations with a group called Closer to Carbon. Still, his first record, “Now This”, for me, is still his best. His voice, the dozen plus invented instruments, his unique spell-casting songs and his fascinating lyric set him apart from anyone I’ve heard. Check out the words to the below song from this album. I put two of his songs from this record at the top of the newsletter over the past month, since the lyrics reminded me of things that are still happening around us two decades later. They still ring true today, their sentiments/observations are timeless. Mr. Whitehead was kind enough to send us another half dozen of his rare discs so now it is your time to reap the rewards. If you no long own a CD player (for shame), you can also listen to these songs on Whitehead’s bandcamp page. Let me know if you do appreciate what he does. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

“Crazy Neighbors”
By Peter Whitehead from ‘Now This’ (2001)

Truly truly you know I do love you
Listen to me what am I to do
You’ve gone away & left me, left me on my own
You say this is no place for you, that you must find a home
So I sit by my window, counting all the cars
Going through my memories, saving them in jars
Sit by my window, counting all the cars
Is there life on Venus, is there life on Mars

There’s pigeons on the rooftop, writing on the walls
Chains on all the bicycles and the skies about to fall
Chains on the bicycles, chains on my heart
I’d break them in a moment but I just don’t know where to start
There’s thieves in the alley, TVs all aglow
They’ve come for your money they’ve come for your soul
The’ve come for the heroin, they’ve come for the crack
They’ve come for some relief and that’s why they’ll be back
Crazy Neighbors, crazy neighbors, crazy neighborhood

Oh the last time I saw you, you looked just fine
You were waiting on the station, looking for a sign
Standing on the platform, looking for a sign
The train pulled up beside you, right on time

HENRY KAISER / MICHAEL ROTHENBERG - Lions & Fireflies (Ramble Records RAM-106CD; Australia) Personnel: Henry Kaiser - acoustic guitar and Michael Rothenberg - poetry. Recorded live in the studio 9/22/21 at Megasonic in Oakland, CA. Poet Michael McClure’s wife asked Henry Kaiser and Michael Rothenberg to perform together at a McClure Memorial last year (on a bill with other famous Beat poets), they had never played together before then. Both enjoyed playing together so they decided to record that week and this is the result. Since Mr. Kaiser usually sends us a new disc every month, each of which I review, he doesn’t need an intro here. Since I didn’t know much about Michael Rothenberg, here is an excerpt from his Wiki page: “Michael Rothenberg (born 1951) is an American poet, songwriter, editor, artist, and environmentalist. In 1989, Rothenberg and artist Nancy Davis began Big Bridge Press,[1] a fine print literary press, publishing works by Jim Harrison, Joanne Kyger, Allen Ginsberg, Philip Whalen, Michael McClure and others.”
Commencing with “Look What We Have Done”, Mr. Kaiser’s acoustic guitar is superbly recorded, sound like someone plucking the strings from inside a large piano. Mr. Rothnberg’s voice is warm, thoughtful, calm and actually reminds me of my own speaking/reciting voice. He doesn’t need to evoke too many emotions or exclamations since his words are consistently interesting, making some interesting observations on life itself. Both of these fellows are well matched, neither have to push too hard make their feelings come out. Most of these pieces are relatively short (under two minutes) with Mr. Kaiser playing an opening lick or line before Mr. Rothenberg enters with his thoughtful, reflective words/voice. Like myself, Mr. Kaiser is a longtime Grateful Dead fan, going all the way back to their first acid test when Kaiser was just an early teen. The Dead were always great improvisers who drew from many types of music: blues, country, folk, rock, Indian & other ethnic musics and free and/or progressive jazz. I can actually hear some of that influence in Mr. Kaiser’s playing as he draws from similar streams as well as Euro Free Music (like Derek Bailey or Evan Parker). Both Mr. Kaiser’s guitar and Mr. Rothenberg’s word/voice work together perfectly. Consistently fascinating throughout. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

A HALF DOZEN GEMS FROM LISTEN! FOUNDATION / FUNDACJA LUCHAJ! RECORDS, 4 LISTED This Week:

* MARILYN CRISPELL / JOE FONDA / HARVEY SORGEN - Dreamstruck - With Grace in Mind (Listen! Foundation 12/2022; Poland) Featuring Marilyn Crispell on piano, Joe Fonda on contrabass and Harvey Sorgen on drums. Recorded at Area 52 Studios in Saugerties, NY in June of 2021. Marilyn Crispell is the longtime queen of jazz pianists and has been recording for 40 years. Aside from her many great solo, duo, trio and larger ensemble recordings, she has collaborated with many other legendary figures/ensembles: Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Barry Guy/LJCO, Roscoe Mitchell, Joelle Leandre and Tisziji Munoz. Since the turn of the millenium, Ms. Crispell has been recording a number of superb duo discs with Gerry Hemingway, Louis Moholo, Gary Peacock, Tyshawn Sorey and Angelica Sanchez. Some of Ms. Crispell’s best work has in several ongoing trios: Barry Guy & Paul Lytton, Eddie Prevost & Harrison Smith and more recently with Joe Lovano & Carmen Castaldi.
For this new disc, Crispell is working with bassist Joe Fonda and drummer Harvey Sorgen. Both Ms. Crispell and Mr. Sorgan live in the Woodstock area, which is also where this disc was recorded. Mr. Fonda and Mr. Sorgen have been working together for many years and are found on some two dozen discs together. This is the second disc from this trio, the first was released in 2018. Each member of the trio brought compositions to the session as well as performing a couple of group improvs. Joe Fonda’s “For Ornette” does have that somewhat bent Ornette-like groove which will certainly make you smile. It seems to go in several directions simultaneously yet has an inner jubilant groove/vibe. Fonda’s “MGJ” is stark and mysterious, creating much suspense with just a few notes. “We All Make Mistakes” is also by Mr. Fonda and it is a haunting, stripped down work, lush and exquisitely played. Mr. Sorgen gets a short solo drum piece which has the same subdued vibe that runs throughout most of this disc. Ms. Crispell’s “Transits” shows off her and the trio’s quirky, quick-action, Braxtonesque like shifting, intense and oft rambunctious, including a superb drum solo midway. There is something magical, free-flowing and organic going on here. Uplifting and inspiring is how this music makes me feel. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
*The Crispell/Fonda/Sorgen Trio will be playing at Roulette, Brooklyn tonight - 9/8/22

GEORG GRAEWE / FRANK GRATKOWSKI / FRED LONBERG-HOLM - Trilinear Polarity (Listen! Foundation FSR 13/2022; Poland) Featuring Georg Graewe on piano, Frank Gratkowski on clarinets and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello. This session was recorded at the Loft in Koln in November of 2004. German avant-pianist Georg Graewe has been recording in solo, duos & trios, as well as with his own orchestra (Gruben Klang) since the late 1980’s. Mr. Graewe is an adventurous pianist, composer and multi-bandleader who keeps busy with different musicians/ensembles. Mr. Graewe and German reeds player, Frank Gratkowski, have been recording since 1993 when they released a duo disc, as well as a few trio efforts with John Lindberg and Paul Lovens. I am not so sure when Mr. Graewe and Mr. Gratkowski first hooked up with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, but this is their first recording as a trio. Mr. Lonberg-Holm, who lived for many years in Chicago moved to the Woodstock area a few years ago has been working with local legends like Joe McPhee, Steve Swell, Kirk Knuffke and Michael Bisio. This disc was recorded in 2004, perhaps a decade before Lonberg-Holm moved to upstate NY.
This is an all-improvised recording and it does sound great! The playing is intense, focused and inspired. Aside from a number of explosive sections, the trio often break down into some more restrained solo or duo sections. There are some great moments when the cello and clarinet(s) are both bowing or bending notes, bringing their tonalities closer together. Mr. Graewe also adds a number of spectral chords, which gives the music different shades. Mr. Graewe’s piano playing often sounds closer to modern classical avant-garde rather than Euro-free/jazz which gives the trio a more chamber-like sound at times. There is some serious listening and extraordinary going on here which keeps us at the edge of our seats throughout this entire 52 minute gem. Another classic from the fine folks at Listen! Foundation. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

HAL RUSSELL / JOEL FUTTERMAN - The Chicago River (Listen! Foundation FSR 14/2022; Poland) “No humor can supplant the music’s shattering beauty and electric undercurrent as time glides in uneven bursts of liquid frenzy, furrowing gritty channels amidst the varied surfaces of rhythm and the froth raised by tone, timbre, scale and arpeggio. From its foundations in the bedrock of history and tradition to the stony sunlit peaks of innovation, the music from these two concerts presents spontaneous creation in all of its inclusive unification, as powerful and malleable as the water from which its title emerged. While the circumstances underpinning that title are unfortunate, the music speaks a language of affirmation. It fulfills, breeding enjoyment in the combinatorial act of creation as two men, whose brotherly rapport would soon be cut tragically short, combine their shared but divergent histories in a geographic location germane to both and to the creatively fertile musical vision that brought them together.” - Marc Medwin
3 CD Set $30

JOEL FUTTERMAN - Intervals 2 (Listen! Foundation FSR 15/2002; Poland) Featuring Joel Futterman on solo piano, recorded in Virginia Beach, VA in November of 2019. Originally based in Chicago and now living in Virginia, avant/jazz pianist supreme has been recording since the late 1970’s. Originally Mr. Futterman worked with Jimmy Lyons, Karen Borca & Robert Atkins, later collaborating Kidd Jordan, Ike Levin and Hamid Drake. Starting in 1979 with the release of ‘Cafeteria’, his first solo/duo effort, Mr. Futterman has released more than a dozen solo piano efforts, which includes a 5 CD set solo piano box from 2021 for the NoBusiness label. I collect all of Mr. Futterman’s discs and especially enjoy his many solo piano discs, he is in a class of his own as far as avant-jazz/free music pianists go.
This disc contains all first takes, three long pieces with no overdubs. It begins majestically, spaciously with “Part One”. Mr. Futterman soon plays a theme which is most charming with a folkish melody before he launches into to darker, more turbulent waters. Similar to Borah Bergman, Futterman powerfully with both hands, each one going in different directions yet they are somehow connected. The pounding dissonant chords of his right hand keep shifting between more or less dense sonorities as his left hand slowly adds occasional dark chords at the low end of the piano. On “Part Two”, Futterman switches to a hand flute between passages of piano, the music is more restrained and suspense-filled, rubbing the strings inside the piano at times, playing quietly with quite a bit of introspection. Futterman pushed up the intensity on “Part Three”, building slowly and increasing the temperature from simmering to boiling point. Eventually Futterman starts to hit these furious, fractured, whiplash-like lines which are breathtaking. I like the way keeps balancing things between different densities, from more sparse to fast & furious while maintaing his distinctive sound. There are many great avant/free/jazz pianist out there but there is only one Joel Futterman. For that, we can all smile and give him the recognition he has long deserved. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

BRIAN CHASE / ROB REICH / BEN GOLDBERG - Title of Work (BAG 013; USA) Featuring Brian Chase on drums, Ben Goldberg on clarinet and Rob Reich on accordion. Although this disc was released in 2017, I didn’t find out about until recently when Mr. Goldberg sent us a box of discs for our Ben Goldberg CD sale. Although Downtown drummer, Brian Chase, is well known for playing with the popular rock band, Yeah Yeah, Yeahs (who play in stadiums!?!), he is a gifted drummer who has become an important part of the Downtown Scene, working with Zeena Parkins, Thollem McDonas, Alan Licht and Catherine Cikora. If you’ve never heard his ‘Drums & Drones’ solo CD, I urge you to check it out, it is amazing! I didn’t know about Bay are-based accordionist Rob Reich until I heard him on a few discs by Ben Goldberg and recently discovered his own release ’shadowbox’, which came out on Mr. Goldberg’s BAG label in 2015. This disc was recorded at Area 52 studio in New York in May of 2016.
Unlike many of Ben Goldberg’s recordings, this one is fully improvised. Right from the first piece, “whorls”, the trio is spinning their own web profusely, finally slowing down to a more spacious free approach. Brian Chase starts off “eidetic” with just drums before the clarinet & accordion begin playing their drones together. Rob Reich’s accordion is often at the center of these pieces wheezing layers of eerie lines, with Mr. Goldberg’s warm, wooden-toned clarinet creating thoughtful harmonies. On “condign”, the accordion and drums play slow hypnotic long tones together while Goldberg’s clarinet plays hushed, haunting lines on top. Mr. Reich does a consistently ggo job of matching lines and harmonies with Mr. Goldberg’s slow, building pensive lines.
CD $14

ROB REICH with BEN GOLDBERG / ILA CANTOR / TODD SICKAFOOSE / ERIC GARLAND - shadowbox (BAG 008; USA) Featuring Rob Reich on accordion, piano, electric piano & compositions, Ben Goldberg on clarinet & liner notes, Ila Cantor on guitar, Todd Sickafoose on bass and Eric Garland on drums. As I go through numerous crates of discs at my apt, I keep finding discs that I don’t remember getting or seeing before. Such is the fate of crazed record collectors like you and me. This disc recently showed up in my collection so I gave it a listen. Since it didn’t listen the personnel on the outside, I was intrigued that it was on Ben Goldberg’s BAG label. It turned out that Mr. Goldberg is a member of the quintet whose only other member I know of is bassist Todd Sickafoose (who has worked with Jenny Scheinman, Allison Miller & Jessica Lurie). I did recall Rob Reich’s name from work he has done with Mr. Goldberg, Darren Johnston and Carla Kihlstedt. Guitarist Ila Cantor and drummer Eric Garland are names I hadn’t heard of before.
Thins begin with “night heron” with Rob Reich’s splendid accordion at the center and savory melancholy melody at the center. Mr. Reich has a wonderful warm, thoughtful sound on his accordion. Thanks to musicians like Guy Klucevsek, Ted Reichman and Andrea Parkins, the accordion has been a more recognized and adventurous instrument than it used to be. “traceries” is mostly a sublime duo for accordion and guitar and it is most exquisite and haunting. “chicken soup” is also known as Jewish penicillin and it is the name of the next charming song. This song does have an infectious, klez-like flavor complete with some superb clarinet and guitar solos midway. “sleep poem” has a lovely, laid back melody/vibe, which is most charming. Both Ms. Cantor (on guitar) and Mr. Reich (on piano) take superb solos on this most enchanting song. Mr. Reich switches to piano midway through this disc and sounds equally marvelous. Mr. Reich ending up working with Tin Hat (Trio) who actually have a similar quaint, immensely charming sound. Mr. Reich soon switches back to accordion and what I noticed is how well both he and Ben Goldberg sound together. The accordion and clarinet are similar tone-wise and enhance each other’s sound/playing throughout. If you are a fan of creative accordion music and/or a fan of Ben Goldberg’s playing, then do miss out on this marvelous disc! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

* BEN GOLDBERG FANS - WE ARE HAVING A SALE ON A TEN OF HIS PREVIOUS CD’S, SEE DOWN BELOW…

KEN BURNS / LYNN NOVICK / SARAH BOTSTEIN // BROOKLYN RIDER / KINAN AZMEH / CARLA KILHSTEDT / GYAN RILEY / SHANIR BLUMENKRANZ / JASON MORAN / MATHIAS KUNZLI / MICHAEL NICOLAS / DAVE NELSON / CARMEN STAAF / KYLE SANNA / et al - The U.S. and the Holocaust - A History to be Reckoned With (In A Circle Records 024; USA) ‘THE U.S. AND THE HOLOCAUST’ is a three-part, six-hour series directed by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein, that examines America's response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the twentieth century. Americans consider themselves a "nation of immigrants," but as the catastrophe of the Holocaust unfolded in Europe, the United States proved unwilling to open its doors to more than a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of desperate people seeking refuge. Through riveting firsthand testimony of witnesses and survivors who as children endured persecution, violence and flight as their families tried to escape Hitler, this series delves deeply into the tragic human consequences of public indifference, bureaucratic red tape and restrictive quota laws in America. Did the nation fail to live up to its ideals? This is a history to be reckoned with.”
Considering that I was born into a Jewish family and am a part of the baby boomer generation (born just 10 years after the end of WW2), I have long been fascinated by the Holocaust. I’ve talked at length with friends, family, fellow Jews, Holocaust survivors and have studied the history of what happened and why six million Jews were executed during that tragic war. Here is what we say to all Nazi’s, past and present and all Holocaust deniers: Never again! I read a book last year called ‘All The Frequent Troubles of Our Days’ by Rebecca Donner. The book is a non-fiction story about Mildred Harnack, an American-born woman who was an English professor and lived in Berlin in the late nineteen thirties and early forties. She watched closely the rise of Adolph Hitler and helped to organize a resistance cell. When Ms. Harnack and the other members of her resistance cell were discovered, each was tortured and executed. A nice reward for trying to do the right thing. I look forward to the Ken Burns documentary which will run on PBS in a few weeks.
I found out about this documentary from one of my music distributors when I read about this soundtrack CD. I noticed that a number of Downtown-related musicians/friends were involved: Shanir Blumenkranz (from Abraxas & Zion80), Gyan Riley, Carla Kihlstedt, Michael Nicolas and Brooklyn Rider (a string quartet). Since I haven’t seen the documentary yet, I can only hear the music for what it sounds like. The opening song is called, “It’s Spring”, which is performed by Vartaped Komitas. It is a lovely, sad and solemn chamber piece for just strings (Brookyn Rider). Ernest Bloch’s “Prayer (from Jewish Life, No. 1) is next and it is another solemn work for strings. Gyan Riley plays an exquisite, haunting piece for solo acoustic guitar next. Ms. Dana Lyn (last seen with the Hank Roberts Sextet) composed & played a piece called “Cold Fall” for a sea of strings, which is most hypnotic sounding. “On Wings of Change” is for an ensemble which includes Kinan Azmeh on clarinet, Kyle Sanna on guitar, Dana Lyn, Michael Nicolas & Shanir Blumenkranz on strings. The music is marvelous, haunting and infectious. Brooklyn Rider also do a fine job of performing Carla Kihlstedt’s “Forestbed”, a mesmerizing, even more haunting work from of the best contemporary violinists/composers. The aforementioned septet with Kinan Azmeh performs four pieces here and each one is superb. I hadn’t heard of Mr. Azmeh before now and will be on the lookout for his music in the future. On its own, this disc is a marvelous work of art, all the pieces work together as one connected mosaic. One would think that there is more of that Klezmer or Jewish folk themes here but this is not the case as much as the music remains quietly powerful throughout. Amen. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

WU MAN / AMJAD ALI KHAN / SHANE SHANANHAN / et al - Music for Hope (Zoho ZM 202207; USA) “The cultural dominance of China and India in Asia stretches back thousands of years. Their musics are quite distinct though they share many significant features, especially highly developed modal systems. Because these find their most sophisticated expression in single melodic lines, it is often asserted that they lack harmony, but that is an over-simplification, as this recording demonstrates. Harmony means so many different things, not only within music theories, but also on a human level. These musicians, from diverse musical traditions, are already seeking harmony by coming together to make a new music, and are finding it by responding to each other in their musical creativity. Harmony is a joining together of peoples and cultures, not just musical phrases and responses. The principal aim of this project is to support the AAPI movement and raise awareness of its struggle, which can be seen as the restoration of harmony amid the discord created by discrimination.
The musicians expressing this power of music, transcending national boundaries, are leading virtuosi on their instruments, and all have ventured extensively into cross-cultural collaborations. Both Wu Man and Shane Shanahan are founding members of Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad project. Amjad Ali Khan and his two sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, represent the sixth and seventh generations of a family of sarod masters.
The Indian sarod and Chinese pipa (Wu Man's instrument) are leading members of the plucked lute extended family. The pipa is made of wood, pear-shaped, with a fretted fingerboard and four strings; the sarod has a narrower wooden body, covered with goatskin, and a fretless metal fingerboard, the key factor in enabling the slides that are essential to Indian music. In addition to the playing strings there are drone strings and sympathetic strings. Hope, looking to a better future, is expressed by these five artists through this coming together; their harmony is immediate.”
CD $15

THREE MORE RECENT RELEASES from THE CLEAN FEED/SHHPUMA NETWORK:

SPACE QUARTET Freedom of Tomorrow (Clean Feed CF597CD; PT) Guitarist/electronicist and all-around experimentalist Rafael Toral began his Space Quartet project a number of years ago, expanding its sonic remit album by album. On the latest, formally billed as the Space Quartet, now a fully-functioning, homogenized unit rather than a Toral joint in all but name, the guitarist and his three compardrés—double bassist Hugo Antunes, percussionist Nuno Morão, and saxophonist Nuno Torres—effectively realize their leader’s dream of "an electronic music with a human touch”, i.e., a music known universally under the sobriquet ‘electroacoustic’. Of course, Toral’s not the first to fire up such a musical aesthetic, but the sounds the foursome concoct easily intersects across the long heritage of work conjured by Spontaneous Music Ensemble, AMM, Evan Parker’s Electroacoustic Ensemble, Sun Ra’s flights of similar fancy, etc. The Quartet’s blending of its disparate acoustic and electronic elements generally coalesce nicely, sometimes magnificently: the opening “Black and White” resembles nothing less than a transmogrified “Flight of the Bumblebee” if remixed/remodeled with reckless abandon, a disregard for traditional composition, a splattering of digital glossolalia, and no small amount of free-formed flair. The title track is both elusive and effusive, Torres’s saxophonic gesticulations matching wits with Toral’s sticky electronics while Antunes and Morão provide just the right amount of sinew and grit underneath. Every sound that erupts across this sonic canvas seals the exploratory deal—you sense they’re all picking away at the very fabric of the cosmos—but things get downright chipper throughout the sixteen minute trawl of “Generation”, as the four jostle our equilibrium thanks to Toral’s carefully dappled electronic susurrations, sounding like a whole herd of microscopic livestock mulling about some fruited, CG’ed plain. Unfathomably uncanny. - Darren Bergstein, DMG
CD $15

LAMIE/DROLO ENSEMBLE - The Deafening Moment of the Whistle After the Noise (Shhpuma SHH073CD; Portugal) Mixed by Giuseppe Ielasi? Yep, that makes total sense, because with Ielasi’s background in onkyo, austerity, experimental minimalism, glitch, and quiet noise, he’s the ideal choice to shepherd this intrepid ‘big band’ of arch sonic artisans down the primrose path of sound and vision. Simply put: this is mindblowing stuff. Unpredictable, nerve-wracking, cagey, and gratifying, this combination of two outfits—Lamie and the Drolo Ensemble—is ultimately spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist and texture coordinator Nicholas Remondino, whose collection of sound generators is fearsome indeed. He equips himself admirably on such things as synth, objects, tapes, prepared bass drum, feedback, and god knows what else. His fellow band members accompany him on such acoustic tools as saxes, double basses, flutes, horns, etc., but who does what, or exactly what your ear is hearing, is nebulous at best, and, truth be told, irrelevant. Better you bathe in the rich sonic waters of a track like “Liri-Smens-Artorn”, which seems to be wrenching at the very sheathe of space-time with its undercurrent of thorny distortion, audiomulch, blustery winds, and hellish drama. The lengthy “Niss-Ceffi-Contra” begins with death rattles and someone dismantling their drumset, a study in manipulative surface tensions and fugue states, before the whole thing reaches critical mass atop a mountain of circuit-bent squeaks, throbs, and strangulations. Tough to come down from such contact highs, but Remondino & Co., manage such a feat across the digital spittle of the 1:20 finale “Ree-Veuid-Cherpa”, which could simultaneously be either a gently surpressed, Merzbow-ian coda, or the dying gasp of a symphony orchestra whose detritus and runout grooves are left decaying in the studio storm. Wholly out there, tough to pin down, and all the more desirable for it. - Darren Bergstein, DMG
CD $13

JUHANI SILVOLA - Wolf Hour Roundelay (Shhpuma SHH072CD; Portugal) Silvola is an accomplished guitarist who’s played with, among others, trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer and Sarah Jane Summers, in addition to performing and recording alongside many of his Finnish comrades. His usual weapon of choice, as illustrated so stunningly herein, is a prepared acoustic guitar, and by prepared we’re talking about an m.o. modeled on the finest Cage-ian tradition, with various unnamed objects resting upon, between, below, and surrounding the strings and body of Silvola’s guitar, in addition to some uniquely-applied electronic lathering, pedal involvement, and all around clever instrument reconstructing. “A New Refutation in Time” finds Silvola’s guitar string-bent to sound like a harp plucked out of heaven, the gentle pings and vibrant trills placed in enough reverb to make it sound positively diaphanous. Blink, and you’ll think the strummed, metallic tones aching from the title track arise from a Japanese koto and not a mere acoustic guitar; truly beautiful stuff. The two “Meditation” tracks seem to merge the characteristics of faux-koto and oily-fingered strings into a minimalist paean of slowly drifting clouds perched over otherworldly sunsets, of some recognizable culture yet simultaneously far removed from it. “Ripples on the River of Time” makes more obvious use of electronics, Silvola’s tactile strokes rendered abstract and wholly divorced from anything resembling human contact; it’s as if his software’s created some facsimile of a guitarist on his instrument, the thrums and butterfly strokes morphed into alien cadences that beat their wings as they whoop and holler. Just when you think yet again that the guitar’s vocabulary is finite and everything’s been said that’ll ever be said: Silvola comes along and sure upsets *that* apple cart. - Darren Bergstein, DMG
CD $13

BEN GOLDBERG CD SALE:
Last Tuesday (9/6/22), we had another in-store triple heard here at DMG and like the last one, it was a great night of diverse, challenging music. The last set of the night featured Ben Goldberg on clarinet, Andrew Stephens on trumpet, Ryan Ferreira on guitar and Daniel Jodocy on drums & electronics. Right from the first not with Ben on contra-alto clarinet, I knew we were in store for some extraordinary music and hence the quartet was superb! Ben Goldberg has played at DMG perhaps a dozen times over the past decade, each time with different personnel and each time a great night of music! Mr. Goldberg left us with the below discs which are now on sale. The older titles are ow out-of-print and the newer titles will be that way in the not too distant future as well. Every disc I’ve heard from Mr. Goldberg is worth checking out so…

BEN GOLDBERG With NELS CLINE / RON MILES / DEAN YOUNG - Good Day for Cloud Fishing (Pyroclastic Records 05; USA)
CD SALE $12

BEN GOLDBERG SCHOOL With KASEY KNUDSEN / JEFF CRESSMAN / ROB REICH / DAVID EWELL / HAMIR ATWAL - Vol. 1: The Humanities (BAG 012; USA)
CD Sale $10

BEN GOLDBERG With CARLA KIHLSTEDT / MYRA MELFORD / NELS CLINE / GREG COHEN / KENNY WOLLESEN /CHES SMITH / et al - Orphic Machine (Bag 07; USA)
CD Sale $12
2 LP SET $20 [high quality vinyl]

BEN GOLDBERG With JOHN DIETERICH & SCOTT AMENDOLA - Short-Sighted Dream Colossus (Bag 05; USA)
CD Sale $10

BEN GOLDBERG With JOSHUA REDMAN / RON MILES / DEVIN HOFF / CHES SMITH SCOTT AMENDOLA - Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues (Bag 03; USA)
CD Sale $10

CLARINET THING with BETH CUSTER / BEN GOLDBERG / SHELDON BROWN / HARVEY WAINAPEL - Cry, Want (BC 10; USA)
CD SALE $10

BEN GOLDBERG TRIO With TREVOR DUNN/ELLIOT HUMBERTO KAVEE - Here By Now (Music & Arts 1004; USA)
CD Sale $10

BEN GOLDBERG / KENNY WOLLESEN - The Relative Value Of Things (33&1/4 Records; USA)
CD Sale $12

BEN GOLDBERG SALE DISCS WITH REVIEWS:

BEN GOLDBERG With NELS CLINE / RON MILES / DEAN YOUNG - Good Day for Cloud Fishing (Pyroclastic Records 05; USA) Featuring Ben Goldberg on B-fat & contra-alto clarinets, Nels Cline on guitar, Ron Miles on trumpet, music inspired by the poetry of Dean Young. Clarinetist extraordinaire, Ben Goldberg, never plays it simple. Even after more 20 discs as a leader, Mr. Goldberg has been reaching for a new level by making each of his last few discs based on a concept, story or well thought-out idea. For this disc, Mr. Goldberg has taken the poetry of Dean Young and based his music on selected poems by Mr. Young. Mr. Young then attended the recording sessions, listening to the results as they were recorded and then wrote another poem based on the music. Hmmm, an interesting idea, to say the least. Mr. Goldberg put together a formidable trio with Ron Mile on trumpet and Nels Cline on guitar plus the sessions were produced by keyboard wiz Michael Coleman and mixed by Eli Crews, both of whom are longtime collaborators with Mr. Goldberg. Last night was the first night of Mr. Goldberg’s five day residency at The Stone and his ensemble featured Michael Coleman on keyboards with Eli Crews doing live mixing & adding electronics. It was an extraordinary night, the outcome was completely unpredictable. Like the last few discs by Mr. Goldberg, this one has thoughtful packaging, it is a mini box set with 12 little pages of poetry, the initial inspiration on the frontside, the flip side the poetry inspired by the music. Although the music is made by the trio of clarinet, guitar and trumpet, the producer or mixing man, adds electronics and occasional manipulation to the music. Although the the is stripped down, they know how to evoke a variety of haunting moods. The poetry both before and after, gives up something to consider as we listen. The music has both an ancient and futuristic quality simultaneously. It is stripped down yet evokes a variety of laid back vibes. Mr. Goldberg has the trio spin several lines together, in tight slightly twisted orbits. Nels’ guitar often holds down the bottom, playing baselines with the clarinet & trumpet play somber harmonies on top. The trio often plays what sounds like chamber music of sorts, giving us chance to read the words and think about what they are telling us. The trio is bathed in bits of select reverb adding a dream-like vibe to the proceedings. Since the music is often stripped down, the trio often evoke a time & place or even background scenery, while we have to fill in the rest of the space with our own imagination. Mr. Coleman does an interesting job of adding varying bits of echo to each instrument so that they sound like they are coming from different places in the distance or up front or from another room or dream. On each song the perspective of where we are are placed changes so that we must adjust. Which takes time to find our place. Well worth exploring over time since it depends on where we are within ourselves and within the mix that unfolds around us. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD SALE $12

BEN GOLDBERG SCHOOL With KASEY KNUDSEN / JEFF CRESSMAN / ROB REICH / DAVID EWELL / HAMIR ATWAL - Vol. 1: The Humanities (BAG 012; USA)The Ben Goldberg School features Ben on clarinet & most compositions, Kaset Knudsen on alto sax, Jeff Cressman on trombone, Bob Reich on accordion, David Ewell on bass and Hamir Atwal on drums. Slowly but surely West Coast clarinet hero, Ben Goldberg has been dropping new discs from his modest BAG label and leaving us with a dozen gems to savor. Besides collaborating with heavy hitters like Myra Melford, Nels Cline and Carla Kihlstedt, Mr. Goldberg has long tapped into a thriving Bay Area scene which is constantly growing with new and under-recognized musicians popping up all the time. With a title like ‘Vol. 1 - The Humanities’, it sounds as if Goldberg has organized a school of his own and hence this is what he has called his new sextet. A few of these names sounded vaguely familiar to me so I checked it the DMG database to find where these folks’ names had appeared before: Jeff Cressman (for Peter Apfelbaum), Rob Reich (Darren Johnston & forTin Hat) and Hamir Atwal (Mike Sopko & Invisible Guy with Goldberg). ‘The Humanities’ begins with a side-long (17 minutes) chamber piece called, “Time is the New Space”, a long, lovely, warm work with a sublime solos from Cressman’s trombone and Mr. Atwal’s drums. What I dig most is the tasty harmonies for the clarinet, alto sax, trombone and accordion. It sounds as if Goldberg took the circular, playful lines of Dixieland and modernized them without ever going too far out. Each member of the sextet gets a chance to solo and each solo is a modest gem, laid back yet still absorbing. The one cover here is an old country tune by Merle Travis, called “Nine Pound Hammer”, which I know from an old Merle Travis cover comp that I loved from the Shanachie label. The sextet does a charming version that doesn’t quite sound like country music at all. Mr. Goldberg’s marvelous clarinet is often in the center of the lush frontline, playing with a tart, bittersweet tone which is most distinctive. Today (5/10/17) feels like the first real day of Spring, since is sunny & cool. The music here has a similar sunny yet cool and uplifting quality. Like Dixieland, Goldberg keeps things interesting by having two or three members of the sextet soloing together at times, their circular lines like several spinning orbits somehow connected. Although this music is often calm at the center, there are some rich and inspired sections where the arrangements and playing shift into unexpected area and then are resolved thoughtfully. Grace under pressure, perhaps? Another gift from the BAG catalogue. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10

BEN GOLDBERG With CARLA KIHLSTEDT / MYRA MELFORD / NELS CLINE / GREG COHEN / KENNY WOLLESEN /CHES SMITH / et al - Orphic Machine (Bag 07; USA) Featuring Carla Kihlstedt on voice & violin, Ben Goldberg on clarinets & compositions, Ron Miles on trumpet, Rob Sudduth on tenor sax, Nels Cline on guitars, Myra Melford on piano, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Greg Cohen on bass and Ches Smith on drums. Every release from Ben Goldberg features a different personnel as well another challenge. This is Mr. Goldberg's largest project (nine piece) with some well-selected mostly (or formerly) West Coast musicians, most of whom Ben has worked with preciously. The words come from a poet named Allen Grossman, who passed away last year and whose career stretched from 1959 through 2009. Ms. Kihlstedt, who is also a member of Tin Hat with Mr. Goldberg has an enchanting voice and reminds me here of the earthy, sensuous voice of Maria Muldaur when her first album was made in the early seventies, as does some of the earthy (roots rock-like) arranging. Goldberg's writing is well crafted, quirky and not within any one genre. Ace guitarist plays quiet yet noisy guitar throughout "Reading" in the background while the rest of the ensemble plays the complex yet not over done arrangements. The music has a quaint yet dreamy quality which drifts from one scene to the next. What is most interesting is the way Goldberg draws from very different genres. The clarinet and trumpet sound like they are playing in a dixieland band while Nels plays restrained noise/rock guitar underneath them on "Bongoloid Lens". It shouldn't work but Goldberg's arranging is seamless and well-thought out. Goldberg takes a number of superb clarinet solos yet never at the expense of the ultra-crafty writing. The music here is a unique blend of several streams, a sort of Americana not bound by any one genre. This disc is some 75plus minutes long and is consistently fascinating. The words by Mr. Grossman are always worth considering since they deal with word-games and multiple points of view. Obviously a great deal of work went into the planning and recording of this gem. Ben Goldberg never sits still for very long as he is working hard to craft his next auspicious project. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $12
2 LP SET $25 [high quality vinyl / LIMITED EDITION]

BEN GOLDBERG With JOHN DIETERICH & SCOTT AMENDOLA - Short-Sighted Dream Colossus (Bag 05; USA) turing John Dieterich on guitars, Ben Goldberg on clarinet and Scott Amendola on drums. I was fortunate to have caught the great Ben Goldberg residency week at The Stone last year since Mr. Goldberg worked with so many different musicians, each group being great in one way or another. I hadn't heard much about guitarist John Dieterich before this disc except for an obscure disc with Thollem McDonas & Mike Watt on the Post Consumer label. Drum wiz, Scott Amendola, you no doubt know from his many years with Nels Cline as well as a handful of his discs as a leader. Each of the 15 pieces here are relatively short (under six minutes) and written by one of the members of the trio. Rather than a series of trio improvs, each piece is quite different in sound and structure. Many of these pieces are quirky and shift in unexpected directions. On "Determinate/Indeterminate" the main theme is quaint yet in between the opening and closing themes, the drums are op front with odd, free-sounding clarinet & guitar excursions coming out of blue. Often the main melody will be charming in its own way but will erupt into sections of bent harmonies and/or unexpected twists and turns. Mr. Dieterich plays either acoustic guitar or a hollowbody turned down and is a gifted picker. Both he and Mr. Goldberg play superbly together, whether mellow or explosive. The great Scott Amendola sounds like the perfect drummer for this trio as he matches and balances the guitar and clarinet just right throughout. What is interesting here is that a half dozen of these pieces are done twice in the opposite order sequence-wise (like a mirror reflection, sort of). Each version shows how one piece can be done differently, making each piece unique in its own way. Overall, I remain impressed by everything that Ben Goldberg is involved in and this one is something special once again. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10

BEN GOLDBERG With JOSHUA REDMAN / RON MILES / DEVIN HOFF / CHES SMITH SCOTT AMENDOLA - Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues (Bag 03; USA) Featuring Ben Goldberg on B-flat & contra-alto clarinets & most compositions, Joshua Redman on tenor sax, Ron Miles on trumpet, Devin Hoff on bass and Ches Smith on drums. This is the second of two fine discs that Bay area clarinet great Ben Goldberg has just released (2/5/13) and again he has organized a fine quintet. This group is a bit more conventional as far as the instrumentation goes with Ben on clarinets, the ever-popular Joshua Redman (SF Jazz Collective) on tenor and Colorado trumpet wiz & Bill Frisell collaborator Ron Miles. Right from the beginning, Mr. Goldberg has written complex lines which bridge the gap between Dixieland and modern jazz with all three horns swirling tightly together in spirited orbits. Mr. Goldberg often has the rhythm team lay out while the three horns plays those thoughtful layered arrangements. I dig the way the clarinet will kick off a line which is then taken over by the tenor and completed by the trumpet, seemingly effortlessly. The bass and drums will on occasion finish off a section by themselves and do it in a most creative way. Mr. Goldberg's music is a unique blend of modern and older jazz forms, his arrangements for the horns is consistently compelling and often fascinating. Sometimes he will have the three horns soloing simultaneously and/or intersecting several threads at the same time. As a longtime fan of everything I've heard from Ben Goldberg so far, I must admit that both of his new CDs show that he has reaching a peak which combines challenging writing and playing in a new and unique way. Both of these discs are gems and should be added to your vast collection ASAP! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD Sale $10

HISTORIC / ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS:

STEAMHAMMER with MARTIN PUGH / PETE SEARS / PHIL COLOMBATTO / JOHN LINGWOOD - Wailing Again (Made in Germany 02702; Germany) British blues-rock band STEAMHAMMER was formed at the end of 1968 by Martin Quittenton (guitar), Kieran White (vocals, harmonica, guitar), Martin Pugh (guitar), Steve Davy (bass) and Michael Rushton (drums). Their first album "Reflections" (AKA "Junior's Wailing") was released in 1969. Pete Sears played piano on this album before he joined Rod Stewart on his four early classic recordings. Pugh also played on Rod Stewart's first solo album, "The Rod Stewart Album" (AKA "An Old Raincoat Would Never Let You Down") with Ron Wood, Mickey Waller, Martin Quittenton and Keith Emerson. After "Reflections", Quittenton and Rushton both quit the band to be replaced by Mick Bradley (drums) and Steve Joliffe (sax, flute), who gave a jazzy influence to the band in their second album, "Mk. II" (1969). Shortly after this release, Joliffe left the band, which continued as a 4 piece in their third album "Mountains" (1970), which was a returning to the blues-rock of the first album. After a major turnover, Pugh and Bradley invited Louis Cennamo (bass) and, along with special guest Garth Watt-Roy (vocals), recorded "Speech" in 1971. This last album was released posthumously, after Bradley's death in 1972.
Between 1967 & 1970 was the golden years of British rock music, when bands evolved from playing rock, blues, folk or roots-rock and expanded beyond those categories to add ethnic, progressive jazz and classical influences into their music. Hundreds of Brit bands emerged during that period and it takes dedicated sonic explorers to hear as many of them as is/was possible. I purchased the second Steamhammer album around 1970 on Epic Records, USA and was blown away by them. Their music utilized blues/rock (like Fleetwood Mac or Savoy Brown), yet they personnel/sound included a harpsichord player who added some unexpected classical influence to their unique sound, as well as a sax player (Steve Joliffe), adding some jazz influence. The saxist and keyboardist both left after this record so the band stripped down and played their own version of blues/rock with some progressive influences. Steamhammer made four albums between 1969 & 1972, all slightly different and all great!
Now some 50 years after their last record in 1972, Steamhammer reformed for a new album with lead guitarist Martin Pugh, Peter Sears (from Jefferson Starship, an early guest member) on bass & keyboards plus Phil Colombatto on vocals & harmonica and John Lingwood on drums. This version of the band cover three older songs from the original Steamhammer band and do a swell job of doing so. Steamhammer’s original singer was Keiran White and he had a great, strong, blues/rock voice and would not be able to replace. The singing here by Mr. Colombatto is equally strong plus Martin Pugh remains a powerful blues/rock/prog guitarist. I often have mixed feelings about rock reunion records since most of them usually suck. Not this one! This one is most formidable on several levels. In many way, this album sounds like it was record way back in the early seventies when the original band was still around. It sounds like a long lost treasure yet it was recorded recently and just released. Don’t miss out on this gem, especially if you still have a hankering for early British blues rock. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17

AL-QASAR - Who Are We? (Glitterbeat 130CD; Germany) “Middle Eastern psych-rock collective Al-Qasar's debut album is an explosive mix of heavy Arabian grooves, global psychedelia, and North African trance music. The band calls it "Arabian fuzz." Brazenly electric and deeply connected. When continents collide, they make a thunderous sound. Al-Qasar create the soundtrack to that fission on their full-length debut, Who Are We? The musicians came together, from France, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and the United States. Shows followed, first in France, then in Europe and the Middle East. They put out an EP, the widely-lauded Miraj, recorded in Cairo. Work on Who Are We? began in December 2020, with Attar Bellier composing eight tracks that writhe and roar in skillfully controlled chaos. Bass, drums and traditional percussion create a deep, irresistible groove for the foundation, while electric saz and guitars build a wailing wall above, with Moroccan vocalist Jaouad El Garouge's ecstatic voice, steeped in his Gnawa upbringing, pulling inspiration from history as it strides into the future. Drawing on years of experience working in Los Angeles studios, Attar Bellier produced the album. Who Are We? translates the sound that inhabited his head into something physical that stirs spirit, heart and feet. The Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra was a natural addition to "Ya Malak," his inimitable voice reciting a translation of Egyptian revolutionary poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, elevating the record's social critique while showcasing the first-ever English recording of Negm's work. Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth layers textured, brooding guitar over the first two cuts, "Awtar Al Sharq" and "Awal." The sweeping drones embrace the Moroccan bendir groove to magical results. Hend Elrawy, the acclaimed Egyptian singer whom the band met in Cairo, brings her powerful voice to "Mal Wa Jamal", whose Arabic lyrics promote a female-centric and humbling outlook on prostitution and its consequences. Like the other songs on the album, its social consciousness is carefully veiled in images. "Hobek Tawrat," for instance, can be taken as a love song, with its seductive, ringing opening on the electric saz that leads up to the aching voice of New York-based Sudanese innovator Alsarah (Alsarah & The Nubatones). One of the band's great coups is the track "Barbès Barbès," an ode and homage to the neighborhood in Paris where Al-Qasar first came together. The iconic Mehdi Haddab (Speed Caravan) added his oud virtuosity to the track. Who Are We? is a deep, exhilarating album. Its intensity never wavers, music that pulls from the hypnotic roots of North African trance and threads it into a fabric with the elaborate beauty of Arabic scales and the shock and thrill of rock'n'roll. Mixed by Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, PJ Harvey). Mastered by Grammy-winner Dave Collins.
CD $17

LOCRIAN - New Catastrophism (Profound Lore 277CD; Canada) "The new Locrian album New Catastrophism is the first release from the band in seven years! They are also releasing Ghost Frontiers, an EP that comes as a bonus disc with the CD edition and a bonus digital download with the vinyl. New Catastrophism sees the iconic experimental music trio return back to their roots through four immersive tracks that signal towards the band's signature expressions of dark ambient, experimental music, drone and post rock. Massive dystopian sonic soundscapes presented through many layers of sound is the dominant audial canvas here. Locrian is a prophetic voice of decline. From the band's inception, they have comfortably straddled both the experimental and metal underground, weaving themes of apocalypse, urban decay, environmental destruction and birth/death/rebirth throughout their multifaceted and genre-defying releases. The trio formed in 2005 in Chicago and features Terence Hannum (synthesizers, vocals, tape loops), André Foisy (guitars, electronics), and Steven Hess (drums, electronics)."
2 CD Set $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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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 & myself are old friends and he is someone whose music and attitude I really admire. - BLG

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AMAZING SERIES OF PODCASTS PUT TOGETHER BY THE GREAT GUITARIST SAMO SALAMON:

The wonderful Slovenian guitarist/composer Samo Salamon has an incredible podcast on Youtube entitled "DR. JAZZ". He has interviewed many of the leading lights of contemporary improvisation including Bill Frisell, Hal Galper, Herb Robertson, Ben Monder, Bob Moses etc. and his conversations are deep and enlightening. Highly recommended for all curious listeners across the worlds of creative music. Here is the link below..

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=samo Å¡alamon&qpvt=samo Å¡alamon&FORM=VDRE

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A Free Outdoor Concert Series in NYC - Sponsored by ArtsForArts

InGardens is an annual, free outdoor concert series in the public gardens of the Lower East Side in New York City. Established in 2008, InGardens is in its 14th year of bringing vibrant sights & sounds to the community. 

September 17th, 18, 19 & October 2, 3  
Children’s Magical Garden - 129 Stanton St near Essex Street

ADMISSION IS FREE
Full schedule: https://www.artsforart.org/ingardens-2022.html
Questions? Email us at info@artsforart.org

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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… the new one just popped up today, 7/27/22:

https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-332-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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INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS ALLIANCE Presents:

KEN VANDERMARK, JOE MORRIS (reeds / guitar duo)
@ Michiko Studios, Stage 2
149 West 46th Street
Saturday, SEPTEMBER 10 at 7:00 PM
Suggested $20
Stage 2 is on 3rd floor
(Building is not elevator-equipped).

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Saturday, September 10, 2022:

Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra!
Featuring Hassan Hakmoun, Dave Liebman, Marcus Gilmore, Graham Haynes, and Brooklyn Raga Massive / Gift of Gnawa honoring Don Cherry / Brandee Younger and Joel Ross /
Plus Angel Bat Dawid - DJ Set

Doors 6 PM | Show 7 PM
SummerStage in Central Park – Free Event | General Admission

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gaucimusic presents:

Live at Scholes Street Studio
Tuesday September 20th
Live recording/Live audience!

7:30pm Kenny Warren - trumpet
Christopher Hoffman - cello
Nathan Ellman-Bell - drums

8:30pm Stephen Gauci - t. saxophone
Santiago Leibson - piano
Adam Lane - bass
Colin Hinton - drums

9:30pm Juan Pablo Carletti's Biggish w/
Juan Pablo Carletti - drums
Rick Parker - trombone
Chrisof Knoche - bass clarinet
Thomas Heberer - trumpet
Yoni Kretzmer - tenor saxophone

Live recording/Live audience!
$20 at the door (entire evening), cash/venmo
@ Scholes Street Studio
375 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn
718-964-8763 / gaucimusic.com
www.facebook.com/events/395015322658149

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Sunday Sept 18 ,2022 Music at 4:00

Howling for Jeremy Steig Solo Flute Festival - LIVE!

A solo flute festival of improvised solos from the most wonderful jazz flutists, to remember Jeremy Steig ♪*.¸¸.*¨¨*♪ღ♪**¨¨♪*.¸¸.*¨¨*♪ღ♪**¨¨
Remembering Jeremy Steig https://jeremysteig.info/
(September 23, 1942 - April 13, 2016)
With flutists : Cheryl Pyle , Haruna Fukazawa, Gene Coleman, Jay Rodriguez, Nick Gianni ,
Sylvain Leroux, Connie Grossman, Premik Russell Tubbs, Mary Cherney, Chip Shelton

6BC Botanical Garden
624 East 6th street ( btw Ave B and C )
Curated by Cheryl Pyle for our fifth year and part of the Village Trip Festival 2022

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Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28, 2022 

Rhodri Davies
Plays Éliane Radigue, Yasunao Tone,
Ellen Arkbro, Ben Patterson and Phill Niblock

doors 7 pm, shows 7:30 pm
At Blank Forms
468 Grand Ave, 1D,
Brooklyn NY 11238

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

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