DMG Newsletter for December 16th, 2022

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Society's arms of control
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
Think they're smart, can't think for themselves
Rise above, we're gonna rise above

Laugh at us behind our backs
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I find satisfaction in what they lack
Rise above, we're gonna rise above

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, but it's no use
We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

We are born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above

We are born with a chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above
And I am gonna have my chance
Rise above, we're gonna rise above

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us, it's no use

Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above

Are we gonna rise above?!?!? I consider myself a sensitive, somewhat enlightened guy. Although Creative Music often inspires me, keeping me happy and sane most of the time, I am also stressed out and angry by current events, as well as feeling divided and abandoned to some of my old friends. I won’t go into specifics here but perhaps I will address this on my better-late-than-ever Facebook page. Like many us, I look at my phone too often and get pissed off by the many things that the Right Wings Extremists/Fascists are doing to our troubled world. I feel frustrated since I want to do more to protect the world, my friends and family from all of the BS that goes on every day. Perhaps we should start our own International Anti-Fascists League for everyone who can still fight the forces of evil that seemed to have taken over.
I went through a period in the mid-eighties when I was totally into many hardcore punk bands, befriending a bunch of these bands in New Jersey (AOD, Pleased Youth & Scornflakes) where I still live. Although I was more than a decade older than many of the members of these bands, I dug the excitement/danger of going to hardcore gigs which included stage diving, crowd surfing and the violent pit where many punks would run in circles, sometimes hurting others and themselves as well. Most of the time on the outside, I am smiling, helping others to find the music which makes them think, question life and feel more inspired about things. Deep within, I am filled with anger & rage at the rise of anti-semitism, white supremacy and hatred of others who don’t look or think like we do, whoever we are. I am still an old hippie at heart but I know those days are long gone. It is the holiday season so I hope that some of us can reach out to help others and share some of the good vibes that we all need to hold onto. Are we gonna rise above that which holds us down?!? I certainly hope so. Hanukah starts next Sunday, 12/18 so Happy Hanukah to those who celebrate it. - MC BruceLee

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

Rare Sunday Event, December 18th - Just added!
6:30: TRISTAN HONSINGER / MICHAEL VATCHER / JOHN HEBERT - Cello / Drums / Contrabass!

Tuesday, December 20th:
6:30: PATRICK BRENNAN / JASON HWANG / COOPER-MOORE / ON KA’A DAVIS!
7:30: CHERYL PYLE BEYOND MUSIC: Michael Eaton-soprano sax, Haruna Fukazawa-c flute & alto flute, Gene Coleman-bass flute & piccolo, Claire de Brunner-bassoon, Shu Odamura-guitar & Cheryl Pyle - c flute & alto flute

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THE INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS ALLIANCE PRESENTS:
THE TOM RAINEY TRIO with INGRID LAUBROCK & MARY HALVORSON!
Friday, December 30th at 7:30pm - Two sets - $20 cash
DiMenna Center for the Performing Arts
450 West 37th St in Manhattan
Covid protocols: dimennacenter.org

The amazing Tom Rainey Trio have been playing at the end of December for most of their long reign. For many years they played at Cornelia Street Cafe which closed a few years ago. The Independent Promoters Alliance (Matt Vernon, Chris Stern & Bruce Lee Gallanter) wants to keep this tradition alive and are working are more important gigs for the future. Stay tuned!

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This week's DMG Newsletter begins with three important box sets:

BACK IN STOCK AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS: We have had neither of these two Wadada Leo Smith boxes in several months and word is that the distributor for TUM is being sucked into an Amazon-like vortex. F*ck Amazon! We finally got the last copies from that distributor before they disappear. I predict that the prices will go up once TUM gets a new distributor so don’t wait too long. - BLG

WADADA LEO SMITH with JACK DeJOHNETTE / PHEEROAN AKLAFF / ANDREW CYRILLE / HAN BENNINK - The Emerald Duets (TUM Box 006; Finland) Featuring Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet in duos with drummers: Jack DeJohnette, Pheeroan AkLaff, Andrew Cyrille and Han Bennink on drums. Last night (6/22/22) at the opening night of the live music portion of the Vision Fest and it was a celebration for visionary composer and master-musician Wadada Leo Smith. The night began and ended with a duo of Wadada on trumpet and Pheeroan AkLaff on drums, both sets were extraordinary. Mr. Smith has a long history of working with some of the best/most creative drummers in the New Music Scene: Gunter ‘Baby’ Sommer, Adam Rudolph, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Milford Graves and Louis Moholo. For this impressive 5 CD set, Wadada plays with four amazing drummers of his choice: Jack DeJohnette (2 discs), Pheeroan AkLaff, Andrew Cyrille and Han Bennink. This box set just arrived yesterday at the store and I’ve just heard one CD so far, a duo with Mr. AkLaff, longtime collaborator with Wadada. I can tell that these two musicians have been playing together for a long time since they seem to have some telepathy or inner connection that guides them together. Wadada would wink or signal Pheeroan to play throughout their two short sets and the magical/spirit music would flow. The first disc with AkLaff is long (nearly 75 minutes), yet I found it consistently fascinating throughout. Plus, Wadada Leo Smith, who is a most respected elder among many musicians, remains on the top of his game, his playing is marvelous on many different levels. There is quite a bit of Magiv Music to be found among the five discs in this box set so do check it out. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
5 CD Deluxe Set $95

WADADA LEO SMITH // REDKORAL QUARTET - String Quartets Nos. 1 - 12 (TUM Box 005; Finland) This massive 7 CD box set features the RedKoral (String) Quartet plus guests: Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet, Anthony Davis on piano, Alison Bjorkedal on harp, Stuart Fox on guitar, Lynn Vartan on percussion and Thomas Buckner on voice. Considering how much music Wadada Leo Smith has released over the past decade (several box sets, 2 CD sets and various single discs), it seems surprising has not released much string quartet music until now. This impressive 7 CD set contains the first 12 string quartets that Mr. Smith has written. Aside from the RedKoral String Quartet, there are a half dozen other music guests on four of the twelve string quartets. I am a big Wadada Leo Smith fan and completist. I am fascinated by all of what he does as a composer, musician, multi-bandleader and painter. The first night of the Vision Fest at Roulette earlier this week began with a celebration of Wadada and there were 6 sets of his music performed, from two duos with Pheeroan AkLaff to quartet with two pianos & Aklaff to this very same string quartet with and without vocalist/poet Thulani Davis. Since this box set showed up on Tuesday night right before I left the store, I have listened to only the first two string quartets from this box so far.” - BLG/DMG
7 CD Deluxe Box Set $130

THE MUFFINS - Baker’s Dozen (Cuneiform 500-512; USA) The Muffins were a Washington, D.C. area band who existed from 1974-81 and then again with their best-known line-up still intact from 1993-2015. They released three albums during their original lifetime and six albums during their second life. They were called, "...the finest progressive band that America produced...even at it's most complicated, (they) sounded effortless & convincing” by Fred Frith. They also acted as Fred’s backing band on his first post-Henry Cow solo album, Gravity.
During their two lifetimes, the band performed at now legendary festival events, including the ZU Festival (NYC), the Rock In Opposition Festival (France), the Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival (Rome), Sonic Circuits (D.C.) and NEARFest (Bethlehem, PA), among many others.
The band were a hugely creative force during both lifetimes, combing intense, rehearsal intensive compositions with spirited free play, and moving effortlessly between musical boundaries and genres. They were one of the great American contemporary music ensembles of our time. Baker’s Dozen is a 13 disc box set of all previously unreleased live and studio recordings from 1975 - 2010! It includes 12 CDs, a DVD, and a huge, informative booklet. The entire box is a treasure trove of never seen and never heard material.
“Kudos to both the band members and to Cuneiform Records for assembling this so-far (I’m just four discs in) remarkable compendium of Rock In Opposition, Made In USA. It’s no more or less improbable that music this playful, knotty and forward-thinking should emerge from Silver Springs, Maryland than anywhere else in this confounding land of ours. What’s really worth celebrating is that a group that always put creative action ahead of anything else managed to…well, get to a point where an apparently fat-free 13-disc set of sundry live recordings was possible. This is all moving and pleasurable stuff, and for the most part it’s all them. Comrade Fred Frith guests on one cut total I think. Sounds like? Sometimes Henry Cow, sometimes Tin Huey, sometimes National Health, sometimes Weather Report, but mostly like itself. A fantastic voyage.” - NY Times Film Reviewer & longtime friend of DMG
12 CD 1 DVD Box Set $175

PAUL DUNMALL / PAUL ROGERS / TONY ORRELL - That’s My Life (577 Records 5845; USA) Featuring Paul Dunmall on soprano sax, Paul Rogers on double bass and Tony Orrell on drums. This disc was recorded live on July 1st of 1989 at The Albert Inn in Bristol, UK. As far as I can tell, this is not a reissue of a Duns or FMR release, but an previously unreleased gem. What makes this interesting is that Mr. Dunmall plays exclusively soprano sax here instead of switching between tenor, saxello, bagpipes or flute. Plus, the great thing is this: Paul Rogers plays contrabass, often a custom designed hand-made one with extra strings and is perhaps one of the greatest and most under-recognized of all European bassists. Mr. Dunmall and Mr. Rogers are longtime music partners, having recorded ten discs by Mujician (with Keith Tippett) and even more in duos, trios, other quartets and the occasional large ensemble. UK-born bass giant, Paul Rogers, has been living in South France for many years, hence He and Mr. Dunmall don’t recorded together very often, especially since the passing of Keith Tippett and (drummer) Tony Levin and the demise of Mujician. I don’t know much about UK drummer Tony Orrell except that he can be found on one other Paul Dunmall disc on the FMR label.
This disc consists of two long tracks. The first one is the title track, “That’s My Life”, and it sounds like the trio is already playing a theme when it begins. Mr. Dunmall is already on fire when this pieces begins, spinning out quick spiraling lines in a Trane-like way with the inventive rhythm team providing a power cushion of support, all three pushing each other higher and higher as they evolve. Mr. Orrell sounds like he is playing with brushes, something that drummers rarely do when playing freely and furiously. Powerfuland intense. “Marriage in India”, the other long piece also starts off with an infectious somewhat familiar-sounding theme. Bass great Paul Rogers takes a solo in the first section in this piece which is just incredible, tapping out those superb harmonics midway and plucking certain notes is his own distinct way. The overall sound here is very good but not really great audio quality, the music itself is consistently extraordinary and filled with passion and power. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

STEPHEN GAUCI / MATT MITCHELL / EIVIND OPSVIK / BILLY MINTZ - Live at Scholes Street Studio (GauciMusic 04683; USA) Featuring Steve Gauci on tenor sax, Matt Mitchell on piano, Eivind Opsvik on contrabass and Billy Mintz on drums. Steve Gauci keeps presenting, recording & releasing live & studio dates at an unprecedented rate. Mr. Gauci used to book five set per night with different groups at the Bushwick Public House for six years until earlier this year (2022), then also booking monthly sets a Scholes Street Studio and for the past year a monthly curation here at DMG for the 2nd Saturday of each month. Gauci has also released some 3 dozen discs on his own label, many of which he plays on with different personnel on each disc. This is one of several quartets that Mr. Gauci has played & recorded with.
Each of the four members of this quartet are both leaders and busy collaborators who work in different yet related scenes. Matt Mitchell, Eivind and Billy Mintz are not just great improvisers, they are also gifted composers whose different groups sound nothing alike. The Gauci sessions are not about composing or directing your band(s), this is about instant composing or free improvisation. This begin quietly, slowly with hushed, skeletal drums, a sublte sprinkle of note from the piano, bass, sax & drums. Matt Mitchell is one of Downtown’s best composers, musical thinks and keyboardists. He starts to play these quick, harplike flourishes while muting a few notes inside the piano, his playing similar to master-pianist Keith Tippett at times. Mr. Gauci lays out so the rest of the trio can take off and soar. This is a powerful, intense date with all four members integral to the group sound. Mr. Opsvik plays a spirited unaccompanied bass solo midway which links two sections. The next section moves slowly with Mr. Gauci’s warm, tender tenor playing a laid-back ballad, Mr. Mitchell just sprinkling a few choices notes on the piano. Later Mr. Mitchell takes a long, explosive unaccompanied piano solo which is one of this discs’ highlights. It seems astonishing how much great, inspired, intense and powerful music that Mr. Gauci and company keep putting out there so get on board for another great roller coaster ride of these ever-inventive free spirits. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

SAKINA ABDOU - Goodbye Ground (Relative Pitch Records SS013; USA) Featuring Sakina Abdou on alto & tenor saxes. Ms Abdou is based in Lille, France, where there is an impressive community of creative musicians who work together year round. Two members of Satoko Fujii’s Kaze quartet are also from the same scene: Christian Pruvost and Peter Orins. I hadn’t heard of Sakina Abdou until Kevin Reilly (from Relative Pitch) advised me to add her to a bill at DMG a few months ago (Nov 1, 2022). I was deeply impressed with her set (check it out on Insta-Gram) so I was looking forward to her solo sax debut on this label. “The Day I Became a Floor” is first and Ms. Abdou plays with assured, warm tone and a thoughtful stream of warm, quietly dark notes. What makes this disc good is that Ms.Sakina plays effortlessly very rarely bending notes vert far out. Instead she concentrates on each note or sound, playing thoughtful lines which are warm sounding and easy to appreciate. It is not until the fourth piece that she starts bending and twisting selective notes. When one thinks of solo sax, we often think of saxists who go further out, but this not the case here. Each phrase or line is carefully crafted with no stray notes busting out. Even when Ms. Sakina starts to bend certain notes, she is careful not bend too far. She has also invented her own vocabulary of sounds, some of which do not sound like a sax but rather are like an animal or spirit voice which talks to us in its own language yet we still understand what is being said or directed. This just might be the best solo sax disc that I’ve heard since sounds completely unique. There is no wincing involved like those harsh multiphonics that Mr. Zorn and Mr. Pitsiokos make is deal with. A most impressive debut from a fine free spirit who we will mostly likely be hearing more from sometime soon. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

DON MALFON - Mutable (Relative Pitch Records SS015; USA) Featuring Don Malfon on alto and baritone saxes. This disc was recorded in Barcelona in May of 2022, earlier this year. The title of this disc, ‘Mutable’ refers to the way Mr. Malfon’s sound is often mutating from one thing to the next, hence the sound is in flux. Since around 2014, Mr. Malfon has worked with Agusti Fernandez, Barry Guy and John Dikeman. This appears to be his second solo sax effort. Mr. Malfon uses no electronics or effects to alter his sound, he does uses a variety of muting devices instead. On “Mutable 1”, it sound like Malfon is putting some sort of mute into the mouth of his bari sax, it sounds like he is playing into a snare drum. Strange yet somehow most compelling. Malfon later switches to just a mouthpiece which he seems to playing into his hands as mutes of sorts, something that John Zorn mastered in the late 70’s/early 80’s but few saxists have expanded upon. I am not so sure if there is any overdubbing going on here but the many different sounds/approaches that Mr. Malfon uses are consistently fascinating and mysterious as to what he is actually doing. On each of the eight pieces here, Mr. Malfon comes up with sounds which are somewhat confusing yet are also breathtaking and completely unique. He has certainly invented his own vocabulary or language, which has evolved over time and become something most captivating. There are those who find some/many solo offering to be rather indulgent. I understand that but I also realize how much certain musicians have worked hard at developing their own sonic palette and then create their own unique sound/world. Don Malfon is one of the few who has risen above our collective expectations and created a new world to explore. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

NUMINOSITY with DAVID MOTT / JUSTIN GRAY / JESSE STEWART - Spectrum (MAE 018; Canada) Featuring David Mott on baritone sax & collage, Justin Gray on acoustic bass, bass veena & Tibetan singing bowls and Jesse Stewart on drums, waterphone, handpan & overtone singing. In last week’s newsletter (12/9/22), I reviewed two discs from Canadian bari saxist David Mott. Both were great and over the past week we’ve played Mott’s trio effort (w/ Ernst Reijseger & Jesse Stewart) several times and it has become my fave disc of the week. Here is another fine trio offering from Mr. Mott and Toronto-based drummer Jesse Stewart with a bassist named Justin Gray. It lists Mr. Gray as playing bass veena, a chordophone instrument from India. Inside the disc & booklet, it shows Mr. Gray playing an odd looking electric stringed instrument whichI assume is a bass veena. Never seen one like this one before now. “Emerald Crystal” is up first and it begins with an enchanting drone which is played on the veena with Mr. Stewart on subtle hands-on-drums and lush bari sax simmering and playing some slow looping lines. The music here has an Indian, spiritual, hypnotic vibe running through it all. All three musicians favor those deep, lower end notes/sounds. There is also a lovely, calming, solemn vibe running through this disc as well. This makes sense since the name of this trio is Numinosity which means “having a strong religious or spiritual quality”. On “Purple Mirror”, Mr. Gray takes the lead by playing his veena like a sitar, playing a sublime raga-like solo before Mr. Mott comes in and continues the thread with his own solo. “Frost White” starts off with a Tibetan singing bowl, another soft simmering drone instrument/sound which hums with resonant vibrations and has a way of calming us down to a more peaceful state. At first glance or listen, I thought that some of these pieces sounded similar yet now that I am listening again, I see/hear that there are subtle differences depending on which instruments each musician plays. It is currently near the end of the year (2022) and I am somewhat stressed out about the current situation and future of the store. Listening to this disc helps me stay calm, smile inside and rise above whatever worries are going on within. This disc is a gem amongst the many free/jazz blowouts that I often listen to on record and live. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

SPOTLIGHT ON MARCO CAPPELLI: Ever since Italian guitarist Marco Cappelli moved to NYC more than a decade ago, I have been fascinated by his unique musical path. Although Mr. Cappelli was classically trained, he has long since worked his way through a variety of genres, influences and explorations. He came to town to study and work with many of the Downtown musicians he has long respected and has become a great Downtown Spirit Master on his own terms. each of the half dozen releases below are quite different in sound and concept. I like them all for different reasons and urge you to check some/all of them…

MARCO CAPPELLI ACOUSTIC TRIO with KEN FILIANO / SATOSHI TAKEISHI OSCAR NOREIGA / DJ OLIVE - Norwegian Landscapes (Da Vinci Jazz C00036; Italy) The Marco Cappelli Acoustic Trio features Mr. Cappelli on prepared classical guitar, Ken Filiano on contrabass and Satoshi Takeishi on percussion, plus guests Oscar Noreiga on B-flat & bass clarinets and DJ Olive on turntables & live electronics. This is the third disc from the Marco Cappelli Acoustic Trio and like the first two, this one was also inspired European contemporary noir literature. ‘Norwegian Landscapes’ consists of 7 compositions named after characters in Jo Nesbo’s crime novels, alternating with 6 improvised interludes called “Norwegian Interludes”. Since I haven’t read any novels by Mr. Nesbo, I can’t tell you how these sound like any of the characters involved. What I can tell you is this: listening to this music is a fascinating to do as several themes or ideas are presented and developed throughout the entire work. This disc was recorded at Bill Laswell’s studio by James Dallacoma and the sound is superb. The first song is called, “Harry Hole’s Mood”, and it is an exquisite, hushed sort of ballad with Mr. Noreiga’s tasty clarinet soloing delightful throughout and Mr. Cappelli’s delicate acoustic guitar weaving lovely skeletal lines tastefully. In between each written piece there are six improvised sections which are often more spooky and spacious with subtle samples (via turntables or electronics) floating in the blend. “Escape to Hong Kong” is a blues of sorts with some sly guitar licks and subtle electronic seasoning sprinkled minimally. Mr. Noreiga takes another strong spirited clarinet solo here while the rest of band spins around him. One of the things which makes this disc so good is the rich, tasty melodies which Cappelli puts at the center of each written piece. Most of written pieces here remind me of soundtrack music since they often evoke images of the more playful side of life which we sometimes miss when we take things too seriously and forget about having some fun. I find this disc to be immensely charming, balancing the more melodies songs with the subtle side of slightly out free form exposition. As far as the “prepared” aspect of Cappelli’s guitar, I only hear those prepared sounds in a few places. This is a wonderful disc which obviously Marco Cappelli has put a good deal of thought and preparation into completing. Superb! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

IDR / ITALIAN DOC REMIX with MARCO CAPPELLI / DOUG WEISELMAN / KEN FILIAN / et al - Pandemonium (41st Parallel; Earth) Featuring Marco Cappelli on guitar & composition, Doug Weiselman on bass & B-flat clarinets, Roberto Schiano on trombone, Ken Filiano on double bass, Jim Pugliese on drums and Francesco Pellegrino on vocals. Italian/Downtown guitarist/composer, Marco Cappelli, has had a variety of bands/projects that he works on both here in NYC as well in in Italy. IDR, which stands for Italian Doc Remix, had an earlier disc released in 2014 with Marc Ribot as a guest and DJ Logic sampling voices via a turntable. This disc was recorded in a studio in Napoli, Italy in September of 2019 also features 9 other guests, a few of whom I’ve heard of before: Elio Martusciello (several discs on ReR) and Greg Lewis (played hurdy-gurdy with Arnold Dreyblatt). No doubt you know about longtime Downtown musicians like Doug Weiselman, Ken Filiano and Jim Pugliese. The first thing we hear is the voice of Francesco Pellegrino which sounds serious, this is just the intro. “Vulumbrella” is a lovely, sort of ballad with Mr. Pellegrino’s voice singing softly in Italian with the utmost charm. Doug Weiselman’a quirky bass clarinet is featured at the beginning of a silly traditional song called, “Take the G Train”, which gets a Zorn-like chopped up treatment. I like the way Mr. Cappelli adds several voices to the chorus, making this more like a fractured family of odd-job opera singers enjoying their own company together. Since I don’t speak Italian, I can’t tell what these songs are singing about, yet there is a consistent sense of humor and silliness going on here which makes this all the more charming. Aside from the ongoing humor, it is Cappelli’s inventive arrangements for varied vocalists, reeds, trombone, guitar, bass and drums that makes this so appealing. “Jail the Bakers” features English narration about an unfortunate situation of bakers being ostracized in Italy. Is this incident true? Does it matter? I get the feeling that Mr. Cappelli is poking fun at the ridiculous of life as it is during this strange divisive time that we live in. What makes this disc so wonderful is that Cappelli has created his own wacky world in which we can laugh and maybe sing along without knowing what the words mean. Thanks Marco, you just made my day. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $13

ADAM RUDOLPH/GO: ORGANIC ORCHESTRA With ENSEMBLE DISSONANZEN/IS JAZZ ENSEMBLE/CONSORTI DI FLAUTI DOLCI DEL CONSERVATORIO DI COSENZA - Linger Like Joy in Memory (Black Sheep Power Desco Music F&BS CD05; Italy) The large scale Go:Organic Orchestra made up of Ensemble Dissonanzen [Thomas Rossi flute; Marco Sannini trumpet; Giulio Martino sax; Francesco D'Errico piano; Marco Cappelli guitar] Is Jazz Ensemble [Luigi Di Nunzio alto sax; Peter Riccardi alto sax; Canio Lucia baritone sax; Pino Melfi trumpet; Ciro Riccardi trumpet; Alberto Falco guitar; Marco de Tilla bass; Pierluigi Delle Noci percussion battery; Dario Guidobaldi percussion battery; Alessia Viti violin; Isabella Parmiciano, violin; Chiara Mallozzi, cello] Consort of Recorders of the Conservatory of Cosenza [Thomas Rossi, Daniela D'Ambrosio, Anna De Simone, Mirko Onofrio recorders] The Go: Organic Orchestra is an ongoing project conducted and directed by percussionist Adam Rudolph with revolving personnel depending on where Mr. Rudolph is (living or visiting) at the time. Adam has made a number of recordings with an LA-based version of the Go: Organic Orchestra while he was living in LA. Since moving back to the New York area, he has had a great ongoing series at Roulette with four Mondays a month at different times for the past couple of years. I attended a couple this month (November of 2010) and have been knocked out by the results of his large all-star Downtown ensemble. For this disc, Mr. Rudolph's Pietrasanta Project, Adam has gathered members of four different ensembles (Ensemble Dissonanzen, Is Jazz Ensemble...), some 21 members including a string trio and flute quartet. Without doing some heavy research, the only name I recognize is guitarist Marco Cappelli who has been a part of the New York scene for the past few years. From observing his performances at Roulette, I see that Mr. Rudolph's writing is often skeletal, while his directing is filled with more complex strategies and combinations of sub-groups. Listening to this disc, I get the same focused vibe. It sounds as if it were recorded in a large resonant room with strong, well-balanced sound. Organic is the key word with all of these orchestra projects and that is the way in which things develop - organically. There is a good deal of careful spaciousness to the music as each section breathes and is often surrounded by space. There are eight movements and four rehearsals that make up this disc, giving the different ensembles a chance or two to be featured. The "Third Movement" allows the flutes to cautiously stretch out and delicately weave their subtle strands. When the voice of Mirko Onofrio enters on the "Fifth Movement", things start to get weird and I am reminded of Zappa or some other more twisted 20th century composer(s). I noticed that Rudolph seems to utilize his percussion section more in New York and here favors the strings and occasionally the horns. Either way, the music remains rich and filled with nuance and surprising changes in direction. There is section in the "Sixth Movement" where the flutes, horns and strings repeat this lovely series of lines one after the other which is most transcendent sounding. You too can look forward to hearing this marvelous disc of consistently enchanting orchestral music! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD Sale $13

HANS WERNER HENZE//ENSEMBLE DISSONANZEN/MARCO CAPPELLI - Musica Da Camera (Mode 202; USA) The selections of chamber music on this CD by Hans Werner Henze (b.1926) tends toward his lyrical side, and with an emphasis on compositions derived from his theater pieces. * The CD's repertoire especially suits the Naples based Ensemble Dissonanzen, featuring the talents of its guitarist, Marco Cappelli. * The Sonatina for flute and piano was written in 1947, its style owes something to both Fortner (Henze's teacher in Heidelberg at this time) and Hindemith. * Boulevard Solitude, composed in 1952, established Henze as one of the leading composers of his generation, particularly in the field of music theatre. Ein kleines Potpourri was concocted from the opera for chamber ensemble. The driving Perpetuum mobile movement is a transposition of the opera's savage Intermezzo. * The Drei Tentos are from Kammermusik for tenor, guitar and octet composed in 1958, when Henze, who had been living in Italy for years, spent some time in Greece. Here, fragments of Holderlin's text are evoked without being enunciated. * The kaleidoscopic Carillon, Recitatif, Masque is scored for the unusual plucked trio of mandolin, guitar and harp. * Toccata Mistica is one of only a handful of works Henze composed for piano. Its fluid, impetuous tidal waves of sound allude to a disfigured seascape, with the grand piano cast adrift like a raft amid the breakers. * The seven Neue Volkslieder und Hirtengesange are derived from Henze's stays in Styria, an Austrian region where folksongs feature the bassoon. Here the folksong melodies are transformed verse by verse and influenced by a complex harmonic and contrapuntal texture in which the guitar accompaniment plays a key role. * Liner notes by Alessandro Mastropietro, presented in English, German, French and Italian”
CD $15 [This disc is now out-of-print, we have 5 copies left & that’s it]

MARCO CAPPELLI'S ITALIAN SURF ACADEMY With LUCALO BIANCO/FRANCESCO CUSA GAIA MATTIUZI - The American Dream: Themes From Italian Movies (Mode AVANT13; USA) Take one Italian guitarist active in the Downtown Improvisation and New Music scene - combine with youthful influences of movie music and Spaghetti Westerns - mix well with a love of '60s Surf Sound (think The Ventures, Beach Boys, etc.) bathed in reverb - anchor with a solid rhythm section of bass and drums.. and you get the Italian Surf Academy! Certainly the baddest bad Morricone you've ever heard - as well as themes from other '60s Italian soundtrack stalwarts such as Piero Umiliani, Riz Ortolani, Carlo Rustichelli, Armando Trovajoli, and Luis Enriquez Bacalov! Cappelli explains the genesis of the project: "Back then in the '50s - '70s, the U.S. was more than a geographic place, it was a concept which we dreamed of belonging to: the prairies, a cowboy on his horse riding into the sunset encompassed by that warm guitar sound with a lot of reverb. This image was made up by the American movie industry and copied in many movies with a 'made in Italy' label, shouted in Italy or abroad by Italian directors. That's why we decided to work on our 'Italian Surf Sound' version. We also pay homage to an 'original by reinterpreting Secret Agent Man (Steve Barri & P. F. Sloan), the only American cover in the CD." "As a longtime fan of instrumental surf music, I was intrigued when Marco told me about this project last year. Italian guitarist Marco Cappelli, who is an integral part of the Downtown scene, has studied & played classical guitar, as well as specializing in playing the music of and playing with dozens of Downtown composers and musicians. This disc, however, sounds nothing like any of his previous offerings or encounters. Here Marco has put together a fine Italian trio with Luca Lo Bianco on bass and Francesco Cusa on drums, both of whom can be found on several discs from the Fitzcarraldo and Improvvisatore Involontario labels. This trio plays mainly covers from 60's & 70's Italian film composers for so-called spaghetti westerns and B-horror movies. I must admit that this music makes me smile and feel good. It reminds me of watching the kids dance under the pavilion to the great jukebox at the swim club my family belonged to in the mid-sixties. Marco adds just the right amount of reverb/psych/sustained guitar to make it even more compelling. This disc is a complete hoot from the beginning to the end and one of the most uplifting & infectious discs I've heard in a long while. The cover features two cute nude women with perky breasts carrying a surfboard on the beach. What more could you ask for, you sly dog?!? - "Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD Sale $13

ITALIAN SURF ACADEMY with MARCO CAPPELLI / LUCA LO BLANCO / FRANCESCO CUSA - Barbarella Reloaded (Mode/ Avant 18; USA) Featuring: Marco Cappelli – guitars, Luca Lo Bianco – bass guitar, Francesco Cusa – drums & percussion plus VJ Andrea "Lapsus" Pennisi - visuals and JD Foster - piano, toy piano, Farfisa organ, music box, sound effects. Take one Italian guitarist active in the Downtown Improvisation and New Music scene – combine with youthful influences of movie music and Spaghetti Westerns – mix well with a love of ‘60s Surf sound bathed in reverb – top with bass and drums… and you get the Italian Surf Academy! The Italian Surf Academy are back, bringing their surf-rock/jazz/improv sound to the musical soundtrack of Roger Vadim’s 1968 psychedelic science fiction sex comedy starring Jane Fonda — the cult classic Barbarella. A terrific follow-up to their first album, "The American Dream", revisiting the sound of '60s/'70s Italian spaghetti westerns, noir and horror soundtracks.
CD Sale $13

NEGATIVLAND with AVA MENDOZA / PRAIRIE PRINCE / MATMOS / et al - Speech Free: Recorded Music For Film, Radio, Internet And Television (Seeland 037CD; USA) "What does a Negativland album sound like when it's missing all of those voice samples? It sounds like Speech Free. A release of library music for advertising, this new album by Negativland has had every last trace of language carefully removed from the mix. But what does that really mean? Having become a rock music adjective for their work in mass media collage, where voices are seized from the airwaves and woven into musical conversations more true than anything that normally makes it on the air, Speech Free is a complete re-imagining of the music that was hiding in plain sight beneath the branded 'cultural jamming' on their last two record albums. Entirely composed and performed by the band with an all-star group of guest musicians (including Prairie Prince, Ava Mendoza, Matmos and others), these productions explode out of even the tiniest speakers as some of Negativland's most listenable barrages of pure ear candy yet -- all they had to do was remove all of that speech! As marketing research suggests, these catchy tunes will work well as new jingles and musical beds, perfectly suited for voiceovers discussing anything from commercial products to political campaigns. Everyone knows that most target audiences regularly indicate a preference for moderately subversive content -- and this release provides that audience with precisely the right amount, now that all of this 'usable music' has been personally guaranteed by Negativland as Speech Free."
2 CD Set $18

NADJA - Labyrinthine (Broken Spine Productions 014CD; Germany) "Nadja's latest full-length offering Labyrinthine, recorded during the pandemic and concurrently with their Southern Lord album Luminous Rot, finally sees a CD release on the band's own label, Broken Spine. Labyrinthine explores themes of identity and loss, monstrosity and regret, extreme asceticism, the differences between labyrinths and mazes, taking inspiration from Haruki Murakami's Killing Commendatore, Ursula K. LeGuin's The Tombs Of Atuan, and Victor Pelevin's reinterpretation of the story of the minotaur and Ariadne, The Helmet Of Horror. While this might be Nadja's heaviest, doomiest album to date, it is unique in the band's extensive catalog as each track features a guest vocalist: Alan Dubin, legendary American vocalist from O.L.D., Khanate currently Gnaw; Rachel Davies, vocalist and bassist from the British band, Esben & The Witch; Lane Shi Otayanii, a Chinese multi-media artist and vocalist in Elizabeth Colour Wheel; and Dylan Walker, American vocalist from grindcore/noise band Full Of Hell. Nadja has released numerous albums on many different underground labels -- Alien8 Recordings, Daymare Records, Robotic Empire, Hydrahead Records, Gizeh Records, and Important Records, to name a few. The duo has toured extensively around the world, including performances at such festivals as SXSW, FIMAV, Roadburn, Donaufest, Le Guess Who, Incubate, and Unsound, and has shared the stage with such artists as Earth, OM, Khanate, Tim Hecker, Ben Frost, and Godflesh."
CD $17

NORDVARGR - Resignation I-II-III (Cyclic Law 186th; Germany) "Nordvargr's Resignation is a true tour de force that will stand as a true gem for any fan of the fringes of techno and electronic music. Nordvargr's Resignation project was initially born in 2008 exploring rhythmic and repetitive aspects of his musical output, merging elements of electronic music with dark ambient soundscapes. From its inception delving into the more gaseous realms of dubby techno and evolving through the years towards the harder and nosier side of electronics, Nordvargr's unique grasp of the genre and his will to turn it upside down culminates in a dreamy soundtrack-like voyage, where deep atmospherics are pierced by rhythmically hypnotic and abrasive passages. A true tour de force that will stand as a true gem for any fan of the fringes of techno and electronic music."
3 CD Set $27

HISTORIC & ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS & REISSUES:

EXCAVATED SHELLAC - An Alternate History of the World's Music (1907-1967)(Dust-to-Digital 055CD; USA) “It begins with a South African choir from 1930 and a song about police brutality; it ends in Cuba with dreamy innuendo. This collection is about music that is often invisible in today's world, the incredible world of global recordings that aren't jazz, blues, country, rock n' roll, R&B, or "classical." This physical edition of the box set, eight years in the making, contains 100 tracks and 100 stories in an extensive, illustrated 184-page book with detailed, contextual mini-histories about both musical origins and the beginnings of the industry, touching on the complexities of colonialism, economic agendas, and cultural tourism. With nearly all of the tracks never before reissued, this collection expands upon and acts as a companion to Jonathan Ward's Excavated Shellac website, a unique repository of music, history, and data on 78 rpm recordings from around the world, rarely heard and seldom seen. 100 recordings on 4 CDs; 184-page hardcover book printed on artbook-quality paper; Packaged in a deluxe gloss-laminated box.
Jonathan Ward is a Grammy-nominated producer and compiler of early recordings from around the world on CD and LP, and the founder of the Excavated Shellac website, a resource on early global music history. His releases include the 4CD box set Opika Pende: Africa at 78rpm (Dust-to-Digital, nominee for Best Historical Album, DTD 022CD), and the ongoing Excavated Shellac series on LP and CD. His writing can be found on his website, and his work has been featured on NPR, and in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, as well as Mojo, Uncut, Signal to Noise, and other music-related magazines and journals. “
4 CD Deluxe Box Set $157

FOLKE RABE - What?? (Dexter’s Cigar 012CD; USA) New restock, all-time classic. "First issued in 1970 by the German label Wergo, What?? (as we would call it here in America) was obscure even among the avant company it kept in; labelmates such as Stockhausen, Ligeti and Cage overshadowed Rabe from the start." Rabe: "About 85% of the material is made up of electronically generated tones, which however are never present in their static, original form. Each partial has been specifically treated in itself, which can at times yield a very rich result. What?? was created in the late summer of 1967, and was realized by me in the electronic studio of the Swedish Radio...the second What?? is the same as the first, but at half-speed, ie. one octave lower. This may seem a lousy way to fill up a CD, but in fact through the years I have been using both versions in performances. With the kind of sound material used in What??, it does not simply sound half-speed. In a way it becomes another piece of music -- mellower, and the single events of course easier to distinguish."
CD $15

GAVIN BRYARS - The Sinking of the Titanic (Superior Viaduct 161CD; USA) "Gavin Bryars was born in Yorkshire, England in 1943. His first musical forays were as a jazz bassist working in the early 1960s with improvisors Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley. Bryars later worked with composers John Cage and Cornelius Cardew, founded the Portsmouth Sinfonia and collaborated with Brian Eno on his famed Obscure imprint. The Sinking of the Titanic, Bryars' first major composition, was inspired by the tragic event of the British passenger liner's cross-Atlantic maiden voyage. Bryars eloquently reconstructs the passengers' experience -- at once forlorn and eerily calming -- through assemblages of understated strings and indeterminate elements. A core principle of the piece is that the ship's band continued to play as the vessel went down. One of the most sublime works in the modern classical canon, Titanic remains Bryars' magnum opus. Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet, the album's second sidelong track, is based on a tape loop of a London street singer captured in the early 1970s. Featuring Derek Bailey, Michael Nyman and John White, Bryars' composition gradually builds around the cripplingly poignant voice until its emotional force is almost too much to bear. It's no surprise that Jesus' Blood is known as Tom Waits' all-time favorite piece of music. Produced by Brian Eno in 1975 as the inaugural release on Obscure, The Sinking of the Titanic draws the listener in to a majestic world. While these exquisite, hymn-like recordings have not changed in nearly 50 years, their deeply personal nature and the audience's attention to their subtlety have only strengthened over time."
CD $18

MICHAEL CHAPMAN - Live At The New Vic Bristol 4th June 2000 (Mooncrest 117CD; UK) "Released to commemorate a year since Michael's passing, this CD and DVD is a double-pack of Michael's gig at The New Vic in Bristol on the 4th June 2000. There is a sadness in the fact that I won't get to sit grinning like a fool again as Michael weaves that Chapman magic, but this is a gem of a show, a record of a master at work. There are lovely versions of favorites and some surprises, yes Michael fluffs a lyric, but he flows through it and it becomes part of the moment. If he had edited reality and taken out the trouble and the strife then he wouldn't have been the legendary musician performer he was, generating smiles, a fully qualified survivor with the sunshine in his hands."
CD/DVD $25

LP SECTION:

SOFT MACHINE - Bundles (Esoteric Recordings 2196LP; UK) "New 180 gram remastered vinyl LP edition of the classic 1975 album Bundles by the celebrated jazz/progressive group Soft Machine. The album was the band's first for EMI's Harvest label and featured a line-up of Mike Ratledge (keyboards), Karl Jenkins (oboe, piano, soprano sax), John Marshall (drums), Roy Babbington (bass) and new member Allan Holdsworth (guitar). When this album was released in 1975, the mixing and mastering was less than stellar so the LP didn’t sound as good as it should have. Esoteric’s mighty Mark Powell has done a great job of redoing the mix and mastering so that this album does sound like the best jazz/rock/fusion album of its own era!
For me, this the last great album by Soft Machine and perhaps the greatest "fusion" album of all time. When I first got into jazz in 1972, fusion was relatively new and still amazing. I witnessed many incredible gigs by Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever (with Bill Connors & Dimeola), Weather Report, Zappa's Grand Wazoo & the Mothers circa 1973 & '74. By 1975, fusion became commercial, funky and was no longer interesting to me & most of my friends. Occasional bands like National Health were rare: still fresh, whimsical and free of the usual cliches. Then came Soft Machine's 'Bundles' to save the day. The first tune, "Hazard Profile" was originally written for Nucleus (under the name "Song for a Bearded Lady") by Karl Jenkins when he was a member of that band. 'Hazard Profile" is a feature for Alan Holdsworth and contains one of the most incredible, super-fast & well articulated guitar solos of all time. Only Holdsworth & perhaps Olly Halsall could pull off this impossible task. I caught this version of Soft Machine twice in NYC & in Elizabeth, NJ & was blown away both times. Within a year, Holdsworth had jumped ship & landed in Tony Williams New Lifetime who I saw at the Bottom Line. They sucked big time, putting the final nail in the coffin of fusion. Holdsworth was replaced by John Etheridge in Soft Machine, who did a great job & remains today a more tasteful & dependable guitarist. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
LP $35

MASAHIKO TOGASHI & MASAYUKI TAKAYANAGI - Pulsation (Holy Basil Records 012LP; Japan) "On May 27th 1983, drummer Masahiko Togashi and guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi, two pivotal figures in the Japanese free jazz scene that had been working together since the 1960's, performed and record this unique set at Zojoji Hall in Tokyo. At the time, Japanese jazz musicians were trying to find their own voice, welcoming creative elements coming in from the USA and Europe. The two musicians were at the fore-front of this generation, with Takayanagi developing his own guitar style through influences of mainstream and more extreme jazz, and drummer Togashi had developed a unique approach to drums and percussions, using silence as an integral part of music making, also due to an accident that forced him on a wheelchair after 1970. The record is divided in two tracks ('Inner Pulsation' and 'Outer Pulsation'), each one about 22 minutes in length, mirroring the original LP sides. The performance can be regarded as a single piece though, with a clearly symmetrical structure, even if the musicians cover much musical ground over the course of the album. The extreme abstractness of the music guarantees many possibilities, but the main themes here are pure sound and space, investigated through a massive use of silence, ever-changing dynamics and slow structural developments unfolding with a mysterious musical logic. Originally released on iconic Japanese label Paddle Wheel and out-of-print for a very long time, the album has become a very sought-after collector's item and we are glad to bring this back on vinyl in collaboration with King Record Co."
LP $35

MIKE BAGGETTA / JIM KELTNER / MIKE WATT - Everywhen We Go (Big Ego BIG 022; USA)
LP $25 lLimited edition of 500, numbered] Featuring Mike Baggetta on acoustic & electric guitars, Mike Watt on bass and Jim Keltner (80 yrs) on drums & percussion. Is this an unlikeley trio?!? Think about the ingredients: top West Coast session drummer, Jim Keltner, who has worked with: Ry Cooder, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Gabor Szabo, Little Village & hundreds of other sessions… whistle of exclamation. Mike “Good God” Watt from the Minutemen (most progressive of all hardcore punk bands), Firehose, the Stooges (reunion), numerous great solo bands but the one with Nels Cline was the best one I caught, some folks bowed after a couple of Nels’ cosmic guitars solos?!?! And Mike Baggetta, L.A. based guitarist with several cool bands: Tin/Bag (w/ Kris Tiner), Empty Cage Quartet, then three fine jazz discs on Fresh Sounds with a quartet: Jason Rigby, Eivind Opsvik & George Schuller; And now this All-Star west coast trio, each musician from different (but sometimes overlapping) scenes. This is their second LP only release.
Things begin with the title track which has a laid back, post-surf guitar sound. I like the fact that this music is more roots rock, thoughtful and still crafty in the way it works. “In the Center” features some lovely, tasty, ethereal electric guitar(s) with subtle reverb going on. Mike Watt composed a song called “Yank It Out”, which has a quirky, rockin’ groove with a great bent note (sustain/fuzz) tone guitar solo. “Fake Break” features a sly George Harrison-like slide guitar part and strong, spirited guitar solo. Mr. Baggetta change the sound of his guitar (with different devices) on each piece, hence each song evokes a different scene or vibe. The first time I listened to this LP, I thought that Mr. Watt and Mr. Kelter were under-utilized, however after a few listens, I see/hear that this album is more about creating moods, evoking different spirits and not about any sort of chops-oriented wanking. I remain impressed nonetheless since this music has a way of evoking images from a western, outdoors sort of place. Where are those rolling tumbleweeds, just in our minds I guess. Tasty, somber and mostly charming. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
LP $25 [Limited Edition of 500, numbered]

BOOK SECTION:

DICK HIGGINS - A Something Else Reader (Ingram Publishing Services 9781737797920; Earth) "A previously unpublished anthology of classic texts from Something Else Press, assembled in the 1970s by Dick Higgins, with works by John Cage, Al Hansen, Claes Oldenburg and many more Conceived by poet, publisher, artist, composer and writer Dick Higgins (1938-98) in the early 1970s to celebrate Something Else Press -- the legendary publishing company he founded in 1963 to showcase Fluxus and other experimental artists -- this volume, which was never realized in Higgins' lifetime, collects an amazing array of 1960s avant-garde creativity. Something Else Press published some of the most radical art and literature of its time and provided a foundation and template for the artist's book medium, which has flourished internationally since the 1960s. The Reader features selections from rare and out-of-print Something Else classics such as Claes Oldenburg's Store Days; John Cage's Notations; Emmett Williams' An Anthology of Concrete Poetry; Richard Kostelanetz's Breakthrough Fictioneers anthology; Jackson Mac Low's pioneering poetry collection, Stanzas for Iris Lezak; Gertrude Stein's Matisse Picasso and Gertrude Stein; Bern Porter's I've Left; Wolf Vostell's Dé-coll/age Happenings; Al Hansen's A Primer of Happenings & Time/Space Art; and other pamphlets and artist projects for the page by Robert Filliou, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Alison Knowles, Nam June Paik, Philip Corner, Daniel Spoerri, André Thomkins and Richard Meltzer, among others. A critical checklist/bibliography assembled by Hugh Fox and Higgins' introduction from 1973 completes the original manuscript." 369 pages. 6x9.25 inches.
Book $26

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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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GO GO GOLEM

On Thurs. Dec. 15th at 6:30pm, GARY LUCAS will perform his live solo guitar score accompanying German expressionist horror classic “THE GOLEM” (1920, directed Paul Wegener and Carl Boese)
at the MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE NYC
36 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10280

with an after-film discussion led by Prof. Annette Insdorf (“Indelible Shadows: Film and the Holocaust”)
More info and tickets: https://bit.ly/3Thj3Vr
Gary Lucas page for The Golem: https://bit.ly/3RYuVuC

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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Today is #GivingTuesday!

The music and art that Arts for Art presents inspires and brings us all together. We give the artists and audience everything we have, and we need your support.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/artists-and-friends

As the premier presenter of Multicultural Improvised Arts in New York City, and as a nonprofit, we depend upon the support of individuals such as yourself to ensure that Arts for Art thrives and works towards long-term stability.

Your donation will go towards:

-Artist fees and production costs for our upcoming presentations in partnership with the Gene Frankel Theatre at 24 Bond Street (the former Studio Rivbea) and Five Myles Gallery in Crown Heights.

-The Music is Mine arts education program, where we partner with NYC schools to provide high quality music workshops, private lessons and performance opportunities for low or no cost.

-The Vision Festival, now in its 27th year. The next festival will take place June 13 to 18, 2023 at Roulette Intermedium, where we will present an all star lineup of creative artists, including a full evening of performances by French bassist Joelle Leandre in honor of her lifetime of achievement.

Share with your friends and family using these links:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/artists-and-friends
https://www.gofundme.com/f/artists-and-friends/share

In gratitude for your support,
Todd Nicholson
Executive Director, Arts for Art, Inc.

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William Hooker’s "Let Music Be Your Brunch" Xmas special event
will be held on 12/18/22 at
Funkadelic Studios, 240 West 40th st., 5th fl in Manhattan at 3 pm (bet 7th & 8th Aves)

Much thanks to the studio..It is a free event.

The performing guests so far..(and there will be many more) are
Kevin Ramsey, David Tamura, Ras Moshe, Marcus Cummings, Monica Rocha,
On Ka Davis, Hans Tammen, Stephen Gauci, Aron Namenwirth, Federico Balducci,
Nebula, Jair-Rohm Wells, Ayumi Ishito, Sam Yulsman and the folks at Funkadelic Studio (NYC)...
Even more to be announced! There will be music and configurations of many types...*to be experienced in celebration!

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This one from James Ilgenfritz at the Infrequent Seams label:

Monday December 19, 8pm at Roulette:
Infrequent Seams Festival feat. Ghost Ensemble, Either/Or, 4tet2duos,
Drew Wesely, & Eli Wallace

Infrequent Seams presents an evening-long celebration of the disparate
creative energies of many frequent partners in creative music. The
Either/Or Ensemble performs works by Talib Rasul Hakim, Jō Kondō,
James Díaz, and Kathernine Young. Drew Wesely presents a solo prepared
guitar performance in celebration of the release of his album and
media book Blank Body, 4tet2duos presents an extended structured work
for improvisers, Eli Wallace celebrates the release of his new album
of solo prepared piano music, and Ghost Ensemble presents the premiere
of Ben Richter’s Rewild.

Either/Or
Richard Carrick (piano), Jonthan Finlayson (trumpet), Madison
Greenstone (clarinets), Margaret Lancaster (flute), Chris McIntyre
(trombone), Chris Nappi (percussion), and John Popham (cello)

Eli Wallace (solo piano, preparations)

4tet2duos
James Ilgenfritz, bass & objects
Katie Porter, clarinet, bass clarinet & voice
Teerapat Parnmongkol, electric guitar, oud, pedals & voice
Lucie Vítková, accordion, harmonica, synthesizer, hichiriki & voice

Drew Wesely (guitar, bowls, objects)

Ghost Ensemble
Ghost Ensemble: Margaret Lancaster (flute), Sky Macklay (oboe), Ben
Richter (accordion), Chris Nappi (percussion), Lucia Stavros (harp),
Martine Thomas (viola), Laura Cetilia (cello), James Ilgenfritz
(contrabass), Kyle Motl (contrabass), Carl Bettendorf (conductor)

https://roulette.org/event/infrequent-seams-festival/

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Tuesday December 20, 8pm at Roulette

Richard Teitelbaum Memorial featuring Alvin Curran, Andrew Cyrille,
Elliott Sharp, Shelley Hirsch, Catherine Lamb, and Ghost Ensemble

Roulette presents a memorial for composer and improviser Richard
Teitelbaum, featuring two of his well-known compositions and work by
colleagues from throughout his career. Ralph Samuelson performs
Teitelbaum's Hi Kaeshi Hachi Mi Fu for solo Shakuhachi, and
Teitelbaum’s Threshold Music organized by Daniel Fishkin. The evening
also includes two improvising ensembles that feature some of
Teitelbaum’s long-time colleagues: MEV co-founder Alvin Curran,
percussionist Andrew Cyrille, and Elliott Sharp are joined by Lea
Bertucci and James Ilgenfritz for a quintet. Then, Miguel Frasconi
presents a group with cellist Leila Bourdreil and vocalist Shelley
Hirsch, incorporating sounds from Teitelbaum’s Ableton sample library.
At the end of the evening, The Ghost Ensemble presents the World
Premiere of interius/exterius by Catherine Lamb, and Pauline
Oliveros’s partner Ione and others join Ghost in a performance of
Oliveros’s NY Air (Arctic Air).

Performers:
Ralph Samuelson – shakuhachi
Alvin Curran – piano, electronics, and shofar
Andrew Cyrille – drumset, percussion
Elliott Sharp – 8-string guitarbass, bass clarinet, electronics
Lea Bertucci – alto saxophone / tapes / electronics
James Ilgenfritz – bass, objects
Miguel Frasconi – glass instruments & laptop
Shelley Hirsch – voice
Leila Bordreuil – cello
Daniel Fishkin – daxophone

Ghost Ensemble
Featured guest: IONE (improvising text/sound artist)
Margaret Lancaster (flute), Sky Macklay (oboe), Ben Richter
(accordion), Chris Nappi (percussion), Lucia Stavros (harp), Martine
Thomas (viola), Tyler J. Borden (cello), James Ilgenfritz
(contrabass), and Kyle Motl (contrabass), with special guests
Catherine Lamb (viola), Katie Porter (clarinet), Jen Baker (trombone),
and Thomas Verchot (trumpet)

Special thanks to David and Sylvia Teitelbaum Fund, Inc. and Hiroko Sakurazawa
https://roulette.org/event/richard-teitelbaum-memorial/

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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-342-auxiliaries
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-332-auxiliaries

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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/video

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ55c11bR28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne82zmzvOm4

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

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