DMG Newsletter for July 21st, 2023

THE DMG 32nd ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE FREE MUSIC SERIES Continues with:

Tuesday, July 25th:
6:30: WEBB CRAWFORD - Solo Guitar
7:30: JONATHAN REISIN / NOA FORT / SHINYA LIN - Saxes / Vocal / Electronics
8:30: STEVE SWELL / THOMAS HEBERER - Trombone / Trumpet Duo

Tuesday, August 1st:
6:30: YOU’RE MOM BAND with MICHAEL SHAPIRA - Drums / ALEX FRONDELLI - Guitar
7:30: JAMES McKAIN / CHUCK ROTH - Sax / Guitar
8:30: DAVID GROLLMAN / RICHARD KAMERMAN

Tuesday, August 8th:
6:30: CAROLINE DAVIS / DUSTIN CARLSON - Sax / Guitar!
7:30: SALLY GATES / DANIEL CARTER - Guitar / Reeds & Trumpet!
8:30: ANTIVOID: SAMANTHA KOCHIS - Flute / SELENDIS SEBASTIAN ALEXANDER - Vibes!
9:30: LUISA MUHR / DANIEL CARTER / ABRAM MAMET / EMILY SHAPIRO / fall raye / GARY JONES III

Downtown Music Gallery is located at 13 Monroe St, between Catherine & Market Sts. You can take the F train to East Broadway or the M15 bus to Madison & Catherine Sts. We are in a basement space below an art gallery & beauty salon. We are on the east side of Chinatown, not far from East Broadway & the end of the Bowery. Admission for all concerts is free and donations are always welcomed. We have concerts here every Tuesday starting at 6:30 plus Steve Gauci curates his own series here on the 2nd or 1st Saturday of each month. You can check out the weekly schedule here: https://www.downtownmusicgallery.com/shows.php

**********

Not sure if all of you have seen this in our DMG supplement newsletter earlier this week, so here goes: Last Sunday, I received an urgent message from my pal John Zorn that Bill Lawell, Bassist/Producer/Label-Head/Multi-Bandleader/Visionary, has been having some serious health issues and is in danger of losing his longtime studio.

Here is the link to donate: https://gofund.me/5223ab30.

If you have enjoyed any of the hundreds of different projects that Mr. Laswell has done over his long tenure, please donate to help him continue to do what he does best: Create music to inspire folks all over the world. Creative Music which is mostly often beyond regular categories/genres/styles.

*********

JOHN ZORN @ 70 - Year Long Celebration:

BENEFIT CONCERT FOR CREATIVE MUSIC STUDIO - ZORN@70 - Part One
Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 8:00 pm
Featuring: AN EVENING OF IMPROVISATION with:
cyro baptista percussion
steven bernstein trumpet
patricia brennan vibes
wendy eisenberg guitar
gabby fluke-mogul violin
mary halvorson guitar
simon hanes bass
brian marsella piano
billy martin drums
ikue mori electronics
ches smith drums
jim staley trombone
kenny wollesen drums
john zorn sax

Roulette is located in Brooklyn & not far from the Brooklyn Academy of Music
It is located at 509 Atlantic Avenue (Entrance on the Corner of Third Avenue;
Accessible Entrance on Atlantic Ave), Brooklyn, NY 11217 - phone: 917-267-0363
Box Office, General Information: roulette@roulette.org - 917-267-0368

*************

THIS WEEK’S DYNAMITE DISCS BEGIN WITH:

ELLIOTT SHARP / HENRY KAISER / BRANDON LOPEZ / SCOTT AMENDOLA - MINUS X - A Tribute to Iannis Xenakis (Erototox ETD0050; USA) Stochastica features Elliott Sharp on electric, 12-string, steel & fretless baritone guitars, el sitar, el mandocello, bass clarinet & analog synth, Henry Kaiser on electric & acoustic guitars & 6-string bass, Brandon Lopez on contrabass, baritone guitar & el mandocello and Scott Amendola on drums, percussions & electronics. Thanks to a list of around 100 artists, authors & others on the inside of the Mothers of Invention’s ‘Freak-Out!’ album (bought in the summer of 1967), I discovered a number of modern classical composers like Stravinsky, Bartok, Varese, Cage, Stockhausen, Penderecki and Xenakis. Being a Mothers freak at 13, inspired me to search out the music of all of the aforementioned composers. I started buying records by all of the composers in the late sixties/early seventies and became a big fan of each. I recall buying a Xenakis album around 1971 or 1972 and thinking that he and Penderecki were making some of the strangest and most demanding music that I’d ever heard. Although his music is not performed very much in the US, I’ve been fortunate to have checked out a handful of concerts, my favorite one took place at Cooper Union with Mr. Xenakis in attendance. It turns out that guitarists/composers Elliott Sharp and Henry Kaiser are also Xenakis freaks and decided to do a unique tribute to him. This 2 CD set was put together during the Great Pandemic so that all four musicians had to record their parts separately. Besides Sharp and Kaiser, the rest of the quartet includes Downtown bass great Brandon Lopez and Bay Area drummer Scott Amendola.
   The quartet is called Stochastica and they perform their own versions of 12 of Xenakis’ compositions. I listened to a couple of Xenakis discs earlier today just to get an idea of how they sounded. “Aeka” opens CD1 and it is a great way to begin. Both guitars are playing sprawling, mind-bending, layers of bent-note, bee-hive like buzzing sounds with the rhythm team holding down the bottom but not intruding too much on the overall vibe. Mr. Lopez’ throbbing bowed and plucked bass sounds strong and focused here. Both Mr. Kaiser and Mr. Sharp are using a variety of off effects here to push the sounds of their guitars into weirder waters. Mr. Xenakis was also an architect and a mathematician and his music often reflected these pursuits. He also incorporated electronics, another sea of sounds that we hear throughout this disc, often approximated by both guitars with varying devices to alter their sounds. Although the music often moves in slow motion, the way it unfolds is endlessly captivating. Much of the music here sounds more focused than what I hear from most free music, as if it is being directed and connected. One of the more distinctive parts of Xenakis music is the way he uses strings to bend them into odd shapes. Brandon Lopez, one of the busiest bassists in the current Downtown Scene also does a fine job of bowing his bass in Xenakis-like ways. There are times when I used to find some of Xenakis’ music to be too dense or difficult to penetrate. However, this is not the case here as all of this is focused, well-balanced and makes sense to me. I just finished listening to the first disc and am about to play CD2. I am astonished at how well this quartet captures what makes Xenakis’ music so gripping. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG          
2 CD Set $17

ELLIOTT SHARP / ZONA ZANJEROS - Topical Anesthetic (Imploding Sounds #830; Earth) Featuring Elliott Sharp on electric guitar & processing and Zona Zanjeros on live processing. Recorded, mixed & mastered in NY in July of 2022. Downtown composer/guitarist extraordinaire/sonic pioneer, Elliott Sharp keeps extremely busy composing, performing and recording numerous projects of his own as well as doing more & more mixing, mastering & producing music for a number of other Creative Musicians, locally & otherwise. I hadn’t heard of Zona Zanjeros before this disc arrived so here is what E# had to say: “Zona Zanjeros is a polymathic electroacoustic composer, noise guitarist, and performance artist and student of Elliott Sharp.” The ever-engaging Mr. Sharp just (7/18/23) left us with three very different new discs.
   Elliott Sharp has been playing the guitar for a half century, always experimenting with odd tunings, homemade or uniquely designed guitars and playing all sorts of Creative Music. Check him out on YouTube to see & hear of some of the unique things that he does. On the first piece here, “Brain”, it is hard to tell what is going on, as there are several layers of odd, manipulated sounds swirling around the mix. Things are often not what they seem as we hear both plucked notes and chords as well as shifting layers of effects. “Heart” is the longest piece here and there are pulsating lines being interwoven with a variety of electronic seasoning added. I can hear a series of melodic fragments drifting in the distance while other layers of effects are carefully added. It often sounds as if there is a ghost or distant voice/sound floating around while several lines of sonic static/electronics tastefully added to the mix. The music here reminds me of life itself: a rich blend of fragile melodies within a strange, mysterious world that surrounds us and tests our patience while inspiring us with ample opportunities to explore new (inner) worlds. I know that some folks have a hard time listening to certain electronic music but I find this music to have a human source or flame at the center. Welcome to a new world of sounds. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG        
CD $14

DANIEL CARTER / LEO GENOVESE / WILLIAM PARKER / FRANCISCO MELA - Shine Hear, Vol 1 (577 Records 5897; USA) “Inspired by a poem Carter wrote about New York's interminable motion, the quartet of Daniel Carter on saxophone, Leo Genovese on piano, William Parker on bass, gralla & shakuhachi and Francisco Mela on drums & voice, turn in an ecstatic album of exotic collective improvisation in this first of two planned volumes from an excellent studio session.”
CD $14

THE CHUTNEYS with CHRIS COCHRANE / FAST FORWARD / GELSEY BELL - Home (Gold Bolus Recordings GBR 044; USA) Featuring Gelsey Bell on vocals, Chris Cochrane on electric guitar and Fast Forward on percussion. Last night (7/18/23), we had four sets at the store for our Tuesday night Free music series. All four sets featured different guitarists, each with their own sound/approach. The second set featured Chris Cochrane on guitar and Michael Foster on saxes. I’ve known Downtowner Chris Cochrane for almost forty years, watching him evolve over time. I’ve caught Mr. Cochrane with No Safety (superb/brutal Downtown art/rock noise band), Curlew, Zorn Game pieces & Zeena Parkins projects. I hadn’t heard of anything new from Chris Cochrane in recent memory except for a duo CD with bassist Stuart Popejoy from 2019. I’ve also known about percussionist/composer Fast Forward for nearly as long and recall him playing a composition for steel drums in the eighties. I hadn’t seen his name on any releases in many years until now. Classical vocalist Gelsey Bell has worked with Robert Ashley, someone that Fast Forward also collaborated with. The New York Times has called her the “future of experimental vocalism”. Ms. Gelsey is in two bands that seem interesting to me: Varispeed and thingNY.
   “Sugar” starts things off with some free percussion, somber voice and quiet yet noisy guitar. Ms. Bell is overdubbing several vocal parts: a calm voice repeating a short phrase  (“Sugar, Sugar”?!?) while another voice bellows all sorts of odd sounds with a thick layers of Zev-like percussion spinning. I like many of the sounds that Ms. Bell makes, reminding me of Diamanda Galas or Sainko Namchylak at times but never as extreme as they are and often more minimal as well. The music here is often stripped down yet still evocative and thoughtfully produced. Fast Forward usually deals with one rhythmic theme or line at a time, creating a subtle ritualistic vibe with Ms. Bell bent her voice slowly & softly at times, savoring each sound. It is not until halfway through this disc, on “Highlands”, that the trio start to erupt as Ms. Bell sounds like a wounded native American woman crying out and Fast Forward playing a hypnotic riff on a frame drum. All of the sounds that Fast Forward makes, do a good job of creating a soulful, percussive, organic sound. Ms. Bell’s voice is mesmerizing at times and she never overdoes it. The music here is often restrained, carefully unfolding and never dense or too intense. Chris Cochrane’s guitar is kept to a minimum, only playing when he is needed and taking his time to insert a few noisy bits here and there. This is a fine yet unassuming effort that will reveal more magic as I/we get used to it. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG            
CD $10

ERIC ARN & EYAL MAOZ - Kost Nix (Feeding Tube Records FTR 692; USA) Featuring Eric Arn on acoustic guitar(s) and Eyal Maoz on electric guitar. Recorded live in October of 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Last night (7/18/23) at DMG, this duo played the last of four sets, each set featuring a different guitarist(s). It was a glorious, immensely diverse night. I’ve known Israeli guitarist Eyal Maoz since he moved to NY in the early aughts. He is a gifted, diverse guitarist that has worked with the Lemon Juice Quartet, Shanir Blumenkranz’ Abraxas and has several of his own leader dates on the Tzadik label. I’ve been hearing about American-born, Austria-based acoustic guitarist Eric Arn for the past few years, reading rave reviews of his records on the Feeding Tube Records label. Their set last night was extraordinary, you can check out a short clip on InstaGram as soon as I put it up later this week.
   There are three long pieces on this disc. The first one, “Quiet Concessions”, begins quietly with both guitars interweaving carefully. Mr. Maoz is using some effects/devices carefully while Mr. Arn also seems to be adding his own subtle sonic seasoning to his guitar. Both guitarists like to swirl layers of notes or sounds, using some occasional looping to their playing, the odd effects often making the sound more dense and somewhat psychedelic. As things evolve we hear the guitars weaving some psych, sustained tone sounds with some harp-like strumming. As someone who was weaned on those late sixties, psychedelic (guitar-oriented) pop records, I’m impressed with the way this duo specializes in a similar sound, with layers of swirling guitar drenched in select effects to make things more mesmerizing. The overall sound does get dense at times, the intensity coming to a boil at times but then calms down for a soft landing. It seems obvious to me that these two guitarists have worked together before since they do connect on several levels. There is a certain magic that a number of double guitar bands (like the Dead, the Allman’s, Quicksilver & Television) have when they work together at length, exchanging and combining layers of lines into a singular enchanting sound. This duo also appears to be a part of that tradition, even adding some folky, acoustic guitar harmonies to make things even better. The overall effect here is like listening to some trance music yet with the repeating patterns. It sounds like a great way to take us all on a nice journey to the stars and beyond. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG          
CD $14

ERIC ARN - Miuse - a live mix (Ramble Records 0083; Australia) Featuring Eric Arn on guitar(s) recorded on tour in Europe. The other night (7/18/23), we had a guitar duo at DMG with Eyal Maoz on electric guitar and Eric Arn on acoustic guitar, the set was amazing! I had been hearing about American-born, Austria-based guitarist Eric Arn for the past few years. Mr. Arn has around a dozen discs out of solos, duos & a trio, which include several albums for the Feeding Tube label. Mr. Arn played acoustic guitar in the duo at DMG with a few pedals/devices to alter his sound a bit. This disc consists of eight pieces recorded at different locations during a European tour in 2014 & 2015. Mr. Arn is playing what looks like a custom-made electric guitar on the cover of the CD so I’m so sure which guitar(s) he is playing on this disc. The first piece is called “Glass on Wet Ice” and it sounds like Mr. Arn is playing an acoustic guitar through some reverb devices. There is a constant hum-like-drone in the background as Arn strums slowly, carefully bending or extending the drone/waves which pulsate exquisitely over the audience at the gig and us here at home. Arn sounds like he is playing an acoustic 12 string, weaving harp-like lines with the reverb adding an angelic shimmering sound. As the first piece evolves, Arn starts strumming quick layers of lines in between the calm sections, balancing the energy in a most organic or natural way. Arn often spends time taking his signal/sound and then expanding it in symphonic ways with layers shimmering echoes drifting over us. The music here is continuous with nimble picking in one part and shifting effects clouds in the next section. The pulsating effects sound like an organ played through a Leslie speaker, a most hypnotic effect. At one point later in the set, Mr. Arn plays some prog-like guitar licks over his ocean of reverberating sounds. As his strumming increases in tempo and intensity, the feeling of triumph enters. Since this music is continuous, it feels like we are going on a journey from one scene or story to the next. Parts of this disc remind me of “Embryonic Journey” (Jorma Kaukonen solo piece from Jefferson Airplane’s ’Surrealistic Pillow’ LP) or “The Clap” (Steve Howe solo piece from ‘The Yes Album’). Is Eric Arn bowing his guitar towards the end or just creating the effect? The is an extraordinary solo guitar effort which sounds much more than just one man and one guitar. Consistently enchanting. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG              
CD $15

AKE TAKASE & ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH - Four Hands Piano Pieces (Trost 227CD; Austria) "Two grand pianos, quasi two orchestras, driven by two of the most distinguished personalities of contemporary jazz: Aki Takase and Alexander von Schlippenbach - they are having a conversation within the medium of sound. But they complement one another in a way that makes any stylistic differentiation irrelevant. With all the transparency in the course of their playing the dialogical principle opens out into a holistic piano language. What counts is freedom and the responsibility to create something new, driven by the awareness of continuous change." - Bert Noglik
   Liner notes by Alexander von Schlippenbach: "During the first attempts to improvise with four hands on the piano, it soon became clear that playing together without any conceptual guidelines -- of whatever kind -- can quickly lead to unwanted tautologies or even pleonasms. On the other hand, it is quite possible that with longer experience in practice, something useful will emerge. The present pieces, which were composed over a period of thirty years meet these criteria in different ways." Recording by Olaf Rupp at AA Studio on September 1-3 2021. Edited, mixed by Olaf Rupp on March 6, 2022. Photos by Manfred Rinderspacher and Georg Tuskany.
CD $18

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE - Beauty is Enough (Origami Harvest 1; USA) Featuring Ambrose Akinmusire on solo trumpet. I’ve been impressed with the playing of trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire whether hearing him live with Mary Halvorson or on record with David Binney, John Escreet or Jen Shyu. Solo trumpet efforts are still relatively rare but still do occur from time to time. The last one I remember reviewing was by Nate Wooley and before that Jon Hassell. The first thing I noticed about this disc is that Mr. Akinmusire has a lovely, warm, rich, resonant tone on his trumpet. He sounds like he is recording in a moderate sized room with minimal natural reverb, just enough to make his trumpet sound organic (with no effects). The 16 pieces are relatively short and each one sounds like a complete piece. “Carvin.” is a lovely ballad with a few effective smeared notes. Amrose’s tone/playing on “Launchpad” is lovely, haunting and rather tender. On “Off the Ledge”, Akinmusire plays a series of quick, spiraling lines at a furious pace, most impressive. The ballad-like pieces here are all sublime, tasty and calm at the center, an antidote to the testy times around us. The balance between the ballads and occasional spurts of lightning licked pieces is well-handled. In many ways, this is a perfect effort, showing off each piece a gem unto itself. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG      
CD $15

THE GHOST with MICHAEL FOSTER / JARED RADICHEL / JOEY SULLIVAN - “Vanished Pleasures (Relative Pitch Records 1178; USA) The Ghost features Michael Foster on tenor & soprano saxes, Jared Radichel on double bass and Joey Sullivan on drums. Recorded at Pioneer Works in Redhook, Brooklyn in January of 2023. Earlier this week (7/18/23) Brooklyn-based saxist Michael Foster played in a duo set here with guitarist Chris Cochrane. It was a great set of noisy, experimental Downtown free/improv. I’ve gotten to know and checked out Mr. Foster’s sax playing over the past decade and am always impressed at the way he uses extended techniques (like tubes) to alter the sound of his saxes. I don’t know the bassist on this disc but the drummer, Joey Sullivan, has played here at DMG on occasion, once with Steve Gauci on sax.
  Mr. Foster often sounds like he was influenced by lower case improv, concentrating on the more subtle, cautious sounds, textures and timbres. Foster’s sax makes long, hissing sounds (like an old radiator), carefully manipulating each sound. Bassist Radichel bows eerie, rumbling sounds while the drummer also plays those more ethereal, suspense-filled sounds. “PsychoTwink” sounds like a more normal jazz piece with a memorable bass-led groove and strong tenor sax from Foster, playing the theme upfront before soaring into an explosive free solo. Young drummer, Joey Sullivan, sounds great here pushing the vibe close to boiling point. On each piece, the trio reinvents itself to concentrate on different approaches. The trio sounds very focused and do have a group sound, often sounding like one force of nature, sprawling yet organic. Even when they go completely free, they still sound like they are soaring together. I have a feeling that some light-hearted folks may take some offense at the cover of this disc which looks like it was taken in a homosexual bondage dungeon. I know that Michael Foster has no problem pushing some people’s buttons so… This disc is dedicated to several musicians who’ve passed away in the past year or so: Jaimie Branch, Michael Evans & Richard Teitelbaum. There is a deep feeling of the expressive side of free activity done right throughout this disc. Don’t be misled by what is on the outside of this disc, the music itself is strong sonic medicine. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG      
CD $13

MORTON FELDMAN // APARTMENT HOUSE - Violin and String Quartet (Another Timbre ANO-AT212X2; UK) “One of New York School minimalist composer Morton Feldman's later works, this extended composition spread across two CDs invokes waves of beautifully suspended, weaving strings from four violinists and cello, performed by the UK Apartment House ensemble violinists Mira Benjamin, Chihiro Ono, Amalia Young & Bridget Carey and cellist Anton Lukoszevieze.”
2 CD Set $22

DOORTRI - Pfas Off (zOaR 136; USA) Doorti is a collective trio from Vicenza, Italy featuring Tiziano Pellizzari on reeds and electronics; Geoffrey Copplestone on noise andvocals; and Giampaolo Mattiello on percussives. Their politically charged songs draw on jazz, NoWave, free improvisation and punk/funk - tight, fast, loud, provocative.Their sound is a loose emulsion that shifts freely between the harshness of hardcore punk, free noise, and radical improvisation to more melodic and relaxed interludes that hint at jazz while also referencing Japanese electronica and Minimalism. Moments of satire and irony often undercut and flow beneath tradition and the unexpected with colder, darker moods brooding underneath.
This disc was recorded live in a studio in April of 2023.
CD $14

PETER SODERBERG with STEN SANDELL / KATT HERNANDEZ / et al - String Dialogues (Thanatopsis 25CD; Earth) “A collection of six duo recordings from musician, composer, and improviser Peter Soderberg, investigating different tuning systems and the idea of hybrid instruments, recording with Katt Hernandez (violin), Stina Hellberg Agback (harp), Mats Persson (clavichord), Sten Sandell (piano), My Hellgren (cello) and Vilhelm Bromander (contrabass).”
CD $17

GUIDED BY VOICES - Welshpool Frillies (Guided By Voices Inc. 118CD; USA) "Robert Pollard has a very strong work ethic. With most of their touring canceled due to the pandemic and then a fractured kneecap, Guided By Voices ran up an extremely prolific streak in the studio, recording and releasing eight albums in the past three years and garnering piles of rave four star and five star reviews in the process. In case one were snoozing, the last album, La La Land was Uncut magazine's 'Best Of The Month.' The pandemic records were particularly notable and unique that the band members recorded most of their instruments individually in separate cities. Welshpool Frillies finds the gang back together, in a Brooklyn basement with producer Travis Harrison. Much of it was recorded live to tape. The catchy ear worms in these new songs are undeniable, as the kinetic energy of the band is captured in its most raw and pure form. The album is brash, no-frills, and punky, inspired by the wiliness of 90s-era GBV, specifically the Scalping The Guru compilation that Pollard put together in 2022. 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of GBV's start in Dayton, Ohio. Robert Pollard was an elementary school teacher with no formal music training, and his unlikely success has been an odds-defying adventure. It's never too late to discover this vital rock band and join the GBV cult."
CD $17

THE MONOCHROME SET - Radio Sessions (Marc Riley BBC 6 Music 2011-2022)(Tapete Records TR 538CD; Germany) “With Radio Sessions (Marc Riley BBC 6 Music 2011-2022) Tapete Records revive the great tradition of releasing radio sessions of great (independent) acts. And what could be more natural than starting our series with The Monochrome Set, a band that represents the indie ethos like few others in following their own unique artistic vision without compromise. The most unique thing about the radio session recordings is that they encompass a mixture of concert and studio. The bands are freer than in studio recordings at the same time more focused than in live performances -- gems from the bands repertoire which might not have been played live are often preserved only in the radio sessions. Radio Sessions contains all the BBC 6 sessions recorded for and hosted by the great Marc Riley from the years 2011-2022. 32 songs in total including well-known hits like "Eine Symphonie des Grauens", "Jet Set Junta", and "Alphaville", as well as fantastic versions of seldom heard or not so well-known songs like "Rain Check" or "Hip Kitten Spinning Chrome". With the kind support of the BBC, you are now able to release these recordings of the most demonstrably intelligent, dark, witty, and British of all guitar pop bands on record for the first time.”
2 CD Set $22 / 2 LP Set $36

RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOT - 100 Classic Recordings 1954-62 (Acrobat 7174; UK) Born in Brooklyn in 1931, Jack Elliot was inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and began busking for a living, befriending Woody Guthrie. He travelled to the UK to perform and record in the late '50s, establishing his reputation in international folk circles, and back in the USA became an early influence on Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs. He continued performing and recording for the next half century and more, and is still active in 2023 at the age of 91. This great-value 100-track 4-CD collection brings together many of his recordings from the early years of his career, mainly from albums but including a few singles and EPs. It features most of the titles from his albums for the Elektra, Topic, 77, Prestige & Columbia UK labels, "Bad Men And Heroes", "Woody Guthrie's Blues", "Jack Elliot Sings", "Jack Takes The Floor", "Ramblin' Jack Elliot In London", "Ramblin' Jack Elliott Sings Songs by Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers", "Jack Elliott Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie", "Ramblin' Jack Elliot", "Jack Elliott at the Second Fret - Recorded Live" and "Country Style". It's a reasonably comprehensive overview of his influential early work, and a great showcase for his talent as an interpretive folk troubadour, bringing old songs to new audiences in his distinctively idiosyncratic way, and underlining why he became such a significant figure in the genre.
4 CD Set $25

HERMANN NITSCH - Das Orgien Mysterien Theater - Musik des 6 Tage Spiels 2022 (Trost 235CD; Austria) “24 years after Hermann Nitsch's first realization of the six-day play (1998), his Gesamtkunstwerk once again took place in July 2022, shortly after the artist passed away in April. "The six-day play of the Orgien Mysterien Theater, is to become the greatest and most important festival of mankind (it is an aesthetic ritual of the glorification of existence). It is at the same time a popular festival and a mystery of existence brought to consciousness. The festival of the orgien mysterien theatre has no other pretext than the mystical glorification of our being here." - Hermann Nitsch. The Orgien Mysterien Theatre is an artistic endeavor. In addition to the visual idea of form, music plays an essential role. The basic concept of the play is based on a symphonic idea, performed by the Orgien Mysterien Theater Orchestra. The setting for the action was taking place in the castle complex in Prinzendorf with all its rooms, as well as the surrounding landscape of the Lower Austrian Weinviertel. Liner notes by the musical director of the o.m. theatre Andrea Cusumano (German and English). Concept: Hermann Nitsch. Recorded on July 30, 2022, Schloss Prinzendorf, Austria.”
2 CD Set $20

ANNEXUS QUAM - Osmose (OHR OMM 560072CD; Germany) “Reissue of the 1970 krautrock classic. The timing was right: Five years earlier would have been too early, five years later would have been too late. But Annexus Quam from Kamp-Lintfort near Düsseldorf came along with the right music at the right moment. The seven-piece band formed in 1967 as Ambition Of Music; they were what was then called a "beat group." In 1970, working with a local trombone choir led to a dramatic change of direction. Trombone, clarinet, saxophone, scat-like vocals, various percussion, even a bicycle pump or a guitar played below the bridge found their way into the band. Annexus Quam, in a unique way, mixed two musical genres: rock and free jazz, but the group played both differently from what could be heard otherwise at that time. Elements of psychedelic rock with heavy organ sounds were combined with freely dabbed brass notes; at the same time the band was closer to Stockhausen's concept of "Intuitive Music" than to the expressive group improvisations of free jazz musicians. The genre names sound familiar, but Annexus Quam filled them with new meaning. There are hardly any formal structures in Annexus Quam's music, the musicians control the ensemble sound intuitively by concentrated listening to each other. But the free playing is not limitless. Not every musician always has to play at the same time, the breaks are also important here. Despite all the freedom, the pieces remain comprehensible. This is what makes them appealing still today. The album was originally produced by Julius Schittenhelm in 1970. HaGü Schmitz and Dieter Wegner remastered Osmose at the Dierks Studio in 2022.”
CD $16

SATSUKI SHIBANO - Wave Notation 3: Erik Satie 1984 (WRWTFWW Records 065CD; Switzerland) “WRWTFWW Records announce the first official worldwide reissue of Satsuki Shibano's Wave Notation 3: Erik Satie 1984, the final album from the sound-defining Wave Notation environmental music series curated by Satoshi Ashikawa. Originally released in 1984 on the Sound Process label, Wave Notation 3 followed Ashikawa's own Still Way (1982) and Hiroshi Yoshimura's Music For Nine Postcards (1982). The highly sought-after album is sourced from the original master tape. Wave Notation 3 is a splendid tribute to seminal French composer and pianist Erik Satie, himself one of the main influences behind kankyō ongaku/environmental music (alongside Brian Eno, John Cage, to name a few). The alphabetically-sequenced album features 26 pieces showcasing Shibano's unique piano interpretation of Satie's works. The artist explains: "For this album, I sequenced the compositions in alphabetical order of each title, irrespective of the period of each composition or style. By doing this, I attempted to effectively create 'Music as an environment' and at the same time, allow the listener to genuinely experience Satie's music." Satsuko Shibano's minimalistic approach to ambient classical is simply perfect and offers a beautiful and tranquil listening experience, furniture music with extra comfort and soothing simplicity, relaxing to the mind and to the soul. This Wave Notation deserves a spot among the pillars of Japanese environmental music, next to Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass, Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green, and Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way. For fans of furniture music, environmental music, music as an environment for furniture, ambient, Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Erik Satie, Brian Eno, minimalism. Includes English and Japanese liner notes by the artist, was supervised by Japanese ambient legend Yoshio Ojima.”
CD $17


LP SECTION:

KEN VANDERMARK & HAMID DRAKE - Eternal River (CvsD 005; USA) “On their first stand-alone record as a duo, Ken Vandermark and Hamid Drake celebrate their 30 year playing relationship with an electrifying live set of pieces, all featuring music composed by legendary free jazz musician Don Cherry. Restricting himself here to tenor saxophone, Vandermark has developed an almost telepathic understanding with Drake, whose masterful work on the drum kit has rarely been more focused and relaxed. The music was recorded in Corbett vs. Dempsey's main space on the closing day of the gallery's exhibition of work by Moki Cherry, Don's partner in the Organic Music Society, whose powerful tapestries and paintings were often key elements in the Cherry's performances. Drake and his family in fact lived with the Cherry family in their home in rural southern Sweden in the 1970s, and the drummer's personal experiences with her visual art added a special depth to the concert with Vandermark, diving into music from across the great trumpeter's songbook. The program, some of which runs as medleys of different tunes, comes from as far back as Cherry's groundbreaking '60s Blue Note LPs ("Elephantasy," "Complete Communion"), up through the title track of the killer 1975 A&M side Brown Rice, and more culled from later LPs on ECM, including the band Old And New Dreams ("Guinea," "Mopti") and Cherry's beautiful duo album with drummer Ed Blackwell ("El Corazón," "Solidarity"). During the concert, mid-set, Drake stopped playing to tell the story of his time with Don Cherry, including his harrowing experience contracting malaria while playing in Africa; this stirring narrative is transcribed as the liner text in the LP's gatefold. Gorgeously recorded, with Moki Cherry's tapestry "Spirit" on the cover, Eternal River keeps flowing with the ease and wonder of two brilliant Chicago musicians at the top of their game, in their hometown, playing the music they love.”
LP $22

SEX MOB with STEVE BERNSTEIN / TONY SCHERR / KENNY WOLLESEN / SCOTTY HARD / JOHN MESESKI / VIJAY IYER / DJ OLIVE - The Hard Way (CvsD LP010; USA) For over a quarter-century, the visionary quartet Sexmob has exploded all preconceived notions of what an instrumental jazz band can be. In many cases — on the albums Dime Grind Palace, Din of Inequity, Solid Sender and Sex Mob Does Bond — they’ve done so with producer Scotty Hard at the board. On The Hard Way, Sexmob’s remarkable new recording for 2023, the music skews decisively electronic, as Hard’s beats and soundscapes provide slide trumpeter and founder Steven Bernstein, saxophonist Briggan Krauss, bassist Tony Scherr and acoustic/electric drummer Kenny Wollesen all the stimulus they need for further composition and fearless reinvention.
Acclaimed pianist/composer Vijay Iyer guests on “You Can Take a Myth,” sprinkling stark sustained treble tones and abstract harmonies on top of fat processed bass (played by Hard) as the composition unfolds. John Medeski (of Medeski Martin & Wood) underlays organ chords and blues phraseology to perfection on “Banacek” and works atmospheric magic with mellotron, counterposing Hard’s evocative balafon samples, on “Club Pythagorean,” one of two tracks included on the bonus 12-inch 45rpm EP. (The other, “Dominion,” was created with DJ Olive.)
With each offering, and certainly with The Hard Way and its rich electro-acoustic groove canvas, Bernstein and crew evince a modernizing impulse but also an equally strong foundation in the roots of jazz and American song. Funky, bluesy, with a tattered dissonance conjured up by Krauss’ throaty saxophone tone, the distinctive wail of Bernstein’s rare horn and the swagger of Scherr and Wollesen’s rhythm section grind, Sexmob continues to chart new paths in 21st -century creative music.”
2 LP / EP Set $32

JOE McPHEE and TOMEKA REID - Let Our Rejoicing Rise (CvsD 008; USA) “In the year that Juneteenth was finally declared a national U.S. holiday, 2021, Joe McPhee and Tomeka Reid united for a live concert in celebration. Multi-instrumentalist McPhee was deeply moved by the historical nature of the circumstances, the incredible freight of that history of oppression and liberation represented in the legislation, both the insanity of its timeliness and the joy of its institutionalization. As a preamble to the music, McPhee led off with two poems, read with trembling, vehement intensity: “Alone Together” and “Nation Time For Real This Time.” Then, without a pause, they launched into a 33-minute duet for tenor saxophone and cello that gutted everyone in the packed audience, alighting for a brief segment on the late-19th century hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the so-called African-American National Anthem, lyrics from which the title of the record is taken. At the concert’s end, McPhee was nearly inconsolable, the immensity of the day and the emotion of the playing overtaking him alone in the dressing room. Let Our Rejoicing Rise is a kind of apotheosis, an outpouring of two sensitive souls at the dawn of a new day in an epoch of damnation. With a jubilant cover image by Gee’s Bend quilter Mary Lee Bendolph, recorded and mastered by Alex Inglizian, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime record.”
LP $22

ZOH AMBA / CHRIS CORSANO / BILL ORCUTT - The Flower School (Palilalia PAL 076LP; USA) “Since exploding on the improvised music scene a couple of years ago Tennessee native Zoh Amba has found herself engaging with an ever-widening group of collaborators as she tours across the US and Europe. She's forged some enduring partnerships, working regularly with drummer Chris Corsano, bassist Thomas Morgan, and pianist Micah Thomas, among others, but one of the deep pleasures of improvised music is when a first-time meeting produces sparks. Indeed, that's certainly the case with The Flower School, which bottles some serious lightning. In March of 2023, Amba and Corsano had finished up a duo tour of the west coast with an explosive performance in San Francisco. The next day the duo entered the studio with guitarist Bill Orcutt -- a trusted collaborator of the drummer stretching back a decade. It was the first time Orcutt and Amba had ever played together, but it sure doesn't seem that way. Although Amba has often recorded a bunch of tune-oriented albums for Tzadik, she's a free improviser at heart, and this trio arguably provides the most effective, elastic context for her playing yet. Yet what's most astonishing about The Flower School is how it elevates and transforms the playing of all three participants. It appears that there was more than enough trust in the room to allow each player to push-and-pull. Anyone who pays attention already knows that Orcutt and Corsano are mercurial figures, perpetually adapting, adjusting, and challenging one another. Inviting a third person to the party could threaten a slowly cultivated balance, but in this case the addition only heightened various dichotomies: soft vs. loud, bruising vs. tender, furious vs. lyric. Much has been made of Amba's debt to the free jazz of 1960s, particularly the way her vibrato-drenched tone dips into valley of sacred music, but here she carves out a space that's entirely hers. On tracks like "The Morning Light Has Flooded My Eyes" and "What Emptiness Do You Gaze Upon!" she reveals a meticulously sharpened gift for motific improvisation, taking a single phrase and chiseling away it until she's discovered every possible permutation, all the while driven by the feverish energy and empathy of her cohorts. This group also displays Orcutt's masterful support skills, as he often takes a single chord or two, letting them float in mutate in the background or splintering them into patient, reserved arpeggios that ripple alongside Corsano's circular sculptures and the saxophonist's edgy blowing. Two of the album's five tracks are duets between Orcutt and Amba. The collection is bisected by "Sweet One," a delicate lattice formed by Orcutt's tremulous electric guitar arpeggios and Amba's spike acoustic pointillism that basks in its own leisurely beauty for a couple of restorative minutes, while the album closer "Moon Showed But No You" is a searingly beautiful ballad where the guitarist unspools clusters of notes somewhere between vintage Loren Mazzacane Connor and a distorted kalimba, while Amba puts an upwardly arcing melodic line through its paces, finding new wrinkles at every turn.”
LP $24

CHRIS CORSANO & BILL ORCUTT - Play at Duke (Palilalia PAL 075LP; USA) "Few sounds in music are as instantly recognizable as the searching sting of guitarist Bill Orcutt and the cyclical propulsion of drummer Chris Corsano. At the same time, every single performance or recording I've heard by the duo has been markedly different, discovering new paths with a given set of tools. For more than a decade now they've been meeting up to instigate visceral sonic journeys without a map, engaging in elliptical dialogues with one another, but more often conjuring twinned excursions that occur with a kind of telepathic independence. They don't need to plan or discuss what will happen when they get together. They simply jump in and see where things go, pushing and pulling when necessary, yet more often letting each other roam freely with the knowledge that they've a rapport that can weather all storms. The performance captured on Play at Duke was taped at the von der Heyden Studio Theater in the Rubenstein Arts Center on the campus of Duke University. The set closed out a three-day festival celebrating the 21st anniversary of Three Lobed Records, and the music they made feels utterly galvanic, a fitting conclusion by turns triumphant and bloodied. The set clocks in at just under 26 minutes but there's nothing lacking, nothing slight. The best performances fuck with time, as this sublime encounter does. The duo was in an obvious flow straight out the gate, with Orcutt unleashing fat, fragmented arpeggios that morph from anthemic chords to flickering long tones -- tense moments of repose that anticipate some new digression a la Hendrix. In the first of the three 'Play at Duke' the duo packs in so many discrete ideas and dialogues that it's hard to believe they only needed eight minutes to get it done. Orcutt and Corsano sets are thrilling, in part, because we don't know what will happen. Will they gel, butt heads, or get cranky. The guitarist sometimes delves into his Harry Pussy roots and unleashes a post-hardcore sally to shake things up, whether it seems necessary or not, but with this particular set there's no doubt that the pair is sync. Ideas, motifs, needling lines (shadowed, of course, by Orcutt's wordless falsetto screamed out into the air) pile up with pure compositional logic, each new melodic theme or textural divot flowing out of the previous one with remarkable ease and fluidity. Both musicians can access all sorts of traditions at the blink of an eye. The second piece opens explosively, with Corsano delivering a singular kind of flailing energy that's nevertheless completely liquid, while Orcutt jerks between post-no wave skree, ominously prescient chords that channel the aggression of AC/DC and Hound Dog Taylor, and upper register stabs that that both tap into some primordial wellspring of the blues and fling clusters of sound at gravity, seeking to be free of our planet's limitations. The album's final piece begins with repose, a breath-catching reset of contemplative tenderness that gradually opens up, the duo teetering at the edge of an explosion that never really arises, as a lyric quality manages to ride the cresting wave of energy, cutting back-and-forth into a sudden, crystal-clear denouement that feels like destiny."
LP $24

ELECTRIC EELS - Spin Age Blasters (Scat 089LP; USA) "The Electric Eels were the first punk band, full stop. They may not have 'started' the genre, but they were the first to tick all the boxes. The eels rejected every 1970s rock convention -- professionalism, virtuosity, subject matter, image. Dave E.'s caustic vocals, complete with an aggressive lisp and a head full of snot, would become de rigeur a few years after the group disbanded. Meanwhile, the songs' focus on car crashes, suicide, neuroses, and generally hating people were as far out of the mainstream as possible. The two eels tracks that do approach the subject of romance couch it in terms of not really caring that much about it ('Jaguar Ride') or placing it in the context of a grisly murder ('Silver Daggers'). Also consider John Morton's signature guitar sound, a nails-on-chalkboard tone with brutally free soloing inspired more by Albert Ayler than the blues or aspirations to technical facility. Ditto Dave E.'s clarinet playing and affection for lawnmowers and vacuums during live performance. They were notoriously violent not only among themselves, but towards audiences, police, and anyone unfortunate enough to be around them when things went south. Then of course there are the leather jackets, the clothing festooned with rat traps or safety pins. And no bass player, why bother. There is simply no other 'proto' band to have had all these pieces in place circa 1973-1975. Yet it is a mistake to consider the eels exclusively in such a context. Yes, the eels could and did shock anyone who encountered them, but they also had great songs. While both Dave and John were visionary writers, they also had rhythm guitarist Brian McMahon, a melody and riff machine who wrote many of the band's signature songs. And they were no one-trick pony. Although much of the band's material is appropriately high-energy, there is also the downer eels -- morbid, harmonically risky, and in full existential crisis. Although it's not a focus of this compilation, the eels also had a penchant for completely free improvisation. Over the last forty plus years, there have been several Electric Eels compilations. Spin Age Blasters is quite simply the best one ever assembled, every single key track is here in its best version, properly mastered by John Golden, and sequenced with an eye towards both flow between tracks as well as individuation between sides. A true monster of an album."
2 LP Set $30

LIVING WINDOW - Astralturfing (Feeding Tube Records 690LP; USA) "Fantastic debut LP by this severely talented instrumental duo, currently based around Hampshire College unless I am much mistaken. Living Window is comprised of drummer Cameron Mitchell and guitarist Mila Dorji, who have created an album of pile-driving avant-garde hunch reminiscent of pre-Mahavishnu McLaughlin's slow-hand recordings with Tony Williams or Billy Cox. Mitchell drumming mixes rock and jazz attacks in equal measure, either drawing out rhythms or pounding them straight into pumice. And Dorji collects his amped notes into a huge mass before he releases them, displaying far more taste and patience than most of his contemporaries. This kind of jazz/rock guitar/drum dueling can be traced back (more or less) to Doug Snyder & Bob Thompson's Daily Dance LP from '73. Whether or not they've heard it, Living Window are fully in sync with that amazing record. They also hint at the early duo improvisations of the Alex/Nels Cline Duo, and combos such as Manas (led by Mila's dad, Tashi), Chris Guttmacher's Louis Farakhan! and other nimble purveyors of stripped-down excess. Living Window have chosen a hybridized aesthetic route, which presents opportunities to bring jazz to rock masses and vice versa. But it's also a path that can lead to playing concerned with mere 'chops' rather than invention. At this stage of their trajectory, Living Window are bursting with so many ideas they display no weakness in that area. At times their moves almost evoke a one guitar version of 'Randga', which is about as high a praise as I can imagine. Astralturfing is the first blast of music from a duo with amazing potential. Towers open fire." --Byron Coley, 2023
LP $26

********

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

*******


NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy9PwsO5umk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFQ7nvA68pA

*******

THE STONE RESIDENCIES - SUPHALA - JULY 19–22

**Due to planned maintenance of our regular space, this week's performances will be held in Stiefel Hall, which is on the 4th floor of the same building, 55 W 13th St**

7/20 Thursday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Suphala (tabla, electronics) Jonathan Maron (electric bass) Jason Lindner (keys)

7/21 Friday
8:30 pm - DUO - Suphala (tabla, electronics) Rajeev Maddela a/k/a currency audio (electronic drums)

7/22 Saturday
8:30 pm - DUO - Suphala (tabla, electronics) Laraaji (electric zither, piano)

THE STONE RESIDENCIES - ZOH AMBA - JULY 26–29
7/26 Wednesday
8:30 pm - QUARTET: Zoh Amba (tenor sax) Steve Gunn (guitar) Jim White (drums) Shahzad Ismaily (bass, synths)

7/27 Thursday
8:30 pm - QUARTET: Zoh Amba (tenor sax) Forbes Graham (trumpet, electronics) gabby fluke-mogul (violin) Luke Stewart (bass)

7/28 Friday
8:30 pm - QUARTET: Zoh Amba (tenot sax) Patrick Shiroishi (alto sax) Wendy Eisenberg (guitar) Chris Corsano (drums)

7/29 Saturday
8:30 pm - BHAKTI: Zoh Amba (tenor sax) Micah Thomas (piano) Chris Corsano (drums)

THE STONE is located in
The New School at the Glass Box Theatre
55 West 13th Street - near 6th ave

LIVE MUSIC
wed-sat
music at 8:30pm

ADMISSION
$20 per set
unless otherwise noted
cash only payment

*******

ARTS for ARTS Presents:

IN GARDENS: Sprouting Justice
SUNDAYS July 9th - August 6th
OPEN STREETS: Stanton Street btwn Essex & Norfolk St. LES Manhattan

SCHEDULE  (Subject to Change):
3PM - Children's workshop
3:30PM - Performance

July 23th: Mara Rosenbloom / Tcheser Holmes / gabby fluke-mogul
July 30th: Dave Sewelson / Dave Hofstra / feat. members of Intergenerational Ensemble
August 6th: Ava Mendoza

******

FourOneOne / SHIFT

Wed July 19
The Brooklyn Improv Orchestra - "Conducted Improvisation"
(debut performance)
8pm, doors 7:30

Sep 9, 2023
Bahauddin Dagar
Church of St. Luke & St. Matthew
520 Clinton Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Sep 16, 2023
Bahauddin Dagar
2220 Arts Archives
Presented by Black Editions
2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Shift is located at
411 Kent Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11249
contact@411kent.org
Web: https://www.411kent.org

********

Improvised Music @ the Main Drag

$15 GENERAL ADMISSION / $10 STUDENTS (w/ID)
PARTICIPATING MUSICIANS (PAST/PRESENT/FUTURE MAIN DRAG PERFORMERS) ATTEND FOR FREE***
(yes, the best things in life are indeed free)
July 12, 2023
@ The Main Drag
50 South 1st Street
Between Kent ave and Wythe Ave
(718) 388-6365 / gaucimusic.com

******

Album Release Performances: ‘tilting curvaceous’
By Patrick Brennan s0nic 0penings

PATRICK BRENNAN’S sOnic Openings:
Patrick Brennan - Alto sax & compositions
Brian Groder - Trumpet
Rod Williams - Piano
Hilliard Greene - Contrabass
Michael TA Thompson - Drums

Thursday, July 27, 7pm
SOUP & SOUND
292 Lefferts Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
by donation ($20 suggested)
Q to Prospect Park, 2 or 3 to Sterling St.
Doors open at 6pm, with Soup

Friday, July 28, 8pm
EL TALLER LATINO AMERICANO
14 E 109th Street
New York, NY 10029
by donation ($20 suggested)
2 or 3 — or 6 to 110 st.

Alto saxophonist patrick brennan is at the helm of a superb New York-based ensemble for his new release. Rhythm seems to be the prime directive in this particular suite of music. The saxophonist describes these as “groove instances” or “cells”. The opening salvo features a nerve-jangling stop/start landscape reminiscent of Anthony Braxton’s “pulse-track structures” from his quartet and quintets back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, a high compliment. – Robert Bush, New York City Jazz Record

*******

LOTIC TIME:

In conjunction with current exhibition Mary Mattingly: Ebb of a Spring Tide

Featuring:
Blue Reality Quartet (Warren Smith, Joe McPhee, Michael Marcus, Jay Rosen)
J.D. Parran N' the Spirit (w/ Andrew Drury, Alexis Marcelo, Sharif Kales);
Art Baron and the Psychacoustic Band (w/ Peter Apfelbaum, Matt Lavelle, Ben Stapp, Newman Taylor Baker)
Positive Knowledge (Oluyemi Thomas & Ijeoma Thomas)
Jessica Pavone Solo
Ronnie Burrage with Valerie Green/Dance Entropy

Curated by Jazz Foundation of America
Socrates Sculpture Park
Saturday, August 5, 2pm-7pm
32-01 Vernon Boulevard
Long Island City, NY 11106

[Rain Date August 6]
https://socratessculpturepark.org/program/lotic-time/

***********

JOHN ZORN @ 70 - Year Long Celebration:

ZORN@70 at ROULETTE PART TWO: Cobra
Sunday, August 13, 2023 AT 8:00 pm
Featuring:
Wendy Eisenberg guitar
Taylor Levine guitar
Cha Cha La Fox violin
Alexandra Simpson viola
Michael Nicolas cello
John Medeski organ
Brian Marsella piano
Ikue Mori electronics
Trevor Dunn electric bass
Jorge Roeder bass
Kenny Wollesen drums, vibes
Sae Hashimoto vibes, percussion
Ches Smith drums, percussion
John Zorn prompter

ZORN@70 at ROULETTE PART THREE:
JOHN ZORN / LAURIE ANDERSON / SEAN ONO LENNON
Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 8:00 pm

ZORN@70 at ROULETTE PART FOUR: Four World Premieres:
featuring The Junction Trio, Jennifer Choi, Jorge Roeder,
Ches Smith, Peter Evans and Sam Jones
Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 8:00 pm

To purchase tickets:
https://ci.ovationtix.com/36368/performance/11309030?performanceId=11309030
Roulette is in Brooklyn & not far from the Brooklyn Academy of Music
It is located at 509 Atlantic Avenue (Entrance on the Corner of Third Avenue;
Accessible Entrance on Atlantic Ave), Brooklyn, NY 11217 - phone: 917-267-0363
Box Office, General Informatio: roulette@roulette.org - 917-267-0368

JOHN ZORN @ 70 FESTIVAL - August 30th - September 3rd, 2023
15 concerts at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California
Tickets: https://www.ticketsales.com/john-zorn-tickets?

JOHN ZORN / JESSE HARRIS - Love Songs
Live at National Sawdust
September 16th & 17th 2023
6:30pm doors / 7:30 pm

JOHN ZORN - Composer / JESSE HARRIS - Lyricist
Featuring: PETRA HADEN - Vocals
BRIAN MARSELLA - Piano
JORGE RODER - Contrabass
CHES SMITH - Drums

Love Songs tells the story of a young woman, her friends, their relationships both past and ongoing, and struggles with identity and trauma. This world-premiere concert performance features the remarkable voice of Petra Haden, accompanied by Brian Marsella on piano, Jorge Roeder on bass, and Ches Smith on drums. Blending influences from Burt Bacharach, Stephen Sondheim, Kurt Weill, and the Tin Pan Alley/Brill Building tradition, this is a lyrical and dramatic tribute to contemporary song that will appeal to young and old alike.

National Sawdust
80 North 6th St
Brooklyn, NY 11249
646 - 779 - 8455
info@nationalsawdust.org

******

John Cage's Japan at Japan Society
An Original Performance Series
Celebrating the Composer's Relationship with Japanese Culture

September 28 and September 29 at 7:30 pm
Paul Lazar's Cage Shuffle
Directed by Annie-B Parson

October 21 at 8:30 pm
John Cage's Ryoanji
with Tomomi Adachi, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE),
Hitomi Nakamura (hichiriki), and Maki Ota (voice)

November 16 at 7:30 pm
Tomomi Adachi's Noh-opera / Noh-tation: Decoding John Cage's Unrealized Project
with Gelsey Bell (voice), Wakako Matsuda (noh), and ICE

Thursday, December 7 at 7:30 pm
Cage Shock: An Homage to his First Japan Visit
with Tania Caroline Chen, Victoria Shen, Tomomi Adachi, and ICE

All Programs Commissioned and presented by Japan Society
Tickets On Sale to the General Public August 17 at JapanSociety.org
They called it the "Cage Shock." In 1962, the iconoclastic American composer John Cage toured Japan for a legendary series of concerts that served to draw attention to the rhymes between his works and the sounds of avant-garde and classical Japanese music. The tour cemented Cage as a pivotal figure in the East but the impact of that trip reverberated both directions. Cage had found truth and validation for his creative philosophy in Japan and returned to his experiences abroad as a wellspring of inspiration for the rest of his life.

***********

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

******************