DMG Newsletter for July 28th, 2023

Instant poem from RaKalam Bob Moses
Spoken into an I-phone and
Translated by Siri G

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

Tuesday, August 1st:
6:30: JAMES PAUL NADIEN / STEVE SWELL - Drums / Trombone
7:30: JAMES McKAIN / CHUCK ROTH - Sax / Guitar
8:30: DAVID GROLLMAN / RICHARD KAMERMAN - As Themselves

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

Saturday, August 12th / THE GAUCIMUSIC SERIES Continues with:
6pm: ANDRE SACALXOT - sax / CHARLIE LINCOLN - bass / KEVIN MURRAY - drums
7pm: STEPHEN GAUCI - Tenor Sax / MICHAEL GILBERT - Bass / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - drums
8pm: MICHAEL LAROCCA - drums / LUKE ROVINSKY - guitar / CALEB DUVAL - bass

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

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FINALLY BACK IN STOCK AFTER 6 MONTHS:

PETER BROTZMAN / TONY MALABY LOS TOSCOS - La Vigilia de las Flores (Matik-Matik; Festina Lente Discos; Colombia) Los Toscos hail from Colombia and feature Enrique Mendoza on electric guitar, Ricardo Arias on balloons & objects, Urian Sarmiento on percussion & gaita (flute), Santiago Botero on contrabass and Mauricio Ramirez in drums. German sax legend Peter Brotzmann and Downtown sax master Tony Malaby each sit in one of the two discs of this set. The avant/jazz scene in Bogota, Columbia has been evolving over time and this is the third disc by Los Toscos, their first one from 2013 also included Tony Malaby as their guest. The personnel of Los Toscos has changed over time with bassist Santiago Botero being the only original member for this disc which was released in 2019. The only musician here with whom I know is balloonist Ricardo Arias who lived in New York in the early aughts and has played with Gunter Muller, Han Tammen and Kim Myhr. Peter Brotzmann plays tenor sax, clarinet and tarogato with Los Toscos for their one disc. “El Jacinto” begins with Mr. Brotmann on clarinet with the rest of the quintet playing quietly in a ritualistic way. This soon leads to in intense section with a strong, spastic, Beefheartian guitar solo, the rhythm team pumping fast and hard, Brotzmann on tarogato (large Eastern European clarinet) and Mr. Sarmiento on flute, both soloing profusely together, spinning tight lines around one another. The tempo slows down as the sax, flute and guitar play in tight obits around one another. This a fine example of inspired international free/improv with all members listening and being integral to a group sound. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $30 [Limited Edition / we just got 15 in stock]

* SOFT MACHINE with JOHN ETHERIDGE / THEO TRAVIS / FREDDY BAKER / JOHN MARSHALL plus ROY BABBINGTON - Other Doors (Moonjune; USA/Spain) “The latest Soft Machine album is, again, a shockingly good jazz/rock album. Shocking that is if you haven’t been paying attention to them in the last four or five years or haven’t had the chance to see them knock it out of the ballpark live, night after night!
It’s the first to feature the great Freddy Baker on bass, who replaced Roy Babbington last year (although Roy shows up in a guest spot) and it’s also the last to feature the wonderful John Marshall, who, at 81, has decided it was time to retire from drumming. He brings his great career to a fine conclusion here and he sounds great, just as he always did. Recommended and not merely for nostalgia’s sake.
"Soft Machine is a journey through time and space and their glorious artistic past, but also through a classy present, with a band that, despite the changes in members, maintains intact that unique style of psychedelic jazz that combines power and subtlety and that is, almost six decades after it's formation, a registered trademark of one of the greatest contemporary instrumental bands."- RockAxis
After discovering the Mothers of Invention at age 13 in the summer of 1967, the next band whose music completely blew my mind and changed my life was Soft Machine (bought their first LP in 1968 when it was released). Soft Machine were unlike any other band that I had heard: the blended rock, psych, jazz, humor and avant-garde influences in ways that no one else could’ve done. Their personnel changed on every record and hence, their sound was always evolving into something else. As far as their official releases go, I love all of their numbered albums (Vol One thru ‘Seven’) and ‘Bundles’, when Alan Holdsworth joined. Although they broke up around 1975, the dozen or so members worked with each other in different combinations afterwards, reforming in the early aughts as Soft Works, Soft Machine Legacy and now back to just Soft Machine. Soft Works started out with four members from different periods of the Softs’ history: Holdsworth, Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper & John Marshall and I caught them live in Seattle, they were still great. The band has remained together ever since although Holdsworth, Dean & Hopper have passed away. John Etheridge replaced Holdsworth after ‘Bundles’ and again in Soft Machine legacy. He is still one of the best jazz/rock guitarists ever! Drummer John Marshall is still with them although Roy Babbington has left and is replaced by Freddy Baker, perhaps one of the finest (under-recognized) fretless bassists. Reeds & keyboard wiz, Theo Travis, joined them right before Elton Dean passed and is also wonderful at what he does. I haven’t heard the new disc yet and can’t wait to do so. Word is that is is amazing! No doubt. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

*This version of SOFT MACHINE will be playing at the Iridium in NYC on October 6th & 7th, don’t miss them, they still rule!

TISZIJI MUNOZ / KRESTEN OSGOOD / BOB RAKALAM MOSES - Spiritual Drum Kingship (Gotta Let It Out/ILK Records; Denmark)Featuring Tisziji Munoz on guitar and Kresten Osgood & Bob RaKalam Moses on drums & percussion. Cosmic Spiritual Jazz Guitar God/Demon, Tisziji Munoz has worked with some of the best drummers on the planet Earth: Elvin Jones, Rashied Ali, Bob Moses and Franklin Kiermyer. Mr. Munoz always chooses his collaborators well. Another legend is drummer Bob “RaKalam” Moses who has worked with Munoz for several decades and can be found on more than half of Munoz’s many (70 ) releases. Danish multi-instrumentalist Kresten Osgood is one of the busiest and most ambitious drummers to emerge from the ever-evolving Danish Avant Jazz Scene. His longtime goal is to play with as many of the elder jazz legends as is possible and he has pursued this for many years. I turned Kresten onto Tisziji Munoz several years ago, telling him how important Munoz’s playing is to the Spiritual Jazz realm. Plus Mr. Osgood is a longtime fan of Rakalam’s amazing drumming.
   This disc was recorded on my birthday, June 19th in 2022 at a studio in Richmond, Virginia, not too far from where Mr. Munoz moved a couple of years back. Things begin with a mysterious solo guitar distinctive bent-note intro by Tisziji with the drummers slowly entering the freaky scene. Munoz soon hits his unique distortion pedal tone, slowly caressing each note, his tone thickening over time while both drummers swirl cautiously around and underneath the cascading lines. Munoz is often balancing two or three different lines at the same time: the slower notes sound like some cosmic universal blues-like licks while Munoz starts reaching deeper by playing his spiraling lines above and below the slower, sustained, tortured blues fragments at the center of the ongoing storm. RaKalam has been playing with Munoz for many years and they have developed a connection in the way the furious note spinning lines work tightly together as one Spirt Force. Each of the five pieces begin modestly with a short unaccompanied solo from Munoz showing the fragility of humanity. Tisziji Munoz is also an author of several books on his spiritual philosophies as well as a guru to several important creative musicians. His playing also has an effect on those who day to listen, stirring the inner spirits that are often buried within each of us. As I listen, I am transported to another world or place, where the good and bad spirits are battling each other. Both drummers work well together weaving a cosmic web of a connected rhythmic flow. I am currently working on getting Munoz another performance in NYC so be prepared to go on a Cosmic Journey with him and his fellow Free travelers. In the meantime, reach out to get a copy of this disc to help us deal with the dark forces surrounding us all. Huuuuuuuuuu! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG    
CD $16 [Limited edition of 300 / due in stock in 1-2 weeks / pre-order now]

CERAMIC DOG with MARC RIBOT / SHAZAD ISMAILY / CHES SMITH ANTHONY COLEMAN / JAMES BRANDON LEWIS / GREG LEWIS / OSCAR NOREIGA / SYD STRAW / PETER SACHON - Connection (Knockwurst Records 003; USA)Ceramic Dog features Marc Ribot on guitar, dobro, bass & vocals, Shahzad Ismaily on bass & electronics and Ches Smith on drums, percussion & electronics plus guests James Brandon Lewis on tenor sax, Anthony Coleman on Farfisa organ, Syd Straw on vocals, Greg Lewis on Hammond organ, Oscar Noreiga on clarinet and Peter Sachon on cello. This is the studio disc from Ceramic Dog, the great punk/jazz/protest trio that’ve been around since the mid-aughts. Ceramic Dog have never been a jazz trio by any stretch of the imagination although they are still crafty, spirited and in-your-face nonetheless. Like many of us more sensitive & intelligent listeners, Mr. Ribot is pissed off at the direction our world is going thanks to the International Fascist Alliance and hence likes to comment on this through singing/words. It’s true that Mr. Ribot doesn’t have a great voice, yet he knows how to use it to express his feelings. The title song, “Connection” is first and it contains the sneering, angry vibe via vocals, deadly guitar and bludgeon groove. “Subsidiary” is pretty heavy, pounding on us just like the way Fascism pounds on us True Freedom Fighters. What I really dig about this disc is this: the songs are all very riff oriented, churning, rocking, catchy, closer to punk rock or New Wave but with strong lyrics and memorable choruses to sing along to. The song “Ecstasy” sounds like a great out-take from Ribot’s Los Cubanos Postizos sessions, complete with some groovy Farfisa organ from Professor Anthony Coleman. “Swan” is an intense rocking rave-up instrumental with some passionate lead guitar from Mr. Ribot, most infectious and topped off with some wailing sax from the great local hero James Brandon Lewis. I can hear the spitfire anger which erupts from “Heart Attack” but I can’t hear many of the words. It sounds like Ribot is rapping at times, cursing and complaining about something that probably pisses off many of us intelligent hooligans. At first, when I played this disc in the store, I liked some of it but other parts got on my nerves. Now that I am listening to it at home, I am starting to enjoy it more with each listen. I must admit that during the mid-to-late 1980’s, I listened to quite a bit of hardcore punk music, even slamming and singing along but not foolish enough to stage dive (too old even then). I really like this disc once I turn off my jazz snob baggage. A big pat on the back for our old pal Marc Ribot and the great Ceramic Dog. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG      
CD $15 / LP $22

MICHAEL BATES’ ACROBAT with MARTY EHRLICH / SARA SCHOENBECK / FUNG CHERN HWEI / MICHAEL SARIN / LUTOSLAWSKI QUARTET - Metamorphosis: Variations on Lutoslawski (Anaklasis ANA 026; Poland) Acrobat features Marty Ehrlich on clarinet, Sara Schoenbeck on bassoon, Fung Chern Hwei on violin, Michael Bates on contrabass & compositions and Michael Sarin on drums plus the Lutoslawski (String) Quartet. The New York/Downtown Creative Music Underground is filled with 100’s of musicians who are consistently working on ways to inspire us, the serious listeners, helping us to deal with the pressure of everyday life here on the Planet Earth. A handful of these musicians are relatively well-known or perhaps recognized  by those listeners who care. The rest of these musicians are not so well known yet still play live and/or record so that we have some special music to savor no matter how much recognition they get. Canadian-born bassist Michael Bates has been living here for a decade or so and releasing one disc at a time every few years as well as working with Michael Blake, Francois Houle and Thomas Heberer. Recently Mr. Bates played on a date for a new Polish label called Anaklasis and became friends with one of the label’s founders, telling him about a concept he had for a project. The project included Mr. Bates’ current quintet called Acrobat plus the Lutoslawski (String) Quartet. Acrobat are/is a quintet of Downtown’s best, each with deep resumes: Marty Ehrlich on clarinet, Sara Schoenbeck on bassoon, Fung Chern Hwei on violin, Mr. Bates on bass and Michael Sarin on drums.
   Mr. Bates chose the music of contemporary classical Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski (1/25/1913-2/7/1994) and rearranged it for two ensembles working together as one. Bates says he chose Lutoslawski since his music is often based on a certain amount of improvisation, something that is the central essence of any great jazz ensemble. Bates worked hard to integrate all of the members of his quintet and the string quartet into a seamless unit. The results are extraordinary. The first thing I noticed is how well this disc is recorded and how impressive the packing is, completely first rate all around. The first piece, “Wind Trio” features the impressive clarinet of Marty Ehrlich as he solos with a tight, swirling well integrated nonet. Violinist Fung Chern Hwei looks to be the youngest member of Acrobat (playing here at DMG on a couple of occasions) and he takes the first extended solo showing off his impressive chops. Bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck, whose name you should recognize from here work with Wayne Horvitz, Harris Eisenstadt or Henry Threadgill, also sounds great here, taking the occasional challenging solo, dancing amongst the varied written and improvised lines/ parts going on around her. Vocalist Anna Lobedan adds her charming voice to a part of “The Sea”, making it even better. I had to do some searching in my vast collection to find some CD’s/LP’s by Lutoslawski, which I did to compare a few of these pieces with the originals. What I noticed is that Mr. Bates’ versions captured the original sound yet somehow he added some spice and brought them to life in a new way. There are a number of inspired which really stand out: drummer Michael Sarin (who was the lynchpin for the Thomas Chapin Trio as well as working with Dave Douglas & Myra Melford) sounds consistently wonderful as does reeds wiz Marty Ehrlich, elder veteran of the Downtown Scene who has working with many legends. Some folks say that modern jazz and classical don’t really work together but I find that this not really true since it does work well at times. These are one of those times and this disc is especially engaging with all of the elements blending together perfectly. An outstanding endeavor on many levels. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG              
CD $16

bBb with MARTIN KUCHEN / OLA RUBIN - Animal Quotes (Relative Pitch Records 1164; USA) Featuring Martin Kuchen on sopranino sax & percussion and Ola Rubin on trombone. Swedish saxist Martin Kuchen does get around. You should recognize his name from great ensembles like Angles or Exploding Customer, as well as having more than 3 dozen discs with mostly varied European musicians. I can’t say that I had heard of Swedish trombonist Ola Rubin before now, although has recorded with Henrik Olsson and is in a trio called Swedish Fix. Mr. Kuchen often switches between alto, tenor, soprano & sopranino saxes, but here concentrates on sopranino only. The duos here are very concentrated with each musician dealing with odd, quirky, extended technique sort of sounds. I wouldn’t call this music lower case but there are quite a bit of more restrained sounds rather than any over-the-top free blowing going on here. The music here often reminds me of a quiet conversation between two soft spoken colleagues or even a couple of different birds chirping together in their own dialects. At times, it is difficult to tell who is playing which sound as both players alter their sounds in odd, unique ways. The music ranges from playful to tense to free-flowing to… To me, it makes sense what they are playing or saying. Another unique gem from the ever-growing Relative Pitch treasure chest. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $13


BACK IN STOCK:

SONIC COMMUNION With DOUGLAS EWART / JEAN-LUC CAPPOZZO / JOELLE LEANDRE / BERNARD SANTACRUZ / MICHAEL ZERANG - Sonic Communion (The Bridge Sessions TBS-01; France) This disc appeared in my promo box not too long ago and I was pleased to see this unusual international line-up. Most of the members of this quintet come from many different backgrounds so I would imagine this is the first time this particular line-up toured in France together over two weeks in October of 2013. No doubt you recognize the names of flute master Doug Ewart and drum great Michael Zerang, both from Chicago. Both bassists are from France although you probably are familiar with Ms. Leandre who is one of the best and most prolific bassists from Europe. I know very little about Mr. Santacruz aside from his work with Frank Lowe, Dennis Charles and Charles Tyler. Trumpet man, Jean-Luc Cappozzo, I have become more familiar with over the past few years, working with Herb Robertson, Louis Sclavis and Umberto Petrin. Douglas Ewart is known for designing and making his own flutes but also plays other reeds. He starts off this disc playing soprano sax, the quintet soaring with him high and wide. Both bassists sound particularly great together, bowing and plucking up a storm together with Zerang propulsive drums also kicking up a fury. Both the soprano and trumpet soar together tightly and powerfully on top. This disc was recorded by Jean-Marc Foussat, who has long worked with Ms. Leandre and always does a great job. This is not an over-the-top crazed free session but much more organic and even subdued at times with several trios or duos interacting. As a big fan of spirit music, there is something quite uplifting about this date that feels so good to me. Dive in and sail away with Sonic Communion. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16

PAUL FLAHERTY / JIM MATUS / LARRY DERDEYN - Wednesday Weld (577 Records 5880; USA) “An album of heavy electric jazz denoted by legendary free jazz saxophonist Paul Flaherty on alto & tenor, with long-time collaborators through a variety of settings, Jim Matus on electric & baritone guitars and Larry Derdeyn on keyboards; a collective trio of serious sonic force and momentum, complementing each other by welding illumination into dark spontaneous composition.”
I recall guitarist Jim Matus from a great NYC punk/jazz group called Noise R Us, whose sax section included Dave Sewelson & Phillip Johnston (both in Microscopic Septet) and George Bishop, legendary/obscure Philly tenor saxist who was in Good God & with Daevid Allen. Legendary New England saxist Paul Flaherty has also been around some forty years and has made more than 60 releases. He is mostly known for working with Chris Corsano, Thurston Moore and Randall Colbourne. This is FREE music at its best! - BLG/DMG
CD-R $14

PAT THOMAS / CHRIS SHARKEY / LUKE REDDIN-WILLIAMS - Know: Delirium Atom Paths (577 Records 5910; USA) “Energetic, authoritative and unpredictable, this 2020 concert at Hyde Park Book club, in Leeds, UK from the collective free improv trio of Pat Thomas on keyboards, Chris Sharkey on electric guitar and Luke Reddin on Williams on drums, burns through an extended and far-ranging set of sonic environments and seriously exhilarating straight-on playing.”
CD-R $14

ANTHONY PATERAS - A Dread of Voids (Another Timbre 214; UK) “Two works written for a group of Australian performers living in Berlin--Jon Heilbron, Rebecca Lane, Jess Aszodi & Sam Dunscombe--by Australian composer and pianist Anthony Pateras, A Dread Of Voids developed for a residency at the Archipel Festival in Geneva after enduring a pandemic quarantine; and Patterned Language, composed for the Astra Chamber Music Society.”
CD $15

THREE NEW DISCS FROM OUR FRIENDS AT SUNNYSIDE:

DENNY ZEITLIN - Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin (Sunnyside 1693; USA) “For nearly a decade, the endlessly exploring pianist / composer / improviser Denny Zeitlin has focused on an individual composer for his annual solo concert at Oakland’s Piedmont Piano Company. Zeitlin brings his full creative force to these efforts to transform these well-known pieces into remarkable musical journeys. In 2018, Zeitlin decided to focus on the great American composer, George Gershwin, for his concert and recorded the proceedings, released now as Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin.
George Gershwin is one of the celebrated composers of the early 20th century. During his short lifetime, he wrote orchestral and musical works, many times in conjunction with his brother, Ira, establishing a valuable catalog of Tin Pan Alley and Broadway tunes that have been recontextualized for generations as standards, providing the basic framework for jazz performance. The composer successfully bridged two seemingly distinct musical spheres, in classical and popular music, a feat that Zeitlin always appreciates in artists and strives to do in his own music.
Zeitlin grew up listening to the music of Gershwin. His parents loved both the popular and symphonic works. Zeitlin remembers as a child being especially galvanized by the music to An American In Paris. Years later, it was the reinterpretation of Gershwin’s musical Porgy and Bess by Miles Davis and Gil Evans that expanded Zeitlin’s appreciation of the music’s potential as a springboard for improvisation.
When it came time to prepare for his Gershwin concert, Zeitlin began to hone pieces that he would consider for performance. A few months out he began to look at a Gershwin songbook, hoping to find pieces that he never heard or studying pieces that he knew, trying to find new dimensions within each piece. His aim was to breathe fresh life into the pieces and provide new flavors that listeners might appreciate.
On December 7, 2018, Zeitin returned to Piedmont Piano Company and sat down at a beautiful concert grand that he had selected himself to bridge Gershwin’s timeless pieces to contemporary explorations in improvisation.”
CD $14

LEO GENOVESE / DEMIAN CABAUD / MARCOS CAVALEIRO - Estrellero (Sunnyside 1704; USA) ”It is accepted for creative artists to tug on the reigns of the expected. In the worlds of jazz and contemporary music, musicians are instructed to respect the conventional parameters of the genre they learn. But it is for the musicians to push the limits of the rules in order to make new discoveries. The trio of Leo Genovese, Demian Cabaud, and Marcos Cavaleiro take such an unbridled approach to music making on their new recording, Estrellero.
Argentinean pianist Leo Genovese met his fellow countryman, bassist Demian Cabaud, while they both attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Their twenty-year friendship has never diminished, even as Cabaud settled in Porto, Portugal. It was in Portugal, that the duo met drummer Marcos Cavaleiro, a perfect musical match to Genovese and Cabaud.
The three musicians have developed a deep trust born from years of camaraderie, a feeling that brings comfort on the bandstand through their intuitive approach to group performance. The rarity of their meetings was magnified by the pandemic, leaving the triumvirate dreaming of getting together again. Once the travel restrictions were lifted, Genovese made sure to return to his friends in Portugal to perform and record.
Genovese and Cabaud were introduced to the idea of the estrellero by an Argentinean gaucho friend, Orlando Vera Cruz. An estrellero is a horse that can never be fully trained and, even when harnessed, continues to pull away, typically looking up toward the stars. The musicians found this a perfect metaphor for their musical journey, always being tethered to the rules of music but trying to look beyond and race ahead.
When the plan to record began to shape up, Genovese and Cabaud looked to their ever-expanding books of compositions, trying to discern which pieces asked to be played by this assembly of players. Once the repertoire was picked, the three met in Cara-Ojm Studio, near Porto, to record.”
CD $14

MIKE CLARK with JON DAVIS / LEON LEE DORSEY - Mike Clark Plays the Music of Herbie Hancock (Sunnyside 1692; USA) The music of Herbie Hancock has affected the lives of generations of jazz performers. Like many of these musicians, it was the opportunity to play with the great pianist/composer that introduced the great drummer Mike Clark to the jazz world at large. To show his appreciation, Clark presents a selection of his favorite Hancock pieces performed with a trio on his new recording, Mike Clark Plays Herbie Hancock.
Mike Clark was a burgeoning professional drummer in the Bay Area during the late 1960s. He regularly played post-bop gigs with Woody Shaw and Bobby Hutcherson, but it was in organ trios and funky gigs with his friend, bassist Paul Jackson, that really cemented Clark’s standing on the scene.
At the time, Hancock’s ground-breaking, electric Mwandishi ensemble broke up due to financial constraints. Hancock began to regroup a smaller, funkier ensemble and hired Jackson. Hancock initially had Harvey Mason for the drum chair, but his work constraints wouldn’t allow him to join. Jackson recommended Clark for the group and the Headhunters were born.
Clark’s tenure with Hancock and the Headhunters broke the drummer into the jazz consciousness and allowed him to do some revolutionary things on his instrument. Eventually, the pull of acoustic jazz playing was too much for Clark to deny and he settled in New York City and joined its incredible jazz scene. Clark remains indebted to Hancock for opening the door to a wider audience. Hancock also introduced Clark to the study of Buddhism.
Though he was known for his association with some of Hancock’s funkiest music, it was the sophisticated contemporary sounds of Hancock’s 1960s Blue Note recordings that Clark appreciated most. Clark knew that if he recorded any of his former boss’s music, it would be these pieces that he would love to take on.
Once Clark decided he wanted to go for the project, he knew just the musicians he would incorporate in a trio. Bassist Leon Lee Dorsey and pianist Jon Davis have been longtime collaborators, open to any stylistic challenge and, mostly importantly, they always swing. It just so happened that Dorsey had studio time available at Manhattan Sky Studio in New York City at the beginning of June 2022, where the trio convened and recorded a program of Hancock tunes in one or two takes, apiece.”
CD $14

MOKOOMBA - Tusona: Tracings in the Sand (Out Here Records 037CD; Germany) “Five years after the release of Luyando, Zimbabwe's most celebrated music export returns with their long-awaited follow-up album, Tusona: Tracings in the Sand. The six musicians from Victoria Falls are refining their unique sound: infectious Afro grooves deeply connected to Zimbabwe's cultural DNA. Tusana is their most danceable album to date, a DIY production recorded during the pandemic in Zimbabwe. It features horns by Ghanaian highlife outfit Santrofi. Every Sunday, there is a gathering in the sweltering heat on grounds of an old local beer hall in the Chinotimba township in Mosi-o-Tunya (Victoria Falls). Entertainment is provided by various traditional groups including the Luvale Makisi masquerade. It is a day full of singing, drumming, dancing and storytelling. Mokoomba's lead vocalist Mathias Muzaza can often be found here singing with a voice both soaring and vulnerable. In the course of the afternoon the other band members -- guitarist Trustworth Samende, bass player Abundance Mutori, keyboard player Phathisani Moyo, percussionist Miti Mugande, and drummer Ndaba Coster Moyo -- often join in with singing. The collective from Zimbabwe put in all the experiences made over the previous years and have forged their music into a unique Zimbabwean sound. On the album Mokoomba are singing about love, loss, courage in a changing society. The first single "Nzara Hapana" is a song about a man who wants to ensure the future of his wife and family and is trying to protect them against the greed of his relatives. The danceable up-tempo song "Nyansola" praises the goddess of harvest and asks her for rain. "Makisi" is sung in Luvale and it celebrates the beauty of the initiation ceremony for which the whole community comes together. "Manina" is a song about losing a loved one. Mokoomba sing in many different local languages. Their songs are in Tonga, Luvale, Shona, Nyanja and even Lingala used in "Makolo" when they team up with Congolese singer Desolo B. Tusona refers to an ancient system of signs and symbols, drawn in the sand and used for instruction during initiation ceremonies by the Luvale in Southern Africa. Another important part of the Mukanda initiation ceremony is the incredible Makisi masquerade. The Makisi are masked characters, representing the spirit of deceased ancestors. During the yearly initiation ceremony, the Makisi return to the living world to teach the young children to become responsible adults among the Lubale people of Southern Africa. It is the connection with the cultures around them that gives Mokoomba's music its spiritual power.
CD $17

LP SECTION:

JOE HARRIOTT / AMANCIO D'SILVA QUARTET With IAN CARR / DAVE GREEN / BRYAN SPRING / NORMA WINSTONE - Hum Dono (TRUNK JBH 099LP; UK) This is/was a 1969 EMI recording with all tracks written by D'Silva except "Spring Low, Sweet Harriott" by Harriott and Spring. Joe Harriott: Alto Sax; Amancio D'silva: Guitar; Dave Green: Bass; Bryan Spring: Drums; Norma Winstone: Vocal; Ian Carr: Trumpet, Flugelhorn. In 1969, Harriott recorded the album Hum-Dono (meaning "Both of Us" in Hindi and Urdu) in collaboration with the Goanese guitarist Amancio D'Silva. This was an unqualified success. Also featuring trumpeter Ian Carr and vocalist Norma Winstone, this album presented a more subtle and fluid mix of Harriott's signature alto sound with D'Silva's unique Indo-bebop guitar style. Coming after the 'Indo-Jazz' recordings with John Mayer wherein Harriott moved into "world music" - long before that phrase was coined - developing his own brand of East-West fusion, using Western as well as Eastern instruments. Here the fusion continues in perhaps a slightly more subtle fashion. D'Silva draws upon the jazz guitar tradition of Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery, but sneaks in aspects of the Indian vocal tradition on the title track and Norma Winstone's vocals on the opening slide effortlessly from Indian popular song styles to snatches of "My Favourite Things". On the opening, there are Latin rhythmic inflections, on "Ballad for Goa" shades of Portuguese fado and on the closing track, what to these ears sound like a precursor of the fusion music that was to become immensely popular in the 1970s. This is an exquisite, beautiful record. It's all very tastefully done and it swings like hell in passages. This is Harriott in yet another setting and yet again pointing ahead to what was to come.”
LP $36

KNOEL SCOTT Featuring MARSHALL ALLEN - Celestial (Night Dreamer ND 015LP; UK) Sun Ra Arkestra saxophonist Knoel Scott reaches for the sky to release debut studio album Celestial with long-time collaborator Marshall Allen. Best known for his long-standing role in Sun Ra Arkestra, saxophonist, composer, vocalist and performer Knoel Scott is a jazz legend in his own right. A celebration of his tight knit relationship with Arkestra leader Marshall Allen, Celestial marks Scott's first major studio release after more than 40 years at the vanguard of modern jazz. Building on a career that has seen Scott record and perform alongside jazz greats such as Sun Ra, Charles Earland, Lou Donaldson, and Leon Thomas, the five-track album is steeped in the composition and performance styles of the African American jazz tradition, from blues and be-bop to the cosmic avant-garde. Recorded in mono direct to tape and cut on a Scully lathe at the all-analog Artone Studios in the Netherlands, Celestial brings together an inter-generational ensemble including bright sparks of the UK jazz scene, Charlie Stacey and Mikele Montolli, alongside Arkestra alumnus Chris Henderson. For Scott and Allen, it represents the culmination of decades of collaboration. The album begins in explosive style with the hard grooving "Les Funambules", a prime example of Scott's ability to walk a tightrope between hard bop form and raw improvisation. The session then orbits around Scott's composition "Celestial", an interstellar 12-minute space walk that was originally written for the Sun Ra Arkestra with strings but was never recorded. Featuring Marshall Allen on the otherworldly EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), Celestial also hears Scott in full voice, reciting lyrics written by Arkestra vocalist and lyricist Arnold "Art" Jenkins. "The song is a testimony and a memorial to Art and his artistry, as much as it is an example of my own," Scott explains. Following the collaborative spirit of the album, Scott's composition "Makanda" pays tribute to educator and mentor Dr. Ken "Makanda" McIntyre, an associate of Eric Dolphy and a formative influence in Scott's musical life. A homage to the way McIntyre incorporated various idioms of African American music into his compositions, "Makanda" blends funk, Afro-Cuban, and swing styles into a powerful and coherent whole. Alongside Knoel's original recordings, the session features two improvised tracks led by Marshall Allen, which speak to the deep musical friendship between the two. Scott describes "Conversation with the Cosmos" and "Blu Blues" as "a testimony to Marshall's incredible improvisational contribution, and his ability to read and conjure all kinds of music and bring the best out of musicians."
LP $30

HAROLD McKINNEY - Voices & Rhythms Of The Creative Profile (Green Vinyl)(Now-Again 5212C-LP; USA) "Voices Of Rhythm & Creative Profile is now available in a limited-edition green vinyl pressing. The influential Detroit pianist's sole 1970s album. Remastered and lacquered by Bernie Grundman, Now-Again presents the definitive Tribe Records reissues. Deep, spiritual jazz of the highest order. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America's 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, 'Music is the healing force of the universe.' Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff 'Chairman' Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe's mid-1970s heyday."
LP $35

PAULINE OLIVEROS & REYNOLS - Half a Dove in New York, Half a Dove in Buenos Aires (Smalltown Supersound Le Jazz Now 407LP; Norway) “Recorded back in 1999, Half a Dove in New York, Half a Dove in Buenos Aires is the recorded debut of a NetCast improv between deep listening pioneer Pauline Oliveros and Argentinian free music trio Reynols -- a fascinating early example of the internet's capacity to foster remote creativity in-the-moment that deploys the slowest electronics, accordion, voice, trombone and computer sounds on a next level ritual drone incantation recorded in another era, but made for our time. As the story goes, Oliveros first met Reynols in the mid-90s at a Deep Listening workshop she held in their home city, Buenos Aires, where they impressed her with an improvised brass serenade. Years later, in 1999, they met again via NetCast -- a series of very early online live improvisations -- to explore the Internet's potential for collaborations between artists thousands of miles apart. Finally mixed down in 2021 and mastered by Helge Sten (aka Deathprod) after marinating in the archive for 22 years, the album resonates with the late, great Oliveros's legendary work in exploring alternate tunings, spatial dynamics and methods of intuitive performance -- a remarkable slab of omnidirectional drone bearing traces of Miguel Tomasin's vox and Oliveros' just-intoned accordion embedded in its cosmic roil. Broadcasting from fabled record shop The Thing in NYC, with Oliveros (accordion) joined by Jennifer McCoy (ICR), Kevin McCoy (computer processing), and Monique Buzzarté (trombone), and Reynols revolving Miguel Tomasin (electronics, subliminal voice, Alclorse drums), Rob Conlazo (electronics, leather gloves & e-gtr), and Anla Courtis (electronics, rubber foot & e-gtr) and dialing-in from Florida 943 in Buenos Aires, the results are an incredibly absorbing and consistently surprising testament to vanguard, experimental spirits prizing the internet's nascent, unprecedented ability to connect minds and art across continents, language barriers, and modalities. The album's first side, titled "Micro Macro Wind Dance", puts Oliveros's accordion under a microscope, enhancing it with lower case rumble and noise from Reynolds' arsenal. Shifting glacially over 22-minutes, Oliveros plays subtly and slowly at first, letting the accordion breathe in-and-out like a sleeping mythical beast, before she transitions to fluttering bird-like phrases by the end of the side. "Astral Netcast Pigeon" expands the dissonant drones to widescreen, submerging Oliveros's trills and drones beneath layers of dirt and grit. Time-altering music that's basically the perfect mid-point between Oliveros' deep listening practices and Reynols' wildly inspirational free-noise-drone freakouts. Liner notes by Pauline Oliveros. Design by Lasse Marhaug. Produced by Reynols, mastered by Helge Sten. Edition of 500.
LP $30

MARY JANE LEACH - Woodwind Multiples (Modern Love 125LP; UK) Mary Jane Leach is a composer focused on the physicality of sound, its acoustic properties and how they interact with space. She has played an instrumental role in NYC's pioneering Downtown scene alongside Arthur Russell, Ellen Fullman, Peter Zummo, Philip Corner, and Arnold Dreyblatt, as well as devoting years to the preservation and reappraisal of Julius Eastman's work since his death in 1990, compiling Unjust Malaise (2005) and editing the book Gay Guerrilla: Julius Eastman and His Music (2015). Woodwind Multiples features four pieces for multiples of the same instrument: four bass flutes, nine oboes, nine clarinets, and seven bassoons. Each piece works closely with the unique sound of each instrument, combining pitches that create other, sometimes unexpected, tones, primarily combination and interference tones, as well as rhythmic patterns. What you hear is what happens naturally -- there is no processing or manipulation. 8B4 (1985/2022), played by Manuel Zurria, is for four bass flutes. It is a revision of 8x4, which was written in 1985 for the DownTown Ensemble and was only performed once, due to its unusual instrumentation: alto flute, English horn (originally bass oboe), clarinet, and voice. Xantippe's Rebuke (1993) was written for Libby Van Cleve, for eight taped oboes and one live, solo oboe. The eight taped parts are equal and dependent, while the solo part is meant to be a solo with the tape as accompaniment. The piece works with the unique sound of the oboe, starting with unison pitches that create the richest sound, building the piece from there. Pitches and rhythmic patterns that occur naturally are notated and then played later, which in turn create other pitches and rhythmic patterns. Charybdis (2020), played by Sam Dunscombe, is for solo clarinet and eight taped clarinets. It combines a somewhat obscured reference to Weep You No More, a John Dowland piece, which combines with the sound phenomena created from the melody and supporting chords of the Dowland. Feu de Joie (1992) was written for bassoonist Shannon Peet and is an homage to the bassoon and its wonderful sound. It is for seven parts -- six taped and one "live." The taped bassoons combine to create a bed of sound that exploits the unique qualities of the bassoon, creating combination and interference tones, starting off with unison pitches, creating a rich sound that builds from there. Most of the subsequent pitches and phrases occur naturally, and are then notated later on in the piece, which in turn creates other notes and phrases. Engineered by Manuel Zurria, Bryce Goggin, and Sam Dunscombe, mastered by Rashad Becker.”
LP $36

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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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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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LOTIC TIME: Saturday, August 5, 2pm-7pm
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
Free and open to the public!
[Rain Date August 6]
https://socratessculpturepark.org/program/lotic-time/

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Saturday, August 12:

HU VIBRATIONAL PRESENTS
TIMELESS - LP RELEASE CONCERT
@ Public Records
233 Butler St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
doors 7pm / one set 8pm

mutli-kulti-trance-groove-meditational-dance music
HU VIBRATIONAL Featuring:
Adam Rudolph - percussion, electronic processing, cajon, sintir, thumb pianos
Alexis Marcelo - electric keyboards
Damon Banks - electric bass
Harris Eisenstadt - bata, shekere
Mir Iqbal - tabla, percussion
Neel Murgai - electric sitar, overtone singing and electronics
Tim Kieper - percussion, dusu n’goni
Tripp Dudley - cajon, dumbek, frame drums, percussion

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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 Information: 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

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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.

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

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