DMG Newsletter for August 4th, 2023:

What is the secret of this tie that binds
Two souls in communion, both body and mind
Is it special magic or just the nature of things?
Conceived of great spirit, not for beggars but kings

You who have found it, please help me along
I'm a man, I'm a man, I'm not, I'm not made out of stone
My needs they are simple, I don't want many things
But I truly want to fly on them wings of love one more time

That's all I need
I wanna fly on them wings
I wanna fly on them wings of love
I'm a stranger here

Won't somebody help me now
I wake up early in the morning
You know, you know, you know my pillow gets soaking wet
All I need, all I need

That's to fly on them wings
I'm in love one more time
I'm a stranger in your town
Come on and see about me…

The above song was written (words & music) by Pigpen (Ron McKernan), original lead singer, organist, blues-harp player & frontman for the Grateful Dead from their beginning (in 1965) until his demise in 1973. Although Jerry Garcia became the spiritual leader/frontman of the Dead, it was Pigpen who really led the Dead with his soulful, bluesy singing, spirited harp playing, unadorned organ playing and heart-felt pleading to get the Dead fans in attendance to get along with and get next to the folks around them (for a hopeful relationship). Pigpen was a blues, soul & R&B fanatic and often sounded like he lived the words he sung. Pigpen often chose cover songs to do like “Turn on Your Lovelight”, “It’s a Man’s World”, “Good Lovin’” or “It Hurts Me Too”. He sang every song with strong conviction. He also wrote a few of his own songs as well. I’ve listened to the above song several times as I make my way through listening to every gig on the famous ‘Europe ’72’ tour (22 dates in April & May of 1972). Pigpen love to drink alcohol and was not into psychedelics like the other members of the band. Sadly, it was his drinking that eventually did him in (liver damage), in March of 1973. The more I listen to live Dead gigs from 1972 and before, the more I realize how important Pigpen’s role was in the entire Grateful Dead mythology. The song, “He’s Gone” which was premiered on the Europe ’72 tour, the last tour that Pigpen did with the Dead, is a tribute to him. When Jerry sings is, I can hear the deep sadness in his voice. Check out those words above, it is a poignant plead for Love. We still love you Pigpen, your spirit remains in all of us who still enjoy the Grateful Dead in their early and most fertile period. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

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

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

Tuesday, August 15th:
6:30: T Z - Accordion / SEAN ALI - Contrabass
7:30: F.T.D. with CAMERON CAMPBELL / LEMUEL MARC - Keyboards/Trumpet/Synth/Melodica/Drums
8:30: KYLE JESSEN - Solo Sax

Tuesday, August 22nd:
6:30: T.J. BORDEN / VARUN RANGASWAMY - Cello / Bassoon
7:30: STEVE SWELL - Solo Trombone
8:30: DARREN JOHNSTON / SANTIAGO LEIBSON - Trumpet / Keyboard

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 welcome. 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. I post 1 minute segments from these sets almost every day on our InstaGram feed, so please check them out and come down to visit when you can. - BLG/DMG

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This Week’s Important Discs Begin with Two Great Historic Recordings:

JOHN COLTRANE / ERIC DOLPHY / McCOY TYNER / REGGIE WORKMAN / ART DAVIS / ELVIN JONES - Evenings at Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy (Impulse Records 377840.2; USA) John Coltrane’s transition from Miles Davis sideman to expressionist iconoclast is well documented. A multitude of live recordings trace the saxophonist’s search for new trains of thought and studio albums reveal ideas taking shape. Alongside Giant Steps and A Love Supreme, Coltrane’s Village Vanguard sessions recorded in November 1961 stand out.
This release, featuring multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, dates from earlier that year, and is from the Village Gate, another intimate New York jazz club. Presumed lost, the recordings were recently rediscovered in the archives of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Sound quality is reasonable, though the mix is a little drum-heavy, and the playing focused and relaxed.
The set stands up well against Coltrane’s other live recordings of the time. Dolphy is in effervescent mood and well featured on flute, bass clarinet and alto sax. His angular lines, an intriguing contrast to Coltrane’s intense improvisations on soprano sax, are captured in unusual depth. Dolphy’s flute rippling over McCoy Tyner’s trademark piano vamp freshens “My Favourite Things”. And it is his singular approach to bass clarinet that makes “When Lights are Low”, a Coltrane rarity, so distinctive.
Elsewhere, the leader’s “Impressions” is taken thrillingly at speed while “Greensleeves” meanders. But it is the only known live version of Coltrane’s “Africa” that most justifies the album’s release. The studio version, his first recording for the Impulse! label, was recorded with a large ensemble two months before the Village Gate gig. Here Coltrane captures that power with his muscular tenor sax while Dolphy riffs and whoops in support. Drummer Elvin Jones adds light-touch thrust and double-bassists Reggie Workman and Art Davis underpin a 22-minute epic of sustained invention. It’s a killer.” - Mike Hobart, Financial Times
CD $17

FRANK ZAPPA with IAN UNDERWOOD / SUGARCANE HARRIS / MAX BENNETT / AYNSLEY DUNBAR / et al - Funky Nothingness (Zappa Records 20043-2; USA) “Long after his death at the age of 52 in December 1993, Frank Zappa remains one of the most fascinating musicians and composers of his generation. Zappa was a rare individual who was equally skilled playing and writing in a number of different genres and styles, Funky Nothingness represents the brief era of a band which deserved to last longer than it did. Early on, Zappa realized the importance of recording whenever possible, as an impromptu studio jam or concert highlight might otherwise be lost for good. Especially after he dissolved his original Mothers of Invention band in 1969, Zappa sought out the best musicians possible. By the time of his death he had amassed a sizable library of unissued studio and concert performances. With the time Zappa spent composing, rehearsing bands and going on the road, it is little wonder that there was insufficient time for him to go through his entire archive to locate hidden treasures for release.
Posthumous releases of Zappa's music have been a mixed bag, ranging from band rehearsals with less than high fidelity sound, expanded reissues which include works in progress prior to overdubbing and editing, expanded versions of previously issued albums and CDs or CD sets of completely unreleased (or mostly so) music. This collection falls into the latter category and is a release which long-time Zappa fans have dreamed of being discovered.
With the success of his 1969 LP Hot Rats, Zappa continued to explore mostly instrumental blues, utilizing a core band which appeared on that LP, including keyboardist, multi-reed player and rhythm guitarist Ian Underwood, violinist, organist and vocalist Don "Sugar Cane" Harris, Wrecking Crew bassist Max Bennett and drummer Aynsley Dunbar. Aside from the title track, which is heard in two versions with other musicians recorded in 1967 during the making of Uncle Meat, this is the group heard throughout the rest of the 3CD set, although the 2 LP edition simultaneously released with it omit some of the tracks found in this set.
It is difficult to tell how long this band was rehearsing and recording, though at least two concerts took place, one in the San Diego Sports Arena on February 8th, then another on March 7th at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, part of which appeared on the bootleg Hot Rats -Live at the Olympic, an audience recording. The studio sessions took place in early 1970, but the band clearly had a grip on Zappa's new compositions and arrangements, playing them with the intensity of a live set of regular repertoire. In this period of his career, Zappa enjoyed leading extended jams in the studio, even if the final result was too long to release on LP. He was a creative tape editor who could distill the best segments from a long performance into an effective shorter track.
The two 1967 tracks are miniatures entitled "Funky Nothingness," a slow blues with acoustic guitar, bass and a mostly wordless vocal, along with the electric "Fast Funky Nothingness," which is somewhat reminiscent of Zappa's composition "Speed Freak Boogie," though it is quickly faded out.
Among Zappa's many interests were vintage R&B songs from the '50s. The playful medley of two hits by Hank Ballard. "Work With Me Annie" and "Annie Had A Baby" features Harris' strong vocal and intense violin, with Zappa's unique guitar as seasoning. "Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild" is another terrific Harris vocal feature, although the introduction is reminiscent of an unissued version of Zappa's "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama" which ended up on bootleg LPs in the early '70s. A huge surprise is Zappa's lead vocal in an extended workout of bluesman Lightnin' Slim's "I'm A Rollin' Stone," this twelve-plus-minute workout never loses steam with Zappa's guitar taking center stage, though Harris and Underwood (on organ) shine, with the playing of Bennett and Dunbar adding the perfect backdrop. There are no fewer than three versions of "Chunga's Revenge," the first being a nine-plus minute basement jam from his Laurel Canyon home which sounds like an early rehearsal with slightly less fidelity than the two studio takes. Both Take 5 and Take 8 feature Ian Underwood playing electric alto saxophone with a wah-wah pedal and "Sugar Cane" Harris on organ, with superb support from Bennett and Dunbar. Underwood simulates an electric guitar with his brilliant, intricate solos, though in both takes, strong solos by Zappa, Harris and Dunbar are featured as well.
Zappa's "The Clap" was a percussion solo he played on the album Chunga's Revenge, though the two versions here reveal his fascination with polyrhythms and finding unique effects. Part I is over eleven minutes, while Part II is just over four minutes, both considerably longer than the originally issued track which was edited down from them. It isn't surprising to hear Zappa on drums, since he first played them before switching to guitar and he joined Ruth Underwood on stage to play percussion during early '70s concerts. However, the biggest treasure is the discovery of two complete takes, plus a false start, of the little known composition "Twinkle Tits," an outstanding instrumental jam which fuses several different genres into a explosive force. Take 5 is sixteen minutes long and the best of the three, with terrific solos all around, with its exotic Middle Eastern-influenced introduction which includes a bit of honky-tonk piano, acoustic bass, marimba and a guitar which could only be Zappa. Yet, as the tempo increases, the bluesy element takes prominence, while Harris shares solo honors with Zappa for his high energy. Take 8 is nearly twenty minutes long and features a blistering Zappa guitar solo, though the overall take doesn't quite reach the heights of the shorter version. The false start of under a minute is included for historic interest, as Zappa usually bypassed including partial takes unless he found them amusing. Another find is an eighteen-minute unedited master of Zappa's masterpiece, "Transylvania Boogie," which sounds quite different from the version issued on the album Chunga's Revenge, though the last five-and-a-half minutes of it sound like this segment was used for the basic track on the original LP. Zappa steals the show with his lengthy improvisation, while the rhythm section keeps the fire going throughout the jam, with Underwood's sublime, bluesy organ solo adding to its value.
The two versions of "Sharleena" contrast with the performance heard on Chunga's Revenge, as Harris had left Zappa by the time it was recorded and bassist Jeff Simmons joined Zappa for the lead vocals with backing vocals by Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. These two takes feature Harris with Zappa on lead vocals, buoyed by Harris' bluesy violin and Zappa's piercing guitar, both of which are far more interesting than the issued version. Bonus discoveries include "Halos And Arrows," a fascinating instrumental with two separate guitars, rhythm guitar and bass, along with the breezy, soulful instrumental "Khaki Sack."
Not long after these Hot Rats sessions were completed, Zappa's focus turned to completing his orchestral work "200 Motels," which was premiered with Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on May 15, 1970, with a newly assembled group of Mothers, including Underwood and Dunbar. The suite was rewritten prior to making the film and soundtrack the following year. It is unclear whether Zappa disbanding Hot Rats or the departure of "Sugar Cane" Harris to record as a solo artist resulted in the demise of the band. Vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman attended his UCLA concert and Zappa soon after launched a new edition of The Mothers which included them, creating a new repertoire of works which were a hybrid of comedy, skits and suggestive lyrics, with the occasional instrumental. As Zappa said in a 1989 phone interview, "It wasn't really a great band, but we had a lot of laughs." - Ken Dryden, AllAboutJazz
3 CD Set $48

JASON KAO HWANG CRITICAL RESPONSE with ANDERS NILSSON / MICHAEL T.A. THOMPSON - Book of Stories (True Sound Recordings TS04; USA) Critical Response is Jason Kao Hwang on electric violin & compositions, Anders Nilsson on electric guitar and Michael T.A. Thompson on drums. Since the turn of the millenium Downtown string wizard, Jason Kao Hwang, has released a half dozen discs, each one completely different from the others, personnel & concept-wise. From large ensembles (’Symphony of Souls’) to smaller ones (JH’s Edge), Mr. Hwang keeps pushing himself into unexpected terrain. In his early years, Mr. Hwang was known for playing Free/Jazz on his violin with the legendary loft/jazz ensemble Commitment (1981-1983). Hwang has been experimenting with playing electric violin and this is his first offering to feature him on electric violin, an instrument that has been around since the mid-seventies (during the fusion era), yet has just a few musicians who play it exclusively. For this new trio project, Hwang has chosen Anders Nilsson to play electric guitar. Mr. Nilsson is one Downtown’s best pickers who has worked with Fay Victor, Kalabalik (w/ Raoul Bjorkenheim & Gerald Cleaver) & Jeremy Carlstedt. Drummer Michael TA Thompson is someone I’ve long admired although he doesn’t seem to have been recorded very much (with Patrick Brennan, Charles Gayle & Vinny Golia).
`The opening piece, “The Power of Many in the Soul of One” is an epic length work dedicated to Joshua Wong, the leader of the democracy movement in Hong Kong. The piece has a soulful, bluesy vibe with strong interplay between the members of the trio. Both Mr. Hwang and Mr. Nilsson play the theme together as a unified force. The electric violin and electric guitar sound wonderful together, both have that strong, passion-filled edge, something that was often missing from the jazz/rock/fusion bands of the seventies when they became formulated & predictable due to chasing money & fame, rather than Art. Both Hwang and Nilsson use some devices on their respective instruments selectively but never too much. Mr. Hwang uses some subtle wah wah, giving his violin a more vocal sound. What’s interesting here is the way the trio plays with much restraint, slyly moving in waves around one another, sounding like the music was directed and not completely free. “Upside Down Circle” is a laid back, enchanting bluesy ballad of sorts with some exquisite violin & guitar playing together like old ghosts. Since this is just a trio, each member is integral so the sound. Drummer Michael TA Thompson takes a few short solos here & there which sound like they are an extension of whatever has come before or after. The opening theme on “Dragon Carved into Bone” is most hypnotic. This is followed by a freer section which includes some amazing solos from all three members of the trio. What I really dig about this is how well Jason Hwang & Anders Nilsson play together, their sound is somewhat similar and often sound like they are coming from the same soulful fabric that connects all of us sensitive folks. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

SCOTT FIELDS ENSEMBLE - Plays the Songs of Steve Dalachinsky (Ayler Records AylCD-180; France) Featuring Scott Fields on electric guitar & compositions, Annette Maye on clarinets, Melvyn Poore on tuba, Norbert Rodenkirchen on flutes, Florian Stadler on accordion, Eva Popplein on electronics and Barbara Schactner on vocals. The thing that I’ve always dug about American-born, Austrian-based guitarist/composer Scott Fields is that nearly all of his 3 dozen-plus discs have a concept in mind and are not mainly free improv excursions. The concept for this disc was/is taking the poetry of the late Downtown poet Steve Dalachinsky and using his words an inspiration for the sextet that Mr. Fields has organized here. Steve Dalachinsky was an old, dear friend of mine who I would meet at more concerts than anyone else throughout the four decades that we were friends. Although I didn’t know he was a poet until the early nineties, we were kindred spirits as far as having a passion to check out as many Creative Music concerts as was possible. It turned out that Dalachinsky was also a wonderful poet and did the best job I knew of documenting/discussing (through his poetry) the music that a handful of us lived to hear played live many times a week for many years. Mr. Dalachinsky and his lovely wife Yuko Otomo, Irving & Stephanie Stone and yours truly would often be the only folks to attend many of the same concerts, especially during the early years of the Downtown Scene. When Mr. Dalachinsky passed away in September of 2019, we lost a special creative spirit who was a friend to many of the musicians, artists & serious listeners of the Downtown Scene.
   Mr. Fields takes six of Mr. Dalachinsky’s poems and sets them to music which sounds partially free yet somehow directed. Mr. Fields has been living and thriving in Austria some three decades and this is where all or most of the musicians here are based. I only know a couple of the names here like Melvyn Poore (who has worked with Frank Gratkowski & the King Ubu Orchestra) and Norbert Rodenkirchen (who has worked with Albrecht Maurer). The music here is continuous with short interludes in between each piece. Although vocalist Barbara Schachtner sounds like an opera singer, she is used sparingly and is an integral member of this sextet. Dalachinsky’s poems are reprinted in the enclosed booklet so we can savor their meaning. The music often sounds like chamber music and is thoughtfully composed and focused. There are little or no actual solos here yet the music is consistently fascinating and quirky with some unexpected twists and turns. The only member who gets a chance to stretch a bit is Mr. Fields who often adds some odd, barbed spice at times. Although the music doesn’t remind me of the irascible Mr. Dalachinsky, hearing the words at times does recall his gift for describing the life of us serious Downtown listeners. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG  
CD $15

SAM BARDFELD TRIO with JACOB SACKS / MICHAEL SARIN - refuge (Brooklyn Jazz Underground 073; USA) Featuring Sam Bardfeld on violin, most compositions & all arrangements, Jacob Sacks on piano and Michael Sarin on drums & melodica. I’ve had my eye & ear on violinist Sam Bardfeld ever since hearing him with the Jazz Passengers, as well as working with Ehran Elisha, Joel Harrison String Choir and Ed Ratliff’s Rhapsodalia. Mr. Bardfeld records infrequently as a leader but does have a few discs on Fresh Sounds, CIMP and two on Brooklyn Jazz Underground. Mr. Bardfeld has picked two of Downtown’s best, pianist Jacob Sacks and drummer Michael Sarin, both with long, impressive resumes. Mr. Bardfeld wrote 5 of the seven songs here with two odd covers: Bruce Springsteen and Andrew Hill. This disc opens with Bardfeld’s “It Might Not Work”, which has an odd, rather Monk-like bent melody. Bardfeld seesaws on top weaving a compelling tapestry which is tight yet unpredictable. It turns out that Bardfeld is a big Bruce Springsteen fan and has even toured with The Boss. The trio covers “Atlantic City” from Springsteen’s only truly solo offering, ’Nebraska’. Bardfeld’s violin does a fine job of making the melody even more haunting, resonating nicely and plucking the strings of our hearts. Since there is not bassist here, Mr. Sacks’ piano and Mr. Sarin’s drums do a fine job of holding down the low end or bass part just right. Sacks takes a most majestic piano solo here in the last section of this song, which brings it to a righteous closing. Bardfeld has a unique sound on the violin, often reaching for the stars by embellishing the melody with subtle fireworks. Gifted pianist Jacob Sacks is yet another under-recognized piano giant who often adds his distinctive magic touch to the work of Hank Roberts, Tom Rainey & Jacob Garchik. When you least expect it, Sacks will throw in these complex sparks to push the transcendence higher. Mr. Bardfeld plays exclusively acoustic violin here and delights us with his ongoing inventiveness, plucking certain notes, twisting the melody by bowing in his own unique way. Bardfeld has a way of making his violin sing like a voice which has depth and keeps revealing another layer of meaning with each line or chorus. Andrew Hill’s “Refuge”, which opens ‘Point of Departure’ (perhaps his most popular LP), closes this disc. Andrew Hill is known for writing challenging music which makes demands on the musicians who are playing it. The trio here do a fine job with Bardfeld stretching out his notes, bending some notes inside out and dancing on the head of a pin as the piece keeps changing the tempo as it moves from one section to the next. What’s interesting is that it is free or too difficult to enjoy, it is inventive in other ways. A nice gem from the Downtown treasure chest. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14 [In stock in a week or so]

FAT JOHN SEXTET with CHRIS PYNE / RAY WARLEIGH / TONY ROBERTS / PETER LEMER / DANNY THOMPSON / JOHN COX - Honesty (Turtle Records MD504; UK) "The unsung band leader and drummer (Fat) John Cox led several modern jazz line ups through the 1960s, and rather like Alexis Korner in the Blues and John Mayall in R&B, his bands were incubators of young and talented English musical performers. With the likes of Alan Skidmore, Art Themen, Harry Beckett, Dave Castle, John Mumford, Ron Mathewson going through the ranks. Inspired by the Afro Cubists led by Kenny Graham whom Cox would watch regularly in native Bristol, and the BeBop movement in general, John Cox eventually set up his first band in 1962. The bonus tracks on disc two were recorded by one of the early line ups a in mid-1962, at this time playing mainstream compositions by Miles Davis, Ray Bryant and Ernie Wilkins, on the cusp of finding their own sound, these three tracks being the only recordings of a Fat John Cox band that ever got released. By the end of 1963 Cox had shaped his group into a sextet with a mainstream sound. The line-up of Chris Pyne: trombone, Ray Warleigh: alto sax, flute, Tony Roberts: tenor sax, flute, bass clarinet, Peter Lemer: piano, Danny Thompson: bass, John Cox: drums. In December 1963, this sextet were invited to PYE Studios to make a demonstration recording, testing the studio and its equipment, not the band. The results, which turned out to be over 90 minutes of capture-the-moment-or-you'll-miss-it early British mainstream jazz, subsequently lay in a dusty attic for 55 years until now. The session includes two compositions, 'Fictive' written by Pete Lemer and 'Blues For Snorty' written by Tony Roberts which are heard here for the first time. With the help of Peter Lemer and Tony Roberts, both of whom at the time were on the cusp of notable careers in music, augmented by a definitive contextual essay by Simon Spillett, and photographs by Henk Visser, we have reconstructed that snap shot in time."
2 CD Set $25

DAVID MIRARCHI / MATHIAS HOJGAARD JENSEN / ELIZA SALEM - Ink Folly, Orchid Gleam (Unbroken Sounds 04; USA) Featuring David Marirachi on alto sax, Mathias Hojgaard Jensen on bass and Eliza Salem on drums. Pennsylvania-based saxist, David Mirarchi played here at DMG with saxist Zoh Amba sometime last year. This was the first time I had heard of Mr. Mirarchi and he sounded fine playing Zoh Amba, a critical darling & local hero on her own. I hadn’t heard of the bassist here, Mathias Hojgaard Jensen, until this disc arrived. Drummer Eliza Salem played at DMG last month (July of 2023) with guitarist Gian Perez. I was most impressed with her feisty, spirited playing. From the gitgo, the trio is off and soaring freely. Mr. Mirarchi has a tart tone and spins out notes furiously, the trio keeping up with him, all three sailing together as one force. Mr. Mirarchi’s tone is somewhere between Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy but without their signature sound. Actually Mirarchi has his own distinctive tone which is well-utilized throughout. The trio evolves organically through intense and more calm sections. Ms. Salem sounds superfine on mallets when the trio mellows midway, taking a long, melodic, unaccompanied sublime solo. The second long piece, “Lick the Blind Spots” starts off with bowed bass and alto sax playing a slow, haunting melody together. The trio sounds as if they’ve been playing for a long while but I don’t think that is the case. I get upwards of a half to a full dozen promo discs every week, year round. I am still amazed at how much great Creative Music is still happening so much of the time. Another gem for this week. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

LIFT with RANDI PONTOPPIDAN / SISSEL VERA PETTERSEN plus THOMAS AGERGAARD - Convocation (Time Span Records 111006; Scandinavia) Featuring Randi Pontoppidan on vocals & live electronics, Sissel Vera Pettersen on vocals, live electronics & soprano sax and Thomas Agergaard on tenor sax & alto flute. I caught Danish experimental vocalist, Randi Pontoppidan, performing with the Theatre of Voices doing Stockhausen’s “Stimmung” at Zankel Hall in 2015. It was an incredible performance! Ms. Pontoppian also performed at DMG, doing a solo back then around the same time as the Stockhausen gig. I recognize the name of Sissel Vera Pettersen from a great trio named Equilibrium that she is a member of with Joachim Badenhorst & Mikkel Ploug. I know od danish saxist Thomas Agergaard from several older discs from the Andrew Hill Jazzpar Octet and The All Ear Trio with John Tchicai & Sirone.
This was recorded in 2007, right after Mr. Agergaard caught the Lift duo at the Wundergrund Festival in Copenhagen. All of the music was improvised live in the studio with no overdubs. Starting with two soft saxes spinning calming around one another before Ms. Pontoppidan’s haunting voice emerges on top and is soon shadowed by Mr. Agergaard’s lush tenor sax. Both voices soon come together, with some simmer sax in the background. Both women are incredible vocalists who take their time to explore their textures and timbres. Both the tenor and soprano saxes play together well, also taking their time to weave layers of lines or just play spacious, tasteful solo bits. Mr. Agergaard switches to flute on “Castaneda Jam”, with the voices popping around him in a jazz-like way (scatting a bit). What makes this music so magical is that neither women use their electronics in more subtle ways, never scream or make harsh sounds with their voices and that there seems to be some respect and reverential space between each sound. Towards the end of the “Castaneda Jam”, both voices sound like tablas, creating a hypnotic groove by repeating certain patterns together while adding a quaint funky beat. Another great thing about this trio is that they work together so well, each voice and each sax is utilized with taste, tenderness and inventiveness yet they sound like one organic sound/stream. Hard to believe that this was completely improvised since there are sections that sound like they were directed by someone who knew how to bring them together just right. A pure delight! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

UDO SCHINDLER / ERIC ZWANG ERIKSSON / SEBASTIANO TRAMONTANA - Canto Senza Parole Allegria (FMR 675; UK) Featuring Udo Schindler on tenor & bass saxes & cornet, Eric Z Eriksson on percussion and Sebastiano Tramontana on trombone & voice. When Udo Schindler sent me a box of his many recent releases (around 65!?!) earlier this year, I thought this was way too much for me to deal with in a timely fashion. There are a number of musicians that I truly admire like Matt Shipp, Ivo Perelman, Satoko Fujii and Paul Dunmall, each of whom has more than 100 releases under their belts. German reeds, brass & synth explorer, Udo Schindler, is also working his way up to the 100 mark and I have reviewed more than a dozen discs so far. I must admit that I’ve enjoyed each of these discs and each one has different personnel. FMR Records sent us three more Schindler discs last month so I review these when I can.
I don’t know German drummer Eric Zwang-Eriksson very well although he can be found on some 10 discs so far, 5 of them with Mr. Schindler. Italian trombonist, Sebi Tramontana, is a bit older (I think) than the other two players here and has worked with Joëlle Léandre, Jeb Bishop and Frank Gratkowski. This session was recorded & filmed in a book store in Munich in July of 2022, exactly 1 year from last Monday, hence there is a video version available online. Schindler begins on tenor sax (with a dark, probing tone), while Mr. Eriksson’s drums spin freely but tightly underneath. The improvising here is very tightly focused. It sounds like all three members are listening and responding like a focused unit. The sax and trombone are great at playing some strong, spirited back & forth action while the drummer balances both just right. When great improv works, it sounds like a series of stories unfolding, one section at a time. A bass sax is a large unwieldy instrument that most players keep in a stand rather than walk around with it. Hence, it is not so easy to play. Schindler concentrates on it during the next to the last long piece while Tramontana uses a mute on his trombone, turning this into a heated conversation. This is no doubt a strong, inventive trio that sound like they’ve been playing together for a long while and the creative comradry holding them together. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14


NEW FROM CADILLAC:

JOY with JAMES DVORAK / FRANK ROBERTS / CHRIS FRANCIS / ERNEST MOTHLE / KEITH BAILEY - Joy (Cadillac 022CD; UK) "Rare 1970s British jazz from Joy: Chris Francis, James Dvorak, Frank Roberts, Ernest Mothle, Keith Bailey, featuring two extended tracks, new texts and photos. Remastered from the original tapes by Keith Bailey and Lawrence Czoka. With insert featuring new pics by acclaimed photographer Jak Kilby, it's the first ever reissue of this cult British jazz LP. The mid-70s should be seen as a vibrant and fecund period for British jazz, including Spear, Molongo, The Brotherhood of Breath, Keith Tippett and Elton Dean's groups and others such as The Quintet (Joy's direct precursor),Keith Bailey's Orbit, Chris Francis' Naima, Maggie Nichols' Voice, Dave Defries' Lemonspiel, Gary Windo's I Dogu featuring Frank Roberts, Quincicasm, Landscape, Harry Becket's Joy Unlimited, Isotope - all working with the punk ethic and generating a special scene. Joy were part of this: there was undoubtedly a buzz around this hip young multi-cultural band featuring London musicians from South Africa, The Caribbean, The US and UK. The LP that came out in 1976 only increased the buzz: one of the best bands playing in the contemporary post-bop style but with their own material."
CD $16

Back in Stock from Cadillac & Ogun:

THE JAZZ DOCTORS with BILLY BANG / DONALD RAFAEL GARRETT / WILBER MORRIS / DENIS CHARLES - Intensive Care: Prescriptions Filled: The Billy Bang Quartet Sessions 1983/1984 (Cadillac Records SGCCD 020CD; UK) "The Jazz Doctors or the Billy Bang Quartet toured Europe in the early 80s. Featuring spiritual jazz pioneer saxophonist Frank Lowe and Vietnam vet turned free jazz violinist Billy Bang, the group recorded in 1983 and 1984 in London. With legendary rhythm section Rafael Garrett and Dennis Charles, they recorded an album for Cadillac that fast became a sought-after classic. The '84 session, with the different but equally astonishing rhythm of Wilber Morris and Thurman Barker, never appeared. Studio problems led to half the album being rendered unusable. Here for the very first time is the music that remained, including a unique and astonishing suite composed by Billy Bang. Newly remastered from the original tapes at Gearbox studio and including a previously unreleased session, and all on CD for the first time, with new sleeve notes and images by acclaimed author/photographer Val Wilmer."
CD $17

60s' SOHO SOUNDS with BOB STUCKEY With DUDU PUKWANA / PHIL LEE / JOHN MARSHALL & With TERRY SMITH / MARTIN HART - Night Time Is The Right Time (Cadillac Records SGCCD007; UK) Recorded at Ronnie Scott's Old Place 1967-68; 1st nine cuts as a quartet [Pukwana, Lee, Marshall, Stuckey], tracks 10-14 Smith-Stuckey-Hart trio A valuable musical and historical document of a glorious era in British jazz, with young organ wiz Bob Stuckey in quartet and trio line-ups recorded live at Ronnie Scott's Old Place (the original incarnation of the now world famous club). South African alto sax legend Dudu Pukwana was a regular cohort and is heard here in the quartet tracks, along with Phil Lee on guitar, and John Marshall drums. The trio recordings following involve Stuckey, guitarist Terry Smith, and drummer Martin Hart. Excellent sound quality and inspired musicianship on this first time issue from the archives. The 18 months of the Old Place saga left many indelible marks on the development of jazz in Britain and from them into the international scene. It was an open-ended laboratory for Mike Westbrook and his cohorts, especially John Surman and Mike Osborne. Chris McGregor could stay there all night after hours brewing his Brotherhood charts and testing them on the gig maybe next evening. And so it roared along.... little bread but lots of sustenance. The memories of it, the privilege to have played a role in it, are in themselves priceless jewels but best of all are the forty years of friendships that have endured from it. Thus I was overjoyed to have the chance to resurrect at least a little taste of some of our Saturday Night soirees. "The tales of Ronnie Scott's Old Place in Soho, London are well known. The Old Place served as the epicenter of the progressive jazz movement in England during the 1960s. Most notably the club provided a place for the talents of the heralded South African defectors, The Blue Notes. The mixed race group, featuring pianist Chris McGregor, saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, Johnny Dyani, and drummer Louis Moholo Moholo (tenor saxophonist Nikolo Moyake already having returned to South Africa),is legendary for leaving their Apartheid stymied country for Europe and the unknown. Having ended up in London in 1964, the Blue Notes quickly began to influence many local musicians with their unique approach to jazz. It is precisely this influence that led to this recording, "Night Time Is The Right Time". Dudu Pukwana quickly became a crowd favorite in London with his unique, strident tone and sing-song approach to melody. Upon hearing Pukwana, organist Bob Stuckey, who was already riding the popularity of the Hammond B3 organ sound that had migrated to England via recordings by Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, and John Patton, heard the Blue Notes and was so taken with Pukwana's sound that he invited him to play with his group in an opening spot for Sonny Stitt's UK tour. Work with Stuckey's band was steady at the Old Place's all night jam sessions. The groups presented here would be typical of those presented by the organist and featured some of London's most promising young musicians. The first nine tracks here present Stuckey and Pukwana with guitarist Phil Lee and the drummer John Marshall, who went on to fame as a sideman with John Surman and Jan Garbarek. Six of the quartet's nine songs were written by Pukwana, showcasing the saxophonist's comfort with the blues form along with his ability to present South African themes within this combo's favored settings. The best example of this is on Jauana's Dream which has a bouncy township melody and almost calypso support from the group. The smoky B, My Dear is a lovely blues ballad that showcases the sensitivity Pukwana could supply a melody. Solos from the Pukwana show his proclivity towards moving outside of the normal jazz improv norm and the ensemble supports him with aplomb, most noticeably on Messengers. There are two strong compositions from Stuckey and guitarist Lee. The organist's Moonshine is a mid tempo swinger with R&B touches. Lee's Night In Brentwood is an up-tempo groover that moves with guitar in lead and features his best solo of the set. The only tune that isn't an original is Abdullah Ibrahim's Kippie named after the legendary South African clarinetist Kippie Moeketsi. The last five tracks on this CD are recordings of Bob Stuckey's trio from the Old Place in 1968. The trio here features drummer Martin Hart, who remains a much in demand sideman after his first notoriety with John Mayall, and guitarist Terry Smith, who is most well known for playing in the jazz/rock band If. The material here is mostly jazz classics that were well known organ features during the time, including Sweet Georgia Brown and All Of You. The readings are good but maybe not essential. The CD is a great buy for South African music enthusiasts, first and foremost. Hearing Pukwana outside of the Blue Notes or the Brotherhood of Breath is a rare treat, especially in the context of an organ trio. To hear him blow on a blues and add his own flair to the tradition is a welcome thing for fans. The recording should also help put his playing into context for listeners unfamiliar with South African jazz and who might be more familiar with the sounds coming out of American jukeboxes during the late '50s and '60s." - Bret Sjerven, guest reviewer
CD $16

S.O.S. with ALAN SKIDMORE / MIKE OSBORNE / JOHN SURMAN - SOS (Ogun 019; UK) Alan Skidmore tenor sax, drums, percussion; Mike Osborne alto sax and percussion; John Surman baritone and soprano saxes, bass clarinet, and synths. "It is wonderful to have this album available for the first time on CD - and scary to realise that it was recorded and released in 1975! It is worth dwelling for a moment on how the (jazz) world has changed in the intervening years. In 1975, the idea of an all-saxophone group was unheard of; the countless legions of saxophone quartets, now two-a-penny, all lay in the future. It was noteworthy, and commented on by reviewers at the time, that SOS did not have a drummer, yet the group's music managed to remain compellingly rhythmic. And Surman's use of synthesiser and electric piano, later developed on his own ECM albums, was considered either revolutionary or eccentric. That's remarkable today, given how many musicians have electronics at the end of their list of credited instruments. One of the many strengths of SOS was that each of the three members was a giant in his own right; this was a meeting of equals. Although the album abounds with fine solos from all three, the saxophones frequently combine to create an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of sound as they weave in and out of each other, none of them actually soloing but each of them following their own path. For prime examples, try sampling Country Dance or Ist. The effect is thrilling, like watching expert jugglers or tightrope walkers; they may seem to wobble occasionally, but always come through strongly. The inclusion of those electronics - pre-recorded by Surman for the saxes to play along with is almost invariably a plus. On occasions, the technology does show its age; at one point on Cycle Motion, I thought someone's mobile cell phone was ringing, so thin and tinny was the sound. But generally the electronics enhance and add variety to the sound palette, as does Skidmore's occasional drumming and Surman's bass clarinet. Indeed, it is likely to be the variety of the music here that will most impress first time listeners; for a saxophone trio, there is far more here than one has any right to expect. Sheer enjoyment from start to finish." John Eyles, All About Jazz
CD $16

JOHNNY DYANI/OKAY TEMIZ/MONGEZI FEZA WITCHDOCTOR'S SON With DUDU PUKWANA et al - Rejoice Together (Cadillac 12/13; UK) Johnny Mbizo Dyani was a South African bassist and composer who came to London as an apartheid exile with his compatriots in the racially-mixed Blue Notes group in 1964, and played a key role in the creative impact they made on British jazz in that era, before his death in 1986. This double album, also celebrating the 40th birthday of London jazz label Cadillac, catches the nimble and dramatic Dyani in a scorching free-jazz trio with the likewise shortlived trumpeter Mongezi Feza and classically trained Turkish drummer Okay Temiz, and a hollering, joyous, township-grooves septet including the great Blue Notes saxophonist Dudu Pukwana. Feza, a fizzing blend of Miles Davis and Don Cherry, leads the trio set with his fast, impulsive, fearlessly haphazard attack, while Dyani fuses implacable walks, richly sombre chordwork and audacious free-jazz countermelody. But the septet tracks are this collection's most openly attractive features – featuring Dyani on electric keys and vocals, the robustly sublime Pukwana on alto sax and whistles, and a powerful electric lineup. It's mostly about catchy Dyani songs and a party vibe, but there's enough of the inimitable Pukwana's talkative, cajoling, and sometimes romantically smoky horn to keep the jazzers smiling.” - The Guardian, UK
2 CD Set $20

LOUIS MOHOLO-MOHOLO/DUDU PUKWANA / JOHNNY DYANI With REV. FRANK WRIGHT - Spiritual Knowledge and Grace (Ogun OGCD 035; UK) Ogun is extremely proud to present a previously unreleased recording documenting a one-off collaboration between members of The Blue Notes and tenor sax giant The Reverend Frank Wright. Recorded live in Eindhoven, Holland on what was meant to be the opening night of The Blue Notes' Dutch tour in 1979, the collaboration was spawned by the unavoidable absence of pianist Chris McGregor and prompted by Louis Moholo-Moholo's experience of playing alongside Frank in Peter Brotzmann's Alarm. The tour of Holland proved prolific for The Blue Notes - another Dutch date is set for future release on Ogun - but this meeting of musical titans could not be left in the vaults. Great empathetic performances and an engrossing listen.
CD $16

HARRY MILLER'S ISIPINGO With MIKE OSBORNE / MARC CHARIG / NICK EVANS or MALCOLM GRIFFITHS / CHRIS McGREGOR or KEITH TIPPETT / LOUIS MOHOLO - Different Times, Different Places (Ogun OGCD 041; UK) all Unreleased recordings! Collective Personnel: Harry Miller bass, Louis Moholo-Moholo drums, Chris McGregor piano, Keith Tippett piano, Mike Osborne alto sax, Mark Charig trumpet, Nick Evans trombone, Malcolm Griffiths trombone. Different Times, Different Places (which follows up on the 1999 Ogun box set release Harry Miller - The Collection - now a prized collectors' item) celebrates Miller's work as leader of the band Isipingo and features previously unreleased sessions from 1973 and 1976 Harry Miller was a vibrant Cape Town bassist prominent in London in the 1960s and 70s, forging his reputation on the British New Jazz scene working alongside Mike Westbrook, Bob Downes, John Stevens and fellow exiled South Africans Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Mongezei Feza, and Louis Moholo-Moholo. As his reputation spread, Miller worked increasingly on mainland Europe with the likes of Peter Brotzmann, Misha Mengelberg and Willem Breuker. He died in a car crash in Holland in 1983 - at a point when his fierce pizzicato attack, composing skills and vivid fusion of free-jazz, swing and African rhythms were making him just as powerful a figure on the Dutch scene. This previously unreleased material comes from 1970s Miller-led gigs in Britain and France, featuring two superb free-jazz pianists (the late Chris McGregor on the first; Britain's Keith Tippett on the second), legendary alto saxophonist Mike Osborne, and drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo. Gripping episodes abound, such as the sound of Osborne's vinegary, Ornette-meets-Ayler sax soaring over Miller's whipping bass figures on the gruffly tender Bloomfield, McGregor's fills on the riffy Quandry (made fortuitously more pungent by the off-pitch piano), and two versions of the springy, Mingus-like Touch Hungry - the first with a percussively Monkish McGregor, the second with some fine, Miles-like trumpet from Marc Charig. Those who remember Miller's heyday will love this rough-hewn document, as will fans of the South Africa-celebrating Townships Comets and Moholo-Moholo's current work. "This fabulous disc clocks in at more than 77 minutes and is taken from two live sets: June 4, 1973 with Mike Osborne (alto sax), Nick Evans (trombone), Chris McGregor (piano), Harry Miller (bass) and Louis Moholo (drums); and the Chateauvallon Jazz Fest in France on July 7, 1976 with Osborne, Mark Charig (trumpet), Malcolm Griffiths (trombone), Keith Tippett (piano), Miller and Moholo. South African expatriate bassist Harry Miller was an amazing bassist, composer and bandleader, as well as guiding force behind a number of incredible sessions, most of which have been released by the great Ogun label, co-founded by Mr. Miller and his wife Hazel, who runs it today. This extraordinary disc is extremely long, burns brightly throughout and was restored to great sound thanks to the work of Mike King (Reel Recordings) and Martin Davidson (Emanem). Although everyone on this disc plays immensely well, it is the fire-breathing alto sax of the late & legendary Mike Osborne that pushes these sessions into the zone of beyond belief. It is rare for me to have to stop working and just marvel at the energy and creativity of these two sessions! Holy sh*t is all I could say, over and over! There is a perfect balance between that compelling South African gospel/funk vibe and free/jazz fire that erupts throughout this entire disc! Besides Mike Osborne, there are a number of outstanding solos from Keith Tippett, Chris McGregor, Marc Charig, Nick Evans and Malcolm Griffiths. Plus the rhythm team work of Harry Miller and Louis Moholo is as great as it gets for the duration of both segments. Without a doubt, this is the BEST historic disc of the year!" - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17

HARRY MILLER - Different Times, Different Places - Volume Two (Ogun OGCD 045; UK) A second volume of valuable documents from the Ogun archives by label co-founder Harry Miller. the tracks come from three sessions spanning 1977-1982. All feature Harry on bass with Louis Moholo-Moholo behind the drum kit and Trevor Watts on sax, other musicians included are Alan Wakeman (sax), Bernie Holland (guitar), Keith Tippett (piano), Alan Tomlinson (trombone), Dave Holdsworth (trumpet). This joyful music, at times rough around the edges but full of life and spirit, conviction and enthusiasm. Just like Harry.
$17

ELTON DEAN QUARTET [EDQ] With KEITH TIPPETT / LOUIS MOHOLO / CHRIS LAURENCE- They All Be On This Old Road (OGCD 048; UK) Dean (alto sax, saxello), Keith Tippett (piano), Chris Laurence (bass), Louis Moholo (drums). Why is Paul Morley my favourite music writer? Might have something to do with the second review that he did for the NME, which was of the Elton Dean Quartet live at Manchester's Band On The Wall, back in early 1977. In his review he enthusiastically argued that the likes of Dean, Tippett, Trevor Watts, Derek Bailey, etc. were as punk as the punks, if not more so, in their quiet radicalism. As an extremely impressionable 13-year-old reader, I reckoned that if Morley could be so right about improv, then he must be equally right about the subject of his first review for NME - the Buzzcocks. Thus are new doors opened. This particular album was recorded at the Seven Dials pub in Covent Garden and might be subtitled The Popular Elton Dean. Side one is given over to a 20-minute take on Coltrane's then untouchable "Naima," with which the quartet manage to do remarkable things. But the wild card here is Chris Laurence, depping for Harry Miller, as he brings something of a new perspective to the group's music. Laurence really plays on career-peak form here, forever seeking out unexpected harmonies and accents, and the other three musicians are noticeably affected by his imagination. Side two sees the quartet tackling some standards, including "Easy Living" and "Nancy With The Laughing Face," but the highlight is a storming version of Dean's own "Dede-Bup-Bup" where Tippett plays with such intensity in his solo that it's a surprise that he didn't demolish the piano. Amazing stuff! - Marcello Carlin
CD $17

JEROME NOETINGER - Outside Supercolor (Room40 4184CD; Australia) “Jérôme Noetinger's connection in contemporary musique concrète is lengthy and well documented. As one of its most vital and compelling creators, Noetinger is also well recognized for his tireless efforts advocating for the profundity of this work. With Outside Supercolor he creates a pair of compositions that extend his interests in timbre and electronic sound. Both pieces, created whilst reflecting on his ongoing collaboration with film maker Lionel Palun, are dynamic journeys through unsteady electronic environments. There's a sense of active investigation here, Noetinger leans into the pieces and considers even the finest of textures. The results are both powerful and subtle, a sensitive drive that highlights Noetinger's unique approaches to performance, and composition.
A note from Jérôme Noetinger: "Lionel Palun and I met in 2003 in a context of social struggle. Aware of an inevitable downfall, we decided to discuss our respective practices. Sound for me and image for him. Then there were the basic questions: 'What does it do if you connect a video output to a sound input?'; 'What does a sound output do to a video input?' Then the tinkering that goes with it, like opening a SCART socket and plugging directly into it. And to finish, we discovered that as always, everything has already been done! But in the end it's like rock music, it's always the same, and what counts is how to appropriate it, how to live it. These discussions and first experiences led Lionel to develop his own video feedback software. He has a scientific background and a taste for computers which helps! In this record, I wanted to draw inspiration from this work with Supercolor Palunar, the name of our duo, to better examine CRT parasites and virtual instruments whose purpose I still don't quite understand. I dedicate this record to Lionel Palun who, afterwards, made two videos echoing the two pieces."
CD $18

DATASHOCK - Geltungsbereich Universum (Bureau B 434CD; Germany) “All the herbs have been smoked. Datashock deliver a new album: Geltungsbereich Universum. Their second for Bureau B and the eighth in a career as an internationally active collective of musicians which has spanned two decades (so far). Space is the place, as the moonstruck sparrows sing from the rooftops, or is the Earth the most beautiful place in the universe? Some say yes, others no. Datashock say nothing at all.
"Twenty years and counting, and yet here they are, as shoulder-shruggingly nonchalant as ever, in the environs of pop culture, where (seeing) the wood for the trees means the world. What's going down, what's not? What the heck! Is this still krautrock, is it space rock or experimental music? What's the difference? Does it even matter? What's important is that something is happening. This much we know. And now something else has happened. A new Datashock release: Geltungsbereich Universum. Of course, it couldn't be any other way. Why set themselves limits? That has never been a concern for them. Even if, in all likelihood, they don't make it into space, at least not this year, they have been most places and always stick to their own thing. Which is what, exactly? That's for others to decide. The critique? This is your captain speaking, ... your captain is dead. Use your ears. Listen closely and take your time to discover the musical spheres -- the infinite worlds -- of Datashock. For card-carrying space travelers only!" - Holger Adam
CD $18

TYMON DOGG - Battle Of Wills (Tiny Global Productions 051CD; Hungary) Expanded reissue, originally released in 1982. The original Y Records album with 13 bonus tracks, including rare and unreleased studio material and liner notes from Ian A Anderson. Before hitting twenty, Tymon Dogg had made a single with pre-Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, recorded with Paul McCartney for Apple Records, made a second single for The Moody Blues' label Threshold and then seemingly lost all faith in normal music business machinations. So, he wandered, busking at tube stations and encountering "Woody", who acted as Tymon's roadie and, when trade was slow, Tymon would teach him a few chords. After being assaulted by police, Tymon won a £500 settlement, with which he recorded an album, singing and playing every instrument himself. Dwelling somewhere between avant-garde folk, Weimar cabaret and with an eerie sense of punk's DIY ethos, the 1975 album failed to sell in appreciable numbers. By then, "Woody" was known as Joe Strummer and had formed The 101'ers with Elgin Avenue friends and squat-mates. Tymon sporadically played songs with the band, including his "Dog Dirt On Your Shoe" (the only known recording of which is included here), a forerunner to punk expression if there ever were one. Finding himself in NYC years later, Tymon was ushered into the studio by Mick Jones to record the first song completed for Sandinista!, "Lose This Skin", possibly the most polarizing song on the album. Tymon became a de facto studio member of The Clash through Combat Rock and later joined The Mescaleros. But in 1982, Tymon recorded Battle Of Wills, the last release on Dick O'Dell's Y Records, reissued here with added studio rarities and a 1980 live set. The sole Tymon Dogg album released by an outside label, it got somewhat lost in the collapse of Y, yet it's a singular work: perfectly executed and fiercely unique. Tymon's vocals transcend the limits of "rock" music, weaving their way through a seemingly disconnected array of parts -- incongruous tabla, unsettlingly upfront violin parts, minimal folk drumming. It feels like an exemplar of some obscure, ages-old musical tradition rather than what it is -- a conceptually original work by an artist of rare talent. Unavailable for forty years, the album has been expanded to include a seven-song 1980 live set and six rare studio tracks. With one exception, this extra material has never been available on vinyl, more than half of it was never released at all. Tymon's archives contain bountiful rare and unheard material, and this expanded edition of Battle Of Wills is the first of several planned archival releases.”
CD $18

CATERINA BARBIERI - Myuthafoo (Light-Years 003CD; Italy) “Caterina Barbieri is set to release Myuthafoo, the sister album of 2019's acclaimed Ecstatic Computation. Written at the same time, both albums are based on creative sequencing processes that playfully unravel Barbieri's deep-rooted interest in time, space, memory, and emotion. And since she was set to re-release Ecstatic Computation on her light-years imprint (LY 002CD/LP/C-LP), it made sense to accompany that album with this intimately entangled set of unreleased recordings. Barbieri had been touring excessively at the time, and her process began to shift in response to that nomadic, interactive energy. Using the Orthogonal ER-101 modular sequencer, Barbieri manually programmed patterns into the device and fed them into her arsenal of noise generators, trialling different combinations at each show. If an idea worked well in the live environment, she would put it aside, letting longer pieces breathe and transform as they sprung to life and developed organically. It's a process she relates to her interest in cosmogony, the study of the universe's origins; her music is rooted in the limitations of a small number of options that branch out into a much larger structure, eventually reaching towards an open-ended cosmos of possibility. From "Math of You", it's clear that the sounds are grounded in a similar sonic philosophy, blipping synth sequences nudge alongside each other harmonically, disrupting trance's addicting euphoria with filigree polyrhythmic pulses. Like "Fantas" before it, the track is focused around emotionally affecting repeating phrases, but a closer examination reveals hidden intricacies as these phrases flicker like illusions, dissolving and dissipating as they snake and weave. The album's title track is most generous and tender, blunting Barbieri's usually razor-sharp sequences into rubbery Möbius strips that twist romantically, bending back on each other. It gazes at the stars from an atemporal vantage point, relying on synapse-popping psychedelic logic and established physics. Meanwhile, "Sufyosowirl" is rigorous and rhythmic, as melodically charged as pop music and soaring as Jean-Michel Jarre's lavish stadium electronics. The closing track "Swirls of You" encases Barbieri's celestial sequences in gaseous vapors, allowing the music to ascend slowly and purposefully until it flickers and fades to nothing. Barbieri's music sounds like it has a life of its own, endlessly expanding and transmuting until it can develop its own rules and gestures. Myuthafoo teases an ecosystem where technology and biology are intertwined, and the past, present, and future are part of the same essential narrative.”
CD $16

GIL SCOTT-HERON & HIS AMNESIA EXPRESS - Legend In His Own Mind (Made in Germany 2972CD; Germany) "Critics in the early 1970s called Gil Scott-Heron the most important Black voice since Martin Luther King Jr. and described him as a black Bob Dylan. 'His poetry is with much muscle, with stiletto humor, with street talk, much of it justifiably angry and accurate,' the New York Times wrote in 1975, marveling at the angry man from the Bronx. No wonder that decades later Scott-Heron was celebrated as the 'Godfather of Rap.' Born in Chicago, the musician, poet and pugnacious activist for human rights himself lived for years in the Bronx. Returning to his black roots, he died May 27, 2011, in New York's urban district Harlem. His legacy includes a fantastic concert Gil Scott-Heron gave with his band at the Schauburg Theater in Bremen (Germany) on April 18, 1983. The technicians of Radio Bremen were on site and recorded this ecstatic show, which will be released worldwide at the end of July as a 2CD and of course as download and streaming as well. Gil's son Rumal Rackley on the release of this concert: 'This album from a 1983 concert captures the spirit that permeated every performance throughout Gil Scott-Heron's travels in the US and abroad. From Europe to Asia to Australia to Africa, his work resonates at the heart and soul level.'"
2 CD Set $22

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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 / SITA CHAY / AUGUST 2–5

8/2 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Unveiling of Self
Sita Chay (solo violin)

8/3 Thursday
8:30 pm - Multidimensionally Human - Frank London (trumpet) Shoko Nagai (piano, accordion) Satoshi Takeishi (percussion) Sita Chay (violin)
PLEASE NOTE ADMISSION TO THIS CONCERT IS THIRTY DOLLARS

8/4 Friday
8:30 pm - DUO
Latasha N. Nevada Diggs (voice, spoken language) Sita Chay (violin)

8/5 Saturday
8:30 pm - Transmitted
Satoshi Takeishi (percussion) Sita Chay (violin)

THE STONE RESIDENCIES / BRIAN CHASE / AUGUST 9–12

8/9 Wednesday
8:30 pm - DRUMS & DRONES
Brian Chase (drums, electronics)

8/10 Thursday
8:30 pm - IMPROVISATIONS & LACE PIECES
Zeena Parkins (harp) Brian Chase (drums)

8/11 Friday
8:30 pm - QUARTET SONGS - Matteo Liberatore (guitar) Vanessa Baish (voice) Brian Chase (drums) Manami Mizumoto (violin)

8/12 Saturday
8:30 pm
ARCADES DUO - Anthony Coleman (piano) Brian Chase (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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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 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

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Rhythm in the Kitchen Festival 2023
Hell's Kitchen, NYC
@ Prime Produce
424 W 54th St, New York, NY (bet 9 & 10)

Friday Sept 8:
- 3pm William Hooker / Yaching Cheung / Ayumi Ishito
- 4pm Patrick Brennan
- 5pm Solastaltia
- 6pm dinner time
- 7pm John King (Duet)
- 8pm Barbiana Complex
- 9pm Sarah Bernstein Solo
- 10pm Sam Day Harmet's Soundpainting Orchestra

Saturday Sept 9:
- 3pm James Paul Nadien Toadal Package
- 4pm Sana Nagano Ensemble
- 5pm Laura Feathers Ensemble
- dinner time
- 7pm Phill Niblock
- 8pm Indeterminate Ensemble
- 9pm Chuck Bettis
- 10pm Third Eye Electric Band

Sunday Sept 10: MC BruceLee - MC
- 3pm Jason Hwang Trio
- 4pm Marc Edwards Slipstream Time
- 5pm Theo Woodward, David First, DJMagic Clowns, Mo Kubbara
- 6pm dinner time
- 7pm William Hooker Group
- 8pm Shelley Hirsch / Ka Baird
- 9pm On K'a Davis 3D Veve
-10pm Mohammed Kubbara Sextet

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FourOneOne / SHIFT

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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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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