DMG Newsletter for September 1st, 2023: Happr Birthday to John Zorn!

Well I just came to chase the blues away
For awhile

Just like a child you'll cling to me
From every sound along that rushes near
I whisper, It's just the breeze
That licks your skin and rubs your breast
And as we lay our rivers flow away
Your woman fear

Well I just came to chase the blues away
For awhile

With the morning sun we'll wake
And lift our eyes and watch the eagle fly
Up mountain high
And on his wings our love will climb
And never fail until he soars and dives
Oh, he'll take your breath away

Well, he just came to chase the blues away
For awhile

In the summer of 1967, an older friend of mine named Randy Cogan traded me two of his records for two of mine that I didn’t want. What I got was Tim Buckley’s ‘Goodbye and Hello’ and the Paupers’ ‘Magic People’. Both of those albums blew my 13 year old mind and have long been favorites of mine ever since. What I loved about ‘Goodbye and Hello’ was that it combined folk, rock jazz & subtle psychedelic seasoning into an extraordinary work of art. Mr. Buckley’s singing and his lyrics (poetry with help from Larry Beckett), were in a class of their own. Mr. Buckley made 5 albums in a row, each of which is a true gem: ‘Lorca’, ’Starsailor’, ‘Happy Sad’ and ‘Blue Afternoon’. ‘Blue Afternoon’ is closer to a jazz record than a folk record and for me it is a perfect one. I still weep when I hear the song, “I Must’ve Been Blind”, since it reminds me if a failed relationship I was once in. The above songs also moves me greatly and is covered on a new discs by Eugene Chadbourne, who does a fine job. Tim Buckley died of drugs in June of 1975 at the age of 28, a great loss to all of of sensitive souls. He was indeed a completely unique artist and will remain in the hearts of all who let him in. Peace, BLG at DMG

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

Saturday September 2nd, 2023 / The GauciMusic Series Continues with:
6pm: GEORGE DRAGUNS - Bass / AYUMI ISHITO - Tenor Sax / KEVIN SHEA - Drums
7pm: STEPHEN GAUCI - Tenor Sax / MICHAEL GILBERT - Bass / JP NADIEN - Drums
8pm: FEDERICO BALDUCCI - Guitar-Electronics / ERIC BAYLIES - Bass / MICHAEL LAROCCA - Drums

Tuesday, September 5th: FREE Music MiniFest!
6:30: JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Solo Drums
7:00: BETHANY DINSICK - Solo Electric Guitar & Vocals
7:30: JAMES McKAIN - Tenor Sax / TOM WEEKS - Alto Sax / CAROLINE MORTON - Contrabass / KEVIN MURRAY - Drums
8:30: MARC EDWARDS & SLIPSTREAM TIME: MARC EDWARDS - Drums / TOR SNYDER & TAKUMA KANAIWA - Electric Guitars / AYUMI ISHITO - Tenor Sax / RYAN SIEGEL - Alto Sax / ROBERT MAC VEGA-DOWDA / ERIC PLAKS - Keyboard / BRENNA REY - El Bass
9:30: PATRICK GOLDEN GROUP: DAVE SEWELSON - Bari Sax / JIM CLOUSE - Tenor & Soprano Sax / MATT HOLLENBERG - Guitar / ADAM LANE - ContraBass / PATRICK GOLDEN - Drums

Tuesday, September 12th:
6:30: THOMAS HELTON - Solo ContraBass
7:30: FLIP CITY with DAVID AARON - Sax / NICK PANOUTSOS - Bass / DAVE GOULD - Drums
8:30: AIDAN O’CONNELL / JON ELBAZ / BRANDON TERZAKIS - ContraBass / Piano / Drums
9:30: STEVE BACZKOWSKI - Solo Sax

Rare Sunday Special Event, September 17th:
6:30: DR. EUGENE CHADBOURNE - Solo Set!
7:30: DR. CHADBOURNE with MICHAEL FOSTER / STEVE SWELL / FRANK MEADOWS & others!

Monday, September 18th: A Rare Monday Night of Solo Sets:
6:30: DEVIN GRAY - Solo Drums!
7:30: RUBIN KODHELI - Solo Cello!

Tuesday, September 19th: Two amazing guitar duos in one night!
6:30: KILLICK HINDS / SANDY EWEN - Appalachian Trance Metal Guitar / Guitar-on-Lap!
7:30: SALLY GATES / MATT HOLLENBECK!

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 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd is JOHN ZORN’S 70th birthday!

Just like he’d done when he turned 40, 50 & 60, Mr. Zorn is having a series of celebrations both here in NYC, San Francisco and elsewhere on the planet earth, all listed under the banner: Zorn@70. Being a longtime Zorn fan and good friend, I’ve caught several of these gigs so far: the Cobra gig a few weeks ago was just incredible as was the recent trio set with Sean Lennon and Laurie Anderson. Coming up is another classical gig at Roulette, new vocal music at National Sawdust, three Thursdays in September-December at Miller Theatre plus 6 nights of the New Masada Quartet at the legendary Village Vanguard! All are listed below in the concert recommendation section of this newsletter. Last week I asked Zorn fans worldwide to send Mr. Zorn a birthday card to us here at DMG, which I will hand deliver to John twice in September. Our address is listed below as well. Thanks to all of the well-wishers out there! - BLG at DMG

Downtown Music Gallery
Cards for John Zorn
POB 153
New York, NY, 10002-0153
USA

INTRODUCTION: I’ve been going to jazz gigs at the Village Vanguard since the fall of 1972 (that’s 50 years) and checking out Charles Mingus, Elvin Jones Band, Bill Evans & Jim Hall trios and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band during the first year there. The Village Vanguard is the longest running and most beloved jazz club in NYC and I still attend shows there from time to time. The first time I went to a set there that wasn’t completely jazz was the Paul Motian/Joe Lovano/Bill Frisell Trio. Since then a number of Bill Frisell’s bands have played there, doing Bill Frisell’s unique Americana music which combines many influences inside & outside of jazz. For John Zorn’s 60th birthday celebration, there was rumor that he would play a week at the Vanguard which I found surprising since I asked Zorn why he didn’t play any established jazz venues when I heard with his bebop quartet in 1981. He told me that he wasn’t really a jazz musician but preferred to draw from many types of music that he dug. Plus he said that playing a place like the Vanguard, you had to play jazz in a certain way. Zorn told me that Lorraine Gordon’s daughter, who had gone to school with Zorn was taking over the bookings at the Vanguard since her mother was getting going to retire. Mr. Zorn’s profile was pretty high at the time after several articles about him were published in several newspapers & magazines, so she offered him a week at the hallowed room. He said yes but countered that he would only play the music and bands of his choosing. That week, the original Masada Quartet played as well as several bands playing songs from the Masada songbook (650 songs, 3 books). As long as the room was packed, Zorn could play whatever he chose. John Zorn’s New Masada Quartet will be back at the Village Vanguard from September 26th to October 1st of 2023 for Mr. Zorn’s 70th birthday celebration. I urge you to attend as this is the best band in the land!!! I’ve seen them a half dozen times already and they are f*cking incredible live!


THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER STARTS OFF ANOTHER GREAT NEW JOHN ZORN CD:

JOHN ZORN // INCERTO with BRIAN MARSELLA / JULIAN LAGE / JORGE ROEDER / CHES SMITH - Homenaje A Remedios Varo (Tzadik 9303; USA) Featuring four of the most accomplished musicians in the rich firmament of modern jazz, Incerto is one of Zorn’s newest and most exciting projects—a chamber ensemble of striking virtuosity that is capable of covering the full range of Zorn’s deepest passions and wildest fantasies. Their fourth CD is a wild and touching tribute to the magical surrealist painter Remedios Varo. Filled with exotic juxtapositions, lush harmonies, lyrical explorations, and fiery solos, this music is a soulful and quirky homage to one of the world’s greatest alchemical artists.
CD $16

JOHN ZORN // JULIAN LAGE / BRIAN MARSELLA / JORGE ROEDER / CHES SMITH - Full Fathom Five (Tzadik 9301; USA) The newest CD by Zorn’s most recent quartet “Incerto” is a beautiful and moody suite of nocturnes inspired by the night imagery of Shakespeare. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, the music carries you to a lush romantic world of modern lyricism, blending elements of jazz balladry with classical atonality and minimalism into a vibrant new sound world. Featuring four of the most accomplished musical masters out of the Downtown scene—trusted members of Zorn’s inner circle— this is modern chamber music at its very best!
CD $16

JOHN ZORN // JULIAN LAGE / GYAN RILEY - Quatrain (Tzadik 9302; USA) "Julian Lage and Gyan Riley are two of new music’s most accomplished guitar virtuosos and their duo performances are transcendent experiences filled with meticulous detail and telepathic interplay. Here they perform a dramatic book of music inspired by the haunting and enigmatic novel A High Wind in Jamaica—the story of a group of children that gets mixed up with pirates—the twist being the children turn out to be even more dangerous than the pirates. A precursor to The Lord of the Flies, it is considered one of the best English novels ever written. Filled with ominous mystery and a dangerous innocence, Quatrain is another beautiful project from the pen of alchemist John Zorn."
CD $16

* EUGENE CHADBOURNE with JOHN ZORN / DAN CLUCAS / JAMISON WILLIAMS / FLORIEN MASTUNG / MARCELLO DELBOSCO - Horror Vol. 15: The Odyssey (Chadula; USA) Featuring Eugene Chadbourne on guitars, banjos, electric rake, turntables & editing, John Zorn on alto & soprano saxes, clarinet & game calls, Dan Clucas on cornet, violin, moxeno & elephant butt death whistle, Jamison Williams on game calls, Florian Mastung on bass sax and Marcello Delbosco on drums, timbales, percussion & miscellaneous effects. I am not sure when this was recorded but I do know that John Zorn hasn’t played any soprano sax or clarinet since the early days of the Downtown Scene (late 70’/early 80’s). This suite is based on the story of ‘The Odyssey’ and it is broken into 12 parts. “Prologue: Ulysses Conqueror of Troy” has several layers of weird sounds swirling together: cornet with mute, mallets on drums, eerie echoplexed sounds… Cornetist Dan Clucas is an L.A.-based player who I’ve heard with Vinny Golia & Nathan Hubbard, also recorded with Doc Chad in for an old disc on the Boxholder label. On the second piece, we can hear Doc Chad’s guitar and/or banjo slowly creeping in with underwater sounding oddities (game calls, cornet perhaps). I can hear a few of John Zorn’s distinctive alto licks in the background as well as other muted weirdness. On the third piece we hear Doc Chad’s older style free/jazz Downtown acoustic guitar & banjo with Mr. Zorn breathlike mouthpiece sounds and jubilant bebop alto lines. “Part 4” sounds like early Downtown improv with multiple layers of swirling sounds: free percussion, carefully crafted yet odd jazz guitar chords & short solo eruptions…
   I started recording/documenting early Zorn & Chadbourne live set at the end of 1979. All of the 4,000 cassettes & DAT tapes are slowly being downloaded into a hard drive for eventual streaming once I get permission from as many of these musicians as I can contact. I listened to some early Chadbourne & Zorn DL’s a few months ago and was surprised that I now understand what they were doing, although at the time I was confused about their playing. In the fifty years since I’ve been listening to Free/Jazz, I’ve gained a better appreciation of most ‘free music’, which obviously has a long tradition of growth, experimentation and planet-wide influence on other more popular musics. Although I don’t always recognize which instruments are being used, I do hear the way these sounds are connected and flow together like a cosmic stream.
   There is a calm vibe at the center of this ongoing flow, it just takes some time to go with the flow. I get the feeling that Dr. Chadbourne took some sessions from his vault and add bits & pieces of guitar, banjo and early layers of John Zorn’s reeds & game calls. What is interesting is this: Jamison Williams, a saxist known for adapting the music of Walt Disney film scores is playing game calls here. As far as I know, Mr. Zorn was the first saxist to use game calls (used to attract birds & other animals for hunters) as part of his solo sax or group improvisations. A handful of other saxists have started to do this over the 40 years since Zorn started doing it. This disc is more than 72 minutes in length and as I listened, I was taken on a journey. Is that journey related to ‘The Odyssey’ tale? Unsure, but I do dig this disc immensely. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG  
CD $13

* EUGENE CHADBOURNE / JIM McHUGH plus TIM DAHL / MICHAEL VATCHER - Country Music Highway 23 (Chadula; USA) Featuring Eugene Chadbourne on guitars, banjos & vocal & Jim McHugh on guitars & phin (an electric lute) plus Tim Dahl on bass & Michael Vatcher on drums added on one track. These duo sessions were recorded in Nashville, TN and at Pioneer in Brooklyn, NYC. The last time that Dr. Chadbourne was in town (January of 2023), he played for four nights at The Stone plus a few nights at P.I.T. (Property is Theft) in Brooklyn. During both residencies he utilized the talents of Brooklyn-based guitarist Jim McHugh. Mr. McHugh is also a member of the psych/improv band the Sunwatchers, both McHugh & Chadbourne and the Sunwatchers & Chadbourne both have records out.
The disc begins with a lovely opening song: “Highway 23”, which features a story about the country music highway (#23) with Dr. Chadbourne doing a sort of talking blues about taking the highway, describing different country music signposts and scenery. Each song has a certain charm that is uniquely Doc Chad’s. The duo do a few select covers here like “Carolina on My Mind” from the very first James Taylor album (circa 1968). Doc Chad’s version is equally charming, his voice tender and touching. I really like Chad’s song, “Warning’s Wrong”, which is about being warned about certain experiences in life: taking LSD, homosexuality, love, sinning, too much fun… The moral is that we rarely stay away from the things we are warned about. It sounds to me like Eugene has become a wise old man who sings about things he’s experienced in life and reminds us to decide for ourselves what’s right and what’s not. Doc Chad also covers Townes Van Zandt’s “If You Needed Me”, Johnny Paycheck’s “In Memory of a Memory” as well as Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown”. Chad’s version is actually rather poignant without being corny. I remain a longtime Tim Buckley fan, ever since acquiring ‘Goodbye & Hello’ in 1967. Dr. Chad covers “Chase the Blues Away” from Buckley’s ‘Blue Afternoon’ album (another favorite of mine). Doc Chad’s version is superb, heartfelt, enchanting with quietly psychedelic guitar (or maybe his phin) from Mr. McHugh. Although Eugene’s voice is not as strong or as diverse as Mr. Buckley’s, Chad’s voice is both warm and world-weary. It nearly brought me to tears. Although his disc is pretty long (76 minutes), I felt that Dr. Chadbourne did a truly fine job of blending country, rock, folk, soul & his own songs into his own positive (yet guarded) view of life. Most uplifting overall. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

* EUGENE “DR.” CHADBOURNE will be in town in September to play a few gigs in Brooklyn and will do a rare Sunday in-store here at DMG on September 17th. Starting with a solo set at 6:30 and another set with some great Downtown musicians like Michael Foster, Steve Swell, Frank Meadows & others. Please come down to welcome this early Downtown legend!

ELLIOTT SHARP / HELENE BRESCHAND / ZAFER TAWIL / FLOY KROUCHI - disPOSSESSION (zOaR ZCD 144; USA)Featuring Elliott Sharp on electric guitar, soprano sax, synths & drum programs, Helene Breschand on electric & acoustic harps & voice, Zafer Tawil on oud, violin & percussion & Flao Krouchi on el bass plus Don Mackenzie on drum samples. Guitarist/composer/author/ labelhead, Elliott Sharp, has attracted diverse musicians from around the world to collaborate with. Mr. Sharp has worked with French harpist & vocalist, Helene Breschand on two previous discs, one of which was a tribute to Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin. Palestinian multi-instrumentalist, Zafer Tawil was a member of Amir ElSaffar’s Two Rivers Ensemble as well as contributing songs to the film, ‘Rachel Getting Married’. I had not heard of French bassist Floy Krouchi before now, although she/they has/have a couple of solo efforts and has worked with Cliffs & Mafucage (an electronic, dub trio).
   The term World Music is both revered and disliked by those who can appreciate the blend of cultures and those purists who only like traditional ethnic musics. Us open-minded folks appreciate both but know when something doesn’t work or is trying too hard to be commercial. “Harborage” opens this wonderful disc with a great groove: Zafer Tawil’s sly oud and Elliott Sharp (E#)’s electric guitar with devices are up front playing their licks around one another, with slamming el bass and a fine hypnotic drum machine repeating line. Ms. Krouchi’s throbbing bass is at the center of “Abri” with Mr. Tawil’s churning violin, eerie guitar or synth atmospherics. The overall effect is quite mesmerizing. E#’s soprano sax kicks off “Lost and Found” with added hand percussion (tabla-like) and a layer of echoed sounds with everything swirling together and pulsating throughout the unfolding tale/piece. On “The Returning”, there are layers of swirling sounds on top (slide guitar or synth?) while the el bass solos underneath not just playing a pulse but adding several orbits of lines. Ms. Breschand’s enchanting soft voice is at the center of “Au Dela’”, sometimes echoed, sometimes not with multiple layers of eerie reverberations. Although Mr. Tawil’s oud is featured on “Outgone”, there are several layers of other odd sounds swirling on top. It sounds like there is thunder erupting underneath which is used to great effect. “Tunnel Temporel” is a long, haunting journey with somber, dark, pulsating waves. It sounds like a soundtrack to a sci-fi film with some time-traveling elements added. The final piece, “Objet trouve”,actually sounds like a transmission from another world with Ms. Breschand’s spoken words which provide some dialogue to consider. If you want to escape the everyday BS which we often have to deal with, then this disc is a nice way to do this. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG  
CD $14

KRIS DAVIS’ DIATOM RIBBONS with JULIAN LAGE / VAL JEANTY / TREVOR DUNN / TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON - Live at The Village Vanguard (Pyroclastic Records 28/29; USA) Featuring Kris Davis on piano, prepared piano & arturia microfreak synth, Julian Lage on electric guitar, Val Jeanty on turntables & electronics, Trevor Dunn on electric & acoustic bass and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. The Village Vanguard opened in February of 1935, which makes it almost 90 years old, perhaps the longest running jazz club anywhere (certainly NYC). Although the Vanguard started out with blues & folk musicians, comedians, poets and jazz musicians, it became the home for modern jazz. As jazz has evolved over time through many transformations, so too has the Village Vanguard taste evolved. Aside from more regular jazz, the Vanguard has promotes freer jazz, electric jazz/rock, funk & ethnic influences and band not quite jazz like the Motian/Lovano/Frisell Trio, several Bill Frisell Americana bands and eventually John Zorn’s vast Masada and Bagatelles songbooks which draw from a wealth of genres. The reason I brought this up  is that this great 2 CD set led by Kris Davis is something else entirely, Jazz Beyond.
   Kris Davis composed most of the songs on this set, except for a handful of cover songs by Ronald Shannon Jackson, Geri Allen and Wayne Shorter, each of whom has passed away in recent times. This is the second release by Ms. Davis’ Diatom Ribbons project, the first one from 2019 was an expanded band with Nels Cine on guitar while the new employs Julian Lage, currently playing in John Zorn’s New Masada as well as other Zorn projects. The rhythm team of Trevor Dunn, Terri Lyne Carrington and Val Jeanty remains. Disc 1 begins with “Alice in the Congo” which has a fine, fat groove with some sampled voices & vinyl scratches added. Ms. Davis plays some soulful, Ramsey Davis-like piano with Julian Lage adding his own sly, sleek notes & chords. Julian Lage, who is the secret weapon of the New Masada Quartet, takes his first astonishing guitar solo here, somewhere between Wes Montgomery & Jim Hall, but sped up more furiously. While Ms. Davis plays a more laid back, melodic piano solo, the rest of the band speeds up, slows down but remains as one force. Soon Ms. Davis starts spinning out quick, fragmented lines which becomes more rambunctious as she goes. Ms. Lyne Carrington is also a master drummer and in immensely fine form here, whipping up a storm when need be and then swinging hard at other times. “Nine Hats” begins with a simple, slow moving bass line with Ms. Jeanty’s electronic samples adding some mystery. Mr. Dunn’s bowed bass and Mr. Carrington’s sizzling cymbals also add to the mysterious vibe/veil. Ms. Davis played muted (prepared) piano on “The Dancer”, a somewhat lopsided funky tune with a fine, sly synth solo by Kris. On “VW”, Ms. Jeanty’s samples the voice of Sun Ra from a lecture or interview, the influential avant & classic jazz composer/big band leader/ keyboard wiz/space traveler. Ms. Davis’ music  is filled with terse, tight fractures, not unlike Sun Ra’s futuristic philosophy. ”Dolores, Take 1” (by Wayne Shorter) begins with just a bass solo with drums underpinning, soon the piano & guitar the theme tightly together before Ms. Davis takes another inspired, over-the-top piano solo, followed by another great solo from Julian Lage. “Bird Suite: Part 1: Kingfisher” closes out Disc 1, and begins with Mr. Lage twisted certain inside out, soloing furiously over a rather rocking groove. In short order, Ms. Davis takes a quick quirky solo which is followed by Ms. Jeanty soloing on samples and/or electronics, all to great effect. Mr. Lage’s takes another one of his stellar, incredible solos here.
   Disc Two begins with “Endless Columns” which features some fine bass by Mr. Dunn at the center and exquisite guitar and piano in a dream-like trance. Ms Davis takes a tasty heartwarming piano solo and is soon joined by Julian Lage’s enchanting, bluesy guitar. I love the way Ms. Jeanty adds her own unique sonic seasoning here and throughout this entire disc. Sometimes she will take an excerpt from an interview which actually fits into the song it is in just right. I recall Mark Kramer doing something like this when he was involved with John Zorn’s game pieces in the mid-1980’s. Considering that this is a 2 CD set, there is quite a bit of extraordinary playing going on throughout. Both Kris Davis’ piano playing and Julian Lage’s guitar are at the top of the heap of current Downtown giants. Check out their catalogues for loads of delights. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG       2 CD Set $16

JOHN BLUM - Nine Rivers (ESP-Disk 5062; USA) “The most well-informed aficionados of NYC's jazz avant-garde speak of pianist John Blum with reverential respect, yet his discography is shockingly small for someone with a three-decade career: five albums as a leader, four as a sideman. Blum studied piano with seminal avant-gardist Cecil Taylor and ambidextrous master Borah Bergman, and it shows, yet his style at its most intense is more thickly textured than even theirs and fully individualistic. Blum's left hand recalls James P. Johnson: energy, power, rock-solid rhythm driver of the improvisation's engine. And speaking of engines, some of Jimmy Yancey's locomotive motion is there as well. Blum is actually a very melodic player, but the melodies are short and fast and may not be repeated more than once, so that's not the quality that the average listener might take away from the experience. Nonetheless, in a 20-minute solo improvisation, he creates enough catchy motivic material that a dozen or more songs could be woven from it. Another of Blum's teachers was Milford Graves; they share the sense of music as a journey to a higher understanding and a life-altering and life-enhancing practice. Blum looks more like an athlete than a musician, but then, the way he plays piano is athletic and requires a lot of muscle and stamina. The power of the concert performance on this album (performed collaboratively with video) is a revelation. "Explosive Pianism!" - Nate Chinen, New York Times
CD $12

EVELYN DAVIS / FRED FRITH / PHILLIP GREENLIEF - Lantskap Logoc: Hidden Danger Lets Me In (Clean Feed 630CD; Portugal) Featuring Evelyn Davis on pipe organ, Fred Frith on guitar and Phillip Greenlief on B-flat clarinet, alto & tenor saxes. “In 2022, almost ten years after recording the first Lantskap Logic album, the situation in Oakland had abruptly changed. Mills College was being sold off, and the music department— internationally renowned as a beacon of experimentalism for more than 70 years – would no longer exist. I had retired from teaching at Mills in 2018, Evelyn completed her graduate studies in 2013 and also taught there, and Mills is deeply ingrained in our DNA. As a long time Bay Area resident, and collaborator with dozens of other Mills alums, Phillip is no different.
Knowing that our access to the Mills Chapel would no longer be guaranteed, I proposed a second round of Lantskap Logic recordings, since the Chapel pipe organ is intrinsic to our existence. This duly came to pass, with the intrepid Karen Stackpole once again providing her services as recording engineer. Whereas the first record had been made in a spirit of open – hearted exploration, this one had a certain focus, an emotional edge, that captures the feeling of the time. I experienced countless concerts and installations in this chapel during my twenty years at Mills, and the ghosts and spirits of many extraordinary and gifted composers and performers haunt that space and resonate beyond it. I hear our music from that day as both a requiem and a call of defiance against the lack of curiosity and imagination inherent in this revolutionary Music Department’s demise.” - Fred Frith
CD $15

EMANUELLE PARRINI / SAMO SALAMON / VASCO FRILLA - Eating Poetry (Clean Feed 635; Portugal) Featuring Emanuelle Parrini on violin, Samo Salamon on 6 & 12 string guitars and Vasco Trilla on drums & percussion. Slovenian guitarist, Samo Salamon, has been sending me promo CD’s for the past decade, each one with different personnel and a different overall sound. Salamon has worked with a diverse cast: Tim Berne, Tony Malaby, Achille Succi, Hasse Poulsen and the Freequesta big band. Everything I’ve heard of his (some 15 discs) has knocked me out. For this disc, Salamon chose Italian violinist Emanuele Parrini (last heard with Raoul Bjorkenheim & the J & F Band with Jaimoe & Joe Fonda). Spanish drummer Vasco Trilla is another great choice, having heard him with Rakalam Bob Moses, Szilard Mezei & the New Freequesta.
Salamon commences on “bicycles and mullberries” with 12-string acoustic guitar and eerie violin floating around, the overall sound is most mesmerizing. Mr. Trilla seems to be playing small metallic objects (cymbals?) on “smudges around me mouth” to great effect while Salomon erupts on his acoustic 12-string. The quick interplay between the guitar and violin on “my beaming smile” is extraordinary with several swirling lines all interconnected and Trilla’s subtle percussion adding some tasty sonic seasoning. Mr. Parrini’s violin really soars here, so exciting, leaving us on the edge of the abyss. Instead of playing normal percussion. Mr. Trilla plays a rubbed surface on “a red mulberry for a lover” with some haunting plucked violin and dreamy guitar floating together. This disc is superbly recorded, mixed and mastered. The sound is warm, clean and most enchanting with just the right amount of spaciousness, making it all the more magical. The final track, “we can look from hearts into eyes” is like the icing on the cake or the perfect dessert after a tasty meal. All three acoustic instruments swirl around one another in a most magical way, rather like a fairy tale unfolding. Although this disc is on the shorter side (37 minutes), it is still a gem well worth hearing. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

* SAMO SALAMON has a blogspace on YouTube which DMG’s John Mori often checks out and recommends to you all. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/@SamoSalamonMusic/featured

JUANMA TRUJILLO with KENNETH JIMENEZ / GERALD CLEAVER - Contour (Clean Feed 614; Portugal) Featuring Juanma Trujillo on guitar, Kenneth Jimenez on contrabass and Gerald Cleaver on drums. NYC seems to be going through a period of gifted guitarists, either passing through or living here for a bit. I’ve caught guitarist Juanma Trujillo playing here at DMG on several occasions, both with his (married) partner violinist Leonor Falcon and with his own groups. Juanma and Leonor moved to Spain in the last couple of years, a loss to all of who heard them play. I’ve also checked out bassist Kenneth Jimenez at the store on several occasions, playing in some amazing free/jazz trios with Hery Paz and Steve Gauci. Gerald Cleaver is/was one of the most in-demand drummers in NYC although he recently moved to the west coast to teach school. This disc starts off with “Oil Tank” which features eerie bowed bass and odd cymbal sounds, with Mr. Trujillo soon entering on his unique free, fuzz-toned electric guitar. The rhythm team here is powerful, tight, inspired and focused, giving Juanma a chance to stretch out and play an amazing, intense fusion-like solo. Trujillo takes an extraordinarily long solo on “Hope” using a volume knob or pedal to squeeze and shape his notes in his own unique way. Trujillo plays acoustic or has his pickups turned down on “Castaway”, a slow, haunting, hypnotic piece which is filled with suspense. Things get more noisy and intense on “Sludge” with Trujillo scraping his strings and bending some notes inside-out, brutal yet still fascinating. Make those strings cry for mercy! “Rumination” closes this disc with Juanma on acoustic guitar playing quietly in a most solemn, thoughtful way. Mr. Jemenez comes in on bowed acoustic bass playing eerie, ghostlike sounds shadowing Juanma’s dreamy lullaby. Eventually Mr. Cleaver enters to add a bottoming pulse bringing the trio into a semi-solid spongy mass. Overall this is a wonderful disc, with some probing music by all three members of this fine trio. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

PASCAL NIGGENKEMPER with JOACHIM BADENHORST / LIZ KOSACK / PHILIP ZOUBEK / BEN LAMAR GAY / et al - bloc (Subran Musiques; France) German/French bassist Pascal Niggenkemper lived in NY from around 2010, played at DMG on several occasions and recorded with Joe Hertenstein, Thomas Heberer, Simon Nabatov, Yoni Kretzmer & Nate Wooley. We just got in this impressive 6 CD set box, each disc with different personnel and overall sound. All 6 discs are also available individually & I will review each one over the next few weeks, 2 at a time. Here’s an overall description from our friends at the FreeJazzBlog:
“The German-French Pascal Niggenkemper is considered one of the most interesting and adventurous double bass players in the conflicting fields of improvised and contemporary music. He works both as a soloist and in various ensembles, constantly developing his musical philosophy and his musical language. Therefore, he uses preconceived ideas and notated music as well as freely improvised parts.
Niggenkemper calls Blòc, a box consisting of six albums, a statement. The individual albums present him as a bandleader who is looking for new concepts and new creative ways. This is evident in the instrumentations of the albums, but also in his view of his instrument, which has clearly evolved since his outstanding solo album Look With Thine Ears. For Niggenkemper, this new view manifests itself by working outdoors in the countryside (meaning outside cultural centers), in working with poets, in discovering local instruments, and in exploring the multiplicity of the languages and culture of France. All of this can be found on Blòc’s albums.
For Niggenkemper’s work on his instrument this means that he’s less interested in the classical sound of a double bass; he is more interested in alienating it and thus expanding the instrument’s playing possibilities. To do this, he still uses all kinds of extended materials: tone woods, small motors, funnels, tambourines, sticks, etc. According to him, however, the sounds sometimes arise out of movement, almost by chance. The interplay of sound and material then gives rise to forms that can be used consciously in the progress of the improvisation, usually as anchor points from which the improvisation then moves to or away from. Although all of these sounds are acoustically generated, from time to time this sounds like electronic music.” - Martin Schray, FreeJazzBlog.org
6 CD Set $50 [Limited edition of 120, numbered]

PASCAL NIGGENKEMPER le 7EME with JOACHIM BADENHORST / LIZ KOSACK / JULIAN ELVIRA / PHILIP ZOUBECK / JORIS RUHL - Continent .Kipppunkt (Subran Music; France) Featuring Pascal Niggenkemper on bass & compositions, Julian Elvira on flutes & amp, Liz Kosack & Philip Zoubek on clavichord & synth and Joris Ruhl & Pascal Niggenkemper on clarinets & amps. This disc is one of the discs included in a recent six CD set (limited to 120) which compiles highlights from assorted projects that Mr. Niggenkemper has been working on from 2017 to 2022. I know of three of these musicians from previous collaborations: Joachim Badenhorst (extraordinary reeds player who born in Belgium, lived in NY & is now back in Europe), Liz Kosack (working with Steve Gauci & Devin Gray) and Philip Zoubek (from Ensemble X). This is the second disc from Niggenkemper’s 7eme, his second 7 piece band, the first 7eme came out in 2016.
7eme is an electro-acoustic septet with both flutes & clarinets played through amplifiers, a synth and a clavichord (a funky electric piano-like thing). Starting with Luiperd-Brulpadda”, this music is obviously scored with tight lines being played by the clarinets and flute together. On “undercurrent”, the scored lines are interspersed with tight blasts of electronic sounds: amplified static or feedback, some of which sounds sped up like a tightly wound watch or machine erupting. It is not so easy to balance the noisy and more acoustic elements yet this piece works and moves seamlessly through varied, ever-changing, spinning lines. Since some of the flutes & clarinets are amplified, it is hard to tell them apart from the bits of feedback or other electronic sounding instruments/sounds. Mr. Badenhorst is a marvelous clarinetist who I’ve had the opportunity to hear live when he was living in NYC. His fine clarinet playing is featured here in spurts. “Kipppunkt” features the clavichord furiously being played a high velocity or tempo, which leads into the entire group playing together in Ghost Trance like repeating lines. On “interne Gezeiten” both clarinetists play their lines around one another, bending certain notes to keep things off balance tonally. There are some strange sounds going here, which are hard to identify, similar to gamelan gongs which are somehow detuned or altered. Perhaps it is the synth or clavichord, hard to tell. What’s interesting is this: each piece seems to be part of a flow or stream of related events. It is not so easy get music to sound so focused while employing equal amounts of acoustic and electronic or noisy instruments sounds. There is a theme in this music which develops over time, it just takes some patience and attention to hear it. Can’t wait to check the next disc in this series. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

YIKII - The Crow - Cyan Lake 鸦青湖畔 (Unsl021; USA) Residing in Changchun, China, Yikii is a contemporary artist whose oeuvre gently sways between abstract soundscapes, haunting word play, and highly cinematic yet unpredictable orchestration. Realized in conjunction with NYC producer/conceptualist Adrian Martens (Dasychira), The Crow - Cyan Lake 鸦青湖畔  is an epic song cycle of exquisite beauty which reveals subtle revelations with each listen.  Beginning with "Sighing Silhouette Flowers", ghostly sound clouds unite with strings of percussion as Yikii takes us on a journey inside the stunning, nymph-like pasture of a forgotten and or possibly unseen future world. Rolling into "The Light of Anglerfish", multiple voices tangle beside a web of sound and shadow, ultimately dissolving into an unforeseen crescendo and cavernous end. The journey concludes with "Chimerstry", an otherworldly vignette of toy pianos which dance with Satie-esque melody in an orchard of unidentifiable location. Ultimately "The Crow - Cyan Lake 鸦青湖畔 is a delightful journey into the imagination of two singular young artists; listeners with a taste for  the unexplainable, the magical, the sublime, and the fine art of surprise please take note. Highly recommended. - John Mori for DMG.
CD-R $12

PAUL LYTTON & ERHARD HIRT - Borne on a Whim: Duets, 1981 (CvsD 100CD; USA) “In 1981, British percussionist Paul Lytton and German guitarist Erhard Hirt met and recorded for a couple of days in Belgium. This explosive, ahead-of-its-time first encounter, which had been planned as a release on the legendary Po Torch label, has remained dormant for over four decades. In that period, Lytton and Hirt teamed up often, joining forces with saxophonist/clarinetist Wolfgang Fuchs and bassist Hans Schneider as the quartet X-Pact, a group that has recently reformed -- several years after the untimely death of Fuchs -- with Stefan Keune in the saxophone chair. Lytton and Hirt were key participants in the Aachen (Germany) improvised music scene, also key members of King Übü Örchestrü, one of the most radical improvising large ensembles. Lytton's legacy hearkens back to his time in the London jazz scene of the late 1960s, where he played with a who's who of heavies and he's perhaps best known for his long-standing collaboration with saxophonist Evan Parker, in duet settings and their collective trio with bassist Barry Guy. He is one of the great innovators of European improvised music, both as a percussionist and with his unique electronics rig. Hirt's super-resourceful guitar work -- here both on electric guitar (with active whammy bar) and acoustic dobro -- deserves to be more widely heard. Along with his own solo music, which started with a killer record called Zwischen den Pausen on Uhlklang in 1983, he's worked intensively with musicians such as Axel Dörner, Phil Minton, Thomas Lehn, Phil Wachsmann, and John Butcher. For its debut voyage, Borne on a Whim was lovingly transferred (for the first time) from the original reels by Ken Christianson, preserving every crispy, crackling noise. The cover features a stencil used to make a poster for them back in the period that Lytton and Hirt first began their work together. Borne on a Whim is the first release drawn from the Paul Lytton Archives at Corbett vs. Dempsey.”
CD $16

TOMORROW COMES THE HARVEST - Evolution (Axis 059CD; Earth) “The Tomorrow Comes The Harvest project started with late Tony Allen, one of the originators of Afrobeat, and Jeff Mills, who got together to create an improvisational type of performance. The idea was to not pre-prepare or to preplan anything, but just to play in the moment spontaneously and to reach for the same understanding musically. Jean-Phi Dary had been working with Tony Allen for a long time, so he naturally joined the unit. After an untimely passing of Tony in 2020, they thought that maybe a good idea to continue with the project and to consider it in a much broader respect other than just three main musicians that may be, it's interesting to make it open, to be able to invite other musicians in for certain concerts. They decided to invite Prabhu Edouard, who already had an experience of working with Jeff for classical concerts in France. The album was recorded live at Bozar in Brussels, Belgium in 2022.”
CD $16

LP SECTION:

PETER BROTZMANN / FRED VAN HOVE / HAN BENNINK PLUS ALBERT MANGELSDORFF - Outspan No 1 (Cien Fuegos 029LP; Austria) “Recorded live by Jürgen Lindenau on April 14th and 15th, 1974 during the Workshop Freie Musik at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. This album was originally released on FMP(0180) in 1975 and remastered in 2022 by Martin Siewert. Featuring: Peter Brötzmann (alto and baritone saxophone, clarinet); Albert Mangelsdorff (trombone); Fred Van Hove (piano); Han Bennink (drums, selfmade clarinet, homemade junk, voice). Artwork and design by Peter Brötzmann.”
LP $34

PETER BROTZMANN / FRED VAN HOVE / HAN BENNINK PLUS ALBERT MANGELSDORFF - Outspan No 2 (Cien Fuegos 030LP; Austria) Recorded live by Jost Gebers on May 4th,1974 at the Ost-West-Festival in Nürnberg. This album was originally released on FMP(0200) in 1975, and remastered in 2022 by Martin Siewert. Featuring: Peter Brötzmann (alto and tenor saxophone, clarinet); Fred Van Hove (piano); Han Bennink (drums, clarinet, homemade junk, everything, anything). Artwork and design by Peter Brötzmann.”
LP $34

JOHN FAHEY - Proofs & Refutations (Drag City 759LP; USA) "Recorded in 1995 and 1996, mostly in John Fahey's room at a Salem, Oregon boardinghouse, the performances on Proofs and Refutations prefigure the ornery turn of the page that marked Fahey's final years, drawing another enigmatic rabbit from his seemingly bottomless musical hat. Cloaked in the language of dogma, this is Fahey dancing a jig in the Duchampian gap, jester cap bells a-jingling. Right out of the gate, Fahey re-materializes before us, somewhere between Oracle of Delphi and Clown Prince at Olympus. Mounting a thundering dialectic from on high, 'All the Rains' resembles nothing else in his extensive discography -- betraying roots in everything from Dada to Episcopal liturgical chant -- and contains nary a plucked guitar note. When the lap steel of yore appears on 'F for Fake,' it serves more as soundbed for an extended sequence of vocal improvisations, running the gamut from wordless Bashoian caterwauling to free-form (but decidedly fake) Tuvan, even revealing a burnished falsetto in the process. Fahey takes on a different kind of provocation in the two acoustic guitar-based tracks closing Side 1 -- 'Morning' parts 1 and 2 -- the first of four recordings in this session that have him wrestling with the ghost of Skip James, perhaps Fahey's effort to wrench the 'bitter, hateful old creep' (his words) back into the grave. Anchoring Side 2 is the two-part 'Evening, Not Night,' the second half of his extended cathexis on James. The opening and closing pieces again feature Fahey's guitar as drone soundbed -- employing distortion, oscillation, and an altogether absurd quotient of reverb to create texture and harmonics that are --if we wanna go there -- not dissimilar to the sustained tonic clusters of Tibetan singing bowls, the hurdy gurdy, Hindustani classical music, or La Monte Young. Portions of this material appeared on obscure late '90s vinyl in the 7" or double-78 rpm format, but as a 'session' it has lain dormant more than a quarter century now. Taken together, we can now see these tracks as secret blueprints to latter-day Fahey provocations, several years prior to records like 1997's City of Refuge and Womblife."
LP $22

DAVID TOOP & LAWRENCE ENGLISH - The Shell That Speaks The Sea (Room40 4205LP; Australia) “A note from Lawrence English: "I first met David Toop some 20 years ago. I think we were in touch shortly before that, but our first meeting took place when I invited him to Australia to perform and to speak as part of REV, a festival held at Brisbane Power-house. It was a memorable meeting, I vividly remember his solo performance and the edition A Picturesque View, Ignored documents an improvised meeting during that time. Over the years, David and I have shared an interest in both the material and immaterial implications of sound (amongst other things). Moreover, we've connected many times on matters which lie at the fringes of how we might choose to think about audition, our interests seeking in the affective realm that haunts, rather than de-scribes, experience. The Shell That Speaks The Sea very much resonates from this shared fascination. I'm not exactly sure when we first mooted this duet, but I sense its initial trace is now more than a decade ago. I tend to live by the motto of 'right place, right time' and I believe David likely also subscribes to this methodology. A couple of years ago, David and I reignited the duet conversation and began exchanging materials. As a jumping off point, I explored a series of field recordings that, for me at least, captured something of this affective haunting that I mentioned previously. One such recording was of a tawny frogmouth at Nugum (White Rock) on the lands of the Yugarabul people. The frogmouth is an utterly elusive creature whose voice is like a modulating low frequency oscillator. They are a magical bird, and like the Potoo, have captivated David and I at various points in our lives. The recording seemed to suggest a whole way of approaching sound and, for me at least, it opened an entirely new range of sound worlds which are present in the final version of this recording. This edition is the product of spontaneous bursts of exchanges, buffered by periods of tempered silence. A patient work, charged with unexpected dynamics. It's with great pleasure that we share this recording with you."
LP $27

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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

*****

Music for Dom Minasi
at Scholes Street Studio

May Dom rest in peace and sound. Come and take part in guiding his journey through music.

Sunday, September 3rd

3:00-3:30
Manna For Thought with Nora McCarthy-voice & Ras Burnett-tenor sax

3:45-4:15
Jack DeSalvo-solo (Dom Minasi's compositions)

4:30-5:00
Cheryl Pyle's Beyond Group with Sylvain Leroux, Gene Coleman and Yuko Togami

5:00-5:30
Circle 4 with Ras-tenor sax & flute / Tom Cabrera-drums / Philip Sirois-bass / Chris Forbes-electric piano

5:45-6:15
Jorge Sylvester-solo alto sax

6:30-7:00
String Dimension with Ras-Jack De Salvo-David First-On Davis-Tor Snyder-James Keepnews-Anders Nilsson-Ken Filiano

7:15
Ascension for Dom

At Scholes Street Studio
375 Lorimer St. Brooklyn
The M train to Lorimer st (a shorter walk), the L train to Metropolitan Ave.
https://www.scholesstreetstudio.com

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THIS COMES FRO ARTS FOR ART!

September 4th 
Children's Magical Garden - 
129 Stanton St near Essex Street 

2pm - Chang/Newsome/Mok
Leo Chang - piri, taepyeongso, voice / Sam Newsome - soprano sax / Lesley Mok - drums

3pm - Warren Smith Trio
Warren Smith - drums / Hilliard Greene - bass / Rod Williams - piano 

4pm - TA Thompson's Sonic Matters
Sara Schoenbeck - bassoon / Ken Filiano - bass / Michael TA Thompson - drums

InGardens, Arts for Art's FREE outdoor concert series kicks off on September 4th! Join us for an amazing afternoon of performances hosted in collaboration with Children's Magical Garden.

Ava Mendoza's First Tuesdays at Union Pool
FREE Performances on 09/05
SEPTEMBER 5th - Doors 7PM

Chris Williams (trumpet, electronics), DoYeon Kim (gayageum)
Calvin Weston (solo drums)
William Parker (bass, gembri), Cooper-Moore (banjo)

Union Pool, 484 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY

Experience three sets of free jazz curated by improvisor and guitarist, Ava Mendoza, for her ongoing First Tuesdays concert series, now presented by Arts for Art. The event is FREE and open to all!

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THE STONE RESIDENCIES - EYVIND KANG - AUG 30–SEPT 2

8/30 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Tendencies of 4 Tetrachords - Eyvind Kang (viola d’amore, electronics) Shahzad Ismaily (guitar, synth) Mir Naqibul Islam (tabla)

8/31 Thursday
8:30 pm - Live Low to the Earth in the Iron Age - Eyvind Kang (guitar, synth, viola d’amore) Shahzad Ismaily (guitar, synth) Mir Naqibul Islam, tabla

9/1 Friday
8:30 pm - Tones Twill - Eyvind Kang (viola d’amore) Zosha Warpeha (hardanger fiddle) Doug Wieselman (clarinet) Shahzad Ismaily (guitar, synth) Mir Naqibul Islam (tabla)

THE STONE RESIDENCIES - WENDY EISENBERG - SEPT 6–9

9/6 Wednesday
8:30 pm - TRIO: Wendy Eisenberg (guitar) Ryan Sawyer (voice, percussion) Lester St. Louis (cello)

9/7 Thursday
8:30 pm - DUO: Wendy Eisenberg (guitar) Caroline Davis (sax)

9/8 Friday
8:30 pm - TRIO: Wendy Eisenberg (guitar) Matt Wilson (drums) Chris Lightcap (bass)

9/9 Saturday
8:30 pm - DUO: Wendy Eisenberg (guitar) David Grubbs (guitar)

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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JOHN ZORN @ 70 - Year Long Celebration:

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 / 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

Just added:
JOHN ZORN @ 70 - 3 Concerts at Miller Theatre at Columbia University:

Composer Portraits: John Zorn’s Music for Strings
Thursday, September 21, 2023, 8PM
John Zorn: Sigil Magick: A Curious and Detailed Exposition of Sigils, Signs, and Hieroglyphs Peculiar to the Occult Orders, Hermetic Brotherhoods, and Dark Mystery Schools of the Late Middle Ages for string quintet (2020)
John Zorn: The Gas Heart a mini opera for 2 celli and 2 percussionists (2020)
John Zorn: Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics That Will Be Able to Present Itself as a Science for string sextet (2020)

Composer Portraits: John Zorn at 70
Thursday, October 19, 2023, 8PM
New Masada / Simulacrum
New Masada Quartet: John Zorn / Julian Lage / Jorge Roeder / Kenny Wolleson
Simulacrum: John Medeski / Matt Hollenberg / Kenny Grohowski

Composer Portraits: John Zorn at 70
Thursday, November 16, 2023, 8PM
Barbara Hannigan - Piano John Zorn - Composer
John Zorn Star Catcher (2022)
John Zorn Split the Lark (2021)
John Zorn Liber Loagaeth (2021)
John Zorn Ab Eo, Quod (2021)
John Zorn Pandora’s Box (2013)

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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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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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CHRIS CUTLER

Formerly of HENRY COW, THE ART BEARS, NEWS FOR BABEL & RECOMMENDED RECORDS (ReR) has been creating an ongoing series of podcasts called the Probes series. I am often fascinated at listening to each of these as Mr. Cutler does an incredible job of showing a deep history of Creative Music in the 20th century & beyond. I usually listen to these on the train to NYC that I take to get to work each day. The most recent Probes (#36) was released a few weeks ago, here is the links:
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-36
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-362-auxiliaries

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THIS ONE COME FROM VOCALIST EXTRAORDINAIRE KYOKO KITAMURA:

‘Introduction to Syntactical Ghost Trance Music’
All music and scores by Anthony Braxton
Film written, edited and narrated by Kyko Kitamura [Link below]

After not having traveled much since the pandemic, this summer, through a combination of work and play, I was in Japan and Canada, and just got back from giving a workshop in Atlanta, GA.
In between, I dusted off my rusty broadcast journalist chops and edited the mini-documentary Introduction to Syntactical Ghost Trance Music on Anthony Braxton and his Syntactical Ghost Trance Music (SGTM). It premiered earlier this month at the "ANTHONY BRAXTON: 50 YEARS OF CREATIVE MUSIC" international conference in Darmstadt, Germany, and is now available in its entirety for free viewing on Tri-Centric's Vimeo channel (https://vimeo.com/858217550/77592d946f?share=copy).
Most of the material has never been seen before by the public, including rare rehearsal, recording and interview footage. The astounding vocalists of the Tri-Centric Vocal Ensemble navigate the gorgeously complex material, pushing limits and exploring new territory. It's a story not only of the music, but a glimpse of a living composer and the artistic community. I cannot express enough my gratitude to everyone who was involved. 
Notes on the making of the video is on my website blog. The full audio recording, which I co-produced, is available at Tri-Centric's New Braxton House Records. Some SGTM scores are available at their Print Music store. - Best, Kyoko Kitamura

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