DMG Newsletter for May 10th, 2024:, 2024

Sweet lady of death wants me to die
So she can come sit by my bedside and sigh
And wipe away the tears from all my friends eyes
Then softly she will explain
Just exactly who was to blame
For causing me to go insane
And finally blow out my brain
Sweet Lorraine, ah sweet Lorraine

Well you know that it's a shame and a pity
You were raised up in the city
And you never learned nothing 'bout country ways
Ah 'bout country ways

The joy of life she dresses in black
With celestial secrets engraved in her back
And her face keeps flashing that she's got the knack
But you know when you look into her eyes
All she's learned she's had to memorize
And the only way you'll ever get her high
Is to let her do her thing and then watch you die
Sweet Lorraine, ah sweet Lorraine

I’ve been working with young drum master James Paul Nadien for around two years and immensely enjoy working with him and hanging out together. Considering that he is in his 20’s, he has a fresh perspective of life and creative music which I embrace. At the end of May, he will be leaving us to tour with Weasel Walter’s Flying Luttenbachers, with Weasel on guitar. He will be missed and hard to replace. James Paul was named after Paul McCartney, since his parents were/are Beatles fanatics. One of the things that I enjoy most is playing him obscure 1960’s or 70’s bands like Bo Grumpas, Free Design, Colours and James McMurtry. Nadien has big ears for someone so young and can often appreciate bands or music that many folks might ignore. Last week I played him the first album by Country Joe and the Fish called ‘Electric Music for the Mind and Body’ which was released in 1967. It was produced by blues/jug band/jazz scholar/author Sam Charters, whom I later became friends with. Mr. Charters calimed that he was the only one in the studio not tripping. I bought this album the year it was released after reading a rave review in Hit Parade magazine and hearing the above song on FM radio. Word is that more folks tripped to this album than any other album in the 1960’s. I still love this album and it still sends me into psychedelic ecstasy whenever I hear it. Check out the words and give a listen on vinyl or CD or whatever streaming service you use. They do not write songs like this anymore! A toast and a toke to the Free Spirit Free Love Era long lost to history but still buzzing in our old hearts and minds. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

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BRUCE LEE GALLANTER is Attending the FIMAV/Victo Fest Next Week!

Next Wednesday, May 15th, I leave to attend the annual FIMAV (Festival International Musique Actuelle Victoriaville) or Victo Fest. The festival runs from May 16th to the 19th and will present 18 concerts, films and art exhibitions indoors and outdoors. I have been attending this festival every year since 1987 when Fred Frith twisted my arm and convinced me to go. This year’s featured acts include: Roscoe Mitchell Solo Bass Sax, Natural Information Society, Steve Lehman’s Selebeyone, Joelle Leandre/Mat Maneri/Craig Taborn, Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet with Wendy Eisenberg, Ava Mendoza & Shane Parrish, John Butcher & Sophie Agnel, Nate Wooley’s Columbia Iceberg, Kin Myhr, The Dwarves of East Agouza, Quatour Bozzini and more! I will be reviewing the fest for the DMG newsletter and attending it with my pals Bob Nirkind, Paul Kirby and Bill Fertanish. The festival was founded by Michel Levasseur who has stepped down this year and will have a new curator, Scott Thomson. The schedule looks pretty great so I am excited to attend. James Paul Nadien will be hosting the next two DMG In-stores on May 14th and 21st. There might be a newsletter next week, depends on what I can whip up this Sunday. Hope to see some of you there and wish me well. Peace & Love from Bruce at DMG

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THE DMG 33rd ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE FREE MUSIC SERIES Continues with:

Saturday, May 11th: DMG and GauciMusic Co-Hosts for:
6pm: LISA MEZZACAPPA - Contrabass / CHRIS WELCOME - Guitar / MIKE PRIDE - Drums
7pm: STEPHEN GAUCI - Reeds / KEVIN SHEA - Drums!
8pm: JOHN DIKEMAN - Tenor Sax / BRANDON LOPEZ - ContraBass

Tuesday, May 14th: BLG up at Victo Fest; JP Nadien Hosts:
6:30: TOM WEEKS - Solo Alto Saxophone
7:30: GIAN PEREZ / BRANDON LOPEZ / ELIZA SALEM - Guitar / Bass / Drums
8:30: GUILLERMO GREGORIO / SAMANTHA KOCHIS / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Clarinet / Flute / Percussion

Tuesday, May 21st - BLG up at Victo Fest; JP Nadien Hosts:
6:30: DAVID GROLLMAN / ANNA ABONDOLO - Whatever / Bass
7:30: DON MALFON - Solo Sax
8:30: SABRINA SALAMONE / LYLE RIVERA - Violin / Guitar 
9:30: JAMES PAUL NADIEN / RON STABINSKY - Drums / Keyboards 

Tuesday, May 28th:
6:30: SYLVAIN LEROUX - Fula Flute!
7:30: KENNETH JIMENEZ!
8:30: SCOTT FIELDS - Guitar / JAMES ILGENFRITZ - Contrabass!

DMG stands for Downtown Music Gallery and we are 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 (if you don’t do InstaGram, you can still view these 1 minute clips on the DMG homepage, (a recently added feature), so please check them out and come down to visit when you can. - BLG/DMG

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This Week’s Sonic Gems Begin with:

ANTHONY BRAXTON SAXOPHONE QUARTET with INGRID LAUBROCK / JAMES FEI / CHRIS JONAS - Sax Qt (Lorraine) 2022 (I Dischi Di Angelica 056CD; Italy) Composer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton is recognized as one of the seminal figures of the music of the second half of the 20th century and of the beginning of the 21st. Expressing himself through an enormous variety of mediums, Braxton has opened with his work new conceptual and technical paths in the trans-African and trans-European musical traditions, finding a highly original synthesis between jazz-based improvisation and the complexity of classical-contemporary music. Angelica Festival previously hosted Braxton in 2006 with Richard Teitelbaum, in 2007 with Cecil Taylor's Historical Quartet, and in 2018 for the premiere of his duo project with the harpist Jacqueline Kerrod; this new four-CD box release represents a further degree of exceptionality by documenting the entire 2022 European tour with which Braxton launched his new project for four saxophones. The distinctive feature of this new project is the addition of electronics: an interactive system in real-time, uniquely developed by Braxton using the SuperCollider platform, which acts almost as a fifth improvising member of the ensemble. Lorraine is the name Braxton coined for the compositional system that governs the first stages of this project still in progress: as he explains in the video-interview available online and on Angelica website, it is a "new system of poetics," a "mutable and fantasy space" which represents for the composer "the Aether level" (wind, breath, clouds), as opposed to the "ground" level he explored up to this point with his "Tri-Centric Thought Unit Construct," on which he based much of his music production from the 1980s onwards. Accompanying him in this new phase once again are musicians who have been part of his conceptual "music systems" in recent years, in the role of both instrumentalists and/or orchestra conductors: James Fei, Chris Jonas, and Ingrid Laubrock (replaced by André Vida for the Vilnius date only). Includes 40-page booklet with photos and an essay in English and Italian by Mario Gamba.
4 CD Set $95 [In stock early nest week]

TOMEKA REID QUARTET with MARY HALVORSON / JASON ROEBKE / TOMAS FUJIWARA - 3 3 (Cuneiform Records Rune 525; USA) Featuring Tomeka Reid on cello & compositions, Mary Halvorson on guitar, Jason Roebke on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. This is the third disc from the Tomeka Reid Quartet, all of which have been released over the past decade, about 5 years apart. Even before winning a MacArthur Genius Grant in 2022, Ms. Reid has become one the best and most ambitious cellists around, working with a wide variety of important creative musicians: Art Ensemble of Chicago, Ingrid Laubrock, Myra Melford, an amazing trio with Angelika Niescer & Savannah Harris and a fabulous duo with Joe McPhee.
This quartet is an all-star one with each member a multi-bandleader and fine composer in their own right. This features three long tracks, two of which are two part pieces. “Turning Inwards” starts off quietly with a good deal of restless yet skeletal rustling. Ms. Reid starts to play a somber, haunting theme on cello with Ms. Halvorson’s distinctive multi-layered guitar flourishes as the rhythm team plays a slow cushion of soft spirits underneath. The main theme or melody here is played by the cello and guitar in righteous, playful and charming harmonies with a strong solo from Ms. Reid (played tightly with bass), a splendid guitar solo from Ms. Halvorson, a thoughtful bass solo and an expressive drum solo as well. “Sauntering with Mr. Brown” has a slow, leisurely pace which is the way that Mr. Brown (in the title) likes to walk. I like the way Ms. Reid and Mr. Roebke both play their parts pizzicato together in a most playful, refreshing manner. This piece keeps building in density and intensity which has a way of inspiring a joyous release. “Exploring Outward/Funambulist Fever” starts freely yet is focused and keeps ascending as it goes, calming down midway. Ms. Reid takes a warm, tender cello solo here which reminded of a kind character in a fairy tale. The balance between a few more melodic, thoughtful sections with a few explosive moments is nicely realized here, making this disc one of this years’ best. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

MATT MITCHELL - Illimitable (Obliquity Records 03; USA) Featuring Matt Mitchell on solo piano for the entire discs. Over the past decade, NYC appears to be bursting at the seams with a deluge of creative pianists: Sylvie Courvoisier, Kris Davis, Angelika Sanchez, Brian Marsella, Uri Caine, Jacob Sacks, Matt Mitchell and so many more. I’ve caught keyboardist Matt Mitchell play in a wide variety of contexts on both acoustic piano and electric keyboards and he is often astonishing at both. Check out his work with Tim Berne, Jon Irabagon, Kate Gentile, Dave Douglas and Miles Okazaki, as well as his varied leader or co-leader projects.
This music is completely improvised, one take and no edits. The title track is first, “Illimitable”, which mean without an end. Mr. Mitchell begins with a series of waves of notes, playing one wave at the low end of the piano while adding more waves at the other end of the keyboard. The waves I am taking about are harp-like and are constantly shifting, adding another layer as Mitchell plays a theme or melodic line and then expanding it at both ends of the piano. The pace and complexity oft remind me of the way Cecil Taylor also worked his waves yet Mr. Mitchell does a fine job of adding his own extended evolving flourishes. Since Mitchell selectively keeps the pedal down on the piano, we can’t hear some of the individual notes yet we can feel the way the waves wash over us, sweeping us along with them. At only 14 minutes, this is the short piece on this disc, “Unwonted” is nearly 43 minutes long. This piece starts off more sparse and fragmentary, taking its time to evolve past its skeletal early section. Mitchell keeps expanding his lines, his right hand making the waves more dense at the piece evolves, the left hand getting more dark and turbulent, eventually calming back down to near silence. Mr. Mitchell slowly builds things up again, one line at a time. Mitchell seems to concentrate on one line or small group of notes at a time, adding some occasional counterpoint punctuation. The density and intensity keeps building slowly, steadily, creating ruptures in the time. If you are a Creative Music piano fan-addict like myself, then you should own your own copy of this outstanding 2 CD set! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $18

JAMES EMERY with CYRUS CAMPBELL - Inside Outlier: Solos and Duos (Self-Produced; USA) Featuring James Emery on guitar and Cyrus Campbell on contrabass. In a recent donation/collection of CD’s that we got in, there were around a half dozen discs from the String Trio of New York. This unique string trio started in 1979 and featured two constant members: James Emery on guitar and John Lindberg on contrabass plus several different violinists over their three decade run: Billy Bang, Charles Burnham & Regina Carter. I recently listened to three of these discs and was knocked out by each one. What I find most interesting about Mr. Emery is that he is a gifted guitarist who a variety of acoustic and electric guitars and rarely stays within one genre or style, drawing from a wide variety of directions. For this disc, Mr. Emery plays D’Aquisto guitars and Acoustic Image amps. I knew that Mr. Emery used to live in New England for many years and has since relocated to New Mexico. At first, I thought that I hadn’t heard anything new from Mr. Emery in many year but it turns out that there is a String Trio of New York discs with Jay Clayton on vocals & Marty Ehrlich on clarinet that was released in 2018. I can’t say that I had heard of bassist Cyris Campbell before now.
This discs contains 20 songs, 12 of which are covers by Thelonious Monk (5 by!), Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Billy Strayhorn, two standards plus eight original by Mr. Emery. The title track, “Inside Outlier” is first and Emery shows his more outside, oddly inventive playing. “Played Twice” is the first Monk song that the duo play. I like the way this song sounds as just a guitar and bass duo. Mr. Campbell keeps the rhythmic groove at the center with Mr. Emery playing a series of Monkian bent notes or chords, nailing the theme right on the head. Emery’s “Acceptance” has James spinning a series difficult, quick flights of fancy with the bass playing a skeletal version in one part and then speeding up as Emery also speeds up, both players exchanging furious yet tight lines together or around one another. Mr. Emery then plays a rare Charlie Parker song known as “Meandering”, which I could only find one version of. The theme does sound a bit familiar and I dig the way Emery embellishes it with some exquisite chords. Emery’s own “Understanding” has an intense, nervous energy which the duo play at a high speed, never loosing sight of how they are connected or where they are going. Monk’s “Four in One” shows how the duo can play the theme and then take off playing in fast flurries at a superhuman rate. In between several of the duo sections bassist Campbell plays a series of solos which bridge the flow of the song as one long thread. Emery does some oddball tapping on the strings (Doc Chad-like) on “Percussive Guitar 1” which shows that he isn’t afraid to got pretty far out and a does a fine job of making music from these odd sounds. Emery covers an old standard called, “Autumn in New York”, which was originally covered by Jo Stafford. He plays a series of exquisite harp-like chords here which do ring true. “Off Minor” is another fine Monk song which the duo play with their own bent-note beauty. “Percussive Guitar 2” is even stranger than “Part 1”, yet it still works since Emery and Campbell do a good job of exchanging ideas and building upon it. This disc is a real tour-de-force showing more than four decades later that James Emery is still of the best, most original a distinctive guitarists we have. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

LUKE STEWART TRIO with BRIAN SETTLES / TRAE CRUDUP / CHAD TAYLOR - Unknown Rivers (Pi Recordings 101; USA) Featuring Luke Stewart on bass & compositions, Brian Settles on tenor sax, Trae Crudup on drums (tracks 1-4) and Chad Taylor on drums (tracks 5-7). Over the past few years, I’ve gotten to hear former DC-based bassist Luke Stewart plays in a a variety of bands or situations, each one quite different. Mr. Stewart has been playing with Heroes Are Gang Leaders (a righteous, poet-fronted large ensemble), plus stints with James Brandon Lewis, William Hooker and Irreversible Entanglements. Stewart has been working with DC-based saxist Brian Settles for several years, as well as with drummer Trae Crudup with James Brandon Lewis. This is the second disc by the Silt Trio. It is Mr. Stewart’s writing that stands out here since he doesn’t quite sound like anyone else. “Seek Whence” is first and it has an odd, loping sort of groove with the bass in the center. Mr. Stewart often writes these infectious, riff-oriented pieces, which churn or repeat and make me feel like I want to dance along or at least bop my head. On “Baba Doo Way”, the bass is in constant motion speeding up and slowing down with the drums while the tenor sax plays the riff over and over, taking a spirited solo midway. It is the tight, passionate and intense rhythm team work that really knocks me out here. It sounds like the sax parts are (partially) written out so that the bass and drums can play more freely around the sax, pushing and pulling the central rhythmic force and stretching it beyond whatever patterns the trio are working within. Midway, the trio really erupts with all three musicians pushing hard and reaching for the skies before the trio slowly calms back down to the earth. “The Slip” is slower and has a fine laid back groove, simmering nicely with some warm, tasty tenor sailing on top. “Amilcar” features master-drummer Chad Taylor who is a great form here, playing an opening solo which is powerful and creative. When Mr. Stewart comes, he is popping out certain notes on his bass keeping the rhythm stew thick and spicy. Tenor saxist Brian Settles is striking and singular here, his tone Trane-like and powerful, using every note just right. Chad Taylor’s mallet-work here is extraordinary. The longest piece here (almost 13 minutes) is called “Dudu” (for South African sax legend Dudu Pukwana perhaps?) and it is something else. Stewart’s deep resonant throbbing bowed bass keeps churning at the center with tribal/ritualistic drums keep that groove going. The sound of the trio, especially Mr. Settles probing sax is Spiritual Jazz at its best. Chad Taylor remains one of the best drummers anywhere, his strong, primal, organic playing is at the center of everything that works on this disc. Throughout this entire epic-length work, Settles keep changing the sound of his sax, from blusters to spirals to gritty curlicues to… It seems hard to believe that this is a mere trio since they sound so big, closer to colossal whirlwind. The final piece is the title track and that Cosmic Groove keeps on pumping hard, pushing us all the edge of the volcano before the molten lava erupts and rains down on each of mortals. Watch out, sucka! All of the liner notes here especially the poem, “Silt Trio” by No Land is/are well worth considering. A true treasure on several different levels. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

ON KA’A DAVIS with DON McKENZIE / ALI ALI - ...Here’s To Another Day And Night For The Lwa Of The Woke (Tzadik TZ 4048; USA) Featuring On Ka’a Davis on guitars, synth, keyboard, voice, percussion & programming, Ali Ali on trumpet & ESP percussion and Don McKenzie on drums. The mystical figure On Ka’a Davis returns for his second CD on Tzadik, and his first in twenty-five years. Blending the psychedelia of Sun Ra with Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix, this is an epic, direct from the ever-growing counterculture of Downtown New York. Performing on guitar, synth keyboard, programmed sounds, and percussion On is joined here by Don McKenzie on drums and Ali Ali on trumpet. Years in the making the music is wild, varied, and intensely felt. A New York Underground classic!
CD $14 [In stock next week]

ZOSHA WARPEHA - silver dawn (Relative Pitch Records SS029; USA) Featuring Zosha Warpeha on Hardanger d’amore and voice. Although it might seem hard to believe the Relative Pitch label will be releasing its 200th disc this month! The good thing is that only Relative Pitch would release many of these relatively obscure musicians from around the world, many of whom are completely ignored by the mainstream. “Originally from Minnesota and currently based in Brooklyn, NY, she is active within folk and improvised music communities in the United States and abroad as a solo artist, collaborator, and session musician.” from her website. Ms. Warpeha plays a Hardanger d’amore, a sympathetic-stringed instrument closely related to the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, another immensely under-used instrument, which I rarely hear anybody play (except for Mary Oliver, Nils Okland & David Lindley on records).
Ms. Warpeha’s instrument and playing have a unique sound. As she bows, the strings have a fluttering, dreamy sound. The playing on the first piece, “wakerobin” is strange, yet sort of somehow melodic. Warpeha often plays one or two notes at a time, bending a note slightly, making the one bent not sing in its own organic, earthly (strings & wood) like voice. Creative music has a way of unleashing or amplifying certain fleeting feelings, which resonate with our heartstrings and inner ears in ways which seem magical and can’t be fully explained. While bowing one drone-like note, Warpeha adds another layer of note flutters. Starting with the third piece, Zosha adds her voice to create a solemn, wistful harmony. Ms. Warpeja is a gifted imprivor who takes her time to explore different sounds for her under-utilized instrument. Since Ms. Warpeha has studied folk music from different traditions rather than experimental music, her sound is often warm and enticing without any of the screechy or too far bent note weirdest that many other improvisers favor. She often keeps her playing in the middle register concentrating on just certain more calming notes or sounds. On “of the mountain ash”, Zosha plucks the strings softly with slight natural sounding reverb while adding a series of drone bowed notes which have a way of calming our frayed nerves. There is a certain peaceful reserve at the center of this music which makes it charming in its own unique way. At times it sounds like Ms. Warpeha is tapping into some ancient folk melodies which are played in fragments but not stretched very far out. This is one of the more enchanting discs to come on the Relative Pitch label. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

MARIA REICH - Interdependenzen (Relative Pitch Records SS028; USA) Featuring Maria Reich on solo violin and solo viola (1 track). Recorded in Berlin & Wilsum in Germany in December of 2022 & May of 2023. Maria Reich is based in berlin and is a member of the One Earth Orchestra. The ever-challenging Relative Pitch label will hit their 200th release this week which is pretty amazing considering they started in 2011. This disc is the 28th disc from their ongoing solo series, a series that only the Relative Pitch label would continue to do. I recall when Polly Bradfield released a solo violin LP in the early 1980’s. Ms. Bradfield was an early Zorn & Chadbourne collaborator who used a comb & toothbrush on her violin. I also recall seeing Leroy Jenkins play solo violin in concert in the late 1980’s. Solo violin records were pretty rare then but not so much nowadays as there has been a few of them over the last few years. Right from the 1st piece, Ms. Reich is spinning a series of notes on her violin, bending & twisting certain notes, rocking back and forth quickly at times, keeping us listeners off balance. On each piece, Ms. Reich plays the strings in different ways, scraping it with her bow, muting the strings as she bows or plucks, making a variety of strange sounds which are difficult to tell exactly what is being played. Each piece here sounds quite different as if Ms. Reich considered her approach on each piece, altering the one plays on each. Each piece here is fascinating in its own way, hence it works at reflecting a variety of vibes or inner-eye films for our imaginations. I often got the feeling that Maria Reich was tapping into ancient ritualistic traditions which are long buried in our collected memories. A most impressive debut from the ever-dependable Relative Pitch label. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13

CHRISTOPHER CERRONE // LORELEI ENSEMBLE - Beaufort Scales (Cold Blue Music CD0068; USA) “Beaufort Scales” was composed by Christopher Cerrone and it is performed by the Lorelei Ensemble, an eight piece vocal ensemble directed by Beth Willer with electronics provided by Mr. Cerrone. I haven’t listened to very much modern classical vocal music except for a few composers like Anthony Braxton, John Zorn and Alban Berg, whose music I’ve listen to in its entirety. Still, I remain open to all types of challenging music no matter the genre, culture or geography it comes from. The beaufort scale was invented in the 19th century and used to measure the wind. The scale used 13 steps and 200 words and it is still used today. There are 13 sung movements with four narrated interludes, the texts coming from novelists Herman Melville and F. Scott Fitzgerald, poet Anne Carson and excerpts from the King James Bible. All of the texts deal with the state of the weather, serving as a reprieve and a reflection of the surround movements.
Commencing with “Prelude: Sea Like a Mirror”, the vocals are angelic and eerie with an organ-like drone perhaps created by the electronics. “Step 1: Ripples with Scales” pulsates slowly with hypnotic vocal sounds and an odd repeated vocal sample. “Interlude 1: F. Scott Fitzgerald” has several voices each repeating different words, all about the wind and waves, taken from ‘The Great Gatsby’. I love the way the layered vocalists harmonize and evolve over time. I have always loved richly harmonized vocal music thanks to bands like the Beach Boys and the Association. Mr. Cerrone is a master of this as well. On each piece, Cerrone uses the vocalists in different ways, layering the vocals to accentuate either the words or the feeling that words or voices evoke. The elsctronics are are minimally and never for weird effects, mainly to enhance the sounds of the voices. I’ve listened to this work several times over the past week and each time I was mesmerized. I would love to hear more vocal music like this, it is superb. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

MICHAEL HEAD & THE STRANDS - The Magical World of The Strands (Megaphone 025CD; UK) Deluxe reissue of Michael Head's classic 1997 album The Magical World of The Strands. "Head, who is no stranger to either classy, baroque pop or neo-psychedelia, has composed an album of gorgeously illustrated songs that are lushly orchestrated by a standard rock quartet augmented by a flutist (Leslie Roberts) and a string quartet. The result is an album that, while little known, is a classic, a masterpiece of modern chamber pop... this disc walks the line between the deep, darkly expressionistic chamber work of the Tindersticks to the airy, classically augmented breeze-laden pop of Nick Drake à la Five Leaves Left -- long before the millennium obsession with Drake's work began anew because of a Volkswagen commercial" --AllMusic. "This is an elegantly unified work, tough yet guileless, and rustic in tone when the idea of lads with beards and banjos was unheard of. The balance of masterful songcraft with an in-the-moment looseness is probably the defining mood, the group uncrowded and unhurried as they feel their way around 11 folk-influenced, strings-augmented, subtly layered tracks" --Mojo (5/5 stars). In 1993, Head teamed up with his brother John, his longtime drummer Iain Templeton, and two new recruits, Michelle Brown on bass and Les Roberts on flute, and began two years of recording sessions. The sessions came to a halt when Head was offered a major label deal, not for his current work, but for him to record as his previous band Shack again. Weaving rough mixes and sketches -- by engineer Steve Powell, made in Liverpool -- with completed mixes by producer Mark Coyle (Oasis), Stephane Bismuth, the French promoter who initiated the Strands sessions, finally released The Magical World of The Strands on Megaphone in 1997. This reissue includes two bonus tracks, the B-sides to the 1998 NME and Melody Maker Single of the Week "Somethin' Like You." "Green Velvet Jacket" is an acoustic solo piece by Head, and "Queen Matilda (Demo)" was recorded in early 1993 and produced by the band's friend and live engineer Ian Eastwood on a four-track Tascam cassette recorder. Also includes 20-page booklet containing new liner notes by Head himself and photographs testifying to the album sleeve's work-in-progress.
CD $15

LP SECTION:

BILLY HARPER QUINTET with FRED HERSCH / EVERETT HOLLINS / LOUIE MBIKI SPEARS / HORACEE ARNOLD - In Europe (Soul Note SN 1001LP; Italy) The Billy Harper Quintet's In Europe appeared as the first release from the Soul Note label, a co-label of Milan's other avant-garde label, Black Saint, in 1979. In Europe presents Texas-born composer and tenor saxophonist Harper and his quintet, featuring an energetic lineup of musicians including Everett Hollins on trumpet, Fred Hersch on piano, Louie "Mbiki" Spears on bass, and Horace Arnold on drums. Recorded in Milan at Barigozzi studios, In Europe gives a fine glimpse at the power and intensity of Harper's compositions and his tremendous abilities as an improviser. Harper's gorgeous tone is reminiscent of John Coltrane's, an artist whose spiritual and soulful playing Harper builds off of to shape his own organic style. The three compositions presented on In Europe include some of Harper's best work, notably "Priestess," with its infectious gospel progression, and the energized and melodic "Calvary." Highly recommended music for post-bop and free jazz appreciators. - Jeff Schwachter, AllMusicGuide
LP $28

FRANK LOWE QUINTET with BUTCH MORRIS / AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS / WILBER MORRIS / TIM PLEASANT - Exotic Heartbreak (Soul Note SN 1032LP; Italy) Memphis-born saxophonist Frank Lowe with his muscular tenor sax voice shines along with Butch Morris' cornet and Amina Claudine Myers' piano on top of Wilber Morris (bass) and Tim Pleasant (drums) angular rhythms.
LP $28

FRANK LOWE with GRACHAN MONCUR III / GERI ALLEN / CHARNETT MOFFETT / CHARLES MOFFETT - Decision In Paradise (Soul Note SN 1082LP; Italy) The all-star lineup (tenor-saxophonist Frank Lowe, trumpeter Don Cherry, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, pianist Geri Allen, bassist Charnette Moffett and drummer Charles Moffett) practically guarantees that this music will be worth hearing. Although a touch more conservative than one might expect (more of an open-minded straightahead set than music emphasizing sound explorations), all six group originals are of interest including Lowe's unaccompanied performance on Butch Morris's "I'll Whistle Your Name" and Moncur's whimsical "You Dig." - Scott Yanow, AMG
LP $28

RICHARD TEITELBAUM - Asparagus (Black Truffle BT116LP; Australia) Black Truffle announces a major archival release from legendary American composer and live electronics innovator Richard Teitelbaum, centered around his soundtrack for Suzan Pitt's cult 1978 animation Asparagus. Best known to some listeners for introducing Europe to the Moog synthesizer as a founding member of Musica Elettronica Viva in Rome, Teitelbaum's extensive and radically experimental body of work includes collaborative recordings with master improvisers like Anthony Braxton, Andrew Cyrille, and George Lewis, intercultural experiments combining electronics with non-Western instruments such as the shakuhachi, works for computer controlled piano, and large-scale multi-media operas. Recorded at York University, Toronto in 1975-1976, "Asparagus (European Version)" sprawls across both sides of the first LP. Discovered by composer Matt Sargent in Teitelbaum's tape archive, this is a previously unheard major work for Moog modular and Polymoog synthesizers, unique in Teitelbaum's oeuvre for its lushness and gently melodic quality. Teitelbaum incorporated much of this material into his soundtrack for Suzan Pitt's Asparagus, which receives its first official release here. Asparagus, famously paired with David Lynch's Eraserhead for a two-year run of midnight screenings at New York's Waverly Theatre, uses hand-drawn and stop animation to unfurl an oneiric succession of images, beginning with a sequence in which the female protagonist defecates two stalks of asparagus, which multiply and float out of the toilet bowl to form the letters of the title. Teitelbaum's soundtrack interweaves delicate drifting tones from the "European Version" with contributions from Steve Lacy and Steve Potts on saxophones, George Lewis on trombone and Takehisa Kosugi on violin. The final side of the set presents a new realization of Teitelbaum's text score "Threshold Music," performed at a memorial concert at Roulette, New York in 2022 by Leila Bourreuil (cello), Alvin Curran (sampler and objects), Daniel Fishkin (daxophone), Miguel Frasconi (glass objects), and Matt Sargent (lap steel). Here the players use a field recording taken at Teitelbaum's home in Bearsville, New York, their long tones and shimmering, glassy textures delicately emerging from the white noise of the location recording. Released with the full approval of both Richard Teitelbaum and Suzan Pitt's estates, Asparagus is illustrated with striking images from Pitt's film and accompanied by detailed liner notes by Francis Plagne. These previously unheard pieces shed new light on the work of a key composer in the American experimental tradition, offering up some of Teitelbaum's most beautiful and engaging music.
2 LP Set $50 (Limited Edition]

MICHAEL HURLEY - The Time of the Foxgloves (No Quarter 075LP; USA) "Michael Hurley's first new studio record in 12 years features eleven songs recorded in Astoria, Oregon during the brief time of year when the foxgloves bloom. Hurley had been workshopping the set at home for the past few years. Friends and collaborators came into town and contributed from afar. The songs are lifted by violin, organ, upright bass, banjo, percussion -- but at the center, of course, is the enigmatic Snock, whose songs have grown only more unique and recognizable 57 years after his debut album. It could only be Snock. Heartbreaking, heartfelt, easy and carefree. The glorious opener 'Are You Here For The Festival' -- punctuated by a pair of violins -- came to him while working in the garden. 'Little Blue River' floats by on a cloud. The haunting 'Jacob's Ladder' sounds beamed in from another era. Or dimension. Foxgloves is as comforting and wonderful as any Hurley record that has come before it."
LP $24

THE FLESH EATERS - A Minute To Pray A Second To Die (Jackpot Records JPR 112LP; USA) "Jackpot Records presents this re-reissue of what many call arguably the greatest album of the punk rock era: The Flesh Eaters' 1981 punk-noir masterpiece, A Minute To Pray A Second To Die. Once referred to as an all-star roots/voodoo combo, The Flesh Eaters could only have crawled out of the myst of the late L.A. '70s punk scene. Fronted by punk poet/composer Chris D. (Desjardins), the band was a satellite for exquisite collaborators that allowed him to bring the full force of his dark, messed-up lyrical nightmares. Members of X, Wall Of Voodoo, Los Lobos, The Blasters, and The Plugz all hopped into his unmarked car to take a drive with Chris D. Its grabbed-by-the-throat vocals are powerfully buoyed by the tight melodicism emanating from the players on this record (John Doe and DJ Bonebrake from X, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Dave Alvin and Bill Bateman of The Blasters). Hell, there's even the perfectly executed John Doe original, 'Cyrano de Berger's Back,' which was re-recorded by X in 1987. The creators of this record made a pulp novel for your ears with an equal chance to scar your heart. Do not miss out -- this is punk noir at its greatest. Limited edition ruby red vinyl. Includes original inner sleeve design."
LP $35

HAL SINGER JAZZ QUARTET with KIPPIE MOEKETSI / DILL JONES / BILL PEMBERTON / OLIVER JOHNSON - Soweto To Harlem (Afrodelic AF 1008LP; Italy) When the U.S. State Department announced in the mid-1970s that they were sponsoring a South African tour for the Oklahoma-born, Paris-based saxophonist Hal Singer, producer Rashid Vally took note. Even though his nascent record label As-Shams/The Sun (established in 1974) was making waves on the local scene, the idea of commissioning a recording from an international artist was a ballsy idea. With a discography that stretched back to the 1950s, Hal Singer was already somewhat of a legacy artist by 1976. Vally was well-versed on Singer's accomplishments and specifically enamored by his composition "Blue Stompin'," which appeared on a Prestige album from 1959 that had struck a chord in South Africa. With his irresistible charm, Vally managed to coax Singer into a studio in Johannesburg, South Africa, to record a new version of "Blue Stompin'" with South African sax star Kippie Moeketsi, which became the title track of a 1977 album by Moeketsi. The recording session also yielded an album's worth of new material by Hal Singer and his quartet that took its name from a track inspired by Singer's trip to South Africa entitled "Soweto to Harlem." Released in 1976 and only available in South Africa, Soweto to Harlem captures a laid-back, cheeky and nostalgic rhythm and blues set from the Hal Singer Quartet that is unlikely to have emerged for a different target market.
LP $38

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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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THE STONE RESIDENCIES / URI GURVICH / MAY 8-11

5/8 Wednesday
8:30 pm - THE SASHA ARGOV PROJECT
Uri Gurvich (alto sax) Uri Caine (piano) Peter Slavov (bass) Rodolfo Zuniga (drums)

5/9 Thursday
8:30 pm - E-FOLK - Uri Gurvich (alto sax, ewi) Elias Meister (guitar) Leo Genovese (keys) Panagiotis Andreou (electric bass) Ronen Itzik (drums)

5/10 Friday
8:30 pm - NUBIA featuring the Bergamot String Quartet - Uri Gurvich (alto sax) Ledah Finck (violin) Sarah Thomas (violin) Amy Tan (viola) Irène Han (cello) Leo Genovese (piano) Peter Slavov (bass) Ronen Itzik (drums)

5/11 Saturday
8:30 pm - SAXOPHONICS - Uri Gurvich (alto sax) Dan Blake (tenor and soprano saxes) Kenneth Jimenez (bass) Vinnie Sperrazza (drums)

THE STONE RESIDENCIES / SAM KULIK / MAY 15-18
SAM AND DAVE WEEK AT THE STONE!! Free admission all week for anyone named Sam or Dave.

5/15 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Sam and Dave 1 - Sam Kulik (bass trombone) David First (guitar, harmonica, electronics)

5/16 Thursday
8:30 pm - Sam and Dave 2 - Sam Kulik (bass trombone) David Watson (bagpipes)

5/17 Friday
8:30 pm - Sam and Dave 3 - Sam Kulik (trombone, guitar) David Greenberger (voice) Sam Sowyrda (percussion) David Nagler (piano, guitar)

5/18 Saturday
8:30 pm - Sam and Dave 4—Air Crickets: the music of David Berman: Sam Kulik (guitar, voice) Dave Scanlon (guitar) David Grollman (percussion, objects); Playing and celebrating songs written by David Berman for the Silver Jews

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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Uptown Out (An Indoor Flea Market)
A new improvised music series featuring:
Matt Lambiase (trumpet)
Mary Cherney (flute)
Stephanie Griffin (viola)
Claire de Brunner (bassoon)
Will Glass (drums)

Thursday,  May 9, 7pm
Recirculation, a project of Word Up
876 Riverside Dr at 160th St.
NY NY 10032
$5 suggested donation

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Eric Dolphy: Freedom of Sounds Festival
May 30 and May 31
Memorial Auditorium, Montclair State University

Among the performers for Freedom of Sound:

Richard Davis, James Newton, Grachan Moncur III, Oliver Lake & Tarbaby, Andrew Cyrille, Don Byron, Vernon Reid, Oscar Noriega, James Brandon Lewis, Eugene Chadbourne – from living legends to young innovators.

Plus dance from an Alvin Ailey instructor, poetry from a National Book Award nominee, photography and video exhibits, an educational display, pre-show performances by Jazz House Kids and the School of Rock, and food and wine service.

Plus these great authors:
Gunther Schuller, John Szwed and Michael E. Veal.

Proceeds benefit elderly and ailing musicians, and bring music and the arts to underserved children.

There is nothing like this anywhere. People will be talking about this celebration for a long time to come. Come witness history in the making.

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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZHZMLAsL9g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnWxohqx4tY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj8-LKNXKuE

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IF YOU ARE A CANTERBURY/ROCK IN OPPOSITION FAN OF Bands like SOFT MACHINE, HENRY COW, MAGMA, etc…

Then you should check out the writing & interviewing by Rick Rees, who has a mailing list/website dedicated to Giorgio Gomelsky. Every month, Mr. Rees (who call himself a non-writer, no so says I), sends out an interview with different musicians that Mr. Gomelsky was involved with throughout his long music career. This month’s installment featuring a long interview with Chris Cutler and Maggie Thomas, who did album cover artwork for Virgin Records. The interview with Chris Cutler is long, fascinating and exhausting! Being a Henry Cow, Soft Machine & other Canterbury bands/musicians fanatic myself, I learned quite from these interviews! You can subscribe here: rickrees@substack.com

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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-37
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-36
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-362-auxiliaries

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

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