Stop, stay where you are
Take a look at yourself
Take a good look at yourself
Can't tell your momma
'Cause she'd only tell ya she told you so
That some of us are still learnin'
That the real trick to life we all know
Life flashed today at the dawnin'
Daytime, nighttime, we still don't see
Why must we wait until mornin'
To wake up and be, wake up and be
Wake up and be, wake up and be
Wake up and beeeeeeee?
Now you and I both know there's no such thing as up and down
And even when your problems got you goin' 'round and 'round
Gotta talk like a man to poppa
‘Cause he don't understand that other stuff
Since we're part of the cross he's carryin'
Our end has been draggin' long enough
Yeah
Mmm, yeah
Alright, alright, alright
Alright now
Pick it up, pick it up
Alright now
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
Mmm, yeah
Pick it up, pick it up
Pick it up, pick it up
Hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Pick it up, pick it up
I caught Yes on their first American tour in November of 1971 with King Crimson (middle bill) and Procol Harum (top bill) at the Academy of Music. All three bands knocked me out. I was already a big fan of King Crimson and Procol Harum. I hadn’t heard much from Yes yet, perhaps a song or two on FM radio. I soon bought their first two albums and became a big Yes fan. Within a year, their third album came out, ‘The Yes Album’ and it was played constantly on FM radio so they became popular pretty quickly. They came back to the Academy of Music in 1972 and played at the top of the bill. Not too surprising. I remained a big Yes fan until ‘Tales for Topographical Oceans’ which I found to be somewhat overblown. I’ve given up on them ever since. I was more attracted to Canterbury bands in the mid-seventies (Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt, Caravan, Hatfield & the North, etc.) as well as all types of progressive and free/jazz. The above song opens their second album, from 1970 and it is a cover song by noted folky (or folk/rocker) Richie Havens. I became a big Richie Havens fan in the seventies and acquired his entire 60’d catalogue which I still cherish. This song is sang passionately on both versions listed above. It seems that the words are referring to Jesus and that Life is often confusing for many of us trying to make some sense of what is going on around us at the time. A big toast to Richie Havens and to early Yes! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
**************
THE DMG 33rd ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE FREE MUSIC SERIES Continues with:
Tuesday, July 9th:
6:30: C N - Sax!
7:30: DYLAN DELGLUDICE - Guitar-Sax / AYUMI ISHITO - Tenor Sax / DAVE MILLER - Drums!
8:30: JONATHAN REISEN - Solo Tenor Sax!
********
The DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY 33rd ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION:
Will take place at The New School on:
Monday, July 15th:
TISZIJI MUNOZ / BOB RA KALAM MOSES COSMIC SPIRITS!
Two Sets!
1st Set: 7:30: Spirit Music for Our Mothers!
Featuring:
TISZIJI MUNOZ - Guitar
DON PATE - Contrabass
BOB RA KALAM MOSES - Drums
Special Guest: DAVE LIEBMAN - Tenor & Soprano Sax
2nd Set: 9pm: More Spirit Music: Tribute to John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders!
Tisziji Munoz / Don Pate / Bob Ra Kalam Moses plus
Guest Saxist JIM CLOUSE - Tenor & Soprano Saxes
Taking Place at The New School
5th Floor Theatre
55 West 13th St, just east of 6th Ave
5 floors above The Stone
Tickets: $25 at the door
******
BACK AT DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY, EVERY TUESDAY Starting at:
Tuesday, July 16th:
6:30: STAN ZENKOV Reeds / DANIEL CARTER - Reed, Trumpet / KEENAN RUFFIN - Guitar / ZACH SWANSON - Bass / DAVE MILLER - Drums
7:30: HANS TAMMEN - Prepared Guitar / MARCUS CUMMINS - Soprano Sax
8:30: ENTROPIC HOP: ARON NAMENWIRTH - Guitar / AYUMO ISHITO - Sax, Effects / KEVIN SHEA - Drums
9:30: GEORGIA WARTELL COLLINS - Tenor Sax / DEVIN WALDMAN - Alto Sax / STALE LIAVIK SOLBERG - Drums
Tuesday, July 23rd: Guitar Mini-Fest!
6:30: THE 49’ers with ANDERS NILSSON / TY CITERMAN on Guitars
7:30: GIAN PEREZ - Guitar / BRANDON LOPEZ - Bass / WILLY RODRIGUEZ - Drums
8:30: JAMES WENGROW - Guitar / KENNETH JIMENZ - Contrabass / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Drums
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THINGS BEGIN WITH AN AWESOME BOX-SET FEATURING LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER:
JOELLE LEANDRE with NICOLE MITCHELL / MYRA MELFORD / CRAIG TABORN / MAT MANERI / INGRID LAUBROCK / STEVE SWELL / JOE MORRIS / FRED LONBERG-HOLM / FRED MOTEN - Lifetime Rebel: Joëlle Léandre’s Lifetime Achievement Award Vision Festival 2023 (Rogue Art ROG 0137; France) This most impressive 4 CD & 1 DVD set features: Joëlle Léandre with the Tiger Trio (with Nicole Mitchell & Myra Melford), Roaring Tree (Craig Taborn & Mat Maneri), Atlantic Ave. Septet (Ingrid Laubrock, Steve Swell, Jason Hwang, Mat Maneri & Fred Lonberg-Holm) and a duo with poet Fred Moten and Ms. Léandre plus a DVD documentary with interviews with Ms. Léandre interspersed with bass solos. I’ve had my ears & eyes on Ms. Léandre ever since checking her out at the Victo festival in the mid-1980’s. She is one of the best contrabassists we have and for the Vision Fest 2023, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award and played in four sets of music. This was in June of 2023 and I recall well that the entire night was extraordinary, her award well deserved. This marvelous box set includes three of her four sets that night plus another set from Sons d’Hiver Festival in 2024. Considering that Ms. Léandre has well over 100 recordings, from solos to improvised sessions with dozens of great musicians from around the world plus a handful of modern classical discs performing the music of John Cage and Giacinto Scelsi, this box is still most impressive and captures her at her best. Two of these trios, the Tiger and the Roaring Trio have previous discs out from the past few years while the Atlantic Ave. Septet (Atlantic Ave is where Roulette is in Brooklyn & where the Vision Fest took place) and the duo with Fred Moten were unique debut performances.
4 CD 1 DVD $50
WILLIAM PARKER / COOPER-MOORE / HAMID DRAKE - Heart Trio (Aum Fidelity 118-2; USA) Featuring William Parker on doson ngoni, shakuhachi, bass dudek, nye flute & Serbian flute, Cooper-Moore on ashimba & hoe-handle harp and Hamid Drake on frame drum & drum kit. A couple of weeks back in late June of 2024, I attended the annual Vision Festival (#29) and for six nights with 4 to 5 sets per night, I was mostly blown away by the music and hanging out with my extended Vision Fest family from around the world. On the first night of the fest (6/18/24), there was a celebration of the life, music and artwork of William Parker with five sets of his different projects. It was a glorious night of music and I was overwhelmed with so much great music and positive vibes. I never cease to be amazed by William Parker as he does so many things well, besides being a great contrabassist, he plays a variety of instruments, leads multiple bands, is a poet, a visual artist, teacher, is an author of several great books, tours as often as is possible and emanates positive, Creative vibes wherever he goes. Over four decades Mr. Parker has developed many relationships with a variety of Creative Musicians, hence he bonds and evolves as these relationships continue.
This trio with William on a handful of ethnic instruments, Cooper-Moore on his handmade instruments and Hamid Drake on hand & drumset percussion, is a new group of old friends. The Heart Trio did play at an earlier Vision Fest in 2022. Mr. Parker has long played with both of these fine musicians in a variety of different situations. Although Cooper-Moore is well known as an incredible pianist, he has also invented quite a few of his own instruments which look as fascinating as they are to listen to. Chicago-based drummer, Hamid Drake, has been working with Mr. Parker for many years as a master rhythm team, although Mr. Drake also plays frame drums and occasionally sings or chants in his own unique way.
This is a studio recording, recorded at Park West Studios in Brooklyn. “Atman†starts things off with shakuhachi (Japanese wood flute), frame drum and another percussion instrument, which sounds like a balafon (small African handmade marimba). The music sounds all acoustic, ritualistic and organic. Mr. Parker switches to a doson n’goni (west African harp-lute) on “Five Angels by the Streamâ€, a lovely, heart-warming sound with some righteous laid-back chanting going on on top. So good, bound to make us all smile. I’ve caught Cooper-Moore playing his hoe-handle harp on several occasions so perhaps it is he who is playing that lovely harp-like instrument/sound. Parker plays bass dudek (a/k/a duduk), an ancient double reed instrument on “Mud Dance†which again sounds like it has a ritualistic African groove/vibe. Serbian flute is featured on “Serbia†which also has some ethnic sounding percussion, another great groove at the center. I find all the music here to be calm and healing which helps to make my dat easier to deal with. “Kondo†is the longest song here (almost 15 minutes) and it features a lovely repeating chant with more angelic harp and hypnotic groove. Mr. Drake plays mostly high-hat and hand percussion here, creating another wonderful hypnotic groove. I dig the way Hamid speeds up and slows down, keeping the inner pulse beating like a big heart at the center of Human Nature. Mr. plays the ney flute on “For Rafael Garrettâ€, which was handmade by Donald Rafael Garrett. Mr. Garrett is a legendary musician who played bass and bass clarinet with John Coltrane and was married to Zusaan Kali Fasteau. This flute has a slightly bent vocal quality and sounds like disembodied spirits dancing together. “Processional†is the aptly titled last piece and it does sound like a processional of sorts. I can see a large procession of dancers moving together in a long line inspiring the crowd around the side to nod their heads up and down, up and down. So beautiful, so pure, so enchanting. If you need some charming, healing sounds, then come right this way and get in the bouncing line with your homeys from the Planet Earth. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
WILLIAM PARKER and ELLEN CHRISTI - Cereal Music (Aum Fidelity 119-2; USA) "Cereal Music is bassist-composer-leader-poet William Parker's first spoken word album -- observations from a profound life devoted to the path of finding truth in beauty and speaking truth to power. Parker's words are further illuminated by a deeply sensitive sound design created by a likewise devoted artist on the same path, producer and singer Ellen Christi. William Parker's music -- in its vast scope and range of form -- has been an elemental nutrient of countless listeners' lives for nigh on five decades. William's words -- whether published on page or spoken from the stage -- are part of that music. They speak on the beauty of life itself, amplifying the light of life ever-present, even in exceptionally difficult circumstances. As his first artistic expression, Parker began writing as a young person growing up in the South Bronx projects, presenting an alternate perception of often bleak surroundings and living conditions in the neighborhood. This early awareness that there was another way of being in the world, has suffused his development into a singularly generous artist and human being. Ellen Christi's singing brings that same affirmation in the beauty of life. She and Parker's previous work together, The Majesty of Jah, is a tremendous feature for her voice. That album also includes the track, 'Baldwin,' with James Baldwin's ever-powerful words and voice resonating even more profoundly within the sonic architecture created around them by Christi. When Ellen got in touch to say that she had begun work on a similar album-length project, centered on William's spoken texts, Aum Fidelity immediately asked that she please send the pieces as she finished them. The cover painting and additional paintings on Cereal Music are by William Parker."
CD $14
JASON ROBINSON with MICHAEL DESSEN / JOSHUA WHITE / DREW GRESS / CHES SMITH - Ancestral Numbers 1 (Playscape 082323; USA) Featuring Jason Robinson on tenor & soprano saxes, alto flute & compositions, Michael Dessen on trombone, Joshua White on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Ches Smith on drums & glockenspiel. Reeds player Jason Robinson and trombonist Michael Dessen were once the frontline members of Cosmologic, an amazing avant/jazz quartet who formed while attending UC in San Diego and recorded four great discs between 2000 and 2008. I was fortunate to have caught them at the Guelph Fest in Ontario when they did a workshop gig with Bill Dixon. Since their breakup, each member has kept busy in a variety of different projects, many well worth checking out. Seek out those leader discs by Michael Dessen (five), Jason Robinson (twelve) and/or Nathan Hubbard (another dozen).
Jason Robinson has been recording solo/leader dates starting in 1998 before Cosmologic was around and each one that I’ve heard has knocked me out to the strong playing, composing and arranging. Mr. Robinson has been working with Downtown bassist Drew Gress since Robinson moved to the east coast, starting with ‘The Two Faces of Janus’ (Cuneiform, 2010), adding in-demand drummer Ches Smith in 2012 (for ‘Tiresian Symmetry’). Pianist Joshua White was added for ‘Harmonic Constituent’ (2020, Playscape). Mr. Robinson has also worked with Michael Dessen from time to time on a few old records.
The title of this disc, ‘Ancestral Number 1’ refers to a sound meditation on genealogy and Mr. Robinson’s family history. The opening song, “Second House†starts with a bluesy, rather greasy trombone led intro. The main theme is somewhat funky and it has a warm, late night party sort groove/sound. While Mr. Dessen plays an old school, New Orleans solo, the sax and piano dance around him in tight orbits. “Malachi†has a slower, simmering, solemn vibe with haunting sax and trombone harmonies on top. When the rhythm team drops out, the sax and trombone continue to have a slow, thoughtful dialogue by themselves. When the rhythm team rejoins them, Mr. Robinson takes a long, earthy, tale-spinning tenor solo, which keeps building and getting better as it evolves with the rest of the quintet coming back in in the last section. “Potentiality†has the tenor & trombone frontline playing the main theme tightly and robustly together. Mr. Robinson takes another burning solo here with some tight, robust ensemble playing underneath. I like the feelings of somberness in “Remembering Waterâ€, with Ches Smith playing his lovely mallet-work and glockenspiel. Downtown contrabassist Drew Gress has long been one of NYC’s best, his playing here is often at the center of the quintet, holding down the bottom end with his heartbeat like pulse. Michael Dessen’s feisty trombone is featured on “Wattensaw†in which he takes a strong, spirited solo. Mr. Robinson switches to soprano sax on “Vestibuleâ€, another fine song held together by Mr. Gress’s probing bass. Throughout this entire disc, whenever Jason Robinson and Michael Dessen play together, they sound like they’ve been doing it for many years, their sounds blend together righteously, organically. The final piece, “Ancestral Numbers (alt)†begins with just the two horns and glockenspiel and soon evolves into some thought ensemble playing in a chamber jazz like mode. Pianist Joshua White who we recently heard with Steph Richards is featured and shows he is a force to be reckoned with. The more I listen to this disc, the more I marvel at the ingenuity that has gone into the playing and arranging. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
MARTA SANCHEZ TRIO with CHRIS TORDINI / SAVANNAH HARRIS - Perpetual Void (Intakt CD 421; Switzerland) Featuring Marta Sanchez on piano & compositions, Chris Tordini on contrabass and Savannah Harris on drums. According to the liner notes, Marta Sanchez has had a hard time dealing with the death of her mother in December of 2020. Her father had died when she was just 16 and she struggled to work her way through her mother’s demise. The music on this disc was inspired by dealing with her loss. It turns out that this is Ms. Sanchez’ fifth disc as a leader, although I hadn’t seen or heard of her previous discs. This is mostly likely because the Fresh Sound New Talent label (which is based in Spain) has somewhat limited distribution in the US. Ms. Sanchez is now living in New York and her quintet includes NYC players like Chris Cheek, Jerome Sabbagh and Roman Filiu. Ms. Sanchez’ new trio includes Chris Tordini (for Chris Speed & Jim Black) on contrabass and Savannah Harris (for Peter Evans & Tomeka Reid). Ms. Sanchez is also a member of the current David Murray Quartet, whose current disc on Intakt was released around the same time as this one.
The first time I listened to this disc a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised since I hadn’t heard of Ms. Sanchez much before this release and the current David Murray quartet CD. This is an extraordinary effort! The opening piece is called “I Don’t Wanna Live the Wrong Life and Then Die†is a sentiment that many of us sensitive, sensible beings can relate to. The opening piece is a two-handed with the right hand playing one complex line while the left hand and rhythm team play another difficult theme tightly together, the trio sounding like it is going in two directions at once. Ms. Sanchez’ keeps playing waves of notes at the high end of the piano while pounding bass lines on the low end. The rhythm team had to balance both parts at once. Bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Savannah Harris are often incredibly nimble at changing the rhythmics on a dime and sound like they’ve been playing together for a long while. “Prelude to Grief†is an exquisite, solemn, haunting solo piano intro to “The Absence of the People You Long Forâ€. This piece is more skeletal with a superb bass solo in the middle. For the title piece, Ms Sanchez plays the main theme while the bass & drums play some strong counterpoint. Even when Ms. Sanchez lays back a bit on “The End of That Periodâ€, she still plays a majestic grace. “Prelude to a Heartbreak†is another solo piano intro which moves between several orchestral sounding themes. On “This Is The Last One For Oneâ€, Ms. Sanchez pushes the intensity high, the main theme expands nicely with the trio playing in a tight circular fashion. At times, it seems like certain themes are easy to play or sound familiar, yet when we listen closer we hear that there is more going on beneath the surface there are connections going that we could miss if we weren’t paying close attention. I’ve got to find some of Ms. Sanchez's earlier discs to see how she has evolved. A superb trio effort hands down. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $18
MIHA GANTAR with ZOH AMBA / ERIC McPHERSON / JOHN HEBERT / JEREMY DUTTON / BERGAMOT QUARTET / KWEKU SUMBRY / DOORHI NA / SARAH THOMAS / HUIMEI TAN / IRENE HAN - New York City (Clean Feed 666CD; Portugal) For any emerging artist seeking to establish a foothold in a crowded field, it’s imperative to make a strong first impression. That’s a tenet Miha Gantar clearly has taken to heart. Gantar, a 26-year-old improvising pianist and composer born in Slovenia and now based in Amsterdam, made a strong first splash in 2022 with Introducing, a 5CD debut release on the esteemed Clean Feed label. Another 5CD set, Amsterdam, followed on the same label in October 2023. Now, Gantar completes a hat trick with New York City, a third 5CD set.
This set illuminates the young pianist’s prodigious creativity and versatility across five distinct settings. Reinforcing their individuality, each album in the set has its own title. The first, Ultima, unites the pianist with bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson, an elite rhythm section previously employed by Andrew Hill and Fred Hersch. The second, Transitions, underscores Gantar’s background in classical music, complementing his piano with the quartet of violinists Doori Na and Sarah Thomas, violist Amy Huimei Tan, and cellist Irène Han—the latter three members of the Bergamot Quartet. Sanctuary, third in the set, captures a first meeting between Gantar and saxophonist Zoh Amba, a Tennessee transplant cutting an increasingly high profile in New York with her soulful approach to ecstatic jazz. Disc four, Angels is another trio—but here, instead of the classic bass and drums format, Gantar spars with two percussionists, Kweku Sumbry and Jeremy Dutton. The last disc, Towards Purity, finds Gantar alone, deploying his powers of invention in an extended nocturne that’s ceaselessly lyrical despite its lack of tonal mooring. It’s an ideal coda and benediction after the busy meetings and collaborations found on the four previous albums comprising New York City—and, in its own way, one more unique artistic statement Gantar could only have created here and now. - Clean Feed
5 CD Set $25
ELEPHANTINE with MAURICE LOUCA / PIERO BITTOLO BON / ELI VANDEWEYER / DANIEL GAHRTON / ISAK HEDTJARN / et al - Moonshine (Northern Spy 162; USA) Featuring Maurice Louca on guitar, lap steel, synth & compositions, Piero Bittolo Bon on alto sax & electronics, Isak Hedtjarn on clarinet, Daniel Gahrton on bari sax, Rasmus Svale Kjaergard on tuba, Els Vandeweyer on vibes, Rosa Drunello on double bass and Tommaso Cappellato (from Astral Travel) & Ozun Usta on drums. I recently caught the Dwarfs of East Aguza, at the Victo Fest (May of 2024) which featured Sam Shalabi on guitar, Alan Bishop on bass & sax and Maurice Louca on synth & samples. They were great yet very odd and in a class of their own. They are based in Egypt where Alan Bishop (formerly of the Sun City Girls) is now living. This is the third disc that Maurice Louca has produced for the Northern Spy label, the first one was a duo with Italian saxist Piero Bittolo Bon, who I know from his numerous discs on the El Gallo Rojo label. The other members of this ensemble I don’t really know much about except that Iasak Hedtjarn (Swedish saxist) can be found on a previous Clean Feed disc called Festen from 2016.
This mighty fine disc begins with “Moonshine Parts I, II & IIIâ€. The opening theme has a wonderful repeating theme which made me smile and want to dance along. The baritone and alto saxes are both playing jubilantly together here, with an awesome spirited sax solo by Mr. Bittolo Bon plus clarinetist Isak Hedtjarn also weaving his way as well. On “Moonshine Part IIâ€, the band launches into another great groovefest theme with all members swirling tightly around one another. While that groove/theme is most infectious, there are several layers moving tightly around one another making things even more compelling. “Moonshine Part III†begins with a long bass solo intro with spacey lap steel and synth swirling mysteriously around one another. “Trembler†has yet another slamming, somewhat funky groove with a fine chorus of reeds and perhaps synth. “Achilles Heel†begins with a solemn tuba solo, which erupts with a powerful Klez-like clarinet solo which seems to have 1 foot in the past and the other foot in the future. There are sections here when the nine piece band sounds like an orchestra or perhaps like the Sun Ra Arkestra. What I really dig about this disc is that the overall vibe/sound is one of swirling, cosmic waves with consistently irresistible grooves that lift me up off my seat and make me want to dance and sing the joys of being alive. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
THE PAST COMES BACK TO HAUNT US ALL, ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS & REISSUES OF NOTE:
TEDDY CHARLES with JIMMY GUIFFRE / GEORGE BARROW / GIGI GRYCE / JIMMY RANEY / SHORTY ROGERS /BOOKER LITTLE / JIM BUFFINGTON / MAL WALDRON / DON BUTTERFIELD / CHARLES MINGUS / CURTIS COUNCE / SHELLY MANNE / ED SHAUGHNESSY / JOE HARRIS - The 1950s Album Collection (Enlightenment 9233; EEC) Albums include: ‘Collaboration West’, ‘Word from Bird’, ‘Evolution’, ‘Coolin’’, ‘The Teddy Charles Tentet’, ‘Metronome Presents Jazz in the Garden at the Museum of Modern Art.’ Like my good pal Darren Bergstein, I am a longtime fan of many jazz vibes players. From Milt Jackson & Red Norvo through Patricia Brennan & Joel Ross, I keep checking out more and more of these great musicians. I keep finding out about the more obscure ones also like Walt Dickerson or Lem Winchester or Khan Jamal.
Several years back I discovered Teddy Charles, a more progressive/third stream musician who worked with Charles Mingus and Miles Davis in the mid-fifties. Mr. Charles recorded around a dozen records (78’s & LP’s) in the 1950’s, some of which are pretty hard to find on CD. This wonderful compilation features 3 of the 78’s (10†EP’s) as well as seven other full length LP’s. Each of the four discs here have upwards of 80 minutes per disc so that’s around more than 5 hours of essential music. We listened to three of the four discs the other day at the store (7/2/24) and I was most impressed by what I heard. Right now I am listening to ‘Word from Bird’ (Atlantic, 1957) which includes George Barrow on bari sax, Hal Overton (great composer) on piano, Charles Mingus and Jimmy Raney, all musicians that I really dig. 1950’s jazz went from bebop through cool jazz through hard bop and ended with modal jazz and the beginning of free jazz. There was a collection of composers like George Russell, Gil Evans and Charles Mingus who would get together to discuss and help invent the future of modern jazz. These eight discs give a great example of what was going on then. Take some time to absorb this lengthy treasure chest of assorted sonic gems. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
4 CD $18
MICHAEL de ALBUQUERQUE with OLLIE HALSALL / FRANK RICOTTI / ALAN SKIDMORE / GORDON BECK / B.J. COLE / CHRIS LAURENCE / STAN SULZMAN / CHRIS PYNE / JOHN TAYLOR / GERRY CONWAY / et al - We May Be Cattle But At Least We’ve Got Names [with bonus track] (Think Like a Key Music TLAK 1173; USA) Featuring Michael de Albuquerque on vocals, guitar, piano & songs, Ollie Halsall on lead guitar, B.J. Cole on pedal steel, Stan Sulzmann on tenor sax, Henry Lowther on trumpet, Chris Pyne on trombone, Gordon Beck on electric piano, Chris Laurence on bass and Gerry Conway on drums. This record was released in 1973. I bought this record when I was going to school in London in the Fall of 1975. I hadn’t heard of Michael de Albuquerque before then although he joined Electric Light Orchestra on bass. I bought this record mostly since it had the amazing Ollie Halsall (from Patto, Boxer & the Kevin Ayers Band) on lead guitar. If you’ve never heard the four Patto records from the early 1970’s, you should do so. Mr. Halsall’s playing on the first two Patto records (self-titled & ‘Hold Your Fire’) is some of the scariest, fastest and most mind-blowing of any other British guitarists from that period. The fastest and perhaps best British guitarists of that era were Mr. Halsall and Alan Holdsworth and both were also in Tempest at different points.
I didn’t know what to expect when I first got this record and was surprised that it was a modest pop/rock album with a number of memorable songs. When I listen to this disc now, I can hear how much intricate and odd playing and arranging had gone on with a number of nifty surprises when you least expect them. There are a couple of songs which sounded silly at the time but when I listen to them now & read the lyrics, there are some great ideas which I now hear which make me smile. I can hear some Stevie Wonder funk riffs in the opener, “Dribble Dribbleâ€, some Mother’s like twisted humor in the vocals & lyrics plus Mr. Halsall’s stunning yet laid back guitar solo. As I listen to “Oh Womanâ€, I am reminded of the tasty, quirkiness of Steely Dan plus another astonishing guitar solo from Ollie H and superfine electric piano solo from Gordon Beck (who rarely played el. piano). “Occasion†begins with a tasty pedal steel from the great B.J Cole, before it gets into a lovely, laid back ballad. Just as the song is fading out, the band erupts into a boogie rock ending with more Ollie antics. The title song is especially gripping with some wonderful falsetto singing by Mr. DeAlbuquerque and some unexpected yet effective Moog synth added by Mr. Halsall. The 70’s was a unique time for popular music since country rock, jamband, post-psych, prog and jazz/rock/fusion were all being utilized apart and together. This obscure gem draws from most of these genres and makes something unique and compelling simultaneously. So glad to see and hear this treasure come back in print! The enclosed booklet contains a fine essay by Michael de Albuquerque’s brother George about Michael’s back-story and informative notes about each song written by Michael himself. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
SPIRITUAL JAZZ with ALICE COLTRANE / JOE HENERSON / McCOY TYNER / LEE KONITZ QUINTET / CANNONBALL ADDERLEY SEXTET / FRANK STROZIER / et al - Spiritual Jazz 16: Riverside Etc. (Jazzman Records 139CD; UK) Since 2008, Jazzman's Spiritual Jazz series has presented unlimited horizons. Each album celebrates the rich tradition of African-American songs based on the belief in a higher force than oneself and has also focused on geographical areas, such as Europe or Japan, thus recognizing that these territories have immense cultural riches. Religions, like Islam, whose musical traditions have vivid Arabic and North African resonances, have also been highlighted. The stylistic range of all the above is wide. Yet historic record labels, from Blue Note and Impulse! to Prestige and Steeplechase, have also featured because their catalogues are musical treasure troves that could not be more relevant to Spiritual Jazz, even though they issued vast amounts of music between the late '30s and present day, that have not been confined to any one school. Spiritual Jazz 16 is a focus on Riverside and its associated sister labels. Riverside itself was founded in 1953 by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, and became an important purveyor in that decade and beyond of what would be marketed as modern jazz. That coinage was itself an amorphous, umbrella term that essentially created a demarcation from the vocabulary of pre-war classic jazz and inter-war big band swing, thus recognizing that improvising artists were breaking new creative ground that would subsequently give rise to a flurry of sub-genres, for example bebop, hard bop, cool, modal and Latin jazz. And it's from this multiplicity of sub-genres that Jazzman chose the deepest, most vibrant selections that the vast, pan-generational catalogue of Keepnews and Grauer has to offer. Featuring James Clay, Werner-Rosengren Swedish Jazz Quartet, Sal Nistico Quintet, Frank Strozier, Cannonball Adderley Sextet, Blue Mitchell, Sonny Red, Clifford Jordan, Lee Konitz Quintet, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, and Alice Coltrane.
CD $16
THE NEW BLOCKADERS / GRINDER-WITHOUT-ORGANS / THE THEATRICAL PANOPTICON - The Stage As Antiworld (Cold Spring Records CSR 337CD; UK) This double CD set includes an extended collaboration between The New Blockaders and Grinder-Without-Organs, and two live recordings of anti-theatre premiered at Cafe OTO (London, UK) and Audio Foundation (Auckland, NZ). The set also includes a link to access a bonus film and extra, printable material. CD1 features Ein Glücklicherer Zufall: Genau Zu Lang, an hour-long part studio/part live collaboration between seminal anti-music stalwarts The New Blockaders, and purveyors of the absurd Grinder-Without-Organs. Ein Glücklicherer Zufall shows a different side to TNB's trademark obliterating noise offensives with a more collaged, musique concrète approach. CD2 opens with G-W-O Live at Cafe OTO. The set concludes with The Theatrical Panopticon, "A stage play performed in a void infected with accidental somniloquies." Fans of noise music will need no introduction to the work of TNB. Ron Lessard, of legendary US Noise label RRRecords, once stated, "I'd give the nod to TNB as being the first truly devoted Noise artists." TNB served as a major influence on legendary noise pioneers such as Merzbow and their influence on the current crop of popular crossover noise artists such as Wolf Eyes is immeasurable. Double CD comes in a six-panel matt digipak with eight-page booklet featuring TNB and G-W-O artworks.
2 CD Set $19
STEVE ROACH & THEADELAIDEAN - Parallels (Projekt Records PRO 420CD; USA) "2CD in six-panel digipak, edition of 1000. Across 8,500 miles and one sweeping ocean, pioneering electronic music maestro Steve Roach and new gen artist Theadelaidean align their ambient atmospherics within a double album both introspective and otherworldly. Each disc expands through luminous soundscapes that radiate a gentle warmth. Melodic fragments call across vast, reverberant expanses, revealing unique expressive sensibilities and unexpected creative parallels. The ten tracks are serene and meditative, an immersive crossing of spatial and sonic universes. This collaboration merges Baja Arizona-based Roach's decades of mastery sculpting immersive soundworlds with Australia-based Theadelaidean's delicate, meticulous sound design, taking the listener through a stately unfurling of translucent textures and etheric dronescapes. Parallels is a testament to the power of the true collaboration, an essential listen for fans of both Roach and Theadelaidean."
2 CD Set $19
NORMIL HAWAIIANS - Empires into Sand (Upset the Rhythm UTR 163CD; UK) Empires into Sand is the first album of new material from Normil Hawaiians in 40 years. The group first refined their sound during the early '80s, hitting on a pastoral experimentalism that drew on ambient drone, motorik impulse and post-punk pep. Empires into Sand came together in the familiar manner of their original three albums, with improvisation and nuance informing the blueprint of the tracks. It was with the official release of this last record Return of the Ranters (originally recorded in 1984/85, but then unconsciously shelved) in 2015 by Upset The Rhythm that led to the group reconnecting with the intention of playing music together again. The quaint weirdness of folk song, the humanity of communal practice and the group's ecological mindedness have all found a place in Normil Hawaiians' current sound world. Normil Hawaiians took their time to develop these threads at their own pace, allowing songs to mutate and settle over months. Simon Marchant deftly produced and recorded the album whilst also performing in the band, this marked the first time the band had total control of their own sound. Empires into Sand incorporates samples from old rehearsals and live music into the new finished pieces, this is in continuum with their previous records. Snippets of sound from the static of short-wave radio and satellite transmissions also embellish the work. In fact, the whole album is stitched together with interludes, creating an acutely immersive 45 minutes. The album's title is derived from a poem by band member Mark Tyler, who sadly passed away during the recording process and the transience of life is felt heavily throughout. Noel best coins the group's wish for the album: "We wanted to create an album that acknowledges our history and also reflects who we are today. We remained true to ourselves and we wanted to make something beautiful without removing the edges." Empires into Sand certainly does that, it's an echo from the past, an echo from the future.
CD $15
LP SECTION:
TERUMASA HINO QUINTET - Hi-Nology (Le Tres Jazz Club 016LP; France) Terumasa Hino is undoubtedly one of the most famous Japanese jazzmen. Learning the trumpet at the age of nine, he began his career as a professional musician by playing in the orchestra of an US Army base, before joining Hideo Shiraki's Quintet and then forming his own band in 1964. On Hi-Nology, his brother Motohiko Hino appears on drums, Hiroma Suzuki on electric piano, Kumitsu Inaba on electric bass and Takeru Muraoka on tenor sax. The inspiration from the "electric period" of Miles Davis (notably Miles In The Sky released in 1968) is felt and is even accepted, since the opening piece is entitled "Like Miles." Coincidentally, Hi-Nology was recorded on July 31, 1969, the day after the release of In a Silent Way and has nothing to envy of this great record by Miles Davis.
LP $34
SRC - SRC (Jackpot Records 108LP; USA) "SRC was born out of a smashing up of two of Detroit's brightest bands, The Fugitives and The Chosen Few (which also featured future Stooges Ron Asheton). The new band gained a fanatic local following, eventually capturing the attention of Capitol Records. The band shifts effortlessly from mountaintop introspection to wild distorted crescendos creating one of the most melodically heavy LPs ever made. An over-the-top psychedelic fuzz guitar masterpiece. Upon its release in the U.S in 1968, the LP created fan and critical excitement. Still, it was in the U.K where the cultdom made its most significant impact, with John Peel playing the hell out of it on his radio show and even Genesis' Peter Gabriel claiming that this first SRC album was one of his favorites, saying he 'wore the record out' (and you can absolutely hear SRC's melodies buried inside Gabriel's musical DNA!). Cut from the analog master tapes by Kevin Gray. Limited edition of 1500."
LP $36
THE CEYLEIB PEOPLE - Tanyet (Jackpot JPR 082LP; USA) "Originally released in 1968 as an LA studio concept album, this instrumental album is a remarkable fusion of the psychedelic sounds of sitar and mellotron with angular guitar riffs and hard drum breaks. Featuring a lineup of Ry Cooder, Jim Gordon, Mike Deasy, and The Wrecking Crew (Los Angeles' top studio session musicians). The band recorded only this one album and most of the personnel went on to greater achievements. The quintessence of psychedelic rock in its full-blooming 1968ness. Features original cover artwork by Rick Griffin (Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young). Pressed on colored vinyl. Limited edition of 2000 copies."
LP $28
PATRICK HIGGINS - Versus (Other People 077LP; USA) Patrick Higgins is an American composer, guitarist, and producer from New York City, known for his work in experimental and contemporary classical music. Higgins plays guitar and composes in the band Zs, described by The New York Times as "one of the strongest avant-garde bands in New York." Higgins has received attention for bridging traditions including baroque chamber music, contemporary noise, electronics and 20th century minimalism. His work has been performed in over 25 countries internationally, and he has composed works for some of the world's leading ensembles, ranging from chamber orchestra works, percussion cycles, and string quartets to smaller ensembles and soloists. He has scored works for television, museum exhibitions, and films both short-form and feature-length. Since 2013, he has operated Future-Past Studios, a recording studio in upstate NY. He recently had a solo exhibition of artworks and sheet music, as well as two world premiers, at The Clark Museum in MA, USA. In 2019, he was a curator and headliner of the Le Guess Who festival in Holland.
2 LP Set $44
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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 / LESLEY MOK / JULY 3, 5, 6
7/5 Friday
8:30 pm - HISTORY DOG - Shara Lunon (voice, electronics) Chris Williams (trumpet, electronics) Luke Stewart (electric bass) Lesley Mok (drums)
7/6 Saturday
8:30 pm - THE LIVING COLLECTION - David Leon (alto saxophone, flutes) Yuma Uesaka (tenor saxophone, clarinets) Kalun Leung (trombone) Joanna Mattrey (viola) Christopher Hoffman (cello) Phillip Golub (piano) Dorian Duke (bass) Lesley Mok (drums)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - JOANNA MATTREY - JULY 10-13
7/10 Wednesday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Lea Bertucci (sax, electronics) Chantal Michelle (electronics) Joanna Mattrey (viola, stroh violin)
7/11 Thursday
8:30 pm - QUARTET - Cleek Schrey (violin, objects) Steven Long (synths, organs, objects) Ethan Philbrick (cello, electronics) Joanna Mattrey (strings, objects)
7/12 Friday
8:30 pm - QUARTET - Loo King (drums, electronics) Alex Zhang Hungtai (sax) Leila Bordreuil (cello) Joanna Mattrey (viola)
7/13 Saturday
8:30 pm - QUARTET - C’ Mil O’ Angggls (flute) C Spencer Yeh (violin) Kwami Winfield (trumpet) Joanna Mattrey (viola)
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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IBEAM in BROOKLYN Presents:
Monday, July 8, 2024 - 7:00 PM 9:00 PM
Aaron Irwin Trio
Aaron Irwin - alto saxophone/bass clarinet
Mike Baggetta - guitar
Bill Campbell - drums
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 - 8:00 PM 9:00 PM
"Vitor Gonçalves and Todd Neufeld"
Vitor Gonçalves and Todd Neufeld - 8 pm
Vitor Gonçalves - accordion
Todd Neufeld - guitar
Saturday, July 13
4:00pm Improvisation Workshop (open to all!)
Kyoko Kitamura guides participants through Anthony Braxton's Language Music and beyond score excerpts provided
5:00pm Listening Session & In-Person Interview
KAREN BORCA - 90-minutes of immersion into pioneering bassoonist/composer/innovator’s body of FreeJazz works. Moderated by Ben Young. Curated/co-produced by Melanie Dyer
7:30pm Anaïs Maviel - Voice & Piano
8:45pm Ambient Parade (from Montreal!)
Kalun Leung - trombone & custom instruments
Yuma Uesaka - reeds
Special Guest! - trumpet & custom instruments
$20 includes daytime events
I-Beam is located at 168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11215
info@ibeambrooklyn.com
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This comes from a friend and STEVE LACY Italian fan, Mauro Stocco:
www.stevelacymemorialscrapbook.org is a recent tribute portal dedicated to Steve Lacy, the great soprano sax genius who passed away twenty years ago, on June 4th, 2004. The website currently features contributions by Alvin Curran, Roberto Ottaviano, Gianni Mimmo, Zlatko KauÄiÄ, Andrea Centazzo, Tino Tracanna, Vincent Lainè, Jason Weiss, and others will follow over time.
After having dedicated many years to collecting records, books and magazines about Steve, having met him several times and organized gigs for him in solo, trio, sextet and with Musica Elettronica Viva, I decided it was the time to create a simple, but heartfelt, tribute.
Steve Lacy was a genius of our time, a sort of Leonardo Da Vinci, capable of interacting with Dixieland, Monk, Ellington, free, Indian music, MEV, Giuseppe Chiari, dance, painting, sculpture, cinema, poetry, Living Theatre, philosophy, Tao, codifying the role of the modern soprano saxophone.
Anyone who feels they have a contribution to make to the site can contact the e-mail address listed.
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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWJ20KEHAdQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuKk7GFtGls
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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 (#37) was released earlier this year, here are 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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