They love each other, Lord you can see that it's true,
Lord you can see that it's true, Lord you can see that it's true.
Its' nothing, they explain, it's like a diesel train
you better not be there when it rolls, over,
And when that train rolls in, you wonder where it's been,
You gotta try and see a little further.
Though you'll make a noise, just can't hear your voice.
All the dizzy ride on your cold shoulder.
Won't you believe what I say is true?
Everything I did I heard it first from you.
Everything I tell you, I heard it first from you.
Heard your news report, you know you're falling short.
Pretty soon, we'll trust you for the weather.
When that ship comes in, you won't know where it's been.
You got to try to see a little further.
Many of you know about the Grateful Dead journey that I’ve been on since April of 2020, when the pandemic forced all of us to stay at home without knowing if or when it would end. I’ve been listening to 1 hour of live Dead recordings almost every night, dancing & singing along in my kitchen. Listening to all of their gigs in chronological order. I recently made my way into 1973 and I’ve listened to 336 concerts so far! I’ve made a series of best-of cassettes (66 so far) that I listen to once or twice and then lend to my pal Deadhead Dan. I’ve gained a better understanding of what’s special and unique about the Dead and I appreciate many of their songs both musically and lyrically more than I ever did. Every song they play changes each time they play so every song evolves over time. I am always searching for those moments of transcendence which occur at every gig when they do songs like “The Other One”, “Dark Star”, “Playing in the Band” or “Bird Song”. The Dead took the month of January, 1973 off to record their next album, ‘Wake of the Flood’. They had a handful of new songs like “Eyes of the World”, “Mississippi Half-Step”, “Here Comes Sunshine” and “They Love Each Other”. Check out versions of “They Love Each Other” from February of 1973 at Archive.org. I can hear how contemporary soul, funk & even gospel at the time (like Curtis Mayfield, the Meters & Earth, Wind & Fire) was influencing their music. This song reminds me of Curtis Mayfield who was an obvious influence on Jerry Garcia. This song makes me want to dance and sing along so that is what I do. I treasure these moments especially during the dark times we are all experiencing now. I want to send some Love & Peace vibrations to all of you out there who read this newsletter. I have recovered from my double hernia operation last week, just a bit of soreness left. Thanks to all of you who sent me those healing vibes, I appreciate it and this also makes me feel better about life. Do take care of yourselves, you know who still loves you… Me, MC-BruceLee
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THE DMG 33rd ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE FREE MUSIC SERIES Continues with:
Tuesday, November 26th:
6:30: BLOOMERS
7:30: MICK BARR - Guitar / DANIEL CARTER - Reeds-Trumpet / TAKUMA KANAIWA - Bass / JONATHAN WILSON - Drums
Tuesday, December 3rd:
6:30: SYLVAIN LEROUX - Fula flutes & reeds / HILL GREENE - Contrabass / DAN KURFIRST - Drums
7:30: AYUMI ISHITO - Tenor Sax / KATE MOHANTY - Alto Sax / DANILE CARTER - Reeds & Trumpet
8:30: EVAN PALMER - Contrabass / JAMES McKAIN - Sax / MICHAEL LAROCCA - Drums
9:30: AMALIE DAHL - Solo Sax
Tuesday, December 10th:
6:30: HANS KOCH - Clarinet Soprano Sax / FLORIAN STOFFNER - Guitar
7:30: ALIX TUCOU - Solo Bass Trombone
8:30: KENNETH JIMENEZ - ContraBass / HERY PAZ - Tenor Sax / SABRINA SALAMONE - Violin / DREW WESELY - Guitar
Tuesday, December 17th:
6:30: s0nic 0penings: patrick brennan - alto sax / JASON KAO HWANG - Violin / HILLIARD GREENE - Contrabass / MICHAEL TA THOMPSON - Drums
7:30: SHOGO YAMAGISHI - Bass / CAYLIE DAVIS - Trumpet / CHRIS FERRARI - Woodwinds / J.J. MAZZA - Drums
8:30: CHAD FOWLER - Reeds / JIM CLOUSE - Tenor & Soprano Saxes / KEVIN RAY - Bass / PATRICK GOLDEN - Drums
************
THIS WEEK’S GOODIES BEGIN WITH The AMAZING:
ROSCOE MITCHELL with SANDY EWEN / DAMON SMITH / WEASEL WALTER - One Head Four People (Wide Hive 0379; USA) Featuring Roscoe Mitchell on bass saxophone, Sandy Ewen on electric guitar, Damon Smith on bass and Weasel Walter on drums. Bass saxophone?!? A bass sax is even larger than a baritone sax and not so easy to carry around. Which is why we see so few saxists actually playing it. Elder saxists like Anthony Braxton, JD Parran and Roscoe Mitchell usually keep it on a large stand while they play this massive horn. Throughout Roscoe Mitchell’s long career with the Art Ensemble and numerous projects, he has often searched out, playing the those unlikely reeds like a sopranino and bass sax. Sandy Ewen, Damon Smith and Weasel Walter have worked together as a trio in the past with Ewen and Smith also working with experimental vocalist Jaap Blonk in the past. As far as I can tell, this is the first time that any of the other members of the trio have worked with elder statesman saxist & composer Roscoe Mitchell before.
Although all of the members of this quartet come from much different musical backgrounds, all four are gifted improvisers. Ms. Ewen, who has lived in NY for the last few years, plays her guitar laid in her lap, using a variety of utensils to coax odd sounds, hence she doesn’t quite sound like anyone else. Check her out on YouTube to see what I am talking about. The bass sax takes quite a bit of wind power to play and Mr. Mitchell is pretty old (84) by now so he seems to be laying back and playing with more restraint on the bass sax. The first piece is called “Ruckus” and involves a more relaxed approach. This piece builds through sections increasing in intensity as it goes with long, thoughtful solos from each member of the quartet. Mr. Mitchell often plays on the lower end of the scale which makes his sax sound like a bassoon at times, their sounds quite similar on occasion. Master bassist Damon Smith does a fine job interacting with Mitchell’s sax, bowing intensely at times. There is a section on “Ripples” where Smith bows his bass creating a series of melodic drones while the rest of the quartet move carefully around him. Ms. Ewen’s distinctive sound is featured in the first section of “Ruff Ruff Ruffy”, with the rest of the quartet soon erupting tightly together, expanding and contracting in a most organic way. Mr. Mitchell plays what sounds like a ballad on “Shiver”, stretching his notes out carefully, keeping the vibe calm when it starts. Damon Smith & Weasel Walter have worked together and recorded some 15 discs. I can often hear that connection going on throughout their playing here. There are a number of quieter moments here, the quartet stretching out while playing very sparsely. If I didn’t know who this was in advance, I might not have guessed that this was Roscoe Mitchell playing at certain points. I do recognize Mr. Walter’s unique drumming, which often reminds me of British free/form insect-like improv. When Sandy Ewen gets her chance to stretch out, I dig what she comes up with, creating different sounds, some of which are not quite guitar-like in tone. Consistently impressive and engaging throughout. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
PAUL DUNMALL QUARTET with LIAM NOBLE / JOHN EDWARDS / MARK SANDERS - Here Today Gone Tomorrow (Rogue Art 0139; France) In the quartet on this album with Liam Noble on piano, John Edwards on double bass and Mark Sanders on drums, Paul has returned to his first love: free improvisation based on interaction between the four players. The quartet is a worthy successor to the Mujician quartet, and must be one of the finest working free improvising groups in the world. His approach is to listen very carefully to what is happening around him and to react to it. In general terms, there are two broad approaches to soloing in free music; one is where musicians develop their own lines in a method that can be defined as independent simultaneous action, and which John Corbett (2016) has described as 'skiing down the slopes separately', the other is interactive where the musicians listen carefully and react to the other players in a kind of musical conversation. Of course, there is a grey area between these two approaches. Paul Dunmall's playing falls very definitely into the interactive category. If you see him play live, you will see how he concentrates on the flow of the music, often stepping back and allowing the music to develop before choosing the right moment to enter or re-enter. At times his playing is foregrounded, while at others it is an equal partner in the mix of sound. His solos always develop original melodic lines, free of the clichés of both straight ahead and free jazz. The other three musicians make equally important contributions to the music. Liam Noble plays in many different contexts from solo piano to more mainstream quartets; he has a highly original approach to free improvisation based on short melodic ideas and clusters of notes that weave in and out of Dunmall's lines. John Edwards and Mark Sanders are longstanding partners in free music and they create intense swirling rhythms that react with and set off the improvisations of Dunmall and Noble. They are, in fact, equal partners in the quartet, free to influence the development and flow of the music.
CD $16
NEW ON FMR:
PAUL DUNMALL / FAITH BRACKENBURY / OLIE BRICE / TONY BIANCO - Prema (FMR 681; UK) Featuring Paul Dunmall on tenor sax, Faith Brackenbury on violin, Olie Brice on contrabass and Tony Bianco on drums. Recorded live at the Eastside Jazz Club in Birmingham, UK in March of 2023. I’ve become a fan of British violinist Faith Brackenbury who I’ve heard on her duo with Tony Bianco as well as with two quartets and a quintet. This is the second quartet date that Paul Dunmall has done with Ms. Brackenbury and Tony Bianco. The first quartet date with with a different bassist although for this record, Mr. Dunmall has chosen Olie Brice, who has worked with Dunmall on several discs as well as with Ingrid Laubrock, Alex Ward and Eddie Prevost. ‘Prema’ is a 37 minute concert recording, one long piece and it is superbly recorded, warm and clean. Both Mr. Dunmall (on tenor sax) and Ms. Brackenbury (on violin) start off exchanging lines together, weaving their way with the sprawling rhythm team. Ms. Brackenbury takes a long solo midway through this piece with Mr. Dunmall joining her, the two weaving their playing as the quartet moves in waves together. There are times when the quartet calms down yet keeps the flow going between all four members. American-born drummer, Tony Bianco, has been living in England for a long time and recorded Mr. Dunmall on some two dozen discs. Bianco is also partners with Ms. Brackenbury. The music here always sounds connected and inspired and that all four members are integral to the focused group sound. What’s interesting is this: Dunmall takes no longer or blistering solos here, he sounds more like a group player who is always listening and connecting with the other members so that there is consistent exciting interaction going on for the duration of this disc. Mr. Bianco switches to mallets for the last section, bringing the quartet into a more cerebral sound. A superb date with little in the way of fireworks. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
DELTA SAXOPHONE QUARTET - Late Music (FMR 677; UK) The Delta Sax Quartet features Andy Tweed, Graeme Blevins, Howard McGill, Kathryn McGuiness (on altos), Tim Holmes tenor) & Christian Forshaw (soprano) and Chris Caldwell (bari) on saxes, Sam Hodder on bass, keyboards, guitar & electronics plus a handful of guests. The British sax quartet has been around since 1984 and have eight releases out. Each of their releases (on FMR, Moonjune & Basho) feature different composers of themes (mostly British modern classical composers). Canterbury and prog fans like yours truly appreciate that they’ve covered different eras of Soft Machine for one disc (2007) and David Bowie & Eno period in Berlin for their last disc (2018). This disc was inspired by the seasons, the weather and the Pandemic that we all had to deal with. There are some 18 pieces here composers like Steve Martland, Louis Andriessen, Joy Division and Durutti Column included. The opening piece, “Late Music” collects a few segments from past discs with a short Soft Machine excerpt included. There are a number of composers here whose names I don’t recognize. “Amsterdam Lockdown” (by Paul Honey) has a forlorn, eerie sound which reminds me of the bad vibes that we all dealt with during the pandemic, not knowing how long it will last. “Compacted Grounds - Parts 1-3” (by Joe Duddel) has a solemn, haunting sound with lush harmonies for the various reeds. “Part 2” also has a solemn melody which sounds like something from our distant past , a reflection of sad time buried in our memories. A few of these pieces are pretty short and sound like interludes. Although there are a dozen composers involved, the overall wistful, haunting, oft-solemn sound permeates this disc. Hence, all of the pieces flow together and remind me of a late night, staring at a candle, sipping some wine and contemplating the darker side of life. One of the best pieces here is Hayley Jenkins’ “Intertidal Perspectives”, the harmonies are expanded considerably, making the saxes sound more orchestral with a bit of eerie sampling or an organ being added. Steve Martland’s “Principia” adds a drummer (drum machine?) which changes the sound yet quirky the sax harmonies continue. At first I wasn’t so sure why the Delta Sax Quartet would cover three songs by Joy Division, one of the depressing of all UK new wave bands. Oddly enough these songs seem to capture a similarly sad yet hypnotic vibe. Another unexpected choice is Durutti’s Column’s “Sketch for Summer” which again captures another rather poignant vibe. If I didn’t know better I would’ve thought that all of the music here was composed by one (depressed) composer. The last piece features some operatic singing by Frances Gregory. This piece fits as well and seems like icing for a tart yet tasty treat. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
MICHAEL ATTIAS with SANTIAGO LEIBSON / SEAN CONLY / MATT PAVOLKA / TOM RAINEY / MARK FERBER / CHRIS HOFFMAN - Quartet Music: Vol.1: LuMiSong / Quartet Music Volume II: Kardamon Fall (Out of Your Heads 025; USA) Featuring Michal Attias on alto sax, Santiago Leibson on piano & keyboards, Sean Conly or Matt Pavolka on basses, Tom Rainey or Mark Ferber on drums plus Chris Hoffman on cello. New York is filled with creative musicians who play their instruments well, lead bands and creative music in their own way. A few get the recognition they well deserve while a number rarely get that recognition. Mr. Attias seems to fall in the latter group, although I’ve always dug whatever I’ve heard him do on record and live. For this sprawling 2 disc set, Mr. Attias has organized two quartets , both with Santiago Leibson on piano & keyboard, but each with a different rhythm section.
‘Quartet Music Vol I’ begins with “#63 (Settled)”, which has a difficult, M-Base-like rhythmic repeating line with Mr. Santiago on electric piano (with some sly subtle echoplex). “Mister Softee Is A Front” has another, slightly twisted looping line with both the sax & piano in slightly different yet connected orbits. The song stops & restarts several times, the piano, bass & drums playing one repeating line while Mr. Attias takes a fine bristling solo, which is followed by an exuberant piano solo from Mr. Leibson. “NME is a quiet piece, restrained and somber. The last piece in Disc 1 is called “Hexway Liner” and it includes cellist Chris Hoffman. Again, Attias has written a number of challenging looping lines which feature the quartet plus playing tightly together, with a strong cello solo near the end.
‘Quartet Music Vol. II’ features Attias and Leibson along with a different rhythm team: Sean Conly on bass and Tom Rainey on drums. This is all acoustic quartet, and begins with a more cerebral, slow moving piece called “Kardamon Spring”. The piece has a more eerie, stark sound with Mr. Rainey on exquisite brushwork and his hands. “Trinite” begins with just contrabass before the rest of the quartet enters to play their quirky slightly bent line. Both Attias and Leibson split the repeating line as they interweave with the rhythm team spinning tightly underneath. The quartet builds up to an intense near frenzy and then calms back down. “Manners” has both the sax and piano playing in large waves together, spinning quickly and tightly like storm force erupting, the rhythm team spinning quickly along with them. “Avrils” is also slow moving and seems to stretch out time to a more glacial pace. The quartet play sparsely Mr. Rainey using his hands just to punctuate the skeletal rhythmic pace and Mr. Conly playing a thoughtful minimal solo. On many of these pieces, Mr. Attias takes what sounds like a written line and then plays it, twists it and turns it inside out while the rest of the quartet play their part of a sketched form. Each piece features a different line that the quartet has to navigate by playing it together and then taking it apart as they go. Both Attias and Leibson take a number of impressive solos which always seem to be an extension of the way the piece unfolds over time. This disc is more spacious than Disc I, slowing down the pace at times so that the silence glows or hums. This allows this music to be more suspense-filled. Each side of the coin is different yet there is something (the sax & piano) which remains common or true. A slightly twisted mirror image with some subtle surprises buried at times. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $16
KAREN BORCA / PAUL MURPHY - Entwined (Relative Pitch RPR 1198; USA) Featuring Karen Borca on bassoon and Paul Murphy on drums. Until bassoonist Lindsay Cooper joined Henry Cow in 1974, I hadn’t really heard very many musicians who played the bassoon in a serious way. I knew that on rare occasions, creative musicians like Yusef Lateef in the late 1950’s, a few jazz reeds players in the 1960’s and saxists from the Mothers of Invention, would double on a bassoon at times. Karen Borca was the first bassoonist to be reckoned with who played mostly free/jazz in her own unique way. Ms. Borca was married to Jimmy Lyons, alto sax great who worked with Cecil Taylor (1962-1986) for longer than any other collaborator. Ms. Borca and Mr. Lyons also worked together at length, recording a half dozen records together, as well as appearing on a Jimmy Lyons 5 CD box set that was released on Ayler Records in 2003. Drummer Paul Murphy also recorded with Ms. Borca and Mr. Lyons, on a record released by the Cadence label which was also released in 2003 plus Borca & Lyons also worked with Joel Futterman. I hadn’t heard much about Paul Murphy except for his work with Eddie Gale and Raphe Malik.
Oddly enough, most of the tracks here were written by Ms. Borca with one by Mr. Murphy and one duo improv. Beginning with “Good News Blues”, the duo takes off and sounds great playing together. I realize that a bassoon (like an oboe) has a double reed which makes it harder to play and takes much work to improvise at length with. There is a strong balance going here between both instruments, the flow of ideas sounds like an ongoing heated, intense conversation between two strong personalities. Both musicians sound well matched rhythmically and melodically. Even when Ms. Borca drops out in the last section of this piece, the drums continue to express a fascinating solo/dialogue with the listener. “Snapping Turtle” has a most memorable melody which was composed by Ms. Borca and had me humming along instantly. I like the way that Ms. Borca solos after the opening theme, her solo weaves fragments of the opening line which she then explores by twisting and turning the line from different angles with Mr. Murphy matching or enhancing her lines no matter where they go. Mr. Murphy wrote a piece called “Free”, which gives Borca a chance to improvise in the mid-range of her instrument, curlicued fragments building and being explored with Borca playing unaccompanied for a section, the ideas flowing non-stop. “Space” is the one fully improvised piece here and duo calm down and play quietly. Whenever I’ve heard Ms. Borca playing at the Vision Fest (on numerous occasions), she is usually in a quartet of quintet and plays completely free and intensely. This disc shows another side to her playing. Careful, thoughtful, well-paced and still adventurous in more restrained ways. Consistently inspired and expressive on several levels. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
SAKINA ABDOU / TOMA GOUBAND / MARTA WARELIS - Hammer, Roll and Leaf (Relative Pitch RPR 1220; USA) Featuring Sakina Abdou on alto & tenor saxes, Marta Warelis on piano and Toma Gouband on drums, stones & leaves. Relative Pitch released a solo CD by African-born, French-based saxist, Sakina Abdou, in 2022. I reviewed and liked the disc and was pleased when Ms. Abdou played solo at DMG not long after her disc was released. In May of this year (2024), Ms. Abdou played a solo sax set in a large church at the Victo Fest in Quebec. That solo set was extraordinary and listeners will be talking about it for years to come. I knew little about Ms. Abdou’s background until we talked at length at the Victo fest over dinner. Ms. Abdou has been a part of the Lille creative music scene in France, playing with musicians like Peter Orrins and Raymond Boni. For this disc Ms. Sakina is working with pianist Marta Warelis and percussionist Toma Gouband. I know of Ms. Warelis from her solo effort on RPR as well as with Carlos Zingaro, John Dikeman and Andy Moor (from The Ex). Percussionist Toma Gouband is also from the same scene in France and has worked with Evan Parker, Joachim Badenhorst and Matthew Wright.
Although this disc was recorded at somebody’s home,the sound is warm and clean with no effects on any of the instruments. What I like about this is that the music is not free and frenzied like a good deal of Free/Jazz. The trio play slowly, cautiously, even softly much of the time. When Mr. Gouband recorded with Evan Parker in 2016, he plays lithophones which are ritualistic stones, very carefully. Gouband plays stones here, percussion and leaves. His playing is often subtle, the trio often playing in a hushed and haunting way. All three members of the trio seem to be taking their time and experimenting. Ms. Warelis, whose solo piano record is an under-recognized gem, is often muting the strings and playing inside the piano. There are sections where the trio erupts which are exciting yet much of the time the trio play with subtle restraint. There is a quality that occurs in certain free/improv situations where the musicians come together and create a certain sound which is magical, transforming their/our shared reality and turning it into something which helps us transcend wherever we are and casting a spell which makes us feel better. A kind of Music Medicine. This disc is filled with many of these moments. The spell is cast and we who listen are uplifted together to a better place. Enjoy the trip. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
MAX JOHNSON / NETA RAANAN / ELIZA SALEM - I’ll See You Again (Adyarupa Records; USA) Featuring Neta Raanan on tenor sax, Max Johnson on contrabass & compositions and Eliza Salem on drumset. Bassist Max Johnson has played in all sorts of bands over his long music journey: jazz, rock, bluegrass and modern classical streams. Over the past few years Mr. Johnson has released a half-dozen plus discs with varied personnel, from solo bass to a duo, several trios and a chamber group. Mr. Johnson just sent us a new trio CD with saxist Neta Raanan and drummer Eliza Salem. I hadn’t heard of the saxist before now although the drummer, Eliza Salem, has played here at DMG on several occasions with Gian Perez, David Miriachi and Nora Stanley.
There are five pieces here, all recorded at Conveyor and composed by Mr. Johnson. “Barbarous Jape” is first features some strong tenor sax from Neta Raanan with the rest of the trio providing a strong, tight, propulsive cushion. This trio swings hard with Mr. Johnson’s pumping acoustic bass at the center. Johnson has chosen two strong spirits so the trio sounds like they’ve been playing together for a long while. Mr. Johnson takes a fine, long, inventive bass solo in the last section which is followed by a fine drums and bass duo. The trio slows down for “Chestnut Squid”, which sounds like a classic, jazz/blues gem with an older somewhat familiar melody. “Tiny Beautiful” sounds like a lush ballad that someone that Stan Getz might play. Saxist Neta Raanan has a lovely tone here and the song is lovely, sublime and tender. The longest piece here is called “Scribbles” and it is something else. While Mr. Johnson holds things together with his bass pulse, the tenor sax and drums move tightly around him. The drummer here keeps things flowing by expanding, contracting and playing around the central pulse while the tenor solos on top, taking their time and moving through the ever-changing rapids which flow throughout. The last piece is called, “Farewell to Old Friends, I’ll See You Again” and it has a lovely, somewhat familiar sound melody which I find to me most heart-warming. Like a song we all might sing together after a night hanging out for a long evening and enjoying each other’s company. While the tenor person plays that golden melody, the drummer revs up and push things into a more turbulent vibe. It sounds like a perfect ending to this disc and made me feel better. This disc is a modest gem which is never too far out yet rings true as far as having a heart worn on its sleeve. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
UDO SCHINDLER / ANDREAS WILLERS / ERIC ZWANG ERIKSSON - Cassiber Complex_Unconditioned Sounds in a Box (FMR CD688-0524; UK) Featuring Udo Schindler on bass clarinet, cornet & tubax, Andreas Willers on electric guitar & devices and Eric Zwang Eriksson on drums. For the past decade or so, there have been a number of musicians who have released an incredible amount of discs: Paul Dunmall (slowing down a bit), Matt Shipp, Ivo Perelman, Leap of Faith (& their offshoots), Satoko Fujii, Szilard Mezei and Udo Schindler. Each of them has released more than a hundred discs! When this occurs, serious music listeners (a/k/a DMG customers), start questioning whether they need to collect every disc by this or that musician. I don’t have a problem with this since most of the discs I get are promos but I do not have the time to review all or many releases. Udo Schindler has some 25 discs listed in the DMG database, but this is a drop in his big bucket. The thing is that each the CD’s of his that I have reviewed, I do like. So I got to give him some credit where it is do.
Mr. Schindler is a multi-instrumentalist who plays various reed instruments. For this disc he plays bass clarinet, cornet & tubax (which is modified contrabass sax). This trio features German guitarist Andreas Willers, someone I’ve long admired from his work with Gebhard Ullmann, Urs Leimgruber & Paul Bley. The third member is drummer Eric Zwang Eriksson, someone I know from his previous relationship with Mr. Schindler. This disc was recorded live in Munich, Germany in July of 2023 and it contains one long 54 minute piece. Things begin with Schindler on cornet and Willers on fractured guitar with some spacious effects added. Mr. Willers has a unique sound on guitar, sounding like he is strumming the strings with a utensil and adding some eerie echoey effects. The music unfolds here as a series of stories or scenes, each one creates a different mood or vibe. Over the nearly hour set Mr. Schindler on reeds & cornet, Mr. Willers on el guitar & Mr. Eriksson on drums consistently come up with a stream of fascinating sounds, with everything flowing in a most organic way. Bravo! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
BACK IN STOCK or NOW AVAILABLE THRU DMG:
THE DREAMERS with JOHN ZORN / MARC RIBOT / JAMIE SAFT / KENNY WOLLESEN / TREVOR DUNN / JOEY BARON / CYRO BAPTISTA / MIKE PATTON - A Dreamers Christmas (Tzadik 7393; USA)
CD $14
THE DREAMERS with JOHN ZORN / MARC RIBOT / JAMIE SAFT / KENNY WOLLESEN / TREVOR DUNN / JOEY BARON / CYRO BAPTISTA / MIKE PATTON - A Dreamers Christmas (Tzadik 6002; USA)
LP $30
THE DREAMERS with JOHN ZORN / MARC RIBOT / JAMIE SAFT / KENNY WOLLESEN / TREVOR DUNN / JOEY BARON / CYRO BAPTISTA - The Gentle Side (Tzadik 6001; USA)
LP $30
JOHN ZORN // SOFIA REI / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE MAILLARD / CLERIC / SPIKE ORCHESTRA / JULIAN LAGE / GYAN RILEY / ABRAXAS / KLEZMERSON / GNOSTIC TRIO / ZION80 / BANQUET OF THE SPIRITS / SECRET CHIEFS 3 - Masada Book 3 - The Book Beri'ah (Tzadik TZ 6005; USA)
LP $35 [unsigned] / Signed by Zorn LP - $110
JOHN ZORN / THE DREAMERS with MARC RIBOT / JAMIE SAFT / TREVOR DUNN / KENNY WOLLESEN / et al - Pellucidar - A Dreamers Fantabula (Tzadik 6006; USA)
2 LP Set $40 [Limited Edition / 20 Left]
CD $21
JOHN ZORN // CHRIS SPEED / JON IRABAGON QUARTET with CHRISTIAN McBRIDE / CHES SMITH / PETER EVANS / BEN GOLDBERG 4 with CRAIG TABORN / JORGE ROEDER / THOMAS MORGAN / SAM EASTMOND with CHARLOTTE KEEFFE / CHRIS WILLIAMS / ASHA PARKINSON / et al - Bagatelles Box Four - Volumes 13-16 (Tzadik 5240; USA)
4 CD Set $85
4 CD Set Signed by John Zorn $130 [Limited Edition / 20 left]
LAST COPIES OF THIS GREAT 2 CD SET with PETER BROTZMANN & TONY MALABY:
PETER BROTZMANN / TONY MALABY / LOS TOSCOS - La Vigilia de las Flores (Matik-Matik; Festina Lente Discos; Columbia) Los Toscos hail from Colombia and feature Enrique Mendoza on electric guitar, Ricardo Arias on balloons & objects, Urian Sarmiento on percussion & gaita (flute), Santiago Botero on contrabass and Mauricio Ramirez in drums. German sax legend Peter Brotzmann and Downtown sax master Tony Malaby each sit in one of the two discs of this set. The avant/jazz scene in Bogota, Columbia has been evolving over time and this is the third disc by Los Toscos, their first one from 2013 also included Tony Malaby as their guest. The personnel of Los Toscos has changed over time with bassist Santiago Botero being the only original member for this disc which was released in 2019. The only musician here with whom I know is balloonist Ricardo Arias who lived in New York in the early aughts and has played with Gunter Muller, Han Tammen and Kim Myhr. Peter Brotzmann plays tenor sax, clarinet and tarogato with Los Toscos for their one disc. “El Jacinto” begins with Mr. Brotzmann on clarinet with the rest of the quintet playing quietly in a ritualistic way. This soon leads to in intense section with a strong, spastic, Beefheartian guitar solo, the rhythm team pumping fast and hard, Brotzmann on tarogato (large Eastern European clarinet) and Mr. Sarmiento on flute, both soloing profusely together, spinning tight lines around one another. The tempo slows down as the sax, flute and guitar play in tight obits around one another. The second disc features saxist Tony Malaby, another fine Free Jazz Sax Titan, currently teaching up in Boston. There are also a couple of other guests here: Tim Dahl on electric bass and Johannes Lauer on trombone with Malaby on tenor & soprano saxes. The personnel for this disc includes Enrique Mendoza on electric guitar, Santiago Botero on bass and both Jorge Sepulveda & David Castano on drums. Things begin with Mr. Malaby playing a haunting tenor solo intro before the rest of the band joins him. Both drummers seem to be an odd swirling, lumbering groove with some tortured el. guitar entering midway. I am not sure how much if any of this was written but Mr. Malaby often starts off with the drummers creating a rhythmic web underneath which builds or ascends higher through each piece. Both of these discs are fine examples of inspired international free/improv with all members listening and being integral to a group sound. These copies might be the last ones that we will ever get! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $30 [Last 10 copies just received]
UENO TAKASHI - Arms (Room40 RM 4186CD; Australia) From Lawrence English: "There's two things I can tell you about Ueno Takashi, without reservation. The first is he knows the best coffee spots in Tokyo. I am the happy recipient of this knowledge. The second thing I can tell you is that he is someone for whom the guitar is a platform of exquisite promise. Ueno Takashi, who many of you would recognize as one half of the legendary unit Tenniscoats, is also responsible for an impressive series of solo guitar recordings which stake out a claim that tests the fringes of extended technique, harmonic relation and post-blues modes. His approach is simple; the guitar must lead and through allowing this he has unlocked a potential in the instrument that is entirely personal and profound. Arms, which collects together a series of recordings made during the past few years, is by far one of his most melodic and structured recordings. Here, using only the simplest of tools and techniques he crafts a suite of pieces that orbit one another with a gentle gravity. His playing is, at times, intensely delicate and at other moments more free and playful, but never careless. Ueno's way with the guitar is one attuned to 'what is needed,' and he seemingly shuns excess. While some might call this approach minimalist, his unique sense of time opens another reading which extends beyond those traditions. Arms is a complete universe within which we are invited to be. Ueno is your host, and guide here. Enjoy."
CD $18
BACK IN STOCK, OUT-OF-PRINT & ON SALE:
TROT A MOUSE with SIMON JERMYN / INGRID LAUBROCK / MAT MANERI / TOM RAINEY - Pictorial Atlas Of Mammals (Skirl 031; USA) Featuring Simon Jermyn on bass guitar, Ingrid Laubrock on tenor & soprano saxes, Mat Maneri on viola and Tom Rainey on drums. Irish bassist, Simon Jermyn, is currently living here and working with some of Downtown's best players. This is the second disc from his band Trot A Mouse, although the personnel has changed completely for this disc. Mr. Jermyn wrote eight of the ten pieces here with two by John Dowland, an English Renaissance composer from nearly 500 years ago. The instrumentation of sax, viola, electric bass and drums is certainly unique. Ms. Laubrock and Mr. Maneri have worked with Kris Davis as well as with Max Johnson. The first piece, "Otis" has a laid-back, slightly disorienting quality, like a hazy, overcast day. Mr. Rainey's powerful, free-flowing drums is at the center of "Victor", with brooding tenor sax and scary violin erupting tightly together. Mat Maneri soft, yet probing viola sounds like a odd choice yet he adds a certain disorienting quality. Ms. Laubrock also plays with much restraint here, somber and calm and dreamy. Mr. Jermyn has an often lovely, elegant tone on his electric bass, occasionally recalling Hugh Hopper at his most sublime. He uses some minimal effects (like backwards spirals) to add sonic spice here and there, adding to that dreamy haze. What I find most interesting is hearing Ms. Laubrock (one of the most adventurous and diverse saxists around) and Mr. Maneri playing with such grace and restraint. On a few of these pieces, the quartet break through the somber mood and erupt on a quieter level that works well to deliver us to an unexpected place familiar yet not too. I get the feeling that it will take me a while to fully appreciate the several layers of things go on above and below the surface here. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
ISAIAH COLLIER - Parallel Universe (Night Dreamer 020LP; UK) Restocked, last copies of this version with deluxe booklet. Multi-instrumentalist and composer Isaiah Collier connects with the divine ancestors on a transcendent Direct-To-Disc session, Parallel Universe. A saxophonist by trade whose multi-instrumental talents and compositional prowess have stretched the limits of the form, Parallel Universe represents a new chapter in Collier's musical journey. Having already performed with a diverse range of musicians such as Chance The Rapper, Waddada Leo Smith, Chicago jazz royalty Angel Bat Dawid, and his own band The Chosen Few, Collier's latest work as a bandleader explores the shared musical heritage of the African diaspora with a sense of grace and assurance that belies his years. Embracing the risk and vulnerability that comes with the live process, Collier and his band tapped into the frequencies of improvisation that fired up so many of the most timeless jazz recordings. Name-checking Sun Ra, Ras G, J Dilla, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, Gil ScottHeron, Whitney Huston, Aaliyah, and Frankie Knuckles, the opening track of Parallel Universe imagines a genreless musical lineage that resonates with the polyphony of stories his band bring to the table, from Chicago and beyond. Featuring gospel soul singer Jimetta Rose, AACM, and former Art Ensemble of Chicago trumpet player Corey Wilkes, blues-rooted guitarist Michael Damani, regular collaborators Julian Davis Reid, James Russell Sims and Micah Collier, the eight-track album bristles with a sense of love and understanding between players at the top of their game. With vocals sung in Yoruba -- inspired by a gift from legendary saxophonist Kenny Garrett -- "Village Song" soars between rhythms and references, from Afro-Cuban syncopation to the deep triplet swing of mid-'60s Coltrane. Laying the foundations for the album as a whole, the result is truly exhilarating.
2 LP Set $35
MULATU ASTATKE & HOODNA ORCHESTRA - Tension (Batov Records BTR 103LP; UK) Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke joins the Hoodna Orchestra, Tel Aviv's number one Afro funk collective, melding his enchanting vibraphone playing with their brass heavy force across seven original compositions that play tribute to the classic Mulatu sound while forging fresh paths. Produced by and featuring Dap-King Neal Sugarman, the results are gritty, yet majestic, soulful and uplifting. Mulatu Astatke requires little introduction at this point. Born in Jimma, Ethiopia, Mulatu went on to live and study in London, Boston and New York. Initially drawn to and trained in jazz and Latin music, he developed the sound he called "Ethio-jazz" over a series of seminal albums combining jazz, Latin, funk and soul, with traditional Ethiopian scales and rhythms. Formed in 2012 on the south side of Tel Aviv, the 12 member Hoodna Orchestra is a collective of musicians and composers who initially bonded over a shared love of Afrobeat. They have gone on to incorporate psychedelic rock, hard funk and soul, jazz, and East African music into their sought-after releases, winning praise and airplay from the likes of Iggy Pop and Huey Morgan on BBC Radio 6 Music. The collective draws together a huge array of musical talents such as guitarist Ilan Smilan and organist Eitan Drabkin of Sababa 5 fame, Shalosh trio drummer Matan Assayag, and percussionist Rani Birenbaum of The Faithful Brothers, many of whom also contribute compositions to the orchestra, ensuring its collaborative environment. Since releasing a recording with Ethiopian singer Tesfaye Negatu, Hoodna Orchestra had been looking to find ways to collaborate with Astatke himself and in early 2023 the opportunity arose to invite Astatke to Tel Aviv, record an album and perform it live for their home audience. Stars aligned as Neal Sugarman, multi-instrumentalist member of the Dap-Kings and co-founder of Daptone Records, joined and produced the session with Smilan. On one hand, Tension is clearly a deeply personal tribute by the Hoodna Orchestra to iconic Mulatu Astatke, but at the same time the recordings emit a remarkable amount of chemistry, and together they have created an essential addition to Mulatu's rich discography that charts new directions in his Ethio-jazz trajectory and provides the Hoodna Orchestra with their strongest album to date.
LP $30
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O. - Mantra Of Love (Riot Season Repose 138LP; UK) Limited edition pressing of 500 copies worldwide. All pressed on cream colored vinyl, housed in a full color sleeve with leather effect laminate, with hype sticker and black polylined inner bag. Continuing Riot Season's quest to get all of the classic early AMT albums released on vinyl, the label now turns to 2004's Mantra Of Love with the help of Makoto Kawabata's studio wizardry. This latest instalment in the Acid Mothers Temple Vinyl Archives - First Time On Vinyl series has been meticulously put together with the help of Makoto Kawabata with the original CD artwork recreated for these vinyl editions from archive photos stored in the vaults at the Acid Mothers Temple in Osaka, Japan and the original audio remastered by James Plotkin. Here's what Pitchfork had to say upon its original CD only release back in 2004: "Acid Mothers are strong folk. You'd think they'd tire quickly, all tucked away on their island, strewn about on tree roots while baking their lungs and throats to a knotty green tinge. But instead of waltzing through life like hippies, they manage to not only tour and put out records every year, but also to fill those albums with 30-minute jams and assorted freakouts. And while evil jam bands would fill that space with guitar work taken from the Classic Rock Manual of Clichés, Makoto Kawabata and company assault listeners with frighteningly dense walls of white noise, psychedelic swirl effects and, yes, even guitar solos -- albeit ones that are more Merzbow or Keiji Haino than Gary Rossington. Truly, AMT's endurance and threshold for cosmic lashings are both worthy of admiration." Originally released on CD by Alien8 Recordings in 2004.
LP $32
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN - What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? (25th Anniversary)(London Records LMS 1725110; France) What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? is the eighth studio album by British post-punk legends Echo & The Bunnymen, released on April 16, 1999. The album saw the band continue a trajectory set with 1997's Evergreen, embracing more introspective themes and melodic approach to its arrangements. Featuring an inspired selection of collaborators including strings from the London Metropolitan Orchestra and two songs featuring the American rap rock band Fun Loving Criminals, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? featured two singles, the title track, and the atmospheric fan favorite "Rust," which would mark the band's final Top 40 UK single. Celebrating 25 years of What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, the album is issued on vinyl for the very first time, alongside expansive 34-track 2CD which feature B-sides, alternative versions and previously unreleased live versions of both tracks from the album and classic Bunnymen tracks.
2 CD Set $19
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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 / ANNA WEBBER / NOV 20-23
11/20 Wednesday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Anna Webber (tenor sax, flute) Matt Shipp (piano) Joe Morris (bass)
11/21 Thursday
8:30 pm - QUARTET - Anna Webber (tenor sax, flute) Angelica Sanchez (piano) Adam Hopkins (bass) Tom Rainey (drums)
11/22 Friday
8:30 pm - SEXTET - Anna Webber (tenor sax, flute) Ingrid Laubrock (tenor sax, soprano sax) Chris Williams (trumpet) Yuhan Su (vibraphone) Chris Tordini (bass) Jason Nazary (drums)
11/23 Saturday
8:30 pm - DUO - Anna Webber (tenor sax, flute) Matt Mitchell (piano)
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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ROULETTE has been and remains the best place to experience experimental music and arts since 1978. I’ve attended concerts at Roulette since it began in Tribeca and I still go as often as I can. Founder Jim Staley stepped down earlier this year and a new music director named Matt Mehlan has taken his place. Here is the most of the September calendar below, it looks most impressive…
Saturday, November 23, 2024. 8:00 pm
Ali Akbar Moradi & Pejman Hadadi: Sacred Music of Kurdistan (RBA)
A rare NY appearance of two of Iran’s most renowned musicians performing ecstatic Kurdish music from western Iran.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024. 8:00 pm
Wadada Leo Smith and Amina Claudine Myers: Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens; Two legends perform a reflective, meditative, and sonic odyssey concerning nature.
Friday, December 6, 2024. 8:00 pm
Fred Frith Solo
New, solo work for the guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser's 75th birthday celebration.
Saturday, December 7, 2024. 8:00 pm
Normal Give or Take with Fred Frith, Sudhu Tewari and Lotte Anker
Part two of the guitarist's 75th birthday celebration: a trio with long-time collaborators and friends from very different worlds.
Roulette is located at:
509 Atlantic Avenue (Corner of Third Avenue)
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Telephone: (917) 267-0363
Web: https://roulette.org
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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-6p_Q2Dwxc
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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