The exhibition includes a diverse array of Zorn’s visual artworks, graphic scores, dense philosophical notations, abstract poetry and artist books, and not only highlights Zorn’s radical approach to marks on paper but also his unique Theatre of Musical Optics and other experimental projects. By exploring these visual elements, the exhibition provides a new perspective on how Zorn's abstract works intersect with and inform his musical compositions.
John Zorn’s ‘Hermetic Cartography’ will be accompanied by a series of musical performances curated by Zorn that will be performed in the exhibition. Performances will be held from 7:30 - 9pm on the first Saturday of each month (March - May, 2025) and will be free and open to the public. The Drawing Center is located at 35 Wooster Street, in Soho in Manhattan, NYC. Website: https://drawingcenter.org
MORE JOHN ZORN NEWS:
Two new CD’s on John Zorn’s Tzadik label are supposed to be in stock as of next Friday, January 17th. The Mary Halvorson Quartet is already in stock at the Tzadik warehouse, so it should be here on time. Mr. Zorn’s Complete String Quartets is not in stock yet but may be here by Friday, unsure of this.
JOHN ZORN // JACK QUARTET - The Complete String Quartets (Tzadik 9318-2; USA) The world class JACK Quartet, both individually and as an ensemble, have had a personal relationship with Zorn for well over a decade. Here they deliver passionate and virtuosic recordings of his complete string quartets. Zorn’s writing for strings is legendary, and his eight string quartets, written in a thirty-year period from 1988–2017, are some of the most important and original works of the late 20th–early 21st century. Each piece is a unique world of its own, but all carry a dramatic narrative arc, a connection to tradition, and all push the players technically right to the edge of impossibility. Imaginative, challenging, and filled with color and a wealth of emotions, this is new music at its best. Includes a 36-page booklet with extensive notes, scores, and appreciations by the musicians.
2 CD Set $26 [Pre-order]
JOHN ZORN // MARY HALVORSON QUARTET with MILES OKAZAKI / DREW GRESS / TOMAS FUJIWARA - The Bagatelles Volume 1 (Tzadik 5211; USA) May 2015, John Zorn composed 300 new tunes that were eventually collected into a book of music he called The Bagatelles. After five years of performances around the world in venues large and small, the choicest ensembles have gone into the studio and the results are some of the most exciting and varied music Zorn has ever presented. This first volume features the remarkable Mary Halvorson Quartet. Dynamic, fiery and endlessly imaginative, this is a fascinating first peek into the world of Zorn’s Bagatelles. The first Bagatelles boxset (Vol 1) does include this disc so no reason to get it again if you have that boxset already.
CD $18 [Pre-order]
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THE DMG 34th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE FREE MUSIC SERIES Continues with:
Monday, January 13th - Another DMG Guitar Fest Featuring:
6:30: GIAN PEREZ - Guitar / CHRIS COCHRANE - Guitar
7:30: JON MADOF TRIO: JON MADOF - Guitar / YOSHIE FRUCHTER - Bass / NATE RAPPAPORT - Drums
8:30: BEN GOLDBERG - Clarinet / SPENCER HOEFERT - Electric Guitar / LUKE BERGMAN - Pedal Steel / MICHAEL COLEMAN - Keyboard / HAMIR ATWAL - Drums
Tuesday, January 14th:
6:30: patrick brennan - alto sax / ON KA’A DAVIS - Guitar / JASON KAO HWANG - Violin / COOPER-MOORE - Diddleybow
7:30: STEPHAN CRUMP - Solo Contrabass
8:30: KEN KOBAYASHI - Drums / JEFF MILES - Guitar / MICHAEL GILBERT - Bass
Monday, January 20th:
6:30: JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Solo Drums
7:15: CHRIS PITSIOKOS - Solo Alto Sax
8:00: JAMES PAUL NADIEN / CHRIS PITSIOKOS - Drums / Alto Sax Duo!
Tuesday, January 21st:
6:30: BEYOND FLUTE GROUP with CHERYL PYLE - C & Alto Flutes/ MICHAEL EATON - Soprano Sax / GENE COLEMAN - Bass Flute & Piccolo / SYLVAIN LEROUX - Fula & C Flutes
7:30: ANDY HAAS / SABRINA SALAMONE - Sax / Violin
8:30: AIDAN O’CONNELL - Bass / MATT KNOEGEL - Sax / MICHAEL LAROCCA - Drums
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THIS WEEK’S SONIC OFFERINGS BEGIN WITH A GREAT BOOK ON THE SUN RA ARKESTRA!
MARSHALL ALLEN & THE SUN RA ARKESTRA // SIBYLLE ZERR - Picture Infinity (In and Out Records 35497; Germany) Multi-instrumentalist Marshall Allen is among the most striking voices in jazz. His explosive alto saxophone is the signature sound of the Sun Ra Arkestra, an iconic African-American big band which he joined in 1958. Succeeding the bands legendary founder Sun Ra who already in his lifetime has turned into a myth of its own, Marshall Allen has directed the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1995. Under the guidance of the 100-year old maestro, the Sun Ra Arkestra has not only survived all the jazz tides but is still cult, and continues to inspire old audiences as well as more and more young people.
"I'm actually painting pictures of infinity with my music, and that's why a lot of people can't understand it," Sun Ra stated in 1970. His music, however, definitely belongs to the 20th century's musical canon - although, it hardly can be looked upon as a fixed constant. When Sun Ra founded his band around 1952, the extraordinarily gifted pianist, composer and arranger gave it many names, but he always called it "Arkestra," meant as a symbiosis of Ark and orchestra, connoting an institution navigating from the past into the future. The "Arkestra" is Sun Ra's legacy. Even now, its musicians epitomize his oeuvre, and they hand the ken down to the next generation. Thus, Marshall Allen maintained the mastermind's method, without conserving it. And that is how the Arkestra has actually safely arrived at the 21st Century, and is still traveling the globe on Sun Ra's mission - Noah's Ark and avant-garde project in one, stem cell, root and sprout of jazz.
Sibylle Zerr portrays the big band from Philadelphia over a time span of eight years. The monograph, however, stays a fragment by intention, being an open-end collection of photos, quotations and essays worthy of further consideration. This portrayal of the mystery of the music makes Sun Ra's legacy more palpable - without glamorizing or disenchanting it.
Hardcover BOOK, 152 pages $34
NEW FROM THE LISTEN! FOUNDATION / FUNDACJA SLUCHAJ LABEL:
These Just arrived so I will only be able to review a few of these…
CHARLES GAYLE & SZILARD MEZEI (BASS) QUARTET - Oils (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 24/2024; Poland) Featuring Charles Gayle on tenor & alto saxes & piano, Szilard Mezei on viola, Ervin Malina & Erno Hock on contrabasses and Istvan Csik on drums. This set was recorded live at 15th Annual Jazz Fest of Improvised Music in Serbia in September of 2009. Since the passing of tenor sax free/jazz giant Charles Gayle in September of 2023, there have been just a couple of posthumous releases. Although based in NYC for a long period of his life, the beloved saxist Charles Gayle did tour in England and the rest of Europe on several occasions, recording with British, Belgian and Hungarian/Serbian musicians.
For this concert, Mr. Gayle collaborated with violist/multi-bandleader Szilard Mezei and his two bass quartet. Being a big fan of Mr. Mezei, I recognize the names of the other players here from the dozens of discs that Mr. Mezei has been released on several labels. Mezei knew this concert was going to be special so he prepared his quartet with music for Mr. Gayle to work with. Mr. Gayle had asked for a bottle of olive oil to be given to him when he arrived for some reason. Mr. Mezei decided to name each of the six pieces after the requested oil. The music here is most extraordinary and Mr. Gayle fits perfectly. Both bassists here are strong players and sound wonderful together exchanging lines with great flourishes. The music here sounds like a suite with each section exploring a different soundscape or vibe. Mr. Gayle switches to piano on “Oilometer”, which is a tribute to Thelonious Monk. Piano was Mr. Gayle’s first instrument and he play some solo piano concerts in NYC. He plays here is a quirky, Monk-like fashion with Mr. Mezei interweaving some feisty viola lines. Mr. Mezei is a gifted composer who does well writing for his varied sized groups (from duos to an orchestra), composing complex passage with room for free improv as well. Drummer Istvan Csik opens “Two Oilways” with a short yet spirited drums solo before the rest of the group joins him, with Mr. Gayle on searing alto sax and the other players zigzagging different lines together, bussing like bees around a great hive of energy. What’s great about this disc is that it is a marvel to hear the late Charles Gayle playing with other musicians who respect what he does, support and interact with him on several levels. Wow! A true treasure for all of us Free Jazz Freaks worldwide! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH / DAG MAGNUS NARVESEN DUO - Kairos (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 25/2024; Poland) It has been claimed, not without justification, that no new creation in the arts can claim to be outside the tradition, as the tradition eventually expands to absorb everything artists do. It’s almost seventy years since Ornette Coleman walked through the door marked free jazz, and what was once seen as daring, outré and avant garde is now regarded as an established part of the jazz tradition. It is a tradition that is largely debated and communicated in terms of leading American musicians, even today. Yet by the late sixties, shrewd commentators such as Ekkehard Jost in Germany and Max Harrison in London were arguing that certain free jazz musicians in Europe were working towards creating their own original, yet specifically European, version of free jazz.
As early as 1963, Albert Mangelsdorff’s liner notes for his debut album Tension, had urged European musicians to make more use of the term freedom to express their European identity. Others too were working along similar lines. Gunter Hampel’s Heartplants featured pianist Alexander Schlippenbach’s conceptual compositions contrasting structure and freedom, ideas explored over a broader canvas when he founded the Globe Unity Orchestra.
Schlippenbach was one of a select band of European free musicians who were inspired by, but not seeking to emulate, the sounds of free jazz from the New World. Leading European free jazz musicians, detached from the cultural and political undertow of American free jazz seemed to realise early on that total freedom could ultimately be limiting. The answer was to structure the free, that there need be no conflict between free and structured jazz, the challenge was how to manage methods of construction and de-construction, a challenge Schlippenbach had begun to follow early on to define his approach to improvised music.
The resolute individuality of ‘Sun,’ from Globe Unity, employed a “structural jazz” approach to freedom that he would refine over the ensuing decades — with his admired trio with Evan Parker and Paul Lovens; duo collaborations with with Tony Oxley, Sam Rivers and Aki Takase while in 1999 he commenced recording the complete recordings of Thelonious Monk released in 2005 as Monk’s Casino and the recipient of the German Record Critics Award. At the 2016 at Jazzfest Berlin he celebrated 50th anniversary of Globe Unity, Globe Unity 50 Years.
One characteristic of the Globe Unity Orchestra is the inclusion of instrumental voices from other European countries, so it was hardly unusual for him to form a duo with the highly regarded Norwegian drummer/percussionist/colourist Dag Magnus Narvesen in 2014. Coming from a different generation and culture with their own approach to improvised music, Narvesen offers experience from the diversity of the contemporary Norwegian jazz scene plus that priceless gift that can never be taught, of playing precisely the right thing at precisely the right moment.
Alexander von Schlippenbach and Dag Magnus Narvesen first met during the former’s residency with the Stavanger based Kitchen Orchestra, one of Scandinavia’s foremost free jazz ensembles. They played their first duo concert together in 2014 at the Sowieso club at Weisestraße 24, Berlin. What could have been a clash of cultures and generations turned out to be meeting of minds, achieving a unity of purpose that exceeded both musicians expectations in a way that pointed to a fruitful collaboration.
In 2018, Interweaving, their first album together was released, followed by the live Liminal Field in 2019. In 2024, Schlippenbach was awarded the German Jazz Prize for Lifetime Achievement, the German Jazz Prize for piano player and the Berlin Jazz Prize, while the tenth anniversary of the Schlippenbach/Narvesen Duo was marked by this, their third album together, Kairos. Although recorded in 2021, both musicians feel it reflects how their collaboration continued to evolve through ten years of music making together.
Schlippenbach’s melodies-with-spaces allows a dialogue with Narvesen to evolve, normally from small musical beginnings, piano often answered by similar rhythmic pattern or variation as mood, as the emotional temperature of the piece unfolds — ‘Fuga Continuum’ or ‘Intralude’. There are moments when you can almost hear the concentration this music demands as questions that demand answers blur into conversation, ‘Obscura Sententia,’ or where proposition is met with a counter proposition, ‘Furiosa.’ Throughout, both players respect the art of ‘playing silences,’ — manipulating tension and release or framing a phrase or passage of music with silence to lend it greater emphasis — ‘Tranquil Modality.’
These devices demand musical discipline, yet one more paradox of free jazz, for example, ‘Wayang’ could easily spiral out of control and loose clarity, especially in the introductory percussion passage if energy was not balanced by intent. It is a piece where Narvesen takes the lead role as Schlippenbach probes, seeking spaces as piano accompanies drums until Schlippenbach changes the landscape, constructing chordal hills and dales for percussion to negotiate to resolution. It is demanding music, both for musicians and listeners, where compositional restraints emerge through mutuality of purpose. This shared understanding shapes the ultimate destiny of music and is as powerful as any music score, and from that the means to achieve it emerges, unspoken yet understood. - Stuart Nicholson
CD $16
JOELLE LEANDRE / LOTTE ANKER / KRESTEN OSGOOD - Worlds (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 28/2024; Poland)
CD $16
LOTTE ANKER / JACOB ANDERSKOV / KAMIL PIOTROWICZ - Antiworld 1 (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 29/2024; Poland) Featuring Lotte Anker on alto sax, Jakob Anderskov and Kamil Piotrowicz on grand pianos. Danish saxist Lotte Anker was recently in town to play several gigs with Fred Frith and Ikue Mori, her playing as great as she’s always been. I am a longtime friend and fan and love whomever she chooses to play with. This disc was recorded at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in July of 2019. For this set, Ms. Anker is joined by two musicians both playing grand pianos. This is a relatively rare combination of instruments and I can’t think of another recording or concert with the same instruments. Danish pianist, Jacob Anderskov, is a prolific pianist with nearly 30 discs on mostly the Ilk Music label as a leader or collaborator. Although I hadn’t heard of Polish pianist Kamil Piotrowicz, he does have a half dozen discs out as a leader.
When this disc begins, it sounds like both pianists are erupting at the same time, sped up and frenzied yet still focused. Ms. Ankers enters on alto sax, slowly sailing on top, carefully placing each note or line, the interaction is just incredible. I hear one of the pianists playing a frenzied, furious line an over with the other pianist adding fragments as Ms. Anker also plays her lines, stretching certain notes out further, slowing down so that she can carefully bend certain notes. The pianists slowly calm down and play in a dream-like way. Things speed up to a more intense Keith Tippett-like tempo/intensity on the 2nd and third pieces which keeps drive near boiling point. On the fourth piece, the pianos slow down to a more restrained pace and slowly builds back up with both pianos interspersing their lines, interweaving waves going back and forth while Ms. Anker adds her sax on top, balancing between the more calm parts and the more eruptive ones. I like that both pianists work well together, often listen closely, taking their time, building slowly or organically without ever taking over or grandstanding. This disc is most extraordinary and unlike anything I’ve heard in memory. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
MICHAEL ATTIAS / SIMON NABATOV - Dream Walks (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 21/2024; Poland) Featuring Michael Attias on alto sax and Simon Nabatov on piano. Recorded in June of 2022 at The Loft in Berlin. This is the second album by Downtown saxist Michael Attias and Russian born pianist Simon Nabatov. Michael Attias has been recordeingsince around 2002 and has released around 20 albums since moving to NYC. He leads several bands and has collaborated with Angelica Sanchez, Paul Motian, John Hebert & others. I really dig pianist Simon Nabatov, who I’ve caught live a half dozen times, as well as hearing his collaborations with Han Bennink, Tom Rainey, Frank Gratkowski & many others.
The duo starts off quietly and calmly in a dream-like state. It sounds as if both musicians are concentrating, playing in assured slow motion at first. On the second piece, “Dragon Flute Song”, it sounds as if the two musicians are on the same page, matching each other’s notes perfectly. expanding and contracting, breathing or flowing together as one force of nature. Extraordinary! They start to push things further out on “Snooze Alarm”, erupting intensely at times, the intensity increasing throughout. I like the way both of these move in the same direction together, there is a flow that runs through them which connects their playing. Even when they play at a quiet, whisper-like volume, the sound is completely hooked up, playing sparesely as one. A superb listen. - Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
CD $16
MARILYN CRISPELL & HARVEY SORGEN - Forest (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 22/2024; Poland) This year, one of the greatest pianists of improvised music, Marilyn Crispell became the winner of the famous NEA Jazz Masters 2025 award, thus joining the ranks of such jazz wizards as, among others. in Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Cecil Taylor, Dizzy Gillespie, Sun Ra, Gil Evans, Sarah Vaughan, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Muhal Richard Abrams and Anthony Braxton, with whom, by the way, Marilyn spent several years in his second great quartet.
As all of us intrigued by jazz music probably know, the NEA Jazz masters laurel is a great honor and a momentous gesture by the American state to the achievements of artists. We are all the more pleased to rush to announce that Marilyn Crispell's latest album has been released with us.
It is a studio session realized in November 2023 at Utopia Studios Bearsville in Woodstock together with the excellent drummer Harvey Sorgen.
The album is part of an impressive series of duo sessions recorded in recent decades in the company of such artists as Gerry Hemingway, Hamid Drake, Tyshawn Sorey, Tim Berne, Gary Peacock, Louis Moholo, Tim Berne, Eddie Prevost, among others.
CD $16
JOE FONDA & BASS OF OPERATION with MICHAEL RABINOWITZ / JEFF LEDERER / HARVEY SORGEN - Joe Fonda & Bass of Operation (Fundacja Sluchaj / Listen! Foundation FSR 26/2024; Poland) Featuring Joe Fonda on contrabass & compositions, Michael Rabinowitz on bassoon, Jeff Lederer on clarinet, bass clarinet, flute & piccolo and Harvey Sorgen on drums. Contrabass master, Joe Fonda, has led or co-led a series of bands from the mid-eighties onwards, a few of which (the Fonds/Stevens Band), have evolved over nearly two decades. Mr. Fonda has collaborated with a number of Great Creative Spirits like Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Billy Bang and Barry Altschul.
For a US tour in 2022, Mr. Fonda organized a formidable quartet with bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz, multi-reeds wiz Jeff Lederer and drum great Harvey Sorgen. Each of these musicians have worked with Mr. Fonda in the past in different groups. Drummer Harvey Sorgen goes all the way back to early days with Mr. Fonda in a variety of groups and on several tours. Many of you know that playing bassoon is difficult and that most bassoonists specialize on classical music not progressive jazz very much. Michael Rabinowitz is one of the only bassoonists that plays bebop and can swing like a MF. I’ve been a longtime fan of his, although his six discs as a leader are hard to find as are his live performances in NYC. It is a good thing to hear him on this disc stretching out and playing Fonda’s pieces with grace, humor and creativity. Starting with, “Deja Vu for DC”, I noticed that this quartet has a unique sound. Having a bassoonist and clarinet in the frontline has a unique sound, the combination works quite well. The high notes of the clarinet and low end tones of the bassoon stretch the balance in great ways with both reed musicians playing rich harmonies together and then swirling around each other in thoughtful connected orbits. One can tell that Mr. Fonda and Mr. Sorgen have been collaborating for many years as they are united in their own rhythm team pulse and flow. Mr. Fonda’s marvelous elastic bass is at the center of “Soon to Know”, which features some lush flute and bassoon harmonies. Once again this reed combination works well. Mr. Fonda’s bass if often at the center of each piece, leading the way, increasing & decreasing the tempo, locking in the groove or flow with Sorgen’s drums or creating a counterpoint for both reeds to do their thing. “Magic (for Perry Robinson)”, has some tasty flute from Mr. Lederer and strong interplay with the bassoon and rhythm team. “MGJ” (for Michael Gregory Jackson, I believe) is closer to a chamber piece (slower yet assured) is rich in thoughtful harmonies. “Fast” soars at a furious pace, no doubt a challenge to each member of the quartet. This is quick, progressive jazz at its best, the quartet swinging fast with the flute and bassoon both soaring furiously together. The final piece, “Mosaic” is the longest and most ambitious one here. Fonda’s throbbing bass pulsates throughout with strong soloing from the flute and bassoon. In between some inspired solos from the flute and bass, there is some ongoing challenging ensemble work which is astonishing to hear. I caught this quartet a couple of years ago, during the year that this disc was recorded and they were outstanding. This disc captures them at their very best! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
AGUSTI FERNANDEZ with BARRY GUY / JOHN BUTCHER / TORBEN SNEKKESTAD / DON MALFON / ZLATKO KAUCIC / LIUDAS MOCKUNAS / LUCIA MARTINEZ / JORDINA MILLA - Agusti Fernandez @70, Aesthetics of Prisms (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 30/2024; Poland) Agusti Fernandez one of the greatest living piano masters, a brilliant improviser, an endlessly creative artist but also a friend. I can't quite find the words to describe well enough who he is not only for me, but also for FSRecords. So I will just say that it is perhaps thanks to him and his confidence that the label was able to embark on the path it is on now. 10 years ago, when no one knew about FSR yet, Agusti trusted me and agreed to release the album ‘Agusti Fernandez@60 - River, Tiger, Fire’ on an unknown little label, a musical document of his Warsaw residency at the Ad Libitumna festival during the celebration of his 60th birthday. A decade has passed. Today Agusti is celebrating his 70th birthday. How else to celebrate such an anniversary than by releasing a seven-disc box with artists as great as he is? Happy birthday my friend! - Maciej Karłowski (2024)
7 CD Set $90
ZLATKO KAUCIC with RODRIGO AMADO / AXEL DORNER / BARRY GUY / AGUSTI FERNANDEZ / TORBEN SNEKKESTAD / TOMAZ GROM - Zlatko Kaucic @78 - Inklings (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 27/2024; Poland) If it can be said of someone that he is more than a musician, more than an improviser, more than an artist then it can certainly be said of Slovenian drummer Zlatko Kaucic. Zlatko is a good spirit, he is a man who not only goes down in musical history as a partner of the greatest artists of improvised music, but also as a good spirit. As someone who, when he plays and when he enters a room, the world becomes brighter, wiser and arranged as it should be. This year Zlatko Kaucic turned 70 and his light shines with the same strength! You will find out by listening to these four recording sessions!
4 CD Set $46
ANDREA CENTAZZO / CARLO ACTIS DATO / ELLEN BURR / GUIDO MAZZON / ROBERTO OTTAVIANO / ELLIOTT SHARP / GIANCARLO SCHIAFFINI / HARRI SJOSTROM / STEVE SWELL / JULIE MILLER / VASCO TRILLA / et al - Ictus@45 - Out Off Nights (Listen! Foundation/Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 31/2024; Poland) Legendary percussionist, leader and founder of ICTUS Records, a publishing house legendary in the world of improvised music. He has recorded with Derek Bailey, Steve Lacy, Don Cherry and an infinite number of the world's most creative artists. Andrea Centazzo is a great figure, an outstanding drummer who needs no introduction to anyone and who continues to play with the greatest. We are proud to bring you a documentary of the concerts that took place at the Out Off theatre in Milan, where Andrea and his musical friends celebrated the 45th birthday of ICTUS Records
4 CD Set $46
PETER BROTZMANN & PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE - Butterfly Mushroom (Trost 247CD; Austria) The second volume of the perfect pairing Brötzmann & Nilssen-Love, recorded at Zuiderpershuis in Antwerp, August 2015. The music is less frenzied and aggressive than listeners may be used to, as the musicians shared their exploration of new tools with a more contemplative approach. To be sure, both Brötzmann and Nilssen-Love summon the usual energy here and there, but it's a genuine revelation to hear them feel out new sounds in real-time, whether it's the former caressing the rheumy nasality of the contra-alto clarinet, or the latter reveling in the sustained resonance of his new gongs. Still, even if they were trying out new tools, their rapport and level of engagement was just as strong and deep as ever. Colliding schedules prevented them from ever wrapping up the production on the album, but they began planning for it during the pandemic. Sadly, it fell to Nilssen-Love to shepherd the project at home, but it was worth the wait. This duo album represents a major statement from both musicians. Artwork by Brötzmann, design by Lasse Marhaug. Liner notes-transcription of an interview with Peter Brötzmann. Peter Brötzmann: tarogato, contra-alto clarinet, bass saxophone. Paal Nilssen-Love: drums, gongs, percussion.
CD $18 / LP $24 [In stock in a week or so]
ROSE TANG & PATRICK GOLDEN - A White Horse is Not a Horse (ESP-Disk 5111; USA) Featuring Rose Tang on electric guitar, piano, el keyboard, hand percussion & voice and Patrick Golden on drums. My good pal drummer Patrick Golden plays here at DMG regularly, always organizing a great free/jazz unit with a number of Downtown’s finest: Ivo Perelman, Jim Clouse, Matt Hollenberg and many others. Guitarist Rose Tang has played here on a couple of occasions, once with Musique Libre Femmes. This disc was recorded at Park West Studios in Brooklyn by Jim Clouse in October of 2024. Park West Studios has become the best place to record Free/Jazz in NYC over the past decade or so. This disc begins with a poem by Rose Tang called, “Silence is Violence”, just her voice and the drums. Stark yet effective. “WW3” is an intense duo for guitar and drums, noisy yet focused, free yet somehow tight. The balance between these two musicians is just right due to good listening, interaction and an explosion of sounds. Ms. Tang seems to be using a handful of effects pedals, altering the sound of her guitar slowly as she explores different sonic storms. Ms. Tang’s voice and guitar are at the center of “Active. Passive. Voice.”, spewing out the ridiculousness of life with sharp words to consider. The title track, “A White Horse is Not a Horse” is the longest piece here and a tour-de-force. Ms. Tang plays some brooding, free piano, sometimes rubbing the strings inside the piano with Mr. Golden matching here waves. The instruments here are close mic’d, hence the music is clean & warmly captured. Ms. Tang uses her voices freely, bending notes, making cries and exuding an intense release of emotions. On “Devolution Revolution”, Ms. Tang reads a list of words which begin with “de”, which seem to deal with the negativity that Right Wing Fascists espouse over and over as they take over. Rather intense and pretty scary, a soundtrack for what many of us are going through at present. This disc ends with “Hexadelic”, a more restrained outro with Ms. Tang on Sun Ra-like electric keyboard. This piece is filled with moody exuberance and strange vocals. This fine duo was supposed to have played here at DMG last night (1/7/25) but had to postpone. We will reschedule them sometime soon so stay tuned. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
LUCIANA BASS - DesatorNillanDonos (Relative Pitch RPRSS 040; USA) Featuring Luciana Bass on solo electric guitar. Like around half of the musicians from the Relative Pitch roster, I hadn’t heard of Argentinian guitarist, Luciana Bass, before we got a copy of this disc in the mail. Relative Pitch founder, Kevin Reilly, spends quite a bit of time searching the internet for experimental musicians around the world to record for his label and promote their music to a demanding audience of serious listeners. As long as I/we give his discs a serious listening, we get to hear some truly challenging music, most of which few other labels would release.
The first track is called “Blind Willie” and it is dedicated to the late guitar god Sonny Sharrock (who had a song by the same name). This piece is a solemn, bluesy sort of late night lullaby which I found to be most poignant. Ms. Bass seems to prepare or play her in different ways for each piece. On “Arco Y Flecha”, she rubs the strings or the surface of the guitar and assembles assorted fractured sounds quietly. “Blues for Pipo” has a rather ancient blues-like sound/vibe. For “Voces de Violeta”, Ms. Bass strums a couple of layers of chords, rubbery, haunting, with one higher note pulsating on top, a reverie for the sad times we are living in perhaps? Bass plays prepared guitar on “Manos de Cromo”, a swirling, fractured stream bent notes and quickly rubbed strings. “Cancion Para El “Che” y Para Charlie” was inspired by Charlie Haden’s gem “Song for Che”, a great political song from Mr. Haden’s classic first Liberation Music Orchestra album. Ms. Bass plays the theme and really does capture the magic of the sad melody which is at the center of the piece, her guitar carefully distorted, strings buzzing, wrenching emotions from deep within. On each piece, Ms. Bass is very focused, capturing a different vibe or approach to playing the guitar without going too far, never trying our patience with too much of any extreme. Ms. Bass also has a piece here for avant/free/jazz elder saxists Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler, evoking their spirits in ways that I hear but can’t really describe. I have a few customers who rarely buy solo efforts for some reason. This is for them: Luciana Bass has made a truly original solo electric guitar offering which is never indulgent and does a marvelous job of capturing the magic/medicine of Sprit/Free/Jazz at its best! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
MORE DISCS FROM THE ONGOING ILK MUSIC SALE:
JONAS MULLER with MORTEN CARLSEN / ANDERS BANKE / PETER DAHLGREN / JEPPE SKOVBAKKE / STEFAN PASBORG - East African Prayer Meeting Suite / Nordic Suite (Ilk Music 138CD; Denmark) Featuring Jonas Müller on piano, cornet & compositions, Morten Carlssen on tenor sax & trumpet, Anders Banke on alto & soprano saxes, Peter Dahlgren on trombone, Jepps Skovbakke on bass and Stefan Pasborg on drums. I hadn’t heard of Danish pianist & composer Jonas Müller before we recieved some 150 titles from the Ilk Music Label last month. It turns out that Mr. Müller was in a quartet with John Tchicai & Kresten Orgood. I have been listening to one or two Ilk Music CD’s each night but it will take a while to check out the more than 100 titles that I’ve never heard. Over the couple of weeks I’ve added all 150 Ilk Music titles to the DMG database, hence I have a better understanding of which musicians can be found on several different titles, some dozen (or more) titles and some with one or two titles. Each of the six musicians here can be found on several discs from the Ilk Music label.
The main piece here is called ‘East African Prayer Meeting Site” and it is suite in four parts, which celebrates black religious music which was influenced by western harmony. Mr. Müller was then living in Oakland, California at the time and attending church services there. Hence both religious music and the music of South Africa (like Dollar Brand a/k/a Abdullah Ibrahim) was a big influence on this music. I found the music here to be most enchanting, similar somewhat to Mr. Ibrahim’s classic early 70’s LP called ‘Cape Town Fringe’. The melody, the groove, the vibe is most enchanting, not quite avant-garde yet still infectious. When I played this disc in the store earlier this week, I could see how there were a couple of customers that were smiling and grooving to this unrecognized treasure. You can be one of the half dozen folks who gets this gem before we sell out so act now. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $12
JACOB ANDERSKOV & AIRTO MOREIRA - Ears To The Ground (Ilk Music 143; Denmark) Ears to the Ground is an epic and poetic duet between Jacob Anderskov on piano and Airto Moreira on percussion, drums and vocal. A meeting of two strong music makers from very different backgrounds, with a direct and intuitive interaction. The music transcends categories and styles, and is maybe mostly about presence, sensibility and a way of approaching life. At the same time, it seems like the duo has created a situation around the two musicians that brings forth the best in each of them, and brings them to places they have not been before. "This is the kind of music that I like the most. It is pure improvisational with no ego involved. I wish I could play this music all the time." - Airto Moreira. "For me, making this music felt like stepping into an enchanted parallel reality. The extreme awareness between us gave me a feeling similar to being hypnotized, while the music basically found its paths by itself." - Jacob Anderskov.
CD Sale $12
THE LIVING ROOM With BARRY GUY - Live at Literaurhaus (Ilk Music 239CD; Denmark) Featuring Barry Guy on contrabass, Torben Snekkestad on saxes & reed-trumpet, Soren Kjaergaard on grand piano & other keyboards and Thomas Stronen on drums. The Living Room is a collaboration between some of the most promising musicians from the contemporary Nordic music scene. Their debut album “Still Distant Still" released on ILK in 2011, converges various sounds and styles of play into a sonically vibrant field: a common ground shared by their curiosity to explore and expand the disciplines of both conventional and unconventional instrumental approaches. On their second album the trio is captured in energetic interplay with double bass master Barry Guy (UK). A mild December night in Copenhagen they met for the first time to perform a concert at the LiteraturHaus - luckily they chose to record it! This is one of those improv sets that works extremely well: tight, focused, intense, spirits flowing back and forth like a stimulating conversation. Soren Kjaergaard has several trio discs out and is an extraordinary pianist. I love the way he plays inside the piano, quietly evoking mysterious ghosts by banging on the strings with small sticks or other objects. It seems as if contrabassist supreme, Barry Guy, has found the perfect trio to join since it sounds like these four have been playing together forever. This is one of the best improv dates I've heard in a long while! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $12
LOVEDALE with JESPER LOVDAL / JACOB ANDERSKOV / JONAS WESTERGAARD / ANDERS MOGENSEN CUONG VU - Grill Music (Ilk Music 122CD; Denmark) Featuring Cuong Vu on trumpet, Jesper Lovdal on tenor sax, Jacob Anderskov on piano, Jonas Westergaard on bass and Anders Mogensen on drums. I can't tell you much about this fine group except that Jesper Lovdal (from Denmark, I believe) left us with copies and he is a friend of the drummer Kresten Osgood. The music is lovely, well played and inventive in subtle ways. The title piece opens and has a fine sunny melody. I like that the saxist and trumpeter (Cuong Vu) solo together, swirling their notes around one another just right, they double-time near the end in a most exciting way. The group wrote or improvised three of the pieces and they are great. The piano, bass and drums spin quickly, weaving their lines together superbly. Jacob's "Into Orbit" recalls those fine Herbie Hancock records from the mid-sixties with rich harmonies for both horns and superb piano from Mr. Anderskov. Jesper takes a fine, laid-back Trane-toned tenor solo here with some exquisite piano flowing throughout. Cuong also takes a fine solo with some great Bill Dixon-like smears. Jesper is the main composer here and writes tunes that are both melancholy, yet crafty in unexpected ways. This quintet often sound American, yet their tunes move in quirky ways, swinging hard one minute and then slowing down to ballad-land. This is one of the more pleasant surprises to appear out of nowhere and to offer a few pearls to tasty listeners. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
EMANUELE MANISCALCO / FRANCESCO BIGONI / MARK SOLBORG - Maniscalco/Bigoni/Solborg (Ilk Music 241; Denmark) Featuring Emanuele Maniscalco on piano, Francesco Bigoni on reeds and Mark Solborg on guitar. Although Mr. Maniscalco produced this disc, all three members of this trio each contributed songs. Whereas I know very little about Mr. Maniscalco, aside from collaborating with Emanuele Cisi for the Auand label, we have listed a dozen discs from several Italian labels (El Gallo Rojo & Auand) that feature the work of Francesco Bigoni. Danish guitarist, Mark Solborg, can be found on more than a half dozen discs from the Ilk label and has worked with Evan Parker and Herb Robertson. Starting with Bigoni's "Blomme", the trio plays with the utmost elegance and restraint, reminding me of the way the Modern Jazz Quartet plays their own precious, quaint songs. Spacious and making each note count, the music often dealing in suspense. The sound of the trio is reminiscent of the Jimmu Giuffre trio with Jim Hall from the late fifties. Beginning with Mr. Solborg's "Dogfood', the trio goes further out with some fine somber yet bent-note picking by Solborg himself, the sax and piano playing like ghosts, eerie and quietly demented. Even without any sort of rhythm section here, the trio sounds focused and complete due to the strong writing and thoughtful playing. Mr. Solborg occasionally sounds like Bill Frisell but uses less devices to get his sound. There is something immensely enchanting about this music, sometimes calm yet still somehow disorienting in its own way. The calm center here feels great when life is filled with the usual stress of life. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
LP DEPARTMENT:
JOHN TCHICAI FEATURING DON CHERRY & SAHIB SHIHAB - Beautiful United Harmony Happening / The Education Of An Amphibian (Formalibera 1FFJT176; Italy) Alga Marghen/Formalibera present the first of a series of released documenting the work of Danish composer and multi-instrumentalist John Tchicai. This new LP features two previously unpublished recordings, "Beautiful United Harmony Happening" with Don Cherry and "Education Of An Amphibian" with Sahib Shihab. Tchicai returned to his native Denmark in July 1966 after spending a remarkable four years in New York City. In that short span, he helped redefine and expand the relationship between soloing, collective improvisation, and composition in small free jazz ensembles such as the New York Art Quartet, the New York Contemporary Five, and on albums such as New York Eye and Ear Control with Albert Ayler and John Coltrane's Ascension. It certainly counts as one of the most fertile periods in any artist's career. Yet when he returned to Europe, Tchicai turned his attention primarily (although not exclusively) to large ensemble music. The breakthroughs made in New York were not lost, but transferred to a large group context, opening up further avenues of exploration. "The Education of an Amphibian" by the John Tchicai Octet represents a first try at "Komponist Udøver Ensemble," or "Composing Improvisers Orchestra," an approach that further blurred boundaries between improvisation and composition. Recorded in October 1966, the piece presents Tchicai as composer and guiding presence; an organizer of sounds; and an explorer of a widening musical vocabulary drawn from contemporary classical and African influences. "Beautiful United Harmony Happening" is something different -- an opportunity to embrace new modes of interdisciplinary performance. From the beginning of his return to Denmark, Tchicai sought out not only musicians, but artists in all artforms and began to organize happenings. Although rarely noted, ideas linked to Fluxus, performance art, and happenings were a large influence of Tchicai's thinking at this time. All these related movements sought to blur or erase boundaries between media and set up juxtapositions between styles and artforms that disrupted received ideas of "high" and "low" art. Participation by non-artists introduced elements that challenged ideas about virtuosity and legitimate expression. Random elements were embraced, and non-Western music and concepts were welcome. This performance, heard here in an excerpt from the full two-hour performance, is very much in this vein. It is one of the last performances involving members of Cadentia Nova Danica, but they are only one component (and hardly the focus) of an ensemble that included a five-member chorus of disciples of the Swami Narayanananda (Tchicai lived at the yogi's ashram and had organized the choir himself), the Diane Black Dance Theatre, and trumpeter Don Cherry. Includes insert.
LP $26
NOAH HOWARD GROUP with TAKASHI KAKO / KENT CARTER / OLIVER JOHNSON - Berlin Concert (Cien Fuegos 033LP; Italy) Trost Records presents the latest release in its ongoing cooperation with Berlin's legendary FMP label, with the long overdue reissue of two classic live albums by the singular alto saxophonist Noah Howard, a key figure in New York's free jazz revolution during the 1960s. Berlin Concert was recorded live in the titular city in January of 1975 with a quartet featuring pianist Takashi Kako, bassist Kent Carter, drummer Oliver Johnson, and percussionist Lamont Hampton. It was released on the SAJ sub label in 1977. It deftly captures the full diapason of Howard's fiery art. Fueled by the propulsive swing of the great Oliver Johnson, bassist Kent Carter -- both Americans who spent many years living and working in Europe, including long stints with Steve Lacy -- and percussionist Lamont Hampton, Berlin Concert nonchalantly toggles between modal workouts, where Japanese pianist Takashi Kako invokes the ironclad drive of McCoy Tyner, and the needling fury of "New York Subway," summoning the all-out fury of the '60s New Thing. This album reinforces the scalding passion of Howard's playing, while simultaneously highlighting a stylistic depth and lyrical grace that's often overlooked in his music. Howard, who suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage in 2010, at age 67, has been duly celebrated for his work in the 1960s, but the return of this gem makes it plain he had plenty more to say. Recorded live by Jost Gebers on January 30th and 31st,1975 at the Quartier Latin in Berlin. Cover design by Wolf Walt. Photograph by Roberto Masotti. Produced by Jost Gebers. Originally released and published on FMP in 1977.
LP $34
NOAH HOWARD QUARTET with ITARU OKI / JEAN-JACQUES AVENEL / OLIVER JOHNSON -
Schizophrenic Blues (Cien Fuegos 034LP; Austria) Trost Records presents the latest release in its ongoing cooperation with Berlin's legendary FMP label, with the long overdue reissue of two classic live albums by the singular alto saxophonist Noah Howard, a key figure in New York's free jazz revolution during the 1960s. Schizophrenic Blues was a quartet date taped live in Berlin in May of 1977 with a quartet comprising Oliver Johnson, bassist Jean-Jacque Avenel, and trumpeter Itaru Oki. It was released on the SAJ sub label in 1978. It deftly captures the full diapason of Howard's fiery art. The piano-less quartet Schizophrenic Blues casts the music in a different light, with the great Japanese trumpeter Itaru Oki serving as a worthy frontline partner for Howard's livewire alto sax. Johnson is back in the rhythm section along with another Lacy disciple in the French bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel, who had already formed a strong musical bond, a mind meld readily apparent in grooves both ferociously energetic and contextually nimble. The leader reveals his curiosity by extending his repertoire to include an unexpected reading of "Bird of Beauty," a Stevie Wonder tune that released a few years earlier on Fulfillingness' First Finale, while the album concludes with a rousing, soulful rendition of the "Lift Every Voice and Sing," known fondly as the Black National Anthem. It reinforces the scalding passion of Howard's playing, while simultaneously highlighting a stylistic depth and lyrical grace that's often overlooked in his music. Howard, who suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage in 2010, at age 67, has been duly celebrated for his work in the 1960s, but the return of this gems makes it plain he had plenty more to say. Recorded live by Jost Gebers on May 21st and 22nd,1977 at the Quartier Latin in Berlin. Cover design by Dieter Hahne. Photographs by Dagmar Gebers. Produced by Jost Gebers. Originally released and published on FMP in 1978.
LP $34
JAMES TENNEY - Postal Pieces (Blume 022LP; Italy) Since its founding back in 2014, Blume has carved a unique place in cultural landscape, issuing free-standing works, spanning the historical and contemporary, that represent singular gestures of creativity within the field of experimental sound. Joining their broad efforts in building networks of context and understanding, Blume returns with the first ever vinyl release to attend to James Tenney's legendary Postal Pieces. This marks the first ever appearance of five of the suite's works -- "Maximusic, for Max Neuhaus" (1965), "Having Never Written a Note for Percussion, for John Bergamo" (1971), "FFor Percussion Perhaps, or... [Night], for Harold Budd" (1971), "Cellogram, for Joel Krosnick" (1971), and "Beast, for Buell Neidlinger" (1971) -- on vinyl, drawing upon recordings made in 2003, by the Amsterdam based ensemble, The Barton Workshop, under the direction of James Fulkerson. Among the most important and highly regarded efforts in Tenney's canon of compositions, as well as within the history of 20th Century music, these five pieces represent a crucial bridge between Fluxus-oriented conceptualism, minimalism, and the microtonal complexities that would emerge in their wakes. A student of composition under Carl Ruggles, John Cage, Harry Partch, and Edgard Varèse, as well as acoustics, information theory, and tape music composition under Lejaren Hiller, James Tenney carved a wide path within the contexts of experimental and avant-garde music during the second half of the 20th Century. A suite of eleven compositions, The Postal Pieces, stands among Tenney's well known and celebrated compositions, and illuminates the dualities embraced by the composer, notably his use of sound to develop consciousness in and of others, and his willingness to draw on elements and observations of everyday life; citing his strong dislike of writing letters as being the primary inspiration for their inception. The suite is composed around three themes: Tenney's concept of swell form (utilizing repetition and progressing through a structurally symmetrical arch), intonation, and the desire to produce "meditative perceptual states." A hugely important addition to Blume's ever-expanding efforts in context building and networks of creative practice, James Tenney's Post Pieces is issued in a highly limited vinyl edition of 300 copies, which includes an exact replica of the original postcard graphic scores, and features newly commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey.
LP $30
MERZBOW - Mercurated (Urashima UMA 188LP; Italy) Limited Edition of 299 copies. Black vinyl. Urashima present the eagerly awaited reissue of Merzbow's seminal album Mercurated on double vinyl, originally released on CD in 1996 by Alchemy Records. This milestone in the noise genre captures the essence of Masami Akita's innovative approach to sound, an exploration of the boundaries of auditory experience that continues to resonate with artists and listeners alike. The new vinyl edition features a remaster by James Plotkin, whose expertise breathes new life into the album, revealing the intricate layers hidden within Merzbow's amazing work. In this reimagined format, the album presents "Electricwatersheep" divided into two distinct sections: A1, which encompasses the entire A side of the vinyl, and B1, which opens the B side. This piece is a hallmark of Merzbow's chaotic yet meticulously crafted style, showcasing his prowess in noise electronics through an electrifying mix of metal performances and a diverse array of filters. Each section invites the listener to plunge deeper into a sonic terrain where silence is shattered, creating an immersive auditory journey that is as unpredictable as it is captivating. Side B continues with "Semisolid Mass 1-3," a brand-new bonus track exclusive to this vinyl release. This addition serves to deepen the listener's experience, expanding upon the album's already rich sonic palette with a uniquely disorienting atmosphere that is characteristic of Merzbow's artistic vision. On Side C, "Tree of Kusukusu" envelops the listener in a phantasmagoric soundscape crafted from bowed metals and the eerie tones of the Ems Synthi "a," all accentuated by meticulous filtering techniques. Side D concludes the journey with "Surfactant," presenting another quintessential Merzbow composition. Here, the interplay of metal and electronic noise converges, showcasing Akita's artistic finesse and his relentless quest to explore sound as a medium of both chaos and beauty. Each track on Mercurated stands on its own, providing a coherent yet varied listening experience that invites repeat contemplation. This stunning double vinyl reissue comes in an astonishing gatefold cover mirroring the original artwork, beautifully designed by Masami Akita himself, ensuring that the visual component is as striking as the auditory experience. The design work by Masahiko Ohno further enhances the presentation, making this release not just a collection of sounds but a holistic sensory experience.
2 LP Set $46
HARTMUT GEERKEN - Requiem for the Snake of Maidan (Holidays Records 138LP; Italy) "Towards the end of the 1970s, a film about me and my work was made in Kabul for the South German TV program. The director was Arpad Bondy. In order to find a venue for my music that is typical for Afghanistan, it was agreed that my 'percussion environment,' a tubular cube of 2x2x2 meters including the associated instruments, would be transported on a barren, stony ridge in the Hindukush mountains. The people called the place 'Maidan,' which means nothing but 'place.' While a couple of men dragged the frame pipes and the instruments up the hill, I decided to carry my large Wuhan gong (100 cm diameter) up the mountain, in a kind of ritual. Michael Ranta sent me this gong from Wuhan/China to Kabul. With slow and careful steps, carrying the heavy gong like an umbrella on my head, I walked over the difficult rocky terrain without a path up. Suddenly a snake about two meters long came out of the rocks towards me and hissed aggressively at me... As I later discovered, it was a very venomous snake... I had to bring myself to kill the beautiful animal... I decided to name my solo performance Requiem For The Snake Of Maidan... While I was playing I only had one musician with me: the wind. I hung my metallophones on the linkage so that the wind could touch them and create sounds. The recording captured a few parts where I didn't have to lift a finger and the wind did everything that was necessary. The room was a wide landscape without any echo. If an echo can be heard in the recording, it is the reverberation from the big gong. Only a few noises came, apart from the wind, from outside... The big gong and the boo chals (Tibetan cymbals) produced a whole series of overtones. The string instruments, the metallo- and lithophones dominate the recording. In addition to the acoustic environment of my instruments, in some parts of my improvisation I used a battery-powered tape recorder (Uher 4400 report stereo IC) with a pre-recorded feeding tape that I had pre-recorded before alone or together with Michael Ranta in Kabul. The stones of the lithophone were collected by Ranta and myself in the valley of Goldara around an old collapsed Buddhist stupa. Almost each of the hundred stone plate we had lifted was ringing." - Hartmut Geerken
2 LP Set $46
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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 / MARY HALVORSON / January 8-11
1/8 Wednesday
8:30 pm - DUO - Mary Halvorson (guitar) Peter Evans (trumpet)
1/9 Thursday
8:30 pm - DUO - Mary Halvorson (guitar) Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet)
1/10 Friday
8:30 pm
QUARTET - Mary Halvorson (guitar) Alex Koi (voice, electronics) Henry Fraser (bass) Tomas Fujiwara (drums)
1/11 Saturday
8:30 pm - STERNO - Mary Halvorson (guitar) Brett Deschenes (trumpet) Dan St. Clair (piano) Nat Baldwin (bass) - A rare appearance of Sterno, established in 2001
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / INGRID LAUBROCK / JAN 15-18
1/15 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Ingrid Laubrock and Cecilia Lopez Duo
Ingrid Laubrock (saxophones) Cecilia Lopez (electronics)
1/16 Thursday
8:30 pm- Quintet - Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone) Anna Webber (saxophone) Tom Rainey (drums) Dan Weiss (drums) Dan Peck (tuba)
1/17 Friday
8:30 pm - Grammy Season with Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone) Brandon Seabrook (guitar) Shawn Lovato (double bass) Tom Rainey (drums)
1/18 Saturday
8:30 pm - Lilith - Ingrid Laubrock (saxophones) Dave Adewumi (trumpet) Adam Matlock (accordion) Yvonne Rogers (piano) Eva Lawitts (double bass) Henry Mermer (drums)
THE STONE is located in
The New School at the Glass Box Theatre
55 West 13th Street - near 6th ave
LIVE MUSIC
wed-sat - music at 8:30pm
ADMISSION - $20 per set
unless otherwise noted
cash only payment
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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…
Sunday, January 12, 2025. 8:00 pm
IMPRESSIONS: Improvisatory interpretations on “A Love Supreme” with Ravi Coltrane & Guests
Wednesday, January 15 AT 8PM:
TAKE TWO: Ganavya reimagines ‘Les Filles de Illighadad’
Thursday, January 16, 2025 AT 8PM:
PATRICK HIGGINS and YARN/WIRE - A two part program: Patrick Higgins will present his most recent album Versus, released on Other People in 2024. Acclaimed new music ensemble Yarn/Wire will also present the NY premiere of Higgins’s work “Three Lines of Flight.” FEATURING: Patrick Higgins guitar and electronics and Yarn/Wire with Russel Greenberg percussion, Laura Barger piano, Julia Den Boer piano & Sae Hashimoto - percussion
Friday, January 17, 2025. 8:00 pm
JACK Quartet Plays JOHN ZORN’s Memento Mori and Necronomicon
Thursday - Saturday, January 23rd - January 25th:
IMPROV NIGHTS 2025: A Tribute to Derek Bailey [3 Night Festival]
Ann all-star cast: Craig Taborn, Kenny Wollesen, Wendy Eisenberg, Ikue Mori, Ned Rothenberg, Brandon Lopez, gabby fluke-mogul & many more, different musicians each night.
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=VcvoYygehqE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-6p_Q2Dwxc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWJ20KEHAdQ
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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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