Wash me, paint me, but please don't taint me
Give me a chance, give me chance,
give me a chance...
When I was young, the sky was blue
And everyone knew what to do
But now it's gone, the telly's here
Mass media, the sewer too
Universal maximillion
Eight rare cases
Chickenpox and crawling gladness
Seemingly it's nothing happening
Cure my doctor
Don't swallow him down
Give me the cure, give me the cure,
give me the cure...
The night was cool, the moon was bright
The air was clear with oxygen
The stars were there, and in my eyes
Were thousands of chrysanthemums
Don't use magnets –
Geophysics carry you back
Wholesome, healthfood, homepride
Satisfied
Something outside gives out hunger
Face my mirror
Electricity...
The above song first appeared on Soft Machine’s Volume Two album (released in 1969), it was the second song on side 2 (a/k/a ‘Esther’s Nose Job’). It is just Robert Wyatt’s voice, an acoustic guitar and harpsichord. It is unlike any other Soft machine song (instrumentally & otherwise) although it does capture that magical Canterbury whimsy. I still find the lyrics absolutely fascinating! At times I know exactly what they are talking about, at other times I have no clue. The second Keith Tippett Group album from 1970 also uses this song title as the title of the LP and includes a short snip of the melody on the album. When I first heard this Keith Tippett album in London in 1975 in the library at Trent Park College, I was gobsmacked! It remains one of my favorite avant/spirit/free/jazz records of all time! Then Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt is one of three drummers on this record so it makes sense that this song would appear here. In the last year, two more instrumental versions of this song have shown up: first, a Keith Tippett Group radio session version entitled ‘How Long This Time? (on British Progressive Jazz label) and a sort of Canterbury Scene tribute album by a young Brit jazz musician named Kevin Figes which is called ‘You Are Here’ (from the JazzInBritain label). All of the above mentioned records are dear to my heart so a Big Toast to all of my favorite Canterbury musicians! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
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THE PASSING THREE GIANTS: MIKE RATLEDGE, SUSAN ALCORN and ELLIOT INGBER
I was awakened yesterday morning by Manny Maris, my old partner, and informed that MIKE RATLEDGE had passed away. Mr. Ratledge was a founding member of Soft Machine (1967-1981) and the only musician who was in each version of this band. Mr. Ratledge studied philosophy and psychology at school before he joined Soft Machine, so he was a philosophical chap. The first Soft Machine singles were recorded and released in 1967 during the Summer of Love/Psychedelic era. The original band featured Daevid Allen on guitar, Mike Ratledge on organ, Kevin Ayers on bass & vocals and Robert Wyatt on drums & vocals. Soft Machine was managed by Chas Chandler (from the Animals), who also discovered and managed Jimi Hendrix. Just before the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Soft Machine were about to tour America in 1968, Daevid Allen (a former stowaway on a boat from Australia who ended up in Majora where Robert Wyatt was staying) was denied entry into England, due to not having a passport and allegedly saying things that irked the border/customs officials. So Soft Machine toured the US without their guitarist as a trio. Hendrix loved their music and they were considered good friends. Early in the tour, the Softs complained to Hendrix that their sound/music couldn’t really compare to the volume, feedback and theatrics that the Hendrix Experience provided at each concert, blowing teenage minds everywhere they played. Hendrix suggested that Ratledge add a distortion box/pedal to his Lowery organ, since Ratledge was their main soloist. Ratledge did this and was soon playing Fuzz Organ, a sound which soon defined the sound of Soft Machine, along with the unique songs, singing and playing of Mr. Ayers and Mr. Wyatt. I first heard Soft Machine Vol. 1 in 1968 just after it was released and it completely blew me away, there was no other band that sounded quite like them! After the Mothers of Invention, Soft Machine became my next favorite band. What was unique about Soft Machine is that on each of their 11 albums, the personnel and sound changed and evolved, with Ratledge being the only original member throughout their tenure. As a soloist, his playing kept getting better, more adventurous and Softs fans worldwide (like me & Ras Moshe), savour each and every one of his solos and the albums which they come from. Check out his playing on all of the (seven) numbered Softs records and on ‘Bundles’. Ratledge’s composing also matured and got better over time, check out ‘Third’, ‘Four’ and ’Six’ for his compositions. I did an exchange program in London in the fall of 1975 and my main goal was to interview members of Soft Machine, Hatfield & The North. I did interview Mr. Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, Gary Boyle, Roy Babbington, John Marshall, Dave Stewart, Lol Coxhill, John Etheridge, Keith Tippett and Steve Hillage. When I interviewed Mr. Ratledge, who was often referred to as the leader of Soft Machine, he said that he was losing interest in the band since he could no longer compose as he did in the past. Karl Jenkins (originally from Nucleus) had joined the Softs for their ’Six’ double LP (playing keyboards & reeds), and was a more proficient composer and seemed to have taken over the band. ‘Bundles’ (from 1975) was the last Soft Machine record that I loved and I saw this version of the Softs play on their only US tour twice in NYC and in Elizabeth, NJ and they were incredible. Lead guitarist on ‘Bundles’ was the amazing Allan Holdsworth who jumped ship just as the Softs were about to tour Europe. His place was taken over by John Etheridge, a great match. Soft Machine made three albums after ‘Bundles’ with Mr. Ratledge adding less to each one, the band breaking up in the early eighties. Ratledge and Jenkins went on to organize their own studio, creating music for jingles and films, even winning an award for one of those jingles. They made a good deal of money, Jenkins was knighted and Ratledge finally retired from his music pursuits. Around 2000, four former members of Soft Machine (Dean, Holdsworth, Hopper & Marshall) formed Soft Works. Holdsworth again left after a year and was replaced again by John Etheridge, the band became Soft Machine Legacy. As with all chapters in the Soft Machine history, the personnel changed over time as Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean and John Marshall have all passed away. John Etheridge has maintained a long time friendship with Mike Ratledge and asked him if he wanted to rejoin or even sit in with the current Softs band. Ratledge declined on several occasions but agreed that the band could change its name to just Soft Machine, which they did for the last two tours. I caught the current version of Soft Machine at City Winery a couple of months ago and they were pretty great, doing songs from almost all of their previous albums, going all the way back to ‘Vol. 1’! I relistened to ‘Soft Machine - Vol 1’ last night and Mike Ratledge’s fuzz organ solos still run chills up and down my spine. Since the break-up of the band, there have been around two dozen live recordings from all eras of the band, many of them on the Cuneiform or Moonjune labels. Ras Moshe, myself and many other Soft Machine fan addicts worldwide still search for and look forward to hearing each and every one of the those releases. The search still goes on! A special Fuzz Organ toast to the great Mike Ratledge!
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Last Friday, taking NY Transit to go to NYC to work a day in the store, I got a call from Frank Meadows, former manager at DMG and one of my favorite employees. Frank asked if I had heard about Susan Alcorn and I said no. She had just passed away. I was shocked to hear this since I knew that she had played a solo set at the Zurcher Gallery earlier in the week. No one seemed to know about any of her health issues. I am a longtime friend and always admired Ms. Alcorn’s unique pedal steel guitar playing. I had first heard of Ms. Alcorn when she recorded two discs with Eugene Chadbourne in the early aughts. I had heard that she played in several country bands in Texas where she lived at the time and that Pauline Oliveros and Dr. Chadbourne had inspired her to go beyond her country roots into drones, improv and more. Starting in 2000, Ms. Alcorn released a series of solo efforts on her own label, each one was special showing a side to the sound of her pedal steel playing that sounded like no one else but herself. She played at the High Zero Fest in Baltimore in 2004, improvising with Audrey Chen, Andrea Parkins, Lee Quan Ninh and Joe McPhee. A few years later she moved to Baltimore, where she’d lived ever since. Aside from releasing a handful of her own releases, Ms. Alcorn started working and recording with a large cast of improvisers from around the world: LaDonna Smith, Caroline Kraabel, George Burt, Ellery Eskelin, Ken Vandermark and Misha Feigen. I’ve heard Ms. Alcorn perhaps a dozen times playing in solos and with different musicians like Sylvie Courvoisier, Mary Halvorson, Nate Wooley and Mark Feldman. Her solo sets were always special, playing these ethereal, ghost-like sounds which were most distinctive. Whenever I talked to her, she was a most gracious, kind and thoughtful person, soft spoken and with a soft sense of humor. I felt bad about missing her last week and yet her unique sound stays in my mind. She will be greatly missed by all of us who knew her and loved her. Rest in peace, my dear friend. - Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
Here’s a short list of my favorite recordings:
1.SUSAN ALCORN - Soledad (Relative Pitch) playing the music of Astor Piazzolla, a masterpiece!
2.ELLERY ESKELIN / SUSAN ALCORN / MICHAEL FORMANEK - Mirage (Clean Feed)
3.SUSAN ALCORN - And I Await The Resurrection Of The Pedal Steel Guitar (UMA Sounds)
4.SUSAN ALCORN // Arranged by JANEL LEPPIN - The Heart Sutra (Ideologic Organ) LP only
5.SUSAN ALCORN QUINTET w/ MARY HALVORSON & MARL FELDMAN - Pedernal (Relative Pitch)
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ELLIOT INGBER, L.A. based guitar giant passes away. Elliot Ingber was a founding member of the Mothers of Invention, playing guitar along with Frank Zappa for the Mother’s debut album, ‘Freak-Out!’, released in 1966. Mr. Ingber left the Mothers after ‘Freak-Out’ and formed another fine L.A. psych band called The Fraternity of Man. This band recorded two albums, self-titled in 1968 and ‘Get It On’ (1969). Both are highly recommended. The Fraternity of Man actually had an FM hit with their single, “Don’t Bogart That Joint”, which was featured in the seminal hippie/travelogue film, ‘Easy Rider’. Ingber next joined Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band and got his stage name, Winged Eel Fingerling. He can be heard playing on two great Beefheart albums, ’Trout Mask Replica’ and ‘The Spotlight Kid’. Elliot Ingber/Winged Eel Fingerling toured with the Magic Band in the early 1970’s, his unique playing inspiring many future lead guitarists like Henry Kaiser and Gary Lucas, both of whom recently posted tributes on line to their fallen hero. Check these out here:
Henry Kaiser on Elliot Ingber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpoVA6qkEX0 (video)
Gary Lucas on Elliot Ingber: https://culturecatch.com/node/4411 (article)
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THE DMG 34th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE FREE MUSIC SERIES Continues with:
Just Added, Rare Sunday Set at DMG:
7pm: VINNY GOLIA - Reeds / JAMES McKAIN - Bari Sax / TJ BORDEN - Cello / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Drums
Tuesday, February 11th:
6:30: STEVE SWELL - Solo Trombone
7:30: RICH ROSENTHAL - Guitar / JOE FIEDLER - Trombone / KEN FILIANO - Bass / JEFF DAVIS - Drums
8:30: STEVE HIRSH - Drums / DAVE SEWELSON - Baritone Sax / MATT HOLLENBERG - El Guitar / SANA NAGANO - Violin
Tuesday, February 18th:
6:30: DAWOUD KRINGLE - Sitar
7:30: SAMANTHA KOCHIS - Flute / CONNOR BRYHN - Bass
8:30: BEN GOLDBERG SEXTET
Saturday, February 22nd, The GAUCI-MUSIC SERIES Continues with:
6:30pm: SANDY EWEN & FRIENDS
7:30pm: STEPHAN GAUCI - Tenor Saxophone-Flute-Clarinet / PATRICK GOLDEN - Drums
8:30pm: JAMES McKAIN - Tenor Sax / CAROLINE MORTON - Bass / KEVIN SHEA - Drums
Tuesday, February 25th: Relative Pitch Records Presents:
6:30: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / NATE WOOLEY - Trumpet
7:30: KELSEY MINES / ERIN ROGERS - Tenor & Soprano saxes
8:30: NATE WOOLEY / CHUCK ROTH / KELSEY MINES / CHUCK ROTH
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This Week’s Peppermint Platters Begin with a Special Rarity from the Legendary FARUQ Z. BEY:
FARUQ Z. BEY with ANTHONY HOLLAND / ROBERT ALLISON / GWEN LESTER / JARIBU SHAHID / MARLENE RICE - “Atlan-Tan Suite” (Entropy Stereo ESR 023; USA) Featuring Faruq Z. Bey on tenor & alto saxes & compositions, Anthony Holland on alto & soprano saxes, Robert Allison on vibes, Marlene Rice & Gwen Lester on violins and Jaribu Shahid on bass & cello. Recorded live on March 13th of 1982 at the Detroit Institute of the Arts. Legendary Detroit saxist, composer, bandleader & distinguished poet/author Faruq Z. Bey was one of the under-recognized giants of the Creative Scene in Detroit for three decades (from 1982-2012), starting out as a founding member of Griot Galaxy (3 LP’s) and then collaborating with the Northwoods Improvisers (a dozen discs). Check any of these recordings and you will become a big fan as well. Both Mr. Bey and saxist Anthony Holland were members of Griot Galaxy as was bassist Jaribu Shahid (longtime work with Roscoe Mitchell). This session was completely different from anything that Bey had done previously or afterwords, using three strings and vibes instead of a regular rhythm team. I had not heard of vibeman Robert Allison before this disc arrived but I Know that violinist Marlene Rice worked with Rob Reddy and that Gwen Lester has worked with Anthony Braxton, the (current) Sun Ra Arkestra and WeFreeStrings.
This disc begins with the “Atlan-Tan Suite (Marava Mode)”, a nearly 14 minute work. What we hear is sparse vibes, percussion and plucked strings with both saxes playing their lines in unison. This music has a spiritual, chamber-like vibe/sound. The sextet soon break into a ritualistic repeating phrase and then submerge into a more modern chamber-like poise. The blend of Mr. Holland’s soprano sax with the three strings is most impressive, especially when the vibes enter and add sly punctuation. This is modern chamber music at its best, thoughtful, well-composed and arranged with care. As this piece unfolds, music becomes more complex and the two saxes intersperse fragmented solo bits. Although the music sounds well-connected, there are several overlapping lines which are well interwoven. Since there is no drummer here, bassist/cellist Jaribu Shahid often holds down the bottom end with a pumping pulse in which the vibes add rhythmic or ornamental accompaniment. Mr. Shahid takes a strong bass solo on “Liberty City Rundown”, one of this session's highlights. The final piece, “Kins”, was also the title of a Griot Galaxy album and it is another long, extraordinary suite-like work. While the altoplayer takes a long solo, he is supported by the bass & vibes, the two strings & other sax adding sly harmonies. Vibist Robert Allison also takes a fine solo here. From the mid-fifties through the seventies, there were a handful of musicians/composers which created their own third stream or chamber jazz (Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, certain AACMers). This music is a fine example of this music as it is in-between established categories and singular in its overall sound. It is indeed a great thing to hear this work finally be available after more than 40 years. Faruq Z. Bey passed away in 2012 but his recorded legacy remains with us thanks to the fine folks at Entropy Stereo. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
SARAH BELLE REID / VINNY GOLIA* - Accidental Ornithology (Infrequent Seams IS-1068; USA) Featuring Sarah Belle Reid on B-flat trumpet, quartertone flugelhorn & synthesizers and Vinny Golia on piccolo, quartertone contrabass flute, alto, A & B-flat clarinets and gongs. Sarah Belle Reid is a Canadian-based trumpeter and electronics player who has worked with David Rosenboom and Vinny Golia, both of whom taught at Cal Arts. Multiple reeds wizard, Vinny Golia, has a long history of working with dozens of Creative Musicians from southern California, mostly for his own Nine Winds or the pfMENTUM labels. With more than a hundred discs as a leader, Mr. Golia continues to find gifted creative musicians to work with like former students from Cal Arts and musicians who once recorded for Nine Winds.
The music here is often close mic’d, so we can hear every nuance and breath-like sounds that these instruments make. Me. Reid also adds selective electronics which are often subtle and sparse. Although the music sounds mainly improvised, the two musicians have a close-knit sound, playing tightly together and exchanging thoughtful dialogue. Blending the close mic’d horns and subtle electronics is especially well-integrated as one stream of related sounds. The music has a very careful, focused quality as if every sound was well-calculated. For me, this is improvised music at its best. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
* VINNY GOLIA will be playing a rare Sunday set here at DMG on 2/9/25 at 7pm with James McKain, TJ Borden & James Paul Nadien
NORTHWOOD IMPROVISERS - Inscribe (Entropy Stereo 020; USA) Featuring Mike Gilmore on acoustic guitars & zheng, Mike Khoury on violin, Kirk Lucas on acoustic guitars, cello, bowed banjo & percussion, Mike Johnston on contrabass and Mike List on tabla, frame drums & percussion. The Northwood Improvisers formed in rural Michigan in 1976, playing electro-acoustic and then all acoustic improv, recording some 20 discs since they began. From 2001 until 2012, they worked with legendary Detroit saxist Faruq Z. Bey. They started to release their own albums about since the death of Faruq Z. Bey in 2012. Four have been released since then and this is the first time we’ve gotten them in since. This is a great thing since every disc that I’ve heard from them was/is great, spirited and inventive. Mr. Golmore and Mr. John are both founding members of the band. This disc was recorded live in the studio at three sessions between 2012 and 2015. All but three pieces were written by separate band members with two groups improvs and a cover song by Charlie Haden.
Mike Gilmore’s “Bamboo” starts with an infectious tabla groove and is soon joined by acoustic guitar, zheng (Indian (violin-like instrument) and contrabass. This reminds me of Oregon, one the all-acoustic, organic, cross-cultural, quartets that began in the mid-seventies. That tabla groove is the center here, with a lovely, haunting melody played by the zheng and acoustic guitar. Mike Koury’s “Al-Quds” features violin and acoustic guitar also playing this sensual, Indian-like melody/sound, in a slow and mystical Middle-Eastern groove/vibe. The bowed banjo creates a drone which floats in and out throughout this piece. “Tinariwen” has one of those slow bluesy groove that is/was the sound of the Saharan tribal music bands of which the band called Tinariwen are one of the prime examples of this music. The groove here is most hypnotic and I wished that it had gone on much longer. Charlie Haden’s “Chairman Mao” (which was once covered by Robert Wyatt) seems like a good choice since it has that wonderful, repeating groove and a fine violin solo. “Nuance” is an aptly titled improv, sparse, eerie and suspense-filled. Mr. Gilmore plays nylon string guitar here and plays some inspired interplay with Mr. Koury’s violin, backed by a tabla pulse. “Trouble in the West” which is an improv piece, starts with the cosmic, repeating groove and soon becomes an ethereal, done-like work with the playing in raga-like way. “Water” has one of those most hypnotic repeating grooves with enticing guitar and violin interplay over another bowed violin drone. Violinist Mike Khoury takes a great, blues solo here, which is another of this disc’s highlights. The last piece, “Tasbin’”, has a lush, laid back, bluesy groove and another haunting solo from Khoury’s violin. This entire disc has a magical, middle-eastern sound which is helpful to take us away on a journey. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
NORTHWOOD IMPROVISERS QUARTET/QUINTET with DOMINIC BIERENGO / DONAVON BOXEY / MIKE JOHNSTON / NICK ASHTON / JORDAN PRIES - Raft (Entropy Stereo ESR 021; USA) Featuring Dominic Bierengo on alto, tenor & soprano saxes & flute, Donavon Boxey on alto & soprano saxes, clarinet, melodica & wood flute, Mike Johnston on bass, bass recorder & wood flutes, Nick Ashton on drums and Jorden Pries on percussion (on two tracks). The Northwoods Improvisers were initially a trio with Mike Gilmore, Mike Johnston and Nick Ashton, starting around the early 1990’s. After five of their own records, mostly for the Entropy Stereo label, they hooked up with legendary Detroit reeds wizard, Faruq Z. Bey and they made another ten recordings. With the passing of Mr. Bey in 2012, the Northwood Improvisers continued, releasing four more records with the personnel differing slightly on each one. This is the second of the four newer ones and it was released in 2021. This new disc features two saxists from central Michigan, both of whom I hadn’t heard of before now, although they seemed to have an obscure duo record out from 2017 which includes 2 members of the Northwood Improvisers.
Mike Johnston wrote five of the nine pieces here with a few by each saxist and one cover by the late Faruq Z. Bey. “Ethiopia” begins with bowed bass, eerie percussion and melodica. Soon a spiritual jazz, ritualistic bassline emerges. Both saxists come in together to play the main theme, the melody of which seems both ancient, contemporary and futuristic. That throbbing central bassline is the cosmic heartbeat, which reaches back in time to the Spirit Jazz of the mid-1960’s. Saxist Dominic Bierenga’s ‘Raft’ (the title piece) is next and it has a lovely, laid back yet quietly cosmic vibe with some sublime & soulful tenor sax. “Burgundy and Green” starts with an impressive drums solo before it breaks into another swirling spirit jazz soaring, burning fest with inspired solos by both saxists. Yeah man! Donavon Boxey’s “Breath” begins with just the reeds (sax & flute) swirling up front before the rhythm team enters. I dig the way the two reeds play together, creating their own connected web. “Woodfire for John Lindberg” starts with just flutes and soft, cracking percussion, bowed bass and skeletal drums. The two reeds again create a magical, free floating cloud with sublime plucked contrabass holding down the center. The music is free yet focused, unfolding organically. “19 Moons” was composed by Faruq Z. Bey, who collaborated with the Northwood Improvisers for several, before he passed away in 2012. This piece swings freely and soars on high with both saxes reaching for the skies together. “Tasbih” is dedicated to Faruq Z Bey and it has an incredibly haunting melodica solo which is backed by just contrabass. Bassist Mike Johnston, who wrote most of the songs here, is a marvelous contrabassist and is often the secret ingredient here, his bass glowing, popping, flowing, drifting and holding things together. If you love the Spirit Jazz Thing, then you will love the Northwood Improvisers. This disc really moved me and helped me get through my difficult day in which the Bad Fake News is a constant reminder of the dark spirits of mankind yet this music is a healing force, the light at the end of the tunnel. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
BOOKER T. WILLIAMS & THE PLASMIC BLEEDS with GARY HAMMON / CHAD FOWLER / MARC FRANKLIN / KELLEY HURT / CHRISTOPHER PARKER / LUKE STEWART / CHAD ANDERSON - Ode to BC/LY... And Eye Know Bo... Da Prez (Mahakala Music 057; USA) Featuring Booker T. Williams on tenor & alto saxes, Gary Hammon on tenor sax, Chad Fowler on stritch, Marc Franklin on trumpet, Kelley Hurt on vocals, Christopher Parker on piano, Luke Stewart on basses and Chad Anderson on drums. Booker T. (Williams) was originally from Seattle but became part of the NY Free Jazz Scene in the 1980’s & 90’s. Although he has recorded only one disc as a leader, he did work with William Hooker, Saheb Sarbib, Dennis Charles and Cold Sweat. Most of the records he’s appeared on were released between 1985 & 1991, more than 30 years ago. Chad Fowler, who runs the Mahakala Label, seems to have organized this session since a few of the musicians here we know mostly from other discs on the label: Kelley Hurt, Chris Parker & Chad Anderson. The other featured saxist here is Gary Hammon, whom I know little about except that he once recorded with trumpeter Barbara Donald (former wife & collaborator with Sonny Simmons). Trumpeter Marc Franklin is based in Memphis and is/was a member of the Dopolarians, who also have a disc on Mahakala.
This disc was recorded at Fellowship Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas. “Ode to BC/LY…” starts freely with some strong ramblin’ piano, acoustic bass and drums, Mr. Williams’ alto sax comes in for a bit and then the band break into an old blues-like riff with the saxes both playing that somewhat funky riff. There is a strong, note-stretching tenor solo in this piece with supportive bowed bass burning underneath. “Are You for Me” was written by and features tenor saxist Gary Hammon playing a laid back ballad with Ms. Kelley Hurt singing the bluesy main vocal, the band simmering under her. The group erupts at the beginning of “Ode to BC/LY… Part 2” and soon break into a solemn groove. Trumpeter Marc Franklin takes a fine solo here which is followed by a spirited alto (?) solo with a tenor riffing nicely underneath. Not sure which saxist is soloing at times but both sound fine especially when they play those bluesy licks. “Ode to BC/LY… Part 3” seems to be the free jazz eruption that many of us savor. All members of the band get to stretch out and play freely yet are still focused on the three versions of this piece. I do like this disc although I wish it were a bit longer and even more of those freer excursions than it does. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
DAVID LEE MYERS - Oculus (Pulsewidth PW 34; USA) David Lee Myers created his own feedback machine in the late 1980’s and recorded a series of releases under the name Arcane Device throughout the 1990’s. I dug what he did and caught him live a few times, playing at the old store many years back. Mr. Myers took a long break and finally came back with a new release in 2014. Since then he has collaborated with Merzbow, Francisco Lopez, Vidna Obmana, Asmus Tietchens and others. He started his own label called Pulsewidth and has released more than 30 discs since 2001. He records under both names, Arcana Device and David Lee Myers. It’s been about a year since we got in something new from him and it has finally arrived in the mail last week. A two CD set called ‘Oculus’. Oculus is Latin for “eye” and refers to a circular opening in architecture terminology.
Disc 1 contain three sections of Oculus, starting with “Oculus Prelude”. This piece starts with a feedback-like drone which is pulsating at a moderate tempo. Mr. Myers has a unique way of shaping the sound as it throbs, shifting the pulsations, with certain frequencies enhanced and other frequencies submerged or altered. It sounds like a church organ at times while it shifts in tempo and nuance. “Oculus Neura” is next and it is almost 30 minutes long. Myers begins with a low end frequency which throbs slowly. The low pulsation pulls us in and it sounds like wer are in a submarine deep in the water with those pulsating radar-like sounds. Myers is stretching the pulsations out as they become deeper and more ominous at times. It takes some patience as they throb shifts,expands and contracts slowly over a long period of time. Some higher end frequencies appear above the low end drone(s) and these also shift slowly, carefully with the lower end sounds dropping out for a period of time. Later on in this piece, I am reminded of a foghorn which is sounding off in the distance. Disc 2 contains one long piece called, “Oculus Major”. This time, there is a higher end electronic drone which throbs while another line/drone also enters, both flowing and pulsating together or at least close together. Myers slowly, carefully stretches the pace of the pulses, as other lines or drones come in, one at a time until we hear what sounds like a large church organ with layers of lines. Although I refer to these lines as drones, they rarely are just one note or tone, each one is being slowly stretched or altered. What this reminds me of at times is the way our heartbeats create a pulse which flows through veins throughout our bodies. There is a similar flow going on here. Tick, tick, tick is the way our inner pulse throbs and flows. Organic life also flows in a similar way. I am looking out my kitchen window where it is dull and grey. I see the breeze rustling through some nearby trees. We are all part of the same big picture, it just takes time to notice the way things change slowly all of the time. With some patience, the essence or magic is revealed so listen in… - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $16 [In stock next week]
WILLY RODRIGUEZ with HERY PAZ / DAVE LIEBMAN / JASON PALMER / LEO GENOVESE / KENNETH JIMENEZ / JOHN HEBERT / TEHN VEGA - seeing sounds (Coucs Music 98576 29459; USA) Featuring Willy Rodriguez on drums, Hery Paz & Dave Liebman on saxes, Jason Palmer on trumpet, Leo Genovese on piano, John Hebert & Kenneth Jimenez on basses and Tehn Vega - sound design. Drummer Willy Rodriguez has played here at DMG on a couple of occasions with Hery (pronounced Eddy) Paz on tenor sax and Kenneth Jimenez on contrabass. Both of those sets were fabulous free/jazz and I've been keeping my eye on them ever since. Mr. Jimenez has a recent leader date out on the We Jazz label which I've heard great things about. I've caught pianist Leo Genovese a couple of times, as well as hearing a recent disc on Sunnyside, he is no doubt one of the best pianists to come to town in a while. I've heard trumpeter Jason Palmer playing with Allison Miller on a great disc from last year ('River in Our Veins;, 2023) as well as with the Noah Preminger Group. Dave Liebman plays soprano sax on two tracks here and sounds amazing on each one. Bassist John Hebert played here in October of 2024 with Simon Jermyn & Jeff Davis, as well as with Mary Halvorson, Russ Lossing and many others.
“Beyond the Struggle” opens with what sounds like the later John Coltrane Quartet with cosmic, modal piano (Leo Genovese), Trane-like tenor (Hery Paz) and a strong, forceful rhythm team. Jason Palmer’s trumpet is featured on “Roy’s Masterplan” and the trumpet and tenor spar playfully with with another, trading quick lines back and forth. Jason Palmer also contributed the lovely “Where There’s a Will There’s a Way”, which contains more intricate lines that the trumpet & tenor play tightly together. Dave Liebman is featured playing soprano sax on “Guani”, his sax sailing like a sly serpent throughout the piece, soaring on high until Hery Paz’s tenor takes over and completely the solo with both saxes soon playing furious lines together. Extraordinary! There is only one cover song here and it is "Fixed Goal" by Ornette Coleman. Mr. Genovese takes an extraordinary, breath-taking piano solo on this song! Three members of this band each contribute a song as well: Jason Palmer, Hery Paz and Leo Genovese. Mr. Paz has consistently knocked me out with his tenor sax playing and he sounds wonderful, strong, filled with free passion. Both bassists here, John Hebert and Kenneth Jimenez sound perfect for this music, always working tightly with Mr. Rodriguez’ masterful drums. When this disc arrived in the mail near the end of last year, I smiled thinking about the few times that Willy Rodriguez, Kenneth Jimenez and Hery Paz had played here at DMG and blew me away each time. Each of these fine musicians have new records released over the past few months and each one is a real gem. This is truly Creative Spirit Music so take some time to listen and savor it. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
DEEPSTARIA ENIGMATICA - The Eternal Now Is the Heart of a New Tomorrow (ESP-Disk 5102CD; NYC, USA) Memphis, Tennessee quintet Deepstaria Enigmatica doesn't sound like your father's free jazz. It's spacier; it's moodier; sometimes it sounds like ambient drank a lot of expressos and got down; sometimes it sounds like one of Miles Davis' mid-'70s electric bands ate shrooms and got freaky while Miles wasn't around; sometimes it sounds like a funky lounge band from the Antares system. Deepstaria Enigmatica is a quintet of improvisers from Memphis, Tennessee dedicated to creating otherworldly soundscapes. Named for a rarely seen, bell-shaped jellyfish discovered by Jacques Cousteau, the group's every note is inspired by that famous ocean explorer's sense of discovery. But don't assume the five veteran musicians create only chaos: they are as attuned to melodies and harmonies as they are to fine gradations of noise. What emerges with each extemporaneous performance can range from dark swirls of frenetic fury to interplanetary hard bop, to sunlit ambient dreamscapes punctuated with snatches of folk song. The diverse experience of the players sets the tone for their deep dives: David Collins is the composer and guitarist behind Frog Squad, a Memphis group who have blended jazz improvisation with visionary music as disparate as that of Horace Silver and Erik Satie; he's equally at home playing simple, unfettered guitar lines or rocking, effects-drenched rave ups. Chad Fowler played alto saxophone with both Frank Lowe and George Cartwright in the 1990s, and now teams up with the likes of William Parker, Kidd Jordan, Ivo Perelman, Zoh Amba, Matthew Shipp, or Brian Blade for music released on the Mahakala Music label. Keyboardist Alex Greene first studied musique concrète and computer synthesis with composer Judy Klein in the 1980s, before playing in a variety of Memphis groups ranging from Alex Chilton to Big Ass Truck to Reigning Sound, not to mention over twenty years of work with New York composer Dave Soldier. Now he improvises with multiple keyboards simultaneously, including a vintage Roland Juno-106. Since completing his jazz studies at the University of Memphis in 2016, drummer Jon Harrison has cast a wide stylistic net with the groups he's joined, which include the Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra, Frog Squad, Hope Calyburn's Soul Scrimmage, Joe Austin, Roderick Duran, PXLS, and the Church Brothers. Bassist Khari Wynn, best known as the guitarist for hip-hop sensations Public Enemy, regularly tests more unorthodox waters with groups such as Energy Disciples, often under the name Mysterioso Africano. Together, these five musos cohere with a surprising unity of purpose, as their listening and playing gel into what often sound like prepared compositions. Sharing an uncanny telepathy, they transport listeners to new worlds of musical possibility.
CD $13
DEEPSTARIA ENIGMATICA - The Eternal Now Is the Heart of a New Tomorrow (ESP-Disk 5102CD; NYC, USA) Memphis, Tennessee quintet Deepstaria Enigmatica doesn't sound like your father's free jazz. It's spacier; it's moodier; sometimes it sounds like ambient drank a lot of expressos and got down; sometimes it sounds like one of Miles Davis' mid-'70s electric bands ate shrooms and got freaky while Miles wasn't around; sometimes it sounds like a funky lounge band from the Antares system. Deepstaria Enigmatica is a quintet of improvisers from Memphis, Tennessee dedicated to creating otherworldly soundscapes. Named for a rarely seen, bell-shaped jellyfish discovered by Jacques Cousteau, the group's every note is inspired by that famous ocean explorer's sense of discovery. But don't assume the five veteran musicians create only chaos: they are as attuned to melodies and harmonies as they are to fine gradations of noise. What emerges with each extemporaneous performance can range from dark swirls of frenetic fury to interplanetary hard bop, to sunlit ambient dreamscapes punctuated with snatches of folk song. The diverse experience of the players sets the tone for their deep dives: David Collins is the composer and guitarist behind Frog Squad, a Memphis group who have blended jazz improvisation with visionary music as disparate as that of Horace Silver and Erik Satie; he's equally at home playing simple, unfettered guitar lines or rocking, effects-drenched rave ups. Chad Fowler played alto saxophone with both Frank Lowe and George Cartwright in the 1990s, and now teams up with the likes of William Parker, Kidd Jordan, Ivo Perelman, Zoh Amba, Matthew Shipp, or Brian Blade for music released on the Mahakala Music label. Keyboardist Alex Greene first studied musique concrète and computer synthesis with composer Judy Klein in the 1980s, before playing in a variety of Memphis groups ranging from Alex Chilton to Big Ass Truck to Reigning Sound, not to mention over twenty years of work with New York composer Dave Soldier. Now he improvises with multiple keyboards simultaneously, including a vintage Roland Juno-106. Since completing his jazz studies at the University of Memphis in 2016, drummer Jon Harrison has cast a wide stylistic net with the groups he's joined, which include the Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra, Frog Squad, Hope Calyburn's Soul Scrimmage, Joe Austin, Roderick Duran, PXLS, and the Church Brothers. Bassist Khari Wynn, best known as the guitarist for hip-hop sensations Public Enemy, regularly tests more unorthodox waters with groups such as Energy Disciples, often under the name Mysterioso Africano. Together, these five musos cohere with a surprising unity of purpose, as their listening and playing gel into what often sound like prepared compositions. Sharing an uncanny telepathy, they transport listeners to new worlds of musical possibility.
CD $13
VALTTERI LAURELL NONET - Tigers Are Better Looking (We Jazz WJCD 044CD; Finland) "Composer Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen presents his Nonet formation of We Jazz Records. Their debut album Tigers Are Better Looking features internationally renowned Finnish clarinetist Antti Sarpila, plus a strong cast of Helsinki-based musicians from several of the top Finnish groups. Based on the writings of British-Caribbean author Jean Rhys (1890?1979), the six-track album is a melancholy, intimate chamber jazz creation. Laurell's music swings, yet he doesn't stop there, but moves further to paint an original, richly-toned sonic image with the highly potent Nonet. Laurell states Gerry Mulligan, Miles Davis's Water Babies, and Charles Mingus among the key musical influences of his compositions on this album. Through Rhys's text, Laurell finds a special sense of detachment and melancholy evident in his new material. Laurell's music swings, yet he doesn't stop there, but moves further to paint an original, richly-toned sonic image with the highly potent Nonet. Antti Sarpila's masterful clarinet provides the icing on the cake, floating high above the clouds of sound."
CD $19
ORCHESTRE MAQUIS DU ZAIRE & ORCHESTRE SAFARI SOUND - Zanzibara 11 (Buda Musique 860400; France) Dar es Salaam, still the "haven of peace" alluded to in its name, in the 1960s and 1970s, moreover have seen the influx of a number of bands from neighboring Congo-Zaire. Typically contracted by some of the upmarket clubs and hotels for a limited time: some of the individual musicians and bands stayed on, among those the musicians of the future Orchestre Maquis and Orchestre Safari Sound.
CD $16
BACK IN STOCK:
BOBBY BRADFORD EXTET With JAMES NEWTON / RICHARD REHWALD / JOHN GOLDSMITH - Midnight Pacific Airwaves: Live April 2 1977 (Entropy Stereo 018; USA) Bobby Bradford's switch from trumpet to cornet exclusively gave the world of creative improvised music one of its sole progenitors on the instrument, allowing him to carve out a unique voice on it that has never been matched. During that transition circa 1977, these live sessions were recorded over the airways of Pacifica station KPFK-FM in Los Angeles, and have finally been released for public consumption some 30-plus years hence. Teamed with the extraordinary flute wizard James Newton, Bradford plays free music unencumbered by fads or trends of any kind, reflective of his days with Ornette Coleman, yet showcasing his own approach to spontaneous compositions that identified him as not only a pioneer and a maverick, but a highly intelligent improviser and democratic teammate. Bassist Richard Rehwald was with Bradford for a handful of years, while drummer John Goldsmith was a member of Sun Ra's Arkestra in the early '70s. Together they all fit feelings, sonic texts, and lengthy loose associations with great variations of color and dynamic spins. "Comin' On" borrows Coleman's approximate note theory, with churning drums and bass converted to free thought buzzing from Bradford, some easy swing, then Bradford and Newton dueling it out with Newton winning the discussion. There's always room for soloing in Bradford's concept, and everyone gets their turn, especially Rehwald and Goldsmith by themselves. The dirge ballad "She" parallels Coleman's "Lonely Woman" in pace and phrasings, but over 18 minutes is free and unencumbered until bass drum bomps start the engine roaring with a ton of blues before decomposing, and reverting to the desolate theme. There's a pagan ritualism extant in "Improvisation #12" where Newton and Bradford are everywhere at once, yet centered. African style drumming and the overwhelmingly overblown vocal flute of Newton cannot be denied, switching to bop, and a second rumble in the jungle keyed by great listening skills and direct responses. A version of "Blue Monk" sounds more in the pocket, but Newton's unusual off minor interpretations set it apart from previous versions, always thinking of another way to play it. Bradford is at his most thoughtful and measured here, digging deep into the blues of his at times misguided Los Angeles home. There is an alternate version of "She" from a 2003 recording with Bradford and clarinetist Vinny Golia that is vastly different than the quartet take, less dirge and with an open feeling, as they discourse on buzzing and scattered trading of tones and ideas, a less defined spacious blues, featuring the fluttering, trilled sounds of the woodwind. As there are few Bobby Bradford recordings available, and that the source material, as old as it is, was well preserved and digitally reproduced, this is an important and easily recommended addition to his discography. It fully displays Bradford's unique contribution to the modern creative idiom, right alongside peers such as Don Cherry, Raphe Malik, or Bill Dixon, and contemporaries Hugh Ragin, Ralph Alessi, or Cuong Vu. - Michael G. Nastos, AMG
CD $15
ANDREW CYRILLE / ELLIOTT SHARP / RICHARD TEITELBAUM - Evocation (Infrequent Seams 47; USA) Featuring Andrew Cyrille on drums & percussion, Elliott Sharp on 8-string guitarbass, bass clarinet & Richard Teitelbaum on computer, piano & sampler. This disc was recorded live at Roulette in October of 2011. I've long admired the playing of legendary jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille since he has played with many respected elders like Cecil Taylor, Bobby Bradford & John Carter, Muhal Richard Abrams, Carla Bley and David Murray. Mr. Cyrille is also a strong bandleader with some two dozen releases, from solo to quintet, under his belt. Over the past decade, Mr. Cyrille, has been stretching out his bandleading talents by having a quartet with Bill Frisell, Richard Teitelbaum & Ben Street plus a trio with a trio with Enrico Rava & William Parker and a duo with Bill McHenry. It turns out that Mr. Cyrille has been working together with Mr. Teitelbaum for a long time since they both played on a Leroy Jenkins record from 1976, collaborating on a rare duo effort recorded in 1981 and a quartet with Bill Frisell, Teitelbaum & Ben Street from 2016 (CD on ECM). Elliott Sharp is another Downtown multi-instrumentalist who had not worked with Mr. Cyrille or Teitlebaum before this date to my knowledge. I've caught Mr. Teitelbaum live with MEV on several occasions as well as with a few of his own projects and have always dug the way he uses his electronics.
The set starts off with soft chattering bass clarinet, subtle percussion and eerie, simmering electronic sounds. I've found that Mr. Teitelbaum often takes whatever he has sampled at his last gig or recording, he brings into the next live or studio date. Hence, we hear some spoken word voices floating in the earlier part of this set or disc. The entire set flows from one section to the next and sounds most organic in the way it unfolds. Mr. Cyrille starts off “Singularity to Unity' with some subtle percussive sounds, which are followed by Mr. Sharp's distinctive tapping of the strings of his guitarbass. Soon the density starts to thicken as the sounds speed up with several swirling sounds moving around one another. Teitelbaum adds a layer of electronic whizzes and static sounds while switches between sustain guitar fragments & occasional bass clarinet phrases with Mr. Cyrille taking his time to add a variety of shades & shadows, rarely adding any repeating percussive lines. Mr. Teitelbaum is very selective about the things he samples or creates, a cow mooing, birds or insects chirping and assorted electronic sounds or sound effects. At times it is difficult to recognize who is doing which sound but it doesn't really matter if the sounds/music is thoughtfully created and manipulated. The overall effect is most mesmerizing, sparse at times yet still dreamlike. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
MICHAEL BLAKE With STEVEN BERNSTEIN / RON HORTON / BRIGGAN KRAUSS / MARCUS ROJAS / FRANK KIMBROUGH / TONY SCHERR / et al - Drift (Intuition 3213; Germany) Featuring Michael Blake - tenor sax with Briggan Krauss on alto sax, Steve Bernstein & Ron Horton on trumpets, Marcus Rojas on tuba, Frank Kimbrough on piano, Tony Scherr & Ben Allison on basses, Matt Wilson, Ron Horton, Peck Allmond and Mauro Refosco! Slowpoke and former Lounge Lizard tenor and soprano sax great Michael Blake utilizes the talents of many of downtown's finest players for his second fine date as a leader. The opening/title track is aptly titled since it does "Drift" on an elegant cloud of hushed grace. "Mean as a Swan" was inspired by the 'Ethiopiques' series of off-kilter exotic funk from Ethiopia in the 70's - it also has that late night subdued haze. "Toque" is dedicated to Oumou Sangare - a wonderful African singer - that delectable Afro-beat groove is just so infectious, the layered percussion and serpent-like soprano sax all just right. "The Creep" is a rollicking old style jazz tune with an ever changing goofy variety of sections/beats - all that's missing is a Cab Calloway vocal. "Lady Red" also has that late night, slow dance old style jazz sway with that soothing Coleman Hawkins-like tenor sax tone - yummy! "Teo Walks" is a crazed free funky stomper that sounds as if it is a bout to fall apart but doesn't. The one long tune here is "Duty Free Suite" which moves through four different sections - from slow and sexy to finger-snapping swinging and fun - a rather Mingus-like gospelish groove to a Slowpoke-like down and dirty bluesy groove-fest - "Dry Socket" also has that rambunctious, funky groove. The ultimate Afro-beat god Fela Kuti is the inspiration for "Afro Blake" - which has that infectious post-James Brown funk beat down to a crazed dance party groove-fest - yeah! "Maria" is another elegant beauty, relaxed and touching. "Residence" closes this fine release with another enchanting, somber vibe that is a perfect conclusion to this great laid back and funk fest disc - BLG
CD $14
JERRY GRANELLI with With JULIAN PRIESTER / JANE IRA BLOOM / DAVID FRIEDMAN / ANTHONY COX - Another Place (Intuition 21302; EEC) The San Francisco drummer Jerry Granelli was one of the most respected drummers in the business. As early as the 60s, he played with Vince Guaraldi, (who is above all remembered for his soundtrack for the cult Charlie Brown comic series), before later collaborating with Charlie Haden in Denny Zeitlin's trio, as well as Ralph Towner and Gary Peacock. Besides being Professor at the Berlin College of Arts, Granelli impresses audiences and critics alike in Europe and America with his own band UFB, which is made up of the young German guitarists Kai Brückner and Christian Kogel as well as bassist Andreas Walter. The band plays a strong, energetic mixture of blues, funk, rock and jazz improvisations. Conventions are taboo, allowing original compositions to be played alongside new interpretations of songs by Peter Gabriel, Prince, Ry Cooder and Bruce Hornsby. Granelli's collaboration with vocalists such as the spoken word and performance artist Rinde Eckert is a further aspect of his work.
CD $15
CHARLIE MARIANO & FRIENDS with KENNY WHEELER / JOHN TAYLOR / DAVID FRIEDMAN / ALDO ROMANO / JASPER VAN’T HOFF / RABIH ABOU KHALIL / DINO SALUZZI / JF JENNY-CLARKE / et al - Seventy (Intuition 21492; EEC) Charlie Mariano is far more than an internationally successful saxophonist; he has been listed amongst the legends of the trade for a long time: If you want to visualise the actual duration of his active life, you just have to become aware of the fact that Mariano is one of the last contemporary witnesses of the bebop era. For example, he worked with Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, but also with McCoy Tyner during the 50s. Charlie Mariano married pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi and together with her founded a quartet in 1960 that went on tour in Japan and the USA. In 1962, he played with Charles Mingus and accompanied him on the album The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady. During the late 60s, he played with Astrud Gilberto. At the beginning of the 70s, he spent several months in India to study a South-Indian wind instrument, the nagaswaram. His cooperation with Indian musicians, for example with the project Bangalore (INT 3246 2), continues until this day. His involvement with the United Jazz & Rock Ensemble, in Jasper van't Hof's Pork Pie (e.g. Operanoia, INT 3158 2) show his ability to integrate as well as his individuality. However, Charlie Mariano did not lend his unique sound to jazz or so-called world music productions alone; since the beginning of the 80s, renowned representatives of popular music (e.g. Nena, Konstantin Wecker, Herbert Groenemeyer and many others) also have called him when an expressive saxophone was needed. You can in fact assume that practically everyone in these parts has already listened to his play, either consciously or unconsciously. The secret of his success is certainly his enormous versatility, in addition to his instrumental virtuosity and his original, distinctive sound that has its origin in Mariano's constant openness and curiosity towards any kind of musical style and form.
CD $15
MORE GEMS FROM THE ILK MUSIC CD SALE:
JACOK ANDERSKOV / ADAM PULTZ MELBYE / ANDERS VESTERGAARD - Kinetics (The Path) - [Habitable Exomusics Vol. 1](Ilk Music 244CD; Denmark) This trio date is the first of three volumes in Jacob Anderskov’s Habitable Exomusics series with each volume featuring a different lineup. The trio for this date is Anderskov on piano, Adam Pultz Melbye on bass and Anders Vestergaard on drums. Titled: Kinetics (The Path) and the trio’s playing feels minimal and spacious, hitting laid back grooves somewhere between the verge of full on swing and completely separating and falling apart. The laconic playing also tends toward a bluesy feel, just on the cusp of a proper blues. Much of the record inhabits its own space just on the edge of canonized forms and techniques - The Path becomes as much about the journey as the destination. - Rich Mudge for DMG
CD Sale $10
DAWDA JOBARTEN / STEFAN PASBORG - Duo (Ilk Music 257CD; Denmark) Dawda Jobareth and Stefan Pasborg's Duo is unique on more than one level. A Gambian native, Jobareth is an authentic West African griot. The term—broadly associated with that region's storytellers/oral historians/minstrel artistic class—applies only to authentic griots, though the expression is widely borrowed or misused. Also unusual is the diversity of music that Jobareth has embarked on at this early stage of his career. His debut album, Northern Light, Gambian Night (Sterns Africa, 2011) was a highly acclaimed amalgamation of traditional and modern African music with touches of more global influences. Duo, more often than not, veers toward improvisational creative music frequently with a heavy metal aspect to it.
Jobareth had grown up as a drummer in Gambia, playing concerts from the age of twelve. Only upon his migration to Denmark—as an adult—did he take up the kora, the traditional instrument of griots in West African. As part of the centuries-old oral tradition of the region, music for the instrument was not written until the twentieth century. The twenty-one string lute/harp doesn't neatly fit in a single category of instrument, sometimes sounding like a harp, sometimes like a guitar. Despite coming to the difficult instrument later in life, Jobareth is considered one of the best kora players in the world.
A native of Denmark, Pasborg is a Danish Music Awards winner who has worked with Miroslav Vitous, Ellery Eskelin, Tim Berne, Palle Danielsson, Michael Formanek and Tomasz Stańko, among many other notable artists. He began playing at the age of three, later studying at the Copenhagen Jazz Conservatory with Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Ed Thigpen and other notable names. One of the co-founders of the record label, ILK Music, Pasborg is both highly knowledgeable and audacious, and with his group Ibrahim Electric, has produced an array of sounds from festive to isolated and provoking.
There is a blending of the natural styles of both players, but the overall vibe of Duo leans more toward the spacey, edgy fusion of Pasborg's Ibrahim Electric. Listening to that band on "The Afribians Are Coming" from Rumours from Outer Space serves as a precursor to much of this new album. Charles Mingus' "Better Get Hit in Your Soul" is searing, with its cracking, driving drums and the kora electronically manipulated to sound like a hybrid of the its natural characteristics and that of an electric guitar. Ornette Coleman's "Dancing in Your Head" is laced with the particular flavor of West African blues coursing through a dream-like, sing-song theme.
Don Cherry's "Mopti" and Albert Ayler's "A Change Has Come" are full of bristling energy, distortion and electronic effects and like "Bells," Jobareth uses these covers to expand the sonic scope of the kora while Pasborg vacillates between flashes of noise and subtle changes in course. Several pieces are more along the lines of Jobareth's earlier, more traditional West African roots. A different kind of experience as it allows for a more directly connected appreciation of Jobareth's kora playing and rich vocalizing and Pasborg's more nuanced approach to the drum kit and the Indian gongs.
Duo is an album that is beyond genre and at times quite far-reaching. The emotionally and electrically charged cover pieces are aggressive, shifting and challenging as they deconstruct sound and create an organic alternative to conventional expectations. The more customary pieces still manage to merge African tradition, world-beat percussion and unusual instrumentation to produce a fundamentally innovative and expressively stimulating sound. - Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz.com
CD Sale $12
LOVEDALE with JESPER LOVDAL / JACOB ANDERSKOV / JONAS WESTERGAARD / ANDERS MOGENSEN CUONG VU/CHRIS SPEED - Coziness Kills (Ilk Music 161; Denmark) Spearheaded by Danish reeds player Jesper Løvdal, with pianist Jacob Anderskov, who plays both acoustic piano and Wurlitzer electric piano, drummer Anders Mogensens and German trombone player Nils Wogram, who, having performed as an additional member with the band for over two years, recently took his place as a full member in replacement of bass player Jonas Westergaard. Formed in the early 2000s, Lovedale released their first self-titled on Ilk Music in 2004. Their second, Grill Music, published two years later, earned them Jazz Release of the Year at the 2007 Danish Music Awards, and was followed by a third album, Coziness Kills in 2009.
In the past, Lovedale have regularly alternated between composed and improvised pieces, but with Green Sounds, they opt for an entirely improvised approach. In practice, it means that their sound has become much freer and more fluid. Melodies are not quite as prominent or as clearly defined as they were on previous records. Instead, the quartet demonstrate a much more dynamic approach to their music as they take it in turn to set the agenda.
On Trains And Bones And Planes for instance, Nils Wogram shows just how much of a natural fit with the band he is as he slowly builds a somewhat hectic and playful groove, soon picked up by Mogensens, and continues to flesh it out as the drums become more substantial. The two drive the piece on their own for over half of it before Lovdal comes in, echoing Wogram’s animated contribution with an equally feverish offering.
Although Anderskov stays out of the way on this album opener, and remains fairly discreet on On Track, Off Time, which follows, his presence is felt much more on the dissonant Beneath The Blues or on the sumptuous and introspective Landscape, where he balances Ls breathy performance with a delicate muted piano. It is however in the second half of the record that his contribution really becomes potent, first on the splendid Suite Green where he lines up a beautifully crystalline melody, then on Mefludica, Wogram Avenue or Green Exit, where he opts for much stranger, harsher, tonalities, often choosing resolutely coarse electric textures to counterbalance the softer sounds brought in by Lovdal or Wogram. - The Milkman
CD Sale $10
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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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JOHN ZORN - Hermetic Cartography at the Drawing Center- Feb 7th - May 11th, 2025:
John Zorn’s ‘Hermetic Cartography’ will be accompanied by a series of musical performances curated by Mr. 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
Known predominantly as a groundbreaking figure in New York’s avant-garde and experimental music scenes, John Zorn has long been celebrated for his radical innovations in music. However, his abstract drawings—a private language of symbols and notations—have remained a closely guarded secret. Offering profound insight into Zorn’s creative mind, Hermetic Cartography reveals a new dimension of his artistic practice by showcasing works on paper that span seven decades of his visionary engagement with mark-making, improvisation, and the esoteric.
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.
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THE STONE RESIDENCIES / LARRY OCHS / FEB 5-8
2/5 Wednesday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Larry Ochs (sax) Ken Filiano (bass) Tom Rainey (drums)
2/6 Thursday
8:30 pm - QUARTET - Larry Ochs (sax) Ikue Mori (electronics) Trevor Dunn (bass) gabby fluke-mogul (violin)
2/7 Friday
8:30 pm - WHAT IS TO BE DONE - night 1 - Larry Ochs (sax) Nels Cline (guitar) Chad Taylor (drums)
2/8 Saturday
8:30 pm - WHAT IS TO BE DONE - night 2 - Larry Ochs (sax) Nels Cline (guitar) Chad Taylor (drums) Trevor Dunn (bass)
THE STONE STUDENT CONCERTS
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11 AT 8:30
Admission is FREE - The third in a special series of concerts featuring students out of the New School College of Performing Arts. There will be five concerts this season—one Tuesday a month in October, November; February, March, and April. All concerts are at 8:30 and will be curated by the students themselves.
2/11 Tuesday
8:30 pm - Nana Kruger Group - Nana Kruger (voice) Robert Wolf Stratmann (bass) Sujae Young (piano, synth) Julian Miltenberger (drums) Mary Rose Cowden (saxophone)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / URI CAINE / FEB 12-15
2/12 Wednesday
8:30 pm - DUOS: Uri Caine (piano) Steve Wilson (saxes)
2/13 Thursday
8:30 pm - SOLO - Uri Caine (solo piano and electronics)
Original pieces and some Zorn Bagatelles.
2/14 Friday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Uri Caine (piano) Mark Helias (bass) Ben Perowsky (drums)
2/15 Saturday
8:30 pm - “The Passion of Octavius Catto"
Barbara Walker (vocals) Uri Caine (piano) Mike Boone (bass) Ben Perowsky (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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HONK NYC!, Barbès and Loove Labs present
Frank London: Music of Love and Resistance
Saturdays in February, 2025
at Loove Annex
238 N 12 Street,
McCarren Park in Brooklyn
Weekly Performances featuring London w/ Powerhouse Lineups
Sliding Scale Ticket Prices Start at Under $20
February 1 - Conspiracy Brass
Josh Roseman, Ben Stapp, Kenny Wollesen Onel Matos
February 8 - Loisaida Fife & Drum Corp
Ben Stapp, Reut Regev, Charles Burnham, Tony Lewis Satoshi Takeishi
February 15 - Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars
Eleanor Reissa, Michael Winograd, Brian Drye, Ron Caswell Aaron Alexander
February 22 - Polka Loca
Erica Mancini, James Nadien, Lynn Ligammari, Ron Caswell Michael Winograd
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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAWxt3EJSPw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcvoYygehqE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-6p_Q2Dwxc
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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