Escalator over the hill
(Operasinger):
Thickening old hotel
Doubletalk with single
Entendre
The giggling fly
Of a flashing
Pajama
Longed for pleasure
Lost forever
To a flashing
That insists
On a new
Yodelling
Ventriloquist
(Men):
Escalator over the hill
Again no choice
For the poor pale house
Ancient Roomer:
Riding uneasily
(Cecil Clark/Operasinger):
Over the hill
Over the hill
Over the hill
Direct pulse
Passes by
Darts in limiting
The system
All green within
All pale with go
A whistling echo
All for fun
From Sinclair's
Blue magic gun
(Hotelpeople):
Escalator over the hill
Again no choice
For the poor pale house
Riding uneasily
Over the hill
Over the hill
Over the hill
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to check out the American premiere of Carla Bley's opera 'Escalator Over the Hill" at the New School's Tisch Auditorium, performed by The New School Studio Orchestra & Vocal Ensemble. This lengthy work was first released in 1971 as a 3 LP box set and a thick booklet on the Watt Records label which was founded by Carla Bley and her then partner Mike Mantler. Most of the lyrics were written by the great Canadian poet, Paul Haines, and it took some five years of immense work for Ms. Bley to compose, rehearse, record the many sessions that were required for this ambitious work. The piece is referred to as an opera, (Paul Haines called it a chronotransduction) and featured several unusual and unlikely vocalists: Jack Bruce, Linda Ronstadt, Paul Jones, Sheila Jordan, Jeanne Lee, Karen Mantler (as a child) and others. The crack team of musicians included John McLaughlin, Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Leroy Jenkins, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Perry Robinson and many others. During the long period it took to complete this work, Ms. Bley ran out of finances several times. The fact that it was finally completed and released in 1971 is a tribute to all of the hard work that Ms. Bley, Mr. Mantler, the many musicians and recording folks involved, had to deal with. The gold embossed 3 LP box set was Ms. Bley's first album as a leader/composer/instrumentalist/visionary. Sadly, due to many factors, it was never performed in the US. "In the 1990s, Ms. Bley authorized a new orchestration of “Escalator” by Jeff Friedman and led a handful of live performances across Europe." -n NY Times. I, myself, am a longtime Carla Bley freak, she has remained one of my favorite beyond-just-jazz composers of all. I was fortunate to have heard her perform live with her ensemble several times in the late seventies and eighties. I recall some early Bley gigs at the Public Theatre (with Robert Fripp sitting at our table) and at Hurrah's (where she did some songs from Nick Mason's 'Fictitious Sports' LP). Since my old pal and sax great Gary Windo was in Bley's band at that point, I had a chance to speak with Carla at length once at the Watt/JCOA offices on Broadway near Canal Street. I was pleased to tell her how much her composing and music meant to serious listeners like myself and many others. I've collected all of her and Mike Mantler's records ever since and still savor each and every one.
I've listened to and marveled at the entire recorded version of 'Escalator Over the Hill' several times over the many years since it was first released and was unsure how well a mostly student ensemble could or would pull this off. After reading a New York Times article about it (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/arts/music/carla-bley-escalator-over-the-hill.html) earlier the same day, I was quite intrigued as to how well it would come out. I tried to get an on-line reservation but couldn't figure out how to do it. When I got to the building which housed Tisch Auditorium, there was a long line to get in with a number of old friends at the front of the line. I got in with my friends and got a reservation from another friend just in time. I felt lucky and ended up with a second row seat. The performance was nearly 2 hours long and it was marvelous from the beginning until the very end. Word is that the instrumental & vocal ensembles had rehearsed for 6 months and that seems about right. The only musicians I recognized were Steve Cardenas, Matt Wilson and Arturo O'Farrill. There were 11 singers and each one was wonderful, expressive and had at least one or two chances to shine! The singer who sang Jack Bruce's parts was especially amazing! There were around four revolving pianists, all of whom sounded fine, but it was the horn section, reeds and brass that truly rose above any expectations or doubts. The entire work flowed section to section seamlessly and every solo whether with vocals or horns was fabulous! I felt honored to have been there since I know how important this work is and how well it was performed that night. The entire concert was filmed so I hope that this can be shared with others not lucky enough to have been there. I hope to talk to Dean Richard Kessler (who introduced the work) and Scott Thomson (current FIMAV fest curator) about having the piece performed in Quebec. Who knows, perhaps we can make this happen. Special thanks to the New School, everyone involved in this presentation for a job very well done. Carla Bley passed away inn October of 2023, a loss for all of us. A special toast to Carla Bley for all of her great music she has produced and her vision. We love you Carla! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
**********
THE DMG 34th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT CELEBRATION CONTINUES with:
Saturday, May 10th, The GAUCI-MUSIC SERIES Continues with:
6:30: AYAKO KANDA - Vocals / BRITTANY KARLSON - Bass / NICK NEUBERG - Drum
7:30: STEPHEN GAUCI - Tenor Sax-Clarinet-Flute / MICHAEL GILBERT - Bass / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Drums
8:30: MIKE McGINNIS - Woodwinds / CARMEN STAAF - Keyboards / GUI DUVIGNAU - Bass / HAMIR ATWAL - Drums
Tuesday, May 13th:
6:30: DANIEL GALOW - Alto Sax - Electronics / HUGH ASH - Trumpet / JAMES JONES - Drums
7:30: RAS MOSHE - Tenor Sax / DAFNA NAPHTALI - Electronics / CAROLINE MORTON & JOENG LIM YANG - Contrabasses!
8:30: PHILLIP GREENLIEF - Tenor Sax / TIM BERNE - Alto Sax
Tuesday, May 20th:
6:30: PATRICK GOLDEN - Drums / JIM CLOUSE - Tenor & Soprano Saxes / ADAM LANE - Contrabass
7:30: MICHAEL EATON TRIO: MAX KUTNER - Guitar / MICHAEL EATON - Soprano Sax / NICK NEUBERG - Drums
8:30: JP CARLETTI BIGGISH: YONI KRETZMER - Tenor Sax / KENNY WARREN - Trumpet / RICK PARKER - Trombone / CHRISTOF KNOCHE - Bass Clarinet / PETER BITENC - Bass / JUAN PABLO CARLETTI - Percussion
Tuesday, May 27th: RELATIVE PITCH RECORDS: 6:30 - three 30 minute sets
1st Set: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / ROBBIE LEE - Reeds & Assorted Oddities
2nd Set: MAGGIE COX - Bass / ROBBIE LEE
3rd Set: CHUCK ROTH / MAGGIE COX / ROBBIE LEE
*******
THIS WEEK'S COLOSSAL DISCS BEGIN WITH:
THE ANCIENTS with ISAIAH COLLIER / WILLIAM PARKER / WILLIAM HOOKER - The Ancients (Aguirre Records Zorn 112CD; Belgium) The debut recording by The Ancients, the intergenerational coalition of Isaiah Collier, William Hooker, and William Parker formed by Parker to play concerts in conjunction with the Milford Graves Mind Body Deal exhibition at the Institute Of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and now a working group. Across two discs of long-form improvised sets recorded at 2220 Arts and Archives in LA and The Chapel in San Francisco, The Ancients bring the free jazz trio languages first explored by the Cecil Taylor Unit and Ornette Coleman's Golden Circle Band (expanded upon in later eras by Sam Rivers' trio and Parker's collective trios with Charles Gayle/Graves and Peter Brötzmann/Hamid Drake) into their own unique and scintillating realms of expression. As we tumble further into the throes of history's tides, people of hope and creativity rely on the works of our great artists to lift our spirits and focus our resolve. Ascension was recorded less than a year after the passage of the Civil Rights Act and four months after the assassination of Malcolm X. Journey in Satchidananda was recorded the month Reagan was re-elected governor of California. M'Boom made its debut recording weeks after the Watergate scandal broke and a couple months after the Wounded Knee occupation ended. The music of The Ancients builds on these great musical legacies. It resounds with the pride of survival and the joys of making and sharing music. It delivers to us hope and balm. Something real in you, real in history, and real in the music is shared, right on time. When Eremite records commenced operations during the 1990s free jazz resurgence, heavyweight freedom-seeking tenor saxophonists such as Fred Anderson, Peter Brötzmann, Charles Gayle, Kidd Jordan, and David S. Ware were at the height of their powers. Isaiah Collier's tenor playing in The Ancients is bracing testimony that the wellspring lives on. To hear the young Chicago firebrand blowing freely with veteran improvisers in an entirely open-form group music is a revelatory study of his vast talent, personal voice, and the intensity of his expression -- as well as a bold complement to his composition-based albums as a bandleader (including The Almighty, a New York Times' best albums of 2024 selection). I've admired drummer William Hooker since first encountering his music in a Hartford, CT, city park, early '90s (on a double bill with Jerry González and Fort Apache Band). From the man himself right off the bandstand I bought his even-then rare first recording, the 1976 self-released 2LP opus Is Eternal Life (reissued 2019 by Superior Viaduct). An imposing force on his instrument and an intrepid DIY cat, Hooker's been exuberantly swinging in-and-out of free time for 50 years. Informed by the innovations of Sunny Murray and Tony Williams yet entirely himself, there is no other term for it than "pure Hooker." At age 78, with the Ancients and everywhere else, THE HOOK is in peak form. With a discography approaching 600 entries and 50 years working across the musical maps, including in the history-defining bands of Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon, Peter Brötzmann, in his own wondrous ensembles from small group to orchestra to opera, a bastion of compassionate leadership and a poetic champion of his musical community, in tireless service to what he rather egolessly refers to as "the tone world," multi-instrumentalist, improviser and composer William Parker is a living hero of the grassroots and the Black Mystery Musics, not to mention one of the great bassists in the history of jazz. To quote George Clinton, conquering the stumbling blocks comes easier when the conqueror is in tune with the infinite. Free jazz is an enduring high art. Its greatest expressions belong to their particular moment in history, and live on to transcend and refract in amaranthine ways. Inside our present historical moment, we are fortunate to have the master musicians in the ancients bringing us their high-level creation. Live to 2-track concert recordings by Bryce Gonzales, Highland Dynamics. Mastered by Joe Lizzi, Queens, NY. Album and concerts co-produced with The Black Editions Group.
2 CD Set $26 [In stock next week]
JAMES BRANDON LEWIS QUARTET with ARUAN ORTIZ / BRAD JONES / CHAD TAYLOR - Abstraction is Deliverance (Intakt 437; Switzerland) James Brandon Lewis is on the top of the international jazz world. With a powerful, direct and rich tenor saxophone sound and a lyrical quality that unfolds in both his solos and his compositions, he is creating a sensation – most effectively with his quartet. Abstraction Is Deliverance is the fifth album by the acclaimed James Brandon Lewis Quartet with Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones and Chad Taylor. After the internationally acclaimed albums Molecular, Code of Being, MSM Molecular Systematic Music Live and Transfiguration, James Brandon Lewis now presents Abstraction Is Deliverance – a wonderful ballad album that isn't one. With a profound sense for lyrical melodies, tonal concision and dynamics, the quartet develop a spirited interplay, reacting to the tiniest atmospheric oscillations on the sound and groove level. Teju Cole, whose books are considered outstanding works of recent American literature, contributes a text in the booklet to this new masterpiece. Look forward to a sweeping indulgence.
Featuring James Brandon Lewis on tenor sax, Aruán Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass and Chad Taylor on drums. For those who keep their fingers on the pulse of Creative Music/ Avant Jazz, saxist James Brandon Lewis has been a roll, rising higher (creatively & recognition-wise) with each of his dynamic releases. JBL's quartet has been around since 2020 and this is their 5th release, each one strong and getting better all the time. Mr. Brandon lewis composed all but one of the songs here with a cover by Mal Waldron. This disc opens with "Ware", which is dedicated to David S. Ware, the late, great tenor saxist whose quartet reigned over the Downtown Scene for a couple of decades and was an influence on the up & coming JBL. This piece has a lovely, stirring John Coltrane Quartet-like laid back, Spirit Jazz like sound, featuring a sublime, heart-felt solos from Aruán Ortiz on piano and JBL on tenor. "Per 7" is even more laid back with exquisite, lush tenor from James BL and dreamy support from the rest of the quartet. Chad Taylor's elegant mallet-work is featured on "Even the Sparrow", with JBL's enchanting tenor and Mr. Ortiz's simmering, skeletal piano floating on top. "Remember Rosalind" is another dreamy ballad, with some lovely, haunting piano and tenor, rising together like smoke or clouds, airy and hypnotic. The title piece, "Abstraction is Deliverance", is perhaps the best song here, the tempo increasing with that throbbing pulse pumping throughout and JBL at his best playing those spiraling, quietly cosmic Trane-like lines. Although this disc is in essence mostly ballads, each piece keeps its heart at the center, reaching into the listeners and plucking the strings of their hearts. In my earlier years of listening to jazz (in the early seventies) I listened quite a bit more of Free/Jazz Fire Music both live and on record. More than fifty years later, as I age and mature, I find that I embrace those quieter, somewhat straight ahead sounds/music to balance the more extreme listening that I also dig. There is something magical going on here but it is on a more restrained level which helps to soothe my soul from the anger, confusion and frustration of everyday life where we all live. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $18 [In stock next week]
IRÈNE SCHWEIZER - RÜDIGER CARL - JOHNNY DYANI - HAN BENNINK - Irene's Hot Four (Intakt CD 438; Switzerland) Featuring Irène Schweizer on piano, Rüdiger Carl on saxes, clarinet & accordion, Johnny Dyani on contrabass & vocals and Han Bennink on drums, percussion & mellophone. Irène Schweizer was the Grand Dame of European Free/Jazz pianists, her long career going from the mid-1970's until her passing in July of 2024. After several great records on the FMP and Hat Hut labels, the Intakt label (in 1986) was founded by releasing many of her future recordings. Although Ms. Schweizer was Swiss-born and based, she worked with many European and American avant/jazz greats from several different countries: Louis Moholo, Joëlle Léandre, George Lewis, Barry Guy, Hamid Drake and many others.
This disc was recorded live in November of 1981 at the Internationales Jazz festival in Zurich , Switzerland. This fabulous quartet features four great musicians, each from a varied background: Rüdiger Carl from Germany (appeared on several of Schweizer's early FMP records), Johnny Dyani (South African bass great then living in Denmark) and Han Bennink (Dutch drummer & founding member of the ICP Orchestra). The disc opens with some heavy bowed bass by the legendary Johnny Dyani before Ms. Schweizer's turbulent piano erupts. The rhythm team is rumbling below as Schweizer's explosive piano takes off. Although Mr. Bennink is often known for his humorous onstage antics, he is also a fantastic drummer and is in fine, explosive form here pushing quartet higher and higher. Ms. Scheizer is just incredible here, showing that she is in the same league as Cecil Taylor and Marilyn Crispell. In the next section Dyani's pumping bass, Carl's wailing sax(es) and Bennink's powerful drums all combine forces with Ms. Schweizer's cascading waves of notes. If you are a fan of explosive Free/Jazz then this is as good as it gets. What I really dig about this session is that it unfolds most organically from section to section. Mr. Bennink's sly sense of humor often pops us as he adds some unexpected bursts of energy and interruption to the flow which continues just right nonetheless. This disc contains some of the best, most intense and creative free piano that I've heard in recent memory. This entire 64 minute disc is just incredible from the first to the very last round of applause. Grab your copy asap if you still want to have your mind blown. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $18 [In stock next week]
ALEXANDER HAWKINS - Song Unconditional - Piano Solo (Intakt CD 439; Switzerland) British pianist and composer Alexander Hawkins is one of Europe’s most innovative pianists, working in a variety of creative contexts and always constructing a unique sound world. As a style-defining and imaginative voice in contemporary jazz, Hawkins provides further testimony to the art of his solo playing, six years after his last solo album (Intakt #330). Song Unconditional is as playful as it is intense – firmly rooted in tradition, yet endlessly searching and adventurous. Each of the 13 short pieces explores one or more expressive possibilities of the piano and are, in the words of Adam Shatz in the liner notes, “... marvels of compressed exploration. To listen to them in succession, as they’re meant to be heard, is to enter a vast, sophisticated, and deeply considered sound-world. Song Unconditional is also gorgeous, sometimes startlingly. It belongs, I think, in the company of the most impressive solo piano albums of recent years, notably Craig Taborn’s Avenging Angel and David Virelles’ Nuna."
CD $18 [In stock next week]
SUMAC & MOOR MOTHER - The Film (Thrill Jockey 629; USA) "What happens when you combine SUMAC, a band that uses the volume, distortion, and guitar-centric approach of metal to make music that has the malleability of jazz and textural exploration of noise with Moor Mother, a poet and sound artist that has deconstructed hip hop to a point where it's less about rhyme and rhythm (though obviously both are present in her work) and more about oratorical cadence and power? The Film is an album that takes attributes of both artists' work and finds common ground in shifting musical patterns, and expressive force. The record is a musical thumbing of their noses at the more traditional approaches of their respective fields, an innovative, powerhouse of an album. The Film's moniker speaks to the fact that it is conceived and delivered as a complete album, a full story or narrative. Moor Mother puts it best: 'The idea is to create a moment outside of the convention. This is a work of art. Thinking about the work as a film, instead of an album or a collection of songs. This task is impossible in an industry that wants to force everything into a box of consumption. You won't understand or get the full picture until the artwork is completed. This work is developing and is requesting more agency within the creative process.' The Film does have clear themes running throughout -- again Moor Mother expounds: 'the themes are universal in nature -- land -- displacement -- the climate -- human rights and freedoms -- war and peace -- the idea of running away from the many violent forces and horrific systems of man and empire.' Heavy, holy, hypnotizing -- beyond existence, beyond the fettered constraints of normality, past the false notions of the indoctrinated disguised as the organic, planets form; the detritus of cosmic stuff merges into galaxies, into something that can sound like it's populated by suns. The Film is just such a work, a nebulitic collaboration between SUMAC and Moor Mother. The Film was recorded at Studio Litho in Seattle with Scott Evans. The album includes appearances by guest vocalists Kyle Kidd, Sovie, and Candice Hoyes."
"like self-perpetuating obstacle courses in hell. Ricocheting between formidable doom and barbed improvisation, Sumac sounds preternaturally belligerent." --Pitchfork, 8.4 Best New Music
"her music sustains a constant, complementary tension between the hushed, folkloric mantras and defiant Afrofuturist litanies she shares, her sound drawing freely from noise, jazz, blues and beats while respecting the practice of each mode." --The Guardian
CD $16
JONATHAN REISIN with SHINYA LIN / JARRED CHASE - Too Good X Unreality (Boomslang Records 1870; USA) Featuring Jonathan Reisin on tenor & soprano saxes & composing, Shinya Lin on piano & prepared piano and Jarred Chase on drums. Israeli-born, NY-based saxist Jonathan Reisin has played here at DMG several times over the past few years in two trios and a quartet with fellow saxist Yoni Kretzmer. This is Mr. Reisin's second disc as a leader with a formidable trio of Shinya Lin on piano and Jarred Chase on drums. Both of whom have played with Mr. Reisin at DMG on a couple of occasions. I've heard Ms. Lin play on a disc with Steve Gauci while Mr. Chase has played here a half dozen times so far. "Walk and Talk" is first with Mr. Reisin on soprano sax playing stark lines at first, the piano and drums playing with skeletal elegance. The trio is stripped down for "Through the Glass", sparse at first but soon playing their tight spiraling lines together. This piece goes back and forth between slow/ dreamy sections and other more rambunctious freer parts. The title piece, "Too Good X Unreality" is broken into two parts and is quite stark when it begins. It builds slowly with the trio playing sparingly, making each note count. On the second part of the title track, the trio strip things down even more, using space carefully, crafting each note of sound with calculated poise. Mr. Reisin steps forward on "Offertorium", playing more aggressively, platfully, stretching out his notes and bending them carefully with minimal yet sympathetic backing. Ms. Lin gets a chance to stretch out in the second half of this piece, for a short, productive bit. Although this music is often sparse or minimal, there is more going on here than one might think. It sounds like Mr. Reisin has written some connected fragments which seem to fit together as long as one steps back a bit to see or hear the overall picture or framework. I am reminded of Morton Feldman at times but not as sparse as he often is. Once I calmed down a bit, I was able to hear more things going on, the notes as well as the space between them somehow fit nicely together. The sense of restraint here as well as connected fragments is something to marvel at. Leave your expectations behind and just listen quietly. - Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
CD $14
SIRIUS QUARTET with FUNG CHERN HWEI / GREGOR HUEBNER / SUNJAY JAYARAM / JEREMY HARMAN - Incantations (Self-Produced; NYC, USA) Featuring Fung Chern Hwei & Gregor Huebner on violins, Sunjay Jarayam on viola and Jeremy Harman on cello. The Sirius String Quartet has been around since 2000 and have nearly 20 discs under their belt. Originally an offshoot of the Soldier String Quartet, Sirius originally included Ron Lawrence, Joyce Hammann and Gregor Huebner with Mr. Heubner being the only original member. Over time the Sirius Quartet has worked with composers & musicians like Elliott Sharp, Dr. Nerve, Ivo Perelman and the Rufus Reid Trio. Both Fung Chern Hwei and Sunjay Jayaram have played here at DMG in recent times while Mr. Hwei has recorded with Karl Berger, Roberta Piket and Michael Bates, as well as having three of his own discs. Each member of the current quartet has contributed two songs each. This disc is called 'Incantations' since it is dedicated to and inspired by our ancestors. "Echo Chamber" was composed by Mr. Harman and it was inspired by the way the right wing keeps repeating lies and misinformation in order to paint a false reality. The piece has a theme which is stated, repeated and slowly is altered as it unfolds. There is a long (viola?) solo which grows stronger as it goes. "Sahasranamam" was composed by Mr. Jayaram and it is based on a Hindu prayer. It has an ancient, haunting sound with a feisty violin solo above the churning waves below. The piece calms down midway with a hypnotic rhythm created by tapping on the instruments. Mr. Huebner;s "Chant pour I'ile Goree" is based on a Sufi chant and was inspired by the Gate of return, the place where many slave ships left Africa for the Americas in the 1700's. This piece is most eerie and sounds like it comes from a place haunted by ghosts of the past. There is some deep sadness going on here with our collective memories repenting for many slaves born into captivity and slain along the way. Huebner also composed "String Quartet No. 7 - Rage" in 3 parts. "Shut It Down" (Part 1) was inspired by the Pandemic lockdown and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations and it has a powerful, churning vibe. "Magulay Bozha (Part 2)" is based on a folk song from Belarus and sounds like a soft spirit trying to escape from that which is holding it down from below. "Aleppo (Part 3)" is based on three war photos from Yusuke Suzuki. This has an intense swirling, tumultuous vibe. Hr. Hwei's "Between the Impulses" was inspired by Karl Berger (Creative Music Studio founder, great composer & musician) a few weeks before he passed away. He told Chern to play what is not familiar during an improvisation, trying to come up with something new & unexpected. This piece is intense like a storm erupting around us. The violin solo here and powerful waves underneath remind me of parts of those beloved Bartok String Quartet passages. Mr. Jayaram's "You Can't Get Them Back" is dedicated to a violist friend of Sunjay's who has passed away. The music here reminds me of a sword fight from an ancient film as the two fighters duel and run from room to room, dancing and dueling together. Mr. Hwei's "Farewell Horatio" was also written for another young fallen hero & friend of Fung's. I like the way the see-sawing strings keep building throughout, the tempo and tension increasing throughout. "At Sea (Scatter the Ashes)" was composed while the Sirius Quartet were traveling & playing on a cruise ship sailing along the west coast of Africa. The composer, Mr. Harman, like the sound of the ocean while they traveled the coast so he had the strings imitate the sounds of the waves. The cello is at the center holding the piece together while the other strings coalesce on top. Again, as this piece unfolds it gets more turbulent. The last piece, "Prayer of Mind and Heart" sounds like a flame is flickering at the center of the piece while the rest of the quartet ascends around the central flame/theme, rising higher and higher as it goes, erupting powerfully before calming back down to the initial sense of calm. What I like most about this music is that all of the pieces sound like they are dealing with feelings of life and death that we all share as human beings. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
LAURA COCKS - Fathm (Relative Pitch Records RPR SS041; USA) Featuring Laura Cocks on solo flute. For some strange reason many flute virtuosos rarely get the recognition they well deserve. For myself there has always been a number of fine flutists whose work/playing I most admire: Eric Dolphy, Hubert Laws, Ian Anderson, James Newton, Thomas Chapin, Robert Dick and Nicole Mitchell, to name just a few. Laura Cocks is a member of TAK and Elision Ensembles and has three previous releases. I've caught here a few times live playing at the DMG series outdoors at Oliver Coffee and indoors here at our store. This is Ms. Cocks' first solo flute(s) effort. Beginning with "A thread held between your fingers", it sounds like Ms. Cocks is playing several (overdubbed) flutes, slowly bending certain notes, employing a number of breath-like sounds, over-blowing with certain notes fragile and cracked or broken sounding. For the second piece, "Illinois", Ms. Cocks increases the tempo, spewing out some quick lines in a circular fashion, creating a throttling sense of excitement. Ms. Cocks evokes a variety of sounds and approaches on each piece. "to beget" has some soft, slightly bent, well-rounded notes while "FAVN" sounds like it was recorded under water with Cocks making some strange vocals through her flute. Each of the nine pieces creates a different mood or vibe. On the oddly titled, "A seed sucked between your teeth", Ms. Cocks balancing between softer sounds and slightly bent ones. We have to listen more closely at times when the volume goes down to a whispered level. For "A marsh wren", we hear some mumbled word fragments amongst some circular bird-like sounds. On "Yarn" some of the sounds are bent vocalized bits with eerie high-end smears. I like the way that Laura Cocks creates her own sonic world on each piece so that we have to take our time to adjust. A most modest marvel. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
INTERMODULATION // TERRY RILEY / KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN / CORNELIUS CARDEW / TIM SOUSTER / ROGER SMALLEY - Connections (1970 - 1974) (Paradigm PD 40; UK) Formed in Cambridge in 1969 by Tim Souster and Roger Smalley, Intermodulation started out as a four-piece group with the addition of Robin Thompson and Andrew Powell (who soon moved on to other Cambridge projects, including one with a pre-Chris Cutler Henry Cow). Powell was replaced by Peter Britton, and this incarnation of the group remained for the duration of their existence. Having released a box set of works by Gentle Fire, it felt necessary to do the same with Intermodulation and thus complete the other half of this missing chapter in British experimental music. Intermodulation had quite a different line up than Gentle Fire, most notably with Peter's percussion, Robin on bassoon and soprano sax, and the shared use of VCS3's and electric keyboards. Nonetheless both groups covered similar ground, appeared at the same European festivals, travelled together with Stockhausen to Iran, and they were generally concerned with a similar repertoire of experimental scores. Although Intermodulation released no records during their existence (and Gentle Fire only the one LP), both groups did appear side by side on the recording of Stockhausen's Sternklang. This four-CD set aims to cover a wide range of their work. CD one contains the entirety of their 1971 concert at Ely Cathedral (a six-minute excerpt of which appeared on the Not Necessarily English Music compiled by David Toop). CD two focuses on their BBC recordings including excerpts from two Prom performances, one of which is the famous 1970 Prom which had Soft Machine taking the stage in the second half. CD three features material held in the archives of three German radio stations and the fourth disc consists of one work; "World Music" by Tim Souster, the 72-minute opus written for the four players plus tape. In summary, Intermodulation plays five Stockhausen pieces (four of which are realizations of his intuitive text pieces), two Terry Riley pieces and one by Cardew. They also play two compositions by Tim and one by Roger, as well performing two group improvisations. The set comes with a 48-page booklet detailing the group's history. This is a numbered edition of 500. Just a handful left at this point - 5/6/25, BLG at DMG
4 CD Set $50
MARIAN McPARTLAND - At The Peninsula Library 1972 (Liberation Hall LIB 2132CD; Earth) "British born jazz piano legend Marian McPartland was a trailblazer in the music business recording over 40 albums for various labels including Savoy, Capitol, Concord and her own independent imprint, Halcyon Records. She was the host of Piano Jazz on NPR from 1978-2001 showcasing countless luminaries including Elvis Costello, Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Sondheim, Tony Bennett, and countless others. She was awarded a lifetime achievement Grammy, designated a jazz master by the National Endowment for the Arts, appointed an officer to the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and an inductee into the National Radio Hall of Fame. This never-before-released performance was recorded at the Peninsula library in Lawrence on Long Island in New York on December 10, 1972, before a crowd of fans and students for a Sunday afternoon concert. The 18-track set features McPartland with Rusty Gilder on bass and Joe Corsello on drums playing various standards including 'Stella by Starlight,' 'A Night In Tunisia' and 'Satin Doll' along with songs of the moment like 'Fire & Rain,' 'Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head' and 'The Summer of '42 Theme.' Features extensive liner notes from music historians Barry Singer and Paul de Barros with rare photos and memorabilia."
CD $16
HENNING CHRISTIANSEN - Op.176 Penthesilea (The Henning Christiansen Archive HC 005CD; UK) Last copies, reduced pricing. Music for a tragedy/play, Penthesilea (tragedy in 24 scenes), by director Carlo Quartucci, playwright: Heinrich von Kleist. First performance at Teatro Olimpico, Rome, Italy, on November 8, 1986. This four-and-a-half-hour audio work heavily expands on the foundation laid out for Rosenfest in 1984 as featured on the double-LP release (HC 004LP). This lavish five-CD set presents the full backing tape prepared for the performances at Teatro Olímpico, Rome in 1986 as directed by Carlo Quartucci (the live recordings of the performances remain elusive to this day). The most ambitious project Henning undertook, the Penthesilea project is also one of the most successful as it explores the numerous experiments and techniques he had developed throughout his creative life culminating in this ambitious and significant work. Unheard until now and required listening now. The full narrative of Kleist's text unfolds as an audio excursion for the mind to wander. An audiobook presented as sound. The field recordings featured in Rosenfest recordings are featured alongside a wealth of new sonic environments. Horses trot, a boxing match is treated with electronics creating an otherworldly atmosphere. In the piece "XIII XIV" you encounter moments of Henning's early classical works only to subside in a valley of gentle machines clacking amongst a whispering ghost melody. Elsewhere a thumping proto-techno beat tramples on the once trampled snow we heard in the Rosenfest recordings, a rustic squeak acts as a horn solo, onwards, the wind gets fiercer, the narrative intensifies... Op. 176 Penthesilea is presented as a deluxe five-CD box set with 32-page, full color booklet featuring writings by Villy Sørensen, Mark Harwood, Werner Durand, and Henning Christiansen. The set is all housed in a sturdy slip case with original artwork (by Henning Christiansen, scores and performance photos. All material copyright The Henning Christiansen Archive with the exception of the watercolour paintings in HC5 copyright Edition Block.
5 CD Set $40
HENNING CHRISTIANSEN - To Look Inside Music (The Henning Christiansen Archive HC 007CD; UK) Last copies, reduced pricing. The Henning Christiansen Archive presents a collection of previously unreleased "classical works" by Henning Christiansen, a large part of his oeuvre which has remained out of sight, until now. This 2CD compilation encompasses a variety of stylistic approaches written in the years from 1963 to 1988.
"This collection gathers music by Christiansen targeted on (in one sense or another) the concert hall. All the recordings presented here are previously unreleased. The majority of publicly available Christiansen recordings have focused on music related to dramatic works, soundtrack works, music made for and within artist performance and tape music. This time, Christiansen as composer is truly at the forefront. His voice is always recognizable even as his expressive range is surprisingly broad; his approach ranges from the conventional to the radical. Any niggling concert-hall questions about craft are settled, yet at the same time he continues to question the role of form and genre in music." - from the liner notes written by Ben Harper.
2 CD Set $22
PEOPLE'S POETRY GATHERING with SEKOU SUNDIATA / ANI DiFRANCO / ROBERT BLY / TRACIE MORRIS / UTAH PHILLIPS / EDWIN TORRES / GALWAY KINNELL / et al - Stretching a Clothesline of Poems, From Around the world Across, The Streets of Lower Manhattan. (City Lore Recordings 101; USA) I have long been a big fan of great song lyrics, going all the back to the mid-sixties, listening to and learning the words to songs like "Blowing in the Wind", "Eve of Destruction" and "Trouble Every Day". The first music magazines I bought were Hit Parade and Song Hits in 1966, mostly because I was so fascinated with song lyrics that seemed to illustrate the times in which we grew up. I started reading poetry in high school, but it was in college when I really studied the words of Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Dylan Thomas and many others. I caught Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, WS Merwin and author Ken Kesey reading their poetry at or near my college in the mid-1970's. I've continued to read and study poetry on occasion as well as attend poetry readings from time to time. I've been longtime friends poets John Richey (from Lunar Bear & Machine Gun), Owen Plotkin and the late Steve Dalachinsky, often marveling at the way each one has captured something in writing that we (all) can relate to. When my store was located on the Bowery (2003-2009), I became friends with poet Bob Holman who ran the Bowery Poetry Club, down the block from my store, attending poetry readings there and curating an occasional music concert. You can add the name of Bob Holman as another fine poet who I've admired for many years. He just left us with copies of this disc.
The People's Poetry Gathering was a festival of poets from around the word who gathered together for three days in April of 1999 in NYC with some 7,500 folks attending the various readings. This disc compiles the highlights of the first of three festivals and includes 21 tracks with different poets on each piece and many backed by different musicians. The enclosed booklet includes page long bios on each poet. As I listen to each poet, I notice that each speaker and poet have their own way of reading and writing and hence their own perspective. I recognize a few of these poets from different places like: Sekou Sundiata & Tracie Morris from the Vision Fest and Utah Phillips & Ani DiFranco from a folk festival. Each piece is between 1 and 6 minutes and each piece illustrates its own world or view or perspective. The are many different influences or cultural styles & settings which are presented here: decima (from Latin America) cowboy songs, chain gangs, British Isles trad songs, Yiddish songs, pantoums, the blues, poetry slams, hobo poems, cento, ethnopoetics and even more. I've listened to this disc a few times in the past few days and each time an entranced by the many voices, words and music with each creating its own distinct world to us the escape to for a few minutes each. - MCBruceLee at DMG
CD $10
BACK IN STOCK:
NAKED CITY with JOHN ZORN / BILL FRISELL / WAYNE HORVITZ / FRED FRITH / JOEY BARON - Naked City Live, Vol. 1: Knitting Factory 1989 (Tzadik 7336; USA) After over ten years, Tzadik is finally releasing an exciting series of live recordings by one of the most unique and infamous bands ever: Naked City. Featuring Bill Frisell, Fred Frith, Wayne Horvitz and Joey Baron this was a true downtown supergroup brought together to realize John Zorn's twisted compositional vision combining jazz, movie soundtracks, rock, rhythm and blues, hardcore punk, cartoon music, country and western and just about everything imaginable - often all in the same piece! This first volume is a beautifully recorded document of the band early on, performing live at the club that served as home base from their very first concert series in 1988 to their very last in 1993. Captured here performing the repertory of their legendary first recording many months before they entered the studio, this is Naked City at its gritty/fast changing best. New solos, wilder improvisations and some original compositions and covers that never appeared on disc make this an absolute must for all the Naked City fans around the world. John Zorn: alto sax, Bill Frisell - guitar, Wayne Horvitz - keyboards, Fred Frith: bass and Joey Baron: drums. TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $14 (this has been out-of-print for the past couple of years)
SECRET CHIEFS 3 with TREY SPRUANCE / SHAHZAD ISMAILY / CHES SMITH / TIMBA HARRIS / et al - Xaphan: Book of Angels Volume 9 (Tzadik 7364l; USA) Spectacular arrangements of Masada compositions by mad alchemist Trey Spruance, mastermind of Secret Chiefs 3 and one of the most brilliant musicians around. Drawing upon an astonishing array of musical styles from Exotica and Surf to Ethiopian Funk and Gypsy Swing, Trey ’s colorful orchestral arrangements perfectly compliment the lyricism and dynamic rhythmic complexity of Zorn ’s evocative Book of Angels. Featuring some of the best musicians from the Bay Area, LA and Seattle scenes, this is one of the most compelling installments in the entire Masada series.
CD $14
BOB HOLMAN with VITO RICCI - The Awesome Whatever (Bowery Records; USA) Bob Holman is a fine poet, and he also runs the Bowery Poetry Club, one of the last truly unique clubs left in NYC. Over the past decade, the Bowery - and the entire East Village/Lower East Side - has been transformed from the sleazy, "low-rent" reputation of its long past to the current home of ridiculously over-priced condos, hotels, restaurants and bars. Artists, specialty stores (like DMG) and music clubs can no longer afford to rent there. Clubs have closed (CB's, Tonic & the Bottom Line), as well as music stores (Satellite, Joe's, Dance Trax) and soon there will be nothing left, culturally speaking, to be proud of, except for The Stone, Roulette and the Brecht Forum. Pretty f**king sad!
I once caught Bob Holman as part of David Thomas' chorus of voices, up at the Victo fest and remember enjoying his disc on the Mouth Almighty label. The music on this disc was produced by Vito Ricci, who has worked with Steve Dalachinsky and Lise Vachon. Vito creates beats and appropriate background grooves and some cool samples, as well as playing some fine guitar. Bob sings/speaks swell and slyly on the hipster ditty, "Love Lake," which sounds a bit like Tom Waits. On "The Meaning of Meaning," Bob twists the meaning of the words inside out and giving a wink to Lord Buckley. I dig the way Bob uses his calm, all-knowing voice with a contemplative Ken Nordine-like vibe. Who else could rhyme rastaman with pastaman? Pretty hilarious as well. Bob does a good job of inventing a conversation between unlikely ghosts, Spalding Gray and Pedro Pietri. Bob even raps on "sweat&sex&politics," stretching his tongue and the tone of his voice like an elastic band. Not bad for an old white dude!?! What I like most about Bob Holman is that most of his poems/words are too difficult to understand or very abstract. His observations are consistently interesting and they will often make you smile and laugh at the absurdity of modern life down here on the Bowery. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG - 2/22/2008
CD $10
MORE RELEASES FROM THE ONGOING ILK MUSIC CD SALE:
HENRIETTE GROTH / LOTTE ANKER - DuFugl (Ilk Music 115; Denmark) Featuring Henriette Groth on piano and Lotte Anker on alto, tenor & soprano saxes. I am a huge fan of Danish saxist Lotte Anker, after hearing her with Fred Frith, Craig Taborn, Gerald Cleaver, Joelle Leandre and Evan Parker. I don't know Danish pianist (viola & clarinet player) Henriette Groth very well although she does appear on a few other Ilk Music discs. "Sovngenger" opens with some sublime soprano sax and elegant piano, with both players working as one enchanting force. Half of these pieces were written by Ms. Groth while the others are duo improvs, although it is difficult to tell them apart. All of the pieces are rather melodic and often lovely. The entire disc is quite enchanting throughout and shows both of these women to be gifted improvisers and musicians. - BLG at DMG
CD Sale $10
FATTIGFOLKET with GUNNER HALLE / HALLVARD M. GODAL / OLE MORTEN SOMMER / PUTTE JOLANDER - le chien et la fille (Ilk Music 110CD; Denmark) Fattigfolket features Gunnar Halle on trumpet, Hallvard M. Godal on sax, Putte Frick-Meijer on contrabass and Ole Morten Sommer on drums. Fattigfolket hails from Norway and has four discs out between 2002 and 2011. I only recognize the members of the quartet from other projects on the Ilk Music label like Anderskov Accident, Jogujo Circuit and Ninjabeat. This is their third disc. Each of the ten songs were composed by members of the quartet with two group improvs. "Tremplin" (by Mr. Godal) opens as is most restrained with sublime, haunting playing from the sax and trumpet frontline and skeletal yet charming rhythm team. I love the sound of the tenor sax and trumpet on "Ego", which is laid back and seems to move in slow motion and is most sublime. "Concombre" was composed by bassist Frick-Meijer and it is also charming, lush, swinging slowly with a lovely trumpet solo and quirky, some unexpected twists in the arrangements. It sounds like the quartet have been working together for a while since it is hard to tell the difference between the sax and trumpet at times, since they are playing in the same register and seem to solo or play together as one force/sound. Trumpeter, Gunnar Halle, is featured on the improv piece and sounds superfine with his marvelous solo. What I find most charming about this disc is that it is inventive without ever dealing with any fireworks or showing off. After quite a bit of fire music/free/jazz, I/we often need to listen to something more melodic, thoughtfully composed and played and still inventive. This is what we find here. A most modest charmer. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
LP SECTION:
BOBBY HUTCHERSON with GEORGE CABLES / HERBIE LEWIS / PHILLY JOE JONES - Four Seasons (Music on Vinyl 3893LP; Netherlands) "When considering the jazz vibraphone giants of the 20th century, seven stand out: Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo, Milt Jackson, Terry Gibbs, Cal Tjader, Gary Burton, and Bobby Hutcherson. Bobby Hutcherson (1941-2016), originally inspired by Milt Jackson, emerged from Los Angeles in the late 1950s. After a stint with the Billy Mitchell/Al Grey sextet in 1962, Hutcherson moved to New York, becoming the house vibraphonist for the Blue Note label. His foundation in hard bop did not limit him, as he also played in avant-garde sessions with artists like Eric Dolphy and Jackie McLean. On December 11, 1983, the 42-year-old Hutcherson performed seven standards with a stellar group. Pianist George Cables, consistently excellent throughout his career, had been working with Hutcherson since 1977. Bassist Herbie Lewis, a versatile musician, had collaborated with Hutcherson since 1966. Drummer Philly Joe Jones, known for his work with Miles Davis, also contributed to the session. The recording of the Four Seasons album features seven standards, starting with Thelonious Monk's 'I Mean You,' which showcases each musician. Hutcherson's solo on Cole Porter's 'All Of You' is particularly adventurous. 'Spring Is Here' receives a beautiful interpretation, and 'Star Eyes' is taken uptempo. Hutcherson's introduction on 'If I Were A Bell' is notable, as is Jones's solo. The session spotlights Cables on 'Summertime' and concludes with a vibrant version of 'Autumn Leaves.' Decades later, the music remains a timeless classic. Four Seasons is available on black vinyl, celebrates its 40th Anniversary, and includes an insert with newly written liner-notes by Scott Yanow."
LP $38
AKIRA SAKATA / GIOTIS DAMIANIDIS - Adyton (Aguirre Records Zorn 107LP; Belgium) Japanese free jazz legend Akira Sakata and Greek avant-garde guitarist Giotis Damianidis present Adyton, their first-ever duo recording. Having collaborated since 2018, the two musicians have developed an intuitive and electrifying musical dialogue, culminating in this live performance at Haekem, Brussels -- the final concert of a two-week tour with Entasis in September 2023. Sakata, who turned 80 on February 21st, 2024, delivers his signature fiery alto saxophone, evocative clarinet, expressive voice, and resonant bells, while Damianidis expands the sonic spectrum with textural guitar and effects, weaving a dynamic interplay between structure and chaos. Titled after the "Adyton" - the innermost, most sacred part of an ancient temple -- this album invites listeners into a raw, unfiltered space of musical exploration, where spontaneous energy and deep-rooted tradition converge. A testament to Sakata's lifelong commitment to improvisation and Damianidis' boundary-pushing approach to guitar, Adyton is a powerful, transcendental journey into the unknown. Edition of 200.
LP $32
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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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This is from my pal, Will Glass:
Uptown Out
Thursday, May 8, 7pm
Tony Romano (guitar), Sylvain Leroux (flutes), Mary Cherney (flutes)
Claire de Brunner (bassoon), Will Glass (drums), Matt Lambiase (trumpet, cornet), Hilliard Greene (bass), Stephanie Griffin (viola)
Recirculation, a project of Word Up
876 Riverside Dr
NY NY 10032
$5-10 suggested donation
https://www.wordupbooks.com/event/uptown-out-may-2025
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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 11, 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 / KWEKU SUMBRY / MAY 7–10
5/7 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Solo Drum Exhibit - Kweku Sumbry (drums)
5/8 Thursday
8:30 pm - Drums & Strings (trio): Witch Hunt
Kweku Sumbry (drums) Aliya Ultan (cello) Ysaura Merino (violin)
5/9 Friday
8:30 pm - Transcendence featuring Spencer Whitfield
Kweku Sumbry (drums, percussion) Shakoor Hakeem (percussion) Spencer Whitfield (keyboards, percussion)
5/10 Saturday
8:30 pm - Time Lapse - Kweku Sumbry, Sekou VH, Sanu Basu, Jamal Dickerson, Sekou Payton , Nana Williams, Yusef Payton (drums)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - NED ROTHENBERG - MAY 14–17
5/14 Wednesday
8:30 pm - TRIO: Ikue Mori (electronics) Ned Rothenberg (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, shakuhachi) Billy Martin (percussion)
5/15 Thursday
8:30 pm - TRIO: Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) Nasheet Waits (drums) Ned Rothenberg (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, shakuhachi)
5/16 Friday
8:30 pm - DUO: Craig Taborn (piano) Ned Rothenberg (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, shakuhachi)
5/17 Saturday
8:30 pm - DUO - Ned Rothenberg (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, shakuhachi) DoYeon Kim (gayageum, voice)
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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THE SHAKUHACHI 5
Featuring:
Akihisa Kominato, Akihito Obama, Ken-Ichi Tajima,
Kizan Kawamura, and Reison Kuroda
Shakuhachi Vogue – A Visual Concert
Friday, May 16 at 7:30PM
Followed by a Private Gathering for Artists and Members
A Leading Japanese Instrumental Quintet's North American Debut Concert
At The Japan Society
Located at 333 East 47 Street, between First and Second Avenue, accessible via the 4/5/6 train at Grand Central Station or the E train at Lexington and 53 Street. our box office at 212-715-1258. The box office is open Monday through Friday, 11:00am to 6:00pm
Visit japansociety.org/performing-arts for more information
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ESP-Disk’ Concert Series:
May 23 (Friday) at 8pm:
Thollem McDonas: Set 1: solo piano; Set 2: trio with bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Marc Edwards
Thollem released a brilliant solo piano album last year on ESP, Infinite-Sum Game.
At Loove Labs, 58 North 6th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
June 13 (Friday) at 8 p.m.
Joe Morris & Elliott Sharp -
Release concert for their mind-boggling guitar duo album Realism, due in late May on ESP.
At Loove Annex, 238 North 12th Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
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THIS NOTE COMES FROM MY GOOD BUDDY JOEL HARRISON, Gifted Guitarist and Organizer. His yearly concerts at LPR have been a highlight for myself and other Guitar Freaks…
Dear Guitar Enthusiasts … There's a lot going:
—MIDWESTERNERS: please take note of the below dates. I'm lucky to be playing with two of the greatest B-3 organ players alive, and fantastic drummers as well. https://joelharrison.com/shows/
—On March 14 AGS (Alternative Guitar Summit) recordings releases ANUPAM SHOBHAKAR'S LIQUID REALITY, a tour de force on double neck guitar that fuses Indian music, jazz, and rock. If you like John McLaughlin this is for you. Preorder here: https://agsrecordings.bandcamp.com/
—We have uploaded some GREAT NEW PODCASTS to the AGS youtube channel with Ben Monder, Redd Volkaert, and more to come. Please check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/@alternativeguitarsummit
—For a couple of years I have been working on a major piece entitled "Burn Pit." The orchestration is jazz big band and a 16 person chorus. The subject matter is the deadly toxic burnpits from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that killed or sickened hundreds of thousands of military personnel. To fulfill my obligation to the NY State Council on the Arts and the Governors Office of NY, from whom I received a generous composition grant, I have posted a video discussing and playing excerpts from this work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulyk1Pgrym8
Don't forget to sign up for our summer camp! Kevin Eubanks, Vernon Reid, Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Scofield...come on! https://www.alternativeguitarsummitcamp.com/ - Joel Harrison
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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgcxTkoIgQI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAWxt3EJSPw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcvoYygehqE
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From 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