And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
Ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die
Come on generals, let's move fast
Your big chance has come at last
Now you can go out and get those reds
Good commie is the one that's dead and
You know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come
And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for
Don't ask me I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
Ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die, hey
Come on wall street don't be slow
Why man this war is a go-go
There's plenty good money to be made by
Supplying the army with the tools of its trade
Let's hope and pray that if they drop the bomb
They drop it on the Viet Cong
And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
Ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die
Come on mothers throughout the land
Pack your boys off to Viet Nam
Come on fathers, don't hesitate
Send your sons off before it's too late
And you can be the first ones on your block
To have your boy come home in a box
And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
El Salvador, Nicaragua, Libanon, Angola
Ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die
Oh yeah
Country Joe McDonald was a red diaper baby whose parents were both Marxists. His band, Country Joe & the Fish hailed from Berkeley, CA and were one of the best of the great Bay Area psych bands (along with the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother & the Holding Company & Quicksilver Messenger Service). Word is that their first album, 'Electric Music for the Mind & Body', had more freaks tripping to it than any other album during that era. It is no doubt one of my favorite psychedelic records of all! The above song is the title track from their second album, which was released in early 1968. The song pokes fun at propaganda which surrounded the Vietnam war, another unnecessary war forced upon us. There were an immense amount of protests to this war here in the US, and around the world. The Vietnam war actually ended in April of 1975, after many folks protested in massive numbers around the world. We are currently going through yet another unnecessary war (or armed conflict) so put down your phones and read up on your history of similar conflicts and the lies told by our government to cover their true reasons. Enough preaching and teaching, time to consider how to deal with this mess. - Who still Loves you..?!? - Me, MC-BruceLee
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PLEASE NOTE THAT DMG WILL BE OPENING LATE ON SATURDAY (2-3pm) as BLG will be attending an uptown indoor flea market first. The Uptown Flea Market is listed below in the concert recommendation section of this newsletter - BLG
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THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY 35th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT SERIES Continues with:
Tuesday, March 10th:
6:30: JOHN HAGEN - Tenor Sax / KEN FILIANO - Bass / ANDREW DRURY - Drums
7:30: AARON RUBINSTEIN - Guitar / KENNETH JIMENEZ - Contrabass / KEVIN MURRAY - Drums
8:30: YONI KRETZMER - Tenor Sax / THOMAS HEBERER - Trumpet / PETER BITENC - Contrabass / VINNIE SPERRAZZA - Drums
Tuesday, March 17th: Relative Pitch Presents: 3 sets: 6:30 - 8:30
1st Set: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / ROCIO SANCHEZ - Cello
2nd Set: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / YUMA UESAKA - Sax
3rd Set: CHUCK ROTH / ROCIO SANCHEZ / YUMA UESAKA
Saturday, March 21st: GauciMusic Series Continues with:
6:30: ELIJAH SHIFFER - Alto Sax / LORIN BENEDICT - Voice / DMITRY ISHENKO - Bass / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Drums
7:30: STEPHEN GAUCI - Tenor Sax - Flute / LIM YANG - Contrabass / KEVIN SHEA - Drums
8:30: JUAN PABLO CARLETTI - Drums / WILLIAM PARKER - Contrabass / YONI KRETZMER - Tenor Sax
Tuesday, March 24th: A Night Featuring Four Sets of Experimental Vocalists!
6:30: LORIN BENEDICT / CHARMAINE LEE - Vocal Duo
7:15: KYOKO KITAMURA - Solo - Vocals, Objects & Audience Participation
8:00: AMY SHEFFER - Vocals / ROSI HERTLEIN - Vocals & Violin
8:45: NOA FORT / YOON SUN CHOI / ELENA CAMERIN - Vocal Trio
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Since we announced these two ANTHONY BRAXTON box sets in early December of last year, we've had to wait for more than two months for them to arrive: Word is that they were held up in customs for a month
ANTHONY BRAXTON // ROLAND DAHINDEN / HILDEGARD KLEEB - Four Compositions (Wesleyan)(Prague Music Platform PMB 2301; Poland) In September 2023, PMP is proud to release Anthony Braxton's "Four Compositions (Wesleyan) 2013", a limited deluxe 4-CD box set documenting the one-time meeting of an all-star trio featuring the legendary saxophonist and composer alongside Roland Dahinden (trombone), and Hildegard Kleeb (piano). This is the first album of the new Czech label PMP. Art Lange describes the impetus for the session in the liner notes: The 4 CD set box Four Compositions (Wesleyan) 2013 is built on the latest evolutional stage of Anthony Braxton's lifelong conceptualization and personalization of notation called Falling River Music. Braxton's systematic approach balances methodology and mythology, utilizing a variety of graphic designs as symbolic and representational characterizations of his sound vision. The scores incorporate numerical and alphabetical equations, abstract diagrams, and sections of conventional notation, along with spontaneously conceived, painted gestures connected to a web-like pattern of shorthand. In this album, Braxton explores the concept of "aesthetic networking "by having three musicians play from different scores simultaneously, creating a unique blend of impressions."
4 CD Set $70 // [After a 2 & 1/2 month wait, these have just arrived; the dozen or so customers who ordered the earlier have all been taken care of, we have 5 left as of now]
ANTHONY BRAXTON // HILDEGARD KLEEB / EVA ESTERKOVA ALES / JANIGA ELMAZ / et al - Trillium X (Prague Music Platform PMP2501; Poland) In 2025, PMP is proud to release Trillium X, a sixth opera by Anthony Braxton, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. A limited deluxe 8-CD box set includes both a live recording of the world premiere in Prague and a studio recording realized at the famous Darmstadt Summer Course, along with 6 hours of exclusive audio-visual materials documenting the complete world premiere, the documentary film In the Garden of Trillium X, and in-depth conversations between Anthony Braxton, Swiss conductor Roland Dahinden, and German writer and Braxton scholar Timo Hoyer. Braxton spent five years working on his opus magnum. He has been significantly involved in all Trillium performances, including this one. He has accompanied the rehearsals from the very beginning. However, the leading man in charge was Roland Dahinden, his long-time fellow from Wesleyan University. Dahinden and the incredible PMP Orchestra represent the ongoing generational change in creative music.
8 CD Box Set / Limited Edition $240
VERNON REID with MEMBERS of the BURNT SUGAR ARKESTRA: BEN TYREE / MISS OLITHEA ANGLIN / J.S. WILLIAMS / STEVE JENKINS / JARED MICHAEL NICKERSON / DON McKENZIE II / BRUCE MACK / LEON GRUENBAUM / et al - Voodoo Telemetry (The Players Club 75692.2; Netherlands) If you've followed the beats of his half-century career, you'll know Vernon Reid as an artist who paints in every colour. Depending on the era you dive into and the album on your turntable, you'll find the New York polymath pinballing between jazz, metal, punk, funk, electronica and hip-hop, cutting heads with collaborators as eclectic as Mick Jagger and Public Enemy, endlessly shedding his skin yet always speaking his truth.
Hoodoo Telemetry, considers the 66-year-old of this kaleidoscopic opus, is like a piece of my all-over-the-place mind. It took me a while to start this record because I was thinking about what I wanted to do next, managing my time with all my other projects. I was also in different spaces with these songs: some are new, others are reclamations of material from a long time ago. But suddenly, I found the focus and it was very clear to me: I gotta do this now. Hoodoo Telemetry isn't a linear piece, but a thrillingly tangled tapestry of genres, collaborators and material from different time periods. Its energy and chaos seems to reflect and challenge what Reid considers the tumultuous socio-political backdrop it will soundtrack.
In August of 2025 (last year), guitar god, Vernon Reid, had a four night residency at The Stone. Mr. Reid was backed by members of the Burnt Sugar Arkestra each night as well as with the power trio known as the Free Forms Funky Freqs (with Jamaaladeen Tacuma & Calvin Weston). I attended each night since I am friends with members of Burnt Sugar and Vernon Reid, so I had an idea that these gigs were not to be missed. Each night was glorious and well worth checking out. I've been the long career of Vernon Reid's for many years, through many changes in direction (Decoding Society, Living Colour, Spectrum Road and various solo efforts. Aside from being a great jazz/rock/funk guitarist, Mr. Reid continues to reinvent himself on any/all of his varied projects/bands. What I loved about Mr. Reid's residency and this disc is that, the music here is filled with surprising twists & turns and unlikely influences. One of the great things about Burnt Sugar is that they have several great singers, each one bringing something great to the diverse palette or vision. On several tracks here, Mr. Reid is backed by a fine power trio rhythm team: Steve Jenkins on bass and Don McKenzie on drums. The opening piece, "Door of No Return" is a strong, spirited powerhouse hard rocking trio effort featuring a burnin' guitar solo by Mr. Reid. Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" was covered by the Miles Davis Quintet and Eddie Jefferson. The song's riff is immensely memorable and infectious and is backed by a great drum n' bass groove. The synth and/or keyboards by Bruce Mack and Leon Gruenbaum are especially effective here. Each of the 14 songs appears to have different rhythmic construction and is influenced by funk, reggae, dub, rock, hip hop and jazz. "Good Afternoon Everyone" consists of a vocal riff from a homeless person asking for food. There is a chorus which answers his pleas. "The Haunting" reminds me of Prince, at least vocally. The words sound like something our (guilty?) consciousness says to us inside as we deal with lives and those we meet in life. "Bronx Paradox" has a swell hip hop type of groove with percussive vocal samples but no lyrics. "Or Knot" features the great bassist Doug Wimbish (from Sugar Hill Gang to Tackhead & beyond) in a quartet setting. Both Vernon Reid's (Munoz' like shredding) guitar and Micah Gaugh's sax are featured and sound great together. There are a few select covers here, like Edgar Winter's poignant ballad, "Dying to Live" and Cream's "Politician". Mr. Reid and Jack Bruce (from Cream) were once members of a supergroup called Spectrum Road, who did cover Bruce's "Politician". The version here has been expanded and features the soulful vocals of Shelley Nicole and Miss Olithea. Each piece here is well-selected and filled with some compelling lyrics, melodies, messages, solos and other cosmic trials and tribulations. The final piece is called "Brave New World" and it includes words by noted author Aldous Huxley. The words deal with the ongoing history of terrorism which seems apt considering what we are all dealing with currently. Time to do some thinking to get out this mess. This is a mighty colossal record which shows a glimpse of our ongoing American nightmare through layers of Creative Music. Amen. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $18
JON IRABAGON with MATT MITCHELL / CHRIS LIGHT5CAP / DAN WEISS DAVE BALLOU / DONNY McCASLIN / KOKAYI / MARK SHIM - Focus Out (Irabbagast 035; USA) Featuring Jon Irabagon on alto sax, Matt Mitchell on piano & Fender Rhodes, Chris Lightcap on electric bass and Dan Weiss on drums plus guests Dave Ballou on trumpet, Miles Okazaki on guitar, Donny McCaslin & Mark Shim on tenor saxes and KOKAYI on vocals. Last week (2/25/26-2/28/26) at The Stone, master saxist Jon Irabagon played four nights at The Stone, working with different musicians each and switching off between different saxes for each set. Mr. Irabagon wrote all new music for three of the four bands that he played with. He also left us with two new discs of two different projects.
This quartet features musicians that Irabagaon has been working with for several years: pianist Matt Mitchell (for Dave Douglas & Miles Okazaki), bassist Chris Lightcap (3 previous Irabagon dates) and in-demand & ever-busy drummer Dan Weiss (3 previous Irabagon dates). As far as the guests go, only Mark Shim has recorded with Irabagon in the Patricia Brennan Septet. Starting with "Morning Star", the quartet erupts with a furious paced M-Base-like groove/construction. Both Mr. Irabagon on alto and Mr. Mitchell on Fender Rhodes are spinning their lines in tight, fast-paced spirals with the rhythm team also playing tightly and quickly underneath. Things slow down a bit on "Focus Out" with features Mr. Lightcap playing an infectious funky line on his electric bass. Irabagon's tone and swagger are most soulful in sound with bassist Lightcap increasing and decreasing the tempo as the piece unfolds. KOKAYI is a hip hop vocalist who has worked with Steve Coleman. Kokayi wrote the lyrics and raps on two pieces here. "Paper Planes" sounds again like an M-Base-like groove and it has an infectious, throbbing vibe/groove. I can only make out some of the words since they are sung/spoke in a quick stream, but the sound is tightly wound and compelling to hear. On "Evening Star", the tempo increases to a furious, dizzying pace with Mr. Ballou's trumpet and Mr. Okazaki's guitar added to the whirlwind eruption. Both Mr. McCaslin and Mr. Shim take furious, tail spinning tenor sax solos on "Evening Star", pushing the rest of the higher and into a frenzy. The ensemble slows down to a more moderate pace on "Indigo Stains" with Kokayi singing soulfully before going into a mid-song rap with three saxes spinning hypnotically around him. While Kokayi raps, the rest of the band & guests spin a mesmerizing series of spiraling lines around him, the entire group expanding like a storm gathering more power as it evolves. "Prayer (for Reomi)" is a lovely, sad payer-like song with a most poignant alto solo from Mr. Irbagaon. The final piece here is called "Center Post" and it has that invigorating M-Base like sound with strong piano accompaniment holding things down. This is another winner from the wonderful and immensely diverse sax great Jon Irabagon. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
JON IRABAGON / DAN OESTREICHER - Saturday's Child (Irabbagast Records 033; USA) Featuring Jon Irabagon on bass sax and Dan Oestreicher on bass sax & bass flute. Young sax master, Jon Irabagon, never takes the easy route as a jazz musician. Mr. Irabagon is a rare musician who collects and plays many different saxes, from the (super-rare) soprillo to the oversized bass sax. The bass sax is a large (4 & 1/2 feet) and unwieldy instrument and not commonly used. I've only Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell and Colin Stetson play them in concert. The rarity here is that Mr. Irabagon and Dan Oestreicher both play bass saxes with Oestreicher doubling on bass flute, yet another rarely used reed. Most of you know who Jon Irabagon is since he was a member of Mostly Other People Do the Killing and won the prestigious Monk award. I don't know much about New Orleans-based saxist Dan Oestreicher although he has worked with Magnetic Ear (brass band), Unanimous Sources and OMA(H)A.
The artwork for this disc was drawn by Xalyra Irabagon, perhaps related to Jon, it does have a child-like quality (recalling Free design). This disc was recorded live at the Hungry Brain in Chicago as part of the Instigation Festival in September of 2023. The recording is superb: warm, clean and well-balanced. Both bass saxists take their time and have a large supply of common licks or lines that they work with. What often happens is that one of the saxists sets things up by playing a hypnotic repeating riff while the other sax interweaves around him. At times, one sax will center in on a note or drone and slowly stretch it out while the other sax creates shrewd harmonies. Mr. Oestreicher, who has worked in brass bands, sets up a bass groove which changes tempos and direction over time while Irabagon adds an undercurrent of odd lines. On the third track (Molasses Candyland"?), the duo slow things down and stretch out each note carefully. If you think that because this is a sax duo, these two reed players are going to take things further out, this is not the case. There is a good deal of close listening and creating of slightly bent yet thoughtful spirits being unleashed. The sound of the bass sax is often deep, dark and haunting and both saxists like to stretch their notes out creating disorienting harmonies, at times like two fog horns in the distance. On "Waking Dreams", Oestreicher switches to bass flute while both reeds play those lower end sounds carefully with quite a bit of subtle tongue-against-reeds manipulation. "Sugar Rush" is the last regular piece with one of the bass saxes playing a repeating, throbbing somewhat funky groove. Mixmaster & drummer Mike Pride adds some percussion here while both saxes provide some righteous, dance-like grooves and honks. The vibe here is a joyous one. There is also a bonus track where Mike Pride adds some dub effects to "Sugar Rush", making it even more funky and festive. It is also a great way to bring this fine disc to a wonderful conclusion. Get down and get funky! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
ART EDMAISTON / CHAD FOWLER / CLIFFORD JACKSON / DAMON SMITH / BOB 'RA KALAM' MOSES - Memphis Mandala (Mahakala Music 091; USA) Recorded live at Crosstown Arts in Memphis in March 2024, this concert brought together Art Edmaiston, Chad Fowler, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Damon Smith and Clifford "Pee Wee" Jackson for a spiritually charged free jazz session that channels a deep Southern lineage, blending blues-rooted intensity with fearless collective improvisation into a cohesive, dramatic and wholly spontaneous performance.
CD $14
KRIS GRUDA / EMILY HAY DUO - Bom Bom Bombow (Self-Released; USA) Featuring Kris Gruda on guitars, percussion, voice & electronics and Emily Hay on alto, bass & other flutes, piccolo, voice and effects. I recall flutist Emily Hayes from her time with several legendary L.A. progressive bands Motor Totemist Guild, 5UU's and U Totem (in the 1990's). Since then, I've heard Ms. Hayes when she was working with other L.A. stalwarts like Brad Dutz, Wayne Peet and Lisle Ellis. Ms. Hayes recently moved to Asheville, NC and played here at DMG last night (3/3/26) with guitarist Kris Gruda. I don't know much about guitarist Kris Gruda's background, although he has played here at DMG around a half dozen times over the past few years with Stan Zenkov, Danny Kamins & Tom Weeks.
This disc was recorded live at two gigs in Durham, NC and in Atlanta, GA. After catching thies fine duo set at DMG last night, I have a better idea what exactly is going on. Ms. Hay had a small mixer/effects device on a stand in front and was constantly altering her vocals in assorted weird ways as well as adding flute parts and altering them as well. As a vocalist, Ms. Hay is pretty far out, banding and twisting her voice in all sorts of strange ways, with and without the effects. Mr. Gruda does a great job of matching Ms. Hay's flute playing and vocalizing with a series of equally fractured lines. It sounds like Mr. Gruda isn't using very many effects on his guitar, often just using an assortment of picking techniques and/or rubbing the strings with fingers, hands or other objects. Much of the interaction here is quick and ever-changing. Ms. Hay expresses "It's So Painful" during "Just Give Me a Minute", her voice slowly mutating with effects like a witch drowning in a quicksand. I like the way Ms. Hay keeps changing the sound of her voice from strange to silly to bizarre. It sounds as if she has several different characters inside herself, all struggling to express different character(istic)s. I Like the way that this duo has created its own strange world, a world where what we think we know or understand has been turned inside-out. The spell has been cast and we are all better for it. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
ROB BROWN / DANIEL LEVIN - Watching and Listening (Mahakala Music 014; USA) A deeply attentive duo of alto saxophonist Rob Brown and cellist Daniel Levin exploring an open language of gestural improvisation, where pitch often yields to texture, motion, and sonic interaction, the pair's long-standing musical trust guiding a fluid exchange that shifts from delicate, exploratory passages to energized bursts of intertwined strings, reeds and curious asides.
CD $14
DANIEL CARTER / STEVE HIRSH - Convocation (Mahakala Music 092; USA) Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter — performing on saxophones, flute, trumpet, and piano — joins drummer Steve Hirsh for a patient and deeply attentive duo session, their freely unfolding improvisations balancing Carter’s lyrical horn explorations with Hirsh’s fluid rhythmic pulse, creating a spacious, quietly swinging dialog that moves between meditation and intuitive co-creation.
CD $14
CAROL LIEBOWITZ / NICK LYONS - The Inner Senses (Steeplchase SCCD 33152; Denmark) Featuring Carol Liebowitz on piano and Nick Lyons on alto sax. Both Ms. Liebowicz and Mr. Lyons have both studied with Lennie Tristano and/or his students/cohorts like Connie Crothers and Lenny Popkin. Although Mr. Tristano passed away in November of 1978, his influence remains. Carol Liebowitz started recording in 1994 and has more than a half dozen discs, including an earlier duo effort with Nick Lyons from 2007. Alto saxist Nick Lyons has played here at DMG a half dozen times, working with different musicians on each date. He played in Adam Lane's Electric Band here last night (3/3/2026), a more rockin' outfit that we rarely have playing here at DMG, playing mostly written material. All of the pieces were co-written (or improvised) by Ms. Liebowitx and Mr. Lyons except one cover by the late Connie Crothers, another Tristano acolyte.
"Hidden Sources" opens and the duo floats together in a solemn, dream-like way. The tempo on most of these pieces is a moderate relaxed one. "Ontology" was composed by Connie Crothers and the piece is stunning, with some great, complex and difficult written parts. The duo played this piece at a calm, slower pace and gave it a dreamy vibe. "Aurora" sounds like it is being played in slow motion. "River That Flows Both Ways" has a slow, dark, hypnotic piano with the resonant pedal being held down as the sax and piano float together like ghosts slow dancing together. Unlike most free/jazz records or gigs, this music is free yet somehow focused and with melodic fragments organically popping up here and there. This music doesn't sound "free", it sounds like every piece is based on a variety of melodic fragments which are explored by the piano and sax together as they navigate thoughtful song-like figures or patterns. Nick Lyons often sounds like he is playing a standard or a familiar melody but this is not what is going on here. This is austere magic with some occasional quirky detours thrown in. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
ON DOG with PIERO BITTOLO BON / FRANCESCO BIGONI / BEPPE SCARDINO / MARK SOLBORG / MARC LOHR - [Part 1 - Sloeblack] (ILK Music 209CD; Denmark) On Dog features Piero Bittolo Bon on alto sax, bass clarinet & flute, Francesco Bigoni on tenor sax & clarinet, Beppe Scardino on bari sax & bass clarinet, Mark Solborg on electric & acoustic guitars and Marc Lohr on drums & electronics. On Dog is a unique hybrid with three Italian reeds players fronting the rhythm team of Danish/Argentinian guitarist Mark Solborg and Luxembourg-born, Berlin-based drums Marc Lohr. I know of each of the saxists from varied bands/projects on Italian labels like: El Gallo Rojo, Rudi Records, Long Song and Auand. All of the pieces here were composed by Mr. Bigoni or Mr. Solborg. Guitarist Mark Solborg is one of the more prolific musicians on the Ilk Music label with more than a half dozen of his own leader dates.
Composing for a three sax/bass clarinet frontline is no doubt difficult. “Lortehund” starts with just three reeds playing by themselves what sounds like written parts. Soon the guitar and drums enter, playing their own tight written parts. Drummer Marc Lohr stands out as he solos intensely while the rest of the band plays along with him. “Fugt” has all three reeds locked into a strong repeating pattern which builds up over time. The rhythm team keeps shifting as the tempo increases and then drops out. This keeps changing from section to section, with one part featuring two flutes. The writing and arranging reminds me of progressive jazz/rock at times and shows how much thought went into the structure and playing of each piece. The piece "On Dog" begins with three reeds playing some odd harmonic part while the guitar and drums play skeletal rhythms. I like how the bari sax here plays one part while the rest of the band plays a different interlocking section. When the drums drop out, the rest of the group sounds like a jazz/classical chamber group. The title piece has the three reeds expanding and sounding larger than life, closer to an orchestral or big band sound with some freer, swirling reeds spinning together. Although the playing is strong and spirited throughout, it is the challenging writing which stands out on each piece. The reeds and guitar often have to play their demanding parts together while shifting through different sections. Consistently impressing and ever-fascinating on several levels. Since there are three discs from On Dog, I will have to find the other two to listen to and review. The great ILK Music label does it again! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
MAMA SISSOKO - Diamond Fingers (One World Records MSONEDI 026CD; Denmark) The Malian guitar virtuoso, Mama Sissoko, was introduced to music by his uncle Djeli Baba Sissoko. His music history counts legendary bands like Orchestra A de Bamako, Orchestre National de Bamako, and Super Biton de Ségou as lead singer and guitarist. Awarded the Ebony Guitar Prize in 1970 in Mali, and Mérite National in France in 2023, Sissoko has long been one of the internationally sought for guitarists, and his collaborations count Santana, Herbie Hancock as well as opening BB King's shows. Coming from the Manding culture, Mama's compositions are largely influenced by blues and jazz, mixed with the traditional rhythms of Bobo, Bambara, Sarakolé, Peul, Songhaï and Mandingue. The 13-track album Diamond Fingers is produced by his long time protege, the French photographer Françoise Huguier. Sissoko uses irony in texts critical to the absurdities faced by immigrants in the post-colonial realities.
CD $18
ABDOU EL OMARI - Lost Tape - 1980 (Born Bad Records 191CD; France) Abdou El Omari was born in 1945 in Tafraout, south of Agadir -- a village suspended between the pink granite peaks of the Anti-Atlas and the waves of the Atlantic. A landscape already musical in itself. He grew up in the dry mountain light, surrounded by the rhythms of nature and Berber's culture. Very little is known about the man -- a veil of mystery still surrounds his life, only deepening the fascination. In the 1970s, as Morocco was transforming, Abdou El Omari shaped a sound of his own -- a visionary blend of spiritual jazz, psychedelic funk, Moroccan traditions, and early electronic experimentation. Today, his work is resurfacing, rediscovered by a new generation of listeners in search of lost horizons. This record stands among its rarest and most precious fragments. At twenty-two, he founded his first group, Les Fugitifs, which gained him local fame. Soon after, he released records and cassettes on labels such as Cléopâtre, Hassania, Boussiphone, Hilali, and his own, Al Awtar, while performing on RTM (national radio and television). He also composed for artists like Naima Samih, Laila Ghofran, and Aicha El Waad. In 1976, through the label Gam, he released his only vinyl album, Nuits d'été -- a record that would become cult decades later, reissued in 2017 by Radio Martiko. In the 1980s, his music grew quieter, more secret. He tried to recover his old tapes from the studios he had recorded in, but gradually withdrew from the scene and returned to hairdressing. A pioneer of musical fusion, he opened paths that would remain unexplored for years. He passed away in 2010, never witnessing the rediscovery of his music by diggers, bloggers, and collectors online. One day, his close friend and poet Aziz Essamadi, rescued a cardboard box from the trash -- a box containing Abdou El Omari's personal archives. It was later entrusted to Casablanca based collector Ahmed Khalil, founder of the label Dikraphone. Inside were treasures preserved by chance: demos, rehearsals, private recordings, unseen photographs -- and a stunning, almost forgotten cassette. Here, El Omari sounds bolder than ever, exploring territories where pop, cosmic disco, electric blues, and Moroccan tradition merge without boundaries. Armed with his ARP Odyssey synthesizer, hypnotic grooves, and the celestial layers of his Farfisa, he expanded the dialogue between deep roots and electronic exploration. This album is the continuation of a vision -- a music of the Moroccan future: rooted, but reaching for the unknown. Colorful, magnetic and timeless, here is music for dancing as much as for dreaming.
CD $18
ELIZA MARSHALL - Eternal Birth (One World Records Emone 026CD; Denmark) Inspired by Thomas Hardy's poem Transformations, Eternal Birth is Eliza Marshall's debut solo album and a powerful statement on connection, ancestry and renewal. The album traces the cycles of life from conception to death, revering the natural world as a living archive of peoples' ancestors and exploring the unseen bonds that connect past, present and future generations. Across the record, Marshall creates a rich, cinematic soundscape blending classical, folk and world traditions with flutes, whistles, bansuri, spoken word, percussion and electronics. Produced by Ivor Novello Award recipient Graeme Pleeth, the album features an international line-up of world-class musicians including Ady Thioune and Ansumana Suso (Senegal/The Gambia), Drew Morgan, and Donal Rogers (USA / UK), Johnny Kalsi (UK) and Lena Jonsson (Sweden). Influences range from Steve Reich to Paul Simon, while remaining rooted in Marshall's distinctive compositional voice.
CD $18
Last week I caught saxist Tim Berne sitting in with Jon Irabagon for his residency at The Stone. I hadn't caught Mr. Berne play live recently (except for a rare duo with Phillip Greenlief here at DMG last year) and I was glad to hear him again, as he has been one of fave saxists for many years. I contacted him beforehand and got a few copies from his own Screwgun label. All of these discs are long out-of-print although Mr. Berne does reprint them from time to time. We only have a few copies of each so order quickly as we might not be able to get them again anytime soon - BLG at DMG
TIM BERNE With MARC DUCRET/HERB ROBERTSON/COPENHAGEN ART ENSEMBLE - Open, Coma [2 CD Set] (Screwgun 70012; USA)
2 CD Set $25
TIM BERNE / HARD CELL With CRAIG TABORN / TOM RAINEY - [Feign] (Screwgun 70015; USA)
CD $20
TIM BERNE / HARD CELL With CRAIG TABORN/TOM RAINEY - Acoustic and Electric Hard Cell Live (Screwgun 70014; USA)
CD $20
TIM BERNE / MATT MITCHELL - Angel Dusk (Screwgun/Moose Knuckles Entertainment; USA)
CD $20
MARC DUCRET // TIM BERNE with FABRICE MARTINEZ / SYLVAINE HILARY / CHRISTIANE BOPP / BRUNO DUCRET - Palm Sweat: Ducret Plays the Music of Tim Berne (Screwgun / Out Of Your Head Records OOYH001; USA)
CD $20
JULIUS HEMPHILL - Blue Boye (Screwgun 70008; USA)
2 CD Set $25
MATT MITCHELL//TIM BERNE - Forage (Screwgun; USA)
CD $20
The same list with reviews added:
TIM BERNE With MARC DUCRET / HERB ROBERTSON / COPENHAGEN ART ENSEMBLE - Open, Coma [2 CD Set] (Screwgun 70012; USA) Tim Berne with Marc Ducret, Herb Robertson and the Copenhagen Art Ensemble. Almost all of this was recorded live for Danish and Swedish radio broadcasts. Each of the two CD's contain two long tracks. The title track opens some angular, twisted solo electric guitar from the great Marc Ducret, sounding somewhat like Zoot Horn Rollo - distant horns, piano and percussion swirl slowly around him is a mesmerizing haze of gnarly harmonies - Tim's strident and unique alto sax tone cuts through with Herb's flaming trumpet insanity - although chaotic sounding, Tim's inner thread is apparent - the rhythm team is rockin' hard, as the horns sail together. This sounds like an expanded version of Big Satan by the way it organically grows and expands and contracts through different sections. Eventually we move into a somber, eerie section with bass clarinet at the center and waves of horns and piano fluttering softly in the distance. The clarinet, el. piano and drums weave in a dream sequence as the horns play their focused charts with a few amber hues. "eye contact" is next and begins with Herb's playful trumpet slowly unfolding and expanding with hushed brushes and a haunting cushion of horns underneath - I dig the way the ensemble builds and interacts slowly with different sections of the band accentuating different layers of lines - solos from the baritone sax, the bass are well thought out as grow like plants reaching for the sun - Ducret takes a long, expansive, occasionally explosive and story like guitar solo as the rest of the band plays their difficult charts around him - all ascending to an intense frenzy of activity - and then gliding back down to a more somber section which then becomes a trio of el. piano, alto sax and bass sounding rather Shell Game-like with the trio swirling their lines around a well-knit web - as the rest of the ensemble also weaves layers of lines around them bringing "eye contact" to an organic end. The second disc starts with "the legend of p-1" which opens with elegant, dreamy piano and equally haunting horns - soon the ensemble is swinging nicely, playing Tim's Grand Wazoo (Zappa) like difficult, effervescent charts which even erupt with short bluesy episodes- the chattering horns continue to swerve around the soloists - more of Herb's wacky trumpet and Marc's acerbic guitar - the central section is freer as the ensemble plays through sections of controlled chaos until Tim's alto comes back into the picture to unleash one of his passionate, bent and spectacular solos - the rest of the ensemble playing in slow motion around him - an excellent work! The final piece is "impacted wisdom" which commences with breathy sounds from Herb, morse code-like piano, floating muted horns with Tim's alto once again weaving lines around the rest of the ensemble and then erupting into a scary solo sax section which stops all other activity - until silence occurs to let things slowly build once again from a calming nothingness into the escalating suspense of drifting guitar, flute, el. piano, percussion and the other horns play more of those Grand Wazoo-like intersecting parts- some sections get almost funky with the guitar & el. piano playing those wah-wah like riffs together - the dark harmonies to the ensemble hit hard and bathe us with dense waves of dizzying high-flying horn shrapnel - until that twisted funk line reappears like a lumbering dinosaur doing his waddle/dance - in each section solos sail on top of complex layers of charted ensemble parts below. Throughout, this entire piece works well, since there is a thread which flows through this long and provocative work - holding it together through a variety of connected sections. Much praise to Tim Berne for his adventurous composing and to his marvelous ensemble for their fine playing! - BLG
2 CD Set $25
TIM BERNE / HARD CELL With CRAIG TABORN / TOM RAINEY - [Feign] (Screwgun 70015; USA) Hardcell features Tim Berne on alto sax, Craig Taborn on piano and Tom Rainey on drums. This is just one of Tim's current bands, but unlike Hardcells' other disc, this one is completely acoustic. Being acoustic, it is easier to hear the way this trio works without that haze of electronic keyboards that Craig has employed on other Berne projects. The pieces are shorter than the usual Berne works, yet no less intriguing and perhaps more succinct. There is a superb balancing act going on throughout as the trio constantly weave their intricate lines together and around one another simultaneously. The tension rises and falls and moves in waves. The music has a more relaxed vibe when the songs begin but things often build in density and spirit as they evolve. I dig the way "brokelyn" finally erupts midway, after a calm first section and finally explodes into a storm in the second half. An eight minute epic. This trio is quite cerebral, always keeping us off balance by playing with that central clock, slowing down, speeding up, yet never staying on the one. When they finally come together, they take us along for the ride, which is always a joyous release. And we thought it couldn't get any better!?! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $20
TIM BERNE / HARD CELL With CRAIG TABORN/TOM RAINEY - Acoustic and Electric Hard Cell Live (Screwgun 70014; USA) Featuring Tim Berne on alto sax & compositions, Craig Taborn on acoustic piano, electric keyboards & electronics and Tom Rainey on drums. Two tracks were recorded in front of a studio audience at the iced membrane in Brooklyn and the two other tracks were recorded live by Jules Ryan at the Firefly Club during the Edgefest in Ann Arbor. Longtime downtown sax hero, composer and label dude, Tim Berne, continues to amaze us with his recent output, a half dozen fabulous and diverse releases in the past three years. Hard Cell is just one of his currents bands with two cohorts who also play in other projects - Craig Taborn and Tom Rainey. This new Hard Cell CD seems to be less gnarly, more melodic and more magical than any of Tim's other current projects. This might be due to the highly focused and somewhat mesmerizing piano that Craig Taborn seems to get better at doing each time. Each of the three members of this trio have worked together long enough so that there is a consistent thread at the center of each piece. Tim also continues to write these circular repeating pieces which are most hypnotic in the way they beneath our skin, dig in and take us along for a marvelous ride. Tim's music is strangely funky in an odd sort of way, although it would take some like Michael Parker to pull off that spastic dance in his own convincing way. Most likely this gem is a perfect introduction to the wide world of Tim Berne, just in case you haven't been bitten by the Tim Berne bug as of yet. You just never want it to end. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $20
TIM BERNE / MATT MITCHELL - Angel Dusk (Screwgun/Moose Knuckles Entertainment; USA) Featuring Tim Berne on alto sax and Matt Mitchell on piano. When Matt Mitchell first contacted Tim Berne, nearly a decade ago, he offered to write an arrangement of one of Mr. Berne's songs. Mr. Berne initially brushed him off and said there wasn't much written music to look over. Berne soon realized that Mitchell was serious and the two began collaborating. Mr. Berne soon put together a new band called Snakeoil of which Mr. Mitchell is a prominent member. After four fine Snakeoil CDs on the ECM label, Mr. Berne released a solo piano CD by Mr. Mitchell playing the music of Mr. Berne last year. Which brings to this, the new one, a duo disk from Mr. Berne and Mr. Mitchell. One of the things I have always dug about Tim Berne is that each of his bands or CD's are intense and often based on repeating lines. Now that these two have been working together for so long, we can hear the way their playing and composing is connected. "Perception/Reception" opens and sounds rather orchestral, the sax and piano seem to be shadowing each other and creating rich, thoughtful harmonies. As this dic unfolds, the two remain connected, tight and exciting like a roller-coster ride. Certain sections feature tightly connected themes, always balancing between furiously paced daredevil turns and changes in direction with the piano adding different shades to the way the sax is moving. Sometimes the sax starts off a piece by itself, with the piano soon doing in to orchestrate the shifting lines that the sax is unleashing. What I dig most about this disc is that it sounds as if everything here is part of a connected fabric, a series of stories that unfold one after the other yet all are somehow connected to an undercurrent. Both of these musicians play as if their life depended on how well they work together. As our current democracy continues to unravel more each day, we need to be inspired by unions of creative spirits that work so well together they show us that humans have still found a way to work perfectly in tandem. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $20
MARC DUCRET // TIM BERNE with FABRICE MARTINEZ / SYLVAINE HILARY / CHRISTIANE BOPP / BRUNO DUCRET - Palm Sweat: Ducret Plays the Music of Tim Berne (Screwgun / Out Of Your Head Records OOYH001; USA) Featuring Marc Ducret on electric & acoustic guitars, 4 & 6 string basses, daxophone, percussion, etc., Fabrice Martinez on trumpets, flugel & tuba, Sylvaine Helary on flute, Christiane Bopp on trombone and Bruno Ducret on cello, voice & handclaps. French guitarist Marc Ducret has been working with Downtown saxist/composer/band-leader, Tim Berne, since the mid-1990's when Mr. Ducret was a member of Berne's band Bloodcount (3 discs on JMT & 3 discs on Screwgun), as well as a band called Big Satan. Mr. Ducret and Mr. Berne still work together from time to time. I know about French flutist Sylvaine Hilary since she's released three of her own great discs and has worked with Eve Risser, Michel Edelin and Kris Davis. The other players here, Frabrice Martinez, Christiane Bopp and Ducret's son Bruno, I know of from a few previous discs with Marc Ducret as the leader. The open piece contains three Berne songs, "Curls/Palm Sweat/Mirth of the Cool", and it starts with several layers, fuzztoned, sustain guitars, all interlocked and somewhat sinister sounding. What's interesting abiut hese interpretations is that MR. Berne often writes this cyclic pieces which often repeat the same phrases over and over. Mr. Ducret plays these pieces or themes without so many repeated lines, using them to lead to something else. Ducret plays solo acoustic guitar on "Rolled Oats" before switching to several layers of electric guitars, many of them altered and buzzing together like angry bees. I love the way Ducret layers several electric and acoustic guitars on "Shiteless", which also has the brass (trombone & trumpet) adding strong harmonies. Much of this disc features several solo guitars, each electric one manipulated in different ways as well as the acoustic ones all tightly played together. Mr. Ducret seems to use his varied guitars in a more orchestral way as he layers many of them, rarely getting too dense. On "Stutter Step", Ducret begins with a dark, distorted metalish drone on which he adds some power, dark oddly melodic fragments. The fragments are based on a theme by Tim Berne most likely. Two other musicians, Matt Mitchell and Gregg Belisle-Chi, have both done tribute to Tim Berne in the past few years. This tribute obvious took some time as Mr. Ducret has reworked Mr. Berne's music in a variety of unexpected ways. This is one of the best and most inventive guitar(s) records I've heard in recent memory. Guitar freaks and Tim Berne fans please take notice. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $20
JULIUS HEMPHILL - Blue Boye (Screwgun 70008; USA) Julius Hemphill, alto and soprano saxophones, flute, percussion. Recorded January 1977 at Larchmont, NY Some music snarls. Some music simmers. Julius Hemphill's music was often eloquent enough to do both at once. Manipulating elemental blues motifs into intricate webs of sound, the saxophonist-composer caught the attention of almost everyone devoted to jazz during the last quarter of the century. Through his successes with the mighty World Saxophone Quartet and his own sextet Hemphill transcended fringe status before dying in 1995. And both the sum of his work and the power of his legacy make it clear: he was a determined progressive, one of the most fertile writers jazz has produced. This long-out-of-print solo recording Blue Boye was originally released in 1977. It's one of the most enchanting discs in Hemphill's considerable canon. - BLG "Recorded in 1977 in a cold basement studio in New York, the late Julius Hemphill self-released Blue Boye on his own Mbari label. Given that there was almost no independent distribution that actually paid people in those days, Hemphill's record, a beautifully packaged double album, sank without a trace. It seems that after his death, the original tapes of the album also disappeared. Enter Tim Berne, saxophonist, composer, bandleader, independent label boss, and art terrorist -- as well as a former student of Hemphill's. Out of devotion and an impeccable sense of knowing what to offer people, Berne has had the CD remastered from well-preserved vinyl copies, and listeners thus have this double CD. All eight tracks are meditations on various formal musical structures, and, as Hemphill claims in his manifesto-like liner notes, autobiographical. There is the chamber serialism of "Countryside," an impressionistic, textured travel through the inner workings of the flute and soprano saxophone as well as a gorgeous multi-tracked alto in the lower register. On "Hotend," Hemphill's multi-tracked saxophones are more expressionistic, using one part of the blues, one part personal experience, and one part the musical instinct of being a great balladeer -- in Archie Shepp's definition of the word. The playfulness of "OK Rubberband," with its funky backdrop and handclap percussion, is reminiscent of Roland Kirk in its humor, warmth, and screaming blues lines. On disc two, "Kansas City Line" is the most purely Hemphill piece in his entire oeuvre. On this piece, the solo alto -- playing itself through the blues and ancient swing lines -- reveals the true guiding light behind the World Saxophone Quartet. Here is the true funk and soul in the bottom of the jazz art. In "C.M.E.," Hemphill reveals the fine twining of soul, blues, and gospel and floats them along a time line from the end of the 19th to the end of the 20th century. Kirk again makes a spiritual appearance in the album's closer, "Homeboy Tootin' at the Dogstar." Here, overdubbed flutes and Hemphill's singing through them go for the deep groove right from the jump. They bend corners, lift themselves out of the gospel tradition, and head straight for the unknown -- while keeping the vernacular backbone a part of the story that everyone can hear. Blue Boye is a singular album, born of equal parts inspiration, determination, and artistry. It should be heard by virtually anyone interested in Hemphill to be sure, but not only. Blue Boye is an album that reveals as much about the history of American black music as Sly & the Family Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On, Anthony Braxton's For Alto, Aretha Franklin's Aretha, Duke Ellington's Drum Is a Woman, or Michael Jackson's Thriller." - Thom Jurek, AMG
2 CD Set $25
MATT MITCHELL // TIM BERNE - Forage (Screwgun; USA) "The compositions of iconic saxophonist/bandleader Tim Berne have earned renown for their intensely kinetic, dizzyingly intricate quality as performed around the world by his various groups over the past four decades. With the album fָrage available digitally and on CD from Screwgun listeners have the chance to experience Berne's music as never before, in versions for solo piano. Virtuoso pianist Matt Mitchell, a member of Berne's hit band Snakeoil, has explored the full range of the composer's songbook. In fact, Berne says: "No one knows my music better than Matt." On fָrage, Mitchell devises mash-ups of multiple compositions, improvises new angles off the music, and often slows it down to reveal heretofore hidden beauties limpid harmonies and ruminative melodies, like dark pearls unspooled. Studio maestro David Torn a longtime sonic co-conspirator with Berne, as well as producer of Mitchell's past two albums helmed the recording of fָrage. The cover artwork and distinctive CD package is by Steven Byram, who has worked hand in glove with Berne for decades." - Screwgun Over the few years, pianist & composer Matt Mitchell has moved from strength to strength, with two great discs as a leader on Pi Records, as well as being a member of several ensembles: Claudia Quintet, Tim Berne's Snakeoil and Dave Douglas units. Both Tim Berne and John Zorn have been singing the praises of Mr. Mitchell for his interpretations of their music. Mr. Mitchell has been an essential member of Tim Berne's great Snakeoil band, appearing on all three of their ECM CDs. Mr. Berne hasn't released anything new on his own Screwgun label in a while, so we know that something special is going on here. I played this disc several times in a row yesterday (2/7/17) at the store and was amazed at how astonishing it is. The first thing I noticed when listening to this disc at home is how well it is recorded: warm, perfectly balanced, superb. Mr. Mitchell does a great job of taking those difficult songs from Mr. Berne and expanding them, weaving in several lines, shifting the currents in his own distinct way. Anyone who has listened to the music of Tim Berne at length, knows the way the music develops: often repeating a phrase over and over and then altering it as it slowly evolves into something else. Mr. Mitchell handles these pieces in a similar way, starting with stating the theme and then adding different flourishes as it evolves. At the last Bagatelles Marathon that John Zorn did at National Sawdust a few months ago, Mr. Zorn singled out Matt Mitchell for his stunning interpretations of his music and had Mr. Mitchell play some solo piano versions. This disc is by far the best solo piano offering I've heard since Ron Stabinsky's gem from last year. Excellent! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $20
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ARCHIVAL & HISTORICAL RECORDINGS:
GRATEFUL DEAD - Blues for Allah - 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Rhino GRDW727497.2; USA) Grateful Dead Blues For Allah (50th Anniversary Remaster) "To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Grateful Dead's ambitious 1975 album Blues For Allah, we have produced what we feel is the most eclectic 50th anniversary reissue since this series began in 2017. The 3-disc special release features the original album on Disc 1, remastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering, with tape restoration and speed correction by Plangent Processes. On Disc 2, we have nearly 45 minutes of nearly-live material from August 12, 1975 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the soundcheck the day before the Dead's famous show at the venue on August 13, 1975, all mixed from the 16-track analog masters. Additionally, we have included the full Blues For Allah suite from the March 23, 1975 SNACK Benefit at Kezar Stadium, where the Dead played their first of four 1975 shows by debuting one of their most wild pieces of music they'd ever composed. Disc 3 features 75 minutes of live material recorded in June 1976 at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA, on the Dead's first tour after the release of Blues For Allah.
After ten years of touring non-stop until their run of five nights at Winterland in October or 1974, the Grateful Dead finally took some time off, playing only two gigs before premiering 'Blues for Allah' at the Great American Music Hall in August of 1975. The Dead have always claimed that they hated recording in a studio since they were mainly a live band and that their music and magic only existed in the live setting. I think all of the Dead's studio records sound fine yet their live gigs are where the transcendent moments occur more often. Hence, for the first time, the Dead took their time to record their next album, 'Blues for Allah', creating all of the music mostly in Bob Weir's own home studio. There is something more relaxed and organic going on here and we can hear that in the studio version here. The live premiere of 'Blues for Allah' is also included here as well as several songs from two dates at the Tower Theatre in Philly from June of 1876. I, myself, am about to finish listening to all 42 sets from 1974, for the 5th time in a row and am working on some best of CD-R's which I call "Bruce's Picks". I will let you know when I am done and hope to have them on Archive.Org in the future. - BLG at DMG
3 CD Set $36
MILLIONS OF DEAD COPS - Millions Of Dead Cops: Millennium Edition (Beer City BCR 175; USA) "Millions of Dead Cops is the first iconic, full-length classic record by M.D.C. This was first released in 1981 and quickly became an overnight sensation. Not only did M.D.C. deliver a record full of fast intense music, but this record would influence 1000's of hardcore/punk and bands of political nature to this day. The corruption of cops! Greed of corporations! Racism! The fact that not all people were the same, but so what -- that's OK! Are all addressed in this groundbreaking album. Many of these issues were quite taboo at the time and had not been addressed to this degree in punk before. Round it all off with this being fully restored and re mastered with the original mix. You have a definite must-have album!"
CD $15 / LP $24
THE MONOCHROME SET - Lotus Bridge (Tapete TR 605CD; Germany) Unashamedly literate UK post-punk sophisticates The Monochrome Set, having amassed a formidable catalogue of releases over five decades, are ready to release their new opus Lotus Bridge on Tapete Records -- the band's home for the last twelve years and six studio albums. Their instantly recognizable sound and darkly humorous lyrics have always set them apart. Bid's cerebral wit and debonair tones, melded to infectious melodies and deft songcraft of a cinematic and literary quality, have been quietly influential over a diverse set of artists since their inception and throughout different stages of their career. The band are, in essence, a national treasure. Lotus Bridge is a psychedelic trip into Bid's rich and fantastical dreamworld. Based on a singular dream that represented itself after an eight-month hiatus just when it became time to record again, Bid recounts in sharp detail the myriad of characters and surroundings that appeared in his dream and inspired this new set of stories to unfold. This new album follows on from Bid's book of selected lyrics -- Strange Young Alien -- published by Ventil Verlag in November 2025. Lotus Bridge has a subtle but quite different feel compared to previous TMS albums -- the core use of electric piano and acoustic guitar, electric guitars often used in wide stereo, and overall a very focused and almost orchestral feel to it. There are also ambient sounds between many of the songs, so that the whole album feels like a connected whole. Bid is joined in The Monochrome Set for this recording by fellow original Andy Warren on bass, Stephen Gilchrist on drums and Athen Ayren on keyboards and guitar. Alice Healey once again provides backing vocals. The album was recorded at OneCat Studio in London, engineered by Jon Clayton and produced by Jon Clayton and Bid.
CD $18
LP SECTION:
MATS GUSTAFSSON & KJETIL MOSTER DUO - Nanaimo Swing (Black Dot Records 006LP; Canada)
"The residents of Scandinavia and those of coastal regions of Canada have more than a few commonalities. For one thing, they love seafood as well as the act of gathering it. And while this briny lust was not the sole rationale behind this, Mats Gustafsson's third visit to the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island off the coast of British Columbia, I am certain it was on his mind. After all, his second visit to the city, with his band Fire!, was designed around a fishing trip envisioned by promoter/label head Jack Tieleman as a sure way to lure those salmon-hungry Swedes to town. That such a gambit was not conjured up again must mean that either Kjetil Moster (a Norwegian rather than Swedish musician) had no overwhelming lust for fin or that their schedule was just too tight. I have asked about this several times, and the lack of response makes me wonder if it is a touchy topic. Maybe there's some kind of law against anti-piscatorial activity in Norway, so things have to be kept hush-hush. But that's just a guess. Regardless, this duo LP is totally great, savage and funny in equal measures. Whether there's sea salt on his lips or not, Mats is one of the great saxophonists of his generation, playing everything from traditional post-bop sax to explosive experimental electronics and many many things in between. The other half of the duo, Kjetil Moster, plays with Mats in a wild quintet called The End, and has a vast array of other projects and ensembles with whom he plays and records. Together, they form and exciting unit, employing a vast array of techniques (freaky and otherwise) to create music ranging from elegantly floating reed interactions to full-on fire music form-tussles. The music at times recalls everything from Eric Dolphy's backyard birdcall practice to rusty electronics worthy of Lasse Marhaug. That Mats and Kjetil are able to flow back and forth between such distant poles during their first-ever appearance as a duo speaks to an excellence in communication as well as lightning-fast response time. It is a gas and a blast from start to finish. How I wish I'd been there!" - Byron Coley
LP $30
INDIAN TALKING MACHINE PART TWO - Instrumental Gems From The 78rpm Era (Sublime Frequencies 131LP; USA) This double LP of instrumental Hindustani, Carnatic and folk 78rpm shellac records from India comes with a full color 12-page insert of gramophone record ephemera, shops, labels, manufacturing details and graphics. The LPs feature over 25 artists recorded between 1904 and 1959 playing a panoply of instruments: jalatarang, dilruba, sarod, clarionet, pakhawaj, violin, been, kazoo, shehnai, tabla, sarangi, sitar, vina and more. Artists include Imdad Khan (the first sitarist ever recorded), Ahmedjan Thirkhawa, Bundu Khan, Amir Hussain, Allauddin Khan (who taught Ravi Shankar), and others both forgotten and revered. The Indian classical instrumental tradition is one of incredible proficiency and expressiveness using instruments and techniques created over generations that seem to perfectly and uniquely compliment Indian culture, landscape and tradition. Sympathetic strings resonate inside sitars and sarangis to manifest shimmering reverberant spiritual spaces; horns, reeds and flutes extend the range, volume and melodic inventiveness of the voice; a mind-boggling array of elaborately turned percussion instruments allow for rhythms as complex or as simple as the flowing Ganges River. Classical music in India was perhaps at its height during the 78rpm period as the raj era was ending and the world was globalizing. 2LP gatefold with 12-page full color booklet insert. Produced by Robert Millis (Climax Golden Twins/Victrola Favorites) and features never reissued recordings and is the long-anticipated follow up to the Indian Talking Machine book/CD (Sublime Frequencies 099), which was also produced by Millis from his collection of 78rpm records and ephemera.
2 LP Set $38
BOOKER STARDRUM - Close-up On The Outside (We Jazz WJLP 080LP; Finland) Drummer/composer Booker Stardrum delivers a new powerful solo album Close-up On The Outside, his first for We Jazz Records. The new record sees Stardrum (also a member of SML) doubling down on the earthy tactility of human sound and communication while also exploring rich, electroacoustic landscapes. The album involves Stardrum's close collaborators Anna Butterss, Jeremiah Chiu, Chris Williams, Lester St. Louis, Logan Hone and Michael Coleman. The opening title track and the brief "Minturn" place Stardrum's solo music in the stillness of a late summer farm, with field recordings of insects and birds localizing the music; wooden balafon-like strokes are then looped into the foundational structure of the closing "Inside Sounds," hovering at poles that are both plaintive and direct. Dry, homemade mallet instruments and field recordings also nod in the direction of Harry Partch. There's a lot of warmth and sweat in Stardrum's music -- even if it's electroacoustic, one feels that it's made by people, and there is a biologically systemic quality to the way in which digital and analog sounds are interpolated. He creates textures through midi controllers, samples, and loops, wherein acoustic sequences are altered to fit plugged-in concepts or acoustic instrumentalists are brought in to humanize what he's already mapped out electronically. Threading the unique and very present feel of other musicians into his universe with an electronic hand is a fascinating challenge. The people Stardrum chose to work with on Close-up on the Outside are mostly artists he's worked with for years, or been connected to through mutual instigators. Bringing it back to the earthbound carpet that he's striving for, the push-pull between humanism and machinery ties into an ecological concept that Stardrum wants to call attention to. Toggling between composer and organizer, sound designer and instrumentalist, Stardrum offers that this music "represents my pure vision because it's my music, but that vision also involves playing with other people and letting them do what they do and also hoping that they're trusting me to do what I do. But in the end, making a solo record is much more a conversation with myself than setting up an improvised dialogue with various collaborators. Everything has its own special place in my orbit."
LP $30
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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 BLGallanter@gmail.com
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Uptown Record Fair
Saturday, March 7, 12pm-6pm
Recirculation, a project of Word Up
876 Riverside Dr
NY NY 10032
[Event Page]
*Records*Tapes*CDs*DJs*Coffee*Snacks*Music Books*Fun
-Featuring a dozen vendors!
-DJ Lineup: Amanda Nazario, Delaceiba, Woof, Uptown Vinyl Supreme (Buddy & Josh), Amiri Mikel
I'll be at the Word Up record table most of the day, and we have a big collection of jazz, early jazz, blues, folk, and gospel on LP and CD. In fact we have so many CDs that we're running a special: fill up a tote bag with CDs for 10 bucks! We also have some cool books and ephemera.
Also looking forward to the return of Cafe Loiza, setting up a cart in our music section, serving incredible coffee. And there's a Word Up Collective bake sale too.
Come on down!
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THE STONE RESIDENCIES / ARUAN ORTIZ MARCH 4-7
Aruán Ortiz presents Transculturalism: A Post-Modern Métissage
3/4 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Reimagining Trópiques: Aruan Ortiz (piano) Isabel Crespo Pardo (voice) Aliya Ultan (prepared cello) special guest Brent Hayes Edward
3/5 Thursday
8:30pm - Abstract Farmers: Aruan Ortiz (piano) Hery Paz (sax) Tom Rainey (drums)
3/6 Friday
8:30 pm - Firm Roots: Aruan Ortiz (piano) Darius Jones (sax) Lester St. Louis (cello, electronics)
3/7 Saturday
8:30 pm - Pastor's Paradox: Aruan Ortiz (piano) Don Byron (sax, clarinet) Pheeroan AkLaff (drums)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / BRIAN CHASE / MARCH 11th - 14th
3/11 Wednesday
8:30 pm - LACE ACTION CARDS - Zeena Parkins (electric harp) Brian Chase (drums)
3/12 Thursday
8:30 pm - DRUMS & DRONES - Brian Chase (drums, electronics)
3/13 Friday
8:30 pm - DUO - Lee Ranaldo (guitar, objects, electronics) Brian Chase (drums)
3/14 Saturday
8:30 pm - TRIO: Yuka Honda (electronics) Ikue Mori (electronics) Brian Chase (drums, electronics)
THE STONE is located in
The New School at the Glass Box Theatre
55 West 13th Street - near 6th ave
For more info: https://thestonenyc.com/calendar.php?month=1
LIVE MUSIC
wed-sat - music at 8:30pm
ADMISSION - $20 per set
unless otherwise noted
cash only payment
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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:
New one as of 1/19/2026:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyjcwHu5_1E
The above new Henry Kaiser show features Henry & friends using a variety of guitars, tremelo bars & effects and it is around 2 hours long!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KGp0VH4yQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWn5MRUOTAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ste9pdLiz_0
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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:
This is a new one as of 1/19/2026:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simian-podcasts/id1754730297
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-37
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-36
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