Joking apart
When you're drunk you're terrific
When you're drunk
I like you mostly late at night
You're quite alright
But I can't understand the different you
In the morning, when it's time
To play at being human for a while
Please smile!
You'll be different in the spring
I know, you're a seasonal beast
Like the starfish that drift in with the tide
With the tide
So until your blood runs
To meet the next full moon
Your madness fits in nicely with my own
With my own
Your lunacy fits neatly with my own
My very own
We're not alone
Whenever I hear this song (in my head or on a record), I am overwhelmed with emotions. For me, it is the most haunting, resonant and stirring song that exists. Robert Wyatt was the drummer, singer, songwriter and founding member of Soft Machine, the ultimate Canterbury band which went through several sea changes between 1968 and 1975. Each of their seven numbered albums and 'Bundles' are/were brilliant, their sound was ever-evolving record to record, gig to gig. Robert Wyatt was a key member of Soft Machine on their first four albums. Soft Machine started out as a completely unique psychedelic outfit who were influenced by progressive jazz, avant-garde & Pataphysical philosophy and varied forms of experimentation. Mr. Wyatt claimed he was forced out of the band in 1971 and was ever dismayed by this fact. Wyatt recorded his first solo effort in 1970, called 'End of An Ear', another strange & wonderful record. He then founded his own band, Matching Mole (French for Soft Machine), another fine band that made two great studio albums. Tragedy struck when Mr. Wyatt attended a party for Lady June and fell out of her window, landing on and breaking his back three floors below. He ended up in a hospital and convalesced on a beach with his wife and illustrator Alfreda Benge (also known as Alfie). He composed his next solo album during his stay at the hospital, on the beach and at home and according to Softs bassist Hugh Hopper, the songs are filled with the pain he was having at the time. That record is called 'Rock Bottom' and has remained a favorite of myself, my roommates at college and many fans worldwide ever since it was released in 1974. I got a chance to meet and hang out with Robert Wyatt (and Alfreda) in December of 1975 at their cottage, thanks to Hugh Hopper (then a member of Isotope), who I had interviewed earlier that day. We talked and listened to music for several hours and I asked Mr. Wyatt about the meaning to some of the songs from 'Rock Bottom' and 'Ruth is Stranger Than Richard'. He said that he couldn't really explain their meaning since they were a product of what he was going through at the time and that anyone who listens to these songs, has their own way of dealing with their meaning, message or moral.
I just learned of a new animated film which was inspired by 'Rock Bottom'. It is listed below if you want to purchase a copy. I haven't seen it yet but will do so soon. Robert Wyatt has long been my favorite singer, songwriter and drummer. I cherish each of his dozen plus albums. Plus I dig his quirky sense of humor. Check this out: this lyric from the first Soft Machine album: "I'm nearly 5 foot 7 tall, I like to smoke and drink and ball. I've got a yellow suit that's made by Pam. And every day I like an egg and some tea. But best of all I like to talk about me!" A big toast to Robert Wyatt! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
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THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY 35th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT SERIES Continues with:
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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RECOMMENDED SHOW:
JOEL HARRISON ALBUM RELEASE SHOW
Friday, March 13th at 7pm
Celebrating the release of 'Don't Forget Your Guitar'
By Joel Harrison & The Alternative Guitar Summit
Featuring Guitarists:
GILAD HEKSELMAN
DAVID GILMORE
ANTHONY PIROG
WENDY EISENBERG
EMMANUEL MICHAEL
MAX LIGHT
GRANT GORDY
TIM WATSON
JOEL HARRISON
At NUBLU
151 Avenue C in Loisaida, NYC
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THIS WEEKS' SONIC GEMS BEGIN with:
ROBERT WYATT // MARIA TRENOR - Rock Bottom (Cleopatra CLO6568; USA) DVD. Inspired by the music and life of Robert Wyatt - who co-founded the British psychedelic rock band Soft Machine - Rock Bottom is a self-destructive love story between Bob and Alif, a young couple of artists immersed in the creative whirlwind of the early 70s hippie culture. Drugs will turn a passionate summer into a nightmare in a journey through the themes of Wyatt's music: the euphoria and anguish of artistic creation, the unconscious fascination with drugs, the disenchantment with routine and physical and mental degradation.
"Rock Bottom' by María Trénor is established as one of the most outstanding fiction/documentary films when it comes to paying tribute to artists who, unbeknownst to many, are pillars of music." —Furanu, Moviementarios
"[Rock Bottom] often resembles a trip itself. The interplay of the bright colors and the almost omnipresent music turn the drama into a psychedelic journey of discovery." - Olivier Armknecht, Film-Revensionen
"The visuals shine as the film ultimately becomes Trénor's blank canvas for experimentation with an outcome that allows the animator to demonstrate her creative abilities" — Zippy Frames
Nominated for the GOYA AWARD for BEST ANIMATED FEATURE & Winner of the ANNECY INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED FILM FESTIVAL.
Considering that Robert Wyatt's seminal solo effort "Rock Bottom" is my (and many others) favorite album of all time, I looked forward to seeing and hearing what director Maria Trenor has come up with. During my third year at college (1974-1975), my college roommates and myself played this record over and over. We were devastated by this haunting masterpiece, the more we listened, the more we understood what was going on. It took some stimulating discussions to get there. When I asked Robert Wyatt (in December of 1975, at college in London) the meaning of some of the songs, he said that we each have to figure out the meaning for ourselves and that this is a personal journey - the meaning in the words, voice and music can be found if we dig deep enough. Can't wait to watch this film. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
Last Sunday (3/8/26) I watched this film at home after a long day of cleaning and reorganizing my collection and making a big salad for dinner. I wasn’t so sure what to expect from this film but I was intrigued by the idea. I read about the award winning director, Maria Trenor and was even more intrigued. Considering that the ‘Rock Bottom’ album is so unique and oddly enchanting, that it would be difficult to capture its essence other than just listening closely to it. The film is an absorbing fictionalized version of ‘Rock Bottom’ with a few our our fave Canterbury characters: Bob (Robert Wyatt from Soft Machine, Matching Mole & long solo career), Kevin (Ayers from Soft Machine & a long solo career) and Daevid (Allen, early Softs & Gong founder & long solo journey). A couple of other of Wyatt’s associates like Nick Mason (drummer for Pink Floyd & producer for ‘Rock Bottom’) and Richard (Branson, head of Virgin Records, the label that released ‘Rock Bottom’ & Gong, Hatfield & the North & Henry Cow). Although this is a fictionalized animated version, Ms. Trenor does a fine job of portraying Wyatt, Ayers and Allen, as the lovable oddballs that they are/were, even having some philosophically silly conversations. I should know as i once interviewed Mr. Wyatt and Mr. Allen. There is quite a bit of drug taking and drinking going on throughout giving us a hazy version of what might have happened. Some might complain that Ms. Trenor took quite a bit of liberties with the story but you should remember that ‘Rock Bottom’ is a somewhat bizarre masterpiece which is not very easy to figure out. The thing that many of us love about this album is that we each have our own way of dealing with the meaning, message or moral of this work. Visually, most of the animation is stunning to watch, reminding me of the more positive aspects of some of the acid trips that I used to take, so many years ago. Listening to this album back then and over a long time since, I still am fascinated by it and have to think about what is going on below the surface. An equally strong presence in the film is Alfie (Alfreda Benge, Wyatt’s wife for many years, his protector and a great illustrator who designed all of Mr. Wyatt’s album covers). Alfie is a tortured filmmaker in the film and I believe that director sees herself in some of Alfie’s quests. ‘Rock Bottom’ is unlike most other records of its time, it is filled with sadness, gibberish and often hard to decipher lyrics and shimmering, underwater-like melodies and currents. Ms. Trenor does capture this inexplicable magic quite well so I applaud her for giving all of us another chance to deal with, consider and come a bit closer to figuring out what ‘Rock Bottom’ is all about. There is a picture I saw on line when I was researching Ms. Trenor and it is Mr. Wyatt and together, showing Wyatt a hand drawer animation from the future film. It is great to know that Robert Wyatt knew or knows about this film. “It begins as a blessing and ends as a curse”. - Kevin Ayers once sang. Canterbury fans rejoice! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
DVD $18
THE THIRD MIND with DAVE ALVIN / JESSE SYKES / DAVID IMMERGLUCK / VICTOR KRUMMENACHER / MICHAEL JEROME - Spellbinder! (Yep Roc Records 3121; USA) In 2011 the fourth & final album, ‘Marble Son’, by Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter was released, the band toured (I caught them at Bowery Ballroom & they was incredible!) and soon broke up as did their frontline couple Ms. Sykes and Phil Wandscher. I wrote to Jesse and asked when the next record would come up and she wrote back that once she was depressed after her breakup and wasn’t sure if she would record again. Many of her fans (myself included) were devastated. In 2020, Ms. Sykes was asked to sing lead with a West Coast jam/psych band called The Third Mind which featured Dave Alvin (from the Blasters & long solo career) on lead guitar, David Immergluck (guitar) & Victor Krummenacher (bass) both from Camper Van Beethoven & the Monks of Doom and Michael Jerome (from the Richard Thompson Trio) on drums. The band started by jamming on and recording a cosmic version of “East West” by the Butterfield Blues Band (the original blues/rock/psych jam instrumental epic) . What made The Third Mind so great were several things: the guitar playing of Mr. Alvin & Mr. Immergluck, the sad, fragile, haunting voice of Ms. Sykes and the many wonderful covers that they did from: Alice Coltrane, Fred Neil, the Grateful Dead, Pharoah Sanders, Electric Flag, the Youngbloods and other well-selected gems. The Third Mind have recorded four full length albums, each one is a marvel if you like this sort of roots rock/psych/folk/Spirit-Jazz/blues… In October of last year (2025) I caught Third Mind playing at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City for the first east coast tour. They were just incredible live, perhaps the best psychedelic rock band I’ve heard live in many years! Which brings us to…
Just released is a 4 song CD-EP (36 minutes) which includes remixed and altered versions of three songs from their last album plus an opening instrumental which has never been released. The opening song is also the title song, “Spellbinder”, and it doesn’t sound quite like anything that they’ve recorded before. This piece features an infectious rhythmic groove with their great drummer at the center plus cosmic psych guitar(s) and hammond organ from their guest Willie Aron. Both former members of Camper van Beethoven are also members of Mushroom, the two decade old Bay Area jam/psych/prog band and this is what this piece sounds like, perhaps more focused and even better. An album of instrumentals like this piece would be something that all of us psych/jam freaks would love to hear. “Reap What You Sow” was written by Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites who were both members of the Electric Flag. This song is a blues/rock gem with spirited singing by Ms. Sykes and stinging guitar from Dave Alvin. “Before We Said Goodbye” was written by Jesse Sykes and it is a rare original for this band. This song sounds like a solemn jazz ballad with tasty jazz chords on guitar, Ms. Sykes haunting, fragile voice, sympathetic strings and a great slow-burn guitar solo. The last piece is “Darkness, Darkness”, an ancient rock anthem first written and recorded by the Youngbloods. This song is a most memorable one, both the original version and made even better here with soaring vocals by Jesse and powerful guitars of Dave Alvin and David Immergluck. After some mind-blowing double guitar solos, this piece morphs into “The Creator Has a Master Plan”, which was written and performed by Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas, a true Spirit/Jazz anthem with enchanting lyrics that makes one want to sing along as soon as we hear it. If any of you are depressed by the Daily News/Blues, then you should check out The Third Mind, a most transformative band who don’t sound like anyone else and have created some Cosmic Medicine to help us all get through the dark side of life. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15 / LP $25
MERZBOW / MATS GUSTAFSSON / BALAZS PANDI - Cuts Cut (Victo 139; Quebec; Canada) The final set of this year’s FIMAV was an all-star trio with Merzbow (Japan) on sampler, homemade electronics & an guitar-like object, Mats Gustafsson (Sweden) on saxes & electronics and Balazs Pandi (Poland) on drums. As expected, the set began with some brain-blasting brutal noise: Mats & Merzbow both on electronics and Mr. Pandi pounding the drums. It was a great opening salvo but could it or should it last for the entire set?!? Eventually Mats switched to bari sax, a different type of blasting was taking place. After what seems like a long eruption, Mr. Pandi finally slowed down, giving Mats and Merzbow a chance to stretch out and create a more interesting less brutal soundscape. Although Merzbow is known for his extreme electronics, he is much more diverse and creative than most give him credit for. The best part of the set was when both Merzbow and Mats worked more carefully with their electronics while Mr. Pandi played some cerebral, shifting currents on his drums. Mr. Pandi sounded like he was the leader during the last section, centering the band with shrewd and ever-inventive playing. Over the last few years Mr. Pandi has turned up many records with a diverse cast: Ivo Perelman & Joe Morris, Roswell Rudd & Jamie Saft… Towards the end of the set Mats Gustasson took a long unaccompanied tenor solo which brought this set to a grand climax, helping us all find a way to get back to the real world which is waiting for us when we return to our homes in the next couple of days. This set seemed like an odd way to send us all off into our current troubled world. I mentioned this to Mr. Levasseur at the beginning of the fest but he explained that it would be a good way to cleanse ourselves, sonically speaking. I am not so sure about that but I did feel a sense of closure, enough is enough. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG - taken from my annual Victo review in 2018
CD $15
FINALLY IN STOCK:
DEREK BAILEY / HAN BENNINK / EVAN PARKER - Topographie Parisienne (Fou Records FR 034-37CD; France) "Three legends of jazz and improvised music. A historic three-day concert featuring Derek Bailey, Han Bennink, and Evan Parker, already at the peak of their arts, both free-spirited and deeply attentive to one another (in duo form) or to each other (in trio form), and, of course, incredibly creative. A rare and precious find! Such a recording deserved a beautiful presentation, and that's exactly what we get. A magnificent four-disc set with a booklet. Each disc has its own gatefold sleeve with photos from the concert. The booklet includes liner notes by Bill Shoemaker, Sturat Broomer, Philippe Alen, Joël Pagier, and Jean Rochard, as well as an explanatory note by Jean-Marc Foussat, who recorded the concert."
4 CD Set $60 [Limited Edition & 3 left until we get in our 2nd batch]
BRANDON SEABROOK with ELIAS STEMSEDER / ERICA DICKER / HENRY FRASER - Hellbent Daydream (Pyroclastic; USA) Featuring Brandon Seabrook on guitar, banjo & compositions, Eric Dicker on violin, Elias Stemseder on piano & synths and Henry Fraser on bass. Of all of the great guitarists who live and play in NYC, Brandon Seabrook stands out for his unique sound and approach as well as the way comes up with many bursts of frantic, bent note weirdness. Whether playing with his varied projects or collaborating other downtowners like Tomas Fujiwara, Gerald Cleaver and Jacob Garchik, we never know which direction he will head next. For this new disc, Mr. Seabrock has a new quartet with Elias Stemseder (current downtowner who has worked with Jim Black) on keyboards, Erica Dicker (Anthony Braxton & Jessica Pavone collaborator) and Henry Fraser (Chris Pitsiokos Unit & trio with Sam Weinberg & Weasel Walter).
Things begin with the oddly titled “Name Dropping is the Lowest Form of Conversation (Waltz)”, which does sound like a waltz of sorts. The guitar and violin play the childlike, jewelry box melody tightly together with Mr. Stemeseder adding some quirky synth in the last section. Mr. Seabrook takes a short, distinctive, bent-note guitar solo at one point. The music itself reminds me that Van Dyke Park-like music-for-commercials goofiness / charm. “Bespattered Bygones” also has a similar quirky charm with Stemeseder’s Wurlitzer-like piano playing tightly with Seabrook’s own unique sustained tone solo. Seabrook switches to banjo for the title piece while the quartet plays in a chamber-like way, all members linked by a set of patterns which are held together by an insistent 4/4 soft throbbing groove. What I like most about this disc is that it has its own sounds and style. It is not really jazz or rock or classical but a unique hybrid. It does sound like chamber music but not that difficult, hard-to-listen to type. All four members of the quartet are fully utilized and often play things that would play in any other context. The music here is often mesmerizing and unlike any other music I’ve heard. There are few solos here since the music itself is complete, well thought out and filled with unexpected surprises nonetheless. This is both mysterious and enchanting at the same time. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
RODRIGO AMADO'S THE BRIDGE with ALEX VON SCHLIPPENBACH / JOE McPHEE / KENT KESSLER / CHRIS CORSANO - Further Beyond (Trost 266CD; Austria) The fiery Portuguese tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado returns with the sophomore album from his multigenerational quartet the Bridge, spanning modern jazz history with a deeply experienced line-up: German free jazz pioneer Alexander von Schlippenbach on piano, veteran Swiss-based American Gerry Hemingway on drums, and the explosive Norwegian Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on bass. Amado's Bridge is the span linking the spirit of improvisation Rollins applied to composed music and modern free improvisation. For Portuguese tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado past and future have always been connected, bound in tradition while breaking free of it. The muscular reedist values collaboration deeply, working with countless musicians from his homeland, while simultaneously forming an ever-expanding constellation of international ensembles, including the powerful cross-generational quartet with veteran multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee, Chicago double bassist Kent Kessler, and the explosive drummer Chris Corsano -- which has released several instant classics on Trost. A few years ago, Amado formed the Bridge, another quartet featuring a stellar cast of musicians from different regions and different eras. The saxophonist's deep regard for jazz history led him to assemble a group for the ages. There's the legendary German pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach -- a still dominant figure who's been a revolutionary figure in improvised music and avant-garde composition since the early 1960s. American drummer Gerry Hemingway, who made his name as a member of Anthony Braxton's great quartet from the 1980s, has consistently reinforced his stature of one of the most restless, multivalent figures in experimental music from his adopted base in Lucerne, Switzerland. Double bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten rounds out the group -- a Norwegian virtuoso who's worked in the Thing with Mats Gustafsson and Paal Nilssen-Love, and more recently who's demonstrated his evolving strength as a composer with his group (Exit) Knarr. In 2023 Trost released the Bridge's galvanic debut Beyond the Margins, reflecting the tight connection the members developed on its first run of concerts in the fall of 2022, but the group's follow-up Further Beyond takes the music to another level. Across three full-bodied pieces the quartet summons a great deal of jazz history on its way to advancing the tradition.
CD $18
THE FOREST with ANDREW DRURY / LESLEY MOK / MICHAEL WIMBERLEY / GUSTAVO AGUILAR / LEAH BOWDEN / JD PARRAN / WARREN SMITH - (D)ruminations for Edward Blackwell (different track 50025; USA) As far as I can tell, all the members of this project play drums and/or percussion except for reeds specialist JD Parran. This disc was inspired by drum legend Ed Blackwell who played in Ornette Coleman’s original quartet, moving to NYC in 1960 and went on to work with David Murray, Dewey Redman, Old & New Dreams and the Jazz Composers Orchestra. Mr. Drury studied with Mr. Blackwell for nine years, The music here was inspired by a duo album with Mr. Blackwell and Don Cherry which was called ‘Mu’, was recorded in Paris and released in 1969. Ed Blackwell started out playing that second line groove in New Orleans, collaborated with Ornette Coleman in the late 1950’/early 1960’s to help create what became “free jazz”, wove many types of jazz into his sound as well as absorbing the essence of African music is his travels.
“(D)ruminations Part 1” starts out with a simple groove as assorted percussionists enter one at time building to a wave of pulsating percussionists: various drums, wood things, cymbals and marimba. The next section features marimba and wood flute playing quietly together as other instruments soon enter the picture. The central groove is slow and hypnotic with flute and various drummers all johing in. This music has a tribal, ritualistic and rather joyous vibe which permeates the proceedings. “Part 2” begins with soprano sax and piano, not sure who is playing the piano. Again, the central repeating groove has an infectious quality with what sounds like a timpani or a large bass drum over a lush piano riff. Each piece features a hypnotic groove riff at the center with flute)s), piano and different percussion added. There is an enchanting organic, warm and calming vibe which runs throughout the music here which feels just right. “Part 4” features some brass or perhaps rubbed (drum?) surfaces which sound like a herd of elephants chanting together. This pieces expands with several layers of percussion interwoven in a thoughtful tapestry of rhythms. The last piece was composed by Warren Smith, longtime percussion virtuoso & leader of M’Boom, the legendary percussion ensemble, in 1969. This piece has a most cerebral sound which illustrates that percussion music involves melodies and textures, not just rhythmic elements. A consistently enchanting endeavor. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
THREE PREVIOUS DISCS from DOWNTOWN DRUM GREAT ANDREW DRURY ON SALE: All out-of-print, last copies:
1032K with KU-UMBA FRANK LACY / KEVIN RAY / ANDREW DRURY ROSWELL RUDD - The Law of Vibration (Self-produced; 1032K; USA) Featuring Ku-umba Frank Lacy on trombone, flumpet & percussion, Kevin Ray on bass and Andrew Drury on drums plus guest Roswell Rudd on trombone for one piece. I recall seeing trombonist Frank Lacy playing many times during the loft jazz days of the 1970's, especially in a variety of large ensembles: Carla Bley, Henry Threadgill, McCoy Tyner and the Mingus Big Band. More recently Mr. Lacy has been working with Salim Washington & Scott Robinson. His recordings as a leader seem to be relatively rare and this seems to be the second disc by the 10-32 trio. This is a formidable trio with bassist Kevin Ray (currently working with Matt Shipp in a new quartet) and drummer Andrew Drury (in demand & working with Jason Hwang, Yoni Kretzmer & Jessica Lurie). Mr. Lacy composed two of the six pieces here with two covers (Roswell Rudd & John Coltrane) and two pieces by the two deceased members of the Air: Fred Hopkins & Steve McCAll. Trombone-led trios are also pretty rare and this one sounds especially strong. Opening with "1000 Years of Peace", a great title with a sparkle of hope shining through. Mr. Lacy has a classic, compelling, old school/new school tone on trombone, which stretches from the ancient times (the fifties or so) until today. The piece is mostly written through with strong playing by all three members of the trio. Fred Hopkins' "RB" starts off with just haunting bowed bass, suspense-filled metal percussion and low-end mallet work. Again, Mr. Lacy's powerful tone and inspired playing make this a most engaging release. The late, great fellow trombonist, Roswell Rudd, joins the trio for a superb rendition of his own song, "Yankee No-How". Both trombonists sound especially inspired playing together, pushing each other and the rest of the trio into the stratosphere of energy. Even when the trombone(s) lay out, the bass and drums sound great on their own and create thoughtful drama, passion and intensity. What amazes me about this trio and this disc is that, the trio sounds so complete, focused, perfect just as they are. The last song is a cover of a later John Coltrane song, called "Living Story", and is found only on a posthumous Trane album of the same name. It also sounds completely spirited and it is a great way to bring this superb release to a grand close. Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
ANDREW DRURY / MYRA MELFORD / BRIGGAN KRAUSS - My Fingers Will Be Your Tears (Cadence Jazz CJR 1207; USA) Featuring Andrew Drury on drums, Myra Melford on piano and Briggan Krauss on alto sax. This looks to be another strong line-up. Andrew Drury, as evidenced on this fine recording, is obviously a drummer with both a secure rhythmic sense and the ability to mess with metronomic time (yet still hold the flow of the music). Andrew brings together Myra Melford's directional piano and Briggan Krauss' distinctive sax approach/sound to form a power trio that fearlessly throws itself into edgy compositions and constructions. Together, these three create Jazz with directness and unexpected turns that offer powerful rewards for the listener.
CD Sale $10
ANDREW DRURY with EIVIND KANG / BRIGGAN KRAUSS / CHRIS SPEED / MYRA MELFORD / MARK DRESSER - A Momentary Lapse (Innova 581; USA) Featuring Eyvind Kang on violin, Briggan Krause & Chris Speed on reeds, Myra Melford on piano, Mark Dresser on contrabass and Andrew Drury on drums & compositions. You might remember former Seattle-based drummer Andrew Drury from a fine cd we reviewed and sold a couple of years back called 'Polish Theatre Posters'. He has since moved here and this marvelous cd is the fruit of his labors. "The Schwartzes" has a twisted theme which both saxes and violin play with rambunctious spirit, as all three swirl frantically around one another, the rhythm team bending the flow down below. Solo episodes follow with Myra taking one of her great, freer and intense solos, before Briggan, Chris and Eyvind erupt their demented fragments once more. "Salal" deals with some mysterious, dark textures with everyone stretching the notes out through bowing and bent reed sounds, completely enchanting. Andrew's writing on "Vaxjo Kollektiv" shows that a great deal of craft and thought went into this, as the piece has few different sections from complex polyphony of the recurring theme which bridges the excellent solos from the piano and violin. "Copalis" has more of a melancholy feel with some eloquent piano from Myra and marvelous, quietly quirky playing/writing from Andrew's ensemble and pen. "Some Powerful Women" also has some quirky and challenging harmonies and fragmentary sections, some somber and some spirited, but features some eerie arco strings and gongs and cymbals in the second half, as well as warm, lush clarinet from Chris Speed. "Anniversary of Non-Marriage" seems to be the freest piece here, but also deals with textures and some tight ensemble playing - excellent. Andrew does a great job of composing pieces which push his ensemble through dense and shifting sections, so that there are often two or three parts moving and connecting at the same time. This makes for some challenging listening to hear all that is going on at once as it evolves through changing sections. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
WILLY RODRIGUEZ with INGRID LAUBROCK / LEO GENOVESE / ALLAN HARRIS - In the Unknown (I Will Find You)(Sunnyside SSC1797; USA) New York composer-drummer Willy Rodriguez presents his profoundly thoughtful second album as a leader, In The Unknown (I Will Find You), shaped by grief, memory, and the search for spiritual reunion. Deeply personal in origin yet expansive in sound, the music reflects a journey toward connection in the absence of certainty, with music serving as the sole space where reunion feels possible.
Leading an unconventional trio without bass, Rodriguez joins forces with master musical polymath Leo Genovese and boundary-pushing saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock to form a fluid, boundless collective. Free of stylistic constraints, the trio allows the music to unfold multi-directionally through open forms and deeply responsive improvisation. The compositions function as emotional canvases rather than fixed structures, shaped equally by trust, intuition, and shared experience. Recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio, In The Unknown (I Will Find You) is an exploratory and intimate musical statement, brought vividly to life by three highly creative voices working in profound communion.
Featuring Willy Rodriguez on drums & compositions, Ingrid Laubrock on tenor sax, Leo Genovese on piano & Hammond organ and Allan Harris - poetry. In December of 2022, I had a trio play here at DMG which consisted of Hery (pronounced Eddie) Paz on tenor sax, Ken Jimenez on contrabass and Willy Rodriguez on drums. Considering that I hadn’t heard of any of these three players before then, I was blown away with their intense version of Free Jazz/Spirit Music. I remembered their names and have had my eye on each of their careers ever since. Each one has played here in different groups and I am impressed by whatever they do live or on record. In November of 2024, drummer Willy Rodriguez released a record with his two cohorts plus Dave Liebman and Jason Palmer as guests. Up & coming pianist, Leo Genovese was on the previous effort as he is on this new one. The quartet here also features Ingrid Laubrock on tenor sax, one of Downtown’s best players, composers and multi-bandleaders. Spoken word artist Allan Harris contributes his voice on one track here.
In the liner notes, Mr. Rodriguez mentions that it was the passing of his mother that inspired the music for this disc. The session here was recorded at (Rudy) Van Gelder Studio, where the majority of the sessions for Blue Notes Records were recorded over several decades. The title track, “In the Unknown (I Will Find You)”, opens this disc with lush tenor sax, piano and cymbals simmering together. There is a fragmented melody which is stated at the beginning of this piece and then the trio play some fierce, free, spiraling waves in the mid-section. “The Perplexity of Eternity” features a series of dark, dramatic chords on the piano while the tenor and drums plays in spiraling waves around the churning drums. Ingrid Laubrock’s immensely haunting, warm toned tenor sax opens “Curie’s Notes” with Mr. Genovese’s organ providing a solemn drone/chord underneath. Both the sax and the organ are bathed in eerie echoplex reverberations which makes them quite dream-like. “A Room Full of Confusion” begins with sparse, ethereal piano and sax, the vibe is like a late night lament with a lone candle being the only source of light. Eventually Mr. Rodriguez’s drums enter, swirling slowly underneath, pushing the tension higher as the tempo slowly increases. Although this group is led by a drummer who also composed the music, most of what we hear is more moody, solemn and quietly enchanting with minimal drum led passages. “(The Route)”, features Genovese’s piano changing from section to section, playing sweeping waves with Laubrock’s tenor simmering on top and eerie, simmering cymbals underneath. “Follow the Light” features Genovese’s shimmering organ droning at the center. This CD seems to be more about creating a certain mood, enveloping us in a warm yet mysterious haze. Not what one might expect from a great free/spirit jazz drummer but most effective nonetheless. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
JOHN ELLIS & DOUBLE WIDE with ALAN FERBER / MATT PERRINE / GARY VERSACE / ROGERIO BOCCATO / JASON MARSALIS - Fireball (Sunnyside SSC 1805; USA) Featuring John Ellis on tenor & sopranio saxes, clarinets & compositions, Alan Ferber on trombone, Matt Perrine on sousaphone, Gary Versace on piano, organ, Fender Rhodes & Wurlitzer, Jason Marsalis on drums & Rogerio Boccato on percussion (1 track). “It seems there are often two sides that must be acknowledged when considering an idea, concept or object. It could be as simple as candy being both spicy and sweet or something philosophically deeper, like seeing a destructive fire allowing for renewal. Woodwind specialist and composer John Ellis lives a musical life frequently dealing in dualities. On his new recording, Fireball, Ellis presents a new collection of music with his beloved Double Wide band that inspires dancing as much as analysis.
Originally from North Carolina, Ellis has embraced a musical identity that walks a line between heady and visceral. This identity is informed in part by the influences of his southern upbringing and formative years in New Orleans along with his longtime investment in the jazz world of New York City.
Ellis’s Double Wide band was assembled to feature the astounding New Orleans sousaphonist Matt Perrine. Over nearly twenty years, the fluid membership of the ensemble has solidified to include trombonist Alan Ferber, keyboardist Gary Versace, and drummer Jason Marsalis. Double Wide remains an eclectic ensemble highlighting fantastic individual musicians of linguistic flexibility and expressive depth.
Double Wide did take the opportunity to spend extended time at Brooklyn Recording after a rare appearance at the Lake George Jazz Festival in 2019. Ellis used three days to allow the band to take their time and experiment in the studio, ironing out Ellis’s original material there. The music captured on Fireball focuses on the extraordinarily wide breadth of colors, textures, and moods that the members of Double Wide can provide.” - Sunnyside blurb
From the gitgo, this music makes me feel good, makes me want to get up and dance. The opening song is called “Wash Ya Mouth Out” and this is what my mom used to say to me whenever I cursed in front of her. This piece has a righteous, ancient sound groove, something that New Orleans bands excel at providing. “Top Down” features some lush, tasty clarinet from Mr. Ellis backed by those two lower end brass players and followed by a fine Fender Rhodes electric piano solo. “Clown Car” (a presidential reference, perhap?) has an olden style sounding trombone and clarinet playing/solos. "The Whistler" actually features some winsome whistling by Jason Marsalis and it is an infectious, gleeful sounding fairytale-like ditty. “Fireball” is a wonderful, quirky quick-changing piece which goes back and forth between humorous and more progressive detours. “Crocodile Tears” reminds me of the Old style Americana sound of The Band with some Saturday Night Live-like grooviness. This entire disc has a playful, righteous, somewhat earthy or funky undertow or groove. It did make me smile throughout. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
FRANCOIS HOULE / GEORG GRAEWE - Music For Clarinet And Piano (Random Acoustics RA 042CD; Germany) Francois Houle and Georg Graewe present Music For Clarinet And Piano. Recorded on May 5, 2023 in Vienna. Featuring Georg Graewe on piano and Francois Houle on clarinet. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Martin Siewert.
CD $18
THE THUNKS with ELISABETH HARNIK / MARTIN BRANDLMAYR / DIDI KERN - Swarm Patterns (Trost 255CD; Austria) The Thunks are Elisabeth Harnik (piano and objects), Martin Brandlmayr (drums), and Didi Kern (drums). Recorded by the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Österreich 1) at Konfrontationen Festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria 2024. Three creative cells of Austrian avantgarde music form a playful trio of piano and drums/percussion -- pianist and composer Elisabeth Harnik has various improvisation projects, for instance with Joelle Leandre, Ken Vandermark, Zlatko Kaucic, Tony Buck, etc. She is backed by Martin Brandlmayr of Radian-fame, who works fluently in jazz, electronics and acoustic music, and Didi Kern who, coming from Bulbul guitar underground and Noiserock, lately found his place in the international improv scene.
CD $18
TOSHIYUKI TSUCHITORI / RYUICHI SAKAMOTO - Disappointment-Hateruma WeWantSounds WWSCD 109; UK) Wewantsounds presents the first vinyl reissue of Disappointment-Hateruma, the 1976 ALM Records release by percussionist Toshi Tsuchitori and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The album is notable as Sakamoto's first recording issued under his own name and represents one of the few occasions he explored fully improvised music during the 1970s. It provides a vital document for understanding Sakamoto's early development as a composer and performer, capturing a period when he was experimenting with ambient soundscapes and textured improvisation. This edition features original artwork, audio remastered by Heba Kadry and new liner notes by Andy Beta. Ryuichi Sakamoto is widely recognized as one of the most important artists of his generation. At the time of Disappointment-Hateruma, he was still a student at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and active in Shinjuku's experimental music circles. He was busy contributing to Transonic Magazine, performing with the multimedia group Gakushudan, and working with musicians pushing the boundaries of jazz, free improvisation, and contemporary composition. On his side, revered Japanese percussionist Toshi Tsuchitori, who had recently returned from New York, brought influences from Milford Graves' approach to drumming, including African rhythms, ritualized performance, and a holistic approach that combined music, movement, and philosophy. Sakamoto and Tsuchitori had previously played together in Gakushudan, but neither considered those early encounters definitive. This recording captures one of the rare moments when Sakamoto's exploratory piano work met Tsuchitori's distinct rhythmic language in a studio setting. The album, originally released in 1976 on producer Yukio Kojima's highly influential ALM Records imprint, is structured across four tracks, with the first, "綾 (Aya)," filling the entirety of Side 1 on the LP, while Side 2 contains three shorter pieces, each exploring different combinations of instruments and sound sources. The recordings employ a wide array of textures, from prepared piano, bells, marimba, and gongs to EMS synthesizer and voice. Together, the tracks create hypnotic, ethereal soundscapes and rich sonic textures that highlight the interplay between Sakamoto's experimental piano work and Tsuchitori's percussive expertise. Remastered by renowned sound engineer Heba Kadry, this new edition highlights the detail, range, and clarity of the original album, making the ultra-rare Disappointment-Hateruma available worldwide for the first time. It stands as a key early document of Sakamoto's work and situates the recordings within the broader context of his formative years and Tokyo's mid-1970s cutting-edge music scene.
CD $19 / LP $35
MARA & NANA VASCONCELOS - Ntsano (Red Records 123171CD; Italy) "In 1983, in Canada, Vasconcelos came into contact with a group of young musicians from Québec City, who combined their association with the avant-garde with a visceral love for Africa and the suggestions of the Far East. Denis Hébert, the leader of the group, was a pianist and organist who frequented jazz but who had also been exposed to the influence of the American minimalist current. The saxophonist, flautist and bass clarinetist Maurice Bouchard, who would become Québec's most famous jazz musician, enriched his jazz with hypnotic elements drawn from African music and Eastern spirituality. Pierre Tanguay, for his part, had an eclectic personality and his interests ranged from avant-garde to ancient music up to stage music for theater and ballet. In 1983, the four musicians, under the guidance of Hébert, gave life to the 'Mara' project and took advantage of Naná Vasconcelos' availability to take part in it. The entire album encompasses the musicians' various experiences and is pervaded by an ancestral sense of spirituality and mystery, immersed in an ocean of rhythm with one shore in Brazil and the other in Africa. As often happens in projects based on improvisation, 'Mara' was a unique and unrepeatable episode born from the positive interaction of five musicians who, before resuming their respective paths, left us a tangible sign of their creative streak."
CD $18
GURU GURU - Mani und seine Freunde (Made in Germany 03602; Germany) For almost 58 years, Mani Neumeier, the enfant terrible of German rock music, and his band Guru Guru have been among the most consistent and innovative groups in German rock history. Far removed from the mainstream, Guru Guru have always gone their own way with their synthesis of experimental rock, avant-garde approaches, jazz variations, and world music influences. This was also the case with the album "Mani und seine Freunde" (Mani and His Friends). The year was 1974, and Mani Neumeier had actually disbanded his Gurus at the end of the year. But shortly thereafter, the energetic drummer and singer found himself in the studio with a few friends to record a quasi-"solo album," which ultimately ended up being released under the Guru Guru label. Mani called, and the "who's who" of the German Krautrock scene answered his call: Dieter Moebius and Achim Rodelius from Harmonia, Ingo Bischof and Tommy Goldschmidt from Karthago, Helmut Hattler, Jan Fride, and Peter Wolbrandt from Kraan, former Guru Guru guitarist Ax Genrich, guitarist Sepp Jandrisits, bassist Jogi Karpenkiel, who would be part of the next Guru Guru lineup, and - somewhat outside the norm - US blues singer and pianist Champion Jack Dupree.
In keeping with the large number of musicians involved, "Mani and His Friends" is stylistically very diverse. It ranges from light-hearted, funky jazz rock à la Kraan - most of the pieces were written with the participation of Hattler and Wohlbrandt - to well-tempered ethno jazz rock and Mani's pun rock "Chicken Rock," as celebrated on "Tango Fango" just under a year and a half later. The centerpiece of the album is the percussive long track "From Another World." After that, "1, 2, 3, 4, Marsch'n'Rock" lifts the mood enormously. The track transitions into a radio broadcast of Champion Jack Dupree's "Drink Wine," thus forming the conclusion of a very successful album.
CD $18
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The VICTO label/Festival also includes NOISE, METAL and ROCK and ROLL!
15 Victo Sale CD Titles of Non-Jazz Gems: 40th Anniversary Sale / Celebration!
All Below Victo Sale CD’s $12 each until the end of March, 2026
FRED FRITH / RENE LUSSIER - Nous Autres (Victo 01; Canada)
CD Sale $12
SLAWTERHAUS with JON ROSE / JOHANNES BAUER / PETER HOLLINGER / DIETMAR DIESNER - Live (Victo 013; Canada)
CD Sale $12
ELLIOTT SHARP / ORCHESTRA CARBON - Abstract Repressionism: 1990-99 (Victo 019; Canada)
CD Sale $12
JOHN KING / DAVID MOSS/ YOSHIHIDE OTOMO - All At Once At Anytime (Victo 029; Canada)
CD Sale $12
ELLIOTT SHARP / ZEENA PARKINS / PSYCHO-ACOUSTIC - Blackburst (Victo 044; Canada)
CD Sale $12
CHRISTIAN MARCLAY / THURSTON MOORE / LEE RANALDO - F*ck Sh*t Up! (Victo 071; Canda)
CD Sale $12
FUSHITSUSHA with HAINO KEIJI - Withdrawe, This Sable Disclosure Ere Devot'd (Victo 060; Canada)
CD Sale $12
WOLF EYES & ANTHONY BRAXTON - Black Vomit: Live May 21st 2005 at 22nd Victoriaville New Musique Actuel Festival (Victo 099; Canada)
CD Sale $12
NO-NECK BLUES BAND - Nine for Victor (Victo 103; Canada)
CD Sale $12
BORBETOMAGUS with DONALD MILLER / DON DIETRICH / JIM SAUTER & HIJOKAIDAN with JOJO & UNKO HIROSHIGE / TOSHIJI MIKAWA / NAO SHIBATA - Both Noises End Burning (Victo 106 CD; Canada)
CD Sale $12
KIKURI with HAINO KEIJI & MASAMI AKITA a/k/a MERZBOW - Pulverized Purple (Victo 110; Canada)
CD Sale $12
KEVIN BLECHDOM / EUGENE CHADBOURNE - The Chaddom Blechbourne Experience (Victo 112; Canada)
CD Sale $12
RENE LUSSIER / MARTIN TETREAULT / OTOMO YOSHIDE - Elektrik Toboggan (Victo 115; Canada)
CD Sale $12
RICHARD PINHAS With MERZBOW /WOLF EYES - Victoriaville Mai 2011 (Victo 124; Canada)
CD Sale $12
GROWLERS CHOIR - Live Au FIMAV (Victo CD 135; Canada) The year of the Great Pandemic was filled with confusion, loneliness, the lack of hope for the future since no one knew how long our/their ordeal would last. This music sounds like it is based on the internal fear that many of us felt often during this dark period. When I first heard about this disc from FIMAV founder Michel Levasseur, I wasn't so sure about how I felt or if any of the Victo regulars would enjoy this disc. I must admit that I was wrong and that this disc is one of the most powerful and riveting discs I have heard in recent memory. The Growlers Choir are something that no one was expecting and the outcome is a monumental undertaking all the way around. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $12
LP SECTION:
SCHLIPPENBACH TRIO with EVAN PARKER / PAUL LOVENS / ALEX VON SCHLIPPENBACH - Elf Bagatellen (Cien Fuegos 0312LP; Austria) The historical importance, influence, and stature of the Schlippenbach Trio was cemented long ago. Formed in 1970 by German pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach in the early days of European free jazz, the group also featured British saxophonist Evan Parker and German drummer Paul Lovens, and soon formed the core of the mighty Globe Unity Orchestra from that point on. As heard on its 1972 debut for FMP Pakistani Pomade -- reissued by Cien Fuegos back in 2015 -- its foundational music helped establish the group's feverish free improvisation as a dominant thread in the history of European free jazz. The intellectual and artistic curiosity of the group's members, to say nothing of their paradigm-shifting technique and collective sensibility, changed the course of free improv forever. Schlippenbach Trio soon snapped back into its working methodology on its follow up album, Physics, in 1993, which further elevates the singularity of Elf Bagatellen. The album captured a different side of the trio and helped inform the modern classical tilt in European improvised music. Cien Fuegos now reissues this undeniable classic, making it available on vinyl for the first time ever.
2 LP Set $52
MARILYN CRISPELL / JASON STEIN / DAMON SMITH / ADAM SHEAD - Live at the Hungry Brain (Trost 263LP; Austria) A cross-generational summit between the legendary pianist Marilyn Crispell (member of the Anthony Braxton Quartet and Reggie Workman Ensemble) and Midwest improvising trio of bass clarinetist Jason Stein, bassist Damon Smith, and drummer Adam Shead delivers all the range and expressivity one would expect from such seasoned players. The concert captured on Live at the Hungry Brain moves organically from searing free jazz to contemplative, lyrical balladry, all of conceived in the urgency of the moment and revealing a long-ranging, intricate approach to free improvisation. By its very nature any time a working ensemble, even one fully devoted to improvised music, is joined by another musician its modus operandi can't help by change. While no performance the trio of Chicago bass clarinetist, drummer Adam Shead, and St. Louis bassist Damon Smith has ever been quite the same, since forming in 2021 the trio had forged a tight bond and developed a highly effective approach informed by fundamental elements of jazz tradition and a fiery desire to create anew with every gathering. On the other hand, the art of improvisation has always thrived upon new input, novel challenges, and changing circumstances. This performance is a sterling multi-generational project that uses instant communication to bridge experiences. Crispell has always worked with a wide array of collaborators, regularly embracing partnerships with musicians decades younger than her. Like Crispell, the members of the trio have their unique influences and sweet spots, but the act of spontaneous creation bridges any such differences. In June of 2023 the musicians gathered for a studio session along with performances in Madison, Wisconsin, and subsequently, in Chicago, where the group recorded Live at the Hungry Brain. While spiraling horn, the studio session releases in 2024 leaned toward shorter excursions built around a small array of gambits and ideas, the remarkable live performances captured two long-form pieces where the ensemble had the space and time to spread out and dig in. The interactions spin in multiple directions, leading the trio to occasionally veer a bit closer to the deeply lyric post-Coltrane wanderlust Crispell thrives within, unspooling gorgeously dynamic streams of tender melody. The music is given fierce propulsion, with Smith and Shead generating churning, kinetic energy. In some ways it's Stein that binds everything together, his endlessly fluid playing retaining an equanimity through serenity and chaos.
LP $34
MARC CUNNINGHAM / PABLO VOLT / ANDREU SERRA - Introspective Movement, Nonchalant Steps (Feeding Tube Records FTR 819LP; USA) "First vinyl offering by this fine Barcelona improv trio featuring Mark Cunningham (trumpet), Pablo Volt (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Andreu Serra (many forms of strings). C/V/S's two previous cassettes include 2022's Ad Hoc, and the work on Introspective Movement is as brilliant as always. While there's much utilization of effects, pedals and delays, the music here is definitely in the jazz realm. Mark's floating clouds of trumpet capture the futuristic Chet Baker vibe he so often explores, but Pablo's approach to trumpet and flugelhorn puts me in mind of the more brambly work of the Italian brass master, Enrico Rava. Andreu is a multi-instrumentalist, but here he is focused on guitars and their cousins, playing in an abstractly expressive mode that can recall the most reflective passages created by Keith Rowe. Which is not to imply that C/V/S's music is in any way mimetic. Expatriated to Barcelona for 35 years, Mark has developed the habit of making music with some of the best musicians that city's underground has produced. His many projects can seem related insomuch as they usually rely on sophisticated textural juxtapositions rather than high energy blasts to create their frisson, and so it is with C/V/S. The dozen pocket-sized compositions on Introspective Movement rarely combine elements in jarring ways, although the pieces can be dizzyingly unbalanced at times. This results from the way the trio presents multiple points of melodic/sonic focus, emphasizing the multiplicity of equally weighted individual voices, rather than the smoosh of purely collective aktion. It's a great way to do things, and allows the three to introduce some very weird electronic elements without disturbing the music's beautiful sonance. The results here are as fucking boss as anything Mark has done yet. And that is saying something." --Byron Coley, 2026
LP $30
THESE THINGS HAPPEN with JASON ROEBKE / OSCAR JAN HOOGLAND / KEEFE JACKSON / MIKEL PATRIK AVERY - A Gentle Reminder (CorbettVsDempsey CVSDLP 015LP; USA) Corbett vs. Dempsey and De Plattenbakkerij collaborate on A Gentle Reminder, the new long-playing vinyl record album by These Things Happen. A transatlantic quartet featuring three Chicagoans and a pianist from Holland, These Things Happen have, with a slight personnel shift (switching bassists from Joshua Abrams to Jason Roebke), remained in existence since for more than a decade. This is the band's second release, following a recording made in 2016 (released by Astral Spirits in 2022), and it continues their dedication to the music of Misha Mengelberg and Thelonious Monk, as well as original material by Hoogland and Jackson. The sound is lean, self-aware, at times humorous, and its generosity suggests the common wellspring of ideas shared by Amsterdam's instant composition scene and the creative music community in the Windy City.
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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C. DANIEL DAWSON ADAM RUDOLPH
Widi Mambo / N’zungi a nzilla: Merely a Traveler on the Cosmic Path
Saturday, March 14, 2026 - 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Africanist scholar and photographer C. Daniel Dawson explores Afro-diasporic cosmologies, sacred performance, and embodied memory through the lens of national musics in the Americas such as Bomba, Rumba, Samba, Mambo, Cumbia and Tango. Mambo, meaning important issue or problem in the original Kongo context, reveals the African origin of these traditions.
Composer and master percussionist Adam Rudolph, renowned for his expansive knowledge of rhythm and sonic histories across cultures, responds by reflecting on creative philosophy, musical transmission, bebop syntax, signal rhythms and sonic mandalas. Together, they examine how mentorship structures and rhythmic systems circulate across cultures and epochs, functioning as vehicles of knowledge, memory and transformation.
Livestream: https://www.rftmi.org/livestream-1
RFTMI YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@RFTMI
Livestream on YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@RFTMI/streams
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The KRESTEN OSGOOD NEW ENGLAND TOUR - March 16th - March 23rd, 2026:
March 16th at Wellspring Sound, Acton, MA USA - 7:30pm
1st set: Jorrit Dijkstra (sax), Pandelis Karayorgis (pia), Nate McBride (bass), Osgood (drums)
2nd set: Eliot Cardinaux (pia, poetry), Kit Demos (bass), Osgood (drums)
March 17th at the Black Squirrel Club, Philadelphia USA, - 7:30
Gabriel Meyer - tb
Caleb Wheeler-Curtis - sax
Eli Pace - bass
Osgood - drums
March 18th at Solar Myth in Philadelphia USA - 8pm
Marshall Allen - sax, EWI
Bobby Zankel - sax
Dave Burrell - pia
Osgood - drums
March 19th at Smalls NYC, USA - 6pm
Sam Yahel - pia
Rick Rosato - bass
Osgood - drums
March 20th at the Bitter End, NYC USA - 7pm
Michael Blake - sax
Will Bernard - gui
Sam Yahel - B3
Osgood - drums
March 21st at Bar Bayeux, NYC, USA - 8pm
Caleb Wheeler-Curtis - sax
Michael Blake - sax
Sean Conley - bass
Osgood - drums
March 22nd - THE OSGOOD X DADA JAZZ FEST DAY 1 (at Dada in Queens, NYC)
1st set: Marcus Rojas (tuba), Charlie Burnham (vio), Osgood (drums)
2nd set Daniel Carter (sax, tp), Karen Borca (bassoon), William Parker (bass), Osgood (drums)
March 23rd - THE OSGOOD X DADA JAZZ FEST DAY 2 (at Dada in Queens, NYC)
1st set Cooper-Moore (various instruments), Osgood (drums) duo!
2nd set Michael Blake (sax) Trevor Dunn (bass), Osgood (drums)
Danish drummer Kresten Osgood is an old, dear friend of mine and is someone I admire deeply for his ongoing Creative Music Spirit, Research and commitment to advancing the history and practice of jazz and other creative musics. His important goal is to collaborate with as many of the Jazz Elders as he can. Here's a short list of those collaborators: Paul Bley, Rakalam Bob Moses, Tisziji Munoz, Ran Blake, Dom Minasi, Oliver Lake, John Tchicai, Wadada Leo Smith, Luther Thomas, Yusef Lateef, Adam Rudolph, Tony Malaby and many others. A decade ago, Kresten asked me to give a lecture at a music camp/workshop in the Danish countryside at a place called Jyderup. The group leaders/avant-jazz elders featured: William Parker, Alan Silva, Bennie Maupin, Akira Sakata, LaDonna Smith & Davey Williams. They paid for my flight, put me up in a hotel and paid me to do a two hour lecture (on the History of the Downtown Music Scene). I am forever in his debt as this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Aside from being a great and immensely diverse drummer, Mr. Osgood is wonderful at organizing events like the ones above. I urge you to try and attend any of these gigs if you live in the NYC area, Philly or Boston. A big toast to one of my favorite musicians and Free Jazz Spirit Royalty. - BLG at DMG
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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 RESIDENCIES - THERESA WONG - MAR 25-28
Theresa's 50th birthday celebration at The Stone!
3/25 Wednesday
8:30 pm: DUO - DoYeon Kim (gayageum, voice) Theresa Wong, (cello, voice)
3/26 Thursday
8:30 pm: TRIO - Jane Rigler (flutes) Nava Dunkelman (percussion) Theresa Wong (cello, voice)
3/27 Friday
8:30 pm: DUO - John McCowen (contrabass clarinet) Theresa Wong (cello, voice)
3/28 Saturday
8:30 pm: SOLO - Theresa Wong (cello, voice)
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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The Colloquium for Unpopular Culture presents
COSMIC MUSIC: THE LIFE, ART & TRANSCENDENCE OF ALICE COLTRANE
- book event with Andy Beta, Jenn Pelly, Tulsi Reynolds, Brandee Younger
WHEN: Tuesday 24 March 2026, 6:15pm
WHERE: Immersion Room, 7th Floor, NYU Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South
Free, open to public, non-NYU guests must RSVP cdzthru this email: ss162@nyu.edu
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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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