Warning sign of things to come (take it over, take it over)
Someone's talking on my telephone (when we're older, when we're older)
Hear my voice, move my hair.
I move it around a lot, but I don't care. (what I remember)
Warning sign, warning sign,
Look at my hair, I like the design.
It's the truth, it's the truth.
Your glassy eyes and your open mouth
Take it easy, take it easy,
It's a natural thing and you have to relax,
I've got money now, I've got money now.
C'mon baby, c'mon baby.
Warning sign, of things to come (turn me over, turn me over)
Love is here but I guess it's gone now (hurry up babe, hurry up babe),
Hear my voice, move my hair.
I move it around a lot, but I don't care.
Do you remember
What it is that you remember
Baby remember
Baby remember.
I graduated college in May of 1976, moved back home and tried to get a job writing music articles for magazines like the Village Voice and Musician. No luck there but I did end up writing a couple of articles for Trouser Press and then dozens of articles for Jersey Beat throughout the 1980's. I had become a kind of avant/jazz and prog/Canterbury fan addict and had given up on most popular music at the time. Around 1977, I heard Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" and the first Television album 'Marquee Moon'. Thanks to my local pals, The Mopeds and a young woman named Yvonne Ramirez (a lesbian punk-rocker from my hometown), I started to check out Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, all of whom I started to dig. Although I really dug the first Television album (catching them live at My Father's Place in Long Island), Talking Heads soon became my favorite so called New Wave band. I still love those first four Talking Heads LP's and caught them live on every tour. After their first album, the next three were produced by Eno, who did a great job. Talking Heads evolved quickly from a stripped down New Wave-like unit into a progressive/funk band by the time their fourth album, 'Remain in Light' was released in 1980. I felt that the band was at their height (with Bernie Worrell from P-Funk & Adrian Belew both added), their album was my fave of the year and their gig in Central Park for me, was the gig of the year. The above song, "Warning Sign" comes from the second album and it has always haunted me. Is it really a warning sign of things to come? Although I don't particularly like their later albums, David Byrne, their lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter went on to a long solo career which he does today. I've pretty much enjoyed anything he has done since the demise of Talking Heads. A tasty toast to all of the members of Talking Heads, their legacy remains an inspiration. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
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THE KEITH TIPPETT AUTOBIO BOOK DELAYED AGAIN!
For some strange, inexplicable reason, the eagerly awaited Keith Tippett book & 2 CD set was supposed to have been delivered to DMG last Friday and was not! The books have been returned to England and will have to be sent back. No idea why this happened and Fedex has no answers for us at this point. Very frustrating for you and us as well! We are waiting to hear back from the folks at Jazz in Britain and will let you as things evolve. We have 20 on order and only 15 spoken for so far. No need to worry too much as of now. - BLG at DMG
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WARNING SIGN! DMG NEEDS YOUR HELP!
We got our Mac computer around 2011, after we moved to this location in Chinatown in January of 2010. Hence our computer is around 15 years old and has been having numerous problems over the past couple of years. The computer is often slow and certain programs or apps are no longer functioning. We use Shipstation to create stamps for mail orders and Shipstation stopped working earlier this week. Oye! Also, we are having a difficult time navigating our inner database as well as parts of our Discogs store. Hence, it is time for a new computer since we can no longer update our ancient operating system(s). A new computer will cost us around $2,000 so I am asking those of you who can afford it to donate some funds to help us pay for a new computer. Here is our paypal address: ebay@downtownmusicgallery.com. Please make your donation as a gift.
Another problem is that some folks have complained about no longer getting our weekly newsletter through your/their email. If this is the case for you or someone you know, you should let us know and check your spam folder. For myself, I see that the DMG newsletter goes directly to my promotions list/file, some of which goes into my spam folder. I will be speaking with the folks at Simplelists who send out our weekly newsletter to see if there is something they can do about getting the newsletter to those who still want to read it. We are doing the best we can to deal with this situation.
To those of you who have been sending us or dropping off CD donations, thanks again, we do appreciate it. We are close to having the back of our store filled with an excess of 1,000's of Used CD's. LP donations or even lists of vinyl to sell is also good for us so keep the lines open. - thanks to all of you who continue to read our weekly newsletter and especially those who make donations or send us your kind words of support. It is most appreciated. Peace & Love from Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
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THE DMG 35th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT SERIES Continues with:
Rare Monday, June 8th: Rare Monday Night Solo Guitar Series:
6:30: SANDY EWEN - Solo Guitar
7:30: ELLIOTT SHARP - Octal Guitar - CD release Celebration
Tuesday, June 9th:
6:30: s0nic 0penings - patrick brennan - alto sax / HILLIARD GREENE - contrabass / MELANIE DYER - Viola / MICHAEL TA THOMPSON - Drums
7:30: ARON NAMENWIRTH - Guitar / DANIE L CARTER - Reeds - trumpet / JON ROSENBERG - Electronics
8:30: JAMES McKAIN - Baritone Sax / RAS MOSHE - Tenor Sax / EVAN PALMER - Contrabass / MICHAEL LaROCCA - Drums
Saturday, June 13th: The Gauci-Music Series Continues with:
6:30: KEN KOBAYASHI - Drums / JEFF PEARRING - Alto Sax / JEFF MILES - Guitar / EVAN CRANE - Bass
7:30: STEPHEN GAUCI - Tenor Sax - Flute / PATRICK GOLDEN - Drums
8:30: KAELEN GHANDI - Tenor - Soprano Saxes / LUKE ROVINSKY - Guitar / CALEB DUVAL - Bass / MICHAEL LaROCCA - Drums
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THIS WEEK'S SONIC GEMS BEGIN WITH:
TOM CHALLENGER & EVAN PARKER - May Spring Last A Lifetime (False Walls 21; UK) Featuring Evan Parker and Tom Challenger on tenor saxes. This disc includes an 18 page booklet with a long interview with Mr. Parker and Mr. Challenger, with questions provided by CJ Mitchell, who runs the False walls label. Although I hadn't heard of Mr. Challenger before now, he does have five discs as a leader with Kit Downes, Alex Hawkins, John Edwards and Mark Sanders. Mr. Challenger is also a member of a dozen different UK bands, most of whom I hadn't heard of.
This disc begins with the tapping of the pads on both saxes and other quieter breathy sounds. Both saxes play a series of restrained haunting lines around one another, cautiously bending their lines together. Both saxes stay together at the lower end of the tonal range, slowly weaving their lines in a warm, thoughtful tapestry. Over a long midsection, the saxes start playing some circular lines softly at first, taking their time to play warm, solemn waves. Midway, the tempo picks up with both saxes interweaving in a more robust way with several layers of lines connecting. What's interesting about this is the often restrained, actually lovely interplay, tight yet not too insistent. Both saxists seem to be coming from a similar place, without some of the fireworks that Mr. Parker used to specialize in. I find the music here to be consistently enchanting nonetheless. Is this restraint a sign of aging or maturing? Unsure about that but I remained pleased about this date. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17
MARION BROWN with GUNTER HAMPEL / BARRE PHILLIPS / STEVE McCALL - Live in Europe 1968 & 1972 (NoBusiness NBCD 187; Lithuania) This disc is compiled from two sessions: March 16, 1968 featuring Marion Brown on alto sax, Gunter Hampel on vibes, Barre Phillips on contrabass and Steve McCall on drums; August 22 of 1972 featuring Marion Brown on alto sax & percussion and Steve McCall on drums & percussion. Atlanta-born saxist Marion Brown moved to NYC in the early 1960's, staying here for five years and recording an album for Impulse! Records which was released in 1967, as well as two records for the ESP label in 1966 and 1968. According to the informative liner notes, Marion Brown moved to Paris in August of 1967, staying there for two years. While in Paris Mr. Brown organized a quartet with Gunter Hampel (German-born avant-jazz player soon to move to NYC) on vibes, Barre Phillips on contrabass (American ex-pat, living in the UK at the time) and Steve McCall (founding member of the great Chicago trio known as Air). The first three tracks here were recorded for Radio Salle in Paris in March of 1968. Marion Brown went on to record a couple of duo albums with Gunter Hampel plus he would utilize the talents pf Barre Phillips and Steve McCall on several albums in the late 1960's and early 1970's.
The quartet session begins with "Current Events", a strong blend of well-written American and European avant/jazz which recalls when Anthony Braxton was doing when he recorded several his first records for the Freedom label in the early-to-mid 1870's. German-born avant/jazz greats, Gunter Hampel and Karl Berger, both moved to America around 1966 and soon recorded for the great ESP label. Mr. Hampel is a master vibes player (as well as doubling on bass clarinet), and shares the frontline duties with Mr. Brown with inventive power and grace. The quartet is both free-sounding and plays tightly together. "Ephanie" was composed by Gunter Hampel and features some extraordinary interplay with all four members of this quartet. Mr. Hampel was always a dynamic and demanding vibes player and sounds wonderful here. Mr. Brown and Mr. Hampel recorded a duo album which was released in 1968 and they sound great together. The two continually trade lines, zigzagging back and forth with tight knit support from the colossal rhythm team. "61 to Erie Basin" has Mr. Brown playing a lovely, laid back theme with an exquisite vibes solo by Hampel over the ever supportive rhythm section. Great bassist Barre Phillips takes a mighty fine solo near the end. The second session is a duo with Marion Brown on alto sax, Steve McCall on drums, both on percussion, recorded in Ollioules, France in August of 1972. Marion Brown worked and recorded in a series of duos with Leo Smith, Gunter Hampel and classical composer Eliot Schwartz in the early-to-mid 1970's so his duo with longtime band-member Steve McCall should come as no surprise. The two work together extremely well. "Djinji's Corner" evolves organically with both musicians playing eerie, hand percussion together. It builds over time as Brown picks up his alto sax and the two musicians exchange nimble lines. Marion Brown seems to be playing ethnic percussion like a balaphon, thumb piano and/or a marimba, always connecting with whatever Mr. McCall is playing. At times, Mr. Brown will break into melody or song fragments, twist it, improvise on it as McCall's dances, playing rhythmically along. The last piece is called "Afternoon of a Georgia Faun" and it was the title track of an ECM record by Mr. Brown from 1970 and a most ambitious effort. Marion Brown has boiled down an ensemble of ten musicians into a duo for this live concert from 1972. This piece with stark percussion, slowly evolving as it unfolds. AACM and Air drummer Steve McCall is a great partner here and keeps the inner flow going, whether playing or lieing back. This piece has a series of sections which it goes through. From spaciousness to swinging in different tempos, the focus continues throughout. I only got to hear Marion Brown live on a few occasions and have collected each of his several dozen releases. This one is yet another gem to savor. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17
DANIEL CARTER / SABIR MATEEN / WILLIAM PARKER / LOU GRASSI - Keeping It in Context (NoBusiness NBCD 184; Lithuania) Featuring Daniel Carter on alto & tenor saxes, flute & trumpet, Sabir Mateen on alto & tenor saxes, flute & clarinet, William Parker on contrabass and Lou Grassi on drums & percussion. This set was recorded at Context Studio on Avenue B in May of 1996. This quartet grew out of the Improviser's Collective, which was organized by Patricia and William Parker, the same couple that has also run the Vision Fest for many years. This gig was organized by drummer Lou Grassi and took place at Context Studios, around the corner from where The original Stone was located. Two great reeds wizards Daniel Carter and Sabir Mateen had played with William Parker in different projects before this and would soon team up to form Test (with Matt Hayner & Tom Bruno), a legendary free/jazz quartet known for playing over-the-top sets at the Astor Place stop on the subway. Their first record was released in 1998. I've long dug the playing and bandleading of Downtown drummer Lou Grassi who was a member of the Nu Band and other ensembles with Rob Brown, Burton Greene, Steve Tintweiss, Gunter Hampel and Steve Swell.
This set was recorded direct-to-DAT, the tape lost, forgotten, found again and finally just released. Things begin with William Parker solemn bowed bass, Mr. Grassi on sublime mallet-work and both saxists weaving their lines warm, thoughtfully together. The music is somber, haunting, Spirit Jazz played with a refreshing sense of restraint. Mr. Carter soon plays laid back, spooky trumpet, the quartet creating a dream-like spell. There is a long section towards the end of the first long piece for bowed bass and drum duo which is fabulous. Daniel Carter and Sabir Mateen worked together for many years and sound like they are connected at the hip. Whether playing their own brand of Fire Music/Spirit Jazz or simmering, they always sound great together. The second piece, "The Surface of No Strain" is 35 minutes long and it is most extraordinary, evolving organically throughout its entire epic length. If you are one of those knuckleheaded naysayers that preach the "Free/Jazz is dead!", then I urge you to check out this disc, it is superb, free/music which is free of whatever barriers anyone else puts upon it. No indulgences here, just Free Cosmic Music at its very best! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17
SUNNY MURRAY / SABU TOYOZUMI - Sun’s Blessing (NoBusiness NBCD 185; Lithuania) Featuring Sunny Murray and Sabu Toyozumi on drums. Recorded is April of 1999 in Zippy Hall in Sappolo, Japan. American born drummer, Sunny Murray is considered to be the Godfather of Free/Jazz drumming after having worked with Cecil Taylor in 1963 and with Albert Ayler in 1964. Sabu Toyozumi is also one of the first Japanese drummers to play free/jazz, working with Masayuki Takayanagi's New Directions, as well as with Kaoru Abe, Peter Brotzmann and Misha Mengelberg. Sunny Murray passed away in December of 2017 in Paris, France while Sabu (Toyozumi) is still playing at age 83, currently recording some dozen discs with US expat Rick Countryman (who is living in the Philippines). It turns out that Mr. Murray and Mr. Toyozumi have been checking each other out and working together from 1968 onwards, touring together in 1999.
This disc was recorded on the tour they did in April of 1999 in Sappolo, Japan. Drum duos are still relatively rare although I've caught a few over the past decade or two. Right from the beginning, the duo take their time, exchanging lines, slowly ascending as they go. Sunny Murray is known for avoiding the usual drummer role of time-keeping, more often creating a stream or flow of non-repeating lines. This way of playing has freed the drummer from his usual role and showed how the drums could play freely, solo and keep a non-rhythmic flow going forward. Murray and Sabu work well together, the flow seamless as it unfolds. It often sounds as if there is one drummer here as their playing is most organic or seamless. Mr. Murray likes to keep things simple or at least focused, creating a static groove or flow with Sabu adding his own flow of unadorned lines. The duo sound like they are telling ta ale with their drumming, It sounds like a skeletal version of a band, stripped down to its inner stream moving along organically. There is an inner pulse which flows between both drummers and between the drummers and listeners going on throughout. If you are patient and listen closely, you will join the ongoing flow. That's all it takes so jump in and go along for the ride. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
BOBBY BRADFORD / MARK DRESSER / HAFEZ MODIRZADEH - Sonic House Reunion (NoBusiness NBCD 186; Lithuania) Featuring Bobby Bradford on cornet, Hafez Modirzadeh on tenor sax (a/k/a b'kongofon) and Mark Dresser on 5-string contrabass. Legendary L.A.-based cornetist Bobby Bradford has had a long and rich career as a brass pioneer who started to record in the late 1950's, working with Ornette Coleman, John Carter, John Stevens, Frode Gjerstad and Vinny Golia, recording on more than 30 records. Master contrabassist Mark Dresser also started out in L.A., moved to NYC in the early 1980's, playing in Arcado and with Dave Douglas, Eric Watson, Anthony Braxton Quartet and many others. Mr. Dresser eventually moved back to the west coast and is still teaching at UC in San Diego, where he still resides. Iranian-American saxist, Hafez Modirzadeh, an avant-jazz and microtonal specialist also works with Amir ElSaffar, Kris Davis, Craig Taborn and Tyshawn Sorey.
"Few figures in American avant-garde jazz carry the weight of lived history that Bobby Bradford does. A cornerstone of the West Coast free jazz movement, the Dallas-born cornetist and trumpeter came of age alongside Ornette Coleman in the late 1950s, later forging one of the most celebrated partnerships in the music's history with reedman John Carter. Across decades of recordings and performances — with Eric Dolphy, Charlie Haden, and the New Art Jazz Ensemble among others — Bradford has remained a singular voice: lyrical yet uncompromising, rooted in blues feeling yet wholly committed to the open frontier of improvisation.
'Sonic House Reunion' brings Bradford together with two of the most distinctive voices in contemporary improvised music. Saxophonist and music theorist Hafez Modirzadeh, whose microtonal approach draws on Persian classical traditions to push the saxophone into uncharted harmonic territory, proves an ideal foil for Bradford's melodic daring. Bassist Mark Dresser, a master of extended technique on his five-string instrument, anchors and propels the ensemble with characteristic depth and invention. The result is a session of rare collective intelligence — a meeting of kindred spirits who share a deep commitment to the art of listening and spontaneous composition. NoBusiness Records, the Lithuanian label renowned for documenting the outer reaches of jazz and improvised music, provides the perfect home for this exceptional encounter." - Jazz Messengers
CD $16
OLIVER LAKE with MICHAEL GREGORY JACKSON / BAIKIDA CARROLL / FRED HOPKINS / PHILLIP WILSON / JEROME COOPER - Live from Studio Rivbea, 1975 and 1976 [Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 4 (NoBusiness NBCD 183; Lithuania) This disc compiles two different live sets at Sam Rivers' Studio Rivbea loftspace in 1975 and 1976. The first two pieces are from May 15, 1976 and feature Oliver Lake on alto & soprano sax & flute, Michael Gregory Jackson on guitar, Fred Hopkins on contrabass and Phillip Wilson on drums. Oliver Lake composed all 7 pieces from this disc. These pieces were recorded at the Wildflowers Festival, which took place in May of 1976 with 5 sets per night of ground-breaking avant/jazz and I attended each night. "Six Beats Out" opens and is actually sublime with elegant soprano sax, acoustic guitar and bass playing their lines tightly together. Saxist Oliver Lake and guitarist Michael G Jackson, had worked together in several of Mr. Lakes' various bands and worked well together. Lake switches to flute as the quartet takes off for the stratosphere playing more freely yet remaining tightly connected in spirit and flow. Lake switches to alto sax on "A Space Rontoto", the pace is uptempo, freeish and intense, the sax and guitar playing frenzied lines around one another, pushing the vibe into a more heated area. The bass and drums also spinning together furiously. The last five pieces here come from July of 1975, also at Studio Rivbea and feature Mr. Lake on alto, tenor & soprano saxes & flute, Michael G Jackson on guitar, Fred Hopkins on bass, Jerome Cooper on drums and guest trumpeter Baikida Carroll on one track. On "Re-Cre-Ate", Lake's writing sounds skeletal with the sax playing partially written segments while the rest of the quartet erupts around him, filling in the space with bursts of energy. During the Loft Jazz Period (mid-seventies to early 1980's), I noticed a number of musicians writing pieces that would unfold in unexpected ways with bursts of tightly played (and/or written) music which made sense once you stepped back and looked at the overall picture or sound. The one longer piece here, "Rue Roger" starts off with guest trumpet Baikida Carroll. Carroll and Lake play well together, bending their notes together tightly. Revolutionary Ensemble drummer Jerome Cooper is an interesting choice since he loves to turn the rhythms inside-out, adding some unexpected twists. While both Lake on soprano and Carroll on trumpet soar around on another, Jackson's frenzied Sharrock-like guitar and Fred Hopkins bass pumps hard with a storm-like force and Cooper's mighty drums roar. Mr. Lake takes an inspiring solo (alto) sax solo on "Rite-Ing", taking his time to bend each note carefully in his own distinctive way. Jerome Cooper kicks off "Trailway Shake" with a quirky, sparse percussion solo before Michael Gregory Jackson's acoustic guitar also enters. This piece unfolds freely, organically and episodically, with short bits of frenzied yet focused activity. The liner notes here were written by Oliver lake and he does a good job of describing the Loft Jazz Scene, Studio Rivbea and his own place in that scene. This is a most impressive display of Creative Music in NYC in the mid-1970's. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17
CHARLES DOWNS QUARTET with HERY PAZ / JAMIE SAFT / JOE MORRIS - Inner (ESP-Disk 5044; USA) Featuring Charles Downs on drums, Hery Paz on tenor sax, Jamie Saft on piano and Joe morris on contrabass. Charles Downs used to perform under the name Rashid Bakr for many years, working with Cecil Taylor, Jemeel Moondoc and Other Dimensions in Music. At 81, this is h9s first date as a leader. He has organized a strong quartet for this session. Tenor saxist Hery (pronounced "Eddie") Paz is a more recent member of the current Downtown Scene and has worked with two other local greats: Kenneth Jimenz on contrabass and Willy Rodriguez on drums. You most likely do not need an introduction to keyboard wiz Jamie Saft (longtime Zorn collaborator) or Joe Morris (legendary out/jazz guitarist & professor, also now playing bass) and who has worked with Joe & Mat Maneri, Rob Brown, Matt Shipp and many others.
Things begin with unaccompanied, skeletal drums before the rest of the quartet enters. The sound is free/jazz in slow motion unfolding gracefully. I dig the way things are stripped down yet still burning with an inner fire. Joe Morris forceful, probing contrabass is often at the center of the storm here with the drums shadowing his propulsive lines. The way the music unfolds here is completely organic. Jamie Saft's piano is often stripped down and exquisite. "Inner 2" again is free yet focused, burning brightly from within, flowing seamlessly like going through the rapids in a quick canoe. The interplay between the sax and piano is tight and freewheeling without going overboard into any indulgent areas. Jamie Saft plays a solemn, unaccompanied laid back piano solo near the end of this piece. What I like most about this disc is that although it is free, it is also mostly laid back, the quartet playing their slow burning best. There is a calm center no matter how far or how free things get. So tasty without the usual fireworks. - Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
CD $12
WHAT YOU MAY CALL IT with CHRIS KELSEY / ROSE TANG / STEVE HOLTJE / CHARLES DOWNS - Da Qi (MD24; USA) Featuring Chris Kelsey (soprano sax, stritch, tenor sax), Rose Tang (electric guitar, vocals, small percussion, acoustic piano), Steve Holtje (electric keyboard, trombone and trombone vocals, acoustic piano), and Charles Downs (drums). Recorded by Jim Clouse at Parkwest Studios, Brooklyn NY on October 19, 2024. Mixed by Rose Tang, Steve Holtje, Jim Clouse. Produced by Steve Holtje for MechaBenzaiten Records. Chris Kelsey began playing professionally in 1979 and, after moving to New York City in 1984, recorded prolifically, mostly as a leader but also as a member of the Lou Grassi Sextet and collaborations with Steve Swell, Dom Minasi, Lewis Porter, and Jack DeSalvo. His music has been documented by the Unseen Rain and C.I.M.P. labels as well as his own Saxofonis and Tzazz Krytyk imprints. Rose Tang's albums with Roses & Roaches, And Yet We Ain't Alone and with ATTITUDE!, Pause & Effect, came out in 2021, followed in 2024 by a duo with drummer Patrick Golden, A White Horse Is Not a Horse. Mentored by free jazz legend Daniel Carter, Tang plays in about 30 bands and ensembles in New York and Seattle. Tang calls her music genre "weird shit." Charles Downs became known in the 1970s while performing as Rashid Bakr in various Cecil Taylor ensembles, with Jemeel Moondoc's Ensemble Muntu, and as a member of Other Dimensions in Music, to name just a few. He reverted to his birth name in the 21st century and as Charles Downs has recorded with Flow Trio (two albums on ESP), in trio with Larry Ochs and Joe Morris (also on ESP). Steve Holtje moves through multiple musical worlds: classical, soundtrack, noise, electronica, and free improvisation in the duo ThirtyThree Chords and The Truth with Rose Tang.
CD $12
MATTHEW WRIGHT with ENSEMBLE KLANG / SOFIA JERNBERG / SPHERIC TOTEMIC - Cracked Glaze (False Walls FW 20; UK) Featuring Matthew Wright on turntables, live sampling, processing & sound design, Sofia Jernberg on vocals, Ensemble Klang and Spheric Totemic. I know of electronics/sampling player Matthew Wright from his Evan Parker and Transatlantic Trance Map, as well as a duo effort with saxist Keir Neuringer. I've heard the fine voice of Swedish vocalist Sofia Jernberg from her work with Alexander Hawkins, Fire! Orchestra and Seval. Ensemble Klang are a Dutch new music ensemble with a dozen plus discs on their own label performing Heiner Goebbels, Maarten Altena and Tom Johnson. The Spheric Totemic features Mandhira de Saram on violin & efx, Alexander Hawkins on piano, Neil Charles on bass & fx, Stephen Davis on drums (both from several Alex Hawkins projects) and Matthew Wright.
"In ceramics, a cracked glaze can occur during the firing process, when intense heat creates fractures, resulting in a tension between the smooth form and tarnished surface." With this disc, Matt Wright was interested in the way musical notation, improvisation and technology collide and crack. Mr. Wright was commissioned by Ensemble Klang to compose and perform this piece with Ensemble Klang, vocalist Sofua Jernberg and Wright's own unit: Spheric Totemic. Twelve well-chosen musicians were employed here. The lengthy liner notes by Mr. Wright and Nate Wooley are fascinating, illustrating the history and current agenda/problems that were/are involved in breaking this piece to fruition. Mr. Wooley actually compares this piece to his own local walks during the pandemic which became a ritual for him.
I am not so sure how much of this disc was composed but the results are most engaging throughout the 42 minute performance. The music starts out hushed with subtle eerie ghost-like high end samples, drones and close mic'd brass and/or reeds. Mr. Wright's processing or sound design is careful and thoughtfully employed. Although the music is often sparse, each sound is well-placed over the spacious terrain like a large open canvas. In the distance we hear what sounds like the pulsating note or chord of an organ, droning at the center of our audio horizon. Midway through this work the drummers get into a subtle, somewhat ritualistic groove. As the rhythmic groove continues, layers of keyboard(s), electronics or samples, brass and reeds resonate together. The piece escalates as things get more dense and intense, creating a new, shifting alien yet familiar world. As this piece evolves, it gets more involved with layers of interconnecting soundscapes. A sense of jubilation brings us higher into an area of transcendence as the tempo and inner vibe erupts. An extraordinary adventure is in store. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17
FJALL with MARTIN ARCHER / JAN TODD / FRAN COMYN / RICHARD JACKSON - Helt (Discus 210CD; UK) Featuring Martin Archer on B-flat & bass clarinets, sopranino sax, flute, bagpip, records, melodica, harmonium, harmonicas, iPad, glockenspiel & small percussion, Jan Todd on electric harp, cross strung harp, bowed psaltery, tagelharps, flutes, waterphones, idiopan, electronic samples, looping & field recordings, Fran Comyn on toms, frame drums, cymbals, tam tam, small gongs, tabla, doumbek, bells, chimes & shakers and Richard Jackson on four piece drum kit, rototoms, slot drum & small percussion.
This is the second disc from Fjall, one of Martin Archer's various projects released on his own Discus label. All four members of this quartet are multi-instrumentalists. Mr. Archer and Mr. have worked together in Orchestra of the Upper Atmosphere, Fran Comyn and Richard Jackson seem to have only been members of Fjall’s first release. Each of the two discs here were recorded live in December of 2023 and in April of 2025 in different locations. One of the things I like most about Martin Archer and his varied ensembles is that he works with a wide variety of creative musicians from different genres or disciplines. Both Mr. Archer and Jan Todd play a wide array of related and unrelated instruments here. "Stone" is first and consists of free flowing reeds, samples or electronics and percussion. Things simmer slowly in the beginning: haunting reeds, delicate plucked harp, hypnotic, spacey, quiet electronics and hushed percussion. The quartet break into a sly, subtle groove about ten minutes through, slowly adding subtle space-traveling sounds and effects. The music unfolds slowly here, creating spacious, ethereal, carefully created sounds. The music here sounds like a soundtrack for a film about the creation of the world from calm, quiet peaceful beginnings to somber space music to ritualistic percussion to space-traveling prog of sorts. "Edge" is next and starts with the spacious drone of a wheezing melodica over a tabla and subtle drum groove. Things evolve very slowly and ultra-subtly most of the time. Halfway thru, it sounds like timpanis, electronic crickets and a mysterious suspense-filled sonic swamp. Much of this music is more environmental in overall sound/nature so some patience is required.
2 CD Set $16
JOHN CAGE / JAAP BLONK / ALVIN LUCIER / MAX EASTLEY / Z'EV / PHILL NIBLOCK / BOB OSTERTAG / ARNOLD DREYBLATT / et al - Sound Art At Het Apollohuis (Wergo WER 2069; Germany) Last copies just found. "Between 1980 and 1997, artists presented a panoply of exhibitions, installations, performances, and concerts, and engaged in lively debate on art theory, at Het Apollohuis in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Under the direction of founders Paul and Helene Panhuysen, the building became an important center for an avant-garde that bridged the visual arts and music. Since 2009, the archives of Het Apollohuis have been located at ZKM in Karlsruhe, where scholars are examining, documenting, and preserving this valuable store of sound, text, and pictorial materials. This CD and 72-page booklet presents excerpts from previously unpublished concert and performance recordings of important artists who appeared during the lifespan of Het Apollohuis." Artists include : Petr Kotík, Jackson MacLow, Alvin Lucier, Jaap Blonk, John Cage, Hugh Davies, Paul DeMarinis, David Dramm, Arnold Dreyblatt, Judy Dunaway, Max Eastley, Shelley Hirsch, Rolf Julius, Thomas Koner, Ron Kuivila, Chris Mann, David Moss, Phil Niblock, Bob Ostertag, Paul Panhuysen, Jim Pomeroy, Akio Suzuki, The Michael Gordon Philharmonic, Mark Trayle, and Z'EV.
2 CD Set $26 [Limited edition, just a few left]
MACIUNAS ENSEMBLE - YoplaBoum Permanent Wave (Edition Telemark ET 923-08LP; Germany) Third release by the Maciunas Ensemble on Edition Telemark after 1976 (ET 314-07LP, 2015) and the self-titled 50th anniversary LP from 2018 (ET 785-08LP). The group had been founded in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, in 1968 with the aim of realizing the score Music for Everyman by Fluxus initiator George Maciunas, which they interpreted as allowing total freedom in the sounds being produced. The group met regularly, usually once a week during their heyday, and improvised on instruments that were at hand. Every session was recorded to be played back and discussed before the next session. This method meant that small changes and subtle new ideas could be integrated from one session to the next, eventually leading into completely new directions over a longer course. Paul Panhuysen linked this approach to the oral traditions of folk music. One of their most productive periods were the early 1980s where, after settling on a stable line-up of Paul Panhuysen, Jan van Riet, Leon van Noorden and Mario van Horrik, the group developed their own brand of minimalist rhythmic music, inspired in equal parts by rock, post-punk, drone and minimal music of the time. A selection of named pieces had crystallized from the improvised sessions that were worked on and refined, many of them having long durations and featuring wordless vocals by Paul Panhuysen that added another unique rhythmic layer to the music. Phill Niblock, while visiting the ensemble's home base Het Apollohuis in Eindhoven, called some of these pieces "rhythmic drones", drones produced by repetitive rhythmic strokes, simultaneously on various instruments. Some recordings from this period can be heard on the LP Music for Everyman 861 (1986, Apollo Records) and the self-titled LP. Virtually unknown until now have been five more pieces that were released by the band in 1983 and 1984 on two cassettes named YoplaBoum and Permanent Wave. They are re-released here for the first time, with a double LP featuring the whole YoplaBoum cassette -- the 43-minute title piece split across the first two sides, the two others on sides C and D -- and a CD including the two tracks from Permanent Wave. Single sleeve with two printed inner sleeves featuring liner notes by Leon van Noorden and Mario van Horrik, and a selection of photos and artwork from the period; includes CD in cardboard sleeve; edition of 300.
2 LP CD Set $45
PETR KOTIK - Many Many Women (Sub Rosa SR 595CD; Belgium) Many Many Women by Petr Kotík is a large-scale composition for voices and instruments from 1975-78 on the text of Gertrude Stein's novella of the same name. It was published in Paris in 1910 as part of the book G.M.P. -- Gertrude, Matisse, Picasso. Voices and instruments performed by members of S.E.M. Ensemble and Ostravská banda. In 1972, the book was published again by Dick Higgins in his publishing venture Something Else Press. Kotík used the complete text, which determined the length of the piece. Inspired by his close collaboration with the composer and singer Julius Eastman, Kotík began composing for voice in 1971. Gertrude Stein was the first author Kotík used in a series of compositions on her texts. Many Many Women is the culmination of this series. A performance of the entire composition lasts almost six hours and features three pairs of singers and three pairs of instrumentalists performing in parallel perfect intervals: fifths, fourths, and octaves. It can also be performed in a shorter version with a smaller instrumentation. Starting in the mid-1970s, Many Many Women was performed incrementally, as Kotík continued to compose the piece. The completed composition was premiered in its entirety in 1979, in a series of three consecutive six-hour performances: at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, and in New York City, at Paula Cooper Gallery and at the Whitney Museum of American Art. The current recording of Many Many Women features two sopranos; countertenor; tenor; bass-baritone; bass; two flutes; two trumpets; and two trombones. The poetic nature of the text evokes imagery that can lead to staging. In June 2022, the festival New Opera Days Ostrava (NODO) presented the complete (one movement, six-hour in duration) performance of Many Many Women. Subsequently, the piece was recorded and edited down to a length of a double CD -- 142 minutes of music. The liner notes were written by the Viennese composer Bernhard Lang, who has been associated with Kotík for almost twenty years.
2 CD Set $17
DOMINIQUE CRAVIC & LES PRIMITIFS DU FUTUR - Les Crimes Du Musette (Buda Musique 860408; France) "The adventure of this truly unique band began in 1986 when Dominique Cravic met Robert Crumb, the underground comic book artist best known in France for his drawings published in the libertarian monthly Actuel ten years earlier. Les Primitifs du Futur, with their slightly offbeat music and a name that seems to have been borrowed from a story by Jorge Luis Borges, burst onto the music scene almost by force. The band has long been a variable-geometry orchestra, with Dominique Cravic always at the controls. While the musette of their early days quickly gave way to joyful forays into blues and gypsy jazz, their music has continued to evolve, successively incorporating touches of typical and tropical aesthetics such as biguine, echoes of ballroom dances such as the waltz, and influences from 1930s Maghreb folk music. Les Primitifs play with styles, and disregard temporal barriers. This approach continues with their new album, Les Crimes du Musette, a title that refers to the mixture of reserve and condescension that many still express towards this famous genre which is not considered as noble as bebop, free jazz, rockabilly, chanson or even rock. The repertoire in this jubilant work draws upon new sources. One track evokes Chet Baker, another is a salute to Henri Salvador, not forgetting a tribute to the piano bars of grand hotels and a piece in the form of an African postcard. Of particular note are two delightful adaptations, in French no less: 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,' which brings to mind Django Reinhardt, and Paul Desmond's 'Take Five,' inspired by Richard Anthony's French version, as well as two songs with lyrics written by the new member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Emmanuel Guibert and Pascal Bussy."
CD $16
LAURENCE PIKE - Possible Utopias for Jazz Quintet (Balmat 021CD; UK) Laurence Pike's Possible Utopias for Jazz Quintet represents a search for freedom, potentiality -- liberatory strategies that transcend the ego and the solitary, atomized figure. But in this case, the album title is also a red herring, because there is no jazz quintet here -- just Pike, his drums, and his machines, not so much an ersatz ensemble as a purely notional one, a thought experiment equipped with drumsticks, circuitry, and the desire to go beyond hardwired limits. And the results incorporate the vocabulary of jazz, along with that of ambient, electronica, and post-rock. The Sydney-based musician has a long history of coloring outside the lines, not just in his solo recordings -- including four albums for the Leaf label between 2018 and 2024 -- but also in the trio Pivot (later PVT); Szun Waves (alongside saxophonist Jack Wyllie and Border Community's Luke Abbott); Triosk, which recorded an album with Jan Jelinek in 2003 (FAITBACK 005LP); and even post-punk titans Liars, whom he joined in late 2018. Of his first album for Balmat, Pike says, "My loose concept was: What does music sound like when the expectations of late capitalism are removed from it? How might a jazz musician from an idealized culture of the future, or even another world, utilize musical language when the conventions of style and marketing are no longer a factor in music making?" That inquiry, he says, connects to his "guiding principle: that the purpose of music is to access something bigger than the individual, and reveal a sense of possibility and freedom in the world to the listener. To create an understanding that the future can be something other than what we imagined or expect, even unconsciously." Heady ideas, but plug into his stream-of-metaconsciousness flow and you may start to intuit what motivates him. There is a deeply lyrical expression in these pieces, but also a sense of exploded perspective, of ideas approached from more angles than any one mind could dream up. Of a collectivized consciousness, of mycelial networks branching across tone and rhythm and timbre, of ideas articulated in distributed fashion, nodal points dancing across drum heads. Pike's imaginary quintet is hardly without precedent; it's a continuation of concepts floated across Jan Jelinek's Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records (FAITBACK 001LP), Burnt Friedman's many guises, and much of the recombinant improv of the International Anthem roster, not to mention the far corners of ECM's catalog in the late 1970s and 1980s.
CD $17
DRIFTWOOD - Maps (Room40 RM 4232CD; Australia) A note from Aviva Endean: "Following our 2024 self-titled release, Nick and I were compelled to make another record, expanding on the distinctive sound world we have found as the duo Driftwood. Grounded in the unique instrumentation of two microtonally re-tuned pump organs, alongside clarinets and guitars, the sonic landscape of Driftwood has become a welcoming place for us to inhabit together. The distinctive characteristics of these instruments, as well as the challenge of playing multiple instruments simultaneously, have become a frame we've leaned into more and more, trusting the vitality of their combined resonance to lead us further into uncharted paths of improvisation. For our second album, we wanted to incorporate additional elements from each of our solo practices into our sound: modular synth, effects pedals, electric guitar and contact mics (because playing two instruments at the same time wasn't enough for us!) In Maps, electronics are subtly worked back into the original improvisations, saturating the live instrumentation with bass undertones and signal processing, pushing the sound into more otherworldly realms. Sometimes the pieces hint toward song-like forms, with repetitive guitar ostinatos lulling the music to the edge of familiarity, while other times the drones and harmonies blur, creating the ground from which glimpses of folk-like melodies surface, as if from a long-forgotten dream."
CD $18
GABRIELLA SMART - Parasymbiosis (Room40 RM 4252CD' Australia) A note from Gabriella: "Parasymbiosis -- the ability of two separate organisms to exist closely together. I have long pondered the concept of connectedness in relation to life's existence. The Dalai Lama teaches that destruction of one's neighbor equates to destruction of oneself. In contrast, modern Western culture has placed the individual at the epicenter of existence -- to the detriment of non-humans and humans alike. Ecological Memory influences present or future responses of a community; it is this shared memory that enables organisms, objects and the environment to connect to each other, and to the other. What happens when a community or ecological system loses this memory, this connection? The systems begin to break down; intergenerational memory evolves in rapid short steps, culture and connection becomes unrecognizable. Time speeds up. Yet with the naked eye, the universe reflects slow time. Its very distance provides a sense of stasis. Understanding the night sky could very well be the vastness of time we have forgotten through our ecological memory, our loss of the visible difference between the likes of night and day; non-referenceable and dictated by intangible rhythms that exist beyond the cyclic elements of nature. Through Parasymbiosis I imagined sounds of the inherent connection between the earth and the universe. Contemporary society has rendered invisible the heritage of the night sky and what it teaches us. The wonder and awe it inspires, in its pure, unadulterated form untouched by light pollution and modern satellite activity, has always informed non-human and human life cycles and human culture. In modern times, only 40% of human beings can still see the Milky Way. We have forgotten that the dark sky and the earth reflect each other -- they are, as a metaphor, parasymbiotic. The Electric Cristal (EC) features strongly in Parasymbiosis. It is a microtonal, electro-acoustic instrument that has captured my imagination through its deep and fragile resonance created by touching glass rods encased in aluminum. Ceated by Dylan Crismani (AUS) in 2019, the EC conjures vast soundscapes. Electronics exploit the volatile vibrations and random frequencies that the instrument generates."
CD $18
AARON RUSSELL & SANDY EWEN * - Dissectologists (Sedimental 011CS; USA) Compelling new collaborative works from longtime musical colleagues going back to the early 2000s in Austin with The Weird Weeds. These deftly paced pieces enhance the artist's now highly evolved and nuanced sonic palettes, venturing thoughtfully into warm and hypnotic sound fields merging two very unique approaches to abstract guitar. Sedimental's connection with these artists is long running, having released the final Weird Weeds album in 2012 that featured both Russell and Ewen as well as Nick (now Sarah) Hennies and Lindsey Verrill, followed in 2017 with Aaron Russell's first solo release Red Guitar. Now ten years later the label re-connects with these fine and dedicated musicians in releasing a new collaborative effort Dissectologists, featuring four deftly paced pieces recorded between 2019 and 2025 in Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, and Mexico City. The album features Russell's and Ewen's distinctive guitars over beds of synthesized drones, processed sounds, and feedback that display the artist's now highly evolved and nuanced sonic palettes, venturing thoughtfully into warm and hypnotic sound fields merging two very unique approaches to abstract guitar, fully realized on the epic 23-minute track "Houston." Aaron Russell grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and has played guitar in a number of underground and experimental bands since the early 1990s, including The Weird Weeds and Moonsicles. He released his first solo guitar album, Red Guitar, on Sedimental Records in 2017 with a new solo LP forthcoming on the memory_waste_ label. Aaron lives in Greenfield, Massachusetts and is focused on composing and performing music for electric guitar and laptop synthesis. Sandy Ewen is a Brooklyn-based sound artist, visual artist, and architect. Ewen's audio practice focuses on extended guitar techniques, improvisation, graphic scores, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her unique approach to guitar incorporates a wide array of implements -- railroad spikes, sidewalk chalk, threaded bolts, steel wool, and other items become an arsenal of abstraction. Ewen has worked extensively with film makers, dancers, poets, and musicians to create films, audio recording, sound interventions, and performance art and is an intrepid and active live performer.
Cassette $16
* SANDY EWEN will be play solo guitar here at DMG on Monday, June 8th at 6:30 for a rare Monday solo guitar session at DMG
LP SECTION:
OTOMO YOSHIHIDE'S NEW JAZZ ORCHESTRA with ALFRED HARTH / MATS GUSTASSON - Out To Lunch (Aguirre Records Zorn 065LP; Belgium) Eeissue, originally released on CD in 2005. Eric Dolphy's final studio album is hailed as one of the finest examples of mid-60s post-bop. Dolphy, having recorded the album in February 1964, was in Europe less than six weeks later and his all-too-brief life ended less than two months after that. It marked his last flurry of original compositions and is considered his apex. It is fascinating to consider whether he would have moved past or away from the album in 1965, had he lived. Though Dolphy should not be considered an avant-garde musician by the term's most common definitions, most interpretations of Out To Lunch have been done by players working squarely in that area. So it is with this album, the most ambitious in its recreation of the five-tune disc (with one original added to the final "Straight Up And Down", extending the piece to almost thirty minutes). All five compositions from the original quintet LP are revisited in the same order, the record sleeve even duplicates the old album jacket, although a photo taken by Daidō Moriyama inside Tokyo's Shinjuku railway station replaces the enigmatic "Will Be Back" sign. Otomo Yoshihide first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde, and contemporary classical. Recognizable themes ("Hat and Beard," "Out to Lunch," "Straight Up and Down") appear, and individual players -- including Alfred Harth on bass clarinet -- don't carry forward echoes from the past in the spirit of a sincere and heartfelt homage. However, a good deal of the time all bets are off; in addition to the usual brass, reeds, bass, and drums (and of course a bit of vibraphone, here played by Takara Kumiko) are such sonic paraphernalia as sine waves, contact mike, no-input mixing board, and, of course, "computer." Otomo himself plays electric guitar. From composition to composition and even during episodes within compositions, the band takes radically different approaches. There are blasts of free jazz energy not too far removed from the Peter Brötzmann Tentet, an impression reinforced by the presence of spluttering wild man Mats Gustafsson on baritone sax. Not surprisingly and often in contrast with the Dolphy original, the music is dense and filled to overflowing with sounds -- sometimes due to fundamental reworkings in structure rather than just the larger size of the ensemble. Dolphy is transported into the 21st century and allowed to romp through modern developments in music.
2 LP Set $44
LEONARD COHEN with DAVE COUSINS / DANNY THOMPSON - In Concert at the BBC 1968 (The 1960's Records Randb 179LP; UK) Leonard Cohen's appearance on 20th March 1968 in a BBC television special had a huge impact and contributed greatly to his success in this country. Here are eleven of the songs he played, recorded in excellent sound. Backed by a select group of UK musicians including Danny Thompson and Dave Cousins, Cohen performed seven tracks from his debut LP. The remaining tracks appearing on subsequent records, with the exception of "There's No Reason You Should Remember Me." Comes with full recording details and extensive sleeve notes.
LP $30
THE WHO - Live in Voorburg 1973 (The 1960's Randb Records 180LP; UK) The last gig played by The Who before the Quadrophenia tour was this seven-track "greatest hits" set, broadcast on Dutch television in March 1973. Featuring material from Tommy and Who's Next, the encore was a lengthy but engrossing version of "Magic Bus." Comes with full recording details and extensive sleeve notes.
LP $30
HAWKWIND - At The BBC 1970 (The 1960's Records Randb 181LP; UK) A fascinating record of Hawkwind's activities in 1970 with all tracks recorded for BBC radio. Side one is the band's first Top Gear session transmitted in September and side two is the Sunday Concert recorded just after their legendary appearance at the Isle Of Wight festival. Comes with full recording details and extensive sleeve notes.
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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THE STONE is NOW LOCATED AT THE NEW SCHOOL, Here is upcoming schedule:
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / CYRO BAPTISTA / JUNE 3-6
6/3 Wednesday
8:30pm - TRIO: Cyro Baptista (percussion) Kaoru Watanabe (flute, percussion) Tim Keiper (drums, percussion)
6/4 Thursday
8:30 pm - ENSEMBLE: Cyro Baptista (percussion) Shunzo Ono (trumpet) Quintin Zoto (guitar) and friends
6/5 Friday
8:30 pm - SOLO: Cyro Baptista (percussion, voice)
6/6 Saturday
8:30 pm - SEXTET: Cyro Baptista (percussion) Felipe Hostins (accordion) Zé Luis Oliveira (woodwinds) Scott Kettner (drums) Jason Fratticelli (bass) Junior Karegato (percussion)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / ANTHONY COLEMAN / JUNE 10-13
6/10 Wednesday
8:30 pm: DUO - Anthony Coleman (piano) Satoshi Takeishi (drums)
6/11 Thursday
8:30 pm: Trio - Yoona Kim (ajaeng) Tom Rainey (drums) Anthony Coleman (piano)
6/12 Friday
8:30 pm: Chamber Music featuring the Studio 265 Ensemble - Milana Zivanovic (Serbian flute) Vasiliy Bolgov (violin) Eden MacAdam-Somer (viola) Elias Shane (harp) David Harewood (piano) David Leon (alto sax) Steven Long (piano, electric organ) Nick Neuburg (drums, percussion) Tanya Kalmanovitch (viola) Ted Reichman (accordion) Anthony Coleman (piano); The Worms Are in Their Brains (2019) / Flaubert/Sofa/Sentence (2012) / Unbelievable Ponašanje (2016) / Cross Currents 1982 (2018)
6/13 Saturday
8:30 pm: MUSIC FROM SOUNDING BOARD - Anthony Coleman (piano)
CD RELEASE CONCERT FOR SOUNDING BOARD!
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 3rd Annual Brooklyn Free Spirit Festival
Returns to I-beam Brooklyn on Saturday July 11 & Sunday July 12.
Produced by Siren Xypher Collective, with support from Alan Feller and Creative Music Studio, this year features workshops by Zeena Parkins, Kyoko Kitamura & Rachel Bernsen; a special listening session & live interview with Cooper-Moore; evening performances by Selendis S.A. Johnson, Hans Young-Binter, Josh Matthews, Janice Lowe, Olithea Anglin, Yohann Potico, Melissa Almaguer, Zeena Parkins, Nate Wooley, Ryan Sawyer, Jamal R. Moore, and Warren Crudup III. Tickets are $20/day which includes all daytime/evening events, light snacks and beverages to facilitate conversation.
Full schedule and details: https://kyokokitamura.com/brooklyn-free-spirit-festival/
I-beam info and tickets Day 1 https://www.ibeambrooklyn.com/home/2026/7/11/brooklyn-free-spirit-festival-day-1
I-beam info and tickets Day 2 https://www.ibeambrooklyn.com/home/2026/7/12/brooklyn-free-spirit-festival-day-2
The Brooklyn Free Spirit Festival convenes improvised music creatives and audiences to promote freedom of expression, inventiveness and social-bonding as an antidote to the oppression of all life forms. The Siren Xypher Collective is Mara Rosenbloom, Melanie Dyer, Kyoko Kitamura.