Oh, she was a rare thing
Fine as a bee's wing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child
Oh, she was running wild
She said, "As long as there's no price on love, I'll stay
And you wouldn't want me any other way"
Brown hair zig-zag around her face
And a look of half-surprise
Like a fox caught in the headlights
There was animal in her eyes
She said, "Young man, oh, can't you see
I'm not the factory kind
If you don't take me out of here
I'll surely lose my mind"
Oh, she was a rare thing
Fine as a bee's wing
So fine that I might crush her where she lay
She was a lost child
She was running wild
She said, "As long as there's no price on love, I'll stay
And you wouldn't want me any other way"
We busked around the market towns
And picked fruit down in Kent
And we could tinker lamps and pots
And knives wherever we went
And I said that we might settle down
Get a few acres dug
Fire burning in the hearth
And babies on the rug
She said, "Oh man, you foolish man
It surely sounds like hell
You might be lord of half the world
You'll not own me as well"
Oh, she was a rare thing
Fine as a bee's wing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child
Oh, she was running wild
She said, "As long as there's no price on love, I'll stay
And you wouldn't want me any other way"
We was camping down the Gower one time
The work was pretty good
She thought we shouldn't wait for the frost
And I thought maybe we should
We was drinking more in those days
And tempers reached a pitch
And like a fool I let her run
With the rambling itch
Oh, the last I heard she's sleeping rough
Back on the Derby beat
White Horse in her hip pocket
And a wolfhound at her feet
And they say she even married once
A man named Romany Brown
But even a gypsy caravan
Was too much settling down
And they say her flower is faded now
Hard weather and hard booze
But maybe that's just the price you pay
For the chains you refuse
Oh, she was a rare thing
Fine as a bee's wing
And I miss her more than ever words could say
If I could just taste
All of her wildness now
If I could hold her in my arms today
Well, I wouldn't want her any other way
I just finished reading a book called Beeswing, an autobiography by guitarist/vocalist Richard Thompson from his early years to the breakup of his marriage to Linda Thompson. A fascinating read plus I've been listening to the early Fairport Convention albums (when Thompson was a member), as well as a half dozen of Thompson's solo efforts, all of which are great in different ways. I caught Fairport Convention at the Fillmore East in 1970 after Sandy Denny had left the band and I was indeed impressed with their unique folk/rock sound as well as the fact that they dressed down, unlike most rock stars of that era. I caught Fairport again several times in the mid-1970'a after Thompson left and especially like when they played two sets at my college (Glassboro State), when Sandy Denny and her husband Trevor Lucas were both in the band. I remain a longtime Fairport Convention fan and own their entire vast catalogue of releases.
I started buying Richard Thompson albums when he started his solo career in 1972 with 'Henry the Human Fly'. I've continued to purchase each of Thompson's 2 dozen plus solo efforts and I've caught him live numerous times over many years. Aside from becoming a great songwriter and fine singer, Mr. Thompson is an incredible guitarist. A number of his songs capture the dark emotions (like jealousy, fear & anger) better than most other great songwriters. Check out the song "Put It There, Pal" which captures the anger that we feel when a friend stabs us in the back. Even better is the song "Shoot Out the Lights", which, for me, has one of the greatest guitar solos ever! According to Mr. Thompson's book, the above song, "Beeswing", was inspired by Sandy Denny (lead singer for Fairport) and Anne Briggs, another great British folk singer that Thompson admired. This song captures a feeling I used to have when I used to hang out with certain women at college, who were to me true Earth Mothers. It is not so easy to capture certain feelings or vibes that were more popular in the 1960's and 1970's. Mr. Thompson's best songs often transport me to another place and time, a place that I still long for. During the great pandemic of 2020, I didn't go to a concert for four months, the longest stretch of time with live music since 1970. The first concert I went to was a Richard Thompson solo set, outdoors next to Woodbridge (NJ) High School. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear live music until Mr. Thompson started singing and playing his acoustic guitar. Each song, his voice and guitar, swept me and the rest of the audience away. I started to weep during the set as his songs evoked deep emotions in me. A tasty toast to Richard Thompson, a musical giant among us mortals. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
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THE DMG 35th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT SERIES Continues with:
Sunday, June 21st at 6pm: GEMINI BIRTHDAYS CELEBRATION:
A Celebration to for all Gemini's: Bruce Lee Gallanter, Anthony Braxton, John F Kennedy, Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Prince, Paul McCartney, Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Roy Harper, Bruce Cockburn, Howlin' Wolf, Dagmar Krause, Brian Wilson, Gary Brooker, Julie Tippetts, Marc Ribot, Arto Lindsay, Misha Mengelberg, Jeff Simmons, Ruth Underwood, Eric Dolphy, Jello Biafra, Igor Stravinsky, William Hooker, Bill Champlin...
MC Bruce-Lee will be spinning some groovy music, live music and other goodies. Bring some positive vibes and put on your dancin' shoes.
Monday, June 22nd: Relative Pitch Series continues:
1st Set: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / ERIN ROGERS - Sax
2nd Set: ERIN ROGERS - Sax / KATE MOHANTY - Sax
3rd Set: CHUCK ROTH / ERIN ROGERS / KATE MOHANTY
June 23rd: VISION Fest - No In-Store Gig! - See below for schedule
June 30th:
6:30: VIV CORRINGHAM - Voice / MARCUS CUMMINS - Soprano Sax
7:30: WILLY RODRIGUEZ - drums / INGRID LAUBROCK - tenor & soprano sax / BRANDON LOPEZ - contrabass
8:30: INVISIBLE GUY: BEN GOLDBERG - clarinet / MICHAEL COLEMAN - keyboards / HAMIR ATWAL - drums
July 7th:
6:30: STAN ZENKOV - Bass Clarinet - Sax / YOONA KIM - Ajaeng / JENNIFER GERSTEN - Violin
7:30: ANTHONY BRAXTON GHOST RANCE MUSIC Performed by: DYLAN DelGIUDICE - Guitar-Alto Sax / ELIJAH SHIFFER and TONY ORZANO - Alto Sax-Clarinet / FRANCESCA H - Soprano Sax / FRANK LAO- Vibes / ANDREW DOW - Bass / MOHAMMED KUBBARA - Percussion
8:30: KEN KOBAYASHI - Drums / LEE ODOM - Sax / JEFF MILES - Guitar / EVAN PALMER - Bass
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ARTS FOR ART - VISION FESTIVAL 30 - June 23rd - June 28th, 2026
Time to celebrate Freedom of Expression once again with the 30th annual Vision Fest, which will take place at the Abrams Arts Center from June 23rd through June 28th. This year the Vision will give a Lifetime Achievement Award to guitarist & bassist Joe Morris. Each night between 6pm and 10:30, there will be around six sets per night of Creative Music, Poets, Dancers and Visual Artists of note. Here's the schedule:
Monday, June 22nd at Anthology Film Archive: 32 2nd Ave at 2nd Street
Program 1 at 6:30:
4 short films about Charles Gayle, Dave Burrell, William Parker & Kidd Jordan
Program 2 at 9:00:
4 short films about Cooper-Moore, Amina Claudine Myers, the Mystery of Gardener’s Groove and 30 Years of Vision
Tuesday June 23rd: Joe Morris Lifetime of Achievement Celebration with:
6:00: Joe Morris & Nicole Mitchell
6:40: JM / Tomeka Reid / Melanie Dyer / Solomon Caldwell
7:20: JM / William Parker / Matt Shipp
7:45: Film on Joe Morris
8:30: JM / Rob Brown / Hery Paz / Matt Rousseau / Hidemi Akaiwa
9:15: JM / DoYeon Kim / Dan Blacksberg / Jonathan Paik / SSAJ / Nick Neuberg / Noah Campbell / Lemeul Marc
Wednesday, June 24th:
6pm: Jen Shyu Fertile Bodies Fertile Land
7pm: Luke Stewart Silt performs the music of Wadada Leo Smith with guest: Angelica Sanchez
8:10: Konjur Collective
9:10: Kaoru Watanabe Blood Lines Interwoven
Thursday, June 25th:
6pm: Ingrid Laubrock Grammy Season with Brandon Seabrook / Shawn Lovato / Tom Rainey / DoYeon Kim
7pm: Craig Taborn & Tomeka Reid
8:10: Val Jeanty & Patricia Nicholson
9:10: Alexis Marcelo & James Brandon Lewis
Friday, June 27th:
6pm: Marshall Allen & The Cosmic Future All-Stars with Dave Burrell, Darius Jones, William Parker & Andrew Cyrille
7:15: Speaking to the Spoken with Alfredo Colon / Trae Crudup / Shara Lunon / Gervis Miles
8:30: Black Cherry with Hamid Drake / William Parker / Josh Roseman
9:25: DoYeon Kim Qt with Laura Cocks / Henry Fraser / Tom Rainey
Saturday, June 28th:
3pm: Panel discussion of Creative Improvisation
6pm: William Hooker QT: Ahmed Abdullah / Jair-Rohm Parker-Wells / Mara Rosenbloom
7pm: Alan Braufman QT: Eri Yamamoto / Luke Stewart / Chad Taylor
8:10: Cooper-Moore / Bobby Zankel / Chad Taylor
9:10: William Parker Rhythm & Soul: Mixashawn Rozie / Taylor Ho Bynum / Jason Kao Hwang / Hamid Drake
Sunday, June 29th:
2pm: Steve Swell Poetics: Ellen Christi / Rob Brown / William Parker / Jeremy Carlstedt
3pm: Whit Dickey / Matt Shipp / Brandon Lopez
4:10: Short Cuts: Ned Rothenberg / Sylvie Courvoisier / Nasheet Waits
5pm: Daniel Carter Back Octopus: Ayumi Ishito / Stahlios Mihas / Matt Lavelle / Matt Shipp / William Parker / Federico Ughi / Hamid Drake
The Vision Fest 30 To Resist takes place this year at the Abrons Art Center, 466 Grand Street, NYC
Closest subway stop is Delancey Street stop on the F train
Order tickets here: https://www.abronsartscenter.org/programs/vision-fest30
Arts for Art is a NYC-based non-profit founded in 1996, focused on promoting and advancing multicultural improvised arts and home to the Vision Festival, an annual internationally-acclaimed festival. The Vision Festival aims to shine a light on Black and Multicultural Creative Improvised Music & Arts and prioritize diversity and inclusion, the artist as visionary, and Free Jazz as a multi-genre expression of community, hope, and justice.
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THIS WEEK'S SONIC GEMS BEGIN WITH THE WONDERFUL:
PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER with BASYA SCHECHTER / SHANIR EZRA BLUMENKRANZ / DAPHNA MOR / MATHIAS KUNZLI / URI SHARLIN / YUVAL LION / BRIAN MARSELLA / et al - Songs of Desire (Tzadik TZ 4062; USA) A superstar of Tzadiks Radical Jewish Culture and the mastermind of the popular band Pharaohs Daughter, Basya Schechter returns with her greatest work yet, a gorgeous and sensual musical setting of the Biblical Song of Songs. Sung in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, Arabic, Spanish, and French, Basya has put her heart and soul into this project and it is evident in every song, solo, and arrangement. Eighteen years in the making, this is a towering achievement by one of the most passionate, sincere, and creative musicians in Jewish music today. Songs of Desire is an utter delight! - Spectrum Series
CD $14
SMIRK with ALAN BJORKLUND / JEREMY VINER / TRAVIS REUTER / MATT MITCHELL / KIM CASS / TYSHAWN SOREY - Not Your Grandfather's Jazz (Birch Grove Media BGM 02001; USA) Smirk features Alan Bjorkland on trumpet & compositions, Jeremy Viner on sax, Travis Reuter on guitar, Matt Mitchell on synthesizer, Kim Cass on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. I don't know much about trumpeter Alan Bjorklund, although I did review one CD by a band called Amygdala from 2014, which Mr. Bjorklund ran. I do know of saxist Jeremy Viner from his work with Kate Gentile and Anna Webber. I only know of guitarist Travis Reuter from his work with Arturo O'Farrill and the Will Mason Ensemble. I've also heard bassist Kim Cass with Matt Mitchell, Patricia Brennan and Noah Preminger. Both pianist/composer Matt Mitchell and drummer/composer, Tyshawn Sorey, don't need an introduction as both are gifted musicians, composers and mult-bandleaders.
"Over-Extrusion" opens Side A with a strong repeating line played by the trumpet and sax, the synth and guitar play a series of interlocked lines with the bass and drums slamming that M-Base like groove. Matt Mitchell both solos strongly here, altering the sound of his synth from section to section. Several musicians here add effects to their instruments, both Bjorklund's trumpet and Sorey's drums are stretched out with added effects without overdoing the effects. Kim Cass' bass is the centering force on "Oolong", both soloing and working his way through a series of tricky written lines. Mr. Viner plays an impressive, smoking tenor solo here as well, as does Matt Mitchell on what sounds like a slightly distorted electric piano (shades of the mid seventies). "Lazer" features a series of mutant chords from Mr. Mitchell's synth with Bjorklund's trumpet and Viner's tenor trading a bunch of inspired solos. As Mr. Mitchell changes the sound of his synth on each piece, the character or overall sound is different. As this piece builds, Mitchell's synth solos with abandon while Cass nails down the ever-shifting bass lines. What I find interesting here is that this LP sounds more like a solid prog/jazz/rock contender, more than an electric jazz album, since the synth is prominent in the overall sound. Side C begins with "False teeth", in which the synth blends the sound of an organ with other eerie theremin-like lines/sounds. The pace is slower so we get to hear the tenor sax and trumpet trading their lines in a most majestic fashion. "Between Doing Stuff" features some odd repeated synth parts with the bassist speeding up to a thrilling pace. The circular repeating pattern strategy found here sounds much like M-Base. "SMI" starts off with just trumpet and sax playing in tight orbits before the slower synth line starts repeating. There is a series of trumpet/sax duos which are followed by a synth/guitar-led sections, a pattern which sounds somewhat Soft Machine-like in construction. Although it sounds like Sorey's cymbals are muted a bit here, his spiraling, powerful playing pushes things higher throughout. Matt Mitchell gets a chance to stretch out on synth on the last piece, "You See", his soloing or perhaps dueting with Mr. Reuter's rambunctious guitar. This 2 LP set is filled with a good deal of challenging music for both the players and the listeners. A most impressive debut from Alan Bjorklund's Smirk. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 LP Set $40 [No CD release]
JON IRABAGON - Raw Dog (CvsD 127CD; USA) Corbett vs. Dempsey presents the release of Raw Dog, a compact disc featuring solos for bass saxophone by Jon Irabagon. One of the leading lights of contemporary creative saxophone music, Jon Irabagon (b. 1978) hails from Chicago, made his name in New York, and has returned to the Windy City with decisive ferocity, joining the city's bustling scene as an active participant and bandleader. Known for many of his groups, including Mostly Other People Do The Killing and PlainsPeak, as well as membership in ensembles led by Mary Halvorson, Dave Douglas, and Barry Altschul, Irabagon is a ceaselessly inventive horn player and dazzling technician with a devilish sense of humor. To experience Irabagon in the purest setting, CvsD invited him to present a concert of unaccompanied solos on his bottom-end horn, which sounded positively elephantine in the gallery's reverberant walls. Furthermore, an invitation to consider two composers, Julius Hemphill and Anthony Braxton, led Irabagon to search the vaults for lesser-known charts by these iconic figures, two compositions each. The results were mind-blowing and ear-juddering, offering new perspectives on Hemphill's deep blues feel and Braxton's erector set structures. Deftly recorded in all their bodacious ambiance, these contrabass meditations are both homages to the music's history and icebreakers into its oceanic future. Recorded by Rob Frye at Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago, on September 20, 2025. Mixed and mastered by Alex Inglizian at Experimental Sound Studio. Design by Michael Dyer/Remake. Cover art by Aaron Curry. CD produced by John Corbett and Jim Dempsey.
CD $15
JUANMA TRUJILLO / KENNETH JIMENEZ / VASCO TRILLA - Nada Es Nada (Ramble Records 205CD; Australia) Featuring Juanma Trujillo on guitar, Kenneth Jimenez on contrabass and Vasco Trilla on drums & percussion. Recorded in Barcelona, Spain. For the past decade plus, a large number of American and European musicians have moved to Berlin as their home-base. More recently a number of musicians have moved to Spain with Barcelona being a popular landing place. Formerly Brooklyn-based musicians guitarist Juanma Trujillo and his partner violist Leonor Falcon moved to Barcelona around 5 years ago and are now proud parents as well as collaborating with a number of Spanish musicians. For this disc, Mr. Trujillo is working with contrabassist Kenneth Jimenez (from Juanma's previous trio CD in 2023) and Spanish drummer Vasco Trilla. Mr. Trilla is pretty prolific with a dozen plus discs with collaborators: John Edwards, Lao Dan, Mars Williams and Szilard Mezei.
I caught Mr. Trujillo last night at DMG in a quartet with Hery Paz, Kenneth Jimenez and James Paul Nadien and it was a marvelous set! Trujillo has been collaborating with Mr. Paz and Mr. Jimenez for many years and we can hear this is the way they work together. "orphic tales" opens this disc with dreamy, spacious guitar and eerie, subtle bowed bass, the overall vibe is most ethereal. On "sacred monsters", Mr. Trujillo's starts to stretch out, playing a series of fractured but focused lines and chords with the bass and drums playing some tight counterpoint. Although I don't think that this trio had played much (ever?) together before this recording, they do play as a tight, connected unit. On "la mort et les statues", it sounds like Mr. Trilla is bowing his cymbals or other pieces of metal, creating hypnotic sounding suspense while Trujillo softly taps on his guitar strings. Things begin quietly on "breaking statues", with both Juanma's guitar and Kenneth's contrabass playing graciously together in their own dream-world, picking up the tempo the piece unfolds. Jimenez's contrabass and Trujillo's guitar play like a couple of ghosts dancing slowly around another on "infernal machine". The trio does a good job of creating a suspense-filled environment with some spooky, other-worldly sounds which become more dense and intense on "le bel indifferent". The music often sounds as if we are entering another weird world or environment. The last piece, "critica indirecta" is stripped down yet it also creates a dream-like world. Although the quartet played more over-the-top last night, this trio is equally captivating on a more restrained level. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
JUANMA TRUJILLO / ALBERT CIRERA / MIGUEL VILLAR / MASA KAMAGUCHI / RAMON PRATS - Musica Para Quinteto - Live at Jazz Cava (Underpool UNDP-098; Spain) Featuring Juanma Trujillo on guitar & compositions, Albert Cirera & Miguel Villar on tenor saxes, Masa Kamaguchi on bass and Ramon Prat on drums. Ever since moving to Barcelona, Spain a few years back, the former-Brooklyn based guitarist has been collaborating with a number of Spanish avant/jazz musicians. Both saxist Albert Cicera and drummer Ramon Prats have worked together with Spanish avant/jazz piano great Agusti Fernandez. Japanese bassist Masa Kamaguchi lived in New York and worked with Russ Lossing and Frank Kimbrough, and has been living in Barcelona since 2006.
This disc was recorded live at Jazz Cava in May of 2025. It starts with "Howl", which has both tenor saxes playing their tight lines together. Mr. Trujillo takes the first out there solo and sounds fine, both cerebral and focused. While one of the tenor players solos, Trujillo adds some nifty counterpoint lines underneath. "Conflagration (For Los Angeles)" is next and starts with both saxists playing their circular lines together. feisty at first and then calming down to play Trujillo's haunting charts. The final piece, "Jardin" has a most cerebral quality. with Trujillo playing with much restraint when it starts. The piece takes off with Trujillo taking a long and winding laid back guitar solo. One of the tenor players joins him midway. One of the things I like most about this disc is that it is not too much of the Fire Music sort, but more about the way all of the members of the quintet play together, with restraint and respect, slow-burning without having to scream. As far as I know, this label has no other US distribution. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
BARRE PHILLIPS & GYORGY KURTAG JR. - Togetherness (BMC Records 379CD; Hungary) "One of the world's greatest improvisers, double bassist Barre Phillips, passed away just over a year ago. Togetherness pays tribute to his memory with the edited version of an improvised duo concert: in 2014, Phillips celebrated his 80th birthday and György Kurtág Jr., one of the leading figures of experimental electronics, celebrated his 60th birthday by playing together at Opus Jazz Club."
CD $16
SAM RIVERS TRIO with DAVE HOLLAND / BARRY ALTSCHUL - The Quest (Red Records 123106; USA) When everything was ready the trio played four tracks in a row, all in one breath» recalls Veschi. There was no need to record many takes for each piece. Everything went for the best. The trio played for pieces that Rivers baptized with the evocative titles of Expectation, Vision, Judgement and Hope. There is no doubt The Quest was an album of an absolute vanguard, reflecting the experimentations and the freedom of expression that was swarming among the lofts of New York. It was alive and vital music, spontaneous and sincere, violently hitting the listener and not leaving him or her indifferent.
CD $17 / LP $30
WOODY SHAW QUINTET with STEVE TURRE / MULGREW MILLER / STAFFORD JAMES / TONY REEDUS - Time Is Right - Live In Europe (Red Records 123168-2; Italy) A band that had long dispensed with a permanent saxophonist and perfected the trumpet-trombone lead, keeping the cauldron on the boil. Mr. Shaw’s trumpet style made use of the interval of a fourth, inspired by the John Coltrane Quartet with McCoy Tyner, and together with his use of the pentatonic scale set him apart from other trumpet players of the time. These aspects of his approach to the trumpet can be heard on Time Is Right Woody Shaw Quintet. All four selections on this album — ‘From Moment to Moment’, ‘Time Is Right’, ‘You and the Night and the Music’ and ‘We’ll Be Together Again’ — draw much strength from the simple fact that this was a regular working band. The music clearly benefits from everyone having grown together musically since 1979, evidenced by the coherence and internal vitality in their playing on, for example, ‘From Moment to Moment’.The quintet creates the perfect context for Shaw, whose style fits the well constructed arrangement perfectly. There is harmonic adventure here and shades of Coltrane’s intervallic methodology, but absorbed into a broader framework of an approach to improvisation that could be lyrical yet edgy, with quirky phrases to keep the listener on their toes. It’s doubtful if Shaw played better than he did with this quintet, which he inexplicably disbanded in 1983.
CD $17
NATURAL INFORMATION SOCIETY and BITCHIN BAJAS - Automaginary Totality CD (Drag City 989CD; USA) "Totality! Automaginary! The in-studio convergence of Natural Information Society and Bitchin Bajas: two albums made over a decade of time, brought ye now together on CD. Congenial and organic, individual and ensemble inclinations incline in crafting new rhythm 'n gravity pieces. Invisible force meets ancient object: unique passages in time by two ensembles in shared and separate forever arcs."
2 CD Set $18
MERZBOW - Tsubute Mosaic (Modern Obscure Music MOM 049CD; Spain) Merzbow (aka Masami Akita) is an animal rights activist, writer, and musician, an iconic figure in international noise scene. Renowned for his pioneering contributions to the noise music genre, Merzbow has solidified his position as one of its most significant and recognizable figures. From his groundbreaking utilization of tape loops to craft expansive industrial landscapes in the late 1970s, to his transition to laptop-generated static noise at the turn of the century, Merzbow has consistently pushed the boundaries of sonic experimentation. Modern Obscure Music now presents Merzbow's debut release on the label, Tsubute Mosaic.
CD $18
Z'EV - Schonste Muziek (Cold Spring Records CSR 367CD; UK) CD in matt digipak, with all artwork remaining true to Z'EV's original concepts. Early hallucinatory ritual percussion works from the much-missed rhythmajik master Z'EV. This legendary album by Industrial pioneer Z'EV was originally released in 1986 (LP, Dossier), now finally available with the state-of-the-art remastering it deserves. Also included is the bonus 20-minute track "Titan Night," recorded at Berlin Atonal in December 1983, now available here for the first time on any format since the original 1984 split LP with Psychic TV (who performed their iconic set at the same event). Z'EV performed on all-steel, custom-made percussion instruments, designed to activate the acoustics of the space.
"Each track finds Z'EV creating moody and atmospheric percussion based compositions. If you're familiar with Z'EV's work you'd say these tracks are a bit more primal, stripped back, and unmanipulated. Each track takes in a set pattern of percussive elements, which he investigates over the track's length, and these move from forceful battering onto more moody drifts, and in between the two... a worthy work from this most respected and unequalled artist." - Musique Machine
CD $17
MNEMONIST ORCHESTRA - self-titled (Klanggalerie GG527; Germany) Mnemonists, on the first album called Mnemonist Orchestra, is U.S collective of avant-garde musicians from Colorado, led by Mark Derbyshire and William Sharp. Their music is a mixture of modern classical, experimental sounds, noise, industrial, avant-garde and free jazz. Their releases were published by their own self-produced label Dys between 1981 and 1986. By 1985 the group had split off into separate groups for visual and audio work. From that time, Mnemonists operated only as a visual arts collective while the musical activity was taken over by a new group called Biota that featured a few of the musicians involved with Mnemonists as well as many new members. The two groups co-exist and share only a few members. The Mnemonist Orchestra album was recorded in March 1979 at Fort Collins, Colorado. The musicians improvised within loose arrangements intended to suggest the concept of each piece. All pre-taped sounds were mixed live with the other instruments.
CD $18
JEAN-CLAUDE ELOY - Etude IV - d'une etoile oubliee - La grande vague (Hors Territories HT 014CD; France) Etude IV: points-lines-landscapes (1979). This work is designed as an all-electronic piece without considering any configuration with soloist parts for later use (unlike the two following pieces featured on this CD). It was realized by Jean-Claude Eloy in 1979 on the CEMAMu's UPIC upon Iannis Xenakis's invitation to whom this work is dedicated as a friend. The UPIC (Unité Polyagogique Informatique du CEMAMu) is an electronic tool invented by Iannis Xenakis in the 1970s. It is a graphic interface designed to create sound and compose music, whose first version featured a big drawing board (a sort of architect desk) equipped with a ballpoint electromagnetic pencil, surrounded by a computer (mini-computer solar 16/55 ESMS -- memory of 32 K) and a monitor. All kinds of forms could thus be drawn with the electronic pencil based on time parameters (moving from left to right) and frequency spaces (from bottom to top, from the lowest to the highest register). Before each drawing (or for every line or "arch" -- from an architectural point of view) the appropriate banks would be successively selected with the electromagnetic pencil: a waveform bank, an envelope bank, which could also be drawn and stored in advance. Piling up such arches you could obtained more or less complex drawings filling a "page" that could be calculated by the computer upon completion. Today, such operations are widely used by every computer (including consumer computer) whiz. However, in 1979 (when this work was produced) such opportunities were unique. Of a Forgotten Star (1986), electro-acoustic part alone from Sappho hiketis. Originally, this work was part of Anâhata but did not end up in its final production. It was later used as a supporting structure for the Sappho hiketis piece with the solo vocal parts especially written for Fatima Miranda and Yumi Nara. During the electro-acoustic production of Anâhata this mixing was entitled Indian-Plates. The basic material is exclusively made of prerecorded sounds from metal percussion instruments. The Great Wave (1991) (a tribute to Hokusai), electro-acoustic part alone from "She" (from the Gaia-Songs cycle). This work was originally realized to fit into Erkos but was not used in the final production. It was later integrated into the Gaia-Songs cycle for the fourth piece. This work was completed in 1990-91 at the WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk) Electronic Studio of Cologne.
CD $18
JEAN-CLAUDE ELOY - Kamakala - Etude III - Fluctuante immuable (Hors Territories HT015; France) CD with 60-page booklet with photos and texts in French and English. Kâmakalâ. The Energy Triangle (1971). For three orchestra ensembles, five chorus ensembles, with three conductors. Orchestra and chorus of the WDR, Schola Cantorum, Stuttgart. Conductors: Michel Tabachnik, Bernhard Kontarsky, Jacques Mercier. "Kâmakalâ" -- a Sankrit term meaning energy triangle -- refers to India's philosophy (Tantric Shivaïsm) and is expresses here as the appearance of energy, which is the erotic and cosmic energy (Kama), that which helps Shiva uniting with his Shakti (feminine energy), create every self-subdivision (Kalâ), hence gradually generating the whole complexity of the universe. It is that idea of a vast and slow crescendo of the various parameters of a musical score, of an infinite division and infinite multiplication of the material contained in it that appealed to Eloy. As a result, music pieces were almost inevitably bound to be brief, unable to sustain time as it would distribute the entire sound energy from the very first minutes. Étude III (1962) for orchestra, with piano and five percussionists. Orchestra of the SWF, Baden-Baden. Conductor: Ernest Bour. Etude III, which was composed in May and June of 1962 in Zurich and Paris, uses the configuration of a traditional orchestra (wood and brass instruments by pair) opposite to an ensemble of five percussionists, piano, harp and celesta. A dialectic stands out of this opposition as it is emphasized through the writing and conducting (measured for the orchestral mass, a-measured and cued for the entire ensemble on the foreground). The instruments, which form cohesive timber families, come in according to an irregular pattern as the piece develops, with the entire configuration not coming into play until the last developments. Fluctuante -- Immuable (1977) for full orchestra. New Philharmonic Orchestra from Radio-France. Conductor: Gilbert Amy. Fluctuante-Immuable, which was composed in 1977 as Gaku-no-Michi was produced in the Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) electronic studio in Tokyo, is the result of a commission by the Secretariat of Cultural Affairs made for the Orchestre de Paris, which premiered it in May 1977. This work clearly shows the influence and the alterations that electro-acoustic practices infer on orchestral writing practices. Besides Eloy's long electro-acoustic productions, Fluctuante-Immuable suggested a new (theoretical and practical) way of addressing issues related to "composing with notes".
CD $22
WHITEHOUSE - Psychopathia Sexualis (Legacy Edition)(Susan Lawly SLCD 032CD; UK) The historic and perhaps infamous Psychopathia Sexualis LP, originally recorded and released on creamy-colored vinyl in 1982, and for decades a clandestine, highly sought-after collector's item, is now here for the very first time in CD format! Finally! This brand-new Susan Lawly legacy reissue CD version, digitally remastered by Andrew Liles, features a beautiful 12-page booklet packed with photos, technical info, and a biographical text by William Bennett.
CD $16
JK FLESH / MONRELLA - Shouting The Odds (Give/Take GT 078CD; USA) Justin K Broadrick (Godflesh) and Mick Harris (Napalm Death) drop militant, hard techno on this split LP. This new album doubles the track count (and runtime) of the duo's last collab. The stalwart Birmingham have connected again as JK Flesh and Monrella to deliver the warehouse- destroying hard techno album Shouting The Odds, five years after their last EP, See Red. Featuring four tracks from each artist, Shouting The Odds invokes both the feeling of listening to late night pirate radio and sweating in a darkened warehouse as the rafters shake, complete with the perfect amount of analog wow and flutter. Brimming with gnarled, unrelenting kicks hovering between 130-140bpm, the split format deftly showcases both artist's individual strengths, while displaying undeniable commonality. Broadrick's side leans traditional hard techno, filled with mesmerizing, minimal synth arpeggios and contrasting toplines, all aligned and maligned by shrewd transitions. Harris' section presents more experimental and house influences, using bright, distorted synth hits and a touch of forlorn melody. The tracks take on a life of their own through expert use of filters and just the right amount of delay, stutter, and glitch. Never before has an album filled with such shining, shimmering synths been so black and threatening. JK Flesh and Monrella have hard techno down to a science.
CD $18
THE OWL SERVICE - Always We Are Destroyed: An Owl Service Anthology (Hobby-Horse HHTE 027CD; UK) Essex-based psych-folk trailblazers The Owl Service celebrate 20 years with a new career-spanning 2CD set. The Owl Service started life in 2006 as a solo bedroom project for multi-instrumentalist Steven Collins, but it soon blossomed into a global collective with a rotating cast of singers and players that was as hard to keep up with as their sprawling discography. Apart from a brief alliance with Southern Records and a handful of releases on Static Caravan, Reverb Worship, and Fruits de Mer, they've been fully self-sufficient for their entire 20-year history, cementing their position as perennial alt. folk outsiders. The tracklisting here draws heavily from the band's early self-releases and compilation appearances, and also includes a selection of choice cuts from their three acclaimed studio albums. The story is brought right up to date with several more recent tracks, which have seen a prolific return to recording largely inspired by the arrival of new singers Dorothy Chappell and Rebecca Leivers. The album also includes one new and exclusive recording, a version of the traditional song "Brigg Fair." The music here shifts from fairly traditional folk, through faithful 1970s vintage folk-rock, to doom-laden folk-horror inspired psych-folk, all of it handled with an impeccable touch that's always respectful towards the band's many diverse influences.
2 CD Set $16
THE TELESCOPES - Static Charge (Tapete Records TR 614; Germany) Though vaguely considered along the lines of noise, space rock, dream pop and psychedelic, The Telescopes have consistently expanded boundaries, coloring outside the lines with possibility. This house has many rooms, embraced across genres, influential to many, all embracing, in an orbit of its own. Static Charge is The Telescopes' 19th studio album since the group's inception in 1988 -- and their seventh release on Tapete Records. After a three-month tour of the UK and Europe, the all-embracing sounds of The Telescopes return with a lean blitz of seditionary hits. Take a jolt of Static Charge and step beyond the realm of natural vision. Stone age beats, outsider sounds, low end disturbance unite in resistance to the new weirdness of existence. The Telescopes experience is known for having an ever-revolving line up that can vary between one and twenty people. On this album, The Telescopes are a four-piece consisting of The Telescopes founder and protagonist Stephen Lawrie on guitar and vocals, Darrell Carter on guitar, Robert Prest on bass with John Lynch on drums and percussion. Interesting facts: John can also be found playing with The Jonny Halifax Invocation. Darrell releases great music under the name of Fromme and Robert's father used to fly Fela Kuti around in a private jet. The album was written, recorded and produced within a two-month period from November 2025 to January 2026 at Stephen Lawrie's Butterfly House studio in Shropshire. The whole album was recorded mostly live with the only overdubs being vocal harmonies. There are seven songs in total.
CD $18 / LP $30
HERMANN KOPP - Der Golem (Cold Spring Records CSR 363CD; UK) Best known for his Nekromantik soundtracks (Dir. Jörg Buttgereit), Hermann Kopp composed and recorded his new soundtrack to the 1920 classic horror film Der Golem -- a leading example of early German Expressionism by Paul Wegener. First released in 1914, three versions of this material were made, but only the 1920 version is still available. Using violin, viola and electronic/synthesizer sounds, the new score adds a more contemporary, sometimes noisy edge to the film, whilst not forgetting the esoteric and mysterious components of the Golem myth of Jewish folklore. Set in a ghetto of medieval Prague, the Golem, a clay hulk brought to life by a magic scroll implanted in his chest, is summoned as a protector and avenger. The soundtrack premiered March 7, 2025 in a Parisian cinema near Place de l'Etoile -- by invitation of Vincent Glaume (organizer of the legendary Au-delà du Silence events in France, who first proposed the idea to Kopp). It was also presented at Wroclaw Industrial Festival, Poland in October 2025. Hermann Kopp started recording songs on tape in the '70s, combining his violin with a Moog imitation in a very personal and minimal approach to music, with lyrics that bordered on surrealism. After a mini-LP in 1981 and his Pop LP of 1983, he became the fifth member of experimental synthesizer band Keine Ahnung. After a split, Kopp was contacted by filmmaker Jörg Buttgereit to participate in the scores for Nekromantik, later in Der Todesking and finally in Nekromantik 2. He has since released a string of incredible works through labels such as Galakthorrö, 4iB Records, One Way Static, and Vinyl On Demand.
CD $17
RECORD TIME - Issue #4 -- 2026 (Record Time RT 004; USA) "Record Time is a print-only music magazine that focuses on obscure, unusual, forgotten and neglected records, not collectibles or rarities, but great records that can be had without shelling out max cash. Contents for #4: The turmoil of the Gibbs family and the wonderful run of Bee Gees records when the brothers were at their personal worst; a hip hop through the Roxanne Wars, the longest running answer song spree ever; the splendid freakiness of Kentucky's Sapat; The Frost and their horny masterworks; Finnish trash Smack's hard rock perfection; guitar instro whizz Travis Wammack; a primer on the romantic darkness of the Mexican Bolero; Golden Earring and their struggle to crack the USA; the great '90s garage punk label Bag of Hammers; the Allman Brothers Band on the skids; anti-punk songs by bitter old rockers; Japanese '70s teen idols Chaco & Hells Angels; steel band funk; country studs do rock and roll; Rocketship goes ambient; wretched music biographies; power pop zines; 12x4 with Scott Derr, Erin Yanke, Joan Toledo, and Jello Biafra; and more! Contributors include: Pete, Fred de Vries, Stella Beratlis, Owen Maercks, Johnny Sunshine, Eric Davison, Laurent Bigot, William Tutton, Mike Trouchon, Eric Friedl, Jay Hinman, Bob Beatty, Ryan Wells, and others. Perfect bound, 112 pages."
Magazine $17
TASHI DORJI / CHRIS CORSANO - Live at Ritual Botanica (Feeding Tube Records FTR834; USA) "Messrs. Corsano and Dorji are both familiar names in the Feeding Tube discography. Chris has played drums on eight FTR LPs (and recorded two others), and Tashi has played guitar on six (details upon request if you are lazy.) But this is the first time they have appeared on vinyl as a duo, and we are damn proud to have them. Over the past years Chris has recorded with a lot of the era's best guitarists -- Bill Nace, Ben Chasny, Thurston Moore, Nels Cline, David Vanzan, Bill Orcutt, Rick Bishop, Glenn Jones, Jim O'Rourke, Flo Stoffner, and onward. And Tashi has worked with some fine-ass drummers -- Thom Nguyên, Tyler Damon, Michael Zerang, Dylan Fujioka, Susie Ibarra, Marshall Trammell, etc. So perhaps this team-up was inevitable. They played their first live duo show at a one-off in 2023 and it went so well, they set up a four date tour for 2025. This set was recorded at the tour's inaugural date in Tashi's hometown, Asheville NC, at Ritual Botanica, a space run by Tashi's pals, Potion. And it is a corker. Chris runs through a panorama of his playing styles. Sometimes he flashes polyrhythmic jazzoid explosions across every available drum head. At others he lays into a slightly off-kilter backbeat like some sort of prog rock lumberjack. Simultaneously, Tashi lays out lines of space-oid feedback, drives through angular chunk-riffs ala early John McLaughlin, or spirals into psych flairs worthy of Japan's sub-underground masters. Together, they make a powerful argument for the divine mastery of drum/guitar duos, a non-standard format first introduced (to me, anyway) on Randy Holden's Population II. Live at Ritual Botanica is a different animal than Holden's classic LP, but a stone by any other name, y'know?" - Byron Coley, 2026
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 / SIMON HANES / JUNE 17-20 / JUNE 24-27
Simon Hanes 35th Birthday Celebration!!!!
6/17 Wednesday
8:30 pm - QUARTET: Anthony Coleman (piano) Mat Maneri (viola) Billy Martin (percussion, drums) Simon Hanes (bass, baritone guitar)
6/18 Thursday
8:30 pm - MUSIC FOR DUOS: Simon Hanes (electric bass) Jorge Roeder (upright bass) Rahul Carlberg (keyboards) Elias Stemeseder (keyboards)
New music for two basses, and for two keyboards
CLOSED FOR JUNETEENTH - THE NEW SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED
6/20 Saturday
8:30 pm- THE NEW CALIFORNIANS: Simon Hanes (bass, baritone guitar) Fred Frith (guitar) Ches Smith (drums) Nora Stanley (alto sax)
6/24 Wednesday
8:30 pm - TSONS OF TSUNAMI LARGE ENSEMBLE: Simon Hanes (baritone guitar) Anna Abondolo (upright bass) Jesse Heasly (electric bass) Jon Starks (drums) Nora Stanley (alto sax) Rahul Carlberg (keyboards) Billy Martin (percussion) Anna Fortuna (vibraphone, malletkat, marimba) Pauline Roberts (vibraphone, aux perc, voice) Adam Turay (electric guitar); World premiere of new music for Simon's newest stellar ensemble!
6/25 Thursday
8:30 pm - A full performance of L'HISTOIRE DU SOLDAT: Carina Yee (violin) Jesse Heasly (bass) Matt Bent (drums, percussion) Jake Baldwin (trumpet) Kathryn Vetter (clarinet) Colin Babcock (trombone) Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon) Simon Hanes (conductor) John Hanes (narrator) Anthony Coleman (devil) Anna Abondolo (soldier)
6/26 Friday
8:30 pm - GARGANTUA: Isa Crespo Pardo (voice) Priya Carlberg (voice) Jolee Gordon (voice) Anna Abondolo (electric bass) Jesse Heasly (electric bass) Wes Nelson (electric bass) Kevin Newton (french horn) Noah Fotis (french horn) Blair Hamrick (french horn) Jen Baker (trombone) Jacob Garchik (trombone) Colin Babcock (trombone) Matt Bent (drums) Jon Starks (drums) Kevin Murray (drums) Simon Hanes (conductor)
6/27 Saturday
8:30 pm - SOLO: Simon Hanes (baritone guitar)
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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THIS COMES FROM MY GOOD FRIENDS AT THE BURNT SUGAR ARKESTRA:
Saturday, June 20th
Maker Park Radio presents The Future Roots Festival
with ESG / Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber w Living Colour’s Vernon Reid / Sunny War / DJ Nabihah Iqbal
Maker Park Radio
450 Front Street
Staten Island N.Y. 10304
7PM - 11PM
All Ages / Free to the People
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber (Maker Park Radio Edition) featuring: Vernon Reid - guitar/conduction / Shelley Nicole - vocals / Miss Olithea - vocals / Bruce Mack - vocals/synthesizer/conduction / JS Williams - trumpet / V. Jeffrey Smith - soprano & tenor sax/electronics / “Moist” Paula Henderson - bari sax / Dave “Smoota” Smith - trombone / Keyanna Hutchinson - electric guitar / Ben Tyree - electric guitar / LaFrae Sci - trap drums/electronic drums/conduction / Jared Michael Nickerson - electric bubble bass
Saturday, July 18th
J. Dilla’s Donuts reimagined by Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber
with Special Detroit Guests Jessica CARE Moore, DONAVAN GLOVER,
Monica “mbtheLightLIGHT” Blaire, Jon Dixon & Duminie Desporres.
Concert of Colors 2026
Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA)
North Lawn Stage
5200 Woodward Avenue
Detroit Michigan 48202
6:30PM
All Ages
Free to the People
Presented in loving acknowledgement of Ismael “Ish” Ahmed & Margaret King-Ahmed
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber (J Dilla Donuts Re-Imagined Edition) Featuring: Jessica CARE Moore - mc/spoken word / LaFrae Sci - trap drums/electronic drums/conduction / Miss Olithea - vocals / electronics / Monica “mBtheLIGHT” Blaire - vocals/electronics / Bruce Mack - vocals/synthesizer/conduction / DONAVAN GLOVER - turntables/electronics / JS Williams - trumpet / V. Jeffrey Smith - soprano & tenor sax/electronics / Duminie Deporres - electric guitar / Jonathan Dixon - keyboards/electronics / Leon Gruenbaum - keyboards/samchillian/talk box / Jared Michael Nickerson - electric bubble bass
Thursday, July 30th / Friday, July 31st / Saturday, August 1st
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber “Caramelizes” The Summer of LoveConcert of Joe Henderson Lab
SF Jazz Center
201 Franklin Street
San Francisco CA 94102
415-788-7353
All Ages
Two Shows @ Night @ 7PM & 8:30PM - $39.00
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber / sfjazz.org
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber (SF Jazz Summer of Love Edition) - Featuring: Shelley Nicole - vocals/conduction / Bruce Mack - vocals/synthesizer/conduction / Miss Olithea - vocals/electronics / JS Williams - trumpet / V. Jeffrey Smith - soprano & tenor sax/electronics / Ben Tyree - electric guitar / Leon Gruenbaum - keyboards/samchillian/talk box / LaFrae Sci - trap drums/electronic drums/conduction / Jared Michael Nickerson - electric bubble bass
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