It’s Hotter than Hell, Can’t You Tell? So Get Out of the Heat and Get a New Treat! Short but Sweet and Good Enough to Listen to… Check Out What’s Come in This Week:
Two from Jacob Sacks with Andrew Bishop/Dan Weiss/Jacob Garchik! Three from The Rocco John Iacovone Quartets! Five from Sunnyside: Guillermo Klein/Black Arts Collective/Chris Cheek/Denny Zeitlin! Henry Kaiser/Nels Cline Review & Free DL Gem!
Plus Archival CDs from: Bob Brookmeyer! Jimmy Giuffre! Jim Hall! Jeanne Lee & Ran Blake! Wes Montgomery ‘Full House’! Sonny Rollins & Don Cherry! Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon Quartet! Four Freshmen! Kevin Ayers! Pete Brown & Piblokto! Caravan CD+DVD! Ornette Coleman LP! Half Dozen from Vinny Golia! Two from Fred Anderson and Two from Khan Jamal and A Few More Rarities!
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The DMG FREE Weekly In-Store Concert Series Continues With:
Sunday, July 31st: 6pm: ALAN BJORKLAND / KIM CASS / SAM OSPOVAT - Trumpet/Bass/Drums
Sunday, August 7th - Rare Triple Bill: 6pm: NICOLAS LETMAN-BURTINOVIC & KYOKO KITAMORA! 7pm: SPLIT CYCLE: Samuel Blais - sax, Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic - bass, Akira Ishiguro -guitar & Chris Carrroll - drums! 8pm: X. Y. / SEAN ALI / J. D. - Voice & Electronics / Contrabass / Laptop!
Rare Monday, August 8th: 6pm: SUSAN ALCORN & TOTO ALVAREZ!
Sunday, August 14th: 6pm: PROJECTION: ZERO: BLAISE SIWULA & CARSTEN RADTKE
Sunday, August 21st: 6pm: BILLY MINTZ QUARTET: TONY MALABY / ROBERTA PIKET / HILLIARD GREENE / BILLY MINTZ
DMG is located at 13 Monroe St. (between Catherine & Market Sts) in a basement below a former Buddhist temple & beauty salon. Take the F train to East Broadway or the 6 train to Canal or the B or D to Grand, or the M-15 bus to Madison & Catherine. Come on Down, the Music Always Free & the Vibes are Quite Cosy!
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This Saturday, July 30th, it is LOU REED DAY at Lincoln Center and it is FREE!
LAURIE ANDERSON/JOHN ZORN/BILL LASWELL will be playing at Lincoln Center Outdoors as part of a day long Lou Reed Celebration! Other musicians/artists involved include: Hal Willner, Julian Schnabel and Tai Chi Master Ren Guangyi. The concert & celebration will take place at Damrosch Park and is free! For details, check out the full day schedule at: https://www.lcoutofdoors.org/events/the-bells-a-daylong-celebration-of-lou-reed
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JACOB SACKS QUINTET With ANDREW BISHOP/DAN WEISS/ et al - No Man’s Land (Yeah-Yeah Records 0007; USA) Featuring Jacob Sacks on piano & compositions, Andrew Bishop on clarinet & tenor sax, John Wojiechowski on tenor sax, Tim Flood on bass and Dan Weiss on drums. Over the past decade plus I’ve been checking out pianist Jacob Sacks play with a number of Downtown’s best musicians: Dan Weiss, Jon Irabagon, Eivind Opsvik and David Binney. You should no doubt know of Dan Weiss, one of the best and most well-regarded drummers in New York. Detroit-based reeds player, Andrew Bishop, has worked with Gerald Cleaver and has three of his own fine CDs out. This Jacob Sacks’ second disc as a leader, although he has co-led a band with trombonist Jacob Garchik, who have two fine discs out so far. The opening song, “Swingin’ Sh*thead” seems like an odd title for a song that has a most uplifting quality and yes, it does swing in a mostly serene way. The piece steadily increases and decreases in tempo throughout with a superb clarinet solo from Mr. Bishop and equally slow-burning solo from Mr. Wojiechowski on tenor. “Walker Evans” was most likely named after the great American photographer and is a lovely, sublime sort of ballad. The title piece is haunting and spacious and seems to move in waves, it is quite breath-taping at times. It seems to morph right into the next piece, “Eighth Notes” which also has this dreamy quality, free at times with occasional ghosts floating by. My Favorite piece is called, “White Hat, Too Late” which has a rich. earthy Americana quality, reminding me of Wayne Horvitz’ music, especially that last great disc (’Some Places are Forever’). Besides the excellent mallet-work thoughout this disc, I love the way Mr. Sacks writes those lush harmonies for both reeds: elegant, warm, tasty, stirring. There is one song which has some mighty fine chattering saxes, jumping together in a most uplifting way. It turns out that this disc was released in 2013, but this is the first time we’ve listed it. It is another one of those forgotten teams that should be treasured time and again. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $13
back in stock:
JACOB GARCHIK / JACON SACKS / DAVID AMBROSIO / VINNIE SPERRAZZA - 40Twenty (Yeah-Yeah 0004; USA) Featuring Jacob Garchik on trombone, Jacob Sacks on piano, David Ambrosio on bass and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums. This quartet has been working together in different projects for more than a decade since doing a live disc with Yoon Sun Choi as their singer under the name 4inObjects. All six songs are originals and each member of the quartet contribute one or two. "Jan 20" kicks things off with a swell, loping Monk-like groove which is somewhat bent yet charming. Both Jacobs take great solos on trombone and piano and sound like they are having fun, the vibe is most enchanting. On "Gi", the quartet starts spinning more quickly, sailing with an almost effortless sounding flow. "Plainchant" is a sublime ballad with immensely spare, elegant solos from the trombone and piano. Even when laying back, this quartet have a way of inserting subtle yet unexpected twists and turns. "One Five" is a highlight with the piano and trombone moving in different sweeping waves, while the bass & drums move in inter-related currents underneath. I get the feeling that this disc will get better as I continue to listen to it since there are a couple of layers of connections going on. The ever-evolving Downtown Scene has dozens of bands who are both ambitious yet often overlooked by the media spotlight. This particular quartet are amongst the best under-recognized treasures. - BLG CD $13
ROCCO JOHN [IACOVONE] QUARTET - Embrace the Change (Unseen Rain 9947; USA) Featuring Rocco John Iacovone on alto & soprano saxes & compositions, Rich Rosenthal on guitar, Francois Grillot on double-bass and Tom Cabrera on drums. Last year I reviewed a disc by a quartet called the Red Microphone, which included saxists Ras Moshe (who you should know well) and Rocco John Iacovone (whose name I heard for the first time). Considering that Mr. Iacovone is perhaps my age (early 60’s)or older, it was surprising that he is such a fine sax player and that I hadn’t heard of him before. This quartet, minus bassist Francois Grillot, played here last Sunday (7/24/16) and Mr. Iacovone left us with three of his discs. I knew guitarist Rich Rosenthal and drummer Tom Cabrera from previous times the’ve played at DMG. Mr. Cabrera played here just last month in a trio called Sumari with Matt Lavelle. This disc starts off with a feisty drums and sax encounter, before the rest of the quartet enters, winding down and then building up again, the quartet spirited and tight. “Escape” is a somber, moody, freer piece which builds in intensity throughout. The interplay between Rocco’s sax and Mr. Rosenthal’s guitar is consistently intricate, often weaving their lines in tight spirals. Rosenthal has a soft John Abercrombie-like tone and often shows restraint, playing those dreamy lines nicely along with Rocco’s sax. “Whispers” has a wonderful, buoyant, simmering sort-of grace, with a theme that sounds somehow familiar. Grillot’s bass is at the center with Rocco’s sly soprano and Rosenthal’s cerebral guitar creating smoke rings together. The rests energy slowly erupts into a strong, controlled frenzy. It will take a few spins to hear where the magic takes off. The final piece, “Wings”, is a quietly rambunctious which soars without pushing too hard and is a fine way to bring this great disc to a satisfying close. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $15
ROCCO JOHN GROUP - Don’t Wait Too Long… (Cocoa Productions; USA) Featuring Rocco John Iacovone on alto sax, Michael Irwin on trumpet, Aaron Keane on double bass and Dalius Naujokaitis on drums. “Don't Wait Too Long, the debut release by the Rocco John Group, is an impressive offering by this steadily burning quartet of improvisers. Much of the excitement can be attributed to the originality inherent in the five compositions penned by its leader Rocco John Iacovone. The alto saxophonist adds a contemporary dimension to the approaches used by such altoists as Lee Konitz, Greg Osby, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, and Charles McPherson. Rocco's atonal improvisations contain enough melodic content as to not remove the audience from the parallel moods and thoughts the musicians toss around and wring out. On the title track, which represents his ongoing philosophy, Rocco gets a richness of tone and clarity in the upper register that is not easy on this particular reed instrument. As the main sibling in his family of instruments (he also plays the soprano saxophone and piano) the altoist "doesn't wait too long" to attach his sound to some strong trumpet playing by Michael Irwin before the two of them have some fun at the bridge before the out chorus. As a tribute to one of Rocco's early influences -- Charles Mingus- the ensemble plays "Ming's Things" with the same intensity, swing, and unvarnished feel that listeners still revere Mingus for. Rocco and Irwin brilliantly converse through melody lines and reach heights of true fire before bassist Aaron Keane takes a passionate solo that leads to a showcase of drummer Dalius Naujokaitis' unique vision. Overall, this recording is a testament to the high quality and experimentation that continue to attract new enthusiasts to the creative jazz idiom.” - Paula Edelstein, AMG CD $10
ROCCO JOHN GROUP - Devotion (Cocoa Productions; USA) “With his drifting tones and trilling bird calls, Rocco John Iacovone evokes saxophone greats including Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, and Jackie McLean, and also suggests mentors Lee Konitz and Sam Rivers. All of these references used their distinct sounds to expand and reshape the musical conventions around them. With Devotion—his sixth album as leader and third with The Rocco John Group—Iacovone continues in their tradition. The group also features Michael Irwin on trumpet, Aaron Keane on bass, and Dalius Naujokaitis on percussion, all four members tagging in and out of the music with deep attention to each other, their dynamics, and the feel of the music. Naujokaitis cements them with a responsive, almost telepathic touch, while Keane lays steady, inventive groundwork. Irwin's alternately understated and explosive trumpet provides a perfect balance to the leader. Iacovone, who also founded the Coalition of Creative Artists in New York with wife Denise, presides with a voice whose subtlety is not evident on first listen. He likes to squawk from time-to-time, but he will also sit ruminatively in the warm low register of his horn as others fill the space around him. This is the foundation of the album—give-and-take, ebb-and-flow, action and reaction. These characteristics surface with compositions as diverse as the four=part "Devotion Suite." "Devotion Suite I" suggests a hypnotic Eastern prayer, led by the bass' simple, stretched-out groove. "Devotion Suite II" features tango-like horns that, after a smoldering statement by Iacovone's lone alto sax, explode into "Devotion Suite III" with a manic, Mingus-like blowout. "Devotion Suite IV" brings the suite to a bluesy end, with swinging bass and dark horns. The album is made up of similarly diverse Iacovone originals. Within almost every tune, however, is a nod or glimpse of past greats. "Riffin' For Eric" features a grooving head which Dolphy would have loved to dig into, reaching an ecstatic crescendo as the horns join for unison solos. "Cy-Cology," a nod to the Lee Konitz-Lennie Tristano connection, finds bending horns trading cool swinging dance lines, while "Bach to Bird" takes a playful classical melody and gives it a free-bop facelift. "Bass Talk" is dedicated to Irwin's late father Dennis, and features wonderful trumpet work encouraged by the drums, which rap out answering patterns to the rising brass. On dark hued soprano, Iacovone leads Irwin through the meditative "Dreams," while Naujokaitis fills the space with soft drum pats, cymbal crashes, and tinkling bells. Between the winding horn lines and the atmospheric percussion, the tune suggests both John Coltrane's Indian mantras and Sun Ra's Egyptian mysteries. It's a hypnotic coda to an album that runs an emotional and spiritual gauntlet. Perhaps because of this spiritual edge, Devotion seems more at home alongside stacks of '60s Blue Note LPs than on a CD rack or a computer's media player. It's an album in the tradition, full of chemistry and expression from four expert players who know their history.” - Warren Allen, AAJ CD $10
New from Sunnyside, In Stock Next Week:
GUILLERMO KLEIN With BEN MONDER/BILL McHENRY/CHRIS CHEEK/ et al - Los Gauchos V (Sunnyside 1414; USA) “For 20 years, Guillermo Klein has been creating some of the most singular and exciting music for his highly adept 11-piece ensemble, Los Guachos. His compositional style has been evolving over the years, though always utilizing elements of jazz, folkloric music of his native Argentina, rock and modern classical music. Klein’s musical voice has established a number of unique composing concepts. His new recording, Guachos V, heralds his use of a new method: symmetries. To highlight this work, Klein has created two suites, Suite Indiana and Suite Jazmin, that use familiar works of the jazz canon and his own material reworked using mirroring, inversions and retrogrades of harmonies and melodies to create new compositions. Klein celebrates this anniversary by doing what he does best, presenting new, challenging, but tremendously gripping and rhythmically attractive, music.” CD $15
BLACK ARTS COLLECTIVE [With WAYNE ESCOFFERY/JEREMY PELT/ et al] - The Black Arts Collective (Sunnyside 1441; USA) “It is easy to misconstrue a name, especially when it is so obviously tied to politics and racial identity. Born during an important period of Black identity in the arts in the early 2010s, Black Art Jazz Collective brings together an accomplished ensemble of young African American musicians who felt that it was necessary to celebrate Black culture in a positive way. The focus on camaraderie between members who grew up playing music together comes through in their music. The Collective was co-founded by drummer Johnathan Blake, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. All graduating from esteemed music programs in the Northeast at the same time, the three quickly became ingrained in the New York jazz scene as leaders and invaluable members of ensembles led by legends like Tom Harrell, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter. The first addition the trio made was the great bassist Dwayne Burno, an individual who really espoused professionalism and dedication to his friends. Being older than the others, Burno’s influence and attention made an impact on all of them. The ensemble also featured trombonist James Burton III (an adherent of the school of Curtis Fuller and J.J. Johnson and another Jackie McLean alum) and the great pianist/composer Xavier Davis. The Black Art Jazz Collective’s first performance was at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in April 2013 with Burno. His passing in the following December was a shock and upset the jazz world, not to mention the Collective. It would prove to be a challenge to find a replacement for Burno. It wasn’t until Pelt recommended Vincente Archer that the group found a perfect replacement, one who had connections to all the members and who was influenced by Burno. A great opportunity came by way of Ken Kitchings and Jan Mullen of The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut, namely a two-night gig and an opportunity to record with the venue’s new recording equipment. Kitchings and Mullen had expressed their love of the group and felt that it would be a perfect fit for their debut recording project. The resulting album Black Art Jazz Collective Presented By The Side Door Jazz Club is a tremendous example of the ensemble’s incredible drive, swagger and cohesiveness. The program begins with Escoffery’s dedication to W.E.B. DuBois, “Double Consciousness,” an intriguingly varied piece with verve. Written during the 2012 election campaign of Barack Obama, Escoffery’s expertly written and arranged “Awaiting Change” is followed by Pelt’s lushly played ballad, “Essence of Beauty.” Davis’s “Salvador Da Bahia” is an energetic Latin piece with some incredible solo spots. Burton’s “Going Somewhere” is a bright and powerful tribute to Sojourner Truth, while Davis’s “No Small Change” is a subtle but powerful tribute to President Obama. The ensemble’s ‘all killer, no filler’ take on Burno’s “Devil Eyes” will raise some heart rates. The set finishes with the lone live recording, Blake’s sparkling tribute to saxophone great Joe Henderson, “The Shadower.” Black Art Jazz Collective came together during an interesting time, one of finding new strength and identity within America’s true art form, an African American art form, jazz. This all-star ensemble was able to come together as peers and brothers and, with the help of the wonderful leadership of The Side Door, was able to create a fantastic document of authentic and expertly wrought music on Black Art Jazz Collective Presented By The Side Door Jazz Club.” CD $15
CHRIS CHEEK With STEVE CARDENAS/DAVID SOLER - Saturday Songs; USA) “The tremendously talented saxophonist/composer Chris Cheek has come to feel at home in a variety of musical contexts, from the infectious grooves of Brooklyn Boogaloo Blowout to the challenging global music of Guillermo Klein. Weaned on rock and country while growing up in the 1970s St. Louis, Cheek’s initial musical forays playing Top 40, rock and funk tunes at weddings and private parties made him comfortable with blues based music and a fan of the guitar. On his new recording, Saturday Songs, Cheek has utilized a multitude of techniques and influences to generate compositions that are stimulating to musical theorists and foot tappers alike. The effectiveness of his compositions lays in his ability to write good songs, regardless of the techniques used but often employing simple elements that make the music stick with the listener. The recording features guitarist Steve Cardenas, pedal steel expert David Soler, electric bassist Jaume Lombard and percussionist Jorge Rossy.” CD $15
DENNY ZEITLIN - Early Wayne (Sunnyside 1456; USA) “Pianist and composer Denny Zeitlin is heralded for his innovations in the world of jazz music. His consistent ability to find creative ways to expand and adapt within and beyond the genre throughout his tremendous career has been remarkable. Zeitlin remains a fan of the music and other innovators, including the singular saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter, whose amazing compositions are featured on Zeitlin’s new recording, Early Wayne. Zeitlin first heard Shorter’s music on the saxophonist’s debut recording Introducing Wayne Shorter (Vee Jay) in 1959. Zeitlin’s appreciation for Shorter’s work only grew over the course of the years: “His music was innovative, cliché-free, with unusual shapes of phrases, twists and turns, deliciously fresh harmonies, and melodies that kept reverberating. There was a relaxed intensity to his playing, and his solos always took the listener on an exciting journey. Wayne's evolution has continued to inspire me over the ensuing decades, and I've recorded his compositions on a number of occasions.” It was an opportunity for a live solo performance that inspired Zeitlin to focus on Shorter’s music for this project. Zeitlin chose to play some of Shorter’s early compositions for his December 5, 2014 performance at the esteemed Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland, California. The majority of the pieces come from the early 1960s, with “Ana Maria” coming from the 1970s. The performance was recorded, preserving Zeitlin’s intriguing takes on these classic compositions. The recording begins with a freely played "Speak No Evil," Zeitlin exploring the bridge at some length before impressionism segues into the pulse and form of the piece. "Nefertiti" follows as a haltingly introspective ballad that develops a subtle groove. "Ju Ju" is mysterious and intense, while "Teru" is reservedly and hauntingly beautiful. The driving "Toy Tune" alternates between a fierce samba and furious walking bass, showcasing Zeitlin's keyboard dexterity. The lovely "Infant Eyes" is beautifully rendered in 7/4 in Zeitlin's good hands, followed by a varied and exciting rendition of "Paraphernalia." The probing "Ana Maria" is a wonderful Bossa Nova change of pace with its airy sensitivity. Zeitlin's version of "E.S.P." is fantastically wrought with an implied rapid pace but laid back feel. "Miyako" concludes the program with a gently lilting waltz, one of Zeitlin's specialties. Hearing a legend perform the music of another legend is always illuminating. On Early Wayne, Denny Zeitlin’s appreciation of the music of Wayne Shorter is heard in the way he approaches the material, lovingly but with an air of adventure.” CD $15
CARLOS FRANZETTI - Argentum (Sunnyside 1454; USA) “The musical world of composer/pianist Carlos Franzetti is vast but his love and appreciation of the music of his birthplace, Argentina, has led him to become one of the foremost experts and exponents of tangos, chacareras, zambas and other Argentinean folkloric forms. His new recording, Argentum, showcases his adept handling of the various types of music from a diverse cast of Argentinean composers, including a few compositions of his own, all in intimate combo settings. The Buenos Aires born Franzetti was steeped in the musical traditions of his country from an early age. He moved to the United States to further his music studies and begin an incredible career as a performing pianist, composer, arranger and conductor for a wide-ranging group of artists, including Ruben Blades and Ray Barretto. Franzetti’s work has focused on the music of Argentina for inspiration and has resulted in his becoming one of the foremost interpreters of the music, and, ultimately, in his becoming a leading figure in the expansion of these traditional forms. For Argentum, Franzetti has arranged a number of pieces written by well known composers, such as Astor Piazzolla, as well as works by lesser known composers, all for small ensembles led by his own exemplary piano playing. The recording sessions were split between studios in Paramus, New Jersey and Buenos Aires. The United States based musicians include his wife, pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti, bassist David Finck and saxophonist Lawrence Feldman. His Buenos Aires trio includes guitarist Ricardo Lew and bassist Juan Pablo Navarro. The recording begins with Juan Carlos Cobian’s well-known “La casita de mis viejos,” a world-weary tune arranged for two pianos and bass. Folk music revivalist Eduardo Lagos’ chacarera “La Oncena” is done in a stripped down duo arrangement with Finck’s dancing bass. Franzetti’s own harmonically lush “Argentum” is a study in counterpoint between Feldman’s soprano and Franzetti’s melodica. The Argentinean trio executes the beloved Enrique Delfino “Milonguita” with aplomb, while their take on Piazzolla’s “Bandoneón Guitarra y Bajo” is rhapsodic and expertly played. Franzetti’s lilting “Romance en Sepia” features his sympathetic quartet. Franzetti’s solo take on Quintana/Ambors/Rosales “Zamba para no morir” is equally exquisite. The Buenos Aires trio returns for a whimsical take on Pedro Laurenz’s “Como dos Extraños” and “Milonga del Adíos,” a slowly developing and hauntingly beautiful original by the pianist. The program concludes wonderfully with a solo piano rendition of José Dames “Tú.” Carlos Franzetti is a leading voice in the development and preservation of the national music forms of Argentina. His new recording, Argentum, provides a wonderful example of the breadth of his tastes and talents. It also is a fantastic example of the different styles of music that have emerged from Franzetti’s beloved home.” CD $15
Bruce Reviews a Handful of Recent Discs (* Special treat for Kaiser fans down below)
NELS CLINE / HENRY KAISER / JIM THOMAS / WEASEL WALTER / ALLEN WHITMAN - Jazz Free (Fractal Music 026; USA) Featuring Nels Cline, Henry Kaiser & Jim Thomas on guitars, Allen Whitman on bass and Weasel Walter on drums. The unstoppable guitar hero, Henry Kaiser, always does a fine job of picking the right musicians to jam/improvise with. For this session Mr. Kaiser chose bi-coastal guitar master, Nels Cline, who was also a member of the Yo Miles! project which Mr. Kaiser organized in the late 90’s. Kaiser also picked two members of the Mermen (Thomas & Whitman), an amazing post-surf instrumental power trio based in the Bay area. The ringer is drum great Weasel Walter, who left Chicago to move to the Bay area and now lives in Brooklyn. All well-chosen for this colossal date. What I find most interesting about this and many other improv dates from Mr. Kaiser and his collaborators, the music often focused, tight and doesn’t sound improvised. Right from the opening salvo, “Focus on Fifths”, we know something special is going on: the layers of interconnected guitar lines is astonishing! The tight, magical rhythm teams locks in as the guitars interweave in a quaint psychedelic tapestry. Things slow down to a more cerebral pace on “Asstinato”, with eerie guitars swimming in a warm, ocean current. Mr. Kaiser, who is also a renown deep sea diver, often sounds like he is tapping into several currents, occasionally tapping into a Frippish sustained tone. Nels Cline, who has been jamming with both Phil Lesh and Bob Weir (from the Dead) in recent years, brings his own cosmic, Dead-like wonder-web of guitar lines into the picture. Although I am a big fan of the Mermen, I haven’t really listened to them in a long while, so I have to concentrate to hear where their guitarist, Jim Thomas, appears in the ever-evolving scheme/picture. I do hear at times three guitars, expanding, contracting and weaving magic patterns which seem to morph into other recognizable twists and turns. At some 75 minutes, there is quite a bit of wonderful music to experience so… take your time to absorb the wealth of activity going on above and below the tidal waves. One of my favorite pieces is called “Coastal Ballad”, with that (Cippolina-like) mesmerizing, stinging Kaiser lead and a cushion of infectious guitars underneath. On the title track, the quintet explodes into a powerful triple guitar rocker, which must be heard to be believed! Fans of great electric guitar playing, this is the one disc you must hear this year!!! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $10
Hear Ye, Hear Ye to all fans of Henry Kaiser & Electric Guitar Fan-Addicts Everywhere: Here is gift from HK & us: An unreleased audio/video clip featuring a great guitar duo: Stephan Thelen from Sonar (Cuneiform) and Henry Kaiser - check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAOCH6eCf94
LUME - Xabrega 10 (Clean Feed 371; Portugal) Personnel: Marco Barroso direction and piano, Manuel Luís Cochofel - flute, Paulo Gaspar - clarinet, Jorge Reis soprano sax, João Pedro Silva, Ricardo Toscano (on track 1) alto sax, José Menezes tenor saxophone, Elmano Coelho baritone sax, Sérgio Charrinho, Pedro Monteiro, Gonçalo Marques trumpets, Luís Cunha, Eduardo Lála, Mário Vicente - trombones. Miguel Amado electric bass and André Sousa Machado drums. A live recording of the concert presented by the very peculiar big band LUME (acronym of Lisbon Underground Music Ensemble) in the 2014 edition of the festival Jazz em Agosto, “Xabregas 10” documents a particularly successful gig with the participation of the recently deceased saxophonist Jorge Reis, to whom the CD is dedicated. Twice this week, a couple of walk-in customers mentioned this was their favorite of the nine new discs that Clean Feed has just released. Considering that I don’t recognize any of the names of this 16-piece orchestra from Portugal, this is indeed high praise. The orchestra consists of 7 reeds, 6 brass, piano, bass and drums. Pianist, Marco Barroso, wrote all four pieces here and directed the large ensemble. “Astromassa” is a powerful, progressive and pounding when it starts yet soon breaks down into other tight fragments. The main theme has a dark, feisty, Crimson-like melody, which breaks down to let Ricardo Toscano take a spirited, unaccompanied alto sax solo. Mr. Barroso adds unexpected bits of electronics (post-production?) here and there while the tight ensemble jumps through hoops to play those challenging arrangements. I like the way that Mr. Barroso has numerous horn lines criss-crossing, building and eventually erupting with electronic seasoning added to make things even more expansive. Although the rhythm team play a series of pumping jazz/rock grooves, Barroso keeps adding another layer to the already disorienting swirling winds of the large ensemble. This disc was recorded live at Jazz em Agosto Festival in August of 2014 and captures the frenzied spirit of a great big band in all of the intense splendor. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $15
Reissues & Restocks: A Dozen Essential Jazz, Progressive & Canterbury Classics!
BOB BROOKMEYER With JIMMY GIUFFRE / JIM HALL / JOE BENJAMIN / DAVE BAILEY - Traditionalism Revisited (Phoenix 131595; EEC) The complete Brookmeyer album Traditionalism Revisited, featuring Jimmy Giuffre and Jim Hall. As a bonus, three songs that complete the sessions which were absent from the original LP, as well as two rare live tracks recorded by Brookmeyer, Giuffre and Hall during a TV show. 4 stars in Downbeat. 5 bonus tracks, 72 minutes long. CD $15
JIMMY GIUFFRE QUARTET With JIM HALL - Live in 1960 (Phoenix 131536) Live at the Five Spot in NYC plus a bonus performance at the Olympia in Paris. 78 minutes long. This disc features the fabulous Jimmy Giuffre quartet with Jim Hall, playing a relaxed set at the Five Spot Café, New York, in August 1960, with Buell Neidlinger (bass) and Billy Osborne (drums). Originally released as the LP “In Person”, this reissue adds four bonus tracks, issued on CD for the first time (when this reissue first appeared on the Jazzbeat label in 2007) which feature Giuffre & Hall with Milford Middlebrooks (bass) recorded live at the Olympia, Paris, February 23, 1960. Total time: 78 min. - 10 tracks (including four bonus) - includes a 8-page booklet - New and careful 20-bit remastering.Jimmy Giuffre’s 1960 recordings were few and far between. The two live performances contained on this CD represent his only small group sessions made during that year. CD $15
LEE KONITZ With BILLY BAUER / SAL MOSCA / SHADOW WILSON / DAVE BAILEY - Very Cool + Tranquility (Phoenix 131528; EEC) “Lee Konitz was, by 1957, firmly established as an individualist capable of forging his path away from the alleged West Coast Cool School. So the reissued titles included on this single CD - Very Cool and Tranquility - could be deceiving. Flying away from peers Paul Desmond and Art Pepper, Konitz on his trusty alto sax braved the waters of third stream and early creative improvising, which would hold him in good stead for the remainder of his career. Those inferences are clearly imbued on this reissue. The two bands heard here are quite distinct, as the witty and mostly wonderful Very Cool sessions feature under-appreciated trumpeter Don Ferrara in a quintet with Konitz, doing standards, the Konitz composition "Kary's Trance," and two of Ferrara's tunes. On the Tranquility sides, the trumpet and piano leave, replaced by guitarist Billy Bauer, another unsung jazz giant. Heavyweights Henry Grimes on bass and drummer Dave Bailey prove one of the best units Konitz ever fronted. They do more standards, a single original by Bauer or Konitz, and one from their collective mentor, Lennie Tristano. This CD is a marvelous time capsule revealing much about Konitz, this pivot point time period, and the late-50s state of modern, progressive mainstream hard to post-bop jazz.” CD $15
JEANNE LEE & RAN BLAKE - The Newest Sound Around + 6 Bonus Tracks (AJC 131575; EEC) She was backed on the LP by the revolutionary pianist who would be her most frequent accompanist during her inconstant career. In fact, after this album, Jeanne Lee wouldn't make another studio recording until 1968, and after that she only rarely recorded until her rediscovery in the early 1970s. A never before heard live set of duets with Blake from the same period, featuring songs they would never record again, has been added here as a bonus. CD $15
WES MONTGOMERY With JOHNNY GRIFFIN/WYNTON KELLY/PAUL CHAMBERS/JIMMY COBBS - Full House: The Complete Session (EJC 55577; EEC) All known alternate takes from the session (plus the two versions of "Born to Be Blue", taped at the same date but not included on the original LP) are presented here. As a bonus, this CD also contains Wes' 1961 live performance at Jorgies (in the company of his brothers) in its entirety. This live session is considered to be We’s best live set ever! 2 CD Set $20
SONNY ROLLINS & DON CHERRY/ BILLY HIGGINS / et al - Our Man in Jazz (EJC 55592; EEC) This was all recorded in a piano-less quartet format with Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Henry Grimes replaces Cranshaw on three short tunes taped by the same formation shortly after for a compilation album. As a bonus, we have added alternative versions of the three tunes on the original LP, which were recorded by Rollins in previous years. CD $15
ARCHIE SHEPP/BILL DIXON QUARTET//NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE [ARCHIE SHEPP/DON CHERRY/JOHN TCHICAI/RONNIE BOYKINS/SUNNY MURRAY] + TED CURSON//BILL DIXON 7-TETTE - Quartet + 10 Bonus Tracks (In Crowd 996687; EEC) The unique quartet recordings by Archie Shepp and Bill Dixon, for the first time ever on CD! As a bonus, a long unavailable sextet studio session by Archie Shepp & the New York Contemporary Five and an interesting septet session by Bill Dixon. CD $15
FOUR FRESHMEN - And 5 Trombones / And 5 Saxes (AJC 120011; EEC) “Over six decades ago, four undergraduates at Indiana's Butler University first joined their voices in song as The Four Freshmen and, in 1950, the quartet was heard by Stan Kenton, on whose trombone section the "Frosh" had modeled their sound. Kenton immediately demanded that the group be signed by his label, Capitol, and began an association which lasted over fifteen years. During that time, the Four Freshmen blossomed into a vocal group whose influence ranged from the Beach Boys to Take 6 and the The Manhattan Transfer, the latter of whom employed the "Frosh" in a guest role on their Grammy-winning album Vocalese (Atlantic/Rhino, 1985). In 1955, the Freshmen teamed with Kenton's erstwhile eminence grise, Pete Rugolo on the Capitol LP Four Freshmen and Five Trombones, featuring an all-star trombone quintet drawn primarily from various Kenton ensembles, and the group followed this up with another trombone album (once again arranged by Rugolo) nearly a decade later. In September, 2009, the current edition of the "Frosh" appeared in concert with five A-list Hollywood session trombonists at the West Coast Jazz Party in Irvine, CA, where this CD was most brilliantly captured by group member Brian Eichenberger and recording engineer Mitch Grant. The "Frosh" have very wisely retained most of the original Rugolo arrangements (Rugolo celebrates his 94th birthday on Christmas Day, 2009), although Scott Whitfield (himself an ex-singer with the Pied Pipers and currently performing in a Jackie-and-Roy-styled duo with spouse Ginger Berglund) has contributed the instrumental charts to "It's All Right with Me," "Early Autumn" (in which he also invokes the saxophone sound of Woody Herman's Second Herd), and "September Song" , which the original Freshmen recorded with June Christy and the Kenton band on Road Show (Capitol, 1959). The vocal arrangements on the aforementioned were very ably handled respectively by Eichenbarger, alumnus Bill Comstock, and Vince Johnson.” - Robert J. Robbins, AMG CD $15
KEVIN AYERS - Whatevershebringswesing + 3 Bonus Tracks (Parlophone 2004; UK) Third album by Kevin Ayers and classic Canterbury weird/genius and completely distinctive pop w/special guests Robert Wyatt, Lol Coxhill, Didier Mahlherbe & Mike Oldfield! 4 bonus cuts including an early version of "Stranger In The Blue Suede Shoes" Melancholic and reflective, Kevin Ayers' third solo effort, Whatevershebringswesing (this time sans the Whole World as a collective), finds the ultimate underachiever languishing in a realm of ballads, free (for the most part) from the facade and pretensions of prog rock that plagued the previous project. Released in January 1972, 'Whatevershebringswesing' was Ayers' most commercially accessible album to date. The opening track, the "There Is Loving" suite, was both apropos and deceptive. The song picks up nicely from the previous album, linked by its Soft Machine/prog rock sound and fronting the lyrics from the single "Butterfly Dance"; however, for the very same reason, this was a deceptive opener for an album that was far removed from the prog subgenre. In the interim between Shooting at the Moon and Whatever, Ayers gigged with his friend Daevid Allen's band, Gong, on a European tour, the results of which can be heard on the phenomenal Peel session recording Pre-Modern Wireless. Afterward, Ayers plucked saxophonist Didier Malherbe out of Gong momentarily to supplement the sound on his next album. The perfect substitute for Lol Coxhill, Malherbe and flute are a standout on the opener, "There Is Loving," with moving orchestral arrangements by Dave Bedford on the "Among Us" midsection. Initially released as a single, the album's highlight and concert staple, "Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes," is classic Ayers. While many outstanding guitarists have ripped up this grooving, occasionally aggressive blues/pop riff, Ayers himself laid down the guitar and piano tracks on this maiden recording. In line with Ayers' most appealing, successful compositions, "Stranger" and the majority of cuts on Whatever are uncomplicated and frank, allowing the listener to immediately step inside. Ayers' tunes may be light and semisweet, but he doesn't beat around the bush. "Oh My" and "Champagne Cowboy Blues" are exquisite examples of Ayers' ability to immediately pull in the listener via his lighthearted, slightly skewed approach. "Champagne" features the signature Mike Oldfield sound/style that would soon sell millions of records for him as a solo artist. Noteworthy are "Song From the Bottom of a Well" and "Lullaby." Intoned with darkness and foreboding, "Well" harks back to Soft Machine's "Why Are We Sleeping?" and foreshadows Ayers' Dr. Dream album, particularly "It Begins With a Blessing." But like much of the experimental material on his previous release, "Well" just doesn't build up to anything of substance. And the instrumental "Lullaby" (appropriately titled) closes the original album on an odd note. Reminiscent of King Crimson's "Cadence and Cascade" (from In the Wake of Poseidon) and highlighted by Malherbe's fluid flute, "Lullaby" is an early example of new age ambience, complete with running brook in the background. - David Ross Smith, AMG CD $15
PETE BROWN & PIBLOKTO - Thousands On A Raft + 2 Bonus (Parlophone 2008; UK) Personnel: Pete Brown- vocals & talking drums, Jim Mullen on guitar & bass guitar, Dave Thompson on keyboards, mellotron & soprano sax, Steve Glover on bass guitar and Rob Tait on drums. Legendary poet & longtime lyricist for Jack Bruce (through Cream & solo career), Pete Brown, started his own band in 1969 called Battered Ornaments. Mr. Brown was sadly thrown out of his own band so he appears only on their first album, ‘A Meal You Can Shake Hands With’. The Battered Ornaments soon broke up so Brown put together another fine band called Piblokto with some members of his previous group. ‘Thousands on a Raft’ is the second and last album by Brown’s Piblokto and like all of their previous efforts, it is both bizarre and enchanting. All of the songs were written by Pete Brown and Jim Mullen. Mr. Mullen is a legendary yet under-recognized UK guitarist who has worked in both (prig) and jazz/tock bands: Dick Morrissey, Brian Auger and Georgie Fame. One of the highlight’s here is a side-long, spirited instrumental called, “Highland Song”, written by Mullen and featuring his gifted rock/jazz guitar work. Another highlight is illuminating/provocative lyrics by Mr. Brown, who seems to have been burnt by the hopeful ideals of the sixties. There was a period of time in the late sixties/ early seventies when Uk rock was evolving and was drawing freely from a wealth of jazz and ethnic influences, before progressive bombast took over. Each of Pete Brown’s bands/projects/albums from this period were well-worth checking out and not very much available today. Grab this quickly as we got three copies and that is all we most-likely will get. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $15
CARAVAN - Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios (Conveyor CVX 902142; UK) Metropolis Studios, London, 12/04/10. One electric performance for Canterbury's finest 'Caravan. Pye Hastings, Geoffrey Richardson, Jim Leverton, Jan Schelhaas and new drummer Mark Walker are joined by retired percussionist and founder member Richard Coughlan to deliver an accomplished set that includes many favorites from their 25 album, 40+ year career. Includes band interviews and more. CD + DVD $16
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VINNY GOLIA LARGE ENSEMBLE - Pilgrimage to Obscurity (Nine Winds 130; USA) John Fumo, Rickert, Sal Cracchiolo (t, flg), M. Vlatkovich, John Rapson, David Stout (tb), Eric Messerschmidt (tu), Mike Acosta, Steve Fowler, Montgomery, David Ocker, V. Golia (ww), David Johnson, Ken Filiano, Roberto Miranda (b), Alex Cline, Billy Mintz (d). Non-conformist Vinny Golia continues to probe toward the outer limits of what a big band can do in his third Large Ensemble album, recorded live at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.. As usual, you won't find any hand-me-down Basie riffs or Kentonian ripoffs in these three lengthy compound works. You'll get big swinging passages for an overloaded ensemble; atonal, brooding, disquieting interludes and codas; lumbering mock marches; wildly stomping, avant-garde blastoffs; contemporary classical textures; even a burlesque on burlesque music ("Robusqued") -- all of which have structures and direction. Golia definitely goes his own way in titles as well, the best example being one that will convulse any baseball buff, "Ted Williams Calls the Mick and Renders Touch Sensitivity Useless." Utilizing his multi-instrumental talents to the hilt, Golia careens wildly on tenor sax in "Ted Williams," reappears evocatively on bass and C flutes on "Views," and barrels around on the rare bass sax on "The Kreikan." Mike Acosta (alto), Ralf Rickert (trumpets, flugelhorn), Eric Messerschmidt (tuba) and the classical clarinetist David Ocker also have significant solo passages from within the 18-piece ensemble. Though the album title probably gets Golia's position in the larger scheme of things sardonically right, that doesn't mean you should pass up this adventurous, highly stimulating CD. - Richard S Ginell CD $15
VINNY GOLIA LARGE ENSEMBLE - Tutto Contrare (Nine Winds 170; USA) The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble is comprised on this live recording of three trumpets, four trombones, tuba, seven reeds, keyboards, three strings, two basses, drums and two percussionists. The huge band performs six of Golia's complex originals. Among the many soloists on the set are the leader on two types of clarinets, trumpeters John Fumo, Rob Blakeslee and Mark Underwood, trombonists Mike Vlatkovich and Eric Jorgensen, David Ocker on clarinet, pianist Wayne Peet, altoist Steve Flower, the tenors of Steve Marsh and Bill Plake and violinist Harry Scoro. However it is the dense ensembles that are most remarkable. The music is consistently atonal yet leaves room for space and develops logically (if not predictably). The sounds are sometimes otherworldly (making it difficult to know who is playing what) and the performances do not swing conventionally but they definitely fit into the area of jazz due to the high level of improvisation. This stimulating set is recommended most to listeners with very open ears. - Scott Yanow, AMG CD $15
VINNY GOLIA LARGE ENSEMBLE - Decennium Dans Axlan (Nine Winds 140; USA) Personnel: V. Golia, M. Underwood, John Fumo, Bruce Fowler, Mike Vlatkovich, Bill Roper, S. Fowler, B. Plake, D. Johnson, B. Dutz, W. Peet, J. Gauthier, K. Filiano, J. Hamilton, A. Cline... The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble becomes even larger here, bumped up to 22 pieces on its fourth album -- and the agenda remains as iconoclastic as ever, borrowing liberally form the classical avant-garde and owing little to what remains of a big band tradition. There is plenty of swinging, yet the solos are more often than not atonal; there are pauses in the action for freeform freakouts. Tapestry of Things Before, which is joined to Frontback to form an exhausting 41-and-a-half-minute medley, opens with marimba over a berimbau (an esoteric effect if there ever was one), features a spooky, muffled electric cello solo by Dion Sorell, and continues through many diverse sections. Though Golia brings along his usual formidable battery of wind instruments, he is credited with only one solo on Mr. Justice; otherwise he plays in the section and conducts. Co-conductor Bruce Fowler also gets off one of the best solos on trombone; Mark Underwood, John Fumo, and Rob Blakeslee form an intrepid trumpet section that gets to blast off in near-anarchy at the top of Frontback, and the additional players consist of another mallet player and a string trio. ..plenty of audible adventure - Richard S Ginell CD $15
VINNY GOLIA SEXTET - Abrstractions and Retrocausalities (Nine Winds 309; USA) Featuring Vinny Golia on sopranino, contrabass & bari saxes, bawu, daegeum, hichiriki & compositions, Dan Rosenboom on trumpets & flugelhorn, Gavin Templeton on alto sax, Alex Noice [misspelled Noyce on the CD] on electric guitar, Jon Armstrong on electric bass and Andrew Lessman on drums. I caught West Coast reeds wiz three times in the past week (3/24-27/12), twice with Ross Hammond & Adam Lane and once with Lisa Mezzacappa and each set was fabulous. Mr. Golia never ceases to amaze me and releases consistently strong discs as well. Although his own label Nine Winds has slowed down, he has continued to document the diverse and creative LA scene. His last few CDs have featured a number of younger musicians who are current or previous students of Golia's from Cal Arts. This discs features some new names yet it shows how well Vinny has chosen some worthy musicians to work with. Commencing with "Why Would a Whale Act Like This?", the sextet is off and running. With no piano in sight, Vinnie has the guitar fronted rhythm team keeping everything in focus with solid, yet quirky arrangements for the three horns and inspired solos from each. The interplay between the horns and the guitar is always intricate. Golia is a master of composing layers of of complex, contrapuntal horn riffs with interlocking lines. The music here is pretty progressive and involves diverse strategies. On "Photoshoot, One, Two", Vinnie plays a fine slow-burning bari solo while Noyce's guitar plays elegant, dreamy notes underneath. Trumpeter Dan Rosenboom is yet another great soloist and has a couple of his own CDs on the Nine Winds label that I look forward to checking out. With many less discs coming out on Nine Winds, it has given Mr. Golia a chance to compose wealth of great music. Hence, this disc is 76+ minutes long and is filled to the brim with great music. Certainly too much to describe here but worthy of your patient consideration. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $15
VINNY GOLIA OCTET - Low and Inside: Music for Baritone Saxophone (Nine Winds 299; USA) Featuring Vinny Golia on baritone sax & contrabass sax, Gavin Templeton on alto sax, Dan Rosenboom on trumpet, George McMullen on trombones, Alex Noice [misspelled Noyce on the CD] on electric guitar, Ken Filiano on acoustic bass and Matt Mayhall on drums. Over the past few years we've seen new discs from Vinny Golia on the Clean Feed & Kadima labels of mostly duos & trios, while his own label Nine Winds has been dormant. This makes his new octet disc even more welcome and exciting. The only other name I recognize here is longtime Nine Winds affiliated bass great Ken Filiano who now lives in New York City. Mr. Golia, who seems to play & collect more reed instruments than just about anyone, concentrates here on those two big saxes, bari & contrabass. Right from the gitgo, "The Return of the Post-Marathon Man", Vinny is wailing on the bari while the rest of his strong octect swirls tightly around him with complex harmonies and with intricate stops & starts. Instead of having a pianist playing underneath, guitarist Alex Noyce is in the pivotal position of creating crafty chords and notes which show direction and provide sharp interplay with the rest of the rhythm team. The fact that Vinny plays a number of spirited bari & contrabass sax solos is a given, however it is the consistently strong ensemble writing and playing that makes this disc so wonderful. I would imagine that most of the members of this great octet are students (past or present) of Golia's from the California Institute of the Arts where this was recorded. If this is so, then Vinny has once again attracted some future greats from the emerging LA scene. At about 75 minutes, there is quite a bit of challenging music here. Consistently extraordinary! Great to see Golia and 9Winds back in action - Hip hip hooray! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $15
FRED ANDERSON / TATSU AOKI / CHAD TAYLOR - Quintessential Birthday Trio - Vol. II (Asian Improv 0087; USA) Featuring Fred Anderson on tenor sax, Tatsu Aoki on bass and Chad Taylor on drums. Up until his passing in 2010 at 81, legendary Chicago saxist, Fred Anderson, was recorded fairly often over more than two dozen discs mostly in his last decade or two. Mr. Anderson also ran a club called the Velvet Lounge, which is where many of his discs were recorded. Mr. Anderson had several working trios & occasionally quartets (with Jeff Parker) over the years. This particular trio with Tatsu Aoki on contrabass and Chad taylor on drums was something special and played many night together at the Velvet Lounge. This disc, a second volume, captures them at their height soaring together magnificently! They often don't sound like a trio of individuals but like one dynamic force tightly moving together. On the second track, "Prime Moment", Chad Taylor is featured and plays what sounds like either hand drums or with his hands on the drums, bringing the vibe down to a more subdued yet enchanting level. This piece builds slowly with some superb, warm, slow-burning tenor from Mr. Anderson, the intensity moving from simmering to boiling before it closes. Chad Taylor's drumming is integral to what makes this trio so special and is in fine form throughout! "Hoistin'" kicks off with a somber bass solo which brings out brings out Mr. Anderson's more bluesy side when he soon comes in. Anderson's tone and swagger sound swell, earthy and directly from the heart. This is/was a most transcendent trio, one of the best ever and playing in Fred Anderson's cosy club. What more could we want? Perhaps a time machine, but until then..! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG CD $14
FRED ANDERSON TRIO With CHAD TAYLOR / TATSU AOKI - Birthday Live 2000: An Official Bootleg Album (Asian Improv 075; USA) Recorded Live at Velvet Lounge on 3/22 & 25, 2000 There's something about the kind of conversations you can have with old friends--you can skip straight to the heart of the matter. As is the case with this trio of Fred Anderson, Tatsu Aoki and Chad Taylor who performed many times together at the Velvet Lounge. On this particular date at the turn of the millennium, it was the birthday of the heart and soul of the Velvet, tenor sax legend Fred Anderson. This limited edition archival recording (we call it an official bootleg) is being made available as part of the celebration of Fred's 80th year of life on our planet. It is a true collectors item as only limited copies were made - and they are being sold to benefit Fred and our beloved Velvet Lounge. CD $14 (last half dozen copies - 7/28/16)
KHAN JAMAL QUARTET with CHARLES TYLER/JOHNNY DYANI/LEROY LOWE - A Dark Warrior (Steeplechase 31166; Denmark) “One of the best of vibraphonist Khan Jamal's SteepleChase albums, this set matches Jamal with the great Charles Tyler (doubling on alto and baritone), the always lyrical bassist Johnny Dyani, and drummer Leroy Lowe. Together they interpret six of Jamal's originals (plus Tyler's "Space Traveller," which was dedicated to Sun Ra), performing colorful inside/outside music full of surprises and variety.” - Scott Yanow, AMG CD $17
KHAN JAMAL CREATIVE ARTS ENSEMBLE - Drumdance to the Motherlanad (Eremite 050)This is an astonishing long-lost out/jazz gem that was recorded live at the Catacombs in Philly in 1972 and features Khan Jamal on vibes, marimba & clarinet, Monnette Sudler on guitar, Billy Mills on basses and Dwight James & Alex Ellison on drums - a reissue of a rare album that was released on the Dogtown label. There has long been a tradition of "cosmic music" emenating from Philly, from John Coltrane to the Sun Ra Arkestra to Sunny Murray to the Visitors to New Ghost. I once caught Sunny Murray's Untouchable Factor at Ali's Alley with Byard Lancaster on sax, Khan Jamal on vibes, Cameron Brown on bass and Sunny on drums and they were totally "out there" in another dimension. This was Khan Jamal's band from the early 70's and they were also from somewhere else. I remember Monnette Sudler from when she played guitar with Sam Rivers Big Band in the late 70's and had a record or two on Inner City. Philly drummer Dwight James still works with Khan Jamal and has an LP out on the Cadence label. Commencing with the spacious sounds of free marimba, distant electric guitar and echoed drums & percussion for the first piece, "Cosmic Echoes". Layers of Sun Ra-like percussion open "Drum Dance" with bizarre, eerie, echoed clarinets. Eventually the drums and percussion get into a fine groove as Khan's marimba soon joins them, taking a great, quick moving solo. "Inner Peace" starts with more spacious percussion, bells and assorted hand-held stuff. Monnette plays some sublime, bluesy electric guitar that sounds more like an electric piano, as Billy Mills switches to electric bass, keeping the groove going. A sly clarinet enter and as Ms. Sudler takes a fine, laid-back guitar solo, building and telling a long story as one drummer plays some hypnotic rhythms on the cymbal. Finally, "Breath of Life" brings things to a close with more cosmic echoes of cymbals, delicate guitar, somber mallets on drums and dub-like snare-drum echoes. This piece is especially mesmerizing and dream-like with glowing sounds fluctuating. There is something wonderfully spaced out in all of this, so take a trip with the Khan Jamal Creative Arts Ensemble. - BLG CD $11
ORNETTE COLEMAN QUARTET - Tribes Of New York (Jeanne Dielman 114; Italy) Jeanne Dielman present Tribes Of New York, a collection compiling recordings from the early '60s by The Ornette Coleman Quartet. The Ornette Coleman Quartet is one of the most important groups in the history of jazz, a truly groundbreaking group that featured the brilliant Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell. In the early '60s this quarter of young guns recorded some of the earliest examples of "free jazz" and were on the vanguard of a new jazz that would shape everything from the spiritual jazz of Strata East and the downtown "skronk" of John Zorn. These recordings were not released on LP at the time. Fantastic collection of one of the greatest jazz quartets in history. LP $22
T-BONE WALKER - T-Bone Blues (Rumble Records 2011130; USA) Rumble Records present a reissue of T-Bone Walker's T-Bone Blues, originally released in 1959. Texas born T-Bone Walker was a staple of the West Coast blues scene in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years, getting his start in the legendary clubs of Central Avenue. T-Bone Blues was recorded over the space of several years, from 1955 to 1959, in a time of limited recording activity for the great Walker. Despite the disjointed nature of these recordings, the album remains a cohesive whole, a quintessential piece of West Coast electric blues. LP $21
BUNNY LEE/DELROY WILSON/CORNELL CAMPBELL/LINVAL THOMPSON/HORACE ANDY / et al - Reggae Music 1968-1975 (Voice of Jamaica 004; UK) The prestige, preeminence and, perhaps more importantly, the permanent influence of Jamaica on popular music the world over has been unparalleled and unprecedented. Whether it is ska, rocksteady, roots, dub, dancehall, or basement, all music originating from Jamaica has been termed reggae. "Do you know what reggae really is? Reggae is the same as rock steady but with the organ shuffle. It's the shuffle that kinda carried up the rock steady... if you take out that you get rock steady! The organ shuffle kind a make it sound a little faster... the shuffling... plenty people talk but they don't know. Reggae is the organ shuffle..." --Bunny "Striker" Lee. The languid, laid-back rocksteady beat that reigned supreme in Kingston's dancehalls in the mid-'60s started to speed up in the autumn of 1968 as the faster, brasher reggae rhythms came to the fore. Many claimed to have originated the new beat... "All those singers used to like to listen to one another... anytime you'd voice Slim Smith or Delroy Wilson then you'd find Alton Ellis up at the studio listening to them... every one of them was good in their own right" --Bunny "Striker" Lee. The finer points of what is and is not reggae are invariably lost on all but serious devotees of the music; however, pedantry should never stand in the way of appreciation. Voice of Jamaica respectfully advises you to simply listen and enjoy... Includes tracks by Delroy Wilson, Cornell Campbell, John Holt, Eric Donaldson, Slim Smith, Johnny Clarke, Owen Grey, The Twinkle Brothers, Ronnie Davis, Dennis Brown, Leroy Smart, Linval Thompson, Pat Kelly, and Horace Andy. CD includes bonus tracks by Barry Brown and Alton Ellis. CD $15
RAS MICHAEL - Promised Land Sounds (Dug Out LGR 1201; UK) Dug Out present Ras Michael's Promised Land Sounds, originally released in 1980. This is the untrammeled counterpart to Dadawah, six years later in 1980, fresh from the Black Ark: free, rawly spiritual trance-music; a full-force nyabinghi freak-out. The drummers are headlong and rollicking, thunderous and explosive. Even more so than Dadawah, the mix is ecstatically echoey - giddily dub-wise without let-up. Ras Michael himself sings from the mountain-top, like he just don't care - at the top of his lungs, in voices, screeching like a bird - with the delirious abandonment otherwise owned in reggae by Lee Perry. Amongst the uncredited performances swirled into proceedings, there are squiggles of flute straight from the Upsetters song-book, the minor-key organ stabs and abstraction of electric space-jazz and sax-playing more attuned to the Headhunters than the Blazing Horns (1977) ("I Ya I" in particular is a stunning fifteen minutes.) This is the real thing, music without affectation - Pure reggae. Sun Ra fans should love it; anyone with ears to hear. Prepared and manufactured at Abbey Road, D&M and Pallas. Beautifully presented in rigid, old-school, tip-on sleeves, with matte-coated fronts and untreated-paper backs; 180 gram vinyl. These sounds are sounds of inspiration and love and culture to the universal benefit of mankind. So therefore meditate and stop hate. Very hotly recommended! LP $21
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Bruce Lee Gallanter’s Recommended Gig List for July of 2016:
THE STONE is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & East 2nd Sts. THE STONE RESIDENCIES - JESSICA PAVONE - JULY 26–31
7/29 Friday 8 pm - Solo Pavone 2012–16 CD release of Silent Spills on Relative Pitch Records - Jessica Pavone (viola); Pavone’s recent works for solo viola and voice stem from years of concentrated long tone practice and an interest in repetition, song form, and sympathetic vibration. She combines her long tone rituals with delay, understated melodies and sparse lyrical content while continuously experimenting with new forms. FIFTEEN DOLLARS 10 pm - Mary Halvorson and Jessica Pavone 2002-2012 - Mary Halvorson (guitar) Jessica Pavone (viola) - FIFTEEN DOLLARS
7/30 Saturday 8 pm - SONGS OF SYNASTRY AND SOLITUDE 2008-9 - Julianne Carney (violin) Jeanann Dara (viola) Eric Allen (cello) Andrew Roitstein (double bass) - “Songs of Synastry and Solitude” is a collection of songs for string quartet influenced by an interest in the simple beauty of folk songs, the ghosts of all things lost and Leonard Cohen’s encouragement to live outside this world. - FIFTEEN DOLLARS 10 pm - Hope Dawson is Missing 2010–11 - Julianne Carney (violin) Jeanann Dara (viola) Hamilton Berry (cello) Andrew Roitstein (double bass) Emily Manzo (voice) Ava Mendoza (guitar) Tomas Fujiwara (drums); A song cycle that meditates on Plutonian themes of destruction and rebuilding, migration, falsities, and undeniable truths. - FIFTEEN DOLLARS
7/31 Sunday 8 pm - AMNON FREIDLIN, EVAN LIPSON and JESSICA PAVONE - Amnon Freidlin (guitar) Evan Lipson (double bass) Jessica Pavone (viola) Amnon Freidlin, Evan Lipson and Jessica Pavone of Normal Love throw down! TEN DOLLARS 10 pm - FOLIE A DEUX play “Middle C is My Favorite Note on the Viola” 2016 Nora Krohn, Nick Revel (violas) Premiere of a new viola duet by Pavone! $15
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - MARY HALVORSON - AUG 2 – 7
8/2 Tuesday 8 pm - Mary Halvorson & Joe Morris (guitars) 10 pm - Mary Halvorson, Nels Cline (guitars)
8/3 Wednesday 8 pm - Mary Halvorson and Brandon Seabrook (guitars) 10 pm - Robbie Lee (baroque and romantic flues, soprillo sax, chalumeau, melodica, bells) Mary Halvorson (guitar, harp guitar, six-string banjo)
8/4 Thursday 8 pm - Secret Keeper - Stephan Crump (bass) Mary Halvorson (guitar) 10 pm - Sifter - Kirk Knuffke (cornet) Mary Halvorson (guitar) Matt Wilson (drums)
8/5 Friday 8 and 10 pm - Thumbscrew - Mary Halvorson (guitar) Michael Formanek (bass) Tomas Fujiwara (drum)
8/6 Saturday 8 and 10 pm - Mary Halvorson Octet - Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) Jon Irabagon (alto sax) Ingrid Laubrock (tenor sax) Jacob Garchik (trombone) Mary Halvorson (guitar) Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar) John Hébert (bass) Ches Smith (drums)
8/7 Sunday 8 pm - Mary Halvorson (guitar) & Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar) 10 pm - Mary Halvorson (guitar) & Weasel Walter (drums)
There are no refreshments or merchandise at The Stone. Only music. All ages are welcome. Cash Only at the door. There is no phone. There is no food or beverage served or allowed just a serious listening environment. The Stone is booked purely on a curatorial basis.
********* The CORNELIA STREET CAFE - 212-989-9319 29 Cornelia St in the heart of the West Greenwich Village, NYC
Friday Jul 29 9:00PM & 10:30PM HUSH POINT - Jeremy Udden, alto sax; John McNeil, trumpet; Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass; Anthony Pinciotti, drums
Saturday Jul 30 9:00PM & 10:30PM SHEILA JORDAN & CAMERON BROWN - vocals & bass
Sunday Jul 31 6:00PM SARAH BERNSTEIN QUARTET - Sarah Bernstein, violin; Jacob Sacks, piano; Stuart Popejoy, electric bass; Tomas Fujiwara, drums 8:35PM JULIE BENKO - Julie Benko, voice; Andy Warren, trumpet; Kenny Pexton, clarinet, sax; Jason Yeager, piano; Walter Harris, trombone; Danny Weller, bass; Jay Sawyer, drums
Mon August 1st: 8:30PM AMRAM & CO - David Amram, piano, french horn, flutes, composition & surprises; Kevin Twigg, drums, glockenspiel; Rene Hart, bass; Elliot Peper, bongos AMRAM & CO image
Tuesday Aug 02 6:00PM JESSE FOREST LIGHTS OUT CD RELEASE FT. KAORU AZUMA - Jesse Forest, guitar; Kaoru Azuma, vocals; Livio Almeida, tenor sax; Kalí Rodríguez-Peña, trumpet; Michael O’Brien, bass; Allan Mednard, drums Jesse Forest Lights Out CD Release ft. Kaoru Azuma image 8:00PM VOXFEST: THE FLYING TOMBOULIANS - Elizabeth Tomboulian, voice, piano, guitar; Lee Tomboulian, piano, accordion 9:30PM VOXFEST: THE NORA MCCARTHY PEOPLE OF PEACE QUINTET Nora McCarthy, voice, compositions, lyrics, poetry; Jorge Sylvester, alto saxophone, compositions; Pablo Vergara, piano; Gene Torres, electric bass; Kenny Grohowski, drums
Wed Aug 3rd: 8:00PM VOXFEST: ANIMALS IN MY EAR - Adam Fisher, voice, cello, composer; Albert Marques, piano; Petros Klampanis, bass; Franco Pinna, drums, 9:30PM VOXFEST: A BROAD SPECTRUM - WOMEN WHO SET THE STANDARD - Mary Foster Conklin, voice; Deanna Witkowski, piano; tbd, bass
Thursday Aug 04 8:00PM VOXFEST: THE SONGS THAT MAKE US SING - Marianne Solivan, voice; Bruce Barth, piano 9:30PM VOXFEST: MELISSA HAMILTON TRIO - Melissa Hamilton, voice; Lee Tomboulian, piano; Rusty Holloway, bass
Friday Aug 05 9:00PM IJSF: AMOS HOFFMAN TRIO - Or Bareket, host - Amos Hoffman, guitar; Eric Wheeler, bass; Eric McPherson, drums 10:30PM IJSF: OR BAREKET QUINTET - Yotam Silberstein, guitar; Nitai Hershkovits, piano; Or Bareket, bass; Keita Ogawa, percussion; Ziv Ravitz, drums
Saturday Aug 06 10:30PM IJSF: SHAI MAESTRO - piano - A special solo performance for the Israeli jazz spotlight festival.
Sunday Aug 07 8:30PM IJSF: YOTAM BEN-OR SEXTET - Yotam Ben-Or, harmonica; Erez Feuer, trumpet; Itamar Shaz, sax; Gabriel Chakarji, piano; Alon Near, bass; David Jimenez, drums 10:00PM IJSF: NITAI HERSHKOVITS TRIO - Nitai Hershkovits, piano; Or Bareket, bass; Ari Hoenig, drums
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I-Beam Presents - July 2016 Schedule:
Friday, July 29th 8:30 PM Eva Novoa Ditmas Quartet Live Recording! Michael Attias – Alto Saxophone Eva Novoa – Piano Max Johnson – Bass Jeff Davis – Drums
Friday, August 12th 8:30 PM Nick Fraser Trio feat. Tony Malaby and Kris Davis Nick Fraser: drums, compositions Tony Malaby: tenor and soprano saxophones Chris Hoffman: cello Eivind Opsvik: bass
Thursday, August 25th 8:30 PM Billy Mintz Quintet John Gross – tenor saxophone Tony Malaby – tenor saxophone Roberta Piket – piano Hilliard Greene – bass Billy Mintz – drums
I-Beam is located at 168 7th Street in Brooklyn, NY 11215 - Directions: SUBWAY: Take the F or R trains to 4th Ave & 9th Street. Walk down 4th ave to 7th street. Make a left on 7th and walk past 3rd ave. We are located on the ground floor, the grey doors to the right of the stairs of #168.
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Shapeshifter July/August Schedule:
July 29 - Chris Misch 7:00 - 7:45 Many Braveries 8:00 - 8:45 Chris Misch-Bloxdorf Ensemble feat. Sara McDonald 9:00 - Broca’s Area
Jul 30 Rick Parker and Li Daiguo "Free World Music" Release Party 8p, 9p - Rick Parker: Trombone, Effects, Synths; Li Daiguo: Pipa, Cello, Voice
July 31 7p Rattus Rattus. Alden Slack - Alto Sax / Evan Dibbs - guitar/vox Christian Yost - guitar / Justin Geyer - Keys Andrei Kvapik- bass / Marco Spodek - Drums 8:15pm The Shapeshifters Kevin Quinn - guitar Eric Quinn - trombone Grady Tesch - vibes Jason smith - bass John Luther drums
Aug 1 8:15p - Jon Sheckler Trio featuring Tyler Luppi and Fima Chupakhin
Aug 2 7pm: Killiam Shakespeare Corey Bernhard - keyboards Steve McKie - drums Dre Pinckney - bass Anthony DeCarlo - guitar Simon Martinez - guitar Chris Stevens - trumpet Louis Fouche - sax 8:15p The Bridge Trio Joe Dyson, drums Max Moran, bass, Conun Pappas, piano and keyboard 9:30p: Michael Malis Trio Michael Malis — piano / Ben Rolston — bass / Stephen Boegehold — drums
Aug 4 7p Lead Bubbles 8:15p Brand Lopez
Aug 5 Moonjune Presents: An Evening of Uncompromised Cross-Cultural Progressive Music 7pm Beledo with a Special Guest 8:15pm XADU: Xavi Reija - Drums & Dusan Jevtovic - Guitar
Aug 6 8:15p - Kinesis NYC
Shapeshifter is located at 18 Whitwell Place in Brooklyn, NY R train to Union stop
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The Owl Parlor: Presents:
FRI July 29 Sue Garner // Sue Garner and Ted Reichman Duo Friday, July 29 7:30 Doors $10.00 Suggested Donation
The Owl Parlor is located at: 497 Rogers Ave. (@ Midwood St.) in Brooklyn, NY 11225 (718) 774-0042
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JOHN ZORN’s BAGATELLES AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
15 virtuoso ensembles perform compositions from John Zorn’s book of BAGATELLES Tuesday August 9th - Sunday, August 14th, 2016
TUE AUG 9 8:30PM - URI CAINE DUOS WITH JOHN MEDESKI & JON IRABAGON 10:30 - ASMODEUS - MARC RIBOT - TREVOR DUNN - TYSHAWN SOREY JOHN ZORN - CONDUCTOR
WED AUG 10 8:30PM - CRAIG TABORN SOLO 10:30PM - JON IRABAGON - MATT MITCHELL - DREW GRESS - TOM RAINEY
THU AUG 11 8:30PM - BRIAN MARSELLA TRIO with TREVOR DUNN - KENNY WOLLESEN 10:30PM - THUAUG 11 - GYAN RILEY & JULIAN LAGE
FRI AUG 12 7PM - MATT MITCHELL TRIO with KIM CASS - DAN WEISS 8:30PM - MARK FELDMAN DUOS with SYLVIE COURVOISIER & CHRIS OTTO 10:30PM - PETER EVANS - JON IRABAGON - JOHN HÉBERT - TYSHAWN SOREY
SAT AUG 13 7PM - ERIK FRIEDLANDER-MICHAEL NICOLAS DUO 8:30PM - JIM BLACK TRIO with ELIAS STEMESEDER - CHRIS TORDINI 10:30PM - JIM BLACK GUITAR QUARTET: KEISUKE MATSUNO - JONATHAN GOLDBERGER - SIMON JERMYN
SUN AUG 14 3pm: MATINEE - CHRIS SPEED TRIO with CHRIS TORDINI - DAVE KING 8:30PM KRIS DAVIS - MARY HALVORSON - DREW GRESS - TYSHAWN SOREY 10:30PM - MARY HALVORSON QUARTET - MILES OKAZAKI - DREW GRESS - TOMAS FUJIWARA
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BLACK AUGUST 2016 Thursday, August 11th 2016 - 7pm & 8pm Music Now! At The Brooklyn Commons:
Featuring: Ras Moshe Burnett - Reeds & Flutes Bill Cole - Hojok, Piri, Nagaswarm, Didgeridoo Baba Andrew Lamb - Reeds Larry Roland - Bass + Poetry Michael Wimberley - Percussion
At The Brooklyn Commons 388 Atlantic Ave (btwn Hoyt St. & Bond St.) in Brooklyn
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DISSIDENT ARTS FESTIVAL: CULTURAL WORKERS SPEAK BACK TO TRUMP! August 12th, 13th & 27 in NYC
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:
Friday August 12, 8 - 11pm 5C Cultural Center 68 Ave C (at 5th Street) New York NY 10009 (212) 477-5993 www.5cculturalcenter.org 8:00pm Trudy Silver’s Where’s the Outrage?-Trudy Silver-piano, word; Newman Baker - percussion, voice; Sanae Buck - Bhutto mime; Kentucky Parkis - bass; Shoshke-Rayzl - electric guitar, effects 9:00pm Ras Moshe’s Music Now! Unit presents “The Black Lives Matters Suite”-Ras Moshe Burnett - tenor and soprano saxes, flute; Lee Odom - soprano sax, clarinets; Matt Lavelle - trumpet, bass clarinet; Gwen Laster - viola; Emma Alabaster - bass; John Pietaro - percussion. 10:00pm Luis Toto Alvarez/Chango project-Luis Toto Alvarez- electric guitars; 10:45pm finale: “Song of the United Front” by Bertolt Brecht & Hanns Eisler -performed by all musicians in the house Saturday August 13, 7-11pm El Taller Latino Americano @ Artspace PS109 215 East 99 Street, New York NY (212) 665-9460 www.tallerlatino.org 7:00pm The Literary Warriors with special guest AMINA BARAKA – Amina Baraka- poetry, vocals; John Pietaro- spoken word, hand drums, percussion; Ras Moshe Burnett- saxophones, flute; Rocco John Iacovone- saxophones; Laurie Towers- el bass 8:00pm Bernardo Palombo Ensemble - Bernardo Palombo- vocals, guitar; 9:00pm UpSurge! NYC – Raymond Nat Turner- poetry; Zigi Lowenberg - poetry; Ken Filiano - upright bass; Lou Grassi - drumset; Lee Odom - reeds 10:00pm The New York Free Quartet presents Steve Cohn’s “Abstract Meets the Fundamental” –Steve Cohn-piano, shakuhachi, trombone, percussion; Michael Moss-saxophones, bass clarinet, flute; Larry Roland - upright bass; Chuck Fertal-drumset 11:00 finale: “Song of the United Front” by Bertolt Brecht & Hanns Eisler -performed by all musicians in the house Saturday August 27, 8-11PM 17 Frost Theatre of the Arts 17 Frost Street, Brooklyn NY 11211 (646) 389-2017 / www.17frost.com 8:00 The Dissident Arts Orchestra performs a live score to King Vidor’s 1928 silent film classic, “The Crowd”, plus silent shorts; Featuring: Cheryl Pyle- flutes; Ras Moshe Burnett- tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Matt Lavelle- bass clarinet; Javier Miyares-Hernandez - electric guitar Chris Forbes - keyboards; Laurie Towers - electric bass; John Pietaro - conduction, drumset, percussion.