BEFORE JOHN ZORN CREATED THE TZADIK LABEL in co-operation with the famed jazz producer Kazunori Sugiyama, he curated the AVANT imprint - which now is no longer distributed in North America - a sub-label of the DIW jazz label in Japan. Several Naked City CDs were released through that label as well as many others on which Zorn and many of our favorite "Downtown" players - Derek Bailey, Buckethead, Eugene Chadbourne, Dave Douglas, Erik Friedlander, Wayne Horvitz, Haino Keiji, Ikue Mori, Bobby Previte, Zeena Parkins, and Marc Ribot, to name just a few - are on.

Below you will find 79 of the 80 releases - Anton Fier's DREAMSPEED [#9] was withdrawn and has just been reissued [11/03] as a double CD along with his other Japanese-only release BLINDLIGHT on John Zorn's American label Tzadik [and #25 was never assigned] - most of which we keep in stock (those that aren't can take up to 3 or 4 weeks to get back in - our distributor must sometime wait for restocks from Japan!).
Three titles are currently between pressings and likely may not be available for several more months: the Blind Idiot God [#10], The Boredoms [#26], and the Prelapse [#53] titles. :

BRUCE ACKLEY TRIO - The Hearing (Avant 069; Japan) A founding member of the Rova Saxophone quartet, Bruce Ackley has been one of the most vital and accomplished musicians on the San Francisco scene for over 20 years. One of the world's most distinctive virtuosos on the soprano saxophone, amazingly this is the first release under his own name! Heard here in an intimate trio setting, Bruce is more than ably accompanied by one of the most creative and driving rhythm sections, bassist Greg Cohen and drum master Joey Baron (5 year veterans of John Zorn's Masada). From conceptual improvisations to lovely ballads and straight-ahead swingers, this exciting CD showcases one of the great jazz soloists on the soprano saxophone. Even McVouty would say Zooty. CD $18.00 STOCK

ALVA - Fair-Haired Guillotine (Avant 072; Japan) Alva met in Tampa, Florida. Using loud thoughts and small minds they play their instruments. And they laugh...On their debut album, the mysterious trio known as Alva twists creepy savant-folk melodies out of chamber instruments, toys, tapes and voice, navigating the psychic territory of nightmare and the unconscious. Recommended for those who like it strange. Aida Ruilova (bcl, key, g), Liza Wakeman (vln, g), Michelle Anderson (sax, whistles, blood-curdling screams) with Gerard Cowenhoven (vo on track 15, tp on track 2) and Eric Harris (per on track 9). CD $18.00 STOCK

ARCADO STRING TRIO - Live In Europa (Avant 058; Japan) Live In Europe documents an amazing group that should be mentioned in the same breath with the String Trio of New York, the Kronos Quartet and even Le Quintette du Hot Club de France. The Arcado String Trio (Mark Feldman (vln), Ernst Reijseger (cello), Mark Dresser (b)) are these incredible musicians who are not just virtuosos, but highly accomplished in a variety of styles. Their original compositions, written by all three members, have one foot in contemporary classical, the other foot swinging furiously. CD $18.00 STOCK

DEREK BAILEY - Guitar, Drums 'n' Bass (Avant 060; Japan) One of the most talked-about and eagerly-anticipated albums of the year, Guitar Drums 'n' Bass teams avant-guitar master Derek Bailey with drum 'n' bass (jungle) programmer D.J. Ninj for an outing that will astound and confound fans from both camps. It's a breath-taking post-modern fusion -- wickedly fast interplay of devilish improvisation and freakish dance rhythms. Over the past 35 years, Derek Bailey has been one of the most important innovators in music, with over 100 albums demonstrating his highly influential improvisational style and guitar technique. D.J. Ninj, from Birmingham, England, has previously been featured on Bill Laswell's Oscillations, Buckethead's Day Of The Robot and the Axiom Dub compiilation. CD $18.00 STOCK

DEREK BAILEY & MING XIAO-FEN - Viper (Avant 050; Japan) Derek Bailey, one of the founding fathers of the European improvising scene and Min Xiao-Fen, one of China's greatest pipa (Chinese lute) virtuosos met for the first time in front of these sensitive microphones to record this document of free improvisation at its best and most adventurous. Over the past 35 years, Bailey has been one of the most important innovators in music, with dozens of albums demonstrating his highly influential improvisational style and guitar technique. The young Min Xiao-Fen has recorded two stunningly beautiful albums of traditional and modern works for pipa and was featured on John Zorn's Filmworks 8. Two of the world's most exciting string players cross boundaries head-to-head in creating a musical meeting of East and West unlike anything you've ever heard before. CD $18.00 STOCK

DEREK BAILEY/JOHN ZORN/WILLIAM PARKER - Harras (Avant 056; Japan) Here are three master improvisers cutting loose, going for the jugular. Derek Bailey, one of the father figures of free improvisation, the ubiquitous and indefatigable bassist William Parker and iconoclastic composer/saxophonist John Zorn met one night in 1993 and fortunately a digital tape recorder was present. This was the result. A text book of improvisational interaction or a no-holes-barred assault - you decide. An essential document of free improvisation at its best. Scorching! CD $18.00 STOCK

DUCK BAKER - Spinning Song: Plays The Music Of Herbie Nichols (Avant 040; Japan) Duck Baker, a crackerjack on the finger-picked acoustic guitar, has recorded numerous solo albums on the Kicking Mule and Shanachie labels, showcasing his mastery of a diversity of traditional folk, blues, ragtime and jazz styles. This wizard has played with artists ranging from Jim Kweskin to J.J. Cale, from Stefan Grossman to John Zorn. Baker's subtle and sensitive renditions transform Nichols' oblique masterpieces -- those hearing Nichols' music for the first time may find it hard to imagine these tunes in any other context than folk guitar. Spinning Song is an absolute treasure. CD $18.00 STOCK

ABDULAI BANGOURA - Sigiri (Avant 064; Japan) An astounding solo percussion recital recorded live in Ghana, Sigiri is a dynamic document of one of Africa's greatest percussion virtuosos, Abdulai Bangoura. Exciting solo pieces for hand drum, balafon and kalimba that keep you on the edge of your seat every moment. The soul of Africa at its very best. CD $18.00 STOCK

CYRO BAPTISTA - Vira Loucos: Plays The Music Of Villa Lobos (Avant 061; Japan) A wonderful and surprising debut CD by one of our favorite virtuoso percussionists. Cyro Baptista arrived in NYC in 1980 and since then has worked with everyone from Janis Ian, Paul Simon and Brian Eno to Laurie Anderson, Arto Lindsay, Nana Vasconcelos and Michael Tilson Thomas. After over 15 years of distinguishing himself as one of the most versatile, creative and sought-after percussionists in the world he steps out here with this first CD release under his own name. Assembling an all-star band of his favorite collaborators: Greg Cohen on Bass, Argentinian accordionist Chango Spasiuk and two of the greatest guitar virtuosos of our age, Romero Lubambo of Brazil and Marc Ribot of New Jersey, as well as John Zorn on sax and the vocals of Vanessa Fllabella and Nana Vasconcelos, who also conducts a children's choir, Cyro has given us a fresh and exciting take on the music of Brasilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. This delightful album, filled with beautiful instrumental and vocal arrangements will bring the prodigious talents of Cyro Baptista into a whole new light, and to a whole new audience. Essential. CD $18.00 STOCK

JOEY BARON & BARONDOWN - Crackshot (Avant 059; Japan) Certainly one of the most original drummers in the world, Joey Baron has been a key member of some of the greatest groups of the 80's and 90's notably the Bill Frisell Band, Miniature, Masada and Naked City. His own group Barondown, with Ellery Eskelin and Steve Swell, brings both his virtuosic playing and adventurous writing skills to the fore. Gut-bucket blues, hardcore madness, lyrical beauty and general mayhem, all in the inimitable Barondown style. CD $18.00 STOCK

STEVE BERESFORD - Signals For Tea (Avant 039; Japan) A gob of phlegm, a tattered hem, unremarkable. Improviser, composer, producer, pianist and bon vivant Steve Beresfored is one of England's most versatile musical assets. Having worked with everyone from Derek Bailey to the Slits, Signals for Tea shows yet another side of Steve's remarkable talent: that of singer-songwriter. Backed by John Zorn's remarkable band Masada, Steve's charming vocal stylings much in the mode of Chet Baker and Noel Coward are perfectly suited to the witty lyrics of Andrew Brenner, Steve's partner-in-crime. This original and adventurous addition to the great legacy of Jazz vocals will surprise and delight the entire family as something quite unremarkable. Steve Beresford (p, vo), John Zorn (as, back vo), Dave Douglas (tp, back vo), Greg Cohen (b, back vo), Kenny Wollesen (ds, back vo) CD $18.00 STOCK

BLIND IDIOT GOD - Cyclotron (Avant 010; Japan) Founded in St. Louis, Blind Idiot God moved to NYC in the late 1980's and quickly began collaborations with the likes of Bill Laswell, John Zorn and Henry Rollins. BIG plays instrumental hardcore: fast, loud and intense, mixing it with large doses of dub reggae and mutant funk. Produced by Bill Laswell, Cyclotron, their third and last album, is their ultimate statement. An uncompromising power house of blistering compositions featuring Andy Hawkins, who has played with Buckethead and Bernie Worrell, on guitar, Gabe Katz on bass and Ted Epstein, a frequent member of John Zorn's Spy vs Spy, on drums CD $18.00 STOCK

[OREN BLOEDOW] WHISTLING HANGMEN - Barhopping (Avant 071; Japan) Oren Bloedow has been a vital member of John Lurie's Lounge Lizards, and most recently he co-leads the pop group Elysian Fields with Jennifer Charles. This debut CD of his newest project features some of the most exciting young lions to emerge from the Downtown scene in years, John Medeski, Ben Perowsky, Aaron Heck, Don Falzone and Danny Blume. Oren's writing is moody, personal and infectious. This is hip, modern instrumental music that fuses jazz, R & B, funk, rock and soundtrack music into new musical statement that you will want to hear time and time again. CD $18.00 STOCK

BOREDOMS - Wow 2 (Avant 026; Japan) Wild, unpredictable and able to change styles and directions at the drop of a hat, the Boredoms are the most influential and well-known of Japan's underground rock bands. WOW 2, recorded in 1992 at Martin Bisi's Brooklyn studio captures the Boredoms at the height of their powers, just before they were to take the U.S. by storm on the legendary Lollapalooza tour. Of all their recordings, this is the one that best represents the power of their world-acclaimed live shows. Headed by Yamataka Eye, who has collaborated with Shinro Otake, Otomo Yoshihide, Sonic Youth, John Zorn and many others, the Boredoms will completely change your idea of what a rock band is capable of. CD $18.00 STOCK

TRIBUTE TO DAVE BRUBECK [V.A.] - In His Own Sweet Way (Avant 005; Japan) with Dave Slusser, Uri Caine, Pachora, Bill Frisell, Ruins, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Anthony Coleman, Eyvind Kang, Slowpoke, Erik Friedlander, Sex Mob, Dave Douglas, Joey Baron, David Krakauer. "Dave Brubeck is an enigma. Vilified by the underground intelligentsia for his stiff rhythmic feel and high record sales, Brubeck was a daring and distinctive composer whose experiments in expanding the language of jazz never got in the way of his natural melodic sense. Cross cultural influences, exotic scales and rhythms, experiments with odd time signatures, polytonality and unusual bar lengths are common place today in the music of cutting edge young jazzers like Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas and the like, but in the 1950s they raised more than a few eyebrows. Brubeck was the first. This is a tribute to a misunderstood experimentalist who introduced these elements into jazz over forty years ago in his own sweet way. CD $18.00 STOCK

BUCKETHEAD With BOOTSY COLLINS - Bucketheadland [2 CD Set] (Avant 007; Japan) Buckheadland is a freewheeling rollercoaster ride through the legendary guitarist's quirky funhouse of funk, metal, cartoons and monster movies. Collaborating here in his astonishing debut duet recording with P Funk bassmeister Bootsy Collins in what remains his most personal and most complete musical statement to date, this is the real Buckethead with no compromises. Guaranteed fun for the entire family. CD $27.00 STOCK

PIECES [BUCKETHEAD & BRAIN] - I Need Five Minutes Alone (Avant 054; Japan) Underground rock guitar legend Buckethead has been given a free hand to record whatever comes into his sick and twisted world and this second release on AVANT finds him pulling out all the stops in a go-for-the-jugular duet with Brain, the powerful drummer of San Francisco's popular bands Primus and Limbomaniacs, as well as a member of Bill Laswell's Praxis. Their new power-duo PIECES pay off with everything from Buzzsaws to funk, with a good measure of blood-curdling screams and Buckethead's patented guitar pyrotechnics along the way. The Legend of Buckethead continues ... and continues ... and continues ... CD $18.00 STOCK

CAKE LIKE - Delicious (Avant 029; Japan) There is a sensibililty that even the most accomplished professional bands can no longer recapture: the initial spark of innocent excitement encountered when they first started playing their instruments. That is what makes this CD so special. Combining the primitive innocence of the Shaggs the naive charm of Shonen Knife with the raw power of Melt Banana, Cake Like is one of NYC's most up and coming all-girl bands. These are their first recordings. Complete with original cover art by underground artist Rita Akermann, Delicious is a classic recording that will delight you more and more with each listening. Nina Hellman (g, #2 vo), Kerri Kenney (b, #1 vo), Jody Seifert (ds, vo on track 8), Steven Bernstein (tp on track 8). CD $18.00 STOCK

EUGENE CHADBOURNE/MARK DRESSER/SUSIE IBARRA/JOE MORRIS - Pain Pen (Avant 044; Japan) The first meeting of kindred spirits - Eugene & Joe Morris are both amazing avant/jazz guitarists w/ their own distinctive approach, teaming up with the colossal rhythm team of Mark Dresser & Susie Ibarra ! $18.
CD $18.00 STOCK

CHRIS COCHRANE - Bath (Avant 042; Japan) Chris Cochrane has worked with Fred Frith, Bob Ostertag, John Zorn, Derek Bailey, Ikue Mori, Zeena Parkins, is a member of Curlew, and was a founding member of the band No Safety. Bath is the first album under his own name and features Hanna Fox (Babe The Blue Ox), Zeena Parkins and Ann Rupel, with Marc Anthony Yhompson and Dudley Saunders. With Bath, Chris Cochrane has created Pet Sounds / Trout Mask Replica of the 1990's. Improvisation, noise and psychedelia are woven together into 18 songs touching on life and love in NYC. A seminal work of the Gay / Lesbian Queer Core scene, Bath is an important and compelling recording by one of downtown's greatest unsung guitar heroes. CD $18.00 STOCK

ANTHONY COLEMAN - Disco By Night (Avant 011; Japan) Anthony Coleman (p, key, sampler), Roy Nathanson (ss), Doug Wieselman (cl), Guy Klucevsek (accordion), James Pugliese (ds), Gisburg Smialek (voice) . Composer Anthony Coleman is better known as a jazz pianist and leader of his versatile groups Selfhaters, the Sephardic Tinge trio and Lobster And Friend (with Roy Nathanson) and for his work with composers Glenn Branca and John Zorn. On his earliest (1992) and most compelling recording, Coleman's twisted compositional genius comes to the fore. Disco By Night is the ultimate statement about his Yugoslavic experiences, a tragic and doomed meditation on the clash between tradition/ethnicity and modernization / Westernization in Eastern Europe. Wonderful music to make you wonder. CD $18.00 STOCK

DIM SUM CLIP JOB - Harmolodic Jeopardy (Avant 051; Japan) Harmolodic Jeopardy, the debut album from New York quartet Dim Sum Clip Job is an exciting rollercoaster with hairpin turns and thrills galore. It's a manic instrumental romp through no wave / jazz / punk / metal / whatever, taking cues from Naked City, Ruins, and Ornette Coleman. Leader Laura Cromwell has drummed in East Village combo God Is My Co-Pilot and with Japan's Buffalo Daughter. Laura Cromwell (ds, per), Robert Price (g), Gordon Knauer (as), Jay Brown (b) with Chris Cochrane (g), Kenny Wolleson (ds, per), Hope Cromwell (rain stick) CD $18.00 STOCK

DNA - Live At C.B.G.B.S (Avant 006; Japan) "No Wave" pioneers DNA (1978-82) attained "legendary" status from just one 7" single, one EP, and appearances on two compilations (Fruit Of The Original Sin and the Brian Eno produced No New York). Though the group's complete discography clocked in well under an hour, their work was highly influential on the music of John Zorn and Sonic Youth. The wild and spastic energy of Arto Lindsay (Ambitious Lovers), Ikue Mori (Death Ambient) and (Pere Ubu founder) Tim Wright is heard here in the group's final performance, captured on tape on June 25, 1982 at CBGB's in New York. 9 of these 15 songs were never previously released. An essential document of a revolutionary band. CD $18.00 STOCK

DAVE DOUGLAS - Sanctuary [2CD Set] (Avant 066; Japan) Cutting his teeth in the bands of Horace Silver, Don Byron, Vincent Herring and John Zorn's MASADA, Dave Douglas' time has come. A versatile trumpeter with a warm, beautiful sound, brilliant composer and arranger with a creative musical imagination, Dave Douglas is fast becoming one of our greatest musical assets. His large group project, Sanctuary, presents two long musical soundscapes that take us from funk and jazz through ambient and improvisation. Inspired in part by Ornette Coleman's landmark recording free jazz and Coltrane's Ascension these explorative compositions weave a whole new kind of instrumental fusion for the 90's. Featuring the imaginative sampler playing of Cibo Matto's Yuka Honda, the fine horn work of Chris Speed and Cuong Vu, sensitive drumming by Dougie Bowne and of course the brilliant trumpet work of leader Dave Douglas, this is sure to be one of Dave's most controversial albums. Sanctuary is further enhanced by some of Ikue Mori's most stunning cover art. Dave Douglas (tp), Cuong Vu (tp), Yuka Honda (sampler), Anthony Coleman (sampler), Hilliard Greene (b), Mark Dresser (b), Chris Speed (ts, cl), Dougie Bowne (ds). CD $27.00 STOCK

STEPHEN DRURY - Faith,the Loss Faith,and the Return of Faith (Avant 022; Japan) Classical Music is lucky to have a pianist as dedicated and passionate as Stephen Drury. A close collaborator of both John Cage and John Zorn, Drury's virtuosic solo recitals and critically acclaimed recordings are establishing him as one of contemporary music's most important performers. Drury's adventurous programming and unique interpretations of classical literature shed new light on these well-known masterpieces for solo piano. You will never hear Beethoven and Liszt the same way again. CD $18.00 STOCK

EASTSIDE PERCUSSION - ESP (Avant 073; Japan) Christine Bard, Michael Evans and Jim Pugliese are three of the busiest percussionist on the downtown scene, having worked with everyone from Steve Reich and Philip Glass to Evan Parker and Karen Mantler and God Is My Co Pilot. Together, they are EasSide Percussion and here in their debut recording they explore a world of acoustic and electric percussion not yet imagined. Chains, bamboo clackers, water jars, Korean Shaman bells, Almglocken, Pachinko balls, mini-gamelan, lamp shades, oven parts, toys, Theremin and countless other instruments and everyday objects are used as sound sources in this dynamic suite of 20 compositions that range from musique concrete, modern classical to funk, rock and out-and-out noise. I like it ugly like this - Allen Ginsburg CD $18.00 STOCK

JAD FAIR & THE SHAPIR-O'RAMA - We Are The Rage (Avant 052; Japan) The awkward sincerity, the joi de vivre - it's a return to form for Half Japanese vocalist, indie - rock trendsetter and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Jad Fair. Songs of love, heartbreak and whatever pops into his mind when the tape is rolling. Sharing the stage is Shapir-O'Rama, led by loony kindred soul Kim Rancourt. Also on board are Dave Rick, special guests Omoide Hatoba, Seiichi Yamamoto and superstar producer Don Fleming. Jad Fair (vo), Kim M. Rancourt (vo, Casio sax, bells), Chuck Marcus (g), Dave Rick (b), Steve Dibenedetto (ds) with guest musicians Yamamoto, Tsushima, Hasegawa, Bob Meetsma, Jeff Schoen CD $18.00 STOCK

MARK FELDMAN & SYLVIE COURVOISIER - Music For Violin And Piano (Avant 065; Japan) Mark Feldman, the violinist, has taken part in recordings and concerts by more than 200 artists/bands like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Diana Ross and Carol King. And also in these days, he is often asked to play with in many sessions like by John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Don Byron, Illianne, and Dave Douglas. This is a duet recording with one of the great young European piano improvisers Sylvie Courvoisier. The playing is magical - as though one mind and heart with four arms played both instruments simultaneously! (They've since become a single entity as well - they got hitched. Congrats!) CD $18.00 STOCK

ANTON FIER - Dreamspeed (Avant 009; Japan) This CD, a special Golden Palominos project, HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM CIRCULATION at Anton Fier's request...but strictly for info's sake: 9 tracks recorded at Greenpoint Studio, Brooklyn, New York, June-October 1992 with Anton Fier : drums, percussion, samples, loops; Bill Laswell : bass; Bootsy Collins (except 5): rhythm guitars, (pushing the) envelope filter guitar; Matt Stein : loops, samples; Phew (except 4) : voice; Buckethead (1,2,7,8) : young & innocent guitar, teen metal guitar; Makino Kazu (1,4,8) : moaning, voice.
CD NO LONGER AVAILABLE

JOHN FRENCH - O Solo Drumbo (Avant 024; Japan) An adventurous rock classic by one of the most important innovators in rock drumming.John Drumbo French is best known as the man responsible for creating the percussive backdrops for legendary underground rock pioneer Capt. Beefheart. An eclectic and quirky genius in his own right, O Solo Drumbo is the first CD under his own name. These exciting solo drum performances showcase French's startlingly original drum patterns and his distinctive structural sensibility, mixing familiar riffs from classic albums like Safe As Milk with improvisations and more recent compositions. Produced by the great guitarist/ethnomusicologist/world traveller/improviser Henry Kaiser, O Solo Drumbo has been meticulously recorded with an ear for the detail and precision inherent in French's distinctive percussion work. CD $18.00 STOCK

ERIK FRIEDLANDER - Chimera (Avant 057; Japan) Erik Friedlander is fast becoming a household name on the downtown/NY jazz scene. A member of Dave Douglas' string group, John Zorn's Bar Kokhba and Masada String Trio, various ensembles with jazz great Joe Lovano as well as his own groups Topaz and Chimera, Erik is literally redefining the role of the cello in new improvised music. Perhaps the greatest cellist to emerge in the history of jazz, Erik is also a talented and dedicated composer. Chimera, his first release, is an eclectic and varied exploration of chamber jazz, highlighting Friedlander's beautiful melodic sense and ear for orchestrational detail it's lyrical and moody, at times complex and burning. This is the historic first recording by someone you will certainly be hearing a lot more of in the future. Erik Friedlander (cello), Drew Gress (b), Chris Speed (cl), Andrew D'Angelo (bcl). CD $18.00 STOCK

PETER GARLAND - Nana And Victorio (Avant 012; Japan) Peter Garland has been a champion of American music for over 25 years, maintaining long associations and friendships with composers such as Lou Harrison, Conlon Nancarrow, Paul Bowles and the late Harry Partch. His music, which has been performed world wide by the Kronos Quartet, Aki Takahashi, Guy Klucevsek and the Able-Steinberg-Winant trio among others, is fortunately becoming more and more available on compact discs. Nana and Victorio, his extended composition for solo percussion is performed brilliantly here by William Winant on traditional Native American instruments, remaining respective and evocative of its sources (the two War Chiefs of the Warm Springs Apache of New Mexico who valiantly resisted the Anglo invasions of their lands and destruction of their culture.) Also included is a beautiful piece for piano and vibraphone, PeNasco Blanco, performed by Julie Steinberg, that seduces the listener into a world of happiness and emotional peace. CD $18.00 STOCK

FIELD RECORDINGS IN GHANA [V.A.] - Drums Of Death (Avant 062; Japan) This fourth CD in the Hip's Road World Music series also documents the percussion music of Ghana, but this time of a very different sort: Funeral music. "The rhythms of the Ghanaian Ewe tribe was transported to the New World and we can hear those same rhythms in the drumming that accompanies spiritual rites in Haiti. The religion of the Ewe is Vaudou. Circular and hypnotic, this is music thst induces trances and altered states of consciousness.Recorded in the field at their magical religious ceremonies by Mark Seidenfeld, founder of the Center for Shamanistic Studies, Drums Of Death is a powerful document of the roots of Voodoo.Absolutely one of the best examples of Ghanaian drumming. This recording is a textbook that should be studied by anyone interested in African percussion." - Milford Graves CD $18.00 STOCK

GOD IS MY CO-PILOT - Mir Shlufn Nisht (Avant 032; Japan) God Co is: Sharon Topper (vo, instruments), Craig Flanagin (g, ds), Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Alex Klein (b), Michael Evans (ds), Siobhan Duffy (ds). Mir Shlufn Nisht is God Co's most delightful and entertaining recording; an eclectic pot pourri of Klezmer tunes, Finnish folk melodies, Russian ballads and the like, all delivered with God Co's inimitable post-everything sensibility. Sharon's heartwarming vocals and Craig's loose improvisational arrangements keep guest musicians Anthony Coleman, Andy Haas and Elliott Sharp on their feet dancing and wailing to some of the world's most timeless folk songs. CD $18.00 STOCK

BEN GOLDBERG - Twelve Minor (Avant 035; Japan) Twelve Minor is the newest project from Ben Goldberg, the brilliant clarinetist and compositional mastermind behind the landmark group New Klezmer Trio. Featured on this dynamic sextet is bassist Trevor Dunn, from the cult rock band Mr. Bungle; the sensitive koto of Miya Masaoka who has worked with the likes of Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille, Mark Dresser, Fred Frith and George Lewis; NY's favorite drummer Kenny Wollesen, and two exciting young players from the bay area - violinist Carla Kihlstedt and saxophonist Rob Sudduth.Blending Jewish themes, harmonies and melodies with the fire of Free Jazz and the structural integrity of contemporary classical music, Ben's newest CD is one of his best. CD $18.00 STOCK

ANDY HAAS - Arnhem Land (Avant 048; Japan) An original member of Martha and the Muffins, Andy Haas has performed and or recorded with God Is My Co-Pilot, John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Thurston Moore and countless others. Andy has spent over a decade studying and perfecting his extended techniques on the Australian Aboriginal instrument, the Didgeridu. This is not the kinder, gentler instrument you may have heard on many of the new-age recordings available these days. In the hands of Andy Haas the didgeridu takes on many new faces, as one would expect from the list of collaborators on this, his first CD as a leader. From the vocal pyrotechnics of Haino Keji and Makigami Koichi, the complex percussions of Ikue Mori and Cyro Baptista to the always surprising guitar of Fred Frith and the keys of Anthony Coleman, this CD will redefine your ideas about an instrument as old as time itself. CD $18.00 STOCK

HARRIETT TUBMAN - (Treasure Hunt For The) Prototype (Avant 078; Japan) New York's outstanding and innovative avant-jam group Harriet Tubman consists of three artists with a stunning chemistry. Brandon Ross, Melvin Gibbs and J.T Lewis create bold, exciting music of unusual strength and beauty, unlike anything heard before. Mixing funk, rock and improvisation, these live performances make an important statement by one of the freshest new voices on the New York scene. "The Prototype will not find his head over the fireplace, nor does he dance to the Swing of dead-man Jazz. I am the golden object of the search for place, for pleasure, for panic. I am the sonic frequency of the real. Scores will perish in my pursuit, as badge and shield and newspaper sniff my "Bloody" trail, my indications. I suddenly appear when the suburbanite murders his wife for the insurance money, when children are drowned in the chaos of unrequited love. Only those resembling me will suffer...there are no machines that capture ghosts." - Sadiq Bey NYC, June 2000 CD $18.00 STOCK

WAYNE HORVITZ/PIG PEN - V As In Victim (Avant 027; Japan) Wayne Horvitz is a master of many styles and a veteran of many bands, but few have been as exciting as Pigpen. Featuring the talented young alto saxophonist Briggan Krauss and the rhythm section of Fred Chalenor (b) and Mike Stone (ds), V As In Victim takes the traditional instrumentation of sax, keyboard, bass and drums to some surprising new places. Jumping from jazz to hardcore to moody soundpieces, with a good dose of Booker T. and Frank Zappa thrown in for good measure, Wayne's various obsessions come together brilliantly in this 1993 recording. His catchy tunes and grooving rhythms make this one of his most memorable recordings. CD $18.00 STOCK

WAYNE HORVITZ/THE FOUR PLUS ONE ENSEMBLE - From A Window (Avant 080; Japan) Another beautiful CD of soulful chamber music by downtown veteran Wayne Horvitz who has been straddling the borders of jazz, classical, folk and pop since the mid-1970s. A resident of Seattle for more than a decade, his newest ensemble 4 plus 1 features some of Seattle's greatest musicians, including the legendary Julian Priester on trombone and Eyvind Kang on violin. Melodies of folk-like simplicity underscored by moving harmonic twists, From a Window is one of Wayne's most lyrical and evocative creations. " In the late spring of 1996 my wife Robin, my daughter Nica, our infant son Lowell and I spent 2 months in the village of Villa Latina in central Italy. One morning I awoke around 3 a.m. with no hope of returning to sleep. I couldn't play the piano, as it was in our small bedroom, but our upstairs neighbor had lent me a little keyboard, and with headphones on I wrote most of the compositions which made up the initial 4 plus 1 repertoire. By breakfast I had come up with the idea of forming an ensemble with Reggie, Julian, Eyvind and most importantly using my friend and production cohort Tucker Martine in a live context. By noon I was ready to go back to bed. Soon thereafter we recorded a CD for a small German label. Without having played a single live concert we made what I thought was the most interesting record I had made in a while. More than a year passed before we got around to doing a short European tour. Sadly, Julian Priester had to cancel at the last minute so he could undergo surgery for a liver transplant. In his place we brought along our friend and collaborator Skerik on baritone saxophone. The promise of our initial efforts seemed to increase 3-fold, after a week of concerts Tucker really started playing like another instrument, and something I'd been searching for finally came to life. When we got back in the studio things just fell into place. I've never had such an easy time making music in the studio, and rarely been so pleased with the result. This CD is a reflection of that, with Julian back in the fold, playing his hear looking 20 years younger. I hope you enjoy the music." Wayne Horvitz, Seattle, February 2001 Wayne Horvitz (p, prepared piano, Hammond B-3, pump organ, synth, toy piano), Eyvind Kang (vln, viola), Tucker Martine (live electronic processing, live drum machine), Julian Priester (tb), Reggie Watts (key, vo, live drum machine, p), Skerik (bs). CD $18.00 STOCK

LEE HYLA - In Double Light (Avant 015; Japan) Lee Hyla is more and more becoming known as one of the premiere composers of his generation. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Goddard Lieberson award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and the Rome Prize, Hyla has written music for many of the world's greatest orchestras and chamber ensembles. In Double Light, recorded from 1986 to 1992, is a beautiful collection of his works for small chamber ensembles and features some of the most exciting performers in New York and Boston. In addition to his masterpiece In Double Light is an introspective quartet for flute, viola, cello and piano, the intense second string quartet, commissioned and performed by the Lydian Quartet, and a virtuoso solo piece for bass clarinet, masterfully performed by Tim Smith, which weaves the songs of birds, both real and imaginary, into a complex tapestry of note clusters, harmonics and impossible leaps. Mary Ruth Ray (vla), Tim Smith (bcl), Elizabeth Rodgers (p), Jim Pugliese (per), Elizabeth Brown (fl, a-fl), Theodore Mook (cello), Lee Hyla (p, cond), Lydian String Quartet: Wilma Smith (vln), Judith Eissenberg (vln), Mary Ruth Ray (vla) and Rhoda Rider (cello). CD $18.00 STOCK

PHILLIP JOHNSTON'S BIG TROUBLE - The Unknown (Avant 037; Japan) In recent years, many musicians have taken on the challenge of writing contemporary scores for silent films, but few have been as successful or as delightful as Phillip Johnston's score for Tod Browning's masterpiece The Unknown. Known largely for his littlest - big band The Microscopic Septet and his group Big Trouble, Phillip has most recently been composing music for films by Paul Schrader and Philip Haas (Music of Chance). Johnston's music mixes modern harmonies with a nostalgic old-time feel and in his compelling score to The Unknown, he throws in a generous dose of side show carnival atmosphere, making this one of the most distinctive and original of his varied creations. Phillip Johnston (ss, as), Steve Swell (tb), Bob Debellis (bs, bcl, fl, alto flute), Joe Ruddick (p, Kurzweil K2000RS, Ensoniq KS32), David Hofstra (b), Kevin Norton (ds, vib, per). CD $18.00 STOCK

[EYVIND KANG] DYING GROUND - Dying Ground (Avant 076; Japan) Eyvind Kang is quickly becoming one of the most fascinating and quirky figures in new music. His first release 7 Nades, on Tzadik, has met with unanimous praise and was on many Top 10 lists from 1996. Kang's newest project is a power trio. Heavy and relentless, this is the other side of Kang's violin, whose velvet tones have graced the music of artists ranging from Bill Frisell and Joe McPhee to the Sun City Girls and Arto Lindsay. Joined here by Kato Hideki (Ground Zero, Death Ambient) on bass and Grant Calvin Weston (Ornette Coleman, James Blood Ulmer, Miles Davis) on drums, this dynamic live recording captures the power and excitement of this band at its peak. Intense and captivating. CD $18.00 STOCK

HAINO KEIJI/FUSHITSUSHA - Allegorical Misunderstanding (Avant 008; Japan) Haino Keiji's musical influences are a lot more varied than most people believe. An accomplished musician who has listened to everything from Scarlatti to Partch, Blood Ulmer to Django, Munir Bachir to Vassilis Tsitsanis, Haino's music is intense, visceral and brutally honest. One of the most enigmatic musicians in Japan, he is also one of the most prolific: but this CD is something special. His first studio recording ever. Performing with his regular trio Fushitsusha (Ozawa Yasushi (b), Kosugi Jun (ds)) Haino is in a surprisingly lyrical mode here. This is a side of Haino you've never heard: Haino in love. Produced by John Zorn and recorded by Martin Bisi, Allegorical Misunderstanding is a very special one-of-a-kind listening experience. Haino plays for lovers only CD $18.00 STOCK

HAINO KEIJI - An Unclear Trial: More Than This (Avant 074; Japan) Haino Keiji has become one of the most prolific artists in the Japanese underground, but this is a CD you absolutely have got to own. A studio recording with the legendary rhythm section of John Zorn's Masada; Joey Baron on drums and Greg Cohen on bass. Haino's guitar screams, stretches and swings in a jazz power trio inspired by among others, James Blood Ulmer and Argentine swing legend Oscar Aleman. Produced by John Zorn, this is Haino like you've never heard him before; and probably never will again. CD $18.00 STOCK

[BILL BROVOLD] LARVAL - Larval (Avant 055; Japan) Instrumental Rock at its best. Blending together the intellectual structures of rock minimalism with the visceral edge of surf and grunge pioneer Link Wray, Bill Brovold has forged a bold new instrumental music of pulsing intensity. Adventurous, exciting, yet totally accessible, Larval will satisfy rock, classical and new music audiences alike with its unique approach to instrumental rock. Bill has worked with Rhys Chatham, Fast Forward and the Zen Vikings in early eighties New York, and was a integral part of the No Wave explosion. He has been based in Detroit since 1994. Bill Brovold (g), Eric Gustafson (g), Beth Wilusz (g), Dean Western (b), Wil Osler (ds), Otto Kentrol (sax), John Evans (sax). CD $18.00 STOCK

BILL LASWELL VS. SUBMERGED - Brutal Calling (Avant 081; Japan) Bridging the gap between avant-jazz and drum'n'bass, this features bass guerilla Laswell plating the electric bass furiously underneath the rugged breaks, bright persussion and sinister atmospheres provided by Submerged [aka Kurt Glick, head of the Ohm Resistance label]. It is every bit as effective as it is original ...and does serious damage to the dancefloor!
CD $18.00 STOCK

GEORGE E LEWIS With ROSCOE MITCHELL - Voyager (Avant 014; Japan) A new recording from George Lewis is always a major event. In addition to being one of the greatest living trombone players, George Lewis is also one of the world's leading authorities on computer music. A founding member of Chicago's AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Music) George Lewis has performed with some of the greatest names in the history of Jazz Music, from Count Basie to Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker. Joined here by his close friend and frequent collaborator, saxophone genius Roscoe Mitchell, George gives us a glimpse of the incredible possibilities of the future of computers, electronic musics and live instrumental interaction, in what may be his best CD to date. CD $18.00 STOCK

ROMERO LUBAMBO - Lubambo (Avant 023; Japan) Beautiful and exotic Brazilian music for solo guitar by a musician of almost unbelievable strength and imagination. Romero Lubambo has worked with just about every major contemporary Brazilian artist and was recently featured on Cyro Baptista's critically acclaimed CD Vira Loucous. Intense rhythmic drive and a beautiful melodic sense distinguish this set of etudes for solo guitar, remarkably Romero's first recording under his own name. CD $18.00 STOCK JOE MANERI - Paniots Nine (Avant 067; Japan) An exciting first release of Joe's legendary 1963 quartet recordings ! In the past 10 years, more and more people have become aware of the music of Joe Maneri. Born in Brooklyn in 1927, Joe has been a professional musician since 1941. A veteran of countless bands, his experience as a musician-for-hire gave him a unique insight into a wide variety of music, from jazz and classical, to Klezmer and Greek wedding music. Integrating these musics into a personal vision as early as the mid 50's, Maneri is a true American original, anticipating the exciting new music of the AACM, and the more recent developments of Dave Douglas, Don Byron (who studied with Joe at the New England Conservatory), Paradox Trio and countless others. These are the legendary lost tapes of Joe's ill-fated 1963 quartet demo; the original recordings both musicians and critics have been talking about for years. You've got to hear it to believe it. Joe Maneri (ts, cl), Don Burns (p), John Beal (b), Pete Dolger (ds), Greg Silverman (p) CD $18.00 STOCK

MARIE McAULIFFE'S ARKSEXTET - Refractions: Plays The Music Of Burt Bacharach (Avant 070; Japan) One of the highlights of Tzadik's Burt Bacharach tribute from 1996, Marie McAuliffe follows up her brilliant arrangement of I Say A Little Prayer with an entire album of Bacharach material featuring her exciting unit, the ArKsextet. More and more known in the jazz world as a distinctive pianist and arranger, Marie's unique take on a Bacharach's melodic masterpieces swing like crazy, taking unexpected twists and turns while still remaining faithful to the Bacharach originals. ArKsextet: Marie McAuliffe (p), Rob Henke (tp, flh), Rich Perry (ts), Chris Washburne (tb, tu), Dave Hofstra (b), Kevin Norton (ds, vibes). CD $18.00 STOCK

MISHA MENGLEBERG TRIO - Who's Bridge (Avant 038; Japan) One of the father figures of the Dutch jazz scene, a founding member of the European Fluxus movement and one of the most enigmatic pianists in jazz, Misha Mengelberg is captured here in his first piano trio recording, performing eleven of his most enduring compositions. Influenced by Monk and more notably by Herbie Nichols, Misha has forged a unique style of his own, combining a deep understanding of harmonic complexities with a charming folk-melodic sense, and of course, his sly Dutch humor. Joined here by a dynamic and sensitive rhythm section of Brad Jones (Elvin Jones, Jazz Passengers) and Joey Baron (Baron Down, Masada), each of whom has also developed an original and unique appoach to their respective instruments, this is one of the essential piano trio albums of the '90s. An absolute classic. CD $18.00 STOCK

IKUE MORI With MARC RIBOT & ROBERT QUINE - Painted Desert (Avant 030; Japan) Following her legendary drumming with No Wave pioneers DNA, Ikue Mori has devoted herself to creative adaption of electronic drum machines. Painted Desert, originally released in 1995, is her most finely-focused album, investigating the textures and spirit of Ennio Morricone's Spaghetti Western soundtracks with guitar twang virtuosos Robert Quine (Lou Reed, Richard Hell & The Voidoids) and Marc Ribot (Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Marianne Faithfull). From desolate soundscapes to urgent and explosive tribal drumming, Mori's rhythms match the subtle colors and shading of her cohorts' twin-guitar interplay. CD $18.00 STOCK

NAKED CITY [JOHN ZORN'S] - Heretic (Avant 001; Japan) Heretic is the mysterious album of soundtrack music Zorn created for a Japanese film of S/M erotica and features this legendary band improvising in small units of duets and trios. Moody, extreme - almost exilerating, many die hard fans consider Heretic their favorite Naked City album. Includes the first of many collaborative duet recordings by Yamataka Eye / John Zorn and Joey Baron / Bill Frisell. John Zorn (as), Bill Frisell (g), Wayne Horvitz (key), Fred Frith (b), Joey Baron (ds), Yamataka Eye (vo) CD $18.00 STOCK

NAKED CITY [JOHN ZORN'S] - Grand Guignol (Avant 002; Japan) This is the controversial CD that sparked Zorn's break with Nonesuch Records. Planned as the second Naked City album, the release was delayed for years over both musical and artistic issues. Exploring the darker side of human creativity, Grand Guignol is divided into three parts. The title track is a long paean to the theatre of shock and horror that took Paris by storm at the turn of the century. Stark and intense, Grand Guignol is one of Zorn's major long form compositions. Also included are Zorn's sensual arrangements of classical music by Messiaen, Scriabin, Ives and Debussy. The final third of the CD contains 33 of the seminal hardcore miniatures that made Naked City famous. Uncompromising cover art and music from one of the most original and eclectic bands of the 1990's. Naked City: John Zorn (as, vo), Bill Frisell (g), Wayne Horvitz (key), Fred Frith (b), Joey Baron (ds), Yamataka Eye (vo) Special Guest Vocalist: Bob Dorough CD $18.00 STOCK

NAKED CITY [JOHN ZORN'S] - Radio (Avant 003; Japan) In its brief but influential 5-year life span, Naked City released 7 albums of astonishing breadth and originality. Originally released in 1993, Radio captures Naked City at the height of its powers, a band capable of anything from surf to nuts. R&B, country-rock, free jazz, hardcore punk, cartoon music, heavy metal, movie soundtracks and world-beat are all explored in John Zorn's radical compositional style, making this perhaps the best entry-way into Naked CityÍs eclectic and intense world of sound. Originally conceived as a radio show for college radio, this delightful program of screams, funk beats, tender ballads and horrible noise is Naked City's party record. Fun for the whole family, dysfunctional or not. John Zorn (as, vo), Bill Frisell (g), Wayne Horvitz (key), Fred Frith (b), Joey Baron (ds), Yamataka Eye (vo) CD $18.00 STOCK

NAKED CITY [JOHN ZORN'S] - Absinthe (Avant 004; Japan) Absinthe is one of John Zorn's most mysterious and elusive creations -- a strange twisted take on the legacies of Messiaen and ambient music. Joey Baron plays bags of dry leaves, fishing reels and buckshot, Bill Frisell solos on a microtonal guitar, Wayne Horvitz samples everything from crickets to Giacinto Scelsi, Fred Frith does what he does best, and Zorn doesn't even touch the saxophone. Exquisite analog recording at Electric Ladyland studio by Joe Ferla. Absinthe, originally released in 1993, is a dark and perplexing album that is considered by many to be Naked City's best work. CD $18.00 STOCK

BOB OSTERTAG - Fear No Love (Avant 041; Japan) Ostertag is again pushing the boundaries of music, but this time it's on the dance floor! Ostertag applies his sampling genius to a dance / techno / industrial / r & b / etc. It's a hilarious, surreal and subversive romp, a trashy gender-bending disco cartoon, featuring instrumental guests (Fred Frith, Chris Brown, Trevor Dunn and others) and a menagerie of guest vocalists (including Mike Patton, Lynn Breedlove, drag performance diva Justin Bond, and Christian Huygen.) Bob Ostertag (sampling, syn, etc), Joey Blake (back vo), Justin Bond (vo), Lynn Breedlove (vo), Chris Brown (sampler), Trevor Dunn (b), Fred Frith (g, b), Jim Hedges (g), Philip Horvitz (vo), Christian Huygen (vo), Andrea Lewis (back vo), Raz Kennedy (vo), Sara Miles, Mike Patton (vo), JD Reilly (key, p), Annie Toone (harmonica), Richie Waits, William Winant (el-per). CD $18.00 STOCK

JOHN OSWALD/PLUNDERPHONICS - Plexure (Avant 016; Japan) One of the most infamous sampling musicians in the world, John Oswald's Plunderphonics is an underground legend. Plexure, his most rigorous and complex work to date, slices, chops and blends literally hundreds of thousands of sound bites from musics known and unknown into a dizzying sonic whirlwind. You have never heard anything quite like Plexure, and you are likely never to forget it. A close collaborator of Henry Kaiser, John Zorn and the Grateful Dead - John Oswald lives with his wife and dog in a small suburb near downtown Toronto. His sound installations, mystery tapes, dance performances, orchestral compositions and saxophone manipulations are known worldwide. CD $18.00 STOCK

ZEENA PARKINS - Isabelle (Avant 018; Japan) Isabelle is one of Zeena Parkins' most important composition to date, the first in a trilogy of long form compositions. Dedicated to the legendary explorer, writer and wander, Isabelle Eberhardt, who became fascinated with Algeria, converted to Islam and became initiated into a secret Sufi sect before the premature death at the age of 27. This complex work combines classical composition and improvisation in a new and provocative hybrid. Heartfelt, melodic, sensuous, this essential recording is an evocative tribute to one of the most elusive women of the twentieth century. Also included is an exciting duet with the brilliant electronic percussionist Ikue Mori inspired by the comic book superhero Wonder Woman. Zeena Parkins (sampler, el.harp, p, sn.drum, East Berlin toy), Lisa Crowder (p), Margaret Parkins (cello), Sara Parkins (vln) and Ikue Mori (el.per). CD $18.00 STOCK

JIM PLOTKIN - The Joy Of Disease (Avant 028; Japan) The Joy Of Disease is an ambient-hardcore dub project by the mastermind behind Earache band OLD. Featuring the out-of-control samples of Mick Harris (Scorn, PainKiller), the voice of Franz Treichler (Young Gods) and a variety of guitar loops, sound effects and pulsating drum patterns, this CD is an intriguing exploration into the outer edges of ambient-rock. James Plotkin (g, b, rhythms samples), Franz Treichler (ominous guitar loop on track 2, samples on track 8), Mick Harris (drifting gate on track 8, atmosphere and cymbals on track 4), Ruth Collins (words and voice on track 1, 2, 7, 9). CD $18.00 STOCK

PRELAPSE - Prelapse (Avant 053; Japan) A raging new band influenced by Naked City, Steve Coleman and Mr. Bungle. This first CD presents their startling original music alongside a dozen unrecorded compositions by John Zorn originally written for the Naked City repertory circa 1990. With Zorn appearing as guest saxophonist on several pieces, this exciting CD is a dream-come-true for many Naked City fans. Their own material contains complex forms, a twisted sense of humor and an awesome power few bands can match. Alex Lacamoire (key), Rev. Mason Wendell (b, vo), Dane Johnson (g), Andy Sanesi (ds), Jeff Hudgins (as, cl) with special guest John Zorn (as). CD $18.00 STOCK

BOBBY PREVITE'S EMPTY SUITS - Slay The Suitors (Avant 036; Japan) Bobby Previte has been a driving force in the downtown NYC Jazz scene for well over a decade. His various groups (Empty Suits, Weather Clear Track Fast, The Horse, Latin For Travellers) and projects (Claude's Late Morning, Bitches Brew, Moscow Circus) have received both awards and unanimous praise for their passion, creativity and adventurousness. Slay The Suitors was recorded for Gramavision, but never released because of a cover art controversy. Avant is proud to present both the music and the cover intact. Slay The Suitors is Bobby Previte at his primal best This music was recorded LIVE in the studio - NO overdubs! Robin Eubanks (tb, electronics), Wayne Horvitz (Hammond org, key, p), Steve Gaboury (p, key, keyboard bass), Jerome Harris (g, ac-b), Roger Squitero (per), Bobby Previte (ds). CD $18.00 STOCK

WEDDING BANDS FROM RAJASTHAN [V.A. ] - Disco Bhangra (Avant 031; Japan) One of the most bizarre releases in years and the first in a new series of AVANT World Music recordings, Disco Banghra is an absolute must: brass band wedding music recorded live in the field in Ragasthan, Northern India. Clarinet and brass with drums, organ and highly reverbed scat vocals perform some of Indian film music's greatest hits in a loose and endearing fashion that makes Guatamala's legendary San Lucas Band sound like seasoned professionals (Prakash Band's spirited version of Tequila will make your teeth crack!) Detailed liner notes and location photographs give historical background to a sound that for all intents and purposes shouldn't have one. CD $18.00 STOCK

RESIA VALLEY MUSIC [V.A.] - Smarnamisa! Folk Songs & Dances From North-East Italy (Avant 047; Japan) From beneath the Alps, near the Slovenian border in Northeast Italy, comes a gorgeous and haunting album of traditional dances, songs and fairy tales from the Resia Valley. 'Smarnamisa!' is the first compact disc of the music of Friuli, birthplace of Pasolini. The rough sawing drone of the citira (fiddle) and the bunkula (three-stringed cello) accompanied by rhythmic foot-stomping transport the listener to a medieval village in ages past. CD $18.00 STOCK

MARC RIBOT - Shrek (Avant 033; Japan) Marc Ribot is one of the best guitarist in the world. He has worked with everyone from Elvis Costello, Chuck Berry and Jack McDuff to Lou Reed, Tom Waits and John Lurie. He can play more styles of music than most people can think of, and with Shrek he has invented yet another. Shrek is Marc's ultimate compositional statement to date : an atavistic exploration of the primitive, the banal and the despised. Featuring an incredible band of Chris Wood (Medeski, Martin & Wood), Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing), Christine Bard and Jim Pugliese (ESP), Marc Anthony Thompson (on auto-erotic harp!) and the ubiquitous David Shea on samplers, Shrek will make you scream. It will make you sick. And it will make you a mumbling, bumbling fan of one of the world's most original and influential guitarists - Marc Ribot. CD $18.00 STOCK

ROUGH ASSEMBLAGE - Construction & Demolition (Avant 017; Japan) Inventive and refreshing explorations of rhythm, texture and process, with instrumentation including refrigerator/stove parts, pencil and eraser, sampler and 4 amplified basses. Performers include Marc Ribot, Anthony Coleman, Jim Pugliese, Christine Bard, Lindsey Horner and Chris Wood.Rough Assemblage was a five-year project of a collective of three young composers at New York's Mannes College of Music: Norman Yamada, Mark Degliantoni and the late Eric Qin (1967-1993). Yamada served for years as the organizer/prompter of the long-running Knitting Factory performances of John Zorn's game piece Cobra. His brass quintet, Mundane Dissatisfactions, has been recorded by the Meridian Arts Ensemble on Channel Classics. Mark Degliantoni has gone on to fame as the sampler player in the pop band Soul Coughing, and has also performed and recorded with Anthony Coleman, Roy Nathanson, Elliott Sharp and John Zorn. Eric Qin's work involved both the use of traditional and unconventional instruments and performing situations. A CD of other Qin compositions is forthcoming on Avant. CD $18.00 STOCK

[JAMIE] SAFT/[CUONG] VU - Ragged Jack (Avant 068; Japan) Exploring the vast space between jazz composition and free improvisation, Saft / Vu develops structures built of dark shadow and jagged plateau, constantly redefining their own musical language. Pianist Jamie Saft and trumpeter Cuong Vu have recently drawn attention for their contributions to Bobby Previte's Too Close To The Pole. They've studied with microtonal master Joe Maneri at the New England Conservatory, and Vu has also recorded with Orange Then Blue and Dave Douglas. They're joined by reedman Andrew D' Angelo (also from Previte band) and formidable percussionist Jim Black (of Tim Berne's Bloodcount, Dave Douglas Tiny Bell Trio, Ellery Eskelin Trio). A very impressive debut. CD $18.00 STOCK

JENNY SCHEINMAN QUARTET - Live at Yoshi's (Avant 045; Japan) Jenny is amazing violinist and this is her stellar quartet improv debut! Featuring Dave MacNab on guitar, Todd Sickafoose on bass, Scott Amendola on drums. CD $18.00 STOCK

DAVID SHEA - Shock Corridor (Avant 013; Japan) Splitting his time between Europe and the United States, David Shea has become one of the most well known sampler players in the world. He has released over seven critically-acclaimed CDs in the past five years and his creativity continues to shoot off in all directions. Shock Corridor was his debut recording. Released in 1992, David presents three sides of his multi-faceted compositional skills. In the title track he presents an unfolding collage dedicated to film director Samuel Fuller and is joined by an all-star band of Jim Pugliese, Shelley Hirsch, Ikue Mori, Zeena Parkins, Jim Staley and Anthony Coleman. Also included is a cartoon piece for two keyboards and a trio for samplers that ultimately points toward the direction he was to follow over the next several years. An important and varied first release by this exciting downtown composer. CD $18.00 STOCK

SOLA & WU-MAN - China Collage (Avant 046; Japan) Liu Sola has done vocal work on various projects with Bill Laswell, who produced her fascinating debut 'Blues In The East' (Axiom) as well as this duet recording with Wu Man, which we think may possibly stand the test of time as her masterpiece. The two young and innovative talents build on Chinese opera and folk traditions to create a beautiful, unusual and haunting album, unlike anything else you have ever heard. CD $18.00 STOCK

DAVE SOLDIER - Smut (Avant 019; Japan) Twangy guitars, droning brass, and pornographic lyrics. Dedicated to Robert Mapplethorpe and David Wojnarowicz, these strange songs, adapted from homo- and hetero - erotic Latin poetry of the middle ages, create a medieval surf sound that will make you want to hit the beach with a copy of Catullus. Matarile, the second composition on this quirky CD, evokes 1990s New York the way Stockhausen evoked 1950s Cologne on Gesang der Junglinge. Using children's voices, rappers and city noises, Soldier structures this work like opposing mirrors in a barber shop; imitation upon imitation upon imitation ad infinitum. An assistant professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at Columbia University, Dave Soldier has been leading the Soldier String Quartet since 1985 and has collaborated with some of downtown's greatest musical luminaries. Among them Elliott Sharp, John Cale, Butch Morris and Ornette Coleman. Track 1- 8: Tiye' Giraud (voices solo on 4), Napua Davoy (voices solo on 2), Wilber Pauley (voices solo on 7), Ben Neill (tp), Rob Bethea (tb), Dave Soldier (g), Bob Bannister (g), James Pugliese (ds), Samm Bennett (ds), Richard Auldon Clark (cond) and Children's Choir of Our Lady of Lourdes, Harlem, NY. Track 9: Ana Gonzales (vo), Bianel Ramos (vo), Merlyn Jaime (vo), Dolly Rosalio (vo), Yokaira Feliz (vo), Marielys Divanne (vo), Dioremi Felix (vo), Wilson Hidalgo (vo), Deyamira De Luna (vo), Julio Sanchez (vo), Alejandro Taveras (vo), Victor Rosa (vo), Rocio Taveras (vo), Wilson Arias (rapper), Jose R. Cespedes (cga, tambora), Rafael De Los Santos (p), Willie Hernandez (b, guira). CD $18.00 STOCK

[TENKO] DRAGON BLUE - Hade's Park (Avant 075; Japan) Along with Yamataka Eye, Haino Keiji and Makigami Koichi, Tenko is one of the most intense and original vocalists to come out of Japan. A veteran of countless bands since the late 70's, Tenko has also worked in close collaboration with Fred Frith and Ikue Mori. This latest project is one of her best: an all-star band of some of the greatest musicians from the Tokyo underground. This first studio recording by Dragon Blue features turntable wizard Otomo Yoshihide, guitar master Imabori Tsuneo, the ferocious drumming of Sotoyama Akira and of course the legendary Kato Hideki on bass. Blending intensity, quirkiness and improvisational unpredictability, Dragon Blue is one of Japan's most important underground bands. CD $18.00 STOCK

VIVIAN SISTERS - Vivian Sisters (Avant 079; Japan) Twisted post-punk-rock weirdness organized by ace Dim Sum Clip Job drummer Laura Cromwell with another multi-instrumental Tzadik/Avant artist Jamie Saft and guests Zeena Parkins, Briggan Krauss, Andrew D'Angelo, Mr. Dorgon and Adam Levy. CD $18.00 STOCK

DAVID WATSON - Skirl (Avant 077; Japan) A swirling free polyphony of bagpipes over thunderous grooves, with funky phasing lines flowing into Coltrane jazz, microtonal drones and lush orchestral percussion. A regular on the downtown New York scene for the past ten years, native New Zealander David Watson pushes the boundaries of the classic "pipe and drums" format in an exciting CD of compositions and improvisation from the collective hallucination. Features a stellar constellation of drummers including Cyro Baptista's rapturous percussion orchestra "Beat the Donkey." David Watson (bagpipes), Julie Brown (bagpipes), Doug Safranek (bagpipes), Jim Pugliese (vibes, per), Christine Bard (ds, per), Tony Buck (ds, bellafon, Roto toms), Cyro Baptista (jaw harp, berimbau, quica) & Beat the Donkey (per), Marjorie Fitts (harp), Michael Attias (as), Andy Haas (didjeridu). CD $18.00 STOCK

DAVID WEINSTEIN - Perfume (Avant 020; Japan) David Weinstein is a composer who uses electronic and recording technology to fashion improbable orchestral and musical juxtapositions. Utilizing rigorous compositional techniques and hackneyed Hollywood tricks as well as experimental processes, Weinstein composes with an appreciation of the divine in the pedestrian. As a composer/keyboardist Weinstein has recorded and performed in collaboration with the singer/composer Shelley Hirsch, in Elliott Sharp's Carbon, with John Zorn, and a variety of other composer/musicians from Arto Lindsay to Zeena Parkins. Five years in the making, Weinstein's first solo CD Perfume charts a dyslexic and exotic path through microtonal scales towards the world of just intonation. CD $18.00 STOCK

BERNARD WOMA - Live At The Pito Bar (Avant 063; Japan) Bernard Woma, a member of the Dagara tribe from northern Ghana, is considered one of the foremost balafon players in the world. On Sunday afternoons, Bernard and his friends go to Nandem House to kick back, relax, drink Pito (a homemade beer brewed from millet), dance and play some music.This CD documents one such afternoon, and the result is one of the most exciting, raw, visceral recordings of African music you've ever heard. The intense energy and poly-rhythmic complexity of this music can remind you of the Cecil Taylor trio at one moment, and Steve Reich the next. But of course, you've never heard anything like it before. Absolutely Riveting. CD $18.00 STOCK

MIN XIAO-FEN - With Six Composers (Avant 021; Japan) Min Xiao-Fen is one of the outstanding pipa (Chinese 4-string lute) virtuosos of our time. Well versed in the traditional Chinese repertoire, she was the pipa soloist with the famed Nanjing National Music Orchestra. Since her arrival in the United States in 1992, she has become a dynamic leader in developing modern repertoire for the pipa. She has performed with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the New York Music Consort, the Chicago Contemporary Players, the San Francisco Opera Symphony, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players among many others, and has developed strong working relationships with composers as diverse as Chen Yi, Tan Dun, Wadada Leo Smith, Carl Stone,George Lewis and John Zorn. This CD features the fruit of these collaborative friendships in seven major new compositions that take this ancient instrument to new and unexpected places. CD $18.00 STOCK

ZE'V - Heads & Tales (Avant 034; Japan) Conceptual artist, dancer, musician, scholar and poet, Stefan Weisser began playing the drums at age 4. Moving to New York City from San Francisco in 1979, and adopting the name Z'ev, his work with performance/noise percussion broke new ground and drew the attention of rock symphonist Glenn Branca, dancer Simone Forti, guitarist Rudolph Grey and just about everybody related to the downtown scene. These recordings from the early nineties were created in New York with the assistance of long-time friends and collaborators Wharton Tiers and Glenn Branca. Showing his interests in newly developed technologies, drum 'n' bass, techno and hard-core dance beats, Heads & Tales is unlike any Z'ev recordings you've ever heard. Without compromising his commitment to intensity, his experiments here have taken a whole new turn. Heads & Tales promises to become his best-selling CD, earning him a whole new audience. CD $18.00 STOCK

JOHN ZORN'S COBRA - Tokyo Operations '94 (Avant 049; Japan) Cobra has become one of John Zorn's most infamous compositions, and is performed regularly in places as diverse as Australia, Japan, Europe and Scandinavia. These recordings from the heart of Tokyo features a new generation of Japan's most creative traditional musicians prompted by the enthusiastic musical master Makigami Koichi. Shakuhachi, koto, hichiriki, shamisen, nokan, dengaku bue, taiko, ortin doo and gidayu, mix with guitar, bass, vocals and percussion in a bizarre meeting of not only east and west, but also north, south and every other point on the compass. There has never been a Cobra like this one. Exhilarating. Isso Yukihiro (nokan, dengakubue), Uemura Masahiro (per), Uchihashi Kazuhisa (g), Kinoshita Shinichi (shamisen), Senba Kiyohiko (per), Takei Makoto (shakuhachi), Tanaka Yumiko (gidayu), Nakamura Hitomi (hichiriki), Maruta Miki (koto), Mekken (b), Yamamoto Kyoko (vo), Ito Taeko (ortin doo), Makigami Koichi (prompter). CD $18.00 STOCK

[JOHN ZORN/MIKE PATTON] WEIRD LITTLE BOY - Weird Little Boy (Avant 043; Japan) A special band project spearheaded by John Zorn and Mike Patton, Wierd Little Boy is a collective of artists, writers and musicians - this first CD release features the world-renowned graphics of Nayland Blake, the utting-edge writing of gay S/M writer Dennis Cooper and music by Chris Cochrane, John Zorn and members of the cult rock band Mr. Bungle CD $18.00 STOCK